You cannot change. But you can change by one process. What is that? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. If you surrender to Krsna, then you can get out of this control of maya

Expressions researched:
"You cannot change. But you can change by one process. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then you can get out of this control of māyā"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We get real consciousness by good association, if we can understand that "I am under the clutches of māyā, prakṛti, and I'm dictated according to my association with the quality of the nature, and I am getting different types of body, different types of situation for my distress and happiness . . . this is my position, under . . . fully under the control of the prakṛti . . ." It cannot be changed. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot change. But you can change by one process. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then you can get out of this control of māyā. Otherwise, it is not pos . . . mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Then what should be our decision? That better not to try for improving our material condition of life. That cannot be changed. It is not possible. According to destiny we have to enjoy or suffer. This is called adṛṣṭa.

731015 - Lecture BG 13.21 - Bombay

Nānā joni brahman kore. We are wandering in different species of life. There are cockroaches in the commode, they are also thinking, "I am enjoying." A tree is standing for seven thousands of years, and he's also thinking, "I am enjoying life." So this is going on.And we are not very much serious about this thing, that "I am part and parcel of God, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). My, I am . . . na jāyate na mriyate. "My position is that I never take my birth and never die." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "I do not die even after the destruction of this body." These things are my privileges, but I do not wish to take care of them. This is called māyā. We are satisfied in this abominable condition of life by a body given by the nature. We suffer or enjoy . . . no enjoyment.Everything is suffering according to the body, and the body is supplied by the nature. That is explained here. Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate. Kartṛtve, my action, that is also directed by the material nature. Originally directed by īśvara, who is sitting within your heart, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15), but it is being acted through the agency of material nature. Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate.Prakṛtiḥ. Just like one criminal is punished by the magistrate that, "This man should undergo six months' imprisonment." So the judge or the magistrate superficially is the cause of his punishment, but actually he's not. He's giving him punishment according to law. I have created such a situation, I have made myself a criminal, and the magistrate, according to law, giving me punishment. So actually, directly the magistrate is not the cause of my suffering. Why he should be cause? He's not your enemy. This is going on.kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtvehetuḥ prakṛtir ucyatepuruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁbhoktṛtve hetur ucyate(BG 13.21)So bhoktṛtva, my enjoyment . . . because we have come to this material world for enjoyment. So everyone's enjoyment is not of the same standard. We can see that. Somebody is enjoying some way, another is enjoying . . . "One man's food, another man's poison." What is enjoyed by the hog is not enjoyed by other animal. This is going on.Therefore when we get real consciousness by good association, if we can understand that "I am under the clutches of māyā, prakṛti, and I'm dictated according to my association with the quality of the nature, and I am getting different types of body, different types of situation for my distress and happiness . . . this is my position, under . . . fully under the control of the prakṛti . . ." It cannot be changed. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.You cannot change. But you can change by one process. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then you can get out of this control of māyā. Otherwise, it is not pos . . . mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Then what should be our decision? That better not to try for improving our material condition of life. That cannot be changed. It is not possible. According to destiny we have to enjoy or suffer. This is called adṛṣṭa. Therefore the śāstra gives you advice:tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidona labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥtal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁkālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā(SB 1.5.18)Śāstra says: "Don't uselessly try to improve your position." The modern economists, they'll say, "No, we are not going to accept this." But it is a fact. People are trying to improve the condition of the poor man, but the . . . it is going on, but there are thousands and millions of poor men.Fifty years ago, when I first came to Bombay, at that time I was gṛhastha, I saw there were persons lying down care of footpath, and fifty years after, we are seeing the same thing is going on. No change. There is a class of men who must lie down care of footpath. There are so many institution, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. But why there are daridras still? That means you cannot change. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like a man who has done something criminal and he is in prison. Can you take him out? It will be another criminal action. If you try to take him away from the prison house by some means, then you'll be punished and he'll be punished, both. This is the law of state. Similarly, how you can surpass the stringent laws of nature and the laws of God? That is not possible.That is Vedic civilization. They were not very much anxious to improve material position. Even at the present moment, you go to the village, the innocent villagers, they are satisfied with the position Kṛṣṇa has given, but they are anxious to improve their spiritual life. That is, still you'll find. Of course, it is not that you'll not try to earn your livelihood. That you must. But you should not endeavor or give more time for your so-called material improvement. Better save time and utilize that time for improving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection. That is the injunction of the śāstras. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ.