Todays Bhagavad-Gita Class As it is Ch 2 Text13 As it is Spoken By His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada,From Los Angeles 4-11-73

[Guest guest]

GT062

" The First Lesson--Not This Body "

 

73/04/11 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 2.13

 

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Prabhupada:

 

dehino 'smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyati

[bg. 2.13]

 

So this is a statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavan

uvaca, that you are not this body. The first instruction for spiritual

understanding is to know that I am not this body. This is the beginning. The

so-called yogis, they are exercising the body, studying the psychology of the

mind by charts, by so many humbugs. But our philosophy (is) that we are not this

body. Then where is the question of exercising the body and spiritual

realization? If I am not this body, then how I can realize myself simply by some

gymnastic process? So this is the mistake -- the karmis, jnanis and the yogis.

The karmis, fruitive workers, materialistic persons, they want bodily comforts.

Their only idea is how to get the best comfort of this body. This body means the

senses. We have got eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, hands, genital -- so many

senses we have got.

 

So as soon as we are in the bodily concept of life, immediately the

necessity is for sense gratification. But Krsna says to Arjuna that " You are not

this body. " So therefore my self-interest does not depend on my bodily comforts.

They do not know this. Everyone, at the present moment, in this age, their only

business is how to gratify the senses. The Western countries, they have got

little information, but in India, there was cultivation of all kinds of

philosophy So atheist philosophy was there. Carvaka Muni is the chief of the

atheist class of philosophers. So he said, hedonism. The Western philosophy is

hedonism, that eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. This philosophy. So long you have

got this body, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. The Carvaka Muni also said like

that. Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet. In India, bodily enjoyment means first, tongue.

Tongue's enjoyment. Everywhere. Here also. Tongue's enjoyment. So if we want to

control our senses... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura, following the footsteps of

previous acarya, he says that " Control your tongue. " Control your tongue. And in

the Bhagavata also it is said, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

[brs. 1.2.234]. With our, these blunt senses, we cannot understand Krsna. It is

not possible. The senses are so imperfect that you cannot acquire any perfect

knowledge, material or spiritual, by the senses. That is not possible. Atah.

Even if you cannot know perfectly the affairs of this material world. Just like

they are studying the moon planet, the nearest planet. Besides this moon planet,

there are millions and trillions of other planets. They cannot say anything.

Because the senses are imperfect. How you can understand? I can see, say up to

one mile. But when there is question of millions and trillions of miles, how you

can use your senses and have the perfect knowledge? So you cannot have even

material knowledge perfectly by using these senses. What to speak of God and

spiritual knowledge? That is beyond, manasa-gocara, beyond your conception.

Therefore sastra says: atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [brs.

1.2.234]. If you want to know God by mental speculation, that is frog

philosophy, Dr. Frog, calculating Atlantic Ocean, sitting down in the well. This

is called frog philosophy. You cannot understand. Then how it is possible to

understand? The next line is sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty. If you

employ your tongue in the service of the Lord, He'll reveal Himself to you.

He'll reveal, revelation.

 

So therefore we have to control the tongue. What is the tongue's business?

The tongue's business is taste and vibrate. So you vibrate in service of the

Lord, Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna means " O Krsna, O the energy of the Lord, kindly

engage me in Your service. " Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare...

This is the meaning of Hare Krsna. It has no other meaning. " O my Lord Krsna and

O the energy of Krsna, Radharani, especially, kindly both of You engage me in

Your service. " As Narottama dasa Thakura says: ha ha prabhu nanda-suta

vrsabhanu-suta-juta: " My Lord, Krsna, You are well known as the son of Nanda

Maharaja. And Your eternal consort, Radharani, She's also known as the daughter

of King Vrsabhanu. So both of You are here. " Ha ha prabhu nanda-suta

vrsabhanu-suta... koruna karoho ei-bara. " Now I have come to You. Please both of

You be merciful upon me. " This is Hare Krsna: " Be merciful upon me. "

Narottama-dasa koy na theliho ranga pay: " Your lotus feet, You have got, don't

neglect me or push away with Your lotus feet. " I think if Krsna kicks and push

away, that is our great fortune. You see. If Krsna kicks with His lotus feet:

