Nobody Survives

Founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya

Date with Destiny
Lecture on Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 20.102), Baltimore, July 7, 1976

Transmigration

Changing Bodies--Which One will We Get Next? by Hansadutta das

The process of transmigration of the soul is going on perpetually. Not only at the time of death, but even in the present life we are changing our body at every moment. We learn from modern medical science that every seven years the body has been completely transformed or changed by the destruction and reproduction of the cells in the body. The body we had seven years ago is gone, and we have a new body. We can understand that once we had the body of a baby which then changed into the body of a child. The child's body changes into a youth's body. The youth's body changes into a man's body, and the man becomes an old man. more

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This is also common, also very grave questions, that "In this material world, I do not want so many things, but they are enforced upon me. Why?" This is human life, to inquire why. The modern theory is struggle for existence. There are troubles, and you try to save yourself, and survival of the fittest. But nobody is fit, nobody survives. Nobody wants death, but we are talking of survival. Who can escape death? There is no possibility. So there are so many slogans, but actually there is no remedy. There is remedy, but we do not know. That is the defect of modern civilization. There is remedy. Otherwise why we are talking this shastra? Why Sanatana Gosvami is putting this question? Just to get the solution from the spiritual master. Otherwise there was no need of putting these questions, that "What is my position? Why these threefold miseries always give me trouble? Why I die? Why I become old? Why I become diseased? Why I have to take birth?" They are simply struggle for existence, that here is a child, and the child-bearing is very troublesome, and if I give birth to a child... The mother is killing. This is going on. But that means she is implicating herself again in another way of life. This is going on.

So this question, at the present moment, nobody asks this question. But this is very intelligent question. We are completely under the laws of nature.

prakriteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvashah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate [Bhagavad-gita 3.27]

We are not independent. Just like in the state, in your country, although you have observed the independence ceremony, but you are not independent. If you go... "Keep to the right," you go to the left, immediately your independence finished. You'll be punished. So this so-called independence is conditional. It is not absolute independence. If you want absolute independence then you have to go back home, back to Godhead. This is Krishna consciousness. We are hankering after independence, but so long we remain in this material world, there is no question of independence. So intelligent man, when he inquires about, when he thinks over, that "I want independence from so many things, but I am not independent. I am forced to accept, then where is my independence?" When this question arises, then he is human being. Otherwise he's as good as the cats and dogs. Because the cats and dogs, they cannot inquire. Just like an animal is being sent to the slaughterhouse, he cannot say "Why I am... What I have done? Why you are sending me to the slaughterhouse?" He cannot protest. Even he protests, nobody hears him. Nobody hears. He protests by crying, by screaming, but we have made our own theories: "This crying is nothing. It has no soul. We can kill."

So in this way the whole world is going on under a gross atmosphere of ignorance. There are so many things to be discussed. Just like we do not know what is the problems of life, how life comes into existence. We see a child is born, but we do not know wherefrom the life came. The lump of matter of the child is not the child. If the child takes birth dead, without life, it has no value; it is a lump of matter. You throw it immediately. But if it has a life, then we take care of it, we raise it, give him food, give him breast milk, and so much care. The life is so important. But nobody cares to know what is this life, where it begins, wherefrom it comes, what is the destiny. No question. Similarly, if we... We are seeing every night so many planets. We are making tiny attempt to go to moon planet or some other planet, but there are, we see there are so many millions and trillions of planet. What about their situation? We have made our calculation from here that they are simply decoration; there is no life. No, there is life. There is life, but we do not know it. So yesterday our scientist, Svarupa Damodara, Dr. Svarupa Damodara, was speaking that in the history of human society, actually these two things are ignorance: what is the beginning of life and what are these planetary systems.

