Krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha sadhya kabhu naya. This Krsna consciousness is an eternal fact. It is nothing that by this organization we are imposing upon you something extra. No. It is within you. It is within every living entity. Any living entitynever mind whether he is human being or animal... When Lord Caitanya was singing this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, He was passing through jungles, forests, and the tigers, the elephants, the stags, and all, I mean to, forest animals, they joined. They joined. It is such a thing. Of course, it depends on the pure-hearted chanting. As we become... This is the process. As we become advanced in this chanting method, similarly, our heart becomes freed from all the dirty things of material contact. So even the animals can be captivated by this chanting, what to speak of human beings.

So in our practical life Krsna advises how to invoke this Krsna consciousness. He says,

Yasya sarve samarambhah. You are not forbidden to execute your duties. We are not after stopping the general process of material activities. That is not our mission. The whole thing is that we have to act everything in Krsna consciousness, Krsna consciousness. Just like... It is very easy to understand. Everybody has got some vocation of his life. But what is their consciousness? Their consciousness is that "I am engaged in this business, I am engaged in this service, because I have to maintain my family," "I have to maintain myself," or "I have to satisfy the government," or "I have to satisfy somebody else." This is our consciousness. Nobody is free from such consciousness.

Everybody must have some consciousness. Without consciousness, nothing can be done. One who has no consciousness, he cannot do anything nicely. If his consciousness is disturbed, then his work cannot be... Just like a madman. A madman cannot do anything nicely because his consciousness is disturbed. So we, similarly, if we change the process only, that "I am, to satisfy Krsna..." Just like we are doing everything, with that idea, to satisfy somebody else, or at least myself, for my satisfaction. This process has to be changed to Krsna consciousness. That should be done. This process has to be changed into Krsna consciousness. Therefore Lord Krsna says, yasya sarve samarambhah.

(aside:) Those who want to come, we can invite them. Come inside.

Yasya sarve samarambhah: "Whatever activities you may do, do it," but kama-sankalpa-varjitah, kama-sankalpa-varjitah: "don't be carried away by kama." Kama means for your own satisfaction, kama. The word, Sanskrit word kama, is used for lust, for desire, for sense satisfaction. So Lord Krsna recommends that, "Don't do it for satisfaction of your senses, for satisfaction of your lust, or for satisfaction of your desires." That is the whole thing. Whole teaching of Bhagavad-gita is based on this principle.

The whole instruction to Arjuna is that Arjuna wanted to satisfy his senses, his senses. He wanted that, that by not fighting with the opposite party, who were composed of his relatives, brothers and brother-in-laws and father-in-laws and so many relatives. So he did not want to fight. And therefore this instruction of Bhagavad-gita was needed by Krsna. The whole basic principle is this. Now, that was Krsna's, Arjuna's own satisfaction of the senses. Arjuna did not want to fight. Materially, it appears very nice that he is giving up his claim of kingdom for satisfying his relatives. Oh, he's very good man. But Krsna did not approve it. Why? Because the basic principle was Arjuna decided to satisfy his own senses. Externally it appeared very nice. But anything which is done for the satisfaction of his own senses, that is kama, kama, lust, desire.

Here it is prescribed that you can do anything. There is no harm. Whatever your business, or vocation, occupation, you are engaged, that has not to be changed. That has not to be changed. Simply your consciousness has to be changed. That's all. Kama-sankalpa-varjitah. How? How that consciousness can be changed? Now, jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam. That consciousness, transferring the present self-interested consciousness to Krsna consciousness, requires knowledge. Requires knowledge. And what is that knowledge? That knowledge is that, "I am part and parcel of Krsna. I'm not different from Krsna. I am part and parcel. I am the superior energy of Krsna." That is knowledge.

Knowledge means to understand something. How this tape recorder is manufactured, if we get some knowledge, technical knowledge, that is not knowledge. That is a, of course, to have some, our occupation executed. That knowledge is temporary knowledge. But real knowledge is... This is real knowledge. The real knowledge is that when one understands convincingly that "I am part and parcel of Krsna." Krsna, or God. When we say Krsna, you should understand the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth. Krsna is the technical word which is meant for indicating the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the whole, the whole pleasure, the whole attraction. These are the meaning of Krsna.

So we are all part and parcel of the supreme pleasure, and our pleasure... Just like my hand. This is my hand. Now, this my hand can take pleasure when it is attached with my body. My hand can take pleasure when it serves my body. It does not take pleasure by serving your body.

(aside:) This is a formality.[?] Sit here.

So therefore, because I am part and parcel of Krsna, my pleasure, my happiness, is dependent by serving Krsna just like my senses are satisfied when they are used for my purpose, not for your purpose. This is the whole, I mean to say, philosophy. I cannot be satisfied by serving you. I can be satisfied by serving me. So that me, I do not know. That is Krsna. That is Krsna. So when we begin to serve Krsna, because we are part and parcel... Always remember, the part and parcel, we are. Mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. In the Fifteenth Chapter you'll find, "All these living entities, they are My eternal part and parcels. Now they are detached. Now they are detached. By material contact, they are detached." So we have to... The whole process is that we have to attach again. Now we are detached. Now we have to attach again. That is Krsna consciousness.

