"Grains of Sand of Knowledge"

July 7, 1976


Svarupa Damodara: So in this journal we can publish from different disciplines of knowledge from any branch of knowledge and principle.

Devotee: Science, philosophy, economics, sociology. For the scholarly, academic community.

Prabhupada: Yes, socially you can teach how this catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], how it is scientific. In the society, if there is... Actually we have. Just like why these, maybe so-called scientists, but why the scientists are given so much importance? Because there is a brain. So if you make everyone equal, all sudras, then who will be the brain? The brain is required. That is brahmana. So this, not this brain, this brain is sudra brain for everyone. But when the... But just like here is Dr. Svarupa Damodara, or you are here. So you are not scientists from the very birth. You have been trained up how to become a scientist. Similarly, the birth is there. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But you have to be trained up how to become first-class brain. That is brahmana. You have to become truthful, you have to become controller of the senses, you have to become fully aware of things, of God, everything, full knowledge, then you become brain. These people give scientists so much importance because there is brain. Brain, in the society, there must be brain. So without brain how the society can go on? If you simply produce motor mechanics, then? Brain must be there. Just like this is brain, Sanatana Gosvami is asking, ke ami, kene amaya jare tapa-traya. This is brain. "I don't want some uncomfortable situation, but why it is enforced?" So when you make research into that, that is brain. And if we remain like animal, "All right, they are dragging me to the slaughterhouse, that's all right, let me go," that is not brain. Brain means that I am seeking after perfect happiness, why I am not allowed to have this perfect happiness? That is brain. The question, if there is any remedy. They are doing this. Scientific brain means there are so many problems, they are trying to solve it. That requires brain. But because they are poor scientists, they do not know how to make a solution of the ultimate problem. They are making tiny problems, that's all. There is power shortage, all right, let us invent some substitute of petroleum. Brain is being taxed. Again it is finished, again another. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. But they are so dull brain, they do not raise the question that we are making solution of one problem, another problem is ready. That brain they have not. So how long we shall go on solving the problems, another problem, another problem? Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. He does not know that nature will not allow me to live peacefully. So we bring problems after problems. That is material life. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Daivi hy esa gunamayi. Everything is there. You discuss only Bhagavad-gita, you'll get so many subject matter to think and write. This is brain. We are solving one problem, another problem is there. Why this is happening? If there is any situation without any problem? That is brain.

Rupanuga: We had another practical consideration. We were thinking, could BBT publish the journal? BBT would publish the journal?

Prabhupada: But whether you'll be able to publish regularly.

Svarupa Damodara: Quarterly, at the beginning.

Rupanuga: Four times a year. Every three months.

Prabhupada: Because it must be very sa-vijnanam, it must be very scientific.

Rupanuga: Oh, yes. I'll see to it.

Prabhupada: That's all right, BBT publish. Why not?

Rupanuga: We can provide the copy work and all the graphs and things, and then they would lay it out and do everything, like with your books.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Just like other things. And it will be BBT property. That's all.

Rupanuga: Your property.

Svarupa Damodara: We can also do it for the books also, Srila Prabhupada, isn't it? It will be published by BBT, but coming out from Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Devotee: That will be good for the Institute if the name is on that book.

Prabhupada: That's all right. From Bhaktivedanta publisher. Yes, that's all right. Can do something like that, there is no harm. But this world is a problem, but we want solution of the problem but we do not know how to solve it. Is it not? Do the scientists know?

Svarupa Damodara: They are trying. (laughter)

Prabhupada: Not a single problem they have solved. Can you cite that this big problem they have solved?

Rupanuga: In fact you have said that they are creating a new problem each time.

Prabhupada: That is the nature. You cannot solve the problem. You will create problem. If you don't live natural life, then you will create problem. Just like the other than creatures, other than human beings, they have no problems, because they are living naturally. So our human beings should also live natural life. Then his only problem is birth, death, old age, and... That he will be able to solve. That is the difference. The birds and beasts, they are living natural life, but they have no capacity to solve the problems. They are living a natural life. But the human being has the capacity to solve the problems. Real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. But they do not touch the real problem. Hmm? They avoid it because they cannot solve it.

Svarupa Damodara: They keep it for the future. They postpone.

Prabhupada: That is postdated check. "You take this million dollar check." "When shall I use it?" "After millions year you can cash it." This kind of propaganda no sane man will accept.

