Simply one has to practice the system. That system is hinted in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely and one can adopt it and make his life perfect and make a permanent solution of life. That is the sum and substance of the whole Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, the conclusion is that Bhagavad-gītā is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. Gītā-śāstram idaṁ puṇyaṁ yaḥ paṭhet prayataḥ pumān. And the result will be, if he properly follows the instruction, then he can be freed from all miseries of life, all anxieties of life. Bhaya-śokādi-varjitaḥ. All fears of life, in this life, as well as he'll get a spiritual life in the next life.
Next life (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"next life"
|"next lives"
Notes from the compiler:
VedaBase query: "next life" or "next lives" not "prepar* next life"@7
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :
If we voluntarily render service, out of love, that is spiritual energy. And we are forced to render service under pressure, that is material energy. In the material energy we are forced. Who wants to become... Suppose you are American. If somebody says, "Would you like to become a dog next life?", would you like? Anybody would like? What do you think? (laughter) But according to his work, he will be forced to accept. There is no saying, "No, no. I don't like this sort of life." No. He will be forced. That is material energy. Forced, just like criminal law. "Oh, you have to go to the prison." "I don't want." You will be forced. "I don't want." He will be arrested, immediately. There is sufficient power. There is police, thre is military, there is so many things. You cannot say no.
Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:
The gross body is finished. That is called death. But people do not know that there is no death for the soul. The outward cover is finished, the inward cover is there, and the inward cover will carry the soul to another gross body. That is called transmigration. The mind is creating, as we are making our consciousness in this life, so we are making our next life also. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).
So we have got two kinds of bodies, gross and subtle, and within that, I am living, you are living, soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the dehī, the proprietor of the body. So people do not understand that this finishing of this gross body is not actually death or annihilation of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even annihilation of the subtle body does not mean death of the soul.
Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:
So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders māyā, the external energy, prakṛti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.
Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:
They are killing animals without any hesitation. They do not know these rascals. And still they are spiritual leaders. How horrible condition is this, in this Kali-yuga. Just imagine. Without any restriction, without any hindrance, they are committing sinful life. They do not know, next life, all this boastfulness, pride, will be finished. He will have to accept another body, which will be offered by the material nature. You cannot say that "I will not accept this body; I want this body." No. Nature is not under your dictation. You have to abide by the dictation of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. This verse of Bhagavad-gītā is very important.
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
So the population, hippie population means saṅkara population. So increase of such population means narakāyaiva, naraka, hellish, hellish condition of life in this life, also in the next life. At that time, to live, actually we have practically seen in recent years, especially in Calcutta, it has become a hellish life. The population, the younger generation, is so polluted, so contaminated, that you cannot safely walk in the street. Anywhere, the young boys they can encircle you and rob you. You cannot say on. The police cannot help, the government cannot help. So these unwanted children, without being trained up in the varṇāśrama system, they become the cause of hellish life in this life also after death. After death according to Vedic regulations, piṇḍa-udaka, piṇḍa, offering Viṣṇu prasāda and water at least once in a year it is required by the family members.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
So... (break) ...utsanna kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ. Manuṣya, janārdana. Jana means general public, and "one who controls." Kṛṣṇa controls every... (break) ...Janāradana. So "My dear Janārdana, Kṛṣṇa, in the human society, if we spoil this traditional process, then what...? It becomes..." Narake niyataṁ vāso (BG 1.43) If you do not... (break) ...if we live like cats and dog, then next life we get cats and dog... (break) But these rascals, they do not know. They do not believe in the next life. So it is horrible condition. Purposefully you put yourself if you do not follow... (break) ...process. The varṇāśrama-dharma... (break)... society. Utsanna-kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyānāṁ janārdana, narake niyatam. Niyatam means always. (break) Just like the hog, hellish life... (break) ...eating stool, living in filthy place. māyā is dictating, "You are... (break) ...more than a king." Yes. Sometimes Indra became a hog, and... By the curse of Bṛhaspati.
Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:
So here Kṛṣṇa is addressing Arjuna, anārya: "Non-Aryan. You are kṣatriya. Your service is now required to fight with persons who have created injustice. So what is this, that you are denying to fight?" Anārya juṣṭam. And asvargyam. Asvargyam means "By denying your duty you cannot be elevated in your next life or you cannot be elevated in the higher planetary system." For a kṣatriya, it is the duty of the kṣatriya to fight and lay down his life. Then he is promoted to the higher planetary system. That is the shastric injunction. If he becomes victorious, then he enjoys this material world, and if he dies, he is promoted to heaven. These things are there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, asvargyam: "If you deny to fight, then you will be refused to enter in the higher planetary system." Akīrti-karam. "And you are known as a great fighter, great soldier and My friend, and this will be going against your reputation. Don't do this."
Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:
That is not guru. Guru means he should give evidences from śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ: (BG 16.23) "Anyone who does not give evidences, proof, from the śāstra, then" na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti, "he does not get at any time success," na sukham, "neither any happiness in this material world," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of elevation in the next life." These are the injunction.
So we must select guru. Here it is, example, Arjuna. He's accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru. Why he is accepting?
Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:
So he used to say, "When the body is burned into ashes, then where is the chance of coming back?" That means he had no information of the soul. (break)
...accepted by the Vedic civilization. The anārya... (break) The Āryan theory is that what is next life, what is next life, progressive. That is ārya. Civilized man. They may think like that. But you are belonging to the Āryan family, Pāṇḍava family. Akīrti-karam. You are celebrated as Kṛṣṇa's friend. (break) So people will say that "Kṛṣṇa's friend, he's not fighting." Therefore akīrti-karam, reputation defamation it is. "Don't do this." And He says, kutaḥ-kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "And in this, at this time of danger... There is fighting; you have to fight. And viṣame, at this time of danger, you are so much bewildered that you given up your weapons down. And now you promise that 'No, I shall not fight.' " So immediately Arjuna was condemned.
Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:
Actually that is so. Suppose if you, the... According to karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, if you open a school, so in the next time, you will have good education. It is pious activities from material point of view. So the benefit will be that you will have good education in your next life. Accepting that it is very nice, next life I shall be very learned scholar, but to become that learned scholar I'll have to take my birth. But he does not know that how much difficulties are there to take birth. Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). One should see to the duḥkha, unhappiness, on account of birth and death. So suppose you will get next life in the heavenly planet, or you shall become very rich man, or you shall become very learned man, but you have to go through these distresses, janma. They do not consider this.
Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:
I'll have to go through the transmigration of the soul, repetition of birth and death. There is risk. I do not know what I am going to get. It is not guaranteed. Little mistake. Little mistake... Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, little mistake. At the time of..., he was thinking of a deer. Next life he got the life of a deer. Little mistake. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because nature is so perfect, at the time of your death, what is the mental condition, you will get a similar body, next life. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Because daiva, Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa will see, "Now he is thinking of become a king. Now he is thinking to become a dog." So Kṛṣṇa immediately gives you. You take the body of a dog. You take the body of a lion. You take the body of a king. Take the body. Similarly, if you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, take the body of a Kṛṣṇa, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to train the mind to die thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Therefore we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Then your life is perfect.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:
So when we give up this gross body, that subtle body carries me to another gross body. So when this, this body is lifeless, that body, subtle body, is not lifeless. Just like at night, when this gross body is asleep, the subtle body works. Therefore we dream. So subtle body carries to next life. And I have given in the introduction that how one man changes his body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Now, the subtle body, I mean to say, mind, intelligence and ego, when these three things, psychic life, is absorbed in a certain kind of thought, the dying man gets a similar body in the next life. The, that we shall come when we make progress in the study of Bhagavad-gītā. Just like the air passing over the rose tree carries the flavor of the rose, and the air passing over a filthy place carries the flavor of that filthy place—the air is pure, but because it is passing over certain conditions, it carries the flavor—similarly, the mind, intelligence and ego carries the flavor of our present activities to the next life.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:
That is the subtle mystery of transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Now, if this, this life we purify just like rose, then next life we shall get a body which is full of flavor. If, if, if in this life, if we practice devotion of God, then next life is to become the associate of God. That cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu... We are transferred to that planet. You see? These are simple things. The whole thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can prepare ourself like that. You'll find in the, in the advanced chapters, that yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Now, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now, here, in this life, if cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the moon planet, about moon planet, we have to hear, and we have to think that "I shall go in such and such place." Unless you hear, you cannot abide here. Just like our friend, Mr. Cohen, he has left for California. Now, so far I am concerned, I have no idea of California. Now, he has told me that after reaching there, he'll write about the description of the place.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:
If we do not try to understand in this form of life "What is God, what I am, what is our relationship," then we are committing suicide. Because after this life, as soon as I give up this body, I'll have to accept another body. And we do not know what kind of body I am going to accept. That is not in my hands. You cannot order that "Next life make me a king." That is not possible. If you are actually eligible to become a king, nature will offer you a body in the king's house. You cannot do that. Therefore, we have to work to get the next, better body. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
The modern scientists, philosophers, they say that after finishing this body, we no more exist, finished, everything finished. This is not new. In olden times also there were atheists like Cārvāka Muni, he also said like that: bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet. Now why you are worrying about next life? As soon as this body is burned into ashes, everything is finished. According to Vedic funeral ritualistic ceremony, the body is burned. There are three ends of the body, either to become stool, or to become ashes, or to become earth. Those who are burying the body, just like the Christian, Mohammedans do, the body becomes earth. Everything, from the earth it has come up: "Dust thou were, dust thou beist." This beautiful body, nice body, will become earth. And those who are burning, so their body becomes ashes. And those who throw the body to be eaten by jackals and crows, they become stool. This is the end of the body.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
Again, there is creation, and then again given chance. "All right, take another chance. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious."
So this is material creation. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). As we have got this body, we have got the chance, not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if we miss, then I do not know where I am going next life. But I am not going to die, that's a fact. That will be explained in the next verse. I am not going to die. So we existed in the past, we are now existing at present, and we shall continue to exist in the future. This is the position. But how we shall exist? What kind of body, either demigod's body or dog's body or tree's body or fish's body, that will depend on my work. Or we go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa like... We get the spiritual body like Kṛṣṇa. Everything is possible.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
So it is our business to see what kind of body we shall get next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Actually, if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then after giving up this body, we are no more going to accept any material body. Because spiritual body is already there. That is eternal. The spirit soul, the spiritual body, that is never vanquished. It was existing in the past, it is existing now, and it will continue to exist in the future. Because people may say, "How is that? How odd thing Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ." Because actually, we died. Maybe we have taken birth again, but everyone dies. How that, that we do not die?" No. It is not the body, but Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the soul. Soul is ever-existing. It existed in the past, it is existing now, and it will exist. Maybe, different type of body, that is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Another thing is that the Māyāvādī philosophers say that we are one. There is no "you" and "me." Everything one. So, then Kṛṣṇa is defective. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You, Me, all others," so it is not one. It is not homogeneous. We are all individuals. "You are individual, I am individual, and all the kings and soldiers, they are all individuals." So the Māyāvādī theory that after liberation everyone becomes one, one lump sum... What is called? Homogeneous spirit.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:
And even that little asset can help you to become free from the greatest danger. There are many examples. They are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore, in this human form of life, at least we shall try to get some spiritual asset. So, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, even such person falls down, he is given chance next life to take birth in very rich, aristocratic family or in a very pious brāhmaṇa family. So, little spiritual asset in this human form of life will at least guarantee your next life in a very nice family. But without spiritual life there is no guarantee whether you are going to become human being or cat or dog. That's all right.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:
Tāmasāḥ means very abominable activities. The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane. That is very palatable, they say. Tamo-guṇa, most tamo-guṇa. Hog, the stool-eater, and its intestine, that is cooked, and he's eating. How much tamo-guṇa. Jaghanya. Jaghanya guṇa-vṛtti, very abominable. So next life he is going to be a hog. This is going on. We are in this material nature. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). We are in this material world according to our association with different modes of nature. We are making one type of mentality, and at the time of death, that mental position is responsible for carrying me in a different type of body. In this way we are changing body one after another.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:
If you become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:
Then one is that "Do you mean to say that therefore a man should be killed?" No. We cannot kill without reason. No. That will be a great sin. But this is a fight. This is a fight for a cause. They are not killers. It is said that a kṣatriya who lays down his life in the battlefield, he at once rises up to the higher planets. You see? Because for right cause, if one lays down his life... Just like so many people, they lay, lay down their life for the cause of the country. Do you mean to say they are sinful or they are going to hell? No, no, no. Those who are laying down for the good cause their life, their next life is very brilliant. But if you commit suicide without any reason and written or without any cause, then you'll be sinful. You'll be sinful. These are... Of course, we get knowledge from this...
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:
They are healthy. There is no disease.
