Soul Tolerates Material Conditions Equanimity Gives Happiness

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Bhagavad-gītā 2.15 — November 21, 1972, Hyderabad 721121BG-HYDERABAD [38:17 Minutes] Bg-02.15_721121BG-HYDERABAD Bhagavad-gītā 2.15 Prabhupāda: Here, in this material world, we are put into mṛtatva, subject to birth, death, old age and disease. But there is another position, where there is no birth, death, old age and disease. So which position we should like—birth, death, old age and disease, or no birth, no death, no old age, no disease? Which one we should like?

Hmm? I think we should like no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. So that is called amṛtatva. So amṛtatvāya kalpate. Every living being is amṛta.

That will be explained. Amṛta... As we are, in our own original, constitutional position, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], eternal, blissful, knowledgeable, similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also of the same quality.

The... We have accepted this position of birth, death, old age and disease on account of our association with this material world. Now, everyone is trying not to die; everyone is trying not to become old; everyone is trying not to be dead, meet death. This is natural. Because, by nature, we are not subjected to these things; therefore our endeavor, our activity, is struggling how to become deathless, birthless, diseaseless.

That is struggle for existence. So here in the Bhagavad-gītā gives you a nice formula. Yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha. This transmigration of the soul, one which is not afflicted by this, dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13], one who understands... Suppose my father dies, if I have got clear understanding that "My father has not died.

He has changed the body. He has accepted another body," that is the fact. Just like in our sleeping state, dreaming state, my body is lying on the bed, but in dream I create another body and go, say, thousand miles away in a different place, as you have got daily experience. Similarly, the gross body being stopped, I, as spirit soul, I do not stop. I work.

My mind carries me. My mind is active, my intelligence is active. But people do not know that there is another, subtle body, made of mind, intelligence and ego that carries me to another gross body. That is called transmigration of the soul. Therefore one who knows that the spirit soul is eternal, deathless, birthless, ever-new, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ...

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