Bhagavad-

Bhagavad-gt
gt 9.34

New York, December 26, 1966,

661226BG.NY

Prabhupda:

man-man bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yj m namaskuru
mm evaiyasi yuktvaivam
tmna mat-paryaa
[Bg. 9.34]

This loka, this verse we have already finished. The conclusion of the Ninth
Chapter of rmad Bhagavad-gt, that, the Lord says that, man-man bha-
va mad-bhakta. "Just always think of Me. Just become My devotee. And, if
you want to worship, just worship Me."

Devotee: Anyone in the rear would like to move up, you could hear much bet-
ter.

Prabhupda: Yes, please.

Devotee: Come forward.

Prabhupda: Come forward. Yes. And this is the process of devotional service.
It is not very difficult. Everyone can execute. To think of God, to offer some
obeisances to God, and to be, to serve something, to render some service unto
Him, and just to become a party of God. That, just like we identify, everyone
identifies to some party, either politically, socially or religiously, economi-
cally. We have got so many fields of activity. But, in each and every field, we
have got a party feeling. You cannot avoid that. In political field, oh, we have
got so many parties. Even in your own country, even there are democratic
party or conservative party and this party, that party. Worldwide is also the
capitalistic party, the communistic party. In our country also there is congress
party. So party's already there. Socially also, oh, we are Christian, I am Jew, I
am Hindu. Of course, this is religiously. And socially also. In India, there is
very social party. So you cannot avoid this partyism. All ladies and gentlemen
who are present here, I ask you, do you not belong to any party? Can you deny
that "I don't belong to any party"? Oh, everyone belongs to some party.

Now spiritualism, spiritualism means that we should identify ourself as

God's party. That's all. That is spiritualism. They ask so many things, that,
why the materialists are called crazy by the spiritualists? Oh, that is also part-
yism. These materialists also call, say to the spiritualists, they are crazy. Just
like we are, we have formed some Society of Ka Consciousness, and, and
those who do not like it, they say we are crazy fellows. We are assembly of
crazy fellows. And, similarly, we call others who do not associate with us, they
are crazy fellows. So there is, we have written pamphlet, booklet, "Who is
Crazy?". Now how to decide? You are thinking the Swamiji and the party, they
are crazy. And we are thinking those who are materially engaged, they're
crazy. Now how to decide it? Can you suggest any way how to decide it, how,
who is crazy? Who will decide it? Everyone, two parties, when there is somet-
hing disagreement, the two parties will say that, "You are in wrong," the other
party will say, "You are..." Now who will decide it? That who is wrong? Can
you suggest any one of you who'll decide? The world is going on in partyism
and each opposite party is thinking that the other party is crazy. Now who will
decide who is actually crazy? The actual... Then you have come to the point of
reason, who is crazy?

Now just see. Take any common man. Not yourself, not myself. Any com-
mon man. If you ask him that, "What you are?", he'll say... His conception is
that I am this body. Everyone will say. He'll give you some description that, "I
am Christian." "I am Hindu." "I am Mr. Such and Such." "I am Mrs. Such and
Such." Everything, whatever he or she will say, that is all due to this body. All
due to this body. Everyone. When you say, "You are American," that means
this is the body. Because by accident, by something, by some reason, you were
born in this land of America. That is also another artificial name. The land is
neither America nor India. The land is land. But we give some designation,
"This is America." We make some boundary. This is United States of America.
This is Canada. This is Europe, and this is Asia. This is India. So this is our na-
me, but actually was there any history that the land is American, or the
land...? Say, four hundred years before, or five hundred years before, was this
land was known as America? You have named it, America. Say, some thou-
sands of years before was this, this, the continent which is known as, I mean,
Europe, can you trace out history, that it was known as Europe? They are all
designations.

