Girl: (translated by Hṛdayānanda)(break) She says at the temple there is much māyā and that the people who live in the temple are phonies.
Prabhupāda: And where there is no māyā? Tell me a place where there is no māyā. We shall go there. (laughter) In the temple there is no māyā. Because I am in māyā, I am thinking that temple is māyā. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "One, anyone, who surrenders to Me, he overcomes the influence of māyā." Therefore... Every member in this temple, they are surrendered. Therefore they are not in māyā.
Guest: (translated by Hṛdayānanda) How many different paths are there for self-realization?
Prabhupāda: Only one path. God is one, and to realize Him, the path is one. There cannot be two paths. Just like suppose in India. So India is from here to the eastern side? Yes. This is an example. But you cannot find in the western side. Just like Columbus. He wanted to discover India. He did not go to the eastern side; he went to the western side. So he found America, that's all. So if you want to find out God, then you have to take the right path. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). He never says, "By jñāna, karma, yoga one can achieve God." That is not possible. Only by bhakti. So if you want to have God, then you have to take to these devotional activities, but if you want to have māyā, you can take different paths. (break)
Guest: (translated by Hṛdayānanda) ...there's only one path straight. He was saying how Columbus also, if he would have kept going, he could have...
Prabhupāda: But he is going to the... Yes, you are right. If Columbus would have gone still farther, farther, western side, and he could have gained India. That means if you take other path, then you will achieve God after many, many lifes, not... (break)
Hṛdayānanda: ...God is light and that, within us, inside of us.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That everyone will say, one who is (in) knowledge. So if you follow Bible, you also get knowledge. That is knowledge. We are after seeing people, that he has got knowledge of God. It is not a question of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā. We want that you become God conscious. That is our movement. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as Christian religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Buddha religion. There are so many... No. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or..., no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God?" So therefore this is the easiest process, to become pure and go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)