Okay.
So you want karma?
Okay. Three, what is karma? Page 23. Due to material consciousness and activities, the living entities take on various bodies. This process is called karma. Srila Prabhupada explains the technical meaning of karma as follows. In the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific sacrifices to obtain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living entity descends to the earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form of grains. Then the grains are eaten by man and transferred into semen, which impregnates a woman, and thus the living entity once again attains the human form to perform sacrifice and so repeat the same cycle. In this way, the living entity perpetually comes and goes on the material path. The Krsna conscious person, however, avoids such sacrifices. He takes directly to Krsna consciousness and thereby prepares himself to return to Godhead. So there are activities that are specifically done to elevate oneself to the heavenly planets or to get some material benefits. So that’s what the devotee avoids, because those are then kamyaka. These are sacrifices that are done with a particular desire in mind. So those are avoided. But those then which are connected with his duty, as a human being there are certain things he’s supposed to do, that then he does. And he does that in connection with the Lord. So that’s what makes the devotion. So devotional service means that the devotional activity is the essential element, but what one’s using for that is the proper activities.
What are one’s duties? What is one supposed to perform?
So it’s not that anything that gives a result is given up, because if you did that, that means everything would have to be given up. Right? You scratch your head, you get rid of the itch. So that would be classified as karma. You know what I’m saying? So what one has to understand is that this idea of giving up work, that’s coming from the Mayavad concept. The impersonal concept is that spiritual means giving up all work. Therefore, there’s always the problem. Oh, you know, being engaged in things in household life, all these different things. So these things are a problem.
All right? So one would think, okay, they’re all given up. But not from the element that…
It’s not coming from the aspect of you’re engaging yourself in Krsna’s service. It’s a matter of these things aren’t spiritual, so you give them up. Right? But then that would have to define that giving up material means spiritual.
Right? And much of the time is taken that way. Somebody, you know, sacrifices for a higher cause and that. It’ll be taken as a spiritual expression.
You know, just as you go out into nature, it’s very nice, it’s very beautiful. You know, so I had a spiritual experience. No, you just, your mind wasn’t so crazy, that’s all, like it is in the city. So it just found that moment of not being crazy, so that was spiritual. You know what I’m saying? So one has to see that one is not distracted, that the reason that one is rejecting something for use in Krsna’s service is not because of its difficulty that is there or the engagement of the senses. It has to be that there’s no need for it in your performance of duty. Right? Just like if you’re hungry, you eat. If you’re not hungry, you don’t eat. Right? So now if I say, you know, if you’re already full, if you eat, then you get indigestion. Then, you know, so many diseases come, this, that, so what will be the conclusion? You shouldn’t eat. You shouldn’t eat. Right? So then, so no eating. Eating is maya. No, it just means if you’re already full, then you don’t eat. So in other words, for those who don’t need to be involved in family life and all these activities, then for them, why would they? So that would be a waste of time. Right? The purpose of the household life is to engage the senses in Krishna’s service, and in this way remove the need for that engagement. Because the point is supposed to be Krishna. Right? It’s that we’re doing things because of Krishna. So if one is distracted by all these other needs, then engage in them, but connect them to Krishna. So then the purpose comes is that Krishna is what’s important, not all these other elements. So if the environment’s favorable, one continues in that line. If it’s not favorable, one then leaves that line.
Does that make sense? That’s purpose. So if someone already has that understanding, why get involved?
Right? That’s the point. So one knows that detaching oneself from material endeavor, then that’s always favorable because we’re trying to attach ourself to spiritual endeavor. Right? But that spiritual endeavor should be that Krishna’s the prominent element. Krishna’s why we’re doing it. Right? So in the beginning, we may be doing these activities that would be done for Krishna, but because we’re interested in them. Rather than we want to please Krishna, and these are ways we’d like to do that. You understand? It’s just a change in the perspective. Because perspective makes the whole difference.
Right? You know, just like those who are politically correct will say, perspective is everything. It’s true. But the point is, where does the perspective start from? It’s from Krishna, from the devotees. So the perspective that’s starting from the materialistic mind, is not a perspective to even be considered as a foundational perspective.
So yes, perspective is everything, but it’s Krishna’s perspective that’s important. How does Krishna perceive these things? Otherwise that perspective on its own, what’s the value?
It’s relative. That’s the problem.
And, you know, relatives are always a problem. So one has to be careful about these things.
You’re attached, but you get no benefit. So that’s the material world. You’re attached, you get no benefit.
Does that make sense? So the idea is that what one has to see is that karma means when you’re performing activities that are connected to one’s conditioned nature, according to your interests, but Krishna’s not the goal, then it’s karma. If Krishna’s the goal, it’s not karma, then it’s karma yoga. Right? And if simply Krishna’s pleasure is what you’re trying to do, but you’re engaging your activities, then that’s bhakti yoga.
Does that make sense? So at some point, because the activities remain, right, then it becomes, it’s the same thing. It’s just the perspective on it. The karma yoga, the bhakti yoga, they’re the same. So karma yoga is bhakti yoga. But a distinction will be made here in this chapter simply because of the perspective, how you’re looking at it. As far as you’re taking your activities, connecting them to Krishna. So it’s karma yoga. It’s devotional service. But then a higher form is Krishna’s who’s important. That’s the important element, not as much your interests that are being connected.
Right? And eventually Krishna will even say, even this, there’s beyond that where it’s just Krishna. Right? And then the activities are just a natural expression of it.
Does that make sense? So that will gradually build. But now the first six chapters are how the body, mind and words are engaged in the Lord’s service. But you’re starting from your nature, identifying your nature and scientifically seeing that you’re connecting it. But now we’re talking about bringing out the more the element of Krishna as a person. So is it for his pleasure?
It doesn’t mean it changes anything. See, we’re used to that it would change something. Why? If the karma yoga and bhakti yoga, there’s a change. Why? Why there must be a change in activity? Because we take the material activities. Activities are material, therefore they’re not spiritual. Yes. That’s the whole point. Because the idea is material activities cannot be spiritual or spiritualized.
It will say that, but ultimately then it’s there. Otherwise, then, you know, let’s say, you know, the men are sitting around. Right? And then one of the guys’ wife calls. Right? And then, you know, depending upon the quality of their training, then if he’s, you know, saying something, you know, like that, he’ll be embarrassed to say, Oh, yes, no, no, yeah, no, I’ll be, you know, sorry about that. Yeah, I’ll make sure I get that. Yeah, no, don’t worry. You know, everything’s fine. And all the other guys, look at this guy, you know, so attached, this and that. But the point is, what’s the field?
Is there another way of dealing? Is there an alternative?
No. No, but I’m just saying, if you want it to work, that’s the only way to deal. So that would mean all the men would know, okay, his wife called, so he’s got to talk like that. But generally, if you just have men, then they all, ah, this guy, this, that. So either he won’t talk, or he’ll talk rough, or he’ll get up and go somewhere else.
Right? So what does that mean? You know, I’m not talking karmis here.
So that means there’s not an actual understanding of dealing with the field.
You know what I’m saying? So that’s the difficulty, is that it’s not seen, actually, in connection. Because nature is there, it has to be dealt with according to its nature. So that’s called expertise.
