Had His consciousness been materially affected, He was unfit to speak about the transcendental subject matter in the Bhagavad-gītā. One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from the materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord was not materially contaminated. But our consciousness, at the present moment, is materially contaminated. So whole thing, as the Bhagavad-gītā teaches, we have to purify the materially contaminated consciousness and in that pure consciousness, the actions will be done. That will make us happy. We cannot stop. We cannot stop our activity. The activities are to be purified. And these purified activities are called bhakti. Bhakti means they are, they appear also just like ordinary activity, but they are not contaminated activities. They are purified activities.
Our consciousness (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"my consciousness"
|"our consciousness"
|"their consciousness"
|"your consciousness"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They are purified activities. So an ignorant person may see that a devotee is working like an ordinary man, but a person with poor fund of knowledge, he does not know that the activities of a devotee or the activities of the Lord, they are not contaminated by the impure consciousness of matter, impurity of the three guṇas, modes of nature, but transcendental consciousness. So our consciousness is materially contaminated, we should know.
Now when we are such materially contaminated, that is called our conditioned stage. Conditioned stage. And the false ego, the false consciousness... The false consciousness is exhibited under the impression that "I am one of the product of this material nature." That is called false ego. The whole material activities, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, one who is absorbed in the thought of bodily conception.
The "Kṛṣṇa" name means the highest pleasure. It is confirmed that the Supreme Lord is the reservoir, is the storehouse of all pleasure. We are all hankering after pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The living entities or the Lord, because we are full of consciousness, therefore our consciousness is after happiness. Happiness. The Lord is also perpetually happy, and if we associate with the Lord, cooperate with Him, take part in His association, then also we become happy. The Lord descends on this mortal world to show His pastimes in Vṛndāvana full of happiness. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was in Vṛndāvana, His activities with His cowherd boys friends, with His damsels, with His friends, damsel friends, and with the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana and His occupation of cowherding in His childhood, and all these pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa were full of happiness. The whole of Vṛndāvana, the whole population of Vṛndāvana, was after Him. They did not know except Kṛṣṇa.
Gotra is the family tradition. According to Vedic civilization, everybody has got gotra. Gotra means of the same family, of ṛṣis, gotra, from the ṛṣis. So we have to become acyuta-gotra, again belonging to the family of Kṛṣṇa. Now we are fallen. Therefore we have forgotten that we belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa. When we revive our consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I belong to the Kṛṣṇa's family..." Kṛṣṇa is not alone, eko bahu śyāma. He wants to enjoy.
So we are family members of Kṛṣṇa, not void. That is another rascaldom. Why Kṛṣṇa should be alone? He is so powerful, He is so opulent, have you got any experience that a powerful person, opulent person is alone? Where is that example? Any rich man, any powerful man, any king, any lord, oh, he has got so many associates. So how Kṛṣṇa can be alone? Kṛṣṇa is never alone. Therefore you will find always Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa with the cowherds boys, Kṛṣṇa with Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is never alone.
The soul is covered. 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. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
He wants, Kṛṣṇa wants that wherever you live, you live peacefully and happily; and therefore He is called suhṛt. He is desiring everyone's happiness. Therefore He comes Himself to advise, to instruct how to live, how to follow His instruction, and He leaves these behind Him, such books as Bhagavad-gītā, and He sends His representative occasionally to revive our consciousness. This business is going on, not only in the human society, even in the animal society. Anywhere, even in demigod society, things are going on like that. Therefore we should know, whatever Bhagavān says, there cannot be any mistake, any illusion, any cheating or any imperfectness. Then it will be very nice. And that is the fact. The word used, bhagavān uvāca, means this instruction is neither mistaken nor illusion nor cheating nor imperfect. Whatever we teach, we speak, we conditioned soul... As I said, that we are very much proud of our eyes, but we cannot see without sunrise... We cannot see without electricity. But that is our defect.
So attempt is made to pollute that emulsification. Therefore the living entity cannot enter into it and there is no pregnancy. Otherwise there must be pregnancy. Then that pealike body grows, and in seven months it grows the hands and legs and head and everything, and consciousness comes back. When we die our consciousness becomes almost stopped, and we then lie down within the womb of the mother according to species of body, a status—take it for granted our human form of body—seven months. At that time body is grown up. In this way, in tenth month the body is fully grown. Then by nature's way the body comes out and another life begins. This is called transmigration of the soul.
He must be. He must be.
So here you see that He is the perfect being who is eternal... And eternal. Eternal means that... Eternal means everything. Eternal in consciousness. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "You and Myself and all these beings were like this" because He has got eternal consciousness. He has actually experienced what I was. But because my consciousness is not eternal, I have forgotten what I was in my previous birth. Neither I can say what I shall be in my next birth. These are the distinctions. If we falsely claim that "I am God, I am that supreme consciousness," it is our lunacy. It is our lunacy. We should not indulge in that way, and anyone teaching in that way, that is a cheating. It is not possible. Here is an authoritative book. He is the perfect being who is eternal and all-pervading, omnipotent, omniscient. All individual selves are more or less subject to the affliction of ignorance. We are, all living entities except God, everyone, everyone, they are subjected to ignorance, forgetfulness. That's a fact.
So Kṛṣṇa also, although in the material life, Kṛṣṇa is providing all necessities of life. Duly, there is seasonal changes. You get seasonal fruits, flowers, grains, and all necessities. You'll be still given chance, especially to the human being, that you get all supplies, necessities. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. All necessities, But again you revive your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the plan. But if you do not revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply enjoy the senses, then there will be restriction of supply. This is the law. That is the restriction of supply. Therefore, there will be no rain. And if there is no rain, what factory will do, you rascal? You can manufacture scissors and knives and buckets of plastic, but you cannot prepare rice and wheat. That is not possible, sir. That will depend on rain. So immediately rains will be restricted. Now you all chew all these kankar (?). What is this kankar? These stone particles?
If somebody cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can go there. It is not difficult; simply you have to change your mode of life. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means to be pure in the original spiritual existence. We are pure as Brahman, as spirit soul, but because we have contaminated these material modes of nature, our consciousness is now different. So on account of different consciousness, there are three classes of men. One class of men is very intelligent; one class of men, very passionate; and one class of men, fools and rascals. So in order to understand your promotion to the spiritual world, you have to become first-class man. First-class man means brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means he is truthful, he is self-controlled, he is simple, he is tolerant... In this way there are nine qualification to become first-class man. And to become first-class man, the preliminary qualification is that you should not become sinful.
That question we have already discussed. Still, there is no harm in discussing it again because any, I mean to say, substantial knowledge, if it is discussed one after another, twice, thrice, it is better. Now, Kṛṣṇa points out that every soul is individual soul, every soul. And that is our experience, that every one of us, we have got some individual consciousness, not that my consciousness is just equal to your consciousness. I do not know what is going in your soul. We are all individual souls. But according to Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "Just like the sky, the ether"—ether is everywhere, within your body and within mine, within everyone's—that "the ether has taken a form due to this particular body, but when the body is vanquished, the ether, I mean to say, amalgamates with the greater ether." This is called ghaṭākāśa-poṭākāśa. Ghaṭākāśa-poṭākāśa means this ākāśa is here.