Svarupa Damodara: That's like chemical evolution. Million years it will happen.

Prabhupada: Billion.

Svarupa Damodara: Yes, in a million years.

Prabhupada: Then the answer is the chicken is better than you. He can give you life within seven days. Dr. Chicken is better... They are shameless. Not ordinary, because ordinary a human being will become shameful to speak something nonsense. But they are shameless. In that Bengali, duhkhanvita(?) One man, one ear was cut off. So in order to hide his cut-off ear he was keeping this side to the river side and this side to the habitation side. So then again his two ears were cut out. Then there is no question of hiding. Both of them were cut out. So these people are duhkhanvita. When both the ears cut out, there is no shame. They will go on talking all nonsense. Because they are accepted. So many millions of years have passed in the history, nobody could do that, and they are giving hope that life will come after millions of years. Why million? Here is a chicken, he can give life within five days. What credit you'll get after millions of years? But they are duhkhanvita.(?)So shameless they can speak such nonsense and still pass on as scientists. Tibocham,(?) I think. Duhkhanvita. No shame, you do not feel that why you are talking nonsense. Am I right or wrong? Here is a chicken, insignificant animal, he is giving life within five days, and we are talking of millions of years, and still we are scientist, Dr. Frog.

Svarupa Damodara: We are going to use that example in our preaching.

Prabhupada: The thing is that these persons, they are holding the... Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. A blind man, he has no eyes, and still, he's leader of other blind men. Is it possible? A blind man, he is blind man, he has no knowledge, and still, he's leading other blind men. This is a very dangerous position. He has no actual knowledge, simply speculating, putting theories and formulas, and they are leaders of the society.

Rupanuga: We have to stop this.

Prabhupada: Yes, otherwise people are misled. It is not the duty of education to mislead people. Real knowledge should be given. To become a great misleader and take some title, that is not good.

Svarupa Damodara: The other morning Srila Prabhupada was mentioning about the Institute, the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So is there anything else that your Divine Grace wants to?

Prabhupada: Institute, you have got sufficient subject matter as I was describing, this original source of life and the planetary system, as you are going to make planetarium. Who can say about so many planets in the sky? Who has got sufficient knowledge? They cannot even give... They think that moon is the nearest planet, but we do not think like that. But still they are unable to give sufficient knowledge about the moon. It is not vacant, it cannot be vacant. We do not find any part of the world vacant. There is living entities. This earth planet is part of the universe, and the moon is also part of the universe. If it is not vacant, how that can be vacant? You have got dust there, we have got dust here; you have got rocks there, here we have got rocks. And why it is vacant? We find in the dust also there is life. When we walk on the beach, it is simply sand, there are so many crabs. They are immediately flying, running, "Here is a man coming. Enter into the hole." So even the dust, in the sand, there is life. So why not there? In the water there is life, within the sand there is life, in the air there is life, everywhere there is life. Why it should be vacant? Hmm? What is the opinion of the scientists? How...? We are layman, talking like layman, but why there should not be life? And in the sastra we get there is life. Not only moon, every planet is full of living entities. Jagat-kirna(?). There is human being, there is animal, everything. How it can be vacant, God's creation?

Svarupa Damodara: They say they cannot see.

Prabhupada: See..., you cannot see your father, that does not means there is no father who begot you. That is no... They cannot see, do they say like that?

Svarupa Damodara: They cannot see that, so they cannot prove by experiment, so...

Prabhupada: What experiment?

Svarupa Damodara: Just from experience also.

Ravindra-svarupa: They want to go and see for themselves, so they say they have gone to the moon planet, and they say we have not found life.

Prabhupada: We say you have not gone. I have not seen you, that you have gone there; you say only. How can I believe?

Vipina: They show pictures and it was on the TV.

Prabhupada: That is also, you have made picture. I have not gone and seen that. How can I believe you? The same argument. You say that you have gone to moon planet, but I have not seen that you have gone there. How can I believe you?

Vipina: Is there some other way we can argue with them, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: No, no, let us, now just answer this question that you say you have not seen. I say, yes that's all right, because you did not see, therefore you don't believe. But I did not see you also that you have gone to moon planet. How can I believe you?

Ravindra-svarupa: How is it possible to deceive so many people?

Prabhupada: Whether it is not possible or possible, but if you put this argument, that I have not seen, I can say that I have... (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore



© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.