Prabhupada:Mr. President, Ladies and
Gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly inviting me. I'll serve you to my
capacity. Today's subject matter is "Culture and Business. So business, we mean
business means the occupational duty. According to our Vedic culture, there are
different types of businesses. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gita,
catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13] -- the four divisions
of social system, namely the brahmana, the ksatriya, the vaisya and the sudra.
Before doing business, there must be a division who can do what kind of
business. There are different businesses. Now we have taken that everyone should
take everyone's business. That is not very scientifical division. Therefore
there is cultural division. Just like the whole body. The whole body's one unit,
but there are different departments also -- just like the head department, the
arms department, the belly department and the leg department. This is
scientific. The head department is called the brahmana. In the society... And
the arms department is called the ksatriyas, and the belly department is called
the vaisyas, and the leg department is called the sudras. This is scientific
division of business. Although the head department is most important department,
because without head, other departments, the arms departments, the belly
department and the leg department will be finished. If the arms department is
lacking, still business can go on. If the leg department is lacking, the
business may go on. But if the head department is not there, if the, your head
is cut off from the body, then in spite of having all these arms, legs and
bellies, they all become useless. So the head department is meant for culture.
Without culture... Just like without head, the arms department, the belly
department, the leg department are all useless. Similarly without culture, all
these businesses, they creates confusion and chaos. That is the position at the
present moment, because there is intermingling of different businesses. There
must be one section of people, head department, who should give advice to the
other departments. The brahmanas, they're intelligent. They are qualified. Satya
sama dama titiksa arjava jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg.
18.42].
So culture means that one should know what is the aim of life. Without understanding the aim of life, a man without aim is ship without, a ship without rudder. That is an English proverb. So at the present moment, we are missing the goal of life because there is no head department. The whole human society is lacking now real brahmanas who can give advice to the other departments. Just like Arjuna was fighting. He was a military man. His business was to fight. He was engaged in his business, but he was taking at the same time advice of, the advice of the Brahmana deva, Krsna.
namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
govindaya namo namah
So the brahmana department, or the adviser department, is described in this verse: namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. The first thing is taken into consideration, go-brahmana. Why these two things are stressed upon? Because in a society where there is no brahminical culture and where there is no cow protection, it is not human society. So in a chaotic condition, any business you do, it will never be perfect. But in a systematized, systematic, cultural society, you do business. That is perfect. That is the instruction of Srimad-Bhagavata, Bhagavatam. In a meeting in Naimisaranya, where many learned scholars and brahmanas assembled, and Srila Suta Gosvami was giving instruction, he said: atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The varnasrama is stressed. The Vedic culture means four varnas and four asramas: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra; brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Unless we take to this institution of varnasrama dharma, the whole society will be in chaotic condition.
And the purpose of varnasrama dharma is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. As it is stated in the Visnu Purana:
varnasramacaravata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pumsam
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam
[Cc. Madhya 8.58]
Just like in a state, you have to satisfy your government; then you are good citizen. Similarly in the cosmic state, taking altogether this whole material creation, if you do not satisfy the Supreme Lord, the proprietor of everything, then it will be chaotic condition. Our Vedic culture means whatever you do, it doesn't matter. You must satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is culture. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya samsiddhim labhate narah [Bg. 18.46]. You can do any business. Any business means the brahmana's business, the ksatriya's business, the vaisya's business and the sudra's business. That is business. Otherwise you can do any business. But business means there are different classes of business. So Bhagavad-gita it is said that one should satisfy by his own business the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yena sarvam idam tatam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also it is said: culture means... Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The, there are different businesses according to different divisions of human society. But their aim should be svanusthitasya dharmasya. Business means dharma. Another... Dharma means occupational duty. So svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir. One must find out the perfection of his business. That is culture. Culture and business means you may do whatever business you are doing, according to your division, or according to your capacity or according to your qualification. You may be a, a merchant, you may be a professional man, you may be legal adviser, medical man. Whatever you may, it doesn't matter. But if you want perfection in your business, then you must try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is culture. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yajnarthe karma. Yajna. Yajna means Visnu, the Supreme Lord. For Him you have to work. Yajnarthe karma. Anyatra karma-bandhana. Otherwise you become bound up by the acts, by the reaction of your activities. Karma-bandhana. And so long you are in the bondage of karma, you have to transmigrate from one body to another.