But because it has the element of attachment, everybody’s attached to these things, and they want it at the same time as them, they have to, you know, they want it, but they’re the controller of it, so therefore they can’t appreciate all these points.
Does this make sense? Like that. So it’s very important, because we’ll take, oh, these things can’t be connected to Krishna.
They can, but it’s not direct connection. It’s indirect, but it’s connected. But the point is, no, this can’t be corrected, so it just has to be renounced, you know, that this and that, tough, rough.
You know what I’m saying? You know, so the brahmacharis, they’re being liberal, and we just chant, we don’t care for the rules, so they’re very nice to the ladies, interactive and everything. But if they get married, then, oh, we’re very renounced, we don’t deal with the ladies, they’re all maya.
You know what I’m saying? So how does this all work? You know, or the opposite. Right, you know, then the brahmacharis are all, Rafaela, lady, don’t talk to them, don’t do anything nice, you know, this or the grahasas, oh, they’re so nice with everybody and all this, what’s their duty? They have their wife, why are they so nice to everybody else?
You know what I’m saying? So there’s a misunderstanding of how this applies. What’s my duty so I can talk to anybody?
You know what I’m saying? So this is the fun part.
Okay, four, what is adhibhuta?
The changing physical nature is called adhibhuta, as it is explained by Srila Prabhupada. The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through six stages. They are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce some byproducts, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhuta.
So what it is, the environment you’re in, the body, the environment, everything that you’re in, that is the adhibhuta.
The adhidaiva is going to be what controls that.
So what it is, you can see, what you interact with, the field of activities, that’s adhibhuta. If you take in the soul as the individual who wants to act in that, they’re adhyatma.
And the soul itself is Brahman. But how it will act, its nature is adhyatma.
Because adhyatma means it will interact, it will try to, adhyatma is about to deal with the body, with the mind, with the consciousness.
That will go on, that’s the nature. Because the body, the ego, that’s your situation, that’s the sat element. Your existence, that you exist, how you identify yourself, like that, how you see yourself.
So therefore what situations you’ll put yourself in. Then what knowledge you have, what activities you perform, that is connected with your identity, what results therefore you’ll get.
Then the prayojana, that happiness, that means your ananda, relationships, that interaction, what you’ll gain from them. So that is adhyatma.
That the soul is Brahman, that’s its nature, that’s what it is. But then how it’s going to act, that’s adhyatma. Does that make sense? So that’s why it’s given, that’s why Krishna is saying that.
The indestructible transcendental living being is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyatma.
You understand? So then that’s the jiva, right? So then the field, whatever you see, that you can interact with, with the senses, that’s adhibhuta.
Yes?
Brahman is the situation, and then there’s the nature of what you do with that. The soul is made out of Brahman, so what will that Brahman do?
Does that make sense?
Means, just like you say, okay, there’s child, right? So that means he’s small, he’s not grown, he’s not mature. That’s the definition. But what do children do?
You understand? Then that’s on top of that. So it’s the same thing, because one’s based on the other, but there’s a distinction between one’s existence and one’s needs and activities.
Brahman just means that he’s eternal and unchanging.
But the point is that he’s still a person, so therefore he’s going to act as adhyatma. He’s going to have his needs. In other words, he wants to interact with that field for a goal.
Does that make sense? But he’s eternal. That’s the problem, is what you see here is adhibhuta is temporary.
We’re obviously not connected to Krishna.
In Adhidaiva you just see the demigods of Viratpurush and all this and that, so if you can see that, but that’s what’s going on. But if one’s an illusion, one doesn’t understand that. One identifies with the adhibhuta. One thinks, I am the adhibhuta, and there is no Adhidaiva. Or one only sees the demigods, one doesn’t see the Lord behind. But in the spiritual platform, then you’re the eternal soul, but you have a particular relation with Krishna. Therefore you’re in a particular situation. So that adhibhuta is the spiritual energy.
Does that make sense? In Adhidaiva, then that would be Krishna through his yoga maya.
They’ll generally identify with the adhibhuta.
Because they think they’re the body, they think they’re the surrounding.
Does that make sense?
So what you see is adhyatma, you see what is the nature, that’s why you’re acting in the way you do. And then the nature is based on that you’re Brahman.
So then you can actually start to see. And then the adhibhuta is a manifestation of the energies. And that’s controlled by the Adhidaiva. By the Lord in his universal form. The demigods are included in that. They’re the arms. So they make it all happen. But it’s actually on the control of the Supreme Lord.
Does that make sense? So then you start to see properly. So the same definition defines it for what’s happening with the karmas, but if you see it with this proper definition, you’re able to be freed from karma. If you don’t see it properly, you’re bound by it. You see it properly, you’re freed from it. Does that make sense? So that’s the whole point. Is that if one has the proper understanding, and one acts according to that, with the right attitude of devotion, then one is no longer on the material platform, even though the activities are the same. Because maya is that which is not. You think it’s not Krishna. That’s the maya. It’s not the activity.
It’s that you don’t see it connected to Krishna.
You understand? Why is a pious activity considered good and an impious activity considered bad? By this definition.
Do you understand? So in other words, Krishna’s authorizer. He is the scriptures.
He has given this definition. That’s why it’s pious. And it’s not according to Krishna’s direction. That’s why it’s impious. So it’s still its connection to Krishna. So you see that, that’s good. Then it becomes transcendental. You don’t see it, then it’s still material. Better material. Like the smartest, they follow the scriptures because the scriptures say. But they have no idea of its connection with the Lord.
Does that make sense? So it’s a matter of seeing from this perspective. You see this way, then it works. You don’t see this way, it won’t work. So that’s what we’re trying to say. Then you decide whether you change the environment you’re in or change the activities or not. But the first point is to be able to see it properly. That’s what you’re trying to do.
Does that make sense?
Okay. The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through these six stages. This physical nature is called Adi-Bhuta. In other words, what you see right there, but specifically why the body is being pointed out, the physical nature, because that’s how you perceive everything. We’re the body, and this body being the most important, therefore everything else is in connection with the body. I’m in the environment for the benefit of myself because I’m the body. So it’s not that I’m separate from the body and this body is also just part of the environment. My body is just part of the Adi -Bhuta manifestation. And I’m separate from that. But as soon as I identify with it, then of the Adi-Bhuta, my body becomes the most important. So that’s the prominent element. But the situation is there also. So your body is just another element in the situation.
You understand? But because we identify with it, it becomes the most important. Whatever we’re doing, the whole world’s to stop. Right?
Yes.
Does the body become part of the Adi -Atma?
In one sense you could say, but at the same time it’s more that the Adi -Atma becomes the…
The Adi-Atma is where you see your unchanging nature. But then it’s two kinds.
I say that Adi-Atma refers to the Swabhava. Swabhava is that substance which is intimately connected with the Jiva. Does that make the difference? In other words, there is his position as Brahman, then there’s his nature. Does that make sense? So he’s Brahman, that’s the position of Brahman. His nature is going to be Swabhava.
Yes, his body is Adi-Bhuta.
It refers to the impressions held in the subtle elements which accompany the Jiva birth after birth. Because the impressions are closely related to the Atma described as such in the Chandogya Upanishad. They are called Swabhava. The Swabhava is what I call Adi-Atma. That which rules over Atma. So in this case there’s two kinds. There would be the Swabhava which is the conditional that’s gained from these impressions. And then there’s which is coming from constitutional. So that’s why he’s saying the eternal position.
