730405 - Lecture Arrival - New York

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730405AR-NEW YORK - April 05, 1973 - 10:15 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (prema-dhvani) (break)

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly receiving me in this honorable way. According to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, whatever honor is offered to the spiritual master, that is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Our this philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, it teaches that if you please your spiritual master, then God is also pleased.

Because the spiritual master is the most confidential servant of God, therefore by honoring the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is honored. Just like in English language there is the word, "If you love me, love my dog." So the spiritual master is the "dog" of God; therefore if the spiritual master is patted, God is very much pleased.

Now, so far our movement is concerned, you know, more or less, about our movement. But you should know that this is the most scientific, authorized movement in the human society, because the movement is based on the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the benefit of the whole human society. Do not take Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa as something sectarian—"Hindu God," "Hindu scripture." No. It is meant for everyone.

These names, "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christians" or "Buddhist," these are the designation of the body. Actual religion is different. Actual religion means to understand God and to develop your love for God. That is actual religion. It doesn't matter through which religion you develop your love for God, but the test is, you are first-class religionist if you have developed your dormant love of God.

So this movement is meant for awakening the dormant love of God. So the subject matter is very serious. We are distributing the subject matter in so many books. We have already big, big books, about twenty books, and small books also. Just now one book published, Rāja-vidyā: The King of Knowledge. There are different kinds of knowledges. But as there are different types of citizens but in the state there is a king or the president, similarly, there are different types of knowledge, but we are distributing the king of knowledge, God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So the necessity of this movement is that we are creating brain. At the present moment, the human society is lacking brain. Exactly they are living like cats and dogs, not with human brain. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The human society must be divided into four classes of divisions, or division, catur-varṇya: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya, the vaiśya and the śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men, and kṣatriya means administrators, and the vaiśya means mercantile people, and śūdra means ordinary workers.

All of them are required proportionately. Just like to keep up your body you require your head, you require your arms, you require your belly and you require your legs also. Comparatively studying, head is very important than the leg, but that does not mean leg is unimportant. Everything wanted for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, for upkeep of the society, human society, there must be intelligent class of men, there must be administrator class of men, there must be productive class of men and there must be worker class of men.

At the present moment, the human society is giving stress on the mercantile class of men and worker class of men. Actually, there is no intelligent class of men or administrative class of men. So our movement is creating some intelligent class of men. According to our Vedic knowledge, the first-class intelligent man is he who knows what is God. He's first-class intelligent man. Otherwise cats and dogs, they also eat, sleep, have sexual intercourse and die.

So this life is not very congenial to the human society. The chaotic situation of the present human society is due to that there is no intelligent class of men. This is our challenge. The so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, they have no intelligence. Therefore the whole society in the chaotic condition. So these boys and girls, American boys and girls, they're being taught, instructed, to become first-class intelligent man. This is the movement. But without intelligence . . . just like your brain, if he, if brain is crazy, your body may be very strong, but that is useless, because there is no brain.

So at the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, there is lack of intelligent class of men, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating some intelligent class of men. And if other class of men follow their instruction, then the whole society will be peaceful, and they'll be happy in this life and they'll be happy in the next life. This is the sum and substance of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who are interested will kindly come to our temple here in . . .

We have got so many temples, and we have got our temple here also, New York. And there are preachers also. We have got good preachers, and educated boys and girls. We have got books. So my only request is that you take some interest, active interest in this movement, try to understand it, and if you cooperate, the whole human society will be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)