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Problem
Solving
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Solutions
that Create Problems Hansadutta
das
Man's
attempts to adjust to the problems that nature presents create new
problems worse than the original problems. They then try to solve the
new problems, thus creating more problems. In this way they become
entangled, creating solutions that create problems. more |
"Never
was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings;
nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." (Bhagavad-gita
2.12)
Prabhupada: This is a very important verse.
The modern scientists, philosophers, they say that after finishing this
body, we no more exist, finished, everything finished. This is not new.
In olden times also there were atheists like Charvaka Muni, he also
said like that: bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano
bhavet. Now why you are worrying about next life? As soon as
this body is burned into ashes, everything is finished. According to
Vedic funeral ritualistic ceremony, the body is burned. There are three
ends of the body, either to become stool, or to become ashes, or to
become earth. Those who are burying the body, just like the Christian,
Mohammedans do, the body becomes earth. Everything, from the earth it
has come up: "Dust thou were, dust thou beist." This beautiful body,
nice body, will become earth. And those who are burning, so their body
becomes ashes. And those who throw the body to be eaten by jackals and
crows, they become stool. This is the end of the body. We are taking so
much care of this body, but the ultimate end of this body is either
stool, earth or ashes. So foolish persons who are in the bodily concept
of life, they are thinking: "After all, this body will be finished. So
so long the body is there, senses are there, let us enjoy. Why so much
restrictions, no illicit sex, no gambling? No. These are all nonsense.
Let us enjoy life." This is atheistic life. Foolish life. They do not
know, so the body is not all.
This is the first lesson to understand, what is spiritual life, what is
spiritual knowledge. But all rascals, they do not know. Therefore
Krishna first of all slapped Arjuna: ashochyan anvashochas tvam
prajna-vadamsh cha bhashase [Bg. 2.11]. "You do not know what is
the fact, and talking like a very learned man. Just try to understand
what is truth." Na tv evaham jatu nasam. First thing is
that nasam, we have no nasam. We never die, that will
be explained later on more clearly, we do not die. Nasam. At
any time. It is not that sometimes we die and sometimes... No. Any
time, jatu. At any time. So: "Sir, You are Supreme Personality
of Godhead, You may not die. But we die, we are ordinary living
entities." So Krishna says, nasam, na tv evaham jatu
nasam na tvam: "Neither you nor I. We never die." "So it may be
I am Your friend and You are Krishna. Therefore the others will die."
No. Neme janadhipah: "Neither these, all these people,
all these soldiers, [nor] the kings who have assembled here, they'll
also not die. There is no end. They'll never die." So, na chaiva
na bhavishyamah, it is not that we did not exist in the past,
and we are existing at present. That is everyone knows. So in the
future, don't think that we may not exist. Na bhavishyamah. It
is not that we shall not exist in the future. Na bhavishyamah,
not exist, and another not. Two nots make one yes. Two negatives make
one positive. So therefore, we have two negatives. Na chaiva na
bhavishyamah. Na bhavishyamah means not to exist in the
future; that is not. That means we shall exist. Na chaiva na
bhavishyamah sarve... all of us. All of us, you, not that
"Because I am God, because you are My friend, God's friend, and all
others..." No, everyone. This is knowledge. In the Katha
Upanishad there is the verse nityo nityanam. Nityo nityanam.
Nityanam means ever existing. Nitya means ever, always. So
either Krishna or we, every one of us are ever-existing, because we are
part and parcel of Krishna. Therefore, if Krishna is ever-existing, so
we are also ever-existing. A particle of gold is gold, qualitatively.
The value of gold mine and the gold earring may be different. Gold
earring may be, say, hundred dollars, but a gold mine, millions of
dollars. But both of them are gold, not that it is iron. Therefore,
less value, no.
Searching
for bodies
Krishna
is the Supreme Spirit Person. He is all-pervading. Everywhere He is
present. He is so expansive. We are simply... We are also
all-pervading, but within this body. That's all. Krishna is
all-pervading means throughout the whole creation, Krishna
all-pervading. And we are also all-pervading only in this body. You are
all-pervading within your body; I know the pains and pleasures of my
body; you know the pains and pleasures of your body. So all-pervading
means within this body. If I pinch anywhere, I'll feel pain, you'll not
feel pain. Therefore, you are not all-pervading, I am not
all-pervading. But Krishna is all-pervading. When I feel pain, Krishna
knows it. Vedaham samatitani [Bg. 7.26]. "I know
everything." That is Krishna. Try to understand distinction between
Krishna and us. He's all-pervading, but He's nitya,
ever-existing. We are also ever-existing. Nityo nityanam
chetanash chetananam (Katha Upanishad 2.2.13). We
have got knowledge, Krishna has got knowledge. But we have got limited
knowledge. Krishna has got unlimited knowledge. That is the difference.
