There are two words still current in the Hindu society: suci and muci. Muci means cobbler, dealing with skin. "I am this skin," "I am white skin," "I am black skin," "I am American skin," "I am Indian skin" -- this understanding means muci. And muci is skin expert. "This is cow skin. This is goat skin. It is lamb skin." This is... He is called muci, skin expert. Modern technology has given the title "tannery expert." So this "tannery expert," if you become tannery expert, then you are muci. So there is a Bengali proverb, muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. Every one of us, we are all tannery expert and we have created so many "isms" on the basis of becoming a tannery expert. Therefore they are called muci. So muci haya suci haya. And suci means brahmana, pure. He has no such sense of becoming a tannery expert. He is brahmana, brahma-vit. One who knows Brahman, he is called brahmana. He is suci. He is not more tannery expert. So therefore, it is said, if from the muci platform if you want to become suci, really brahmana, purified, then you have to take to Krsna conscious. Muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. If one becomes Krsna conscious, then from the platform of becoming a muci, one becomes suci. Therefore we have no caste distinction because our process is to elevate the muci to the platform of suci, this Krsna consciousness movement. Actually that is the fact. We are unnecessarily becoming tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. The aim of life is to become suci, to become brahmana, or the person who is aware of Brahman. Brahma janati iti brahmanah. This is the philosophy. But nobody is interested to become a brahmana. Everyone is interested to remain a muci and tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. So this is training. Muci haya suci haya. One can be trained up to become a suci from the platform of muci. And even though one is born of a suci family, if by practice he is not Krsna conscious, then he automatically becomes a muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. If one gives up Krsna consciousness, even though he is born in a brahmana family or even though he has practiced brahmanism, still, on account of his not accepting Krsna consciousness, he is accepted as muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. And muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje: if one is Krsna conscious, then he is suci. This is.
By. H.D.G. Srila Prabhupada
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