There are many nice stories... Of course, our time is very short. Still, I wish to narrate one short story, that one man, one boy, was attracted by a beautiful girl. So the girl does not agree, and the boy is persistent. So in India, of course, the girls, they keep their chastity very strict. So the girl was not agreeing. So she said, "All right, I agree. After one week you come." She appointed, "Such and such time, you come." So the boy was very glad. And the girl took some purgative throughout the seven days, and she was passing stool, day and night, and vomiting, and she kept all these vomits and stool in a nice pot. So when the appointed time came, the boy came, and the girl was sitting on the door. The boy inquired, "Where is that girl?" She said, "I am that girl." "No, no. You are not. You are so ugly. She was so beautiful. You are not that girl." "No, I am that girl, but I have now separated my beauty in a different pot." "What is that?" She showed: "This is the beauty, this stool and vomit. This is the ingredient." Actually anyone may be very robust or very beautifulif he passes stool for three or four times, everything changes immediately.

So my point is that, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that this bodily concept of life is not very sanguine. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. This body, composition of several things like bones and skins and blood and urine and stool and secretions, so many things, that is not right calculation of self-realization. Of course, those who are too much engrossed with the bodily concept of life, they have been recommended to practice the hatha-yoga system. That is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita. Just like you'll find in the "Sankhya-yoga." This Bhagavad-gita As It Is, as we have published, page number 153, there is a statement how one should practice this transcendental meditation. Verse number thirteen and fourteen, it is said, "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line." This body, this body, this head, this neck, and the body, whole body, trunk, should be erect in a straight line, and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Just like you have to sit like this and you have to look, not closing your eyes but half-closing your eyes, and you have to look on the point of your nose. "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me," the Lord says. Before that, the primary prescriptions, how one should practice this transcendental meditation, that one has to restrict especially sex life... One has to select a very solitary place and a sacred place, and he should sit down alone. This meditation process is not practiced in a place like this, where many men are gathering. It is recommended, it must be a solitary place, sacred place, and alone. And then you have to sit, or you have to select your sitting place. There are so many things. Of course, those things cannot be explained within few minutes. If you are very much interested, you'll find in this book, "Sankhya-yoga" chapter.

So one has to, from the bodily concept of life, one has to transcend himself to the spiritual platform. That is the whole, meaning of whole process. Just like I began to say that in the beginning our self-realization means we are thinking this body. Indriyani parany ahur [Bg. 3.42]. Then one who has transcended this bodily concept of life, he comes to the platform of mind. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah. Manah means mind. Somebody, some people, some of..., practically the whole population of the world, they are under the bodily concept of life, and, above them, there are some people who are on the mental concept of life. They are thinking mind. And somebody is on the intellectual platform of life.

So brahma-bhutah stage, it is not simply word, that "I have realized Brahman." There are symptoms. Everything has got symptoms, how one has realized Brahman. That stage is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. When one is on the transcendental platform, brahma-bhutah stage, his symptom is that he's always joyful, joyful. There is no moroseness, And what is joyful? That is also explained. What is joyfulness? Na socati na kanksati. He does not hanker after anything, neither he laments. In the material platform we have got two symptoms: hankering and lamenting. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "I must have it. I must have it. I must have this, this, that..." Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih [SB 5.5.8]. There is nice explanation how this hankering, hankering is expanded. This hankering expanded: this whole material world is hankering after sex life. That is the basic principle of hankering. Pumsam mitho. Pumsam striyo mithuni-bhavam etam. This is Sanskrit language. Mithuni-bhavam means sex life. Either in human society or animal society or bird society or insects'everywhere you will find that sex life is very prominent. That is materialistic way of life, indriyani, senses. So the everyone... A boy is hankering after a girl, a girl in hankering after a boy, or a man is hankering after woman, woman is hankering... This is going on. This is not unnatural. This is the natural life. And tayor mitho, the hankering is there. But as soon as they meet or unite, it becomes a hard knot, tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh [SB 5.5.8], a hard knot in the heart, that "I am matter. I am this matter. This world belongs to me. This country belongs to me. This body belongs to me." That means hard knot. Instead of transcending from the concept of body life, it becomes still more hard knot. It is very difficult. Therefore those who are practicing yoga, or trying to be on the transcendental platform, the restriction is that one must cease sex life, if you at all interested. But that is not possible. Therefore our, this method, we don't say "Stop sex life," but we say "Don't have illicit sex life." Illicit sex life, of course, even there is no question of transcendent life, that is a question of civilized life. Civilized life. In every civilized societyit may be Hindu society or Muslim society or Christian societyany civilized human society, there is the system of marriage. And beyond marriage, if there is sex life, that is called illicit sex life. That is never indulged in any society. So what to speak of transcendental life? Transcendental life must be purified from mental concoction or bodily concept of life. It is the transcendental platform. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh.

