So we do not understand that our materialistic way of life, our this material existence, every one of us, is diseased condition of life. It is not healthy condition of life. That we do not understand. We are thinking, "Oh, I am eating, sleeping and dancing, and then nice, so what is the disease? It is nice." But that your very body is a disease, this very body, because it is subjected to so many tribulations, so many sufferings. So we should try to understand that what is the cause of our suffering. The cause of our suffering is this body. The root cause of our... Either this body is American body, Indian body, cat's body, dog's body or prince body or demigod's body, because the body is material, therefore you have to undergo certain types of tribulations. At least, you'll have to die. You'll have to take birth. You'll have to suffer from diseases. You have to undergo the tribulation of old age. It does not mean that because I have got a princely body, therefore there will be no disease. No. The disease will be there. And the death will be there. And the sufferings of old age. Just like I am old man. I have got sometimes sufferings, backache, this ache... Old man, you see, rheumatic. So these things are to be suffered.
Therefore all our sufferings are due to this body. And this human body is the junction, the crossing point, whether I want to cure myself completely from this disease of birth, death, old age and disease or I want to continue. That we must make a decision. If we think, "Oh, it is very nice. Let us have this body. Never mind. Sometimes we suffer from disease, suffer from old age, or birth, death. Never mind." But that is the general impression of the general public: "Oh, we don't care what is going to happen." That is irresponsible life. But if a human being is responsible, if he actually wants healthy life—healthy life means without birth, death, old age and disease... That is healthy life. Our conception of healthy life is not to become too much fatty, or robust body. Robust body or fatty body or any body, this body, everything will finish. Our proposition is that how to conquer death, birth, old age and disease. That is our proposition. So if one is serious to conquer over these four principles of life and desiring eternal nonstoppage happiness and pleasure—the same thing, pleasure means there is... The same... Just like the pleasure in a hotel dancing, that is also pleasure. And here also, Hare Kṛṣṇa dancing, there is also pleasure. But the standard of pleasure is different. Standard of pleasure is different.
So this whole Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is nothing to stop, but to change the standard of pleasure, from the standard of temporary, flickering pleasure to the permanent, eternal pleasure. That is the program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So anyone who's interested to be, to accept the standard of pleasure which is eternal and continual, for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. And those who are interested, "Never mind, we have got a temporary life, temporary pleasure, we enjoy this materialistic way of life. No," so for them Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has no meaning. But those who are interested to attain that standard of pleasure which is eternal, for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. That is... That we have discussed in the last meeting, that "My dear..." Ṛṣabhadeva addressed His sons, sons, "My dear boys," that, "if you want perpetual, eternal happiness, nonbreaking happiness, then you try to purify your existence, and for that, you try to accept some austerity."
The same example, just like the patient is accepting voluntarily some austerity. He has got the desire to take some kind of food. But because he wants to go the healthy condition of life, he's following the instruction of the physician, that he cannot take. Just try to understand. If you think that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is restricting so many things... Not so many things. That is very simple. Just like we don't allow illicit sex life. We don't allow intoxication. We don't allow meat-eating. We don't allow gambling. Of course, these four things don't mean very severe things for the present population. But if anyone is serious about attaining eternal happiness, just like this patient in the hospital is following the physician's instruction—he has to follow it voluntarily. This is called austerity. Austerity means just like if I say, "Please don't smoke," but you are veteran smoker, and if you want to follow my instruction, "Don't smoke," you'll feel some difficulty in the beginning. That is called austerity. Austerity means accepting voluntarily some difficulties for higher development. The same principle. Just like a patient is accepting the physician direction under certain difficulty, but he is, because his aim is aiming at healthy condition of life, he voluntarily accepts.
So tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means just like sometimes we don't want scorching heat, but under certain conditions, we tolerate scorching heat for better purpose. Or very severe cold. Sometimes we do not like, but for some higher purpose we sometimes suffer. So these voluntary sufferings under the direction of superior authority is called tapasya. Tapasya. Tapasya means accepting voluntarily some suffering. That is the way of spiritual realization. That is not actually suffering. That is nectarean. But in the beginning it appears like suffering. So that is called austerity. Tapaḥ divyam. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear sons, you just voluntarily accept some austerities, divyam." Why? For transcendental realization. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). "If you accept this principle, then your existence will be purified."
Just remember that the whole different grades of evolution of life means purifying the existence. The aquatic animals, when they are developed into plant life, that is little purified. Then from plant life, microbes, insects, that is still more purified. From microbes, insects, birds' life, different grades of birds' life, that is still more purified. And from birds' life to beasts' life, that is still more purified. And, from beast life to human form of life, that is still more purified. And from uncivilized human form of life to civilized human form of life, that is still more purified. In this way this purification process is still going on. From this human form of life there are other life in upper planetary systems. They are called demigods. Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet. You cannot go because your body is not purified to stay there. Just like in your American country you do not allow everyone—there is check by the immigration department, what class of men you shall admit—similarly, you cannot enter in the moon planet by force unless you are purified. Or the temperature, the atmosphere, is so severe there, it is unfit. It is the statement of the scientists who are trying to go there that the temperature is below two hundred degrees zero. So how you can live there? Here, in your America, Canada, if the temperature is ten degrees below zero, you suffer so much. How you can live there? So you have to purify yourself before entering moon planet. Similarly, you have, if you want to enter into the sun planet, you have to purify a different way. Similarly, there are different heavenly planets. What do they know? There are millions and millions of high-grade planets, and they are... There is Siddhaloka, perfectional, according to this material conception. They are called Siddhaloka. Siddhaloka means the residents of that planet can fly in the space without any mechanical or any support, aeroplane or anything like that. They can, automatically can, travel in the space. Just like Nārada Muni, he can travel in the space. There are different grades of purificatory processes and purified life. And the highest purified life is Kṛṣṇaloka. So these are not imagination. We get all this knowledge from Vedic, I..., literature.