How to Get Rid of This Body
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.20
Bombay, November 20, 1974
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Nitai: "Every learned man knows very
well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit
soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees,
opens the door of liberation."
Prabhupada:
prasangam ajaram pasam
atmanah kavayo viduh
sa eva sadhusu krto
moksa-dvaram apavrtam
[SB 3.25.20]
This is the definition of our Krsna consciousness movement. Consciousness is there. Living being means there must be consciousness. The consciousness... (sound of baby in background) (pause)
Devotee: Take away the girl.
Prabhupada: Consciousness, when it is muddy or contaminated on account of intermingling with these modes of nature, we become more and more entangled. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritamrta spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya
[Cc. Madhya 22.54]
Sadhu-sanga. Here it is also recommended: sa eva sadhusu krtah. Association, prasanga... Sangat sanjayate kamah. In the... (pause, sound of baby continuing) No... Sangat sanjayate kamah. As you associate with... Man is social animal, it is said. So according to your association, you can mold your character. If you associate with businessmen, then... They actually form so many associations to develop their business capacity. Practical. There is stock exchange association, this market association, that market association. There is club, association of the drunkards. So there are many association, and this association, different types of association, is the cause of bondage in that particular thing. Everyone knows it. Sangat sanjayate kamah. Similarly, if you transfer the association to the sadhu, then moksa-dvaram apavrtam, the door for liberation is open. If you associate with materialistic persons, then your bondage becomes more and more tightened, and if you associate with sadhu, or spiritualist, then your bondage becomes slackened, or the door of liberation becomes open. Moksa-dvaram apavrtam.
Yositam sangi-sangam. Tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Sadhu... Sadhu-sanga and yosit-sanga. Yosit means woman, or things which are meant for sense gratification. Woman is symbolical representation of sense gratification, but anything meant for sense gratification is called yosit. Tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Yositam. So this material world is full of yosit-sanga. Everyone is interested for sense gratification. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that,
bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayapahrta-cetasam
vyavasayatmika buddhih
samadhau na vidhiyate
[Bg. 2.44]
Those who are attached for sense gratification... Bhoga means sense gratification. Bhogaisvarya. Aisvarya, opulence and sense gratification, those who are too much attached... Now, why people are so much slow in the matter of understanding spiritual value of life? At the present moment, why people are not...? Manda. Manda means very slow. They do not take seriously that... Krsna consciousness movement is the most important movement for the upliftment of the human society, but they do not take it very seriously. Why? Bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam. They have been taught... The modern civilization is simply teaching people how to enjoy life by sense gratification. Especially in the Western countries, so many things. Even for shaving there is machine. Means they do not want to ply the razor even. Formerly, safety razor, formerly, there was Halogram(?) razor. Now simply you take the machine. Not to move the hand even. You see? This is advancement of civilization. The more you enjoy your senses...
But actually, the human life is meant for not enjoying the senses. That is called tapasya. To deny. That is human life. That is Vedic civilization. First of all, the brahmacari system, how to deny sense gratification. That is the first training. Even the, even Krsna, He had to go to the forest to collect dry wood for the spiritual master. The, that is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krsna was talking with Sudama Vipra, how both of them went to collect dry wood, and there was storm and rain. They became stranded in the forest. Then next day their teacher and other students rescued them. So the brahmacari was trained up, tapasya, not to enjoy. They would have to go beg door to door, brahmacari: "Mother, give us some alms for our asrama." So they were trained from the very beginning to address any woman as "Mother." So... And there were so many other things: to rise early in the morning... Tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. We have become so foolish that we do not know what is the actual condition of life. I am repeating this again and again. Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die." But sastra says, Krsna says, Bhagavad-gita says, that "Why you should die?" But they are so dull brain, they say, "Let us die. What is that?" Krsna says, janma-mrtyu. Krsna has picked up... Their whole life is miserable condition, tri-tapa-yatana, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, but we are so foolish, we have accepted this miserable condition of life as customary. So they have become accustomed.
