Everything is Growing on Account of KRSNA

The abode of Lord Sri Krsna is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:

na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world.” (Bg. 15.6)

This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord.

We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-samhita it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Syamasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.
-Bhagavad-gita Introduction


Room Conversation
--
September 1, 1973, London

Prabhupada: . . . that there is no brain behind this creation. How foolish they are. There is no brain in this artistic work. And how wonderfully, . . .because it is automatically coming, artist. Anything, you take flower. So, without brain how this thing can happen? But these rascals they do not understand. They say nature. What is this nature? Nature is an instrument, but the brain is God. Just like you paint a flower with the brush. The brush is not the creator of that painting, you are creating. Similarly, it appears that it is happening naturally. Nature is only brush, but the brain is God.
Guest: Yet no two are the same, are they?
Prabhupada: Eh.
Guest: They are not the same.
Prabhupada: Yes. Varieties. Everything is variety. Everything is variety, full of varieties. We find the same species of rose. Still, you’ll find varieties. In human, twin brothers you will find still varieties.
Guest: And in Goloka Vrndavana, are there still varieties? Are there still varieties in Vrndavana?
Prabhupada: Vrndavana?
Srutakirti: Goloka Vrndavana, are there still varieties he said.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. There are varieties. Ananda, ananda, pleasure means varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. Without varieties, just like we prepare from grains, sugar, ghee, hundreds of varieties. If you simply give grain, ghee and sugar, it will not be enjoyable. But the same thing, you prepare in varieties and give you a plate, oh, you’ll say, “Oh, so nice thing.” The ingredients are the same. Grains, ghee and sugar, that’s all. Similarly, this material world, the ingredients are the same. Namely five gross elements and three subtle elements, finer. Earth, water, air, fire, sky. These are gross elements. And mind, intelligence, ego these are finer elements. Combined together this material world has come. The brain behind is a living entity. Just like we are using these ingredients, these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, sky, making this building, making this table, making this chair, vase, so many things, harmonium, pictures, book. So the ingredients are the same, but my brain is working in different varieties. My brain or your brain. Human brain. Similarly this material cosmic manifestation is full of varieties. The brain behind it is Krsna. That is stated, you have read our Bhagavad-gita?
Guest: I’ve taken a look.
Prabhupada: There is a verse. Find out:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]
Srutakirti:
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.”
Prabhupada: Purport?
Srutakirti: It is clearly stated here that the Supreme Lord, although aloof from all the activities of the material world, remains the supreme director. The Supreme Lord is the supreme will and the background of this material manifestation, but the management is being conducted by material nature. Krsna also states in Bhagavad-gita that of all the living entities in different forms and species, “I am the Father.” The father gives seeds to the womb of the mother for the child, and similarly the Supreme Lord by His mere glance injects all the living entities into the womb of material nature, and they come out in their different forms and species, according to their last desires and activities. All these living entities, although born under the glance of the Supreme Lord, still take their different bodies according to their past deeds and desires. So the Lord is not directly attached to this material creation. He simply glances over material nature; material nature is thus activated, and everything is created immediately. Because He glances over material nature, there is undoubtedly activity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but He has nothing to do with the manifestation of the material world directly. This example is given in the smrti: when there is a fragrant flower before someone, the fragrance is touched by the smelling power of the person, yet the smelling and the flower are detached from one another. There is a similar connection between the material world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; actually He has nothing to do with this material world, but He creates by His glance and ordains. In summary, material nature, without the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot do anything. Yet the Supreme Personality is detached from all material activities.
Guest: Is modern science materialism, Prabhupada? Is it materialism?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: All, all materialism?
Prabhupada: Just dealing with earth, water, air, fire, sky. That’s all.
Guest: And in this time, modern science, you know, physics, chemistry, mathematics; is this all materialism?
Prabhupada: All materialism.
Guest: All materialism.
Prabhupada: They do not know what is spiritual.
Guest: And inside these people doing this work, is it Krsna? Or what is it makes them do the work?
Prabhupada: No. The soul is a living being. So nature is supplying material and he’s molding in different forms. Just like earth is not man’s creation. Earth is God’s creation, or it is product of God’s energy. But we are using this earth and molding in different forms, different pots, different dolls. So ingredients are supplied by God. Nature means God’s energy. We simply handle them. We cannot produce anything, we transform only. Just like this iron, we cannot produce iron. It is gotten from the mine, iron bar. Now we have transformed into different forms. Because we have got creative energy like God, not very great, in very minute quantity. So as God has created by His intelligence, the whole universe—we are creating this table, this pillow, this harmonium—that’s all. What you are finding?
Srutakirti: I was just looking at that verse again.
Prabhupada: Which verse?
Srutakirti: Mayadhyaksena...
Prabhupada: Oh.

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

The Bhagavad-gita is the perfect information of everything. One has to study carefully, that’s all. It is perfect information. And you can accept it with your good logic. Not that blindly you accept. Now just like Krsna says: “The material elements are My energy.” Now you can consider, you can argue, you can make argument, you’ll come to the conclusion. Just like material elements, water, the vast water. The ocean, Atlantic Ocean, vast water. So it is created by God’s energy. How can you explain with your argument? Because it is said there, Krsna says, that “This is My energy.” Now, if you accept it, it is all right. But if you have got hesitation, what is your reason?
Guest: Because one man says one thing and one man says another thing. So many people have different things to say.
Prabhupada: No, personally. Suppose I ask you. What is your, you want to ask me?
Hamsaduta: You have, that letter has a return address from Mandalibhadra?
Prabhupada: Yes, it is here. Now the water... Just like from your body, water is produced, is it not?
Guest: Transformed?
Prabhupada: Transformed or whatever, but you see urine is coming, perspiration is coming. So these different waters are produced by your energy within the body. So why not from God’s energy the vast water?
Guest: Yes, truly.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: But why should he give us...
Prabhupada: Because God is unlimited, He has got unlimited energy. have got limited energy. I can pass urine, say one pound, I can have perspiration say, one ounce but if God likes He can produce unlimited water. Why this one Atlantic Ocean? Many millions of Atlantic Oceans He can produce. Water produced from His body. So where is the difficulty to understand? When Krsna says that the elements... Other matters are growing. Just like the hair. Now, today, I have shaved. Three days after, again it will grow. So I have got my energy within by which I’m constantly growing. But, hair is a material thing. So anything you take, it grows from the Supreme. It is very easy to understand.
Guest: Hmm. And ah, this inside, it grows because of Krsna does it?
Prabhupada: Everything is growing on account of Krsna. Your body, inside or outside, it is made of these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, like that. lt is nothing but combination of these five elements.
Guest: Is the water inside the same as the water in the ocean?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: It’s the same water.
Prabhupada: Yes. You... Have you tasted ever perspiration?
Guest: Hmm?
Prabhupada: Perspiration, have you tasted?
Guest: Tasted it, yes, salt.
Prabhupada: Salt, yes.
Guest: Ocean, yes.
Prabhupada: It has got.
Guest: But one ocean is not the same as another eh? My business is mathematics. It’s not very transcendental.
Prabhupada: You are teacher?
Guest: No, not anymore. It’s not very transcendental.
Srutakirti: He’s asking if his business is transcendental.
Prabhupada: No, if it is used for Krsna, then it is transcendental. If it is used for your sense gratification, then it is material. That is the difference.
Guest: Yes. And how do you know whether you’re using it for Krsna or not?
Prabhupada: Yes. That requires training from the Krsna’s representative, guru. Just like these boys are being trained up in Krsna consciousness. So it requires little training. Just like you are mathematician. To make another student mathematician, you have to train him. You have to teach him how to calculate two plus two equal to four. It will never be five. If somebody says, “No, my calculation is two plus two equal to five.” Will it be accepted?
Guest: I’m afraid sometimes it can be true. (laughs)
Prabhupada: How it can be true?
Guest: One plus one can equal three.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Guest: One plus one can equal three sometimes.
Prabhupada: Is there mathematical calculation?
Guest: I know that it’s ah... I mean things reproduce. Life is not so fixed, not so rigid. But one does have to be trained, it’s true. Training is, some people can understand and some people cannot understand.
Prabhupada: That is difference of understanding.
Guest: Yes.
Prabhupada: The fact is true. But if I cannot understand, that is my misfortune.
Guest: Yes. And if I can’t understand what this is the end of the... So yes, it’s the same. I think this is right.
Prabhupada: God is fact. But if somebody cannot understand, it is his misfortune.
Guest: Yes. And another time, another place.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: As you say, there are many oceans. The Christians say, “In my father’s house are many mansions.” A Chair. (indistinct) Good enough?
Prabhupada: No, you can sit down.
Guest: This has come a long way from the Barrier Reef, the Pacific. These shells. The shells.
Prabhupada: Oh yes.
Guest: From the Pacific. From the Barrier Reef, Australia. You know the Barrier Reef?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: Yes, that’s where they come from, the Barrier Reef.
Prabhupada: I have seen the reef.
Guest: You have?
Prabhupada: In Australia.
Guest: Oh, yes. I would like to see that. The sea is wonderful, isn’t it? You like the sea they tell me.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. Very green, clear.
Guest: Always a different color though. Always a little different isn’t it?
Prabhupada: Well, reef I have seen. It is about, not less than two hundred feet.
Guest: Really? They say under the water is beautiful, the light, and the color.
Prabhupada: They go under the water?
Guest: They go, yes, under the water, in skin-diving. The coral, coral? Grows coral doesn’t it? They say it’s all, very beautiful. Jaya. Well, thank you, Prabhupada, jaya.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Give him prasada. Thank you.
Srutakirti: Take a little sweet.
Prabhupada: What is your name?
Guest: Peter.
Prabhupada: Peter, oh yes.
Guest: Thank you very much.
Prabhupada: Jaya. (end)

Why Do We Chant Hare Krishna?