Because that same position will be there. You’ll have that form, but that is your form. And then the Adi-Bhuta becomes the environment.
But technically here is that body is just another manifestation because we’re not connected with it. That’s the problem. We think that we are the body, but we’re not. In the spiritual world the soul and the body are non-different.
So we’re still in one sense thinking here.
In other words we think here of everything except for who’s the controller and enjoyer. As if we were in the spiritual world. Because that’s the nature of the soul. So the problem is we’ve defined that we’re the controller and enjoyer rather than Krishna. But otherwise the soul thinks everything’s eternal and everything’s full of happiness.
Because that’s the two positions. Your Sambandha and your Prayojana.
Sambandha is eternal. It’s Vaikuntha. And Prayojana that is full of Ananda. So these are the two illusions.
When he thinks I’m the controller and enjoyer he comes under the two illusions of the material world. Ananda Brahma and Vaikuntha Brahma. He thinks so like that. So then that’s the difficulty.
So then he thinks everything. No one’s having a problem with the five rasas and five senses. Trees have their roots in the ground, the leaves in the air, birds fly, fish swim. No one has any problems with any of this. The problem is just who’s God. Who’s the controller? Who’s the enjoyer? That’s all. All the fights are over who’s in control. Who’s supposed to enjoy this? That’s all. If you check, that’s all the stuff’s over. There’s not arguments over a rasa or something. Is parental rasa bona fide? No, it’s like that. Aren’t we bored of five rasas? Can’t we have a few more?
You understand? They’re not. Even if you get into perverted kind of things. Before it was sexuality, there was male and female. Now I think there’s something like, I forget how many, some ridiculous amount of definitions of all this. But it still will work as male-female.
Like that. The mentalities still will work in this way. So you can’t get away from that. No one wants to. It’s just they have their own ideas how to deal with it. Some want to deal with it piously, according to God’s laws. And some don’t.
Does that make sense?
So here your subhāva are the impressions that are closely related to the ātmā. So that becomes the ādhyātmā. So the impressions are devotional, then that’s what defines his subhāva. The impressions are material, that’s what we’ll define there. So samskaras are to create the impressions that are pious and connected to the Lord.
So they’re for upliftment. That’s the whole point of them.
Is that okay? Okay.
Then what is the ādhidaiva? Oh, the Lord is the governing principle of this material manifestation, as it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā 7.30. What is the ādhidaiva? The conception of the universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods on their different planets, is called ādhidaiva. Ādhidaiva is further described in the Bhagavad-gītā Purport 2, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.19. What is the ādhidaiva? The conception of the universal form of the Lord, which includes all demigods on their different planets. The conception of that virat puruṣa. Wow.
What was it called? You had word dyslexia? This was paragraph dyslexia.
No, no. It just connected the words here and the words in the next paragraph connected, so I just switched them. Yeah, it did. Until we just read that.
The conception of the virat puruṣa, or the gigantic form of the Supreme Lord, is said to include all the dominating demigods as well as the dominated living beings. Even the minutest part of a living being is controlled by the empowered agency of the Lord. Since the demigods are included in the gigantic form of the Lord, worship of the Lord, whether in its gigantic material conception or in its eternal transcendental form as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, also appeases the demigods in all the other parts and parcels, as much as watering the root of a tree distributes energy to all of the tree’s other parts.
Consequently, for a materialist also, worship of the universal gigantic form of the Lord leads one to the right path. One need not risk being misled by approaching many demigods for the fulfillment of different desires. The real entity is the Lord Himself, and all others are imaginary, for everything is included in Him only.
So, you have the Lord’s universal form, so everything is included within Him. So that means all living entities, everything. So this is different from the ārī-bhūta, because the ārī-bhūta is the manifestation, what you see, of the gross elements. Because bhūta is the mahābhūtas.
So, what you can see is there, but why is the tree like that? You say, that’s okay, this is a tree. Why is it like that? It’s not just because of that particular combination of earth, water, fire and ether. It’s what’s creating the tree. No, it’s the Lord, the universal form is that. So, all manifestations that can happen of a tree, that’s all in the universal form. This simply happens to be the gross elements that are making it visible.
Just like they say, you want to build a house, so you go to some contractor. And then he brings out hundreds of plans of how you can make a house. Of different floor plans, different levels of houses, different materials, and all combinations of any of that. You want one brick wall and the other is wooden walls. He can do all that. But you can only do what’s already available.
You can’t do something that’s not. You decide, let’s do something special. We’ve had people that have walls and the ceiling opens. Why don’t we have one where the floor opens? That would be really unique. No one has that, right? Like that. Well, there is one in Malborg, in Poland. There is one in the castle there.
There’s a bunch of, what do you call it, the crusader knights, and they settled there in Germany. They were all monks, so it was their monastery, but it was also a castle, like that. They had a room like that. It was the bathroom, like that. It was on the top floor. This was a very high castle. This bathroom was reserved for enemies. When they would use the bathroom, they would pull a switch and the floor would open and they would disappear. You do have rooms like that.
But we understand the principle. You can only do what’s there. So that means the universal form includes everything. Then there’s the manifestation of that. In other words, the primary creation includes everything. So all the situations, all the potencies, anything that can happen, that’s already in the universal form. Then there is the manifestation of it in Brahma’s creation.
So the reason everything is working is because of the universal form. It’s not that Indra is doing it, it’s Krishna’s potency that allows Indra to do what he’s doing.
So Indra himself is just a particular manifestation of the Mahabhutas. That’s all.
They also will only do certain things. Earth will only do certain things. The hole in your nose, that’s not Earth. That’s ether, space. And it will be filled with air, unless you’ve got a cold.
Does that make sense? But that there is space for that mucus, that’s still ether.
So if the ether element’s not there, then there can’t be anything in that space. You know what I’m saying? But because now it’s filled with mucus, then air is not there. But still space is the common principle.
Does that make sense? So in other words, the manifestation is just made out of these elements and so it’s put together in these ways. But then you cut down the tree and let it sit there and it will rot and then turn into earth. And pretty soon it becomes some grass. Cows eat the grass, it becomes a cow. So it’s always changing.
So that’s the thing, that’s the adhibhuta. What you can see, that’s the adhibhuta, it’s always changing. But the adhidaiva, that’s not changing. That’s already fixed. There’s unlimited forms and it’s just a matter of which one is being manifest in the adhibhuta. According to the desire of the adhyatma. According to the adhyatma’s work, his karma. So his karma, through the agency of the adhidaiva, changes the adhibhuta, that therefore it manifests in the good way or bad way, according to good work or bad work. Does that make sense?
So could you say that the adhidaiva is the primary creation and the adhibhuta is the secondary creation? Yes, basically. But they’re going on simultaneously. It’s not when the secondary creation happens, the primary creation is not there. The secondary is only manifesting the primary creation according to the karma of the living entities.
That’s why it’s all there, that’s why it works, it’s because of the adhidaiva.
So if you see it like that, then you’re not in illusion. That’s why Krsna is pointing this out. Now all this together is there. So you have the soul, who is adhyatma, but because of his conditioning he’s performing karma, therefore the adhidaiva is awarding him his karma in the form of the adhibhuta.