Unfortunately at the present moment, people do not know that there is soul and the soul transmigrates from one body to another. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, tatha dehantaram praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Big, big professors... I've talked with big, big scientists, professors, but they do not know that there is life after death. They do not know. But according to our Vedic information, we know. And we can ex..., experience in this present life. It is very common thing. Just like a baby has got a body of a boy. The boy has got a body again of a youth, young man. The young man has got a body again of a old man. So similarly, old man, after annihilation of this body, he'll get another body. It is very, quite natural, logical. And we change our body. Although this gross body's destroyed, we change our body by the subtle body. The subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego. Just like we forget about this body at night, and the subtle body works. We dream. We are taken away from our home, from our bed, to some other place, and completely forget this body. And when the sleep is over, we forget about the dream and we become attached to this gross body. This is going on -- in our daily experience. So I am the observer. I am sometimes in this gross body and sometimes in the subtle body. But it is changing. But I am the observer. Therefore the inquiry should be that "What is my position? At night I forget my gross body, and during daytime I forget my subtle body. Then what is my real body?" These are the questions.
So this is culture. You may do your business. Just like Arjuna: Arjuna was doing his business. He was a fighter, ksatriya, but he did not forget his culture, hearing Gita from the master. That is culture. If you simply do business and do not cultivate your spiritual life, then it is useless waste of time. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8], the sastra says. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. So our Krsna consciousness movement is being spread up that "Do not forget your cultural life." We do not say that you stop your business and become a sannyasi like me and give up everything. We do not say. Neither Krsna said that. Krsna never said Arjuna that "You give up your business." "You are ksatriya. You are declining fighting. Oh, it is very abominable. You should not say like that. You must fight." That was Krsna's instruction. So similarly, we Krsna conscious people, we are also advising everyone that "You do not give up your business." Caitanya Mahaprabhu said also: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said that "You give up your position." Position, giving up is not very difficult. But to cultivate spiritual knowledge, that is required. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [1.5.18]. Now the animal life, there is no cultivation of spiritual life. That is not possible. The animal cannot cultivate this knowledge. The human beings, if they do not cultivate spiritual knowledge, they're exactly like animals. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah. So we should be very conscious about our eternal existence. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Nityah sasvato 'yam. We, spirit soul, we are eternal. We are not going to die after the annihilation of this body. This is the cultivation of knowledge. This is called brahma-jijnasa, to know about one's self. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's first disciple, Sanatana Gosvami, he was minister, finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah, and he retired and approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And he humbly inquired that "These people call me pandita." Because he was brahmana by caste. Naturally we call a brahmana "pandita." So Sanatana Gosvami placed this: "My dear Lord, these people call me pandita, but I am such a pandita that I do not know who I..., what I am." So that is the position of everyone. We may be businessman. We may be in other profession. But if we do not know what I am, wherefrom I have come, why I am under the tribulation of these material laws of nature and where I am going, what is my next life -- if we do not know this, then whatever we are doing, srama eva hi kevalam. Visvaksena-kathasu notpadayed ratim yadi, visvaksena-kathasu yah srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8].
So our request to everyone that you can be engaged in whatever business, in whatever position Krsna has posted you. Do your duty nicely. But do not forget to cultivate Krsna knowledge. Krsna knowledge means God consciousness. God consciousness means we must know that we are part and parcel. Mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. We are eternal part and parcel of Krsna, or God, but we are struggling here, manah-sasthani indriyani prakrti-sthani karsati. Why this struggle for existence? We must know... We have got eternal life. This temporary... Suppose in this temporary life I become Birla or some big businessman for, say, twenty years or fifty years, utmost, hundred years. Next life there is no guarantee that I'm going to be Birla or this man, Tata. No. There is no such guarantee. That we do not take care. We are taking care of the small span of life, but we are not taking care of our life eternal. That is mistake. Suppose in this life I am a very great businessman. Next life, by my karma, if I become something else... There are 8,400,000 species of life, forms of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. Nine lakhs of forms of life in the water. Then there are insects. Sthavara laksa... There are trees, plants, two million forms of trees and plants. Krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. Eleven lakhs' species of insects, reptiles. Then birds. Paksinam dasa-laksanam. In this way, we fulfill eight millions of different forms of life. Then we come to the form of human life. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said that kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha, durlabham manusam janma [SB 7.6.1]. This manusam janma is very, very rare. We should not be satisfied only becoming a very big businessman. We must know what is next life, what I am going to be.
