Prabhupada 0491 - Against My Will So Many Distresses Are There
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974
So you study the life, from the beginning of this body within the womb of the mother, it is simply troublesome. Against my will so many distresses are there, so many distresses there. Then as you grow, the distress grow, grow. Distress is not diminished. Then janma, then old age, then disease. So long you have got this body... The so-called scientists, they are manufacturing very effective medicine, discovery, new discovery. Just..., what is called? Streptomycin? So many things. But they cannot stop disease. That is not possible, sir. You can manufacture so many high-class medicines to cure disease. That will not cure. Temporary relief. But no scientist has discovered any medicine that "You take this medicine and no more disease." That is not possible. "You take this medicine, no more death." That is not possible. Therefore those who are intelligent, they know it very well that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is a place for distress. So long you remain here... But we are so fools, we cannot realize. We accept, "This life is very pleasant. Let me enjoy it." It is not pleasant at all, seasonal changes, always. This distress or that distress, this disease or that disease. This uncomfortable, this anxiety. There are three kinds of distresses: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means distresses pertaining to this body and the mind. And adhidaivika means distresses offered by material nature. Nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake. All of a sudden there is famine, there is scarcity of food, there is over rain, no rain, extreme heat, extreme winter, extreme cold. We have to go under these distresses, threefold. At least one, two, must be there. Still, we do not realize that "This place is full of distress because I have got this material body."
Therefore a sane man's duty is how to stop the process of accepting this material body. This is intelligence. He should realize that "I am always in distresses, and I am not this body, but I am put into this body. Therefore right conclusion is that I am not this body. If, somehow or other, I can live without this body, then my distresses are over." This is common sense. That is possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore God comes, to give you the information that "You are not this body. You are the soul, spirit soul. And because you are within this body, you are suffering so many distresses." Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises that "These distresses are due to this body." Try to understand. Why you are feeling pains and pleasure? It is due to the body.
Therefore Buddha philosophy is also same thing, that you finish this body, nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means... Their philosophy is that your feeling of pains and pleasure, it is due to this body. They also accept.