Just like we can say from historical point of view of Vedic literature, this
whole world was known as Ilvta-vara. Ilvta-vara. And, later on, since
the reign of one great king, emperor, his name was Bharata. He changed the
name into his own name, Bhrata-vara. So this whole planet was now Bhra-
ta-vara. Then, as the days go on, the some part of this world was, I mean to
say, separated from the original Bhrata-vara, and it was called Europe or so-
me other place. Just like you have got practical experience even in this age,
that India, say about twenty years before, the area of India was including Bur-
ma, Ceylon and the modern Pakistan and everything. Now it is separated.
Now they are calling this is Pakistan. Somebody's calling there is Ceylon. So
this process is going on. Actually the land is neither Bhrata-vara, nor Asia,
nor America, nor India, but we give this name. With the change of time, with
the change of influence, they are all designations.

Fifty years before when some of you, of course, not all of you are fifty years
old. Say, forty years before, or thirty-five years before, when you were, or
twenty-five years before, when you were not born, can you say what was your
designation? Were you American or Indian or Chinese or Russian, can you
say? Say, after getting out of this body, do you think that you'll continue as
American or Indian or Chinese or Russian? Suppose you are now in America,
in the land of America. So next life you may be in China. Who can say? Becau-
se we are changing our bodies, you cannot say that we are not changing our
bodies. Can you say that you are not changing your body? Yes, we are chan-
ging. When I was born, from the mother's womb, my body was so little. Now
how I have changed my...? Where is that body? Where is that body when I
was a child? Where is that body when I was a boy? Where is that body when I
was a young man? I have got my photograph, my studentship. Oh, Swamiji,
you were like this? Where is that body? Where it has gone? So we are chan-
ging, but I am the same man. I am thinking, "Oh, in my childhood, I was
doing like this. Oh, in my youthhood, I was thinking like this. In my boyhood,
I did so many things." Now where those days gone? If my body, everything
has gone away? It is simply remembrance.

But still we are sticking to this body, and, when I ask you or when you ask
me, "What you are?", I say something in relationship with this body. Are you
not crazy? Can you tell, any of you, that you are not crazy? If you, I mean to
say, so far your identification, if you identify with something which you are
not, then are you not crazy? Are you not crazy? So everyone who identifies
with this body, he's a crazy man. He's a crazy man. It is a challenge to the
world. Anyone who claims God's property, God's land, God's earth, as own
property, he's a crazy man. This is a challenge. Let anyone establish that this
is his property, this is his body. You are simply, by nature, you are, by the
tricks of nature, you are put into some place. You are put under some body.
You are put under some consciousness, and you are dictated by the laws of na-
ture. And you are mad after that. So everyone,
 prakte kriyamni
guai karmi sarvaa
ahakra-vimhtm
kartham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Prakte kriyamni. Everyone is being pulled by the ear, just like a teacher
takes to pull the ear of a student, and does like this... Similarly, we, every one
of us under the complete clutches of the material nature, and we are being
put, sometimes this body, sometimes that body. Now, fortunately, you have
got human form of body. Oh, but, don't you see there are so many bodies? So
many bodies. There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and,
by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of
body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature.
This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but
next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend
on my work. But the laws of nature is working. The laws of nature, or the ma-
terial nature, is forcing me that you accept it. You cannot say that, after my
death, let me have my birth in America. Oh, how can you say? You are not aut-
hority. You are not authority. So this is stated in the Bhagavad-gt,

prakte kriyamni
guai karmi sarvaa
ahakra-vimhtm
kartham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Everything is being conducted by the supreme laws of nature, but the foolish
man thinks that I am something. I am independent. This is foolish-
ness. Ahakra-vimhtm. Ahakra, this false egoismahakra means
false egoism. What is that false egoism? That I am not this body, and I think I
am this body. This is called false egoism. Therefore akarcrya, I mean to
say, he preached his mission that you are not this body. You are spirit
soul. Aha brahmsmi. Aha brahmsmi. Now, still, when we try to realize
ourself, self-realization, there also foolishness, or the dictation of the my, or
illusory energy, continues.