Our proposition is you chant God's name. That is our proposal. Therefore it is universal. If you like, you can chant jehovah or you can chant Allah, but we request you that you chant God's name. Is it very difficult?


Ladies and gentlemen, this Krsna conscious movement is reviving our original consciousness. At the present moment, due to our long association with matter, the consciousness has become contaminated, just like when the rain water falls down from the cloud, the water is uncontaminated, distilled water, pure, but as soon as the water falls down on this earth, it becomes mixed up with so many dirty things.

When the water falls it is not salty, but when it is touched with the matter or earth, it becomes salty, or tasty, or something like that. Similarly, originally, as spirit soul, our consciousness is uncontaminated, but due to our association with the matter at the present moment, our consciousness is contaminated. Therefore we have got so many varieties of consciousness. Disagreements between one person to another is due to this contaminated consciousness.

I think some way; you think otherwise. Therefore we do not agree. But originally, your consciousness and my consciousness were one. And what is that one? That conscious, pure consciousness, is "God is great, and I am His eternal servant." That is pure consciousness.

As soon as we want to imitate or artificially want to become one with God, immediately the contamination begins. There is a Bengali verse in which it is stated that,

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate maya tare japatiya dhare

The English translation is that "When an individual soul forgets his eternal relationship with God and tries to lord it over the material nature or resources, that condition, that forgetful condition, is called maya, or illusion."

So at the present moment, especially in this age, the forgetfulness of our eternal relationship with God is very strong. And by chanting this transcendental sound, Hare Krsna, the first installment is that our heart or the mind becomes cleansed of all dirty things.

This is not a theoretical proposition, but it is a fact. If you go on chanting this mantra, Hare Krsna, it is not difficult. Although it is pronounced in Sanskrit language, everyone can chant it just like in this meeting we began to chant, and you also joined with us. Here, all my students, they are all Americans. None of them are Indian, but still, they have learned it very nicely, and it is not difficult. And there is no expenditure.

So what is this Hare Krsna? Hare means the energy of the Lord, and Krsna means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it is a prayer. There are three words only: Hare, Krsna and Rama, three words. That has been arranged in sixteen words: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

So our movement is that we request you to take up these sixteen words- not sixteen words, three words, Hare, Krsna, Rama. But is is arranged in such a way that there are sixteen words. So anyone can take it by heart, these three words, and chant it. It is universal. And if you think that "Oh, Krsna is the name of Hindu god," if you have got any objection, then you may not chant Krsna, but you must have a name for God. Just like somebody, the Muhammadans, call Allah, the Jews call jehovah, or somebody calls something. That doesn't matter. If you think that "Why shall I chant the Indian name Krsna, Sanskrit name Krsna?" so Lord Caitanya says that there are millions and billions of names of God. If you think that this Krsna name is not very suitable, you can accept any name. That doesn't matter.

Our proposition is you chant God's name. That is our proposal. Therefore it is universal. If you like, you can chant jehovah or you can chant Allah, but we request you that you chant God's name. Is it very difficult? It is not at all difficult. Lord Caitanya said that there are innumerable names of God according to different languages, different countries, different societies. And each and every one of them has the potency of God Himself.

If there is any God, so God is Absolute; therefore there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in the material world, in the world of duality there is difference between the name "water" and the substance water. The name water is different from the substance water. If you are thirsty, if you simply chant, "Water, water, water, water," your thirstiness will not be quenched. You require the substance water. That is material, but spiritually, the name Krsna or the name Allah or the name jehovah is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Therefore if you chant Hare Krsna... You may inquire why we are chanting Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna, this name, was chanted by Lord Caitanya, who introduced this movement five hundred years ago in India. We are following the footprints of Lord Caitanya. Because He chanted Hare Krsna, therefore we are chanting Hare Krsna. But Lord Caitanya has recommended that God has innumerable names, and any one of them can be chanted, and there is no hard and fast rules and regulations for chanting.

It is not that you have to prepare yourself or you have to educate yourself or you have to adjust yourself for chanting. No. Everyone. Just like immediately we began to chant. You were not prepared, but you joined with us, you clapped with us, you danced with us. So similarly, there is no preoccupation or any rules and regulation. You simply chant.

And this is very easy. While walking, you can chant whatever name you like. We like Krsna. We chant always: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. While walking the streets, while you are going in the bus, and whatever, even while working with your hands, you can chant. There is no loss on your part. There is no expenditure on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? Try it. That is our request.

So the benefit will be that gradually you shall understand what you are. The whole civilization, modern civilization, is going on under a wrong impression that "I am this body." In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that "One who goes on with the concept of the body, he is no better than an ass or cow." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke... [SB 10.84.13].

It is a very long verse. But actually we are not this body. So if we chant this mantra, Hare Krsna, then I can understand what I am. And as soon as I understand that I am not this body, then my activities become different, because at the present moment I am acting on the concept of my life as this body.

Because this body is born of a particular place in a particular country, therefore I am saying that "I am American," or "Indian," or "China" or "German," due to this body. And because I have got relationship with some woman with this body, therefore I accept the woman as my wife. There are hundreds of thousands of women, but the woman who has got relationship with this body is my wife. There are thousands and millions of children, but one child who has got intimate relation with this body I call my son.

So if the body falsely identified, then we can understand that our identification with this world is also false. The real identification is, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." "I am Brahman" means "I am spirit soul. I am not this matter." So this misconception has to be removed. Of course, it is not possible that everyone will understand or everyone will be able to understand it, but even a certain percentage of the human society can understand, immediately there is solution of so many problems- to understand aham brahmasmi. And how that solution is made, that is described in the Bhagavad-gita.

This Bhagavad-gita is the science of God. Just like in your Christian Bible or any other scriptures, Muhammadan or Christian or Jews or Buddhists... So aham brahmasmi means that "I am spirit soul," this realization. As soon as this realization is there, then the other things immediately follow. What is that? Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Immediately one becomes cheerful.

So long we have got this bodily concept of life, we cannot be cheerful. Full of anxiety. And as soon as we understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," the next moment you will be cheerful. There will be no anxiety. I am full of anxiety because on account of this bodily concept of life. Just like one man has got very costly motorcar, and he is running the car on the street. He is very careful so that there may not be any accident in the car, the car may not break. So much anxiety.

But a man who is walking on the street, he has no such anxiety. Why the man in the car is so anxious? Because he has identified himself with the car. If the car, if there is any accident to the car, if the car breaks, he thinks, "I am gone. Oh, my car is gone." Although he is different from car, he thinks like that due to identification, false identification. Similarly, because we are falsely identified with this body, therefore we have got so many problems of life. So if we want to make solution of the problems of life, then we have to understand what I am. And unless this question arises in your mind- not only in your mind, everyone's mind- then we should, we must consider that whatever we are doing, that is our defeat because we are doing everything in false consciousness.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, parabhavas tavad abodha-jatah. Abodha-jatah means one who is born fool. Every one of us is a born fool. Why? From the beginning of our life I know that "I am this body," although I am not this body. Therefore we are all born fools, everyone. And therefore, according to Vedic civilization, one has to take his second birth. One birth is made possible by conjugation of the father and mother. That birth is called animal birth. Janmana jayate sudrah. Everyone, by birth, is sudra, or the lowest class of man. And samskarad bhaved dvijah: "By reformation, one becomes twice-born." And what is that reformation? By understanding oneself, "What I am." Samskarad bhaved dvijah, veda-pathad bhaved viprah: "And after twice, after his second birth, if he tries to understand the spiritual science, the science of God, then he is called vipra." Vipra means quite congnizant. And brahma janatiti brahmanah: "And when he understands that he is Brahman, he is spirit soul, then he becomes a brahmana."

