Bhagvat: HUMAN HIMSELF/HERSELF ONLY CHOOSES OWN NEXT LIFE - (A) ANIMAL OR (B) 1000 TIMES BETTER THAN HUMAN OR (C) LIBERATION,5th June

Srimad Bhagvatam: Human being himself/herself only chooses next life - (a) Animal or (b) 1000 times better than human or (c) liberation

TRANSLATION
IN THE COURSE OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, WHICH IS CAUSED BY FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES DUE TO UNDESIRABLE MATERIAL SENSE GRATIFICATION, I HAVE RECEIVED THIS HUMAN FORM OF LIFE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE HEAVENLY PLANETS, TO LIBERATION, TO THE LOWER SPECIES, OR TO REBIRTH AMONG HUMAN BEINGS.

PURPORT
All living entities within this material world are undergoing the cycle of birth In this verse, however, evolution has been very well explained on the strength of Vedic authority and death according to the laws of nature.

 

This struggle of birth and death in different species may be called the evolutionary process, but in the Western world it has been wrongly explained. DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION FROM ANIMAL TO MAN IS INCOMPLETE BECAUSE THE THEORY DOES NOT PRESENT THE REVERSE CONDITION, NAMELY EVOLUTION FROM MAN TO ANIMAL. In this verse, however, evolution has been very well explained on the strength of Vedic authority.

 

HUMAN LIFE, WHICH IS OBTAINED IN THE COURSE OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, IS A CHANCE FOR ELEVATION (svargapavarga) OR FOR DEGRADATION (tirascam punar asya ca). IF ONE USES THIS HUMAN FORM OF LIFE PROPERLY, HE CAN ELEVATE HIMSELF TO THE HIGHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS, WHERE MATERIAL HAPPINESS IS MANY THOUSANDS OF TIMES BETTER THAN ON THIS PLANET, OR ONE MAY CULTIVATE KNOWLEDGE BY WHICH TO BECOME FREE FROM THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS AND BE REINSTATED IN ONE'S ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL LIFE. THIS IS CALLED APAVARGA, OR LIBERATION.

MATERIAL LIFE IS CALLED PAVARGA BECAUSE HERE WE ARE SUBJECT TO FIVE DIFFERENT STATES OF SUFFERING, REPRESENTED BY THE LETTERS PA, PHA, BA, BHA AND MA.

PA MEANS PARISRAMA, VERY HARD LABOR.

PHA MEANS PHENA, OR FOAM FROM THE MOUTH. FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES WE SEE A HORSE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH WITH HEAVY LABOR.

BA MEANS BYARTHATA, DISAPPOINTMENT.  IN SPITE OF SO MUCH HARD LABOR, AT THE END WE FIND DISAPPOINTMENT.

BHA MEANS BHAYA, OR FEAR. IN MATERIAL LIFE, ONE IS ALWAYS IN THE BLAZING FIRE OF FEAR, SINCE NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.

FINALLY, MA MEANS MRTYU, OR DEATH.

WHEN ONE ATTEMPTS TO NULLIFY THESE FIVE DIFFERENT STATUSES OF LIFE—PA, PHA, BA, BHA AND MA—ONE ACHIEVES APAVARGA, OR LIBERATION FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE.

The word tirascam refers to degraded life. Human life, of course, provides an opportunity for the best living conditions. As Western people think, from the monkeys come the human beings, who are more comfortably situated. HOWEVER, IF ONE DOES NOT UTILIZE HIS HUMAN LIFE FOR SVARGA OR APAVARGA, HE FALLS AGAIN TO THE DEGRADED LIFE OF ANIMALS LIKE DOGS AND HOGS.

THEREFORE A SANE HUMAN BEING MUST CONSIDER WHETHER HE WILL ELEVATE HIMSELF TO THE HIGHER PLANETS, PREPARE TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS, OR TRAVEL AGAIN THROUGH THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS IN HIGHER AND LOWER GRADES OF LIFE. IF ONE WORKS PIOUSLY ONE MAY BE ELEVATED TO THE HIGHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS OR ACHIEVE LIBERATION AND RETURN HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD, BUT OTHERWISE ONE MAY BE DEGRADED TO A LIFE AS A DOG, A HOG AND SO ON.As explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.25), yanti deva-vrata devan.

