Misconception of life

Expressions researched:
"misconception of life" |"misconceptions of life"

BG Chapters 13 - 18

Actual liberation is getting free from misconceptions of life.

BG 18.55, Purport:

After attainment of the brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) stage of freedom from material conceptions, devotional service begins by one's hearing about the Lord. When one hears about the Supreme Lord, automatically the brahma-bhūta stage develops, and material contamination—greediness and lust for sense enjoyment—disappears. As lust and desires disappear from the heart of a devotee, he becomes more attached to the service of the Lord, and by such attachment he becomes free from material contamination. In that state of life he can understand the Supreme Lord. This is the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. After liberation the process of bhakti, or transcendental service, continues. The Vedānta-sūtra (4.1.12) confirms this: ā-prāyaṇāt tatrāpi hi dṛṣṭam. This means that after liberation the process of devotional service continues. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, real devotional liberation is defined as the reinstatement of the living entity in his own identity, his own constitutional position. The constitutional position is already explained: every living entity is a part-and-parcel fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord. Therefore his constitutional position is to serve. After liberation, this service is never stopped. Actual liberation is getting free from misconceptions of life.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.3, Translation:

As soon as the living entity becomes situated in his constitutional glory and begins to enjoy the transcendence beyond time and material energy, he at once gives up the two misconceptions of life (I and mine) and thus becomes fully manifested as the pure self.

The two misconceptions of life, namely "I" and "mine," are verily manifested in two classes of men. In the lower state the conception of "mine" is very prominent, and in the higher state the misconception of "I" is prominent.

SB 2.9.3, Purport:

The two misconceptions of life, namely "I" and "mine," are verily manifested in two classes of men. In the lower state the conception of "mine" is very prominent, and in the higher state the misconception of "I" is prominent. In the animal state of life the misconception of "mine" is perceivable even in the category of cats and dogs, who fight with one another with the same misconception of "mine." In the lower stage of human life the same misconception is also prominent in the shape of "It is my body," "It is my house," "It is my family," "It is my caste," "It is my nation," "It is my country," and so on. And in the higher stage of speculative knowledge, the same misconception of "mine" is transformed into "I am," or "It is all I am," etc. There are many classes of men comprehending the same misconception of "I" and "mine', in different colors. But the real significance of "I" can be realized only when one is situated in the consciousness of "I am the eternal servitor of the Lord." This is pure consciousness, and the whole Vedic literatures teach us this conception of life.

SB Canto 3

Under the false impression that the body is the self, the living entities foolishly relate to so many false attachments. They think that they can engage with materialistic paraphernalia forever. This gross misconception of life is so strong that a person suffers continually, life after life, under the external energy of the Lord.

SB 3.8.2, Purport:

The sage Maitreya proposed to speak on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it was especially compiled, and traditionally comes down in the disciplic succession, for the solution of all the problems of human society. Only one who is fortunate can have the opportunity to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of pure devotees of the Lord. Under the spell of material energy, the living entities are entrapped in the bondage of many difficulties simply for the sake of a little bit of material happiness. They engage in fruitive activities, not knowing the implications. Under the false impression that the body is the self, the living entities foolishly relate to so many false attachments. They think that they can engage with materialistic paraphernalia forever. This gross misconception of life is so strong that a person suffers continually, life after life, under the external energy of the Lord. If one comes in contact with the book Bhāgavatam as well as with the devotee bhāgavata, who knows what the Bhāgavatam is, then such a fortunate man gets out of the material entanglement. Therefore Śrī Maitreya Muni, out of compassion for the suffering men in the world, proposes to speak on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam first and last.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Vasudeva took the opportunity of Kaṁsa's benevolence and informed him that his atheistic activities were also due to this misconception of life—namely taking the material body to be the self.