Perhaps you have heard that in India the brahmanas are called the topmost men of the society. Why? Because he knows that "I am Brahman; I am not this matter." Brahma janatiti brahmanah. So by understanding Brahman your position will be that prasannatma, you'll be joyful, na socati na kanksati, you will never lament any loss, neither you will hanker after any so-called gain, na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu bhutesu, and you will look every living entity on the same level. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. In that stage of realization, you can understand what is God and what is your relationship with God.

Therefore this movement is that one understands himself what he is. It is, of course, very plain question and answer. The other day we had some lectures in a, one Sunday school, and I called one, a small boy, and I asked him that "What is this?" He said, "It is my hand, it is my head, it is my leg, it is my body, it is my pants, it is my..." And I asked him, "Where you are? You are simply saying ‘my, my, my,' and where you are?"

So similarly, everyone can understand that what I am? If you think yourself, if you meditate on yourself, if you see your hand, "Am I this hand?" you will say, "No, it is my hand." "Am I this leg?" You will say, "No, it is my leg." "Am I this head?" "No, it is my head." Then where you are? So that person who is thinking within that "It is my hand, it is my head, it is my leg, it is my pant, it is my coat," that you are.

So have you seen that thing? You have seen your father, you have seen your mother or you have seen your son. But have you seen the real father who is within the body of the father? Have you seen the real son which is in the body of the son? No. Then your whole conception of education, your whole conception of living condition and problems- in the false world. Therefore this movement is required at the present moment in the world. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

This will cleanse the status of your mental condition. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. And as soon as you understand yourself, then the whole problem- social, political, economical- everything will be solved.

Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam. And gradually you shall realize your transcendental life. Your transcendental life is joyful. Ananda-mayo 'bhyasat. Transcendental life means always full of joy, joyful. That is our nature. We are hankering after joyful life, but we do not know where to hanker, how to get it. By nature we are joyful. It is said in the Vedanta-sutra, anandamayo 'bhyasat: "By nature a living entity is joyful." But my joyfulness is covered by this material understanding. So I have to remove this material understanding; then again I shall become joyful.

So this movement is very scientific movement, and we have got authoritative statements. You cannot defy authority, authority. As an authority, minister of this Unitarian Church, in one place he has denied authority, and in another place he has quoted so many authorities. So many authorities he has quoted. Why? If you deny authority, then why you quote other authority? So you cannot defy authority. This is not possible.

From the beginning of your life, when you were child, you asked your parents, "Mother, father, what is this?" Why? That is the beginning of life. You cannot go even a step without authority. You are governed by authority. You are running your car by authority- "Keep to the right." Why? Why don't you defy it? So authority we have to obey. But the difficulty is: who is authority? That we require to learn who is actually authority. So authority means who has no mistakes, who has no illusion, who does not cheat, and whose senses are perfect. That is authority. That is the definition of authority.

A conditioned soul who... Just... "To err is human." Any human being is sure to commit mistakes. However learned he may be, however advanced he may be, he must commit mistake. Therefore this word is, "To err is human." And one must be illusioned. And there is cheating propensity of every man. Even a child, he wants to cheat. The mother asks, "Oh, what is in your hand?" Oh, the child says, "No, mother, nothing," although the mother can see he has got something. So the cheating propensity is there. And above all, your senses are imperfect. You are proud of your eyes: "I want to see." What you can see? If the light is off, your seeing power is immediately gone. If there is no sun, your seeing power is gone. Therefore we see under conditions. Therefore imperfect.

So you cannot get perfect knowledge by imperfect senses, by speculative knowledge. You have to accept authority. Just like if you want to know who is your father, the authority is your mother. The mother says, "Here is your father." You have to accept. You cannot make research. Mother is the last authority, who is your father. Similarly, we have to accept authority, and if the authority is not a conditioned soul, if he is liberated soul, if he is not a cheater, if his senses are not imperfect, if he does not make any mistakes, if he is not in illusion, if you receive knowledge from that authority, then your knowledge is perfect. That is the process.

So we have got such authoritative, I mean to say, literature, Vedic literatures. You can test it by your reason, by your arguments, by your philosophical talks, everything. Religion without philosophical basis, without scientific basis, is sentiment. That religion based on philosophy and science, that is right. So Bhagavad-gita is that book. Any question, any inquiry, any doubt- all the answers are there, and very nicely. Just like one or two verse I shall explain to you. In one place Bhagavad-gita says that..., the Lord says that,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
sambhavanti murtayo yah
tasam mahad yonir brahma
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

The Lord says that there are eight hundred, er, 8,400,000 species of life, different forms of life, species of life. There are aquatics, there are plants, trees, worms, germs, then birds, beasts, and at last, the human species of life, only 400,000's. So Krsna says that "All the species of life- never mind whether he is man or he's a dog, he's a cat- he's a living entity, and I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." Now, how nice, you can understand simply. This verse, if you can understand, then you can have some idea of universal brotherhood.

If you want to make universal brotherhood, you must find out the center- the universal father. So these questions and answers are there, and we have got the science of God, the education of science of God, Srimad-Bhagavatam. So these books are meant for human society, and if you take advantage of the knowledge imparted in this book and if you chant this Hare Krsna mantra, you will see how your life becomes improved, how you become full of knowledge, full of bliss, and how you advance in your eternal life.
Thank you very much. If any question, you can make

How To Love God

June 28, 1976, Vrndavana
Answers to a Questionnaire from "Bhavan’s Journal"

Pusta Krsna: Next question, Srila Prabhupada. "As the world is coming to be divided into just two classes—atheist and theist—is it not advisable for all religions to come together? And what positive steps can be taken in this direction?"

Srila Prabhupada: The steps to be taken have already been explained—this Krsna consciousness movement. The atheist class and the theist class will always exist. This is the nature of the material world. Even at home—the father may be an atheist like Hiranyakasipu, and the son a theist like Prahlada. So atheists and theists will always exist—in the family, in the community, in the nation.

But the theists should follow the instructions of the Bhagavad-gita and take shelter at Krsna's lotus feet, giving up other, so-called religious principles. That will bring religious unity. Religion without a clear conception of God is humbug, bogus. Religion means to accept the order of God. So if you have no clear conception of God, if you do not know who God is, there is no question of accepting His order. Find this verse in the Sixth Canto of
Srimad-Bhagavatam: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19].

Hari-sauri:
dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam
na vai vidur rsayo napi devah
na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah
kuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayah
[SB 6.3.19]
"Real religious principles are enacted by . . ."

Srila Prabhupada: Ah. "Real." Go on.

Hari-sauri: "Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great sages who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the demons, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas, and Caranas." [Bhag. 6.3.19]

Srila Prabhupada: Hm. Read the next verses also.

Hari-sauri:
svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
[SB 6.3.20]
dvadasaite vijanimo
dharmam bhagavatam bhatah
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yaj jnatvamrtam asnute

"Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Bhismadeva, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami, and I myself [Yamaraja] know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. This transcendental religious principle is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead."

Srila Prabhupada: So these mahajanas—Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, and so on—they know what the principles of religion are. Religion means bhagavata-dharma, understanding God and our relationship with God. That is religion. You may call it "Hindu religion" or "Muslim religion" or "Christian religion," but in any case, real religion is that which teaches how to love God.

Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje: [SB 1.2.6] if by following some religious system you come to the platform of loving God, then your religious system is perfect. Otherwise, it is simply a waste of time—bogus religion, without a clear conception of God. So we have to understand what God is and what He says, and we have to abide by His orders. Then there is real religion, there is real understanding of God, and everything is complete.

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, one may ask why someone like Christ or Moses is not mentioned among the mahajanas.

Srila Prabhupada: There are mahajanas among the Christian saints. They include Christ, and in addition to Christ, so many others—St. Matthew, St. Thomas, and so forth. These mahajanas are mentioned in the Bible. A mahajana is one who strictly follows the original religion and knows things as they are. And that means he must be coming in the parampara, the system of disciplic succession.

For instance, Arjuna learned Bhagavad-gita directly from Krsna. Therefore Arjuna is a mahajana. So you should learn from Arjuna. You follow the way Arjuna acted and the way Arjuna understood Krsna. Then mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: you are following the mahajana—you are on the real path. Just as we are.

In these verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam is a list of mahajanas, including Svayambhu, or Lord Brahma. So this sampradaya of ours is called the Brahma-sampradaya. Our sampradaya also includes Narada, another mahajana. Sambhu, or Lord Siva, is still another mahajana. He has his own sampradaya, the Rudra-sampradaya. And similarly, Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, has the Sri-sampradaya.

