View source for We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence

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{{terms|"We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence"}}
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{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
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{{first|18Dec11}}
{{last|18Dec11}}
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[[Category:We Are (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Essence]]
[[Category:Pure Souls]]
[[Category:but]]
[[Category:Circumstances]]
[[Category:now]]
[[Category:fallen]]
[[Category:this]]
[[Category:Material Bondage]]
[[Category:therefore]]
[[Category:undergo]]
[[Category:Threefold Miseries]]
[[Category:Miseries of Material Existence]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG41andReviewNewYorkJuly131966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="130" link="Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966">
<div class="heading">We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole scheme of Bhagavad-gītā.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966|Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966]]: </span><div class="text" style="display: inline; "><p style="display: inline; ">We have discussed this point that our material bondage is due to hankering and lust for dominating over the resources of matter. We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole scheme of Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
<p>Now, the first chapter... I'm just making a summary of the three chapters which we have already finished... Now, today we are going to begin the fourth chapter.</p>
<p>In the first chapter the situation is created... Just like we are ordinarily entangled in family affairs. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke ([[Vanisource:SB 10.84.13|SB 10.84.13]]). The bondage of accepting this material body as myself, and the extension of bodily relation is accepted as my kinsmen and the land in which the body is got, that land is supposed to be worshipable. These are analytical study of our material existence. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 10.84.13|SB 10.84.13]]). We have taken up the land as worshipable, the land of birth, which is, I mean to say, extended in the form of nationalism. This is material bondage.</p>
<p>Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke... The Bhāgavata, the Bhāgavata gives us direction that "A person who has accepted this material body, which is composed of three elements..." Three elements means earth, water and fire, which is, in Ayurvedic language it is called kapha-pitta-vāyu. Now, one who has accepted this material body as his self and one who has accepted the extension of this material body... Extension of this material body means the byproduct, the children and the wife with whom we have got this connection with this material body. And the relatives. You go on extending in that way. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 10.84.13|SB 10.84.13]]). Bhauma means the land. Ijya-dhīḥ. Ijya-dhīḥ means worshipable. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile.</p>
<p>Of course, in your country there is no holy land of pilgrimage. In India there are many holy lands of pilgrimage just like Prayāga, Vṛndāvana, Gayā. You have got, also got. In the water of Jordan the Christian people, they go and they take their bath. Similarly, in India, the River Ganges and the Yamunā, Godāvarī, Kāverī. There are many rivers. So yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Now, somebody goes to holy land and takes bath only and comes back. Yat-tīrtha, salile. Salile means water. One who has accepted the holy land of pilgrimage—the water only. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu: "But they have no interest with persons who are actually experienced in spiritual consciousness of life." In the holy land, especially in India, you'll find there are many sages and saints, they are living there and culturing spiritual knowledge. And one should go there. If they are at all interested to go to holy land, they should find out such men, where they are sitting, what they are doing, and take advantage of it. But people do not do that. They go there, take bath in the water, purchase some playthings for their children and clothing and come back, and they think that "We have done a great thing, traveled in the holy land."</p>
<p>Bhāgavata says that these men who have accepted this material body as self and the byproducts of this body as his own kinsmen and the water in the holy land as the end of pilgrimage but do not take, consult, with men of experience. So they are described, sa eva go-kharaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 10.84.13|SB 10.84.13]]). Go-kharaḥ. Such persons are designated as go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. So such people have been described as go-kharaḥ. That means without any intelligence, without any intelligence. So such position, I mean to say, Arjuna, did, I mean to say, manifested. He manifested himself as one of us. Otherwise, there was no possibility of speaking Bhagavad-gītā. Although Arjuna... (aside:) You can take your seat. Come here. Come here. Yes.</p>
<p>So Arjuna, although he is a personal devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a personal friend of Kṛṣṇa, he is... Just like we are trying to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to make our life perfect. Now, the person who is not only Kṛṣṇa conscious but, I mean to say, constant associate, such a person, Arjuna, he was in bewilderment, "Whether I shall fight with my kinsmen, my brothers and my nephews, my brother-in-laws, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my other friends, so many all?" Because it was a family war, so he was afraid, that "I shall not fight. I shall not fight." It is quite natural.</p>
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