View source for Serving God or serving dog

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[[Category:Serving God or Serving Dog|1]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG216MexicoCityFebruary161975_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="75" link="Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975">
<div class="heading">We are serving, but we are now serving dog. We are taking care of dog, not of God. This is our position. Because we are meant for service, so instead of giving service to God, we are giving service to dog. Therefore we are unhappy.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975|Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Girl: Well, I think that since there is..., that what is the relation between you...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That you can understand. What is the relation between big and small? The big is the master, and the small is the servant, that's all. If somebody is big, big merchant, big factory owner, you go to serve him. So that relation is very clear, that the master..., the big is the master, and the small is the servant. Therefore our business is to serve God. We are serving, but we are now serving dog. We are taking care of dog, not of God. This is our position. Because we are meant for service, so instead of giving service to God, we are giving service to dog. Therefore we are unhappy.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG33143LosAngelesJanuary11969_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="129" link="Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969">
<div class="heading">Either you become a servant of God or you become a servant of dog, you must be a servant. So the intelligent person, a wise person, he prefers to servant of God instead of becoming servant of dog.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969|Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">What is perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge is that "My constitutional position is to serve." Bring any man in this world. Who can say that "I am not servant"? Is there any man or woman within this world, within this universe, who is not a servant? Can anyone of you say that you are not servant? Is there anyone? Everyone is servant. Somebody is servant of the society, somebody is servant of the country, somebody is servant of his wife or family, or some cats and dogs, ultimately. One must be a servant.</p>
<p>So when a man comes to this knowledge, that "I am serving. Why not serve the Supreme?" this is knowledge. This is perfection of knowledge. Nobody can be freed from being a servant. Either you become a servant of God or you become a servant of dog, you must be a servant. So the intelligent person, a wise person, he prefers to servant of God instead of becoming servant of dog.</p>
<p>There is no escape, that one cannot..., one is master. Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. "Therefore one who executes his duties according to My injunction," God's injunctions, "and who follows the teachings faithfully becomes free from bondage." As soon as you become servant to somebody besides God, then you are in bondage. You are in obligation. Obligation there is, but that is not bondage. To become servant of God is not bondage. But servant of dog is a bondage.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG33143LosAngelesJanuary11969_2" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="129" link="Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969">
<div class="heading">If somebody says, "Oh, why shall I serve God?" all right, then you shall have to serve dog. That's all. Therefore he is befooled. He does not know that he has to serve somebody. His constitutional position is like that. He cannot escape.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969|Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two: "But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and doomed to ignorance and bondage ([[Vanisource:BG 3.32 (1972)|BG 3.32]])."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. If somebody says, "Oh, why shall I serve God?" all right, then you shall have to serve dog. That's all. Therefore he is befooled. He does not know that he has to serve somebody. His constitutional position is like that. He cannot escape. So therefore if he denies to serve God, Kṛṣṇa, then he has to serve māyā, illusion, in the hope that "I have become the master."</p>
<p>Just like in your country the President Johnson was the master. Actually, he was not the master; he was the servant of the country. Now the country has dismissed him. He is no longer master. So our mastership in this material world is like that. Actually, we are servant, but we are thinking master. In a family, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my children, I am servant of my servants, but I am thinking I am master. "I am master of this family. I am master of this country. I am master of this society." Nobody is master.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG61624LosAngelesFebruary171969_3" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="215" link="Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969">
<div class="heading">Instead of thinking myself that I am eternal servant of God or Kṛṣṇa, I am thinking I am servant of my society, I am servant of my country, I am servant of my husband, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my dog or so many. This is forgetfulness.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969|Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">That is yoga system. To connect again with the Supreme. Because I am part and parcel. The same example. Somehow or other the finger is cut off and it is falling on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. But as soon as the finger is joined with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars value. Invaluable. Similarly we are now disconnected with God or Kṛṣṇa, by this material condition. Forget, not disconnected. Connection is there. God is supplying our all necessities just like a state prisoner is disconnected from the civil department. He has come to the criminal department. Actually not disconnected. The government is still take care. But legally disconnected. Similarly we are not disconnected. We cannot be disconnected, because there is no existence of anything without Kṛṣṇa. So how can I be disconnected? Disconnection is that by forgetting Kṛṣṇa, instead of engaging myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am engaged in so many nonsense consciousness. That is disconnection. Instead of thinking myself that I am eternal servant of God or Kṛṣṇa, I am thinking I am servant of my society, I am servant of my country, I am servant of my husband, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my dog or so many. This is forgetfulness.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG93MelbourneApril211976_4" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="304" link="Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976" link_text="Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976">