So we are after knowledge, but so many things are unknown to us. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami is teaching us by his practical behavior to approach the spiritual master, and putting his case that "I am suffering in this way." He was minister, there was no question of suffering. He was very well situated. That he has already explained, that gramya-vyavahare pandita, tai satya kari mani: "There are so many questions I cannot answer. There is no solution. Still, people say that I am very learned man—I accept it foolishly." Nobody is learned man unless he goes to the guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12]. Therefore Vedic injunction is that if you want to be learned, then go to guru, bona fide guru, not the so-called guru.

tad viddhi pranipaten
apariprashnena sevaya
upadekshyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darshinah [Bg. 4.34]

Guru means one who has seen the Absolute Truth. That is guru. Tattva-darshinah, tattva means the Absolute Truth, and darshinah, one who has seen. So this movement, our Krishna consciousness movement, is for this purpose, to see the Absolute Truth, to understand the Absolute Truth, to know the problems of life and how to make a solution. These things are our subject matter. Our subject matter is not material things, that somehow or other you get a car and a good apartment and a good wife, then all your problems solved. No. That is not solution of problems. The real problem is how to stop your death. That is the real problem. But because it is very difficult subject matter, nobody touches it. "Oh, death—we shall peacefully die." But nobody peacefully dies. If I take a dagger and I say, "Now die peacefully," [laughter] the whole peaceful condition finished immediately. He will cry. So these are nonsense, if somebody says, "I will die peacefully." Nobody dies peacefully, that is not possible. Therefore death is a problem. Birth is also a problem. Nobody is peaceful while within the womb of the mother. It is packed-up, airtight condition, and nowadays there is risk of being killed also. So there is no question of peacefulness, birth and death. And then old age. Just like I am old man, so many troubles I have got. So old age. And disease. Everyone has got experience, even headache is sufficient to give you trouble. The real problem is this: birth, death, old age and disease. That is the statement given by Krishna, that janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi duhkha-doshanudarshanam [Bg. 13.9]. If you are intelligent, you should take up these four problems of life as very dangerous.

So they have no knowledge; therefore they avoid these questions. But we take up these questions very seriously. That is the difference between other movement and Krishna consciousness movement. Our movement is how to solve these problems. The shastra says that if you cannot solve these problems for your children... That is real contraceptive method. Pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat na mochayed yah samupeta-mrityum. If you cannot protect your child from the imminent death and repetition of birth, then don't become a father, don't become a mother. This is shastra's injunction. If you are actually father and mother, you should give him such educational knowledge that this is the last birth. Next he'll not have any such body subjected to birth and death. That is possible. That the Bhagavad-gita says: tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. If you take to Krishna consciousness, if you simply try to understand Krishna, then the whole problem solved. What is the problem solved? Tyaktva deham, this body we have to give up. Because it is material body, you must have to give up. But those who are Krishna consciousness, in the..., after giving up this body, no more material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Punar janma means next birth. If you accept a material body, then there is question of next birth. But if you remain in your spiritual body, there is no question of next birth. That is spiritual salvation or liberation. If you remain in your spiritual body, then you go back to home, back to Godhead. Krishna is complete spiritual body. The kingdom of God is also spiritual, and you go there, and you live there eternally. Tyaktva deham. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhamam paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. Where going you do not come back again to this material world. That is the supreme abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So this benediction is offered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who has very kindly come here, Nitai-Gaura. So you take advantage of His mercy. You are very fortunate that Nitai-Gaura is here. If you simply chant "Nitai-Gaura" and dance, then you'll become happy. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty. You are chanting "Jaya Sachinandana." This simple chanting, "Jaya Sachinandana," "Hare Krishna," this chanting and dancing, yajnaih sankirtanair prayaih yajanti hi sumedhasah. This is not I am manufacturing. It is the injunction of the shastra. In this age, simply by chanting and dancing, yajnaih sankirtanair prayaih, you get complete spiritual service. So I am very glad you are taking care of Nitai-Gaura so nicely, They are so nicely dressed. So continue these activities, and even if you cannot do anything, simply chant Hare Krishna and dance and "Jaya shacinandana." That will make your life perfect.