Krishna is also cognizant. He's also acknowledged. Nityo
nityanam chetanash chetananam.
Then where is the difference between Krishna and us? Yes, there is
difference. What is that? That Krishna, singular number, nityo
nityanam...nityanam, this is plural number. Chetanash
chetananam. Chetananam, this is plural number. So there is one
person, singular number. Others, they are plural number, we jivas
[living entities]. Anantyaya
kalpate. Jivas, that is described, the dimension of the jiva.
I have several times explained, keshagra-shata-bhagasya shatadha
kalpitasya cha [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya
19.140]. First of all, divide the tip of the hair into hundred parts.
Then take one of the parts, one hundredth part, again divide into
hundred parts. That small, less than atom, that is the magnitude of the
jiva. And they are anantyaya kalpate. There is no
limit. There is no limit how many living entities are there. If you
search out, after passing stool, if you search out stool, you'll find
millions of living entities, germs. Even from the hole of your room,
there is small hole, and there are ants, hundreds and thousands will
come out. So similarly, within the hole, within the earth, within the
air, within the fire even, there are germs, worms in the fire. These
rascals, they do not know. They simply think... Because nitya, nitya
means ever-existing. So in the fire the living entities does not die.
They sterilize. "Now it is sterilized." That is all nonsense.
Sterilized means the body is killed, but not this... There is abortion.
The body is killed. Contraception... The body is killed. But the soul,
he's not killed. If you make some inconvenience to the soul, who has
taken shelter in the womb, and you kill the body, then he'll have to
search out another body. This is going on. Just see how the rascal
civilization is going on. They're thinking they're killing. This way
killed, that way killed. No. You, it is sinful because you create
inconvenience to that particular soul. He was taking shelter, karmana
daiva-netrena jantur dehopapattaye [Srimad-Bhagavatam
3.31.1]. By his karma he was given shelter to develop a body,
and if you kill that body, that means you go against the order of the
Supreme, daiva-netrena. Suppose you are destined to occupy some
room, and somebody does not allow you to enter that room, is it not
criminal? It is criminal, unlawful detention, unlawful... It is
unlawful, even in the state. Similarly, a living entity is developing
one body, and if you kill that, you become immediately criminal,
punishable. And the living entity who is checked to develop the body,
he's put into inconvenience, he's also sinful. He's also sinful.
Therefore it may be simply he's wandering from one womb to another, one
womb to another. Because he committed that sinful activity abortion.
Now the man who causes his abortion, he also being punished, that
"You'll never see the light of this world. You'll simply have to live
one womb to another, one womb to another. Go on." So nature's
punishment is like that. But these foolish people they do not know.
No
overpopulation, but restriction of supply
Nityo
nityanam. So every living entity is nitya. As Krishna is nitya.
He is singular number; we are plural number. That is the difference. We
are many; Krishna is one. There cannot be many Krishnas. But there are
many living entities. So what is the difference between the singular
number? That is also stated here: eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman.
This one singular number is supplying all the necessities of this
plural number. Is it not fact? We are very much disturbed over
population. That is all nonsense. Krishna is quite able, if there is
overpopulation... There cannot be overpopulation, because there are
already ananta living entities, what to speaking of overpopulation? It
is already there, you cannot count. There is no question of... There
are already overpopulation. And they can be provided by Krishna. Eko
bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Krishna is not limited; He is also
unlimited. He can provide unlimited living entities. There is no
scarcity of food. So this theory that overpopulation is nonsense. It is
also nonsense. There cannot be overpopulation. But there is
restriction, by nature. Nature will restrict production of food if
there are demons. Nature will not provide the demons. You'll find in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto, nature is quite
prepared to supply all the foods, but as soon as there are number of
demons, because the whole plan is to correct. Just like the criminals
are sent to the prison house for being corrected so that they may not
again commit criminals. That is the purpose of... Similarly, we are all
criminals who are in this material world. The purpose is to be
corrected. We wanted to imitate Krishna, to become Krishna, and
therefore we violated the orders of Krishna, and that criminality means
material life.
krishna-bahirmukha
hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare (Prema-vivarta)
This
is maya [illusory], this material
world. Maya. This body is false, maya. So we have to
accept this body because we wanted to enjoy. So enjoy, you enjoy with
this body, particular body. Either human's body, or dog's body, or
cat's body, or demigod's body, you get as you desire. You get a
material body and enjoy. This is material life.
