Boston

Why should I serve God?

Below is a very short part of a week-long series of talks between Srila Prabhupada and Bob Cohen (later to become Brahma tirtha das), a peace corps worker then living in India.

This is a very concise and potent explanation of why every living entity must serve the Supreme Entity – Krishna.

Prabhupada: Then the wings fly there, and the jaws catch the food, and after all he puts into the mouth. Similarly, as in this body, this particular example, the stomach is the enjoyer, similarly, the central figure of whole cosmic manifestation, material or spiritual, the central figure is Krishna, God. He's the enjoyer. We can understand. As in this particular body, the body is also a creation. The body has got the same mechanism as you will find out in the whole universe. The same mechanical, anywhere you go, you find even in animals or human body or in the cosmic manifestation. Almost the same mechanism. So as you understand very easily that in this body, my body, your body, the stomach is the enjoyer. Or there is a central enjoyer. And the stomach is friend also of everyone. Because if we cannot digest food, you see, then all other limbs of the body they become weak. Therefore stomach is the friend. It is digesting and distributing the energy to all the limbs of the body. Is it not?

Bob: It is so.

Prabhupada: Similarly, the central stomach of the whole creation is God, or Krishna. He's the enjoyer and He's the friend. He's maintaining everyone. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. Therefore He's friend of everyone. And everywhere… He is maintaining means everywhere He's the proprietor. Just like a king can maintain the whole country, citizens, because he's the proprietor. Without being proprietor, how he can become everyone's friend? So these things have to be understood, that Krishna is the enjoyer, Krishna is the proprietor, and Krishna is friend. If you know these three things, then your knowledge is full. You do not require to understand anything more. Yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. If you simply understand Krishna by these three formulas, then your knowledge is complete. You don't require any more knowledge. But people will not agree. "Why Krishna shall be proprietor? Hitler shall be proprietor.  Nixon …." That is going on. Therefore you are in trouble. But if you understand these three things only, then your knowledge is finished. But he'll not accept, he'll put forward so many impediments for understanding these three things. And that is the cause of our trouble. But Bhagavad-gita, in the Bhagavad-gita it is plainly said,

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

But we won't take this. We shall put forward so many false proprietor, false friends, false enjoyer, and they will fight one another. This is the situation of the world. If this education is given and people take this knowledge, there is peace, santim rcchati. Immediately there is peace. This is knowledge. And if anyone follows this principle, he's honest. He does not claim "It is mine." He knows it is Krishna's, so therefore everything should be utilized for Krishna's service. That is honesty. If this pencil belongs to me, the etiquette is… Just like my students sometimes do: "Can I use this pencil?" "Yes." This is etiquette, I say, "Yes, you can." Similarly, if I know that everything belongs to Krishna, without His permission I'll not use. That is honesty. And that is knowledge. And one does not know, he's ignorant, he's foolish, and foolish man commits all criminality. All criminals, they're foolish men. Out of ignorance, one commits law-breaking. So ignorance is not bliss, but it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. That is the difficulty. The whole world is enjoying ignorance, and when we say about Krishna consciousness, they do not very much appreciate. If I say, "Krishna is the proprietor, you are not proprietor," he'll not be very much satisfied. (laughs) Just see, ignorance is bliss. So it is my foolishness to say the real truth. Therefore it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. So we are taking the risk to offend people because they'll think we are fools. If I say to a rich man, "You are not proprietor, Krishna is proprietor. So whatever money you have got, spend for Krishna," he'll be angry. Murkha upadeso hi prakopaya na santaye. If you instruct a rascal, he'll be angry. Therefore we go as beggar. "My dear sir, you are very rich man. I am sannyasi beggar. So I want to construct a temple if you spare some money." So he'll be, "Oh, here is a beggar, give him some money." (laughter) But if I say "Dear sir, you have got millions of dollars at your disposal. That is Krishna's money. Give it to me. I am Krishna's servant." Oh, he will… (laughter) He'll not be very satisfied. Rather, if I go as a beggar, he would give something, and if I tell him the truth, he'll not give me a farthing. Therefore we take this beggar's dress. We are not beggar. We cheat him as beggar. We are not beggar. We are Krishna's servant, we are not beggar. We don't want anything from anyone. Because we know Krishna will provide everything.

Bob: Ahh.

Prabhupada: This is knowledge. Just like a child sometimes takes something important. He'll not spare it. So we have to flatter, "Oh, you are so nice, please take these lozenges and give me that paper. Hundred rupees, it is nothing. It is paper." (laughter) And he will, "Oh, yes, take. That's nice. That two-paise lozenges is very nice. It is sweet." So we have to do like that. Why? Because he'll go to hell taking Krishna's money. So some way or other, take some money from him and engage in Krishna consciousness movement.

Bob: And then he may not go to hell.

Prabhupada: Yes. You save him from going to hell. Because a farthing spent for Krishna it will be accounted, "Oh, this man has given a farthing." This is called ajnata-sukrti. Ajnata-sukrti means doing pious activities without knowledge. So we give everyone chance to act very piously without his knowledge. This is Krishna consciousness movement. Mahad-vicalanam nrnam grhinam dina-cetasam. Dina-cetasam. They're very poor in their thought. Therefore the saintly persons move just to enlighten him little, to give him chance to serve Krishna. That is saintly person's study.