So, what is the ultimate benefit of the human being, of the living entity? Yes, the highest benefit. You will be reinstated in your original position as a servant of Krishna is the real benefit. And this comes of course by bhakti-yoga. And this causes detachment from all happiness and distress. So usually we don't want to be detached from happiness, because in the material world we really want happiness. Everybody is looking for happiness. But distress we really very much want to be detached from. But here he says that this yoga system will give us detachment from both happiness and distress. So this is the highest yoga system. Purport: "In the material world everyone is trying to get some material happiness, but as soon as we get some material happiness, there is also material distress. In the material world one cannot have unadulterated happiness. Any kind of happiness one has is contaminated by distress also. For example, if we want to drink milk, then we have to bother to maintain a cow and keep her fit to supply milk. Drinking milk is very nice, it is also pleasure. But for the sake of drinking milk, one has to accept so much trouble. The yoga system here, as described by the Lord, is meant to end all material happiness and material distress. The best yoga, as taught in Bhagavad-gītā by Krishna, is bhakti-yoga. It is also mentioned in the Gītā that one should try to be tolerant and not be disturbed by material happiness or distress. Of course, one may say that he is not disturbed by material happiness, but he does not know that just after one enjoys so-called material happiness, material distress will follow. This is the law of the material world. Lord Kapila states that the yoga system is the science of the spirit. One practices yoga in order to attain perfection on the spiritual platform. There is no question of material happiness or distress. It is transcendental. Lord Kapila will eventually explain how it is transcendental, but the preliminary introduction is given here."
So there is no question of material happiness and distress for the real self, the soul. So Kapiladeva... I will also pray first. nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
So this is the first thing that Kapiladeva is saying here. So he is introducing what he will teach Devahūti. And so he will teach this highest yoga system, bhakti-yoga, which will give the ultimate benefit for the living entity, and which causes detachment from happiness and distress in the material world. So this first thing that Krishna is saying in Bhagavad-gītā: mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino 'nityās taṁs titikṣasva bhārata. That the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sensory perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. So Krishna is saying to Arjuna that this happiness and distress is always coming and one must tolerate them. And what does to tolerate mean? That means that one is just going on with one's service, although sometimes there is happiness and sometimes distress. Śrīla Prabhupāda is giving in the purport to that verse that a lady or housewife, she is cooking although it is hot summer, so much high temperature and when she is cooking there will be even more heat, but she does her duty as a housewife and then cook anyway if it is really hot. And also the brāhmaṇa or the person, he is taking a bath in the month of Māgha, as January as I understand, when it is really cold in India. And because they don't have warm water heater as we have, so then it is very cold water that they are splashing over their body. And first time I was in India, that was very funny, when you were in some... It was before I was a devotee. So then you saw on the street that some men, they had just some loincloth on and they splashed water on their body, completely open, everyone to see. So this, that is going on also in wintertime when it is the coldest season in India. So this is the thing that one should be able to tolerate happiness and distress like this. And in the next verse, Krishna says that one who can tolerate the area of happiness and distress like this, heat and cold, he is eligible for liberation. And actually, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining that dhīra, to be a dhīra, a person who can tolerate this, he must be self-realized in order to tolerate this happiness and distress. And this is just a little BBT note here that sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda is criticized for changing the books. And in this verse, the verse previous to this mātrā-sparśās, it is this dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. As the soul continuously passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. But the self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change. Śrīla Prabhupāda first wrote, "but the self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." And then the BBT was changing this to "the sober person is not bewildered by such a change." So there is a, I would say it is a little difference between a sober person... ...so maybe Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation was better. We don't know the full history of it. Sometimes they have access to the tapes and actually the first version we had was the change. Because I have this book, Macmillan Bhagavad-gītā, and there it says "self-realized soul."
