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The first question could be a very long…
I’ve got fifteen questions. If I could get them all answered, I’ll feel just great. The first one is very basic:
What is Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Kṛṣṇa means God, and we are all connected with Kṛṣṇa, God. God is the original father.
Therefore we have got intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa. So we have forgotten it, what is Kṛṣṇa,
what is my connection with Him, what is the aim of life. All these questions there are.
And when one becomes interested with such questions, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious.
How did Kṛṣṇa consciousness develop?
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is already there in everyone’s core of heart, but due to one’s material conditional life,
he has forgotten it. So this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-mantra means to revive that
consciousness. It is already there. Just like a few days ago these American, European boys and girls,
they did not know who is Kṛṣṇa. But now you have seen yesterday how their whole,
that procession, throughout the whole procession, how they were chanting and dancing in ecstasy.
So do you think that is artificial? No. Artificially nobody can chant and dance for hours together.
That means the awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It was there; by the bona fide process,
it is now awakened. That is explained,
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in everyone’s heart. So when he comes in contact with devotees,
that is awakened. Just like to be attracted by a young girl or young boy, it is there in the child.
That small child, it is there. And when he will be young, then it will be awakened. It is not that artificial
something. So in association it is awakened. The potency is there already, but in good association,
by hearing about Kṛṣṇa one is awakened to the status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and Christ consciousness?
Christ consciousness is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but people do not follow the rules and regulations
of Christianity. Therefore they are not awakened. The commandments of Christ, they do not follow.
Therefore they do not come to the standard of consciousness.
What is unique about Kṛṣṇa consciousness that separates it from other religions? If it’s a religion.
Religion means primarily to know God and love Him. That is religion. And nobody knows God,
and what to speak of loving Him? Nobody is trained up how to know God and how to love Him.
They are satisfied by going to the church: “O God, give us our daily bread.” That also not everyone goes.
So the Communist says that “You don’t go to the church. Bread we shall supply.” So poor innocent persons,
they get bread elsewhere, so they do not go to church. But nobody is serious to understand what is God
and how to love Him. Nobody is serious. Therefore in Bhāgavatam, it is said, it is cheating religion.
I profess some religion, but I do not know what is God and how to love Him. That’s all.
So that type of religion is cheating religion. Religion means to know God and love Him. But generally,
a man does not know what is God and what to speak of loving Him?
So therefore that is cheating religion. That is not religion. But so far Christian religion is concerned,
there is ample chance of understanding God. But they do not care for it. Take for example, the commandment
is “Thou shall not kill.” But in the Christian world, best slaughterhouses are maintained.
So how they can become God conscious? They disobey the commandments, do not care for Lord Jesus
Christ’s order. So this is not only in Christian religion.
Every religion, it is going on. It is simply rubber stamp. “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,““I am Christian.”
And none of them do know what is God and how to love Him.
How does one know a bona fide spiritual master, then, that can lead them?
Who teaches these things-how to know God and how to love Him-he is spiritual master.
Otherwise bogus, rascal bogus. Sometimes they mislead that “I am God.” Poor people, they do not know
what is God, and a rascal proposes, “I am God,” and they accept it. Just like in your country they elected
Nixon president and again drag him. That means they did not know who is really bona fide president,
elected somebody, and again they had to business of dragging out. Similarly, people are foolish.
Any rascal comes. He says, “I am God.” They accept. And again they accept another. This is going on.
So one must be serious student to understand what is God and how to love Him. That is religion.
Otherwise, it is simply waste of time. That we are teaching. That is the difference between others and our…
We are presenting Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the science, how to know Him.
The Bhagavad-gītā is there, Bhāgavata is there. Not bogus. Authorized. Therefore this is the only institution
which can teach how to know God and how to love Him. Two business. There is no third business.
