661026 - Lecture BG 08.12-14 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

661026BG.NY - October 26, 1966

Prabhupāda:

. . . rāṇi saṁyamya

mano hṛdi-nirudhya ca

mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam

āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām

(BG 8.12)

We have been discussing about the transmigration of the soul. There are different kinds of transcendentalists who are called yogī: jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī and bhakti-yogī. All the yogīs, they are eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The yoga system is meant for linking our connection. We are eternally connected with the Supreme Lord.

Somehow or other, we are now in material contamination. The . . . the process is that we have to go back again. So that linking process is called yoga. Yoga, the actual translation of the word yoga means plus, plus, just the opposite of minus. Now, at the present moment, we are minus God, or minus Supreme. So when we make ourself plus, connected, then our human form of life is perfect.

So at the time of death we have to finish that perfection. So long we are alive, we have to practice how to approach that point of perfection, and at the time of death, when we give up this material body, that perfection has to be realized. So for the last three days we have been discussing. Prayāṇa-kāle manasā 'calena (BG 8.10).

Prayāṇa-kāle means "at the time of death." Just like the students, they prepare two years, three years, five years in their college education, and the final test is their examination. And if they pass in the examination, they get the degree. Similarly, in our living condition, if we prepare for the examination at the time of death and we pass the examination, then we are transferred to the spiritual world.

So prayāṇa-kāle. The whole thing is examined at the time of death. Just the other day I recited one Bengali prov . . . proverb. This is a very common saying in Bengal. They say, bhajan kara pūjān kara mṛtyu-kāle haya; "Our, whatever you do for perfection, at the time of your death it will be tested." At the time of of your death.

So Bhagavad-gītā is describing what should we do at the, at the point of our death, when we are giving up this body, this present body. So for the yogīs, dhyāna-yogīs, this prescription is recited here, sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya mano hṛdi-nirudhya ca. Sarva-dvārāṇi means . . . this system is called pratyāhāra. In the technical language of yogic system it is called pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means "just the opposite." Now, the senses, my eye, my eyes are engaged in seeing the worldly beauty. Now I have to retract from enjoying that beauty, and I have to see inside the beauty. That is called pratyāhāra. Similarly, I have to hear the oṁkāra sound from within.

So all the senses are to be stopped in their external activities—that is the perfection of yoga—and concentrate the mind on Viṣṇu-mūrti. Mano hṛdi. The mind is very agitating, so it has to be fixed up on the heart. Mano hṛdi-nirudhya. Nirudhya means just arresting the mind within the heart. Mūrdhny . . . mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām. And in this way, when we transfer the air-life on the top of our head, that is the perfection of yoga. And a perfect yogī, then he fixes up where he shall go.

There are innumerable planets, and beyond the planets, there are spiritual world. So yogīs, they have got information. How they have got information? From the scriptures, from Vedic literature, they have got. Just like before I came to your country I got the description of your country from the books—similarly, we can have all the description of higher planets and the spiritual world. They are mentioned there.

The yogī know. The yogī knows everything, and he can transfer his self, any planet he likes. He does not require the help of any Sputnik. The Sputnik, they are trying for so many years, and they will go on trying for one hundred or one thousand years more. They'll never reach any planet. Be rest assured.

This is not the process. This is not the process to reach another planet. Maybe, by scientific process, one . . . one man or two man can reach, but that is not the general process. The general process is: if you want to transfer yourself any better planet, then you have to practice this yoga system or jñāna system, not bhakti system. Bhakti system is not meant for any material planet. That will be explained later on.

Those who are in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, they are not interested in any planets of this material world. Why? Because they know, in any planet you can, you can raise yourself, you can elevate yourself, you can go there, but the four principles of material existence are there. What is that? Birth, death, disease and old age. Any planet you go. Your duration of life may be very, very longer than this earth, but death is there. Death is there. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or those who are otherwise, those who are not interested in this material life . . . material life means birth, death, disease and old age, and spiritual life means relief from this botheration—no more birth, no more death, no more ignorance, no more misery.

