Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 3 – May 5, 1970, Los Angeles

700505IP-Los Angeles [26:51 Minutes]

The trees are also living for thousands of years

Prabhupada: Krsna is lion to the demons, and He's a lamb to the devotees. [laughter] Hare Krsna. Jaya. So the atheist, they say that "We have not seen Krsna." Yes. You'll see Krsna as lion when He'll ultimately come and capture you, "Ow!" [laughter] That is death. Atheists will see Krsna as death, and theists, devotees see Krsna as lover. That's it. Hare Krsna. Nama om bhagavate vasudevaya.

[aside:] You sit down properly, back side. Yes.

[04:11]

Hmm. Anyone can explain the third verse? Kurvann eveha karmani jijivisec chatam samah. Who will explain, please stand up. Nobody? [laughs] How is that? Huh? Yes?

Devotee: This explains that the human form of life is meant for realizing our spiritual nature, our nature as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. [indistinct] material servants. It explains that those who do not cultivate this kind of knowledge, they simply live like the animals, like the swine. [indistinct] without caring for the spiritual nature. They are known as atma-han, killers of the soul, and they will enter into the planets of the [indistinct].

Prabhupada: No, I wanted that's true, kurvann eva. That is true, yes. That's all right. So anyone will explain this,

So you should try to read the explanation, these word meanings. So kurvann eveha karmani jijivisec chatam samah. Samah means years. You can live hundreds of years if you understand the philosophy of life. Otherwise, what is the use of living? The trees are also living for five hundred years, for thousands years. There is one tree in San Francisco... What is that wood?

Devotee: Redwood.

Prabhupada: Redwood. No. There is some wood, I forget. Crossing bridge. Anyway, they told me that this tree is standing for seven thousand years. So the trees are also living, and you are also living. You are trying to live. Whenever there is question of death, you resist. That means you do not want to die. That is natural sequence.

So here it is said that why should you live? Narottama dasa Thakura says, ke lagi ache, achi..., that "Why I am living? I could not achieve love of Godhead. Then what is the use of my living?" He's lamenting. Narottama dasa kena na lagila mariya. Kena ba achaye prana ki sukha lagiya [Song 41: Aksepa].

He said, "Why I am living? What is the purpose of my living? What is the ultimate happiness?" Better I would have died, because I could not attain love of Godhead."

That is real life. We should not try to live if we do not develop love of Godhead. Otherwise, the trees are also living; what is the difference? You are, what... How many years you can live? Say utmost hundred years, that's all. But the tree is living for seven thousand years, five thousand years. You cannot compete even with the tree, so far living is concerned.

So here it is said, kurvann eveha karmani: one may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on doing work in that way. Which way? isavasyam idam sarvam . Everything belongs to God. Our this society, Krsna conscious society, we are not dismantling society. No. Not like Mayavadi. Mayavadi says this is…, this world, this material world is false. Brahma satyam jagan mithya.

"Let us give it up just like we give up stool, urine, and don't aspire after it." Similarly, the Mayavadis says, "Give it up just like you leave your stool and urine, and take to brahma." But our philosophy is not like that.

Our philosophy, we have created a Krsna conscious society. We are having wives, children, brother, sister, father, mother. That is society. So we have got everything here. In which way we are lacking, that there is no father, there is no mother, there is no husband, there is no wife, there is no children? No, it is not negation. How these children are coming to receive?

Just like in an ordinary family when the grandfather comes, little children takes pleasure, and the grandfather takes pleasure. Here the same thing is there; we are not denying. I do not say, "Oh I am a sannyasi. Oh, you do not send these children to me. I have left my children. Why another children would come and bother me?" [laughter] No! [laughter] It is not like that. We are changing the face of the society: Krsna conscious society.

Krsnera samsara koro chadi anacara [Bhaktivinoda Thakura]. Our propaganda is that let us become the member of Krsna's family. That is our program. And if we enter into Krsna's family… Just like Krsna is enjoying with His consort. So there is nothing negation; everything is there. Krsna is eating, Krsna is enjoying, Krsna is dancing, Krsna is offering His prasadam-reciprocation. Nothing is denied. If we live in Krsna consciousness then we can live for hundreds, thousands, or any number of years. Actually we do not die. What is death and birth? That is of this body. So we are eternal; Krsna is eternal.

Our purpose is how to get out of this atmosphere where I have to repeatedly accept one body and then again quit it. And that I do not know what sort of body I am going to get next. There are 8,400,000's of bodies, and if I get a body like that tree, red tree, standing, stand up for thou…, seven thousands of years, would you like it? But maya is so strong that even that life, the tree, is standing seven thousand of years happily, and it is growing nicely.

But those who are outside the atmosphere, they're, "Oh, what is horrible life!" Tree is also living entity, standing for seven thousands of years, so he becomes shocked. That is human life. We should be shocked seeing so many varieties of life, abominable life. And here is a chance, this human form of life, that you can get out of this shocking atmosphere.

So this verse instructs us that if you realize that everything belongs to Krsna, or God, everything should be employed in the service of the Lord. I am Lord's..., I am part and parcel of the Lord; therefore my energy should be utilized in the service of the Lord. If you develop this consciousness, then you can live.

If you live like that, na lipyate nare karmani. Otherwise, every work has got some reaction if you don't work for Krsna. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

Yajna-arthat: only for Krsna. Krsna's another name is Yajna, Yajnesvara. So yajnesvara means… Yajna means we offer sacrifice. And who is accepting? Krsna. Our sacrifice should go to Krsna. Krsna also explains in the Bhagavad...,

Krsna has... The karmis, they are working. But Krsna says, "All right, you do." Yat karosi: "Whatever you are doing, you just do it for Me, and give the result to Me." That is Krsna consciousness. You can work. You can have very big factory, working-but give the result to Krsna. Then your, that factory-running is also as good as we are running this temple, because ultimately the profit is going to Krsna. Why we are working for this temple, employing our energy? For Krsna. So any field of activities, if you utilize it for Krsna, that is wanted. In that way you can do. Jijivisec chatam samah . Otherwise, you'll be entangled; you'll be responsible.

Because when you work intentionally or unintentionally, we are committing so many sinful activities. Take, for example, that we are not in favor of animal killing; but when we walk on the street, unintentionally we are killing so many animals. You cannot get out of this entanglement. When you are drinking water, you are killing so many animals. When we are exhaling, inhaling, we are killing so many, water. When we are igniting fire, so many animals are killed.

So we cannot avoid it. So if you do not devote your life for Krsna's service, you'll be responsible for all these minor killings also-intentionally or unintentionally. Ignorance is not excused. If you drive unintentionally to the left side of the road, you are immediately prosecuted. You cannot say, "Oh, I was little inattentive." No. That is not. The law of state is so strict; and how much the law of God is strict you should understand. Don't take it trifle. His agents are very…

You can avoid the vigilance of police, but you cannot avoid the vigilance of God. The day is witness, the night is witness, the air is witness, the sun is witness, the moon is witness. How we can avoid the sinful activities? Therefore if you want to save yourself, then you have to take to this Krsna consciousness. Otherwise you are doomed.

Devotees: Oh!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

Devotee: Hare Krsna. Jaya! [devotees offer obeisances]

Prabhupada: Chant begin.

[18:30] [kirtana] [Prabhupada plays gong]

[prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [end]