He's thinking that "I shall perpetually live here." And when the death will come, "Get out!" "Become a cockroach."

Cockroach on the 24th Floor

High Living, Poor Thinking

PRABHUPADA: Hmm. Chanting Hare Krishna produces plain living, high thinking. The modern leaders, they don't want.

HARI-SAURI: We're a threat to the society.

PRABHUPADA: Their policy is "High living and poor thinking." They live in skyscraper but don't care for where they are going to next life, as a cat and dog. Never mind. Now live in skyscraper. Poor thinking. High living, poor thinking [laughter]. No idea that "Now I am living in the skyscraper building on the twenty-fourth story, and next life I'm going to be cockroach here." They don't know that. He doesn't inquire, "Wherefrom the cockroaches coming?" He has got attachment for this twenty-fourth story, so, but he's working so that he'll become a cockroach. So Krishna has given chance, "All right. You live in the twenty-fourth story as cockroach." And then you'll be again killed by some.... What is called?

DEVOTEE (5): Tenants. Exterminator?

PRABHUPADA: Yeah. That he does not know. Therefore poor thinking. He's thinking that "I shall perpetually live here." And when the death will come, "Get out!" "Become a cockroach." What he'll do? What he'll do? What power you have got? Nature is the same, that he'll come. Mrityuh sarva-harash chaham [Bhagavad-gita 10.34]. "Now everything finished. Get out and become a cockroach." How the scientists can stop it?

HARI-SAURI: You said that tree that stands in the back garden of the house we used to live in in Malibu—that was the former owner of the house.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.

DEVOTEE (5): People are so dull that if you give them the proposition...

PRABHUPADA: Therefore I say poor thinking. High living, poor thinking. He doesn't know what he's got. They think this motorcar and twenty-fifth-story living will continue.

DEVOTEE (2): It's not even a peaceful condition to live by.

PRABHUPADA: Whatever it may be. Supposing it is good. But he does not think, "How I shall live in this way and next time I may be cat or dog or cockroach. What I'm doing for them?" Therefore people will evade the question: "No, no. There is no next life." Because it is horrible for them.

DEVOTEE (2): Most people think that if you believe in the law of karma, it applies to you, but if you do not believe...

PRABHUPADA: Hmm?

DEVOTEE (2): Most of them think that if you believe in the law of karma, it applies to you.

PRABHUPADA: When it is law, you believe or not believe, rascal, it will be effective, if it is a law. You believe, I don't believe, if I commit theft I'll not be punished. So what is your belief? As soon as you commit theft, you'll be punished. You believe or not believe. That is law. What is the value of your belief? Rascal may believe that "I'm not going to be old man. I shall remain young man." Believe or not believe, must become old man. What is the value of your belief? Trust no future. You believe or not believe, there is future. What is value of your belief? Where do you.... You have complete control? Here the law is "Keep to the right." You don't believe. Now "Why shall I keep to the right? I shall go to the left." Immediately you'll be punished. You have to believe. I'll do wrong way, see the result. Immediately there's ticket. So what is the value of your belief? The law is law. Ignorance is no excuse for law. You have committed something wrong, and in the court you're going to be punished. If you say the clerk, "Sir, I did not know that by committing this act how I shall be, I will have to be punished." That is not excuse. Your ignorance they do not believe; you must go. That is the law. It is called foolishness. "They believe," "I think," "It may be." This is science. This is their proposition: "It may be," "I think," "I believe." What is the value of this? And everywhere you'll find all these philosophers, scientists, and they'll talk like this, nonsense: "I believe," "It may be." Believe in the words of Krishna. But he believes himself. You see? Krishna says it is this. But that he doesn't believe. He has become more than Krishna, he'll believe something else is correct. This is his foolishness. Mudha. You believe in the words of Krishna, who is worshiped by everyone. Hm? But you won't. You believe in your conviction—"I believe." So what you are? First consider in comparison to Krishna.

DEVOTEE (6): Nothing.

PRABHUPADA: Still he believes his own conviction. Doesn't believe Krishna.

DEVOTEE (6): Everyone feels he's himself the center of everything.

PRABHUPADA: But he's not. That is his another foolishness. Even in this state, I am not center. I cannot do whatever I like. I have to believe the law. There is law, and it's sanity. And if he says, "I am the center. I am the monarch of all I survey," that is foolishness. He believes in his foolishness, that's all. If I claim, "I am the monarch of Hawaii," is that belief correct? "I am the center of everything. I am moving this." And this rascal's meditation is like this: "I am moving the sun. I am moving the moon." The meditation.

HARI-SAURI: I once had a boy tell me on the street, he said, he said, "Yes, I am the, I am the center of the universe." He said we're the center...

PRABHUPADA: This belief, not nonsense belief? Mad man's belief?

DEVOTEE (6): People say, "Oh it's my life. This is my life, my..."

PRABHUPADA: ...people in general, they're all rascals.

HARI-SAURI: When someone moves to another country, then it's very natural that they go and find out from their authorities what the laws of the country are. Yet when they're here, they don't bother to find out what the natural laws are and how to act as a human being. They just disregard it.

PRABHUPADA: ...think he must know how things are going on. That is knowledge. "I have created heaven. I am the center. Whatever I believe, that's all right." There's so many rascal philosophers. Everyone is thinking "I am the..." And their different views.

HARI-SAURI: If they're mentally satisfied, they think that's the ultimate.

PRABHUPADA: Krishna consciousness means there's no such thing, "I believe." Immediately.... What Krishna says, that's true. That is our movement. Krishna consciousness. What I believe? I'm a nonsense. I have got four defects in my life: illusion, mistake, cheating, insufficiency. What is the meaning of my belief?

A cheater saying, "I believe," I have to accept if I know that he's a cheat? Just like the scientists have cheated the public by misleading them they have gone to moon. You know that Pan American sold tickets for going to moon? You do not know? [laughs] They sold tickets, because in your country, you have got lot of money, any kind of cheating can draw money. [laughs]

DEVOTEE (6): They're selling tickets to go to the moon?

PRABHUPADA: Not now. They sold in the beginning. They're so hopeful now that "We shall go to the moon." ...There are many persons in your country who can very easily pay $50,000 for purchasing tickets for going to the moon planet.

HARI-SAURI: It's like Ravana's promise of being able to go to the heavenly planets by climbing up the staircase.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.