660413 - Lecture BG 02.55-58 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

660413BG.NY - April 13, 1966

Prabhupāda: (leads kīrtana) One two three. (prema-dhvani) Thank you.

Prajahāti yadā kāmān

sarvān pārtha mano-gatān

ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ

sthita-prajñas tadocyate

(BG 2.55)

Now, for the last few days, we are discussing these symptoms, symptom of the person who is situated on the platform of pure consciousness. So this is . . . we, we should remember that this is spoken as the basis of when we attain the stage of perfection, the symptom. It is not that we have already attained that perfection. Of course, some of you might have attained that perfection, but how to attain that perfection, that will be described in the Third Chapter. We are reading the Second Chapter. We are just giving the contents, how it will be. We have discussed to some extent, and we are still proceeding.

So the Lord says that kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān. The mental speculation, so long we are on the platform of mental speculation, we should understand that we are on the material plane. Because mind is material. Mind is not spiritual. So, mano-gatān. The special word is used here, mano-gatān. Whatever we create in our mind, that is material, all creations. Mind is the leader of the senses. So the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—are expressed through our senses. And these sensual activities are known as our living condition. Therefore the Lord says: "When one shall be free from mental speculation, then he's to be understood that he is in the perfect stage of spiritual consciousness." Mental speculation.

So by mental speculation we cannot understand what is our position. Generally, people, they indulge in mental speculation. Different philosophy of the world, they are established on the principle of mental speculation, especially in Europe—Aristotle, Schopenhauer, Kant. They're more or less . . . and, imitating the Western philosophers, in India also, recently, the persons who are very well known . . . perhaps you know Śrī Aurobindo. He's, he's also speculated very nicely on the mental platform. Mental platform cannot give us the actual freedom or the happiness. Therefore Lord says: "One should give up all mental speculation and should be satisfied in the understanding that 'I am consciousness, and there is supreme consciousness, and I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness. Therefore let me dovetail my consciousness with the supreme consciousness.' "

Last day also, we discussed on this point. And the point is very clearly manifested in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, that Arjuna mentally speculated in the beginning that, "Whether I should take up this fighting or not?" But at the ultimate issue he gave up his mental speculation and agreed with the Lord that, "Yes, I shall fight."

Now, this "Yes, I shall fight," this "I" and the former "I"—"I shall not fight"—so there is vast difference. The former "I" is the representative of mental speculation, when Arjuna decided that "I shall not fight. They are my relatives, they are my brothers; I cannot fight with them for the matter of kingdom. Rather, I shall forego; I shall become a beggar. I shall . . . I don't want this kingdom." He argued like that. But after reading Bhagavad-gītā, he said that "My illusion is now removed," naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā (BG 18.73).

"My illusion is now removed, and I have got my consciousness by Your mercy." "By Your mercy."

So here is the point, that without Lord's mercy, we cannot stand up on the pure consciousness platform. Therefore we have to pray to the Supreme Lord always. That is the instruction of Lord Caitanya. He, He has put up His prayers. I have got this paper—I'll distribute you, to you, after the meeting is over—that He says that, "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, somehow or other I am fallen into this ocean of misunderstanding." Ocean of misunderstanding. The prayer is just like this. I'll utter the whole Sanskrit structure:

ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ

māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

(CC Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)

He's addressing the Lord, "O Lord, the son of Nanda Mahārāja . . ." This Nanda Mahārāja, son of Nanda Mahārāja, it is very significant. I shall describe it later on. "O My Lord, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, I am Your eternal servitor, and somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of misconception. Kindly pick me up and fix me up as one of the atoms of the dust of Your lotus feet." That is the prayer.

So we should be conscious in this way that, "I am Your eternal servitor. I am not the Lord." As soon as we make mistake that, "I am the Lord, I am the Supreme," then this illusory energy entraps us. This is also illusion. This is the last snare of illusory energy that, "I am God." It is a long philosophy. Of course, there is a class of philosopher who proclaim that, "I am God. I am God." This is, of course, due to imperfect knowledge of the Supreme Lord that people can claim that, "I am God." How can I be God? What is the qualification of God? What are the symptoms of God? Are those symptoms present in me?

