Prabhupada 0015 - I Am Not This Body

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Lecture on BG 9.34 -- New York, December 26, 1966

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 parents will say it is useless. Throw it. So similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa 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 boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age. So therefore, when this body becomes useless, imperceptibly, the soul gives up this body." Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (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 selection 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. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran 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-gītā in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter, that duty is man-manā bhava (BG 9.34). You are thinking of something. Everyone 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 Kṛṣṇa. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You'll have to think something. So what is the harm if you think of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa has got so many activities, so many literatures, and so many things. Kṛṣṇa comes here. We have got volumes and volumes of books. If you want to think of Kṛṣṇa, we can supply you so many literatures that you cannot finish with your whole life if you twenty-four hours read. So thinking of Kṛṣṇa, there is sufficient. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā 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 displeased. He's thinking for some purpose. That sort of thinking will not do. Then therefore He says, bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). "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-bhaktaḥ. "You just become My devotee. Then your thinking of Me will be nice." And what is that bhakti? Mad-bhaktaḥ. Devotional... Devotion means service. Mad-yājī (BG 9.34). 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 Kṛṣṇa only.