So we must belong to one these sampradayas. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: if you do not belong to a bona fide sampradaya, originating from a mahajana, then your religious process is useless. You cannot concoct some religious system. So whether you follow the Christian mahajanas or the Vedic mahajanas, it doesn't matter. But you have to follow the mahajanas. If a Christian says, "I don't believe in St. Thomas," what kind of Christian is he? It doesn't matter which mahajana we are discussing. The real mahajana is he who is strictly following the principles enunciated by God. Then he is following a real religious system. Otherwise, there is no question of religion. The so-called follower is simply a mano-dharmi, a mental speculator. Mental speculation is not religion. Religion is the order of God, and one who follows that order—he is religious. That's all.

Pusta Krsna: Then as far as I can understand, Srila Prabhupada, you're saying that there's no need to maintain sectarian labels, that there's one religion in the world.

Srila Prabhupada: One religion exists already: how to love God. This is the one religion. Will the Christians say, "No, we don't want to love God"? Will the Muhammadans say, "No, no, we don't want to love God"? So religion means how to love God, and any religion which teaches how to love God—that is perfect. It doesn't matter whether you are Christian or Muslim or Hindu.
Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: [SB 6.3.19] "Real religion is directly enunciated by Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

So, Bhagavan, Lord Krsna, says, "surrender unto Me." Of course, you cannot surrender until you love. For instance, you are surrendered to me. Even though I am not from your country, because you have love for me, you surrender. If I say, "do this," you'll do it. Why? Because you love me. So when will there be surrender to God? When one loves God—when one reaches the platform where he thinks, "O Lord, I love You; I can sacrifice everything for You." That is the basic principle of religion.

Therefore, that religion is perfect which teaches its followers how to love God. So let everyone come to this platform of loving God. That is Krsna consciousness. We are teaching nothing but how to love God, how to sacrifice everything for God. That is real religion. Otherwise, it is all a bogus waste of time, simply a following of ritualistic ceremonies. That is not religion. That is superfluous. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam [1.2.8],

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam

"You are very good; you are following your religious principles very strictly. That's all right—but what about your love of God?" "Oh, that I do not know." So, the Bhagavatam says, srama eva hi kevalam: "Your religion is simply a waste of time—simply laboring. That's all. If you have not learned how to love God, then what is the meaning of your religion?"

But when you're actually on the platform of love of God, you understand your relationship with God: "I am part and parcel of God—and this dog is also part and parcel of God. And so is every other living entity." Then you'll extend your love to the animals also. If you actually love God, then your love for insects is also there, because you understand, "This insect has got a different kind of body, but he is also part and parcel of God—he is my brother." Samah sarvesu bhutesu: you look upon all living beings equally. Then you cannot maintain slaughterhouses. If you maintain slaughterhouses and disobey the order of Christ in the Bible—"Thou shall not kill"—and you proclaim yourself a Christian, your so-called religion is simply a waste of time.

Srama eva hi kevalam: your going to the church and everything is simply a waste of time, because you have no love for God. That foolishness is going on all over the world. People are stamping themselves with some sectarian label, but there is no real religion.

So if all people are to come together on one platform, they have to accept the principles of Bhagavad-gita. The first principle is that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you do not accept in the beginning that Krsna is the Supreme Lord, then try to understand this gradually. That is education. You can begin by accepting that there is somebody who is supreme.

Now, if I say, "Krsna is the Supreme Lord," you may say, "Why is Krsna the Supreme Lord? Krsna is Indian." No. He is God. For example, the sun rises first over India, then over Europe. But that does not mean the European sun is different from the Indian sun. Similarly, although Krsna appeared in India, now He has come to the Western countries through this Krsna consciousness movement.

So you should try to understand whether Krsna is God or not. But He is God. There is no doubt about it. If you have the intelligence to understand what God is, then try to understand. But Krsna is God, undoubtedly. So take to Krsna consciousness and abide by the order of Krsna. Then everyone can come together on the same religious platform. One religion, Krsna consciousness.

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, sometimes in our preaching activities we meet people who claim to be very devout Christians or Muslims but at the same time blaspheme Krsna. Is it possible that such persons can actually be associates of God?

Srila Prabhupada: No. If one is serious about understanding what God is, then he will accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord. Once he knows what God is, he'll understand, "Here is God—Krsna." If he remains in darkness and does not learn what God is, then how will he understand Krsna? He'll understand Krsna as one of us. That's all. But if he knows what God is, then he'll understand about Krsna: "Yes, here is God."

For instance, if a person knows what gold is, then anywhere he comes upon gold, he'll understand, "Here is gold." He won't think gold is available in one shop only. And if a person knows what God is, what the meaning of "God" is, then in Krsna he will find God in fullness. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: "Krsna Himself is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The sastra explains what Bhagavan, or God, is, and how Krsna is Bhagavan. You should understand and see from the activities of Krsna whether He is or is not Bhagavan. It requires a good brain to understand.

If I say, "Here is God," now it is up to you to test my statement. If you know what God is, then test my statement about Krsna, and then you'll accept Him as God. If you do not know how to test my statement, then you may refuse to accept it. That is another thing. You may also accept iron as gold. That is your ignorance: you do not know what gold is. But if you actually know what God is, you will accept Krsna as God. There is no doubt about it.

So this is the common platform—Bhagavad-gita. Everyone, come and take to Krsna consciousness. Understand God and learn how to love Him, and your life will be perfect.
Pusta Krsna: But many people claim to have the best religion, Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada: But we have to look at the result. how will we decide what is real religion? Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah yato bhaktir adhoksaje: by seeing whether the followers have learned how to love God. If one has no love of God, then what is the use of claiming that one's religion is the best? Where is the sign of love of Godhead? That is to be seen. Everyone will say, "My understanding is the best." But there must be practical proof.

If someone claims to have the best religion, we ask, "Tell us how to love God. What is your process of loving God? If you do not know your relationship with God and others' relationship with God, then how can you love God?" That process of loving God is lacking. Nobody can give a clear conception of God. If you have no understanding of what God is, where is the question of love? Love is not mere fantasy or imagination. You cannot love air. You love a person, a beautiful person. If you merely say, "I love the air, I love the sky," what question is there of love? There must be a person. So who is that person we want to love?

Unfortunately, most people have no personal conception of God. Nor can they describe the Lord's personal beauty, knowledge, strength —His fullness in the six personal opulences. There is no such description. They have some conception of God, but actually they do not know what God is. But religion means you must know God and love Him. Love is something tangible. It is not merely fantasy or imagination. So we Krsna conscious people accept Krsna as God, and we are worshiping Krsna, and we are making progress.

Pusta Krsna: Recently a priest visited us and admitted that he didn't know what God looks like. He couldn't say anything about God, but he said he loved God.

Srila Prabhupada: Then? What kind of love is it?

Pusta Krsna: Nor did he say his people were very enthusiastic about coming to church. He said, "At best they come once a week." He said that's all that is necessary.

Srila Prabhupada: Well, love does not mean that you come once a week to my house. Love means you come to my house every day, give me some present, and take something from me. Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the symptoms of love in his
Upadesamrta [4]
dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

If you love somebody, you must give him something, and you must accept something from him. You must disclose your mind to him, and he should disclose his mind to you. And you should give him some eatable, and whatever eatable thing he offers, you accept. These six kinds of exchange develop love.

But if you do not even know the person, then where is the question of love? Suppose you love some boy or some girl, then you will give some present, and he or she gives you some present—that develops love. You give something to eat, and whatever he or she gives you to eat, you eat. You disclose your mind: "My dear such-and-such, I love you. This is my ambition." And he or she makes some disclosure. These are the exchanges of love.

But if there is no person-to-person meeting, where is the question of love? If I claim to love somebody, but I visit his house only once a week and ask,"Please give me such-and-such," where is the exchange of love? Love means there is some exchange. If you love somebody but you have not given anything to that person or taken anything from him, where is the love?

The conclusion is, religion means to love God, and that means you must know who God is. There is no alternati You must know the person who is God. Then you can have loving exchanges with Him. That we are teaching. We are asking our disciples to rise early in the morning and offer mangala arati, then bhoga arati, to the Lord in His form as the Deity in the temple. Are we such fools and rascals that we are wasting time worshiping a "doll"? Sometimes people think like that. But that is not a fact. When you enter the temple, you know definitely, "Here is Krsna. He is God, and we must love Him like this." That is the superexcellence of this Krsna consciousness movement. We do everything definitely, on the positive platform. Is that clear? Does anyone have any further question?

Pradyumna: Srila Prabhupada, you're saying we must know God before we can love Him. So that means devotional service is preceded by knowledge.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is the process given in the Bhagavad-gita. There are eighteen chapters, and the whole eighteen chapters are education—how to know God. When Arjuna at last comes to complete awareness, he accepts, "Krsna, You are param brahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then Arjuna surrendered, as Krsna advised—sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. But unless you know God, how will you surrender? If some third-class man comes and says, "Surrender to me," will you do that? "Why should I surrender to you?" You must know, "Now, here is God. I must surrender." Eighteen chapters describe God and how to know God, and then Krsna proposes, "Surrender unto Me." Then Arjuna does it: "Yes." So without knowing God, how can you surrender to Him? It is not possible.