The hint is given: the something which is spread all over the body, that is eternal. And what is that something? That something is our consciousness. Here it is stated, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. In this body there is something. That is consciousness. That is eternal. Just like if you or I pinch my body, I feel pain because the consciousness is there. But when the consciousness will not be there, if I cut my hand or cut your hand, you'll not protest. Even scientists have proved this consciousness is there in the tree also. If you cut the tree, there is sensation, feeling some pain, and this is recorded in the machine. So here it is hinted that this consciousness is spread all over the body, that is eternal. The body is not eternal. As soon as the consciousness is gone, the body is dead. Therefore we should take care of the thing which is cons... That is the soul.
The soul and the consciousness has no past, present, or future. It is eternal. Aja. Aja means who does not take birth. Ajo nitya, eternal; śāśvata, ever-existing; ayaṁ purāṇa, the oldest. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). When the body is annihilated, the soul and consciousness is not annihilated. Just like when we sleep, our consciousness works in a different body, subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. That we have got experience every night. We sleep on our bed, but my consciousness goes to other country or other place, and work in a different way. Again, when at the end of the dream we come back to this body, gross body. So death mean s when the consciousness does not come back again to this gross body and enters another gross body. This period is called death. So the subtle body, mind, is there. I know you have got mind, you know I have got my mind. But I cannot see your mind, you cannot see my mind. So there is intelligence also. I know you have got intelligence, you know I have got intelligence. But you cannot see my intelligence unless it is acted.
Now, this consciousness, the Māyāvādī philosopher says, "Yes, I am consciousness. The same theory. This small consciousness, but as soon as I break this body, the small consciousness will mix up with the supreme consciousness." That is their theory. But anyway, whatever that theory may be, at least in my present condition, I, my consciousness, is limited within this body. I cannot say that I am superconscious. Had I been superconscious, then the pains and pleasure going on (in) your body I would have felt. But because I am limited within this body, therefore the pains and pleasure of my body I can understand. Therefore my consciousness is limited. You cannot argue that you are the same... That will be explained. Kṛṣṇa says in the Thirteenth Chapter that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Kṣetra-jña, the soul, and, is within this body. Therefore soul is called kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña means "one who knows about this body." I am conscious about my this body. You are conscious about your body. But Kṛṣṇa is conscious of your body and my body and everyone's body.
The soul is existing, spreading its influence all over the body, just like the sun is existing, spreading the sunshine all over the universe. Similarly, God is existing, spreading His consciousness all over the universe, all over the creation. Therefore He knows everything. Similarly, I am also part and parcel of God. I am also soul, like the sun. My shining, my consciousness, is spread all over the body. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam. These things, ślokas, will come. "That thing which is spreading all over the body, that is avināśi; that is eternal." Antavanta ime dehāḥ: "But this body is antavat; it is perishable. But within the body, the soul, which is spreading its consciousness all over the body, that is eternal." We shall come to that verse later on. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam.
That is education. That is education. We, we cannot deny. Because we cannot give any counterproposal. So how we can deny Kṛṣṇa's proposal? Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. This is also very significant. Idaṁ śarīram.
So I am individual spirit soul. I am conscious. My consciousness is spread all over the body. But my consciousness is not spread over your body. If you are pinched by somebody, I don't feel. Because your consciousness is different from my consciousness. You cannot say that the consciousness is the same in you and me. No. Everyone is individual. Therefore there is another consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). I am kṣetra-jña, conscious. I know about the pains and pleasures of my body. You know about the pains and pleasures of your body. I do not know about your pains and pleasure. You do not know about my pains and pleasure. Therefore you are individual soul.
You cannot deny. So that consciousness, superconsciousness, that is different. You cannot say that "I am the same. I have got superconsciousness." That is not possible. Then, if you have got superconsciousness, why don't you feel about my pains and pleasure? The superconsciousness is of Viṣṇu. That is all-pervading consciousness. That is also the same. Nature is the same. As I have got my consciousness all over this body, similarly, the superconsciousness is there all over the universe. As I feel pains and pleasure on account of some disturbance on this body, similarly, as soon as we create some disturbance with this universal atmosphere, the supreme consciousness is disturbed. That disturbance is going on. Therefore, in spite of all arrangement... Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). That, by God's creation, everything is complete. There is no flaw. But because we are creating disturbances, the world situation is different.
We are creating disturbances.
There are three stages: jāgarti, svapna, suṣupti. Anyone has got this experience. One stage is that you are awakened, another stage is sleeping, and another stage is unconscious. Jāgarti, svapna and suṣupti, the Sanskrit name. Jāgarti, when you are awakened, our consciousness is very acute, very strong. In sleeping stage, there is consciousness, but it is not so active. And unconscious stage means consciousness is some way or other subdued, not working. Three stages. So death means that unconsciousness for a long period. That is death. Because the soul is eternal. It will be explained. There is no birth and death. So when this body is annihilated, so the soul remains unconscious for a period, seven months for a human being. Seven months unconscious stage within the womb of the mother.
So who does not understand there is consciousness all over the body? Tad viddhi. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. They'll jump over, "Yes, I am the Supreme God." God's consciousness is also spread all over. That's all right. But is your consciousness spread all over the universe? Both of us, we are conscious. But He is supreme consciousness. Therefore His consciousness is spread all over the universe, all over the creation. In the Thirteenth Chapter, you'll find Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: (BG 13.3) "I am also kṣetra-jñam." Supersoul. What is the difference between Supersoul and soul? Soul, consciousness, is spread all over this body. You are soul, your consciousness spread all over your body. I am soul, my consciousness spread all over the body. But my consciousness not spread all over your body, neither your consciousness spread all over my body.
We have no, actually, information. I do not know what is within this finger. I am claiming it is my finger. Here it is my finger, but I do not know how the finger is constituted. Therefore I am not abhijñaḥ. Although there is my consciousness, I am not abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means expert in the knowledge. That is called abhijñaḥ. Very experienced. But Kṛṣṇa is abhijñaḥ. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa is abhijñaḥ. That is said. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), in the Bhāgavata, beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt: indirectly or directly. Anvayāt means directly. Itarataś ca: or indirectly. We may know directly that "This is my finger." But indirectly I do not know what is the constitution of finger, how it is working, how it is moving. You do not know. I know directly this is my hair. But indirectly how I am cutting hair and again it is growing, it is unknown. I say these are my hairs, but I cannot count how many hairs are there.
As I am, a small particle of spiritual identity, I am maintaining this body so sound and healthy, similarly, the presence of the Supreme Soul Kṛṣṇa, or God, is maintaining the whole material cosmic manifestation. Every one of us can perceive the presence of the soul and presence of God.
