Continued from the book Perfect questions and Perfect answers, chapter-6
Śyāmasundara: If you don't accept spiritual discipline, then nature will force so many calamities.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
["This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."] Māyā is imposing so many difficulties, but as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, no more imposition.
Śyāmasundara: We were so foolish that we were always thinking, "In the future I'll be happy."
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, that is māyā, illusion. That is like the ass. You sit down on the back of the ass and just take a morsel of grass. The ass is thinking, "Let me go forward a little, and I shall get the grass." [Bob laughs.] But it is always one foot distant. That is ass-ism. [They all laugh.] Everyone is thinking, "Let me go a little forward, and I'll get it. I'll be very happy."
Bob: I... I thank you so much for...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Bob: Tomorrow I'll have to leave you and—
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't talk l-e-a-v-e, but talk l-i-v-e.
Bob: I cannot yet, but I was thinking now of returning tomorrow to my town. But...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't return.
Bob: I should stay here tomorrow—here?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Stay here.
Bob: You tell me to, I'll stay.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, you are a very good boy. [There is a long pause. It is now, much quieter.] It is very simple. When the living entities forget Kṛṣṇa, they are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His abode, His pastimes—everything.
Bob: What was that last?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Ah? Pastimes.
Bob: Pastimes.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: When we speak of a king, it means the king's government, king's palace, king's queen, king's sons, secretaries, military strength—everything. Is it not?
Bob: Yes.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as soon as we think of Kṛṣṇa, this means all the energies of Kṛṣṇa. That is complete by saying, "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā represents all the energy of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, the living entities are also included because the living entities are energies, different energies of Kṛṣṇa—superior energy. So when this energy is not serving the energetic, that is material existence. The whole world is not serving Kṛṣṇa. They are serving Kṛṣṇa in a different way. They are serving indirectly, just as disobedient citizens serve the government indirectly. Prisoners come to the prison house on account of their disobedience of the laws of the state. So, in the prison house, they are forced to obey the laws of the state. Similarly. all the living entities here are godless, either by ignorance or by choice. They do not like to accept the supremacy of God. Demoniac. So we are trying to bring them to their original condition. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Śyāmasundara: If you don't accept spiritual discipline, then nature will force so many calamities.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
["This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."] Māyā is imposing so many difficulties, but as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, no more imposition.
Śyāmasundara: We were so foolish that we were always thinking, "In the future I'll be happy."
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, that is māyā, illusion. That is like the ass. You sit down on the back of the ass and just take a morsel of grass. The ass is thinking, "Let me go forward a little, and I shall get the grass." [Bob laughs.] But it is always one foot distant. That is ass-ism. [They all laugh.] Everyone is thinking, "Let me go a little forward, and I'll get it. I'll be very happy."
Bob: I... I thank you so much for...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Bob: Tomorrow I'll have to leave you and—
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't talk l-e-a-v-e, but talk l-i-v-e.
Bob: I cannot yet, but I was thinking now of returning tomorrow to my town. But...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't return.
Bob: I should stay here tomorrow—here?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Stay here.
Bob: You tell me to, I'll stay.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, you are a very good boy. [There is a long pause. It is now, much quieter.] It is very simple. When the living entities forget Kṛṣṇa, they are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His abode, His pastimes—everything.
Bob: What was that last?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Ah? Pastimes.
Bob: Pastimes.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: When we speak of a king, it means the king's government, king's palace, king's queen, king's sons, secretaries, military strength—everything. Is it not?
Bob: Yes.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as soon as we think of Kṛṣṇa, this means all the energies of Kṛṣṇa. That is complete by saying, "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā represents all the energy of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, the living entities are also included because the living entities are energies, different energies of Kṛṣṇa—superior energy. So when this energy is not serving the energetic, that is material existence. The whole world is not serving Kṛṣṇa. They are serving Kṛṣṇa in a different way. They are serving indirectly, just as disobedient citizens serve the government indirectly. Prisoners come to the prison house on account of their disobedience of the laws of the state. So, in the prison house, they are forced to obey the laws of the state. Similarly. all the living entities here are godless, either by ignorance or by choice. They do not like to accept the supremacy of God. Demoniac. So we are trying to bring them to their original condition. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
To be continued...
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