# The Acharya Part 2 **Duration:** 29:17 <div class="video-container" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yj19F6xXRB4" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; pointer-events: auto; z-index: 10;" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj19F6xXRB4) --- ## Transcript **[00:10]** In 1965 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, **[00:16]** A vedic scholar and holy man in the renounced order of life left India **[00:21]** for America to transform a bold vision into a historical reality of global dimension. **[00:27]** To fulfil the desire of generations of Indian saints who wished to see India's **[00:33]** timeless spiritual culture benefit the entire world **[00:36]** Srila Prabhupada left India and sailed to the United States. **[00:41]** When he arrived by freighter he was practically penniless. **[00:46]** But after nearly a year of struggle he established **[00:50]** the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in July of 1966. **[00:55]** In the years that followed the society grew rapidly **[01:01]** and Hare Krishna became familiar to millions of people. **[01:04]** Srila Prabhupada became the focal point for the public's interest in the Hare Krishna movement **[01:11]** but he was never too busy to carefully answer any question **[01:14]** and with each and every encounter he would **[01:18]** open the doors to the ancient philosophical and spiritual knowledge of India. **[01:23]** An Acharya is one who teaches by example. **[01:28]** By his personal example Srila Prabhupada demonstrated that the soul, the self **[01:35]** is naturally eternal, full of knowledge and full of transcendental bliss. **[01:41]** When a living being is awakened to his original constitutional position of **[01:47]** Krishna consciousness he becomes filled with sublime **[01:50]** exalted spiritual emotions that have no material counterpart. **[01:54]** As a great self-relized and God-conscious saint Srila Prabhupada **[02:01]** often exhibited the spiritual happiness that Krishna describes in the Bhagavad-gita. **[02:06]** That sacred and ancient fountainhead of wisdom has this to say **[02:12]** about the final state of human perfection. **[02:15]** "In that joyous state one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness **[02:21]** and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. **[02:25]** Established thus, one never departs from the truth, **[02:29]** and upon gaining this he knows there is no greater gain." **[02:33]** Welcome. **[02:35]** Thank you very much. **[02:36]** You founded the Hare Krishna movement some seven years ago in 1967, did you not. **[02:41]** Yes. **[02:42]** In a capsule what is the movement? **[02:44]** Movement is to awaken God consciousness of the human being. **[02:52]** The human being is distinguished from the animals **[02:59]** in that the animals cannot understand what is God. **[03:03]** And if the human being also does not understand what is God, then he is animal. **[03:11]** I see. So your movement is to bring about an understand of God among human beings. **[03:16]** Yes. **[03:17]** And "Hare Krishna" means what? **[03:19]** "Hare Krishna" means addressing the energy of God. **[03:24]** "Hare" means the energy of God and "Krishna" means God. **[03:31]** OK. You were here yesterday to attend your annual festival. **[03:38]** That was held in Golden Gate Park and we were there too. **[03:41]** And in fact here it is. **[03:44]** few thousand people came out to hear it. **[03:47]** How many people are now disciples of the Krishna consciousness movement? **[03:52]** Dedicated life, about ten thousand, in the Western world. **[03:57]** About ten thousand dedicated ones. **[04:00]** Your Grace, is there any significance at all in the shaved heads? **[04:05]** Why are heads shaved? **[04:07]** We keep ourselves very clean, that's all. **[04:11]** Oh, it's just a cleanliness thing. **[04:12]** Yes. **[04:14]** Is there any significance in the color of the robes. **[04:16]** At least at the present moment people think that by keeping long hair it becomes very beautiful. **[04:24]** I see. **[04:25]** But we are against that. **[04:27]** Just as simple as that. Is there any significance in the yellow robes? **[04:31]** Yellow robe is the dress of those who are dedicated. **[04:38]** It could very well have been a blue robe? **[04:42]** This yellow-saffron.. **[04:46]** Your Grace, why do you feel that so many people are pulling away from the **[04:54]** traditional religions in this country such as Christianity and so forth **[04:57]** and going for trying to understand the Eastern religions. **[05:01]** We hear a lot of Swamis and Gurus and other types of Yogi and so forth. **[05:06]** Why do you feel that people are pulling away from the traditional Christian standards here. **[05:10]** We see that the Christian churches, especially I have seen in London, mostly closed. **[05:20]** People are not interested or the Christian leaders, they cannot make them interested. **[05:27]** Why? Did Christianity fail the people which is why they are turning to other things? **[05:31]** I think so. **[05:32]** You