One has to be disillusioned, means out of illusion. So whatever we are doing in this material conception of life, that is illusion.

Lies we ignore

The weapons cache Israel Found on the Gaza Aid flotilla: mostly kitchen knives, one or two pocket knives, a screw driver... Deadly threat to Israel? (Click to enlarge)

Educated to ignore the obvious

Every one of us is illusioned. This is illusion. Just like we are claiming this land as our land. "We are Americans. It is our land." "I am Indian. Oh, India is my land." This is illusion. So practically we see that how I become the owner of this land? Before my birth the land was there, and after my death the land will be there, and I do not know where I am going to take my birth. So how many times after repeated birth and death I shall go on claiming, "This is my country; this is my home," and again leave it and go another place: "This is my country; this is my home." Is it not nonsense?

If I am eternal, I am simply changing my dress, and I do not know how many times I have changed my dress during this life, and if I claim a particular dress, "Oh, this is my dress," is it not nonsense? You are changing dress always. You are changing your country, you are changing your form, and still you are claiming, "This is mine." And you are too much engrossed in this conception of life.

So one has to be disillusioned, means out of illusion. So whatever we are doing in this material conception of life, that is illusion. Therefore we cannot understand God. One who is not under the spell of illusion he can understand God. So first of all we have to understand whether we are not illusioned. Asammudhah sa martyeshu. Martyeshu means all living entities who are conditioned, or, rather, conditioned souls. Asammudhah... sarva-papaih pramuchyate: He becomes at once freed from all delusion and sinful reactions. So if we want to become freed from all encumbrances of this material world, then we have to understand God. There is no question of neglecting. It is the prime duty.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, manushyeshu, sahasreshu. Manushyanam sahasreshu kashchid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]: This understanding, this perfect knowledge, is possible... Out of many, many millions of human beings or living entities, one may be enlightened. Martyeshu yatamaneshu api sahasreshu madhye yo yadrik cha mat-tattva-vit. [source unknown]

Generally we are born all fools. As soon as I take my birth, I am nourished by my parents very nicely, and I am educated in such a way that I falsely claim some land as my land, I falsely claim something which is not at all mine. But we are educated in that. This is called national education. That means to make you more foolish. The so-called national education means to make you more and more foolish. I am already born foolish, and my education is given to make me more foolish. Just I am not foolish? Because I am changing my, this country, I am changing my society, I am changing my body. Still, I am claiming, "This is mine."

You have got so many "mines." You have got so many dresses. Why do you claim a particular dress as "this is yours"? Why? Don't you think that after changing so many dresses, if you are particularly situated in certain kind of nice dress, may be very nice dress, but why do you attach so much importance on that nice dress? Why don't you understand that this dress is nice. Next moment I may be in a very ugly dress. Prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvashah [Bg. 3.27]. As you are associating with the different kinds of material modes of nature, we have to change your dress. That is in the grip of material nature. You cannot say. You cannot dictate, "Oh, nature, please don't change my dress. Keep me American." No. She is not your order-supplier. She will see what dress you require. So she will examine what is your mentality. "Oh, your mentality is dog, doggish? Take this dog's dress. No more American dress." And if you have god's mentality, "Oh, take this god's dress."