So those things are . . . there are so many things to be considered, and they are very nicely described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, and as we make progress we shall understand them, that we are simply infinitesimal parts of the Supreme Lord. Qualitatively, we have got all the qualities of God, but quantitatively, we are minute, simply minute. Minute. Just like the . . . the gold and a particle of gold. That particle of gold is also gold, but that particle of gold and the lump gold, quantitatively there is difference. Just like fire and the spark of the fire. The spark of the fire is also fire, but the capacity, burning capacity of the spark, is very small in comparison to the whole fire. These are the position.

Now, we should always understand that we are meant for serving the supreme whole. That is our position. So this, this position, maintaining, and mental speculation, that "I am the Lord," by argument, by jugglery of words, the Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, you should give up all these things. Mano-gatān. Mano-gatān.

There is another instruction in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that:

harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā

manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

(SB 5.18.12)

"If one is situated in pure devotional service of the Lord, then, whatever he may be, all the good qualities of the Lord will develop in him, will develop, all the good qualities." And harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ: "And one who is not a devotee of the Lord, however academically he may be educated, his qualification has no value." Why?

Now, manorathena: "Because he's on the platform of mental speculation, and due to his mental speculation, he is sure to be influenced by this material nature." He's sure to. So if we want to be free from the influence of the material nature, then our habit of mental speculation may be given up. That is the instruction in this verse.

Then next qualification:

duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ

sukheṣu vigata-spṛhaḥ

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ

sthita-dhīr munir ucyate

(BG 2.56)

Now, so . . . so long we have got our this material body . . . we have several times discussed this point, that all our miseries, distresses, are due to this body. There are three kinds of distresses—adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika: distresses due to this body and mind; distresses due to the other living entities; and distresses which is beyond our power, distresses, natural distresses, adhidaivika, distresses offered by the supernatural power.

So three kinds of distresses we are suffering always. There is no, I mean to say, rescue either from the three, or at least from one or two. There is always it is going on. So one who is situated in this pure consciousness platform, his symptoms will be like this, that duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ: "He is not disturbed by all these three kinds of miseries," miseries pertaining to the body and the mind, miseries due to other living entities, and miseries due to the natural disturbances. Natural disturbance.

Now, nature's disturbance: all of a sudden, there is flood—all of a sudden, there is heavy snowfall; all of a sudden, there is famine; all of a sudden there is so many things which we have no control. We have no control. This is called supernatural disturbances. And disturbances offered by other living entities. We are living in the society with many other living entities, both man and animal, and there is possibility of miseries due to other living entities' behavior upon me. And besides that, due to my this bodily construction, either I have some mental agony or some bodily agony, or so many things.

So a person who is situated on the platform of pure consciousness, he's not disturbed by all these miseries. That is the symptom. He's not disturbed. When . . . or . . . when we are situated in pure consciousness platform, we'll personally understand that "I am not disturbed by all these miseries." People become very much disturbed, agitated, but one who is actually situated in this position of pure consciousness—brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54)—he has no distress.

He has no distress. And sukheṣu, sukheṣu vigata-spṛhaḥ. This is the, I mean to say, platform of distresses. And there are sometimes happiness also. Happiness also. Sometimes, suppose I get some good foodstuff. Somebody praises me, "Oh, Swāmījī, you are very great soul," and so on, so on, so on . . . so that praising, that praising . . . sometimes we are offered some, I mean to say—decoration, some degrees of praises from institution. These are the signs of our happiness. But one who is situated in pure consciousness, he's neither disturbed by all those distresses, neither he is actually happy by all these designative offerings. You see? Because he knows that these designation . . .

Suppose I have passed my M.A. examination, and in the, in the university, in the convocation meeting, I get the degree and people applause me; but if one is situated in consciousness, he will understand, "What is this degree? This degree is due to my this body. As soon as this body finishes, all these degree will finish. Because, if it is a fact that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22), if I have to take another body after leaving this body, then everything in bodily connection will finish as soon as I give up this body and take another body. That is my position."

Therefore, one who is convinced, one who knows actually that "I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," so these degrees . . . or some good, palatable foodstuff I have been offered by some friend, I am eating. "Oh," I am thinking, "oh, how happy I am!" But what is that happiness? That happiness is due to my tongue only. But I am not this tongue. So these things are . . . will appear, one who is purely consciousness. You see? But that, that does not mean that I shall not eat or I shall not associate in the society. No. I shall be. Everything I shall be, but I must always know that "I am aloof from this. My position is that I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness, and I, I have to act in that position."

