This article is based on a lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada from the “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” Chapter 3.1-5 recorded on Dec 20, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Material nature forces us to act – Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 3.5
In the 5th verse, Lord Krishna mentions that all men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature. Therefore nobody can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
There are popular yoga societies which claim that by becoming silent we become God. This is in complete contrast to what Lord Krishna is mentioning here. This is not a question of embodied life. It is the nature of the soul itself to be always active. The proof is that without the presence of the spirit soul there is no movement of the material body. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul and therefore it is to be understood that the soul is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krishna consciousness. Otherwise it will be engaged in the occupations dictated by the illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinity it is necessary to engage it in the prescribed duties enjoined in the scriptures. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krishna consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him.
By engaging oneself in activities of Krishna consciousness, all our activities in mäyä become silent. That is real silence. For example: If you fill a jug with milk, the water that is already in the jug flows out. You cannot have water and milk at the same time in the jug. Similarly, if you become active in Krishna consciousness, you automatically become silent in material activities without any separate endeavour. Artificially becoming silent in material activities is not possible. One may try practicing meditation for a long time but we cannot achieve perfection that way since the mind is very strong and very difficult to control.
It is preferable to accept Krishna consciousness under the direction of the disciplic succession. Mere negation or rejection will not help. We need to accept something or do something positive. That acceptance is Krishna consciousness. The Srimad-Bhägavatam affirms this. If somebody takes to Krishna consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the scriptures or execute the devotional service properly, or even if he falls down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. And even though he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the scriptures, what does it avail him if he is not Krishna conscious? So the purifying process is necessary for reaching this point. Sannyasa or any purifying process is meant for helping one to reach the ultimate goal of becoming Krishna conscious without which everything is considered a failure."
There are popular yoga societies which claim that by becoming silent we become God. This is in complete contrast to what Lord Krishna is mentioning here. This is not a question of embodied life. It is the nature of the soul itself to be always active. The proof is that without the presence of the spirit soul there is no movement of the material body. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul and therefore it is to be understood that the soul is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krishna consciousness. Otherwise it will be engaged in the occupations dictated by the illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinity it is necessary to engage it in the prescribed duties enjoined in the scriptures. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krishna consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him.
By engaging oneself in activities of Krishna consciousness, all our activities in mäyä become silent. That is real silence. For example: If you fill a jug with milk, the water that is already in the jug flows out. You cannot have water and milk at the same time in the jug. Similarly, if you become active in Krishna consciousness, you automatically become silent in material activities without any separate endeavour. Artificially becoming silent in material activities is not possible. One may try practicing meditation for a long time but we cannot achieve perfection that way since the mind is very strong and very difficult to control.
It is preferable to accept Krishna consciousness under the direction of the disciplic succession. Mere negation or rejection will not help. We need to accept something or do something positive. That acceptance is Krishna consciousness. The Srimad-Bhägavatam affirms this. If somebody takes to Krishna consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the scriptures or execute the devotional service properly, or even if he falls down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. And even though he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the scriptures, what does it avail him if he is not Krishna conscious? So the purifying process is necessary for reaching this point. Sannyasa or any purifying process is meant for helping one to reach the ultimate goal of becoming Krishna conscious without which everything is considered a failure."
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