690323 - Lecture Questions and Answers - Hawaii

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

690323LE-HAWAII - March 23, 1969 - 75:53 Minutes

(kīrtana) (prema-dhvani) All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much. (break)

Prabhupāda: So the first question is, "What is the practice you preach?"

Yes. We are preaching the original practice. Practice means which is practically done. And sometimes things are impractical when they are unnatural, and natural things can be practiced very easily. So our preaching is to reinstate the living soul to his original condition. The original condition of living being is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As such, the part and parcel is meant for rendering service to the whole.

Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. The finger is expected to give service to the whole body. When I am feeling itching, my finger is helping it. When I want to pick up something, my finger is helping. Similarly, any part of my body . . . when I want to go out, my leg is walking. When I want . . . I want to see something, my eyes are helping. So in this way you can understand what we mean by part and parcel.

Take materially also, any machine. The part and parcel . . . just like here is a machine, tape recorder. There are different parts. One part is required to give . . . adjust speed, one part is required how to move, how to start, how to stop, how to increase. So different parts. Similarly, we are living entities, and the Lord is also a living entity. And we are originally created to help the Lord. He does not require . . . because He's complete.

But just to give a crude example, as the part and parcel required: now, suppose this finger is not giving me service; it is diseased. So sometimes doctors advise that, "You have to ampute this finger, otherwise it will affect the whole body." Similarly, we living entities, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, when we rebel, that is our diseased condition. We . . . when we don't want to render service to the Lord, that is a state which is called demonic state.

The demonic state . . . just like a citizen of this state is part and parcel. A citizen expected to render service to the state, but if he refuses, then he's considered a traitor or a criminal and is put into punishment. Similarly, all the living entities who are in this material world, they have rebelled. They are part and parcel, sons of the Lord, but they have refused to give service, under certain condition it may be. And they are all put into this material world. And in this material world there are different varieties of living entities.

So all of them are criminals, maybe first-class criminal, third-class criminals, second-class criminal. Amongst the criminals also, in the prison house, there are divisions. So here those who are materially prosperous, they are also criminals but first-class criminals. That is the difference. And those who are suffering materially, they are also criminals. They are third-class criminals. But all of them criminals.

How they're criminals? Because either one is rich or poor, he's subjected to the tribulations of this material nature. It does not mean that the rich man will not die, but everyone wants to live, either rich man or poor man. It is not that the rich man will not be diseased, but everyone wants to take precaution against disease. No one wants to become diseased, but everyone becomes diseased. Everyone dies. It is not that the rich man will not become old and the simply poor man will become old. No. Everyone will become old.

It is not that . . . when a child takes birth, the condition within the womb of the mother, airtight packed, cannot move—we forget, but that is a great suffering. The suffering of death, suffering of birth, suffering of disease and suffering of old age—these are imposed on the living entities, those who are criminals. Criminals means revolted against the service of the Lord.

So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to . . . how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence.

That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32).

In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26).

Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age.

So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old . . . the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice. Just like here you can see the boys have decorated the sitting place of the Lord, how nice, with flowers and candles. It is not very expensive, but it is so beautiful that immediately it attracts. You see?

So everyone can practice at home. Is it very difficult task, to gather some flowers and some leaves and decorate and have some picture or statue of the Lord, offer Him some fruits, flower? Everyone can do this. And by doing this, he gets the highest perfection of life: no more coming into this material world and suffer all these nonsense. This is our practice.

Then what is the basic idea behind Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means originally we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is my Lord, is my father. Because part and parcel . . . just like somebody's children. The children is a part and parcel of the body. Why I love my child? Because he is my part and parcel of this body. I don't love so much other children, because they are not part and parcel of my body.

This family affection means the family members, they have got with my bo . . . relationship with my body; therefore he has got the consciousness, "He is my father. He (she) is my mother." And the parents have consciousness, "They are my child." So they have got some duty. The father wants to see how the children are comfortably raised, and the children also seeing the interest of the father and mother.

Just like in family life we have got a certain kind of consciousness, "He's my father," "He's my child," similarly, if we develop our original consciousness that, "God is our father; we are all children," then the whole trouble ceases. If God is the proprietor of everything and every children has got right to enjoy the God's property, then where is the trouble?

For want of this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is claiming, "This is my property," "This is my state," "This is my country." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).

