Lecture – June 11, 1968, Montreal

So why don't you take this advantage?

Prabhupada: ...do, whatever he eats, everything, then he becomes perfect. Perfect. Simply by understanding God perfectly... Not perfectly; preliminarily. Nobody can understand God perfectly. That is not possible. That is not in our capacity. God is so great, we are so small. But to our small understanding whatever we can know, that are described in different kinds of scripture, and Bhagavad-gita is also another description of the truth, Absolute Truth.

So here Krsna says that anyone who understands this Absolute Truth or the activity or the purpose or the appearance, disappearance about God, what is God, what are His activities... Just like we have got our activities, we have got our identification, similarly, God has got His identification, His activity, His form, everything. Now one has to understand what is that. It is called divyam. Divyam means it is not like this material thing. It is spiritual. So that is a spiritual science.

So the result will be that janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9]. Tattvataḥ means truth, scientifically. Two plus two equal to four. This is called tattvataḥ, truth. Similarly, anyone who understands the science of God, then the result will be tyaktva deham. By quitting this body... We have to quit, leave this body, that is a fact. You'll also not remain in this body, I'll not also remain in this body. But before quitting this body, before leaving this body, if we can simply understand what is God... Doesn't matter whatever you are doing. You remain occupied in your duties, you remain what you are. It doesn't matter. Simply try to understand what is God and what are His activities. Then you'll become liberated.

So much facility is offered. And the Bhagavad-gita is there. You can understand with all your reason, with all your argument, with all your senses what is God. It is nothing dogmatic. It is all reasonable, philosophical. Unfortunately they have decided that God is dead. How God can be dead? This is another rascaldom. You are not dead; how God can be dead? So there is no question of God's being dead. He is always present, just like sun is always present. Only the rascals, they say there is no sun. There is sun. It is out of your sight, that's all. Similarly, "Because we cannot see God, therefore God is dead," these are rascaldom. It is not very good conclusion.

So one has to understand what is God, divyam. So Krsna says anyone who understands this philosophy or science of God, philosophy... [break] ...called the science of sciences. So therefore I use this word "science." So science of God. Then, after leaving this body, tyaktva deham punar janma na eti [Bg 4.9], he does not come back again to take this conditional material body. Then, he's finished? No. He says, mam eti so 'rjuna: "My dear Arjuna, that person comes to Me." That means you are transferred to the spiritual kingdom, or God's kingdom. Just like we are present here, face to face, you can go there and see and talk. Everything is there simply by understanding. And for that understanding, here is Bhagavad-gita.

So why don't you take this advantage? We are trying to place before you Bhagavad-gita. We are not charging anything, fees from you, that "You give me thirty-five dollars" or "fifty dollars." No. We are distributing this knowledge free. Please come and take ad... There is no loss on your part, but there is so much gain. And try to understand it nicely. The result will be tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9]. If you simply can understand this preliminary thing, what is God, that's all.

Then you have got duty. As soon as you know your relationship with God, then you have got some duties. Oh, when you're engaged in such duties then you are already in the liberated stage. You are already in the liberated stage. Simply by understanding God you become liberated. Your certificate is there; you can enter. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9].

Thank you very much.

[pause] Is that clear?

Devotee: You stated that the reason that we forget is that we change, the body changes. Now when we chant, we remember. What correlation is there between this... I talked to Janardana before about the horizontal memory and the vertical memory, and I understand... So I wish you could sort of elaborate on why we forget. I don't completely understand.

Prabhupada: Yes. It is intelligent question. You forget because you have got this material body, and because the material body is changing every moment, every second, therefore we forget. Is it not? You are forgetting. You do not know what exactly you were doing at this time, because your body has changed. Similarly, you do not exactly remember last year on this date at this time what you were doing, because body has changed. Similarly, it is the nature of the body to change, and you forget. That is the nature of this material body. But if you constantly remain in Krsna consciousness, that means you stand on the spiritual platform.

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: In the spiritual platform you don't forget Krsna. In the material platform you forget so many things, but in the spiritual platform you don't forget Krsna and Krsna's duties. So if you can continue in that way, then you continue in spiritual platform, and the result will be that after getting out of this body, you are spiritually situated.

So we have to continue the spiritual stand on spiritual platform by Krsna consciousness, always remembering Krsna. Smartavyaḥ satatam visnuḥ vismartavyo na jatucit [Padma Purana].

This is the process. You have to remember always Krsna, Visnu. That is called meditation. That is called samadhi. The samadhi, the meditation which is going on, some rascaldom, that is not meditation. Meditation means always thinking of Visnu. That is meditation.

