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.