View source for Actually God is everywhere. But so long I am not purified, I have to see God as they are prescribed in the sastra. Here the Deity, He is God, but because I have no power to see God, therefore I see that - Oh, it is made of wood. It is made of metal

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"But so long I am not purified, I have to see God as they are prescribed in the sastra"|"so actually God is everywhere"|"that's a fact"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Bhaktavasagovinda}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|02Dec11}}
{{last|02Dec11}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Actually]]
[[Category:God]]
[[Category:Everywhere]]
[[Category:So Long]]
[[Category:Purified]]
[[Category:I Have To]]
[[Category:See God]]
[[Category:Prescription]]
[[Category:Sastra]]
[[Category:Deity]]
[[Category:He (Krsna)]]
[[Category:Because]]
[[Category:No Power]]
[[Category:Therefore]]
[[Category:Made]]
[[Category:Wood]]
[[Category:Metal]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB294JapanApril221972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="407" link="Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972">
<div class="heading">If God is everywhere, why not in the temple? These are the atheistic proposal. If God is everywhere, so why not in the temple? In the temple I can see God, at least. The form of God, it is being worshiped, offered prasādam. So there is a spiritual atmosphere. So why shall I not go to the temple? So actually God is everywhere. That's a fact. But so long I am not purified, I have to see God as they are prescribed in the śāstra.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972|Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: ...gata-sammohas tyaktvodāste tadobhayam. So chant this verse, beginning from... Practice.</p>
<p>Karandhara: Brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Brahmaṇe darśayan. Darśayan. Brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ. Go on reading.</p>
<p>Karandhara: Brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam. (devotees chant śloka with Śrīla Prabhupāda correcting)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You try to follow the transcription because you do not know devanāgarī alphabet. When there is chanting you follow the transcription.</p>
:ātma-tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ
:yad āha bhagavān ṛtam
:brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam
:avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ
:([[Vanisource:SB 2.9.4|SB 2.9.4]])
<p>So read every verse. Practice it. Give everyone. (break) Purification means that one will be able to see God face to face. That is purification. Just like in the sky, as soon as the cloud is moved, dissipated, you can see the sun immediately. This is the process. God is everywhere, within and without. So why He is not seen? Because our senses are not perfect. God is everywhere. They say, "Oh, why you are going to temple. God is everywhere," as if he has seen God. These rascals say like that. "What is the use of going to temple? God is everywhere." Have you seen? No one has. You see?(?) Is it not, sometimes they say?</p>
<p>Sudāmā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If God is everywhere, why not in the temple? These are the atheistic proposal. If God is everywhere, so why not in the temple? In the temple I can see God, at least. The form of God, it is being worshiped, offered prasādam. So there is a spiritual atmosphere. So why shall I not go to the temple? So actually God is everywhere. That's a fact. But so long I am not purified, I have to see God as they are prescribed in the śāstra. Here the Deity, He is God, but because I have no power to see God, therefore I see that "Oh, it is made of wood. It is made of metal." That is my imperfect senses (perception?). But God is there also. God is everywhere, so God is here also. Why you are talking of metal and wood? From reasoning, argument, if God is everywhere, why not He is in the metal or wood? In your eyes it is metal, but we see God. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as saw Jagannātha, He fainted. Therefore viśuddhy-artham. Ātma-tattva-viśuddhy-artham.</p>
<p>So we have to learn how to purify our senses. Then we can see God everywhere. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Brahma-saṁhitā. Premāñjana-cchurita. When we develop love of God, prema añjana, that ointment... Just like we apply some ointment to the eyes to make it clear—our vision becomes clearer—similarly, there is ointment which is called love of Godhead. If we develop that love of Godhead, so by that ointment, when our imperfect eyes will be cleansed, then we can see God. This is the process. Ātma-tattva. So ātma-tattva viśuddhy-artham. Ātma-tattva. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So the beginning of purification is first of all to understand "what I am. Am I this body or something else?" Ātma-tattva. If we can understand "myself, what I am," then I can understand God also. Or if I can understand God, then I can understand me also. Just like if you see the sun, you can see yourself also. In the darkness you cannot see yourself, neither the sun.</p>
<p>So that is called ātma-tattva. Light. At night, darkness, dense darkness, you cannot see anything. I am walking in the dark, but I cannot see my hands and legs, where I am going. I am afraid: "Whether I shall fall into some ditch?" This is my position. Therefore it has to be purified. Ātma-tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ yad āha bhagavān ṛtam: "Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality, as He says..." So therefore we have to cleanse ourself, viśuddhy-artha. In order to cleanse, we have to hear from Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is coming. Out His causeless mercy He is coming to reveal Himself, Kṛṣṇa: "It is like this. I am like this. You are like this." Both things. First, beginning, Kṛṣṇa said, "You are not this body." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca... ([[Vanisource:BG 2.11|BG 2.11]]). "Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but you do not know what you are—not this body. You are not this body. Why you are lamenting for this body, your body and your brother's body, your grandfather's body, your children's body? But you are not body."</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>