In our practical life, Krsna instructs us how to invoke Krsna consciousness. It is not that we are to stop executing our duty or to cease from activity. Rather, activities have to be conducted in Krsna consciousness. Everyone has a vocation in life, but with what consciousness does he enter upon it? Everyone is thinking, Oh, I must have a vocation in order to maintain my family. Society, the government or the family have to be satisfied, and no one is free from such consciousness One has to be in proper consciousness to execute any activity nicely. He whose consciousness is agitated, who is like a madman, cannot execute any duty. We should execute our duty properly, but we should do it thinking to satisfy Krsna. It is not that we have to change our process of work, but we do have to understand for whom we are working. Whatever activity we have to do we must execute, but we should not be carried away by kama, desire. The Sanskrit word kama is used to indicate lust, desire or sense satisfaction. Sri Krsna instructs that we should not work for the satisfaction of kama or our own lust. The whole teaching of Bhagavad-gita is based on this principle.

Arjuna wanted to satisfy his senses by refraining from fighting with his relatives, but Krsna spoke to him to convince him to execute his duty for the satisfaction of the Supreme. Materially it may seem very pious that he is giving up his claim for a kingdom and refusing to kill his relatives, but Krsna did not approve of this because the principle for Arjunas decision was to satisfy his own senses. Ones business or occupation need not be changedas Arjunas was not changedbut one does have to change his consciousness. In order to change this consciousness, however, knowledge is required. That knowledge is knowing I am part and parcel of Krsna, the superior energy of Krsna. That is real knowledge. Relative knowledge may teach us how to repair a machine, but real knowledge is knowing our position as being integral with Krsna. Being part of Him, our pleasure, which is partial, is dependent on the whole. For instance, my hand can take pleasure when it is attached to my body and serves it. It does not take pleasure in serving anothers body. Because we are part of Krsna, our pleasure is in serving Him. I cannot be happy serving you, everyone is thinking. I can only be happy serving myself. But no one knows who the self is. That self is Krsna.

The jivas, or living entities, are now detached from the whole due to material contact. It is therefore necessary for us to strive to attach ourselves again through the latent Krsna consciousness that is within us. Artificially, we are trying to forget Krsna and live independently, but this is not possible. When we strive to live independent of Krsna, we come under the influence of the laws of material nature. If one thinks he is independent of Krsna, he becomes dependent on the illusory energy of Krsna, just as if one thinks that he is independent of the government and its regulations, he becomes dependent on the police force. Everyone is trying to become independent, and this is called maya, illusion. Individually, communally, socially, nationally, or universally, it is not possible to become independent. When we come to realize that we are dependent, we will have attained knowledge. Today so many people are striving for peace in the world, but they do not know how to implement that peace formula. The United Nations has been striving for peace for so many years, but still war is going on.

Krsna is thus the proprietor of everything, the ultimate beneficiary and the receiver of the results of everything. We may consider ourselves to be the proprietors of the fruits of our labor, but this is a misconception. We must come to understand that Krsna is the ultimate proprietor of the fruits of all our works. Hundreds of people may be working in an office, but they understand that whatever profit the business makes belongs to the proprietor. As soon as a teller at the bank thinks, Oh, I have so much money. I am the proprietor. Let me take it home with me, his trouble begins. If we think that we can use whatever wealth we have amassed for our own sense gratification, we are acting out of kama, lust. But if we come to understand that everything we have belongs to Krsna, we are liberated. We may have the same money in our hands, but as soon as we think that we are the proprietor, we are under the influence of maya. One who is situated in the consciousness that everything belongs to Krsna is an actual learned man.

This consciousness of isavasya everything belongs to Krsnamust be revived, not only individually but nationally and universally. Then there will be peace. We often tend to be philanthropic and altruistic, and we strive to be friends with our countrymen, with our families and with all the peoples of the worldbut this is based on a wrong conception. The real friend is Krsna, and if we want to benefit our family, nation or planet, we will work for Him. If we have our familys welfare in mind, we will try to make all members Krsna conscious. There are so many men trying to benefit their families, but unfortunately they do not succeed. They do not know what the real problem is. As the Bhagavatam says, one should not attempt to become a father, or mother, or teacher unless he is able to save his children from death, from the grip of material nature. The father should be in knowledge of Krsna, and he should be determined that the innocent children who are entrusted to him will not have to undergo the cycle of birth and death again. He should be resolved to train his children in such a way that they will no longer have to be subjected to the painful cycle of birth and death. But before one can do this, he has to make himself expert. If he becomes expert in Krsna consciousness, he can help not only his children but his society and nation. But if he himself is bound by ignorance, how can he untie others who are similarly bound? Before one can make others free, he must be free himself. Actually no one is a free man, for everyone is under the spell of material nature, but one who is surrendered to Krsna cannot be touched by maya. He, of all men, is free. If one places himself in sunlight, there is no question of darkness. But if one places himself in artificial light, it may flicker and go out. Krsna is just like sunlight. Where He is present there is no question of darkness and ignorance. The wise men, the mahatmas, understand this.