But in all this then someone will think it’s the demigods that are worshipped. Because in karma you’re worshipping the demigods. But they’re just part of the universal form. So who’s the actual adhiyajna?
Who’s actually making this? Who is the adhiyajna and where in the body does he live? Sri Krsna, who is represented by the Supersoul in the heart of every living being, is adhiyajna. This has been confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita 5.29 where it is said, A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities.
So then the ultimate, so one’s performing all these activities, but the ultimate, that’s Krsna. So if that’s understood, that He’s the one to be worshipped, then everything works very nicely. So that’s the point. Everything that’s going on, all knowledge, all activities, everything is to be connected to the Lord. Because He’s the adhiyajna.
As stated in Bhagavad-gita 7.30, By knowing Krsna as adhibhuta, adhidaiva and adhiyajna, one can understand and know Him, even at the time of death.
So He is this manifestation, that potency. He is the demigods. He is the universal form. He is the Lord of the sacrifice. So whatever you see, that’s Krsna.
Does that make sense? So that’s the point.
Since Arjuna is facing a great battle, anything related to knowing the Lord at the time of death is of vital importance to him.
Very relevant, you could say, yes. Therefore, after asking about the terms mentioned in verse 30, he poised an additional specific question. How can those engaged in devotional service know you at the time of death? The answer to this question becomes the main theme in this chapter.
Okay, so now verses 5 to 8.
So Krsna is continuing, And whoever at the end of this life quits his body remembering Me, alone, at once attains My nature, of this there is no doubt. Notice He says, it doesn’t say just remembering Me, but it says remembering Me alone. Because you could be thinking of Krsna and about your kids. Like that. Yes?
The point is you can think of Krsna or there. But you have to understand this option is only there for the women. It’s not there for the men.
So the point is that anyone thinking of guru, then that’s as good as thinking of Krsna. So that will take you to that place. Because where is the guru? The guru is situated with Krsna. So then you’ll go to where Krsna is. Now if the husband is a great devotee or stuff like that, then either from remembering Him and then thinking of that devotional side they get there. Or if he’s a great devotee, if you’re thinking of that devotee, so that’s the element. So one will be elevated. Especially if he’s gone back to Godhead. Then by thinking of him, even just as the husband, still he’s gone back to Godhead, so one will go there. But it doesn’t work the other way. Because the point is for the man thinking it’s the wife, it’s not so much as a great devotee, it’s that attachment to the wife. You understand? So therefore it works on a different principle.
It would be better to think of Krsna directly? Krsna, guru, means if the husband’s advanced, it’s fine. As long as the point is that one is thinking of, you know, Krsna, what’s connected to Him.
But what it’s meaning is not thinking of something else. Just like this one devotee, he was there. He had had a car accident. And then afterwards, he found himself, he was looking at the whole scene. He could see himself in the car, and see the car and the accident, what happened.
And all that. And he’s thinking, oh, okay. And then he’s starting to move away from the car and go out like that. And then, oh, wow, it looks like I guess I’m dead, I’m going back to Godhead and all that. So everything’s going very, very, you know, like that, very peaceful and everything. And then he thought, wow, who’s going to take care of my kids? Bang! He was right back in the body, woke up, and all the pain and everything like this. But Krsna says, thinking of Him alone means not Him and everything else. You know, like that. Those are the indirect things that you’ve connected to Krsna, but here this means directly connected to Krsna. Does that make sense? So the indirect is not an option to think of at the time of death, unless you want to deal more with that indirect, then, hey, it works.
So, whoever at the end of this life quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
Attains His nature. So in other words, Him alone means Him and His nature. Right? Does that make sense? So it does. So it means whatever’s connected with His nature. It’s directly.
Right?
So now we’ve brought up these activities. So you see, now Krsna is very nicely combining these all into one thing. Before they were separated very nicely. The activity itself, the knowledge itself, you know, the remembering Him itself. So, but now it’s all being brought together. Because like in Astanga Yoga, when you’re in samadhi, or dhyana in samadhi, then there is no other, there’s no activity. There’s only that meditation.
Right? You know, and then with karma, you’re thinking about the activity itself, how to do it properly according to the time, place and circumstance. You know, and then the result is for Krsna. Right? The knowledge is you’re seeing how the operation of everything’s happening. How does the material nature function? Right? How, what is my relationship with it and the Lord? So you’re seeing all these connections. Right? So the focus is not on the activity. Here it’s just pleasantly blended. That all your activities, all your thoughts, your intelligence, your mind, whatever’s of value to you, you know, do all that and think of Him. So now we see is now the complete aspect is being given.
5a. Remembering Krsna at the time of death. Verse 5 answers the last question of Arjuna. How can those engaged in devotional service know you at the time of death? A devotee can know Krsna at the time of death by remembering Him because remembering is devotional service.
Anyone who quits his body remembering Sri Krsna is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord without a doubt. This is the importance of Krsna consciousness.
Unless one has practiced devotional service during his life, he will not be able to remember Krsna at the time of death.
Therefore, one should constantly practice remembrance of the Lord by chanting the holy name. As Lord Caitanya’s advised, this level of constant chanting can be achieved only when one is very tolerant and humble.
In Renunciation through Wisdom, Srila Prabhupada explains how the devotee should prepare for death.
The activities of the day evoke dreams at night and induce emotions appropriate to those activities. Similarly, the activities performed in one’s lifetime flash across one’s mind at the moment of death and determine one’s next life. Therefore, if one’s present activities are directed towards chanting, hearing and remembering the Supreme Lord’s transcendental name, along with descriptions of His beauty, qualities, pastimes, associates and paraphernalia, then one’s consciousness at the moment one leaves his body will automatically be attracted to the Lord. Therefore, devotees always remember Him in all their activities, in their endeavors for food and safety, and even in the middle of the battlefield while fighting a war. Life being like a battlefield in which one may die at any time, the devotees remember Him at every moment, and He willingly becomes the charioteer of their chariot-like bodies. The activities of their bodies, minds and words are thus prompted by the Supreme Lord’s will. And at the end, when they leave their gross and subtle bodies, they go directly to the spiritual world.
So, what you do is what you think of at night. So, the same way as what you do in your lifetime is what you’re going to think at the time of death. Because these are the alternate means, day, night, life, death. So, they go together. So, that’s the thing. If one’s absorbed in Krishna, one’s seeing all his activity in Krishna, Krishna’s what’s important, then at the time of death, then one will see Krishna. And if not, then, whatever it is you think about, then Krishna says you’ll attain that without fail. So, therefore, better to remember Krishna.
Yes, but that’s because you’re practicing. So, therefore, the mind goes to what’s the most important. In other words, the mind’s going to go where it finds shelter. So, if you find shelter in things other than Krishna, the mind will go there. Right? Because death is, you know, a how do you say? It creates insecurity, right? Because you’re leaving a situation that is known for a situation that you don’t know.
Or just maybe you know, but you’re comfortable in the situation you’re in. So, therefore, leaving the body is always going to be a disturbance.
So, if Krishna is your only shelter, then leaving the body, then you’ll take shelter of Krishna. So, you’re going to remember. But if there’s something else, that’s why Krishna says, even though you’re taking shelter of Krishna, but if there’s something else you’re taking shelter of, then there’s a good chance you’ll remember both. So, what’s the situation in which you could be engaged in those activities that are dear to you on the material platform and have Krishna?