So these things are very restricted in order to reach that transcendental platform. But in this age, in this age of Kali, where everything is disturbed, always full of anxieties, and the life is very short... That is also explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: prayena kalau asmin yuge janah. Life is very short, and they are not interested for any transcendental subject matter. They are interested only with the bodily concept of life. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. And always disturbed by so many anxieties. How he can ascend to the platform of transcendental realization? It is very difficult in this age. Therefore Arjuna, who was being taught by Krsna that "You try this practice of transcendental life," but Arjuna said... Arjuna means he was taking this instruction five thousand years ago. He was a royal prince. He was very much advanced in so many things. He said, "My dear Krsna, it is not possible to practice this transcendental process of ascending by yoga practice, this hatha-yoga practice. It is not possible." He refused. He refused that "Because I am a family man, I have come here to fight for my, I mean to say, political interest, how I can practice this system, that I have to go to a solitary place, I have to sit down like this, I have to practice like this, I have to cease from sex life? It is not possible." Just try to understand. So transcendental platform by the hatha-yoga system, practicing all the rules and regulations, is not possible in this age at all. If somebody is trying to practice that thing in so-called ways, that is not... Actually you cannot perform this transcendental meditation in city life. It is not possible. That is very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You'll read. So you have to live in the city. You have to live with your family. You have to live with your friends. It is not possible to go to the forest and find out a secluded place.

So here, in this age, if you want to rise on the transcendental platform, then, as it is recommended by Vedic literature, kalau tad dhari-kirtanat: "In this age, simply by chanting the holy name of God..." Kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. We are introducing this system not to make it very easy by our mental concoction. It is recommended. It is practiced. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced this transcendental meditational process. You'll see. You have already seen that these boys and girls, as soon as they begin chanting Hare Krsna, immediately there is a transcendental feeling. If you practice, you will understand how you are feeling transcendentally. The easiest process. Now I have began this movement in this country, say, from 1966. So I began in New York in a small storefront, and gradually they came. Now it is spread. There are about fifteen, sixteen branches all over your country, and these boys are practicing simply, the simplest process, chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This sound vibration, this transcendental sound vibration, immediately will carry you on the transcendental platform. And if you kindly hear also... You chant Hare Krsna and try to hear so that your mind is absorbed in the sound vibration. And this Krsna sound vibration means Krsna. Because Krsna is absolute, God is absolute, there is no difference between God's name and God. Just like in the material world there is difference between water and the name "water," the "flower" and the thing, flower, in the spiritual world, in the absolute world, there is no such difference. Therefore, as soon you vibrate this transcendental sound, Krsna, Hare, Rama, immediately you associate with the Supreme Lord and His energy. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna... The meaning of this transcendental vibration is Hare... Hare means "O the energy of the Supreme Lord." Everything is being done by the energy of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmanah saktih. Just like you have got practical example. This material world means creation of the energy of the sunshine. Every one of youyou are all scientific studentsyou know that all these planets, they are rotating on account of heat and light of the sun. And similarly, the whole creation, material and spiritual creation, they are manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun globe, similarly, there is a supreme planet which is called Krsnaloka, or Goloka. These things are mentioned in the Vedic literature, Brahma-sutra, Brahma-samhita. If you want, you can read them. There is immense literature for this information. So we are praying to the energy of the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Lord, "Please pick me up. Please pick me up. I am in this transcend..., the bodily concept of life. I am in this material existence. I am suffering. Please pick me up to the spiritual platform so that I will be happy." Because, as I explained just a minute before, brahma-bhutah prasannatma: [Bg. 18.54] as soon as you come to the transcendental platform, you become joyful, happy. Joy... That is the sign. It is not that simply you say that "I am in the transcendental meditation. I am a..." No. Actually you have to become happy. How you have to become happy? Na socati na kanksati. There is no hankering; there is no lamentation. And material life means as soon as we are hankering after sex conjugation, and as soon as there is conjugation, atha grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih [SB 5.5.8], as soon as we are united, man and woman, then I want a nice apartment, I want some business, I want some land, I want some friends, I want some society. Similarly, we extend our bodily concept of life. There is no question of transcendental platform.