It is not our business to ask God to give us our necessities. We know God gives necessities to everyone,
even one who has no religion. Just like cats and dogs. They have no religion. They do not know what
is religion. But still, the cats and dogs are supplied with necessities of life. So why we should bother Kṛṣṇa,
asking Him, “Give us our daily bread?” He is supplying already. Our business is how to love Him.
That is religion. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavam vastu vedyam atra.
Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: “That is first-class religion which teaches
how to love God.” And that love-not for any material motive: “God, You give me this. Then I will love.”
No. Ahaitukī. Love means without any personal profit. If I love God for some profit that is business.
That is not love. Ahaituky apratihatā. And such love of God cannot be checked by any material cause.
In any condition, one can learn how to love God. It is not conditional, that “I am poor man.
How shall I love God? I have got so many things to do.” No, it is not like that. Poor, rich or young or old,
black or white, there is no impediment. If one wants to love God, he can love God.
Are there different paths that one can learn to love God?
No. There is no different.
I mean, are there other spiritual paths… Do all spiritual paths lead to the same end?
Spiritual paths are divided into four. Not spiritual. Real spiritual, mixed spiritual.
Just like this, “God, give us our daily bread.” It is mixed spiritual. One has approached God,
God is spiritual, but one is asking for material profit. So this is mixture, matter and spirit.
So there are four classes generally known as karmī, fruitive actors, they work for getting some material profit.
They are called karmī. Just like all men, you will see, they are working so hard day and night,
driving their cars, (makes noise of cars) this way and that way. The purpose is how to get some money.
This is called karmī. And then jñani. Jñani means he knows that “I am working so hard. Why?
The birds, beasts, the elephants, big, big…, eight million different types of…, they are not.
They have no business. They have no profession. How they are eating? So why unnecessarily I work so much?
Let me know what is the problem of life.” So they understand the problem of life is birth, death, old age
and disease. And they want to solve it, how to become immortal. So they have conclusion that
“If I merge into God’s existence, then I become immortal or immune from birth, death, old age and disease.”
This is called jñani. And some of them are yogis. They try to acquire some spiritual power to make a show
how he can play wonder. Ayogi can become very small. If you put him in a room, he will come out. You lock it.
He will come out. If there is little space, he will come out. That is called aṇimā. He can fly in the sky,
float in the sky. That is called laghimā. In this way, if somebody can show this magic, then immediately
he is accepted as very wonderful man. So yogis, they… The modern yogis, they simply show some gymnastic,
but they have no power. So I am not speaking of these third-class yogis. Real yogi means
he has got some power. That is material power. So yogis also want this power.
And jñanis also want salvation from the unnecessary working like ***, the karmī. And karmīs want
material profit. So they want, everyone. But the bhaktas, devotees, they don’t want anything.
They want to serve God out of love. Just like a mother loves her child.
There is no question of profit. Out of affection, she loves. So when you come to that stage,
to love God, that is perfection. So these different processes, karmī, jñani, yogi and bhakta,
out of these four processes, if you want to know God, then you have to accept this bhakti.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55].
“Simply through the process of bhakti, one can understand Me, God.” He never says by other processes, no.
Only through bhakti. So if you are interested to know God and love Him, then you have to accept
this devotional process. No other process will help you.
What are the methods used in attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How does one get to…
Yes, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness you achieve the goal of life. In the present condition we are accepting one body,
and we are dying after a few days. Then accept another body. And that body is according to your activity.
There are 8,400,000 different types of body. You can get any one of them. You’ll have to accept one body.
That is called transmigration of the soul. So if one is under this consciousness that “I am eternal.
Why I am changing body? How to solve it?” that is intelligence. And not to work like cats and dogs and die,
that is not intelligence. One who makes solution of this problem, he is intelligent.
So therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the ultimate solution of all problems of life.
What transformations does one undergo on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
No transformation. The consciousness is there. It is now filled with all rubbish things.
You have to cleanse this, and then Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Just like water.
Water is, by nature, clear, transparent. But when it is filled up with rubbish things, it is muddy.