So this Krsna consciousness is perfect meditation. Always thinking of. And it is certified in Bhagavad-gita,

So Krsna said he is first-class yogi who is constantly in Krsna consciousness. Sraddhavan bhajate yo mam. With faith and devotion, always remembering Krsna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. Yoginam api sarvesam, of all the yogis...

They have opened so many classes of yoga class. Somebody is advertising that you can remain young, you can have better sex power or you can reduce your bodily fat. So that is also possible. That you can do by ordinary exercise. But real purpose of yoga is to concentrate the mind on Visnu always. That is yoga. So that is Krsna consciousness. So Krsna consciousness is the highest perfectional stage of yoga practice.

Devotee: When we associate with Krsna through His name...

Prabhupada: Krsna and Krsna's name is nondifferent.

Devotee: Yes, right. Sometimes we forget to do our duty very attentively. Sometimes we forget to do the floor[?]. By associating with Krsna through His name, then we can remember our duty? Or [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Yes, you remember. If you remember Krsna, then you'll remember all duties of Krsna. If you remember... Suppose you are working in an office. If you remember that you have to go to such office at such-and-such time, that means you'll remember all the duties of the office. That is automatically. It is not that while you are going in the office, on the way you know what you have to do there. But because you are remembering the office, that means automatically they are there in dormant stage.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Visnu means all-pervading God. God is everywhere. Just like the sun: the sun is a planet, and there is a sun-god also. In each and every planet there is a predominating deity. Just like in this planet you have got a predominating man, president. Similarly, in each and every planet there is a predominating living creature. In the sun planet the predominating living creature is called sun-god. In the moon planet the predominating deity is called moon-god. And similarly, there are millions of millions of planets, and there is a predominating deity.

So similarly, the original planet, Krsnaloka, the predominating Deity is Krsna, who is Visnu. So just like the sun is situated in the particular planet but the sunshine is spread all over the universe, similarly, Krsna or Visnu, although He's in His planet, His energy is distributed all over the creation. Therefore He is all-pervading. Visnu means all-pervading God. He is everywhere. Anḍantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35]. He's within this universe, He is within the atom also. He's within you also. Īsvaraḥ sarva-bhūtanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg 18.61]. So Visnu means all-pervading.

But by our material conception we think that anything which is all-pervading, how it can be localized personally? That is our material conception. Just like I am sitting here, you are sitting here. You cannot be all-pervading. But your mind, because it is finer, the mind can be in so many places. Similarly, when you are still finer intelligence, you are still finer, a spirit soul, you can also become all-pervading.

At the present moment we are hampered, conditioned, by the covering of this material body. Therefore our endeavor should be how we get out of this material body. That formula I've already explained, that tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg 4.9]. If you simply understand what is God, simply by this understanding, tyaktva deham, after leaving this body, punar janma naiti, you don't get any more this material body. Simply try to understand

[break] what is Visnu, then you become as good as that Visnu.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: First of all you understand Visnu, that He is all-pervading. So Visnu, because He has got spiritual body, similarly, when you get your spiritual body... How you can get? By understanding Visnu. Therefore in the Vedic mantra, Rg mantra, it is, tad visnoḥ paramam padam sada pasyanti sūrayaḥ [Rg Veda 1.22.20].

The sūraya, those who are demigods or Aryans, they are..., their destination is Visnu. But ordinary men, they do not know that. Na te viduḥ svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know that their ultimate goal of life is to understand Visnu. Why? Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ: they are trying to become perfect with this material condition. That is not possible. You have to know Visnu. Then you become perfect. Otherwise, you have to change this body one after another. Bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19].

You have one body, you remain for some time, then it is destroyed, you get immediately another body, again enter into the womb of mother, again form your body from little..., a pulse-like body to this body and grow to your higher status in your younger age. Then again become dwindled, become old man, and again vanish. So bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19].

Everything material will have to change like this. And there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, and you have to evolve in the cycle of such body. So if you want to get out of this circulation, continually, then here is the formula: tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya. Simply try to understand what is God, or Visnu, then you get that opportunity.

[pause]

Devotee: When you say "understand," do you [indistinct]?

Prabhupada: What do you mean, "understanding"? Simply hear hear and get out from the other.

Devotee: But I mean [indistinct]. We can't understand Krsna with our mind.

Prabhupada: With your material mind. When you are Krsna consciousness, your quality of mind is changed. The mind..., the understanding of God is simply purification of the senses. Ataḥ sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136]. By the present senses you cannot understand what is God, what is His name, what is His quality, what is His form, what are activities. You have to learn this. The Bhagavad-gita says vetti tattvataḥ. You have to learn.

So now, as you say, that mind... Of course, with this mind you cannot understand. You cannot think of Krsna. With this tongue you cannot chant Hare Krsna. With these ears you cannot hear what is Hare Krsna. With these eyes you cannot see what is Krsna. But if you purify... Just like cataractic eyes cannot see, but if you purify the eyes, then you can see everything. The eyes will remain as it is, but you have to purify. The process is purification. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Cc Madhya 17.136]. That purification takes place when you engage yourself in the service of Krsna.

