View source for Because for me, God is merely a word. How can you explain God with a word?

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Because for me, God is merely a word"|"How can you explain God with a word"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|30Jun11}}
{{last|15May12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=1|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1974]]
[[Category:Questions On... God]]
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithdevoteesaboutTwelfthCantoKaliyugaandConversationwithGuestJune151974Paris_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="119" link="Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris" link_text="Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris">
<div class="heading">No, no, you... You fix up one thing. You say, "God is light." That word light is God? Or that...
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris|Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Madame Devi: (French)</p>
<p>Pṛthu Putra: She'd like to know about the problem of death, what's happening at the time of death.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. So as you prepare yourself... Because... Just like in dream we think what we have actually performed, similarly, the mental condition at the time of death will be prepared as we are doing in our usual life. Do you understand English? (French)</p>
<p>American Man: I'm American.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice.</p>
<p>Madame Devi: (French)</p>
<p>Pṛthu Putra: She believes that the thoughts are more important than the acts.</p>
<p>Yogeśvara: Thoughts. She asks, she says, "Perhaps thoughts are more important than actions."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Thoughts are the subtle action. (French)</p>
<p>Madame Devi: (French)</p>
<p>Pṛthu Putra: She says, "Compared to the problem of the Bayonne, what's happened in Bayonne, the thoughts are more important than the action because the thoughts..."</p>
<p>Bhagavān: "The thoughts begin the action."</p>
<p>Yogeśvara: "The thoughts begin the action, determine the actions."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore we give thoughts beyond your present thoughts from the authoritative Vedic scripture.</p>
<p>Madame Devi: (French)</p>
<p>Yogeśvara: "Do you think that in the future all religions and all these spiritual groups will come together and form one group."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: There is no "all religion." There is only one religion. One who deviates, he creates another religion. Religion means there is God and we should be obedient to God. This is religion.</p>
<p>Madame Devi: (French)</p>
<p>Jyotirmayī: She says, "Therefore is not necessary to go by one's special path?"</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, there is no special path. There is only one path, that "God is there, God is great, and we are all subordinate to God." That's all. No, if you... They accept this?</p>
<p>American Man: I think that each man finds his own way, and that some people, because of the blood they have and because of who they have been before, can go...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, do you accept this principle, that "God is great, and we are all subordinate to Him"?</p>
<p>American Man: My principle is the light, that there is only the light. If some people wish to call it God, they can call it God.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>American Man: If they wish to call it Jesus Christ, they can call it...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, we, we, we also say that. We are all life, and God is the supreme life. That's all.</p>
<p>American Man: God, for me, is a word. It's a word which no one can understand, which no one can say what is God.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Simply you understand.</p>
<p>American Man: I understand the light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, you understand. You say, "God is word." That means you understand God.</p>
<p>American Man: No.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then why do you say, "God is word"?</p>
<p>American Man: I say God cannot be explained with words.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, why do you say? If you do not know God, how do you say like that?</p>
<p>American Man: Because I...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If you do not know the subject matter... You say that "God is not knowable," then how can you speak of God?</p>
<p>American Man: I do not speak of God.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, you are speaking that "God is word." You say, "God is word."</p>
<p>American Man: No, I say God is only a word, and that's why I cannot speak of God, because it's a word and it cannot explain.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But you have got this word. Why you speak all these contradictory things?</p>
<p>American Man: No. I say that I cannot speak of God because it is a word...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That means you do not know what is God. First of all accept.</p>
<p>American Man: It is light. I speak of the light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then, then you know God. You say either way, that you know... Sometimes you say you do not know; sometimes you say you know.</p>
<p>American Man: No, no, no.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Bhagavān: Sometimes you say you know the light. That means you know God. For you, God is light.</p>
<p>American Man: If you wish to call it "God..." No, no, no, no. I say it once. I will say it once and once only.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Now, now, you say that God is light.</p>
<p>American Man: So we'll understand.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Do you say, "God is light"?</p>
<p>American Man: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then you know God. Then why do you say, "God cannot be known"?</p>
<p>American Man: I say that "God" is a word.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You say, "light" or "word." What is the... What is the definite...</p>
<p>American Man: I believe in what I feel right here, and that is God for me.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That means you feel sometimes something else. That is God.</p>
<p>American Man: I feel the light here.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Anywhere you feel, the first of all let us know...</p>
<p>American Man: I feel the light here.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, anywhere. Light is here also.</p>
<p>American Man: And that's all there is.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is... That is all right. Light is here also, not only...</p>
<p>American Man: Light is here. Light is this table.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.</p>
<p>American Man: Light is this floor. Light is everything.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So that's all right. Then why do you say that you do not know God? You know God is light.</p>
<p>American Man: Because for me, God is merely a word. How can you explain God with a word?</p>
<p>Yogeśvara: I think you've been defeated.</p>
<p>American Man: No, no, I don't think I've been defeated.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>American Man: And I'm not warring. I'm not making war with you. I simply want to understand...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, you... You fix up one thing. You say, "God is light." That word light is God? Or that...</p>
<p>American Man: I do not say God is light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, you said that.</p>
<p>American Man: I say there is only light. I say there is only light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Only light?</p>
<p>American Man: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So that is God.</p>
<p>American Man: I do not speak of God; I speak of light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then you do not know God. You accept one position.</p>
<p>American Man: I say there is light.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That's all right. But you do not know whether light is God.</p>
<p>American Man: What is God? Explain to me what is God.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: (aside:) Talk with him. He'll simply waste my time.</p>
<p>American Man: If you can explain to me what is God, I would appreciate it.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Just go and take him. You go and he'll explain to you, please.</p>
<p>American Man: He cannot explain to me.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then you go away. Please. What can I do?</p>
<p>American Man: It's as you wish.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: I cannot waste.</p>
<p>American Man: If you cannot explain to me what is God... I speak of light, so...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But you know everything. What can I explain? You know everything.</p>
<p>American Man: I speak of light. I don't say I know everything, but I speak of light, that's all. That's all I said.</p>
<p>Dhanañjaya: You're wasting our spiritual master's time. What is the point in coming here if you're just going to talk nonsense? Please come.</p>
<p>American Man: Oh, I'll come. (leaves)</p>
<p>Bhagavān: Why was he brought in in the first place. Anyway, we can continue, but...</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>