You cannot see very clearly. But if you filter it, all muddy things, dirty things,
then again comes to the original position, clear, transparent water.
Does one function better in society as a result of affiliation with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
What is the meaning?
Is he a better citizen?
And also sociologically or cultu… Can he work better in the community?
That you can see practically. They are not drunkards, they are not meat-eaters.
From physiological point of view, they are very clean. They will never be attacked with so many diseases.
Then they do not eat meat, means that is the most sinful, to kill others for the satisfaction of the tongue.
God has given to the human society so many things to eat: nice fruits, nice flowers,
nice grains, first-class milk. And from milk, you can prepare hundreds of nutritious foods.
But they do not know the art. They are maintaining big, big slaughterhouse and eating meat. No discrimination.
That means they are not even civilized. When man is not civilized, he kills one animal and eats
because he does not know how to grow food. Just like we have got one farm land, in New Vrindaban.
So we are preparing so first-class preparation from milk, the neighbours they come, they are astonished
that from milk such nice preparation can be done, hundreds. So that means they are not even civilized,
how to prepare nutritious food from milk. Milk--accepting that cow flesh and blood is very nutritious,
that we also admit--but a civilized man utilizes the blood and meat in a different way.
The milk is nothing but blood. But it is transformed into milk. And again, from milk you make so many things.
You make yogurt, you make curd, you make ghee, so many things. And combination of these milk products
with grains, with fruits and vegetables, you make similar hundreds of preparation. So this is civilized life,
not that directly kill one animal and eat. That is uncivilized life. You take the…
accepting that cow’s flesh and blood is very nutritious--you take it in a civilized way.
Why you should kill? It is innocent animal. Is simply eating grass given by God and supplying milk.
And from milk you can live. And the gratefulness is that cut his throat? Is that civilization?
What do you say? Is that civilization?
No, I agree a hundred percent. I want you to say these things, though, instead of me.
I’m asking you questions so that hopefully that not by me describing anything…
So these things are uncivilized way of life, and what they will understand God? That is not possible.
I’m asking these questions for others, of course, a field(?) that is not understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
To understand God means one must be first-class civilized man. Just like university is meant for
first-class student, similarly, God consciousness means meant for the first-class human being.
O.K. This question’s a hard one for me to ask because it shows ignorance on my part.
But I’m not asking it in ignorance. I want your answer on tape, O.K.?
Does all desire ultimately have to go, including the desire to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will have simply rubbish desires. And when you are Kṛṣṇa
conscious, then you desire rightly.
The aim of many spiritual paths is to find the guru within.
Within?
The guru within. Is this different…?
Who says that, to find guru within?
Um…
Kirpal Singh, he’s one person who says that.
Kṛṣṇa-mūrti says that also.
So why does he come to teach? (laughter) This rascal, why does he come to teach? This is the answer.
These things are spoken by rascals. He has come to teach, and he says, “Find out guru within.”
Then why you have come to teach? Because people are not intelligent, they cannot catch him.
He talks all nonsense, and they hear, that’s all.
He also has written a book about “No books are needed.” (laughter)
So you can find out how rascal he is. Is it not? Do you admit or not? He writes book, and he says,
“There is no need of books.” He has come to teach, and he says, “There is no need of teacher.
Teacher is within.” Is he not a rascal?
Well, they say… Those people…
No, first of all you answer my question. If he says contradictory things, is he not a rascal?
Well, he’s contradicting himself.
Therefore he is a rascal. He does not know how to defend him.
Can the Vedas be taken symbolically as well as literally?
As it is. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, not symbolically.
Are you attempting to revive… I feel like asking this question two different ways.
First I’ll ask it one way which is, in a sense, incorrect. Maybe I’ll just ask it this way
and just get your answer. Are you attempting to revive in the West the awareness…
Are you attempting to revive the ancient Indian caste system in the West?
Where do you find we are reviving caste system? Where do you find? First of all let me know.
