Address in Hindi [translated]

Prabhupāda:…the world is false. But our protest is that if Brahman is real then how can the world be false? In the very beginning of Vedānta-sūtra this point has been discussed. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā: [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.1] This human life, what is the difference from animal life? The difference is the dog simply barks, eats, produces puppys, and after some time it dies.

āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca
sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām
[Hitopadeśa 25]

Between human beings and animals there is no difference of these four things. The dog eats, I also eat. The dog sleeps, I also sleep. The dog begets puppys, enjoys sex with female dog, I also do. And the dog becomes afraid of the enemies, I also become afraid of the enemies. Then what is the difference? The only difference is that the hman being can inquire about Brahman or God in the human society. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā: What is God, how the world is functioning, whether there is any proprietor of it or not, if anyone is conducting it or not? These questions arise only in the hearts of the human beings. But the dog doesn’t know all this. This is the distinction. No other distinction. Therefore śāstra declares,

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
[SB. 10.84.13]

Ātma-buddhi. This body is made of three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu or mucus, bile and air. According to Ayurveda, it is a combination of mucus, bile, and air. It is a combination of mucus, bile and air, and if one thinks it is the self, dehātma-buddhi, and on that basis he conducts himself then he is addressed by the śāstra, sa eva go khara, go means cow and khara means ass. To consider the body as self is not befitting a human being. The human intelligence unfolds only when he inquires about the Supreme Personality of Godhead and he understands that “I am not this body, I am brahman or spirit.” Aham brahmasmi. [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10] That is human life. Until this question arises, or this knowledge is not acquired, he remains an animal. That is why there is custom of giving knowledge in the human society. You go anywhere, any society, the discussion of religion is current. This is because, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa 25]

In a society if there is no discussion of religious principles, what is religion, what is God, what is soul, if these inquiries are not made then know that it is a society of dogs and sheeps only. The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is explaining how the dogs and sheeps behave. [aside:] Spectacle. What does He say? First of all He says, asatyam. This world is temporary.

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te
jagad āhur anīśvaram
aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ
kim anyat kāma-haitukam
[Bg. 16.8]

Nowadays big, big scientists made a theory called “Accident. Accidental theory.” Because they are unable to thoroughly analize and explain things they say it is accident. Nothing happens by accident. Jagad āhuar, haitukam, there is nothing in this world which has no cause. Everything has a cause. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. [SB. 1.3.28] Our Vedic literatures which try to help us understand the Supreme Lord, in that Brahmājī has given the conclusion in Brahma-saṁhitā, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures it has been concluded and accept that Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a list of many types of the incarnations of the Supreme Lord and their qualities and activities. And finally it has been concluded that these lists which is explained to you, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ, [SB. 1.3.28] and in that list of names, the name Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Avatāra and avatārī or incarnation and the origin of incarnation. Similarly in Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]

Īśvara, īśvara means One who orders. More or less we all are controllers. Our honourable Chief Minister is sitting here. He gives order to maintain the state. But he too is controlled by somebody. It is not a fact that he is the ultimare controller. No. In this way you will find one person who orders, and another person who obeys the order. You will never find a person who orders only and does not obey anyone’s order. That is not possible. You go on searching up to Brahmā, not only in this world but there are other planets, the demigods and finally there is Brahmājī. He too follows the order. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. [SB. 1.1.1]

Brahmājī is the first living creature within the universe. He also follows some order. You go further, above Brahmājī there is Viṣṇu, above Viṣṇu is Mahāviṣṇu, above Mahāviṣṇu is Nārāyaṇa, above Nārāyaṇa is Saṅkarṣaṇa, these descriptions are found in the śāstra. Everyone of Them is a order giver. I also give order to my disciples. You also order your workers in your office and factory. At home you give order, in that sense all are isvaras or controllers. There is no dispute in that. Everyone is īśvara. Nowadays theory is that everyone is God. Yes, God. We accept it. But śāstra says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]

