Servant of Dog

Dressing Up, Dressing Down

Blessed Art Thou Without Soul? A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Cardinal Danielou: The soul, the soul, the soul is, is human soul. In the animal you have some psychologic existence, but not life of spirit with freedom, with mind and with the reality of spirit. But you have the same idea because you said that there is a difference of nature between spiritual creation and the material world. You know, the material world is not of the same essence than the spiritual world. And the man, the man is a part of spiritual world.

Prabhupada: No. Our Bhagavad-gita says: sarva-yonishu. "In all species of life, as many forms are there, so the spirit soul is there." This outward body is just like a dress. You may have a very costly dress, and I may have a very shabby, poor dress, but both of us are human being, or living entities. Similarly these different forms of living entities, they are just like different types of dress. more

So this Krishna consciousness, this chanting of Krishna consciousness, being engaged fully in the service of Krishna, will gradually revive your pure consciousness, and you'll know, and you'll feel jolly. You'll feel jolly. Now we are serving. We are already serving. Now we are serving the cats and dogs and motorcar and this and that, so many things. Servant we are, because constitutionally I am servant. And because I am not servant of God or servant of Krishna, that I have become servant of my dog. In the morning I go with my dog. The dog says, "Yes, stand up here." "Yes, I am standing." "Let me pass my stool." "Yes, my dear sir. It is very nice." So I am servant. But I have no shame that I have become servant of dog and I refuse to be servant of God. Such a foolish we are. You see? So Prahlada Maharaja says, "Just change this kindly. Don't become any more servant of..." Servant of dog means servant of your senses. That's all. We are here all servant of senses. That's all. A swami means master of the senses. "Oh, sense wants? Oh, my tongue wants immediately to smoke? There is some sensation. Oh, I must say, 'No. There is no smoking. Stop.'" Then you are master. And if you have become servant, "Oh, I want. Will you kindly give me a cigarette?" Because I am servant of cigarette. So you have to train yourself to become swami, master of your senses. Then everything is all right. Don't be servant of your senses. Servant you are. Just change your servitorship. Instead of becoming servant of senses, just become the servant of the master of the senses. The master of senses is Krishna. Therefore He is called Hrishikesha. And Krishna consciousness means hrishikena hrishikesha- sevanam bhaktir uchyate [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 19.170]. Devotional service means to serve the master of the senses with your purified senses. That's all. You haven't got to stop your sensual activities, but now you are serving the senses by the dictation of the senses. Now, while you will serve the master of the senses, then your perfection will come.

So Prahlada Maharaja is advising, "My dear boyfriends," tad bija-nirharanam yogah, "you practice yoga just to become master of your senses." Not that officially I sit down, fifteen minutes meditation, and next moment I am master of my senses. This is not yoga. Here it is called bija-nirharanam yogah. Just practice such kind of yoga by which you can kill the seed of your servant of this material world.

Thank you very much. Any questions?

Guest (1): What are the activities of the soul when it unites with God? Does it simply enjoy everything or does it still...?

Prabhupada: You can perceive the activities of the soul even in your present state. That I am explaining, that the soul's activities is to serve. So we are serving dog. We have to serve God. That is soul's activities, real. Simply the difference is that instead of dog, we have to change the word—"God." The service is already there. Your activities are already there. You are not stopped. It is not a new thing. Service is already there. Just like India has become independent, or you have become independent. Now, there were government servants. Before independence declared, they were servant in the same office. And now the Britishers have gone away, Indians are controlling their own management. The same servant is there. Now he's thinking, "I am independent." And what independence? You are serving here still. In the British period, you also served, and you are serving. What is your independence? "Oh, now I am serving my own country." That's all, rubberstamp change. For imperial government, "His Majesty," now the rubber is "India government." The rubber stamp is changed. So you have to change your rubber stamp. Instead of serving dog, you have to serve God. That's all. Change your rubber stamp. Is it very difficult? So please try to change your rubber stamp. That's all.