Why you are asking this question? If you have seen that we are trying to introduce the Indian caste system,
then you say. But if there is no such attempt, why you are asking this question?
Well, because a lot of people are interested, and…
No, no, lot of people, you are also one of them. So where do you find that we are trying to
introduce caste system? First of all find out where is the attempt. Then you ask question.
Otherwise it is irrelevant question.
The Gītā mentions the caste system.
Gītā, what mentions, do you know?
The four castes and an untouchable caste.
What is that? On the basis of what?
I can’t locate it directly. But the Brahmā…
Brahmānanda. Who has said that this is caste system? This is not caste system.
Cātur-varṇyaṁ māyā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. According to quality and according to work,
there are four divisions of men. Just like you can understand there are engineers and there
are medical practitioners. So do you take them as caste? “Oh, he is engineer caste. He is medical caste.”
Do you say like that?
I don’t want to say what I feel because I’m recording you. (laughs)
I’m asking you, I’m asking you…
Well, I think there’s always been castes. It’s just that we don’t recognize the fact that they’re there.
No, recognize means if a man is qualified medical man we accept him as medical man.
And if a man is qualified engineer, we accept him as engineer.
Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā suggests-not suggest, it is there-there are four classes of men,
the most intelligent class of men, the administrator class of men, the productive class of men
and ordinary worker. That is already there. Bhagavad-gītā says how they should be classified,
that “He belongs to this class, he belongs to that class.” That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā,
not that by birth, hereditarily, one becomes a caste. You don’t try to misunderstand.
The classification is already there: one class of men, very intelligent. Is he not there in the human society?
Do you think all men are equally intelligent? Do you think? There must be one class,
very highly intelligent class. So what are the symptoms of the intelligent class? That is described
in the Bhagavad-gītā. The first-class intelligent man is he who can control his mind, who can control
his senses, who is very truthful, very clean, very simple, very tolerant, very advanced in knowledge, practical
application of knowledge in life and staunch faith in God. This is first-class man. So it is not within India,
whereever you find all these qualities, he is first-class man. So we are trying to introduce that,
that without first-class man, the society is useless.
So there are first-class men. You train up. Just like a boy…
…How do you feel about women’s lib?
She wants to know about the women’s liberation. What is our feeling about women’s liberation.
That I don’t want to discuss because… (laughs) (laughter) They… As you have asked,
I may explain that how foolish women are being cheated by the intelligent man. You see.
Śrīla Prabhupāda is liberating everybody who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa.
They have given. In your country, they have given you liberty. Liberty means equal rights, is it not?
Man and woman has got equal rights.
They’re trying in this country.
All right, trying. But you women, you cannot see that this so-called equal right means cheating the woman.
Now I say more clearly that a woman and man meets. Now they become lover. Then they have sex,
and the woman becomes pregnant, and the man goes away. The simple woman, she has to take charge of
the child and beg from government alms, “Please give me money.” This is your independence.
Do you admit this is independence, that the man makes the woman pregnant and he goes away
without any responsibility, and the woman cannot give up the child, she maintains, begging from the
government or she tries to kill the child?
Do you think it is very good independence? What is your answer?
To… Whether or not it is good to kill a child? Is that the question?
Yes, they are killing now, abortion.
He wants to know that kind of independence.
For the child? For the woman. For the woman.
This is liberation. She has an affair with a man, and she gets pregnant. The man leaves.
Then she has to beg alms from the government to support the child…
Or kill.
Or she kills the child. So is that good or bad?
Well, she has made the choice to have…
That means, that is 34 ounce. You have made your choice to kill your own child. Is that very good choice?
It’s the worst crime you could commit.
Her brain is getting larger. (laughter)
Do you think it is very good business?
I think this is a very complicated question.
Therefore I say they are cheating you in the name of independence. That you do not understand.
Therefore 34 ounce. They are cheating you, and you are thinking you are independent.
They forget the responsibility that comes with freedom.
