[Posted August 5, 2007]

Blind man, lame man

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Washington Post August 5, 2007 - JOHN MCQUAID

The Can't-Do Nation

The bridge disaster also reflects a broader and more troubling problem. The United States seems to have become the superpower that can't tie its own shoelaces. America is a nation of vast ingenuity and technological capabilities. Its bridges shouldn't fall down.

And it's not just bridges. Has there ever been a period in our history when so many American plans and projects have, literally or figuratively, collapsed? In both grand and humble endeavors, the United States can no longer be relied upon to succeed or even muddle through. We can't remake the Middle East. We can't protect one of our own cities from a natural disaster or, it seems, rebuild after one. We can't rescue our citizens when they're on TV begging for help. We can't even give our wounded veterans decent medical care. We're supposed to be an optimistic, problem-solving nation, the country that tamed a vast wilderness, won World War II and the Cold War, put men on the moon, built the Panama Canal and the Hoover Dam. But somehow, can-do America has become a joke, an oxymoron. We've become the can't-do nation, slipping on every banana peel on the global stage. go to story

Sri Guru and Gauranga

Blind and the lame man combined together will perform a great task

conversation with disciples, Chicago, July 8, 1975

PRABHUPADA: Our knowledge in spiritual life and your help, material opulence, combined together, there will be great change in the whole world. Cooperate with us. There is no loss on your part, but there is great benefit to the whole world. Try to convince them. Although they are not very big authority, but still through them, you can approach bigger authorities.

Andha-kañja-nyaya. Andha-kañja-nyaya, you know that, the lame man and the blind man?

JAYATIRTHA: Oh, yes.

PRABHUPADA: So America is blind, and we are lame. So let us get on the shoulder of the American blind and give him direction, and both will be benefited. The whole world will be benefited. The America, blind, he cannot see where he is going. [chuckles] And for want of money we cannot make progress. So let the Americans take on the shoulder this lame man, and I will give direction, "Go this way. Go this way." Everything will be all right. Andha-kañja-nyaya. Take our direction. Everything will be all right. Take our direction, what is the loss on their part? Hmm? What is the possible loss? Why they will deny to take our direction? Tell them about this andha-kañja-nyaya.

JAYATIRTHA: Prabhupada was talking about the fact that the western world is blind and India is lame for lack of money. But by a combination there is very good effect. So if the western world takes us on its shoulders...

PRABHUPADA: Especially America.

JAYATIRTHA: Especially America. On its shoulders then we can give, Prabhupada can give direction, and they can provide the resources. America will provide the resources, and we will provide the direction.

PRABHUPADA: Approach the mayor and the police officers, through them, try to approach higher authorities. And what is that? We met yesterday?

HARIKESA: The public relations?

PRABHUPADA: Ah, public relation. So convince them to..., the Americans should take this Krishna consciousness movement on the shoulder, and because the Americans are blind, we shall give them direction on the shoulder, "Go this way. Go this way." So blind and the lame man combined together will perform a great task.

They are blindly, simply accumulating money, but they do not know how to utilize the money. They should take direction, authorized direction from us, and then it will be very nice. [break] ...not these concocted "isms." This "ism," that "ism," that "ism." Because it is, andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. These all rascals are blind. They do not know how to direct. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi vishnum durashaya [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.31]. They are trying to adjust the world affairs blindly. They do not know. So let us combine. Let them come forward, take direction from us. After all, your money, my money, your intelligence, my intelligence — everything belongs to Krishna. Sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishthah [Bhagavad-gita 15.15]. Krishna is giving intelligence. We must agree to take His good advice.

...Convince them that they are doing very nice, to their best capacity, but they are doing it blindly. You are very good driver, but if you are a blind man, then how you will drive? You will create disaster. So we can open their eyes so that their good driving capacity will be properly utilized. A good driver, blind, what he will do? Ajñana-timirandhasya. Darkness, it will not help. The western method of seeing things — blind eyes. Actually, they are blind. They are trying to see things with microscope. First of all you are blind. What you will see? Microscope, this machine or that machine, but you are blind. That they do not know. [break]

DEVOTEE: What should I do if I'd like to preach more and become free from my family entanglements?

PRABHUPADA: Just teach him what to do. Tell him.

TAMAL KRSNA: What was his ques... What should you do...?

DEVOTEE: I want to preach more and become free from my family entanglement.

