One does not know that so long the mind will be absorbed in this karma—karma means bodily activities—I'll have to accept another body. And there is risk. I do not know whether I shall be able to accept a body, human body. There are 8,400,000 . . . any body I have to accept as it is given by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. I am associating in different qualities, and prakṛti is recording all; automatically it is being recorded what type of body you'll have next life.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in high family, rich family? Why other is poor family, or one is born in lower animals, one is born in . . . as demigods? What is that reason? Kāraṇa. The reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He has associated with a particular type of the material qualities, therefore he has to accept a particular type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the good qualities." Good qualities.
The best quality of association is devotional service, the devotees, because they're transcendental, above goodness. Above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic . . . if you live in the forest, that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest, or in the village . . . not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly person they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city, that is association with passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three kinds of. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendental; that is Vaikuṇṭha.