THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
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Krishna Is My Lord
(Srila Prabhupada in Montreal, 1968)

Devotee: If Prahlāda Mahārāja is such a great devotee, and a devotee will always say: "Nothing is mine," then why does he say: "O my God"? Why does God become his? Why he says like that?

Prabhupāda: Do you mean to say nothing... God is nothing?

Devotee: No. I mean why does he say "my God." Why "my God"?

Prabhupāda: Then what shall he say?

Devotee: I don't understand then how can he say it? If you understand nothing belongs to you, then how can you say "mine," anything "mine"?

Prabhupāda: Anything mine?

Devotee: How can you say that "God is mine"?

Prabhupāda: So? What is your idea? He should be addressed? He should not say "my Lord"?

Devotee: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: No. You know it. He's Lord of everyone. Therefore everyone can say "my Lord." That does not mean if somebody says "my Lord," He becomes monopolized. (laughs) It does not mean. You are speaking on the platform monopolizing, "mine." The God is never monopolized. He's everyone's, so everyone has the right to say "my God," "my Lord." It does not mean... generally, in the material sense, when I say: "This is my spectacle," it does not belong to you. Is it not?
So this "my" is not that "my." When I say "my God," that does not mean He's not your God. That is the difference. In the material sense, when I say "It is my wife," then it is not any other's wife. But God is not like that. If I say "my God," so you can say "my God," he can say "my God," everyone can say "my God." This is spiritual "my," absolute "my."
Try to understand this way, that in the material sense, when I say something "my," that is different from when I say "my God." That is different. That is not exactly... as we think in the material way, "my thing," "my God," "my home," "my wife," "my wealth," "my bank," it is not like that.

But the relationship... just like I say "my hand." So how can I express? Just like Kṛṣṇa says mamaivāṁśo (BG 15.7). Mama means "mine." "These, all these living creatures, they are My part and parcels." So why the living creatures shall not say "My God"? Do you follow? Kṛṣṇa says: "You are Mine." Why shall you not say: "Kṛṣṇa, You are mine"? Your husband says: "You are mine." Why shall you not say: "You are mine"? But don't take it in the material sense. In material sense, as soon as I say it is mine, it is nobody else's. It is my property. Law of identity, or something like that.

So Kṛṣṇa is not like that. So you can say Kṛṣṇa, "my," there is no harm. Rather, if anyone wants to possess something as his, that that should be... that possession should be Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate conception of "mine." That is the perfection of the word "mine." So it is quite nice, quite fit to... teṣu te mayi (BG 7.12), in the Bhagavad-gītā. "He is Mine and I am his," Kṛṣṇa says. So this is not wrong. And what is your idea, that because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, therefore I shall not say "my"? That's your idea?

Devotee: No, I didn't understand it like this, that Kṛṣṇa is the Lord.

Prabhupāda: Yes

Devotee: So my Lord is everyone else's Lord?

Prabhupāda: Yes and He's the controller, and that's why He's mine. He's mine, He's your, everyone's. That's all.

Devotee: I can understand it now.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Yes?

Devotee (2): How does (one) feel so far away from you when you're not here?

Prabhupāda: Hmm? What is that? I do not follow. What is...?

Devotee: I feel so far away... I feel so far away from you, you know, when you're not here.

Devotee (3): She's saying she feels so far away from you when you are not here.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that you should not think. If... the words... there are two conceptions, the physical conception and the vibration conception. So physical conception is temporary. The vibration conception is eternal. Just like we are enjoying, or we are relishing, the vibration of Kṛṣṇa's teachings. So by vibration He is present.

As soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or chant Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata, so He is present immediately by His vibration. He's absolute. Therefore vibration is more important than physical presence. When you feel separation from your spiritual master, you just try to remember His words of instruction; you'll not feel separation. You'll feel that He is with you.

So we should associate by the vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association. Śabdād anavṛtti (Vedānta-sūtra 4.4.22): by sound. Just like we are touching Kṛṣṇa immediately by sound, sound vibration. So we should give more stress on the sound vibration, either of Kṛṣṇa or of the spiritual master. Then we'll feel happy and no separation. When Kṛṣṇa departed from this world, at that time Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow, and he began to remember the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Then he was pacified. He immediately began to remember the teachings which was taught to him in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and he was pacified. He was his constant friend, so when Kṛṣṇa went to His abode he was feeling overwhelmed, but he began to remember His teaching. So whenever we shall feel separation, the best thing is to remember the teachings. Then it will be very nice.

Is that clear? Yes.

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Montreal, August 18, 1968)

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