04--Come to our love feast, Interview with Reporter

Prabhupada: You want the rest?

Reporter: Um. The question that we asked earlier is one which we'd about service to fellow man, and you said that the highest service is teaching Krsna consciousness. Which I would not dispute but in the West I think our religions teach us that on an empty stomach it's very difficult...

Prabhupada: We are not in empty stomach.

Reporter: On an empty stomach..., spirituality.

Prabhupada: Do you think that Krsna conscious there devotee, they are in empty stomach?

Devotees: [laughter]

Reporter: No. [laughs]

Prabhupada: We are... If you are, if you are come to our Love Feast you will see that we are eating more than anyone else.

Devotees: [laughter]

Reporter: I'm thinking of about two hundred [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Why do you think like that? We are not empty stomach, first of all that is my answer. We are not empty stomach.

Reporter: Yes.

Prabhupada: We are full therefore we are full in everything, in stomach, in state, in satisfaction, in children, father, everything; complete. Complete means-everything complete.

Reporter: Is a level of service then feeding the hungry, among the fellow men?

Prabhupada: We're not feeding the hunger, hungry people. We are feeding, I mean to say those who are not in Krsna conscious. They may or may not be hungry, it doesn't matter. We don't discriminate whether he is rich or hungry, poor or rich, no. We invite everyone, "Please take this Krsna conscious prasadam, be satisfied." That is our program. We don't discriminate. The ordinary charitable man, he discriminates, "Oh you are not poor, you are rich, why shall I supply you?" But we don't make that discrimination, we know everyone is poor-everyone is poor for spirit..., want of spiritual consciousness. Therefore we have no discrimination that this is poor-this is rich. Anyone who is not in Krsna consciousness, he is poor, he is poor soul, so we are feeding them. By knowledge, by food, by everything. Best service. Actually man in..., poor in knowledge is poor.

Yes?

Reporter: But is there a level of service in which I say, "This man is so hungry that he can't listen to me until I have fed him, so I must first feed him?"

Prabhupada: So let him come and take our prasadam, we invite without any condition, everyone is welcome, "Come on, take prasadam." There are many persons come, they simply take prasadam and go away. We don't mind, you see? We don't discriminate because by taking prasadam he will become one day Krsna conscious, that opportunity we give everyone...

Yes?

Mataji: Svamiji, maya means illusion?

Prabhupada: Maya means...

Mataji: …What is not?

Prabhupada: ...illusion, illusion. Just like you are not this body, this is maya. This body you have got, I have got, everyone, temporary say for a hundred years. After this body no more, finished, for good finished, you will never see this body again, therefore it is maya. Maya means sometimes it comes, just like a flash. It stays for a second or for a few minutes or for a few years, again finished. That is maya. Maya means which is not eternal, that is maya.

Mataji: Is there energy that has form?

Prabhupada: Yes, by energy everything is being manufactured by energy, that is a fact. So there is one energy which is maya, means illusory energy and there is another energy which is eternal energy or spiritual energy... Maya means flashlight, temporary, just like shadow, if your hand is there then shadow is there, you remove your hand there is no shadow. The shadow is maya and the hand is reality... You want to ask anything? You want? Yes?

Guest: Is the form of Krsna on earth similar to the spiritual form in the spiritual sky?

Prabhupada: Yes. He says: sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg 4.6], He does not accept any material form, He comes in His own original form, atma-mayaya, spiritual form.

Guest: How is He visible then?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Guest: With material eyes.

Prabhupada: That is His mercy... That's His mercy. He is not visible but He is visible also. It is not that He is simply unvisible [sic] but He is visible also. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

Although Krsna was visible but there were many men who could not understand Him: yoga-maya-samavrtaḥ, being covered by this yoga-maya. So He is a still visible provided we have got the eyes to see Him.

Guest: In His form?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest: And for the realized devotees He is Krsna Himself.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest: [indistinct] Something like blue except spiritual [indistinct].

Prabhupada: As He is.

Guest: Yes.