So those who are intelligent, they do not try to elevate in any planet of this material world. There are higher planets. You have got. You get a long duration of life. Just like we are trying to reach the moon planet, and actually, if we get entrance into the moon planet . . . it is very difficult to get entrance. But even if you get entrance, then a period of life will be, I mean to say, enhanced. Of course, not in this body. Perhaps if you enter with this body, instant death is sure. But if you enter into higher planets by this yoga system, then you get the suitable body of that planet.

Every planet has got a suitable body. You cannot enter any . . . just like you cannot live in the water with this body. You can make an experiment. You can live there, within water, say twenty-four hours or fifteen hours or sixteen hours. That's all. That's all. But the fish, the aquatic animals, they have got particular body. They are living whole life. Similarly, if you take out the fishes from water and put them on the land, oh, they will instantly die. As you see even in this planet that you have got to make your different kinds of body to live in a particular place, so similarly, if you want to enter into another planet, you have to prepare yourself to get that particular type of body.

So if anyone enters into the moon planet by this yogic process—he transfers his soul, transmigrates into the moon planet—he'll get long duration of life. In higher planets, our six months equal to their one day, and such one month, one year, for ten thousands of years they live. That is the description we get. So we get very long duration of life, undoubtedly. But there is death. There is death. After ten thousand years or twenty thousand years or millions of years, that doesn't matter. It is all counted, and death is there.

But you are not subjected to the death. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are spirit soul. You are eternal.

(aside) You keep the watch here.

You are eternal. Why should you subject yourself to this death and birth? This is intelligence. This is intelligence.

So kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura: "Those who are persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are very intelligent." They are not interested to get promotion in any planet where there is death, never mind the long duration of life there is. They want, just like God, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs 5.1). The God's body is sac-cid, sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of pleasure.

We have got our pamphlet—most of you might have seen—Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of all Pleasure. Similarly, if we transfer our body . . . our self, leaving this body to the spiritual world, in the Kṛṣṇa planet or any other spiritual planet, then we get the similar body, sac-cid-ānanda: eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.

So those who are trying to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their aim of life is different than those who are trying to promote themself in any of the better planet in this material world. So here Lord Kṛṣṇa says that mūrdhny ādhāya ātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām. This is called the perfection of yoga. If you can transfer yourself . . . you, you are very minute particle within this body. That you cannot see. But I am, my position is . . . this is external. This is external. So that is sustaining in the prāṇa-vāyu. And the yoga system, the ṣaṭ-cakra system, is to get the soul from down to the top, tip of the topmost part of the head.

This practice go, go on, goes on while we are living, and the perfection is that when we can place my . . . myself on the top of the head, and by fracture of this topmost head we can transfer into the higher planet as we like. As we like. That is the perfection. A yogī can transfer in either of these planets, wherever he likes. Wherever he likes. So if you like . . . just like you are inquisitive to see what is the moon planet, so if a yogī likes: "Oh, let me see what is the moon planet. Then I shall transfer myself to higher planets . . ."

Just like travelers. They come to New York, then go to California, then go to Canada. Similarly, you can transfer yourself in so many planets by this yoga system. But anywhere you go the, the same system, visa system and customs system, there are. So Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they are not interested in these temporary planets. May be for a long duration, but they are not interested. So for the yogī, the process is how to give up this body.

oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma

vyāharan mām anusmaran

yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ

sa yāti paramāṁ gatim

(BG 8.13)

At the time of death, point of death, "Oṁ," if he can pronounce oṁ, oṁkāra . . . oṁkāra is the concise form of transcendental vibration, oṁkāra. So oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma vyāharan. If he can vibrate this sound, oṁkāra, at the same time, mām anusmaran, plus he remembers Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu . . . the whole yoga system is to concentrate his mind to Viṣṇu. But the impersonalist, they imagine that this is the form of Viṣṇu, or the Lord. But those who are personalist, they do not imagine—they see actual form of the Supreme Lord.

Now, any way, either you concentrate your mind like imagination or you see factually, you have to concentrate your mind in the Viṣṇu form. Here, mām. Mām means "unto the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu." Yaḥ prayāti. "Anyone who leaves this body," tyajan deham, "after quitting this body," sa yāti paramāṁ gatim, "he enters into the spiritual kingdom." Unless he desires . . . those who (are) actually yogī, they do not desire to enter any other planet, because they also know that temporary planets, temporary life. They are not interested. That is the intelligence. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23).