So the Bhagavad-gita is the science of how to know God. The preliminary science. If you want to know more, then read Srimad-Bhagavatam. And if you are in intense love with God, read Caitanya-caritamrta—how your love for God can be still more intensified. That is Caitanya-caritamrta. So Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary book: to understand God and surrender. And from the surrendering point, further progress—that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. And when the love is intense, to make it more intensified—that is Caitanya-caritamrta. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was mad after God. He cried, sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me: "I find everything vacant without Krsna." That is the supreme ecstasy.

So these things cannot happen without love. If you love somebody and he's not there, you find everything vacant. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt this way about Krsna—lover and beloved. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me: "I see everything vacant without Govinda." That is the supreme stage of love. Is that clear or not?

Pradyumna: There's just one more thing, Srila Prabhupada. What's the minimum knowledge one must have to . . .

Srila Prabhupada: God is great. That's all. God is great. Krsna proved that He's great. Therefore He's God. Everyone says, "God is great." Allah-u-akbar, the Muslims say: "God is great." And Hindus say, param brahma: "You are the Supreme Spirit." So God is great. And when Krsna was present, He proved that He is all-great. Therefore He's God. If you accept that God is great, and if you find somebody who is great in everything, then He is God.

How can you deny it? You can see how great Krsna is simply by considering His Bhagavad-gita. Five thousand years have passed since Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita, and still it is accepted as the greatest book of knowledge all over the world. Even people from other religions who are really learned accept it. That is proof of the greatness of Krsna—this knowledge.

Who can give such knowledge? That is the proof that He is God. Krsna has all opulences in full, including knowledge. Other than here in Krsna's words, where is such knowledge throughout the whole world? Every line is sublime knowledge. If you study Bhagavad-gita scrutinizingly, you'll understand that Krsna is the Supreme Lord.

From Civilization and Transcendence

God Being Pleased with Your Sincere Service and Love, He Will Let You Know

CC. Madhya-lila 20.125-
NY,11-27-66
Prabhupada:

abhidheya-nama 'bhakti', 'prema''prayojana
purusartha-siromani prema maha-dhana

So after understanding our relationship with Krsna...
Every understanding has its ultimate goal. So the understanding is that we are eternally related with Krsna. Forgetting this relationship, we are now engaged in relationship with this material body, which I am not. Therefore I have to revive my activities which is directly in relationship with Krsna. And that is called to act in Krsna consciousness. And development of that Krsna consciousness will be ended in love of, full love of Krsna. When we reach that stage, love of God, love of Krsna, then we love everyone because Krsna is everyone. Without coming to that central point, our love on the material conception of life'equality, fraternity, brotherhood'are all simply cheating process. That is not possible. So come to that stage.

krsna-madhurya-sevananda-praptira karana
krsna-seva kare, (ara) krsna-rasa-asvadana
Krsna-madhurya-seva, praptira karana.

Just like in the material world, when we serve somebody, we become tired. We become detestful. We do not like to serve. But if we serve Krsna, then we shall feel some ecstasy in increasing the service. There is no payment. There is, I mean to say... Materially, there is no payment. Still, a person engaged in Krsna's service, in Krsna consciousness, he will be encouraged to serve more and more. This is the distinction. In the material platform, if you serve somebody, you will find tired, satiated. You won't like. But if you engage yourself in the service of Krsna, you'll find yourself more energetic. You'll like to serve more and more. That is the test.

If I feel tired, then that is material, and if I feel more encouraged, that means it is blessings of Krsna. Krsna-madhurya... So one is engaged in service of Krsna not officially or to make show, he feels enlivened in rendering such transcendental service. Some of you must be feeling like that, I am sure; otherwise you cannot take so much responsibility, working all day, unless you feel. You see?

So that is the test. Krsna-madhurya. There is some transcendental ecstasy, feeling, in the service of the Lord. So in the beginning we may not relish that transcendental feeling, but as we go on, increasing, we'll feel it. Krsna-seva kare, krsna-rasa-asvadana. This is called krsna-rasa. Just like anything we do, there is some humor, there is some taste. Suppose a person writes poetry. In writing that poetry he feels some taste; therefore he writes. Some, somebody plays on flute. So everything... Somebody drinks. So there is some particular taste. Similarly, transcendentally, you'll have a taste for Krsna's service. That is Krsna consciousness, a taste of mellow, mellow, or, what is called, a humor. You'll like. You'll like to serve more and more. The more you serve, you'll like to serve more and more. That is transcendental service.

ihate drstanta'yaiche daridrera ghare
'sarvajna' asi' duhkha dekhi' puchaye tahare

Now, Lord Caitanya is giving one example, that a astrologer has come to a poor man's house. The astrologer sees that 'This man is living very ..., wretched life, but he should not have done like that. His horoscope says that he should be a rich man. His palmistry says that he should be a rich man.

ihate drstanta'yaiche daridrera ghare
'sarvajna' asi' duhkha dekhi' puchaye tahare

So the astrologer asks him, 'Oh, I see you have got some good symptoms in your horoscope, in your palm. Oh, why you are suffering" Why you are suffering"' So...

'tumi kene duhkhi, tomara ache pitr-dhana
tomare na kahila, anyatra chadila jivana'

'I see that you have got your paternal property hidden somewhere, hidden somewhere. You have got some money left by your father, but it is hidden somewhere. You have to find out. It is hidden somewhere.'

sarvajnera vakye kare dhanera uddese
aiche veda-purana jive 'krsna' upadese

Now, as you... Now, the poor man asked the astrologer, 'Yes, what you say is right. I have heard also that my father is very rich man and he has left some money for me, but where he has kept, I do not find. Will you please let me know how I can find out"' So the astrologer... Astrologer, a perfect astrologer is called sarvajna. Sarvajna means he knows past, present and future.

A real astrologer means he will tell you about your past life and he will tell you about your present life and your future life also. There is a system of astrology in India which is called Bhrgu-samhita. Any man will go, and if the expert in Bhrgu-samhita science, he will at once tell you what you were in your past life, how you are acting in this present life, and what is your next life.

Therefore, perfection of astrology is in the Bhrgu-samhita, and they is called sarvajna. In old Indian system, as soon as child is born, an expert astrologer will be called forth and there will be ceremony, jata-karma, just after the birth. Just like, before giving birth to the child, there was some ceremony which is called garbhadhana ceremony, and between the birth-giving ceremony and the child is born, there are two other ceremonies, sadhavakan (?). So after the birth of the child, the astrologer is called forth and he begins to tell about the future of the boy.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, when Maharaja Pariksit was born, his father was dead, his grandfather. You know, his father was only sixteen years old when the boy was in the womb of his mother. In the battlefield he died. So when the child was born, the grandfather, Arjuna, and his elder brother, they are very much anxious to know how this child will become in future. Because a responsible king, they wanted to know 'Whether the child is worth to our family"' So everything was spoken that is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that 'This child will be like this, like this,' and it was foretold that the at the last stage of his life, he will be cursed by a brahmana and he will die out of snake bite. 'This child will die by snake bite.' That was also foretold. And because the brahmana cursed, a brahmana boy cursed him that 'Within seven days the king will die by snake bite...' That's a long story. Therefore, Maharaja Pariksit, he was not very old, but he understood that 'I will have to die by snake bite, so let me get free from this royal responsibilities.' He at once handed over his kingdom to his son and went to the bank of the Ganges and sat down there tight, without taking any food and drink, for seven days, and he heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from the authoritative source of Sukadeva Gosvami, and he died at the end of seven days. A snake came and bit him.

So this astrological calculation were then; still there are. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, when Srimad-Bhagavatam was written, it was five thousand years before. It is stated there that in the beginning of Kali-yuga, there will be buddha-avatara, incarnation. Vabhisekha ("). Vabhisekha means 'there will appear.' These are sastra, these are astrological calculation, everything perfect. The other day, when I was discussed about Sanatana Goswami, how even an ordinary hotel keeper, he kept an astrologer who told the hotel keeper that 'This man has got eight golden dollars.' Just see. This is astrology. Even a thief could be conducted, guided by astrologer, and what to speak of others. So that was their system in India. So that example is being placed here by Lord Caitanya that the Veda, that is astrology for your guidance. For your guidance, the scripture is your astrologer. He knows your future, he knows your past. So therefore you should consult, you should consult, for our guidance.
Now, the astrologer is supposed to give some instruction to the poor man.