Another feature is that your consciousness and my consciousness is different. Therefore we are all individual. Similarly, God is also individual. That has been explained in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Arjuna, you, Me, and all these people who have assembled in this battlefield, they were individual in the past, individual at present, and they'll continue, individual, after death also." Now, that individuality... God is great because His consciousness is big. He is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation. And I am very small. Therefore my consciousness is also limited, and I am spreading all over this body.
"Yad-avadhi, since the time, mama cetaḥ, I have engaged my life and soul, my consciousness, in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa..." This verse is given by Yāmunācārya. He was a great king, and kings, they are generally licentious, but he became later on a saintly devotee. So his personal experience, he is saying, that "Since I have engaged my mind in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde..." Nava-nava. And service, spiritual service means every moment new. It is not hackneyed. Those who are spiritually realized, they will find to serve Kṛṣṇa means new enlightenment, new enlightenment. Nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt. Here, in this material world, you enjoy. It becomes hackneyed. Punaḥ punaś carvita; therefore you are disappointed. But if you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you'll find new and new encouragement.
How to utilize it to... The consciousness, the present consciousness, polluted consciousness should be rectified to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. 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.
That is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā. Now, you cannot deny consciousness. You cannot deny consciousness. And consciousness minus... Body minus consciousness is dead body. Everyone knows it. A child can understand it, that I am speaking, you are hearing because your consciousness is present, my consciousness is present. As soon as my consciousness is deducted from this body, then this same mouth will not speak, the same hand will not move, the same your ear will not hear. The whole thing will be stopped. So it is very common sense affair, that consciousness, that is the main thing in this body. So any intelligent man with common sense can understand this. Now, what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Just like wherever there is some fire, there is heat or there is smoke. When you see something... Suppose you are sitting here. If you find somewhere smoking, then you are afraid, "Oh, there must be some fire. Otherwise why smoke is coming?"
Prabhupāda: When you become dvija, twice-born. Twice-born means you come to the point of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you take your birth from your parents, your consciousness is different. Just like the child. His consciousness is different, but when he's grown-up, if he takes to knowledge, if he tries to understand Kṛṣṇa, his consciousness is different. So when one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the beginning of his second birth, dvija.
Jaya-gopāla: Well, I've been told then that we can have no more karmic reactions from our actions.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no more reaction of your karma.
Now, supreme consciousness... Consciousness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The consciousness is distributed throughout your whole body. That we can make an experiment. But this consciousness is not, I mean to..., spread over all the cosmic manifestation. That is also a fact. My consciousness is spread over my body. Your consciousness is spread over your body. I do not know what you are thinking now, and you do not know what I am thinking. Therefore my consciousness, individual; your consciousness, individual. But there is the Supersoul who knows what you are thinking and what I am thinking, what he is thinking, everyone thinking. That is superconsciousness.
"Why I shall act?" There is no such question. It is automatic, automatic. Just like a little son, and the mother... The little son is automatically subordinate to the mother. Whatever the mother says, the child acts. The child is completely dependent. Similarly, as soon as we make our consciousness completely engaged in the service of the supreme consciousness, that is our liberated position. That is our liberated position. And in that liberated position, whatever we do, there is no reaction. That is transcendental position.
So what Śrī Kṛṣṇa says here? 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.
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. If the cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also proceed with the same speed, sixty miles' speed, without even pedalling. Similarly, if we can join our consciousness with the supreme consciousness, then our whole life becomes successful. That is the point. Now, how to join it? The religion. The whole worldly religious process is the same, I mean to say, experimental or formulas or rituals so that one may become dovetailed with the supreme consciousness. Every religion. But if we become attracted by the rituals only or formulas, and quarrel on that point that, "Oh, my Bible says like this," or I say, "No, my Vedas says like this," and the Muslim, Musselman, says that "No, my Koran says like this. Your is not right," then we become attached to the rituals only. We forget, we forget the right point.
"When you are elevated to that platform, dovetailing yourself with the Supreme consciousness, then there is no more requisition for understanding the scriptures or the rituals or the religious process. You have, you are transcendental to that, all these paraphernalia." Yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati: "When your consciousness is dovetailed in cooperation with the supreme consciousness, then you are transcendental to the position of this illusory stage." Yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati, tadā gantāsi nirvedam: "At that time you become callous to all these rituals because your position and your activities are fixed up." Śrotavyasya śrutasya ca: "Whatever you have heard and whatever you have to hear in the future, all finishes."
We are consciousness undoubtedly, but we are not supreme consciousness. If we falsely claim that "I am also the supreme consciousness," that will be a false claim. We are not actually the supreme consciousness. Qualitatively, we are one. Qualitatively, we are one. The supreme consciousness and my consciousness is qualitatively one. But quantitatively, the supreme consciousness is different from individual consciousness. Individual consciousness is limited, and the supreme consciousness is unlimited. That... Just like you can think of your consciousness within this body... Whenever there is something painful or something itching in any part of my body, I am conscious of it. I know it, where and how it is being done. I do not know how it is being done, but I know where it is. So that consciousness, as I am conscious in any part of my body, but I am not conscious of your part of your body. Therefore my consciousness is limited.
Now there is no fever. Now the father says, "My child does not move." "Oh, whether this fever is stopped or not?" "Yes, there is no fever also." "That's all right. My business finished." That sort of foolish doctor will not do. (laughs) We should not stop consciousness. No. That is the... That is the, I mean to say, secret of philosophy. If my consciousness is stopped altogether, then what do I gain? That means my death. My whole existence finished. No. Then comes... I am shortly giving the substance of different philosophers.
Then comes Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya preaches that "No, you are the consciousness only. You are the consciousness only, and this body is false." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Mithyā means false. So you should always know that "I am Brahman, or the consciousness," and you should always reject that "I am not this body." That is another philosophy. Now, suppose, if I think for years together that "I am consciousness. I am consciousness. I am consciousness," do you think you shall be happy?
"I am consciousness. I am consciousness. I am consciousness," do you think you shall be happy? Simply by understanding that "I am not this body. I am consciousness," will that help you? That will also not help you. Because if you simply theoretically say that "I am not this body," and because your consciousness is now attached with the body, you..., the consciousness is always active. So the consciousness must act through the body, and therefore your senses, you have to gratify your senses certainly. That is the real philosophy. You see? You cannot stop consciousness acting. It is very simple thing to understand it. Just, just think over, that the activity of my body is due to my consciousness. I am speaking because I am conscious that I am speaking. You are hearing because you are conscious that you are hearing. As soon as this consciousness is gone, neither you can hear, neither I can speak. So any activity, either hearing or speaking or moving or eating or seeing—anything. We have got different senses. We are active.
Mind, mind is the central point of activitizing (activating) the senses. That is our life. Life means the acting of the senses. And that, beyond, beyond that mind, there is consciousness. So if consciousness is gone, then what remains? Nothing remains. Therefore you cannot... Simply by thinking that "I am consciousness," oh, that will not also solve your problem. You have to engage your consciousness in the matter of the supreme consciousness. You cannot keep your...
