This life is for enlightenment not for enjoyment

Noida [1:6:32]

Happy to meet all assembled youth! Like some of you are old ones and some new faces. Faces also keep changing so whatever images we have of your face five years old, five years ago also changes. Luckily we are not worried about the faces but person behind the face is more important than the face. I am asked to address you, this address also is not to your face we are not addressing the faces or we are not addressing your hands or your feet but person behind the face and feet. Thus the basic advice of the understanding is we are not this bodies. You heard about this? Do we exist? We are not the bodies then all that we have is a body? We are not the body then who exists? Does anyone exist? It is the basic question. Our guru maharaja Srila Prabhupada use to say, “We have to understand we are not this body. He used to ask simple questions. He used to ask question Someone here raise your hand the question is. Are you the hand? Or it is your hand? It is your hand. You are not hand, you are not Mr.Hand. Touch your head same question is here are you the head or it is your head? It is my head. I am not head. Then, I am not stomach it belongs to me and legs also I am not the legs leg belong to me.

Then Prabhupada “Ok you are not the hands just cut of the hands, you are not the legs , chop off the legs” and therefore you are not hair, no hand, someone no leg, so you will throw the head and legs and scattered all over then where are you? Normally we think where is your ID? Do you have your ID? I look like this my photo, look into the mirror that’s me that is myself. But we just say I am not the face I am not the hand but we still put together that’s me just put all those pieces together that’s me. So this is analytical way of understanding we are not this body we are different from the body. We are owners of the body but not the body. Body belongs to me, hand belongs to me, I am not the hand it is my property head is my property whole body is my property.

So two things proprietor and the property. Body is our property then who is the proprietor? Proprietor of the head is different from the head. Proprietor exists or property sometime changes we have small property 10kg property when we took birth. Then 10 years old- 40 kg property, when we are 20 years old -80 kg property sometime. The same owner does not change whether it is a small property, small body, youth body, old body mother always addresses my son if son is a baby, is a man, is old man. So something in the body does not change but body changes and of course the big change takes place when the body dies. So, question is what is the difference between living body and dead body? What is the difference? Proprietor has left the property behind he is gone he has abandoned his property and he is no more in their inside. He has gone in search of another body then he becomes the proprietor of new body for some time then he dies and the body dies. But body is always there it appears to be living because the living force because of presence of the living force in the body as a result body seems to be living body otherwise body is always dead body.

It is made up of matter which is dead matter. If I wear gloves magine if I move my fingers, fingers of that glove also move why? Because there is someone inside those fingers in the gloves. Movement is considered sign of life and growth is also considered sign of life. Sometime the baby is born dead does that dead baby grow? No because the living force proprietor has already left. In the language of Bhagavat dharma it is called atma. So this is our ID we are atma or we are spirit soul within the body so we are not body we are in the body within the body. In one word what is difference between living body and dead body? Force that makes that particular body living has left. Ok in some other words? Dead body is inert.

People may not be philosophically very sound or knowledgeable about existence of soul but they all when someone dies they begin crying what do they say? Chala gaya (laughter) chala gaya. So who has left we always thought he is my brother, wife or my friend. The body is lying there in front of you, may in your lap or may be in the bed next to you but you are crying or declaring that he has left. So most illiterate or ignorant ladies also they make a big philosophical statement, he has left and what you do with the body now it is useless burn the body. Different religious traditions handle the dead body differently, burying the body or burning the body. Some traditions they put it out in open that vultures, birds could come and eat our feast. So our body turns into ashes or worms or stool. Three destinations of this beautiful body this is what happens ultimately turns into this three nasty products. So understand who you are and take care of yourself, understand yourself. Work for yourself work for your real self for satisfaction of someone deep within you, look after himself take good care of himself. You want to be really happy? We are talking is very basic foundational knowledge.

