Danger of Communism

Waking people up to the danger
excerpt from morning walk conversation, Los Angeles, December 12, 1973

Around the Globe

America has to Stop Demonism A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

SVARUPA DAMODARA: They want to stop spread of communism.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Similarly, now America has to do the same thing to stop demonism. Then your nation will be leader. You understand; you have trust in God. Now it is your business to trust in real God and work for Him. You cannot... I have explained already. You cannot stop communism. You have to stop demonism. That is your real business. Communism is another type of demonism. So if you remain a demon, so what is the use of stopping another demonism? The same example: stool, the upside is dried up. You cannot say, "Because it is upside of stool, it is better side." Stool is stool. more

Prabhupada: There are two classes of men: the communist and the non-communist. Not exactly communist and capitalist, but communist and non-communist. Out of these two, the communists are going to be powerful. This is the world tendency. So if the world becomes full of communists, then the human civilization will be finished. All rogues and rascals, that's all. The American government wants to check this tendency. But they cannot check it if they remain so-called "trust in God". That will not be possible. ... Two classes of men are there: sura and asura [godly and demoniac, or godless]. So if the Americans remain godless in the name of so-called trust in God, they will not be able to check this communistic movement. They will not be able. Now, if they are serious to check this communistic movement, save the American country as well as the whole world, then they must be very serious to understand what is God and explain what is meant by God. Demons, they... If the communists are demons and the capitalists are also demons, fighting between demons, there will be war and loss of life, but nobody will come out victorious. That is going on. There is occasional world war, but the situation of the world remains the same. No party has become able to change the situation of the world. What do you think, Karandhara?

Karandhara: No, no significant change.

Prabhupada: Simply they fight and loss of life and money, energy. War must be for the good. If there is some war, it must be for some good. But where is that goodness? The world remains the same; rather, it becomes worse. Then why fight? But they will fight. Because both of them demons, they will fight. But not for any good result. War means... War is not bad. Just like disease. If somebody is diseased, then he becomes healthy. The whole polluted situation of the body becomes repaired. Just like when you get a boil or dysentery, all the poisons of the body, they become purged out. Then your health becomes nice. That is the law, nature's law. Similarly, war or famine or pestilence, they are meant for purging out all undesirable men. But the demonic principle is so strong that it is not becoming so. Make this approach. The Americans have placed in their constitution, "In God we Trust." It should be done very scientifically and philosophically, what is God and what is that trust—not a vague idea. Vague ideas will not help. They will not be able to conquer over the atheistic world. Actually, if there is organized party who believe in God factually, then this demon class of men will always be vanquished. Yes. Just like there was war between the surasura, demigods and the asuras. God, Vishnu, took side of the demigods and came out victorious. But if both of them are demons, why Vishnu will take side of anyone of them? "You fight and go to hell." That is going on.

Umapati: I think that we were discussing the political possibilities of putting devotees into office, and we came up with the astounding discovery that we almost represent everything that is against western values. We represent austerity. We represent God consciousness. We represent restriction of sexual freedom, intoxication. All the four regulative principles are almost totally in opposite to western desires.

Prabhupada: That means western people are all demons.

Umapati: So the problem is trying to get into office under those circumstances, to make that known that "We stand for this," and to have anybody vote for you.

Prabhupada: [laughs] Nobody may vote but we must go on preaching. That I have already explained... The whole country is illiterate. Does it mean university should be stopped? University must be there. One who is fortunate will come and take education. It is not an argument that "People are illiterate. They don't care for it. Therefore let the university be closed." This is no argument.

Yashomatinandan: Gradually they will develop attraction.

Prabhupada: Yes, we have to work. That is preaching. You don't think preaching is so easy going. Eating, sleeping, and sometimes chanting, "Haribol," that's all. That is not preaching. We must be ready to implant Krishna consciousness ideas, throughout the whole world.

Umapati: That probably won't happen overnight, though.