Aham means I, and mama means mine. This is nonsense. Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everyone has got right to live on God's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If everyone is taught this God consciousness, there is no need of this artificial United Nations. We are united by nature. God is the center. Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities.

Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that, "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality that, "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother." This is lack of knowledge.

But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4)

"In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body. The ant has got also the same punishment—birth, death, old age and disease—as you have got. You are also criminal; he is also criminal. But he is also son of God; you are also son of God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), as soon as he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he becomes joyful, because he has no more enemy. "Everyone is my brother." Therefore he has no fear. If I become enemy to you, you become my enemy. If I am friendly to you, you are my friend. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not see anyone as something other than son of God.

He sees not that only this. "This person is son of God and that person is not son of God," this is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every living entity is son of God, therefore one can love, one can actually have the idea of universal brotherhood, only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not otherwise. Otherwise, they are simply false propaganda.

Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one achieves, he becomes prasannātmā, joyful. That is the first symptom of becoming full, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Prasannātmā . . . brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).

He has no hankering. He has no lamentation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This is the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ means equality; sarveṣu, all; bhūteṣu, entities. This is third stage. First stage is joyfulness; second stage is no want, no lamentation; and third stage, to see all living entities on the same . . . paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

When one is actually learned, he sees . . . mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Then he becomes eligible to be a devotee of the Lord.

To become devotee of the Lord is not so easy. These are the conditions. The beginning is joyfulness. The second stage, no want, no lamentation. "My father is Kṛṣṇa, so I'll be fully sup . . ." Just like a child. He knows, "My father is there. I have no want." Everything is there. Prasannātmā. "Why shall I hanker him? My father . . ."

(break) . . . he's now lunatic. Similarly, tiger is my brother, but not that because originally he's my brother, I shall go and embrace. No. I shall be careful. But not that I shall kill. Why shall I kill? He's not coming to encroach upon my property. He's living in the jungle. Why shall I go and kill a tiger?

This is all nonsense, lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has not done any harm to you. He is living in his own jurisdiction. He is uncivilized. He is ferocious. God has given him direction, "Oh, you live here. You don't go there." That's all right. And why should you go to kill a tiger? He's not coming to encroach him.

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I kill unnecessarily an animal? We have got so many nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa has given me grains, fruits, milk. The cows, they are supplying tons of milk, but they are not claiming, "It is my milk. I shall drink." No. It is giving to you, as mother gives. And we are killing cows . . .

(break) . . . mothers. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we teach all these things to our students who are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

(reading from list) "ISKCON members talk about serenity, tranquillity and bliss."

That is already explained. If I am trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I am the sane man, I am not a madman, because I know what is my position, what is God, what are other living entities, what is this world, what is this material nature, what is this time, what are these activities. This knowledge is in full, because Kṛṣṇa consciousness teaches all these things—what is God, what you are, and then what is this nature, beyond the nature, what other things are there.

Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they do not know. They are frogs of the well, simply calculating, "This three feet water, space, is my habitation." And when he's given information of the Atlantic Ocean, he does not believe. "Oh, there is Atlantic Ocean? What is that nonsense?" "Oh, it is very, very big," somebody says. He's simply calculating his well water. "Oh, it may be four foot?" "No, very big." "All right, ten feet? How . . .?" He's calculating, this. These materialistic scientists, they are simply speculating like the frog in the well. They do not know; neither they have means. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows. He gets information from Kṛṣṇa.

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

"Now, this material world is simply a fractional part of My creation." And what is this material world? This material world, we cannot even estimate one universe what is the length and breadth, and how many planets are there, how they are working. We have no information. And we are very proud of advancement of knowledge. And there are innumerable universes. All taken together, that is called material world.

Yasya prabhā peabhavato (Bs. 5.40). In the Brahma-saṁhitā we get this information: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universes. Koṭi means innumerable, hundreds of thousands multiplied by another hundred, hundred, hundred. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this universe is a grain of mustard seed in the bag of a mustard seed. Just imagine. Can anyone count what is the number of mustards seeds in a bag, in a one-ton or two-ton bag? Innumerable. It is beyond our experience. But there are so many universes, just like packed up in a bag. This is called material world.

So what to speak of the spiritual world? The spiritual world is at least three times greater than this material world. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Ekāṁśena sthito (BG 10.42)

Ekam means one part. Even you take . . . one part, maybe, one of hundred. But even not going so far, one part means divide the whole thing into four parts; that will be one fourth. This material world is only one fourth of the whole creation, and the three-fourth part is spiritual world.