Krsna Book 4:

Vasudeva took the opportunity of Kaṁsa's benevolence and informed him that his atheistic activities were also due to this misconception of life—namely taking the material body to be the self. When Vasudeva talked with Kaṁsa in such an illuminating way, Kaṁsa became very much pleased, and his guilt for killing his nephews subsided. With the permission of his sister Devakī and brother-in-law Vasudeva, he returned to his home with a relieved mind.

King Mucukunda prays to Lord Kṛṣṅa, “I wasted so much of my valuable lifetime with no benefit. As my misconception of life intensified, I began to think of this material body, which is just a bag of flesh and bones, as the all in all, and in my vanity I believed I had become the king of human society.”

Krsna Book 51:

“Therefore, my dear Lord, I wasted so much of my valuable lifetime with no benefit. As my misconception of life intensified, I began to think of this material body, which is just a bag of flesh and bones, as the all in all, and in my vanity I believed I had become the king of human society. In this misconception of bodily life I traveled all over the world, accompanied by my military strength—soldiers, charioteers, elephants and horses. Assisted by many commanders and puffed up by power, I could not trace out Your Lordship, who always sit within my heart as the most intimate friend. I did not care for You, and this was the fault of my so-called exalted material condition. I think that, like me, all living creatures are careless about spiritual realization and are always full of anxieties, thinking, "What is to be done? What is next?" But because we are strongly bound by material desires, we continue to remain in craziness.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If you want to discard this misconception of life, that "I am this body," and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

So Vyāsadeva, in clear consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he saw Kṛṣṇa and this māyā. And what is this māyā? That is said, yayā sammohito jīva. That māyā which has enchanted all these conditioned souls. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānam anarthaṁ manute (SB 1.7.5). Considering himself that "I am material product." I am coming to this point. Those who are thinking that "I am a material product," they're completely in darkness of māyā. Yayā, manute anarthaṁ tat-kṛtaṁ ca abhipadyate. And identifying himself with this body, they are acting in bodily consciousness and increasing their problems of life and conditional life in material existence. Horrible condition. Therefore Vyāsadeva says, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Anartha, this anartha, this misconception of life, if you want to discard this misconception of life, that "I am this body," and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.

The whole treatment is to get out of this disease of madness, misidentification, misconception of life.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

In India, there was a case. A man was murdered, and the criminal lawyer pleaded that he was in madness. So the expert medical practitioner was invited and he was asked to examine whether this man is in madness. So he said that "So far my experience goes, I have studied, every man is a madman, more or less." Every man in the material concept of life is a madman because he does not know his identification. Therefore he's a madman. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchana haya. Just like a ghostly-haunted man. His father is standing before him and he's calling the father by ill names, because he's ghostly-haunted. Similarly, a living entity who is entrapped by this material energy, illusion, he's a madman. And the whole treatment is to get out of this disease of madness, misidentification, misconception of life. So it is not difficult to find out a madman. Any man is a madman.

The whole world is suffering because this misconception of life, misconception of life, that he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Everything we'll find that nothing is our. We simply... The economists also say that we cannot manufacture anything; we can simply transform from one form to another. That's all. We can give our labor only. And that labor also, given the strength... Now, suppose I work with my hand. Now, I am claiming, "This is my hand," but if God withdraws the power of your hand, paralyzed, oh, your pride is at once vanished. Not your hand. You see? So in everything, nothing is yours. I am also... As spirit soul, I am also part and parcel of God. And we are thinking independently that "I have no connection with God." This is very horrible condition. The whole world is suffering because this misconception of life, misconception of life, that he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God. So we have to revive it. We have to revive it, this process.

The whole practice, whole idea, should be to detach myself from this misconception of life.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

So how we can see what is our, what is my constitution? These things are to be considered. One should take account of the spiritual. Now begins from that consciousness, that "What I am? I am this consciousness. I am not this body." That education begins from there. And the whole practice, whole idea, should be to detach myself from this misconception of life.

So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-puruṣa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life.

I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman. The Vedic literature does not say that I am Parambrahman. Parambrahman is Bhagavān. Qualitatively, I am one with Parambrahman, and Brahman, there is qualitatively oneness because Brahman... Gold, big gold or small gold, that doesn't matter. Gold, both of them are gold.