That Krsna consciousness is within you because you are originally, eternally the part and parcel of the Supreme. Artificially, I am trying to forget it. I am trying to live independently. That is not possible. We are not independent. If we want to live independently, that means we voluntarily become dependent on the influence of material nature. That's all. Actually, we are not independent. If I think I am independent of Krsna, then I am dependent on the influence of material nature.

Just like, if I think that I am independent of government regulations, then I become dependent of the police force. My dependence is neither in this way or that way. So that is our mistaken. Everyone is trying to be, become independent. That is called maya. That is called maya, or illusion. Nobody can be independent. Individually, community-wise, society-wise, or nation-wise, you can extend even universal-wisenobody can be independent. We are dependent. And this is called knowledge. When you come to the sense, that "I am dependent; I am not independent," this is called knowledge.

Now we are misguided. Jnanagni-dagdha karmanam. In other place, you'll find, Krsna says,

The formula is in the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita says that bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. "I am the proprietor of everything. Whatever you are doing, I am the ultimate beneficiary. I have to take the result." Just like a laborer works in a factory, but who is the proprietor? The ultimate proprietor is the, the proprietor is the ultimate owner of the... So everything, whatever we do... Jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam. Now, we are thinking that "This thing I am doing, I am the proprietor of this thing." That is a misconception. When we understand that everything, whatever we are doing, the ultimate proprietor is Krsna, that is Krsna consciousness. That is jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam.

So we can have simply... Just like in office. In office so many people are working. Hundreds of people are working. Everyone is conscious that "Whatever we are acting, whatever profit we are making, that belongs to the proprietor." Then there is peace. As soon as the cashier thinks, "Oh, I have got so much money. I am the proprietor," then whole trouble begins. This consciousness, Krsna consciousness... If we understand that "I am a very rich man. I have got so much bank balance. I can use it for my sense gratification," that is kama. That is kama-raga. But if we understand that "Whatever I have got, it belongs to Krsna," then I am liberated person. I am liberated person. This is Krsna... You, you'll have the same money under your custody. It doesn't matter. But as soon as you think that "I am the proprietor of this wealth," then you are under the influence of maya. And as soon as you think that "Krsna is the proprietor of all these things," then you are free.

So kama-sankalpa-varjitah, jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah: "One who thinks like that, one who is situated in that consciousness," panditam budhah, "he is learned, and he is actually a man of knowledge." This is the whole process. Tam ahuh. Tam, he is known as the pandita. Pandita means one who knows things as it is, not to take a thing wrongly. So that consciousness has to be invoked, not only individually, but also community-wise, society-wise, nation-wise, all over the world. Then there will be peace. If you want real peace.

The Bhagavata says, pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat: "One should not try to become father. One should not try to become mother." Why? Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum: "One who is unable to save his children from the grip of material nature." That should be Krsna consciousness. If you are a responsible father, then, if you are completely in knowledge of Krsna consciousness, then your duty will be that "These creatures, these innocent creatures now, who are playing in my, at my home as my children, as my boys, now this life should be the last installment of his transmigration from one body to another. I shall train these boys in such a way that after this body he will have no more to go into the cycle of birth and death." That is Krsna consciousness.

That means you have to make yourself expert. Then you can help your children also. Then you can help your nation also. Then you can help your society also. If you are yourself ignorant, then andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah [SB 7.5.31].

Just like a person who is, I mean, tightly bound-up, hands and feet. Suppose we are sitting here, some people, twenty-five gentlemen, ladies, and all our hands are tightly bound-up by some rope, and if I want to make you free, although my hand is also tightly bound-up, is it possible? No. At least my hand should be free. Then I can open, I can untie, your bindings by the rope. So unless one is free man... And what is that freedom? One who is Krsna conscious, he is free man. And nobody is free man.

And one who is, who has surrendered unto Krsna, one who has taken Krsna consciousness, maya has nothing to do. Maya cannot touch. Just like when... If you come in front of the sunlight, there is no question of darkness. There is no question of darkness if you place yourself in light, sunlight, not this artificial light. This artificial light may be extinguished at any time, but sunlight is not like that. So Krsna is just like sunlight. As soon as you come in front of sun, oh, there is no darkness. So there is no ignorance. So there is no maya. Maya means illusion.

So jnanagni-dagdha-karmanam tam ahuh panditam budhah. In this way, we have to become budha. Budha means learned, learned. And you'll find in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita that the Lord says who is budha. And what are the symptoms of budha. Budha means learned. What are the symptoms? What are the symptoms of mahatma, great soul? And what are the symptoms of budha? That is described in Bhagavad-gita. It is said that

So budha, what are the symptoms? The symptoms of budha is that aham sarvasya prabhavah: he knows that Krsna is the fountainhead of all emanations, everything, whatever we find, everything. Anything, whatever you see.

