Grouping
- Regarding Advaita
- Regarding Varna
- Miscellaneous / Those within others that stand out on their own
- Only Engineers who work are engineers
- Don’t fear bombs, know it is Krishna
- On NASA (funny)
Content
1. Regarding Advaita
Surrender is valid and implies duality:
Where is the question of advaita if Krsna says ‘Surrender to Me’? Our philosophy is both advaita and dvaita. We are one with Krsna in our qualities, but He is much greater than us.”
Also see: Prabhupada’s Misrepresentation of Shankara’s Argument
2. Regarding Varna
Indian man (6): Another question comes. Why, how the caste system has crippled our society so much, was accepted by…
Prabhupāda: Wrongly, wrongly. Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So according to quality and work… That is fact. If you have got engineering qualification and if you can work as engineer, people will call you engineer-sāheb. Is it not? So there may be a class of engineer, but that depends on quality and work. But if you have no quality, no work, how you become engineer? If you have no qualification of becoming an engineer, and you do not work, you work as a clerk, and if somebody addresses you “Engineer-sāheb,” he is a fool, you are a fool. (laughter) So if he’s not a brāhmaṇa, if you call him a brāhmaṇa, then you are fool and he is also fool. So that is going on, fools’ paradise. A rascal who is not in qualification a brāhmaṇa, if he’s addressed and given honor of a brāhmaṇa, he’s sees, “Oh, for nothing I am getting this honor, that’s right, very nice.” And who is giving him honor as brāhmaṇa, he’s also rascal. But it is not that. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not by birth. One must acquire the quality of a brāhmaṇa.
Krsna created the four social orders on the basis of guna and karma, one’s qualities and his work. It’s very scientific. One must acquire the qualities, and he must work. And the role of a secular government is to see that brahmanas are actually working as brahmanas. So the four castes must be maintained. This is called varnasrama. Prabhupada said that if the Indian government would finance him, he could rid India of godlessness in a year. “People are fed up with materialism and cheating yoga. Why not support this movement? Immediately we could open one hundred Varnasrama Colleges and start training. We wouldn’t just rubber stamp a man ‘brahmana’ because he happens to be born in a brahmana family. That religion of the body won’t do. One must actually become qualified.”
Caste:
Reporter: With your permission, may I ask one question? Do we completely … do we offer any solution for socio-economic problems that … (indistinct) … can …?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Provided you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, everything will be solved.
Reporter: Will it come by itself, or will it come through you?
Prabhupāda: Immediately. Immediately.
Reporter: How, sir?
Prabhupāda: Huh? That you have to take it.
Reporter: But to completely … (indistinct) … to follow the …
Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13): “These four varṇas—Brāhmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra—it is created by Me.” But you are trying to kill it. Why? If you try to kill Kṛṣṇa’s program, then how you will be happy?
Reporter: That is the first … (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Huh? There is no question of preference. It is His creation, it is there. You are creating, Congress caste, jana-sangh caste. Caste is already there, in a different name. How you can make casteless? That is not possible. The whole world—“I am American,” “I am Indian”—this is caste, bigger caste.
Yasyātma-buddhi-kuṇa … (SB 10.84.13). So long you will be under the concept of this body, there must be caste division. So we have to come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be no caste. Just like these boys— Americans, Europeans, Africans, Canadians—they have no caste, they have no nationality; they are simply for Kṛṣṇa. That is casteless.
Caste and Public Perception, and Communism:
Reporter: So are they Brāhmins?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Reporter: The foreigners?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa conscious means Brāhmin. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ.
Reporter: Not by birth.
Prabhupāda: Not by birth. They are Brāhmins by quality. They have got sacred thread. That is also there in the śāstras. Yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ syat, varṇābhivyañjakam. Varṇa. Varṇābhivyañjakam. There are symptoms—the Brāhmins are this: satya, samaḥ, damaḥ, titikṣa, ārjavam, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is the symptom of Brāhmins. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you find these symptoms anywhere, he is a Brāhmin.
Reporter: Except those who believe in Bhagavad-gītā, not the others, sir. They don’t believe in that. They believe in caste by birth.
Prabhupāda: He does not know what is Bhagavad-gītā.
Reporter: All the orthodox … (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: I say he does not know what is Bhagavad-gītā. If he believes in that way, that he does not know about Gītā.
Reporter: He says this is all Hinduism.
Prabhupāda: Maybe your Hinduism. You lick up your Hinduism. But we are creating real Brāhmin all over the world.
