4 , THE PATH OF PERFECTION

‘only devotional service to Lord Krsna, birth after birth, in other

words, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was prepared to endure material
miseries in one body after another. What, then, was Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s desire? He wanted to engage in God’s service, and
nothing more, for that is the real perfection of yoga.

Whether in the spiritual sky or the material sky, the individual
spirit soul is constitutionally the same. It is said that he is one ten-
thousandth part of the tip of a hair. This means that our position is
that of a small particle. But spirit can expand. Just as we developa
material body in the material world, we develop a spiritual body in
the spiritual world. In the material world, expansion takes place
in contact with matter. In the spiritual world, this expansion is
Spiritual.

Actually, the first lesson of Bhagavad-gita is, ‘tl am spirit soul.
I am different from this body.’’ I am a living force, but this ma-
terial body is not a living force. It is dull matter, and it is activated
only because spiritual force is present. In the spiritual world,
everything is living force; there is no dead matter. There, the body
is totally spiritual. One may compare the spirit soul with oil and
the body with water. When oil is in water, there is a distinction,
and that distinction always remains. In the spiritual sky, there is
no question of oil being placed in water. There everything is spirit.

The impersonalists do not want to develop a body. They simply
want to remain spiritual particles, and that is their idea of happi-
ness. But we bhakti-yogis (Vaisnavas) want to serve Krsna, and
therefore we require hands, legs, and all the other bodily parts. In-
deed, we are given these bodies in order to serve Krsna. Just as we
develop a material body in our mother’s womb, we can similarly
develop a spiritual body in the spiritual world.

The spiritual body is developed through the practice of Krsna
consciousness. This material body is spiritualized by this bhakti-
yoga process. If you place an iron within fire, the iron becomes so
hot that it also becomes fiery. When the iron is red hot, it acquires
all the qualities of fire. If you touch something with that iron, that
iron will act as fire. Similarly, although this body is material, it can
become spiritualized through Krsna consciousness and act as
spirit. Although copper is just a metal, as soon as it comes in con-

Yoga as Action . 5

tact with electricity, it becomes electrified, and if you touch it, you
will receive an electric shock.

As soon as your body is spiritualized, material activity ceases.
Material activity means acting for sense gratification. As you be-
come spiritualized, material demands dwindle until they become
nil. How is this possible? In order for an iron to act as fire, it must
femain constantly in contact with fire. In order for the material
body to become spiritualized, one must remain constantly in
Krsna consciousness. When this material body is fully engaged in
Spiritual activities, it becomes spiritual.

According to the Vedic system, the body of a high personality,
@ Sannyasi, is not burned but buried, because a sannyasi’s body is
considered spiritual, having ceased to engage in material ac-
tivities. If everyone in this world engages fully in Krsna conscious-
ness and ceases to work for sense gratification, this entire world
will immediately become spiritual. Therefore it is necessary to
learn how to work for the satisfaction of Krsna. This requires a lit-
tle time to understand. If something is used for Krsna’s satisfac-
tion, it is spiritual. Since we are using microphones, typewriters,
@tc., in order to talk and write about Krsna, they become spiritu-
alized. What is the difference between prasada and ordinary food?
Some people may say, ‘“‘What is this prasdda? We are eating the
same food. Why do you call it prasdda?’’ It is prasdda because it
has been offered for Krsna’s satisfaction and has thus become
Spiritualized.

In a higher sense, there is no matter at all. Everything is spiri-
tual. Because Krsna is spiritual and matter is one of the energies of
Krsna, matter is also spiritual. Krsna is totally spiritual, and spirit
comes from spirit. However, because the living entities are mis-
using this energy—that is, using it for something other than
Krena’s purposes—it becomes materialized, and so we call it mat-
ter. The purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement is to
reapiritualize this energy. It is our purpose to respiritualize the
whole world, socially and politically. Of course, this may not be
possible, but it is our ideal. At least if we individually take up this
tespiritualization process, our lives become perfect.

In Bhagavad-gitd (9.22) Krsna says that He provides for His