Yes, they do not take the responsibility. They go away. They enjoy and go away.
And the woman has to take the responsibility, either kill the child or maintainer, begging.
Do you think begging is very good? In India, although they are poverty-stricken, still, they do not remain independent.
They remain under the husband, and the husband takes all responsibility.
So she has neither to kill the child nor go to beg for maintaining the child. So which is independence?
To remain under husband is independence or to become free to be enjoyed by everyone?
That’s not where the freedom is anyway.
So there is no freedom; still, they think that they have freedom. That means under some plea,
the men are cheating the women, that’s all. So in the name of independence,
they have agreed to be cheated by another class. This is the situation.
In spite of that, can women know Kṛṣṇa as…
We have no such distinction.
No distinction…
We give Kṛṣṇa consciousness both to the woman and man equally. We do not make any such distinction.
But to protect them from this exploitation by man, we teach something, that “You do like this.
You do like that. You be married. Be settled up. Don’t wander independently.” We teach them like that.
But so far Kṛṣṇa consciousness is concerned, we equally distribute. There is no such thing that
“Oh, you are woman, less intelligent or more intelligent. Therefore you cannot come.” We don’t say that.
We welcome women, men, poor, rich, everyone, because in that platform equality.
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]
We do not refuse anyone. That is equality.
How do you deal with negativity? In the outside world do… The devotees encounter negativity
every day, people that are not interested. How, not just on the outside world, but how
does one deal with that within, how does one relieve oneself of that negativism?
Negativity means… Just like we say, “No illicit sex.” We say, we teach our students, “No illicit sex.”
Do you think it is negative? What does she mean by…?
The situation is that other people think that it’s negative, and therefore they feel negatively
towards us. So how should we react to that?
Well, how to do, you deal with it within yourself?
What do you mean negativity within yourself?
No, no, not just criticism but if you get a lot of people that are working against you all the time…
Here you’re surrounded by people that are positive and that are reinforcing.
But when you get yourself in the outside world in a position where there are people that are
draining you and taking your energy, how do you replenish that energy?
How do we stay fixed when there are so many people against us?
So nobody is against you? Do you think nobody is against you? I am asking you.
Do I think nobody is against me? Oh, sure, there’s people for me, against me, that don’t care about me.
So there are against and for. Why do you bother about the against? As there are some people against us,
there are many people for us. So that is the position in every field of activity.
So if somebody is against us, why should we bother about it. Let us go on with our policy of work.
For instance if the day goes by and the devotee meets only with people who are against him, he makes
bad contacts and he feels drained, how does he replenish…
Our devotees are not so fickle. They go to the person who is against us and induces him to purchase
a book. We are selling books daily, a huge amount.
So there is no question of against us. Anyone who is even against us, he is persuaded to purchase one book.
So how he is against us? He is purchasing our book. What is the daily amount of sales, our books?
We sell about twenty-five thousand books and magazines a day.
What is the price?
The collection would probably be around 35 to forty thousand dollars a day.
We are collecting forty thousand dollars a day by selling books. How I can say they are against us?
You’re very positive. I like that.
Where is the any other institution who can sell forty thousand dollars a day?
So how do you say that they are against us?
My last question. Could you tell me about the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra because it’s so important
to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And I’d like to have…
It is very simple. Hare means “O the energy of Lord,” and Kṛṣṇa means “O Lord. Both of You kindly
engage me in Your service.” That’s all. “Both of You, Kṛṣṇa and His energy…”
Just like here we have got conception of male and female, similarly, originally, God and His energy,
God is male and energy female, prakṛti and puruṣa. This idea of male and female, wherefrom it comes?
God is manufacturing so many male and female. So the male and female idea, wherefrom it comes?
It comes from God. He is the origin of everything. So the female, or prakṛti, or energy of God,
and God Himself… He is called puruṣa. So we are appealing both God and His energy, combined together,
engage us in Their service. This is Hare Kṛṣṇa. O Hare means “O the energy of God,” O Kṛṣṇa,
“O Lord, both of You take care of me and engage me in Your service.” That’s all. This is meaning.
