Whether I am intelligently working during the time when I am awake, or whether I am working under dreams, or whether I am being transferred to another body—I am having sound sleep under chloroform—I am the same.
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© 2007 - Hansadutta das
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Bhagavad-gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Unabridged, unrevised reprint of the 1972 MacMillans ed. $14.95 Buy it now
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[Posted June 3, 2007]

Waking Up


His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada
Rip Van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle awakens
The Raw Story -  June 1, 2007 - AFP Polish man wakes up to new world after 19 years in coma
A Pole who spent 19 years in a coma has woken up and will now have to adapt to a country where the communists are no longer in power, a television station announced Friday.

Railwayman Jan Grzebski fell into a coma after he was hit by a train in 1988, the private channel Polsat said.

In an interview, Grzebski said that he owed his survival to his wife, Gertruda.

"She's the one who always took care of me. She saved my life," he said.

Grzebski was a father of four at the time of the accident. He is now making the acquaintance of 11 grandchildren.
go to story


You are never unconscious
excerpt from Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.22-26, San Francisco, March 10, 1967
Now's the time

At Death's Door A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

"My Lord Krishna, let my swan of mind be entangled with the stem of Your lotus feet." "At the time of death, when the physical condition of the body will be in disorder, at that time I shall not be able to speak. I'll 'ahn, ahn,' but that's all. So I may not be able to chant Hare Krishna. Better I am now in good health, so let my mind be entangled in the stem of Your lotus feet." more

Prabhupada: If you try to meditate what you are and what you are not, by this analytical self-study, you can understand that you are not this body; you are this consciousness. And this consciousness, what is that consciousness? It is the effulgence of the soul. Consciousness is also not what you are. It is just like this lamp has got some effulgence and illumination. Similarly, the soul has got illumination. That illumination is this consciousness. So this illumination, this consciousness is also limited. Your consciousness, my consciousness, they are limited. You cannot perceive or understand what I am thinking; I cannot perceive or understand what you are thinking. If you are feeling uncomfortable, I do not understand it. And if I am feeling happy, you do not understand it. In this way, if you make analytical study, you'll know that every one of us is individual, and we have got individual consciousness, limited consciousness, not extensive. The Mayavadi philosophers mistake that "I am unlimited consciousness." No. If you deliberate, if you think wisely, then you are not unlimited consciousness. Your consciousness cannot approach my perception. Therefore I am limited consciousness. But because I have got consciousness, you have got consciousness, we are living soul, therefore the Supreme Soul, He has got His consciousness, and that is unlimited consciousness.

This, this subject matter is very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter. Those who have read Bhagavad-gita, you'll find there that kshetra-jñam chapi mam viddhi sarva-kshetreshu pandava [Bg. 13.3]. Krishna says that "My dear Arjuna, this body is kshetra, is field of activities. So your body is field of activities, and similarly, there are all the living entities, they have got their different kinds of field of activities. But the actor who is occupier of the field, he is called kshetra-jña. And the field, or this body, is called kshetra. So in every kshetra, or in every field, there is a owner of this field of activities, but so far I am concerned, I am situated in all the kshetras and all the fields." That means God is situated both within your heart, within my heart, in everyone's heart. Ishvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-deshe 'rjuna tishthati [Bg. 18.61]. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that the Supreme Lord, by His plenary expansion, by Paramatma expansion, He is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore, what you are feeling individually, that is known to God. What you are thinking individually, that is known to God. What I am thinking individually, that is known to God. Therefore we cannot hide anything from God. He is situated within.

So if you are sincerely in God's service, if you are sincerely in Krishna consciousness, He knows it. He knows it that you are not anxious. So he will give you intelligence so that you can make progress towards God. And, if you don't want, if you want to make progress in this material change of bodies, then God will give you such intelligence so that you can make your advancement materially. He has given you full freedom. Sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishto [Bg. 15.15]. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find this verse, that He is situated in everyone's heart, and He is giving intelligence. If you want to enjoy this material world by changing different... Because you have to change your body. You are making your next body in this body. There is no certainty what kind of body you are making, but you are responsible for making your next body. As I have several times discussed that the, at the time of death, the mental condition will help you to have another next body, mental condition. So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately. Similarly, if you think of Krishna, then your next body is like Krishna. Therefore Krishna consciousness is so important. What is the advantage of Krishna consciousness? If you acquire the body like Krishna, sach-chid-ananda vigraha [Brahma-samhita 5.1], eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, then your botheration of this constant change of bodies, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19], you become relieved from this business. Nobody wants this, but because we want to enjoy this material world, so we have to accept it. So this is going on. Sarvasya caham hridi sannivishto [Bg. 15.15].

