740629 - Conversation A - Melbourne

Conversations by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740629R1-MELBOURNE - June 28, 1974 - 20:21 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . dollar, three quarter.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And in your country . . .

Satsvarūpa: That would cost around fifteen dollars or something.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Still, India, I am surprised.

Devotee: It's good quality as well.

Prabhupāda: Formerly we were paying two rupees. Two rupees, and if it is this name, utmost three rupees. Now the things have increased price. Forty years ago that black Bhāgavata was bound only for two rupees. This is very nice one. In the USA the binding cost is very, very . . . just like Macmillan Company. Bhagavad-gītā, hardbound, they charge ten dollar, ninety-five. And softbound, softbound, they charge four dollars. Six dollar difference on account of binding. So they have charged one dollar, seventy-five cent, and in America they charge six dollars. Hmm. So all the fathers clapped for long.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They appreciated.

Devotee: Yes. Afterwards, Nick was speaking to one father from a different monastery, and he said he very much appreciated how much respect you had for other persons, that he could tell that you were really feeling respect for Lord Jesus.

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?

Devotee: He appreciated that very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We must have respect. Respectable person must be respected. Otherwise, what it is? That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . amāninā mānadena. Don't expect any respect for yourself, but you offer respect to everyone. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . amāninā mānadena. For . . . in one's, oneself, what respect I have got? I am only most insignificant. Why people should respect me? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am not worthy anything. That is for person. But others, even he is an ant, he's respectful, must be respectful, must be offering respect to even an ant. Therefore that St. Francis . . .

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I say it is very nice, immediately. Because he was embracing tree also. So that is God consciousness, advanced God consciousness. Because everywhere there is part and parcel of God—anyway, either materially or spiritually. In our childhood . . . actually what I am doing, it was all taught in our childhood by our parents, my family. We were taught, "There is a grain of rice on the ground, and if it is touched by your feet, you should pick up the grain and touch on your head." This was our training. The idea behind—that the grain of rice is not man-made; it is sent by God. "O God, give us our daily bread." So here is the bread. It is God's mercy. Just see how idea, great idea. What is given by God, that is also God. This is God consciousness. You are asking God's mercy, so God's mercy is also God, the Absolute. So how can you disrespect a thing which is given by God? You cannot produce rice. You cannot produce bread. It is given by God. Everything . . . therefore Kṛṣṇa said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa from the beginning of drinking water. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that, "The taste of the water, I am." So water, or any liquid thing you are drinking, if you are feeling some pleasure, ānanda . . . ānandamaya. That God is ānanda. So there is the sample of ānanda.

So if we simply practice this, that wherever I derive some pleasure, that is God, then you become God conscious. To become God conscious is not difficult. Simply one has to learn how to practice it. That's all. Everything stated. Find out that verse, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. (pause) Who will not respect Jesus Christ? He sacrificed everything for God, even his life. So who is that rascal that he'll not respect to Jesus Christ? What did he do wrong to the human society? He did everything for the good of the human society. Oh, I have got very, very great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. Not only . . . every, I mean to say, God conscious man, he must have respect for Jesus Christ. There is no doubt about it. My Guru Mahārāja had very great respect for Muhammad, Jesus Christ . . . we pray Lord Buddha. Although he preached atheistic philosophy, but we know that he's incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.

So a Vaiṣṇava is godly. He is qualified with all good qualities. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. He knows the value of each and every thing. Therefore he's godly. And therefore to offer respect to Vaiṣṇava is also a great qualification. Even to offer respect to the Vaiṣṇava is greater qualification than one who simply offers respect to God. That is stated in Devī Purāṇa:

ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ

viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param

This is the statement of Lord Śiva.

tasmāt parataraṁ devi

tadīyānāṁ samarcanam

(CC Madhya 11.31)

"Worship of God, Viṣṇu, is the highest, topmost method of worship. And greater than the topmost worship is to worship Viṣṇu's paraphernalia. Viṣṇu's devotee, Viṣṇu's temple, Viṣṇu's dear . . ." Just like we worship tulasī. Why? Because it is very dear to Viṣṇu. Tadīyānām. Viṣṇu likes, Kṛṣṇa likes. When, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), the tulasī flower, leaf is offered to Kṛṣṇa, He becomes very pleased. Therefore we love tulasī, because He likes. In common word they say: "If you love me, love my dog." I have seen people do that. One man is going with his dog. His friends meet, and if the friends pats the dog, the man becomes pleased. Is it not?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So . . . just like if you have got your child on your lap, if some friends come and takes your child and pats him and kisses him, then you become pleased, immediately: "Oh, this gentleman loves my child so much." Similarly, if a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, is respected, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Therefore it is called yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. The respectful to guru makes easier to receive mercy from God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. What is the meaning?