'ei sthane ache dhana''yadi daksine khudibe
'bhimarula-baruli' uthibe, dhana na paibe

Now, the astrologer says, is giving him, it is figurative, that 'If you want to search out the Absolute Truth by ritualistic method...' Mostly people are attached to the particular faith and its ritualistic method. They consider this is everything. Veda-vada-ratah partha nanyad astiti vadinah. They think that performing these rituals of a particular religion and faith, that is all; no more.

So Lord Caitanya says, Lord Caitanya in the shape of that astrologer says, that if you follow'it is given figuratively, that he is searching after the wealth left by his father. Similarly, we have got our father, the Supreme, and He is the supreme proprietor of everything. If we try to find out our father and father's property by the ritualistic process'there are ritualistic processes in every religion and in every scripture'but if we stick to that, then the result will be they will be entrapped by the search, fanaticism, and it will be not possible to make progress.

This is called daksina system. Daksina, daksina means if he is giving him instruction that 'Your house is bounded by east side, west side, north side and south side. So if you go to the south...' South is translated into Sanskrit, daksina. And daksina also means giving something to the priest in respect of his service for performing rituals. So this is figuratively being used, daksina. Daksina means priesthood. If you follow the priesthood, then the result will be that 'bhimarula-baruli' uthibe, dhana na paibe. 'There are some poisonous insects which will bite you, and you will not be able to dig out the wealth left by your father.' So this poisonous effect is that the priesthood, they are for business. They will never give you the right thing, not it is in their power. Not it is in their power. That is going on. But if you find out, if you want to find out the Absolute Truth through this rituals and priesthood, then the result will be that you will be bitten by some poisonous insects and your attempt will be unsuccessful. Pascime, pascime khudibe.

'pascime' khudibe, taha 'yaksa' eka haya
se vighna (karibe),'dhane hata na padaya

Then again, the system of ahangama-pasana, pantheism, philosophical speculation, pantheism, monism, atheism, agnosticism, so many isms there are. So if you follow these isms, there is a jata, there is another danger which you will not get any information of the Absolute Truth.

'uttare' khudile ache krsna 'ajagare'
dhana nahi pabe, khudite gilibe sabare

So uttara, uttara means uttara-mimamsa. There is a philosophy which is called karma-mimamsa. Karma-mimamsa means there is no need of making your relationship with God. God is Supreme, accepted, but He is bound to give you the result of your honest work. This is another philosophy. So you work honestly, there is more or less moral principles. If you stick to the moral principle, ethics and morals, then you will be entrapped by the prideness that 'Oh, I am very moral. I do not speak lies. I do not steal. I treat with my neighbors very nicely.

So I have no necessity to search out father. I am quite all right.' That means, this mundane moralist, if you become mundane moralist, or if you become mundane philosopher or if you stick to the ritualistic process of your particular faith, then there is no hope of reaching to the Absolute Truth. Mundane scriptural, ritualistic way and dry speculative philosophy and mundane moralists. Just like Arjuna and his brother.

His eldest brother is Maharaja Yudhisthira; he was very moralist, Dharmaraja. His name was 'the king of religious principles,' Dharmaraja. So Krsna Himself advised him that 'You go to Dronacarya and tell him a lie, that 'Your son is dead. Your son is dead.' ' Now Maharaja Yudhisthira, he was a mundane moralist, so 'How can I tell lie" How can I tell lie" I have never spoken lie in my life.' So there was some argument. Of course this was, fight was, some compromise was made between them in the camp.

So he became a mundane moralist. He did not consider that 'The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is asking me to tell lie.' So he could not transgress his moral principles so he could not become a devotee of Krsna. He (was) considered mundane moralism, so it was not possible for him to become a Krsna conscious person. He could not take Krsna's order as the Supreme. But Arjuna, in the beginning, he was hesitating to fight and kill his kinsmen, and when he understood that 'Krsna wants this fight,' he decided, 'Yes, I shall do.' This is Krsna consciousness.

So these are the principles. If we stick to the particular type of ritualism'because I confess a particular type of faith, and my faith describes this sort of ritualism, I must follow'then you stick to that, you cannot make any progress. And if you go on simply philosophizing'this ism, that ism, that ism, nonsense-ism'then also you will not be able. And if you become mundane moralist, then also you will not be able. You have to become transcendental to all these mundane principles; then it will be possible to become perfectly Krsna conscious. So it is not transgressing, because as soon as you become really Krsna conscious, then you become all: you become a philosopher, you become a ritualistic, you become actually moralist. What is the standard of morals?

Can you explain" What is the standard of morality? Can you explain? Can any one of you say? Have you got any idea what is the standard of morality? The standard of morality is to obey the Supreme. That is standard of morality. Standard of morality does not mean that you manufacture something morality out of your concoction. No. Standard of morality is to obey the Supreme. That is standard of morality.

Example. Example is, just like this State, the State has law that if you commit murder, then you will be hanged. It is immoral. If you commit theft, then you will be punished. But when the State says that you go and become a spy and become a thief and bring out these documents on the enemy's camp, that is morality. If you kill a man, you will be hanged. But when the State order, if you kill an enemy, hundreds of enemy, you will be awarded gold medal. So if you stick to the principle, theft and murder, and do not follow the State order, you will be considered, what is called, tyrant, or what is that" Traitor. Traitor.

So if in our practical experience we see to obey the order of the Supreme is morality, standard of morality, don't you think to obey the supermost supreme, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to obey Him, that is morality. That is morality. So if you stick to the mundane principle, then it will not be. Therefore the astrologer advises the poor man,

purva-dike tate mati alpa khudite
dhanera jhari padibeka tomara hatete

In other words, that if you take this process of Krsna consciousness, devotional service, a slight attempt will give you the treasury house of that wealth. A slight attempt. Sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. This is the only, only path. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find that if you actually want God, then you will have to follow this process, Krsna consciousness, and transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. That will make you successful. Even if you execute a little percentage of this process, then you will touch at once, at least you will know, 'Oh, here is the hidden box containing the treasure.' Now, gradually, you open it and then enjoy. But at once you will get information, 'Here is the thing.' So this is the process.

Aiche sastra kahe,'karma, jnana, yoga tyaji'.

Now, Lord Caitanya is explaining this system, different system, ritualistic, philosophical, meditation, morality, all these in sastra-kahe. Real Vedic instruction... Just like, what is Veda? Veda means the words of the Lord. That is Veda. Scripture means the words of the Lord.

God says, 'Let there be light.' God says, 'Let there be creation.' These words are scripture. Now one who takes out... Just like sound is transmitted from a certain place, and one who catches by the machine, he gets the information. Similarly, Veda means instruction transmitted by the Supreme Lord, and there are capable personalities, just like Brahma, that capture it, and that is distributed, either in writing or by tradition, by hearing. That is scripture. The words of God. Now, here the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is personally speaking Bhagavad-gita. Is it not Veda? That is Veda. That is real Veda. Sarva-upanisade.

In the Gita-mahatma it is said, 'This is the essence of all Veda.' This is Vedanta. Simply by studying Bhagavad-gita, one becomes a learned science in the science of God. So sastra-kahe. And what is that sastra? The essence of all sastra, the essence of all scripture, asks you to do'the sastra says, the Lord says'sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] 'Give up everything, just surrender under Me.' This is the most confidential part of knowledge.

So 'give up everything' means there are different processes, different processes, ritualistic process, different religious processes, philosophical processes, meditation, so many. 'Give up all them. Simply surrender to Krsna.' So Lord Caitanya is stressing on that point, that aiche sastra kahe,'karma, jnana, yoga tyaji'. Karma. Karma means general activities on moral principle.

That is called karma. Karma means, real karma means that you have to live, so you have to work. So work in such a way that you may not be entangled. Just like honest businessman, he works, he works according to the law. He does not play any blackmailing, and he pays the proper income tax to the government and the other taxes. He does nicely. This is called work, karma. You have to live. Without working you cannot live. But you work in such a way so that you may not be entangled. That is called work, karma. Now, this work is not the solution of your human life.

You can get some morsel of bread and eat and drink and sleep and just enjoy your life and die like cats and dogs, that's all. And then you will take with you the result of your good work or bad work. That is karma. That is not solution. Then the next stage is, above this karma, this ordinary, general people, there is a class, they are thinkers. They are thinkers: "Whether this is the solution of life"


So thinkers, some of them are dry thinkers, they have no knowledge, but they think only. They do not get the source of knowledge from higher authorities; they manufacture their own way. So apart from that, those who are bona fide thinkers, they are called jnani. Jnani means that this process of karma cannot make solution of life. They push some philosophical thesis that 'This is the solution of life.' They are called jnani. The others, yogis, they meditate. So what they meditate" Not they meditate falsely; they meditate, they concentrate the whole senses and put the focus on the soul and the Supersoul. So their endeavor is to make, reestablish with the Supersoul who is sitting in my heart. That is yoga system.