In this verse the word budha is used, which indicates a wise man or one who is learned. What is his symptom? He knows that Krsna is the fountainhead of everything, of all emanations. He knows that whatever he sees is but an emanation of Krsna. In the material world, sex life is the most prominent factor. Sexual attraction is found in all species of life, and one may ask where it comes from. The wise man understands that this tendency is in Krsna and that it is revealed in His relationships with the damsels of Vraja. Whatever is found in this material world can also be found in perfection in Krsna. The difference is that in the material world everything is manifest in a perverted form. In Krsna all of these tendencies and manifestations exist in pure consciousness, in spirit. One who knows this, in full knowledge, becomes a pure devotee of Krsna.

Who is the great soul, the mahatma? It is he who is under the influence of the superior energy. At present we are under the influence of Krsnas inferior energy. As living entities, our position is marginalwe can transfer ourselves to either of the two energies. Krsna is fully independent, and because we are part and parcel of Him we also have this quality of independence. Therefore we have a choice as to which energy we will function under. Because we are ignorant of the superior nature, we have no alternative but to remain in the inferior nature.

Some philosophies propound that there is no nature other than the one we are presently experiencing and that the only solution to this is to nullify it and become void. But we cannot be void because we are living entities. It does not mean that we are finished just because we change our bodies. Before we can get out from the influence of material nature, we have to understand where our place actually is, where we are to go. If we do not know where to go, then we will simply say, Oh, we do not know what is superior and inferior. All we know is this, so let us stay here and rot. Bhagavad-gita however, gives us information of the superior energy, the superior nature.

What Krsna speaks, He speaks for all eternity; it does not change. It does not matter what our present occupation is or what Arjunas occupation waswe only have to change our consciousness. At present we are guided by the consciousness of self-interest. but we do not know what our real self-interest is. Actually we do not have self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing to satisfy the senses. It is this consciousness that has to be changed. In its place we must implant our real self-interestKrsna consciousness.

How is this done? How is it possible to become Krsna conscious in every step of our life? Actually Krsna makes it very easy for us:

In this verse Sri Krsna is describing how we can become Krsna conscious fully, in all stages of life. All living entities must drink water. The taste of water is so nice that when we are thirsty nothing but water seems to do. No manufacturer can create the pure taste of water. We can thus remember Krsna or God when we drink water. No one can avoid drinking water every day of his life, so God consciousness is therehow can we forget?

Similarly, when there is some illumination, that is also Krsna. The original effulgence in the spiritual sky, the brahmajyoti, emanates from the body of Krsna. This material sky is covered. The very nature of the material universe is darkness, which we experience at night. It is being artificially illuminated by the sun, by the reflected light of the moon, and by electricity. Where is this illumination coming from? The sun is being illumined by the brahmajyoti, or the bright effulgence of the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is no need for sun, moon or electricity because there everything is illuminated by the brahmajyoti. On this earth, however, we can remember Krsna whenever we see some illumination from the sun.

When we chant the Vedic mantras which begin with om, we can also remember Krsna. Om, like Hare Krsna, is also an address to God, and om is also Krsna. Sabdah means sound, and whenever we hear any sound we should know that it is a vibration of the original sound, the pure spiritual sound om or Hare Krsna. Whatever sound we hear in the material world is but a reflection of that original spiritual sound om. In this way when we hear sound, when we drink water, when we see some illumination, we can remember God. If we can do this, then when will we not remember God? This is the process of Krsna consciousness. In this way we can remember Krsna twenty-four hours a day, and in this way Krsna is with us. Of course Krsna is always with us, but as soon as we remember this, His presence is factual and is felt.