TAMAL KRSNA: I think Jagadisa is having some preaching programs. So your family is no hindrance. Preaching is not hindered by family, one way or the other.

PRABHUPADA: Ahaituky apratihata. Why don't you understand? Preaching cannot be checked by anything — if you want to preach. In any circumstances you can preach. Pranair arthair dhiya vacha. Preaching can be executed by four things: by your life, by your money, by your intelligence, and by your words. You have got so many assets. So you can utilize it for preaching. Dedicate your life.

If you think that you are family man, you cannot dedicate twenty-four hours, then earn money and give it to Krishna consciousness movement as other family men, they are earning money. Eh? Is it not? You can earn. In America there is good facility for earning money. They want that you work and take money. So earn money as grihastha and give it to Krishna. Pranair arthair. If you cannot earn money, then use your intelligence. There are so many intellectual work: publication, going to this officer, that officer. You, intellectually you try. And vacha, by words. If you cannot do anything, go anyone, anywhere and say that "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just offer your obeisances." Finished. So where is the scarcity? You can serve Krishna in any capacity-provided you want to serve.

And if you want to engage Krishna for your service, that is blunder. Then it is blunder. You cannot engage Krishna to your service. The everyone is trying to engage Krishna for his service. They are going to the church, "O Krishna, give us our daily bread," that "You serve me. You give us our daily bread and serve me." And our proposition is, Yashodamayi, "Krishna, You are playing all day. Come on! Take food first of all." This is service. They are going to Krishna for asking daily bread. And here Yashodamayi is commanding, "Come here! If You don't eat, You will get lean and thin. Come on." This is Vaishnava philosophy.

Yashodamayi is concerned, "How Krishna will keep good health?" And we are concerned, "Krishna will go to hell. Please supply me food so that I might keep my health good." That is the difference between materialistic and spiritualist.

The foolish man does not understand that Krishna is supplying food to the elephant, to the ant, and why I shall go to the church for asking my food? It is already there.

And our policy is, "Krishna, Hare Krishna, please engage me in Your service." Hare Krishna means, "O Krishna, O the energy of Krishna, please engage me in Your service."

We create problem. Otherwise, no problem. Krishna has arranged everything. Ishavasyam idam sarvam [Ishopanishad mantra 1]. Just see so many fruits for the birds. They are so sumptuously supplied, they are thrown. Purnam idam [Isho Invocation]. Everything is sufficient. But these rascal blind, they do not know. They are trying to adjust. What adjustment? It is already sufficient. You are misusing that. Sufficient land, sufficient intelligence. Everything is sufficient. They are misusing. In Africa, in Australia, sufficient land, and they are raising cattle to kill them. This is their intelligence. And growing coffee and tea.

TAMAL KRSNA: And tobacco.

DEVOTEE: For money, for profit.

TAMAL KRSNA: And tobacco.

PRABHUPADA: Tobacco, by which... They know tobacco is bad, and they are utilizing time for growing tobacco and smoking tobacco. This is their intelligence. So blind men... Give them intelligence, these rascals. We call therefore only rascals. People are dying for want of food grains, and they are growing tobacco, which smoking, they will go to hell. This is their intelligence. Huh? What do you think?

SATSVARUPA: I agree.

PRABHUPADA: This is the idea.

SUDAMA: And they even indicate, Prabhupada, on the advertisements that smoking is hazardous for the health.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. [break] ...for money, the money which will push them to hell. This is their intelligence.

We have to give them intelligence, open their eyes. [break] ...angry first of all because murkhayo 'padesho hi prakopaya na shantaye: "If you give good intelligence to the fools and rascals, they will be angry." But still, you have to do it. Just like when Nityananda Prabhu went to Jagai-Madhai to deliver them, they became angry and injured [Nityananda Prabhu]. So that is preacher. These rascals will be angry, will sometimes do harm to you, and still, you have to do it. That is preaching. Are you understanding what is preaching? Yes. You have to prepare like that. At all risk you have to preach. [break] ...world is full of rascals, and you have to educate them.

So according to one's capacity let them preach, pranair arthair dhiya vacha. But everyone can preach to some extent. There is no hindrance.

JAGA-JIVANA: Is everything done in our movement for preaching? Everything that is done in our movement is done for preaching?