<div class="heading">The best thing is that instead of becoming at last the servant of a dog, just immediately become servant of God. That is your success of life. And if you don't agree, then you have to serve up to the dog, up to the cat. Many Europeans, Americans, they have no children, but they keep one cat, one dog, to serve. You see? But you have to serve because you are meant for that.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976|Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving such knowledge that they will never remain a dog or cat; they will become actual human being. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ. Those who have not faith in this process of understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasya asya... ([[Vanisource:BG 9.3 (1972)|BG 9.3]]). Now, this is real dharma. Dharma means occupation, I have explained yesterday. I am servant of God, this is my real occupation, but giving up my service to God, I am giving service to māyā. Therefore I am servant of my senses, my family, my society, my country, my nation, and if you haven't got to serve anybody, then I'll keep one dog. I become a servant of the dog. Somebody was just telling me that in Japan the dog passes stool, and the master collects it and put it somewhere. Yes. You see? This is going on. Your position is to become servant, but in māyā, in illusion, you are thinking, "I am master." Therefore the best thing is that instead of becoming at last the servant of a dog, just immediately become servant of God. That is your success of life. And if you don't agree, then you have to serve up to the dog, up to the cat. Many Europeans, Americans, they have no children, but they keep one cat, one dog, to serve. You see? But you have to serve because you are meant for that.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG93MelbourneApril211976_5" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="304" link="Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976" link_text="Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976">
<div class="heading">We are not giving service to God; we are giving service to the dog. This is our diseased condition.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976|Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is that. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our permanent situation, we are servant of God. I have explained yesterday that we are part and parcel of God. Now, as part and parcel of God, what is our duty? The example I have given. Just like the finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty? As soon as I say, "Finger, please come here," it comes. "Finger, come here. Do this, do that, pick up." This is finger's business. A finger cannot remain independent. Or if the finger cannot give the service properly, then it is diseased. Similarly, our material condition means we are in diseased condition. We are not giving service to God; we are giving service to the dog. This is our diseased condition.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB113CaracasFebruary241975_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="13" link="Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975">
<div class="heading">So instead of serving God, if I serve the dog, that is called cheating religion. Nobody is meant for serving a dog, but because I am servant, if I haven't got sufficient engagement as servant of God, then I keep a dog to serve him. So the conclusion is that constitutionally I am servant, servant of God, but instead of giving service to God, I am now engaged in the service of the dog.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975|Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">A man has served the family with heart and soul throughout the whole life, and when he is old man, if he asks permission from his wife, "My dear wife, now I have served so much. Let me take sannyāsa now," the wife will never give permission. She will say, "What you have done? I have got to do so many things. Your, this son is not yet settled up; this daughter is not yet married. How you can take sannyāsa? So you cannot do." So actually, he is the servant of the wife, but he is thinking, "I am master of the family." This is called māyā. And any religious system on the platform of this false understanding is also cheating.</p>
<p>Therefore it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Kaitavaḥ means cheating, which is not dharma, which is not the characteristic. The characteristic is that I am eternally servant of God. So instead of serving God, if I serve the dog, that is called cheating religion. Nobody is meant for serving a dog, but because I am servant, if I haven't got sufficient engagement as servant of God, then I keep a dog to serve him. So the conclusion is that constitutionally I am servant, servant of God, but instead of giving service to God, I am now engaged in the service of the dog. So on the standard of this so-called service the Bhāgavata-dharma is not discussed, means the false service. Now, how it is concluded? Therefore the next verse says, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam: ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.3|SB 1.1.3]]) "This real service is enunciated here as the essence of all Vedic knowledge." Nigama means the Vedas, and it is called kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means desire tree. Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can receive from the Vedas all different types of knowledge.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB125NewVrindabanSeptember41972_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="28" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972">