This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, by performing this yajña, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya says that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, by performing this yajña, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once. The many great sages, they are going to Himalaya. They are going to the forest for meditation just to realize "what I am." Now Lord Caitanya says that this, what you are, your self-realization, your spiritual realization, will be the first installment. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. This is simply... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.

So this misconception of life, that "I am God," "There is no God..." Atheists and voidists, they say like that.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

So this misconception of life, that "I am God," "There is no God..." Atheists and voidists, they say like that. The voidists, they say śūnyavādi. They say, "There is no God." And the impersonalists, they say that there is God, but there is no head, there is no leg, there is no hand, there is no mouth, there is no, no, no... Ultimately, what is their God? If God has no head, no leg, no body, no mouth, then what is that God? That is also another way of explaining God as zero. The voidists, they directly say, "There is no God. We don't believe in God." That is understandable. But this impersonal explanation of God, that is not understandable. What is this? "God has no leg, neither God has no head, God has no hand, God has no mouth." Then what is that God? They cannot say.

"Now my forgetfulness is gone," tvat-prasādāt, "by Your mercy. You have taught me Bhagavad-gītā, so by Your mercy my two things—that bodily attachment and misconception of life—is now gone. Now I know that I am Your servant. I am Your eternal servant, and it is my duty to carry out Your order. Therefore I agree."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

Mukti does not means that one has to acquire so many hands, so many legs. No. It is the change of consciousness. That is mukti. Just like Arjuna did. He was conscious... In the beginning of the fight he was conscious of his relatives, of his family, means bodily. But when he understood Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). In the beginning he denied to fight, but when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he agreed, "Yes, I shall fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. "I am now full conscious." Naṣṭo mohaḥ: "This attachment, bodily attachment, is now finished. Kṛṣṇa, it is now finished." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā. Because we forgot, I have already said that we are forgetful. This is our another nature. "Now my forgetfulness is gone," tvat-prasādāt, "by Your mercy. You have taught me Bhagavad-gītā, so by Your mercy my two things—that bodily attachment and misconception of life—is now gone. Now I know that I am Your servant. I am Your eternal servant, and it is my duty to carry out Your order. Therefore I agree." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "I shall now execute. You want me to fight, no consideration of my relatives or family. I shall fight with them." This is the conclusion of Arjuna.

By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll be able to cleanse your misconception of life.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

False ego means I am identifying with this matter, which I am not. Therefore ahaṅkāra. This ahaṅkāra is false ahaṅkāra, which I am not. I am accepting that I am this body, but actually I am not. Therefore I am saying, it is false ego. Real ahaṅkāra is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. There is also ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra cannot be abolished. Ahaṅkāra will be there, but ahaṅkāra has to be cleansed. Therefore bhakti-mārga, the path of bhakti-yoga, is the cleansing process, clearing process. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Everything is there, but it has to be cleansed. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll be able to cleanse your misconception of life.

Misconception of life is that "I am this matter." This is ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Misconception of life is that "I am this matter." This is ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra. But I am actually not this matter; I am spirit soul. Therefore pure ahaṅkāra is ahaṁ brahmāsmi, a spirit soul. That is the beginning of understanding. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). If one understands this fact, that "I am not this material body; I am a spirit soul," that is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20).

He has the vision that within this body, the spirit soul is there. That is part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa. He is suffering on account of different dresses, different conception of... Therefore he should be released from this misconception of life. That is called paṇḍita.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. That is the real vision. A paṇḍita means he sees. There is... For a advanced spiritualist, advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, there is no such distinctive, "Here is American; here is Indian; here is brāhmaṇa; here is śūdra; here is Hindu; here is Muslim." No. He has no such vision. He has the vision that within this body, the spirit soul is there. That is part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa. He is suffering on account of different dresses, different conception of... Therefore he should be released from this misconception of life. That is called paṇḍita.