Yeah, but there it also says something that we worship the fig tree, which was a mistake. Some of the editions are a mistake. We sit here, because they are doing their things and... Yeah, so that is the... We have to learn to tolerate. That means that we have to learn to just go on with our service, although sometimes the mind is telling us different things and we have different relationships with the devotees and like this. So this is a test. Because what we are actually aiming at is something beyond material happiness and distress. And this is also hinted by Kapiladeva here. The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, not the conditioned soul, but the soul proper. So that is what we are aiming at, that the soul connects with the Supreme Lord who is the complete whole. And so we have to be able to tolerate the distress and happiness. And we can see that in this chapters about Devahūti and Kardama Muni, now Kardama, that they had very fantastic roller coaster of happiness and distress in their lives. And who has not had this roller coaster in their lives? Maybe Labangalatika dd? I don't know. No? I don't know. Then you are not in the material world. Yeah, but happiness and distress, sure, but not very much up and down. Okay. Yeah, when we come down in the roller coaster, it's high speed. And then the high speed when we go up, then it's slow down. At least but then, yeah. So we have all experience of this in the material world. And as was said in yesterday's class also that that is very important that we become tired of this chewing the chewed, chewing the chewed, same thing again and again. And I was also thinking of this example that there was a very famous tennis player. It's very easy for me to relate, because I was a tennis player before. What? It was easy for me to relate to him, because I was a tennis player. I even played Björn Borg. Mmm. But he won, but... This famous tennis player, I don't remember his name, but he was winning so many contests. And so he was real on the top. Björn Borg, he was winning, I don't know, seven Wimbledons in a row or something like that. And so this person was even better, I think, than him. So this person, he was really glorified as the champion. And of course, when he was getting the prize of first, of championship, did he think that he did it? But then after some time, he got cancer. Which cancer? He got cancer. Which cancer? He got cancer. Cancer? Yeah. And so he was, it was not possible to... No, another one who was even better than Björn Borg. And then people were asking, "Why? How is it?" But he was, maybe some interview or something like this, "How is it? You have been such a nice tennis player, fantastic. And now you got this." And his answer, I think it was like, "Yeah, when I was on top, I didn't ask, 'Why me?' because there were so many tennis players in the world and they are playing with each other. And out of all these thousands of tennis players, he became the champion. When I became the champion, I didn't ask, 'Why me?'"
But when he, so he was very happy. Of course, this is my... prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. The bewildered soul, under the influence of three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of these activities, of all these activities done by material nature. So we take credit for every victory we have in life and when we are happy, then of course, "I'm such a wonderful person that I should be happy." And like this. So this is the situation. And also this attraction between boy and girl. The boy thinks that I will have a better existence if I have a spouse and the girl is saying, "I will have a better existence if I have a boyfriend or husband." And so they think that they can mitigate by becoming complete, so to say, as a pair, they can better conquer this world and become happy. So, but that is not the real way to become happy and the real way to become complete. Īśopaniṣad says in the invocation that, I might have lost this verse also, oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. That everything in this world is... No. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this material world, is also perfect and complete. Everything that comes from, everything that is produced of the complete whole, is also complete in itself."
Because... anyway, so that is part of the verse. And this means that this world is, everything in this world is perfect. Everything is perfect. Just like the hand is perfect, because it is giving the food to the mouth. And the mouth is giving it to the stomach. So the hand is perfectly situated as a part of the body, and he has this function of giving food to the stomach. So in the same way, the living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. And when he serves the Supreme Lord, just like the hand is serving the stomach, so to say, and then so the soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and when he serves the complete whole, then he is in his right position. jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa'. But if we have a hand, and they cut the hand and it lies on the floor, it looks like a hand but it doesn't have the function of the hand, it's dead. So if the soul is disconnected with the Supreme, he is useless. He doesn't function in the way he is supposed to. And Bhagavad-gītā, second chapter is saying that... nāsti buddhir ayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham. Without being connected with the Supreme in Krishna consciousness, one can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a peaceful mind or a steady mind, without which peace is not possible. And how can there be happiness without peace? So this happiness is the spiritual happiness and when comes when one, when the soul is connected with the Supreme in yoga. And what is the highest yogi? yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. "Of all yogis, the one with great faith who is always within Krishna and who is rendering devotional service to Him, He is the highest of all yogis." That is the Krishna's opinion. So then we are, so we by connecting with the Supreme Lord in bhakti-yoga and there are nine processes of devotional service: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. And so this is the way to connect with the Absolute Truth. Many times I have been wondering, what does this absolute mean? And Krishna is one without a second. He is everything. He is everything, so He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He is the possessor of all energies. There is just Krishna and Krishna's energies. Material world, that is bahiraṅgā-śakti, His external energy. And there is the internal energy, antaraṅgā-śakti, and taṭasthā-śakti, that's the marginal energy, marginal