There are nine different processes for associating with God, and the first method of association is sravanam hearing. By reading Bhagavad-gita we hear the speeches of Sri Krsna, which means that we are actually associating with Krsna or God. (We should always remember that when we speak of Krsna, we refer to God.) Inasmuch as we associate with God and as we go on hearing the words of Krsna and His names, the contamination of material nature is reduced. In understanding that Krsna is sound, illumination, water, and so many other things, it becomes impossible to avoid Krsna. If we can remember Krsna in this way, our association with Him is permanent.

Association with Krsna is like association with sunshine. Where there is sunshine, there is no contamination. As long as one is out in the ultraviolet rays of the sun, he will not be diseased. In western medicine, sunshine is recommended for all kinds of diseases, and according to the Vedas a diseased man should worship the sun for cure. Similarly, if we associate with Krsna in Krsna consciousness, our maladies are cured. By chanting Hare Krsna we can associate with Krsna, and we can see the water as Krsna, the sun and the moon as Krsna, and we can hear Krsna in sound and taste Him in water. Unfortunately, in our present condition we have forgotten Krsna. But now we have to revive our spiritual life by remembering Him.

This process of sravanam kirtanamhearing and chantingwas approved by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was speaking with Ramananda Raya, a friend of the Lords and a great devotee, the Lord questioned him about the methods of spiritual realization. Ramananda recommended varnasrama-dharma, sannyasa, the renunciation of work, and so many other methods, but Lord Caitanya said, No, all of these are not so good. Each time Ramananda Raya suggested something, Lord Caitanya rejected it, requesting a better method for spiritual development. Finally Ramananda Raya quoted a Vedic aphorism which recommended that one give up all unnecessary endeavor in mental speculation for understanding God because by speculation it is not possible to arrive at the ultimate truth. Scientists, for instance, may speculate about distant stars and planets, but they can never come to any conclusions without experience. One may go on speculating throughout his life and never reach any conclusions.

It is especially useless to speculate about God. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that all sorts of speculation should be given up. It is recommended instead that one become submissive, realizing that not only is he an insignificant creature, but that this earth is only one small point in the great universe. New York City may seem very large, but when one realizes that the earth is such a small spot, and that on the earth the United States is just another small spot, and that in the United States New York City is but a small spot, and that in New York the individual is only one out of millions, then one can understand that he is not so very important after all. Realizing our insignificance in the face of the universe and God, we should not be artificially puffed-up but should be submissive. We should be very careful not to fall prey to the frog philosophy. Once there was a frog in a well, and upon being informed of the existence of the Atlantic Ocean by a friend, he asked the friend, Oh, what is this Atlantic Ocean?

It is a vast body of water, his friend replied.

How vast? Is it double the size of this well?

Oh no, much much larger, his friend replied.

How much larger? Ten times the size? In this way the frog went on calculating. But what is the possibility of his ever understanding the depths and far reaches of the great ocean? Our faculties, experience, and powers of speculation are always limited. We can only give rise to such frog philosophy. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that we give up the method of speculation as a waste of time in trying to understand the Supreme.

After giving up speculation, what should we do? Bhagavatam recommends that we become submissive and hear the message of God submissively. This message may be found also in the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures, in the Bible or the Koranin any bona fide scriptureor it may be heard from a realized soul. The main point is that one should not speculate but should simply hear about God. What will be the result of such hearing? Regardless of what one iswhether he be a poor or rich man, an American, European or Indian, a brahmana, sudra or whateverif one but hears the transcendental word of God, the Lord, who can never be conquered by any power or force, will be conquered by love. Arjuna was a friend of Krsnas, but Krsna, although the Supreme Godhead, became Arjunas chariot driver, a menial servant. Arjuna loved Krsna, and Krsna reciprocated his love in this way. Similarly, when Krsna was a child, He playfully took the shoes of His father, Nanda Maharaja, and put them on His head. People may try very hard to become one with God, but actually we can surpass thatwe can become father of God. Of course God is the father of all creatures, and He has no father Himself, but He accepts His devotee, His lover, as a father. Krsna agrees to be conquered by His devotee out of love. All one has to do is hear the message of the Lord very carefully.