buddher jagaranam svapnah
sushuptir iti vrittayah
ta yenaivanubhuyante
so 'dhyakshah purushah parah
[SB 7.6.25]

Now he's giving another hint, that "We have got our three stages of activities." What are those? Intelligence. We are working intelligently while we are awake. Just like we are not asleep, so whatever we work, oh, we work very intelligently, as far as we have got intelligence. Then when we sleep, our intelligence stops. Then mind works. So according to the mind, mind is taking me sometimes somewhere. I am thinking that "I am flying." I am thinking, "I am on somebody's place" or "I have become king." Or "I have become poverty." Or "Somebody is... Some tiger is eating me," and so many things, you sleeping, you dreaming. This is another stage, active stage. Then sleeping stage. And then another stage is which is called deep sleep, deep sleep. Just like you are under chloroform or LSD. That is a kind of sleep only. It is not, does not mean that you have become free from this material bondage. You are simply under some mental condition, sleeping condition. Sushuptih. Just like our death. What is this death? Death means a sound sleep for seven months. That's all. A sound sleep for seven months. As soon as I give up this body, I enter into another body in sound sleep. And sound sleep, just like you are sleeping sound, somebody is taking you away to another place. You do not know. I have got experience. I have got, underwent some, some surgical operation. So I was under chloroform. So I did not know when I was operated, when I was in the operation table, then who brought me again to my bed. And in this way I did not... But when gradually I got my consciousness, I remember still, that I am sleeping, and then I am dreaming. Then I come to consciousness, active consciousness. This is the position.

So there are three stages. So when you are very sound sleep, you do not know what is happening, but you are still there. You are not dead. Therefore soul is never dead, even it is unconscious. Just remember this chloroformic condition. You were not dead. Similarly, when you change your body, by nature's way, you wanted certain kind of body, so nature takes you. Nature takes you to such a father and mother and you are placed into the semina of similar father, and by sexual intercourse the father puts the semina in the mother's body, and the mother develops your body, particular. If you are put into the mother dog, then you develop the body of a dog. And if you are put in the mother god, then you develop the body of a god. This the process. daiva-netrena. That carrying out, from this body to another body, that is not in your hands. That is not scientific, scientist's hand or experimental, philosopher's hand. It is completely under the hand of the material nature. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says that daivi hy esha guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. The material nature is so powerful that your so-called fighting against the material nature is simply waste of time. You cannot. You cannot, by material science, transfer yourself from this planet to another planet or according to your desire. No. That will be managed by laws of nature, material nature. So you are transferred. You are transferred to a certain body, and you develop a similar body, and then you come out and enjoy. Because you wanted to enjoy certain type of things, so unless you have got certain type of body... Just like the hog: it wanted to eat certain types of nonsense, so therefore it has been given the body so that it can very pleasantly eat stools. You see? Without that hog's body, nobody can eat stool.

So our different kinds of body is being offered by material nature as we want it, and we are enjoying this material world. So Prahlada Maharaja says that,

buddher jagaranam svapnah
sushuptir iti vrittayah
ta yenaivanubhuyante
so 'dhyakshah purushah parah
[SB 7.6.25]

Now, our point is: never mind what kind of body we are getting next, but I am existing. Whether I am intelligently working during the time when I am awake, or whether I am working under dreams, or whether I am being transferred to another body—I am having sound sleep under chloroform—I am the same. I am the same. I am that eternal soul. This is self-realization. So under all circumstances, either this body or that body, either sleeping or working or under sound sleep, any condition, I am there. This is my identification.

ebhis tri-varnaih paryastair
buddhi-bhedaih kriyodbhavaih
svarupam atmano budhyed
gandhair vayum ivanvayat
[SB 7.6.26]

So how I am being carried to different kinds of body, although I am the eternal and existing? How? Now, the very example is here, that gandhair vayum. Just like vayu. Vayu means air. Air is passing through a garden of rose. So air is carrying the flavor. The aroma of rose is being carried by the air. Now the air is passing through some filthy place, obnoxious, very bad smell, so air is catching. So air has neither this flavor, nor this bad or good. But as it is passing on, according to the association, it is getting certain time of, certain type of flavor and aroma. Similarly, by your association, you are getting different types of body. If you make your association with Krishna consciousness, then you get next your Krishna body. And if you make your association with non-Krishna consciousness, then you'll have this material body, and you have to undergo birth and death repeatedly.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Guest (1): ...how I become unconscious when I die?