" You go away, " that is also a great fortune. What to speak of accepting? Just

like when Krsna was kicking on the hood of the Kaliya. So the Kaliya's wives

prayed: " My dear Sir, I do not know, this culprit, Kaliya, how he became so

fortunate that his hood is being kicked by You? Your touch of lotus feet, great,

great sages, saintly persons are trying to meditate upon millions of years, but

this Kaliya... I do not know, what did he do in his past life that he's

fortunate that his hood is being kicked by You? "

 

So this is our position, that we cannot understand Krsna by our mental

speculation, limited sense. That is not possible. We have to engage --

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [brs. 1.2.234] -- beginning from jihva, tongue. Tongue is

the greatest enemy, and it is the greatest friend also. If you allow the tongue

to do whatever it likes, smoking, drinking, eating meat, and this and that, then

it is your greatest enemy. And if you do not allow the tongue, you can control

the tongue, then you can control the, all the senses. Automatically. Ta'ra

madhye jihva ati lobhamoy sudurmati, ta'ke jeta kathina samsare, krsna bado

doyamoy koribare jihva jay, sva-prasad-anna dilo bhai, sei annamrta pao,

radha-krsna-guna gao, preme dako caitanya-nitai. So tongue should be used always

for glorifying the Supreme Lord. That is our business with the tongue. And the

tongue should not be allowed to eat anything except krsna-prasada. Then you

become liberated, simply by controlling the tongue. And if you allow the tongue

to do anything, then it very difficult. So the spiritual education, as Krsna

says, begins when you understand that I am not this body. And satisfying the

senses is not my business, because I am not this body. If I am not this body,

why shall I bother myself to satisfy the body only? Body means the senses. This

is the first instruction.

 

So the karmis, jnanis, yogis, they're all trying to satisfy the demands of

the body. The karmis are directly doing that. " Eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. "

That is their philosophy. Jnani also, he's simply trying to understand that " I

am not this body. " Neti neti neti neti: " This is not, this is not, this is not,

this is not, this is no... " The yogis, they are also trying to come to the point

of controlling the senses by bodily exercise, hatha-yoga. So their center of

activity is body. Center of activity is body. And our philosophy begins that

" You are not this body. " You see? When they will pass their M.A. examination in

studying this body, then they may be able to understand what is their function.

But our philosophy begins that " You are not this body. "

 

Postgraduate study. " You are not this body. " That is Krsna's instruction.

We have seen so many big, big politicians and scholars in India. They write

comments on Bhagavad-gita, but they write on this bodily concept of life. We

have seen in our country the great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, his photo is with

Bhagavad-gita. But what did he do throughout his whole life? The bodily concept:

" I am Indian. I am Indian. " Nationalism means that bodily concept of life. " I am

Indian. " " I am American. " " I am Canadian. " But we are not this body. Then were

is the question of " I am Indian, " " I am American, " " I am Canadian " ? So they have

no, this knowledge, the bodily concept of life, they're absorbed, and still

they're authority of Bhagavad-gita. Just see the fun. And Bhagavad-gita teaches

in the beginning " You are not this body. " And they are in the bodily concept of

life. Then just try to understand what is their position. What they can

understand Bhagavad-gita? If one is feeling that " I belong to this nation, I

belong to this family, I belong to this community, I belong to this cult, I

belong to this, I belong to this religion..., " everything is bodily concept of

life. The yogis, they are also trying to understand by bodily exercise. The

jnani is also trying to know, understand fully that " I am not this body. " And

the karmis, they cannot understand. They are as animals. The animals cannot

understand that he's not body.

 

So factually the karmis, jnanis, yogis, are a little, maybe elevated than

the animals. That's all. They are on the animal platform, but it is little

elevated. So I give this example -- perhaps you heard it -- that the dry side of

the stool. India, they pass stool on the open field. So at the end of day,

because there is sunshine, the upper side of the stool becomes dried up. And the

lower side, still moist. So somebody says, " This side is very good. " He does not

know. It is stool after all. This side, or that side. So these rascals, they are

on the bodily concept of life, and they are thinking that " I am nationalist, " " I

am yogi, " " I am this, I am that, I am that... " You see. This is the philosophy.