You’re born in a devotee family.
You understand? So, that has both.
So, that’s the point. Therefore, one should think of Krishna alone. Then, he says, one goes directly to the spiritual sky. Otherwise, one will be nicely situated, you know, in a devotee family where the atmosphere is basically spiritual. You know, depending upon your degree of spiritual, you know, how much was Krishna and how much was the material, then that’s going to determine also the family. Right? So, but the same point is that, why come back again? You know what I’m saying? You want to say, no, but you know, we can preach. Then, come back as an acarya. Go to the spiritual world. Perfect yourself. Then, come back as an acarya. You do a lot more than you stayed here because you were attached.
Does that make sense? So, you want to be kind and compassionate. First, get to, you know, that platform first. Then, come back all you like. You know?
In other words, you’re coming back out of your free will or out of Krishna’s pleasure as opposed to that you’re forced because you were thinking of many things instead of just Krishna.
Okay. In verse 5, the Lord explains the specific situation of a devotee remembering Him at the time of death. In verse 6, the general rule is presented. Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in Renunciation Through Wisdom. There’s a lot of stuff in this Renunciation Through Wisdom. Okay.
At the time of death, our state of consciousness determines our next birth. Death destroys the body made up of the five gross elements, but the subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego remains. As the air carries the scent of the place it blows over, so the soul carries a person’s subtle body of mind, intelligence, false ego, along with his state of consciousness onto his next birth. And his body is determined accordingly. When a breeze blows over a garden, it carries the fragrance of flowers with it. But when it blows over a rubbish heap, the breeze is filled with the stench. Similarly, the activities a person performs during his lifetime continuously influences mentality. At the time of death, the cumulative effect of those activities determines his state of consciousness.
Pretty straightforward. Yes. Reading this, it sounds like actually this cumulative effect of all activities actually kind of determines the state of consciousness at the moment of death. And in a sense, we are kind of, even if we make some endeavor, it will fail or be successful according to our activities. But still, it’s our activities. You’ve made the choice. In that means where we will feel uncomfortable. Could you all hear? He’s saying is that it would appear here is that by your consciousness, by your activities in your life, then it will predetermine your consciousness. So it’s kind of like predetermined where you’re going to go. You don’t have that choice. But the key is still is you’ve performed the activity. So therefore, you’ll get the result of taking shelter of that activity. You perform the activity and there’s something about it you like. So you take shelter there. You find your solace there, your identity there, your results. So your happiness and distress there. So if you do that enough because he says cumulative effect. So if you do something more prominently, that’s what’s going to be there. So if predominance is Krishna consciousness, it’s not going to be wiped out by some small aspect. You know, just like it said. What was that this morning?
I can’t remember the example.
Example is given of a of a person who’s always nicely situated but he gets angry. But that anger is not going to throw off his nature.
It’s not going to change his nature.
Okay. The mind of the good man undergoes no change. Though it may be roasted, roused by anger, the water of the ocean cannot be heated by a straw fire. So in other words, it means the person is there but it’s not going to change his nature.
We take it, means you have to see what is the predominance, what is the substance? And then accordingly then that will determine the nature. So it’s a cumulative effect. But this idea is that one may have done a whole lifetime of good and then he does one bad thing and then that’s it. Then that’s a problem. Right? Does that make sense? Now, one may say, based on this, is that, well what about Moses? He had a whole lifetime of good activity. Right? But then for one activity he didn’t get to go into the Promised Land. But the point is that’s an accumulative effect. He’s thinking, by my action I have gotten results.
Right? It means I perform my duties well, therefore I became a favorite of the Pharaoh.
I changed my mentality. I became more determined to follow the path of my forefathers or whatever it is. And so that changed the situation. Then he took up the rebellion against the Pharaoh and he got his results. Then he went to the Red Sea. And because of that particular effect, he’s doing this, it parted. Right? So then he’s going and then when he hits the rock with his staff it gives water. So he’s looking at it, I perform an activity, you know, an observable activity, I get the observable result. Then the Lord says, okay, now chant my name and get water from the stone. But he won’t. He picks up the staff and hits the stone with his staff. So that means he doesn’t have faith in the Holy Name.
Right? Does that make sense? So it’s accumulative effect. But at the same time is because his whole lifetime was then geared towards being God conscious, therefore he’s still revered from that position. This one weakness is not going to remove all the good. But at the same time it does have an effect.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes. Because the point is one has committed oneself to the Lord, therefore the Lord will help.
Does that make sense? Yes. But the point is what we’re saying is you’ve made that commitment. It’s not that you’re not trying, you’re not making any endeavor, then Lord Caitanya, what will he do? But you’re really trying and you’re really trying to do, so then the Lord will help. But it’s a result of your endeavor. It’s that cumulative effect. But at the same time is you always have that independence that you could think of the Lord anyway. But the tendency is you’re not going to. You’re going to think of the Lord according to the impressions.
Does that make sense? But the impressions are generated by your own activities, your own how do you say it?
Your own free will. Does that make sense? So it’s still not predestined, it’s just that generally that’s what’s going to happen. So unless one changes, because you can become in a moment God conscious, so that’s not going to it’s still that free will is there. But generally speaking one will go by the way of once. Otherwise, why is this place full of living entities?
Yes. I have a question about how the last verse relates to this mentality of thinking of Krishna at the time of death. Please remember everything I’ve done for you. Yeah, because please remember what you’ve done. So you’re going by the devotional activities that you’ve performed. But if you haven’t done any activities for the Lord how will you say please remember what I’ve done for you? It would be a little hard to say that. You say please remember what I’ve done for you. We haven’t done boat goods.
Then naturally then it’s it’ll come out differently.
Is that okay?
Yes. In this example that you mentioned about Moses, can we say that he’s more in karma than in God? That he’s full of faith? Yeah, you could say that he’s working in that element of the karma yoga but the problem is that he has that faith in the karma as opposed to just in God. God’s told him to do things but because it’s within the realm of karma it makes sense to him. When he’s gone beyond that then that wasn’t there. It’s not brought out much. Though that is the teaching of the scripture but at the same time it’s not as prominent. So it’s always been do good, do good work and all that and because God says so therefore that’s the connection. So you’re doing good work simply because God said but the work itself stands on its own. It’s what it gains. It’s a value of its own.
You’ve done all this good work and then what are you going to get from this good work? Then you’re going to get caning. You’re going to get the milk of land. Milk of land and honey? No, the land of milk and honey. Or it could be the honey of milk and land. Whatever it is. Like that. But it’s a reward for what you’ve done as opposed to then your relationship with the Lord will be developed. It’s not like, hey, you go back to Godhead. It’s not kind of like, hey, remember that garden you guys used to hang out in that you haven’t been there for quite a few thousand years? So that’s not brought out. It’s like I’ve done my work, I get my result. So it’s very much rooted in karma dependent upon the Lord. But the karma takes prominence. That’s the weakness of it. The devotion is not prominent enough. You know what I’m saying? This is why he couldn’t get to the holy man actually? Because he had low enough faith to get in there? He didn’t have enough faith in the holy name. Everybody else would and actually they have less than him. But the point is that one has to have faith in the holy name. Because otherwise, what do they tell you? You learn from this.