So there are different kinds of men. Some of them are called the karmis, and some of them are called the jnanis, and some of them are called the yogis, and some of them are called the bhaktas. The karmis, they are after material happiness. In this life, also, they want the highest, the best comfort of material life, and after death also they want to be elevated to the heavenly planets. Similarly jnanis, they also want, they being fed up of this material way of life, they want to, they want to merge into the existence of Brahman. That is jnani. The yogis, they also want mystic power. And the bhaktas, they want simply service of the Lord. So unless one understands what is Lord, how he can render service to the Lord? This culture is the highest culture. The karmis' culture, the jnanis' culture, the yogis' culture and the bhaktas' culture -- there are different cultures. So all of them are called yogis if they are doing sincerely their duty. Karma-yogi, jnana-yogi, dhyana-yogi, bhakta-yogi. But Krsna says,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He's first-class yogi. Who is that man? Now, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata antaratmana: "Who is always thinking of Me." That means Krsna conscious. Krsna says, "Who is always thinking of Me." Yoginam api sarvesam. There are different yogis -- karma-yogi, jnana-yogi, dhyana-yogi. But the best yogi is he who's always thinking of Krsna within himself. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatena-antaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam. Sraddhavan. With faith and love, one who is giving rendering service to the Lord, he's first-class yogi.
There are other verses in the Bhagavad-gita. [break] ...of cousin-brothers, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. They met there for fighting. That's a historical fact, Mahabharata, Greater India. Mahabharata means Greater, History of Greater India. So everything is there. But we do not take advantage of this great book of knowledge. So we request that everyone should cultivate... Should try to know what he is, what is Krsna, what is their relationship with Krsna, and what is their real life, what is the goal of life. Unless we do cultivate all this knowledge, then it is simply we are wasting our time, this valuable life of human form of life. It is very, very valuable. Durlabham manusam janma tad api adhruvam arthadam. Although everybody will die, that's a fact, but one who dies after knowing all these things, he is benefited. His life is successful. Just like Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. This is wanted. Everyone... The cat will die, dogs will die, everyone will die. That's a fact. But one who dies knowing Krsna, oh, that is successful death. Because Krsna says,
janma karma me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]
This is success.
So our only request is, wherever we go all over the world, we request only that "You try to understand Krsna. Then your life is successful." It doesn't matter what you do. We have to do something. Krsna says, sarira-yatrapi te prasiddhyet akarmanah. If you stop working, your living condition will be hampered. That is not the question. Everyone has to do his duty. Arjuna also did his duty. He was ksatriya. His business was to acquire kingdom. Because the ksatriyas, they cannot beg. They must have some land. Their business is to levy tax. That is enjoined in the sastras. Brahmanas, they should live by pathana pathana yajana yajana. Ksatriyas should live by giving protection to the people. Vaisyas should live by trade, agriculture, protection of cows. And the sudras should live under the protection of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sud..., three higher castes. This is the injunction. So one has to do something for his livelihood, but, at the same time, he has to cultivate knowledge for his perfection of life. So this is perfection of life, simple thing. Simple thing we are prescribing all over the world. You try to understand Krsna. Simple. And it is not very difficult. You read Bhagavad-gita as it is. You understand Krsna. Krsna is explaining everything. If the neophytes, one who cannot, cannot understand Krsna, Krsna is prescribing like this: raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: [Bg. 7.8] "My dear Kaunteya, I am the taste of the water." So there is no need of saying that "I cannot see God. I have not seen God." Here is God. The taste of water is God. Everyone is drinking water. And who is not tasting it? He's seeing God. Why do you say that "I do not see God"? You see, as it is directed by God. Then gradually you'll see Him. If you simply remember this instruction, this one instruction of Bhagavad-gita, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh, "I am the taste of water. I am the shining illumination of sun and moon..." Who has not seen the sunlight? Who has not seen the moonlight? Who has not tasted water? Then why do you say, "I have not seen God"? If you simply practice this bhakti-yoga, as soon as you drink water and taste and be satisfied, "Oh, here is Krsna." So immediately you remember Krsna. As soon as you see sunshine, you remember, "Oh, here is Krsna." As soon as you see moonshine, you remember, "Eh, here is..." As soon as you see something wonderful, paurusam nrsu sabdah khe, as soon as you hear in the sky some sound, so if you remember, "Here is Krsna," that means you are remembering Krsna in every step of your life. And if you're remembering Krsna in every step of life, then you become the topmost yogi. Because Krsna says,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate...