Prabhupada: As He is. He is visible:

You have to anoint your eyes with love of God, then He, He will be visible, not with this eyes. You have to create that eyes, not create but you have to reform. The whole process of Krsna consciousness is renovating the spiritual activities of the senses. Just like cataract eyes, you can not see but you remove the cataract by some medical process, you'll see. Similarly there is material cataract, you have to remove that, then you will see God, face-to-face.

Guest (2): I understand that you repeat this saying, you put yourself in an increased rate of vibration and you become more closely attuned to the spiritual.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (2): I accept that but my question is once you have reached this higher rate of vibration or and are in tune... Do you, or do you know, I know you allow for a period of meditation so then you can receive...

Prabhupada: This is meditation.

Guest (2): Just repeating the same sound is in itself meditation?

Prabhupada: That is meditation, that is meditation, repeating the same in song, hearing the same sound and concentrating my mind, that is meditation.

Guest (2): Oh, you're concentrating your mind...

Prabhupada: That is meditation.

Guest (2): But you're not, not allowing it to accept, you're concentrating while thinking of what you are saying?

Prabhupada: No, no. The thing is that your question is meditation. That this is meditation. As soon as I chant Krsna and I hear, this is meditation. And this Krsna is not different from the Krsna person because Krsna is absolute. Therefore I am concentrating mind on this sound Krsna means I am concentrating on Krsna, the Supreme. And by concentrating mind on Krsna I am become purified. So as you become purified so you realize, realize. This is the prefect meditation. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

"That man is first-class yogi who is always seeing Me within himself," this concentration, seeing Krsna. Hearing Krsna with the ear, ear means mind, mind is the center of all senses. Either you see or hear or touch, the center is the mind so therefore by hearing it is situated in the mind, that is meditation and that he is accepted as the first-class yogi. Who's simply meditating on Krsna. He is first-class yogi. All yogis are third-class, these Krsna conscious yogis are first-class.

Yes?

Guest (3): What basis do you have to say that? [laughs]

Prabhupada: What?

Guest (3): What basis do you...

Prabhupada: Why I am speaking from the sastra and we are realizing it. There is authority. I'm not manufacturing, I am speaking quotation from the authorities, just like lawyer, he quotes from the law book, that's all, that is sufficient. That is sufficient evidence.

Yes?

Mataji (2): Prabhupada, you know there are two things, um if people without the words to speak would act. As if [indistinct] would come into it?

Prabhupada: Yes. If you touch fire, you believe it or not, it will burn.

Guests: [laughter]

Mataji (2): [laughs] Yes, well thank-you.

Prabhupada: If it is fire, fire will act. If you say, "I don't believe that it will burn."

Guests: [laughter]

Prabhupada: But if you actually touch it you will see that it has burned.

Mataji (2): Second Question: Is it possible to sanctify the material things that we do like [indistinct]...

Prabhupada: Oh yes, Oh yes, yes. Just like what is material life? Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, this is material life, you dovetail with Krsna it is sanctified. Just like Arjuna fought, this is defending, but for his personal self he denied, "Oh I, I'm not, I'm not going to fight with my kinsmen." But when he understood that Krsna wants he dovetailed, oh it is sanctified, he became a devotee by fighting. So you dovetail your activities in Krsna, it is sanctified. You touch fire, it will become hot, warm, so you have to touch the fire, you have to plug with the electricity and then everything will be... That is Krsna consciousness. We do everything with consciousness so you make your consciousness Krsna then everything is sanctified.

Alright.

Oh you have got any questions?

Guest (3): Did the human body evolve from lower species of life?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (3): From.., first did it start...

Prabhupada: Aquatics, because the whole world was, I mean, dissolved in water. So when it was water only there was animals, living entities, aquatics. Then the water dried up, land came out, then trees, plants, so this is the evolutionary process. From aquatics to trees, plants then worms, reptiles, then birds, then beasts, then humans.

Yes?

Mataji (3): I asked that question before and I thought that there was always the human species. And you thought at that time it wasn't on the earth, it was on the bigger planets.

Prabhupada: Yes. I am speaking of this planet. There are many planets which may not be dissolved in water. But living entities are always there, either it is water or land or sky or anywhere, or fire even there are living entities, even in fire. Otherwise how living entities can be possible in the sun globe, there are.

Yes?

