30 On the Way to Krsna

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human being, however, has a special qualification
whereby he can develop transcendental Krsna con-
sciousness, but if he does not avail himself of this, he
is in the animal category. The defect of modern civi-
lization is that it puts too much stress on solving
these survival problems. As spiritual living beings it is
incumbent upon us to extricate ourselves from this
entanglement of birth and death. We should there-
fore be careful not to miss the special opportunity
of human life. Sri Krsna Himself comes to deliver
Bhagavad-gita and to help us to become God con-
scious. Indeed, this very material creation is given
to us to utilize for this cultivation. But if after re-
ceiving this chance and this gift of human life we do
not utilize them to develop Krsna consciousness, we
shall be missing this rare opportunity. The process
for cultivation is very simple: sravanam kirtanam—
hearing and chanting. We have nothing to do other
than listen, and by listening carefully, enlightenment
is sure to come. Krsna will surely help, for He is
seated within. We only have to make the effort and
spare a little time. We will not need anyone to ask
us whether we are making progress. We will know it
automatically, just as a hungry man knows that he
has been satisfied by a full meal.

Actually this process of Krsna consciousness or
self-realization is not very difficult. Krsna taught it
to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gitad, and if we understand
Bhagavad-gitad just as Arjuna did, we will have no
problem in coming to the perfectional state. But if
we try to interpret Bhagavad-gitd according to our
own mundane academic mentality, we spoil it all.
