We Are Not These Bodies

[Guest guest]

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila

Prabhupada and all Vaisnavas. Please accept my humble obeisances and

blessings. I pray that this meets you well and in the service/mercy

of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

 

BEYOND BIRTH AND DEATH

SRILA A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

BBT—1972

 

WE ARE NOT THESE BODIES

 

dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam

dehe sarvasya bharata

tasmat sarvani bhutani

na tvam socitum arhasi

 

O Descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can

never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature. "

(Bhagavad-gita 2.30)

 

The very first step in self-realization is realizing one's identity

as separate from the body. " I am not this body but am spirit soul "

is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death

and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter

of saying " I am not this body " , but of actually realizing it. This

is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these

bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become

encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness

and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves

and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.

Living in the bodily conception, our ideas of happiness is like

that of a man in delirium. Some philosophers claim that this

delirious condition of bodily identification should be cured by

abstaining from all action. Because these material activities have

been a source of distress for us, they claim that we should actually

stop these activities. Their culmination of perfection is in a kind

of Buddhistic nirvana, in which no activities are performed. Buddha

maintained that due to a combination of material elements, this body

has come into existence, and that somehow or other if these material

elements are separated or dismantled, the cause of suffering is

removed. If the tax collectors give us too much difficulty because

we happen to possess a large house, one simple solution is to destroy

the house. However, Bhagavad-gita indicates that this material body

is not all in all. Beyond this combination of material elements,

there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is consciousness.

Consciousness cannot be denied. A body without consciousness is a

dead body. As soon as consciousness is removed from the body, the

mouth will not speak, the eye will not see, nor the ears hear. A

child can understand that. It is a fact that consciousness is

absolutely necessary for the animation of the body. What is this

consciousness? Just as heat or smoke are symptoms of fire, so

consciousness is the symptom of the soul. The energy of the soul, or

self, is produced in the shape of consciousness. Indeed,

consciousness proves that the soul is present. This is not only the

philosophy of Bhagavad-gita but the conclusion of all Vedic

literature.

The impersonalistic followers of Sankaracharya, as well as the

Vaisnavas following in the disciplic succession from Lord Sri Krsna,

acknowledge the factual existence of the soul, but the Buddhist

philosophers do not. The Buddhists contend that at a certain stage

the combination of matter produces consciousness, but this argument

is refuted by the fact that although we may have all the constituents

of matter at our disposal, we cannot produce consciousness from

them. All the material elements may be present in a dead man, but we

cannot revive that man to consciousness. This body is not like a

machine. When a part of a machine breaks down, it can be replaced,

and the machine will work again, but when the body breaks down and

consciousness leaves the body, there is no possibility of our

replacing the broken part and rejuvenating the consciousness. The

soul is different from the body, and as long as the soul is there,

the body is animate. But there is no possibility of making the body

animate in the absence of the soul.

Because we cannot perceive the soul by our gross senses, we deny

it. Actually there are so many things that are there which we cannot

see. We cannot see air, radio waves, or sound, nor can we perceive

minute bacteria with our blunt senses, but this does not mean they

are not there. By the aid of the microscope and other instruments,

many things can be perceived which had previously been denied by the

imperfect senses. Just because the soul, which is atomic in size,

has not been perceived yet by senses or instruments, we should not

conclude that it is not there. It can, however, be perceived by its

symptoms and effects.

In Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna points out that all of our miseries are

due to false identification with the body.

 

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya

sitoshna-sukha-duhkha-dah

agamapayino 'nityas

tams titikshasva bharata

 

" O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of heat and cold,

happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are

like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.

They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must

learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. " Bhagavad-gita 2.14

 

In the summertime we may feel pleasure from contact with water, but

in the winter we may shun that very water because it is too cold. In

either case, the water is the same, but we perceive it as pleasant or

painful due to its contact with the body.

All feelings of distress and happiness are due to the body. Under

certain conditions the body and mind feel happiness and distress.

Factually we are hankering after happiness, for the soul's

constitutional position is that of happiness. The soul is part and

parcel of the Supreme Being, who is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah--the

embodiment of knowledge, bliss, and eternity. Indeed, the very

name " Krsna " , which is nonsectarian, means " the greatest

pleasure " . " Krs " means " greatest " , and " na " means " pleasure " . Krsna

is the epitome of pleasure, and being part and parcel of Him, we

hanker for pleasure. A drop of ocean water has all the properties of

the ocean itself, and we, although minute particles of the Supreme

Whole, have the same energetic properties as the Supreme.