 

So long you are in the bodily concept of life, we are no better than the

animal. That is the Bhagavata philosophy. You are animal. Yasyatma-buddhih

kunape tri-dhatuke. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dha... [sB 10.84.13], sva-dhih

kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv

abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah [sB 10.84.13]. So go-khara means, go means cow, khara

means ass. Animals. So who is that? Now yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatu. This

bag of tri-dhatu -- kapha pitta vayu -- if one thinks that " I am this body, I am

this body, and, in bodily relation,... " Because in bodily relation I have got my

family, society, children, wife, country, and therefore they are mine. So

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dha..., sva-dhih. Sva-dhih means thinking: " They are

mine. I am theirs. " Sva-dhih kalatradisu. Kalatra means wife. Through wife, we

get children, we expand. The Sanskrit word is stri. Stri means expansion. I

remain one. As soon as I get wife, I get, become two. Then three, then four,

then five. Like that. That is called stri. So, our expansion, these expansions,

these material expansion, bodily expansion, means illusion. Janasya moho 'yam

aham mameti [sB 5.5.8]. This illusion increases, that " I am this body, and in

bodily relation, everything is mine. " Aham mama. Aham means " I " , and mama means

" my. "

 

So, so long one shall remain in the bodily concept of life, his illusion

will increase. It will never decrease. Therefore the first instruction of Krsna

to Arjuna... Because if Arjuna would not have been in that position of illusion,

that " I am this body, and the other side, my brother, my grandfather, my

nephews, they're all my relations. How can I kill? " This is the illusion.

 

Therefore to dissipate this illusion, darkness, Krsna begins the first

lesson that " You are not this body. " Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam

jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [bg. 2.13]. You'll have to change this body as you

have already changed. You have already changed. You were a baby. You change your

body to child. You change your body to boyhood. You change your body to

youthhood. You change your body to old man. Now, after change is ... As you have

already changed so many times, similarly, there will be another change. You'll

have to accept another body. Very simply logic. You have already changed.

 

So tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati: [bg. 2.13] " So don't

be afraid that your nephews and grandfather or guru and they will die. They'll

not die. Change the body. " That's it. So na muhyati dhira. Dhira means sober,

whose brain is nice, cool brain. One should not be bewildered when there is

change of body. But the point is, Krsna says that tatha dehantara-praptih.

Another change of... So the sober, one who is sober, he will think: " Then what

kind of body I'm going to get next? " That is the problem. But these rascals,

they do not know. Still, they are proud of their intelligence. He does not know

for what kind of body he has come to this body, and what he's going to get next

body. They have no intelligence. Even they are said that " Suppose if you get

next body, dog's body, " they say, " What is the harm? " Yes. In, what is called,

Hawaii University, one student says like that. He's student. He's being

educated. But he doesn't care even if he's going to become a dog next life. This

is the education. This is the education. And they're intelligent. Professor

Kotovsky said, in Moscow: " Swamiji, after finishing this body, everything is

finished. " Just see. He's professor. And he's student.

 

So this is the position of so-called professor, student, university, all

rascals. This is our challenge. All rascals. Because they are in the bodily

concept of life, " I am this body. And the body has no change. " Body's changing.

He's seeing actually in this life. Still he'll not believe that " After changing

this body, I'll get another body. " It is very logical. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [bg. 2.13]. Exactly in the same

way, as we have changed so many times this body, I'll have to change. Therefore,

one who is intelligent, he should try to understand that " What kind of body I

going to get next? " That is intelligence. So that is also explained in the

Bhagavad-gita, what kind of body you can get.

 

yanti deva-vrata devan

pitrn yanti pitr-vratah

bhutani yanti bhutejya

yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam

[bg. 9.25]

 

If you want to go to the higher planetary system where demigods live for

hundreds and thousands and millions of years... Just like Brahma. Brahma's one

day you cannot calculate. So in higher planetary system, you have got thousands

and thousands of better facility for sense gratification and duration of life.

Everything. Otherwise, why the karmis, they want to go to the heavenly planet?

