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Saints and Swindlers (Part 2 of 4)
Saints and Swindlers
>From the book "The Science of Self Realization"
By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(c) 1984 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International
Used with permission
Part 2 of 4
Reporter: If I wanted to be initiated into your society, what would I have
to do ?
Srila Prabhupada: First of all, you'd have to give up illicit sex life.
Reporter: Does that include all sex life ? What is illicit sex life ?
Srila Prabhupada: Illicit sex is sex outside of marriage. Animals have sex
with no restriction, but in human society there are restriction. In every
country and in every religion there is some system of restricting sex
life. You would also have to give up all intoxicants, including tea,
cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana - anything that intoxicates.
Reporter: Anything else ?
Srila Prabhupada: You'd also have to give up eating meat, eggs, and
fish. And you'd have to give up gambling as well. Unless you gave up
these four sinful activities, you could nto be initiated.
Reporter: How many followers do you have throughout the world ?
Srila Prabhupada: For anything genuine, the followers may be very few.
For something rubbish, the followers may be many. Still, we have about
five thousand initiated disciples.
Reporter: Is the Krsna consciousness movement growing all the time ?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, it is growing - but slowly. This is because we
have so many restrictions. People do not like restrictions.
Reporter: Where is your following the greatest ?
Srila Prabhupada: In the United States, Europe, South America, and
Australia. And, of course, in India there are millions who practice Krsna
consciousness.
Reporter: Could you tell me what the goal of your movement is ?
Srila Prabhupada: The purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement
is to awaken man's original consciousness. At the present moment our
consciousness is designated. Someone is thinking, "I am an
Englishman," and another is thinking, "I am American." Actually, we do
not belong to any of these designations. We are all part and parcel of
God; that is our real identity. If everyone simply comes to that
consciousness, all the problems of the world will be solved. Then we
shall come to know that we are one - the same quality of spirit soul.
The same quality of spirit soul is within everone, although it may be in a
different dress. This is the explanation given in the Bhagavad-gita.
Krsna consciousness is actually a purificatory process (
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam). Its purpose is to make people free from all
designations (tat-paratvena nirmalam). When our consciousness
becomes purified of all designations, the activities we carry out with our
purfied senses make us perfect. Eventually, we reach the ideal
perfection of human life. Krsna consciousness is also a very simple
process. It is not necessary to become a great philosopher, scientist, or
whatever. We need only chant the holy name of the Lord,
understanding that His personality, His name, and His qualitites are all
absolute.
Krsna consciousness is a great science. Unfortunately, in the
universities there is no department for this science. Therefore we invite
all serious men who are interested in the welfare of human society to
understand this great movement and, if possible, take part in it and
cooperate with us. The problems of the world will be solved. This is also
the verdict of the Bhagavad-gita, the most important and authoritative
book of spiritual knowledge. Many of you have heard of the
Bhagavad-gita. Our movement is based on it. Our movement is
approved by all great acaryas in India. Ramanujarcarya, Madhvacarya,
Lord Caitanya, and so many others. You are all representatives of
newspapers, so I ask you to try to understand this movement as far as
possible for the good of all human society.
Reporter:Do you think your movement is the only way to know God ?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes.
Reporter: How are you assured of that ?
Srila Prabhupada: From the authorities and from God, Krsna. Krsna
says:
sarva-dharman parityaiya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"Abondon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall
deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." [Bhagavad-gita 18.66]
Reporter: Does "surrender" mean that someone would have to leave his
family ?
Srila Prabhupada: No.
Reporter: But suppose I were to become an initiate. Wouldn't I have to
come and live in the temple ?
Srila Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Reporter: What about Work ? Would I have to give up job ?
Srila Prabhupada: No, you'd simply have to give up your bad habits and
chant the Hare Krsna mantra on these beads - that's all.
Reporter: Would I have to give any financial support.
Srila Prabhupada: No, that is your voluntary wish. If you give, that's all
right. And if you don't, we don't mind. We do not depend on anyone's
financial contribution. We depend on Krsna.
Reporter: I wouldn't have to give any money at all ?
Srila Prabhupada: No.
Reporter: Is this one of the main things that distinguishes the genuine
guru from the fake guru ?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, a genuine guru is not a business man. He is a
representative of God. Whatever God says, the guru repeats. he does
not speak otherwise.
Reporter: But would you expect to find a real guru, say, travelling in a
Rolls Royce and staying in a penthouse suite in a classy hotel ?
Srila Prabhupada: Sometimes people provide us with a room in a
first-class hotel, but we generally stay in our own temples. We have
some one hundred temples around the would, so we don't require to go
to any hotels.
Reporter: I wasn't trying to make any accusations. I was merely trying to
illustrate that I think your warning is a valid one. There are so many
people interested in finding a spiritual life, and at the same time there
are a lot of people interested in cashing in on the "guru business."
(continued)