Just like, I'll give you one example. A naughty boy, creating some mischievous things. The father calls him, "My dear boy, can you do this?" "Yes, father, I can do it." So he turns his attention from that mischief-making to something good. Because they want to be active. Children, they want to be active. You cannot stop them. You cannot say that "Stop and sit down here." How he can...? Artificially, you can do. By the fear of the father or the mother, he can sit down for a moment. But that is not possible.
My eldest son, when he was about two years old, very much naughty, always doing some mischief. So my friends who used to visit me, he would call my son. His name was Paccha(?). "Paccha, if you sit down for one minute silently, I'll give you this thing." So the boy failed. He could not sit down, even for one minute. So that is not possible. This is the nature. How can you stop your consciousness working? That is not possible.
So either to think that "Stop consciousness altogether," that is also not perfect, and either to accept simply consciousness, that "I am consciousness," without any conscious engagement, that is also not perfect. You have to understand that you are consciousness, not this body; at the same time, you have to engage your consciousness to the supreme activities. Unless you do that, your life will not be perfect.
Sthita-prajña means one who is steadily situated in the platform of consciousness. Prajña means consciousness, and sthita means steadily fixed up. So this is the only..., that you have haven't got to create mental concoction to become happy. You have simply to dovetail yourself with the supreme will. There will be activities. There will be activities because your consciousness cannot be inactive. But there will be activities. That activity will be standard and without any mistake, without any flaw, because it is dictated by the Supreme. Just like a fa..., a child is given instruction to write "A." So he does not write, does not know how to write. He's doing this way, that way. The teacher says, "My dear boy, kindly do this, this way, this way, 'A.' " So, if he does it, he's nice. It is nice. Similarly, we have to engage our consciousness... There is a supreme plan, supreme plan, all over the creation of the world, supreme plan. Everything is going on under some plan.
Now, that required. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, 'cat,' he has once said 'cat.' What is the use of again saying 'cat'?" No. When we will learn something, we have to repeat it, even in material things. And what to speak of spiritual? You see.
So dovetailing ourself, dovetailing ourself, dovetailing our consciousness with the supreme consciousness. I give you a small example which is also from the Bhagavad-gītā. I'm not giving any example outside the purview of this Bhagavad-gītā because we are speaking on the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Now you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that
- patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
- yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
- tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
- aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
- (BG 9.26)
The Lord says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Patram means a leaf. And puṣpam means a flower. And phalam means a fruit. And toyam means some liquid, water. Last word, last word, water. "If some devotee offers Me these four things with devotion and with love, oh, I accept them. I accept them.
That is the whole mistake of civilization, that I have got better understanding, I have got better intelligence than the animals. But how I am utilizing it? In the same principles of eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. So my energy is being... (break) "...not make you happy. You just try to... (break)
...Me. You just try to dovetail your consciousness with My supreme consciousness. That will make you happy." The same thing. As Arjuna did not, wanted to fight, Kṛṣṇa said that "I desire that you should fight." But he did not agree in the beginning. But at the last moment, when Arjuna was inquired, "Now what is your decision," he said that naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat prasādān mayācyuta kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "My dear Lord, now my misgivings, my misunderstanding, is now gone by Your mercy. Now I have decided to fight because You desire." That is the summum bonum of learning. That one should decide what God desires. That's all. That will make his life perfect.
"I am Mr. Such and such." What is your nationality? "Oh, I am American." What do you do? "I am doing this." These are all my designations due to this body, designation. So Nārada-pañcarātra says that "One should be free from the designations." That means pure consciousness. As soon as I understand that "I am not this body; body's acting through my consciousness," if I am firmly convinced, if I stand steadily on this conviction, that "I am consciousness," then all my designations at once go. So sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Now the fever decreases and he comes to normal temperature. That is not all. That diseased man must get up from that bed and engage himself in the healthy activities. Then that is the real cure of disease. Simply, therefore, to understand that "I am not this consciousness, I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," that will not cure. You must have to engage your consciousness in pure activities. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa is the name of the Supreme Lord. Hṛṣīka means the senses, this. And īśa means the Lord. So hṛṣīkeśa, combined together, this is called sandhi, combination. So Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the Supreme Lord. We should understand that our senses, these senses which we are using, this hand, this leg, this eye, the ear, this is all rented just as you have a rented car. This, this senses actually belongs to the Supreme Lord. Because He sees, therefore we can see. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find that.
Nobody will... In your country also, nobody will deny that. But here in the city there is no flower at all. Where to collect? If you go to the florist then I have to pay. That's a different proposal. But actually, in ordinary course of life, nobody is bereft of these four things.
But one thing: When we stand on the supreme conscious..., I mean the, in my consciousness platform, you must know, this consciousness platform and the dovetailing of consciousness to the supreme consciousness—the whole thing based on love, love, pure love. Just like a, a small child offers his broken biscuit to the father, "My dear father, you just taste; it is very nice." Oh, father... "Oh, it is very nice? All right. Give me it." But a small part, particle of biscuit is nothing for the father, but the father sees, "Oh, my child is so loving that he has tasted it good, and offering me."
If you practice in your life, while you are human being, you, if you utilize your life in that way, then at the end, when you give up this body, you go back to Godhead for eternal life, eternal bliss, eternal knowledge, and live happily, without any material miseries. That is the result. It is very difficult to dovetailing our consciousness with the supreme consciousness? Not at all. Not at all! No sane man will say that "It is very difficult problem. Oh, it is not possible." You eat. "Yes. Eh?" So God wants to eat something. Why don't you offer it first to God? Then you eat. "No. If God takes it away, then how shall I eat?" No, no, no. God will not take it. We are offering daily. After preparing our foodstuff, daily to Kṛṣṇa, there is witness, Mr. Paul. We offer Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa does not take it. Whole thing, we eat. You see. He does not regard... He eats! But because His spiritual eating is such that even after His eating, the whole thing is there. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).
Mental platform cannot give us the actual freedom or the happiness. Therefore Lord says, "One should give up all mental speculation and should be satisfied in the understanding that 'I am consciousness, and there is Supreme Consciousness, and I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness. Therefore let me dovetail my consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness.' " Last day also, we discussed on this point. And the point is very clearly manifested in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, that Arjuna mentally speculated in the beginning that "Whether I should take up this fighting or not?" But at the ultimate issue he gave up his mental speculation and agreed with the Lord that "Yes, I shall fight."
Now, this "Yes, I shall fight", this "I", and the former "I"—"I shall not fight"—so there is vast difference. The former "I" is the representative of mental speculation, when Arjuna decided that "I shall not fight. They are my relatives, they are my brothers; I cannot fight with them for the matter of kingdom.
