Prabhupada 0209 - How to go Back to Home, Back to Godhead
Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975
So the human life is meant for this purification. We are working very hard for getting our daily bread. People are not getting their bread sitting idly. That is not possible. They are working very hard. This nice city of Denver is there. It has not sprung up from the jungle or desert. One had to work very hard to make this city so nicely, perfectly standing. So we have to work. If we want happiness, then we have to work. There is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Somebody is working to become happy within this material atmosphere by becoming very big man within this world, or a little more intelligent, they are not happy in this life, but they want to become happy in the next life. Sometimes they go to the higher planetary system. So yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So as you work, you get the desired result. But at the last line, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino'pi yānti mām: "If you work or if you worship Me, then you come to Me." Then where is the difference between going to Kṛṣṇa and keeping within this material world? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). In this material world even if you go to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, still, there is birth, death, old age and disease. Or you have to return back again. Just like these people are going to the moon planet and again coming back here. So this kind of going and coming back here is not good. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). If you go to such planet wherefrom you haven't got to come back again to this material world, that is highest perfection. That is Kṛṣṇaloka.
So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you are working so hard to become happy in this material world, the same labor, if you worship Me, Kṛṣṇa, then you come to Me." Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. What is the benefit especially? Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti: (BG 8.15) "Anyone who comes to Me, he hasn't got to come back again to this material world." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That will make the people happy eternally. So in this life also, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they are not unhappy. You can see practically. We are sitting in a very nice room and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and taking prasādam. Where is unhappiness? There is no unhappiness. And other processes, they have to undergo so many unhappy processes. Here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is nothing unhappiness. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: susukham kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Susukham. When you execute devotional service, it is not only sukham—sukham means happiness—but another word is added, susukham, "very comfortable, very happy." Kartum, to execute devotional service, is great pleasure, great happiness. And avyayam. Avyayam means whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. Other things, that is finishable. Suppose you are very much advanced educated person. You have passed M.A., Ph.D., and something, something. But it is not avyayam; it is vyayam. Vyayam means it is finishable. As soon as your body is finished, your so-called degrees all finished. Then again next life if you become a human being, of course again there is chance of becoming M.A., Ph.D., but the first M.A., Ph.D. in this life, that is finished.
So whatever we are acquiring here, that is not avyayam. Vyayam means expenditure, and a means "not," not expenditure. If you have got some money, if you spend, then it is vyayam, finished after some time. Avyayam means you spend as much, still not finished. That is avyayam. So devotional service of Kṛṣṇa is explained as susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. Whatever you do, if you have attained success ten percent, that ten percent your permanent. Therefore it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate (BG 6.41). Those who could not finish the bhakti-yoga in this life, they get another chance of human life. Not only human life, it is stated they go to the heavenly planet, they enjoy there, and then again come back in this planet. And that also not ordinary man. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: he takes birth in very sanctified family, just like brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, śucīnām, and śrīmatām, very rich family. Then it is his duty. So those who are born rich... You Americans, you are supposed to be born rich. Actually it is so. So you should think in this term, that "Due to our previous devotional service, by Kṛṣṇa's grace we have got our birth in this country. There is no poverty," śrīmatām. So you should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. You have got the opportunity. You are not poverty-stricken. You haven't got to waste your time, "Where is food? Where is food? Where is food?" Just like in other, poverty-stricken country, they are embarrassed to find out food. But you are very fortunate, so don't waste this opportunity by becoming hippies. Don't waste. Become devotee, Kṛṣṇa's devotee. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there, and we have got so many centers. Just try to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness science and make your life perfect. That is our request.
Thank you very much. (end)