So all these systems can be adjusted only in one system, Krsna consciousness. That is the version of all the sastra, all the Vedas. Lord Caitanya also confirms that

aiche sastra kahe,'karma, jnana, yoga tyaji'
'bhaktye' krsna vasa haya, bhaktye tanre bhaji

If you want Krsna, if you want God, then you don't try to follow all these processes. You just try to follow devotional service to the Lord, bhakti, Krsna consciousness. That will please Krsna. Then by His pleasing, He will reveal to you. He will reveal to you. God being pleased with your sincere service and love, He will let you know. Just like Arjuna is being instructed by the Supreme Lord, and He says, 'My dear Arjuna, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge.' So if we become friends like Arjuna to Krsna, then Krsna will reveal Himself, as He is revealing Himself, 'I am this, I am that, I am this, I am that.' (indistinct) So if you actually want to reestablish your lost relationship with Krsna and God, then you have to adopt this Krsna consciousness and nothing more.
Thank you very much. (end)

Prescribed Duties - to satisfy the Supreme Lord

After performing the preliminaries of various sacrifices, Maharaja Bharata offered the results in the name of religion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. In other words, he performed all the yajnas for the satisfaction of Lord Vasudeva, Krsna. Maharaja Bharata thought that since the demigods were different parts of Vasudeva’s body, He controls those who are explained in the Vedic mantras. By thinking in this way, Maharaja Bharata was freed from all material contamination, such as attachment, lust and greed. When the priests were about to offer the sacrificial ingredients into the fire, Maharaja Bharata expertly understood how the offering made to different demigods was simply an offering to the different limbs of the Lord. For instance, Indra is the arm of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Surya [the sun] is His eye. Thus Maharaja Bharata considered that the oblations offered to different demigods were actually offered unto the different limbs of Lord Vasudeva.

PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one does not develop the pure devotional service of sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting, one must carry out his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Maharaja was a great devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that are actually meant for karmis. The fact is that he was simply following the orders of Vasudeva. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.66)

Whatever we do, we should constantly remember Vasudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Maharaja simply wanted to please Lord Vasudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gita: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram (Bg. 5.29). A yajna may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the yajna is offered to the yajna-purusa, Narayana, the demigods are satisfied.

The purpose of performing different yajnas is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied.

When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person’s legs, we do not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs.

All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod worship is mentioned in Brahma-samhita, but actually the slokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durga is mentioned this way in Brahma-samhita (5.44):srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir ekachayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durgaicchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sagovindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Following the orders of Sri Krsna, the goddess Durga creates, maintains and annihilates.

Sri Krsna also confirms this statement in Bhagavad-gita. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: “This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings.” (Bg. 9.10). We should worship the demigods in that spirit. Because the goddess Durga satisfies Krsna, we should therefore offer respects to goddess Durga.

Because Lord Siva is nothing but Krsna’s functional body, we should therefore offer respects to Lord Siva. Similarly, we should offer respects to Brahma, Agni and Surya. There are many offerings to different demigods, and one should always remember that these offerings are usually meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bharata Maharaja did not aspire to receive some benediction from demigods.

His aim was to please the Supreme Lord. In the Mahabharata, among the thousand names of Visnu, it is said yajna-bhug yajna-krd yajnah. The enjoyer of yajna, the performer of yajna and yajna itself are the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the performer of everything, but out of ignorance the living entity thinks that he is the actor.

As long as we think we are the actors, we bring about karma-bandha (bondage to activity). If we act for yajna, for Krsna. there is no karma-bandha. Yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah: [Bg. 3.9]) “Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed. otherwise work binds one to this material world.” (Bg. 3.9)

Following the instructions of Bharata Maharaja, we should act not for our personal satisfaction but for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gita (17.28) it is also stated:asraddhaya hutam dattamtapas taptam krtam ca yatasad ity ucyate parthana ca tat pretya no iha. Sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nonpermanent.

Regardless of whatever rituals are performed, they are called asat, nonpermanent. They are therefore useless both in this life and the next.Kings like Maharaja Ambarisa and many other rajarsis who were pure devotees of the Lord simply passed their time in the service of the Supreme Lord. When a pure devotee executes some service through the agency of another person, he should not be criticized, for his activities are meant for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord.

A devotee may have a priest perform some karma-kanda, and the priest may not be a pure Vaisnava, but because the devotee wants to please the Supreme Lord, he should not be criticized. The word apurva is very significant. The resultant actions of karma are called apurva. When we act piously or impiously, immediate results do not ensue. We therefore wait for the results, which are called apurva.

The results are manifest in the future. Even the smartas accept this apurva. Pure devotees simply act for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the results of their activities are spiritual, or permanent. They are not like those of the karmis, which are nonpermanent. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.23):gata-sangasya muktasyajnanavasthita-cetasahyajnayacaratah karmasamagram praviliyate“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.”

A devotee is always free from material contamination. He is fully situated in knowledge, and therefore his sacrifices are intended for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

[From Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.7.6]

Intelligent Design - Spirit Is The Creator

A Russian fiction writer is now contributing suggestions to the rest of the world that scientific progress can help man to live forever. Of course, he does not believe in a Supreme Being who is the creator. Yet we welcome his suggestion because we know that actual progress in scientific knowledge will certainly take men to the spiritual sky and inform the scientist that there is a supreme creator who has full potencies beyond all materialistic scientific conceptions.

As mentioned, every living being is eternal in form, but he has to change his outer coverings, gross and subtle, and this changing process is technically known as life and death. As long as a living being has to put on the shackles of material bondage, there is no relief from this changing process, which continues even in the highest stage of material life.

The Russian fiction writer may speculate, as fiction writers are apt to do, but saner people with some knowledge of natural law will not agree that man can life forever within this material world.A naturalist can see the general course of material nature simply by studying a piece of fruit. A small fruit develops from a flower, grows, stays for some time on a branch, becomes full-grown, ripens, then begins to dwindle daily until it finally falls from the tree and commences to decompose into the earth and at last mingles with the earth, leaving behind its seed which in its turn grows to become a tree and produces many fruits in time, which will all meet the same fate, and so on and so on. Similarly, a living being (as a spiritual spark, a part of the Supreme Being) takes its organic form in the womb of a mother just after sexual intercourse. It grows little by little within the womb, is born, then continues growing, becomes a child, boy, youth, adult, old man, then finally dwindles and meets death, despite all the good wishes and hopeful pipe dreams of fiction writers.

By comparison, there is no difference between man and the fruit. Like the fruit, the man may leave behind him his seeds of numerous children, but he cannot exist eternally within his material body due to the law of material nature.How can anyone ignore the law of material nature? No material scientist can change the stringent laws of nature, however boastful he may be. No astronomer or scientist can change the course of the planets—he can only manufacture a paltry toy planet which he calls a satellite.

Foolish children may be impressed by this and may give a great deal of credit to the inventors of modern satellites, sputniks, etc., but the saner section of humanity gives more credit to the creator of the gigantic satellites, namely the sun, stars and planets of which the material scientist can see no end. If a small toy satellite has a creator in Russia or America, it is reasonable that the gigantic satellites have their creator in the spiritual sky. If a toy satellite requires so many scientific brains for its manufacture and its orbiting, what kind of subtle and perfect brain created galaxies of stars and maintains them in their orbits? Thus far the atheistic class have not been able to answer this.

Nonbelievers put forward their own theories of the creation, which usually result in statements such as, “It’s hard to understand,” “Our imagination cannot conceive it, but it’s quite possible,” “It’s incomprehensible,” and so forth. This only means that their information has no authoritative basis and is not backed by scientific data. They simply speculate.

However, authorized information is available in the Bhagavad-gita. For instance, the Bhagavad-gita informs us that within the material world there are living beings whose duration of life covers 4,300,000 x 1,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years. We accept the Bhagavad-gita as authority because this book of knowledge was so accepted by India’s great sages like Sankaracarya, Sri Ramanujacarya, Sri Madhvacarya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Bhagavad-gita indicates that in the material world all component forms are subject to decay and death, regardless of their duration of life.Therefore all material shapes are subject to the law of change, although potentially the material energy is conserved. Potentially, everything is eternal, but in the material world matter takes shape, remains for some time, develops into maturity, grows old, begins to dwindle and at last disappears again.

This is the case with all material objects. The materialist’s suggestion that beyond the material sky there is “some other form” which is beyond the boundary of visibility and which is strange and inconceivable is but a faint indication of the spiritual sky. However, the basic principle of spirit is much closer—for it functions within all living beings. When that spiritual principle is out of the material body, then the material body has no life.