So our advancement of civilization means we have created problems. That's all. This is our advancement of civilization, and we do not know what is the formation of the soul, how it is transmigrating from one body to another, what is the next life, whether we are getting next life a human being or better than human being, or lower than human being. And if it so, how we are getting that form of life next? Because we are eternal, we are changing this body. Neither we do know there are two kinds of bodies: the gross body and the subtle body. This gross body is made of earth, water, fire, air, ether; and the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, and ego. Within the subtle body, the soul is there. Now, when this gross body becomes useless or unworkable, then the subtle body carries me to another gross body. This is called transmigration of the soul. But we do not see the subtle body.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:
No. We accept what is fact. It is not a question of belief; it is a question of fact. So this is the fact.
Now, how the soul is transmigrating? Suppose after this life, I get better life, that's nice. But if I get lower life, then what is the condition? Suppose next life I get the life of a cat or dog or cow. Suppose you get again birth in America. But if you change your body, then whole circumstances change. As human being, you are given all protection by the state, but as soon as you become another body, either tree or animals, the treatment is different. Animal is going to the slaughterhouse; trees are being cut out. There is no protest. So this is the condition of material life. Sometimes we are getting better condition of life, sometimes we are getting lower condition of life. There is no guarantee. That will depend on my work.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:
That is illusion. Suppose in this life you earn lots of money, make a big balance, and have a very nice skyscraper building and good ladies and friends and position. That's nice, but when you leave this body, you do not know what you are going to become. Suppose, theoretically, you become next life a cat in the same skyscraper building, then what is your value? And there is possibility, because your next body will be awarded by nature according to your work, according to your mind, intelligence. So you may have a very good bank balance and skyscraper building and dozens of motorcar, but you have created your mind just like cats and dog, then you are getting the body of a cat and dog. The most concession will be allowed—because you have got attachment for the skyscraper building—you will be allowed to live there as a cat, that's all.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:
Just like I was boy. Then I became young man. So the body changed. And now I have become old man. The body changed. But I am existing, dehi, the proprietor of the body. So where is the difficulty to understand? Dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means "of the proprietor." The body is changing. I can understand that my body has changed. So next life the body may change. "May" not. It will change. But I may not remember. That is another thing. Just like in my last life, what was my body, I do not remember. So forgetfulness is our nature. Because I forget something, that does not mean that things did not take place. No. In my childhood I did so many things. I do not remember. But my father (and) mother, who have seen my childhood, they remember. So forgetting does not mean that things did not take place. Similarly, death means I have forgotten what was I was in the past life. That is called death. Otherwise I, as spirit soul, I have no death. Suppose I change my dress.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:
They are eternal." That is also explained, that "They were existing in the past, they are existing at present, and they will continue to exist. Simply the body will change. So why you are lamenting? Rather, it is a great facility that your grandfather has got now old body, he is not very comfortable, but he will get next life a very new body. So it is good for him if you kill him." Of course, that is not the point. (laughter) You cannot kill without any reason. That is not point. But here, "It is fight. It is duty. They have come to kill you." And the kṣatriyas, their determination is, when they go to fight, either to own victory or die, not returning back, sir, no. If a kṣatriya is hurt on the back side, he is degraded. He must be hurt on the chest, front side. That is kṣatriya. That means he has fought nicely. There is injury on the chest, not in the back side.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:
Śrama eva hi kevalam means simply working uselessly and wasting time. You cannot check the nature's law. Suppose in this life you are very big leader, prime minister, and everything. That's all right, but according to your mentality, you are creating next life. So in this life you remain a prime minister, and in next life you become a dog. Then where is the benefit? There is not... Therefore these atheist fools, they want to deny next life. That is very horrible for them. That is very horrible to them. If they accept next life... They know their life is very sinful. Then what life they are going to get by the laws of nature? When they think of it, they shudder. "Better deny it. Better deny it." Just like a rabbit. Enemy is in his front, and he is going to die, but the thinks, "Let me close my eyes. I am out of danger." This is atheistic view, that they are trying to forget that there is... Therefore they deny, "There is no life." Why not?
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:
We have got senses, but they are all limited, imperfect. Sometimes we are very much proud of seeing and challenge, "Can you show me God?" but we forget to remember that as soon as the light is gone, the power of my seeing is gone. Therefore the whole body is imperfect and full of ignorance. The spiritual body means full of knowledge, just opposite. So we can get that body next life, and we have to cultivate how to get that type of body. We can cultivate to get the next body in the higher planetary system or we can cultivate the next body like cats and dog, and we can cultivate such body as eternal, blissful knowledge. Therefore the best intelligent person will try to get next body full of blissfulness, knowledge, and eternity. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). That place, that planet, or that sky, where you go and you'll never return back to this material world...
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:
In the spiritual body there is no more birth, death, old age and disease, and the material body continuously there should be birth, death, old age and disease. You can get that spiritual body simply by little cultivation in this human form of life, next life. But if you get next other than human form of life, then you have to wait again millions of years to come to this human form of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. You... We are..., every one of us, we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. It will go on. You cannot change it unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
So at the present moment, in your human form of body, you are also mixing the same qualities in your different desires. That means you are creating your next body. So at the time of death the thoughts and the activities which will be prominent within your mind, you will get a similar body in next life. Therefore the intelligent man should be very cautious to get the next body. We can get the body like God; we can get the body like the dog. Therefore the best intelligent person should try to endeavor to get the next body like God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you endeavor in this life so long you are alive to get a body like God. That will solve your all problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. (someone speaks in Spanish) No, what he is speaking, first of all let...
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
Therefore the intelligent person in this human form of life should take to spiritual cultivation of knowledge immediately. Immediately means before another death takes place. Because death will take place—that is certain—so our duty is immediately take to cultivation of spiritual knowledge so that we may get next life either liberation or another opportunity for cultivating spiritual knowledge. So anyone who begins cultivation of spiritual knowledge, he is on the path of perfection, but even if he falls down immaturely, he is guaranteed to get next life a human body so that he can again begin his cultivation of spiritual knowledge and make his life perfect. Therefore the conclusion is that without delay, we should immediately take to spiritual life and try to make our life perfect. Because there is no certainty when our death is coming. That is real intelligence.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:
The modern education, they are simply giving lessons on some art, generally known as technology. So by that advancement of knowledge we can construct high skyscraper building, nice motorcar, nice airplane, nice machine. That is art. But we do not know what is going to happen next life, my soul. That we do not.
So this is the distinction between avidyā and vidyā. Vidyā means knowledge, and avidyā means ignorance. Suppose you construct a very nice skyscraper building and next life you become something—you remain a rat in that house—then what is your benefit? The soul has to accept a body according to his karma. If by karma he has to accept the body of a rat, it will not be excused by nature that "You have constructed skyscraper building; therefore you'll again come and live there." No, that is not possible. If by karma you are fit for becoming a rat or cat, nature will give you that body.
Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:
Prabhupāda: Manu-saṁhitā, yes.
Viṣṇujana: "...the lawbook for mankind, it is supported that a murderer should be condemned to death so that in his next life he will not have to suffer for the great sin he has committed. Therefore the king's punishment of hanging a murderer is actually beneficial. Similarly when Kṛṣṇa orders fighting, it must be concluded that violence is for the supreme justice, and as such, Arjuna should follow the instruction, knowing well that such violence committed in the act of fighting for justice is not at all violence. Because at any rate the man, or rather, the soul, cannot be killed. For the administration of justice, so-called violence is permitted. A surgical operation is not meant to kill the patient, but is for his cure.
Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
It is the beginning, that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi (BG 2.22). This vāsāṁsi, this body, can be changed. Suppose now you are very much a great enemy of Pakistan. Take, for example... I am not... Or Pakistan is thinking "Oh, India, Hindustan, is our great enemy." What is this Hindustan and Pakistan or Russia? This is this body. Next life, you can take birth in Russia, or you can take birth in... There is no certainty. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, you can understand, at the, at the time of death, if you are going on thinking, "Oh, Pakistan, my, is my enemy, enemy," then you get a birth in Pakistan. (laughter) Yes. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because I shall get my next body according to my mental condition at the time of death. So just like our women are taught to become very chaste. Why? That is a process to give her a chance to become a male next life.
Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:
Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Therefore vidvān. Vidvān means this learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, he prepared the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānata. The rascal people, they do not know. They are being carried off by this misconception that "I am this body, and my body will be finished within so many years. Now I have got this chance, I have got my strong body, let me have sex life as far as possible, then finish it. Who knows where I am going, what is the path?" You see? It is dangerous civilization. Dangerous. And anyone who will come and say, "Yes, you enjoy your senses and simply sit down for fifteen minutes. And you chant this one alphabet—bas. You finish your business." This is going on. So don't be misled in that way. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā perfectly. You'll be happy in this life and next life. Go on.
Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:
Diseased, unhappy, dissatisfaction, confusion, this is going on. Because everything is not properly done. The government is not strict.
So in the Manu-smṛti, as I am quoting from Parāśara-smṛti, there are smṛti-śāstras. The Manu-smṛti, it is said that if a man commits murder, then he should be killed. Otherwise, he'll suffer in the next life. So many sufferings. So the king's order to condemn a murderer to death is a mercy, is a mercy for him. Because he's saved from future, so many troubles. So the king should be so strict. Not that by compassion. "No. He's murderer. That's all right. He has killed one man. Why he should be killed?" No. He must be killed. This is the law. Here it is also, Parāśara-smṛti, it is said that kṣatriya should be always śastra-pāṇi, and must strictly, as soon as there is any discrepancy, he must take...
Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:
Just try to understand. Because he gave some service to the Deity. So there are many instances. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Kṛṣṇa consciousness business is so nice that whatever you do sincerely, it will never be lost. Permanent. Either you execute one percent, two percent, fifty percent. If you can finish hundred percent, then next life, sure you are going to Kṛṣṇa. But even if you are unable to finish the whole course, still, whatever you have done, that is permanent credit. That will never be lost. The similar passage is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, while Nārada Muni was instructing Vyāsadeva for writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So he said this verse:
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Prabhupāda: Is the purport going on?
Devotee: Yes. "Any work begun on the material plane has to be done nicely till the end, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity, without one-hundred-percent success there is no profit. There is a nice verse in this connection in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It says if someone gives up his occupational duty and works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and then again falls down on account of not being complete in such activities, still what loss is there on his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities very perfectly? Or, as the Christians say, 'What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?' Material activities and the results of such actions will end with the body, but work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will carry a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of this body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born into human society, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or else a rich aristocratic family that will give the man a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
You have to go alone and to accept another body. But if you cultivate spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that will go with you. And if you have finished in this life, say, ten percent, then next life you begin eleven percent. The best thing is that why not finish cent percent in this life? Why should we indulge in materialistic way of life, sense gratification? That we have tried in many lives. This is human form of life, and there were many other lives also. We have been in the water, aquatics; we have been in the vegetable kingdom; we have been animals; we have been worms. So many. This is the highest boon. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many births, millions of births, here is another form of body, human form of body, and especially in the civilized society, in well-to-do society. So just try to utilize it. How to utilize it to...
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. If you can purify your consciousness in touch with Kṛṣṇa or God, that is your success. And if you can execute even certain percentage, that is your permanent asset. It will go with you. Next life also you'll get chance. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. So every sane man, every intelligent man should take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and whatever percentage he can achieve, he should try for it. Yes.
Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:
Utsāhāt. Utsāhāt means you must be very much enthusiastic that "In this life, in this human form of life, I must complete my spiritual consciousness, or God consciousness, so that in the next life I may not have this material body. That is called utsāhāt. Utsāhāt means very much enthusiastic. Just like a man is very much enthusiastic that "In this life I must accumulate ten millions dollars in the bank," and he does work with great enthusiasm; similarly, we must have also similar enthusiasm that "In this very life, in this very human form of life, I must make my spiritual life perfect so that after leaving this body I may not come again to this material world." That is called utsāhā, enthusiasm. Utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience. Patience. There may be so many obstacles in prosecuting our spiritual life, but we should patiently go forward.
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
So we must utilize this human form of body properly to understand that "I am not this body; I am pure consciousness. And this pure consciousness I have to practice in such a way that in next life I get my pure conscious or into pure spiritual body, not again this material body." This material body, we must always know, this is a foreign thing. We have already explained to you that this is just like dress. Dress. Dress is a foreign thing to my body. Similarly, this gross and subtle body—gross body of this material five elements and the subtle body of mind, ego, intelligence—they are my foreign things. So I am now encaged in foreign things. My whole life mission is to get out of these foreign things. I want to be situated in my real spiritual body. That can be done if you practice. If you practice during this life to..., always to be spiritually situated, then your next life, after leaving... Even within this body, when you get clear conception that "I am not this body," and you are clearly working from the spiritual platform, as Lord Kṛṣṇa prescribes here that yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, "Be situated in yoga and act in your daily duties," then similarly, if we practice this to work in such a way that we have to work from the spiritual platform, then your next life will be free from this material bondage and you get your freedom life.
Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:
So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity; this human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma. But one thing is sure. You'll be glad to hear that once begun, this process of spiritual realization, one is guaranteed to have next life as human being. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). You'll find in course of this discussion with Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa when Kṛṣṇa will describe about the yoga system, how to act it. This is also yoga system, yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. This is karma-yoga. This is karma-yoga.
Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:
Now, Bhagavad-gītā also confirms that, once begun, this spiritual life, then he's not loser in the sense that his human life is guaranteed in the next birth. In the ordinary duty, you do not know whether you'll have again this human body or not. There is no certainty. That will depend on your quality of work. But here, if you begin your spiritual life, sacrificing all other duties, then your next life as human being is guaranteed, guaranteed. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Bhraṣṭa. Bhraṣṭa means one, yoga-bhraṣṭa, one who is prosecuting the yoga system... The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path.
Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:
Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Śucīnāṁ śrīmatām. Śucīnām means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Śuci means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called śuci. And the, the, the opposite word of śuci is called muci. So we need not explain what is muci, but śuci, śucīnāṁ means highly cultured brāhmaṇa. And śrīmatām. Śrī means wealth, śrī means wealth, opulence, beauty and all these things. That means very aristocratic family, very aristocratic family. So he's given chance to get his birth in two places. One who is, I mean to..., not successful. The successful, oh, what to speak of him! The successful goes back to Godhead directly. And even one is unsuccessful, half-finished, then he is given chance to take his birth in two kinds of family. One set is śrīmatām.
Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:
That karma-jam, karma-jam, that "Every, your any work which you are performing, that is creating some reaction for future enjoyment or suffering. But if you act intelligently, in collaboration with the supreme consciousness, then you'll be free from this bondage of birth, death, old age and diseases and, in your next life... This is a training period. This life will be a training period, and as soon as you are fully trained up, then the next result will be that after giving up this body you come to My kingdom." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
So this is the whole process. So that sort of business which will lead us to the position when we shall be dovetailed, we shall be dovetailed with the supreme consciousness... Just like this morning I was giving an example. Just like one motorcar is passing on in sixty miles' speed, and a cyclist also going on.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:
Now, suppose you have given to a poor man one hundred dollars to help. Now, the, according to law of karma, you have given one hundred dollars to a poor man to help him. This means that the poor man has to pay you four hundred dollars in your next life, with interest and compound interest. And you will have to take that four hundred dollars. And suppose you are preparing yourself to conquer over the next life, but by contributing this one hundred dollars you are now bound up to take payment of four hundred dollars; therefore you have to take your birth. These are subtle laws. If we are to believe the Vedic literature, the law of karma, these are stated there. We may take it or not take it. That is a different thing. Just like if you deposit in the bank one hundred dollars. So if you forget, twenty years after you will have to take two hundred dollars. The bank will pay you, either you like to take it or not take it.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:
Whatever we eat... Even we eat, that, we have got to repay for that. Now, the Sanskrit word, the flesh... Flesh, Sanskrit word, is called māṁsa. Māṁsa. The māṁsa means..., mām means "me," and sa means "he." "So I am eating some animal; so in my next life that animal will eat me." That is called māṁsa. So now, apart from animal... Don't think that those who are vegetarian, they are free from all these reaction. No. They are also. They are also. The law is that one has to repay which he is taking the help from other living entities. That is the law of karma. So either you eat vegetables or either you eat flesh, you have to repay that. But yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. The Bhagavad-gītā says that if you eat the remnants after offering sacrifice to the Lord, then you, not only you are free from all reaction, but you do not eat anything sinful. That is the direction of Bhagavad-gītā.
So in every aspect of our life... This is also one of the insignificant example of our activities of our life. If we act, dovetailing our actions with the Supreme Lord, then we are free from reaction. Otherwise we are bound up by the reaction.
Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:
Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu, that song. (sings) Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Knowingly, purposefully, I am drinking poison. Poison. Why poison? Wasting time of this valuable human form of life is drinking poison. Just like a man drinks poison. He does not know what is his next life. He's going to become a ghost. For years together, he'll not have this material body as punishment. You have seen? Gaurasundara has written one ghost article in our Back to Godhead. In England, that ghost who fought with Cromwell? There is still fighting. At night, there is sound of fighting going on. You see? So poison means this human form of life is the chance to get into Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to Godhead. But if we do not engage in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply engage in this breaking and constructing, then we are simply drinking poison. That means next life I'll be thrown into the cycle of birth and death in the 8,400,000 species of life, and my life is spoiled. We do not know for how many millions of years I'll have to travel in that cycle of birth and death.
Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:
Not directly, but because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, my senses are automatically satisfied. This process should be adopted. Artificially...
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an art of living by which you will feel your senses are fully satisfied, but you are going to be free next life. This is the nice process. And artificially if you want to stop your senses, you will fail. That Kṛṣṇa says, "One who restrains the sense and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects."
Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. There were many instances. He was a great king and he wanted to be yogi. And he went to forest, gave up his kingdom, went to forest. And he was meditating very seriously, and Indra, king of heaven, he sent some society girls of heavenly planet, Menakā. And she came.
Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:
So the best choice is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness and your life is perfect. Don't be misguided. Take to God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and your life... Then it will be proper use of this human form of life. Otherwise, if we indulge in meat-eating like tiger, I may get life like a tiger next life, but where is the use?
Suppose if I become a very strong tiger in my next life, is that very good promotion? Do you know the life of tiger? They cannot eat even daily. They pounce upon one animal and keep it secretly and they eat for a month the decomposed flesh. Because it is not possible to get chance, kill an animal. God will not give such chance. You see? It is natural. In the jungle wherever there is a tiger, all animals will go away. They will also try to protect themselves, self-protection. So rarely, when he's too hungry, then God gives him a chance to pounce upon another animal. A tiger cannot get to many palatable dishes daily. Oh. It is in human form of life. If we misuse, then we are... You see? We have got all facilities and if we misuse it, then go to the tiger life.
Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:
And when it is added with yoga, that means spiritualized work. Yoga. Yoga means spiritual perfection or linking up with the Supreme.
So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification. That is called karma, in this life or that life or next life. Somebody, they make charities and other pious acts so that in their next life they get good parentage, good education, opulence, so that they can also enjoy life. There are others also who make more advanced karma to get himself promoted in other planetary system. Just like moon planet, or Svargaloka, heavenly planet. There are many planets in which the standard of life is far, far comfortable than here. So these are not required.
Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:
At that time, five hundred years before, his father's income was, I mean to say, ten millions of rupees. So there are many instances in India we have got. But this Jaḍa Bharata, he left his kingdom and family and everything, and went for spiritual realization, self-realization. Unfortunately, he was again in affection with a cub of deer and he got next life... I think I have already narrated this story. While he died, he was thinking of that deer cub and he became a deer. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6).
That is this... I mean, the technique of death. At the time of death, whatever you are thinking, that means you are preparing your next life like that. Therefore the whole life shall be so processed but at the same time, at the end of our life we can at least think of Kṛṣṇa. Then sure and certain you go back to Kṛṣṇa. This practice has to be done. Because unless we practice while we are strong and stout and our consciousness is right thinking.
Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:
So if you train up... You have got this facility of life, comfortable life. Do not misuse it for becoming next life a dog. Utilize it to become next life God. That is success. You have got advanced intelligence, but this intelligence is given to you for understanding God and your position that by forgetting God you are in this material world, and in this material world you are changing one body to another. Sometimes American body, sometimes demigod's body, sometimes celestial body, sometimes dog's body, cat's body, tiger's body. This science is unknown. But this is the science. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra (BG 3.27). We have got this body, that body, this body, under the direction of the prakṛti, material nature. So therefore intelligence is that "If I am eternal..." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are not dying. Hanyamāne śarīre.
That you can experience practically, daily. How is that? When you sleep at night, then you dream, means subtle body. So these activities of this gross body stop. You again work in the subtle body. You dream that you have gone to somewhere or in the forest or somewhere, somewhere, somewhere. But you forget that "My real body is lying in this bed."
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:
There are different classes of men. Some of them are karmīs, some of them are jñānīs, some of them are yogis, and some of them are bhaktas. The enlightened, cultivated persons, they can be divided into four groups. Those who are ordinary men, they do not know anything except to keep this body comfortably. They're materialistic more or less. In this life or next life they simply want material comforts. They are called karmīs. And jñānīs... Jñānīs means they are disgusted with this karma. Because there is a time, a point, when they become disgusted. Just like the American young men, they are now disgusted with this material civilization. So they are searching after knowledge. But unfortunately, the state is also not very enthusiastic, and there are many who are exploiting. But here is the knowledge. And that point comes, when the karmīs become disgusted, confused. Because the spirit soul, he wants spiritual life. He cannot be happy with any amount of materialistic life.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:
Now in this body I am thinking, "I am American." How long I am American? I am American so long this body is there. That's all. I am thinking, "I am Indian." I am thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this or that." Whatever I may think. How long? So long this body is there. And the next life? If you get a dog's body, then you'll think, "I am dog." If you get a cat's body, then you'll think "I am cat." So bhakta means not that superficial relationship. My relationship with the society, family, country, or humanity, they're all superficial because my body is superficial. The real relationship is with Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). "All these living entities are My part and parcels," Kṛṣṇa claims. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). "In each and every species of life, as many forms as there are, they're all My parts and parcels." Kṛṣṇa (is) explaining like that.
Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:
Dehāntara-prāptiḥ (means) you'll have to accept another body. And there are 8,400,000 species of forms of bodies. Any of them you'll have to accept. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are wasted your time as the family member or as the national or this or that, but there is no guarantee that next life will be same countryman or same family. No, there is no such guarantee. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You'll have to accept one body, and that body means... Any, out of these four... According to my karma... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1).
So these are the instructions of the śāstras. And this is very scientific and very important thing. But unfortunately, we are not taking care of these things. We are very busy with the temporary problems. Temporary problems are not problems. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgama apāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14).
Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:
How we can understand? Śāstra-cakṣusā. You have to see through the śāstra. Otherwise, we have no eyes to see past, present, future.
Just like the astrology. Astrology, by calculation through the śāstra, astrological calculation can say what you were in your past life and what you will become in your next life. There is an astrological system. They can say like that. So through the śāstra, by right calculation, we can understand.
So what is that? The total is that ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Those who are situation in the modes of goodness, brahminical qualification.... Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). If we remain perfectly a brāhmaṇa, truthful, clean, satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamaḥ, sense-controlling mind-controlling, satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, tolerance: ārjava, simplicity; jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, application of knowledge in life; vijñānam, āstikyam, full knowledge of the Absolute Truth; āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), if we remain in this qualification, brahminical qualification, this is called sattva-sthā, situated in the sattva-guṇa.
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
My appearance and disappearances, I remember everything, past, present, future, everything. Na tvaṁ vettha parantapa, but you do not." Now, we cannot remember what was, what I was in my past life. Neither I know what I am going to be in the next life. But there is. I was in the past, I am in the present, and I shall remain in the future. That is my position.
In the Second Chapter, it is said by Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Arjuna, both you and Me and all these kings and soldiers who are assembled here, do not think that they did not exist in the past, or they will cease to exist in the future. They existed in the past as individuals, and they are existing at present as individuals, and they will exist in the future also as individuals." This is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter. The difference between God and living entity is this, that God knows past, present, future, and I or you do not know past, present and future. That is the difference.
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
Now we should not consider that because the difference between God and the living entities, that our different appearance and disappearance is different. Just like in this life I may be an Indian, you may be an American. But next life, we do not know what body we are going to get next life. Because in the material existence the body and the soul is different. But in the spiritual existence... Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's body and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent because it is completely spiritual. Our body, in the present condition... When we are free from this material condition, we also get. That is explained in the Bhagavad... mad-bhāva upaja(?). Mad-bhāva means "exactly like My body." When one is liberated from material conditions, then he also gets exactly the same sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:
Similarly, we had our last birth, but we have forgotten. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. I have explained already. We forget because we change body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible.
It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So when we go to Kṛṣṇa, we get the similar body. Although we are subordinate, still, the facility is almost the same, seventy-eight percent.
Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:
Prabhupāda: Here, our body, now we have got human body. So next, next life it may be a demigod's body, or it may be cat's body, dog's body. The body changes. Kṛṣṇa does not... Avyayātmā. That is the difference. Go on.
Pradyumna: "In the material world a living entity has no fixed body, but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form with two hands holding a flute. He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body and is Lord of the universe, it still appears that..."
Prabhupāda: How He can be contaminated by the modes of material nature?
Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:
That is real dharma. Just like the spirit soul is eternal, similarly, the spirit soul's natural occupation is also eternal. That cannot be changed. But when the spirit soul identifies himself with this body and the mind, that is changed. Just like at the present moment you have got American body. So your dharma or your occupational duty is different from another body. And the next life, if you change this body, you become say other animal or human being, then your occupational duty changes. But if you stick up to the spiritual platform, then that service mood to the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never change, either in this body or next body. (break)
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
Devotee: Prabhupāda? You've said many times that in this material (world) we have no guarantee what our next birth will be. But, say, can't mystic yogis who perfect certain mystical powers, do they have any guarantee of a human birth in their next life?
Prabhupāda: You have also guarantee. You have also guarantee. Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, even they do not make perfection... Generally you can make perfection. It is not very difficult, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to keep your consciousness always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. Our consciousness must be absorbed in some thought. Without thought, your consciousness is not existing. There must be some thought. Now you have to replace that thought with Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You have to mold your life in such a way that you cannot think of anything except Kṛṣṇa. This our arrangement, this chanting, the dancing, or reading this Kṛṣṇa conscious book, what does it mean? That we always try to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you remain always absorbed... This is called samādhi. If you remain absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa says that next life you go directly there. So that is guaranteed.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
What is that guarantee? Kṛṣṇa says that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, those who cannot fulfill the whole program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by some way or other falls down, incomplete. So Kṛṣṇa says, "Such persons are given chance to take birth in the next life in rich family and in pure brāhmaṇa's family." So that means your human life is guaranteed. A rich family does not mean animal family. Rich means human being. And brāhmaṇas means intelligent class of men. So you get your birth in a family where your parents are very intelligent, very advanced in philosophical knowledge, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get chance.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
So try your best to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully. That should be the motto of our life. But if, by chance... We shall not allow us to fall down, but even if we fall down, there is no loss. But that does not mean I shall be slack and allow me to fall down. Yes. We must be very serious. That should be our motto.
Just like... It is very easy to understand. A person trying to appear in the M.A. examination, if he passes, he's all right. Otherwise next chance he will have, another. It does not mean that he has to study again from ABCD. No. Next year he can appear. But his motto should be: "Why shall I wait for next year? Let me pass in this year." Similarly, we should be very serious: "Why we shall wait for the next life? Let us finish this life and go back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and dance there." Yes?
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
There is affection. He therefore comes here. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).
Here we have come falsely to become enjoyer. Falsely. Suppose I am American or Indian. I am enjoying my life very nicely. I have got everything complete. But it is no guarantee that next life you shall become American and you will be situated in the same position. Therefore my enjoyment, so-called enjoyment is false enjoyment. Temporary. It will not stay because I will have to change body. I will have to change body. There is no guarantee. This is the law of nature.
Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is the place for miseries and that is also temporary. If you want to make some compromise, "Never mind it is a place of miseries. I'll stay here comfortably as much as possible." But Kṛṣṇa says, aśāśvatam. Even if you make some compromise arrangement, you cannot stay here. You'll be kicked out. As soon as you think that "Now I have got a very nice building.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
This is the law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).
So foolish people, they think that "Now I am settled up." What is your settlement? First of all make it a settlement that you shall be allowed to stay here. If there is no such guarantee, then where is the settlement? Next life you may become a cat or dog according to your mentality. But these foolish people, they do not know it. They think that "This is all right." This is not all right.
So sādhus they can understand that this life is preparation for next life. So that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
These are the rules of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. As you are associating with the particular type of the modes of material nature, you are preparing your next life.
But these foolish persons, they do not know what is next life, whether there is birth. Ignorance. Mūḍha. They have been described as mūḍha. They do not know their duty. They are thinking that this life is all in all and there is no next life because they cannot think of.... Duṣkṛtinaḥ, if for them there is next life, then they have to stop their nefarious activities. But they do not like that. They think, "No, no. There is no next life. Let us do whatever we like. Enjoy." But nature will not give you. Nature...
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:
And they believe in the next birth, next life, past life, they believe in God, in Kṛṣṇa. They're satisfied with that position, but the modern leaders they do not like it. They want to make them intoxicated so that they can work like an ass for the morsel of food. But this is not the problem. The real problem is here, stated, that you should stop the disease of birth and death. That is real problem. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). The human life is meant for making a solution of the repetition of birth and death. That is real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are finding fault with so many things. But really we should find fault with this process of repetition of birth and death. People are now being educated in this way that there is no more life. You have got this life and you enjoy the senses as far as possible.
That is nastik theory. This nastik or atheism... There were many saints in India also. One of them is Carvaka. He's very famous atheist. His philosophy is hedonism. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. His theory is, because in India the luxury is to eat something which is cooked in ghee: luci, purī, halavā.
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:
So our problem is that we are suffering all kinds of miseries on account of this material body. Now, our business should be that we shall be cultured in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that in next life will be my spiritual body. Then the solution of all problems solved. And so long we shall get material body repeatedly—just like we give up this dress and take another dress, similarly, we shall continue—then the four kinds of miseries, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), or at least these four kinds of miseries—the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, and the miseries of old age, and miseries of diseases—we have to suffer. And as soon as you get spiritual body, all these miseries over. Because your body is no more subjected to birth and death, disease and old age. That life is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. That you can get simply by studying the nature of Kṛṣṇa, transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. So we are hankering after so many things. We are taking the leadership of this leader, that leader, that leader just to relieve, get relief from our temporary misery. So our duty should be just to get rid of all misery by developing that spiritual body. That should be the aim of life. And that is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Any other questions? Oh. (break)
Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:
That is all right. But that is not your permanent benefit. Because karmaṇā, you are creating... Karmaṇāṁ siddhim. You are getting some profit by your karma, fruitive karma, but you are creating another life, another life. To enjoy the fruitive result of this karma you'll have to wait for next life. So next life means another material body. So another material body means another term of suffering, another chapter of suffering. That they do not understand.
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advising that "This is not good. Don't be engaged in karma, fruitive activities." If you be engaged in fruitive activities, karma, then you'll have to accept another material body. That may be a cat's body or dog's body or demigod's body or... Body you'll have to... But as soon as you have a material body, then you'll suffer. The... One who does not understand this philosophy, he's called alpa-medhasa, poor fund of knowledge.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
Suppose in this life I am elected to be the president of this great state, United States of America, and if my next life I become an ordinary citizen or even an animal... There is no guarantee what I shall become in my next life. That depends on my work because the whole body is given by the material nature. It is not made according to my order supply. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are given a chance to act here, but according to your act, it will be judged, what you are going to have in your next life. That is your problem. No, don't make this life of fifty years, sixty years, or seventy years, or hundred years, as all in all. You have got a continuous life of transmigration from one body to another. It is going on. You must know that.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
"You are the shelter of everyone." So He is Parambrahman. So anyone who becomes a brāhmaṇa, he first of all knows what is Brahman—brahma-jijñāsā—the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. And the Absolute... One who knows Absolute Truth and enters into further, postgraduate study, he understands Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, then his next life in the spiritual world is guaranteed.
So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the simple process introduced by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya also supported this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, that anyone is eligible for going back to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This simple process. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have discussed that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, we become eligible for entering into His kingdom, simply by knowing. So try to know. Try to study what is Kṛṣṇa.
And do you know what is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:
They have so many departments. But there is no department, brahminical, kshatriyacal, or vaiśya, nothing. Because they do not know what is the aim of life. They are simply interested with the bodily comforts of life. That's all. Never mind what is our next life, What kind of life we are going to. But that is, this is a fact.
Therefore we have to study Bhagavad-gītā very seriously. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Kṛṣṇa, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. There is dehāntara. After leaving this body, I have to accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīraḥ means those who are sober, intelligent, they know that what is death. Death means giving up this body and accepting another, transmigration of the soul. That is death. So dhīras tatra na muhyati. A dhīraḥ who is learned, he knows, but others, adhīraḥ...
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:
Now, Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we have to change to another body, but we do not know what is that body. We are not prepared. Just like here I am, Johannesburg. So I know, from here I'll have to go to Nairobi. That I know. And we are making arrangement. But if as human being one does not know what is going to happen next life, then what kind of human being is? Where is the difference between cats and dogs? The dog does not know, neither he can be instructed, neither he is able to take the instruction. But why the human being should remain like dog? This is the problem. So we must consult Bhagavad-gītā very regularly, try to understand the problems of life, and the first problem is that you have to change your body.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:
So what kind of change of body you are going to have? You must learn it. Otherwise you are in darkness. What is the value of life if you do not know? Suppose next life I am going to become a dog. So what is the value of my becoming this life a prime minister? But they do not know. The science is unknown. Science is known, but people are so fool that they do not take care of it. This is the position.
So don't waste your time in that way. Try to understand what is the problem of life, how we can come again to the original spiritual life. That is the ultimate solution because we are spirit. Circumstantially, I am now accepting this material body.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:
No. Kṛṣṇa doesn't say. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You will get another body, but that does not mean human body. That will depend on your price. Just like if I say, "When your coat is old and torn, you'll purchase another coat." So that another coat, what kind of coat, that will depend on your price, as you are able to pay. Similarly, your activities in this life will decide what body you are going to get next life.
Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:
Then nine multiplied by nine it becomes eighty-one. Different, just like color mixture. So therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, this mixture of qualities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are infecting different types of qualities of material nature, and we are becoming fit for the next life.
But next life there is, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). People do not know it. Therefore we should be very careful to take instruction from Bhagavad-gītā, and make our life successful, following the rules and regulation as it is prescribed there. Otherwise we are animals.
The animals, they cannot follow any rules and regulation. Animal, you ask animal, dog, that "You become a brahmacārī." That is not possible. That is not possible (laughs). It is for human being.
Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:
That is the problem. Repetition of birth. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We take one body according to karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). We get a body according to karma, daiva-netreṇa. That is not in your hand. Suppose if you are living like cats and dogs, the nature's way is that you get next life the dog's body, cat's body, or hog's body. And if you are working just like a god, godly, with good qualification, godly qualification, then you become next life demigod. You get your situation in the higher planetary system. These are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
How do you know? Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you act just like a qualified brāhmaṇa, sattva-sthā, sattva-sthā means brāhmaṇa—then you get your promotion in the higher planetary system ūrdhvam. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ.
Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:
Then he will understand what is God, what is kingdom of God. And after death, he shall enter into the kingdom of God. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). So this is the only shelter. If you take to bhakti-yoga, even if you fail to execute it properly, then still, you are guaranteed your next life, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, in the family of nice brāhmaṇa or very rich man. You will get birth. Śucīnām means first-class brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Śuci. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ.
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
The difficulty in the conditioned state, that we are creating our next life by karma... We are.... just at the present moment we are acting according to our past karma, and again we are creating another karma so that we have to enjoy or suffer in the next life. The transmigration of the soul takes place according to karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sad-asat, good and inferior, janma. So one has to take his birth in a nice family or in nice nation, good education, good looking, nice opulence.... Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means to take birth in good family, good nation, and aiśvarya, opulence, very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta. Śruta means knowledge, education. And śrī, and beauty.
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
We are associating with a particular type of modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance or mixed. So on account of this, we are working differently and we are preparing our next life, kāraṇam. This is the kāraṇam.
So those who are karma-kāṇḍīya, they are interested, next life in the heavenly planet or higher standard of life. So that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you associate with the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system, beyond heavenly planets. Janaloka, Tapoloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka, Siddhaloka, Brahmaloka. So that is possible. But our problem is not to promote ourself to go to the heavenly planet or higher than that, Janaloka, Satyaloka, Maharloka, or Brahmaloka. Kṛṣṇa advises ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). He does not encourage that "You go to the Brahmaloka." No. He never encourages.
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
This is going on. So.... But that is not a very nice business. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You accept some type of body or some type of place. Suppose one has become American. So how long he will remain American? Say, for fifty years or utmost hundred years. Then again, next chapter. One does not know what is the next life. That will be decided, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). There is no guarantee that the next life again you become American or Indian or brāhmaṇa. You may become a cat and dog, because that is not in your hands. That is in the hand of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). That will be awarded to you by superior judgement, that "This man has done like this; he should get a body like this." That is not in your hand. That is not in your science.
Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:
And that prescription is also very difficult because on the dark moon night the goat has to be sacrifice and there are so many paraphernalia and the mantra, the hymns chanted there... The goat is, I mean to, whispered within the ear that "The man who is sacrificing you, he will be responsible for your life, and for yourself, you are going to get the next life as human being without waiting for the evolutionary process." The animals... There is an evolutionary process.
That is accepted in Darwin's theory also, anthropomorphism. What is that? Anthropology, yes. Not anthropomorphism. Anthropology. Anthropology, there is evolutionary process. So that is accepted in the Vedic literature also.