The whole world is going on under this misconception of life, that "I am this body."

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

The whole world is going on under this misconception of life, that "I am this body." And under this misconception he is thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am black" and "white," "fat" and "thin," all these things. This is called ignorance. Therefore śāstra says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13): "Anyone who has got this conception that I am this body, this bag of bones and blood and flesh," sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), "he is no more than the cows and the asses." That means animal. So whole world at the present moment is going on under this animalistic concept of life, animal civilization. Everyone is busy to take care of the body, but nobody knows how to take care of the proprietor of the body. That he does not know.

According to śāstra, anyone who is accepting this identification, body as self and the country or the land as worshipable and the kinsmen or relatives, "They are our only own men," in this way this misconception of life is being accepted... Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, this is a civilization of the cows and the asses.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

At the present moment, throughout the whole world, everyone is identifying himself with this body and the land in which the body is born is taken as worshipable, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and persons who are in relationship with this body, "They are our own men or kinsmen." This is going on. But according to śāstra, anyone who is accepting this identification, body as self and the country or the land as worshipable and the kinsmen or relatives, "They are our only own men," in this way this misconception of life is being accepted... Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, this is a civilization of the cows and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So in other words, it is an animal civilization. So you cannot be happy in animal civilization, in the societies of animals. Just like in the jungle there are animals. There is no peace. There is always struggle for existence, fight between one animal. Still, they are peaceful. But at the present moment, throughout the whole world, we have become less than the animals because we do not know what is the basic principle of civilization, what is the ultimate goal of life, what is our perfection. These things we are lacking in knowledge.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

If we want to stop this anartha, misconception of life, then we have to take to bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976:

Vyāsadeva saw three things: the jīvātmā, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and māyā. Māyā means what is not. Mā-yā. So that māyā begins from what is not. I am not this body, but I am thinking I am this body. This is māyā. I am not this body. That's a fact. But I am thinking, "I am this body." This is māyā. This is the beginning of māyā. This is the conception of the animals, less than human beings. Nowadays even a human being, he's also thinking like that. This is anartha. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā lesson, to impress, "Arjuna, you are not this body." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So many ways. So this is anartha. To accept this body and in bodily relationship everything, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), this is māyā. So this is anartha. Anartha means meaningless. No artha. Artha means meaning. So if we want to stop this anartha, misconception of life, then we have to take to bhakti-yoga.

We are falsely identifying ourself as something made of this matter. The whole scientific world is going on under this misconception of life, that we belong to this material world. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

We do not belong to this material world. Prakṛteḥ param, transcendental. Because we are spirit soul, we belong to the spiritual world. Prakṛteḥ... This prakṛti is material. This prakṛti is material, but we are falsely identifying ourself as something made of this matter. The whole scientific world is going on under this misconception of life, that we belong to this material world. This is called illusion.

Kṛṣṇa wants to deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Why you are trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world? Because we have accepted this principle, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant. Kṛṣṇa wants to deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something for Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you are servant of Kṛṣṇa, if you actually realize, then you have to do something on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa wants. The first-class servant of he when he serves the master without asking for it. If he understands that "Master is now in need of this thing," if he brings it, oh, first-class servant. He's first-class servant because he knows the master wants it.

Why we should become so foolish that forget our real purpose of life and engage in will-o'-the-wisp struggle for existence, which will never be successful? Why this misconception of life?

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

So we have got such vast knowledge for achieving the goal of life. It is India. Why should we neglect? Why we should become so foolish that forget our real purpose of life and engage in will-o'-the-wisp struggle for existence, which will never be successful? Why this misconception of life? At least, there must be this institution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India so that not only the Indians, but all outside India, they should come and learn what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The cats and dogs, big, big professors, they are thinking so long this body is there, by chance, by accident, we have got this body, and as soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. That means they do not know ātma-tattvam. On this misconception of life they are inventing so many "isms."

