(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
"Only the bhaktas, they can be peaceful. Why? Because everyone except the bhakta, śuddha-bhakta, pure, has desire. A śuddha-bhakta has no desire. They are simply happy by serving Kṛṣṇa. They do not want to know Kṛṣṇa even. Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, they don't bother. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all, whatever Kṛṣṇa may be. Not that because Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent, God, all-pervasive... No, no. In Vṛndāvana they did not know; the cowherds boy, the gopīs, they did not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or something else, but they were too much inclined to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That was their position. They were not Vedāntist, they are not yogīs, they are not karmīs—village girls, boys. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa happy, that's all. That is their position. This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Yogīs, jñānīs, they are trying to understand God, but they do not know they are in illusion. They're in illusion. So far karmīs are concerned, they're in illusion, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They're fools and rascals, because for illusory happiness for a moment, they are working so hard. Therefore they are rascal number one. They cannot... How they can have peace? There is no question.
And next, the jñānīs. Jñānīs, they want to get relief from this hard work of this material world. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They reject this material world. Mithyā, false. We have no, nothing to deal. That is little higher than the karmīs, because the karmīs, they have taken this material world as everything: 'Here we shall be happy.' Their dharma means: 'How we shall live peacefully here in this material world.' Their religion means. I've talked with so many; their religion means to make a peaceful atmosphere within this material world. But the rascals do not know that it has been tried for millions of years for making this world peaceful—it has never happened. And never it will happen.
How it will happen? This place is meant for giving you troubles and miseries. Kṛṣṇa says, the Creator says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): This is a place simply for suffering, and that also temporary. You cannot make an agreement, 'All right, let me suffer the threefold miseries. I will stay here.' That also will not be allowed. You cannot stay. You cannot stay. You will be kicked out. You make your good bank balance, skyscraper house, and wife, children, cigarette, wine, liquor, 'I am living very peaceful.' That's all right. But one day comes, 'Please get out.'
'Why? It is my house, I have got bank balance. I have got everything. I have got factory. Why shall I get out?' 'Yes, you get out. Don't talk, get out." (laughter) That day he sees God. 'Oh, I did not believe in God. Now here is God, making everything finished.' Everything finished. Sarva-haraś cāham, Kṛṣṇa says that 'I am God for the demons when I take away everything from them at the time of death. You do not believe God? All right, here I am. Today I am here. I have come to you to take away everything, whatever you have got. Now get out!' They will see God on that day.
So why not see God here, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Why you want to see God...? Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda's seeing God, and Hiraṇyakaśipu is seeing God by death. And Prahlāda is seeing God, 'Oh, here is my Lord.' So those who are challenging that 'Whether you can show me God?' they will see God like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Everyone will see God, but one who is sane, one who knows that 'I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, God. He loves me. My duty is to love. He is so much kind that even I do not..., even though I do not love Him, still He gives me food. He gives me fruits, flowers, grains. Whatever I want, God is supplying.' Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). You cannot manufacture.
So Kṛṣṇa..., God is so kind that He is supplying food to the atheist also. But the atheist has no knowledge that 'Wherefrom I am getting my foodstuff?' That is ignorance. So therefore they are committing so many sinful activities. It is due to ignorance, nothing but ignorance. Atheist means in gross ignorance, that's all. Otherwise any person who is honest, he can see God everywhere, always.
Just like Kṛṣṇa says, 'Try to understand Me. Try to under... Try to see Me everywhere.' How? Now, first of all He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, 'I am the taste of the water.' So when you are thirsty, you require a glass of water, drink it, and when you feel happy, you understand that this quenching power of this water is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So as soon as there is sunrise, you see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, 'I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine.'
So why don't you try to see Kṛṣṇa? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, there is a big list. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, 'I am the lion amongst the animals.' Because He took the shape of a lion, Hiraṇyakaśipu, eternal shape. 'I am the banyan tree,' so many things Kṛṣṇa has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So in the beginning, if one is not fortunate enough to see Kṛṣṇa, although He is sitting in this temple, let him see Kṛṣṇa in this way. If he's not fortunate to come here and to see Kṛṣṇa, take prasādam and dance in ecstasy, then let his unfortunate condition be diminished by seeing Kṛṣṇa in water, in sunshine, in moonshine, in this and that.
Kṛṣṇa is visible, but Kṛṣṇa is visible to the devotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), 'I am not exposed to everyone,' yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ, 'covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā.' But those who have developed love of Kṛṣṇa, for them, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). One who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart twenty-four hours."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, July 31, 1971)
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