Prabhupada's lecture - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.36 - Los Angeles, December 14, 1973
But Kṛṣṇa is not like that, and that is described here. Although Kṛṣṇa left this world, that does not mean that He left this world as we leave. Our leaving this world means we are leaving this material world and accepting another body. Therefore, at the present moment we are not in our own body. Our body is changing. Now this American body, and next birth may be Russian body. This is going on. You are fighting against the Russians, Americans, but he may get the Russian body next life. Therefore as American, he fought the whole life with the Russian, and he is going to become a Russian. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg. 8.6]. This is the law of nature. This is the law of nature. Then again fights with American as soon as he gets the Russian body. Then he becomes again American. This is going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Sometime Russian, sometime American, go on fighting. That's all. So this is called māyā. (laughter) This is māyā. Everyone is doing that. Everyone is doing that.
Therefore Lord Caitanya said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. The living entities are loitering like this, sometimes that body, sometimes this way, sometimes that way. He is simply loitering. He is not getting where to take shelter. Where permanent life, permanent happiness, he does not know. He does not know. He does not know. Simply changing. In the material world also, they are simply changing some form of government, electing one rascal, again rejecting, another rascal, another rascal. Because they are all rascals, they have no other alternative than to elect more rascal. But they are thinking that "By rejecting this rascal, we shall be happy." He does not know how to elect. He does not know how to elect. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They are themselves blind, and they are accepting a leader who is also blind. So what will be the profit? If you are led by... You are blind, and if you are led by another blind man, then what will be the profit? Both of you will fall down in the ditch. That is going on.
Therefore, if you want real happiness, you must take the leadership of a man who has got eyes to see. Then it will be all right. So whose eyes are open? And that is in the Vedic literature said,
ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
It is the business of the guru... Because everyone is blind or in darkness, cannot see, so it is the guru's business to open his eyes, or to help him to see things as they are. That is guru's business. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is covered by the darkness of ignorance. So how darkness can be moved? If there is light. Immediately, if you make the switch off of electricity, this room will be dark. And again you make the switch on, there will be light. Just like at night, we cannot see. Everything is dark because the light, sun, is not there. In the morning, as soon as the sun is there, again everything you can see. So things are there. Because we are in the darkness of ignorance, we cannot see them properly. I am there, you are there, God is there, everything is there. Simply we have to get the light or the proper situation to see things as they are. That is wanted.