O.K., thank you. And I lost some on the way, I guess. When I moved into the house, there were these…
just came out of the earth and it was so beautiful to see them.
So your questions also is answered?
May I ask you a few questions? Could you please tell me a little bit about your life and
how you knew that you were the spiritual master for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?
My life is simple. I was householder. I have still my wife, my children, my grandsons. So my Guru Mahārāja
ordered me that “Go and preach this cult in the western countries.” So I left everything on the order of
my Guru Mahārāja, and I am trying to execute the order. That’s all.
And is this picture here the man…?
Yes, he is my Guru Mahārāja.
And he is no longer living.
No.
He spoke to you spiritually?
So this is my (indistinct). That’s all.
At what point was it that he told you to do this? It was very late in your life that you…?
Yes. When I was twenty-five years old I met him first. On the first meeting he ordered me to this.
So at that time I was married man. I had two children. So I thought, “I shall do it later on.” But I was trying
to get out of family life. It took some time. But I was trying my best to carry out his order.
In 1944 I started magazine, Back to Godhead, when I was gṛhastha. Then I started writing books in
1958 or ’59. In this way in 1965 I came to your country.
You have said that you are very small and that you are not God, and yet it appears to me as an outsider
that the devotees treat you as if you were God.
Yes, that is devotee’s duty. Just like a government officer. Personally he is not very important,
but so long he executes government order, he should be respected as government. That is the way.
Even a ordinary policeman comes, you have to respect him because he is government man.
But that does not mean he is government. He is respected. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. If that man thinks that “I have become government.
People are respecting me,” then he is foolish. So… But it is the etiquette.
If the government man comes, you should respect him as government.
Along the same idea, I wonder also about the many beautiful material things that the devotees
bring to you, and, for instance, when you left the airport, you left in a beautiful, big, fancy car,
and I wonder about this because…
That is teaching them how to respect. If you respect government man as government, then you must treat him like that.
But…
If you respect spiritual master as God, then you must offer him the facilities of God.
Otherwise how you treat him as God? Simply in mind? In action also.
I’m sorry. What was the last you said?
If the spiritual master is treated as God, so he must show, practically show, that he is treating as God.
So God travels by golden car. So if the spiritual master is offered ordinary motor car, so still
it is not sufficient, because he has to be treated like God. What is this motor car for God?
(laughter) They are still deficient. If God comes to your home, will you bring Him in ordinary motor car
or you would arrange for a golden car? If you treat him as God? So your point is that they offer me
nice motor car, but I say that is not sufficient. That is still lacking to treat him as God. Be practical.
Yesterday I met a devotee from New York who said that there were many people present at the festival
from other planets and that you could see them. Is that true?
Yes, yes. Everyone can see. If you have eyes, you can see also. But if you have no eyes, therefore
you are envious because they have offered a nice motor car. So you have to make your eyes to see.
A blind man cannot see. The eyes are to be treated how to see.
Is this true also with your other senses?
Every senses. If you want to see something, you must be trained up how to see. Like a scientist
is seeing something through the microscope, and you want to see with naked eyes. How it is possible to see?
You must adopt the process to see. Then you can see everything.
I have just one more question, and that is also from an outsider’s point of view.
It appears to me that one of the most difficult aspects of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for someone to accept
who’s been brought up outside of that point of view is the Deities and the idea that they represent Kṛṣṇa.
Could you talk a little bit about that?
Yes. At the present moment, because you are not trained up to see Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa kindly appears
before you as you can see. You can see wood, stone. You cannot see what is spirit. Even you don’t see yourself.
You are thinking, “I am this body.” But you are spirit soul. You are seeing your father and mother daily,
and…
He is everything. He is spirit and matter, everything. But you cannot see Him as spiritual identity.
Therefore He has appeared in material form so that you can see. This is Deity.
