My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for attending this meeting. We are spreading this Krishna consciousness movement because there is a great need of this consciousness throughout the world. And the process is very easy -- that is the advantage. First of all, we must try to understand what the transcendental platform is. As far as our present condition is concerned, we are on various platforms. So we have to first of all stand on the transcendental platform; then there can be a question of transcendental meditation. In the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, you'll find an explanation of the various statuses of conditioned life. The first is the bodily conception of life (indriyani parany ahuh). Everyone in this material world is under this bodily concept of life. Someone is thinking, "I am Indian." You are thinking, "I am American." Somebody's thinking, "I am Russian." Somebody's thinking he is something else. So everyone is thinking, "I am the body." This bodily standard of conditioned life is called the sensual platform, because as long as we have a bodily conception of life we think happiness means sense gratification. That's all. This bodily concept of life is very prominent at the present moment -- not only at the present moment, but since the creation of this material world.
Before you practice transcendental meditation, you have to reach the transcendental platform. That transcendental platform is called brahma-bhutah. Perhaps you have heard this word -- Brahman. The transcendentalist thinks, "Aham brahmasmi: I am not the body; I am not the mind; I am not the intelligence; I am spirit soul" This is the transcendental platform.
As soon as the man and woman unite, the hard knot in the heart is tied. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. They think, "I am matter, this body. This body belongs to me. This woman or man belongs to me. This country belongs to me. This world longs to me," That is the hard knot. Instead of transcending the bodily concept of, life, they become still more implicated. The situation becomes very difficult. Therefore Krishna recommends in Bhagavad-gita that if you are at all interested in practising yoga and mediation, trying to rise to the transcendental platform, you must cease from sex. In the present age that is not possible. So in our method, Krishna consciousness, we don't say, "Stop sex." We say, "Don't have illicit sex." Of course, what to speak of transcendental life, giving up illicit sex is a requirement of civilized life. In every civilised society there is a system of marriage, and if there sex outside of marriage, that is called illicit sex. That is never allowed for people in any civilized society, what to speak of those trying for transcendental life. Transcendental life must be purified of all mental and bodily concepts of self.
So, reaching the transcendental platform by the hatha-yoga or dhyana-yoga system is not at all possible in this age. And if somebody is trying to practice such so-called meditation, he is not actually practising transcendental meditation. You cannot perform this transcendental meditation in the city. It is not possible. That is very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita. But you are living in the city, you are living with your family, you are living with your friends. It is not possible for you to go to the forest and find a secluded place. But Krishna says you must do this to practice transcendental meditation.
Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. You may profess any religion, but to test whether your religion is perfect or whether you are perfect, you have to see whether you have developed your love for God. Now we are distributing our love among so many things. But when all this love is concentrated simply on God, that is the perfection of love. Our love is there, but because we have forgotten our relationship with God, we are directing our love toward dogs. That is our disease. We have to transfer our love from so many dogs to God. That is the perfection of life. So we are not teaching any particular type of religion. We are simply teaching that you should learn to love God. (His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)