LecturesBhagavad-gita As It Is LecturesWe are not this dull body, but we are consciousness. Now, some way or other, we are in contact with this matter. Therefore our freedom is checked. As spiritual beings, we are free, free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. 660405 - Lecture BG 02.49-51 - New York: Now Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is just trying to place Arjuna in the platform of working on pure consciousness. The . . . we have already discussed for so many days that we are not this dull body, but we are consciousness. Now, some way or other, we are in contact with this matter. Therefore our freedom is checked. As spiritual being, we are free—free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity. This human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma. But one thing is sure. You'll be glad to hear that once begun, this process of spiritual realization, one is guaranteed to have next life as human being. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). You'll find in course of this discussion with Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa when Kṛṣṇa will describe about the yoga system, how to act it. This is also yoga system, yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. This is karma-yoga. This is karma-yoga. So any yoga, either karma-yoga or dhyāna-yoga or jñāna-yoga, any system of yoga, once begun in this life, that will continue. That will continue. Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. The Bhāgavata says, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says: tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āptaḥ abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ (SB 1.5.17)
This is speech by Nārada to his disciple, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, that "You should try, people, to connect them in spiritual life, in conducting spiritual life. It doesn't matter even if he fails to complete the course; still, he's not loser. Still, he's not loser. He . . ." The whole system of Vedic knowledge, especially the Kṛṣṇa philosophy . . . Kṛṣṇa philosophy—the whole philosophy. Vedic philosophy means Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The all Vedic knowledge, all Vedic wisdom means to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy. That's all. Nothing else. The Kṛṣṇa philosophy in different way all over the world they have been described according to the time, place and people, but you must know the whole thing is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Kṛṣṇa philosophy is . . . when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you don't take this word, Sanskrit word, Kṛṣṇa, in a sectarian meaning. Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme, the highest pleasure. Highest pleasure. So now, yoga-sthaḥ. In the previous verse we have been advised to work, continue work, being situated in yoga. And in the next śloka Lord Kṛṣṇa says: dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma
buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya
buddhau śaraṇam anviccha
kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ (BG 2.49)
Dūreṇa. Dūreṇa: "By force . . ." Just like unwanted things which we don't like, we throw it aside. Suppose something is given to me in my . . . during my dinner which I don't like. Sometimes we throw it, "Oh, I don't want it." You see? So similarly, our discrimination . . . "Discrimination is the best part of valor." Simply we have to learn how to discriminate whether we are working on material platform or on the spiritual platform. That's all.
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