So the animal which is sacrificed, he gets immediately his evolutionary process developed and promoted from animal life to human life. But the man who is offering that sacrifice, he becomes responsible.
Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:
The Lord says that "Those who are not performing yajña, they cannot be happy even in this world, in this life, and what to speak of next life." This is the con... Therefore we have to perform sacrifice. Nāyaṁ lokaḥ, ayaṁ lokaḥ.
Ayam, in this world, in which we are at present, that is also becoming more miserable. At the present moment people are feeling so much painful in the modern existence because this process of yajña has been... Completely, people are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program, at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajñas. That is the natural law.
Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:
Ayam, in this world, in which we are at present, that is also becoming more miserable. At the present moment people are feeling so much painful in the modern existence because this process of yajña has been... Completely, people are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program, at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajñas. That is the natural law.
The Lord says, nāyaṁ loko 'sty ayajñasya: "Those who are not performing, for them, there is no happiness even in this world, even in this life." And kuto anyaḥ kuru-sattama: "My dear Arjuna, then what to speak of the next life. Oh, next life is still more miserable."
Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:
Because after all, we have to acquire that knowledge which will make me a surrendered soul to the Supreme. That's it. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So jñāna also means that to understand our position, to understand what is God, to understand what is our relationship with God, to understand why we are in this material world and what is our next life, wherefrom we have come, where we have the right knowledge, you can understand all these things. And when you understand everything, the path is clear, you can clearly understand that "I am the part and parcel of the Supreme; therefore my duty is to render transcendental service to the Supreme." That is the highest yajña, highest jñāna, knowledge, knowledge, yajña. So Kṛṣṇa advises that jñānamaya-yajña, sacrifice... Sacrifice.
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:
Otherwise, we shall be again attacked with some kind of body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just like we change our dresses from one dress to another, similarly, this body to another body, transmigration of the soul. But we are meant for now completely ceasing to have any material body in the next life. That should be our aim of life. That is called... That knowledge is called the purest knowledge. Na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitram iha... That knowledge is the purest knowledge. Tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ kālena ātmani vindati (BG 4.38).
Now, by becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by this yoga, bhakti-yoga, you can be successful. Yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ. And, in due course of time, you'll understand that "Yes, I am in right path. Oh." In due course of... Immediately you may be very doubtful, "Whether I have accepted the right path or not?" But in kālena, in due course, in due course of time, if you continue the process...
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:
And ignorant and faithless. Saṁśayātmā, hesitating. Vinaśyati: "He is hopeless." Nāyaṁ lokaḥ asti na paraḥ na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ: (BG 4.40) "Anyone who is hesitating in accepting this principle of knowledge or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for him," nāyaṁ loko 'sti, "not even this material world will be happy. And what to speak of his next life?" If he has no faith, then even in this material world, he'll be unhappy. The material world is unhappy. It is all already miserable. It will be more miserable. He'll feel always disturbed, miserable, faithless. So for a faithless, the situation is very precarious.
So here is an authoritative version in the authoritative book, Bhagavad-gītā. And spoken by the Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And if we accept faithfully, with confidence, that "Here is an authority..." Just the same way that when I am purchasing a ticket from a recognized company... Just like I am keeping my money in some bank, thousands of dollars. Why? With faith. With faith.
Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966: So you must make proper utilization.
So one who hasn't got faith, for him it is stated, nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ: "Anyone who has not faith, for him there is no profit even during this life and what to speak of the next life?"
- yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ
- jñāna-sañchinna-saṁśayam
- ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi
- nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
- (BG 4.41)
Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "O Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, anyone who is working in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or yoga..." Yoga means God conscious, or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Everything, anything, any attempt, which we perform, which we do for spiritual realization is called yoga. Yoga. So there are many different kinds of yoga, but they have been divided into three: the jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. Jñāna-yoga means realization of self by culture of philosophical discussion. That is called jñāna-yoga. And dhyāna-yoga... Oh. And karma-yoga... Karma-yoga means that the ordinary persons who are engaged in working...
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:
If you give some money for opening hospital, if you give some money for opening schools, free education. These are certainly virtuous activities. But they are also meant for sense gratification. Suppose if I give in charity for distributing education. Then in my next life I will be getting good facilities for education, I'll be highly educated or being educated I shall get nice post. At the end, what is the idea? If I get a good post if I get a good position, how do I utilize it? For sense gratification. Nicely, that's all. Because I do not know anything else. That is fruitive activities. If I go to heaven, a better standard of life. Suppose, in your America, a better standard of life than India. But what does this mean, "better standard of life"? The same eating, sleeping, in a better type, that's all. You are not doing anything more. They are also eating. They are eating some coarse grain, you are eating very nice thing. But eating. Not beyond this eating.
Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:
You just take complete knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the complete person. That's all. That will make you perfect. Yes. So bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. That does he say? Pārtha na eva iha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate. You mind that. "One who is making, attempting for spiritual advancement, oh, either in this life or in the next life, he'll never be vanished. He'll never be vanished." Na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati: "Oh, this is the highest auspicious attempt. After attempting, nobody degrades. Nobody degrades." Even attempt is not fully successful, nobody degrades. It is so nice.
So anyone who is attempting for spiritual advancement of life, even he is not successful, still, it is not discredit for him. Oh. We can discuss further in next meeting how it is not degradation for him, any percentage performed. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. So we shall discuss next. Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that a person who is spiritually advanced, for him there is no misery even in this world and what to speak of the other world? Pārtha na eva iha. Iha means in this world. Nāmutra. Amutra means next life. Vināśas tasya vidyate. Na vināśa. Vināśa means annihilation. So he has no annihilation. What is annihilation? We have understood from Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter that soul is never annihilated. Indestructible.
Now how it is said that vināśa? Vināśa means when we are in the whirlpool of this material transmigration of soul from one body to another and we do not know where we are going. Either we are going, I am going to become an elephant or I'm going to become an ant, I do not know. After leaving this body, I'm in the wilderness of different species of life. So I forget myself. I forget myself.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Just like you are thrown to the Pacific Ocean and by the waves... Or you are thrown into the middle, you don't see any land, so you do not know... That is vināśa. That is annihilation. Although we are living there. Similarly, if we meet this... We do not know what I am going to be in my next life but my life, next life is a fact. Next life is fact. Suppose if you drive me away from this room, so I must take shelter of another room. So you do not know where I am gone. So this is called vināśa. This is called vināśa.
So one who takes to spiritual life, he has no vināśa. He has no annihilation means that his next life he's going to be again human being. He's not lost in the wilderness of other species of life. Because he has to begin again. Suppose he has finished ten percent Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now he has to begin eleven percent again.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Because he has to begin again. Suppose he has finished ten percent Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now he has to begin eleven percent again. Now, in order to begin, I mean to say, eleven percent in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he has to take the human body. So this means that if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his next life human body is guaranteed. It is guaranteed. It is very nice. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness I do not know what my next body is going to happen. But if Kṛṣṇa consciousness or spiritual consciousness you are advanced, never mind whatever little percentage it is, you are sure to get the chance of another human body. Therefore it is said.
So at least to have a guarantee that our next life is going to be human life, everyone should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From mundane profit point of view. There is a story, Sāvitrī-Satyavān. Sāvitrī-Satyavān, it is not a story. It is historical fact that one gentleman, he was a king's son, prince.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Now those who are transcendentally advanced, what is their next life? That was the question of Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa says that next life is that he's transferred to the higher planet. Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān (BG 6.41). Lokān means planets. He's transferred to the higher planetary system where all pious and righteous men are living. Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). Śāśvatīḥ samāḥ, samāḥ means years and śāśvatīḥ means almost eternal. Almost eternal. Why? Because in the higher planets the duration of life is very great. Our six months equal to their one year, uh, one day. Our six months. That you have already tested, that in the higher space the aeronautics or what is called? Nowadays they have traveling in the space? They rounded in some one hour, one and a half hour they circumambulated the earth so many times. That means so many days and nights passed in one hour.
Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:
Those who have fallen from this Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform due to many reasons, maybe—he's guaranteed next life a human form of life. And where? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. You'll take your birth in a nice devotee or brāhmaṇa's house or in a rich man's family. Not only your human form of life is guaranteed, but also in a better house, in a better family.
So these children who are born in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, they are those children, those who could not finish Kṛṣṇa consciousness last life. They have been given to take birth in the family of devotee husband and wife; therefore he's playing karatāla. Otherwise it is not possible. He had practice in his last life; therefore he's quickly... He had got the chance. Again he's remembering and playing. This is the fact. So we have to study from the śāstric vision. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. How you'll see? You'll see through the authority, scriptures. So these are the statements of authoritative scriptures. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So this child is born of a devotee father and devotee mother. Now he'll again begin from the point where he lost last life.
Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:
The judgement will be done by the superior authority, and he'll be given a particular type of body, as he has maintained the consciousness.
Therefore our business, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to train the followers to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that next life he gets Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere. He's not promoted immediately, directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. That is also possible. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Those who are My devotees, they come to My place." Kṛṣṇa says. So if you perfect your Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, then you're guaranteed to be promoted to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. If you do not perfect, then next life is guaranteed, a very nice human body, either in a rich man's family or in a Kṛṣṇa conscious family. Just try to understand how nice this movement is.
Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:
He takes his birth in a family, two kinds of families. One family, śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means very rich family, very rich family.
So one who takes his birth in a very rich family, it should be understood that he was certainly a very pious man in his previous life. By good work, by pious work, we get. In our next life, we get facilities, four kinds of facilities. What are they? Now, janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī. Janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī. Janma means to get birth in very aristocratic family, royal family, lord family, rich family, janma. Or acquires large extent of wealth, janmaiśvarya-śruta (SB 1.8.26). Śruta means becomes very learned scholar. So one who is learned scholar, it is to be understood that it is due to his past deeds. One who is rich man, it is to be understood that it is due to his pious acts in his last life. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī. Śrī means beauty. And one who is very beautiful, either male or female, it is to be understood that this is the result of his or her pious work in the past lives.
Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:
There are many. In India also there are Birla family, Bamar(?) family. Every country, there are rich families. So either in a purified family, just like brāhmaṇas, or in a rich family... So at least, those who sincerely begin spiritual life, so their next life is guaranteed as human life, human form of life, for many days.
So those who are rich in this world, or those who have got birth in a very, I mean to say, pious family, brāhmaṇa family, they should understand that "It is God's grace that I have got my birth with such, so much facilities of life." Why śucīnām? In a pious family one gets the chance of spiritual advancement. I shall say practically, from my whole life. I was fortunate to get my, I mean to say, birth, in a very pious family. Yes. My father was very pious man, and I wanted to imitate him in my childhood.
Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:
There is an instance of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was in his previous life, elevated to almost prema-bhakti, highest platform of devotional service. But there is always chance of falldown. So somehow or other he fell down. And next life he was born in a very rich family as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). So he was born in a rich brāhmaṇa family, but he became, naturally as rich boys become attached to woman-hunter. So it is said that his spiritual master instructed him through his prostitute. At the right moment, his spiritual master said through that prostitute, "Oh, you are so much attached with this flesh and bone. If you had been attached so much with Kṛṣṇa, how good you could have achieved." Immediately he took to that position. So that responsibility is for the spiritual master. But we should not take advantage of that. That is not very good. We should try: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. We should not try to put our spiritual master in a position that he has to reclaim me from prostitute's house. But he has to do it. Because he accepts his disciple, he has got the responsibility like that. Yes?
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
Suppose you are not acting anything sinful in this life, you are very pious in every respect. You are charitable, you are benevolent, everything is all right. But Bhagavad-gītā says that it is karma-bandhana. If you give in charity somebody, say, some amount of money, you'll get that money back four times, five times, or ten times more in your next life. That is a fact. So Vaiṣṇava philosophy says that this is also sinful. Why sinful? Because you have to take your birth to receive that compound interest. That is sinful. Now suppose you are born in a very rich family. The trouble of being in the womb of the mother, that is the same. Either you are pious man or the impious man, when you are in the womb of your mother the difficulties and the pains perceived within the womb of the mother is the same, either you are black or white, either you are Indian or American or cat or dog or anyone. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:
They are maintaining a small temple. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa, this yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, this bhakti-yoga, one who could not finish the cent percent bhakti-yoga in one life, at least he's guaranteed to have next life as a human being. Because Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Śucīnām means first-class brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. They are called śuci. The śuci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and śuci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje and muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes śuci. And even though one is born in the family of śuci, brāhmaṇa, if he rejects Kṛṣṇa, he becomes muci." So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje and śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. This is the...
Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:
This is the business of this human form of life, to... This is a chance to make our life successful, siddhaye. Siddhaye means to become successful. And what is that success? That success... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), that is success. Not that I earn millions of dollars and amass in the bank, and I think I am successful, but I do not know what is my next life. Where will be my, this amassing of bank balance, my skyscraper building? I will have to accept another body, unwilling, although I have created that body. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), as I have associated with the three guṇas. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. If I have associated with the sattva-guṇa, then I will be promoted to the higher planetary systems. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). If I have associated with rajo-guṇa, then I shall remain in this planet, middle planetary system.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:
There are 8,400,000's of species of life. If you want the body of a tiger, if you have exercised very nicely to become like a tigerlike strong, then God will give you next life to become a tiger, actual tiger. "Why tigerlike? Become a tiger. I give you all facility. Become a tiger." So what is the use of getting tiger's life? You know... Perhaps you all know, the tigers cannot get food every day. And naturally, if in the forest there is a tiger, the other animals, they are very careful. But when he's too much hungry God provides him one animal. Because God provides everyone's food, so tiger also must have food. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Supreme is maintaining all these living entities. So tiger is also part and parcel of God, and he has got that body. So God is kind even upon the tiger, and what to speak of the devotees.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:
Here it is said, siddhaye. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye, to become perfect. So unless we follow the injunction of the śāstra, then there is no possibility of siddhi. Na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. Neither perfection, neither happiness in this life, and what to speak of next life? These things are not possible if we do not follow standard knowledge. So for the standard knowledge, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. And those who have taken the standard knowledge, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3).
So for, by standard knowledge, by understanding Vedas, that is standard knowledge. Still, although they are siddhas, still they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they have taken to standard knowledge. That's a fact. But still, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs, the impersonalists, the speculators, they cannot understand.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:
Swedish man (2): If I come in contact with Kṛṣṇa movement now, will that in my next life get me a human body?
Prabhupāda: Not only human body. We are getting... You have got already the spiritual body. Now it is covered by this material body. So if you develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not going to be covered by material body again. You keep in your spiritual body, so that in spiritual body you go to the spiritual world and live with Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.
Swedish devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if meeting you here now would make sure that he would get a human form in his next life?
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:
Swedish woman (5): Will I ever, in another life, will I feel my "I," my ego? Will I feel that again?
Prabhupāda: Yes, you are already feeling. So next life also you will feel, and the past also you felt. That is described. You are always individual. That is described, that "In the past we were existing in the past, your feeling was also there. As you are existing now, your feeling is already there, and in the future also, you will exist. The feeling will be there."
Swedish woman (5): You say that our souls are..., we will always go on. But you are getting more and more people.
Prabhupāda: That is your misunderstanding.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:
And if you work so hard like ass and cats and dog simply for satisfying your tongue or belly or the genital, a straight line, then you are going to hell. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Then you are becoming bound up by the laws of nature. If you eat and sleep and act like dog, then become dog next life. And if you act like god, then you'll get god, very easy thing. So whatever you like, you can do. But the śāstra gives you direction, yajñārthe. "Act, work, work hard for pleasing the Supreme Lord." Yajñārthe. Otherwise you will be bound up in the cycle of birth and death. Don't do it.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this education, that perform... You cannot escape it. You cannot say that "You are interested. You can do. We are not interested." If you are not interested, then you are living a very risky life because you have to change your body.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:
You cannot say that "You are interested. You can do. We are not interested." If you are not interested, then you are living a very risky life because you have to change your body. Dehāntaram. You can see. There are examples of so many types of body. Now, suppose if you live at the risk of your life and next life you become a tree, stand up for five thousand years in the snow, scorching heat, scorching, blasting and so many disturbances, and you cannot move an inch, and people may cut down you, your leaves, your trunk, or you, they are cutting so many... What is that life? And if you think, "No, I am living for five thousand years," what is the use of living such five thousand years? No. Don't risk life. Karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't perform yajña, if you don't try to satisfy the Supreme Lord... Just like if you don't try to satisfy the government, then it is your risky life. You cannot say that "I am living very happily." Because you are cheating government or do not following the laws of the government, that is very risky life.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:
"After many, many births..." So today I may be minister, and tomorrow, after death, I may become a dog. But that is not in my control. You cannot say that "I am minister. I am this. I am that. I am high-court judge or very important man. So I am ordering material nature. Although I shall die, next life I shall become again high-court judge or Nārāyaṇa, something." No. That is not possible. You are fully under control. You have given a license to enjoy or suffer in this body, and in this body, as soon as it is finished, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur... (SB 3.31.1), and then you get another body.
So this jñāna, even this jñāna, the change of body is not there. Throughout the whole world, big, big professor, big, big educationist, they do not believe in the next birth. 99.9 percent, they do not. But this is a fact. There is. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Kṛṣṇa says. And we understand this also.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:
That is also stated in the Eighth Cha... (break)
...loke tyajanty ante kalevaram. So if one dies... It is not for simply Kṛṣṇa conscious man. It is true for everyone that at the moment of his death, whatever he is thinking of, his next life is going to happen like that. So if you practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness while you are strong enough, then naturally at the time of your death, when everything is oblivion... Because at the time of death you do not know what is the condition of my health, of my body. But therefore, if I practice... This is called abhyāsa-yoga. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gaminaḥ (BG 8.8). If one practices this yoga process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then paramaṁ puruṣam adyam—he can attain, he can arrive the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If one goes to that place, he hasn't got to come back again to this miserable world.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:
If that is the identification, then he is not even human being. Ātma-tattva. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jāta. Everyone is born that "I am this body," but if he continues to remain under the impression that "I am this body," then whatever he is doing under the bodily concept of life, he is parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everything is defeat, because he is doing under the bodily concept of life. So this so-called nationalism, socialism, communism and this ism, that ism—they have manufactured—they are all defeat, defeating. They are being defeated because next life he does not know what he is going to become. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and according to your work, you will offer, you will be offered...
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:
So Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that the material bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, they cannot be happy. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They cannot be. The karmīs, they are trying to be materially happy in this world, in this life, in the next life. No. Any life. You can change your life in so many times, but you'll never be happy, because you are aśānta, you want something. You want some benefit, material benefit. Or spiritual benefit. Spiritual benefit. To merge into the Supreme, that is spiritual benefit. And material benefit, to get some material profits within this world, this life or next life. So that is bhukti. Bhukti and mukti. And merging into the spiritual effulgence, brahmajyoti, that is also aśānta, because after all, he is wanting something. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. He wants something. To merge. And the yogis, they are plainly wanting some siddhis. So they, every one of them are wanting, in need. Therefore they are aśānta. They cannot be śānta. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. He does not want anything. He want to serve to Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:
Ask him, "Sir, you have come to this stage. Your body is now old. You have to die. Now, from childhood you came to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then middle age, and now you have come to... Now what is next? Do you know?" Oh, they will be silent. Nobody knows that what is my next life. A child can say, "My next life is boy. I shall become a boy." The boy can say, "Yes, I will be like very nice young man." The young man can say that "I shall become middle-aged man, father of many children." And the middle-aged man can say, "Yes, I will become old man." And ask the old man what he will become? He cannot answer. Can anyone say?
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:
These men are no better than these cats and dogs and animals.
So practically you ask so many big, big men... Last time when I was here, Lord Fenner Brockway came here to see me. I asked him this question, that "What is your next life?" He is also old man, eighty-four years. He said, "Swamiji, we shall die peacefully. That's all." Peacefully you may die, but you have to accept the next body. Whether that will be peaceful or not, that they do not know. Similarly, I spoke with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He also said that "Swamiji, after finishing this body, everything is finished." This is the position of human society at the present moment, that they do not know how to make life perfect. To make life perfect means how to make my next life very perfect or happy or better life. Otherwise, if I remain in darkness—Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13)—then I shall be, I may become any of these so many types of body.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They do not know what is perfection of life. Therefore we sometimes... We do not say. Kṛṣṇa says. And if we repeat Kṛṣṇa's words, the rascals, they become angry. Actually they are rascals. We plainly say. Because he does not know. If I ask him, "What is your next life?" he cannot answer. Then what is the difference? If I ask the dog that "What is your next life?" he cannot say. "Gow! gow!" That's all. So if I ask any human being that "What is your next life?" "I don't bother about that thing." (laughter) The same answer, "Gow! Gow!" That's all.
So this is the position, that we do not know what is the perfection of life. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, begins real knowledge. This chapter is "Knowledge of the Absolute." So everyone... You ask any M.A., Ph.D., that "What is your next life, sir?" "Gow! Gow!" (laughter) That's all. "Gow! Gow!" means "Why you are bothering about these things?" Now, this is the position.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:
Now you make your choice. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And if you misuse like cats and dogs, then again go. Again go to the aquatics or cats and dogs according to your karma. That they do not know. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. They are very much advanced in knowledge and science and money-making, but what they are going to take the body next life, they do not know. Mūḍho nābhijānāti. This is their advancement. Therefore they refuse to believe that there is next life. That is one solace: "Oh, there is no next..." Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet: "Oh, this body will be burned into ashes, and who is coming back again?" They don't believe. Because if they believe the śāstra, then it will be horrible affair for them. But therefore they do not believe. But you believe or not believe, things are going to happen. That's all. That is laws of nature. If you don't believe that you are going to die, it doesn't matter. You have to die.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:
That's all. That is laws of nature. If you don't believe that you are going to die, it doesn't matter. You have to die. If you don't believe, that "I am not going to become an old man," no, you believe or not believe, you must become old man. This is nature's law. So you believe or not believe in the next life, you have to accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So your believe or not believe doesn't matter. Nature's work will go on.
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:
Prabhupāda: Who is fallen is called yoga-bhraṣṭa. So yoga-bhraṣṭa means he has fallen from the instruction of the spiritual master. But a spiritual master sometimes is so kind that he delivers him in the next birth also. But it is not our duty to bring the spiritual master to save me again in the next life. It is not very good disciple. (laughter)
Indian man (5): At the time of death some people becomes unconscious...
Prabhupāda: No unconscious. Consciousness there is. So long one is not death, mean, the soul is gone out of the body, his consciousness is there even in the sleeping condition.
Indian man (5): But can he hear? We say "Rāma, Rāma." Can he hear that?
Prabhupāda: If he is fortunate.
Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:
For our sinful reaction we have to visit some hell which is known as pun. So it is prescribed in the Hindu scripture that the child, when the father dies, the boy has to perform several ceremonies which is called śrāddha ceremony, so that if the father for his sinful acts is in trouble in his next life, this ceremony will protect him. These are some of the thoughts. And they are true. So putra means pun-nāmno narakād yasmāt trāyate iti putraḥ: "One who delivers the father from the hell which is known as pun, he is called putra." So therefore how can I have putra without wife? If one wants a son without wife, that is not possible. Therefore the scriptural injunction is that according to the Vedic rules you get yourself married and have good sons to protect your family and to protect yourself. This is called religious sex life. So this religious sex life, Kṛṣṇa recommends. And He says that "Sex life in religiosity is..., I am. I am present there. I am present there."
Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:
And one who dies like cats and dogs, he is called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means a very less intelligent man.
So we should not die like cats and dogs. We should die like brāhmaṇa. Even in one life a solution is not made, then you get next life opportunity. Just like all these boys who have come to us, it is to be understood that they tried in their last life for making a solution of this problem, but it was not finished. There is another opportunity. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So now, this life, you should be determined. Those who are coming to the touch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and initiated to execute, they should be very determined that "In this life we shall make a solution. No more. No more coming again." That should be our determination. (break) ...and go back to home, back to Godhead, where we get eternal, blissful life of knowledge.
Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:
Not only India—this whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Gradually, it is declined. Just like recently we have partitioned, Pakistan. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. So anyway, that Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of his death, he had a pet deer. He thought of the deer and he became next life a deer. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "It is not that because you think of Me you get a body like Me, but it is the general rule. If you think... At the time of your death, whatever you think, you carry the idea with your mind and you get the immediately a similar body." That means you are put into the womb of a mother to get a similar body. So instead of thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, if we think of our dog, as Bharata Mahārāja was thinking of the deer, oh, there is risk of getting a dog's body.
Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:
"My dear Arjuna, he gets a similar body," sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ, "because he is always thoughtful of that particular body."
So this practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. If you always think of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, you will think at the time of death Kṛṣṇa. And the result will be next life you get a body like Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:
And besides that, suppose in this life I perform work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, say twenty-five percent. I am not perfect. My next life will begin from twenty-sixth point. So much, what I have acquired in this life, that is not lost.
These are the formulas we get from authoritative scripture. But material achievement, that is due... Because it is pertaining to this body, this designation, therefore it finishes with the finish of this designation. These are our all designations. This body... I am thinking, "I am American." I am thinking, "I am Indian." These are all our designations. So designation will finish, and there is no certainty what sort of body I am going to have in my next life. There are... Any thing, any material acquisition, that is not permanent.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:
That's all. Su-sukham. Su-sukhaṁ kartum. Kartum: to execute this devotional service is very pleasure. Pleasure. And avyayam: whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. Bhakti-yoga process, if you can execute one percent, oh, it becomes asset, and next life you are guaranteed, because you will be given the facility of executing bhakti-yoga further. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in every śāstra. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjayate (BG 6.41). One who could not prosecute... There is other, other passages in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvo 'tha (SB 1.5.17). If one by sentiments takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmam, giving up his own occupation, but maybe, for immature condition he may fall down, yatra kva va abhadram. What is the loss?