In the spiritual world there is similarly innumerable planets, innumerable living entities. Just like, as I have already explained, that this material world is the just like prison house of the criminals. So our criminal department in the state, say, jail or prison house, that is not the countrywise, as big as the country. That is a fractional part only. Maybe a few hundred people or few thousand people living there, but the state is very big.

Similarly, the Lord's state is so big, though the criminal living entities are living in a corner only. This material world is in a corner. So what information we can get about God? "God is great," we simply theoretically say, but we do not know how great it is . . . He is, and how His greatness is working. That we do not know. But Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, because they are getting knowledge from Kṛṣṇa directly, they have got all this knowledge. Therefore their knowledge is perfect.

"If one were to begin to study ISKCON techniques, what would he have to give up?"

Give up . . . give up means . . . first give up is that "I am this material body." The nonsense idea that, "I am this body," that is the root of all misunderstanding. So he has to give up this bodily consciousness. That is naturally. There will be beginning of teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā teaches Arjuna. Arjuna was overwhelmed of family affection, that "How can I fight with my members of the family? They are my brothers . . ."

So this conception, bodily conception, was first of all eradicated in the Bhagavad-gītā. He lectured . . . Arjuna was talking, arguing with Kṛṣṇa that, "If I kill my family, male members, the female members will be without husband, and they will be polluted, and there will be unwanted children and this or . . ." so many, as far as one can, materialistic person can think. So he was talking like that, as very man of wisdom. So Kṛṣṇa first of all chastised him. Not in the beginning, because in the beginning there was friendly talk, but when Arjuna surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, that "You don't take me as Your friend. I accept You as my spiritual master. So You teach me."

This relationship of spiritual master and student . . . the student is called śiṣya. Śiṣya, the Sanskrit word śiṣya, this word comes from the root śas. Śas means ruling. From śas, the śāstra. Śāstra means authoritative books. They have been derived. And śastra. Śastra means weapons, armaments. That is called śastra. Just like sword, guns, they are called śastra. These two things are rulings. The state has got law books, authoritative books, and one who does not obey the law books, then the next word is gun and sword. This, these two words means to accept authority.

So śiṣya means one who accepts the authority of the spiritual master. He voluntarily accepts the rulings or the punishment of the spiritual master. That is called śiṣya. One voluntarily agrees to the spiritual master . . . this initiation is going on. This is the beginning of voluntary acceptance of the spiritual master. That means he agrees that he will abide by the orders of the spiritual master. This is called acceptance of spiritual master. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting the ruling. Everyone is free. If I give you some ruling, why should you accept it? Therefore this formal initiation ceremony is performed. He promises, "My dear sir, I shall abide by your order."

So Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna as spiritual master just to teach him what is the actual duty in that war field. So at that time the first śiṣya, śāsana, ruling, He chastised Arjuna by these words, "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man talks like this." That means "You are a fool." He very politely said that, "You are talking with Me as if you are very learned man, but your subject matter is so third class that no learned man takes this subject matter very seriously." What is that? Bodily conception of life. "You are talking just like a very learned man, but your center of activity is the body. So this is not a learn . . . symptom of a learned man."

So if we take this crucial test of learning, we shall find hardly a learned man in this world, hardly one man, because everyone is absorbed in this bodily conception of life. All their ideas—this nationality, humanity, this duty, that duty, all—everything on this. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

They are accepting this bag of skin and bones as self. You see? This is a bag made of skin and bone, and this . . . is spirit soul so cheap thing that it is a bag of skin and bone and some stools and urine, combination? That is nonsense. So hardly you'll find any sane man or any learned man in this world. You see?

So first teaching is that, "You are not this body." That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's teaching.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntaraṁ prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

"My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as very learned man, but a learned man is not disturbed by this change of body." Just He says very nice example. Just like a child. A child is growing. Growing means he is changing body. A child is born so small—a few years, he becomes big. Now where is that small body? That body is gone. You tell whatever you think, but that body is gone—another body. Then the same child becomes youth, young man. That body is gone. The same man becomes old man. That, that youthful body is gone.