Everyone is a tiny īśvara. There is no disagreement with that. But parameśvara, parameśvara means there is none above Him to order. That īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1] And His body is saccidānanda or eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. We should accept evidence from the śāstra. Sat-cit-ānanda. His body is not like our body. Our body is not saccidānanda. The first thing is that it is not sat or eternal. It will stay for some years, 20, 50, or 100 at the most. Therefore asat or temporary. Not sat. And cit means knowledge. Neither we are knowledgeable. There are so many things we are yet to learn. We are still learning. So it is neither cit nor sat. And there is no question of ānanda at all. How will it be blissful? So long you have this body you must suffer the threefold material miseries namely ādhyātmika, miseries caused by one’s own body and mind, ādhibhautika, miseries caused by natural calamities, and ādhidaivika, miseries caused by other living entities. For example, some of you are fanning yourselves. Why? Because its too hot and you cannot tolerate. That is ādhidaivika misery. Similarly misery caused by the body and mind is called ādhyātmika misery. All human beings, animals, insects, flies trouble one another, eat one another. This is the rule of this world. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam [SB. 1.13.47] That is called ādhibhautika misery. The demogods from the higher planets cause troubles like drought, earthquake, epidemic, and so on. We have no control over them. So many types of… So long we have got this body these three types of miseries will be there. Tri-tāpa-yantraṇā or threefold miseries. You must suffer these three kinds of miseries. Then where is the question of ananda? This body is neither eternal, nor it is full of knowledge, nor blissful. And the Supreme Lord’s body is, sat-cit-ānanda vigrahaḥ. In the śāstra where it is said nirākāra or formless, it does not mean that He has no ākāra or form. Definitely there is form. But that form is not like this form. His form is not like my form or your form. Vigrahaḥ. Vigrahaḥ means personified. How God has no form? He is the supreme father. My father has a form. He is a person, therefore I am also a person. Like that his father, his father, his father and ultimately Brahmājī. You go further and further up to the supreme father. And that supreme father has no form? What kind of logic is this? He must have. Just like you have not seen your grandfather and his father, and his father. Does it mean he was formless? You had grandfather so would you say he was formless? No. So God is not formless. He is not formless because He does not have a form like us. His form is sat-cit-ānanda vigrahaḥ. When the śāstra declares, īśvara parama Kṛṣṇa, you do not think that Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human being. Therefore the Supreme Lord has forbidden in the Bhagavad-gītā.

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
[Bg. 9.11]

Because I appear in a human like form, I descend for the benefit of the people, those who are mūḍhā, mūḍhā means ass, they consider Me as an ordinary man. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. [Bg. 9.11] Why an ass has been chosen as a comparision? Ass’s conduct is not good. Therefore it is called an ass. The ass lives at the house of the washerman. The washerman loads on its back 3 tons of cloth. The ass carries that heavy load to the bathing ghat and it is given little grass to eat. It eats the grass and again in the evening it carries back that 3 tons of cloth. But then why is it called an ass? The ass doesn’t see that I can have grass anywhere. Why am I carrying so much cloth at the house of the washerman and not a single cloth belongs to me? Hence it is ass. An ass does not understand what is it’s interest in this world. Whole day I am working so hard. Why am I working so hard? What is my purpose? One who doesn’t understand this and simply works hard, he is called ass. Therefore śāstra calls them mūḍhā. Also in another place the Supreme Lord…In many places He has used this word mūḍhā. In another place He said,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
[Bg. 7.15]