Satsvarūpa: "By the mercy of the spiritual master one gets the blessings of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa is immediately pleased, "Oh, he's obedient and respectful to My devotee." It is in the same way, "Oh, he loves my child so much. He loves my dog." Dog is not qualified, but because the gentleman's dog is loved, the gentleman is pleased. This is counteractive. Similarly, a pure devotee, representative of God, if he is offered respect, that respect goes to God.

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda, you said that we should respect everyone as a devotee, but then also you teach that . . .

Prabhupāda: No, no. By qualification, a Vaiṣṇava respects everyone.

Satsvarūpa: But then there's also a teaching not to respect a nondevotee, even if he's a big man. We may formally offer him respect, but if . . .

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Yes. Formality, you should be respectful. Suppose your enemy—that is etiquette—comes in your room. But when he has come to your room, you should offer him respect, "Come on, come on. Sit down." That is etiquette. You know that, "He's my enemy." That . . . the etiquette according to Vedic civilization, gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto-bhayam. Even your enemy comes at your home, you should treat with him in such a nice way that he'll forget that you are his enemy. Gṛhe śatrum . . . that was . . . just like Jarāsandha and Bhīma. They, they wanted that "We want to fight with . . ." (break) Unless one of the kings die . . . (break)

(break) . . . a strong flavor, and it is continually, continues. So long it is alive, the flavor is there. So where is that art, where is that science? When you have . . . where is that scientist amongst the human society? They are very much proud of their scientific advancement. Everything see, the flowers and leaves, so artistically, beautifully manufactured that simply by seeing them you'll feel pleased. How the man can manufacture it? And still they are denying the existence of God and taking all the credit. How foolish they are. Mūḍha. (laughter) Yes. Yes, they have been described as mūḍha. Now, we are appreciating immediately Kṛṣṇa's craftsmanship, artistic sense, and we are glorifying. So that should be done by everyone. But the mūḍhas, they will not do that. They'll explain away. They'll never admit God's hand, intelligence, brain is there. They'll never admit. Neither they will explain how it is. They know it, how it is done. It has been done, or it is being done by somebody. That they do not know, who is that somebody. And when we say it is Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa says: "It is I am"—they'll not agree. This is their position. They do not know who is that somebody, and when we say: "Here is that somebody," they'll not believe it. This is mūḍha.

Therefore it is said . . . the mūḍha cannot explain all . . . and at the same time, will not accept the real thing. That is mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. And they will set aside the thing, "Yes, scientifically we are searching. In future we shall be able." And when that future will come? Past, present and future, the future will become past also. Just like tomorrow, 29th June, this is future. Now, day after tomorrow, it will be past. (laughter) So if you are talking of future, but where is the history . . .? In the history the future is past. This is common sense.

So therefore they have discovered this nonsense ad infinitum, that future will never come. And they still, they will set aside the business to some future and take the credit. Yes. "In future we shall be able to do it." And that future will never come, and still, they will take the credit. (laughter) Just see. Therefore mūḍha. This is the explanation of mūḍha. It is just like somebody offered you a post-dated check, and then he wants to clear his debt. Suppose I am debtor by hundreds of dollars to you. I give you a post-dated check, and still I say: "Now I am clear of your debt." And that post-dated check will never be paid. This is their theory. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). (pause) The government has recognized us as bona fide religious sect.

Devotee: In Australia?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That Attorney, in the . . . Attorney-General of the Federal Government. You saw that?

Satsvarūpa: I didn't see the paper.

Prabhupāda: They have recognized, bona fide religious sect. (pause) So the priestly order this morning, they liked it very much.

Devotee: I think so, yes.

Prabhupāda: This gentleman, he's also a priestly . . .

Satsvarūpa: At seven-thirty the Catholic bishop is coming, very high ranking in the Church.

Prabhupāda: What is the time now?

Satsvarūpa: Ten after six. Quarter after six. (end)