The atomic soul, although so small, is moving the entire body to

act in so many wonderful ways. In the world we see so many cities,

highways, bridges, great buildings, monuments, and great

civilizations, but who has done all this? It is all done by the

minute spirit spark within the body. If such wonderful things can be

performed by the minute spirit spark, we cannot begin to image what

can be accomplished by the Supreme Spirit Whole. The natural

hankering of the minute spirit spark is for the qualities of the

whole--knowledge, bliss, and eternality--but these hankerings are

being frustrated due to the material body. The information on how to

attain the soul's desire is given in Bhagavad-gita.

At present we are trying to attain eternity, bliss, and knowledge

by means of an imperfect instrument. Actually, our progress toward

these goals is being blocked by the material body; therefore we have

to come to the realization of our existence beyond the body.

Theoretical knowledge that we are not these bodies will not do. We

have to keep ourselves always separate as masters of the body, not as

servants. If we know how to drive a car well, it will give us good

service; but if we do not know how, we will be in danger.

The body is composed of senses, and the senses are always hungry

after their objects. The eyes see a beautiful person and tell

us, " Oh, there is a beautiful girl, a beautiful boy. Let's go see. "

The ears are telling us, " Oh, there is very nice music. Let's go

hear it. " The tongue is saying, " Oh, there is a very nice restaurant

with palatable dishes. Let us go. " In this way the senses are

dragging us from one place to another, and because of this we are

perplexed.

 

indriyanam hi caratam

yan mano 'nuvidhiyate

tad asya harati prajnam

vayur navam ivambhasi

 

" As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of

the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's

intelligence. " Bhagavad-gita 2.67

 

It is imperative that we learn how to control the senses. The

name " goswami " is given to someone who has learned how to master the

senses. " Go " means senses, and " swami " means " to control " ; so one

who can control the senses is to be considered a " Goswami " . Krsna

indicates that one who identifies with the illusory material body

cannot establish himself in his proper identity as spirit soul.

Bodily pleasure is flickering and intoxicating, and we cannot

actually enjoy it, because of its momentary nature. Actually

pleasure is of the soul, not the body. We have to mold our lives in

such a way that we will not be diverted by bodily pleasure. If

somehow we are diverted, it is not possible for us to establish our

consciousness in its true identity beyond the body.

 

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam

tayapahrita-cetasam

vyavasayatmika buddhih

samadhau na vidhiyate

 

trai-gunya-vishaya veda

nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho

niryoga-kshema atmavan

 

" In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and

material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the

resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord

does not take place. The Vedas deal with the subject of the three

modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be

transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from

all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self. "

Bhagavad-gita 2.44-45

 

The word veda means " book of knowledge " . There are many books of

knowledge, which vary according to the country, population,

environment, etc. In India the books of knowledge are referred to as

the Vedas. In the West they are called the Old Testament and New

Testament. The Mohammedans accept the Koran. What is the purpose

for all these books of knowledge? They are to train us to understand

our position as pure soul. Their purpose is to restrict bodily

activities by certain rules and regulations, and these rules and

regulations are known as codes of morality. The Bible, for instance,

has ten commandments intended to regulate our lives. The body must

be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and

without regulative principles, it is not possible to perfect our

lives. The regulative principles may differ from country to country

or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are

made according to the time and circumstances and the mentality of the

people. But the principle of regulated control is the same.

Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed

by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in

government or civilization without some regulations. In the previous

verse, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the

Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—

goodness, passion, and ignorance (traigunya-visaya vedah). However,

Krishna is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure

constitutional position as spirit-soul, beyond the dualities of

material nature.

As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and

cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with

their objects. In other words, they are born or identification with

the body. Krishna indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment

and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas, which promise

heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is

our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit-soul, but

the spirit-soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake.

Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is

compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a

chemist, physicist, politician, artist, or whatever. Everyone knows

something of everything or everything of something, and this is

generally known as knowledge. But as soon as we leave the body, all

of this knowledge is vanquished. In a previous life one may have

been a great man of knowledge, but in this life he has to start again

by going to school and learning how to read and write from the

beginning. Whatever knowledge was acquired in the previous life is

forgotten. The situation is that we are actually seeking eternal

knowledge, but this cannot be acquired by this material body. We are

all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is

not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand

that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not

be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment.

