134 THE PATH OF PERFECTION The Path of Perfection 135

miserable situation. Animals cannot understand their miserable understands that although he does not want misery, miseries are
situations because they haven’t the reason. Man possesses reason being inflicted upon him by force. No one wants misery, but a per-
whereby he can understand this, but in this age people are using son should be intelligent enough to question, ‘‘Why are these
their reasoning power in order to gratify their animal propensities. miseries being forced upon me?’’ Unfortunately, in modern
Reason should be used in getting liberated from this miserable civilization, people try to set miseries aside, thinking, ‘‘Oh, why
condition. However, if we engage in Krsna consciousness twenty- suffer? Let me cover my miseries with some intoxication.”
four hours a day without deviation, we will go to Krsna and not be However, the miseries of life cannot be solved by artificial intoxi-
reborn in this miserable world. Mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam cation. As soon as the intoxication is over, one returns to the
gatah: those great souls who have attained the highest perfection, same point. The miseries of material existence can be solved only
Krsna consciousness, are forever freed from misery. In this verse, by Krsna consciousness. If we always remain in Krsna conscious-
the word mahdtma refers to a Krsna conscious man eligible to ness, we'll be transferred to Krsna’s planet upon leaving this ma-
enter the abode of Krsna. The word mahdtmd does not refer to a terial body. That is called the highest perfection.
political leader like Mahatma Gandhi but to a great soul, a pure People may inquire, ‘‘Well, you say that entering Krsna’s
devotee of Krsna. planet constitutes the highest perfection, but we are interested in
When Krsna says that the mahatmd enters His abode, He is going to the moon. Is this not a kind of perfection?’’ Well, the
referring to His transcendental kingdom, Goloka Vrndavana. The desire to enter the higher planets is always there in the human
Vindavana from which I have come is called Bhauma Vrndavana, mind. In fact, another name for the living entity is sarva-gata,
which means it is the same Vrndavana descended on this earth. which means that he wants to travel everywhere. That is the
Just as Krsna descended on this earth through His own internal nature of the living entity. Americans who have money often go to
potency, similarly His dhama, His abode, also descends. In other India, Europe, or some other country, because they do not like to
words, when Krsna descends on this earth, He manifests Himself stagnate in one place. That is our nature, and therefore we are in-
in that particular land, Vrndavana, and therefore that land is also terested in going to the moon or wherever. But according to
sacred. Apart from this, Krsna has His own abode in the spiritual Krsna, even if we attain the higher planets, we are still subject to
sky, and this is called Goloka Vrndavana. the material miseries.

The mahatma prepares in this life to enter that transcendental
abode. The human form of life can utilize nature to its best in-
terest. Animals cannot. These facilities should be utilized in striv-
ing to become a mahatmd and putting an end to birth in this
material world, which is characterized by threefold miseries. The

abrahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino. ‘rjuna

mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

threefold miseries are those that pertain to the mind or the body, ‘*From the highest planet in the material world down to the
natural disturbances, and miseries caused by other living entities. lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death
Whatever our position in this material world, there is always some take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti,
kind of misery being inflicted upon us. Sri Krsna frankly says that never takes birth again.’ (Bg. 8.16)

it is not possible to avoid misery in this material world, because The universe is divided into fourteen planetary sys-
this world is meant for misery. Unless miseries are present, we tems (caturdasa-bhuvana)—seven lower and seven higher. The
cannot come to Krsna consciousness. Misery serves as an impetus earth is situated in the middle. In this verse, Sti Krsna says,

to help elevate us to Krsna consciousness. An intelligent person abrahma-bhuvanal lokah: even if one enters the highest planet,
