Distinguish between eternal spirit and temporary matter to achieve true human civilization and immortality.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 2.16 — August 22, 1973, London 730822BG-LONDON [35:58 Minutes] Bg-02.16_730822BG-LONDON Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ ubhayor api dṛṣṭo 'ntas tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ [Bg. 2.16] [break] [00:24] Translation: "Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both." Prabhupāda: There are two things: sat and asat. Sat means which exists, and asat means which does not exist; temporary. It appears and again disappears.
That is asat. The example is just like the sky and the cloud. Cloud appears, exists for some time, again disappears. But the sky remains always.
This is the distinction between sat and asat. Try to understand. Sky, this material sky, this also does not exist, but so far our experience is concerned, we can understand the distinction between sat and asat, permanent and temporary. We cannot say "nonexistent" exactly.
Existing. When the cloud comes, it has got some activities, there is rainfall, and on account of rainfall, on the ground there is some new vegetation, new flowers, everything looks very green. In the rainy season we get some products. So we cannot say it is false, but we can say it is temporary. Similarly, material world, matter, is not false, but it is nonpermanent.
Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19], you'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The spirit is truth, and jagat, this material world, is untruth, mithyā, false." We say that everything is emanating from the Supreme. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante [Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1]. Everything is emanating from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth.
So that cannot be false. Because Absolute Truth, how from truth, false will come? This is our philosophy. The matter may be temporary, but it is not false.
The Vedic injunction is mā asataḥ. Mā asato sad gamaya: don't try to be entangled with the asat, sad asat, but try to come to the platform of sat. In the previous verse, yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha [Bg. 2.15], Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are not disturbed by the material changes..." Sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate. Our mission, human mission, is to come to the platform of amṛtatvam, immortality. We have discussed this point.