730711 - Conversation E - London
Prabhupāda: So I do not know why these people protest against me. Kṛṣṇa says, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. I do not know what Śaṅkarācārya says, but...
Guest: When, when advaita-darśana was the main doctrine of ādi-śaṅkarācārya. So there should not be any dvaita between brāhmaṇa and śūdra.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) That is, from argument, it is all right. Yes. Why one should see Brahman and not- Brahman? Yes.
Guest: There is only one God.
Prabhupāda: There is only one God.
Guest: Eko brahma dvitīyo nāsti.
Prabhupāda: Nāsti. So...
Guest: Only one God dwells everywhere.
Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambha...ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā BG 14.4 . He's the original seed-giving father of all living entities, in any form. So not only human beings, but also animals, birds, beasts. Kṛṣṇa is the original father. Jīvera... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa BG 14.4. And Kṛṣṇa also: mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ BG 14.4 .
Guest: Jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ BG 15.7 .
Prabhupāda: So why other jīvas should be left aside? Why they should not understand Kṛṣṇa. And actually, they are understanding Kṛṣṇa better than many Indians. They have taken very seriously. They do not put any competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Our Hindus, they put forward so many competitors of Kṛṣṇa: "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be God? I have got my own God." Especially after the preaching of this Vivekananda, that "You can create your own God," it has become very simple business to create one God.
Guest: Well, then, that time, when Swami Vivekananda went to America, the country was not independent, not liberated. So at that time...
Prabhupāda: Who?
Guest: Swami Vivekananda, at that time...
Prabhupāda: No, who was not liberated?
Guest: This country of India. India was not liberated. So...
Prabhupāda: So what was the connection with liberation?
Guest: Ne . Because at that time there's some proud of nation and some proud of culture. He wanted to...
Prabhupāda: No, I don't think in America there was such conception. America had nothing to do with the British ruling. Rather, they declared independence from British rule.
Guest: I don't know what was the main idea of Swami Vivekananda at that time, when he preached that, this Vedānta.
Prabhupāda: No, I have read his Chicago speech. In that speech, he openly says, "Why do you care for God? You work hard, and why do you give credit to God?" Like that. Rather, one Christian priest protested...
Guest: But many times Swami Vivekananda himself went to temples and bowed down before Kālī, before Śrī Kṛṣṇa, before Śrī Bhavānī, and many other temples. He went to Kanyā-kumārī and prayed before Mother.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Distribute the prasāda. Bhagavān ka prasāda. Hm. That's all. So it is a great pleasure for us. Your Holiness visits us voluntarily. Although I could not invite you, but still, you are so kind, you came. So I am doing my bit, following in the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That's all.
Guest: It is a great service to Hindu dharma and Hindu society and humanity as well.
Prabhupāda: They are strictly following Vaiṣṇava principles. They... Whenever one comes to become my disciple, the first condition is that no illicit sex; no meat-eating, eggs, fish, nothing of the sort; no intoxication up to smoking cigarette, drinking tea and coffee; and no gambling. So they strictly follow these things. In our society, there is no tea-drinking even. We don't drink tea. So... Intoxication, pāna, chāi pāna, pāna... Pāna is intoxication.
Guest: Tāmbūla...
Prabhupāda: Tāmbūla. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā.
Guest: (Sanskrit or Hindi: Kṛṣṇa is offered tāmbūla in the temple.)
Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa can take.
Guest: Yes. And that prasāda of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: ...the devotees can take also...
Prabhupāda: No, prasādam, according to our principle... Just like on Ekādaśī day, we do not accept even prasādam. Anna. We keep it. So prasādam... Just like on Ekādaśī anna is prohibited, but not the Deity. Deity's offered anna, but we cannot take the prasādam even. So following strictly the principle, even tāmbūla is offered to Kṛṣṇa, it is not for us. Yes. Strictly following the principle. The same example... Just like on Ekādaśī day, anna is offered to Kṛṣṇa, but we don't take.
Guest: The devotees are not allowed.
Prabhupāda: Not allowed, yes.
Guest: Ācchā.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā.
Guest: I'm very grateful to have your darśana. Oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)