[Bg. 6.47]
Mad-gata antaratmana. If you feel Krsna in every step of life... It is not very difficult. And, above that, if you practice the chanting -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare... There is no tax. Your..., there is no loss of your business. You are all businessmen. But if you chant Hare Krsna mantra, if you remember Krsna while drinking water, what is your loss? Why don't you try it? This is cultivation of knowledge, if you cultivate this knowledge, at the same time go on doing your business, your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (applause) [break]
Guest (1): How we can come over the
ego?
Prabhupada: You cannot come over. Now you are in false ego. You have to come to the real ego. Now you are thinking, "I am Indian. I am Hindu. I am businessman." These are all false ego. When you come to your real ego, that "I am part and parcel of Krsna, eternal servant of Krsna," that is your real... Ego, you cannot give up. But this is your false ego. You have to give up your false ego, come to the real ego. That's... Purify your ego. That is required. [break] ...dhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Upadhi. At the present moment, I am thinking like that. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am black," "I am white" -- these are the egoism of this body. But I'm not this body. Aham brahmasmi. So when you come to that stage... Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. When you come to your real ego, then you become happy. And because you are in false ego, you are unhappy. So ego cannot be changed. Because you are eternal, how you can be, ego can be changed? Just like people say, "Give up desires." How can you desire..., give up desires of a living entity? That is not possible. But I have to purify my desires. That is wanted. Just like if you have got some disease. So if you, some, the physician, they say "Pluck out your eyes," that is not good treatment. But you treat the eyes nicely and the sight may be good. That is wanted. So this bhakti-marga means sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. That is bhakti-marga. You have to give up your false ego. Sarva upadhi. This is upadhi: "I am this, I am that, and..." This upadhi has created trouble in the world. So we have to come to the real ego. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is mukti. Mukti hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. Now hitva anyatha rupam. My ego is going on in a different way. Unnecessarily I am spoiling my life with these designations. But we have to come to the point of our real identity. So nothing can be given up. As living entity, I must be egoistic. Law of identity. How can I say that "I am not"? I am. I am existing. But now I am existing with designations. If I give up my designations, if I become purified, that is my real ego. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. One has to become nirmala. And when you become nirmala... Hrsikena hrsikesa sevanam bhaktir ucyate. That is bhakti. So your senses are there. Now with my senses I am thinking that "I am the head of this familyman," "I am head of this community," or "I am..., I have to serve. I have to engage my hand in this way, my eyes in this way, my nose in this way." Senses are engaged in a upadhi, designated. But when this is, designation is taken away, when you become nirmala, the senses remain, the dress of the senses taken away, at that time, your senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, and that is called bhakti.
Bhavananda: Are there are any other questions? [break]
Prabhupada: ...service to the humanity. Now you are thinking service to the humanity means a section of humanity. And why should you stick your service to the humanity? When one is serving his own countrymen, Indian, he does not care for the Englishman. So don't speak of humanity. Nobody can serve the whole humanity in the present way. But if you spread Krsna consciousness, that is the best service to the humanity. Just like we are doing. We have no discrimination, that "These are Indians. These are Americans. They are Hindus. They are Muslims. They are Christians." No. Or "They're cats or dogs." That oneness you can see only when you are Brahman-realized. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Why humanity? Why not the cats and dogs and cows? You are very much anxious to give service to the humanity, but you are sending animals to the slaughterhouse. Why? (indistinct) the lack of knowledge. You do not (indistinct) is part and parcel of God. You cannot select this part and... Therefore the sastra says, yatha taror mula-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah [SB 4.31.14]. Just like by watering the root, you can water automatically the branches, the trunks, the twigs, the flowers, the fruits, the leaves -- everything is watered. Sarvarhanam acyutejya. Or by supplying foodstuff to the stomach, you serve all the senses of the body perfectly. Similarly, when you begin to serve Krsna, then not only to the human society, to the animal society, to the tree society. Every society will be served. That is perfect service. And if you simply limit your service, that is, may be good, but that is not good. According to sastra... Just like you simply water the leaves, the leaves will not live. They'll dry. But if you supply water to the root, everything will be protected. So actual service will begin when you are Krsna conscious. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54], samah sarve... That is samah sarvesu. And so long you limit, that is limited service. That is not perfect service.
