So this material world is described in the Vedic literature as darkness. And actually it is darkness. Therefore we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electric light. If it had not been darkness, then why so many light arrangements? Actually, it is darkness. Artificially, we made it light. Therefore Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness." Tamasi ma jyotir gama. "Go to the light." That light is the spiritual world. That is directly the effulgence, or bodily rays, of Krsna.

So real business of, especially of human being... The animals, they do not know. They have no capacity to know that we are in the darkness-darkness of knowledge and actually darkness. So one has to be, become nirvinna, disgusted. One, intelligent man should be disgusted. One must be intelligent to know that "I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. It is the preliminary study of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is instructing about the constitutional position of the soul: na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], na jayate na mriyate kadacit. Kadacit, at any time, the soul does not take birth, does not die. And more explicitly it is said, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The covering, the body is the covering. So after destruction of this body, the soul is not destroyed. Just like if I change my shirt and coat or somehow or other the shirt and coat is destroyed, I, the person who put on this dress, I am not destroyed. This simple knowledge is instructed in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita. There are so many big, big scholars, big, big leaders, and still, they cannot understand that "I am not this body." This is the result because they do not study Bhagavad-gita in the proper way. We have got so many leaders, big, big leaders. They are teaching Bhagavad-gita. But nobody is fully aware or convinced that "I am not this body." This is called darkness. This is called darkness. And when one becomes disgusted with this darkness, or this position in the darkness, that is human life. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Such person, who has become disgusted with this material existence, he requires the instruction of a guru.

"Don't hesitate. Why you are hesitating because you are a grhastha or you are in politics or you are a, born a sudra family? Why you are...? I am learning from you." This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching. He did not think anyone negligible. Anyone who is qualified with Krsna consciousness, he can become guru. It doesn't matter where he is born, what is his family and identification. It doesn't matter. He must know the science. It is very practical. Just like when you go to consult an engineer or a medical man or some lawyer, you do not ask him whether he's a brahmana or a sudra. If he's qualified, if he can help you in the particular subject matter, you consult with him, you take his help. That is practical. So similarly, in the spiritual matter it doesn't matter what he is. If he knows Krsna, then he can become guru. It doesn't matter.

Not only that. He has empowered all Indians.

This Krsna consciousness movement, to spread this Krsna consciousness movement is the best welfare activity in the human society, the best. There is no more better welfare... There are so many welfare activities in the human society, but this krsna-upadesa, to instruct people about the primary principles of Bhagavad-gita in the human society, that is the best para-upakara. People do not know how to become happy. They are... Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. They are simply making struggle for existence by mental concoction. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. In this material world, they are simply struggling. There is no solution. Therefore the every Indian should study Bhagavad-gita and if possible Srimad-Bhagavatam, and assimilate it, and preach all over the world. This is the duty of India. India has no other duty. Para-upakara. So with our one man's endeavor, teeny effort, you, we can see that so many outsiders, they're attracted to Krsna consciousness. Unless there is something substance... They are not illiterate. They are not fools. They are not poor. Why they are attracted? There is something to be learned from Krsna consciousness. So if this Krsna consciousness movement is spread all over the world regularly, then the face of the world will change. That's a fact. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the Vedic mission: "Let everyone become happy." And how he'll be happy? He cannot become happy by mental concoction. That is not possible. Manorathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. If one is situated on the mental platform, speculating, he will simply go to the asat. Asat means this material world. Asato ma sad gama. Vedic says, "Don't remain in this asat. Come to the sat. Om tat sat."

If you want santi, individually or collectively, nationally or internationally, then you must become Krsna conscious. What is that Krsna consciousness? The summary is that Krsna is the supreme enjoyer: bhokta. We are not bhokta. We are simply servant. Just like anywhere, there is a master and the servant. The master is the enjoyer, and the server, servant, is helping the master enjoyment. This is the process. So we living entities, we are eternal servant of God, or Krsna. When we speak of Krsna, means God. So we are eternal servant of God. So our duty is to help the master to enjoy. Just like here is Krsna. The Srimati Radharani, She is the topmost servitor of Krsna. So Her business is to keep pleased always Krsna. That is... That is the symbolic representation. Radha. Radha means anaya(?) aradhyate. She is serving, the best service. Anaya(?) aradhyate. Therefore Krsna is very much fond of Radharani, because She gives the best service to Krsna, in so many ways. She has got sixty-four qualifications. That is mentioned. Therefore She is so, I mean to say, pleasing to Krsna. Anaya(?) aradhyate iti radha.

This is the instruction in the Vedic literature, that the people in this material world, they are very, very busy. Not only meneven the animals, even the birds, beasts, insect. We see on the beach, there are so many dogs, and they are assembled there for sex. So this is the material world, indriya-priti. Therefore sastra says that human life should be, consider... They should think, "Whether we shall spoil our life simply by sense gratification, or there is some other business?" Yes, there is some other business. That is tapasya. That is tapasya means we should restrict sense gratification. Sense gratification, either regulated or nonregulated, is meant for animal life. Sense control is the human life. Therefore you'll find in Vedic culture big, big learned scholars, big, big kings, they dedicated their life for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. If you want to purify your existence, then you must take to the process of tapasya. Tapo divyam.

Bhakti means that. Bhakti means that you are not required to destroy your senses, but you have to purify your senses. And when you purify your senses, then you can serve Krsna. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam...nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], senses; hrsikena, by the senses; hrsikesa-sevanam, serve Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. Krsna's senses... We are just like part and parcel of Krsna. Just like this hand or this finger are part and parcel of my body, similarly we are also senses, part and parcel of the spiritual body of Krsna. So when we purify ourself, then we act in our original, constitutional position. Just like the finger is meant for serving my body, similarly when, as soon as we are in the position of our original constitution, then we serve Krsna.

We are purely part and parcel of Krsna. We are actually the senses of Krsna. And when we forget this position and we want to satisfy ourself, that is our material condition.

Then that is maya. When we are in ignorance that we are the part and parcel of the Supreme Being and our duty is to satisfy Him... Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is called bhakti. When we forget it, then we are fallen in this material world, and we are busy in our personal sense gratification and implication. Implication means so long we'll have, we'll continue to have this desire to satisfy our senses, we have to accept another body, according to our desire. Krsna is so kind. If we want to become a tiger, Krsna will give our next life a tiger's body. And if you want to be a devotee, He will give you the same body. If you want to eat stool, then He'll give you the body of a pig. And if you want to... That requires our own qualification. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vra... [Bg. 9.25]. It is a preparation for the next life, as you want to enjoy your senses. So why not prepare yourself to go back to home, back to Godhead, and prepare your senses like that? That is Krsna consciousness movement.