What do you mean by God?

Prabhupada: The first thing is that what do you mean by Krsna. That is to be understood. Krsna means God. So if you have no objection to chant the name of God, then there is no difference of opinions. Now first of all, I may ask you, “What do you mean by God?”

You are chanting the holy name of God, and people may ask you, “What do you mean by God?” Because especially nowadays... (aside) No, there is matches? That’s all. Come near. So first question will be, “What do you mean by God?” If I, or anybody, asks you, “What do you mean by God?”

Moustafa: I cannot explain, because now...

Prabhupada: But that you must explain. If you are chanting the name of God, then you must know what do you mean by God.

Moustafa: When I feel, I will get spiritual, my feeling...

Prabhupada: Spiritual, what do you mean by spiritual?

Moustafa: It means I put everything that is bad and dirty inside and I make it out, all of them.

Prabhupada: What is inside and what is outside?

Moustafa: Outside? I don’t know what is inside.

Prabhupada: Then you do not know. You do not know outside, inside.

Moustafa: When I do wrong, for example. When I do lie, when I do something, when I see wrong.

Prabhupada: Wrong, one thing is wrong in my country, and that is right in your country. Just like animal slaughter is wrong according to our Vedic civilization. Unnecessary animal slaughter is forbidden. But in your country or in other Western countries, they kill so many animals. So what is wrong, what is right? Who will decide?

Moustafa: That’s the reason I don’t kill animals and I don’t eat meat. For three years now.

Prabhupada: That’s very good, very good idea. When we want God, to understand, we must try to understand what is God. What do you mean by God? The God definition is given in the dictionary, what is that? “Supreme being, supreme controller.” So how do you understand that supreme controller?

What do you mean by supreme controller? In this way we should try to understand what is the idea carried by the word God. We have got, in our Vedic language, we have got definition of God, thataisvaryasya samagrasyaviryasya yasasah sriyahjnana-vairagyayais caivasannam bhaga itinganah“God” means He must possess all the wealth.

Just like in Persia you have got so many wealthy persons, but nobody can claim, even the Shah cannot claim, that he possesses all the wealth. That is not possible. Persia. Do you follow what I say? So this is one of the items, that God is the richest, or He possesses all the wealth. Similarly, He possesses all the strength, He possesses all the beauty, He possesses all knowledge, and He is the renouncer also, the most exalted renouncer. Although He possesses so many things, He is renounced. Just like this universe is the property of God, but He has given to you, all the living entities. “Now you wanted to enjoy, enjoy it to your best capacity.” He doesn’t interfere. “All right, you go on.” And we are trying to enjoy this material world to our best capacity.

Just like in Iran, you are trying to enjoy by exploiting the oil. Similarly, somebody is exploiting. It is all God’s property. He doesn’t interfere. “All right, enjoy.” This is renouncement. His property, He does not come to interfere. God knows how this universe is made. So many big, big scientists, they are trying to understand what is the constitution, how this universe is made, how it is created. Nobody knows, but He knows. Just like you have got this body, I have got this body, but we do not know everything of this body. I do not know how many hairs are there. Is it not?

So, so many things. I am eating, and it is transformed into blood, and it is directed towards brain, towards other parts of the body and we are working very strong, but we do not know how things are happening. Although I am claiming I am this body, I am my body. But God knows every particular, any... anvayad itaratah. How the stone is made, He knows. How this flower is colored, He knows. That is called wise, wisdom. Vedaham samatitani. He knows. That is God. He is the possessor of all wealth, all knowledge, all beauty, all strength, all influence. In this way you have to understand God.

Atreya Rsi: His question is “How can I have more faith in God?”

Prabhupada: The more you know about these things.

Atreya Rsi: You must inquire.

Prabhupada: Yes. Oh, very good. Then is bigger than you. Very good. There is a verse in Caitanya-caritamrta, siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha ha-ite krsne. To know, we have got limited knowledge, we cannot understand full what is God, but still we must try to understand what is God.

This is the general definition of God. Suppose you take one item, God is rich, richest. Try to understand how He is richest, what is the topmost idea of all richness. Whether God possesses that richness. He possesses, but we do not understand. In this way we have to study, and all the saintly person have studied Krsna, about these six things. They have analyzed the characters and symptoms and they have found isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Not blindly, but studying thoroughly about these qualities of God, they have decided isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. So you have to study God. Not that we accept God anybody and anything, no. Siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa. Don’t be lazy to understand God. The more you understand, the more you become a devotee.

Atreya Rsi: He says, “I am very anxious to become a good devotee.”

Prabhupada: Yes, you can become, everyone can become. The more the dirty things within the heart is cleansed, more one becomes a devotee. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167]. You have to make zero all dirty desires. Then it is pure.anyabhilasita-sunyamjnana-karmady-anavrtamanukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11]That is bhaktir uttama.

[Excerpt from .....Room Conversation--August 8, 1976, Tehran]