View source for God is also a living entity like us, but He is the Supreme. Krsna appears just like human being, but He is Supreme

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[[Category:Krsna's Appearance]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG43439LosAngelesJanuary121969_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="198" link="Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969">
<div class="heading">In the Kaṭhopaniṣad it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is also a living entity like us, but He is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa appears just like human being, but He is Supreme. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). You will find in the Tenth Chapter.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969|Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: And absurd inquiries. Absurd inquiries... Just like somebody goes to a so-called spiritual master. There are so many stories, that such-and-such person approached his spiritual master, and he asked his spiritual master, "Can you show me God?" And the spiritual master immediately showed him God. You see? This rascaldom is going on.</p>
<p>Suppose if you go to a professor and if you say, "Oh, if you are a professor, can you make me immediately M.A.?" and if he says, "Yes, why not?" then are you not a fool? He is also fool. The so-called spiritual master is also rascal, and the man who has gone to him, he is also rascal. God is so cheap thing that immediately you go to a rascal and he shows you God immediately? Is it magic? But these things are going on. "Oh, such and such swamiji had a spiritual master who immediately showed him God." Huh? Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest, and he had practiced so much penance and austerities. Then he saw God. And I can see God immediately without being trained, without undergoing training? No. It is not possible.</p>
<p>These are absurd thing. Suppose if you are not qualified, how you can see things? Suppose if you have never seen what is ten dollar note, then, if you ask somebody, "Can you give me ten dollar note?" and if he gives you one piece of paper, "Yes, it is $10 note," then are you not cheated? You must know what is $10 note. Otherwise you'll be satisfied with a paper, piece of paper. That's all. If you do not know God, then how you can see God?</p>
<p>You have to check it. You go to a market place. You buy something. Suppose you buy, purchase one knife. You know what is knife. It must be a sharpened instrument. You see how it is cutting. You test it. So suppose if you go on to somebody to see God, how you'll test it if you do not know what is God? Then he will give you, supply you, deliver you one dog, and you understand, "This is God." So what is your testing power? At least, you must have some theoretical knowledge what is God. So these things are going on, absurd things. You must know what is God.</p>
<p>Just like here the Bhagavad-gītā is the description, what is God, how He is creating. You know that God has created this world. Now, here there is description how He creates. So such inquiries, such spiritual master, is overcrowded, but you have, if you are sincere, then you have to find out some spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, who knows about the science of God. Then you try to see God. Otherwise you'll be cheated.</p>
<p>Somebody says, "Oh, everyone is God." Oh, he becomes puffed-up: "I am also God." But what you know about God? You are thinking, "My spiritual master has said that I am God." But you should not inquire that "How I become God?" We learn from scripture, God has created this material universe. Oh, what I have created? And still I am puffed-up—"I am God"? So this cheating business is going on. So these are absurd. Absurd inquiries are condemned herewith. Yes. One must approach to the real spiritual master in submission. Inquire from him by rendering service. Then, gradually, you learn the science.</p>
<p>Here we are teaching our students—not abruptly say that "You have learned." We are teaching them Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, so many books. And we are discussing about God practically whole day and night. We are publishing paper. So in this way one has to learn.</p>
<p>It is not a cheap thing that immediately you learn God. But if you are submissive, if you are really inquisitive, then God reveals unto you. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you are actually in service spirit, then He reveals. That is God-realization. Go on.</p>
<p>Madhudviṣa: "One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him..."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Madhudviṣa: "...with submission, and service, and inquiries."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Clear understanding. Don't accept anything. First of all there must be submissiveness, no challenge. But at the same time, you must clearly understand. Because you have submitted, it is not that you have to understand something dogmatic. No. Submission must be there, but at the same time, you should have clear understanding. This is science, not that if something is pushed and you are: "Oh, my spiritual master has said; therefore I accept it." That is fact, that you should, but at the same time, by inquiries, by inquisitiveness, you must clear everything. "Yes, God is like this." Go on.</p>
<p>Madhudviṣa: "A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind towards his disciple, and therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Perfect. This is the perfect way. Hm. Go on.</p>
<p>Madhudviṣa: Thirty-five: "And when you have thus learned the truth you will know that all living beings are My parts and parcels, that they are in Me and are Mine ([[Vanisource:BG 4.35|BG 4.35]])."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: This is knowledge. When one understands that God is such and such by the mercy of spiritual master, by studying, by serving, then what is that understanding? "When you have thus learned the truth you will know that all living beings are My part and parcel." This is real knowledge. Part and parcel is not the whole. This finger is part and parcel of my body, but it is not the whole body, although you can call it body. Suppose somebody touches my finger. I can say, "Oh, why you have touched my body?" This can be called body, but it is, actually it is not body; it is finger.</p>
<p>Similarly, part and parcel of God can be called God, but he is not Supreme God. Therefore there are two words in Vedic language: ātmā, Paramātmā. Ātmā. Ātmā means living entities. We are all ātmās. And God is Paramātmā. And in the Kaṭhopaniṣad it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is also a living entity like us, but He is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa appears just like human being, but He is Supreme. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān ([[Vanisource:BG 10.12|BG 10.12]]). You will find in the Tenth Chapter. Although He appears...</p>
<p>Just like your President Nixon. He's also American gentleman. If she (he) appears here, he will appear just like one of you. But he is not one of you. He is distinct. Similarly, if the president is distinct, if the minister is distinct, then how much God is distinct from you. Try to understand.</p>
<p>You are claiming that "I am God." This is all nonsense. We are part and parcel. Part and parcel. Just like a small part of the Pacific Ocean, a small drop. You taste it; it is salty. So you can understand the whole Pacific Ocean is salty. Immediately you understand what is Pacific Ocean.</p>
<p>Similarly, if you study yourself, "What I am?"—that is called meditation—then you can understand God, that "God is like me also. But He is profuse, unlimited. I am limited. But the same qualities are there." Same qualities. Otherwise how can you get it? The part and parcel of gold is gold, but that is not whole gold. The quality is gold. You cannot say it is iron. Even a small particle of gold, no chemist will say, "No, it is iron." It is gold, but not that whole gold. This is understanding.</p>
<p>So one who approaches a bona fide spiritual master, then he can understand what is God and what is he. He does not make a conglomeration, what is called? A mixing up.</p>
<p>Devotees: Conglomeration.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. So here is the knowledge. Then? Go on.</p>
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