What is that? Somebody's trying to realize his self. I am not this body. He
understands that I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Then? If you are spirit
soul, then what is your position? Oh, void. Impersonal. Spirit soul, that means
voidness? Oh, there is nothing after finishing this body? This voidness? There
are philosophers who preach voidness. After this, finishing this body, there is
nothing. And other philosophers, impersonalists, they say that, as soon as this
body is finished, my personal identity is finished. Do you think like that? Is it
possible? So long I am in this body, this body is not actual I am.

It is just like a vehicle. Just like you are sitting in a car. The car is moving
according to your desire. Not that the car is moving independently. So when
you are in the car, so you are moving the car according to your desire, right or
left, or this road or that road. Suppose, if you are out of the car, do you think
that your personality is gone? Is it any reason? So this body is just like a car.
It is said in the Bhagavad-gt, bhrmayan sarva-bhtni yantrrhni m-
yay [Bg. 18.61]. My has placed you in this car because you wanted this sort
of car. Just like you have got in your practical experience. Somebody has got
better car, somebody has got, I mean to say, inferior car. Somebody has got
truck. But they're moving. Similarly, these different bodies, they are like cars,
and they are moving. Now suppose you are out of the car, either from the
truck or from the Rolls Royce car or Chevrolet car or Ford car, do you think
that your personality is finished? Because you are out of the car? Then how
can you say that when you are out of this body, your personality is finished?
What is your reason?

So this is another craziness. Just see how craziness follows. Void. Why
void? I am so much intelligent. I am doing... I am planning so many. Because
my body is finished, therefore everything becomes void? This void philosophy
was contradicted by the (indistinct). There is no void. There is spirit. Now, if
that spirit, when one comes to that spiritual self-realization, out of this body,
then, if he's still further advanced in spiritual knowledge, then he'll seek what
is my spiritual duty? What is my spiritual work? That is sanity. What is my
spiritual work. Sanity, that is sanity. I cannot be void. I cannot lose my indivi-
duality and personality. That is nonsense. How can I? So long I am sitting in
this body... Or take this same crude example. So long I am sitting on the car, I
am displaying so much individuality, and so much discrimination. As soon as
there is red signal, I stop my car. There is blue signal, green signal, I start my
car. I'm using my consciousness. I'm working. And, simply by getting down
from the car, I lose everything. I become void? What is this nonsense? No.

There is neither voidness, nor impersonalism. The Bhagavad-gt does not

agree to that. In the Second Chapter you have read it, that Ka,
Lord Ka says that, "Arjuna, Myself, yourself, and all these persons who ha-
ve come here to fight with one another, they were individual selves before,
they are individual selves now, and they will continue to be individual selves
in the future. So don't be mad that you shall not fight. Their, I mean to say,
identity, spiritual identity, will continue." And, to make him understand, a
very simple example was set before Arjuna that,

dehino 'smin yath dehe

kaumra yauvana jar
tath dehntara-prptir
dhras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

"My dear Arjuna, just like the living spark, the living self, is within this body
from the womb of the mother, it is developing when, after the father's-mother
combination, there is a form of body just like a pea, and then that pea-like
form develops within the womb of the mother and, after ten months, there is
no more space in the womb of the mother. So the child comes out and again
grows. So the growth of the body is going on, or the change of the body is
going on." Dehino 'smin yath dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehe means in this body,
and deh means the person who is within this body, he is there, from that pea-
like form. Because my form, my measurement is so small that we cannot see.
It is not possible. It is ten-thousand, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the
hair. It is so small. So with our material eyes, or with your material concep-
tion, we cannot see the soul. But the soul is there, and the proof is, evidence
is, because the soul is there, therefore the pea-like form, material body, is gro-
wing. Wherever there is growth...