Prabhupada: The Deity worship program is meant for us to keep us safe. If we neglect Deity worship, we shall also fall. But that is not the all duty finished. Archayam eva haraye pujam yah shraddhayehate. Archa means Deity. If anyone is worshiping the Deity very nicely, but he does not know anything more—who is devotee, who is nondevotee, what is the duty to the world—he is material devotee. He is material devotee. So we have to take the responsibility to understand who is actually a pure devotee and what is our duty to the people in general, and then you make advancement. Then you become madhyama-adhikari. Madhyama-adhikari, advanced devotee. Just like these people, either in India or here, they remain simply churchianity, going to the church without any understanding. Therefore it is failing. It is now... Churches are being closed. Similarly, if you do not keep yourself fit to preach, then your temples will be all closed in due course of time. Without preaching, you'll not feel enthused to continue the temple worship. And without temple worship, you cannot keep yourself pure and clean. The two things must go on, parallel. Then there is success. In modern time, either Hindus, Muslim or Christian, because in these places there is no teaching of philosophy, therefore they are closing, either mosque or temple or church. They will close.

Prajapati: They can show no good result for their activities.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is preaching. Therefore we are writing so many books. Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Krishna will be finished within few years. Because there will be no life. How long one can artificially go on, "Hare Krishna! Haribol!" That will be artificial, no life.

Yashomatinandan: That's right Prabhupada. We are so foolish, we never realize anything unless you tell us like that. Without preaching...

Prabhupada: Without preaching, without understanding philosophy, you cannot keep your strength. Everyone should be thoroughly well-conversed with the philosophy which we are putting... That means you must read thoroughly every day. So many books we have got. And Bhagavata is so perfect that any verse you read, you get a new enlightenment. It is so nice. Either Bhagavad-gita or Bhagavata. But it is not ordinary writing.

Umapati: I have tried to put your Bhagavad-gita into some schools, and they say, "Well," some of them, if they do have a Bhagavad-gita, they say, "Well, we have a Bhagavad-gita." I say, "This is an entirely different understanding of the Bhagavad-gita," and they say, "Well, it's just somebody else's opinion and we don't have that much interest in a variety of opinions on the same book."

Prabhupada: It is not the opinion. We are placing the Bhagavad-gita as it is, without opinion.

Umapati: Well. Those are those terms. It is very difficult to overcome those...

Prabhupada: So preaching is always difficult. That I have repeatedly saying. You cannot take preaching very easy-going. Preaching must be fight. Do you mean to say fighting is easy thing? Fighting is not easy thing. Whenever there is fight, there is danger, there is responsibility. So preaching means... What is the preaching? Because people are ignorant, we have to enlighten them. That is preaching.

Nara-narayana: When you came to the western world, no one anywhere believed that it would be successful I think. But actually, it has become very successful, by preaching.

Prabhupada: I myself did not believe I shall be successful, what to speak of others, but because I did in the proper line, so it has become successful.

Yashomatinandan: Yes, Krishna is so kind that we expect something and He gives us hundred times more.

Prabhupada: Oh yes.

Yashomatinandan: So if we simply follow your instructions, then I am sure that it will come out glorious.

Nara-narayana: So if we are in the proper line, then our political activities also can become successful?

Prabhupada: Oh yes. Why not? Krishna was in politics. So Krishna consciousness means all-round: social, political, philosophical, religious, cultural, everything. It is not one-sided. They take it as... They do not know. Therefore they are thinking it is a religious movement. No, it is all-including, all-including, all-pervasive.

Umapati: Well, they have incorporated a particular philosophy into the constitution requiring separation of church and state, what they call separation of church and state in this country.

Prabhupada: Yes, this is... We have already separated. Chatur-varnyam maya. Brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra. That is already separated.

Umapati: So there are certain restrictions about religious organizations entering politics.

Prabhupada: So what does it mean? Christians, they do not take part in politics?

Umapati: Well, they can't do it as...