So in spite of all this, he's aloof from all these things. That will make him completely happy. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir ucyate (BG 2.56). And because such consciousness prevails, so he has neither attachment, rāga—rāga means attachment—and bhaya. Bhaya means fear, being afraid of. Now suppose somebody says: "Oh, I shall kill you! I shall kill you!" Somebody becomes very much afraid. But a person who is situated in pure consciousness, he's not afraid.

We have got very practical example in the life of a great philosopher, Greek philosopher, Socrates. He believed in the immortality of the soul, and he was offered hemlock, poison, that "If you believe in immortality, immortality of the soul, then you drink this poison." "Yes, I shall drink it." So he drunk it, and he, his body, of course, stopped functioning, because poison will act. But he was not afraid of drinking poison because he, he was completely situated in that platform. So there is no fear. So long bodily conception of life is there, oh, fearfulness will be always there in proportionately. As much I get rid of this bodily conception of life, then my fearfulness also decreases. And so long I am absorbed in bodily conception of life, my fearfulness is greater.

So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ (BG 2.56). Because the function of the body . . . so far we have body, our body's concerned, there are four things, demands of the body: āhāra . . . āhāra, nidrā, bhaya, maithuna (Hitopadeśa).

Āhāra means eating, and nidrā means sleeping, and bhaya means fearing and maithuna means mating. So these are the demands of the body. So one who is free from the conception of body, his demands—his āhāra, his nidrā, or his eating, his sleeping, his fear and his sex desire—will automatically decrease. That is the situation. That is the situation of, of pure consciousness. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir ucyate (BG 2.56). Sthita dhīr munir ucyate. Even he is not affected by the greatest allurement. Greatest allurement. The next position is:

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas

tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham

nābhinandati na dveṣṭi

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

(BG 2.57)

Now, our affection between ourself is due to this body. Now, I am Indian. I am Indian. Suppose I find some gentleman in the street of New York, an Indian, oh, I am very much anxious to ask him, "Oh, are you Indian? Which province you are coming? I want to . . ." The affection is there. What is that affection? Due to this body. That's all. Because I am thinking that "My body is Indian, and here, there is another body whose body is also Indian. Oh, let me have some talks with him." This is affection. Similarly, all our affection.

There are thousands and millions of women loitering in the street, but there is one woman, oh, with whom I am very much intimately connected because I have got bodily relation. Leaving aside all the women, I call one particular one, "Oh, he's my . . . she's my wife." Or the wife says: "She's (he's) my husband." Why? This bodily relation. So this bodily . . . one who does not identify with this body, therefore his bodily affection also diminishes. His bodily affection also diminishes.

Now, the stage of sannyāsa, just like we have adopted, this is a practical example how much one has been able to become free from bodily affection. This is a chance. This is a chance given. Just like at home I have my wife, I have my children, I have my grandchildren, everyone—I have my daughters and everyone—but somehow or other, I have thought that "What is this relation?" Therefore I have been able to live aloof from these bodily rela . . . relatives. And actually, in this old age, one should desire to live within the family with wife, with children, and there are so many comforts. But no. This should be . . . the development of one's consciousness is that he should voluntarily, voluntarily try to, I mean to say, become free from this affection.

Why? This affection is not bad, but this affection will lead me again to have another body. My whole process is that how to get out of this bodily relation, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)

The whole human activities should be concentrated to get rid of this bodily, material bodily connection. Then I shall be happy really. Real happiness, real freedom. That is real freedom. For want of this spiritual knowledge, we do not know how much free we are.

Even in this material world, within this universe, in the upper planets . . . the upper planets, they are called heavens or . . . of course, in Vedic language, it is called heaven, and in other languages it is also called heaven. But there are many planets. Beyond the heaven, there are many good planets. There are seven planetary systems. This is called Bhūrloka.

Then, above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Then there is Svargaloka. Then there is Tapoloka. Then there is Maharloka. Then there is Satyaloka. Just like so many planetary systems there are. The one planetary system, that is called Siddhaloka. Even in this material world, with this material body, they are so perfect that here you go from one place to another, or one planet to another . . .

Of course, that has not been successful. But it is not very difficult for living beings to achieve that success. Because we have got information in the Bhāgavata that in the Siddhaloka, the inhabitants there, with this very body, they go from one planet to another without any instrument, without any Sputnik, without any aeroplane or without anything. (laughter) Yes. We have got this information. They take pleasure in the sky.

Just like sometimes we stroll in open field, similarly, they take pleasure by in the sky traveling. You see? So that is possible. But still, they are mortal. They are mortal. They have got this material body. Now, when you get spiritual body, how much freedom you'll have. How much freedom you'll have.