potency. So this is everything. And He is absolute, and He is absolutely that He is also the... in all phases of time He was in the past like this, and He is also now. And although the material forms in this material world are changing all the times, the material energy is His energy. And so He is in control of all this energy. So we have to be connected with Krishna. And there is this story with Pinocchio, this doll which is with the strings. And our ambition is to be connected with Krishna in such a way that He can pull our strings. And in this way we can dance, as Śrīla Prabhupāda says in his prayer when he came with Jaladuta: "Make me dance, make me dance as You like." So this is the perfection of a devotee, that he is actually used by Krishna as an instrument for accomplishing different things. So, I remember that Tribhuvana Prabhu, he was complaining to Harikeśa Prabhu that, "I'm not, I don't feel connected." "I don't feel connected like this." And then because if you are a doll, then how can you connect? And then Harikeśa said, "Yeah, the doll has to somehow or other connect the strings to the one who is holding the strings." So this is compared to when we actually, we have to endeavor. We have to endeavor to be connected with the Supreme. But also we know that there is this mercy aspect, that we have to get the mercy of the spiritual master and Krishna in order to be used by Krishna. So it is also said that one who is continuously, as a devotee continuously bowing down before Krishna and spiritual master and doing his service, then attaining Krishna, that will be his rightful claim, just like a person who is a nice son, he will inherit the father when the father dies. But Krishna doesn't die. Yes. Okay, so this is what I wanted to say. Maybe someone else has some question or comment? Q: It is easy to understand, first, maybe two questions, completely different questions. But is it really possible for the soul not to be connected? Or is it so that the soul is actually connected with Krishna, but our human existence, human experience, our higher self, of course the false ego cannot understand that, that's for sure. But even the higher self cannot understand the connection when it's dormant and when the soul is covered? But the soul, have I understood right that the soul actually is in connection with Krishna all the time? The soul cannot exist without being... A: No, it is explained that the soul, like the sun and the sunshine, the sunshine cannot exist without the sun. It doesn't work. So in the same way, the soul is always connected with the Supreme Soul. And if He would withdraw your existence, you would not exist. So everything is like that. He maintains everything in the material world, and also the living entities. Q: Because it's something you said that the soul must get back to connection to Krishna. But there is no such a thing than get back to connection, because the connection is all the time there. A: But the connection must be open by the process of Krishna consciousness. Later here, there is very nice verses coming. One of the verses that Kapiladeva is saying that bhakti, devotional service dissolves the subtle body in the same way that the stomach digests food that we eat. Automatically. We don't have to think how the stomach is taking care of the food. Automatically the stomach is digesting the food, without us meddling with that. So in the same way, bhakti, by just doing devotional service, then it... because this subtle body, the material subtle body, false ego, intelligence, and mind, they are covering the soul. And when this covering is dissolved, then there is just the soul left. Q: It's just the soul left. There is no higher self, because the soul actually doesn't need this body. So who is then maintaining? A: That is the higher self, that is the soul. You know, there is this verse in the third chapter of Bhagavad-gītā: evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā like that, and if you understand that you are superior to mind, intelligence, and false ego, then you should steady the mind by higher intelligence. Q: That I understand. But from the point of view of soul, why would the soul choose to operate in a body when it's uncovered? If there is nothing between soul and Krishna, why would the soul just leave the body immediately? Q: Because it's in this position, like on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, a pure devotee, while he is in this world and is working with this body and he is doing his service to Krishna, then when he leaves the body, whether he continues to serve in the material world or the spiritual world, doesn't matter, but while we are in this material world, we use the body as a vehicle. But the subtle body disappears, so there is no mind... Q: Who uses? Q: Soul. Q: Okay. So but the soul is unchangeable. Q: Yes. Q: So is this using the body some kind of knowledge that is... because I mean, the soul changes the body, but the soul is unchangeable. Q: Yes. Q: But the soul has to have different manual to operate in human body, a fish body, a plant body. A: Let me try to... we have spoken about this last time I gave a class. And how is it so that the soul has come to this material world? This is often this question. And either you can answer like this that somehow or other we have fallen, we understand exactly the reason Krishna knows, but we don't know. So we should just understand our position here, that we have to hear from authorities, from śāstra, about the soul, that we actually belong to the spiritual world. Another answer is that that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave when he gave a class in Australia. Somebody asked exactly the same question, "How is it that the soul, which is pure, comes to this material world?" And then he said that if there is a man and he holds his child in hand and they are walking and they see an amusement park with a roller coaster and all these things, and the child says, "I want to test it. I want to go there." And the father says, "No, no, no, it's not good." "Yeah, yeah, I want." And then, then the father, he knows that, "Okay, I let the child go there and experience, and maybe he will vomit or something in the roller coaster, but he knows that the child is safe there. They have safety arrangements so that he will not be killed, so to say." But this is the situation for the soul, that we are foolish children who want to test to be the center. Q: Yes, that is another... A: Yes. This is also why this answer may be not completely satisfying for some people. But we have the, what to say, independence that we can desire things. And also one thing is that when we come to this material world from the spiritual world, in the spiritual