The Soul's Fall

[Guest guest]

My dearest prabhus. Please accept my humble obeisances. In Tokyo in 1972 Srila Prabhupada gave this very astounding lecture on the topic of the soul's position in the spiritual world. I feel compelled to share it here. I am sure you will find it very thought provoking--so much so that I submit it at the risk of bringing up some old controversies. To submissively hear from the realized soul will, however, gradually adjust everything.

 

THE SOUL'S FALL

 

Sri-suka uvacha

atma-mayam rite rajam

parasyanubhavatmanah

na ghatetartha-sambandhah

svapna-drastur ivanjasa

 

Sri Sukedeva Goswami said: O kings, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body.

 

The relationship is just like a dreamer's seeing his own body working, ---Srimad Bhagavatam 2.9.1 Many people inquire, "How did the living entity, who was with Krsna, fall into the material world?" That question is answered here (in this verse) .

 

The living entities condition is simply the influence of the material energy; actually he has not fallen. An example is given: The moon appears to be moving when clouds pass in front of it. Actually the moon is not moving.

 

Similarly, the living entity, because he is a spiritual spark of the Supreme, has not fallen. But he is thinking, "I am fallen. I am material. I am this body." The body has no connection to the soul. We can experience this. The body is changing, dying, but I am the same. The idea that we have a connection with the body is due to the handling of the illusory energy of Krsna. That illusory energy develops when we forget Krsna.

 

In other words, our illusory identification with the body is simply due to our forgetfulness. We wanted to forget: we wanted to give up Krsna and enjoy the materiasl world. Therefore Krsna is giving us the chance. For example, when you play a part in a drama, if you feel, "I am king, " then you can talk very nicely. And if you feel, "I am Kasrandhar, " ( referring to a disciple sitting in the audience) then you cannot play the part of a king so nicely.

 

The feelings must be there. If you are playing the part of a king, you must believe you are the king and have his courage. You have to forget that you are Karandhar. Then you can play the part very nicely, and the audience will appreciate. But if you think simultaneously, " I am Karandar, and I am playing the part of a king, " then you cannot play.

 

So because we wanted to play the part of Krsna, the enjoyer, Krsna is giving us the chance---"You feel like me!" The feeling that "I am master, I am king, I am Krsna, I am God" is created by Krsna: "Alright, you want to play the part of King. I shall train you in such a way." The director of a play tries to create the feelings within you for the part that you are playing. In my younger age I played in a drama about Lord Chaitanya. Our director, Amrital Bose, repeatedly said, especially to me, "Feel like that." So when we performed under his direction, all the people in the audience were crying. The play was artificial, but the effect on the audience was so nice. Similarly, we have nothing to do with the material world, but we have been trained by the illusory energy in such a way that we think, "I am Indian, I am American, I am brahman, I am sudra, I am this, I am that, ""I have to do this, I have to do so many duties." These are all illusions. We have nothing to do with all this nonsense, but still we are taking it very seriously:" I have to do like this. I am this. I am that." That is explained here in this verse. Atmamayam rite rajan parasyanubhavat-manah: "Unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body" The example is given of a man dreaming, "Oh, there is a tiger, a tiger! Save me!" He is crying. An awake man observing may say, "Where is the tiger? Why are you crying?" But the dreaming man is actually feeling, "The tiger is attacking me." Therefore this example is given: na ghatetartha--sambandhah. there cannot be any meaning of the relationship of the soul and the body except that it is like a dreaming man creating a situation. He is dreaming there is a tiger, and he is creating a fearful situation. Actually there is no cause of fear.

 

There is no tiger. The situation is created by a dream.

 

Similarly, we have created the material world and material activities.

 

People are running around--"Oh, I am the manager. I am the factory owner. I am this. I am that. We know his politics, we have to defeat our competitors."All these things are created just like a man creates a situation in a dream-- svapna--drastur ivanjasa .

 

So when someone asks, "When did we come into contact with the material nature?" The answer is that we have not come into contact. By the influence of the material energy we THINK that we are in contact. Actually we are not fallen.We cannot be fallen. We have simply created a situation. Rather, we have not created a situation; Krsna has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Krsna, Krsna has given an opportunity: "All right. You want to imitate? You want to be an imitation king on the stage. So feel like this.

 

Play like this. Do like this. People will applaud--"Oh, a very nice king!" Everyone in the material world is playing some part. "I want to be prime minister I want to be very big business magnate.I want to be a leader.:I want to be a philosopher.I want to be a scientist." They are trying to play all these nonsense parts and Krsna is giving the opportunity--"All right." But these things are all nonsense. Simply dreaming. When you dream, the next moment the dream is gone, and everything in the dream is finished. No more tiger. No more jungle.. Similarly, as long as the body continues, I think, "I am a responsible leader. I am this, I am that." but as soon as the body is finished, these ideas are gone.

 

" Krsna says, mrityu sarva-haras ca-ham: 'I am death. I take everything away.' Just think of our past life. Suppose I was a king or something like that. From the Bhrighu-samhita it was ascertained that I was a big physician in by last life, with a spotless character, no sins. I dont know.

 

It may be .But I have no rememberence that I was a physician. So what do we know? I might have been a very big influencial physician, with a good practice, but where is it all now? All gone! So our contact with matter is just like a dream. We are not fallen., therefore at any moment we can revive our Krsna consciousness.We become liberated as soon as we understand "I have nothing to do with matter. I am simply Krsna's eternal servant." Sometimes when a fearful dream becomes intolerable we break the dream. Similarly, we can break the material connection at any moment as soon as we come to the point of Krsna consciousness. "Oh, Krsna is my eternal master. I am His servant." That's all . That is the way.