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:
Permanent asset. What is that permanent asset? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Those who have fallen from this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their next life is guaranteed a human life.
Because others, there is no guarantee. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). According to one's karma he can get the body of a dog, cat, hog or demigod. There is no guarantee that... Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Antara means another. He does not say that "This body he'll get." But if one is Kṛṣṇa's devotee, then there is guarantee. What is that guarantee? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). He'll take birth in a very rich family or in a very nice brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava's family. If he gets a Vaiṣṇava's, birth in a Vaiṣṇava's family... Just like we have got so many children among our gṛhastha devotees. How fine they are. They're getting Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the beginning of their life. That means in the past they advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Somehow or other they failed to complete. Now they have got again chance, again in the temple, dancing and chanting from the very beginning of life.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:
You take the knowledge from the Vedic literature. You immediately understand that there are 900,000 species of life. This is different forms. The living entity, soul, is everywhere. But according to his karma... Just like nowadays people are very fond of diving within the water and swim. This has become a fashion. So next life they are going to become fish. Yes. Because yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If you at the time of death, if you think of that, how to swim very nicely within the water, that means next life nature will give you a fish life. You get it. That is God's mercy. Why you artificially try to become a fish? You become actually fish. That is nature's gift. So you'll get. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran. This is stated in the Bhagavad... Because whatever we practice in our life, so that concept of life, that imagination, continues.
Just like you dream. What do you dream? Whatever you think always, you dream like that. It is mental activities.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:
That is not possible. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). It is simply by false prestige he is thinking that "I can chalk out my own way of life." No. That is not possible. You are completely under the laws of nature, and whatever nature will do, you'll have to accept. Next life, if nature, by nature, he gives you better body, demigod's body, you'll have to accept. And if the nature offers you a dog's body you have to accept it. You cannot change it. That is not possible.
So we must be very careful. Kṛṣṇa says very easy, that one can go back to home, back to Godhead very easily. How?
Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:
Similarly, according to our body, we are producing the resultant action and we are enjoying the result. So enjoying the result means in this body we are creating some circumstances, and if it is not possible to enjoy or suffer from the resultant action, then the next life we get another body; we suffer or enjoy. This is going on.
So the living entity is called kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña means one who knows his body. Every one of us, we know. I think, "It is my body." Nobody says, "I body." Everyone says, "My body. My finger. My hand." So therefore he is known as kṣetra-jña, one who knows about his body. So Kṛṣṇa says that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi (BG 13.3). I am proprietor of this body, you are proprietor of your body, but Kṛṣṇa is proprietor of everybody. That is Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). He is in everyone's body. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).
Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:
This is our propaganda, and we base on these authorities of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not that we have manufactured it. There is no question of manufacturing. It is authoritative. It is accepted by all the ācāryas. So our request is that you also take this opportunity and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and next life you go back to home, back to Godhead, and be eternally happy. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:
Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, means Supreme Lord, is sitting in everyone's heart. So He is witness. Whatever you are doing, He is witness. He is giving you facility to do whatever you like, but at the same time you may forget. Suppose I wanted to do something in this life. This is not fulfilled. And next life, when I get another body, so God reminds me. "Well, you wanted to do this. Why not experiment?" That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am seated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me there is remembrance," smṛti, "there is knowledge and there is forgetfulness also." So what is that, God making one person forgetful and another person encouraging? Why? Because I wanted like that. Because I don't want to revive my relationship with the Supreme Lord. Whenever I speak of God, oh, some person becomes: "Oh, what is God? Swamiji, what you are speaking, God?"
Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:
Therefore this is an encouragement. This is an encouragement by the Lord that "Do not think that because you are not trying for going to the other planet you will be unhappy. You will have happiness." What is happiness? Happiness is within your mind. If you are assured of your peaceful existence and the next life you are transferred to the supreme planet, or supreme place, then that is happiness, not for trying life after life to adjust happiness. Here is an assurance.
Now this Arjunācārya...that's a very nice story. When he was writing commentaries, oh, he thought, "How is that Lord will come Himself and deliver the goods? Oh, it is not possible. He might be sending through some agents." So he wanted to cut vahāmy aham, "I bear the burden and deliver." He wrote in a way that "I send some agent who delivers."
Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:
By ignorance we take this spot life as permanent settlement and we think that "We shall live here permanently and make arrangement to live here permanently and make assets for my children, for my nation." But we do not know that the cycle of transmigration is not fixed up.
I do not know what next life is mine. I do not know where is the..., who is coming as my son, who is coming, who is going out of the scene as my son. These laws we do not know. But we are chewing the chewed. Evaṁ gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante. Under the spell of this illusory energy, we are captivated by this temporary sense gratification and we have forgotten our real life. So those who are in the sense of his real constitutional, of their real constitutional position, as Bhagavad-gītā started from the very beginning... This very conception, that "I am this body," beginning from, from beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā this is discredited, that "You are not this body."
Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:
And so long you are not liberated from the actions and reactions, you cannot be liberated. You cannot be liberated.
Now, pious activities... Suppose in my whole life I have never done anything impious thing; I have done simply pious activities. So the result of pious activities is janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). By pious activities, in your next life you can get your birth in a very highly respectable, aristocratic family. Janmaiśvarya. You can get a great amount of wealth. And janmaiśvarya-śruta. You can become a highly educated scholar, or you can become a very beautiful. You have a very beautiful body. These things are the result of good activities, result. Now, suppose I get all these things. That is not my liberation. But we are for liberation. We want to get out of this material contamination. So good work or bad work, that will not lead me to liberation. The bondage is there. But if you act for Kṛṣṇa or you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are liberated.
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- New York, December 26, 1966, 'Who is Crazy?':
Were you American or Indian or Chinese or Russian, can you say? Say, after getting out of this body, do you think that you'll continue as American or Indian or Chinese or Russian? Suppose you are now in America, in the land of America. So next life you may be in China. Who can say? Because we are changing our bodies, you cannot say that we are not changing our bodies. Can you say that you are not changing your body? Yes, we are changing. When I was born, from the mother's womb, my body was so little. Now how I have changed my...? Where is that body? Where is that body when I was a child? Where is that body when I was a boy? Where is that body when I was a young man? I have got my photograph, my studentship. Oh, Swamiji, you were like this? Where is that body? Where it has gone? So we are changing, but I am the same man. I am thinking, "Oh, in my childhood, I was doing like this. Oh, in my youthhood, I was thinking like this.
Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:
It is very nice ship. And su-labhaṁ su-labhaṁ su-durlabham. Su-labham means this kind of ship you cannot get always. It is an opportunity.
This is an opportunity because we do not know what is going to happen in my next life. There is no guarantee that in next life you are going to take your birth in America or in human form of life. There is no guarantee. Therefore, so long you have got this opportunity, you must fully utilize it. Nṛ-deham ādyam su-labhaṁ su-durlabham. Su-labham, by opportunity, by fortune we have got this, su-labham. And su-durlabham. Su-durlabham means it is very difficult to get this body, because... Just imagine. By gradual evolutionary process from the aquatic to the plant life, then from plant life to worm life, then from worm life to bird's life, then from bird's life to beast life, from beast life to human life—this is the gradual process of evolution. So therefore this human form of life is very difficult to get.
Lecture on BG 10.8 -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
The young man is changing body to become an old man. Similarly, when the old man changes the body, he gets another body. If a young man challenges the laws of nature, that he is not going to be old man, that is false prestige. He must have to become an old man. Similarly, if some rascal says that "I don't believe in the next life," that is his foolishness. He has to change his body. Nature's law is going on. You are not controller of the nature, you are controlled by nature. So if we entangle ourself with sinful activities then next life means we get low grade life. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Lecture on BG 10.8 -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
They do not inquire even wherefrom these living entities are coming, the trees, birds, beasts, lower than human being; wherefrom they are coming they do not inquire.
So the law is that according to your work you'll get your next life. It may be higher standard of life, it may be lower standard of life. So suppose higher standard of life, if we get, that's all right, but if we get lower standard of life... Just like today I am here and next life if I get the body of a tree and stand up for five thousand years, is it very nice proposition? In this way we have to understand how the process of life is going on and what is wanted, what is not wanted. In this way, when you are situated, fixed up in your spiritual understanding, that is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all unwanted things are vanquished.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:
We get, a certain type of body to fulfill our certain type of desire.
The... Yesterday evening we were talking with that cardinal. So when I said that: "If you eat meat like animals, like the tigers or the fox, then Kṛṣṇa will give you the facility to become, next life a tiger and fox and cat and dog, like that." These are stated. It is not my manufacturing word. These you'll find. You are human being. You must act like a human being. For human being, this Bhagavad-gītā is there. Kṛṣṇa is instructing to a human being, Arjuna. Not a cat, not a dog. So knowledge means it is meant for the human beings. Not for the cats and dogs. Laws means it is meant for the human being. Laws means: "You should do this, you should not do this." This is law, as state law, or any law. Nature's law. Everywhere. So human being, for human being, Kṛṣṇa is advising: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:
Sometimes they worship the demigods for getting some material profit. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim.
Here everyone is engaged in fruitive activities, karma. Karma in this life and karma in the next life also. So performing great sacrifices, giving in charity, pious activities, they are also karma. They are meant for giving opportunity in the next life, a position in the heavenly planet or similar other higher planetary system where the standard of living is very, very comfortable, thousands and thousands times better than the standard of life in this planet. But that is also karma. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim yajanta iha devatāḥ.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:
Death takes away everything. Therefore you cannot say the arrangement you made for happy life is perfect. That is not perfect. But foolish people, they do not know what is perfection. They simply want superficial, temporary happiness, never mind what will happen next life or few years after.
Just like children, they want to play without caring for future life. But it is the duty of the guardians to engage them in education so that in future they may be happy. Similarly, all the great sages, saintly persons, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita, many, many great saintly persons, sages... Even Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes to give us instruction so that we can become eternally happy.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:
This is our position. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing our body every moment, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, similarly, by changing this body we get another body. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But we do not know what kind of body we are going to get next life. We are blind. This is called ignorance.
Generally, they are thinking this body is all in all there is no rebirth. No. The example is given here in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like a child has his future, another body, boyhood body. The boy has got his future, another body, young man's body. The young man has got another future, old man's body. Similarly the old man has got another body after death. Tatha dehāntara-praptiḥ.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:
Similarly the old man has got another body after death. Tatha dehāntara-praptiḥ.
But people have become so irresponsible that they do not know what kind of body he's going to get next life. He's blind. Therefore this knowledge is required, how I'm getting this body, how I can get better body or lower body. This is knowledge, not that how to eat, how to sleep, and how to have sex life. This is not knowledge there in the animals. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Where to find out one's food, where to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend, these animals also, they know how to do it. So if we devote our time only for these four principles of bodily wants, then we are not better than the cats and dogs.
The real knowledge is to know "What I am, what is this body, why I am suffering. I want to be happy but why sufferings are there, always some kind of suffering is always there." These are the questions. But people have become so foolish they do not inquire how to make solution of these sufferings, how to make solution of the problems of life. They are blindly being led.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me this vegetable, fruit, grains, milk, and I will take." Therefore indirectly it is said, these are the foodstuff of the human being. Not any others things. You cannot say that "This is also eatable, therefore I shall eat." Then you become a hog. Those who have no discrimination, of eating, they are going to be hog next life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yad vikārī yataś ca yat (BG 13.4). How one becomes a hog, dog, cat or demigod or Indra, or Brahma, that will be explained. You are given the facility of human being and if you misuse your facilities, then according to your mental condition, you'll be offered the next body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajyaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), you'll find.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
Therefore, give up doggish mentality. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Train up your mind, God, godly mentality. Then you'll be transferred next life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the people for being promoted to the highest standard of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. We are giving chance to the people not to become next life cats and dogs and vultures. But associate of Kṛṣṇa. To become a cowherd boy, to play with Kṛṣṇa, or gopī, to dance with Kṛṣṇa. This much facilities we are going to giving.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:
Just like you have seen a bird sitting in this branch, going another branch, another tree. This is all seeking some pleasure.
Similarly, we are also... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are enjoying a standard of comfort in this life, and I am preparing another standard of living condition next life. So I shall fly over to another body. Tathā-dehāntara prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind...
