Another kaitava is that one who does not know the purpose of religion. Religion means, as we have several times explained, religion means the rules or the laws given by God. That is religion. Not the formulas. Formulas must be there, but the real basic principle of religion means the laws given by God. Just like we are living in a state, either in England or in Germany or in America or in India, there are state rules and regulations. Good citizen means who are abiding by the state laws. Similarly, a devotee means who is abiding by the laws given by God. This is the... Just try to understand. Just like a good citizen means that he is following the state law, as we do actually. When there is red light, immediately you stop your car because you have to abide by the laws of the state; otherwise you become criminal. Although there is none to look, still, you have to stop your car, "There is red light." That is obedience. And then, when there is green light, you start your car.

So religion is like that. There are... As this is a small state or small city, London... It is small city in comparison to the universe; it is nothing, a spot. So there are so many rules and regulation and laws, and the Supreme Lord, who is maintaining, creating this universe, there is no law? How do you think like that? For a small city, an insignificant city... In our estimation, it is not insignificant, but in comparison to the universe, what is the value of this London city or New York city? As soon as you go a little high up, say, twenty-five miles above, you cannot see your city. It is all finished. Similarly, there are so many cities in the stars and planets, upwards. So many universes, so many seas, mountains, skyscraper, houses, we cannot see. Because in the universe these are all simply insignificant particles only. So if in this insignificant particle there are so many state laws, you just imagine to manage this universal affair, the Supreme Lord, how much laws and regulation must be there. Who can deny it? Deny means he's a rascal. But intelligent man will understand that if in a small place there are so many rules and regulations, and in so big place, so universalandantara-stha-paramanuthere are laws.

The scientists also admit that the nature's law is so systematic. Even Professor Einstein, he agreed, that "As I advance, I see there must be a big brain, God." Is it not? Did he not say?

So dharma, religion, actually means to understand that origin, Absolute Truth. That is dharma. So that dharma, principles of religion, is there in every human society, either in Europe or America or Africa or... There is some. That is the significance of human being. If it is a human being society, there must be some principles of religion. Without religion... It doesn't matter what type of religion it is, there must be some religion. If there is no religion, then it is animal society. Try to understand. And what is the purpose of religion? The purpose of religion is, if religion is the code given by God, then we must know. Just like a child. A child is abiding by the laws, but he does not know who is the law-giver, how the street is managed, what are the laws. He's to be considered as in ignorance. Just like in our schools and colleges, the state constitution, laws, lawyers, they study. So one may not know, but that is not very good position. But one who knows, his position is better. So simply to know: "There may be somebody, God. He has given us some laws. All right, let us abide by the laws," just like ordinary man doing. But to know, that inquisitiveness is called brahma-jijnasa. That is required. Human society, human being must be interested in knowing that, the Supreme Absolute Truth, who has given us these codes and laws.

So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that these laws, these material laws of nature, they are very strong. They are enacted by the Supreme Lord, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Mayadhyaksena, "Under My superintendence." The laws... Just like laws are there; at the same time, the government has got a department which is called law and order department. The laws are going on nicely, the law and order department examines. So that examiner, departmental, may be, but the original examiner is the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Therefore Krsna says, maya adhyaksena: "Under My superintendence." Just like in our institution, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, although I am the head, still, I have got so many assistants, the GBC members. They are assisting me, departmental. Somebody is here, somebody is there. Similarly, God has departmental management, and because it is such a huge affair, there are... What is a koti? Koti means ten million? Huh? Ten millions multiplied by thirty-three. How many it comes?

So we give all honor to the demigods, but we don't accept the demigods as the Supreme. That is Vaisnava philosophy. There may be 330,000,000's or 330,000,000's of secretaries, but we say... Just like it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta: ekale isvara krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. The only master, or controller, is Krsna. Ara saba bhrtya. And all other demigods... Just like Lord Brahma, Siva, so many others. Indra, Candra, Varuna. 330,000,000's, how many we can remember? It is not possible. But there are. So they are all servants.

So that is our philosophy. God is a person like you and me. As we are sitting together; you are seeing me, I am seeing you. Similarly, if you become elevated to the perfection of devotional service, you'll go to God and you'll see Him as you are seeing me, I am seeing you. You'll see Krsna. Try to understand. Therefore there are so many religious systems which say, "God has no form. There is no God. Let us imagine." These are, this kind of religion is cheating religion. Therefore it is said here, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Cheating. Because there is no real information. Real information is isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1], the Supreme Lord has got His spiritual body, and He is... In the Christian Bible also, it is said, "Man is made after God." Is it not? So unless God has got form, two hands, two legs, like that, how man has got two hands, two legs? If we are imitation of God, then God must be person. This is natural conclusion.