So every second the body is gone, but the soul is there. Anyone knows . . . you can remember; I can remember . . . when I was child, I remember I was doing this. And where is that body? That body is gone, but I am remain . . . why I am remaining? Because I am eternal. I have changed my body, but I am there. Similarly, when I change this body, still I'll be there. This is knowledge. This is nir condition. If in this, during this life, I am changing so many body, so many bodies, still I am there, similarly, it is natural conclusion: when I change this body, I shall remain. I may be in another body. This simple logic is sufficient for a sane man to understand that the living soul is eternal—the body is artificial, dress. By changing dress, one does not die. He is eternal. So:

"Is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's world?"

Oh, that is the only successful living in this today's world. So long people do not understand it, they are still in the darkness. This is the only. Why it is the only? Just see these boys, these girls. I have not imported from India. I came here single-handed with seven dollars. I have got hundreds of students like that. How they have changed, their character, their behavior. I have given them life. Some of them are married. They are living very nicely. They have got children, and they have given up their all bad habits. You see?

They are not, I mean to say, eating meat. They have no illicit sex life. They are strictly vegetarian. They are preparing nice foodstuff from vegetable and grains. They do not take part intoxication. They do not smoke even. Just see practically. If everyone becomes like them, then what is the trouble? If you encourage them to indulge in illicit sex life, to become intoxicants, to gambler and eating everything without any discrimination, then how you can expect to have very good men in this world? They are mad.

So this question that, "Is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's . . .?" What do you mean by "successfully living"? Successfully living does not mean that you work hard just like cats and dogs, and eat something and have sex life at night. That is not successful life. That successful life is there even in the cats and dogs and hogs. The hogs are also laboring very hard. The cats and dogs, they are also for their food. And the sex is there. Everything is there. That is not successful life. Real successful life is how to understand his real constitutional position as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. That is successful life. This is not successful life.

What is this successful life? I see . . . I have got so many students. They are well qualified. But they have got . . . when they work, they have to work so hard, they go at six o'clock to the working and comes again at six o'clock, all day, tired. They lost all vitality, all sense. Is that successful life, simply for one morsel of food, working so hard? And unless one works so hard, he cannot eat. We have created a civilization that one must earn thousands of dollars, then he can live like a gentleman. Is that successful life? And for earning that thousands of dollars he has to work so hard, just like animal, beast. No. That is not successful life.

Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk. You can live anywhere. You haven't got to go fifty miles off with a car to attend your office at six o'clock with velocity of hundred miles' speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is successful life? We are proposing successful life.

So whatever you do, you just become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and at least he will feel that, "I am . . . my future hope is there. There is Kṛṣṇa." That is successful life. At least he is hopeful that he is going to Kṛṣṇa, even he is working very hard, never mind. "I have been put into this condition of life." So that is successful life. At least one life, anyway, passed on.

Kṛṣṇa gives him assurance that one who understands the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa . . . janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: anyone who simply understands what is Kṛṣṇa, then his privilege is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9),

"He does not take any more birth in this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me." Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, that's all, even if you don't serve Him. But Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to serve Him. You see? It is so nice.

That is successful life. This is not successful life. This is unsuccessful life, laboring whole life, and he does not know where he is going. Next life, what is, whether cat or dog or animal or this or that, he does not know. He's in the darkness. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

The same repetition of same foolishness and uncontrolled senses, he does not know where he is going. Just like unbridled horses. The man does not know, "Where the horses are dragging me, either in the hell or heaven? I do not know." But the horses are not controlled, under his con . . . simply running, high speed. That these motorcars are running this way and that way. They do not know whether they will reach their destination. Any, at any point, they may be striking each other and finished. This is not successful life.

Successful life means one should have peaceful life, with great hope, future hope, without any disturbance. What is successful life? Even a man is not secure. He does not know when he goes to his office whether his household things are taken away by some thief. You see? Where is success? Successful life means he must feel secure that the government is taking care of everything. That is successful life. He has no cares and anxieties. He's simply developing his spiritual life. That is successful life.

"How much does this course of study cost?"

It costs nothing. If you simply come here, you understand everything. We don't charge anything. But they will not come. They go to a rascal who will charge fifty dollars for meeting and all talk nonsense. They'll go there. And because we are not charging anything, they are not attracted. You see?

But how we can charge? We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "You speak," so we are speaking. That's all. Why should we charge? But if somebody, out of sympathy, gives us something, we don't refuse. But we have no cost. We are working ourself as far as possible and maintaining ourself, but anyone who comes, we don't charge anything. We have got volumes of books. I have translated six books Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one book Teachings of Lord Caitanya, one book Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Some of the books are there. You can see. So there are so many books, immense knowledge.

