751018 - Lecture BG 16.06 - Johannesburg

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

751018BG-JOHANNESBURG - October 18, 1975 - 51:06 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

. . . daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta

āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu

(BG 16.6)

There are two classes of men throughout the whole universe. One class is called daiva and the other class is called asura. Daiva āsura eva ca. Daivo vistaraśaḥ proktaḥ. So far the devas are concerned, Kṛṣṇa has explained in various ways in the last chapters, ahiṁsā, kṣānti, ārjavam, how to practice these things. So viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved devaḥ asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. These two classes, how they are ascertained? One who is a devotee of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, they are called daiva, or demigods, and persons who know Viṣṇu or may not know—on the whole, they are not devotees of Viṣṇu—even they are devotee of other demigods, they are called asura. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa, he was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but he is described as asura, rākṣasa. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā; still, he is accepted as rākṣasa. So unless one is Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord Viṣṇu, he is asura or rākṣasa. This is the instruction of the śāstra.

In modern days also, practically nobody is devotee, so how they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā? They are described as duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). These asuras also divided into so many classes. The first-class asura is the duṣkṛtina, one who is engaged in sinful meritorious action. Sinful meritorious. Just like a big thief. There are many organization of smugglers, black market, thieves. They have got brain to organize. Without brain they cannot organize. Now, in the Western countries there are big, big organizations simply for smuggling, cheating and bluffing, and very good brain—educated, lawyers. I have seen practically in New York these cheating concerns. There are many lawyers to help them how to cheat. And they make arrangement, take money from one, cheating. Many organizations. So they are called duṣkṛtina. They are educated, they have got good brain, they can act very nicely, but their intelligence is being used for sinful activities. They are called duṣkṛtina. They do not know how they shall use their brain. That is going on.

That is jaḍa-vidyā, māyār vaibhava. They can expand the influence of māyā. We are already influenced by māyā. Prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritaḥ. We have taken this material world as very fascinating, very attractive. We want to stay here and enjoy. This is material life. Everyone who is attracted to the material world, they are sinful or fallen. Kṛṣṇa-bhuliya-jiva bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). The, our material life begins . . . we are spirit soul. When our material life . . .? When we try to deny, try to not serve Kṛṣṇa but independently we want to enjoy life, that is called material life. Independently we want to enjoy without Kṛṣṇa, without God. That is called material life. So such persons are called demons.

So the symptoms of demon . . . Kṛṣṇa says, daivo vistaraśaḥ proktaḥ: "I have already spoken elaborately about the persons who are daivi, who are on the platform of demigods. Now . . ." Prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu: "Now I am describing who are the asuras. Just try to understand." The first symptoms of asura is, it is said:

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca

janā na vidur āsurāḥ

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro

na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

(BG 16.7)

Very nicely described. The first symptom is pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Why we are in this material world, when it has begun—that the asuras do not know. Sometimes they ask that, "Why we have come to this material world? We are suffering, we can understand." Or sometimes they say: "God is unjust, unkind, that they have created this material world and we have been put into it," so on, so on. But actually this pravṛtti, this intention or this purpose of enjoying this material world, is not given to you by God. We have created. God's desire is that you become a devotee. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is God's desire. But you don't want it.

We don't want to stop the tendency of material enjoyment. No nivṛtti. The human life is meant for nivṛtti. The cats' and dogs' life is for pravṛtti. The sex desire, they cannot stop it. It is not possible. If you teach some dogs that, "You forget the sex life," it is impossible. That is not possible. So they cannot stop this desire of sex life. But if a human being can be induced . . . therefore there is brahmacarya system, there is Vedic education, there is Bhagavad-gītā, so many other things. If people take advantage of these books they can stop this pravṛtti, this intense desire for enjoying this material world. But the asuras, they do not know that what we should accept and what we should not accept. Pravṛtti means to accept something, and nivṛtti means to deny something. So they do not know. This is the first symptom of the asuras. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7), those who are demons, asuras, they do not know it.

Then next symptom? Na śaucam: they are very unclean. These things you will find nowadays everywhere, all over the world. They are not clean. The cleanliness is next to godliness. To rise early in the morning and cleanse yourself, evacuate, then take bath, cleanse your teeth, cleanse your hands, legs, and be refreshed, that is required. Śaucam. Śuci. This is the brahmin's business. Just like brahmin's another name is śuci. And one who does not observe the cleanliness process, he is called muci, means cobbler. So this is the symptom, that the asuras, they do not know which way is their goal of life. Na śaucam: "They are very unclean." Na śaucam.

