RC BOM 1977-04-28 Animal Expertise
ANNOUNCER: Next is a conversation,
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
recorded on April 28th, 1977, in Bombay, India.
PRABHUPĀDA: [referring to ants] Just see.
One second, thousands came.
BHAKTI−CARU: [Bengali]
How quickly they come!
And wherefrom they get out?
TAMĀLA KṚṢṆA: Yeah, how… How do they find out about it?
- That’s what I don’t understand. - That… They know.
They…
They were all over, and the medicine was up here.
Just like magic, they come.
Yeah, how is it?
I can’t understand it; I really don’t understand it.
GIRIRĀJA: Acintya-śakti.
It must be Supersoul telling them…
- Yes. - …that there’s something here.
They… Do they smell it? No.
Anyway, they are also living entities like us.
Whenever there is some sense of enjoyment, they flock together.
[Indistinct].
They are expert more than us; you cannot go.
Suppose there is one lakh of rupees downstairs.
You can get it; you cannot go in one minute; they can do that.
- So they’re better than us? - They’re expert.
Suppose if I…
If somebody informs that “In the corner of the temple there is one lakh of rupees.
Somebody has left,” you cannot go in one minute.
It will take at least ten minutes.
But here it is kept—immediately.
So how much expert they are; just imagine.
So why you are so proud that you are scientist, you are expert?
Nothing.
- Here they come again. - Everyone is working under nature’s law.
They are working under nature’s law in such a way.
You cannot do that.
Just see; they are already in it again.
There are many, many experts from the lower-grade creatures.
Ant hill.
You are spending so much money for skyscraper building.
The ant, they construct big hill as their residential quarters.
Where they get their food?
Where they get their…?
But they are living.
This is nature’s study; now you can…
So what is this? Āhāra-nidrā.
For eating.
So for these four principles:
Eating, sleeping, sex, and defense; everyone knows.
But the human society: They have made it a problem.
These small ants, they also require those things, but they have no problem.
For defense they don’t require atomic weapon.
They know in their own way how to defend.
Cats, dogs, animals; everyone knows.
Struggling.
Our human society: Advanced means they are perplexed with these problems.
The…
The human life was meant for self-realization.
That problem left.
They have created some problems which the animals can solve in their own way.
This is the present society.
This political struggle and…
What is their aim—objective?
- To solve these problems. - Yeah.
Nothing more.
nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma …indriya-prītaye… [SB 5.5.4]
These four principles: Sense gratification.
The ant is also struggling.
They wanted to enjoy the little sugar in the here.
We have given them.
That’s a problem.
They have to find out somewhere else.
Still they’re…
Expecting.
Hope against hope.
This is struggle.
That they do not see.
They do… We have got this valuable life.
What we are doing?
We are doing the same thing as the small ants do.
So what is the difference between that life and this life?
Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes that “This is not your business.
Your business is to surrender unto Me;” sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66].
That will be solved automatically.
But they don’t.
They take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and apply it for solving these problems.
Gandhi and Bhagavad-gītā; What is that? Political struggle.
Such a rascal.
And he’s leader?
He does not know what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā.
Has Kṛṣṇa come down to speak how to defend, how to eat, how to sleep?
Is there any statement there?
tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]
Solve this problem.
This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā.
And who—nonsense— understands this?
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti… [Bg. 4.9]
This teaching… This is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.
And they are taking Bhagavad- gītā for solving these problems.
Ants’ struggle.
Violence—nonviolence.
So such big, big rascals are guiding us; what their benefit they have given?
And they are praised.
Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ, saṁstutaḥ… [SB 2.3.19]; he… he’s an animal.
And he’s praised by some small animals; that’s all.
This is their position.
They are not actual leader.
They are animals, but because we are small animals, we are praising.
So it is very difficult to understand our philosophy.
But still, we have to preach.
That is our mission.
A little drop…
Maybe like a film or less than that… Still, they are…
And again, when you cleanse this, you kill them:
You become implicated.
You have killed.
You have to suffer.
They are disturbing; still, you cannot kill them.
This is your position.
But people are, with Flit [a bug killer], killing thousands of mosquitoes and flies:
Becoming implicated.
We shouldn’t kill them.
What about [if] they’re biting you: Right in the process of biting you?
Hmm?
Supposing a mosquito is biting you and sucking the blood.
Yes, when they bite, you can kill, according to laws of nature.
But on the whole, you cannot kill.
- Cannot invent means… - Therefore mosquito curtain.
- Prevention. - Prevention is better than…
They are meant for [a] purpose.
God has made.
So instead of killing them, you protect your…
But if you are in the service of the Lord, you are not responsible.
One great Vaiṣṇava was putting the…
There were maggots eating in…
That is all story you are given; do not believe.
But in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta
- there’s a mention of one great… - Vāsudeva.
- -Vāsudeva. -Hmm;
- oh, yes. - There was a leper,
and out of compassion for them…
Yes.
He thought that “I am meant for suffering.
Why shall I stop it?”
That is exceptional case.
- Cannot imitate that. - [indistinct] our position.
Subtitles by Pratyatoṣa Dāsa, Causelessmercy.com