Reporter: I can see. What Lord Kṛṣṇa has stated, sir that, “I have created these four castes of āśrama …”
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: And I as myself, just, as not somebody told me, just my feel …
Prabhupāda: Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not by birth. Kṛṣṇa never says.
Reporter: (indistinct) … the caste.
Prabhupāda: No, no. These four castes. Not caste. We say caste, but varṇāśrama. Varṇa. Anyway, it is division. That division, vibhāga, the exact word is “division,” not “caste.” Or you can say caste, there is no difference? Division, these four divisions are there. So these divisions are not made by birth. Just like if you are a lawyer.
So in the society there are lawyers, engineers, medical men—they are divisions. But these lawyers, medical men or engineers, they are not born as engineer or as lawyer. That is mistake. Anyone who is qualified by the real knowledge, he is a lawyer. Not by birth. Suppose a lawyer’s son, a big, big lawyer’s son, does it mean that he’s lawyer?
Reporter: No. But this is what we have been told.
Prabhupāda: So you have been (told) something mistake. That should not be accepted.
Reporter: Well, sir, you should know the problem all that there is a …
Prabhupāda: What is that problem?
Reporter: All the tribal men, harijanas, they are claiming …
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Reporter: If you proclaim that this is the real Hinduism, the people are getting fed up with Hinduism.
Prabhupāda: No. No. Why you are bringing Hinduism?
Reporter: Our this system …
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: … is only by Hindu …
Prabhupāda: No, no. Hinduism is a foreign word, given by the Muslim. We don’t find any word “Hindus” in the Vedic literature. Why do you call Hinduism? We are not preaching Hinduism. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Reporter: By such a social system, social …
Prabhupāda: That is, that you satisfy … (indistinct) … but this is a broad Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is broader than any system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not preaching … we don’t go to preach that, “Oh, we are preaching Hinduism.” But because those who are accepting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mostly they are Hindus, then you can call it like Hinduism. But this is not Hinduism.
Reporter: Sir, your idea is very revolutionary.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is revolutionary. Yes.
Reporter: Not … (indistinct) … I don’t know how far Lalaji will go with you.
Prabhupāda: Lalaji is already with me. (laughter)
Lalaji: Yes, I am … (indistinct) … spirit will come to me, then I am … (indistinct)
Reporter: (laughter) (reporter makes jokes) (indistinct Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (aside) Yes, give them prasāda.
Reporter: Sir, would you like to give any message to the Indian people?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You take … my message is you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is seriously, you will be happy.
Reporter: That’s all? Take it …?
Prabhupāda: Take it as it is. Don’t try to interpret foolishly. That is my message.
Reporter: But, sir …
Prabhupāda: So long they are simply foolishly interpreting, therefore they did not get any benefit. But if you take as it is, you’ll get the benefit.
Reporter: But sir, what are we to do with the … (indistinct) … bhāṣya?
Prabhupāda: Therefore I say I don’t try … (indistinct) … name.
Reporter: Who will name it? Whose bhāṣya … (indistinct) …?
Prabhupāda: There is no question of bhāṣya. I say take it as it is. Kṛṣṇa says: “I am the Supreme.” Gītā gave. Why bhāṣya? Why bhāṣya? They … Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). Kurukṣetra is still there, you know. There is a station. Why do you interpret in different way?
Reporter: Sir, it is a joy to be with you.
Prabhupāda: What is the use of interpreting Kurukṣetra as different? That is a simple waste of time.
Reporter: (indistinct) … a skeptic, sir?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Reporter: Have you been to Russia or any communist country?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Reporter: They allowed you to preach?
Prabhupāda: So why not? We are not afraid of anybody.
Reporter: Because they have their own … (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: They may have, but the public is not their own. Public is different.
Reporter: That’s all right. But you’ve got to get a visa. How do you … how can you get?
Prabhupāda: Then one Russian professor invited me already.
Reporter: Ah. And to receive visa. Sir, did you give some …
Prabhupāda: Professor Kotovsky.
Reporter: Kotovsky?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You know his name?
Reporter: Well, I have heard of him.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He, not invited me officially, but he … we had correspondence. He said: “Swāmījī, you come this side, I shall be very glad to meet you.”
Reporter: So you went there?
Prabhupāda: Therefore, therefore I got the visa.
Reporter: When was this?
Reporter: Twentieth of June.
Prabhupāda: Twentieth.