They are my relatives, they are my brothers; I cannot fight with them for the matter of kingdom. Rather, I shall forego; I shall become a beggar. I shall... I don't want this kingdom." He argued like that. But after reading Bhagavad-gītā, he said that "My illusion is now removed." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now removed, and I have got my consciousness by Your mercy. By Your mercy."
So here is the point, that without Lord's mercy, we cannot stand up on the pure consciousness platform. Therefore we have to pray to the Supreme Lord always. That is the instruction of Lord Caitanya. He, He has put up His prayers. I have got this paper. I'll distribute you, to you, after the meeting is over. That He says that "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, somehow or other, I am fallen into this ocean of misunderstanding.
Similarly, there are rules and regulation for controlling the mind, for restraining the senses. There are so many rules and regulation, but still, those regulations, those restrictive regulation, may also fail. There are so many instances. But here the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, dovetailing your consciousness with the supreme consciousness, that is the highest. That is the highest. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā (BG 9.59). Just... In other processes, you have to... I'll give you some practical example. Just like in the yogic process there is strict regulation that "You cannot eat this. You cannot eat this. You shall have to eat like this. You shall have to sit like this. You have to breathe like this," so many restriction. But if you dovetail your consciousness with the supreme consciousness, so, in spite of without being restriction, you'll not like the restricted things. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate.
Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You'll dislike those restricted things. One process is that by force I am asking you, "Do not do this." But another process is that you have become so much elevated that you do not like to do this yourself. Just like the other day I cited the example of Yamunācārya. Yamunācārya said that "So since I have dovetailed my consciousness with the supreme consciousness of Kṛṣṇa..." Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde. "So long my consciousness has been fixed up in the transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa," yad-avadhi, "since then, even if I think of sex life, oh, it becomes, my face becomes, I mean to say, turned, and I wish to spite on it." So why? One thing is... One process is applying that "You should restrict from this." Another process is that without even restriction, you do not like to do it. This process is so perfect. Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'pi, even if you have that desire, so you do not like to use it. Although you have got the privilege, but you are at liberty, but you do not like to do it. Raso 'py asya, rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya.
We... It is not that that I shall not eat, or I shall not sleep, or I shall not defend, or I shall not mate. No. There is allowed. It is allowed but with a view that "I'll have to retire from all these things, these material needs." That is the point of view. Now, that can be very easily attained if we engage our senses, or engage our consciousness. When I engage my consciousness into the transcendental loving service of the supreme consciousness, these things automatically take place so that even there is, I mean to say, there is, I mean to say, cause of my falling, still, I shall not fall down. Even there is enticement, still I shall not fall, because paraṁ dṛṣṭvā, I have seen something which is far, far better enjoyment than this material enjoyment.
So we require to undergo some sort of penances. That penance is that engage our senses not in the process of sense gratification but in the process of serving the Supreme Lord, dovetailing, dovetailing our independence, our consciousness, to the supreme consciousness. Just like the example... Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is very nice example, that he dovetailed, he dovetailed his consciousness with Kṛṣṇa. He did not want to fight, but after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he dovetailed his senses. One has to fight with senses. Non-sense cannot fight. The senses must be there. So he, what did he do? He applied his senses to the senses of the Supreme Lord. That's all.
Now here it is said, tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya. You can control your senses only when you engage that senses into the service of the Lord. Tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. Mat. Mat-paraḥ means "unto Me, unto Me, in relationship with Me."
"Now I have attained nirvāṇa or I have merged into the Supreme." You may think like that. That māyā is very strong. You may be puffed up by such false prestige. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Bhāgavata says, tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). "But because they have not searched out Your lotus feet, therefore their consciousness is impure, thinking 'I am something.' " Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. "Their intelligence, consciousness is not purified." Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa. "They perform very severe practice." Just like the Buddhists, they have got very... Now, those who are not practicing, that is different thing. But rules and regulations, Lord Buddha himself, he showed. He left his everything and became engaged in simply meditation. Who is doing that? Nobody is doing that. Śaṅkarācārya's first condition is that "First of all you take sannyāsa; then you talk of becoming Nārāyaṇa." Who is taking sannyāsa? So they are simply falsely thinking. Actually, their intelligence is impure, consciousness is impure.
Similarly, as your consciousness is a symptom of your presence, you are spirit soul, similarly, the supreme consciousness is the symptom of the supreme soul, or God, the supreme God. This is the position. Now, as consciousness, we are part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore, the whole business of our life is to dovetail our activities with the supreme plan. That is called karma-yoga. That is called karma-yoga. Eko bahu syāt.
In the Vedic literature you will find that God has expanded Himself into many, just like the father expands himself into many children. The children is nothing but expansions of the body of the father. Similarly, we, all living entities, spiritual parts or living souls, we are also expansion of the supreme spirit. Now, the reason is, why the supreme spirit soul expanded himself into so many? What is the purpose? We have to understand. Now you can take the example. What is the purpose of father's expanding himself into children? A father takes the responsibility of maintaining the children. Why? Why he takes such, I mean, a grave responsibility, a family man. That "why" is answered—just to have happy and enjoyable life. That's all.
Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.
That Bhagavad-gītā... I have already told you that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That portion which is spread all over your body, that you are. That is avināśi, that is immortal. Now what is that? My consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That is the symptom of my presence. I am a soul present in this body, and the consciousness is the symptom. Means as soon as this consciousness is removed, the body has no value. That we are experiencing every day. As soon as from the body the consciousness is out, oh, it is dead body. We are crying, "Oh, my son is gone," "My husband is gone," "My brother..." Why your son is gone? It is lying there in the floor. Why you are crying? "No, no." That gone means that consciousness gone. Gone means that... Therefore the consciousness is the real thing.
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. So instead of wasting time in so many things for sense gratification, if we go on concentrating on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means we are making a solution of all the miseries of our material existence. That is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and He presents Himself just like ordinary man acting. Why? Just like here in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is present in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Oh, He had no necessity of presenting Himself in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
We have, by chance, fallen into this material contamination and we have made our relationship with so many material things, so that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Now, the whole process is to revive our consciousness to Kṛṣṇa. For that purpose, Kṛṣṇa comes Himself or Kṛṣṇa keeps this Bhagavad-gītā for you or Kṛṣṇa sends His confidential devotees to you, to canvass you, "Come to the point and be happy." That is the whole process. So ātma-rati, ātma-rati, self-satisfaction.
You will find at Vṛndāvana, oh, so many great devotees. Just like these Gosvāmīs, about whom we pray daily. Now, about them it is stated, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Now, these people were very aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders of great society. So they gave up. When they joined Lord Caitanya's movement they gave up everything.
This kind of faith is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is a compulsory. Just like laws of the state. It is not that it is meant for the Hindus, or for the Muslims, for the Christian. It is meant for everyone.
Similarly, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so it is compulsory to revive our consciousness that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. It is not a question of faith. Faith you may accept or do not accept but here it is a question of "must." You must revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise you will suffer.
And what is that? Now, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "You just try to understand. In your body there is some thing which is spread all over body, all over your body. And that is eternal. And what is that thing which is spread all over your body? That is your consciousness. Your consciousness."