So it is not very costly. We charging very low price, just to printing charges. If somebody wants to purchase, we have got our magazine, monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. But if one does not pay, the same thing we are repeating daily in our meetings. So he can come and hear. God has given him the ear, and he can learn. So there is no cost. There is no official cost. "How much does this course of study cost?" We don't charge anything.

(reading from list) "What should one know about Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it something mystical?"

No mystical. No bluffing. You are part and parcel of God. Who can deny it? There is no secrecy. As you are part and parcel of your father—God is the supreme father—so you are the part and parcel of your father, and it is your duty to love God. So what is the secrecy and what is the mystical? We don't teach that you press your nose, you put your head, you go up and down. Nothing required. Simply to know that "God is my father; I am His eternal son. My duty is to love Him," that's all.

There is no secrecy. There is no so-called bluff or mystical, this or that. It is simple truth. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

God is teaching that, "You simply surrender unto Me, My dear son. Why you are independently . . .?" Just like here is one of my students. His father is a very big doctor. But he says: "My dear son, you come home." He's very moneyed man. He can give him some few hundred thousands of dollars. "But you don't go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his view.

Similarly, as the father is claiming from the son, "My dear son, you just surrender unto me. I shall give you my wealth, my everything," similarly, God is also canvassing us, "My dear sons, why you are unnecessarily troubling here and making plans to be happy here, nonsense place? You just surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66): "I shall give you all protection."

Father is always ready to give son all protection. That is natural. So we are all sons of God. We simply surrender to Him and the business finished. Then where is the mystical and this or that? There is nothing secret. So simply one has to agree. But if the rascal son does not agree, "Oh, why shall I surrender unto Him? I shall remain independent," all right, you remain independent. You remain and suffer. So there is no mystical. Everything is clear.

(reading from list) "ISKCON members speak knowingly of happiness. Don't followers of Kṛṣṇa conscious ever get angry?"

Yes. They can get angry. Why not? They're very much angry to the nondevotees: "You rascal! Why you are not surrendering yourself to God? You rascals." Yes. We are angry. This anger is service of Kṛṣṇa. How can I give up anger? But we use anger in a different way, not for our sense gratification: "Why you have not paid me such-and-such money?" No, we don't say like that. "Why you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious?" That is our anger.

So the anger can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I give up anger? Kṛṣṇa is also angry, and I am son of Kṛṣṇa. So anger is in me because I have got the qualities of my father. So how can I give up anger? But I use anger only for Kṛṣṇa. So we do not leave anything, but we utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. So, "Don't followers of Kṛṣṇa conscious ever get angry?" Yes, we get angry. Why not? We are not artificial. Human nature is to become anger, sometimes satisfied, sometimes . . . so we utilize this. We are angry when one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, when he's against God.

(reading from list) "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had a plan to start teaching the people at sixteen . . ."

Well, now, we can teach even a child, without waiting for sixteen. We can teach even . . . today this boy's wife has not come. We have got a little child, his daughter, only one and a half years. She's also learning how to offer, bow down, how to eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam, how to clap during kīrtana. There is no question of waiting for sixteen years. That is artificial. That is artificial. Why one should . . .? Who knows?

Who will live up to sixteen years? Begin immediately. Begin immediately. You have got this chance of human form of life. That is the duty of the father and mother. "All right, here is a child. Let him take a little prasādam." All right. Little beginning. And it is simple. Why one should wait for sixteen years or sixteen or thirty-two years? No, there is no waiting. Immediately.

"Will ISKCON accept people this young?"

Oh, yes, we, younger, even younger. Even one child is within the womb of his mother, we can teach. It is so nice thing.

The instance is Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was in his womb of his mother, one saintly sage taught his mother about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the child became Kṛṣṇa conscious from the womb of his mother. So we can teach even in the womb of the mother because it is spiritual, it is not material. No material condition can check this teaching. Ahaituky apratihatā (SB 1.2.6).

That is the highest perfectional system of religion, which is unchecked and develops love of Godhead. That is first-class religion, not under any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā without being checked.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not such thing that because one is child, he cannot learn; because one is blind, he cannot learn; because one is poor, therefore he cannot . . . because one is rich . . . no condition. Anyone, simply he must be a living entity, that's all. He must not be a dead stone. If he has got life, he can learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so simple and so nice.

