text-053
"The Material World--A Chance"
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.23
August 26, 1972, Los Angeles

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter gunas tair
yuktah parah purusa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnah
sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh

Translation: "The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly
associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and
ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and
destruction, He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva.
Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Visnu, the
form of the quality of goodness."

Prabhupada: So material world means the three qualities. Material world is
going on under three energetic energies: sattva, rajas, tamas. We have explained
several times, we see varieties of living entities, varieties of trees,
varieties of everything. Anywhere you go, you simply find varieties. Some of
them you like, some of them you do not like. So these varieties are due to these
three material modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas.

So when creation has taken place, the things should be managed properly,
so Krsna Himself, He expands into three forms for management. One form is Lord
Visnu, one form is Lord Siva and the other form is Lord Brahma. Brahma creates,
Lord Visnu maintains, and Lord Siva destroys. Because in the material nature,
you cannot have anything permanent. That is material nature. It is just like the
flashlight. When you pass through roads and avenue, there are three colors --
red, blue and yellow. They're passing through, always. Not that the blue is
always existing, or red is always existing, or the yellow is always. Passing,
simply. That is the nature, material nature. Here, everything is born. That is
called srsti, creation.

Everything is creation. That is our experience. Everything is created and
it is maintained for some time. Just like my body, your body, is created. And it
will be maintained for some times. But at the end, when the body is old, it will
be destroyed. This is material nature. Some of the philosophers, they say there
is no such thing, creation or destruction; everything is existing always. That
we also accept. That everything is existing always means Krsna. And Krsna... The
creation is going through three stages. The creation taking place, it is being
maintained for some time, and again it is destroyed. These things are going on.
The same example: the lights, flashlights. They are coming and going. But the
puller of the lights, behind the light, he is existing. Similarly, the creator
is existing, but not the creation. Creation is coming into existence, is
sustained, and again... But the creator is there. Aham evasam agre. Lord Krsna
says that "Before creation I was there." Otherwise who will create? "Before
creation I was there. While creation is maintained, I am there. And when it is
destroyed, still I am there."

So in three stages, Krsna is there: in the past, present and future.
Therefore He knows everything. If, under my direction, something is going, going
on, I have created something, it is maintained, and it is destroyed, I am
seeing, or I am ordering, then I am always existing. I know when it is created,
when it is maintained and when it is destroyed. So Krsna knows past, present and
future. Krsna does not mean alone. Krsna means there is another kingdom. Just
like when we speak of a king, it means the king is not alone. There is queen,
there is palace, there is bodyguard, there is secretary, there is commander in
chief, so many things. Just like in England, there is Queen Elizabeth. It does
not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia.
Similarly, when we speak of Krsna, Krsna means His name, His form, His quality,
His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd,
cows, His Vrndavana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this
material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And
that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But
in the middle, the point, Krsna, He is ever-existing.

Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham [Bg.
15.1]. You have... You know. Just like a tree, standing on the shore of a
reservoir of water. You'll find the reflection of the tree downward. Everything
is topsy-turvied. The trunk, the root is on the up, and the foliage, which is on
the up, that has come down. Similarly, this material world is described in the
Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter: urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham. Generally, we see
tree downwards, root, but in the reflection you will find the roots upward.
Therefore urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham means these material varieties are simply an
imitation of the original variety. Just like I'll give you very nice example.
Just there will be a great fair. Just like we had in this Allahabad, Magha-mela.
So because government knew that many people will come to take bath in the
Ganges, confluence of Ganges and Yamuna, all of a sudden, a great city,
practically, was developed. Those who have seen -- so many houses, camps,
electric lights, post office, everything. Temporary, created. But as soon as...
It is maintained also so long the mela, the fair, is going on. And as soon as
the duration of mela is finished, all people go away and the temporary township
is also demolished. That we have seen. Similarly, this material world means it
is a kind of fair, assembly of so many men. What is the purpose? The purpose is
to give them chance, just the Magha-mela is a chance to become purified, to
become pious. They take bath in the Ganges. They become, get an opportunity, an
auspicious moment to take bath.

So it is like that. There are living entities who are eternally
conditioned and there are living entities eternally liberated. The eternally
liberated souls, living entities, they are with Krsna, they're dancing with
Krsna, because they have no other desire than to satisfy Krsna. That is the
difference between eternally conditioned and eternally liberated. Eternally
liberated means they have no other desire. All these gopis, all the cowherds
boys, all the cows, all the trees, all the water, all the father, mother,
friends, they're simply trying to satisfy Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They have no
other business. That is Vrndavana. The central point is Krsna. And here, in this
material world, everyone is trying to satisfy himself. His center is he himself.
Therefore he's exploiting others, he's cheating others, he's making so many
things, bluffing, because he wants to enjoy himself. That's all. This is the
difference between spiritual world and material world. If you want to satisfy
yourself, your senses, that is material. And if you want to satisfy Krsna,
Krsna's senses, then it is spiritual. This is the difference. So either do it
here or go to Vaikuntha, Goloka, do there -- the business is the same.

So this is a chance, these conditioned souls who have come to this
material world to enjoy senses, they are given chance, they are given chance,
"All right, you enjoy. You want to enjoy as human being. All right, take a body
of human being. If you want to enjoy like a tiger, all right, take a body. If
you want to enjoy as demigod, all right, take a body." Krsna is so liberal,
"Take, and enjoy as you like. But you'll never be happy." That is the crucial
point. "If you want to happy, then surrender unto Me." This is the point. You
cannot manufacture your happiness.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmm

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