Just like this electric bulb is here, and the light of the electric bulb is diffused all over the, I mean to say, room. We can see. Similarly, the spirit soul is within your heart. It is situated there. But it is so powerful that its light is spread all over this body so that wherever you pinch, you feel, by consciousness, "Oh, I am feeling some pain." That consciousness. And as soon as that consciousness is gone from this body, if your head is cut off, or your leg is cut off, by chopped off, you don't feel anything.
So this instruction was first given to Arjuna, that "Arjuna! You are arguing with Me just like a very learned scholar, but you are fool number one, and you just try to understand this first of all, that that thing which is spread all over..." Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idam. Sarvam means the whole body, idam. But your consciousness is not spread in others' bodies. You must know it. If you say that "My consciousness is spread all over the universe," that is also another mistake. Your consciousness is limited within your body. Just like my consciousness is limited within my body, your consciousness is limited within your body. And everyone... We are all living entities and we are, everyone, conscious, but our consciousness is limited. We should not falsely claim that "I am the supreme consciousness."
That is another mistake. I am not the supreme consciousness. Supreme consciousness means that... Just like with my consciousness I can feel what is happening in my body, but with my consciousness I cannot feel what is going on in your body, similarly, you also cannot feel what is going on in my body. But the supreme consciousness is that which can know what is going on in your body, which is going on in my body, which is going on universally, everyone's body; He is, He knows. That is supreme consciousness.
Supreme consciousness, He has distinguished in this way, that we, the, in the battlefield... He first of all made this clear, that "My dear Arjuna, yourself, Myself and all these people who have assembled before us for fighting, all of them as living entities, they existed, and they are existing at present, and they'll continue to exist.
What is that Absolute Truth? Everyone is under the concept of this body, but that is not Absolute Truth. It is relative truth, but if you inquire about the Absolute Truth, then it is possible, because you are human being, you can understand what is that Absolute Truth. It is possible. Because this body is so advanced, our consciousness is so advanced, that there is possibility. But if we misuse this possibility, if we don't inquire about the Absolute Truth, simply we fight with one another for eating, sleeping, sex-life and defending, then we are no better than animals. The animals eat, sleep, have their sex life, and they defend, in their own way. So if we improve the method of eating, sleeping and sexual intercourse, and defending, then we don't go beyond the animal propensities. We have got higher intelligence, higher consciousness, not to improve the method of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but to understand the Absolute Truth.
So you, first of all try to understand why you are suffering, and in human form of life you can rectify, why you are suffering. And then you become again happy. God has not made you unhappy. You became disobedient. You wanted to enjoy life in a certain way. God has given you the chance, all right, you do it. But you are not happy. Huh? God does not want you to become happy, therefore He comes, He instructs you again and again. But you do not hear. You neglect the instruction of God. There are your suffering. You come to your consciousness, become obedient to God, you will be happy. That is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
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.
I have several times explained this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Again I shall explain. It is very nice to explain. You have got your consciousness. Is it right? Every one of us, we have got consciousness. Is that right? Now, this consciousness is eternal. This consciousness is not a result of the combination of matter. You cannot create consciousness by mixing so many chemicals or material things in the laboratory. That is not possible. This consciousness eternal. How do we know it? Because we understand it from Bhagavad-gītā. It is stated that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing which is spread all over your body..." And what is that thing? This consciousness. You pinch any part of your body; you feel pain because the consciousness is there.
Therefore, in spite of my changing different kinds of body, the consciousness is there. And when I shall change this body for another new body, this consciousness will go with me. And according to that consciousness, I'll get a particular type of body. So at the present moment, because we are changing different kinds of bodies, that means my consciousness is not pure. And we have to make our consciousness pure, which is technically called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as the consciousness is pure, you get your eternal existential life. That is the sum and substance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. And this movement is for that purpose, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have any other inquiry about? (break)
So similarly, the ultimate change of this body is called death. When this body is no more workable, then we transmigrate to another body. That body is offered to us according to our consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, the situation of your consciousness makes you ready for accepting a similar body. And if you quit this body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you get a body by which you can associate with Kṛṣṇa. That is to be understood, how it is possible. Therefore the training should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. (break)
...in particular type of consciousness. That we cannot deny. Now if we change our consciousness to Kṛṣṇa type of consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is perfection of our life. The process is: by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa we keep always alive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (break)
We're using it, that's all right, but how we are using it? We're recording the talks about Kṛṣṇa. This apartment, this... It is used for Kṛṣṇa. This body is being used for Kṛṣṇa. We are preparing foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. In this way, if you develop your consciousness in touch with Kṛṣṇa, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is nothing artificial, that I am thinking, meditating, "I am the Supreme Lord and I am moving the sun, I am moving the..." These nonsense things are going on, meditation. Artificially thinking that "I am moving the sun, I am moving the moon, I am the Lord. I am the..." Simply wasting time. You just try to understand yourself that you are eternal servant of God. Then you are perfect. And you can enjoy God's property very nicely. There is no distress at all. The lower animals, birds, beasts, they are enjoying, and you human beings, you cannot enjoy?
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is open to all. It is not a secret thing. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly. Everyone can hear it and chant it. If you regularly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually your consciousness will be cleansed. The process of advancement in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is said in the Vedic literature, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The first installment of benefit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is that your consciousness becomes cleansed. And as soon as your consciousness becomes cleansed, the tribulations or the miserable condition of material life becomes extinguished. The miserable condition of material life is compared to the blazing fire in the forest. As it is very difficult to extinguish the forest fire, similarly, the problems of material life cannot be extinguished simply by material benefits.
So our request to all, we are requesting all over the world the same thing, "Please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and be cleansed of your consciousness and understand your spiritual identity." We are preaching this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world, and people are accepting it. Even the child is accepting and chanting this mahā-mantra. Your culture, the Roman culture, is well-known all over the world, and you are the pioneer of civilization in Europe. So if you accept this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, whole Europeans will follow you. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you haven't got to pay any fee, neither you will lose anything. There is no loss, but the gain is very much.
Guest (2): But if He is supreme consciousness, everything I do is following that one supreme consciousness. There can be nothing else we could do.
Prabhupāda: No. No. No. We are not following the supreme consciousness. Then we'd have been on the same level. Just like your consciousness and my consciousness is different because we do not follow the supreme consciousness. Therefore your...
Guest (2): The supreme consciousness is all, isn't it?
Prabhupāda: Supreme conscious, yes... Supreme...
Guest (2): Is all, all consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Consciousness is the same, as in the Supreme, so also in you, so also in me. The quality of the consciousness is the same. But your consciousness and my consciousness is different.
Guest (2): But therefore all part of the same supreme consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Qualitatively, the one, but at the present moment, because we are materially bound up, therefore we find so many different consciousness. Do you think that your consciousness and my consciousness is the same?
Guest (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: How? Do you agree with me? Do I agree with you?
