View source for Is it (understanding God) possible for poverty-stricken people, those who have to earn bread and money by the sweat of their brow?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1975]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationwithPressRepresentativeMarch211975Calcutta_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="34" link="Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta" link_text="Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta">
<div class="heading">According to śāstra, poverty is no impediment for understanding God. Because we see practically that those who are great souls, they have voluntarily accepted poverty.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta|Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Guest: So what is the idea behind the movement?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Behind the movement, that... This is the idea, that you try to understand the Supreme Being behind all, everything. That is perfection.</p>
:idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā
:sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ
:avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito
:yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.5.22|SB 1.5.22]])
<p>Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā. Everyone, big, big philosophers, scientists, they are engaged in tapasya and education, but they do not know what is the ultimate goal of this tapasya. The scientist is working very hard, and he has discovered a nuclear bomb to kill.</p>
<p>Guest: And what is the ultimate goal of tapasya?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Tapasya means that by his knowledge... Suppose you are scientist. You prove by scientific way that here is the supreme scientist who has given us all these laws.</p>
<p>Guest: Is it possible to see the Supreme?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Guest: With our own eyes?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.</p>
<p>Guest: It is possible?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Even if it is not possible, but you have to accept there is a supreme scientist. If you cannot see Him, that is your disqualification. That is your disqualification. But you have to admit that there is a supreme scientist. If you say that hydrogen and oxygen mixed together makes water, that's all right. But who has created this big sea and ocean? Wherefrom the hydrogen, oxygen came? Who supplied? That is intelligence. Simply theoretical I know, but I cannot say who has created this big, vast mass of water by mixing hydrogen, oxygen. Wherefrom such huge quantity of hydrogen, oxygen came? Our point of view, that you scientists, you say that hydrogen, oxygen creates water, and here we see that somebody has created, but not somebody will know who is that body, how great He is. And that is our credit. If you want little credit by experimenting, hydrogen, oxygen mixed together, then how much credit should be given who has created the vast Atlantic Ocean, not only one, millions! Why don't you give credit?</p>
<p>Guest: You should give.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our point.</p>
<p>Guest: But are you not giving credit?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, nobody is giving. They are denying. Especially these so-called scientists, they are denying the existence of God.</p>
<p>Devotee: "God is dead."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: "God is dead" or "There is no God." "By science, we shall do everything," and this and..., all nonsense theories. Our proposition is that glorify that supreme scientist. Yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam.</p>
<p>Guest: And the supreme scientist is God.</p>
<p>Devotee: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: He's God. Yes.</p>
<p>Guest: God, or you can give another name as you like, any way.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, God or the Supreme Being. God means the Supreme Being in the dictionary. He is not like you, not like me.</p>
<p>Guest: What about...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Anyway, He is supreme. We are not supreme. But this subordinate person, he wants to take the position of the supreme by manufacturing a drop of water in the laboratory.</p>
<p>Guest: So what is the easiest way to see the Supreme Being with our own eyes?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That you have to take advice from the Supreme. The Supreme says, "If you want to know Me..." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 18.55|BG 18.55]]). You have to take the way of the Supreme. "Simply by devotional service one can understand Me, what I am actually, is." You have to take this way. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching everyone this bhakti-yogam so that one can understand the Supreme and submit to Him, yes. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.19|BG 7.19]]). When one understands by acquiring knowledge after many, many births, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.19|BG 7.19]]). This is the first-class mahātmā. That we are teaching. It is not a sentiment. Most scientific.</p>
<p>Guest: Is it possible for poverty-stricken people, those who have to earn bread and money by the sweat of their brow?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: According to śāstra, poverty is no impediment for understanding God. Because we see practically that those who are great souls, they have voluntarily accepted poverty.</p>
<p>Guest: Just like Pratapudro(?).</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Many. Just like Vyāsadeva. There is no comparison of his literature. One cannot write one line like him. But he was living in a cottage. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, such a great politician, he was living in a cottage. He did not keep any Rolls Royce car or like that. Rather, this material opulence is impediment to understand God. So it is not that I say, comparatively inferior, not that material opulence is also another check, no. Neither poverty is check nor material opulence is check. Anyone can understand if he follows the principle or process.</p>
<p>Guest: Process as laid down in Gītā?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the ABCD. Then you can go further on. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, there is everything explained, everything. All problems are solved. Any problem you propose, there is solution in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now this poverty, as you raised this question, poverty, so what is written there in the Bhagavad-gītā? Annād bhavanti bhūtāni ([[Vanisource:BG 3.14|BG 3.14]]). This is instruction, that "You produce food grain." Now, suppose Calcutta is a big city. Who is producing food grain? Everyone is trying to purchase food grain. But who is thinking that "Wherefrom the food grain will come?" Just see the foolishness of the people. You have to produce food grain. And there is ample facility. But throughout the whole world there are hundreds and thousands of cities. Now, who is producing food grain? The solution is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. He said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Kṛṣṇa never said, "By motor tire bhavanti bhūtāni." Bhavanti means flourish. Everyone is engaged in producing motor tire, car, and they are flattering the Arabians for petrol. The same energy, if it would have been engaged in producing food grain, then where is the poverty? (Someone enters) Oh! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Jaya.</p>
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