Now, take for example, take for example the material world. The most prominent thing is, I mean to say, unity between man and woman. Now, one can inquire, "Wherefrom this attraction comes between male and female?" Not only the human society, but also in animal society, in the bird society, in any society, every living be... This is a fact. So somebody criticizes, but those who do not know Krsna, that Krsna had so many girlfriends. So they are... Some people are criticize. But one does not know that where we get this idea of having girlfriends unless the tendency is in Krsna? Because you can have nothing here unless that is in Krsna. But here it is perverted. It is polluted. And Krsna, it is pure consciousness, pure spiritual. That is the difference.

So one who does not know, they want to avoid something. Nothing is, I mean to, can be, can exist in this material world unless it is in Krsna. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. So these things have to be studied very scientifically and from books like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and when he is perfectly learned, then his symptom is that he becomes a, a pure devotee of Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]: "I am the source, fountainhead," Krsna says. "I am the source and fountainhead like, of everything. One who understands this science, then he takes to Krsna." How? Now, budha bhava-samanvitah, with full knowledge, and he becomes a devotee of Krsna.

Similarly, so far mahatma... Mahatma is a Sanskrit word which is used for great soul. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gita.

There are two kinds of nature: superior nature and inferior nature. Now we are under the influence of this inferior, material nature. And that, by Krsna consciousness, we shall be transferred into the superior nature. Just try to understand: a person in the prison, a person outside the prison. The government's influence is in both the places, outside the prison and inside the prison. But outside the prison, the government's rules and regulation is superior. And inside, that is inferior. So influence is there. Similarly, either in the material world or in the spiritual world, wherever you, you are, your position is marginal. You can transfer yourself either in this, under the influence of this inferior nature, or you can transfer yourself under the influence of superior nature. Your position is marginal.

Now, you are given... Because Krsna is full independent, and because you are also part and parcel of Krsna, therefore you have got the quality of independence, to make your choice whether to be under the influence of this inferior nature or to become under the influence of superior nature. But because we do not know what is that superior nature, therefore we have no other alternative than to remain in this inferior nature. This is the whole position.

Because in the world there are many philosophies. They are informing that "There is no other nature. This nature, which we have experienced, it is troublesome. Make an end of it and become void." Oh, you cannot be void because you are living entity and eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Your change of body does not mean that you are finished. No. You are continuing. Vasamsi jirnani. Because I change my dress, that does not mean that I am finished. So I am eternal. If I have to finish the... If I have to get rid, out of the influence of material nature, then I have to seek: "Where is my place?" If we know or do not know, then we prefer: "All right, whatever it may be, inferior or superior, let us remain here and rot." So Bhagavad-gita gives you information of the superior nature: yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6], na tad bhasayate suryo na candro na pavakah.

So we have to become Krsna conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Srimad Bhagavad-gita, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Krsna says, He says for all the time. It does not change.

Just like the verse which we are just now discussing, He says that "It does not matter in whatever occupation you are. Simply you have to change your consciousness. You are now guided by the consciousness of self-interest, of sense gratification." Self-interest. Not exactly self-interest because we do not know what is our self-interest. Rather sense interest, not self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing for satisfying the senses. This consciousness has to be changed. We have to satisfy Krsna. That consciousness has to be invoked and then our life will be successful. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. Yes.

The whole problem is that a learned man sees that "My problem is that I don't want to die. Why there is death? I don't want to be old man. Why I, there is old age?" These are... These are the problems. Real problem, these are the problems. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. A learned man, a man of real knowledge, he should see that "I am..." Not only war. Suppose there will be excessive heat. Oh, I am so much disturbed. There is no peace. Oh, there is excessive snowfall, cold. Oh, I am disturbed. So there are so many disturbances. So we have to get free from all disturbances. Because I do not want it, my nature does not tolerate these things, but I have been forced to tolerate.

That is your problem. That can be solved by Krsna consciousness. We are talking the wholesale solution, not a particular thing. There are so many disturbing things, especially they are under the headings of these four principles: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. So... Mad-dhama gatva. Just the other day we discussed the sloka, that tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya: [Bg. 4.9] "Now, one who becomes Krsna consciousness, then the result will be that just after quitting this body, he comes to Me, no more coming to this material world." So long you'll be in the material world... Material world means so long we'll have this material body, we'll have to face so many disturbances. War is one of them. Suppose there is, perpetually, there is no war. Do you mean to say there will be perpetual peace? No. There are so many other things. At once, if there is some upheaval in the Atlantic Ocean, the whole thing is swallowed up, your beautiful New York City will be no more there. There are so many natural disturbances. What to speak of war, what you have...

So if we... Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya: [Bg. 4.9] "If you become Krsna conscious, the result will be that after finishing this term of your body..." We have got different terms of body. "So this term of body, you come unto Me." Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. So our problem is that. We are not going to adjust here. Here any kind of, any amount of adjustment will not make us happy. That is a fact. Because this place is like that. So we have to completely get free from this repeated birth and death of the material world and go back to home, back to Godhead and live peacefully with eternal life, knowledge and bliss. That is the whole thing Bhagavad-gita is teaching. Krsna's business is not to stop war or this or that. Any other question? (end)