Guest (1): (indistinct)
Prabhupada: [break] ...immoral(?) generation means godlessness. It is said in the sastra, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvaih gunaih tatra samasate surah. If you have unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then all the good qualities of demigods will develop unto you. It is not story. It is fact. Just like these European and American students. They, in their previous life, before becoming Krsna consciousness, according to our standard, they were all immoral. Our, in India, illicit sex life still, it is admitted, if it is not followed, to have sex relation with other's wife or other woman except one's wife, that is called immoral or sinful. So in Western countries these things are not immoral or sinful. It is very daily affair. But now, because they have come to Krsna consciousness, they have given up all these things. No illicit sex life. Unless one is married, he must remain brahmacari or vanaprastha or sannyasi. Only grhastha, duly married wife, he can have sex. This is morality. And you should not kill the animals unnecessarily. That is immoral. You are already intoxicated by the influence of maya. You should not be more intoxicated. This is immoral. You should not indulge in gambling. These are immoral. So as soon as you become Krsna consciousness, then all these immoralities vanish immediately. That is the only. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana, sarvaih gunaih tatra samasate su..., harav abhaktsya kuto mahad-guna. One who is not Krsna..., he cannot have any good quality or any morality. That is the decision of the sastra. So if you want to revive the morality of the society, you must take up this Krsna consciousness. Then everything will come.
Guest (1): Sir, this..., why we did not have a world with universal brotherhood, universal love?
Prabhupada: Because you don't want it. Because you don't want it. You do not want. That, that, that is explained in the previous verse, that Krsna says,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami...
[Bg. 18.66]
These miserable conditions are there because we are all sinful. So Krsna gives protection that "You surrender unto Me, and I give you protection from the reaction of all sinful life." So who wants Krsna? You do not want. Krsna says, canvassing, but who is accepting? Then how you can get, I mean to say, liberty or liberation from these sinful activities? Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo. People suffer on account of sinful activities. There are two things, papa and punya. So if you follow the path of papa, then you must suffer. Just like state laws. If you become criminal, you must suffer. You must go to the prison house. You, you cannot argue that "Why government has created the prison house? Why?" Can you argue like that? Yes, there is necessity. The government knows that there will be some rascals who will commit criminal activities; therefore there must be prison house. So this material world is prison house. Every one of us, we are member of the prison house-first class, second class, third class. Just like in the prison house there are different classes. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. You cannot expect treatment in the prison house just like son-in-law. No. That is not possible. You must suffer. Otherwise, what is the meaning of prison house? Similarly, Krsna says, although Krsna has created this world, He says this is duhkhalayam asasvatam, this is the place of misery. And asasvatam. You cannot make any arrangement. "All right, Sir, let it be duhkhalayam. Let me remain here." No. That also you cannot remain. You'll be kicked out. This is the place like that. But Krsna gives you the idea how you can be happy, how you can get out of this. He says, mam upetya kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam napnuvanti [Bg. 8.15].
janma karma me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti...
[Bg. 4.9]
Krsna is canvassing you that "You try to understand Me. Come back." But you do not want it. So how Krsna can save you? You have got the independence. Krsna said to Arjuna, "Now I (have) explained to you everything. Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Now, whatever you like, you do." So we have got that little independence because we are part and parcel of God. God has got supreme independence and we, being part and parcel... Just like you are all big businessmen. You have got supreme independence in business. Similarly, your sons, they have got also some independence, although subjected. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, sons of God, we have got little independence. If we misuse that independence, then we become subjected to all these tribulations. But if we do not misuse... As Krsna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. So it is up to you. If you want to remain in this world of duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], you can do so. But if you want to get out of it, you can do so. That is up to you. It is not Krsna's fault. Krsna has given you liberty, little independence, whatever. Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. He's given you chance. You want to do this -- "All right, do it." You want to do this? "Do this." He's giving you chance. There is a verse, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. He's situated in everyone's heart. He's understanding what you want, and He's giving you all chance: "All right, have it. Enjoy it." But His instruction is that "This will not make you happy." Sarva-dharman parityaja mam ekam. You do not do it. You must suffer. That is not Krsna's fault. That is your fault.
