Bhagvat WHEN ONE MISUSES THE GIFT OF THE HUMAN FORM BY UNNECESSARILY INDULGING IN THE ANIMAL PROPENSITIES OF EATING, SLEEPING, MATING AND DEFENDING AND DOES NOT TRY TO GET OUT OF THE CLUTCHES OF MAYA…,16th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
WHILE WORKING TO EARN HIS LIVELIHOOD AS MUCH AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER, ONE WHO IS ACTUALLY LEARNED SHOULD LIVE IN HUMAN SOCIETY UNATTACHED TO FAMILY AFFAIRS, ALTHOUGH EXTERNALLY APPEARING VERY MUCH ATTACHED.

PURPORT
THIS IS THE PICTURE OF IDEAL FAMILY LIFE.

WHEN SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU ASKED RAMANANDA RAYA ABOUT THE GOAL OF LIFE, RAMANANDA RAYA DESCRIBED IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES, AND FINALLY SRI RAMANANDA RAYA EXPLAINED THAT ONE MAY STAY IN HIS OWN POSITION, WHETHER AS A BRAHMANA, A SHÜDRA, A SANNYASI OR WHATEVER, BUT ONE MUST TRY TO INQUIRE ABOUT LIFE'S GOAL (ATHATO BRAHMA JIJNASA).

THIS IS THE PROPER UTILIZATION OF THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE.

WHEN ONE MISUSES THE GIFT OF THE HUMAN FORM BY UNNECESSARILY INDULGING IN THE ANIMAL PROPENSITIES OF EATING, SLEEPING, MATING AND DEFENDING AND DOES NOT TRY TO GET OUT OF THE CLUTCHES OF MAYA, WHICH SUBJECTS ONE TO REPEATED BIRTH, DEATH, OLD AGE AND DISEASE, ONE IS AGAIN PUNISHED BY BEING FORCED TO DESCEND TO THE LOWER SPECIES AND UNDERGO EVOLUTION ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF NATURE.

BEING COMPLETELY UNDER THE GRIP OF MATERIAL NATURE, THE LIVING ENTITY MUST EVOLVE AGAIN FROM THE LOWER SPECIES TO THE HIGHER SPECIES UNTIL HE AT LAST RETURNS TO HUMAN LIFE AND GETS THE CHANCE TO BE FREED FROM THE MATERIAL CLUTCHES.

A WISE MAN, HOWEVER, LEARNS FROM THE SASTRAS AND GURU THAT WE LIVING ENTITIES ARE ALL ETERNAL BUT ARE PUT INTO TROUBLESOME CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF ASSOCIATING WITH DIFFERENT MODES UNDER THE LAWS OF MATERIAL NATURE.

HE THEREFORE CONCLUDES THAT IN THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE HE SHOULD NOT ENDEAVOR FOR UNNECESSARY NECESSITIES, BUT SHOULD LIVE A VERY SIMPLE LIFE, JUST MAINTAINING BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER.

CERTAINLY ONE REQUIRES SOME MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD, AND ACCORDING TO ONE'S VARNA AND ASRAMA THIS MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD IS PRESCRIBED IN THE SASTRAS.

ONE SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THIS.

THEREFORE, INSTEAD OF HANKERING FOR MORE AND MORE MONEY, A SINCERE DEVOTEE OF THE LORD TRIES TO INVENT SOME WAYS TO EARN HIS LIVELIHOOD, AND WHEN HE DOES SO KRSHNA HELPS HIM.

EARNING ONE'S LIVELIHOOD, THEREFORE, IS NOT A PROBLEM.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS HOW TO GET FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF BIRTH, DEATH AND OLD AGE.

ATTAINING THIS FREEDOM, AND NOT INVENTING UNNECESSARY NECESSITIES, IS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF VEDIC CIVILIZATION.

ONE SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH WHATEVER MEANS OF LIFE COMES AUTOMATICALLY.

THE MODERN MATERIALISTIC CIVILIZATION IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF THE IDEAL CIVILIZATION.

EVERY DAY THE SO-CALLED LEADERS OF MODERN SOCIETY INVENT SOMETHING CONTRIBUTING TO A CUMBERSOME WAY OF LIFE THAT IMPLICATES PEOPLE MORE AND MORE IN THE CYCLE OF BIRTH, DEATH, OLD AGE AND DISEASE.

TRANSLATION
AN INTELLIGENT MAN IN HUMAN SOCIETY SHOULD MAKE HIS OWN PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES VERY SIMPLE. IF THERE ARE SUGGESTIONS FROM HIS FRIENDS, CHILDREN, PARENTS, BROTHERS OR ANYONE ELSE, HE SHOULD EXTERNALLY AGREE, SAYING, "YES, THAT IS ALL RIGHT," BUT INTERNALLY HE SHOULD BE DETERMINED NOT TO CREATE A CUMBERSOME LIFE IN WHICH THE PURPOSE OF LIFE WILL NOT BE FULFILLED.