Within the body of a child, for instance, the spiritual principle is present, and therefore changes take place in the body and it develops. But if the spirit leaves the body, the development stops. This law is applicable to every material object. Matter transforms from one shape to another when it is in contact with spirit. Without spirit there is no transformation. The entire universe develops in that way. It emanates from the energy of the Transcendence because of the spiritual force which is His, and it develops into gigantic forms like the sun, moon, earth, etc.

There are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and although they are all different in dimension and quality, the same principle of development holds true for all. The spiritual force is the creator, and by this spiritual principle only, transformation, transition and development take place.Life is definitely not generated simply by a material reaction like a chemical combination, as many foolish men claim.

Material interaction is set in motion by a superior being who creates a favorable circumstance to accommodate the spiritual living force. The superior energy handles matter in an appropriate way—as determined by the free will of the spiritual being. For example, building materials do not automatically “react” and suddenly assume the shape of a residential house. The living spiritual being handles matter appropriately by his free will and thus constructs his house. Similarly, matter is the ingredient only, but the spirit is the creator.

Only a man with a poor fund of knowledge avoids this conclusion. The creator may remain unseen in the background, but that does not mean that there is no creator. One should not be illusioned simply by the gigantic form of the material universe. Rather, one should learn to discern the existence of supreme intelligence behind all these material manifestations. The Supreme Being, who is the supreme intelligence, is the ultimate creator, the all-attractive Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.

Although one may not be aware of this, there is definite information of the creator given in Vedic literatures such as the Bhagavad-gita and especially the Srimad-Bhagavatam.When a satellite is thrown into outer space, a child may not understand that there are scientific brains behind it, but an intelligent adult realizes that scientific brains on earth are controlling the satellite. Similarly, less intelligent persons do not have information of the creator and His eternal abode in the spiritual world, which is far beyond our range of visibility, but in actuality there is a spiritual sky, and spiritual planets which are more spacious and greater in number than planets in the material sky.

From the Bhagavad-gita we receive information that the material universe only constitutes a fraction (one fourth) of the creation. Such information is extensively available in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and in other Vedic literatures.If living energy can be generated in the scientist’s laboratory by “the interaction of certain physical and chemical combinations,” then why haven’t the boastful material scientists been able to manufacture life?

They should know definitely that spiritual force is distinct from matter and that such energy is not possible to produce by any amount of material adjustment. At present Russians and Americans are undoubtedly very much advanced in many departments of technological science, but they are still ignorant of the spiritual science.

They will have to learn from superior intelligence in order to make a perfect and progressive human society.The Russians are unaware that in the Srimad-Bhagavatam the socialist philosophy is most perfectly described. The Bhagavatam instructs that whatever wealth exists—all natural resources (agricultural, mining, etc.)—is created by the ultimate creator, and therefore every living being has a right to take part of them.

It is further said that a man should only possess as much wealth as is sufficient to maintain his body, and that if he desires more than that, or if he takes more than his share, he is subject to punishment. It is also stated that animals should be treated as one’s own children.We believe that no nation on earth can describe socialism as well as the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Living beings other than humans can be treated as brothers and children only when one has a full conception of the creator and the actual constitution of the living being.

Man’s desire to be deathless is realized only in the spiritual world. As stated at the beginning of this essay, a desire for eternal life is a sign of dormant spiritual life. The aim of human civilization should be targeted to that end. It is possible for every human being to transfer himself to that spiritual realm by the process of bhakti-yoga, as described herein. It is a great science, and India has produced many scientific literatures by which the perfection of life may be realized.Bhakti-yoga is the eternal religion of man. At a time when material science predominates all subjects—including the tenets of religion—it would be enlivening to see the principles of the eternal religion of man from the viewpoint of the modern scientist...

[excerpt from Easy Journey to Other Planets]

sarve sukhino bhavantu-Everyone Become Happy

NY,7-18-76

Prabhupada: ...served five thousand years ago at Kuruksetra. In India there is still that place, Kuruksetra, and religious men go there especially on the occasion of solar eclipse. So recently there was solar eclipse. Still, many millions of Indian population gathered there. Those who have gone to India might have seen this holy place, Kuruksetra. There is a railway station also of the name Kuruksetra, and it is a vast field.

The Battle of Kuruksetra took place also during Lord Krsna’s time, and the Bhagavad-gita is the product in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So this ceremony..., Krsna, with His elder brother Balarama and His younger sister Subhadra, visited in this chariot at Kuruksetra, and we are observing this festival. Formerly one king of the name Indradyumna, he started the temple of Jagannatha in Orissa at Puri. Perhaps some of you who have gone there, they know there is a very, very old temple, according to modern calculation, not less than two thousand years old. There is the Jagannatha Deity. The King was very much anxious to establish a temple of Krsna, Balarama and Subhadra, but there was a contract between the sculptor and the King that the sculptor would go on working in closed door and the King should not disturb him. But when many days passed the King felt, “What this worker is doing?”

So he forcefully opened the door, and he saw that the sculptor could not finish the Deity. So this form of Jagannatha, Krsna, Balarama and Subhadra, was unfinished. They were going under construction, carving, but the King forcibly opened the door. Therefore the King said, “I shall worship this unfinished Deity. Never mind.”

So this Jagannatha you see in this form because King Indradyumna wanted to worship Him in that form.So this is devotee’s willing. Krsna accepts everyone’s devotional service if it is offered with love and affection. He says in the Bhagavad-gita, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna said “Anyone who offers Me a little flower, a little water, a little fruit, with love and affection, I eat them, I accept them.”

So if something offered by you to Krsna is accepted by Him, then you should know that your life is successful. So there is no question of offering God so many things very gorgeously prepared, but you can offer a little flower, a little fruit and little water with love and affection. That means even the poorest man in the world can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no hindrance. Ahaituky apratihata. Devotional service cannot be checked by any material condition.

If anyone wants to worship God, he can do in any condition of life. There is no restriction. There is no restriction of cast and creed or country or nation. Anyone can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to his means, and our, this Krsna consciousness movement is a propagation to teach people how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our mission, because without relationship with God, without reviving our eternal affinity with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we cannot be happy. The Vedic injunction is sarve sukhino bhavantu: “Everyone become happy.”

We are actually struggling for existence to become happy, but we do not know how to become happy.So this science was taught five thousand years ago by God Himself. He advented in India. That does not mean He advented for India’s benefit. He claims... Actually that is God’s claim, that He is the father of all living entities.sarva-yonisu kaunteyamurtayah sambhavanti yahtasam brahma mahad yoniraham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4]

God is father, supreme father of everyone. If we simply study this verse from the Bhagavad-gita, that the mother nature is the mother of all living entities and God is the supreme father of everyone... We can study these two lines very carefully. On the earth we can see so many living entities are coming out, beginning from the grass, then so many insects, reptiles, big trees, then animals, birds, beasts, then human beings. They are all coming from the earth, and they are living at the expense of earth. The earth is supplying food to everyone. As the mother gives life or maintains the child by the milk of her breast, similarly, the earth mother is maintaining all different types of living entities.

There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and the earth, mother earth is supplying food. There are thousands of elephants in the African jungle, they are also being supplied with food. And within your room in a hole there are thousands of ants, they are also being supplied food by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the philosophy is that we should not be disturbed by the so-called theory of over- population. If God can feed elephants, why he cannot feed you? You do not eat like the elephant. So this theory, that there is a shortage of food or overpopulation, we do not accept it.

God is so powerful that He can feed everyone without any difficulty. Simply we are mismanaging. Otherwise there is no difficulty.So under the circumstances we propose that every one of you become God conscious. The paragraph which I was mentioning, that we see the mother, mother earth, and we see the children in different forms... Then we must accept that there is father. Because without father there is no possibility of mother begetting children. If you simply understand this philosophy of father, mother and children, then you can very easily understand that there is God, the supreme father. There is no difficulty.

But if you do not become reasonable as human being, if you remain as animal like cats and dogs... The dogs cannot understand that there is the supreme father, God, but a human being can understand. He has got intelligence. So with this advanced intelligence, if we do not understand about the existence of God, our relationship with Him and what is our duty in that relationship, then our, this human form of life will be spoiled.

Our, this Krsna consciousness movement is checking the human society from spoiling the human form of life. This human form of life, by the evolutionary process we have got after millions and millions of years, and if we spoil this life eating, sleeping, mating and defending like the cats and dog without any sense of God, then our life is spoiled. So please do not take this Krsna consciousness movement as any sectarian movement. It is the science of God. Try to understand the science of God. We have got so many... (man yelling in background) What is that?

Radha-vallabha: It’s a crazy boy.

Prabhupada: All right. Either you accept it directly or you try to understand through philosophy and science. We have got so many books. So kindly take advantage of this movement and impartially try to understand what is the purpose of this movement, why we are distributing so many literatures. Soberly and with calm head, try to understand this movement and be happy. That is our only mission.Thank you very much. (end)