Prabhupada: You are never unconscious.

Guest (1): You mean I experience the seven months of being in a sleeping state?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (1): And I am aware of it?

Prabhupada: Yes. You were aware, but you were a little deep, deep sleep. Just like I remember my chloroform case. So I remember very slightly, but there is remembrance. The consciousness is still there, but for some time it is curbed down. So if you become Krishna conscious once, even if at that time you are so-called unconscious, still, Krishna is with you. He is not forgetful. He is not forgetful. Therefore He will give you the proper result. Don't think that at the, at the time of your death, because you are so completely out of consciousness, therefore there is frustration. No. There is no frustration. There is no frustration. Because your activities are already recorded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is situated within your heart, so therefore there is no question of frustration. You just practice. While you are in good health, while you are in good body, while you are in good consciousness, just practice this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and the result is guaranteed.

Guest (2): Does any physical change take place in your body when you become Krishna conscious?

Prabhupada: Yes. There are so many physical changes. We have seen it practically. Yes. Some of our students, so long he was here, he was so nice. He was so glowing. And as soon as he has left, he has become just like damn rascal. Yes. We are experiencing practically. There are so many instances. Because my face is the index of mind, so similarly, what is going on within you, that will be reflected. That will be reflected. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was asked that "How can I understand...?" One of His disciples inquired from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, "How can I understand that a man is in Krishna consciousness?" He immediately replied, "If you see a man and at once you remember Krishna, you must know that he is in Krishna consciousness." It is such a nice thing. By seeing the face, by seeing the appearance of a person, if you remember Krishna, you should know that "This man is in Krishna consciousness." So there is change of physical feature also.

Guest (2): Isn't that a mental manifestation, like if you feel that someone's Krishna conscious? It's not a physical manifestation, right?

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes, physical, physical change, physical, I mean to say, body is no impediment simply because you are aloof from physical body always. That we have explained. So if you take to Krishna consciousness, then your physical impediments will not be a check. Ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati. You'll feel yourself transcendentally joyful in spite of your physical, present physical body. You'll... Just like if you eat, you'll know yourself that you are eating, you are feeling strength, you are getting enlightened, similarly, if you take this process of Krishna consciousness, in spite of your present physical body, you'll know that you are having something transcendental. That feeling will come with you.

Guest (3): Is that a feeling of unity with the universe?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Guest (3): A feeling of oneness with the universe?

Prabhupada: Well, when you feel Krishna, that is, He is... Krishna is the central point. If you know what is milk, then you know what is butter, what is cheese, what is yogurt, everything, because everything is milk product. So if you know Krishna, everything is Krishna product, so you know everything. That is universal knowledge. That is oneness. When you know what is milk, then, in spite of so many varieties of preparation of milk, you know it is milk. That is oneness. When you know, understand Krishna, that "Whatever we are seeing, in our presence, experiencing, they're all different energies of Krishna..." Just like you are sitting here, and if there is fire, you, you see the light. By the light of the fire, it is illuminated. By the heat of the fire, you are feeling warm. So whatever there is, it is due to fire. Therefore Krishna consciousness means to understand Krishna, and as soon as you understand Krishna, you understand everything. That is stated in the Vedic language, yasmin eva vijñate sarvam eva vijñatam bhavati: "One who understands that one Supreme, he understands everything immediately." There is no need of understanding separately or analyzing things separately. That will defeat. So Krishna consciousness means real oneness. But that oneness is not of the oneness of the impersonalists. That oneness is a little different. It is called shuddhadvaita, pure oneness. In spite of that being one Krishna, He is manifested by His different varieties of energies. Just like the fire. Fire is one, electricity is one, but it is acting in different varieties. It is acting in your refrigerator. It is acting in your heater. It is acting in your machine. It is acting in your television. Act... Everywhere. But the what is that? That electricity. Similarly, if you understand electricity, as of Krishna, then you understand your whole thing, one. But there are varieties. Just like in electricity there are so many varieties at work. This is Krishna consciousness.

Sri Guru and Gauranga
Sri Guru and Gauranga

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