They don’t. They just finesse it. Because he’s left in an exalted position.
But he’s just left sitting there on a rock while everybody else goes in and he sits outside. And you don’t hear any more about it. But then the thing is you could also take it as they all went in and so now they’re all absorbed in the fruits of their results and now he’s alone so now he can meditate on God and be absorbed in that way. But you don’t hear any more about it. That’s just kind of the end.
So there is that element. So there’s so many things to learn but you’re dealing with people who if it’s not obvious they can’t believe in it. Because constantly it’s coming up, that lack of faith.
Does that make sense? Does this make sense to anybody else?
Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s instructions in verse five and six one might conclude that sense remembrance of the Lord is the most important thing. Everyone should constantly abandon his duties and dedicate his time in hearing and chanting. To correct such hasty conclusions in verse seven Kṛṣṇa says that Arjuna should always think of Him and at the same time carry on his prescribed duties See how clever Kṛṣṇa is?
With his activities dedicated to Kṛṣṇa and his mind and intelligence fixed on Him he will attain the Lord without a doubt. So his activities, that’s the body, the mind and the intelligence, that’s the words. Right? So body, mind and words. It’s fixed on Kṛṣṇa. Then one will attain Kṛṣṇa. So then why and at what point does one stop the activities and just continue with remembering?
I mean, just thinking of, for example…
You wear clothes, you just walk around with nothing on. And if you’re walking around with nothing on you’re not going to do it around here. You’re going to do that in the forest. So you have to watch out for the tigers, lions and bears and all that kind of stuff. You know what I’m saying? So where is the just chanting and absorption?
Yoga, that’s all they’re doing. But that’s satya-yuga, you know. You know, the minimum we hear of somebody becoming perfect through that process is 10,000 years. Well, actually, no. Jhula Mahārāja, six months. Six months, that’s the quickest we’ve heard of. But that’s the only example. Everybody else, the vijāpatis and all that who are technically senior to him they’re 10,000 years, 60,000 years.
You know what I’m saying? Hareṇḍikāśipu, he didn’t do bad. Like that.
Does that make sense? So that means duties will still be performed. The point is, one will try to give those up but one will create something. Like I remember, I was in Hrīśī cave and I saw one, you know, Baba there and He was, after going to the toilet He cleaned Himself. Now, this is not the taking bath. This is before the bath part. It took Him 45 minutes.
He did every exact Hare Bhakti-vilāsa. 45 minutes. You can do it in 2 minutes, 3 minutes. But it was 45 minutes, you know, exactly each finger washing, you know, all the different things and going through and each one. It’s just so… So the thing is, what does He have to do in a day? He’s a Babaji. So all He has to do is chant, like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Do we ever hear of Haridāsa Ṭhākura? He was so careful in his saucukriya that, you know, it would take Him 45 minutes to cleanse Himself before He took a bath. No, it doesn’t say that. So, this is the point. You’ll make up things, you’ll create things, you’ll expand on things to fill up your day. So it’ll happen anyway. So that’s Kṛṣṇa’s point to Arjuna. You’ll go to the forest and you say, because I won’t fight, but you’ll end up fighting anyway because it’s your nature. So you’re going to act according to your nature until you’re transcendental. But if you’re already transcendental, you don’t have to follow a process. You just have to, you know, perform your devotional activities. Right? So then it doesn’t matter. But if you’re on the level of trying to get to perfection, then the point is, is you either follow religion or you will create your own. You know what I’m saying? So the thing is, is just chanting the holy name, that’s transcendental. That’s the transcendental sva-dharma. But we’re under conditioning. Conditioning falls under four varnas, four asuras.
Does that make sense? So that’s why it’s, one can say the one, but it doesn’t work like that. You know, you can’t have your cake and eat it. You get one or the other.
But we somehow think we’ll get both.
You know? I’ll live very simply, but it won’t be austere. You know? You know what I’m saying?
Like, you know, I’ll be very, in a very, you know, prestigious position, but I won’t actually have any responsibility or have any difficulties that I have to, you know, manage. You know what I’m saying? Make sense? You know, we’ll get married, family life, everything will just be nice and happy and everything like that. You know, something, that Kodak moment, you know, like that. And so, but you notice they say Kodak moment. They don’t say Kodak, you know, you know, movie or picture, like, you know, stuff like that. Even a movie you only get two hours, you know, unless it’s one of these, what’s that guy? Six hour ones, you know, like that. So that’s the sort of thing. How do you say that word?
Huh? Yeah, Scorsese, you know, he’ll do the six hour ones sometimes. You know, so, like that was still six hours, you know, then what about the other, you know, how do you say, 18 hours? And that’s today, you know.
You know, so like that, you know, it’s a, it’s a.
Yes? It appears for the mind, it’s very difficult to do one thing, and because it needs concentration and the think of another thing, otherwise we don’t get the right result. Krishna here. The second means, the point is, is that if it, you’re working at different stages. So that’s why all these processes have been defined. They’re all part of one process, but you still have to know each one separately. You know, it’s just like you’re cooking. It’s one process, but still you may be shown how to cut a vegetable or how to wash a pot properly. You know, how to make a chance or how to stir or all these different things that they themselves aren’t cooking, but they’re all part of the overall process, you know. So these earlier chapters define that. So you’re doing an activity. If there’s an activity you have to focus on so much, the point is, is then, then you’re dealing with the element of the karma. Right? Because it’s getting a result. That’s karma yoga. So who’s the result for? For Krishna. So you want to get the best result for Krishna. So you’re focusing the activity to get the result. Right? That that’s for Krishna. So it may be for you and you’ll give it to Krishna, so it’s a lower level. Or it’s already for Krishna, therefore you’re focusing so much. Right? Because if it’s for you, sometimes you may think of the results of what you’re going to get and that inspires you. But those moments, then you’re not focused. But if it’s always for Krishna, then it’s not a problem.
Because the point is, Krishna is the moment. But for it to be yours, it has to be the future. Right? And then that happiness, it’ll come from that. So that means there are, you’re not as focused on the present as someone who the result is for Krishna. Because if you, even you think of it’s for Krishna, but Krishna’s in the present.
So you never leave the present. So you’ll actually do the activity better than somebody who’s doing it for themselves. Right? Because the result comes from your focus in the present. Right? Then at the same time, you do have the activity, like, can you ride a bicycle? So do you only think about, you know, hands and pedals and all this and that? Or you may think about so many things. But that’s an activity, and you’re thinking of something else. What’s the difference between this and what example you gave?
It doesn’t require this concentration. But why not? But when you first, when you first were shown a bicycle, did it require concentration? Yes. Yeah, and did you have it? Yes. And so you never bumped into a tree or fell over. Yeah, so that means there was moments of lack of concentration. But whatever it is, as you develop the concentration, then you didn’t. But then with time, then you could do that. So what is the difference then? Because I’m used to the activity. And that is gained through? Practice. Practice. So that’s the point, is that the karma yoga is practice. That’s why it’s sadhana, bhakti, is practice. But as it becomes easy, the point is, is then if you’re not thinking of Krishna, then what will you think of? Just like here, the new devotee. They come to the temple, and this and that, they see so many things, they’re so absorbed, and this and that. Now come back after three or four years, now what is he thinking about? Yes. But he’s already been able to do what he’s able to do. Now the point is this, what he’s thinking about, that will determine how he moves forward in Krishna consciousness. Or not. So now does he get involved in temple politics, or community things, or this or that, or now he’s just absorbing Krishna while he does all the services that he practiced over the last three or four years.