So we have to wind up from the material concept of life to the spiritual concept, or spiritual platform. That is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. When... One who is on the spiritual platform, he has no more hankering, no more lamentation. Why he should be hankering? He knows that "I don't want anything material. Why shall I be hankering? Whatever is, I mean, barely required, I must be satisfied with that thing." So that is a, a very, not very nice proposal to the materially advanced world at this present moment. People will not accept it. Therefore this process, transcendental... Yukta-vairagya. It is called yukta-vairagya. You just remain in your place. This is the facility of this Hare Krsna movement, or Krsna consciousness movement. You haven't got to change your place. You remain. You are student; you remain a student. You are businessman; you remain businessman. You are woman, man, or anyone, any, black, white, anyoneyou remain in your position. Simply you try to hear. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. You just remain in your position. You simply hear. Kindly give your aural reception to this transcendental sound. Very simple process. No charges. We are not charging anything, that "You give us so many dollars, then I shall give you this mantra, Hare Krsna." It is publicly distributed. You simply catch up and try it. You'll... Very quickly you'll come to the transcendental platform, and when you hear the chanting, that is transcendental meditation. This process is recommended in all scriptures of Vedic literature, and it is followed by Lord Caitanya and His disciplic succession for the last five hundred years, and people are achieving good result. Not only in India, here also, the young boys and girls who have joined this movement... You try to understand what is this Krsna consciousness movement, how transcendental meditation is possible. We are not sentimentalists. We have got many books. Just like here is our Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We have got our magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got Srimad-Bhagavatam, five volumes. So many things. Isopanisad. It is not that we are sentimentalist. We are backed by high philosophical thoughts and everything. But if you take this simple process, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, you immediately are elevated on the transcendental platform without reading so many big literatures, philosophy, or understanding. That is the gift to the present conditional souls of the world by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in accordance with this Vedic sanction.

So our requestthat you give a try. You simply chant, at home or anywhere. There is no restriction that "You have to chant this Hare Krsna mantra in such and such place, in such and such condition." Niyamitah smarane na kalah. There is no restriction of time and, I mean to say, circumstances or atmosphere. Anywhere, at any time, you can meditate. You are... No meditation is possible while you are walking on the street. But this meditation is possible: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And go on with your work. You are working with your hands? You can chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. So this is very nice. So kindly accept this Krsna consciousness movement. At the same time, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. Lord Caitanya says that the Lord's name... Lord's name is not, I mean to say, limited with Krsna. Krsna is the perfect name. Krsna means all-attractive. Krsna means all-attractive. And Rama means the supreme pleasure. So if God is not all-attractive and supreme pleasure, then what is the meaning of God? God must be. He must be the supreme pleasure. Otherwise how you can be satisfied with Him? Your heart is hankering after so many, so many pleasures. If God cannot satisfy you with all the pleasures, Rama, then how He can be God? Therefore these two names, Rama and Krsna, and all-attractive. If Krsna cannot be attractive to any person, then how He can be God? He is attractive actually. So these three names... We are chanting Hare Krsna. So if you think, "Oh, this is Indian name. This is Hindu name. Why shall we chant? Why shall I chant the Hindu name...?" There are some sectarian people, they may think like that. But Lord Caitanya says, "It doesn't matter. If you have got any bona fide name of God, you chant that. But you chant God's name." That is the prescription of this movement. And do not think that this movement is a proselytizing movement from Christian to Hindu, or Hindu to... No. You remain Christian, Hindu, Jew, or Muhammadan. It doesn't matter. Our process if that if you are really to perfect your human form of life, then try to learn, develop your dormant love of Godhead. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. You profess any type of religionthen just test whether your religion is perfect or you are perfect, whether you have developed your love for God than any other love. We have distributed our love in so many things. When all those love will be concentrated simply on God, that is perfection of life. Love is there, but because we do not know, because we have forgotten our relationship with God, therefore we are imposing our love on dog. That has been our disease.

So we have to transfer our love from so many dogs to God. That is the perfection of life. And we are not teaching any particular type of religion. We are simply teaching that you love God. And this is possible simply by chanting these three names, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare... It is sixteen names. Actually there are three names: Hare, Krsna, and Rama. Rama means the supreme pleasure, Krsna means all-attractive, and Hare means the energy. Then it is perfect. Energy and the Lord, that is whole sum and substance of all creation, cosmic manifestation, anything. They are detailed in this Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, but that is the sum and substance of everything.

Thank you very much. Any questions? [break] I told you. Krsna means all-attractive. Have you got any idea, all-attractiveness? How one can be all-attractive, have you got any idea? Will any of you explain? Yes.