So we should be very clever to understand about the spiritual life. We should not be dragged to this material conception of life due to this false affection. This bodily affection is false affection, because the body will not exist. Suppose I and my wife or my children, we are all very happy. Paśyann api na paśyati. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ paśyann api na paśyati (SB 2.1.4).

It is said in the Bhāgavata that . . . now, for example, suppose if you are preparing very nice thing, a nice, very nice house. All right. If somebody asks you, "Well, sir, why you are building such nice house?" Now, if you answer, "Yes, just to set fire in it," so what the people will think? "What a fool he is, that he is building such a nice house, and at the end he'll set fire in it? Then why you are taking so much trouble, sir?" "No. Yes." This is called . . .

Actually our position is like this. Actually our position is like this, because the whole life I am working so hard because of maintaining this temporary body of myself, my son, my daughter, my father, my mother. So setting fire. At the end the setting fire. Setting fire I am speaking specially, because after death, as you put it into graveyard, in India, accord, in Hindus, they set fire. They set fire to the dead body. So every . . . everything that we are creating, that will be, at the end it will be set into fire. The Bhāgavata says that paśyann api na paśyati, teṣāṁ nidhanam. Everything will be destroyed, and still, the thing which will be destroyed, we are after them.

But the thing which will exist—na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), which will continue to exist even after the destruction of this body, we have no information. We have no information, neither do we try anything for that thing. Bhagavad-gītā's teaching is sublime, because it gives you the practical lesson for the supreme, for the supreme, your spirit soul. Material education, material advancement of civilization, is just like building for setting fire in it. It will be lost. It will be lost.

So many empires have been built up, and so many empires have been demolished. That is the history of the world. Even from that history point of view, this very world in which we are standing, this very platform, this will also be vanquished. That is the law of this material nature. Nothing will subsist. Nothing will continue. Everything will be finished. Just like our this body will be finished. Now I have got this beautiful body. Suppose seventy years, my age, seventy years before, the body had no existence, and, say, after five or ten years more the body will have no existence, so for seventy or eighty years this manifestation of the body . . .

So what is this manifestation in the course of this material world, so many things coming? Just like a bubble in the ocean. Just like . . . if you travel over the seas you will find so many waves are tossing each other, and so many bubbles are formed, and again it is submerged in the water—no account of it. Similarly, all these manifestations are coming and going and coming and going and, packed within this coming and going, there is the actual spirit soul, which na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), which exists, and we are that permanent existent.

We are that permanent form, not that we are formless. We have got form, but it is very minute. We cannot see with these eyes. Our eyes is . . . eyes are always imperfect. What we can see? We cannot see very . . . which is situated in very long, distant place. We cannot see even our eyelid. So these eyes are very conditional. So how we can see what is our . . . what is my constitution? These things are to be considered. One should take account of the spiritual.

Now begins from that consciousness that, "What I am? I am this consciousness. I am not this body." That education begins from there. And the whole practice, whole idea, should be to detach myself from this misconception of life. So one of the symptom is that:

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas

tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham

nābhinandati na dveṣṭi

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

(BG 2.57)

Now, na, na abhinandati. Now, suppose one has done very marvelous work. So we should not be very much enthusiastic to praise for such work. What is that work? That work is material. It will vanish. Nābhinandati. Neither, when it is vanished, he is also sorry for that. These symptoms are for a person who is situated in the pure consciousness platform. Tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. His prajñā, his intelligence . . . you mind that, intelligence is above the mind. The first stage is . . . the general stage of our life is the activities of the senses.

Those who are ordinary persons, without any knowledge they are acting whole day and night to satisfy the senses. That's all. This is ordinary life. Mostly people are working for that purpose, mostly. And above them, above them, if somebody is intelligent, he's working on the mind—philosophy, poetry, nice idea in novel, nice idea in drama, some psychological . . . all these things. So they are little better than those who are working day and night hard for sense gratification. They are little . . . these philosophers, the poets and the thinkers, they're little more better.

So, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). So manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And above them, those who are acting very intelligent, intelligently, on the laws of the nature, say, for the scientist or like that . . .manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And that stage, that scientific stage, that scientific calculation, is the stage of this appreciation of consciousness. The perfection of scientific life . . . science, science, scientists are making research, "What is the truth beyond this, beyond this, beyond this?" When they come to the point of this pure consciousness, that is the highest grade of scientific knowledge. Highest grade of scientific knowledge is that, when we come to understand that "I am not this body; I am this consciousness."