“Happy happy we shall be when we learn our ABC”

It is abc what we are talking is just a ABC of the religion or teachings of Gita and Bhagvat very foundational so we’ll be happy if we learn basic things. We are sprit souls do not ignore. There is lots of ignorance around why? Because the world is ignoring the soul the self totally ignorant neglecting the soul. And after studying doing the whole study of cosmos you know cosmology. So many branches of faculties are there. I am graduate, I am BA, I am BSC, I am LLB, I am MBBS like that they will have new degrees but now there are so many fancy names and even if more many more are added still world will remain ignorant.
Who we are we try to find out with the telescope. You put a slide and a drop of whatever solution and microscope and you see some creatures moving then you study and still you don’t know who you are? Oh!

Do you know boatman and scholar story? Sometimes you do that drama. Hey, boatsman big scholar addressing, do you know what cosmology is? What is that? I never heard where does it grow? Do they sell in market cosmology? And the scholar your 25% of your life is wasted. You don’t know cosmology? Oh! No I know, all I know is Hare Krishna. Something more little practical and do you know what computer science is? Oh! I don’t know I never heard your 50% of your life is wasted. So this still continued so do you know biology, botany no, you 75% of your life is wasted. Now there was a storm the boat was rocking more storm and more rocking and now it was the turn of boatsman. Hey scholar do you know swimming? (Laughter) No I never learned swimming you said my life was 75% wasted you are going to lose your 100% of your life. And there was a bigger storm and boats man
returned and scholar drowned. As the boatman swam across while chanting Hare Krishna he swam he reached the banks of the river.

So this world is also like a ocean bhava sagar and we should learn swimming to learn how to get across this ocean and not get drowned. Again again again and again leaving the body body is drowned, go for another body become properitor of another body again losing that drown another body.

Punarapi Jananam Punarapi maranam Punarapi janani jathare shayanam
iha samsare khalu dustare kripaya pare pahi murare

This prayer Shankaracarya prays, I have taken birth and I have died and drowned so many many many Please protect me please get me out of here please get me out. So we should find out who we are? We are spirit souls. And we have certain prescribed duties which cannot be done in any other species of life. No other species can read Gita and Bhagvat.

Hare Krishna temples and holy places and pilgrimages these are wholly and solely for human beings. So this life is for enlightenment not for enjoyment but enlightenment brings so much genuine enjoyment. It’s not a dry life when I arrived you stood up and all were chanting, jumping, dancing and enjoying. Sometimes you have a youth festivals they take this topics they divide group into 2 in the debate -This life is for enlightenment or enjoyment.

So any questions or comments

Question 1: How do we find out who we are?
Answer: You may enquire about it. When we don’t know something what we do? We approach someone who knows about it. We have enquiry counters everywhere so the temples are the place to make enquires or devotees of Krishna.

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah [Bg 4.34]

One who is realised understood tattva the science of soul you approach him and pariprasnena you enquire from him. He can share his realisations or his experiences with you read Bhagavad Gita. So you can find out like that.

Question 2: Hare Krishna maharaja even after theoretically knowing that we are the soul why it is that most of the time we are on bodily platform we do not realise it?
Answer: So at least some times you realise it. May be not all the time but at least some time you accept you understand or you realise that you are the soul. we are talking at least That’s the good beginning when the talk touches your soul or you feel something within or you accept. It makes sense, I am a proprietor of the body. I am not a body I am proprietor of body. If this is logical accepted that could be beginning next time we think more about this and then it settles and sinks inside.

tesam pramatto nidhanam pasyann apina pasyati [SB 2.1.4]

The sastras Bhagavatam says we are so much attached to this body. So much brain washing has been done everyone has told us you are this body, you are this body, you are this body, take care of this body, take the photograph of the body. There I was in America side and the border of Canada was not far, someone in America said Maharaja that is America that is Canada very thin boarder it hardly makes any difference. What is a difference between Canada? Is it but we are taught in the schools you are not Canadian you are American then across the border in Canada you are Canadian boy you are not American. So this kind of
brain washing, you are this and we look at the mirror and we love so much we had so much and we try to solidify that illusion we are trying to look better and all make up. And you solidify your illusion your ignorance. Everyone else is doing that also then you come to Hare Krishna temple.

