The soul is master of the body, not its servant; consciousness proves the soul's eternal, blissful nature.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: ...decided that "I am not this body." We have already discussed. I am not this body, and I am pure consciousness. Some way or other, I am encaged with this bodily dress, but I am not this body. I am pure consciousness.
Now, if we actually want happiness or independence, then we have to remain in our pure consciousness position. Suppose if I do not belong to certain association or certain company, then I have to keep aloof from that company. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām [Bg 2.44], those who are too much attached with bodily pleasure, bodily enjoyment, and tayāpahṛta-cetasām... [In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.] Apahṛta-cetasām means those who are illusioned. Because bodily pleasure is not my pleasure. My pleasure is different because I am not this body.
Just like a man in a feverish condition or in feverish delirium speaking something, that is not his normal speaking; that is due to the delirious condition. So to bring him to the normal condition, the physician treats him to get out of that delirious condition. So similarly, our position is, because we have got..., some way or other, we have been entangled with this material body, therefore our conception of happiness is just like a man in the delirious condition. So we have to cure. Some philosopher says that this delirious condition should be cured, and there should be no activity.
They are afraid of any activity. Because our these material activities have become source of distress for us, therefore there are certain philosophers, they say that we should stop all sorts of activities. Their highest culmination of perfection, according to their idea, is that stopping all sorts of activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa.
Nirvāṇa means stopping, stopping all activities. Buddha philosophy... According to Lord Buddha, his theory is that due to the combination of material elements, this body has come into existence. Now, some way or other, if these material elements are separated or dismantled, then the cause of distress is removed. That is his...
Just like you have got a big house, and the tenants or the government or tax collector, you have... too much trouble. So if you think that better to dismantle this house so that to get rid of these all troubles... So this theory, that separating the material elements by which this material body is formed, if they are broken or they are sent back to their original position, then we are free from all distresses, material. But we, at least those who are following this Bhagavad-gītā, so this philosophy does not say that the material body is all in all. Beyond this material body there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is understood by consciousness.
Consciousness. That is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā. Now, you cannot deny consciousness. You cannot deny consciousness. And consciousness minus...