But the Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan, personally says that "Your real miserable condition of life are the four things: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9]." But who is taking seriously? There are so many advancements of education, scientific and... Who is making research work how to stop death? No. Nobody is there. No scientist's brain is working. But it is possible. Therefore Krsna comes, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. These rascals, when they forget that death is not our business, it is artificially imposed upon us, so we must become deathless again... That is the human life perfection. But nobody is caring. We have become so dull. One can avoid birth, death, old age... Because Krsna says the soul, the spirit soul, atma, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit: "It does not die, it does not take birth." And actually, we are experiencing birth and death, old age and disease. Still, we are not alert. No intelligence. For this reason, Sanatana Gosvami, when he approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he, the first question was, "My dear Lord, some way or other, You have dragged me to Your lotus feet, but I am inquiring from You that ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya, 'What is my actual position? Why am I forced to suffer these three kinds of miserable life of material condition?' " Nobody's inquire, inquiring.
So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. That is called moksa. Moksa, or liberation. So the... It is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about moksa. Or nobody can conceive even that there is something as moksa. Moksa means to get free from this condition of birth, death and old age. That is called moksa, liberation. So at the present moment modern educated persons, they do not know that there is something like moksa and it can be achieved and there is process and the whole Vedic sastra is trying to educate us for getting moksa. They do not know it. So we have become so dull. Therefore, in this age, Kali-yuga especially, our conditions are described as manda, very, very bad, or very, very slow. Mandah sumanda-matayah. And if one little interested, they will take some path which is not approved, which is not approved. They will invent something, so many "isms."
Now, some people came, very prominent men of Bombay, some... They have also invented something to educate or to enlighten the residents of the forest and the mountains. No, no, what you are doing for here? But they are interested... Not interested. It is a hobby. Nobody can be... There is mountain, and suppose, suppose in Africa, there are so many Africans, they are living in the... There is nature's law, but there is a process. This process is Krsna consciousness, by which everyone can be elevated. Not by these material means. Material means, you cannot do that. We are... Just like in the Sukadeva Gosvami's statement it is said,
kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah
[SB 2.4.18]
You can make everyone happy, even the kirata. Kirata means the Africans. They are called nisada. Nisada was born as the son of the king... I forget just now name. Maharaja Prthu's brother.
Devotee: Vena?
Prabhupada: Vena, yes. Out of the body of Vena. Nisada. So they became thieves. They were, professionally, they became thieves, and they were asked to live in the jungle. So we have got practical experience. So these junglese, they are very much accustomed, however you keep them nicely, they will steal. Nisada. Is it not? (laughs) We have got very practical experience. We are pushing on this Krsna consciousness movement, and we have got experiences, different types of men. So they can also be delivered. How? Yad-apasrayasrayah, if they associate with sadhu. Yad-apasrayasrayah means if they are given the chance of associating with devotees, they can be delivered.
Anyone can be delivered. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Low-born, papa-yoni. Punya-yoni and papa-yoni. Punya-yoni... Yoni means the source of birth. So there are two kinds of yonis, pious and impious. Those who are pious, they are getting chance of birth, in very aristocratic, high family, educated, learned brahmana family. Jnana. Then aisvarya, opulence, riches; education, sruta; sri, beauty. These are the symptoms of pious life. And just the opposite, ugly-looking, born in very low-grade family, almost animal, then no education, no character, these are impious life. So... But the sadhu-sanga [Cc. Madhya 22.83], even by, one is born in low-grade family, papa-yoni, mam hi partha vyapasritya, if one takes shelter of Krsna... Krsna says, "If one takes shelter of Me..." Krsna never denies anyone. Socially, we may deny a candala to enter into my house, but Krsna and Krsna's devotee does not deny. That is the Krsna consciousness. They never, they'll never deny. "Yes, you are welcome. You take also education in the spiritual life. You also become devotee of Krsna." Sometimes we are criticized. But Krsna says, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. He is giving, offering shelter. "Come on. Never mind you are born in low family or impious family. It doesn't matter." Striyah sudras tatha vaisyas te 'pi yanti param gatim. Kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg. 9.33].