He is God, but you cannot see Him in His original spiritual form at the present moment.
Therefore, out of His unbounded mercy, He has appeared before you just like made of
wood and stone so that you can see.
Thank you very much.
Hare Kṛṣṇa. So you are coming daily in our meeting?
Not daily, but I’ll come.
That’s nice. This gentleman…? This is my father. Your Grace…
Oh. Thank you very much. (chuckles) And my mother. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Oh. So you are all fortunate. You have got such a nice son.
Thank you.
Yes. And he is giving you the best service by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Don’t think that he is
out of home, he is lost, no. He is giving you the best service.
Well, we’re very pleased with him and we always have been. Thank you for helping him find happiness.
It’s something which he was able to find through your order. (indistinct)
They are very good boys.
What’s amazing to me is where you get the strength to keep the pace that you have.
Can you tell me how you do that? I am some years your junior, and I have difficult pace, keeping up.
The process is genuine, the process which I recommend and they follow. Then it is sure.
Yes. He’s saying that our lifestyle will enable you to have that strength also, by worshiping God.
Just like the physician. He gives you medicine, and he give you the process, the dose, how to
take the medicine, how to take diet. If the patient follow, then he is cured.
That is the opportunity, human life. This process of God realization can be accepted by human being.
It doesn’t matter where he is born. Either in India or outside India, it doesn’t matter.
Any human being can take it up. That is the difference between the animal life and human life.
The animal, the dog, he knows how to bark only, that’s all. He cannot be taught about this process.
But a human being can be. He has got that intelligence, every human being.
So in this human form of life, if we do not take this process, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious,
then we will remain dogs. Because we are loosing the opportunity.
What is it that Kṛṣṇa consciousness has that offers people so much more than other religions do?
This is religion. I have already explained that religion means to become lover of God. That is religion.
When there is no love of God, that is not religion. Religion means--I have already explained…
to know God and to love Him. So if you do not know what is God, where is the question of loving Him?
So that is not religion. It is going on in the name of religion. But religion means to know God and to love Him.
Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [Bhāg. 6.3.19]. Can you find out this verse? Give him. You don’t find?
Yes, 3.19. Third Chapter, nineteen verse.
dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devah
na siddha-mukhyā asura manuṣyāḥ kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ [Bhāg. 6.3.19]
Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: “The principles of religion is given by God.”
Just like the law. Law means the process of activities which is given by the government.
You cannot make law at home. Is it clear?
No, I’m having a language problem, I’m afraid.
He says that law means that which is given by the government. You can’t make your own law at home.
So similarly, religion means that which is enunciated by the Lord. You can’t make up your own process.
Well, I guess I’m missing the point. My question was what does the Hare Kṛṣṇa consciousness
have to offer that other religions don’t have to offer as far as…
This is offering that you want to be religious, so you try to understand religious principles from God.
Because if one is lawyer, if one wants to become a lawyer, he must learn laws which is given
by the government. He cannot become a lawyer at home. Similarly, if you want to become religious,
you must learn what is religion from God. You don’t manufacture your own religion. That is not religion.
This is the first principle. But if I do not know what is God, what is the order given by God,
then what is religion? That is going on. Everyone is manufacturing his own religion. This is the modern method,
that religion is private. Anyone can accept any type of religion. That is liberalism, is it not?
Yes.
Just convince him.
So do you understand? The idea is that this Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement is based on authority of the Vedas.
And the Vedic literatures are coming directly from Kṛṣṇa. So we only accept it as truth what
Kṛṣṇa says and we don’t accept anybody’s mental concoctions or speculations as being truth.
And this is the problem with so many other religious movements today, that they depend on the interpretation or the…
Concoction.
…philosophy of some ordinary man. So this is the primary differential.
We don’t say anything which is not spoken by God in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is appealing everywhere.
Although it is in Sanskrit language, still, it is appealing. Just like if you go on the street and the signboard is,
“Keep to the right…”