say that Hare Krishna consciousness pretty much takes the absolute truths from **[05:38]** the Bible, the Koran, the Tora and the Vedic. **[05:43]** Yes. Everywhere. Religion means to understand God. **[05:48]** I understand but do you feel that in getting truths from various places like the Bible, **[05:53]** the Koran and so forth, don't you run into conflicts at all **[05:57]** or contradictions in those particular philosophies. **[05:59]** No. I don't find any conflict because the ultimate goal is God. **[06:04]** So you have to understand God and try to love Him. **[06:07]** So you can go through any religious process. **[06:11]** If the goal is attained, that you understand what is God and you try to love Him then your life is perfect. **[06:19]** Why do we so many of your followers chanting, almost all the time. **[06:25]** Chanting means to keep association with God, always. **[06:28]** So you have to audibly chant "Hare Krishna." **[06:31]** Yes, yes. **[06:32]** This is transcendental vibration. **[06:36]** Just like a radio message. **[06:39]** If you keep contact with the radio message they you will know everything what is going on outside. **[06:45]** Similarly this transcendental sound, "Hare Krishna," **[06:50]** if you chant then you keep connection with God directly. **[06:54]** Thank you very much, your Divine Grace, its been our privilege to talk with you **[07:00]** and to meet you and hope that we can see you again, when you return. **[07:02]** We'll be back with more news in just a moment. **[07:33]** I'm very much happy because these American boys are helping me. **[07:39]** It is due to their cooperation that the movement is spread all over the world. **[07:45]** Where will you go from here? **[07:49]** In America? **[07:52]** What is the date I entered in Hawii? **[07:56]** She is asking where you will go after Dallas. **[07:59]** Oh, from Dallas I'll go to West Virginia. **[08:06]** And from there I shall go to London. **[08:12]** Are you pleased with the Krishna movement in the United States? Do you think it is growing? **[08:19]** What do you think? **[08:21]** I think it is and this pleases you. **[08:23]** It is growing very fast. Not only growing, but growing very fast. **[08:30]** And the flowers of your country, the young generation, they are taking it very seriously. **[08:38]** These boys, these girls, they have taken it very seriously. **[08:42]** Do you think that the children you see here will carry on? **[08:46]** Yes. Yes. Creating another generation, Krishna conscious. **[08:50]** So it will continue. **[08:54]** What does Krishna offer that some of the other religions of the world… **[09:00]** Krishna is God. **[09:01]** So other religions who follow God, God consciousness, so there is no difference. **[09:09]** It may be difference of name but religion means God consciousness. **[09:16]** Without God consciousness, there is no religion. **[09:22]** And what does worshipping in your way, is it any better than worshipping in another way? **[09:30]** Is it more direct contact with Krishna? **[09:32]** Well every way is nice provided the followers are nice. **[09:37]** Unfortunately, the principles are not followed. **[09:42]** Just like in Christian religion. It is said "thou shall not kill." **[09:49]** But killing is very good thing here, in the Christian world, so many slaughterhouses. **[09:57]** That is not Christian religion. But followers, they do not follow the rules and regulations. **[10:05]** That is regulation. Otherwise it is very nice. **[10:09]** Ours also, the principle is "no meat eating." **[10:15]** That means there is no killing of animals. **[10:18]** Every religion says like that, but the followers do not follow. **[10:22]** The Krishna religion teaches that women are to be subservient to men always, why? **[10:31]** The Krishna religion teaches that women should be subservient, **[10:35]** should be subordinate to men, she is asking, why **[10:38]** Well, not should be, they are by nature. **[10:44]** What do you think, your position? **[10:47]** I don't believe in that, of course, I disagree. **[10:52]** But you voluntarily become subservient to a man. That is the nature. **[11:00]** They are seeking to become subservient. **[11:04]** Attracting man, "take me as subservient." **[11:09]** That is natural. **[11:13]** Even psychologically it is analysed that the brain of man, they have seen up to 64 ounce, **[11:26]** whereas the brain of women they have not found more than 36 ounce. **[11:32]** But women live longer than men. **[11:37]** Not necessarily. **[11:40]** My grandmother lived about hundred years. **[11:46]** So sometimes it happens. **[11:55]** It is not restricted amongst women. There are men also. **[11:59]** How old is the movement? **[12:02]** From historical point of view it is about five thousand years. **[12:07]** Why has it just begun to really catch on in the Western world? **[12:12]** I mean just recently, recent years has it begun to sweep the Western world. **[12:18]** Why is this? **[12:19]** The Western people were seeking something like that. **[12:25]** So as soon as they got it, they captured