You understand? So that’s the point, is that if it’s connected to Krishna, then as you’re freed up from here, you’re going to think more of Krishna.
Now what’s the next natural step of thinking of Krishna? It means, if you can just be absorbed in Krishna, this pastime, name form, pastimes, associates, that’s good. But if not, then you have the interim state of the jnana, because detachment and knowledge come from performing karma. So from the karma yoga is naturally going to come jnana yoga. Then you’re going to start to see its workings, the modes of nature, all the different elements of the philosophy, and so, am I doing this just for Krishna, where are the attachments lie, where are the things? So the anarthana vritti, you’re able to look at it very carefully. So then the mind will start to get filled with these things.
But you’re still doing that to please Krishna. So the same way as the karma, once you’re an expert at the activity, if you think of Krishna, you keep going. If you don’t think of Krishna, you get distracted by the karma. Same way with the jnana. As it’s new, so therefore trying to see Krishna in everything and all that, then it will be a very absorbing technique. But once that becomes easy, now you’re going to continue thinking of Krishna, or you’re going to get distracted by the jnana.
So if you continue to think about Krishna, then the next thing is just thinking about Krishna. So you’re performing the activities, you have the proper knowledge, but the focus is all on Krishna. Remember. Does that make sense? Yes. So it’s just, it’s a natural progress. That’s why it’s given in this progression. But we can see Krishna’s pointing out now, because it means we started in the first and second chapters, in the third chapters, that Arjuna is on the battlefield. He has something he wants to gain or not, or gain or not lose. So you’re dealing on the level of this sakam karma. And then he’s trying to take that and make it into karma yoga, bring the karma yoga into the nishkama. Then having the proper knowledge with which you’re performing that nishkama karma yoga, then that becomes your proper in the fifth chapter. Then now you’re adding to that this jnana, focusing on Krishna, because that’s the element. Okay, you have the proper knowledge and proper activity, but why? Because you want to think of Krishna. But now he’s pointing out, here is that whole process is very important, and all these technical elements are very important, but still the most important is that remembrance of him. That’s what’s going to give the ultimate result. So you have to be able to balance it all. So now instead of focusing just on these, now it’s a balance between these. So where it’s activity, then the focus is there, where it’s knowledge, the focus is there, where it’s remembrance, the focus is there. But the ultimate thing is to be able to always be remembering Krishna no matter what you’re doing.
Does that make sense? It’s just practice. That’s why sadhana bhakti is there. One practices and then these things come. So the more one understands, the more conscious you are of the practice. So that’s why you start with the activity, but from the activity, knowledge and renunciation will come. Reinvesting that knowledge and renunciation back into the activity, the quality of the activity is higher, therefore it generates greater knowledge and detachment. So when that’s strong enough, then one is not so absorbed in the material energy. Now one can more think of Krishna.
Because one is thinking of Krishna, but it’s less, but now one can think of Krishna more. So one can always think of Krishna, but then how are you going to express that affection? That’s why the yogi, though he meditates and he sees the Supersoul, at some point he has to make a decision what he’s going to do. There’s him, the Supersoul, now what? So therefore he either merges or takes up devotional service. So the devotee takes up devotional service from the beginning, rather than going through this whole thing and then only starting, he starts from the beginning. So therefore all his activities are connected, all his intelligence, all his mind and feelings are all connected to Krishna. Is that so? Okay.
Maharaj, the process of Vaidehi Bhakti, then the relevance for us would be that we have a fixed parameter and we can observe how the mind oscillates. Yes, it means you have a fixed environment and so in a fixed environment then you don’t have any anxieties to choose what to do. Let’s say you take the brahmachari. Every day he comes and what time he would like to eat, then that could happen then. And then when he comes and they give him a menu, he has to choose and all this. No, just at 9 o’clock he comes, sits down and eats and at 9.15 he gets up and goes away. So it’s very easy for him. So then in this, then that regulation, then he starts to be able to see things. You can start to see your attachments.
There were so many other things, which restaurant to go to, what do we order this time. So all these things are absorbing, but if none of that’s there, then it’s just you, your bowl, your spoon and your mind. And so therefore then you start to see your attachments, how you dealt, how did you deal with the server guy. Because in the restaurant it’s all about you and the service. So the guy does something you don’t like and you say something rough like that, then no one’s going to say anything. You know what I’m saying? But here you do, then why did you say? This is just a normal thing. What’s going on? So you start to see what’s happening.
So in that regulated environment, that’s why you see more.
Does that make sense? That wasn’t like a BART, so you see more. You know what I’m saying? It’s a matter of, therefore you’re able to observe more happening.
You understand? So that’s why much of the time with those who are practicing nicely and things are going nicely, more is seen. But that’s because it’s observable, because the other things are steady. But where you don’t have that and everybody’s just doing their own thing, it’s harder to see what actually is going on. So that’s why the scriptures then define things on that level. That’s why we have the Dharma, Artha and Kama Shastras, because otherwise how do you know what you’re looking at? Because the devotional scriptures will define what’s going on.
But then when it’s more covered by these other aspects, how do you know if someone’s trustworthy or not, or this or that? You know what I’m saying?
Do you understand the example? Yeah. Everyone understand?
Even though it may be difficult to remember Krishna while we perform our duties, here’s your question, it will be even more difficult to remember Him at the time of death. Therefore the Lord wants us to practice remembrance of Him throughout our life. One who meditates on Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Him, undeviated from the path, is sure to reach the Supreme Lord, verse 8. In this verse, the Lord emphasizes that constant remembrance leads to remembrance at death. Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to verse 6.
Of course, one’s thoughts during the course of one’s life accumulate to influence one’s thoughts at the moment of death. So this life creates one’s next life. If in one’s present life one lives in the mode of goodness and always thinks of Krishna, it is possible for one to remember Krishna at the end of one’s life.
This constant remembrance of the Lord is the topmost yoga.
So verses 9 to 13. Yogamstra-bhakti.
One should meditate upon the, verse 9, one should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental beyond this material nature. Ten. One who at the time of death fixes his life air between the eyebrows and by the strength of yoga with an undeviating mind engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Verse 11. Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter ankara, and who are great sages in the renounced order, enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation.
