Lecture Excerpt
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Tokyo, April 28, 1972

Prabhupada: Which one next? This is the original problem. Even the greatest scientist, one who wants to discover something… It is not that somebody wishes to do something, to discover—it immediately comes out. No. He finds it difficult; therefore he makes researches how to do it. So when he is very keen and persistent, then from within, the Paramatma, when He sees that “This man wants to do it,” so He gives him direction, “Yes, you do like that.” He is not actually inventor or discoverer. He is not. He tried. “Man proposes; God disposes.” Here is the Brahma’s problem is also. If Brahma is self- sufficient to create, why he is in perplexity? He is in perplexity. Lord Brahma, the first spiritual master, supreme being, supreme—he is supreme—could not trace out the source of his lotus… He could not trace out wherefrom he is born, and what to speak of other things. This is our intelligence. We do not know wherefrom we have come and where we have to go and why we are suffering. And we are proclaiming ourself M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. and so on. But we do not know wherefrom we have come. Anyone, a scientist, any scientist, big scientist, M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., ask him that “Wherefrom you have come and where you will go?” He cannot answer. He will think that “I have come from the womb of my mother. That’s all.” “Wherefrom you came to the womb of your mother?” “The father injected.” “Where your father got you?” These answers he will give.

So this is the problem. Nobody is self-independent. Everyone is dependent on Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10] Everything. Aham adir hi devanam, in Bhagavad-gita: “I am the origin of all the demigods.” The Brahma is also demigod. Brahma is born out of the lotus stem which is grown from the abdomen of Visnu. So he has to find out the source of his birth. That is stated here. “Could not trace out the source of his lotus seat. And while thinking of creating the material…” Now, he was to create. He was born, he was given birth, just to assist Visnu to create. Then he could not understand the proper direction how to create. These are the actual problems. Everyone is trying to create. The creative energy is there in every living entity because he is part and parcel of the original creator. But he cannot create independently. These rascals, they do not… They will say, “accident,” “necessity…” What is that rascal? He has written book.

Devotee: Chance and Necessity.

Prabhupada: Chance and Necessity. If you feel some necessity and there is a chance by physical labor(?)… The rascal does not know the chance is not the physical. The chance is given by Krsna, that “You are so much anxious for this? All right, here is the way. You come on.” They take it: “It has taken by chance, accident, accidental.” There are many chemists who are discovering many compositions, mixing this liquid in a test tube. All of a sudden they see it has come successful—they take it as chance. So therefore their rascal brain cannot understand that it is the chance… It is not chance. It is an opportunity given by Krsna to you: “You are so much laboring hard. All right, do it.” Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15], in the Bhagavad-gita: “I give you. I give that intelligence.” They take it as chance. There is no question of chance. There is no question of chance. When you become perplexed, you want to do something, Krsna gives you the opportunity: “All right, do it like this.” That is His mercy.

There is no question of chance. There is nothing like chance. This is foolish proposition. Everything… Just like this flower is coming. So there is immense manufacturing process. Suppose if you want to manufacture a flower like this, you have to secure so many things— the color, the ingredient, the paper, the brush, so many. Still, you cannot do like this. So if your nonsense, artificial flower takes so many instrumental assistance, brain, how do you think that this has come automatically? There is brain. It is not chance. You have no eyes to see. Therefore you call “chance.” But a devotee, he sees. He does not see this flower; He sees the hand of Krsna, how He is preparing, how He is preparing, Krsna. Therefore a devotee does not see anything except Krsna because he sees the craftsmanship, hands of Krsna, how He is preparing. He sees Krsna. He does not see this flower. The rascal sees this flower, and he thinks that it is coming out by chance. No chance. There is no question of chance. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. His intelligence, His energies, are so subtle and working. Just like we have got so many examples, electronics. There is one typewriter there, and there is one typewriter here. And one pushes the key there, and here it is “kut.” So the one who does not know, rascal, he says, “It is chance.” Not chance. There is electronic working. They have discovered something, how Krsna’s energies are working, this electronic. Just like television working. One man talking five thousand miles away, and the man is seeing. By electronic, it is immediately transferred. Now, the fool will see, “It is chance. It is chance.” No. There is work, but you cannot see how the method and process of the work is going on. There is everything working. Not chance. There is no question of chance. Everything is there, but Krsna’s power, energy, is so subtle, so inconceivable by us, we cannot understand. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Krsna says, “Don’t take it as chance.” Mayadhyaksa: “Under My superintendence. I am directing direction.” Here is direction. He could not find out the direction. He could not understand the proper direction. The direction has to be taken from Krsna, then everything will be done. Otherwise, there is no question of chance, or what is that? Necessity? Chance… No. There is nothing like that. There is nothing like miracle. For me it is miracle. Just like somebody asking me some money. So I have no money. I simply write here that “Go to Syamasundara,” and if you present the slip, then, and he gives immediately one hundred dollars. So he will think, “It is chance that a simple little paper produced hundred dollars.” He… Foolishly, he may think that “There is something magic. He has written something.” But no; there is some arrangement. There is no question of chance. Everything, there is arrangement; everything is direction. But our insufficient brain… Because with our tiny brain we think that “We are all successful.” We are all perplexed. Therefore, we rascals, we take it as chance and necessity, and like that. There is no chance. Even Brahma could not—the actual creator of this universe. What you have created? He has created so many planets. So he could not, and what we are?

So these are rascaldom only. There is no question of chance, there is no question of accident. Everything is working under subtle laws, under subtle direction of Krsna. Read it. If you understand Krsna… Just like I was speaking that the devotee does not see how the flower is growing. He sees Krsna is working. Just like a painter is painting some flower and I am seeing, so similarly, he sees Krsna, Krsna’s hand in it. That is explained here. What is that? And as soon as you know the Lord, then you know everything. That is Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavanti: “Knowing whom, one can understand everything very easily.” Then?

Pradyumna: “One who knows the…” [break]

Prabhupada: Therefore our process is to know everything through Krsna. That is perfect knowledge. Or through Krsna’s representative. That is perfect knowledge. Otherwise, srama eva hi kevalam. Srama, srama means laboring. Srama eva hi kevalam. So, I think one verse is all right. Have kirtana. (end)