So, so far our these senses are concerned, senses are concerned, that should be under my control. I should not be servant of my senses. And that is possible when I am situated in the spiritual platform of consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. I cannot control my senses if I am on the material plane. It is impossible. But I can control my senses . . . but this is possible. This is possible. It is not impossible fact. This Svāmī we are known as Svāmī. What is the meaning of Svāmī? Svāmī means who is the master of the senses.

That is the Svāmī. Svāmī means master. One who has attained the perfectional stage of controlling the senses, he is called Svāmī or Gosvāmī, master of the senses. So this can be done by practice, by knowledge. This is not impossible. I was also young man. I also, I was also married, and I have got my wife still living and my family is still living, but some way or other, by practicing or by some knowledge, I have come out of the clutches.

So everyone can have that. Not . . . this dress is not the Svāmī. Actually you can also be Svāmī, even in your the present dress. The dress is immaterial. The actual fact is that one should, by spiritual development of consciousness, they should come to the stage of becoming the master of the senses. Master of the . . . yoga. The yoga system . . . that is also controlling the senses. That is controlling the . . . the different āsana, different situation of the body, that is mechanical.

Something is done by mechanically, and something is done by pure knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā teaches on the platform of pure knowledge. Of course, that is also recommended. But that is recommended for persons who cannot concentrate on the platform of the knowledge. Those who are too much addicted with bodily conception of life, the yoga system, the yoga, I mean to say, practices, that is recommended, especially for them. That we shall come, later on. Now, here it is said:

yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ

kūrmo 'ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

(BG 2.58)

Tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. No. A very good example is given here. What is that? Tortoise. You have seen tortoise? The tortoise, they, when they like, they close their hands and mouth and everything within this body and become a lump, tortoise. You see? Similarly, we must know that our senses, they are meant for some particular purpose, and that particular purpose I have already explained, that hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

These senses are our . . . actually they are not mine. The senses are given by the Lord. Last day I explained. But we are very proud of our senses. But these senses are given just like a boy is given some plaything by the father; similarly, we wanted to enjoy this material world, therefore our material senses are awarded, "All right, you enjoy. You just have experience of this material world, and when you get experience that 'I am not happy,' then you shall come back again to Me."

So senses are actually meant for rendering service to the Lord. Senses. Because I am eternally, eternally . . . and senses, the senses belong to the Supreme Lord. Just like this is . . . this is my spectacle. So it should be used for my purpose. Similarly, our senses, they, actually they are not our. Just like this room, this loft. This loft, we are sitting, it is all right. But the loft belongs to the . . . some lady, some landlady. We should be always conscious of that.

There is no harm in using it so long with that consciousness. But if I think, "Oh, this is my loft. I haven't got to pay the rent. I am the proprietor," then whole trouble begins. The whole trouble begins. Otherwise, so long we are conscious that, "This, this . . . I am . . . I am . . . I have given, rented out this loft for my use. That's all right, but I am not the proprietor . . ." Similarly, whole thing, the whole world . .

The Īśopaniṣad teaches us, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (Īśo mantra 1); "Nothing, nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to God." There is a story that God laughs when two party fights for the land. Actually we have seen. In India, when there was partition day, the Hindu, Muslim, fought. Hindu, Muslim, fought, and when both of them died and lied on the street and strewn all over the street and ask them, "Now, whose land it is?" now nobody replied. Nobody replied. The God's land will remain here. And we simply fight, that "This is my land. This is my land." These are all these, I mean to say, paraphernalia of our illusion. Illusion.

So here Lord says that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo 'ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ: "Just like the tortoise closes his senses according to his wish, similarly, the person who is able to use his senses according to his own control, he is to be understood that he's situated in the spiritual platform." Use of the senses is not bad, but one should use when it is needed, not according to the dictation of the senses. Not according to the dictation of the senses. You'll find here in the Bhagavad-gītā later on that God says that "Sex intercourse for generating a child is Myself." God says: "I am." But beyond that, sexual intercourse is not . . . the Lord says: "I have nothing to do with that."

So in every way, in every way, it does not prohibit that we should not use our senses. No. We shall use our senses when it is required, not according to the dictation of the senses. That should . . . we should be in that platform. If I am following the dictation of my senses, then I am not the master of the senses; I am the servant of the senses. So actually our position is like that. Because we have forgotten our real master, real master, the Supreme Lord, by illusory energy we have been put to be servant of the senses. Instead of becoming servant of the Supreme, we have become the servant of the senses.