Karandhara: Not the churches.

Prabhupada: No, not the churches. Our grihasthas will take part. The sannyasis will give advice. Directly the grihasthas will fight. ...There should be an administrative class. That is... Now it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. There should be four classes: brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra. Now, it is spoken by God. Therefore it should be rejected? Does it mean? God is for everything. What is this nonsense? And Krishna acted as kshatriya. Therefore He should not be God? Is that very good argument? God is all-inclusive. And religion means God's word, carrying out God's word. That is religion. So how you can make separate?

Karandhara: Well, you can't, but they do.

Prabhupada: They do everything, but they are demons. They do mental concoction. Why these politicians say, "In God we believe, we trust"? Why this nonsense?

Umapati: They fear theocracy. They fear being ruled by a priestly class. That is a very old fear in the west.

Prabhupada: No, no, that's all right. But if the politicians, administration, trust in God, that becomes religious. How they separate? Currency note is economic problem. So how they are mixing with God? They are contradictory. You cannot separate God from any field of activities. And religion, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Our definition of religion is to abide by the order of God. So does it mean, the politicians they do not abide by the orders of God? Then why do they write, "In God we trust"?

Karandhara: Well before, traditionally...

Prabhupada: Not before or now. What we are speaking on the actual fact, that how they are writing, "In God we trust." As soon as you bring in God, that is religion. That is general meaning.

Karandhara: There is a movement to take that off the money.

Prabhupada: Therefore we have to start this movement seriously, not to take that. You cannot change it. Then you become demons. Therefore I am warning you that before they, these rascals change, you take the advantage of it, that "You cannot change. Then you become demons, you are animals. If you withdraw your trust from God, then you are animals. So we are not going to be governed by the animals." That should be the people's voice. Educate people to become Krishna conscious and they will yell, "No, we are not going to be governed by the animals. We want real men." That should be your demand. Therefore I am warning you, that before they do that, you become strong, so that they cannot do it. Rather, they may understand, yes, what we are speaking is all right. That is preaching.

Nara-narayana: Actually, when they formed the country and made the constitution, the concept was they were basically they believed in God, but they were afraid that some religion would become politically powerful and disturb the...

Prabhupada: So what does...? But that means they do not understand what is meant by religion. They are thinking religion means some fanatical faith. They are meaning that. That is the whole world conception of religion. But actual religion we are now preaching, actual, what is religion. Religion means... Just like Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam: [Bhagavad-gita 18.66] "Give up all rascal religion. Surrender unto Me." So who is a sane man who will deny, "No, I don't surrender to God"? Who is a sane man? He must be insane. Anyone who says that "I don't like God, I don't like to surrender unto Him," then he must be insane. He has already surrendered. He is going on under the condition of surrender, but it is not done very... Just like a prisoner. He is already surrendered to the government. Still, he says, "I don't care for government." This is the position. He's a madman. The state arrests him, kicks him, and puts him in the jail. Still, he says, "I don't care for government." So what can be done? "We don't care for the government." Just like Gandhi started civil disobedience movement, disobedience to the government laws, but all the whole stock was put into jail and they were beaten with shoes. But still, they said, "No, we are..." This is an example. Similarly, everyone is obeying, surrendering to God. But because they are rascal and fools, they are denying that we have surrendered. This is their position, madness. Nobody can stay without surrendering to God. It is not possible.

Umapati: Well, in a madhouse, a sane man is the only one considered mad.

Prabhupada: Yes. So, "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." That is already there. So we have to act by the order of Krishna, not by the votes of the madmen. Just see the fun. Everyone is under control. Who is free? It is simply illusion. They are thinking, "I am free." Nobody is free. Under the stringent laws of nature, and still, he is thinking, "I don't care for God." This is madness. This is madness. Already under the laws of God, but still, he's protesting, "No, I don't care for God. There is no God." So we have to save these madmen from further deterioration. This is Krishna consciousness movement.