True religion transcends bodily identification and awakens unmotivated love for the Supreme Lord through devotional service.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6 — April 18, 1974, Hyderabad 740418SB-HYDERABAD [26:26 Minutes] SB-01.02.06_740418SB-HYDERABAD Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse] sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6] [break] [02:46] Translation: "The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord.
Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self." Prabhupāda: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6] Ātmā suprasīdati. Ātmā sometimes means this body, ātmā means the mind, and ātmā means the soul also. So generally, people are interested for the satisfaction of the body. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ [Bg. 3.42]. Body means the senses.
So those who are in the lower stage of life... Because in the lower stage of life one thinks that he is the body. Just like animal: animal thinks that he is the body. But in the higher sense, when one is advanced in knowledge, then he knows that "I am not this body.
Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am spirit soul." So actually, as I was discussing in the press conference, this is knowledge. So long one is under the impression that he is this body, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am South Indian," "I am North Indian," or "I am black," "I am white"—so many bodily concept of life—he is animal. That is the statement of the śāstra, and actually it is so. In the śāstra it is said, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13] Go-khara.
Go means cows, and khara means ass. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: "Anyone who accepts this bag of bones and flesh as self, he is animal." So in the animal concept of life, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," because these are all bodily concept of life. Even if I say, "I am Hindu. I am distinct from Christian or Muhammadan," that means bodily concept of life.
Even if I think, "I am brāhmaṇa," that is also bodily concept of life. So in the bodily concept of life there is a system of religion. That religion is different from your religion and my religion, because you possess a body. Suppose Hindu... I possess a body of Christian or Muslim; therefore I think, "You are different from me; I am different from you." But in the higher stage, when one is raised on the platform of spiritual understanding, there is no such a thing.
Practically you can see. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are persons from every country or every religion, every cult. There are the devotees who have come from Christian group, the devotees who have come from Jewish group, from Muhammadan group, from Hindu group. You can see practically, we have got all types of devotees.