So Krsna says, "Those who are very, very low-born, even they can come and take to Krsna consciousness and become elevated for liberation. And what to speak of pious persons who have taken birth in the brahmana family." Kim punar brahmanah punyah. To take birth in brahmana family requires punya. To take birth in rich family requires punya. Sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg. 6.41]. Sucinam means very, mean, elevated, first-class, exalted brahmana, suci. Sucinam srimatam gehe. So these are, those who have taken birth in high-grade brahmana family or rich family, they are not ordinary men. The best thing: one who has taken birth in brahmana family. But who cares for it? They misuse this chance. Krsna says, kim punar brahmanah punyah. "You have taken birth in brahmana family. Why don't you take shelter of Me?" So because the..., why? The sadhu. Brahmana means sadhu. Brah..., Vaisnava means sadhu. Sannyasi means sadhu. Titiksavah karunikah..., ajata-satravah santah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah [SB 3.25.21]. This is a sadhu. So sadhu, they are very titiksavah, arjavam. Similarly, brahmana qualification is also... Satyam saucam samo damas titiksa. Titiksa, tolerant, arjava, simplicity, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. So similarly, sadhu. There must be a class of men in the society, first-class sadhu. Then the society will improve. If everyone is debauch and sudra, then how the society will be peaceful? There is... Therefore, to organize the society, Krsna recommends, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There must be ideal brahmana. There must be ideal ksatriya, ideal vaisya. And balance, all sudras. But nobody's caring that.
So sadhu means devotee, Krsna's devotee. That is called sadhu. Here it is stated, sa eva sadhusu krtah. The same association, sadhu-sanga. [Cc. Madhya 22.83]So who is sadhu? Sadhu means devotee. It is defined by Krsna Himself: sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. He's sadhu. Who? Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. He's sadhu. Anyone who is, without any reservation, has begun serving Krsna and engaged in Krsna consciousness. That is the definition of sadhu. Titiksava. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed how to become sadhu:
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
Sadhu's business is to become very tolerant. Because everyone becomes enemy. If you become a devotee, everyone will become enemy, because they're asuras. Asuram bhavam asritah. Even the father. Hiranyakasipu is the father of Prahlada Maharaja. The boy, five-years-old boy. What is his fault? He's chanting Hare Krsna. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that "Why you are chanting Hare Krsna? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiranyakasipu. So Prahlada Maharaja will not accept. Prahlada Maharaja, even the father insisting that "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlada Maharaja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura. Sometimes it was quarrel between father and son. Sometimes the father would call, "My dear Prahlada, all right, let me know what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers."
So he replied that sadhu manye 'sura-varya. Asura-varya. He did not address him as "Father"; he addressed him: "The best of the asuras," asura-varya. Tat sadhu manye. Sadhu, again. Tat sadhu manye asura-varya dehinam. "So far I have understood, that dehinam, those who are embodied..." Dehinam. Not "dehanam." Dehinam, he has said. Dehinam means we are dehi, we are proprietor of this body. I am not this body. So because we accepted this body, we are always in miserable condition. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. We accept this temporary body. That is the cause of all miseries. We cannot understand it. We are talking of so many miseries, but what is the cause of misery, that we do not know. Everyone knows, but he'll not know it. The cause is this body. Because the body is there, there is disease, there is old age, there is birth, there is death. And the whole struggle is against how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop disease, and how to stop old age. You just see. Why there are so many advancements in the chemical science? Why there are so many medical men? Why there are so many drug shop? To stop these things. This is a struggle. But why they are required? Because we have got this body. This material body.
So Prahlada Maharaja said, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Because we have accepted this body... So we must not accept this body, that is called moksa-dvaram. That should be the mission of human life. So we are not interested. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah [SB 1.1.10]. In this age they are slow and, and they have got their own manufactured ideas. Why? Now, manda-bhagyah, all unfortunate. And upadrutah, always disturbed. So all these are on account of this body. The sastra always says that "Don't work in such a way that you have to accept again body after death." That is, that is your business. Not that to accumulate crores and rupees and make a very good bank balance and skyscraper house and three or dozens of motorcars. They are struggling, forgetting this. But foolish people, they do not know that Krsna will take away all these assets at the time of death. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. Krsna says, aham mrtyuh: "I am death, and I will take away everything, what you have possessed." The foolish persons, they do not understand it. Just like Hiranyakasipu. He possessed. So much so powerful that even the demigods were afraid of him. And Krsna took away everything in a second by..., simply by the nails. Tava nakha kara-kamala nakha... Eh? What is? What is that?
Devotee: Tava kara-kamala-...