Those who are satisfied with temporary happiness, temporary life, temporary facilities, they are not intelligent in their . . . according to Bhagavad-gītā. They are not intelligent. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: "One whose brain substance is very small, they are interested in these temporary things." That is the version of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.

Because I am permanent, I am eternal. Why shall I be interested in nonpermanent things? That, that is the intelligence. Who wants nonpermanent, I mean to say, existence? Nobody wants. Suppose you are living in a apartment, in an apartment, and the landlord asks you to vacate, or somehow or other you have to vacate. You are sorry. "Oh." But you'll not be sorry if you go to a better apartment.

So this is our nature, that wherever we live . . . because we are permanent. We are permanent, so we want permanent residence. That is our inclination. We don't wish to die. Why? Because we are permanent. Death is . . . just like we don't want to be diseased. These are all artificial, external things: disease, death, birth, miseries. They are not our . . . they are external things. Just like sometimes you are attacked with fever. You are not meant for suffering from fever, but sometimes it comes upon you.

So we have to take precaution, have to get out of it. So similarly, these four kinds of external afflictions—birth, death, disease and old age—they are due to this material body. And if we can get out of this material body, then we can get out of these implications.

So for the yogī, those who are impersonalist, for them, this process is recommended. What is that? Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma vyāharan: "Just vibrating this transcendental sound, oṁ, and leave this body." Then yaḥ prayāti: "Anyone who is able . . ."

(aside) Where is the watch? That's all right.

"Anyone who is able to quit this material body in these circumstances, simply by uttering this transcendental sound oṁ, with full consciousness of the Supreme Lord, then he's sure to be transferred, to transmigrate in the spiritual world."

But those who are not personalist, they cannot enter into the spiritual planet. They remain outside. Just like the sunshine and the sun disc. The sunshine is not different from the sunshine, er, sun disc, but still, the sunshine is not the sun disc. Similarly, those who are transferred in the spiritual world, they remain in the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, which is called brahma-jyoti. Brahma-jyoti.

So those who are not personalists, they are placed in that, into that brahma-jyoti as one of the minute particles. We are minute particles, spiritual spark, and brahma-jyoti is full of spiritual spark. So you become one of the spiritual spark. That is, means you merge into the spiritual existence. Although you keep your individuality constitutionally, but because you don't want any personal form, therefore you are held there, held there in the impersonal brahma-jyoti.

Just like the sunshine are small molecules, shining molecules—those who are scientist, they know that—similarly, we are also small, molecular, atomic—less than atom; one ten-thousandth portion of the tip of the hair, our position is. So that small part remains with the brahma-jyoti as if mixed up, homogeneous, although . . .

So difficulty is, as living entity, we want enjoyment. Because I am not only simply existence. I have got bliss. Sac-cid-ānanda. I am . . . I am composed of three spiritual existence—I am eternal, and I am full of knowledge and I am full of bliss. So those who enter into that impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord, they can remain eternally and with full knowledge that "I am now mixed up. I am now homogeneous with the Brahman. Bās." But they cannot have that eternal bliss, because that part is wanting.

So the difficulty is that when he feels . . . just like you, if you are confined in a room alone, you may go on, you may engage yourself in reading some particular book or in some thought, but still, you cannot remain alone for all the years and all the time. That is not possible. You'll find some association. You'll find some association, recreation. That is our nature. So similarly, if we merge into the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord, then there is chance of falling down again in this material world. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

(SB 10.2.32)

Just like this Sputnik man, the aeronautics, they go higher and higher, twenty-five thousand or thirty thousand or hundred thousand miles away. But if they cannot take rest in some planet, they'll fall down. At once fall down again. So the rest is required. In the impersonal form the rest is uncertain. Uncertain. Therefore in the Bhāgavata says that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tata: even after so much endeavor, if he gets into the spiritual world and remains in that impersonal form, the risk is that patanty adhaḥ, he comes down again into this material world. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: because he has neglected to serve in love and devotion the Supreme Lord. In this . . .