Because we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa... We are wandering in this material world as mad chap. Just like a rich man's son has become mad. He leaves his home and loitering in the street and eating in the garbage. That is our position. We are the sons of the richest person. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya. Bhagavān means who is the proprietor of all riches. So we are sons of such a rich man. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanā... But we have become mad. We have become mad. We want to enjoy... Just like there are many sons. Although the father is... In America we find many.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. You can see practically, all of you, what you were and what you are now. That's all. It is practical; it is not theoretical.
Male devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if someone takes prasādam even once, is it true that they're guaranteed at least a human body in their next life?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You go on simply eating, that's all. (laughter) And all of my devotees, they have come to me simply by eating prasāda. You are also? (laughter) So we give all facilities. If you cannot do anything, please come and eat with us. All right, thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:
They are decorating, decorating. "Tax. Give more tax. Give more tax. Let us decorate." But how you'll... How long you shall live in this decorated city? Even if you live, if you are so much lover, great nationalist of the country, suppose next life you get the... Because when one has very much attraction for a certain land, then he again takes birth in that land, so if you take your birth not as human being or as a cat and dog or a cow, then you'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. Then what is the use of your becoming nationalist? Your men, for whom you have worked so hard, next life, if you take your birth as a cow, the same men will send you to the slaughterhouse. But these rascals, they do not know what is the mystery.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
So at least, in the lower grades of forms, there are eighty-one lakhs or eight million one hundred thousand and above that, about four hundred thousand forms of human beings. So one has to understand.
Unfortunately, people are so foolish at the present moment that they do not believe even in the next life. Mūḍha. What to speak of understanding God and Kṛṣṇa, they have no even the basic principle of spiritual knowledge.
Basic principle of spiritual knowledge is to understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am now fallen in this material condition, and therefore, according to my different desires, I am accepting different types of bodies and wandering throughout the whole universe, sometimes this body, sometimes that body, sometimes in this planet, sometimes in other planet. This has become my unfortunate condition of life."
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
That is not human life. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1).
Unfortunately, the modern civilization does not care for all these things, and... It is very risky civilization. Because nature's process is that as you create your mentality, you get next life a similar body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). You, in this body you have to work because this material world means one has to work. So by your karmaṇā, if your karma is not adjusted, if you do not work as a human being to be promoted to the qualification of a brāhmaṇa and then surpass the brāhmaṇa qualification and become a Vaiṣṇava, then your life is not perfect. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). When our aim of life will be to understand our relationship with Viṣṇu... Na te viduḥ.
But we do not know it.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
Who is interested? They are dying like cats and dogs. They have accepted, "Oh, death is..." That's all. But there is a solution of death, but they are not interested. They are prepared to die like cats and dogs. That's all. The human life is meant for making solution of birth, death, old age and disease, but they will not take it. "Oh, that's all right. Let us die." "You are going to accept a next life as a tree." "Never mind." They say like that. "I'll forget." "No, you'll have to stand up seven thousand years in one place." "That's all right." They have become so dull. This is called Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Very slow, very bad. Manda means very bad. Sumanda-matayo, and if one has got some path or some sect, that is also adulterated, nuisance. Manda-matayoḥ. Manda-bhāgyaḥ, unfortunate. Even people have no idea what he's going to eat tomorrow. Actually, these things are coming. Manda-bhāgya, most unfortunate.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:
Our propaganda is not for the East and the West, but our fight is with the ignorance of the people because at the present moment people are kept in ignorance, in foolishness, that he is this body, bodily identification. But still, there is difference between East and West. In the West, I have talked with big, big professors, learned scholars. They have no idea of next life.
I talked with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after annihilation of this body, everything is finished." They have no idea that there is soul. And in India even the poorest man, he knows that, "There is next life. I existed in the past, and I will exist in the future." This Vedic conclusion is known even to the poorest man, illiterate man. That is, of course, the difference between East and West.
Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:
By superior arrangement. You cannot say that "I want this kind of body." God is not your order supplier. You'll get. Either you ask for it or don't ask for it, you according to your karma, you'll have a next body. Karmaṇā daiva... By the superior arrangement. If you work in this life like God you'll get next life a god's body. And if you work in this life as a dog then you get next the life as a dog. That is not in your hands. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ. According to your qualities, as you will work, and prakṛti, nature, will give you a similar body.
Otherwise, why do we find so many varieties of bodies? So many varieties. Just like so many varieties of apartment, so many varieties of hotels, so many varieties of appointment. So you are appointed, you are put into an apartment, or hotel, according to the terms of your payment. That is karma. So you cannot say everything is also equal. That is nonsense.
Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:
Everyone is born fools and rascals, and he's acting in foolishness and rascaldom. Therefore whatever he is doing this is his defeat. This is his defeat. Actually, if we think very cool-headed... Suppose whole life I have earned so much money, bank balance, skyscraper building, everything, but if my next life I become a cat or dog or rat... There is possibility. Because if I am not destined to enjoy... Because this life I have committed so many sinful activities, I am not going to have very comfortable life. But I have got attraction for my building which I have constructed with so many efforts. Nature will allow you to live in that building again next life, maybe as a cat, dog or a rat.
Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You do not know what kind of body you are going to... You completely under the stringent laws of nature. Here it is said, kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate.
Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:
This is the business of brāhmaṇa. One who knows Brahman. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have faith in the authoritative Vedic knowledge. That is called āstikyam.
According to our Vedic principles one who has full faith in the Vedic knowledge, he's āstika. And who has no faith in the Vedic knowledge, he's nāstika. So be āstika, don't be nāstika. There is no useful purpose becoming a nāstika. Be āstika. And the essence of Vedic knowledge is Bhagavad-gītā because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking personally. Take advantage of it. Apply it practically life and be happy not only in this life, but the next life.
Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:
It may be very nice change, or it may be very bad change. So therefore it is very dangerous position. It is very dangerous. You do not know. You have to know. You can know that if you follow the shastric injunctions in the Bhagavad-gītā. You do now know "what kind of body I am going to get next life," but you can know from Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot speculate, but you can know from Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says,
- ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
- madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
- jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
- adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
- (BG 14.18)
Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Those who are in the modes of goodness, sattva-guṇa... Just like brāhmaṇas. They'll be promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. Those who are passionate, they will remain within this material... Everything is material.
Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:
And mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "And those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they will come to Me." Kṛṣṇa says. So why not become Kṛṣṇa conscious and go directly back to home, back to Godhead? This is our mission. You have to prepare for the next life.
So there are so many different types of next life. Beginning from Brahmaloka down to the... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So why should we try for making a better position within this material world? Why? Why should we waste our time like that? We have seen that to occupy the post of president, Mr. Nixon, how much he had to work in the beginning. I was at that time in America. He was advertising, "America needs now Nixon." So he had to spend millions and millions of dollars, so many cliques and so many intricacies, political... But it is gone, the presidency. Somehow or other. And now he is dragged down. Now he's offered position.
Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
There are two kinds of following. You want to do something by your whims and you could not fulfill that whim in one life. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you opportunity to fulfill that desire in this next life and gives you, "Now you wanted like this. Here is the opportunity, do it." But that is not good for you. You wanted it, so Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity. The best thing would be that what Kṛṣṇa says, you do that, then you'll be happy. Otherwise, you'll have to go life after life and fulfill your whims and desires. Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity, but that will not solve your problems.
Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Devotee: If we don't finish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, how we come in contact with the guru in next life?
Prabhupāda: Yes, that arrangement will be done, you go on with your business. We are singing this song daily. Why do you forget? Cakhu-dān dilo jei janme janme prabhu sei. One who has opened the eyes, he'll remain my master life after life.
Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!
Translator: The question was that Kṛṣṇa had said that He would not take part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but later on He did. So He had actually changed His word. So does the devotee also sometimes do that, say one thing but later on change his mind.
Prabhupāda: You are not Kṛṣṇa. You are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate the master. That is folly. You are servant, you remain always servant. Don't try to imitate the master. Kṛṣṇa has lifted the hill. Can you do that by imitation? Don't try to imitate. Follow His instruction. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa can do anything, He is God.
Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:
Daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā. And if you develop demonic qualities, then you become more and more entangled in this material existence. It is very risky. We are thinking that "Let me enjoy this life to my best capacity," as the atheist class of people think, but they do not know how much risk they are taking. If I develop my characteristics like cats and dogs, then my next life is becoming bound up in the body of cats and dogs. But they do not know the science. How the transmigration of the soul is evolving in 8,400,000 species of life, the modern science they do not know. They do not know, but there is, there is law.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
Unfortunately, the modern civilization, they do not know what is vimokṣāya. They're so blind. They do not know that there is some position which is called vimokṣāya. They do not know. They do not know what is next life. There is no educational system. I am traveling all over the world. There is not a single institution which is meant for giving education about the transmigration of the soul, how one can get better life. But they don't believe. They have no knowledge. That is āsurī sampat. That will be described here: pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Pravṛttim. Pravṛttim means attraction, or attachment. In what sort of activities we should be attached, and what sort of activities we shall be detached, that, the asuras, they do not know. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:
He said that bhukti-kāmī, the material persons who are desiring improvement in this world, in this life, and going to the heavenly planet next life... That is called bhukti. And mukti... Desiring liberation, that is called mukti, and... Or become one with the Supreme Brahman, that is mukti. And siddhi, yogis, they are trying to achieve some success in aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā. So everyone is desiring. So therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma: "A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is not desirous of anything, either bhukti, mukti, or siddhi." The purport is, so long you desire something, you'll never get peace of mind. And a bhakta does not desire anything. He is satisfied with any position, whatever is offered to him by Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976:
So you have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Be very careful. Do not waste your time. Do not fall down again. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. If in this life you neglect to achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to return back again to the lower grade of life according to your karma. You can become next life a dog, a cat, a tree, according to your karma. So don't degrade yourself again because nature's law you cannot avoid. Daivī hy... You may be very proud so long this body is there, that "I don't care for anything." My dear sir, you don't say that. You are not independent. You have to care. You will be obliged to take care, but because you are a fool, you are rascal, unnecessarily you are proud and you are thinking that you are independent. Don't do like that.
Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:
Therefore it is called tapasya. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ (SB 1.5.22). People do very pious activities, charity, munificence. What is the purpose? What is the purpose of becoming educated, learned scholar, very charitable and all these pious activities? What is the end? Ask them. Somebody will say, those who believe next life—that is also fact—that "Next life also, I will get opulence, properly situated." That is also fact.
But we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṇa. The Vaiṣṇava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life and next life the king of Moon planet or Sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16)
Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:
Don't think. Therefore pralayantam. Pralayantam means annihilation. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). The result is at the same time... Because at the time of death, yaṁ yaṁ bhāvaṁ smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram. Pralayantam means at the time of death, when we give up this body. Upāśritāḥ. Then we get a similar body next life. That is, I mean to say, arranged by the nature's law. Nature has nothing to do. It will automatically follow.
Just like you infect some disease, nature's law is that you must suffer from that disease. Nobody has got to do anything. The law is so... Nature's law is like that. If you take more food than you can digest... (aside:) (child crying) Where is that child? Then immediately there will be dysentery. This is nature's law. If you take more than you can digest, then immediately there will be indigestion, means you cannot assimilate so much food. That is nature's law.
Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:
No, it will burn. This is nature's law. Similarly, the thoughts which you are maintaining during your lifetime, if that thought becomes prominent—naturally it becomes—at the time of death, then you are going to get a similar body. If you are thinking like a demon, then you get the demon's body next life. And if you are thinking like a devotee, then you get your next life back to home, back to Godhead. This is nature's law.
Therefore, if you practice instead of thinking like the demons, how to gratify senses... That is the demonic thought. They are concerned with this body. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him, that is your perfection of life. Because you'll think at the time of death of Kṛṣṇa. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). That is the perfection of life. Ante, at the time of death, if you remember Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So we have to do like that, not like the asuras or demons.
Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:
Then I will be known as medical practitioner. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, not only quality but also practice. So what are the guṇas? The guṇas are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Simply we have to study thoroughly and understand it thoroughly. Then the whole human society will be in peace and they will make progress not only in this life but in the next life also. Therefore it is said, saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. Sve sve karmaṇi nirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. What is that saṁsiddhi?
Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:
That is saṁsiddhi. The saṁsiddhi means, perfection of life means, that this life we shall act in such a way that next life, after giving up this body... We have to give up this body, but we should not give up this body like cats and dogs. That is human civilization. The cats and dogs, they also give up their body. And if we also give up our body like cats and dog that is not success of life. That is failure of life. Prahlāda Mahārāja has said that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Durlabham. This human form of life is durlabham. Durlabha... Duḥ means difficult, and labha means gained. After many, many millions of years of evolution process we get this human form of life. That is the nature's. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are being carried by the laws of nature. So this human form of life is very durlabha, very rarely gotten. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.
| Page Title: | Next life (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=171, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 171 |