Srila Prabhupada's Dialogues
see God
This interview with His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupildafufatta the temple of Melbourne, Australia.
Interviewer: His Divine Grace, the purpose of human life is to realize God? Srila Prabhupada: Yes - it is the only purpose. Interviewer: Srila Prabhupada, you've created God?
Srila Prabhupada: What do you think? What is your opinion?
Interviewer: I do not know.
Srila Prabhupada: So if I say yes, what can you understand? If you do not know anything, even if I say "Yes, I realized God, how I take it? If you do not know cos' is the realization of God, how can you ask this question, and can never satisfy you as the answer? So you should not ask this question. It has no value - unless, of course, you're not ready to accept any answer I give you. Are you ready?
Interviewer: Yes, Srila Prabhupada
: Alright then. I see God at all times (pause). But if you're not ready to accept the answer, you'd better not put an similar questions.
Interviewer: His Divine Grace, the me ¬ meditation is a means to realize God?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes Meditation is a means, but now you can not meditate, you do not know who God is therefore how to meditate? If you do not know who God is, on what you meditate? First of all you know. N to know God - Krishna - Krishna and said, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "Always think of Me." So we meditate on Krishna. This is the perfect meditation because meditation means thinking about God but if you do not know who God is, how can you think of him?
Interviewer: In many scriptures it is said that God is light.
Srila Prabhupada: God is everything. God is also darkness. We say that God is the person from whom comes all things. So the light comes from God and the darkness comes from God
Interviewer: Do you think that meditation is a way to see God''to inner self?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes This is the description of meditation. Dhyanavasthita ¬ tad gatena Manasa pasyanti yam yoginah: concentrating the mind of the yogi tries ve ¬ DERE all'intemo God. So you have to know what God considers our institution,
ISKCON, for example. My disciples know that what God is, so they can think of God but if you have any idea about God, how can you think of him?
Interviewer: This path of yoga devotional bhakti-yoga - is the way to the present era?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, the bhakti-yoga is the real yoga. In the Bhagavad-gita, when describing the method of yoga, the Lord says: "The Yogya first class is what always thinks of Me, Krsna, all'intemo himself." So our students are taught to always think of Krsna twenty-four hours a day, without interruption. This is the first yoga class.
Interviewer: If you're thinking about something you have seen it first. Krsnaai you show your devotees?
Srila Prabhupada: Oh yes, course.
Interviewer: Ah ... well ... What is Krishna? What does he look? Srila Prabhupada
: Look - here is Krsna.
Interviewer: But that's a painting.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, it's a painting. But suppose you are being portrayed in the painting. it could not possibly say, "This is Mr. So and so"?
Interviewer: Yes
Srila Prabhupada: So why not? Perhaps your image is not you?
Interviewer: Yes, it is.
Srila Prabhupada: Similarly, this is a painting of Krishna. But the difference is we can not talk to your image, but we can speak with the picture of Krishna. That's the difference.
Interviewer: But someone must have seen Krsna to paint it faithfully.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, when this Krsnaera on this Earth have seen many people. And then there were many temples of the divinity of Krishna, the form of Krishna. The same as described in the Vedic literature is devoted to carve statues and personally. These forms of worship regularly Krsnasono. There are thousands and thousands of temples of Krishna.
Interviewer: But has anyone actually seen Krsna?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, yes - Just like your father has seen your grandfather. You may not have seen it, but your father can describe it - "My father was like that." What is the problem?
Devotee: He asked if anyone has seen Krishna now.
Srila Prabhupada : How can I see it now? You must see through the parampara, the sequence disciplic. If you have not seen your grandfather, how do you know who he was?
Interviewer: Do you talk to your parents.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, so you have to receive knowledge about God DA11 authorities from the parampara.
Interviewer: But you Krsnasia supposed eternal, therefore he exists certainly today.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Krsnaesiste. At night, the sun exists, but you do not have eyes pervederlo. This does not mean that the sun does not exist. It 'a miss you - you can not see it.
Interviewer: That's why we need a vision of God?
Srila Prabhupada: You have to be qualified. Krsna always there but you have to be qualified to see Him. This is described NE11 Vedic scriptures. Premafijana-cchurita-bhakti-Viloca-nena Santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti: holy persons, who have eyes coated balm of love and devotion, in the ecstasy of love with Krishna can see Him always, around the clock. It is not very difficult to understand. If you love someone, you always see. Is not it? E 'must feel love. Then Krsna will always be visible and will talk to you. To qualify for this you need to hear Krsna, Krsna to see. But Krsna is always present anyway. The DIAL
Srila Prabhupada's Vedic texts
Continue the conversation that will take if ¬ Paris 15 June 1974 between His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami, two priests and two Christian scholars.