So, so long we are here, we have to practice to love Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Then we can enter. This is the training. And if we are not trained up in that way, then, by impersonal endeavor, we can enter into the spiritual kingdom, but there is risk of falling down again. Because that alone, that loneliness, will create some disturbance, and he will try to have association. And because he has no association of the Supreme Lord, he will have to come back into this material world and associate with this material association.

So better that we should know the nature of our constitutional position. Our constitutional position is that we want eternity, we want complete knowledge and we want pleasure also. Pleasure. So if you are kept alone, you cannot have pleasure; then you'll feel uncomfortable. And for want of pleasure, you'll accept any kind of pleasure: "All right, material pleasure." That's all. That is the risk.

Therefore this Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll have full pleasure, full pleasure, the same pleasure. Not the same pleasure. Just like here the highest pleasure of this world is sex life. That is also perverted, so diseased. So even in the spiritual world there is sex pleasure in Kṛṣṇa, but that's not . . . we should not think that this is something like this. No. But janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Unless that sex life is there, it cannot be reflected here. It is simply perverted reflection. The actual life is there, in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full of pleasure.

So best thing is to train ourself, train ourself in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then it will be possible in this life at the time of death to transfer ourself into the spiritual world and enter into the Kṛṣṇaloka, or the Kṛṣṇa planet, and enjoy with the association of Kṛṣṇa.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs 5.29)

This . . . these are the description of the Kṛṣṇaloka. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu: "The houses are made of touchstone." Touchstone, perhaps you know touchstone. It's a . . . a small particle touchstone, if it is touched in the iron beam, it will at once becomes gold. Of course, I do not know if any one of you has seen this touchstone, but there is such a thing. So all the buildings are there of touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. The trees are desire tree. Whatever you like, can get. Here from mango tree, you get mango, and apple tree from, you get apple. But there any tree, anything you like, you can have. These are the some, some of the description of the Kṛṣṇaloka.

So best thing is not to try for elevate . . . for elevating ourselves in either of these material planet. Because in any material planet you enter, the same principles of miserable life . . . we are accustomed. We have been acclimatized to birth, death. We don't care. The modern scientist, they are very much proud of their advancement, but they have no solution of these unpleasant things. They cannot make anything which will check death or which will check disease or which will check old age. That is not possible. You can, you can manufacture something which will accelerate death, but you cannot manufacture anything which will stop death. That is not in your power.

So those who are intelligent enough, they are not concerned with these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9): birth, death and old age.

They are concerned to have a spiritual life, complete, full of bliss and full of knowledge, and that is possible when you enter into the spiritual planets. That will be explained. So next, next verse it is stated:

ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ

yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ

tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha

nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

(BG 8.14)

Nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ. Nitya-yukta means continuously in trance. He's the highest yogī, continuously thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For him, ananya-cetāḥ . . . he does not divert his attention to this sort of process or that sort of yoga system or the jñāna system or dhyāna system. No. Ananya-cetāḥ. Simply the only one system: Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ. Ananya-cetāḥ means "without any deviation." He's not disturbed by anything. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ satatam. Satatam means anywhere and any time.

Just like my residence is at Vṛndāvana. That is the place of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa advented Himself, He was there. So now I am in America, in your country, but that does not mean that out of Vṛndāvana. Because if I think of Kṛṣṇa always, so it is as good I am in India, in Vṛndāvana, I am as good as in New York, in this apartment. The consciousness is there. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you already live with Kṛṣṇa in that spiritual planet. Simply you have to wait for giving up this body.

So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati—smarati means remember; nityaśaḥ, continually. Tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha. "Oh, I am very cheap for them." Kṛṣṇa becomes very cheap commodity. The highest valuable thing becomes very cheap for him who takes this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ; "Because he's continually engaged in such process of yoga, bhakti-yoga, oh, I am very cheap. I am easily available. I am easily available."

Now, Kṛṣṇa declares Himself that He becomes easily available by this process. Why should I try for any, I mean to say, very hard job? Why shall I take to that? We chant Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and twenty-four hours you can chant. There is no rules and regulation. Either in the street or in the subway, or at your home, or in your office, oh, there is no tax, no expenses. Why don't you do it? Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)