<div class="heading">If somebody has nobody to serve, he takes a dog, a cat, and serves it. So service is there, but this service is called māyā, illusion. Actually, the service is meant for God, but we have forgotten God. We are rendering service to so many varieties of māyā's presentation.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">As liquidity is natural state of water, similarly, dharma is our natural state, the living entity. The living entity being part and parcel of God, it has got a natural position. Natural position. Just like the finger is the part and parcel of your body. It has got a natural position. The natural position is that finger, as you wish to work, the finger works, serves you. The different parts of your body, limbs, they are meant for serving the whole body. The finger catches a nice foodstuff, cake, but the finger does not use it. The finger takes it to the mouth. That means finger serves the body. Similarly, dharma means the living entity, being part and parcel of God, the living entity must serve God. That is dharma. That service attitude is there in every living entity, but somebody is serving himself, somebody is serving his family, somebody is serving his society, somebody is serving his country. In this way service is there. If somebody has nobody to serve, he takes a dog, a cat, and serves it. So service is there, but this service is called māyā, illusion. Actually, the service is meant for God, but we have forgotten God. We are rendering service to so many varieties of māyā's presentation. Therefore, when God comes, He establishes what is religion.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB126HyderabadNovember261972_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="38" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972">
<div class="heading">Everyone is serving. If a person has nobody to serve, he keeps a cat, he keeps a dog and serves him. So to give service, to love somebody else, that is my real characteristic. But I am missing the point. I am loving cats and dogs and so many things, but I am missing to love God. That is the missing point. Love is there, object of love is there, but it is misplaced.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Bhakti—to become devotee of the Supreme Lord. That is our real characteristic. To become devotee is already manifest. I am devotee to my country, I am devotee to my society, I am devotee to my family, I am devotee to my husband, to my wife, to my children. So devotion is already there. But that is not paro dharmo. When we become devotee of the Supreme Lord, that is our real characteristic. Devotion is already there, service is already there. Nobody can say that, "I do not serve anyone." No, that is not possible. You must serve. Because that is your characteristic, that is your dharma. Everyone is serving. If a person has nobody to serve, he keeps a cat, he keeps a dog and serves him. So to give service, to love somebody else, that is my real characteristic. But I am missing the point. I am loving cats and dogs and so many things, but I am missing to love God. That is the missing point. Love is there, object of love is there, but it is misplaced. Therefore, we are not getting happiness. When it will be properly placed, love and the object of love, then we'll be happy. This is explanation of this verse. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]). Para.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB15911NewVrindabanJune61969_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="134" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969">
<div class="heading">Instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I become servant of so many things. I become servant of my family, servant of my country, society, humanity, cats, dogs, so many things. Servant I remain, but I become servant of so many things.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Your religion is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your religion. Now you serve in a different way according to time, circumstances, country. That is a different thing. But your religion is to serve God. That is your religion. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately gives you the definition of religion, or your occupation, natural duty, natural function. Always mind that. Just like the light's natural function is to give illumination. Prakāśa. Similarly, your natural function is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You have no other business. That is dharma. No other business. When we understand this convincingly, then we are situated in our religion. Just like Kṛṣṇa said. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā He says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Just to reestablish religion. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. People forget. Nature's, material nature's function is that, to put you into illusion always. So our forgetfulness is also another illusion. We forget our relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. Then adharma. That is... Instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I become servant of so many things. I become servant of my family, servant of my country, society, humanity, cats, dogs, so many things. Servant I remain, but I become servant of so many things. So I have to convert from this servitorship to Kṛṣṇa's servitorship. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, dharma-saṁsthāpana. This is dharma.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB11528LosAngelesDecember61973_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="296" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973">
<div class="heading">Just like we say "God is great." That is śānta, to appreciate the greatness of God. But there is no activity. But when you go step forward, that "God is great, so I am serving so many society, friendship, loves, cats, dogs and so many I'm loving. Why not let me love the greatest?" that is called dāsya.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">If an old friend meets another old friend, they become very much delighted. Similarly, if the father meets the lost child, he becomes very delighted and the child also becomes delighted. The husband, wife separated, again they meet. So they become very delighted. It is quite natural. The master and servant after many, many years, if they again meet, they become very delighted. So we have got our relationship with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways, śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. Śānta, śānta means neutral, simply to understand the Supreme. Dāsya means a step forward. Just like we say "God is great." That is śānta, to appreciate the greatness of God. But there is no activity. But when you go step forward, that "God is great, so I am serving so many society, friendship, loves, cats, dogs and so many I'm loving. Why not let me love the greatest?" that is called dāsya. Simply to realize God is great that is also very good. But when you voluntarily go forward, "Now why not serve the great?" Just like from ordinary service, those who are engaged in service, they want to try to change from the inferior service to the superior service. Service is there. But superior service is somebody gets government service. He thinks it is very nice. So similarly, as we serve, when we desire to serve the great, that will give us peaceful life.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB225LosAngelesDecember21968_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="372" link="Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968">
