True civilization means developing consciousness to know and love God, not merely maintaining the body like animals.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Interview — September 9, 1972, Pittsburgh 720909IV-PITTSBURGH [31:10 Minutes] Interview_720909IV-PITTSBURGH Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] We have got experience of the sky. Some parts of the world the sky is cloudy just like London and northern parts of Europe they are always cloudy. Similarly in the tropical zone the sky is clear.
The sky is the same generally the part of the creation where God consciousness is very meagre that is called material world. And the part of the creation where God consciousness is very prominent that is called Vaikuṇṭha or spiritual world. So accorded to Vedic instruction this part of the creation where God consciousness is not very distinct that is called darkness and the other part of the sky where God consciousness is very clear and that is called light. So the Vedic injunction is, tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28], don’t remain in darkness come to the light. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving the information of the world of light. There are different religious faiths just like we said, Christian faith, Jewish faith, Hindu faith but our formula is that the faith which gives clear idea of God and teaches the followers how to love God that is first-class. It doesn’t matter of whether it is Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion the formula is, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6].
That religion is first-class which teaches the follower how to love the Supreme Absolute Truth which is beyond our sense perception, adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje means beyond the sense perception. We cannot see with our this eyes, we cannot see God we cannot understand God’s holy name, we cannot understand God’s qualities but when these senses are purified then we can see God, we can hear God, we can understand the quality of God, form of God. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the process of cleansing the heart so that one can see God. This is the sum and substance. Interviewer: And this cleansing and the ultimate seeing and understanding is that in this life or is that in… Prabhupāda: In this life. Interviewer: Is there an afterlife in your… Prabhupāda: In this life, just like.
One who has got eyes to see to understand in the morning although he is within the room he can understand there is sunrise. Any intelligent man by moving the curtain he can understand now there is sunrise although he doesn’t see the sun actually face-to-face. Similarly when our heart is cleansed we can understand what is God, how he is working, where is his place, what is his name, what is his fame, everything. There are... Just like in your country there are many men or foolish men they do not know who is the president, or what is his name, where is his address but any intelligent man knows who is president, what is his name, where is his address, what does he do, everything.
It is a question of intelligence and not intelligence. Interviewer: A question of intelligence and not... Prabhupāda: None, no intelligence. Interviewer: Do you, do you try to strive for happiness now or. Prabhupāda: Yes, happiness as soon as you know God you become happy, yenātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.1.11]. As soon as your. Your relationship with God is there because you are part and parcel of God but now you have forgotten, everyone is thinking in terms of this body. “I am American body, I am Indian body, I am German body, I am black body, I’m white body,” but within the body the soul is there, just like your coat is there, the shirt is there and then your body is there. Similarly you have got this gross body, material and then there is subtle body.
Mind, intelligence and ego and then there is soul. So when one comes to the platform of soul he can see God. And when one is covered by the gross and subtle body and identifies himself with this body, he cannot understand God. Generally people are in the bodily concept of life.
“I am American, I am Indian, I’m Hindu, I’m Muslim, I’m Christian,” these are all bodily designations. So one has to go deep, first of all body, then mind, then soul. Interviewer: Then once you reach that platform. Prabhupāda: Then we can understand God, your relationship with God. The more you advance on that platform, that is knowledge and the more you advance on bodily platform that is ignorance. The modern civilisation is teaching only bodily concept of life.