The asslike people are of demoniac nature. That is mentioned in the sixteenth chapter. What are their symptoms? Na māṁ prapadyante, they don’t accept God. This is their first qualification. What is God? Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā, duṣkṛtino, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā prapadyante. Why? Mūḍhā, ass, and narādhamā. What is the meaning of narādhamā? Nara means human beings. In human life if one wants he can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has that previlage. That is the difference between animals and human beings. If the human beings want, athāto brahma-jijñāsā, if they inquire what is Brahman, what is God, it is all there in the śāstra. Why have the scriptures been compiled? Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Vedas, the Purāṇas and so many other scriptures are present. This is our India’s treasury. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra, one who has taken birth in the land of Bhārata, it occurs after a great deal of pious credit, it is not ordinary. I am traveling all over the world and observing that even today, no matter how fallen we are, Indian culture is still the highest of all. This is my practical experience. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra
[Cc Ādi 9.41]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. This form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu which you are seeing, His mission is this. One who is Indian, one who has taken birth in Bhārata-varṣa as a human being and not as an ass, his duty is to make his life perfect. Because there are ample śāstras here like Veda, Vedānta, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Bhagavad-gītā and many more. There are 108 Upaniṣads, 18 Purānas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata and Bhagavad-gītā. Make your life successful by studying all these literatures. What do we have to learn from outside? Elsewhere in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is stated, anādi-bahirmukha jīva Kṛṣṇa bhuli gelā ataeva Kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā. [Cc. Madhya 20.122]

The conditioned souls have forgotten the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no history to know since when they forgot, but they forgot. Anādi. Anādi means even before the creation took place. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva Kṛṣṇa bhuli gelā, they forgot the Supreme Lord. And since they have forgotten they should be reminded and explained. Ataeva Kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, that you have taken birth in the land of Bharata-varṣa, you read and hear all these scriptures. You don’t have to read even, simply by hearing it will do. Just like you are hearing and we are speaking. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB. 7.5.23] This is bhakti or devotional service. Some people hear and some people speak. That way both the speaker and the listener are benefitted.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
[SB. 1.2.17]

The listener will accumulate piety and the speaker will accumulate piety. It is such a thing. Therefore, even though so much fallen, in India we still observe festivals in which ten thousand, twenty thousand, twenty five thousand people assemble, because it is in their blood. Because they have taken birth in this holy land of Bhārata-varṣa, devotional service is already there in their every drop of blood. Simply it has to be revived. That’s all. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra. [Cc. Ādi 9.41] It is for everyone. It is not that Bhaktivedānta Svāmī went out of the country and preached. You all go. Plenty of customers are there. They are taking with eagerness. That these European, American young boys are accompanying me, I haven’t bribed them anything. They are working as my menial servants because they must have found something, hence they are with me. Otherwise what they can expect from me? First of all we are a poor country and I am a sannyāsī-beggar. No. They are now realising that if there is any reality at all then it is in India. That’s a fact. That is why Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Bhārata-varṣa need not learn from other countries how to exploit others, plunder others. No. Paropakāra.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra
[Cc Ādi 9.41]

First make your life perfect. Read all these literatures. You can do paropakāra only when you yourself are fully conversant with the spiritual topics. Is it not? When you don’t have anything then how can you benefit others? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra
He further said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma.
[CB Antya-khaṇḍa4.126]

This is also Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s statement. He predicted that in all the villages and towns of the world My name will be spread. And it is happening. You have just seen and heard about this mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We have opened 102 centres all over the world. Europe, America, Australia, Japan, Africa, everywhere. No country is left out. This has been done alone, single handed. If you all preach this culture all over the world after making you own lives perfect then you will see how much India’s prestige will be enhanced. This is the duty. If you love your country, if you love your culture you should up this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement and preach all over the world. That is wanted. Yes. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. So my point is that you do not neglect it. That is my request to you. Whether you are a government officer, or a businessman, this culture, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, it is not difficult. That also Caitanya Mahāprabhu has confirmed. What did He say? āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa / yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. [Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that by My order you all become guru. Someone may say, “How can I become guru? I am not learned scholar. I am not educated. How can I become guru?” So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is assuring that there is no difficulty in it. Become a guru. How? yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. Simply learn this much, no need to be over smart. You just repeat what the Supreme Personality of Godhead has instructed. That’s all. Then you are a guru. To become guru is not difficult, if the supreme guru, the Supreme Lord appears and instructs Himself. What more do you want? We indulge in varieties of philosophical discussion, but when the Supreme Lord Himself explains then why don’t you hear it? Why do you manipulate it to show your expertise? Simply accept what the Supreme Personality of Godhead has said. The Supreme Lord says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]

