In the evening, Srila Prabhupada spoke to a packed temple room from Chapter 13 of Bhagavad-gita, verse 2.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "This body, O Son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field."
Prabhupada spoke about the body and the owner of the body, ksetra and ksetrajnah. "Ksetra means field. Just like a tiller, agriculturalist. He is given a certain tract of land, and he tills and produces grains or some vegetables or something eatable. Similarly this body is the field and I am, or you are, who is occupying this body, we are tillers. This body is given by nature and I am spirit soul. Just like one may possess very valuable land, one may possess land not so valuable, ordinary, and one may possess a third-class field. Similarly, we living entities, we are given a certain type of body to work with and enjoy or suffer the result of an action. Somebody is very highly intelligent. Somebody is not so intelligent. Somebody is very rich. Somebody is poor. Somebody is middle-class. Somebody is an animal. Somebody is a tree. Somebody an insect. Somebody is an aquatic."
Prabhupada described that although there were many varieties of life, modern universities and educational institutions could not ascertain the exact number. "They cannot say. But, if you consult the Vedic literatures, you'll find exactly the number, jalaja nava-laksani: 'In the water, the aquatic living beings are nine hundred thousand different bodies.' So I don't think there is any biologist or botanist who can say exactly how many forms of life there are within the water.
"We have got information from Vedic literature that there is a fish which is called timingila. Timi means whale fish. These timingila fish swallow up these whale fish like this." Srila Prabhupada opened his mouth and eyes very wide and imitated the timingila fish gulping down a whole whale. The devotees laughed to see Prabhupada's perfect caricature.
"Similarly, the Vedic literatures give information, sthavara laksa-vimsati. Sthavara means the living entities who cannot move." Srila Prabhupada gave an astonishing example. "Here, by the side of the wall, this house, there is a tree. It has grown. Just see that tree is not even within the jungle. In a small space it has grown all sides surrounded by house, and it is alone. Just see how much condemned life. Other trees, they are at least in the jungle, in the society of trees." The devotees laughed. "But this tree is alone. We have to consider this, how this tree has been so much condemned. Tree is condemned life because you are human beings, you are sitting here. If you like, you can move immediately. But the tree cannot move. 'Stand up there.' By who's order? By God's order. 'You must stand up.' Don't take it neglectfully. It is very serious. According to Vedic calculation, this tree which has grown here, that living entity was sometimes the owner or occupier of this house, and it had so much attachment that it cannot go out of this house. Therefore he has been given this body, tree. 'Alright, you live here and stand up.'"
The devotees were amazed to hear this description of the identity of the young solitary rhus tree which had grown from the concrete yard at the side of the house. Prabhupada continued: "Sometimes we become ghosts. If we become too much attached, we cannot leave. Therefore too much opulent apartment, opulent life, is not very good for spiritual advancement, because we get too much attached to it. My guru maharaja used to advise us that 'It is better to live in a rented house than to possess one's own house'. Why? Because if we possess our own house, we'll be more attached. [This] attachment sometimes leads me to become a tree, a mouse, to become a serpent in the same house. After all, you may purchase a nice house, you decorate it very nicely. But you have to leave it. You cannot live here permanently. That is not possible."
Prabhupada concluded the class by saying that just as there are different qualities of fields, the human body is the best type of body for inquiry into the Absolute Truth. "Athato brahma-jijnasa. Therefore the Vedanta-sutra says that this life is simply meant for enquiry about the Supreme. That's all. The animals cannot do it. So, simply if we waste our time just like the animals, then again we glide down to animal life. That is a great loss. After many, many births we have got this human form of life. If we simply waste like cats and dogs, then again we become cats and dogs or trees or anything. There are so many species of life. That will be a great mistake, a great loss. Havoc it will be. Therefore, our, this Krsna consciousness movement, is to educate people to God consciousness or Krsna consciousness so that his life may be successful. Thank you very much."
After the evening program, Mohanananda, who had travelled down to Melbourne with Srila Prabhupada, asked him frankly in his room which temple he preferred -- Sydney or Melbourne. With a smile, Prabhupada answered that as far as decoration was concerned, although the Sydney altar was better, it appeared that the Melbourne temple had done a better job overall. Mohanananda excused himself and immediately rang Sydney to break the news, and offer some advice. Since Prabhupada was returning to Sydney in four days, Mohanananda suggested that the Sydney devotees should get to work immediately, upgrading the Sydney temple as quickly and nicely as possible. And he added, in his characteristic flamboyant style, "money is no object". The transcendental competition continued.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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