Nāpi ca ācāraḥ: "They do not know etiquette." Ācāra. Ācāra means one should learn how to behave. That makes a gentleman and a rough person. Nāpi cācāraḥ. Ācāraḥ means . . . Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). Ācāraḥ, this is . . . ācāraḥ means he learns from the śāstra how we should live, that, preliminary, that you must take bath, you must wash your hands after eating or you must take bath after evacuating. So many things are there. Nitya-karma-vidhi. In the Vedic literature you find all these directions. But now they have given up. Especially Vedic culture was there long, long ago all over the world. But now that is finished. Now in India, also, where little Vedic principles were still glowing, that is now being finished also. Nāpi cācāraḥ. They are learning from the Westerns how to remain unclean, how to eat meat, how to drink wine and so on, so on, so many things.

Nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. And they do not know what is truth or what is truthfulness. Or, in other words, everyone is liar. I have seen many big, big gentlemen that for nothing they will speak lies. For nothing, without any profit. They will speak so many lies. Na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. To become truthful is one of the brahminical qualifications. Satyam. That is required. But the asuras, they don't care for. They will go on telling lies, volumes of lies. They don't mind for it. These are the symptoms. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu. And their life is aimless, not actual life. Real life means with aim. The asuras, they have no aim. They do not know what is the aim, neither they follow.

Then? Other symptom?

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te

jagad āhur anīśvaram

aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ

kim anyat kāma-haitukam

(BG 16.8)

Their other philosophy is that there is no God. Jagad āhur anīśvaram. As soon as you say that "God has created the cosmic material world, the sky. God has created," they will laugh at you "Hah, God has created! Why you bring God?" Someone was telling me that in some scientific conference they first of all warn that, "Don't bring God in any of your statements." What is that? Do you know? So these asuras, their first business is how to convince people that everything has taken place by accident or by combination of matter. There is no question of accepting God, the creator. That's all. (aside) What is that?

Devotee: This one of our friends . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So asatyam apratiṣṭham. And the so-called sannyāsī, because they are atheist, they say that asatyam, "This material world is māyā. It has no truth. What you are seeing, it is illusion." Asatyam. But we do not say like that. We say, as we learn from Bhagavad-gītā, we say that Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says: "They are My prakṛti, My energy." Bhūmir āpaḥ analaḥ.

So because it is Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti . . . just like I am a person. I can create something very good, and I can create something not very good. But I can create something not very good . . . just like another practical example, I cook something, and some of the preparation, people say: "Oh, it is very good," and some of the preparation, they say: "It is not so good, but it is nice." But you cannot say any of the things as mithyā. That you cannot say. You are practically eating, and somebody has prepared it, so how you can say it is mithyā, it is false? No. That is not our version. You can say . . . that is also according to taste. You like some sour things, another likes some sweet things. So the person who likes sour things, he says: "Oh, it is very nice," and one who likes sweet things, he may say: "No, it is not so good. This is very nice, the sweet." But either the sour or the sweet thing is prepared by the same cook. You cannot say it is false. It is the energy of the same cook, so you cannot say it is false.

So it is a false . . . when the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs say that jagad mithyā, jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8), "There is no God . . ." The Buddha philosophers, they say that, "This jagat, this world, has come into existence by combination of matter." The modern scientists also say. They say that, "Chemical evolution, by combination of chemicals, everything has come out, but there is no creator." They will deny this. This is the symptom of the asura. So from this instruction you can understand who is a rascal and asura. As soon as they say that "There is no God. The world is created by chance. By chance . . ." Aparaspara-bhūtam. Aparaspara: "One thing mixed with another thing . . ." How the example? The example is kim anyat kāma-haitukam. Just like a man and woman, by chance they become lusty and have sex, and the woman becomes pregnant, and the child is coming, just like this is a creation, accidentally, accident. The man or woman becomes lusty accidentally, and there is sex and therefore the creation of the child. This is their theory. Not that "This child is a living entity, and he is coming from his last birth, and he's taking particular type of body according to his last birth." No conclusion like that. "God is the judge what kind of body he should get." Daiva-netreṇa. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).

There are so many things behind this child's birth. Why this child is coming to a poor father or rich father if it is accident? Why one child is suffering, one is not, is very comfortable position? So there is behind so many things, but they do not know. Because they are asura, they think, "It is accident" or "There is no life. Kill it. If you feel botheration, then kill it. Finish this business." These are the asuric conclusion. Jagad āhur . . . asatyam apratiṣṭham. This is false. They say that jagan mithyā, "So we have nothing to do." Brahma satyam and . . . Brahman is satya, that's fact, but we say, we Vaiṣṇavas say that, "The jagat is created by Brahman. How it is false? How the satya can create asatya?" This logic they cannot understand. If the man who has created . . . who has cooked so many nice things, so if he is a fact, then the cooking is also a fact. How you can say the cooking is false? That is not knowledge.