Guest (2): Er... Not truly.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We do not agree. Therefore your consciousness, different; my consciousness, different. When we agree, then it is the same. When we come to the point of agreement, then it is the same.
Prabhupāda: Then I cannot follow you.
Guest (2): That's why I'm trying to understand. The supreme consciousness is all consciousness, even disagreement.
Prabhupāda: Supreme consciousness... Just like... You try to understand your consciousness. You are conscious? You agree? Are you conscious what is going on in me? (end)
Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. You are not forbidden to execute your duties. We are not after stopping the general process of material activities. That is not our mission. The whole thing is that we have to act everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like... It is very easy to understand. Everybody has got some vocation of his life. But what is their consciousness? Their consciousness is that "I am engaged in this business, I am engaged in this service, because I have to maintain my family," "I have to maintain myself," or "I have to satisfy the government," or "I have to satisfy somebody else." This is our consciousness. Nobody is free from such consciousness.
Here it is prescribed that you can do anything. There is no harm. Whatever your business, or vocation, occupation, you are engaged, that has not to be changed. That has not to be changed. Simply your consciousness has to be changed. That's all. Kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. How? How that consciousness can be changed? Now, jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. That consciousness, transferring the present self-interested consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, requires knowledge. Requires knowledge. And what is that knowledge? That knowledge is that, "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. I'm not different from Kṛṣṇa. I am part and parcel. I am the superior energy of Kṛṣṇa." That is knowledge.
So we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Kṛṣṇa says, He says for all the time. It does not change.
Just like the verse which we are just now discussing, He says that "It does not matter in whatever occupation you are. Simply you have to change your consciousness. You are now guided by the consciousness of self-interest, of sense gratification." Self-interest. Not exactly self-interest because we do not know what is our self-interest. Rather sense interest, not self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing for satisfying the senses. This consciousness has to be changed. We have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That consciousness has to be invoked and then our life will be successful. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. Yes.
Then again I take my birth according to my reaction, either in poor family or old, I mean to say, rich family or even animal life. There is no guarantee.
This is knowledge. One has to acquire this knowledge. So unless this knowledge is awakened in our mind or in our consciousness, then whatever we are doing we must consider that we are being defeated, defeated by the influence of material nature. So here Kṛṣṇa says, jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasmasāt kurute tathā. As soon as I understand my position, that I want freedom...
We are trying to go to the moon planet, but because there is no freedom, oh, we are failing in every step, although we are advertising in the paper, "Now it is two years more, two years more." The Russians began to sell land in the moon planet, that "In 1965 we shall go there." But 1965... It is going to 1967. Now they are silent about selling land in moon planet.
That is called karma. Karma... Nobody is going to work without any remuneration. Everyone is working for getting some profit. That is called karma. But that ordinary karma and karma-yoga is different. You can engage yourself in ordinary work, but, at the same time, you can become a yogi. How that is possible? When your consciousness is changed. Your consciousness... Now I am thinking that I am working for my maintenance or for my family maintenance or for my society's maintenance or for my country's maintenance. You can go on, widening. Even if you work for international maintenization, maintenance, still, it is not perfect. Even if you work for the whole planetary system, that is imperfect. But when you work for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the most perfect work. So we have to work with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of life.
Now, what is the sign that one has attained perfection in yoga? The Lord says, yadā viniyataṁ cittam. Cittam means your heart or your consciousness. When it is self-controlled, consciousness (is) completely under your control, you do not become dependent on the dictation of your mind, but mind becomes under your control... Yadā viniyataṁ cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate. And mind does not go out because the yogi's principal business is to think of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu always. So yogi cannot allow his mind to go out. That is possible in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally my mind cannot go out besides Kṛṣṇa. Besides Kṛṣṇa. The mind is automatically controlled. Nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. And you shall have no desire for material sense gratification. Sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāma means material desires, and sarva, and all kinds of. That means if you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have no other desires. So your desires... Desireless you cannot be.
And according to the, just like the flavor, if it is rose flavor aroma, you enjoy, "Oh it is very nice." And it is filthy flavor, passing through stool or any other filthy place and you say, "Oh, it is very bad smell." So this consciousness will carry you either in a stool smell or rose flavor according to your work, as you make your consciousness. So if you make your consciousness, train your consciousness into Kṛṣṇa, then it will carry you to Kṛṣṇa. This is not very difficult to understand. You cannot see the air but you can experience by smelling. "Oh the air is passing through like this." Similarly, these different kinds of body are developed according to the consciousness.
You cannot see the air but you can experience by smelling. "Oh the air is passing through like this." Similarly, these different kinds of body are developed according to the consciousness.
So if you have trained up your consciousness to the yogic principle, then you get a body, similar body. You get good chance, you get good parents, good family where you'll be allowed to practice this system and automatically you'll get chance again to revive your same consciousness in which you left your previous body. That is explained here. By virtue of divine consciousness. Therefore our present duty is how to make the consciousness divine. That should be our business. If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association.
That should be our business. If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way.
So we have to train our consciousness divine. That is the duty of human form of life. If we make our consciousness divine, then we are preparing for next divine life. As there are different grades of life, so human form of life is a chance to make your next life completely divine. Completely divine means eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. So automatically by divine consciousness you try to contact the persons who are developing divine consciousness.
Somebody is gardening, somebody is typing, somebody is cooking, somebody is cooking, somebody is doing something else, everything. But it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevailing, always, twenty-four hours. That is the highest type of yoga. Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, "Kṛṣṇa, I bow down." So he is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. A small child, he's clapping. Why? "Hey Kṛṣṇa." So anyway, everyone is remembering always Kṛṣṇa. Keeping Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gītā. We don't say that we have created these words for our boastful. No, it is a fact. Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple.
So we are dying from the date of our birth. That is a fact. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you the solution of these four problems. And Kṛṣṇa here is suggesting, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, your consciousness becomes always overwhelmed with Kṛṣṇa thoughts, then Kṛṣṇa says the result will be asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). "Then you will understand Me perfectly, without any doubt."
Everyone is hankering after what is God, what is the nature of God. Somebody says there is no God, somebody says God is dead. These are all doubts. But here Kṛṣṇa says, asaṁśaya. You'll be doubtless. You'll feel, you'll know perfectly well that God is there, Kṛṣṇa is there. And He is the source of all energies. He is the primeval Lord. These things you will learn without any doubt.
Yes, consciousness is according to the body. Just like when you were a child, your consciousness was different because you had a different body. In your childhood you might have talked so many nonsense things. Your father, mother did not care. "He is a child." But if you talk such nonsense things now, then you will be differently considered. Because the body is different. So consciousness is there according to different types of body. So in this human form of body we have got our consciousness very developed. Now we should utilize this consciousness to understand what is God, what is our relationship with God, and act accordingly. Then we become perfect. But if we do not take advantage of this human form of life, we keep our dog's consciousness, eating, sleeping, mating only, then we do not know what kind of body we are going to get next.