The body must be considered a diseased condition. A diseased man

cannot enjoy himself properly; a man with jaundice, for instance,

will taste sugar candy as bitter, but a healthy man can taste its

sweetness. In either case, the sugar candy is the same, but

according to our condition it tastes different. Unless we are cured

of this disease conception of bodily life, we cannot taste the

sweetness of spiritual life. Indeed, it will taste bitter to us. At

the same time, by increasing our enjoyment of material life, we are

further complicating our diseased condition. A typhoid patient

cannot eat solid food, and if someone gives it to him to enjoy, and

he eats it, he is further complicating his malady and is endangering

his life. If we really want freedom from the miseries of material

existence, we must minimize our bodily demands and pleasures.

Actually, material enjoyment is not enjoyment at all. Real

enjoyment does not cease. In the Maha-bharata there is a verse—

ramante yogino `nante—to the effect that the yogis (yogino), those

who are endeavoring to elevate themselves to the spiritual platform,

are actually enjoying (ramante), but their enjoyment is anante,

endless. This is because their enjoyment is in relation to the

supreme enjoyer (Rama), Sri Krishna. Bhagavan Sri Krishna is the

real enjoyer, and Bhagavad-gita (5.29) confirms this:

 

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam

sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhridam sarva-bhutanam

jnatva mam santim ricchati

 

" The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices and

austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the

benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from

the pangs of material miseries. " Bhoga means " enjoyment " , and our

enjoyment comes from understanding our position as the enjoyed. The

real enjoyer is the Supreme Lord, and we are enjoyed by Him.

An example of this relationship can be found in the material world

between the husband and the wife: the husband is the enjoyer

(Purusha), and the wife is the enjoyed (prakrti). The word pri

means " woman " . Purusha, or spirit, is the subject, and prakrti, or

nature, is the object. The enjoyment, however, is participated in

both by the husband and the wife. When actually enjoyment is there,

there is no distinction that the husband is enjoying more or the wife

is enjoying less. Although the male is the predominator and the

female is the predominated, there is no division when it comes to

enjoyment. On a larger scale, no living entity is the enjoyer.

God expanded into many, and we constitute those expansions. God is

one without a second, but He willed to become many in order to

enjoy. We have experience that there is little or no enjoyment in

sitting alone in a room talking to oneself. However, if there are

five people present, our enjoyment is enhanced, and if we can discuss

Krishna before many, many people, the enjoyment is all the greater.

Enjoyment, and thus our position is that of the enjoyed. That is our

constitutional position and the purpose for our creation. Both

enjoyer and enjoyed have consciousness, but the consciousness of the

enjoyed is subordinate to the consciousness of the enjoyer. Although

Krishna is the enjoyer and we are the enjoyed, then enjoyment can be

participated in equally by everyone. One enjoyment can be perfected

when we participate in the enjoyment of God. There is no possibility

of our enjoying separately on the bodily platform. Material

enjoyment on the gross bodily platform is discouraged throughout

Bhagavad-gita.

 

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya

sitoshna-sukha-duhkha-dah

agamapayino 'nityas

tams titikshasva bharata

 

" O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of heat and cold,

happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are

like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.

They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must

learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. " Bhagavad-gita 2.14

 

The gross material body is a result of the interaction of the modes

of material nature, and it is doomed to destruction.

 

antavanta ime deha

nityasyoktah saririnah

anasino 'prameyasya

tasmad yudhyasva bharata

 

" Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable, and

eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O

descendant of Bharata. " Bhagavad-gita 2.18

 

Sri Krishna therefore encourages us to transcend the bodily

conception of existence and attain to our actual spiritual life.

 

 

gunan etan atitya trin

dehi deha-samudbhavan

janma-mrityu-jara-duhkhair

vimukto 'mritam asnute

 

" When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes

[goodness, passion, and ignorance], he can become free from birth,

death, old age, and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in

this life. " Bhagavad-gita 14.20

 

To establish ourselves on the pure brahma-bhuta, spiritual

platform, above the three modes, we must take up the method of

Krishna Consciousness. The gift of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the chanting

of the names of Krsna—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare

Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—facilitates this

process. This method is called bhakti-yoga or mantra-yoga, and it is

employed by the highest transcendentalists. How the

transcendentalists realize their identity beyond birth and death,

beyond the material body, and transfer themselves from the material

universe to the spiritual universes are the subjects of the following

chapters.