The whole material life is nothing but servant of sense. Servant of sense. The whole . . . people are working whole day hard. So the Bhāgavata, Bhāgavata has diagnosed why they are so much enthusiastic in working so hard. Now, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45).

The only impetus is that they will have some sex enjoyment. That's all. That is the end of all activities. The whole world is . . . not only in human being; you'll find in the kingdom of the birds, in the beasts, that everyone is working, everyone is busy. Why? To end it into the sex life. That means in the this material conception of life everyone has become the servant of the senses. And in the spiritual conception of life he'll no longer be the servant of the senses, but he'll be the master of the senses. That is the difference.

And by the . . . by becoming the master of the senses, how it is the senses are used? Just like the kūrma, the tortoise. The tortoise, as whenever he likes, that "Now I shall manifest my senses," yes, he manifests his . . . and whenever he likes, according to his own . . . the very example. Nature, nature . . . this is called nature study. We have to study from so many things from lower animals. So here the very good example is set herewith that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmaḥ aṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ. Just like the tortoise is practiced to wound up his senses within his body according to his will, similarly, indriyāṇi indriyārthebhyaḥ, similarly, when we should use the senses and what purpose, when, when one comes to understand this, then he is situated in spiritual consciousness.

Now, just . . . just take the same example of Arjuna. Now, Arjuna says that, "I'll not fight. I'll not fight with my relatives and brothers for the sake of achieving some kingdom. No, no, no." Now, for the ordinary man it appears to be, "Oh, Arjuna is very nice man, nonviolent. He's giving up everything for the sake of his relatives. Oh, what a nice man he is." This is ordinary calculation.

But what Kṛṣṇa says? "You are fool, damn fool number one." You see? And that we have already discussed. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11): "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one." Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. "You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical."

Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām (SB 1.2.8).

Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Hari-toṣaṇam. We have to see it, "Whether the Supreme Consciousness is pleased with my this action." So Arjuna's action was not approved, not approved by Lord Kṛṣṇa. But the same Arjuna, he fought at the last. After hearing the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, he engaged himself in the fight.

Now here, here the sense, the senses . . . in the fighting we require to use our senses. Now, when the senses were withdrawn, when the senses . . . sense satisfaction . . . Arjuna's statement that "I shall not fight," that was his sense satisfaction. Because he was thinking in bodily relation, therefore that sort of thinking, that "I shall not fight," this mental state was his sense's satisfaction. But here, when he agreed to fight, that was not his sense satisfaction; that was the satisfaction of the Lord.

Therefore we have to purify our senses, not to use it for my satisfaction, but to use it for the satisfaction of the Supreme. That's all. That is . . . that is our perfection. You are not devoid of the senses. Not that after being situated in spiritual consciousness your senses become null and void. No. Senses cannot be null and void, because life means senses. Without senses there is no life. But the . . . this is the process of purification of the senses. That's all.

Now there, there is another example. In India there were . . . why India? In this world. As in the, within our memory, there are two great wars, world war number one, world war number two. We have experienced. So I think some of you or many of you have not experienced what is the war number one—in 1914 it was started, and I think none of you were born in 19 . . . (laughs) So I have seen; I was a child at that time. The war was declared in 1914. So beyond these two world wars, there were, there were another two great world wars. That is mentioned in the history of the epics, epics of India, Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata: the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa and the war between the two cousin-brothers, Kurus and Pāṇḍava.

But you'll be surprised. In these two wars God is the hero, practically. In the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa . . . Rāma is also the Personality of Godhead, incarnation of . . . and Kṛṣṇa was also present. In two wars the God is present. You see? God is present. You see? And Hanumān. Hanumān, for the sake of pleasing the Lord, he set fire to the empire of Rāvaṇa. To the empire of the Rāvaṇa. And here also you find that Arjuna, he fought for the sake of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.

So fighting, fighting is not bad, provided it is fought for the, for pleasing the Supreme Lord. And fighting is also necessary sometimes. So we cannot make the world nonviolent. Everything will remain. In the laws of nature, everything will remain. The sex life will remain. The fighting will remain. And whatever we are seeing in our experience, everything will remain, will continue to remain. You cannot abolish a drop of it. But the whole process is that we have to purify . . .

(break) (end)