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

So in the bondage state, whatever you are doing in so-called material progress, it is not progress. It is parābhavas, defeat. People are so busily engaged throughout day and night. They are making material progress, but it is not progress. It is regress. But they do not know it. Why? Abodha-jātaḥ, born rascal. Born rascal. If we say that "You are all born rascals," they'll fight. But actually that is the fact. Born rascals: abodha-jātaḥ. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. That ātma-tattvam, brahma-jijñāsa. Where is that inquiry? Nobody inquires because they have no information. The cats and dogs, big, big professors, they are thinking so long this body is there, by chance, by accident, we have got this body, and as soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. That means they do not know ātma-tattvam. On this misconception of life they are inventing so many "isms."

Why the big mountain does not move? Because it is dead matter. And a small ant, it moves. Why it is so? That is the difference between matter and spirit. Why you are misunderstanding that "The spirit is also matter; it is coming from chemical"? This miseducation is going on that spirit is also chemical composition, although I cannot experiment it by mixing chemical, producing... So under this misconception of life we are simply acting inauspiciously.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

This bodily concept of life should be first of all removed. We must be enlightened. Otherwise, if we act on the bodily concept of life, then—not bhadrāṇi, not auspicious—everything is inauspicious, viparītāni. Sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghaḥ, kāriṇām. Kāriṇām means one who is working. Nobody is... Because dead stone, that is sitting idly, but any..., even a small ant, it is also working. That is the difference between matter and the spirit. So we cannot understand this difference, that what is the difference between matter and spirit. Why the big mountain does not move? Because it is dead matter. And a small ant, it moves. Why it is so? That is the difference between matter and spirit. Why you are misunderstanding that "The spirit is also matter; it is coming from chemical"? This miseducation is going on that spirit is also chemical composition, although I cannot experiment it by mixing chemical, producing...

So under this misconception of life we are simply acting inauspiciously. Why inauspiciously? Because we are working blindly. We do not know what is my next life, or we do not believe in next life. But you believe or not believe; next life is there. As the child has his next life, the boy has his next life, the youth has his next life, similarly, the old man has got his next life. You believe or not believe; you have to accept next life. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This is real education. You have to accept the next life. Now, what kind of next life you will get, you have to prepare in this life. That is auspicious. That is bhadrāṇi. And if you don't prepare for the next life, irresponsible... Just like a street boy does not take education because he has no idea of next life. But his father, his mother, is anxious that "My son's next life, future life, will be spoiled if he does not take education." They are anxious. Similarly, the father and the mother, the guru, the friend—everyone should be actually well-wisher of his friend, dependent, when he gives spiritual education. Then he is friend. Otherwise they are enemy.

So if we associate with all these things, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, then this misconception of life, that "I am puruṣa," will vanquish.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

So if we associate with all these things, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23), hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, then this misconception of life, that "I am puruṣa," will vanquish. Then you become liberated.

Associate with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and you will be able to give up this false misconception of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

This knowledge, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person, bhoktā, puruṣa, and we are just part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa to fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa." This is jñāna. Just like the hand is part and parcel of my body, so what is the duty of this hand? The duty is to fulfill the desire of the person. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Or only business is to fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa, not to fulfill our desire. That is... That is not bhakti. That is jñāna or karma. But fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama (CC Madhya 19.167). This is first-class bhakti.

So this philosophy is spoken by the Yamadūta that one has become conditioned on this false conception of life, that "I am puruṣa," but this misconception can be vanquished. It is not very easy to vanquish, but it can be. How? Īśa-saṅga. Associate with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and you will be able to give up this false misconception of life. The whole world, material world, is going on. You can see any city, any big town you go, or even in the village in these countries. Everyone, from the morning to night, they are simply trying how to enjoy the material world: "How to enjoy? How to enjoy?" This is called karma-jñāna. When they are fed up, then "the grapes are sour." They give up: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. But that will not stay. If you... Even if you give up for the time being, that jagat mithyā—"We have no business with the jagat"—it may be sentimentally enduring for some time, but because you are not purified, therefore Bhāgavata says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply to understand that "I am not this material body, so I have nothing to do with this body, and I am spirit soul," simply this much knowledge is not perfect.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

This bodily concept of life increases our delusion and we become enwrapped, entangled in material world, and we get a different type of body. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for releasing all these conditioned souls from this misconception of life.

