Civilization should be on the basis of the soul, not body, excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.27, Honolulu, May 27, 1976

PRABHUPADA: So this is all foolish things, that "God is dead," "I don't care for God." But God, actually, God is not dead. You are dead. You are dead actually because this body, the bodily concept of life, this body is dead. Just like you are driving one car. But if you think that "I'm the car..." The car is dead. The car is moving because you are alive. Similarly, this dead body, this body is dead, already dead from the very beginning, but it is moving on account of the soul. This is knowledge. It is dead from the very beginning. Therefore in the shastra it is said that... What is that? I am just now forgetting. Oh, apranasya hi dehasya mandanam loka-rañjanam. Apranasya hi dehasya. Deha. Deha means this body. So either it is dead or alive, it has no life. Apranasya hi dehasya. Deha, he is not alive. It is always dead. Simply we understand, because we are foolish rascals, we understand that this body is dead when the soul is away. The body is always dead. So bhagavad-bhakti-vihinasya jatih japas tapah kriyah. If one is not Krishna conscious, bhagavata-bhakti-vihinasya, then his big nationality, jatih, his achievement, japas tapah, his activities, everything bhagavad-bhakti-vihinasya jatih japas tapah kriyah, all these things are like decoration of the dead body. Apranasya hi dehasya mandanam loka-rañjanam. Mandanam loka-rañjanam. We are decorating this body with flower, ornaments, nice cloth. How long? So long the life is there. Then it is beautiful. Otherwise no one will do. If you garland... Suppose I become dead and you garland. It may be pleasing to somebody, but what is the value? There is no value.

So this material civilization, they're decorating this body. So the bodily concept of life is condemned in the very beginning of the Bhagavad-gita. This knowledge was given to Arjuna by Krishna when he surrendered. When he was talking friendly, He did not say. When Arjuna submitted that "Krishna, I'm now perplexed. So how my intelligence can be revived? You know." Arjuna knew that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so his perplexed position can be solved by Krishna. That he knew. Therefore he said, shishyas te 'ham shadhi mam prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "Krishna, no more friendly talks. We are wasting time. Now I become Your disciple, shishya." Shishya means disciple. "You kindly advise me. I'm surrendering unto You." Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. Spiritual master means you must surrender to him. If you talk foolish, then you will not be benefited. You must submissively hear and accept whatever he says. So when Krishna began to teach him as teacher, the first thing He uttered... Anyone can say what He first said?

DEVOTEE: Ashochyan anvashochas tvam.

PRABHUPADA: Ah.

"My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned scholar, but you are so rascal that you are talking of this body."

So, so far this body's concerned, either it is dead or alive, it is not the subject matter of any talk. Nanushocanti panditah. Those who are learned scholars don't talk about the body. They'll talk about the soul. That is pandit. What is the... This is dead body. Suppose this is cloth. Uh? Now if you talk about this cloth, you can talk. You can write volumes of books: "This silk was purchased in that store and it was manufactured in such and such day, and the man manufactured, he's like this..." You can go on talking nonsense like that and can write books. So all these rascal philosophers, they are writing about this cloth. That's all. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.84.13]. But this is not the subject matter for the learned scholars. Nanushocanti panditah. What is this body? A combination of matter. It is already dead. Because the living soul is there, it is moving, and as soon as the living soul is out of the body, it is useless, dead matter. So what is there important talking about this dead body? It is made of this earth, earthly ingredient, bhumir apo 'nalo, and it will become again. There are three, how do you say, transformation of this body. One transformation is ash. Another transformation is stool. Another transformation is earth. There are three different types of transformations. Just like Christian people, they bury the body. So, in due course of time you'll find, say, after ten years, twenty, your body's finished. It is now earth. The body has become earth. And Hindus, they burn it, so the body becomes ash. And the Parsees, they throw the body to be eaten by the vultures. It becomes stool. That is the last, how would you say, transformation of this body. And we are so much busy about this ash, stool, and earth. Just see how foolish we are.

Therefore Krishna said to Arjuna, gatasun agatasumsh cha. Just like motorcar, with driver or no driver, what is it? It is dead matter. That's all. Why one should be busy about this motorcar? One should be busy about the driver, whether he's [indistinct] nicely, whether he's eating nicely, he'll drive. If you don't take care of the driver, simply you wash the car, what is the use? The car will not be moving without driver. Similarly, the whole civilization should be on the basis of understanding the soul. That is civilization. Unfortunately, by the spell of maya... Just like this Ajamila. He's committing sinful activities. He's now rogue, thief, cheater. He doesn't care for that. But he's taking care of the body of the child. He's thinking, "This child will save me when I'll be in danger." There is another verse in the Second Canto:

Deha means this body. Apatya means children. Dehapatya. Kalatra means wife. Dehapatya kalatradishu atma-sainyeshu. Here is struggle for existence, and you're thinking that "This my strong body and my nice children and my wife, they are my soldiers. Therefore I am saved." Everyone is thinking like that. "Now I am in a good family. I've got my family members very nice. I've got this strong body. Oh, what do I care, God is dead?" That's all.

So this is our misconception. We are thinking that this paraphernalia—my country, my community, my countrymen or my family, my wife, my children and so many things, mine, mine, mine—so I'm thinking that they will give me all protection. No. Therefore, in the Bhagavata it is said, dehapatya-kalatradishu asatsv api. He knows that "They will be finished. They cannot give protection to themselves. What protection they'll give to me?" This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Dehapatya-kalatradishu atma-sainyeshv asatsv api pramatta tesham nidhanam [SB 2.1.4]. He knows that they will be finished, pashyann api na pashyati. He has practical experience, yet still he does not see. This is called maya. Maya means thing is one and he's thinking otherwise [illusion]. His soldier, the so-called soldier, the protector, will be finished, but still he's depending on him. Suppose a bird is flying with his family in the sky. But if there is some danger, then no other bird can help him. You have to help yourself. Just like aeroplane. If dozens of aeroplane is flying, but if one aeroplane is in danger, no other plane can give him any help. It will fall down and crash. Finished. So we have to take care of ourself. Daily, we are thinking, "My country, my community"—they're all busy in this way—"they'll save me." No. When death will come, nobody will save you. He'll remember that. You are challenging, "God is dead." When God will come and make you killed, nobody can save you. So we are so foolish for thinking that "God is dead, and I shall continue my life, and my wife, my children, my countrymen, my nation will save me." That is not possible.

Thank you very much.

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