Then he comes to his consciousness. Again he comes to the same point. So similarly, death is nothing but to remain practically unconscious for seven months. That's all. This body is left, and we enter into a particular womb of mother, and just to develop another body it takes about seven months. Then, after seven months, when the body is fit, then our consciousness comes back. Then we want to come out of the womb. And at the tenth month we come out. That is a very miserable condition. That is the miserable condition of birth. "But one who leaves his body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," anta-kāle, "at the point of death," Kṛṣṇa says, yaḥ prayāti, "who leaves his body in this way," sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti (BG 8.5), "he at once attains the perfection like Me, like My nature. His nature is transcendental. Therefore one attains at once, transcendental." Yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ: "These things are to be taken up." Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ: "There is no doubt about it."
Yes. That elevation you can achieve immediately simply by changing your consciousness. What do you mean by elevation? A man is called uneducated and another man is called very learned. What is that? He has practiced how to become educated. That's all. Similarly you practice. Here is the practice. And you become elevated. There is no, I mean to say, impediment. Anyone can elevate himself immediately. There is no question of waiting. Because the process of change is going on. If you accept the change immediately, and then you follow, you become elevated.
We are completely under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature, and we are repeatedly put into that stringent laws of material nature so that we may come into our consciousness that "Why we are suffering this repeated birth and death?" But we have become so much dull and so much accustomed to this habit... Because it is continuing since a very, very long time, time immemorial, so we have become accustomed. We have become accustomed. So we don't take it very seriously that why we are dying and why we are getting again body and why we are suffering these miseries. So this is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. So we are not very serious. Especially in this age we are not very serious. We think this is the process of life. No. This is not the process of life.
Now, after offering Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not taking it away. You are... You are taking the prasādam. That means the whole thing becomes spiritualized. So in this way we can spiritualize the whole world, whole world, simply by changing our consciousness. We are... We are anxious for peace. This is the process of peace; you change your consciousness. Don't accept anything for your sense gratification. Everything is there. It is supplied by the Supreme Lord. Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord. You are falsely claiming that you are the proprietor. You are not proprietor. How you can be proprietor? Suppose before you came to America from Europe... The land was there. And suppose sometimes you leave this land. Oh, the land will remain there. Or suppose I take my birth in America. So before my birth the land was there. And after my death, the land will be there. If you trace out history, go on tracing.
That is nonsense. How can I? So long I am sitting in this body... Or take this same crude example. So long I am sitting on the car, I am displaying so much individuality, and so much discrimination. As soon as there is red signal, I stop my car. There is blue signal, green signal, I start my car. I'm using my consciousness. I'm working. And, simply by getting down from the car, I lose everything. I become void? What is this nonsense? No.
There is neither voidness, nor impersonalism. The Bhagavad-gītā does not agree to that. In the Second Chapter you have read it, that Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that, "Arjuna, Myself, yourself, and all these persons who have come here to fight with one another, they were individual selves before, they are individual selves now, and they will continue to be individual selves in the future. So don't be mad that you shall not fight. Their, I mean to say, identity, spiritual identity, will continue."
We want to be free from anxieties. Everyone is trying to get himself free from anxieties, but he does not know how to get out of this anxiety. This taking shelter of intoxication is no use to get oneself free from anxieties. It is a drug. It is oblivion. Sometimes, for sometimes we forget everything, but again when you come to your consciousness the same anxieties and same thing are there. So this will not help you.
If you want to be free from anxieties and if you want actually life eternal with bliss and knowledge, then this is the process. This is the process. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Here it is clearly stated that na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ (BG 10.2). Nobody can understand. But there is a way. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). This is a process. There are several places in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process is described in a different way.
Simply by theoretical knowledge you cannot make any improvement. And these are practical examples. Because there is no love for God at the present moment, all this nonsense universal love, fraternity, are going to hell. Therefore we are interested in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You have to change your consciousness, make it full with Kṛṣṇa or God. Then everything will be all right. All right. Thank you. And if you kindly come and inquire in this way, we shall be very glad to answer as far as possible.
Now let us have little kīrtana. It is quarter to nine. Please join with this kīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very simple.
He is not only spread, His consciousness is not only spread over this, my individual body, but His consciousness is spread in, of all bodies. All over the universe there are eight million four hundred thousand species of forms, and Kṛṣṇa's consciousness is all-pervading. He knows everything. So as soon as our consciousness becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa understands. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).
So Kṛṣṇa can understand your purpose. We cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can immediately understand how much serious and sincere you are for understanding Kṛṣṇa or approaching Him or going back to home, back to Godhead. That Kṛṣṇa can understand. As soon as He understands that "Here is a soul, he's very serious," He takes care of you, especially. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is equal to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. Nobody is dearer, or, dveṣa, or subject, object of jealousy.
Similarly, another man, born with silver spoon in the mouth. He hasn't got to try very much, but he gets his money quickly, very quickly. Therefore the Bhāgavata says, that "Don't waste your time for so-called happiness and distress. Don't waste your time. Because you are already destined to receive a standard of happiness and distress." You cannot change it. But you can change your consciousness. That is possible. But you cannot change your material position.
The modern people, they do not know. They do not know it that material condition cannot be changed. Take, for example, the pig. His body is meant for eating stool. So you cannot induce him to eat halavā. They cannot. He'll not accept it. Because the body is made like that. But in the human form, if we change our consciousness, then we become, we can revive our original status. Original status means eternal life of blissfulness and knowledge. That is the original life.
I have got this body; you have got this body. This body will be destroyed. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. But my, that consciousness will not be destroyed. This body will be destroyed, but my consciousness will not be destroyed. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Idaṁ tatam. Idam, this body, is spread with consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you will become conscious that it is painful. But how long it is painful? So long the soul is there. And as soon as the soul is gone, you chop it with a dagger; it will not respond. Therefore avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That thing, that consciousness, is avināśi.
So if I am the son of a person who is the proprietor of everything, where is the question of my suffering?
So therefore the basic principle of self-interest is lost. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive their consciousness that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. You are part and parcel of God. Why you should suffer? So cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and simply by cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness you will go back home, back to Godhead, and then you'll be happy." Kṛṣṇa confirms this. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, mām upetya: (BG 8.15) "If somebody comes to Me," mām upetya, "then he does not come back again in this material world, who is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15)." This place is place for suffering. Because they do not know self-interest, the place of suffering they are accepting place of enjoyment. But actually it is place of suffering.
Here is His father's name, His mother's name." Everything here is. This is not bogus, bogus (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa is accepted God. How is He accepted? Vedic literature, the Brahma-sūtra, says. The Brahma-sūtra commentary, explanation, is the Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām **. Brahma-sūtrānām, commentary... (break) ...and according to your consciousness, in this way they have become entangled, entrapped in this material (indistinct). That is not the life of human being. The life of human being is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and you will be peaceful as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa. What is that Kṛṣṇa?
| Page Title: | Our consciousness (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=92, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 92 |