Prabhupada: So Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has sung, kita janma hao yatha tuya dasa, bahir na brahma janme nahi
mora asa. Kita janma hao yatha tuya dasa. Tuya dasa means your servant. Actually
we are all servants of Krsna. Jivera svarupa hoy nitya krsna dasa. But
forgetting our position, we are now acting as dasa of maya, mayara-dasa. Hoiya
mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. The advantage of Krsna dasa is that he has got
only one desire. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167] -- to serve
Krsna purely. That's all. Krsna is not impersonal. Krsna is person, and whatever
He orders, whatever He says, if you carry out faithfully, then our original
constitutional position is regained. It can be done very quickly. Krsna says,
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And if you do that
immediately, then you revive your original position immediately, within a
second. Hoiya mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. We are making plans in so many ways
to be happy. But if we accept this one plan, that immediately surrender to
Krsna, then our life is successful. And if we do not accept this proposal of
Krsna, and if we make our own plans to be happy, it will be never be possible.
Hoiya mayara dasa kori nana abhilas. Anadi bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli gela,
ataeva mayara tare goliya badila. We are not independent. If we do not agree to
serve Krsna, then we have to serve maya. Our position as servant is never
changed. We remain servant. So if we don't agree to accept Krsna's proposal
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], then we have to
take shelter of maya and you have to perpetually serve. Bhutva bhutva praliyate
[Bg. 8.19].
To serve maya means to continue this material existence one after another. Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Krsna, then we get again next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. We can see. There are so many trees, plants, insects, animals. They're all living entities. Also there are nice body -- Americans, Europeans, beautiful body, or demigod's body. There are different bodies, eight million... So long we shall remain maya-dasa, we have to change this body one after another. It may be of higher standard or it may be of lower standard. That will depend on my work. Karmana daiva netrena jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. This is the philosophy, Krsna consciousness. You are... We are not independent. We are completely under the control of material nature, and we get different types of bodies on account of associating with different modes of material nature. Karanam guna sanga asya sad-asad janma yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Sat, asat, there are two kinds of status quo, sat and asat. Sat means nice, or eternal, and asat means not very nice. So either you can get the body of the human society or you can get a body in the hog society, dog society. But the activities of the hogs and dogs and human being, if it is carried on in ignorance, eating, sleeping, mating... Then there is no difference. There is no difference. There is no difference to become a hog or to become a man. A man is also eating; hog is also eating according to one's taste. The man is also sleeping; the hog is also sleeping, according to the position. So that does not make any difference between a human being and a hog. But at the present moment we are taken this civilization that hog is eating stool, and if we are eating very nice plate, then you're civilized. But sastra says no. Eating and the taste of eating is the same. Always enjoying eating stool, and you're enjoying eating something else -- the taste of eating is the same. There is no difference. You like something; I like something. But the common formula is that you eat, I also eat. Therefore we have to change this formula. If you simply waste our time like the hogs -- eating, sleeping, sex-life and defense -- then that is not human life.
Human life is meant for tapasya. That is not possible by the hogs and dogs. Tapasya, austerities. By austerities, by tapasya we can purify our existence. You are existing at the present moment because we are changing body, bhutva bhutva prali... Therefore it is polluted existence. This is not pure existence. Pure existence is eternal life, blissfulness and knowledge, full of knowledge. That is pure life. So the human life is meant for purifying our existence. Stop this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease and live eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the business of human life. But people do not take this fact very seriously. They have become so dull-headed. Now there is freedom from this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease, they cannot believe it. They cannot consider it. They think, "Ah, it is going on." So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization. And to become better hog, nicely dressed hog, that is not Vedic civilization. That is hog civilization.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to save people from the hog civilization or dog civilization to human civilization. That is... Human civilization means plain living and advancing in spiritual consciousness, not to increase unnecessarily artificial way of life. But we should know what is the aim of life and try to actually (achieve) success in the aim of life in any condition. That is Vedic civilization. Any condition. Any condition means in the material world we find that somebody is well situated and somebody... We think like that. Nobody is well situated. But we think like that. So if we want to cultivate Krsna consciousness, in any material condition we can do that. Ahaituky apratihata. Any material condition cannot check our advancement in spiritual life. Just like these European, American boys and girls, they're not accustomed to sit down on the ground. In their country that is not their civilization. They sit down very nicely on chairs and very nice apartment. But because they have taken to this Krsna consciousness, they do not hesitate to sit down in any condition of life. This is advancement. They do not grudge that "We are not accustomed to sit in this way." No. That is any condition, any condition of life. Krsna also says,
mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
So we can accept Krsna consciousness in any condition life. There is no impediment. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. Not that "Unless such and such conditions are fulfilled I cannot take to Krsna consciousness." No. As I told in the beginning, that you can accept Krsna consciousness within a second. As Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if you immediately take Krsna, "Yes, Krsna..." You have thoroughly read Bhagavad-gita, then we understand that "We are part and parcel of Krsna, and Krsna is asking to surrender. Why not surrender?" That is intelligence. Krsna says that is the way of life. Ultimately one has to surrender to Krsna. That is the success, ultimate success. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. One is accepting immediately and one is experimenting with truth, and it will take many, many births. Klesa adhikataras tesam avyakta asakta cetasam. Krsna is presently instructing in person, and foolish people are thinking that He's imperson. Why imperson? Krsna is always speaking: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. The first person is used everywhere. Aham sarvasya prabhavah mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. Aham. Krsna says aham, person. So why we should think of Krsna being imperson? This is our misfortune. Therefore it takes many, many births. Even one is jnanavan it takes many, many births to surrender to Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Although he's jnanavan, superficially, still his jnana has been taken away. Mayaya apahrta-jnana. Although he's proud of his knowledge, the maya says, "No, no, no. Why you are accepting Krsna as person? He's imperson." So maya is dictating and taking away his knowledge. mayaya apahrta-jnana. Krsna says aham, "I, Me." These are first person, person, first person. And still these people are thinking of Krsna as imperson. Why? This is called mayayapahrta-jnana. They have studied the Vedic literature but could not understand what is Krsna.
So intelligent person, instead of waiting many, many births to understand Krsna, may take it immediately what Krsna says, as it is. Then his life is successful. So that is possible to understand Krsna as He is saying. But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duskrtina. Duskrtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities -- illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Krsna. Krsna is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.
yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]
So we are trying, this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that stop sinful activities and hear Krsna and accept Him as He is saying. Then your life is successful. That's all. Very simple thing. And those who are adopting this ways, this process of life, is becoming successful practically. There is no doubt about it. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. Asamsayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in full, not partial.
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi...
[Bg. 7.1]
So Krsna is explaining Himself that yatha jnasyasi, without any doubt, asamsayam, and samagram. Samagram means in fullness, the Absolute Truth in full. The Absolute Truth is realized as Brahman, as Paramatma, as Bhagavan. So Krsna says, "I'm giving you full knowledge, both of Paramatma and Brahman and My personal knowledge." Yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu, "Just hear, hear from Me."
So this is the opportunity in human life. Krsna is explaining, God is explaining Himself, and still if you remain dulls and fools and rascals, then it is our misfortune. That is explained naradhama. Naradhama. Naradhama cannot understand Krsna. Naradhama, lowest of the mankind. Naradhama. Nara means man and adhama means lowest. So those who are naradhama they will escape this Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise anyone who is intelligent, intelligent after many, many birth's experience, he'll accept. So we can understand by this crucial test or test tube(?) what is what. So anyway, our business is you Western boys and girls, you have taken this Krsna consciousness movement very seriously. I'm very much thankful to you. So try to make the people uttama, although at the present moment they are naradhama, without understanding Krsna. So these are not exaggeration. This is stated in the sastra. And our point is that anyone who is not taking to Krsna consciousness, he's among these groups-duskrtina, mudha, naradhama, mayaya apahrta-jnana asurim bhavam asritah. The basic principle is asurim bhavam asritah. Asura. Asura means against God always. Ravana was asura. Hiranyakasipu was asura. They are very learned scholar, son of a brahmana and very powerful. The only fault was they did not believe in God; therefore they are called asuras. So anyone who does not believe in God, he's asura. This is the verdict of the sastra. And this asuric civilization is going on all over the world. So we are making little effort to make the asuras devotees. That's all. This is our business.
So we are very much thankful to Mr. Kulanidhi(?). He has given us a place, very important place, and you are constructing temple. He's always eager to help us. Therefore he's a bhakta. We are very much thankful to him. He's a bhakta. So at any moment Mr. Kulanidhi will call us. We are ready to come here, because he's a bhakta. Mad-bhakta pujya adhikah. Krsna likes if you honor the bhakta. Krsna is very much pleased. "If you love me, love my dog." We have seen in the Western countries when two gentlemen meet, he pats his friend's dog and he pats the friend's dog. That you have seen it. (laughs) First of all dog, "How are you? How are you?" (everyone laughs) So let us all become dogs of Krsna, and bhaktas will love us.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Life
Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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