SPD03-10 Who Is Kṛṣṇa? Boston 1971

[00:21] [Student:] Prabhupada, who is Krsna?

[00:25] [Prabhupada:] Krsna is a historical personality, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

[00:35] According to Vedic literature, we get information that God comes within all kinds of societies, not only human society, but in the animal society also.

[00:57] And why does He come? When does He come? These descriptions, the informations are there in the Vedic literature, very nicely.

[01:11] So one has to study. Sometimes people object, that "God cannot come as incarnation."

[01:22] But we don't agree to that point. If we say that God cannot come, that means God become subjected to our order.

[01:37] He is so great and independent, then why He shall not come? If He likes, He can come.

[01:48] We don't agree to the philosophy that God cannot come. Why God cannot come?

[01:56] If He is actually the great, whatever He likes, He can do. That is God's position.

[02:03] [Student:] What is Krsna consciousness, then?

[02:05] [Prabhupada:] Yes. That is very important. Krsna consciousness is described very nicely in the Bhagavad-gita.

[02:17] Perhaps you know Bhagavad-gita. I understand you are reading Bhagavad-gita.

[02:23] So Bhagavad-gita is the guide, how to become Krsna conscious.

[02:34] There is a statement by Krsna Himself in the Ninth Chapter, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 9.34].

[01:45] Man-mana: "Just always think of Me, become My devotee." "Always think of Me," man-mana bhava mad-bhakto.

[02:59] Mad-yaji: "Worship Me. Offer obeisances unto Me."

[03:04] These are the different processes how one can become Krsna conscious.

[03:11] [Student:] How does Krsna consciousness differ from other yoga systems?

[03:16] [Prabhupada:] Yoga system is also Krsna consciousness. But the modern yoga system is a different manufacture of the latest atheist class of men. They meditate upon something impersonal, void.

[03:40] That is very difficult. You cannot concentrate your mind on something void. That is simply troublesome.

[03:50] That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: kleso 'dhikataras tesam avyaktasakta-cetasam [Bg. 12.5]: those who are attached to the impersonal void feature of the Absolute Truth, their process is very troublesome.

[04:08] So Krsna has got different features of His manifestation. The first feature is impersonal. The second feature is localized. And the third feature is localized, but the Supreme.

[04:33] So the..., generally, the yogis, they try to concentrate on the impersonal feature. Actually, they should have concentrated on the localized feature.

[04:53] The localized feature is called Paramatma, and the impersonal feature is called Brahman, and the personal feature is called Bhagavan.

[05:05] That is explained very nicely in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth is one, and impersonal, personal and localized, the thing is one.

[05:20] But according to our different vision, in the beginning it is impersonal; further advanced it is localized; and further advanced, it is personal.

[05:34] So yoga system of the modern days, first of all I may say, most of them are not very bona fide. They are simply humbug.

[05:46] Actual yoga system, astahga-yoga, eight different stages of practicing yoga, is not possible in the present day.

[05:59] [Student:] What is the relationship between Christ and Krsna?

[06:04] [Prabhupada:] That is very simple to understand. Christ represented himself as the son of God, so we are not differing. We are accepting as the son of God.

[06:16] [Student:] In the Bible, Lord Christ said that "The only way to worship God is through me."

[06:22] [Prabhupada:] Yes, that's fine. Because unless we get association of a devotee, there is no question of God realization.

[06:35] So Jesus Christ is a devotee, so one has to associate with a devotee before realization.

[06:49] But it is not that God has got only one devotee.

[06:57] If God is unlimited, He has unlimited devotees also. That is real philosophy.

[07:06] But the philosophy which was spoken by Lord Jesus Christ, that society was different from the society where Krsna appeared, or Krsna spoke.

[07:25] Just like Krsna spoke to Arjuna, and Jesus Christ spoke to some Israelis, the shepherds. You see? So status of life and their understanding, different.

[07:44] So representative of God speaks according to the circumstances, according to the country.

[07:54] So it was good for the people at that time. They should have concentrated through Jesus Christ.

[08:02] [Student:] Is this Krsna consciousness sectarian? Can anyone take it up? Can Christians take it up? Can Moslems take it up?

[08:10] [Prabhupada:] Yes. You can see practically, all our students here in the Western countries, they are mostly coming from Christian group, Jewish group.

[08:21] And there are many Muhammadans also, and this Negro. All kinds of. Everyone is welcome.

[08:31] That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Although materially there is gradation of first-class, second-class, third-class human society, but Krsna says that anyone...

[08:48] Mam hi partha vyapasritya, "Anyone who takes proper shelter of Me."

[08:54] This is very important thing. Proper shelter means to take shelter of Krsna.

[09:03] But in the preliminary absence of Krsna, one has to take shelter of Krsna's real devotee.

[09:13] Then anyone who is understanding Krsna philosophy, he will be elevated to the highest platform of understanding.

[09:22] [Student:] [break] ...knowing. But what if there is differences[?], Krsna consciousness?

[09:29] [Prabhupada:] I have told you, Bhagavad-gita is authority. Just like when you go to the law court, you speak on the... [break]