 

Actually, we are not fallen. We cannot be fallen. The same example: Actually there is no tiger; it is dreaming. We are not fallen. We can simply give up that illusory condition at any moment.

 

So if you study all these verse very nicely, you will get all this knowledge quickly. Now(Prabhupada says to his disciple), What is the purport?

 

[A disciple reads:] "Maharaja Pariksit's question as to how a living entity began his material life, although he is apart from the material body and mind, is perfectly answered. The spirit soul is distinct from the material conception of his life, but he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the external energy of the lord, called atma --maya. This has already been explained in the First Canto in connection with Vyasadeva's realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy."

 

[Prabhupada continues] Krsna says mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: "As soon as one surrenders unto Me, he has no more illusion." People are conditioned, encaged. Mayavadis, or impersonalists, undergo austerities and penances just to become liberated. Yogis also try to become "one" So many endeavors are going on. But the simple process is that as soon as you surrender you are not fallen. "It was illusion. I was dreaming. I am Krsna's." By thinking in this way, one becomes liberated . immediately, within a second.

 

Liberation can be attained within a second, provided that we abide by the order of the Supreme, or Krsna. Sarva--dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. This is the position. We are not fallen. We are thinking that we are fallen. So we have to give up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated.

 

Is there any difficulty in understanding this point? Just see how important this verse is. (To his disciples) It is already there, but you are not reading. read each verse; read every day carefully. Try to assimilate, understand, and you will get more profit--every day, a hundred yards forward. They are such important verses. How nicely composed by Vyasadeva! In two lines the whole thing is explained. This is called shastra.

 

Read the purport.

 

[The disciple reads:] "The external energy is controlled by the lord, and the living entities are controlled by the external energy--by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord in being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) also the same thing is confirmed; the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity, and all the living entity's consciousness and forgetfullness are influenced by the Lord."

 

Prabhupada: Now people may ask, "Why does Krsna within the heart give one type of consciousness to one and a different type of consciousness to another?" That is His kindness. I wanted to forget Krsna, so Krsna is giving the appropriate consciousness: "All right, you can forget Me in this way." The ordinary materialists (karmis), the mayavadis, the so-called yogis wanted to forget Krsna. So Krsna is giving them intelligence: "All right. You forget Me like this." And if you want to revive your relationship with Krsna, He will give you intelligence. Dadmi buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te "I shall give you intelligence to come to me" Ye yatha mam prapadyante. As youwant, Krsna gives you facility..

 

(to disciple) Go on reading

 

[Disciple reads] "Now the next question automatically made wiil be why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and forgetfulness.

 

The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be in his pure consciousness as the part and parcel of the Lord as he is constitutionally made; but because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord, but may try to become as independent as the Lord is. All the nondevotee living entities are desirous of becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so."

 

Prabhupada: The living entity will never be God, but we see by the influence of the illusory energy many people think, "I am God, " or "I shall become God by pressing my nose like this" This is going on. But they will never be able to become God. That is not possible. If everyone can become God, then there is no meaning of God.

 

Karmis(fruitive workers) say, "I shall become a millionaire I shall become head of state I shall become prime minister" They struggle to attain these things.

 

And for yogis to think, "I shall become God" is simply another struggle.

 

It is illusion. Krsna may give them some yoga success. In India there is a yogi who makes gold appear. And people are after him--"Oh, he is God, he is God" By producing a little gold, he becomes God.

 

Another yogi makes two rasagullas[sweets] appear. So by producing two rasagullas, four cents worth, he becomes God. You see? This is illusion. I can purchase two rasagullas from the market for four cents, so he has become God for four cents. People think, "Oh he is God. He can produce rasagullas." They have no sense. I can produce rasagullas in our kitchen. But they think, "Oh, this yogi is wonderful." So Krsna gives a person some power of yogic siddhi, or perfection, and the person thinks, "I have become God." And some others think "Oh, you are God." Such yogis are in the same dream as the karmis. And as soon as death comes, everything is finished--your Godhood and everything, finished. Now comes doghood. And another dream, "I am dog." First of all "I am God, " then "I am dog." this is going on.

 

Therefore, Bhaktivenode Thakura has said, (miche) mayar bose, jaccho bhese': "Why are you being washed away by the waves of maya? Just stand up." (Jiv) krsna-das, ei biswas. korle to ar duhkho nai. "Simply stay fixed on this point: ' I am the eternal servant of Krsna' Then there is no more dream." And if you allow yourself to be washed away, Krsna gives you facility: "All right, come on, be washed away." Then? [Disciple reads] "The living entities are illusioned by the will of the Lord because they wanted to become Him. Like a person who thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualifications, similarly, when the living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put is a condition of dreaming that he is king. Therefore the first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forget his actual life and thus dream of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as a karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord .Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma--maya by the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is "mine" and this is "I." The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of the material body as ' I ' or falsely thinks that he is the Lord and that everything in connection with that material body is ' mine' Thus only in dream does the misconception of ' I and mine ' persist life after life.

 

This continues life after life, as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord.

 

"In his pure consciousnss, however, ther is no such misconceived dream, and in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love." Prabhupada: Thank you very much.