Present life reveals past karma; future depends on cultivating transcendental devotion above all material modes.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.47 — July 29, 1975, Dallas 750729SB-DALLAS [23:18 Minutes] SB-06.01.47_750729SB-DALLAS Nitāi: "Just as this present springtime indicates the nature of the past springtimes and the future springtimes, similarly, this life of happiness, distress or a mixture of both gives evidence of religious and irreligious activities of past and future lives." [break]
Prabhupāda: vartamānaḥ anyayoḥ kālaḥ guṇabhijñāpako yathā evaṁ janmānyayor etad dharmādharma-nidarśanam [SB 6.1.47] So there are three phases of time: past, present and future. Time is eternal; I am also eternal. But because I am in the material world, the time is relatively divided into past, present and future. Relativity, the law of relativity, I have explained several times.
Brahmā's past, present, future and the ant's past, present, future are not the same. Similarly, our past, present, future or the ant's past, present, future are not the same. Time is eternal, but according to the quality of the body, the past, present, future is calculated. So it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā...
Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. Because Kṛṣṇa is not changing body, therefore He has no past, present, future. Those who are changing body, they have got past, present, future. I had my childhood.
I have changed the body in this old age. Therefore I think, "In the past I was like this, or future, I will be like this." So this is relative. Time is eternal, we are eternal, but because we have accepted this temporary body, therefore we have to calculate past, present and future. So future means...
Just like there is ordinary word in English, "Child is the father of man," future. The same child will be father or grandfather in future. So this future—past, present, future—is being controlled by the three modes of material nature. If we practice in this life sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ [Bg. 14.18]: then we shall be promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ.
If we cultivate rajo-guṇa... Rajo-guṇa means kāma-lobha. Kāma, simply desiring. This is called rajo-guṇa.