So impersonal concept of God is imperfect conception of God. That is not perfect. They are puzzled because Krsna, God, is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. They cannot imagine that a form of sac-cid-ananda can be possible. That is their lack of knowledge. But we learn from Vedic literature that God has got form, complete form, like us. Just like Krsna, you see, He has got also two hands, He is also playing flute, with consort, Radharani. He has also got two hands, nice face, nice head. Everything is there. Only the ingredients are different. These ingredients, at the present moment... I have also got form, spiritual form. You have also spiritual form. Now that spiritual form is covered by material dress. Just like my body is covered by this shirt. You cannot see the actual body. Similarly, the spiritual body is now covered by this material body; therefore we cannot see. Besides that, our present eyes, that is also material. So with material eyes, we cannot see God. But God has got form. That's a fact. Now we are unable to see. Therefore the process is that we have to purify our eyes, our legs, our hands, and everything, so that we may be able to serve God.

So this arcana-paddhati, the devotional service, although we have got this material body, under the direction of sastra, under the direction of spiritual master, we are working, we are trying to serve God, Krsna. So that service is as good as the service in the spiritual world. There is no difference. Just like... The example is: just like you have got a green mango. Green mango. So the green mango is not so tasteful, but when it is ripe, it is tasteful. The mango is not different. The same mango. You wait. You wait for the time when it is ripened, you will taste it, nice. Similarly, in the beginning, in the neophyte stage, when we say, "You must rise early in the morning, you offer mangala-arati, you do this, you take your bath," these things, because we are not ripened, in the neophyte stage, these things appear to be botheration, not tasteful. But you have to do it under the order of the spiritual master and the order of the sastras. Because unless you practice, how you can... But when it is ripened by practicing, practicing, when one is accustomed... Say by practicing he develops love for God. Then, when he's in love for God, he cannot do without it. Automatically he will rise early in the morning, automatically he'll do everything. It is simply the question of time to arrive to that ripened stage.

So this is the process. That we are serving here Krsna. Krsna is also very kind. Because if Krsna in His spiritual form, He is present... Of course, there is no difference. For Krsna, there is no difference, material and spiritual, because everything is spiritual ultimately. But still, taking it accepted that we cannot see spiritual form at the present moment. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Because our senses are not blunt, we cannot see the spiritual form of Krsna at the present moment. Therefore because we cannot see Krsna with your present eyes, because we cannot serve Krsna with our present hand, therefore Krsna appears in a way so that we can see, we can touch. That is Krsna. Krsna can appear in any way. He is all-powerful. So when He appears just like a stone statue, that does not mean Krsna is stone or statue. Krsna is the same Krsna, but He appears before me just like stone statue because I cannot touch anything beyond this stone. I cannot see beyond this stone. So it is His mercy. Therefore it is called arca-avatara, incarnation of worshipable Deity. So we should never think that "Krsna is not seeing. If I commit some offense, or..., Krsna is in Vaikuntha. Here I can do whatever I like." (laughter) Don't do that. That is a great offense. Therefore there are... We should always think, "Oh, Krsna is here." We should be respectful just exactly as Krsna is here. Don't make differentiation, that "This Krsna is stone statue." Similarly...

Therefore the sastra injunction is arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-matih. To think of the Deity as made of stone, to think of the spiritual master as ordinary man, arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih, to accept a Vaisnava as belonging to some caste and creed... Just like in India there are many so-called brahmanas. They think that "These Europeans, they are coming from low-grade family. How we can accept them as brahmanas?" No. Vaisnave jati-buddhih. When one has taken the Vaisnava initiation and properly discharging duties, he should be not be considered belonging to such caste. A spiritual master should not be counted amongst ordinary human beings. Similarly, this Deity, although we know that we have made it from stone, He's not stone. He is stone to the stone-hearted. If one is stone-hearted, then Krsna will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then he'll talk with Krsna. That is the difference. Krsna is always present.

Therefore it is said here... Any religion which does not teach about God, which does not know what is God, that is cheating religion. That's all. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Cheating, religion. And the Vrndavana dasa Thakura has said, prthivite yaha kichu dharma-name cale, bhagavat prahe tahan paripurna chale. "In the all over the world, what is going on..." It is a strong criticism. In the name of religion, the Bhagavata says, "They're all cheating." That's all. Because they have no idea what is God. Neither in their principles there is service of God, there is dedication to God. Simply official in the so-called religion. Therefore Vrndavana dasa Thakura said, "These are all cheating religions." Religion means when one accepts some religion, he must know, "What is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God, what are the laws of God, how I am to act." So many things you have to learn. That is religion. Simply stamping myself with some rubber stamp that "I belong to this religion, I belong to that religion," that will not help. That is cheating. You are cheating yourself.

Another point is that it doesn't matter. I don't say that your religion is cheating or my religion is bona fide. I don't say that. We have no right to say that. I want to see... "I" means, we are Bhagavata. We are representative of bhagavata-dharma. Or Bhagavata wants to see. Any religion you may professit doesn't matterI want to see whether you have got the result of religion. The result of religion is you will love God. That is result of religion. If you have become actually lover of God, then your religionit doesn't matter whatever religion you professthat is perfect. But if instead of developing your love for God, you have developed love for so many nonsense things, then you have simply wasted your time. That is the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So by following any system of religion, if we do not develop our dormant love for God, then following such religious principle means simply waste of time. That's all. Because it has no effect. Effect should be by following religious principle you must develop love of Godhead. That is our bhagavata-dharma. What is time now?