We are fully under the control of material nature, and foolishly, ahaṅkāra, on account of being bewildered by false egotism, we are thinking that, "I am independent." This is called material illusion.
So our first business is to understand what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what is God, what is my relationship with Him, and how to execute the business of my life, to become successful in this human form of life. The success of human form of life is to understand this thing: our relationship with God. And we should act in relationship with God. Then our success of life will be achieved. This is the main purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is a very prolonged subject matter to understand, but everything is explained. Our only request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is; don't try to interpret. That is useless. Otherwise, why people have lost in India their own culture? Because they have interpreted wrongly. Every śāstra has been interpreted wrongly, and therefore people are misguided. They could not take advantage of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā because all through, the Bhagavad-gītā has been misinterpreted. So many so-called politicians, scholars, but it is maybe for the first time—not first time; it is there—but to make it broad propaganda-wide that, "Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation." That is our mission.
That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Don't try to interpret and spoil it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa means . . . he was born in Bengal, India—it may be Bengal or in India—He . . . he was interested with every man all over the world:
- pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
- sarvatra pracāra hoibe mora nāma
- (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
So He was interested in all the parts of the world, how they can be delivered from the clutches of this material energy. So He wished especially the Indians to take this job preaching the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. He wanted it.
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma hoila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' karo para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. It is not the business of the Indian people to exploit others. The mission is they must be very, very merciful to all outsiders, born in . . . out of India. That is India's mission. Because they are in darkness; they do not know. So instead of . . . enlighten them, giving them jyotir gamaḥ-tamasi mā: "Don't remain in darkness." So we are imitating them. This is not India's good fortune. We should not imitate. That is not very good civilization. That is . . . this has been described as asuric civilization in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu, they do not know. Anyway, although they do not know, they are accepting now. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so potential that they are accepting. That is upakāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted this, para upakāra. They are in darkness, tamasi. Bring them in the light: tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ.
So this attempt has been done by us individually, with teeny effort, but it is becoming successful. But if we take up seriously this movement, every one of us become completely aware of this movement and take this mission as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "Every one of you, you become a guru," by the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So "I shall become guru? What shall I do? I do not know anything." No, you haven't got to know anything. You simply, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa. You simply repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Whomever you meet, you try to convince him—then you are guru. So our mission is this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. We are trying to execute the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We don't say anything else except what is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Simple thing. It is not very difficult thing. Kṛṣṇa says: "Always think of Me." Is it very difficult task? No. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you remember Kṛṣṇa immediately. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma . . .
So always remember Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's instruction, man-manā, "Always think of Me," mad-bhakta, and naturally you become bhakta. As soon as go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa . . . just like these European and American boys, they have been instructed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Nothing that I showed them any magic, how to manufacture gold, or how to become this or that. No. Simply I have asked them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and they have joined me because they have chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why? Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). By chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the dirty things within the heart will be cleansed. They you will understand, "What is my position. What to do."
So this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yāre dekha tāre kaha. Kṛṣṇa said that man-manā bhava mad-bhakta: "You just think of Me, you just become My devotee, mad-yājī, you just offer a little flower and water to Me." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). (conch sounds) If you think that "We have got money. The money is for my enjoyment, and Kṛṣṇa may be offered a little water and flower," that is cheating; that is not good. According to your position you must worship. This is wanted. Otherwise, vita sakṣat. If you have got money and if you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, and you serve Kṛṣṇa with a little water and flower, Kṛṣṇa can understand this kind of cheating business. No. Everyone should worship Kṛṣṇa according to his position. That is wanted. Kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). To become very big businessman is not ordinary thing; it requires tapasya, very great labor, brain, yat tapasyasi. But the result, Kṛṣṇa says, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. He's asking, "Give it to Me."
So there is no harm to become very big businessman, earning money—that is all right—but you give it to Kṛṣṇa. Then in any position you can remain Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you will understand Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
- yogaṁ yuñjaṁ mad-āśrayaḥ
- asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
- yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
- (BG 7.1)
Kṛṣṇa is explaining that everyone is trying to understand God, but by speculation you cannot understand. By service only you can understand, by attachment. You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa without being attached. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Seventh Chapter, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ: "Taking shelter of Me or My devotee, if you practice this yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, increasing your attachment for Me, this is wanted." Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we have got attachment so many things, but that attachment has to be transferred to Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayam. Then asaṁśayam, without any doubt. To understand God there are three features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So the ordinary person, they can be able to understand Brahman—a little advanced than them, they can understand Paramātmā, but to understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of person, one tries to become siddha, perfect. What is that siddha? Brahma-jña. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). And out of the siddhas, those who are actually self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, out of many of them maybe one is able to understand Kṛṣṇa.