Therefore sometimes we find that although they say it is mithyā, jagad mithyā, and take sannyāsa, and for some days they remain meditation or aloof from any worldly affairs, but later on, when they do not find Brahman, they come again to this māyā to open hospitals, schools, as sannyāsī. Just like in our country there are many. The beginning we see that . . . Vivekananda Swami, he took sannyāsa and meditation. And later on, after his touring in the Western countries, he came to India to open hospitals, schools, like that. But if the world is false, then why you are coming to open school and hospitals? Because they could not get . . . and some other sannyāsī also, he is now taking part in politics. If jagat is mithyā, why you are taking part in politics? These question are there.

Actually they do not know what is what, what is the adjustment. But our philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we don't say that, "There is no God" or "This world is created by accident or combination of matter." We don't say. We say that God is the creator. Not we say, but the Vedānta says. The essence of Vedic knowledge, Vedānta philosophy, Vyāsadeva, he says that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): "The source of janma, or creation, the maintenance and annihilation, the source . . ." Where it is? Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1). This is Vedic information. That is Brahman, wherefrom everything is coming. The same thing is said in the Vedānta-sūtra: Janmādy asya yataḥ. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

So janmādy asya yataḥ, that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What is that janmādy asya yataḥ, the original source of everything? What is that? It is a matter or a living being? But the two things, we have got experience. We see that everything is coming . . . suppose this microphone, it has come from matter and . . . actually it has not come from matter; it has come from the living being who has manufactured it. But we foolishly concluding that it is a combination of matter. Who has combined this matter to make it usable? So this is less knowledge, that this is combination of several parts of material things and it is working. But who has manufactured those different parts of the electronics and other things? That is not . . . it has not come out all of a sudden from the sky. It has been manufactured by some living entity. So this is knowledge.

So janmādy asya yataḥ, the atheist class, the so-called scientists, asuras, they say it is a chemical combination, by accident. We don't say like that. We say the janmādy asya, the original source of everything, is a person. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itara artheṣu, ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. Just like this microphone, if I say accidentally all the material things, electronics parts, mixed together and became a micro . . . no, we don't say that. We say, "This is manufactured by somebody who is very expert in dealing with these parts." That is our knowledge. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ. The person who has mixed together these different parts is very expert, abhijñaḥ. That is right conclusion. And if you, as a rascal, if you say that, "All of a sudden the material parts—there are many parts—they become assembled, just like one lusty man becomes accidentally lusty desire and the woman also becomes, they unite," it is not like that. It is not accident. There is brain. So every creation has got a brain behind it. Therefore it is said, abhijñaḥ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That abhijñaḥ is God, Kṛṣṇa, one who knows things, how to do it.

So in this way, if we study that the asuras, their symptoms are described . . . so asuras are condemned. They cannot have any happiness. They'll simply go on theorizing. There is no solution. So one has to become deva. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved devaḥ. If we remain asuras, rascals, then our life is spoiled.

Thank you very much. (break)

Devotee (1): These qualities that you were talking about, śaucam, do they develop naturally?

Prabhupāda: If you practice as they are described in the śāstra, then gradually you become released from the asura stage and come to the deva stage. Then you understand everything rightly. And if you keep yourself as asuras, then you will never be happy.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The statement here is that the material world is founded on lust. This is the asuric conception. So everything . . .

Prabhupāda: The Sāṅkhya philosophy is also like that.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So this lust . . . the godly qualities come from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The godly qualities, they come from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Everything comes from Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even the demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). When Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the origin of everything," so the demonic quality is also coming from Kṛṣṇa. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you want to become a demon, Kṛṣṇa will supply the quality. You become first-class demon. Without Kṛṣṇa's help you cannot become even demon. It is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15): "I am situated in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. (aside) What did you get by, while I speaking, taking photograph? I repeatedly ask you. You are obstinate.

Bhārgava: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: What do you get, special feature, when I talk, you take photograph?

Bhārgava: I asked the other day if I could take during . . .

Prabhupāda: Not during while I am talking. You don't take. That disturbs me. My attention goes to your photograph. It is very much disturbing.