Guest (4): If we accept this theory of Darwinism then why are not apes now turning into men?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Mataji (3): He said that, "If you accept the evolution how come apes are not turning into men."

Prabhupada: He is turning, after death he will become a man.

Guest (4: I was saying if you accept the theory of Darwinism...

Prabhupada: No, no, no, not Darwinism. Darwinism is... that is called organic matter. He has no, I mean to say idea of soul, he does not believe in soul. His theory, it is a theory, it is not a fact, it is not a science. His explanation is sometimes perhaps it was like this, it was like that.

Guest (4): Perhaps I did not make my statement clear.

Prabhupada: No, no our, our Vedic theory is that the soul is eternal, he is changing his dress, now he is in monkey dress, next dress he will have human dress, that's all.

Guest (4): Are you saying then that man has come from say lower species...

Prabhupada: No, not necessarily from monkey but there is another process that the man comes from three animal life: from lion, from monkey and from cow, according to Vedic system. So anyway, this is a change of dress, either the man comes from cow or monkey or from lion, the change of dress. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita: vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg 2.22].

By natures way they are coming up to animal life by the process of evolution, natural evolution. Now when one gets this human form of life he has got developed consciousness now if he misuses this developed consciousness, just like the animal, then again he goes back to the animal life. And if he properly uses his consciousness for going up then he can go to the other upper planetary system or he can go to God. That is his discretion. In the natures way one comes, is promoted, up to the human form of life, now he has got discretion, he has to make his choice, whether he is going up or down. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [Bg 14.18]: ūrdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthaḥ, if you keep yourself in the modes of goodness then you are promoted higher and higher.

And if you keep yourself simply on the modes of passion then you keep yourself here and:

And if you, I mean develop your abominable characteristics, less than animals, cats and dogs, then you go down. So it is your discretion, where you want to go now, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

"If you want to promote yourself to the planetary system of demigods you can go, if you want to remain here you can remain here. If you want with the ghostly kingdom you can go there but if you want you can come to Me, the kingdom of God." That is there, all description. So our preaching is that, "Why should you waste your time to go to the ghostly kingdom or to the demigod kingdom or this or that? Where there..., everywhere you go the four principles of: birth, death, old age and disease is there. Please develop your Krsna consciousness, go back to Krsna and you become happy forever. This is most scientific. If you don't like that service feature, that is up to you, but our mission is to say the truth to everyone, if he likes he takes. This is the human service, this is the best service, to educate man to become Krsna conscious and end all problems of material existence. It's a simple method, chant Hare Krsna. There is no... It is very hard? Eh? Simply chanting Hare Krsna anytime you like. No rules and regulations, simply try to follow these words:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama ...

And see, "Yes, there is no loss, the gain is very great." We are not charging anything that, "Give me fifty dollars or thirty-five dollars so I can give you some secret [mantra]." It is open, so why don't you try it?

Yes?

Mataji (4): Maharaja, I once saw a picture Jesus on the pillars [?]. What relation is Jesus to Krsna?

Prabhupada: Oh Krsna, Jesus himself said that he is son of God. You should know it.

Mataji (4): Krsna said that Jesus...

Prabhupada: No, no, Jesus said himself that he is the son of God. Did he not?

Mataji (4): Krsna...

Prabhupada: Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ said that he is son of God.

Mataji (4): Yes.

Prabhupada: Don't you know this?

Mataji (4): Yes, yes, yes.

Prabhupada: Then why do you ask? You should know it.

Mataji (4): No, but I mean is Krsna also the same person as Jesus?

Prabhupada: No. Krsna is the father. Krsna says that, "I am the Supreme Lord."

He declares that, "I am the father of all living entities." So there is no quarrel. Lord Jesus Christ said, "I am son of God," and He said, "I am the father." So where is the discrepance?

Mataji (4): Krsna is...

Prabhupada: Father.

Mataji (4): Father!

Prabhupada: Yes.

Mataji (4): Oh Krsna's father! [laughter] Oh I didn't know. That is what I wanted to find. Oh fine thank you.

Prabhupada: He is the father.

Alright, let us chant Hare Krsna.

Devotee: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. [End]