Twelve. The yogic situation is that of detachment from sensual engagements. Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
Thirteen. After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable OM, the supreme combination of letters, one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body. If one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
Verses five to eight emphasize the importance of remembering Krishna. In verse nine, the Lord explains how he should be remembered. One should meditate on Krishna as the one who knows everything, the oldest, the controller, the smaller than the smallest, the maintainer of everything, beyond all material conceptions, inconceivable, luminous like the sun, transcendental, beyond the material nature, and who is always the Supreme Person. The important message of verse nine is that Krishna is not impersonal or void, so he’s the Supreme Person. But in here is all the other aspects, how he’s entered into the world and how we can know him, right? That is then what he’s bringing out. In other words, like in the Bhagavatam, at all times, all places and all circumstances, that one should know the Lord, everything one should know. So all these things are there. As the one who knows everything, because otherwise, who’s the other person other than God who knows everything, right? Ourselves, right? So he knows more than us, right? He knows everything, so he knows all the things and all that. So there’s not something he doesn’t know, so that would also give us faith in the scriptures, because he who knows, then has written the scriptures, right? They’ve given us the scriptures. So that means then, you know, he knows what he’s talking about, right? The oldest, so he’s there before anybody, so he has the most experience, he’s seen everything, he’s there before everything, everything is expanding from him, right? The controller, right? So that here again we come up, you know, it’s, you know, there’s the controller, then there’s the supreme controller, right? Smaller than the smallest, so that means he’s in everything, there’s nothing that he’s not in. So we may think, oh, this is such a minor activity, God’s not involved, like how I pulled a tissue out of the box. But still, the point is, is that in that activity, Krishna’s involved, right? You know, does that make sense? You know, why the tissue, right? You know, why not, you know, blow your nose on a blanket or something, you know, like this. So why the tissue? So Krishna is able to do certain activities in that form, right? The box is able to hold them. You know, then you have the way the tissue comes out of the box. So if you don’t pull it correctly, then you rip the tissue or all of them will come out, or, you know, like this. So there is still, Krishna’s involved. So that’s the point. Right, down to that level, how you blow your nose once you get the tissue out, how you hold the tissue to blow your nose. You can’t just hold it anyway, right? Just out of curiosity, you have mentioned blow your nose ten times, I’m curious, how should I blow my nose? How should you blow your nose? Remembering the Lord.
Right, you know, like he says, you know, not too hard, not too soft. All the yogic principles have to be applied, right? You know, seated properly on a tissue.
These principles are universal.
It’s just, you know, it’s a topical thing now, that’s why I’m using it. In the middle of summer, we don’t talk about blowing the nose. We talk about the air conditioner or something else.
Yes? There’s something I don’t understand. It may sound a little moralistic, but since everything is included in God, and God is in everything, so the Jiva’s mind cannot conceive anything that is not already in the Lord’s mind. So how can all this perversion and evil in the world be explained?
The point is, God is everything, but what does God prefer? How does God act? In evil? No, in good, right? So, what activities He prefers, that’s how you define good. And what activities He’s not interested in, that’s evil. You know what I’m saying? So, that defines what is to be done and what’s not to be done. Does that make sense? So, the point is that it’s cold now, right? And so, if we start a fire here in the middle of the room, then everybody will think it’s very nice, unless, of course, you have to be sitting there. You know what I’m saying? Or in the middle of summer, it’s very hot, so if we can create something, we’ll create cool. So, how do you know what’s good?
Do you understand? Because there’s an opposite to compare it to, right? So, the point is that in the spiritual world, it’s all about Krishna. So, even though there’s these differences, it’s not a duality, because it’s all about Krishna. In the material world, it’s a duality because the heat and the cold have nothing to do with the source of that, because He’s the one unifying element. So, therefore, in Krishna, there’s no duality, but in here, there is. So, you’ve chosen to do one thing or another within the duality based on your choice. But here, it’s a matter of your choosing what is here within the duality for Krishna’s pleasure. So, then you’re going to choose those things that Krishna prefers.
Does that make sense? That’s why He says He’s all these things, but He’s still a person, the Supreme Person beyond all this. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like, you know, you’ll have a house. There’s so many, you know, here’s, if you have your choice, you’ll choose a particular house. And then you’ll have a particular way that you’ll set it up, what kind of furniture, what kind of, you know, other accessories and decorations and all that. You’ll have your choice in how you’re going to live in that house. You know, what you do in what room, you know, what time and all this. So, all that you can say is connected to you, is you, but at the same time, you’re a person beyond all that. You know what I’m saying? Just because they say, wow, this is a nice house, nice arrangement. So, it’s connected to you, but if that’s all, and then you’re standing going, yeah, yeah, no, it’s great like that, but I ignore you and just, you know, look at all this, say, wow, check this out, this is so nice. Would you be happy? No. So, that’s the point is that there’s these things, that’s why the rules and regulations have their limit. They’re important in their connection to Krishna, but if you’re so absorbed in them, you don’t see Krishna.
You know what I’m saying? You only see Him as rules and regulations, you can’t see beyond. That won’t be that pleasing.
Does that make sense?
Is that okay?
Okay, the maintainer of everything, that everything’s going on because Krishna maintains it. Well, think, because I’m maintaining it, my propensity and that. You know, I’m in this situation because I want to be here, I have something to gain, and if I don’t, I leave this situation. So, you don’t care anymore. You know, so, you know, otherwise how does the Buddhistic, you know, how do you say, eternal, how do you say, mental speculative question come up? You know, as if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there to hear it, does it make any sound? Like that, but what is that based on? It means if you’re not there, then it’s not heard, so that means it doesn’t, its existence is not maintained outside of you because it’s all illusion, so therefore you’re an illusion, therefore it’s there, so if you’re not there, does it actually do anything? So you’re actually the controller.
Does that make sense? So, no, Krishna’s the maintainer.
It makes sound whether you’re there or not. Like, were you there when Krakatoa went off? No, but it made sound even though you weren’t there. Right, so, does that make sense? So that koan leads to the Buddhist practitioner to think he’s the controller. The koan is not to be said, it’s this thing which makes your mind think the wood falls in the forest. Yeah, yeah. It means these are useless. You know, it means it’s just there to keep them busy.
Because they have nothing to do, right? Because they’re Buddhists, right? So this way, they keep themselves busy with nothingness. What’s the sound of one hand clapping? You know, these kind of things they work on. Keeps them engaged.
Okay, beyond all material conceptions, so whatever you have in the material conceptions like this, then he’s beyond that, because otherwise then there’s the thing, because we’re looking at good and bad according to what’s here, is the conception of good and bad here, is good and bad, so if that’s a part of God, then that means God is good and bad. No, but the point is this, it only becomes good and bad whether it’s in this connection or non-connection to God. So God’s actually the basis of good and bad, not our good and bad, then we make God.
So that’s the, you know, so it’s like it’s seen by the atheists and others that, you know, man will create God in his own image, and so they’ll say, you know, so it’s coming from you, so therefore he doesn’t exist. So the principle that, you know, people are making seeing God through their own vision, you know, that is a fault, that’s correct, so the atheists are correct in pointing that out, but then the conclusion is that there’s no God, then that’s stupid, right? No, the point is this, God’s first, then there’s man, so therefore it’s the other way around.
Does that make sense? But the problem is, is because we perceive him from our conditioned nature, therefore we misunderstand.
Does that make sense?
Luminous like the sun, so everything is, you know, everything is bright and nice because of him, that’s him that makes everything, you know, wonderful, like that, and transcendental beyond, transcendental, so he’s, you know, he’s not connected with the material nature, beyond the material nature, that he functions beyond, it’s not that he’s just not in material nature, but he’s beyond, and who is always the supreme person, right, so he’s always a person. So these other aspects of God, all these other ones before, that’s him, that’s his potencies as a person, but still he’s a person. You always have to make that distinction, otherwise we’ll take a lower one and then that’s good enough. No, but you have to keep going till you get to the person, and then interact with the person. Like that, that’s the idea. So, I’m here for today.