THOSE INTERESTED IN BEING ELEVATED TO THE HIGHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS (DEVALOKA OR SVARGALOKA) MUST PREPARE TO DO SO. SIMILARLY, IF ONE WANTS LIBERATION AND WANTS TO RETURN HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD, HE SHOULD PREPARE HIMSELF FOR THAT PURPOSE.

Our Krshna consciousness movement is therefore the highest movement for the benediction of human society because this movement is teaching people how to go back home, back to Godhead. In Bhagavad-gita (13.22) it is clearly stated that different forms of life are obtained by association with the three modes of material nature (karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni janmasu).

ACCORDING TO ONE'S ASSOCIATION WITH THE MATERIAL QUALITIES OF GOODNESS, PASSION AND IGNORANCE IN THIS LIFE, IN ONE'S NEXT LIFE ONE RECEIVES AN APPROPRIATE BODY. MODERN CIVILIZATION DOES NOT KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF VARIED ASSOCIATION IN MATERIAL NATURE, THE LIVING ENTITY, ALTHOUGH ETERNAL, IS PLACED IN DIFFERENT DISEASED CONDITIONS KNOWN AS THE MANY SPECIES OF LIFE. MODERN CIVILIZATION IS UNAWARE OF THE LAWS OF NATURE.

"THE BEWILDERED SPIRIT SOUL, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE THREE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE, THINKS HIMSELF THE PERFORMER OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IN ACTUALITY CARRIED OUT BY NATURE." (BG. 3.27) EVERY LIVING ENTITY IS UNDER THE FULL CONTROL OF THE STRINGENT LAWS OF MATERIAL NATURE, BUT RASCALS THINK THEMSELVES INDEPENDENT. ACTUALLY, HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT BE INDEPENDENT.

THIS IS FOOLISHNESS. A FOOLISH CIVILIZATION IS EXTREMELY RISKY, AND THEREFORE THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT IS TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THEIR FULLY DEPENDENT CONDITION UNDER THE STRINGENT LAWS OF NATURE AND IS TRYING TO SAVE THEM FROM BEING VICTIMIZED BY STRONG MAYA, WHICH IS KRSHNA'S EXTERNAL ENERGY.

BEHIND THE MATERIAL LAWS IS THE SUPREME CONTROLLER, Krshna (mayadhyakshena prakrtim süyate sacaracaram). THEREFORE IF ONE SURRENDERS UNTO KRSHNA (mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te), ONE MAY IMMEDIATELY BE FREED FROM THE CONTROL OF EXTERNAL NATURE (sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhüyaya kalpate). THIS SHOULD BE THE AIM OF LIFE.

Gita shloka 2.71 DESIRE FOR BECOMING KRSNA CONSCIOUS IS ACTUALLY DESIRELESSNESS,5th June

Gita shloka 2.71

 

TRANSLATION

A PERSON WHO HAS GIVEN UP ALL DESIRES FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION, WHO LIVES FREE FROM DESIRES, WHO HAS GIVEN UP ALL SENSE OF PROPRIETORSHIP AND IS DEVOID OF FALSE EGO—HE ALONE CAN ATTAIN REAL PEACE.

 

PURPORT

TO BECOME DESIRELESS MEANS NOT TO DESIRE ANYTHING FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION.

 

 IN OTHER WORDS, DESIRE FOR BECOMING KRSNA CONSCIOUS IS ACTUALLY DESIRELESSNESS.

 

 TO UNDERSTAND ONE'S ACTUAL POSITION AS THE ETERNAL SERVITOR OF KRSNA, WITHOUT FALSELY CLAIMING THIS MATERIAL BODY TO BE ONESELF AND WITHOUT FALSELY CLAIMING PROPRIETORSHIP OVER ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, IS THE PERFECT STAGE OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

 

 ONE WHO IS SITUATED IN THIS PERFECT STAGE KNOWS THAT BECAUSE KRSNA IS THE PROPRIETOR OF EVERYTHING, THEREFORE EVERYTHING MUST BE USED FOR THE SATISFACTION OF KRSNA.

 

 ARJUNA DID NOT WANT TO FIGHT FOR HIS OWN SENSE SATISFACTION, BUT WHEN HE BECAME FULLY KRSNA CONSCIOUS HE FOUGHT BECAUSE KRSNA WANTED HIM TO FIGHT.