"What is the significance of the food that is eaten at ISKCON kīrtanas?"

The significance of our food—not exactly vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Don't mistake. We simply take what is offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa can be offered anything? No. Just like if some guest comes to your house you ask, "How can I serve you? What foodstuff you'll like to eat?" He says: "I like this." "All right."

Similarly, we are order-carrier of Kṛṣṇa. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "What do You want to eat?" And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give me vegetable, fruits, liquids. I shall be very much pleased." So we offer Kṛṣṇa fruits, grains, milk, and their preparation. They're very nice. If you come here and eat with us, you'll forget meat-eating. You see? It is so nice.

So our proposition is not that vegetarian/nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it is not very important thing. Everyone is eating some living entity. Vegetable has got also life. It does not mean that one man is eating meat; therefore he is killing. But even vegetarians, they are also killing. But our process is . . . we . . . killing is not very important or nonimportant for us. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Kill," we can kill. If Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't kill," we don't kill.

Because we are simply order-carrier. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was posing himself by his family relationship that he's very perfect, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa induced him to fight, to kill the other party. So for us, killing or nonkilling is not very important thing because everyone is killing, knowingly or unknowingly. So our point is we take foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, that is our foodstuff. We distribute that thing.

"Does ISKCON believe in reincarnation?"

Well, this, there is no question of belief, it is a fact. I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of belief. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it.

Believe means it may be fact or not fact—I blindly believe. That is a different. Here is a science. "One plus one equal to two." Just like that. This body changes, this body changes, this body changes, and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second. What is the question of believe? It is a fact.

"Why are Kṛṣṇa students given spiritual name?"

So just to remember Kṛṣṇa. We . . . suppose . . . this boy is Gary. So I've given him the name of Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So at least he chants . . . at least, when I ask him, "Gaurasundara," then I get the opportunity of chanting Lord's name. You see? Because our process is chanting. So if my students, my sons, my friends, they are all in God's name, then I chant always. This is the significance. I ask him, "Gaurasundara." I ask him, "Vāmanadeva." I ask him (her), "Govinda dāsī." That means I am chanting. Harer nāma iva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21).

My business is to chant the name of the Lord. So they are giving me chance to utter the name of the Lord.

And besides that, there is another affix: "dāsa." "Gaurasundara dāsa," "Vāmana dāsa." Dāsa means servant. He also remembers that "I am servant of Gaura, Lord Gaurāṅga," "I am servant of Lord Vāmana," "I am maidservant of Govinda." So . . . and friend. Sudāmā was a friend of Kṛṣṇa. So "I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa's friend, Sudāmā dāsa." So in this way our relationship with Kṛṣṇa we always remember. That remembrance is also self-realization process. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (SB 7.5.23).

Smaraṇam, memorizing, by context. As soon as I utter "Sudāmā," I immediately remember, "Sudāmā was a friend of Kṛṣṇa," so I remember Kṛṣṇa. Reference to the context. So therefore this is offered, spiritual names.

"What are ISKCON's future plans here? Will a temple be built?"

Yes, temple is already there. Here is a temple. Unfortunately, nobody coming. What can I do? We are prepared to give this nice philosophy to everyone. There is no necessity of creating a very huge building as temple. We can sit anywhere and carry this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and keep there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a temple. We don't require any huge building. You see? Temple means wherever there is God, that is temple.

What is the difference between temple, church and ordinary house? Temple means where there is God. Or church, where there is God. God means where there is God's name. Because in this condition we cannot see God, but God is not different from His name. So wherever the chanting is there, that is temple. And if other rules and regulations are followed, then it is temple.

tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada

yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ

(Padma Purāṇa)

It is said, Lord says that, "I stay there. Wherever My pure devotees are glorifying Me, I stay there." God is everywhere, but particularly He is there. So temple, there is no necessity. But if somebody has got money and if he wants to spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then we can give plan, a very nice temple, you see, spending millions of dollars. We have got such ideas and such plans. But that does not mean that we are depending on a temple. We can create temple anywhere and everywhere simply by sitting, chanting.

So last question: "If so, where?"

So there is no particular place where we have to start our temple. Anywhere we can start temple. If we start . . . we are starting temple daily, either in the beach or underneath a tree or anywhere. But for special purpose this temple is already there. So people are welcome and hear this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy and takes benefit out of it. That's all. (end)