So this transmigration of the soul is very simple subject. Any sensible man can understand. And in the Bhagavad-gita, in the very beginning of the instruction, Krsna says,

The Vedanta-sutra says, the first aphorism of Vedanta-sutra, athato brahma jijnasa: "Now this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman." And the Veda says that aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this body. I am spirit soul." And when one understands that he is spirit soul, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], at once he becomes joyful. That is the sign of brahma-jnana. Brahma-bhutah. These are the versions of Bhagavad-gita. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma. As soon as one realizes that "I am Brahman. I have nothing to do with this material world," his all anxieties immediately finished. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati. In the Vedanta-sutra you'll also find, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). The spirit soul or the Supreme Soul, both of them are anandamaya. Ananda means blissful, by nature blissful. Always wants to enjoy. That is the nature of spirit. But at the present moment, because we have forgotten that I am..., we are spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7], identifying ourself with something else which is transitory, we are suffering. This is the cause. There are many places. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad isad api etasya viparyayo 'smrtih. Viparyayo 'smrtih means converted thinking. I'm not this, any product of this material world, but I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am Chinaman," "I am Russian," or "I am cats and dogs." There are so many. These are all designations. These are all designations. My real identity is aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman. I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Qualitatively, I am one with God." Just like a particle of gold is also gold. A small particle of the ocean is also salty. The chemical composition of the small particle of ocean water is the same as the big ocean. So qualitatively, I am one with God, or Krsna.

When we speak of Krsna, you'll please understand that I am meaning God. Because Krsna means all-attractive. Without being all-attractive, there cannot be God. God must be all-attractive, all-opulence, all-powerful, all-wise, all-renounced, all-beautiful. These are the qualifications of God. So bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. After cultivation of knowledge, many, many births... Cultivation of knowledge is also not easy for everyone. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of persons, human beings, one may be interested to know 'What is the aim of life? Why I am suffering?' " Everyone is suffering. That is the fact. In the material world nobody can be happy. If one is thinking that he's happy materially, he's a fool. Nobody can be happy. This is the place for distress. It is certified by miseries, as well as it is temporary. Even if you accept, "All right, it is a miserable place. I shall stay here. Never mind," but nature will not allow you to stay even. One day it will come, immediately kick you out. You have seen the great President of United States, Mr. Kennedy. He was supposed to be the happiest man in the world, but within a second he was kicked out, immediately. In our country Mahatma Gandhi was very popular leader, but in a second he was removed from the field. So we do not know when we shall be removed immediately by the freaks of nature. Therefore the intelligent man should try to know, "What is my constitutional position? Why I want to stay, but some superpower kicks me out of this stage?" Why? This is question. This is called brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. The Vedanta-sutra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age, and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gita. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problemsbirth, death, old age, and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.

The Bhagavata says, therefore, that,

So this message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Hare Krsna movement, is to warn you, "Don't spoil this opportunity of human form of life. Don't spoil it." Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca samanyam etat pasubhih naranam. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these things are common to the animals and the human being. You eat; the animals eat. You sleep; the animals sleep. You mate; the animals mate. You are also afraid of your enemy; they are also afraid of their enemy. So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life, or atom bomb for defending... Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these four principles, if you advance in these four principles only, that does not mean that you are better than animals. You are as good as animals. [break] ...under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. Daivi-prakrtim asritah. And what is the symptom of such persons, that he is under the control of spiritual nature? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

So to become mahatma and liberated... There are so many theories how to become liberated, how to become mahatma, how to become religionist, how to become philosopher. There are many thoughts and theories, but real success of life is to become a mahatma, broader, broad-minded. Mahatma means broader-minded. They are not, I mean to say, short-minded, that "I am this," "I am that""I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am Englishman"no. Mahatma is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He is freed from all designation. These are all our designations. When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indianimmediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got a body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that "I was President," or "I was this or that." Therefore this is called illusion, maya. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, keno mayara bose, yaccho bhese: "My dear friends, my dear brothers, why you are being washed away by the waves of this illusion? Don't be wasted. Don't be washed away." Just like if you are thrown into the ocean you are washed away by the waves, similarly, by the waves of this material nature, prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27], we are being washed away from one body to another, in this way. But actually we do not want this. Actually every one of us, we want a permanent body, a permanent situation, a permanent life, a blissful life, a life of knowledge. That is our hankering. But we do not know, do not know because we do not care to know. Otherwise everything is explained. You haven't got to study many books. You just simply study Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We have therefore published this Bhagavad-gita As It Is without any nonsensical interpretation. "As It Is." Then you'll get all the knowledge and you'll know what you are meant for. So this movement is just to revive your consciousness, original consciousness. Original consciousness is Krsna consciousness. And all other consciousness which you have now acquired, these are superficial, temporary. "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am this," "I am that"these are all superficial consciousness. Real consciousness is aham brahmasmi.