So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. So in the śāstra it is described just like my front portion and my back portion. So the back portion is also my bodily part, and the front portion is also my bodily part. So asuric propensities and irreligious things, they are just like Kṛṣṇa's back portion, darkness. Just this darkness, material energy, is called mama māyā. The material energy is keeping everyone in darkness. But Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). So this . . . the darkness is another side of the light. Because there is light there is darkness. Darkness there is no independently. You can understand darkness because there is light. So light and darkness, they are simultaneously there, and everything is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1); everything's source is Kṛṣṇa.

So, but Kṛṣṇa . . . the darkness cannot act on Kṛṣṇa. It acts on you. That is the difference. Just like we have discussed this verse, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4). The sunlight . . . you just stand before the sun, facing the sun. Immediately there is darkness behind me. So darkness is there. But when you keep sun in your front, there is no darkness. So darkness is also another creation of the light. But we are put into the darkness; the sun is not put into the darkness. The darkness behind me is captivating for me, not to the sun. So those who are devotees, those who are facing the sun, Kṛṣṇa, for them there is no darkness. But those who are asuras, they are put into the darkness. So darkness is temporary, and it is dependent on light. Therefore it is creation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the conclusion.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: When Kṛṣṇa steals or does anything, we glorify Him because He is absolute. So the Māyāvādīs, they say that the living entities are also absolute. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: No. That is the wrong theory. If Māyāvādī is absolute . . . er, jīva is absolute, then why they have become conditioned? Why? What is the answer?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are dependent on some higher absolute.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it possible for one person to be part demon and part devotee in the same person?

Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.

Devotee (2): But he may have some demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, if he is seriously devotee, that demonic qualities will disappear very soon. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Just like electric fan is moving, and you make the switch off. Still you will find it is moving. But that movement will stop very soon, because switch is off. Similarly, a devotee, if it is sometimes found that he is demonic, that demonic, if he is sincerely a devotee, that demonic qualities will go very soon.

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā

śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati

kaunteya pratijānīhi

na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

(BG 9.31)

So if one is strongly a devotee, then, gradually—it may take little time—all good qualities will be manifest in his body. So, any other question?

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, does Kṛṣṇa know that He's sitting in everyone's heart?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (3): Does He know when . . . says: "The Supreme Lord sits in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and He's directing the wandering of all living entities." Does He know when the living entities are going to surrender unto Him?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The question is, if Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart and He knows the wanderings of all living entities—He's directing the wanderings of all living entities—then does Kṛṣṇa know the time, or does He direct the living entity at some certain time to surrender, or is this the will of the living entity?

Prabhupāda: He knows. Yes, He knows. What is your . . .? Is there any doubt?

Devotee (3): No, there wasn't a doubt, but . . .

Prabhupāda: So what is the time He knows, do you know that? He knows that he will surrender, but when he will surrender . . . then? That question must be there. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). He knows that, "He'll be happy, provided he surrenders unto Me. Otherwise not." That He knows also. Is it all right? He knows that, "As soon as he is surrendered unto Me he'll be free from the clutches of māyā," and He knows it also, "If he does not do so, then he'll never be free from māyā." Both things He knows. Is it clear or not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But it's the living entity's choice to surrender.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He knows everything.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But then they give the argument, "If He knows, then how does the living entity have choice?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is given to him. He knows that, "I have given him the independence," so you can use your choice. That He knows also. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). He knows.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is understanding things in proper light.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (3): See, the argument could come that, "If He is directing the wanderings of all living entities, then I don't have to worry about surrendering. He will direct me to it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. But ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Why don't you see other verse? He is directing according to your desire—unless you surrender. There are two kinds of direction. One kind of direction is when you do not surrender, and one kind of direction, when you have surrendered. Because these things are there. My position is either surrender or not surrender. So the not surrender will get one kind of direction, and the surrender will get another kind of direction. Both ways, there is direction. Without His direction he cannot act. Is it clear or not? He gives direction to both of them, but this both, one who is surrendered is a different person from the person who is surrendered. So they, both of them, get different direction in different position, but without His direction he cannot act, either the surrendered or not the surrendered. He has to give direction. So if you think, "My Lord, send me to the hell. I will be very much satisfied," "All right, you go to hell in this way. This is the path." And if you say, "My lord, kindly take me to Your shelter," then He will give you direction, "You come in this way."