PRABHUPADA: Yes. To awaken their Krishna consciousness. They are in dog consciousness; we have to raise them to God consciousness. Don't you see how much they are taking care of the dog? Because they do not know, blind, whether they will be God conscious or dog conscious. So the dog conscious people should be raised to the platform of God conscious. That is preaching. Mudha nabhijanati. These rascals, they do not know the life is meant for understanding God. That they... Ask anyone. Nobody knows. They are so fool. They want to remain dog. The dog is also running; they are also running. And because they can run on by car, they are thinking they are civilized. But the business is running, that's all.

TAMAL KRSNA: And the purpose for the running is the same.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.

TAMAL KRSNA: Eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

PRABHUPADA: That's all. We do not condemn running by car, but utilize it for Krishna. That we want. If the purpose is same, like dog, then what is the use of running by car? We go by car to preach Krishna consciousness. We are not after that philosophy, that jagan mithya brahma satya, no. We say jagat [the world] is also satya [real] because brahma satya, the jagat is also satya. It is mithya [false] because it is improperly utilized. Let it be utilized properly, it is also truth. It is truth actually. You cannot say, "This is a false tree." This is the ignorance. How it is false? But it is being misused. That is false. You cannot misuse anything which is given by God. You should properly utilize it. Then it is truth. And as soon as you misuse it, it is untruth.

TAMAL KRSNA: So material consciousness is false.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Everything can be utilized for Krishna. That is our preaching. That is truth. There is a nice car. Why shall I condemn it? Utilize it for Krishna. Then it is truth. And the Mayavadi philosophers, they will say, "It is untruth. Give it up." No. When you have produced something by your good intelligence, it is truth, but when you use it for other purpose than Krishna, then it is false. ... No, the purpose for which you have created or utilized, that is false. So we want to change the consciousness. We don't condemn the thing. [break] ...with a knife you are cutting vegetables and utilizing, but if you use it for cutting your throat, that is bad. That is bad. So they are using the knife for cutting their own throat. This is bad. [break]

The shastra says, nidraham adyam plavam sukalpam. This body... We are just crossing the ocean of nescience. So this body is a good boat. Maya ete 'rtam guruh karna-dharam. And the wind is favorable, Krishna's instruction. And the captain is guru. He is guiding you. With all these facilities, if you cannot cross the nescience, then you are cutting your throat. [break] ...boat is there, the captain is there, the favorable wind is there. But we are not utilizing it. That means I am killing myself. The policy is suicidal. That is the defect. So preaching means to remove this defect and utilize the policy for going ahead.

DEVOTEE: Is it because of our impurity that we can't convince them to stop cutting their throat?

PRABHUPADA: Hm?

TAMAL KRSNA: His question is whether is it due to our impurity that we cannot convince people to stop cutting their throats.

PRABHUPADA: No, it is due to their impurity, they do not take. What you are saying, that is pure. But the difficulty is if you instruct a rascal, he becomes angry. The example is given that if you give milk and banana to the serpent, he increases his poison. Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visha-vardhanam. Therefore we have to select sometimes that our preaching is in the proper place. Because a snake-like person, they will not hear. But if you are a good charmer, you can charm the snake also. [laughter] That depends on your quality. Just like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did. He made these snakes, the tigers, the elephants, all dancing Hare Krishna. That is possible by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

TRIPURARI: Just like you have charmed all of us, Srila Prabhupada.

PRABHUPADA: Well, I am not going to imitate Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. [laughs] I have come to New York, not to the jungle.

SUDAMA: New York is worse than jungle.

TAMAL KRSNA: It is called an asphalt jungle.

PRABHUPADA: After all, they are human being. Therefore we have collected some nice souls.

If you can go to the jungle, that is no hindrance, but let us take the opportunity of the civilized nations, preach them. Yad yad acharati shreshthah [Bg. 3.21]. They are leading the whole civilization. If they are convinced, it will be great benefit to the human race.

Also my Guru Maharaja said that "You go to the western country." If he had said that "You go to the jungle," I would have gone. For a preacher, either the jungle or the city is the same. Narayana-parah na kutashchana bibhayati. One who is devotee of the Lord, he does not make any discrimination that "This is jungle and this is city." Svargapavarga-narakeshv api tulyartha-darshinah [SB 6.17.28]. For them, everywhere, Krishna's property. So where Krishna asks him to go and serve, he will go. That's all.