So Krishna also, although in the material life, Krishna is providing
all necessities of life. Duly, there is seasonal changes. You get
seasonal fruits, flowers, grains, and all necessities. You'll be still
given chance, especially to the human being, that you get all supplies,
necessities. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. All
necessities, But again you revive your consciousness, Krishna
consciousness. That is the plan. But if you do not revive your Krishna
consciousness, if you simply enjoy the senses, then there will be
restriction of supply. This is the law. That is the restriction of
supply. Therefore, there will be no rain. And if there is no rain, what
factory will do, you rascal? You can manufacture scissors and knives
and buckets of plastic, but you cannot prepare rice and wheat. That is
not possible, sir. That will depend on rain. So immediately rains will
be restricted. Now you all chew all these kankar. What is this kankar?
These stone particles?
Devotee: Pebbles?
Prabhupada: What are called
these? In Hindi, it is called kankar, Indian.
Revatinandan: Pebbles?
Prabhupada: Pebbles, big.
Small. Sand, sand. Yes. So you can eat that. When there is no rain...
That is also eatable. The peacocks, they eat. The pigeons, they eat.
Yes, the, they can eat. You have seen? They're eating. So everything is
there eatable. So there is no question of overpopulation.
Overpopulation is already there,
anantyaya kalpate. They why do you call overpopulation? When there
is already fire, why do you say there will be fire? It is already
there. So, but, the restriction, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman.
That eka, that eka, Krishna, He orders. He does not
order actually. Just like, not every time the police has to be ordered
by the superior authority to punish the criminal. They know how to
punish. So the nature knows how to punish these criminals. Therefore,
the scientists are finding now shortage of petrol, shortage of this,
shortage... What to do? What to do? This is the position. Otherwise,
there is no question of overpopulation. The supply is restricted. That
is the problem. Eko yo bahunam. Because He supplies all
the necessities, the supply will be restricted. As we become more and
more sinful and without Krishna consciousness, they will be put into
difficulties, they will be dying within the womb, they will be killed,
within the womb, there will be war, there will be pestilence, there
will be famine, there will be earthquake. In so many ways, we have to
die. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Again, take
birth, this business will go on. And ultimately, when the whole
universe is annihilated, then again we take shelter in the body of
Maha-Vishnu and live for, in that way, without any body, for many
millions of years. Again, there is creation, and then again given
chance. "All right, take another chance. Be Krishna conscious."
A
conscious choice
So
this is material creation. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg.
8.19]. As we have got this body, we have got the chance, not to become
Krishna conscious, and if we miss, then I do not know where I am going
next life. But I am not going to die, that's a fact. That will be
explained in the next verse. I am not going to die. So we existed in
the past, we are now existing at present, and we shall continue to
exist in the future. This is the position. But how we shall exist? What
kind of body, either demigod's body or dog's body or tree's body or
fish's body, that will depend on my work. Or we go back to home, back
to Godhead, Krishna like... We get the spiritual body like Krishna.
Everything is possible.
So it is our business to see what kind of body we shall get next life. Tyaktva
deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Actually, if
we become Krishna conscious, then after giving up this body, we are no
more going to accept any material body. Because spiritual body is
already there. That is eternal. The spirit soul, the spiritual body,
that is never vanquished. It was existing in the past, it is existing
now, and it will continue to exist in the future. Because people may
say, "How is that? How odd thing Krishna is speaking, that na tv
evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme janadhipah." Because actually, we
died. Maybe we have taken birth again, but everyone dies. How that,
that we do not die?" No. It is not the body, but Krishna is speaking
about the soul. Soul is ever-existing. It existed in the past, it is
existing now, and it will exist. Maybe, different type of body, that is
Krishna's instruction.
BBC
- Mon 12 Feb 2007 - JAMES REYNOLDS,
BBC News, Beijing Wifeless future for
China's men