Reporter: Twentieth of June.
Reporter: Only this year?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: How long were you there for?
Prabhupāda: Only one week.
Reporter: One week. With your disciple?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have created some disciple.
Reporter: Were you always in Moscow?
Prabhupāda: Moscow, mostly.
Reporter: I see. You … what did … do they allow some lectures or …
Prabhupāda: No. I had meeting with Professor Kotovsky. That’s all.
Reporter: Only?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: Kotovsky only. That’s all. He couldn’t bring some people? Just his …
Prabhupāda: Yes. He had his assistants, I had my assistants.
Reporter: … and some other people who said “All right, we’ll hear, like to hear …”
Prabhupāda: Well, that professor wanted to hear. That’s all right. So I … my conclusion was that, “Your communistic idea has not very much improved from our idea, because you cannot do without surrendering. Our Kṛṣṇa philosophy is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). So your surrendering process is there. You have not improved. You say God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not good, but you have not improved, because instead of Kṛṣṇa, you have surrendered to Lenin. That’s all.
Reporter: Surrender to Lenin.
Prabhupāda: “So you have to surrender in any circumstance. Either you become Communist or this ‘ist’ or that ‘ist,’ you have to surrender.”
Reporter: That’s it. And you will go to China and tell the Communist … (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: This is a fact. This is a fact. You have to surrender to your senses. That’s all. And we are simply recommending surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. By surrendering to senses you are not happy, but if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa you will be happy. Your surrender is there always. You cannot say that, “I don’t surrender to anybody.” That is nonsense.
Reporter: There should be right surrender.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Reporter: There should be …
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you are small. It is better to surrender and be peaceful.
(break) … here, there, here, there, here. Kṛṣṇa says: “No. That surrender will not help you. You surrender to Me, you will be happy.” So intelligent person will see that, “If I have to surrender, why not to Kṛṣṇa? Why surrender to some foolish man? Let me surrender to Kṛṣṇa. If my business is to surrender, I cannot do without surrender.” That is intelligence. That Kṛṣṇa says:
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19)
Therefore we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is mahātmā. It is very rare mahātmā, su-durlabhaḥ. So anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are mahātmā. They are not ordinary men. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ.
Reporter: Sir, we may …
(break)
Prabhupāda: We have to surrender, that’s a fact. But we refuse to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is our disease. He is not free. Just like in a state, just like in Mahatma Gandhi’s time, so many started civil disobedience, but the government brought them all into prison, and they obliged them to obey. Similarly, our position is that … (break) (end)
3.1. Only Engineers who work are engineers
Only Engineers who work are engineers:
Prabhupāda: Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not by birth. Kṛṣṇa never says.
Reporter: (indistinct) … the caste.
Prabhupāda: No, no. These four castes. Not caste. We say caste, but varṇāśrama. Varṇa. Anyway, it is division. That division, vibhāga, the exact word is “division,” not “caste.” Or you can say caste, there is no difference? Division, these four divisions are there. So these divisions are not made by birth. Just like if you are a lawyer.
So in the society there are lawyers, engineers, medical men—they are divisions. But these lawyers, medical men or engineers, they are not born as engineer or as lawyer. That is mistake. Anyone who is qualified by the real knowledge, he is a lawyer. Not by birth. Suppose a lawyer’s son, a big, big lawyer’s son, does it mean that he’s lawyer?
Reporter: No. But this is what we have been told.
Prabhupāda: So you have been (told) something mistake. That should not be accepted.
3.2. Don’t fear bombs, know it is Krishna
Don’t fear bombs:
Reporter: Sir, I … mine was a very hypothetical question. Supposing hundred pure saintly Kṛṣṇa conscious people are meditating or discussing or just surviving together, and there comes somebody, some dushta (evil person), who drops a bomb, and at the end of all …
Prabhupāda: So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are not afraid of bomb. They are not afraid of bomb. Reporter: How to face such people? We are such, sir, we are …
Prabhupāda: Now they receive bomb then, “It is Kṛṣṇa’s desire that bomb has come.”
…
Prabhupāda: A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never afraid of anything. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād (SB 11.2.37). One who has conception of anything other than Kṛṣṇa, he is afraid. One who knows everything is Kṛṣṇa, why he should be afraid? If bomb is coming, he will see, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa is coming.” Yes. That is the vision of the devotee. So he thinks, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa wants to kill me as bomb. Oh, that’s all right. I will be killed.” That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.