Every other person told you are the body, you are this body, you are this body, you are this body and then one morning someone tells, oh you are not this body! What? What do you mean I am not this body? It comes as big surprise. We never hear we never ever hear this and then you open Bhagavad Gita or we hear in satsanga very basic foundational information. So we hear life after life after life after life after we always thought we were this body. So this was conditioning we are conditioned to think.

For some years you think I am baby, I am baby but soon you young man and young man then you are lying in a bed and old you are changing body is changing. And soon after few years no no I am not this body is changing but something within you does not change and after that some years ago we were printing one article well how I (My self Lokanath Swam) came to Krishna Consciousness? We were looking for some photographs my photographs when I was a child then young man and college students. So they gathered some photographs they presented me one group photo with friends while I was studying. They gave me the photograph said you are in this group. And I spend lot of time and I could not filled out which one of this is my is it me and after quite some time I approved yes that’s me.

So I forget how I looked at looked like 40 years ago. I was a college student 40years ago 1971 there is a photograph where I could know connect myself. So much change has taken place in the body. I was looking at myself and looking at the photograph that’s not me. So like this if we think it is making sense but we never think like that. So this is like a stepping out of the routine of that circle. Coming here is coming outside stop and think before you proceed in association of those who know this science realised science to different degree spend time with them and you realise it for yourself it is to be realised by you ultimately others could share there realisation knowledge with you but that you have to grab it take it and realise it yourself.

Question: It is said body changes but proprietor doesn’t changes but when body is a baby then anything different when our own body grows?
Answer: The body is one kind of creation of the creator and our parents are not exactly the creators although they become some kind of cause or instrument but there is a creator Brahma is such person. The physical body is made up of matter earth, air, water, fire, ether. These are pancha mahabhutas -five elements. Within that body there is another body called subtle body made up of mind, intelligence and false ego and within that is yourself atma. So soul is covered by subtle body and another covering of the gross body. Creator is creating and making your body grow through the agency of nature or nature but behind the nature is a person God or Brahma. So balavastha generally all the children must play so this mentality of the child of wanting to play is also creation. His mind is created like that.

balavastha krida sakta yuvavstha taruni rakta

As soon as you are young man you are looking for young women this is also creation.

vrdhhavastha chinta magna

Most of the old people have anxiety. Children they never worry they are just happy they play. So as soon as body grows boyhood and then youth hood the transition of different hormones. I don’t know technically different things. Also we grow as a result we think differently you are made to think like that that’s part of the creation. Fear of death – Bhagvatam says the fear of death this is a creation of Brahma. The sense of false proprietorship we all have this false sense of proprietorship I am this or this belongs to me this proprietorships, sense of proprietorship we are cheating ourselves, keeping ourselves
in ignorance this also another creation of brahma. So like that not only you are given a body but you are also given that kind of intelligence and false ego.

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate (BG 3.27)

Krishna says in Bhagvad gita that kartaaham- I am the doer. Everyone thinks I the doer I am I did it. But he does not know Krishna says that someone else is getting that thing done through him. Someone else is the doer although because of illusion that person think I am the doer. Like in the puppet show puppets are dancing but the puppets are not dancing on their own accord there is a puppet master behind. Strings are attached to his finger and the head of the puppets, legs of the puppet move. You don’t see, you only see that show of the puppet one who is intelligent, elderly, matured he knows behind this there is a puppeteer. So behind whatever dance we do we are controlled again by different moods Goodness. Someone is controlled by mood of goodness, someone is controlled by mood of passion, someone is controlled by mood of ignorance and then you mix this. From three basic colours you get all colours right.

So that three moods material nature by mixing so many formulations and combinations and wide variety also what we do again same family we have five brother, three brothers, same family, same parents, same so many things but each child acts differently even in same age. Because there past is different previous life,
previous life and the impressions of those previous lives lie in our mind. Mind is a store, storage and those things from to this to do that and then higher authorities and jumps in higher authorities they know who you are? What your past is? What is your future? So things unfold in due course of time.