So yanti deva-vrata devan [bg. 9.25]. So if you try to go the higher planetary

system, you can go. Krsna says. There is process. Just like for going to the

moon planet, one must be very expert in the karma-kanda, fruitive activities. By

karma-kanda, you get, by the resultant action of your pious activities, you can

be promoted to the moon planet. That is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. But

you cannot enter moon planet by your, this process: " By force we shall go with

this aeroplane and jets and sputniks. Oh... " That's not possible. Suppose I got

a nice motorcar in America. If I want to enter in another country forcibly, is

it possible? No. You must get the passport, visa. You must get sanction from the

government. Then you can enter. Not that because you have got a very good car,

you'll be allowed. So we cannot by force... This is foolish attempt, childish

attempt. They cannot go. Therefore nowadays they stopped. They do not speak.

They are realizing their failure. In this way, you cannot. So, but there is

possibility. You can go if you adopt the real process. You can be promoted.

Similarly you can go to the Pitrlokas by offering sraddhas and pinda; you can go

to the Pitrloka. Similarly you can remain in this loka. Bhutejya. Similarly you

can go back to home, back to Godhead. So who is intelligent? And if you ask:

What is the benefit by going to the planet, back to home, back to Godhead? That

is assured in the Bhagavad-gita: mam upetya tu kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam

napnuvanti: [bg. 8.15] " If you come to Me, then you won't have to accept again

this material body, which is full of miserable conditions. You will remain in

your spiritual body. "

 

So our Krsna consciousness movement is meant for, I mean to say, allowing,

elevating all living entities... Of course, it is not for all. It is very

difficult. But anyone who has accepted this Krsna consciousness movement, if he

follows the principles, then he's surely going to home, back to home, back to

Godhead. That is certain. But if you deviate, if you become attracted by maya,

that is your business. But we are giving you information: This is the process, a

simple process. Chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, be purified, be..., remain always

liberated from material clutches, and tyaktva deham. Mam upetya. Janma karma me

divyam yo janati... If you simply try to understand Krsna, then tyaktva deham,

after quitting this body, mam eti, " You'll come to Me. "

 

So this is our philosophy. It is very simple. And everything is explained

in the Bhagavad-gita. You try to realize and preach this cult for the benefit of

the whole world. Then everyone will be happy.

 

Thank you very much. (end)

 

Please Look at my newest Page Krsnawonders

http://www.geocities.com/krsnawonders - If You

done,Just Started,But ready to see! Hit the >> on the left top of the page

,the site will open to the normal size,It is not Please Thank Aseem Kaistha, For

the Painting of The Battlefield at Kurusetra,Your

Servant,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jaya Kesava Dasa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

, " Jaya Kesava Dasa " <krsnajoe

 

Dear Jaya Kesava Dasa,

 

Namaste!

 

Your write up quoting Sri Prabhu-pada on Bhagwad-gita made an

interesting reading. The main theme is we are not the body and

we should control our TONGUE which should be used to chant Lord's

name and eat Lord's prasadam only.

 

Rest gnanis, yogis, etc., are ignorant people then what right

Sri Prabhupada has got to label them as " RASCALS " . The dictionary

defines this word meaning as - SCOUNDREL, ROGUE. Does it behove

a realised person to use such a harsh language on the ignorant

people when he clearly states tongue is to be used only for

chanting lord's name and eating prasadam of lord krishna. Even to

make a point there is absolutely no need to say rascal and if i am

not mistaken in the text you have quoted him he has uttered the

word rascal atleast 5 times.

 

I would love to hear your comments on this.

 

Thanks and regards

 

Sudhakar

 

HARI OM TAT SAT! Cheers! )

 

 

>

>

> Prabhupada:

>

 

> So factually the karmis, jnanis, yogis, are a little, maybe

elevated than the animals. So these rascals, they are on the bodily concept of

life, and they are thinking that " I am nationalist, " " I am yogi, " " I am this, I

am that,

I am that... " You see. This is the philosophy.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sudhakar and Members of this Group,Please ,Please, Forgive me,I never Meant

to offend Anyone in the Group!I never,ever wanted Bad Feelings,and Things said

in Anger,To be Brought here! I deaply respect Everyone here,and Never Meant To

cause, any Harm Here! I will answerEvery Post,one at a time,As you know,I think

we are on different Times,So I was Taking Rest,Most of the Time,These posts

,were going Back and Forth,So,Please,With Love in my Heart,For All of You,Let me

Try to Clear Up,some of the Misunderstanding ,of my Gurus Lecture on the

Bhagavad-Gita!