In the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna gives additional ways in which He can be perceived in every step of life:

The words punyo gandhah refer to fragrances. Only Krsna can create flavors and fragrances. We may synthetically create some scents or fragrances, but these are not as good as the originals that occur in nature. When we smell a good natural fragrance, we can think, Oh, here is God. Here is Krsna. Or when we see some natural beauty, we can think, Oh, here is Krsna. Or when we see something uncommon, powerful or wonderful, we can think,Here is Krsna. Or when we see any form of life, whether it be in a tree, in a plant, or an animal or in a human being, we should understand that this life is part and parcel of Krsna, for as soon as the spiritual spark, which is part and parcel of Krsna, is taken away from the body, the body disintegrates.

Here again it is explicitly stated that Krsna is the life of all that lives. Thus at every step we can see God. People may ask, Can you show me God? Yes, of course. God can be seen in so many ways. But if one closes his eyes and says, I shall not see God, then how can He be shown?

In the above verse the word bijam means seed, and that seed is proclaimed to be eternal (sanatanam). One may see a huge tree, but what is the origin of this tree? It is the seed, and that seed is eternal. The seed of existence is within every living entity. The body itself may go through so many changesit may develop within the mothers womb, come out as a small baby and grow through childhood and adulthoodbut the seed of that existence that is within is permanent. Therefore it is sanatanam. Imperceivably we are changing our bodies at every moment, at every second. But the bijam, the seed, the spiritual spark, does not change. Krsna proclaims Himself to be this eternal seed within all existences. He is also the intelligence of an intelligent person. Without being favored by Krsna, one cannot become extraordinarily intelligent. Everyone is trying to be more intelligent than others, but without the favor of Krsna this is not possible. Therefore whenever we encounter someone with extraordinary intelligence we should think, That intelligence is Krsna. Similarly, the influence of one who is very influential is also Krsna.

The elephant and the gorilla are very strong animals, and we should understand that they get their strength fro m Krsna. The human being cannot acquire such strength by his own endeavor, but if Krsna so favors, a man can get strength to exceed the elephant thousands of times. The great warrior Bhima, who fought in the battle of Kuruksetra, was said to have strength ten thousand times that of an elephant. Similarly, desire or lust (kama) which is not against religious principles should also be seen as Krsna. What is this lust? lust generally means sex life, but here kama refers to sex life which is not against religious principles, that is to say, sex for the begetting of good children. If one can beget good Krsna conscious children, he can have sex thousands of times, but if he can only beget children who are raised in the consciousness of cats and dogs, his sex life is to be considered irreligious. In religious and civilized societies, marriage is intended as an indication that a couple is to engage in sex for begetting good children. Therefore married sex life is considered religious, and unmarried sex life is considered irreligious. Actually there is no difference between the sannyasi and the householder provided that the householders sexual activities are based on religious principles.

One may question Krsna in this way: You say You are sound, water, illumination, fragrance, the seed of all, strength, and kama, desiredoes that mean that you exist simply in the mode of goodness? In the material world there are the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Thus far, Krsna has described Himself as that which is good (for instance, sex in marriage according to religious principles). But what about the other modes? Does not Krsna exist in them? In answer, Krsna replies that whatever is seen in the material world is due to an interaction of three modes of material nature. Whatever can be observed is a combination of goodness, passion or ignorance, and in all cases these three states are produced by Me. Because they are produced by Krsna, their position is in Him, but He is not in them, for Krsna Himself is transcendental to the three modes. Thus, in another sense, bad and evil things, which are produced out of ignorance, are also Krsna, when they are applied by Krsna. How is this? For example, an electrical engineer is producing electrical energy. In our homes we are experiencing this electrical energy as coldness in the refrigerator or heat in the electric stove, but at the power plant electrical energy is neither cold nor hot. The manifestations of this energy may be different for the living entities, but for Krsna they are not different. Therefore Krsna sometimes acts on what appears to be the principles of passion or ignorance, but for Krsna there is nothing but Krsna, just as for the electrical engineer electrical energy is simply electricity and nothing else. He makes no distinction that this is cold electricity or that is hot electricity.

Everything is being generated by Krsna. Indeed, the Vedanta-sutra confirms: athato brahma jijnasa janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] everything is flowing from the

Supreme Absolute Truth. What the living entity is considering to be bad or good is only so for the living entity, for he is conditioned. But because Krsna is not conditioned, for Him there is no question of bad or good. Because we are conditioned, we are suffering from dualities, but for Him everything is perfect.