710711 - Lecture - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710711LE-LOS_ANGELES - July 11, 1971 - 15:49 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . and the spiritual platform. The past, present and future calculation is according to this body. That there are different calculation it is scientifically proved—relativity, law of relativity. This world's past, present and future is different from the past, present, future of an ordinary man. The ant's past, present and future is different from human being. So this past, present and future is in relationship with this body.

Actually, as we are eternal spirit soul, we have no past, present or future. Just like this child, he is playing. After a few years this age will be a past tense. Every one of us, we had also similar body, and that is now past tense. But I am this proprietor of the body. I remember that in such-and-such year I was a child like this, in such-and-such year I was a boy like this, in such-and-such year I was a young man like this. Therefore, "I" is eternal. I am eternal.

This past and present and future is due to the change of body. Is it not a fact? I am the same, feeling, I am feeling same. The old man, an old man, he also remembers his enjoyments during his youthful time, and sometimes he wants to go back to those youthful days. An old man, when he meets his old friends, he talks about his youthful days. That means as spirit soul I am always youthful, but due to this condition of this body, I am feeling sometimes childish, sometime old man, sometime this or that.

Bhagavad-gītā explains this idea very nicely: na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin (BG 2.20). The spirit soul has no birth nor death. This body . . . just like we are no longer in our past childhood body, similarly, when this body will be also finished, it does not mean that I will not exist. I will continue to exist. As I am existing, as I can remember my childhood days, my youthful days, therefore I am existing. In spite of my . . . that childhood body being finished, my youthful body being finished, I am existing. Similarly, after finishing this body also, I will exist. Is there any difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty.

I am eternal. The only difference is that, because we are infinitesimal living spark, therefore we forget. Just like I can remember roughly about my childhood days, but I cannot remember the day-to-day activities in my childhood. That is . . . that defect is there due to my infinitesimal position.

In the Bhagavad-gītā this fact was very nicely discussed between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa said that, "This philosophy was spoken by Me to the sun-god millions of years ago," Arjuna inquired, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe that You spoke some millions of years ago this philosophy to the sun-god?" What was the answer? The answer is, Kṛṣṇa said: "Yes, millions and millions of times I also appeared, and you also appeared. The difference is that you do not remember; I remember."

That is the difference between God and ordinary living entity. Otherwise, qualitatively, God and the living entity the same. So only difference is that He is great, infinite. Therefore we cannot calculate His infinite qualities. But I, being infinitesimal, my qualities, my capacities, my energy, they are very infinitesimal. Therefore I forget. And because I forget, therefore I cannot remember what was my body in my last birth. Because I cannot remember. Death means forget. Just like at night you forget everything, sleeping. Similarly, when this body is finished, we forget about this body. We are interested in the next body.

So this forgetfulness is the opposite number of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . we are trying to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are trying to get out of this conditional life of forgetfulness. That is our perfection of life. We are trying to achieve that perfectional state of life. That is called struggle for existence, and somehow or other defeated. So our last point of perfection, where we can survive eternally, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This . . . this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started in your country. It is not a new, manufactured thing, concocted thing. It is very old, because the Bhagavad-gītā is there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means Bhagavad-gītā. Even from historical calculation, the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken at least five thousand years ago. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, even from historical calculation, at least five thousand years old.

So modern history of the world cannot give any chronological data of historical event more than three thousand years, but this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is still older—from prehistoric days. It is not new. Eternal. As I am eternal, God is eternal, this consciousness is also eternal. But because we have forgotten due to the covering of the illusory energy, we have to revive it. That is our business. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said:

nitya-siddha-kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

(CC Madhya 22.107)

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in every person, otherwise why you are taking so much interest? You are all American boys and girls. I don't think in this meeting there is any Indian. Somebody may say that, "Kṛṣṇa is Indian, Kṛṣṇa is Hindu. It is Hindu God." No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. If Kṛṣṇa would not have been for everyone, how could you, especially, take up this movement so serious? Kṛṣṇa also said that He does not belong to any particular sect. He said that all living entities in different types of forms, 8,400,000's of forms, and Kṛṣṇa claims that He is the seed-giving father of all of them.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not limited to any particular sect, any particular country or people. It is for everyone. It is universal. Simply we have to revive it. That consciousness is there in everybody. It is dormant, and we are just trying to revive it. Just a man is sleeping, and some of his friends is calling him, "Mr. Such-and-such, please wake up. You are too much sleeping. Please wake up."

So similarly, our movement is, in this country, "My dear Western brothers, you are too much sleeping in material hallucination. This is not your business. Sleeping is not business. Please wake up. Please be awakened. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So simply by awakening . . . our business is to awaken, and then he takes to it. Then he remembers everything.

So I am so pleased that these boys are kindly helping me in spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and Kṛṣṇa will bless them. I am very insignificant. I have no capacity. My business is only to convey the message of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a postal peon: his business is to convey the letter. He is not responsible for the body of the letters. The reaction . . . after reading one letter the addressee may feel something, but that responsibility is not for the peon.

Similarly, my responsibility is, what I have received from disciplic succession, from my spiritual master, I am just presenting the same thing, but without any adulteration. That is my business. That is my responsibility. I must present things exactly in the same way as it was presented by Kṛṣṇa, as it was presented by Arjuna, as it was presented by our ācāryas, Lord Caitanya, and at last my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

So similarly, if you take up the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the same spirit, and if you distribute to other people, to your other countrymen, surely it will be effective. Because there is no adulteration. There is no bluff. There is no cheating. It is pure spiritual consciousness. Just practice it and distribute it. Your life will be glorious.

Thank you.

(devotees offer obeisances) (end)