Guest (1): A small thing. Will Your Reverence have... [break]
Prabhupada: So you have no right to do so.
Guest (1): Say instead of Hare Rama Hare Rama, we say Visva ramane rahim, or something like that, will you have no objection to that?
Prabhupada: No objection.
Guest (1): And will you say...
Prabhupada: But that is no objection.
Guest (1): ...that efficacy will be the same?
Prabhupada: Yes. If Bismillah means Hare Krsna... It is a question of language. So if meaning the same thing, Hare Krsna... Hare Krsna means we are addressing the Supreme Lord and His energy. Hara means the energy of the Supreme Lord, and Krsna means the Supreme Lord. So we are addressing, "My dear Lord, my dear the energy of Lord..." Because Lord and His energy, they are, they are always existing. Just like sun and the sunshine, they're always existing. Sunshine is the energy, but sun is the energetic. Similarly, the Lord is there and His energy's also there. So we are praying both to the energy and to the Lord: "Please engage me in Your service. I am serving maya. I am not happy. Therefore, please engage me in Your..." My, my constitutional position is to serve. Just like you're all sitting here. Every one of you are servant. If you consider that you are master, that is a mistake. That is maya. Every one of you are servant. So "I am serving, but now I am serving maya. I'm not happy. Let me serve You." This is the meaning of Hare Krsna. So if it means that, there is no objection. It is a question of language. It does mean (indistinct). Of course, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the, the person whose name we chant, holy name, in each, in each holy Allah, or something like that, that is not objected if it is actually meaning the Supreme. If it is meaning something else, that is another thing. This question... Just like water or jala. It (is) the same thing. It is simply a different name. If I ask water, you'll give me the water actually, and if I say, jala, you'll give me the same. So if the meaning is all right, then there is no objection. If the meaning is different, then there is objection. We are not fighting with the language. We are not concerned with the language.
Guest (2): Why God created sinful activities?
Prabhupada: You have created. God has not created. You have created. Yes.
Guest (1): In what respect?
Prabhupada: You have created.
Guest (1): In what respect I have created?
Prabhupada: You want to kill animals. God does not say that "You kill animals." So you have created sinful activities.
Guest (1): I am a part and parcel of the almighty God.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest (1): So when animals are butchered, why the butcher does not get pain?
Prabhupada: Butcher does not get pain? Do you know that? There is a Sanskrit verse that vyadha ma jiva, ma mara: "My dear butcher, you don't live, don't die." Do you think this butcher, that butchering work is very palatable work? Can you see it, before you, a man is killed, an animal is killed? So he has become accustomed. It pains him. But that work is so abominable that he should not live for executing that work. But what is the benefit of dying? Because after death, he will be butchered. Therefore the sastra says, ma jiva ma mara: "Don't live, don't die." Yes.
Indian man: There is some difference. When we do some good, we consider it as God-inspired, but when we do something bad, then we can't say that it is also God-inspired after we have done it?
Prabhupada: I do not follow what he says.
Guest (2): He says that the inspiration comes from the God for the all works.
Prabhupada: God inspiration comes for every work. That's a fact. But we deny... Just like... You take this simple exam, example. Just like a thief. From within, he's forbidden: "Don't commit theft." But he does it. He does it. You have got all experience about these things. God says from within, "Don't do it," but we do it. That is the defect of without being Krsna consciousness. Just like a thief. He knows that for his criminal activities he'll be punished. He has seen it, that a thief is arrested and he's taken to the prison house. And he has heard from the sastra and from lawbooks that committing theft is not good. Why does he commit it? He knows and he has seen it. Why does he do it? Can you answer? He knows that it is not good, and he has heard it from sastra and from learned lawyers. But why does he do it? This is the influence of nature. As he associated with the nature, ignorance, dark ignorance. He cannot check it. Therefore the best service to humanity is to give him knowledge. Because everyone is in ignorance. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jata yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. Everyone is being defeated out of this ignorance. Therefore one should come to the platform of inquiring about the self. That is the best service, athato brahma jijnasa, To revive, invoke people to inquire about Brahman, and that will solve all the questions.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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