it. **[12:28]** The Western world, the younger generation were being frustrated, the hippie movement. **[12:39]** So, when they saw something tangible, they accepted it. **[12:47]** What things, if everyone in the United States believed in Krishna and to the extent that you do, **[12:58]** what would happen to this country and how would it be transformed? **[13:02]** So they will be very happy and peaceful. **[13:06]** There will be no more hippies. **[13:10]** What would you describe as a hippie? **[13:18]** You know better than me. Something extraordinary. **[13:23]** How should people who follow your beliefs respond to other people **[13:38]** criticizing them for the way they… **[13:43]** This criticizm. You criticize me and I criticize you. That is going on. **[13:47]** Even there is no change of dress. **[13:52]** It is mans nature to become envious, to criticize others. That is material nature. **[14:02]** So you think they are envious because they are criticizing you? **[14:05]** Yes. **[14:06]** Because of the happiness the people have? **[14:08]** Certainly. Sometimes they enquire, "Are you Americans?" **[14:15]** Because they have never saw Americans so peaceful. **[14:18]** Even the priests also, they very much appreciate. **[14:25]** In Melbourne, the Bishop from Melbourne and the head of the Scottish Church, **[14:34]** many Church people, they very much appreciated. **[14:39]** They invited me to talk at the society of Saint Francis. **[14:50]** Hundreds of fathers, the meeting was attended, and I spoke for one hour, **[14:56]** they very much appreciated, applauded for ten minutes, **[15:00]** and they have accepted the principal, Hare Krishna. **[15:04]** And Reverend Powel, he gave declaration that we have no alarm from the Krishna movement. **[15:11]** This is your third visit to Dallas, is that correct. **[15:16]** Yes. **[15:20]** Why was Dallas selected as the point to establish the school. **[15:26]** I believe this is the first school, isn't it, in the United States to be established? **[15:30]** Why was Dallas particularly chosen for the school? **[15:34]** It was Krishna's choice. **[15:36]** Krishna's choice, He chose Dallas? **[15:39]** Yes. We got a nice house and we accepted it. So it was Krishna's choice. **[15:46]** Where does the international Krishna organization get its funds? From simply donations? **[15:52]** They have been criticizes occasionally for being very wealthy. **[15:55]** Yes, that is our reputation. **[15:58]** Even in Indian parliament this question was raised. "These Hare Krishna people" **[16:06]** are fabulously rich, where they are getting money? **[16:09]** Somebody suspected we are getting bribes from American government, what is that, CIA? **[16:43]** So if you are theologicians then you must know what is God and abide by God. **[17:00]** What do you think, Dr. Judah, this proposition? **[17:07]** Yes. I think you are quite right. Certainly in our day and age many of us don't really know God. **[17:16]** Then he is not theologist, he is theosophist. **[17:21]** We know about God, but we do not know God, I would agree. **[17:28]** That is theosophist. Theosophist, they are thinking there is something superior, **[17:35]** but who is that superior, they are searching out. **[17:39]** The same thing, a boy, he knows "I have a father." **[17:47]** But who is that father, he doesn't know. **[17:50]** He has to ask mother. Alone he can not understand. **[17:57]** So our proposition is that if you do not know God, and here is God, Krishna, **[18:07]** why don't you accept it.. **[18:10]** You do not know, first of all. And if I present, "Here is God," then why don't you accept it. **[18:24]** What is the answer? **[18:28]** We are presenting God, "Here is God." **[18:40]** And big, big acharyas have accepted. Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya, Visnuswami, Lord Caitanya. **[18:52]** In our disciplic succession my guru maharaja and I am preaching **[18:57]** I'm not presenting a God whimsically. **[19:04]** I am presenting a God who is recognized. So why don't you accept it? **[19:13]** What is the difficulty? **[19:24]** I suppose one of the difficulties would be for certainly many in the older generation **[19:32]** is that we follow certain patterns of life and it is difficult to change. This is the great problem. **[19:43]** You are not serious. Therefore Krishna says: **[19:48]** sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja **[19:52]** You have to give up. And if you are not prepared to give up then you cannot accept God. **[20:03]** I think you are being a little unfair to Dr. Crosley. **[20:12]** I think what you say is true, that the most important thing we can do is to seek and know God. **[20:21]** But I don't think it is right to say that it's a bad thing to study how other people, or how man is… **[20:31]** No, I'm not saying bad thing. I say if you are serious about God, now "Here is God." **[20:38]** …that's what a university, in part, is for. **[20:40]** To study about how people have thought on different matters. **[20:45]** No. If you are seeking after something, if you get that something, **[20:49]** why