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, June 29, 1971:

Try to understand the simple fact that as soon as we identify with our designated body, which I am not... I am not this body, so why shall I identify myself with American or Indian? Accidentally I have got this body in America or India or Africa or in hell or heaven. That is accidental. Or by my karma. But actually, I am not this body. And if I am not this body... Generally everything we are accepting in this material world (is) on the bodily concept of life. Because I have got bodily relationship with some man or woman, I am thinking... There are thousands of men and women, but I am thinking, "This woman is mine," "This man is mine." This is a crude example. And similarly, children. Gṛha-kṣetra. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). This bodily concept of life increases our delusion and we become enwrapped, entangled in material world, and we get a different type of body. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for releasing all these conditioned souls from this misconception of life. Anyone, any intelligent man can understand that as soon as we identify our activities with the body, then we are fool number one.

General Lectures

First thing is by chanting your misconception of life will be cleared.

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Student (2): I want to make sure I understood—that chanting this over a long time will also help affect where our body will go after we die, what form we'll come back in?

Prabhupāda: First thing is by chanting your misconception of life will be cleared. At the present moment I am thinking that "I am this body," and therefore, because my body is born in this land, therefore I am thinking, "I am American." And because I happened to take my birth in a certain family, so I am thinking, "I am Christian" or "Hindu." But all these things are designations. When we clear the misconception of my life, then I can understand that I am pure soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic language says that "I am spirit soul." And as soon as you understand, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). As soon as you realize yourself as soul, then you become immediately free from all anxieties, prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means jolly. Spiritual life means natural joyful.

So we have to save ourself from this misconception of life. Then we can make progress in the matter of understanding what is God.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 19, 1977:

Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nārāyaṇaṁ devam, if we equalize Him even with such demigods, such big personalities like Brahmā and Śiva, then we become a pāṣaṇḍī.

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ

brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vīkṣeta

sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam

Anyone, what to speak of with ordinary person, even personalities, big, big personalities like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, if one equalize Nārāyaṇa, then he is called a pāṣaṇḍī. At the present moment a poor man has been equalized with Nārāyaṇa as daridra-nārāyaṇa. So why one should say daridra-nārāyaṇa? What is the reason? Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmī-pati, the husband of the goddess of fortune. How He can become daridra-nārāyaṇa? And where is this word in the śāstra, "daridra-nārāyaṇa"? So in this way people are being misled.

So we have to save ourself from this misconception of life. Then we can make progress in the matter of understanding what is God. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any deviation, and people are appreciating.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

These rascals, on account of being misled by misconception of life, ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, kartāham, I can do everything. Any little pinch of nature's law, if you break, you'll suffer.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: They say they may become pregnant and have children, but the men should take care of the children, equally.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why you should take? You are meant for taking... The child does not go to the father for being taken care. It goes to the mother. Even animals. There are so many chicken, hens, they go after the mother.

Hari-śauri: They get milk from the mother, not from the father.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How to stop it?

Lokanātha: How could father feed even the child?

Prabhupāda: Just see, in all there are so many husbandless girls, and the children have not gone with the husbands, to the man. They are after the mother. How you'll have equal rights? They cannot. At this your heart will cry, "Oh, I have left my children, I am unhappy." That is... Just like our Hari-śauri's grandmother's advice to his mother to kill him. He said. And she refused. This is natural inclination. How... Artificially they are thinking like that, violating nature's law. Therefore they must suffer. As soon as you break ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). These rascals, on account of being misled by misconception of life, ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, kartāham, I can do everything. Any little pinch of nature's law, if you break, you'll suffer.