There are six symptoms of presentation of, presence of the soul. Growth is
one of the important. So growth. As soon as the soul is out of this body, no
more growth. If the child comes dead, oh, there will be no growth. Oh, the pa-
rents will say it is useless. Throw it. So similarly, Lord Ka gave the first
example to Arjuna that, "Don't think that the spiritual spark which is within
the body, due to his presence, the body is growing from childhood to boy-
hood, boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age. So therefore, when
this body becomes useless, imperceptibly, the soul gives up this
body." Vssi jrni yath vihya [Bg. 2.22]. Just like we give up old dress
and take another new dress, similarly, we accept another body.

And we accepted another body not according to my selection. That selec-

tion depends on the law of nature. That selection depends on law of nature.
You cannot say at the time of death, but you can think of. You can say that, I
mean to say, individuality and that selection is all there. Ya ya vpi sma-
ran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Just, at the time of your death, your
mentality, as your thoughts will develop, you'll get the next birth according to
that body. So the intelligent man, who is not crazy, he should understand that
I am not this body. First thing. I am not this body. Then he'll understand that
what is his duty? Oh, as spirit soul, what is his duty?

His duty is, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gt in the last verse of the Ninth
Chapter, that duty is man-man bhava. You are thinking of something. Ever-
yone of us, embodied, we think something. Without thinking, for a moment,
you cannot stay. That is not possible. So this is the duty. You think of Ka.
You think of Ka. You'll have to think something. So what is the harm if you
think of Ka? Ka has got so many activities, so many literatures, and so
many things. Ka comes here. We have got volumes and volumes of books.
If you want to think of Ka, we can supply you so many literatures that you
cannot finish with your whole life if you twenty-four hours read. So thinking
of Ka, there is sufficient. Think of Ka. Man-man bhava. Oh, I can think
of you.

Just like a person who is serving some boss. Oh, he's always thinking of
that boss. Oh, I have to attend there at nine o'clock and that boss will be dis-
pleased. He's thinking for some purpose. That sort of thinking will not do.
Then therefore He says, bhava mad-bhakta. "You just think of Me with love."
When the master, when the, I mean to, when the servant thinks of the master,
there is no love. He's thinking for pound-shilling-pence. "Because, if I do not
attend my office, just at nine o'clock, oh, there will be late, and I shall lose two
dollars." Therefore he's thinking of, not of the master, he's thinking of that
pound-shilling-pence. So that sort of thinking will not save you. Therefore He
says, bhava mad-bhakta. "You just become My devotee. Then your thinking
of Me will be nice." And what is that bhakti? Mad-bhakta. Devotional... De-
votion means service. Mad-yj. You render some service to the Lord. Just like
we are engaged here always. Whenever you'll come you find us engaged some
duty. You see. We have manufactured some duty. Just to think of Ka only.

Therefore our Society's name is Ka Consciousness, Society

for Ka Consciousness. We have got so many literatures. Each and every
boy is engaged. Somebody's printing, somebody's writing, somebody's typew-
riting, somebody's dispatching, somebody's attending letter, somebody's coo-
king. Twenty-four hours, we are thinking of Ka. How? Because we are en-
gaged in the duties of Ka. So mad-yj m namaskuru. And what is that
duty if you have no obedience? You have to obey. Therefore it is said namas-
kuru. You offer your respect. So bhakti minus respect, that is not bhakti. With
love, with respect, with designated duties, if you be engaged in Ka cons-
ciousness, then your life will be successful. Not identifying falsely with this
material body and engage yourself with all sorts of nonsense. That will never
make you happy. The same thing, that...

Therefore what is the difference between materialism and spiritualism?

The same typewriter is there. The same dictaphone is there. The same mimeo-
graph machine is there. The same paper is there. Same, I mean, ink is there.
The same hand is there. Everything is same, but everything is done for
Ka's account. That's all, Ka's account. This is spiritualism. Don't think
spiritualism something uncommon. You can turn the whole material world in-
to spiritualism, if you simply become Ka conscious. This is spiritualism.
Thank you very much. Now you... (end)
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