Secrets of the Soul 28

dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.13]

This sloka gives the situation of the soul in relation to the material body. The next sloka describes the internal state of non-identification with the body and senses.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.14]

All our troubles and suffering are simply due to identification with the material body and its imperfect senses. The world is complete, because it is created by the Complete; but because we have identified with this body, we are thinking, “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am an Englishman,” “We are German,” or “Russian,” and we have demarcated: “This is my country, and that is your country.” This is ignorance, based on the misconception that the body is the self, and the country or land of birth is the homeland. Therefore, there is so much unnecessary division and fighting all over the world.

For example, now there is a worldwide war being fought between the Christians and Muslims. They both artificially declare, “We are right, and you are wrong,” and there is an unnecessary fight. Actually, both the Christians and Muslims are religious people. They should understand that all people are children of God. Why should they fight? But because of this nonsense bodily identification, they are fighting, and unnecessarily destroying so much property and losing so many lives.

So if you want actually peace and prosperity in the world, then you must advance beyond the false bodily identification, and come to understand Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Esoteric Teaching. Otherwise, there is no possibility of either peace or prosperity. Without coming to the Esoteric Teaching, you will continue to have only useless competition and fighting. In the stage of bodily consciousness, national consciousness, religious or community consciousness, you cannot become happy or peaceful at any time. These false identifications are the cause of all the conflict and suffering in the world.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” [Bhagavad-gita 18.54]

You have to become brahma-bhuta; that is the result of practicing the Esoteric Teaching. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma; you’ll be happy, and others will be happy. Without coming to the stage of spiritual identification, you cannot be happy, because your whole life is based on the false premise that you are the body.

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