Bhagvat ONE ENGAGED IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE CAN VERY EASILY BE LIBERATED FROM THE DREAM OF MATERIALISTIC LIFE, 15th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
A GRHASTHA MUST ASSOCIATE AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH SAINTLY PERSONS, AND WITH GREAT RESPECT HE MUST HEAR THE NECTAR OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SUPREME LORD AND HIS INCARNATIONS AS THESE ACTIVITIES ARE DESCRIBED IN SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM AND OTHER PURANAS. THUS ONE SHOULD GRADUALLY BECOME DETACHED FROM AFFECTION FOR HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, EXACTLY LIKE A MAN AWAKENING FROM A DREAM.

PURPORT
THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO GIVE GRHASTHAS ALL OVER THE WORLD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM AND BHAGAVAD-GITA SPECIFICALLY.

THE PROCESS, AS DESCRIBED IN MANY WAYS, IS ONE OF HEARING AND CHANTING (srnvatam sva-katham krshnam punya-sravana-kirtanam). EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE GRHASTHAS, WHO ARE MÜDHA-DHI, IGNORANT ABOUT THE GOAL OF LIFE, SHOULD BE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR ABOUT KRSHNA. SIMPLY BY HEARING, BY ATTENDING LECTURES IN THE DIFFERENT CENTERS OF THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT, WHERE TOPICS OF KRSHNA FROM BHAGAVAD-GITA AND SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM ARE DISCUSSED, THEY WILL BE PURIFIED OF THEIR SINFUL INCLINATION FOR CONSTANT INDULGENCE IN ILLICIT SEX, MEAT-EATING, INTOXICATION AND GAMBLING, WHICH HAVE ALL BECOME PROMINENT IN MODERN DAYS.

THUS THEY CAN BE RAISED TO THE STATUS OF LIGHT. PUNYA-SRAVANA-KIRTANAM. SIMPLY BY JOINING THE KIRTANA—HARE KRSHNA, HARE KRSHNA, KRSHNA KRSHNA, HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE—AND BY HEARING ABOUT KRSHNA FROM BHAGAVAD-GITA, ONE MUST BE PURIFIED, ESPECIALLY IF HE ALSO TAKES PRASADA.This is all going on in the Krshna consciousness movement.

ANOTHER SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION HERE IS SRNVAN BHAGAVATO 'BHIKSHNAM AVATARA-KATHAMRTAM. IT IS NOT THAT BECAUSE ONE HAS ONCE FINISHED BHAGAVAD-GITA HE SHOULD NOT HEAR IT AGAIN. THE WORD ABHIKSHNAM IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE SHOULD HEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN.

THERE IS NO QUESTION OF STOPPING: EVEN IF ONE HAS READ THESE TOPICS MANY TIMES, HE SHOULD GO ON READING AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE BHAGAVAT-KATHA, THE WORDS SPOKEN BY KRSHNA AND SPOKEN BY KRSHNA'S DEVOTEES ABOUT KRSHNA, ARE AMRTAM, NECTAR. THE MORE ONE DRINKS THIS AMRTAM, THE MORE HE ADVANCES IN HIS ETERNAL LIFE.

THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE IS MEANT FOR LIBERATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF KALI-YUGA, EVERY DAY THE GRHASTHAS ARE WORKING HARD LIKE ASSES. EARLY IN THE MORNING THEY RISE AND TRAVEL EVEN A HUNDRED MILES AWAY TO EARN BREAD.

ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES, I HAVE SEEN THAT PEOPLE AWAKEN AT FIVE O'CLOCK TO GO TO OFFICES AND FACTORIES TO EARN THEIR LIVELIHOOD. PEOPLE IN CALCUTTA AND BOMBAY ALSO DO THIS EVERY DAY. THEY WORK VERY HARD IN THE OFFICE OR FACTORY, AND AGAIN THEY SPEND THREE OR FOUR HOURS IN TRANSPORTATION RETURNING HOME. THEN THEY RETIRE AT TEN O'CLOCK AND AGAIN RISE EARLY IN THE MORNING TO GO TO THEIR OFFICES AND FACTORIES.

THIS KIND OF HARD LABOR IS DESCRIBED IN THE SASTRAS AS THE LIFE OF PIGS AND STOOL-EATERS. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kashtan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye:

"OF ALL LIVING ENTITIES WHO HAVE ACCEPTED MATERIAL BODIES IN THIS WORLD, ONE WHO HAS BEEN AWARDED THIS HUMAN FORM SHOULD NOT WORK HARD DAY AND NIGHT SIMPLY FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION, WHICH IS AVAILABLE EVEN FOR DOGS AND HOGS THAT EAT STOOL." (Bhag. 5.5.1)

ONE MUST FIND SOME TIME FOR HEARING SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM AND BHAGAVAD-GITA. THIS IS VEDIC CULTURE. ONE SHOULD WORK EIGHT HOURS AT THE MOST TO EARN HIS LIVELIHOOD, AND EITHER IN THE AFTERNOON OR IN THE EVENING A HOUSEHOLDER SHOULD ASSOCIATE WITH DEVOTEES TO HEAR ABOUT THE INCARNATIONS OF KRSHNA AND HIS ACTIVITIES AND THUS BE GRADUALLY LIBERATED FROM THE CLUTCHES OF MAYA.

HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF FINDING TIME TO HEAR ABOUT KRSHNA, THE HOUSEHOLDERS, AFTER WORKING HARD IN OFFICES AND FACTORIES, FIND TIME TO GO TO A RESTAURANT OR A CLUB WHERE INSTEAD OF HEARING ABOUT KRSHNA AND HIS ACTIVITIES THEY ARE VERY MUCH PLEASED TO HEAR ABOUT THE POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF DEMONS AND NONDEVOTEES AND TO ENJOY SEX, WINE, WOMEN AND MEAT AND IN THIS WAY WASTE THEIR TIME. THIS IS NOT GRHASTHA LIFE, BUT DEMONIAC LIFE.

THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT, HOWEVER, WITH ITS CENTERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, GIVES SUCH FALLEN AND CONDEMNED PERSONS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT KRSHNA.

IN A DREAM WE FORM A SOCIETY OF FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE, AND WHEN WE AWAKEN WE SEE THAT IT HAS CEASED TO EXIST. SIMILARLY, ONE'S GROSS SOCIETY, FAMILY AND LOVE ARE ALSO A DREAM, AND THIS DREAM WILL BE OVER AS SOON AS ONE DIES. THEREFORE, WHETHER ONE IS DREAMING IN A SUBTLE WAY OR A GROSS WAY, THESE DREAMS ARE ALL FALSE AND TEMPORARY.

ONE'S REAL BUSINESS IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONE IS SOUL (aham brahmasmi) AND THAT HIS ACTIVITIES SHOULD THEREFORE BE DIFFERENT. THEN ONE CAN BE HAPPY.

"ONE WHO IS TRANSCENDENTALLY SITUATED AT ONCE REALIZES THE SUPREME BRAHMAN AND BECOMES FULLY JOYFUL. HE NEVER LAMENTS NOR DESIRES TO HAVE ANYTHING; HE IS EQUALLY DISPOSED TOWARD ALL LIVING ENTITIES. IN THAT STATE HE ATTAINS PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE UNTO ME." (BG. 18.54) ONE WHO IS ENGAGED IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE CAN VERY EASILY BE LIBERATED FROM THE DREAM OF MATERIALISTIC LIFE.

Bhagvat WHEN THE FORGETFUL BIRD UNDERSTANDs THE SUPREME FRIEND HE TAKES SHELTER AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THAT SUPREME BIRD,14th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
A LEARNED, THOUGHTFUL PERSON MUST REALIZE THAT MATERIAL EXISTENCE IS ILLUSION. THIS IS POSSIBLE ONLY BY SELF-REALIZATION. A SELF-REALIZED PERSON, WHO HAS ACTUALLY SEEN THE TRUTH, SHOULD RETIRE FROM ALL MATERIAL ACTIVITIES, BEING SITUATED IN SELF-REALIZATION.

PURPORT
BY AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE ENTIRE CONSTITUTION OF THE BODY, ONE CAN SURELY COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE SOUL IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE BODY'S MATERIAL CONSTITUENTS, SUCH AS EARTH, WATER, FIRE AND AIR.

THUS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BODY AND SOUL CAN BE REALIZED BY A PERSON WHO IS THOUGHTFUL (MANISHI OR MUNI), AND AFTER THIS REALIZATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT SOUL ONE CAN VERY EASILY UNDERSTAND THE SUPREME SPIRIT SOUL.

IF ONE THUS REALIZES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL IS SUBORDINATE TO THE SUPREME SPIRIT SOUL, HE ACHIEVES SELF-REALIZATION.

AS EXPLAINED IN THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF BHAGAVAD-GITA, THERE ARE TWO SOULS WITHIN THE BODY.

THE BODY IS CALLED KSHETRA, AND THERE ARE TWO KSHETRA JNAS, OR OCCUPANTS OF THE BODY, NAMELY THE SUPERSOUL (PARAMATMA) AND THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL.

THE SUPERSOUL AND THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL ARE LIKE TWO BIRDS SITTING ON THE SAME TREE (THE MATERIAL BODY).

ONE BIRD, THE INDIVIDUAL, FORGETFUL BIRD, IS EATING THE FRUIT OF THE TREE, NOT CARING FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE OTHER BIRD, WHICH IS ONLY A WITNESS TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRST BIRD, WHO IS HIS FRIEND.

WHEN THE FORGETFUL BIRD COMES TO UNDERSTAND THE SUPREME FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS WITH HIM AND TRYING TO GIVE HIM GUIDANCE IN DIFFERENT BODIES, HE TAKES SHELTER AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THAT SUPREME BIRD.

As explained in the yoga process, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginam.

WHEN ONE ACTUALLY BECOMES A PERFECT YOGI, BY MEDITATION HE CAN SEE THE SUPREME FRIEND AND SURRENDER UNTO HIM.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF BHAKTI-YOGA, OR ACTUAL LIFE IN KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.