24 Beyond Birth and Death

system or jfiana system. The bhakti-yoga system,
however, is not to be practiced for transferral to any
material planet, for those who are servants of Krsna,
the Supreme Lord, are not interested in any planets
in this material world because they know that on
whatever planet one enters in the material sky, the
four principles of birth, old age, disease and
death are present. On higher planets, the duration of
life may be longer than on this earth, but death is
there nonetheless. By ‘‘material universe” we refer
to those planets where birth, old age, disease and
death reside, and by “‘spiritual universe’”’ we refer to
those planets where there is no birth, old age, disease
and death. Those who are intelligent do not try to
elevate themselves to any planet within the material
universe.

If one tries to enter higher planets by mechanical
means, instant death is assured, for the body cannot
stand the radical changes in atmosphere. But if one
attempts to go to higher planets by means of the
yoga system, he will acquire a suitable body for
entrance. We can see this demonstrated on this earth,
for we know it is not possible for us to live in the sea,
in a watery atmosphere, nor is it possible for aquat-
ics to live on the earth. As we understand that even
on this planet one has to have a particular type of
body to live in a particular place, so a particular type
of body is required for other planets. On the higher
planets, bodies live much longer than on earth, for
six months on earth is equal to one day on the higher
planets. Thus the Vedas describe that those who live
on higher planets live upward to ten thousand earth