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

He says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in serving the Lord, bhajatām . . . this is called bhajana, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, bhajana-prīti, with love and faith. To such person He gives a direction. What is that direction? Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give him that buddhi-yoga." What for? Yena mām upayānti te: "By the process by which he is anxious to come to Me, I give intelligence, 'Yes, come this way. You come to Me.' " And those who are not devotees, they want to eat and sleep and sex life and defense in different types of bodies. The dog is also defending with his claws and teeth. The tiger is also defending. The man is also defending. And man is also have sex life, or the tiger has also sex life. The dog has also sex life. The dog is eating. The man is eating. In these affairs they offer, "Give me this facility, my Lord. I want to eat everything, without any dis . . ." "All right. You take the body of a hog and you eat stool." This direction. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So, as you want.

So these different types of want is different type of people. A demon's want is different and a demigod's want is different. But Kṛṣṇa in both cases is the director. If he wants to prosper in this line, "All right, take My direction. Do it. You become a first-class demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa, and become very powerful and create a situation by which both you and your whole family will be killed." That direction is there. And to a demigod, devotee, His direction he has. He goes back to home. He plays with Kṛṣṇa as cowherds boy. He dances with Kṛṣṇa as gopī. He becomes Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's mother. Clear it. Is it clear or not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Devotee (3): Yes. Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa gives direction according to the person, he wants. If he wants like a demon, Kṛṣṇa will give him very good direction how he can become a first-class demon. And if he wants to become an associate of Kṛṣṇa, devotee, then He will give you first-class direction how you can become so. (break) Without His direction you cannot go even a step forward. You are dependent in both the cases. You are not independent. You are dependent in both the cases. Now, as you want, whether you want to become a demon or whether you want to make a devotee and make progress in that line, that is your decision. Is that clear? Yes.

Devotee (3): Yes.

Girl devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, even though we're all living entities, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, even if we don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa in this lifetime, will we eventually surrender to Him, each and every one of us?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Will everyone . . . even if we don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa in this life, will everyone surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Will everyone go back to Godhead eventually?

Prabhupāda: Hmm? So you have got doubt? Rest assured not everyone will do that. So you have no worries. It is not that everyone will do that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Unless one is bhāgyavān, very fortunate, he'll not go back to home, back to Godhead. He will rot here. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to make people bhāgyavān. If he wants, he can become bhāgyavān. That is our attempt. We are creating so many centers. We are teaching how to become bhāgyavān, fortunate, how to go back to home, how he can be happy. Now, if one is fortunate, they will take this instruction and turn his life. Therefore this is mission. But without becoming bhāgyavān, nobody can go. Fortunate. So we are giving them chance to become fortunate. This is our mission. The most unfortunate is getting the chance of becoming fortunate. Any one of us can consider this, how from unfortunate life they are coming to fortunate. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are giving chance to the unfortunate. Everyone is unfortunate. Everyone is a rascal. We are giving chance how to become intelligent and fortunate. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If the people are not so unfortunate and rascal, then what is the meaning of preaching? Preaching means that you have to turn the rascals and unfortunate to become intelligent and fortunate. That is preaching. But unless you are fortunate and intelligent, you cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is a fact.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can intelligence be created in an unintelligent person?

Prabhupāda: Everyone is intelligent. That I have already explained. Everyone has got brain and intelligence, but he has to use it properly. That is wanted. That is education. You cannot teach a stone how to manufacture this microphone. That is not possible, because he has no intelligence. But even one is dull-brained, you can teach him by education how to manufacture this microphone. So intelligence is there, every living entity. Now, to train them how to utilize his intelligence . . . so one who is fortunate, he becomes trained up in intelligence how to go home, back to home, back to Godhead. And one who is not fortunate, his intelligence is used how to go to hell. That's all. That is duṣkṛtina. To become a member of the hellish condition of life, that also requires intelligence. How to become first-class thief, how to become first-class cheater, first-class drunkard, first-class smuggler—does it not require intelligence? It requires intelligence. But their intelligence is being used for going to hell, another intelligence is being used to going back to home, back to Godhead. Intelligence is there in both the cases. Now, it is the technique, how to use it. That's all. That requires.

So duṣkṛtina, "Those who are simply engaged in sinful activities and utilizing intelligence in that way," na māṁ prapadyante, "they cannot surrender unto Me." So the intelligence is there. Everything is there. Senses are there. They have to be purified. Tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify intelligence, not that intelligence is external, pushed in within him. No. Intelligence there, but at the present moment he is polluted. His intelligence is covered with so many dirty things. That has to be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. His intelligence has to be cleansed. Other . . . intelligence is there. Without intelligence, how one can be living being? Then he is stone. The Buddha philosophy, they mean to say that "Kill your intelligence. Then no more suffering from pain or pleasure." Just like stone, it has no feeling or suffering or pleasure. So that is not possible for the living entity to become as dull as the stone. That is not possible. (end)