View source for Sometimes questions are raised saying that how do we know that a bird is more intelligent than a human being?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1973]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="MorningWalkDecember41973LosAngeles_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="89" link="Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles" link_text="Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles">
<div class="heading">Yes, bird is more intelligent... Just like, just like, here is a bird, as soon as he see so many men are coming, he'll jump over you. You are not intelligent to jump over. Suppose someone is coming to stab you; you cannot jump. Therefore bird is more intelligent.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles|Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sometimes questions are raised saying that how do we know that a bird is more intelligent than a human being.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, bird is more intelligent.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: But we are posing that...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Just like, just like, here is a bird, as soon as he see so many men are coming, he'll jump over you. You are not intelligent to jump over. Suppose someone is coming to stab you; you cannot jump. Therefore bird is more intelligent.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: How do we know that they're not (indistinct)?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah? No, they'll know enemy is coming, even if he says, animals they know. As soon as there is enemy, they take protection.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): But they take the hook.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah?</p>
<p>Devotee (2): But the fish take the hook.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Hook?</p>
<p>Devotee (2): When the man is fishing with the hook, the fish that takes the hook...?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That ignorance is there, but the hook... Not only out of ignorance, out of greediness. That if you become more greedy, he knows that there is sufficient food in the sea, but the rascal is greedy, he's taking another... Due to his rascaldom, he's dying. Greediness. So similarly, all arrangement is there, God-made. Even for human beings. But because they're rascals, they're greedy. They're greedy. Although their greediness cannot satisfy them, everyone is greedy because the law of nature is equal to everyone. If law of nature can supply food to the birds and beast and everyone, why not to the human beings? What human being has done? But they're rascal, greedy, therefore suffering. More, wants more. There is already food grains, milk, flowers, fruits, immense supply, but he'll cut the throat of another animal. Greedy. And they're suffering, committing sinful activities.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're getting information that only in the human form...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Wherefrom information? Another rascal? What is that information? If you get information from another rascal, what you'll get benefit? The source of information must be perfect. Then you get information, it is all right. If you are a rascal and if you get information from another rascal, then what is the benefit?</p>
<p>Karandhara: They'd say there is no perfect source.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Because you are not... You're cheater, you're cheater, you are cheated, therefore that is your version.</p>
<p>Karandhara: We are imperfect. How do we know what a perfect source is?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, I do not know. Therefore it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ gurum evābhigacchet. You must know from the person who knows.</p>
<p>Karandhara: He's also imperfect.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah? Well his perfection is proved there is satisfaction. The so-called scientists, philosophers, politicians, they could not bring peace in the world. That is their fools.</p>
<p>Karandhara: We have also not brought peace in the world.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, our all followers are peaceful. We... I'm getting thousands of letters, how much you are benefited.</p>
<p>Devotee: United Nations gets thousands of letters.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: I don't think so.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They get letters protest, that "You, rascal, United Nations, what you are doing for this?"</p>
<p>Karandhara: No, they're getting millions of dollars in contributions every year from people that think they're doing...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, that "in future." No. That is his philosophy. (devotees laugh)</p>
<p>Karandhara: Our philosophy also. We say we can bring peace in the world, but that's in the future.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): No, but they are giving their contributions.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: (aside:) No.</p>
<p>Devotee: Maybe that will help them bring some peace.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): But we already have peace.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: The United Nations cannot bring peace either.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: This is a question of the standard of peace.</p>
<p>Devotees: (discuss among themselves)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then if you say like that, then United Nations is not better than us, you have to accept. If we cannot give peace, and they are not giving peace, then why they are so big organization?</p>
<p>Karandhara: They will say because it is a better organization.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They cannot answer. They simply give, they can give simply words, that's all. "United," they're speaking of unity, only flags are increasing. Daily another flag, another flag, another flag, and the flags will never unite. And still they are advertising "United Nations."</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: When the war starts, United States...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, in America, they started, United Nations, but they are going to fight with the Vietnam. United Nations.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: Unless one is free from the material concept of life, like "I'm American," "I'm Indian," "I'm Chinese," "I'm Japanese," how can he be peaceful? Because he has got some grudge against somebody else.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: Whereas as a devotee, he doesn't have any grudge against anybody. Therefore he's peaceful.</p>
<p>Devotee: He has a grudge against the demons.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah?</p>
<p>Devotee: Demons.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: That's due to love for Kṛṣṇa. That's not a grudge against demons.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): A devotee also is merciful to the demons.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, we are not envious of the demons. Otherwise there is no need of preaching. We are trying to make the demons perfect. That is our preaching.</p>
<p>Devotee: Compassionate.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah? Yes. Compassion.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: We are preaching that the human form of life is the most important form of any living entities.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah?</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: That human form of life...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...is the most important species.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Developed consciousness, developed consciousness.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: But somebody asks, "How do I know a bird is not more highly advanced than a human being?"</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: How you can ask?</p>
<p>Devotee (2): By example.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is... Human being has created the city. The bird cannot.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): Birds also create cities.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, their cities, their own way, not like this. Human being has constructed the skyscraper building. A bird cannot. In that sense you are advanced. That sense you are advanced.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they say this is just our own mental concoction.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They can repair their nest with some stick, and that's all. That much they can do. But you can big, big beams, you can... That is the difference.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: Because even the most powerful birds we can control.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But, but there is no benefit. You are misusing your intelligence by skyscraper building, and they're using their intelligence to make a nest; but the benefit derived is equal. Therefore, in that sense you are less intelligence.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: In other words, they never violate the laws of nature, but other..., we are backward, because we tried to fight against the laws of nature.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our disease.</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they are more advanced.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): Practically you said that.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah?</p>
<p>Devotee (2): That the birds are living naturally.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yeah, naturally. No... They have no discrimination. They have to abide by the laws of nature. But you have got discrimination; therefore you are punished.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): So we will attract the scientists by saying that we are both fools?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ah?</p>
<p>Devotee (2): Before we were saying that we were both fools. Is that the way to attract the scientists?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no. That was argument. We are not fools; the scientist is fool. (devotees laugh) We are educated.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): But how we can get them to come, to take prasādam?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That... Yes, give them nice prasādam, they'll come. If one scientist can be captured, many others can be captured. (laughter)</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: By saying that "We have got free food, come and dine with us."</p>
<p>Devotee (2): But first we give them prasādam and then they come, or first they come and then we give them prasādam?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, just like that Dr. Wolfe came also. So gradually they'll come, because they're...</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they're more interested in seeing the molecules than in taking prasādam.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No...</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is their (indistinct).</p>
<p>Devotee (2): So we have to trick them to take prasādam.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They will (indistinct) as students not to see molecules, but to see how palatable dishes are there. (laughter)</p>
<p>Devotee: Yeah, they will forget it.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: At that time they forget their laboratory.</p>
<p>Yaśomatīnandana: You forgot your laboratory.</p>
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