So this Krsna consciousness movement means to engage a person in the service of Krsna. Just like the temple is Krsna's. You wipe out the floors, you decorate it, collect flowers, engage your eyes to hear about Krsna, engage your tongue for chanting Hare Krsna. So engage your eyes to see the Deity, engage your legs to go to the temple. In this way, if you engage your senses, present senses for Krsna consciousness, then it becomes gradually purified and you... Krsna becomes revealed. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva.

You cannot see Krsna, but when you are anxious, when you are purified, Krsna reveals Himself to you, by your eyes or... If you say, "Krsna, please come, I'll see You," that is not possible. Krsna is not your order-supplier. He wants to see you how much you are qualified to see Him. When you are qualified, He'll reveal to you. He is everywhere. Simply you have to make your eyes to see Him. That's all. This is the process, Krsna consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136]. He reveals.

Similarly, it is confirmed in the Narada Pancaratra, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. We have to become first of all free from all designation. If I think I'm American, if I think I am Christian, if I think I am Indian, if I think I am Hindu, if I think I am Muslim, if I think I am this, I am that, these are all designation. When you are free from the designation, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam.... And what is that freedom? "I am Krsna's." That's all. I am not American, not Indian, not Hindu, not Muslim, not Christian.

I am Krsna's, or God's. That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. And as you are convinced that you are God's, or Krsna's, then engage yourself not in the designated service, but Krsna's service. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Then everything will be purified. Your eyes will be purified, your ears will be purified, your legs, everything, all senses will be purified.

When your senses are purified, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. When with that purified senses... Hrsikena means senses. Krsna's name is Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa means the master of the senses, Govinda. Govinda also means the master of the senses. So the senses which you have got-this hand, leg, eyes, everything-I am not the proprietor.

Practically the proprietor is Krsna. So when you engage your all the senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]. That hrsikena, that senses, must be purified. How? Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam: being relieved, freed, from all designation.

So the difficulty is that we are not free from designation. We are thinking, "Oh, I am Christian" "Oh, I am Hindu," "I am this," "I am that." Nobody's thinking that "I am Krsna's. I am God's." So this designation disease has to be first of all cured. Then you become pure. So long you keep your designation, you are not pure; you are in the material condition. Therefore,

That is bhakti. You have to be free from all designation. Then when you begin service, then Krsna reveals Himself. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-pūrvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg 10.10].

He is within you. He'll give you intelligence, "This is this. This is this. This is this. This is this." Why? When? Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. "When he's in love and faith engaged in My service." Then. Why, otherwise, why Krsna will talk with you? He is within you. That's all right. But He'll talk with you when you are qualified.

So this Krsna consciousness means to make you qualified-qualified to talk with Krsna, to see Krsna, to understand Krsna. And then, tyaktva deham punar janma [Bg 4.9]. Then you, by quitting this body, no more you are going to accept any material body. You are directly transferred to Krsna. Mam eti kaunteya. This is the simple process.

Devotee: Someone asked me today what was Candra's function...

Prabhupada: What is this?

Devotee: Candra's function. I wondered what it was.

Prabhupada: You say that..., that you are not dictionary. So you have to answer all these questions, what Candra's function? What business you have got, Candra's function?

Devotee: But somebody asked me.

Prabhupada: It doesn't... You ask for Krsna. Candra's function, don't you know? It is giving light. That is his function. Candra means moon. You mean to say? Then moon is giving the light. That's all. Everyone knows. A child knows Candra's function. What is that? Candra's function is to give light at night. That's all. Any fool knows.

That is not question. You must put some intelligent question, to understand Krsna. Candra's function... Candra means moon. The moon function everyone knows. What is difficulty? You should have at least this common sense to reply. The Candra's function is to give light, that's all.

Guest: Indra's function is to carry water?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: The sanitary engineers' functions, they are coming here, everyone knows. They are called sanitary engineers? The scavengers? Similarly, they are like that, different kinds of engineers. Sanitary engineer, waterworks engineer, light department engineer. That's all. First of all, try to understand what is your function, then try to understand what is other's function. [chuckles] Your function is to become servant of Krsna. That's it. How you can know-there are millions and trillions of other beings-what is the function? Here you have to see what is your function. That is,

You have to purify your senses and be engaged in the service of Krsna. We have to first of all see whether I am actually in my own function. That is the sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. That is the function. We have to give up all other functions. Simply to be engaged in Krsna's function. That is my duty. So everyone's function is that. Candra's function, he is giving light under the order of Krsna. He is servant of Krsna. [end]