Prabhupada: Tava kara-kamala-...?
Devotee: ...nakham adbhuta-srngam.
Prabhupada: Nakham adbhuta-srngam. Wonderful nails. He wanted to be secure: "I'll not die this way. I'll not die that way." But he forgot to say that "I'll not die by the nails." He did not think that one can be killed by the nails. So all his formula that he would not be killed by this way, this way, this way... But he forgot this. (laughs)
So our intelligence is like... Even mother Yasoda. She was trying to bind Krsna, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers small, I mean to say, there was scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Krsna, at least, little difference. Little difference. The little difference, that he never thought that "I'll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb." He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Krsna can kill even by nails. Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti [Bs. 5.32]. He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass... But it could not be done. This is the asura. Asuram bhavam asritah. And the asuras... Mayayapahrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.15]. They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by maya. They are called Mayavadis. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Krsna says, "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiranyakasipu. He devised means that "Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me." So on, so many... Brahma says, "All right." But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahma that "Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal." This is called mudha. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. He does not know that Krsna's intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone. (laughs)
So we should not be foolish like that, mudha. We should be intelligent that this life, this material life, is simply struggle for existence. We want to exist. We do not want to die. We do not want, do not want to be diseased. We do not want birth, therefore there are so many contraceptive methods. But we do not want... Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], old age. Just like we are old men. So many difficulties there are. So we do not want all these things, but it is forced upon us. But we are not intelligent enough to, how to make a solution of these problems. Therefore our predecessor, Sanatana Gosvami, first of all put this question that ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. He was minister. He was intelligent and learned scholar, brahmana. So he inquired this. So we should be inquiring that "We are making so much struggle for existence, but existence is not allowed. Then what is the reason?" So we have become so foolish that we do not know. But here we are discussing moksa-dvaram, how to become free from the struggle for existence. This is life's mission.
So how it can be done? Now, as much we are attached to our property, to our family, to our country, to our money, to our business, so many things we have got attachments... Here it is said, prasangam ajaram pasam. These attachments means we are entangled, hands and legs tied up. The "tied up" means because our mind is full and absorbed in these material activities, so at the time of death we have to give up this body and accept another. So long our mind will be absorbed, the consciousness will be absorbed in materialistic way of life, we have to accept another body. Krsna will give chance. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. We do not know that our real business is not to accept another material body. That we do not know. We are so fool. We are working in such a way that we must have to accept another body. Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah [SB 5.5.4]. We are working, we are feeling that so many difficulties there on account of this body, but we are not working how to get rid of this body, how to become again free and remain in our spiritual body. This intelligence is not there.
So Krsna consciousness movement is giving this intelligence. That is the Krsna consciousness move... Unique movement, how to give the intelligence of becoming liberated. Moksa-dvaram apavrtam. Mahat... Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2]. Mahat-seva. Mahat-sevam... Mahat means... Who is mahat, mahatma?
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
[Bg. 9.13]
Those who are always engaged in bhajana -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare -- they are mahatmas. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. This is bhajana -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama... There is mahatma. So mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [SB 5.5.2]. If you serve such mahatma, just like Haridasa Thakura, who is always engaged in chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, then your path of liberation is open. And tamo-dvaram ahur yositam sangi-sangam. And if you associate with the materialistic persons who are after sense gratification, then your tamo-dvaram... That is the way to the darkness. The life's business is not tamo-dvaram. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. Jyotir gama, go to the light. Don't remain in... This is Vedic instruction.
So if we actually want to be free from the bondage of material existence... Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]... A common sense. Because we have lost our common sense. Suppose we are sitting here. If somebody says, "Now get out! Sit down he... Sit down here." And again, a half an hour, if he says, "No, no, come here." So shall I like it? "No, I am not sitting here. I'll go." Similarly, here the life is, the materialistic way of life means bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. You accept one body, you'll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently. You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply accepting one body and again... Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Tyaktva deham. We are... We do not know that "I am not this body."
So we are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such darkness. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri... They are taking this body as themselves. There are so many things... So Krsna consciousness movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Krsna consciousness means... The simple thing is that you chant Hare Krsna. But if you think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books for you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on. Otherwise, if you are not so learned to read all these books, chant Hare Krsna. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and be liberated.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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