don't you accept it? **[21:05]** Do you believe that Christ said that Krishna was his father. **[21:06]** Name may be different. Just like in our country we refer say this flower something **[21:12]** you say something, but subject matter must be the same. **[21:20]** Name is not. **[21:24]** You can say in a different way according as you understand. But God is one. God cannot be two. **[21:32]** You may give Him different names, that is different thing, but God is one, God cannot be two. **[21:53]** You pay tax to the government and the tax is distributed to so many departments. **[22:01]** So it is not your business to go every department and pay tax. **[22:06]** Pay to the treasury of the government it will be distributed. **[22:14]** This is intelligence. **[22:17]** And if you say, "Why should I pay to the treasury house?" **[22:21]** "I shall pay this department, that department, that department, that department." **[22:25]** You can go on, but it will never be sufficient. **[22:29]** Neither complete. **[22:34]** So you may love humanity but because you do not love Krishna **[22:39]** therefore do not love the cows, send them to slaughter. **[22:45]** So your love will remain defective, it will never be complete. **[22:53]** And if you love Krishna, then you will love even a small ant. **[23:02]** He is not interested to kill even an ant. **[23:08]** That is real love. **[23:11]** I agree with you that we love very badly and slaughter the animals… **[23:17]** Badly love is not love. **[23:20]** ..but is the converse true, **[23:23]** that we chant very well and can love Krishna even when we cannot love our fellow... **[23:24]** Chanting… We are also working. **[23:27]** It is not that we are simply sitting down and chanting. **[23:32]** Because we are chanting therefore we are loving everyone. **[23:38]** That is a fact. **[23:44]** These Hare Krishna chanters, they'll never agree to kill any animal, even a plant. **[23:50]** Because they know everything is part and parcel of God. **[23:55]** Why unnecessarily one should be killed? **[24:02]** That is love. **[24:09]** Love means never killing? **[24:12]** There are so many things. It is one of the items. **[24:15]** Yes. Do you kill your own son? **[24:22]** Why? Because you love him. **[24:37]** Could you explain the other side of it. **[24:41]** The fact that of course the Bhagavad-gita has its setting on a battlefield in which Krishna enjoins Arjuna… **[24:51]** That killing and poor animal who is supplying milk. **[24:59]** You are drinking milk, your mother. **[25:00]** And you are killing. **[25:01]** This killing and that killing is not the same thing. **[25:04]** According to Vedic civilization the cow is to be given a special protection. **[25:20]** Why it is recommended for the cow? **[25:26]** He does not say of other animals. **[25:34]** Srila Prabhupada you are aware that they advance the argument of mesmerisation against chanting. **[25:42]** That's good. If you can mesmerise… That Dr. Judah has admitted. **[25:49]** If you can mesmerise the drug-addicted hippies and engage them in understanding Krishna, **[25:57]** it is a great achievement. **[26:06]** Dr. Judah has admitted. **[26:14]** So if mesmerisation is for good, why not accept it? **[26:19]** If it is for bad then it is another thing. **[26:23]** If it is doing good why not accept it. **[26:26]** What do you think? **[26:29]** I don't know how to react. I think I agree with you. **[26:35]** If it is good… Everything good should be accepted. **[26:41]** The problem is I'm keep wondering how are so sure you know what good is. **[26:48]** Particularly when it comes to war. **[26:51]** I would be a little more worried I think. **[26:53]** What is that war? **[26:55]** Well, you were telling that sometimes war is necessary. **[26:59]** I should think that it… **[27:02]** Now necessary means that you can not expect in this material world all saintly persons. **[27:09]** There are bad elements. **[27:12]** So if the bad elements come to attack you is it not your duty to fight? **[27:19]** It just may be though that mine are the bad elements and **[27:24]** I keep thinking that other people are the bad elements. **[27:27]** No. Even God has got this discrimination. **[27:35]** He says paritranaya sadhünam vinasaya ca duskrtam, there are bad elements. **[27:42]** In God's mind there is good elements and bad elements. **[27:48]** So we are part and parcel of God. We must also have the same subject. **[27:53]** We cannot avoid it. **[28:00]** The body is not God? **[28:02]** Yes. **[28:02]** No. He's saying that when we say everything is part of God, he says the body is an exception. **[28:09]** No, why. The body is also part of God. **[28:13]** No, why. The body is also part of God. **[28:19]** Yes. It is another energy. **[28:21]** I see. **[28:25]** Everything is God's energy. So body is also God's energy. **[28:29]** The best use of the body is God's energy should be used for God. **[28:34]** Then body is spiritualised. **[28:40]** Body is also God's energy and if it is engaged in God's service. **[28:48]** Then the body is no more a bad bargain, it's a good bargain.