Question 4: Why are we separated from Krishna and sent to this material world?
Answer: How do we get here? What did we do for down fall? What is wrong? These questions are not very easy to understand but quickly we could say that Lord is described as Abhigya and svarat.

Abhigya means fully cognizant and svarat means God is independent and we being parts and parcels of the God we also have this independent nature of being independent. Then sometimes that part and parcel of God Krishna that living entity does miss use of that independence and turns away from God and then as a result he ends up in material existence. Have you said that more important is not how we got here? But more important is how to get out of here? If sometimes we fall in deep dark well what is more important to understand what time you have fell down? (laughter) What is a cause? Who pushed me here? Are this questions important or how could I get out of here? How could I get out of here? What will you say? I all these questions and debate you’ll be losing more time. So, work on how to go back to Krishna? How to join Him again? And be with Him again? This is possible in this human form of life. So that’s cut off the human form of life and also need some inquisitive enquiry how do I find how do I know I am spirit soul?

arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha [BG 7.16]

Four kinds of people come to the Lord. Lord says in Bhagavad Gita.
arto -someone in distress
artharthi-someone in need of money turns to God
jnani– some knowledgable person
jijnasu – inquisitive

And then we come in contact with right people at the right time those who know the science. Science of soul, Science of God, science of self-realization , then it is completed human birth. We have desire to know and you take that step make that
connection with those who know then you are on the path of progress.

Question 5: How do we know that person is bonafide persons, correct person, because there are so many people who publicize this?

Answer: The qualities, qualification, character of such persons are described by the Lord. Trust the Lord they are in Bhagavad Gita they are authoritative statement. So, before you go for buying the gold you should know difference between gold and the other metals look like gold. Copper, brass and gold. Just because copper looks, brass looks like gold doesn’t mean it is gold. We need to know if you don’t want to be cheated you should know what is gold? Difference between this and that.

Question 6: I would like to know why Hare Krishna Mantra, why not some other mantra? Does it have any relation like about this chanting Hare Krishna mantra has any relation about who we are?

Answer: Hare Krishna means Radhe Krishna, Radha Krishna. So, if you study sastras you will find out comprehensive knowledge of who is who and you come to conclusion that Radha Krishna are source of all. Everything that exists including many incarnations avatars Krishna is the source.

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [BG 10.8]

Only Krishna could make such a clams and this has been accepted by so many authorities. Of course already Krishna says this and that’s enough after this Krishna says what He speaks is nothing but the truth.

sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava [BG 10.14]

Well that dialogue was on Arjuna. Arjuna Says,” Oh all that you are speaking my Lord is truth, and I accept that as it is.”

param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan (BG10.12)

You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, that’s Radha Krishna. So, Hare Krishna means Radha Krishna. So, when you say Radha Krishna you are watering the root of the tree not the trunk of the tree or branches. Secondary, territory all the branches the leave, the fruits or the flowers, everything is nourished. Krishna is like that root or source. So, we go to the source we’ll water, we serve, we cultivate and everything is satisfied. And by chanting Hare Krishna you will realize. Chanter is the soul your lips, mouth doesn’t chant. Goal is not to send your mouth back to Vaikuntha it will never go never get there but the chanter. Unless someone in the microphone speaks, the speaker doesn’t speak.

So, the point is mouth is a speaker, there is a speaker mouth but, behind this speaker is a person and that’s the soul. So, when you chant Hare Krishna the chanter is the soul. One who chants is a soul and Hare Krishna is Krishna or God and when we chant with devotion that is bhakti in other words the soul is bhakta and Hare Krishna is Bhagavan and the process is bhakti devotion. So there is a realization by chanting Hare Krishna chanter realizes ‘ I am soul, I am part and parcel of Krishna, servant of Krishna.’ That is also the mood that is cultivated while chanting. Ok so we will stop here. (Applaud).