Srila Prabhupada : You, ladies and gentlemen, you should accept what they say the Vedas because the Vedas emanate from God in the Vedanta-sutra èaffermato: janmady asya yatah: "everything is an emanation of God '. Everything that exists emanates from God In the Bible there is the statement: 'Everything that was created from God'. So everything that exists emanates from God
Another Vedic injunction states with the largest engraving: sarvam khalv idam brahma ultimately everything is the Supreme Brahman. Everything is the Supreme Lord in His impersonal aspect. So the impersonal aspect that we see around us is an expansion of power of God, just like the brightness of the sun is an expansion of the sun god.
Therefore Bhagavad-gita says hi pratisthaham Brahmin: the base, or source, energy is impersonal God, Krishna (turning to his publisher of Sanskrit) search this verse: Brahman pratisthaham hi.
Disciple: Yes, Srila Prabhupada.
the fourteenth chapter of the Gita: Brahmin hi pratisthaham amrtas yav yayasya ça sasvatasya dharmasya sukhas yaikantikas ya ca ca.
The translation of the words of Krsna is: 'I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, infinite, eternal, and is the principle of absolute happiness'.
Fransad Father: His Divine Grace,
can you tell us what is the oldest of the ancient Vedic scriptures? How long are the Vedas? Srila Prabhupada
: Are there before the creation: tene brahma ya adi hrda Kavaya. (Turning back to his publisher of Sanskrit) Find this line: janmady asya yato'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat tene brahma-adi ya hrda Kavaya muhyanti surayah yat.
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, is in the first chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam, and echoes the Vedanta sutra janmady asya Yato 'nvayad ita Ratas carthesv abhiniah: svarat tene brahma-adi ya hrda Kavaya muhyanti yat surayh Tejo-vari- mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra tri-Sarge 'MRSA dhamna sven-sada nirasta kuhakam satyam param dhimahi
The translation is:' I offer my obeisances to Lord Sri Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, who is the supreme, all-pervading Personality of Godhead I meditate on Him, the reality of transcendental ¬, which is the primordial cause of all causes, the originators of all known universes in which they live and from which shall be destroyed '.
Srila Prabhupada: This is the Vedic knowledge. Now read another way: aham hi todir devanam.
Disciple: In the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, aham hi todir devanam maharsifJam sarvasah ca: 'Neither the multitude of demigods nor the great sages know my origin because I'm the source, in every respect, the as one of the other '.
Srila Prabhupada: aham hi todir devanam maharsinam ca: 'I am the source of the demigods and sages' says the Lord Supreme. Similarly, in the Bible said: 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. This is Vedic knowledge. That word, that sound divine, are the Vedas, and then before the creation of the Vedas were present. You can not find the start of the Vedas.
if you could find out when he started his creation, would find that the Vedas were already there before.
Fransad Father: In our understanding, God reveals Himself gradually, and then, at some point, turned out in its entirety.
But in the Vedic literature it is said that all knowledge was given at the beginning, all at once.
deeply respect your vast knowledge, but you should not say that the contents of the Bible and the Vedas are the same thing.
The Bible and the Vedas are, in fact, two different things.
Another example: the direction in which you made reference to 'the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' is similar to what is taught in the Vedas, but if we take that line and rest of that chapter of the Bible and look at them closely, we find some discrepancies.
LOVE HISTORY Iztaccíhuatl Y POPOCATEPETEL
THIS ONE IS A LEGEND OF MEXICO: THE LEGEND
Tells SO LONG TIME AGO, WHEN THE GOODBYE TO THE Aztecs Anahuac VALLEY AND MOUNTAINS DON'T HAVE A DEFINED FROM, THERE WAS BORN IN THE GREAT CITY TENOCHTITLAN A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS NAMED MIXTLI, ONLY DAUGHTER OF TIZOC,
THE "TLATOANI"
(EMPEROR / GREAT LORD) OF THE MEXICAS. MANY MEN WANTED TO MARRIED HER AND LIKE THEM THERE
WAS AXOOXCO, A BLOODY CRUELLORD WHO CLAIMS HER; BUTTHELOVEOFTHE
PRINCESS BELONGS TO A YOUNG POOR WARRIOR NAMED
POPOCA.
TO GAIN THE RIGHT TO DISPUTE THE HAND OF THE PRINCESS AGAINST AXOOXCO, POPOCA GOES ON WAR CAMPAING TO WING HIGH EST TITLE AN AZTEC WARRIOR: THE "EAGLEKNIGHT", THIS WAS A DISTINGUISHED
MILITARY CLASSRESERVED ONLY TO THE MOST NOBLE AND
BRAVE.. . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .......... . . . THE EMPIRE.
