View source for If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Krsna conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter

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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="LectureonBG123LondonJuly191973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="15" link="Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973">
<div class="heading">If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Other things we cannot change.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973|Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So by practical knowledge you should be well-acquainted with God. That is brāhmaṇa's business. So sattva-sthāḥ, those who are strictly following the brahminical principles, they will be situated in upper planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 14.18|BG 14.18]]). But a Vaiṣṇava is above these. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām ([[Vanisource:BG 9.25|BG 9.25]]). Those who are following these principles with an aim for higher planetary system, they can go, elevated. Similarly, those who are trying to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa, they can also go. It is not very... This process, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to help people to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. It is not very difficult. Why it is difficult? Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9|BG 4.9]]). Try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, not vaguely. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We think of God. So why don't you accept Kṛṣṇa? He says and śāstra says, the ācārya says, Vyāsadeva says, Nārada says, your Guru Mahārāja says. Why not accept? Why rascaldom? Why you are searching after any other God? Here is God. Name, address, activities, everything is there, authorized statement of the Vedas. So is there any difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? But this rascal will not take it. Persistent. "Oh, why Kṛṣṇa can be accepted? I have got a God, manufactured." This is misfortune. Durbhaga, durbuddhi, miscreant rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.15|BG 7.15]]). These are the qualifications of persons who do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa: miscreants, mischievous, sinful, mūḍha, rascal, asses, narādhama, lowest of the mankind. These are the qualifications. So they are all durbuddhi. Human life is meant... This is an opportunity to understand Kṛṣṇa. Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. This is Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's song. Anyone who is not trying to understand Kṛṣṇa... Not even trying, what to speak of worshiping Him, giving Him service... And Kṛṣṇa says simply by trying to know Him, one becomes liberated. Simply by trying, not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Kṛṣṇa, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand. So... Actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, whatever Kṛṣṇa says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9|BG 4.9]]). Tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means in truth. The tattvataḥ cannot understand. Even siddhas, those who are perfect...</p>
:manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
:kaścid yatati siddhaye
:yatatām api siddhānāṁ
:kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
:([[Vanisource:BG 7.3|BG 7.3]])
<p>Nobody can understand, even if he is siddha, perfect. Perfect means not spiritually perfect, means materially perfect. Or even spiritually, partially perfect. Brahma-jñānī, they are partially perfect. Paramātmā-jñānī, yogis, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jñānīs and yogis and karmīs... Karmīs are, they are rascals. Jñānīs, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jñāna. That is eternity portion. And Paramātmā-jñāna is the cid-aṁśa, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Viṣṇu. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That when He comes to know Bhagavān, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then there is perfect knowledge. Ānanda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ānanda. In other features, there is no ānanda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is the Vedānta-sūtra. One is by nature ānandamaya. We are searching after ānanda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ānanda. That is not ānanda. Ānanda is what is satyānanda. These ānandas, these pleasures—flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ānanda. Ānanda means satyānanda, real ānanda, real ānanda. What is that real ānanda? Brahma-sukha. That ānanda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.1|SB 5.5.1]]). That is anantam, unlimited ānanda. Therefore ramante yoginaḥ anante ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 9.29|CC Madhya 9.29]]). Therefore those who are actually yogis, bhakti-yogīs... There are different types of yoga. So they ramante, they enjoy, ramante yoginaḥ anante, along with the ananta, unlimited. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. When you join with Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance as gopīs, or as cowherds boy, play with Him, or become His father and mother, Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā-rāṇī, or become servant, or even become like water Yamunā, or land in Vṛndāvana and trees or fruits or flowers, any way, or cows and calves... Join with Kṛṣṇa. Then you get ānanda, real ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). That is the description in all Bhāgavatam, how the Kṛṣṇa's associates are enjoying life. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ  ([[Vanisource:SB 10.12.11|SB 10.12.11]]). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, oh, they are not ordinary boys." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "They have amassed the effects of pious activities for millions and trillions of births. Now they have come to play with Kṛṣṇa."</p>
<p>So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time? Economic development. What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Even... Pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī ([[Vanisource:SB 1.8.26|SB 1.8.26]]). Birth in very high family, janma; aiśvarya, opulence, riches; education; śrī... Śruta, śruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aiśvarya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite. But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. Sarvatra.</p>
:tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
:na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
:tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
:kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.5.18|SB 1.5.18]])
<p>Kālena, by time, whatever you are destined you will get. Don't bother about so-called economic development. So far food is concerned, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Kṛṣṇa, "God give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. "Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is required. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "I have taken so much, life after life, from Kṛṣṇa. Now this life let me dedicate to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "This life I will not let it go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.</p>
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