 

 FOR HIMSELF THERE WAS NO DESIRE TO FIGHT, BUT FOR KRSNA THE SAME ARJUNA FOUGHT TO HIS BEST ABILITY.

 

 DESIRE FOR THE SATISFACTION OF KRSNA IS REALLY DESIRELESSNESS; IT IS NOT AN ARTIFICIAL ATTEMPT TO ABOLISH DESIRES.

 

 THE LIVING ENTITY CANNOT BE DESIRELESS OR SENSELESS, BUT HE DOES HAVE TO CHANGE THE QUALITY OF THE DESIRES.

 

 A MATERIALLY DESIRELESS PERSON CERTAINLY KNOWS THAT EVERYTHING BELONGS TO KRSNA (isavasyam idam sarvam), AND THEREFORE HE DOES NOT FALSELY CLAIM PROPRIETORSHIP OVER ANYTHING.

 

 THIS TRANSCENDENTAL KNOWLEDGE IS BASED ON SELF-REALIZATION—NAMELY, KNOWING PERFECTLY WELL THAT EVERY LIVING ENTITY IS THE ETERNAL PART AND PARCEL OF KRSNA IN SPIRITUAL IDENTITY, AND THEREFORE THE ETERNAL POSITION OF THE LIVING ENTITY IS NEVER ON THE LEVEL OF KRSNA OR GREATER THAN HIM.

 

 THIS UNDERSTANDING OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF REAL PEACE.

 

 

 

Bhagvatam: DESIRES LEAD TO STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE & CARRY YOU TO NEXT BODY, 4th June

Srimad Bhagvatam:

DESIRES LEAD TO STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE & CARRY YOU TO NEXT BODY

TRANSLATION
BECAUSE OF INSATIABLE MATERIAL DESIRES, I WAS BEING CARRIED AWAY BY THE WAVES OF MATERIAL NATURE'S LAWS, AND THUS I WAS ENGAGING IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, STRUGGLING FOR EXISTENCE IN VARIOUS FORMS OF LIFE.

PURPORT
AS LONG AS A LIVING ENTITY WANTS TO FULFILL VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIAL DESIRE, HE MUST CONTINUOUSLY CHANGE FROM ONE BODY TO ACCEPT ANOTHER. SRILA VISVANATHA CHAKRAVARTI THAKURA EXPLAINS THAT AS A SMALL PIECE OF GRASS FALLS IN A RIVER AND IS TOSSED ABOUT WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF WOOD AND TREE BRANCHES, THE LIVING ENTITY FLOATS IN THE OCEAN OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE AND IS DASHED AND TOSSED AMIDST MATERIAL CONDITIONS.

THIS IS CALLED THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE. ONE KIND OF FRUITIVE ACTIVITY CAUSES THE LIVING BEING TO TAKE ONE FORM OF BODY, AND BECAUSE OF ACTIONS PERFORMED IN THAT BODY, ANOTHER BODY IS CREATED. ONE MUST THEREFORE STOP THESE MATERIAL ACTIVITIES, AND THE CHANCE TO DO SO IS GIVEN IN THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE. SPECIFICALLY, OUR ENERGY TO ACT SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD, FOR THEN MATERIALISTIC ACTIVITIES WILL AUTOMATICALLY STOP.

ONE MUST FULFILL ONE'S DESIRES BY SURRENDERING UNTO THE SUPREME LORD, FOR HE KNOWS HOW TO FULFILL THEM. EVEN THOUGH ONE MAY HAVE MATERIAL DESIRES, ONE SHOULD THEREFORE ENGAGE IN THE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE OF THE LORD. THAT WILL PURIFY ONE'S STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE.

"A PERSON WHO HAS BROADER INTELLIGENCE, WHETHER HE BE FULL OF ALL MATERIAL DESIRE, WITHOUT ANY MATERIAL DESIRE, OR DESIRING LIBERATION, MUST BY ALL MEANS WORSHIP THE SUPREME WHOLE, THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD." (Bhag. 2.3.10)

"ONE SHOULD RENDER TRANSCENDENTAL LOVING SERVICE TO THE SUPREME LORD KRSHNA FAVORABLY AND WITHOUT DESIRE FOR MATERIAL PROFIT OR GAIN THROUGH FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES OR PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATION. THAT IS CALLED PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11)