BUT MANY DAYS ANO MONTHS PASS WITH OUT NEWS ANO MIXTLI DIED OF SADNESS THINKING HER TRUE LOVED DIEO ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITROUT TBE KNOWLEOGE POPOCA FINALY RETURNEO VICTOURIOUS.
HE TOOK THE BOOY OF BER PRINCESS AND GOES l'O THE MOUNTAIN THINKING SHE WAS ONLY SLEEPING ANO MAYBE THE SNOWCOULD AWAKES HER HE MAOE A BONFIRE ANO HE STAYEO ASIDE ON HER FEET WAITING THE MOMENT TO SE REJOINED AGAIN ANO THIS l'1M E FOREVER.
ANDETERNAL WAIT... BUTTHE STORYNO ENDS BERE...
EVEN IF THEIR BODIES ARE GONE, TODAY YOU CAN STILL SEE THEM, IF SOMEDA Y YOU VISIT TRE CITIES OF MÉXICO ANO PUEBLA STATE, WATCH TRE RORIZON ANO YOU CAN SEE TWOO BEAUTIFUL VOLCANOES ONE NEAR EACH TRE OTHER: THE "POPOCATEPETL" (SMOKING MOUNTAIN).
MANY CENTURIES HAVE PAST SINCE THEN ANO TRE LOVERS STAY T H E R E TOGETHER...AND FOREVER.
TAKE PEACEFULLY YOUR SLEEP SWEET IZTACCIHUATL,
NEVER WILL BE ERASED YOUR BEAUTIFULL EXPRESSION,
TAKE PEACEFULLY YOUR STAY ASIDE HER POPOCATEPETL,
NEVER WILL BE FORGET THE ETERNAL FIRE OF YOURLOVE.
LOVE HISTORY IZTACCIHUATL Y POPOCATEPETEL
THIS ONE ISALEGEND OF MÉXICO:
THE LEGEND TELLS SO LONG TIME AGO, WHEN THE AZTECS ARRIVEO '1'0 THE ANAHUAC VALLEY AND MOUNTAINS
DON'T HAVE A
OEFINEO FROM, THERE WAS BORN IN THE GREAT CITY TENOCHTITLAN A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS NAMED MIXTLI, ONLY DAUGHTER OF TIZOC, 'l'H E "'l'LATO ANI" (EMPEROR / GREAT LORO) OF THE MEXICAS. MANY MEN
WANTEO '1 '0 Married Her
YEAR WAS LIKE THEMIS There AXOOXCO, The Claims Her BLOODYCRUELLORD WHO; BUTTHELOVEOFTHE
Princess Belong '1 '0 The Young Warrior Poor NAME Popoca.
'1 '0 '1 '0 Gain Dispute THE RIGHT OF THE HANO 'l'H and Princess Against AXOOXCO, Popoca WAR Goes On Campaign '1 '0 Wing Highest TITLE AN Aztec Warrior: THE "EAGLEKNIGHT" THIS WAS
The OISTINGUISHEO
Military CLASSRESERVEO onl y '1 '0 'l'H Noble YEAR AND MOST
BRAVO ............................ .......... . THE Empire. But
Many OAYS Month YEAR PASS OUT WITH NEWS OF YEAR MIXTLI DIEO Sadness Thinking OIEO Loved Her TRUE ON THE BATTLEFIELO Without KNOWLEOGE Popoca FINALY THE RETURN VICTOURIOUS.
HE Tooker OF THE Booy Her PRINCESS A ND GOES '1'0 'l'H E MOUNTAIN THINKING SHE WAS ONLY SLEEPING AND MAYBE THE SNOWCOULO AWAKES HER HE MAOE A BONFIRE ANO HE STAYEO ASIOE ON HER FEET WAITING THE MOMENT '1'0 BE REJOINEO AGAIN ANO THIS TIME FOREVER.
ANOETERNAL WAIT... BUTTHE STORYNO ENOS HERE...
EVEN IF THEIR BOOIES ARE GONE, TOOAY YOU CAN STILI. SEE THEM, IF SOMEDA Y YOU VISIT THE CITIES OF MÉXICO AND PUEBLA STATE,
WATCH THEHORIZON AND YOU CAN SEE TWOO BEAUTIFUL VOLCANOES ONE NEAR EACH THE OTHER: THE "POPOCATEPETL" (SMOKING MOUNTAIN).
MANY CENTURIES HAVE PAST SINCE THEN AND THE LOVERS STAY T H E R E TOGETHER...ANO FOREVER.
TAKE PEACEFULLY YOUR SLEEP SWEET IZTACCIHU ATL,
NEVER WILL BE ERASED YOUR BEAUTIFULL EXPRESSION,
TAKE PEACEFULLY YOUR STAY ASIDE HER POPOCATEPETL,
NEVER WILL BE FORGET THE ETERNAL FIRE OF YOURLOVE.