So Lord Caitanya, who started this movement five hundred years ago in Bengal, India, He immediately informs you that jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109], that our real identity, real constitutional position, is that we are part and parcel of Krsna, or God. Therefore you can understand what is your duty. Just like this hand is part and parcel of your body. Now, what is the duty of this hand? To serve the body, that's all. The hand cannot enjoy independently. It is not possible. If you cut off this hand from this body and throw into the street, nobody will care for it. But so long it is attached with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars' value. If there is any trouble, you will be prepared to spend any any amount. But when you are detached, this hand is detached from this body, you don't care for it, even it is trampled down by any man. So this is our position. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. There are many examples I can give you. Just like a machine part, a screw. If it is fallen down from the machine, it has no value. But if the machine is in trouble for want of that screw, you'll purchase that screw to set in and spend many dollars. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. If we remain attached with the Supreme Lord, then we have got value. Otherwise we have no value. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just be attached to Me. Then your all problems are solved."

So this Krsna consciousness movement is... Just like you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. You are now detached. We are trying to dovetail you. That's all. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya. This is not an artificial imposition on you. The Krsna consciousness is there. The living example you can see, that I have got now branches, twenty branches in Europe and America. They are neither Hindus nor Indian. How they are accepting Krsna consciousness? In our society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps it is fact. But why, how they are taking it? Because it is there, Krsna consciousness is there, within you, within me, within everyone. Simply we have to invoke it. That's all. And that invoking process is the sankirtana movement. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you chant this simple process, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, you'll very quickly clear up your heart and you will understand, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. You'll understand that Krsna, Vasudeva, is everything. So this movement is neither manufactured nor bogus nor bluff, but it is genuine. It is authorized and it is natural, constitutional. Try to understand this philosophy. We are teaching nothing, no new philosophy. Bhagavad-gita as it is, that's all. Unfortunately, Bhagavad-gita is read all over the world, but there are many rascal interpreters. They have spoiled the whole thing. Simply spoiled. So we are struggling against them. You try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, and you get the thing. The thing is immediately delivered. That is our request. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated by Sukadeva Gosvami. He says, kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah: "My dear King..." He was explaining Srimad-Bhagavatam to King Maharaja Pariksit. So he says... Before saying this, he described about the condition of this age of Kali. It is very... At the end of this age the condition will be very horrible. So... Of course, there is not much time. Otherwise I would have explained something. But you know. You are experiencing about this age. So after explaining the difficulties of this age, Kali-yuga, of which five thousand years we have already passed, and still, 427,000's of years are still remaining... So we have to pass through. So he says, "My dear King, I have explained to you the difficulties and miserable condition of this age, Kali-yuga. But there is a great opportunity." Asti hy eko mahan gunah: "A very nice thing is there," mahan gunah, "very great opportunity, great boon." And what is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet: [SB 12.3.51] "Simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, one can become freed from all contamination and he'll be eligible to be promoted to the spiritual param." Param means beyond this dark region. This material world is called tamah, darkness. Just like there is no sun now. It is dark. We have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually the nature is dark. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this dark region. Go to that effulgent region." Tamasi ma jyotir gama. The Bhagavad-gita also says the same thing. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita.

So our request is that you read Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Here there are many Englishmen and Indians. That is my request. I am not charging anything. I am not making a profession. This sankirtana movement, we are chanting freely. You can hear. There is... Not that it is a secret thingif you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Krsna, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it. So we are freely distributing it by chanting. You can join with us, you try to understand us, what is our philosophy. We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.

Thank you.