There is no truth superior to Me. The Supreme Lord was present here, He was visible, but nobody could excel Lord Kṛṣṇa. Right from His birth only the demons tried to kill Him. Even before His birth, His own maternal uncle, Kaṁsa Mahārāja ordered his servants and followers “Look, as soon as Kṛṣṇa is born, bring Him to me and I will kill Him.” So starting from there Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanā and who knows how many more demons tried to kill Him. But ultimately Kaṁsa was killed by Kṛṣṇa. So nobody can kill the Supreme Lord. The present propoganda that “Finish God,” how can you finish God? Just yesterday I heard there was some accident in which 95 people died of air crash. So God’s law will prevail. How can you over rule it? That is foolishness.

mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam
[Bg. 7.5]

One who deny’s the existence of God, he is called mūḍhā or an ass. The Supreme Lord Himself mentioned the symptoms of such asslike people,

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te
jagad āhur anīśvaram
[Bg. 16.8]

Their first proposition is that this world is false. This world is false and me alone is factual. Whatever I am saying is real and everything else is unreal. No. The world is not false. It is real. Had the world been unreal and Brahman is real, Brahman means janmādyasya yataḥ. [Vedānta-sūtra]

Brahman is ascertained in the Vedānta-sūtra as, janmādyasya yataḥ, from Whom everything has emanated. What is the original source, the supreme object? Is that something material or spiritual? These things are discussed. After careful consideration it has been concluded that, no. Abhijña. No it is not matter. Abhijña, full of knowledge. Otherwise how He can create? Janmādyasya yataḥ. He must know everything. Just like an engeneer has to build a big bridge, so he knows everything about it. Although he is sitting in his office he knows where each and every screw has been used. He knows everything. Therefore śāstra states, anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. [SB. 1.1.1]

Just like my body, I say it is my body, but I do not know anything about the body. I eat, then how the food goes to the stomach, how it is transformed into blood, how the stool and urine are formed, how the heart is working? I know nothing. I just eat. The doctors know something, but not everything. He is not abhijña. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has created this world, He is anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ. [SB. 1.1.1] He knows everything directly and indirectly. He is called Bhagavāna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These are the considerations. Those who are foolish they call it asatyam. He created this gigantic universe. We construct a building, a small building. We make it nicely. Some friend comes and says to me “O you have made a nice building.” And we become very happy. If someone comes and says, “You have made this house, but it is false.” We will become discouraged. I have spent so much money, worked so hard and he says it is false. Why do you say unreal? Only one who does not believe in God, and who does not accept God, he will say it is unreal. It is not unreal. What a wonderful architecture! A wise person can see and understand how the sun is rising, how the moon is rising and how the Supreme Lord has created the material elements.

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
[Bg. 7.4]

Besides, if Brahman is real then how can unreal object emanate from Him? What is false is that you say there is no God and I am God, that is false. One who understands the existence of God and God’s creative power he must accept it. A sane man should not speak like that. Only demons speak like that. It is false. We don’t say it is false. There are two considerations. One is Māyāvāda consideration and the other is Vaiṣṇava consideration. The Māyāvādīs say that the world is false. Brahma satya jagan mithyā. No. Not false. Even the Supreme Lord says that only the demons claim this world to be false. The Supreme Lord Himself said,

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
[Bg. 7.4]

“This is My prakṛti, My nature, I have created it.” So how can it be false? How did He create? Earth is needed, water is needed, fire is required, air is required, everything is needed. So the Lord says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. [Bg. 7.4] These eight material elements are created by My energy. He further says, apareyam. [Bg. 7.5] This prakṛti is aparā or inferior. Apart from this there is another superior prakṛti.

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
[Bg. 7.5]

There is another superior energy of Mine. That is called Parā-prakṛti. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho, [Bg. 7.5] that is the living entities, we all are. There is a gulf of difference between matter and us, because we have control over material objects. We bring bricks, stones, wood etc and construct a nice house. So I am also a prakṛti and the matter is also a prakṛti. But I, the spirit soul, belong to parā-prakṛti or superior nature. The Supreme Lord has very nicely explained everything. Apareyam. This is aparā or inferior. So this prakṛti…We are actually prakṛti and not puruṣa or the enjoyer. The puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead alone. The only puruṣa…Just like Arjuna accepted this fact after hering Bhagavad-gītā.