Please dont Think I kept out of this Conversation,To Let Deito,Explian,What I

should Be Explaining,And Thank You,Deito,For Trying To Stop a Landslide,As All

of You must Know,I respect All Paths,Though my Guru,Spoke For Time and

circumstance,as He Told us Always,if We Preach,or Talk about Krsna,It must Be

For Time And Cirumstance!

First,Please Please,Everyone,Accept my most Humble Obiesances,And Please Forgive

Me,for Taking Rest,While I should have been Here,Answering This first Letter

From Dear Sudhakar!I will answer Everyone!

Please Know,I am Lower than a Blade of Grass,Compared to most members,And I was

Born a Mleccha,A Meat Eater,I think it means Dog-Eater,And had no idea,Even as a

child I was being Fead The Meat of the Holy Cow,Though I remember Having to be

forced to eat it,as a Child<I would Spit it our,and Give it to the Pet Dog,under

the Table!So

Know,being born in America,I am the Lowest Born Member Here!

To clear Out One thing First,Srila Prabhupada,Like What some Members Said,Had an

Affection for People He,Sometimes Callled Rascles,As i known Him to Call ,some

of His Most intimate,close,Diciples, Rascles! So,I know there Is No offence!

Dear Sudhakar ,I have alot to say here,so forgive me from going back and forth

in the Post!Thank You for Saying That Srila Prabhupada at least was trying to

say, " The main theme is we are not the body and we should control our TONGUE

which should be used to chant Lord's name and eat Lord's prasadam only.To answer

Your Question as to why He needed,to say rascal,is that Chanting the Lords

Name,is also in the Form of Krsna Katha(Talking about Krsna),so in his

Lecture,Chanting and Explining Krsna Consciousness to a Bunch of American

Hippys,was the same! We were all

Mlecchas,Mainly concerned,with trying to find some(High)intoxication from the

MainlyFalse Gurus of that time area,Who came to amercica,Just to Take The Money

From rich Hippys,Who Gave them Everything,Just to be made their Diciples!

Thats what I mean.Preaching For time and Circumstance!Look at the date and place

of this lecture? Los Angeles 1973,

He mabey had to use some harsh words to Let us Know,He was taking about the

Supreme Lord ,Krsna! How did he ever Establish a Krsna Temple in Every Major

City in the World,Yet Alone Starting with Stoned Hippys,Myself being one of

them,Yes I am the Lowest among you!I am fortunate enough to be Let on

Saadhnaa,Yet Alone Put the Knowledge My Guru brought Here from India!I think

most of the Members,though I dont Know for sure,are born Hindu or muslem,I dont

Know,Please Tell me?

So most of you are more addvanced,than the people my guru was trying to protect

against bogas Gurus,Who were mostly Impersonalist! I understand that is a choice

that we can Make,and Krsna Talks About The Different Paths to God!I accept all

of the Members Here,As i now am alittle Seasoned,or more mature!So you Know When

I first Heard Krsna's Name,I knew Paramatma in my Heart Awakened,AndSaid,Yes

This Is GOD! As Quoted in the Begining Of The Bhagavad Gita As it is " I was born

in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes With the torch

of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him " .SO,this was me

also,Except I was Lowborn,and only by His Grace am I a Vaisnava,In love With

Radha and Krsna!Please Accept my obiesances,I think I must Stop Here,Thank

You,Sudhakar and Members of this Group,Your Humble

Servant,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,J\

aya Kesava Dasa

 

I will answer Every Post,Please be paitant with me and my bad spelling! Jai

Radhe! Jai Krsna!

HARI BOL! HARE KRSNA!!

 

 

 

 

-

spbyoga9

Your write up quoting Sri Prabhu-pada on Bhagwad-gita made an

interesting reading. The main theme is we are not the body and

[Guest guest]

, " Jaya Kesava Dasa " <krsnajoe

 

Dear Jaya Kesava Dasa,

 

Namaste!

 

Read your long explanation. Thanks.

 

What more i can say except may you experience Krishna consciousness

in this birth itself.

 

Warm regards

 

Sudhakar

 

HARI OM TAT SAT! Cheers! )