world we are very intelligent, so to say. But when we come to the material world, we become Brahmā, a very, very intelligent person. So, and so that might be we might think that it can be nice to be in the material world. Q: Yeah, anyway, I understand that it's our choice. We have used our free will to separate from Krishna or try to separate from Him, even if it's not possible, and then He has facilitated us to get... A: Yeah. Q: Now I understand. I mean, one understands that one doesn't want to be here anymore. A: Yeah, there are two purposes of creation. One purpose is that the living entity can try to enjoy the senses in the different ways. And the other purpose is that when the living entity is tired of that, then he can go back to the spiritual world. And therefore Krishna comes and teaches, like Kapiladeva, all the time coming and coming, in order to give release to the devotees and kill the demons and reestablish the principles of religion. So, yeah. Q: Can I say something? We are sac-cid-ānanda, but we are very, very small. We are Krishna's energy. Q: Who? We. All of us, spirit souls. We are small. We are smaller than Krishna. Q: Who experiences? Q: Can I just finish the mind, the sentence? Can I finish the sentence? We are by constitution a small part, sac-cid-ānanda but smaller than Krishna, Krishna's energy. So when Krishna facilitates our desire for independence, then His other energy, His Māyā, is stronger than us and puts us in illusion and then we will believe we are this body. We will believe because... and then when we start to desire to come towards Krishna, there is the stage of anartha-nivṛtti, because we have other desires in our heart that we are not even fully aware of. So we want to go to Krishna, we want to be pure devotees, and gradually we will face all these other anarthas and give them up. So sometimes, like we see in the śāstras, somebody would say immediately when he heard he was going to die, immediately turned to Krishna. So it's possible in theory, but generally most of us we have so many conditionings and so many misunderstandings, so many things in our heart, so it doesn't go like this. It takes a little while. But that's... A: But I think that... I hope you don't mind that I mentioned this, but previously you have been into impersonalism. Is this what I understand? And in the impersonal school, Brahman is just something completely... and the soul is completely aloof. And in this world, everything is illusion. Everything is... Q: No, no, not in that school, no, no. We don't go there. Everything you are saying now is theoretical. I'm asking you... A: But can I just... even if it is not true for your sake, I just explain that... because in this way there is... the thing is that soul is present even here now, you know. The soul is present now, but is covered and taken back by so many things in our mind. You understand that it's not that material body and everything is one thing, and the soul is completely different thing, but it is taken together. And we are also... the soul is present. Therefore you see so much activity in this world. Q: But of course, the soul is present. Is always in a technical question or actual doubt? My question is... it's not doubt. It's... let's just leave it. Let's just leave it. I cannot explain my question in a way that... Janeshvara Prabhu was already, you are kindly trying to answer, and I'm really, really grateful for that, but your answers were completely theoretical. And I was asking for actual experience. And and that that's the... I so much appreciate what is said, but sometimes when I'm asking my questions again and again, even if you elevated souls have decided to not to reveal your... deep connection with Krishna, you are mostly decided to hide it during the classes. You are never talking about it. But sometimes when I'm asking my questions again and again in a right way, some glimpses comes like last time I've asked that question, and then you answered, and you answered again. And it was very clear that you knew what you were talking about and it came from experience. But you didn't want to say it, because even even all the like Maharaja and all the other Maharajas, if the direct question is asked, the only one who can say that, yes, they see Krishna is Śrīla Prabhupāda, and none of other of us are allowed to talk about really seeing Krishna, really feeling the connection, or that's some kind of a decision, and it's understandable and I respect it, and I'm not asking. But it was just sometimes it's so encouraging to hear a glimpse of that. But we can leave this question now. It I I got enough answer, and there is so much to, for me to learn and to experience, so I really appreciate and I'm grateful for these answers, for this question. The other question... but we don't have really time. It's already, and you have been here long and Haribol, and everything. Maybe... A: For me, it is difficult to speak, because I'm so tired. Q: Yes, exactly. So I will ask that other question some other time. That would be, because it's relevant in the during the whole Kapila chapter, so we can go there. I'm really, really satisfied and appreciating your answers. Thank you for that. A: I mean, what I remember I said last time is that sometimes you can see a glimpse of the spiritual world or, you know, what it means to get the full mercy of the Lord and spiritual master. And so this is encouraging. As you say, it's very encouraging to hear about that also. Yeah. But to be on that high level all the time, I remember that Devāmṛta Swami, he was... Q: He was saying that it's difficult to be on that level all the time, because then you are away from your material desires. You don't want to stay away from your material desires. That's very strange, wonderful answer. A: Yeah. So this is dragging us. Because sometimes, people, they really get high, so to say, on Krishna consciousness, and it is wonderful. It's wonderful, you're floating. But somehow or other, you always come down from that, at least for me. And I think it goes for many persons. So that is also like just Krishna showing what awaits you if you just be enthusiastic and sincere. That going back to the spiritual world is wonderful. So that is, yeah. Q: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being... exactly. Yes, thank you. Perfect. Q: And so beautiful. I really appreciate it, that I don't understand it, but it's so beautiful that you want to quote somebody else, but I appreciate that. It was, it was really a wonderful... how He said... Who was the... A: Devāmṛta Swami. Q: He is still a spiritual master. A: Yes. Q: Okay, yes. That was wonderful, and now... A: Okay, thank you. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam kī jaya!