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ
[Bg. 10.12]

“You are the only Puruṣa and all others are prakṛti.” Prakṛti means the enjoyed, and Puruṣa means the enjoyer. The Supreme Lord Himself said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
[Bg. 5.29]

All of us want peace. But the path through which the peace is available that we don’t know. That is revealed by the Lord Himself that if you want peace then this is the process. What is that? Bhokta or Puruṣa is only the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
[Bg. 5.29]

“I am the proprietor of all the planets.” That we claim proprietorship, that is false. That’s not a fact. The Supreme Lord declares that “I am the proprietor.” We are thinking we are Indian therefore India is our country. How long can India remain our country? Only so long we have this body. Once the body is dead India remains where it is. I saw in Paris in a park it is written Napolean and park. They equalize him. So I asked them, “France is still here but where has Napolean gone?” There is no answer. This is going on. Therefore what the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ/sarva-loka-maheśvaram, His proprietorship remains intact. We come here for a few days, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, one hundred years or million of years. Brahmājī lives for millions of years. But that does not mean he is not the proprietor. The owner is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are visitors. We go to a guest house, stay there for few days and then we leave. Does it mean the guest house is mine? This is illusion. The whole world is in this spell of illusion. Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]

Everything is owned by God. This sense should be awakened. This is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. We are trying to spread it. So our request to you it that this is Indian culture, kindly join this movement. It is not sentimental. We are not talking whimsically. Everything is backed up by scriptural evidence. We have written 84 books and presented before you. Read the scripture scientifically. Take this movement seriously. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra, [Cc. Ādi 9.41] we go to foreign country to beg. Why do you beg? You give. You have got the thing to give. Why do you go there to beg? [Bengali proverb. Apana dhana bilāye diye bhikṣā māge parera dvāre.] Your own treasure you have abandoned and you are begging alms from others. That is not proper. This Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement assures that you have got the treasure. You take it and make your life successful. Distribute it to the world and thereby benefit others.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees:
Jai Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Caitya-guru:
After Gurujī’s lecture if any brothers and sisters want to ask any question, they may come forward and ask question only on the subject of today’s discussion. The question should be on the topics discussed just now which you could not understand. So anyone can come forward and ask his question. Your inquiry should be based on his lecture. Thereafter we will have ārati followed by kīrtana. So you all participate in it and thus receive His mercy. After that you will be shown a very nice movie as Guru Mahārāja said how this movement is spreading all over the world, how people are accepting it and why they are taking to it. Kindly sit down until the ārati starts. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [aside:] Come here.

Indian man:
Sat-cit-ānanda has a form or not?

Prabhupāda:
Yes, form. Just like you have got form asat, acit, nirānanda, similarly there is an opposite form of that sat, cit, ānanda. That when you come to understand then you will know. It cannot be explained in one minute. It requires some education and some understanding. But you have to accept the statement of the śāstra that vigraha. Saccidānanda. Just like you know I have got mind and you have got mind. But can you see my mind?

Indian man:
No. But there are so many things…

Prabhupāda:
Just like you cannot see but you can perceive I have got mind and you have got mind. I have got intelligence, you have got intelligence, but what is that intelligence can you see? Something cannot be seen but it can be perceived. Therefore our knowledge is acquired by perceiving. Vedas means śruti-you have to hear and perceive. You cannot see at the present moment. You haven’t got the eyes to see.

Indian man:
Can I not say that Saccidānanda is the light of consciousness.

Prabhupāda:
Whatever it may be, just like I have already given you the example that the gross thing you can see.

Indian man:
Saccidānanda is the light of consciousness.

Prabhupāda:
Yes, consciousness.

Caitya-guru:
The process of questioning is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, the person who asks question must be humble and submissive.

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
[Bg. 4.34]

You approach in such a state of mind and say that I don’t know anything, please explain to me. Then when you get the answer you hear with attention. [end]