<div class="heading">This devotional service is not artificial. In every one of you there is dormant devotional service, but they are exhibited in a different way. Instead of loving God, that devotional service is diverted in loving a dog.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968|Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The benediction from the bona fide spiritual master and Lord is that his sense of devotional service is invoked. That is the gift. He does not give anything material opulence. Of course, if one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, material happiness is not very rare for him. That is automatically there. But the gift of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master is to inject him. Not inject him... The devotional service, love of Godhead is there, but to invoke it. This devotional service is not artificial. In every one of you there is dormant devotional service, as I have already explained, but they are exhibited in a different way. Instead of loving God, that devotional service is diverted in loving a dog. But the love is there. Love is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is said that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not an artificial thing that we have manufactured something, ideal thing, concocted, and we are preaching to the world that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. What is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? To love God. That is there. We are simply helping that "You try to love God; then you'll be happy." That is our mission.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB2434LosAngelesJune271972_6" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="402" link="Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972">
<div class="heading">Because we have forgotten the Supreme, our service attitude is now distributed in so many ways. But I am serving. That's a fact. Either you serve dog or either you serve God; the service is there. That you cannot avoid.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972|Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Faith is blind. Today you are Hindu, tomorrow you are Christian, today you are Christian. So this faith-changing is not dharma. Dharma means "which you cannot change." That is dharma. Not that whimsically I change. That dharma is service. Every one of us rendering some service to others. That is dharma. Every one of us. Jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us immediate information what is a living entity. He immediately gives the definition that a living entity means who is rendering service to the Lord. So we are rendering service. Somebody's rendering service to the countries, society, family, and at least, to dog, to cat. That is our general inclination, because we want to give service to the Supreme. But because we have forgotten the Supreme, our service attitude is now distributed in so many ways. But I am serving. That's a fact. Either you serve dog or either you serve God; the service is there. That you cannot avoid.</p>
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<div id="LectureonSB6139LosAngelesJune51976_7" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="663" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976">
<div class="heading">If you don't serve God, then you have to serve dog. Now make your choice, whether you shall spoil your life by serving dog and become next life a dog, or by serving God, you, next life you become a god. Make your choice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976|Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We are all living entities. What is the dharma? What is the characteristic? Common. Not that because I am Hindu, my characteristic is different from your characteristic. As living being, our characteristic is the same. Either you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or white or black, never mind. What is that characteristic? That characteristic—to serve. The inferior must serve to the superior. That's all. This is characteristic. Find out all over the universe, the service.</p>
<p>That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is his real charactertistic. He is eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is characteristic. So if you don't serve God, then you have to serve dog. But you have to serve. You see practically. So many godless persons, they have no family, no affection, no position, no home, nothing. But still he keeps a dog to serve. This is the characteristic. Because he has nothing to serve, he has no wife, no children, no (indistinct), nothing, so he must have somebody, keep a dog. Just see practically. He cannot avoid service. That is your characteristic. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve dog. Now make your choice, whether you shall spoil your life by serving dog and become next life a dog, or by serving God, you, next life you become a god. Make your choice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you want to become a dog next life, that is must. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram ([[Vanisource:BG 8.6 (1972)|BG 8.6]]). At the time of death, if you are affectionate to the dog, naturally you'll think of dog, and your soul will be transferred in the womb of a dog. This is nature's way. And, similarly, if you practice to love God in this life, at the time of death, naturally you'll think of God. Then next life, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9 (1972)|BG 4.9]]). It is explained in the... Tyaktvā deham, everyone has to give up this body, but if, at the time of quitting this body, you think of Kṛṣṇa, immediately you go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB772528SanFranciscoMarch131967_8" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="776" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967">
<div class="heading">In the morning I go with my dog. The dog says, "Yes, stand up here." "Yes, I am standing." "Let me pass my stool." "Yes, my dear sir. It is very nice." So I am servant. But I have no shame that I have become servant of dog and I refuse to be servant of God. Such a foolish we are.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967|Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this chanting of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, being engaged fully in the service of Kṛṣṇa, will gradually revive your pure consciousness, and you'll know, and you'll feel jolly. You'll feel jolly. Now we are serving. We are already serving. Now we are serving the cats and dogs and motorcar and this and that, so many things. Servant we are, because constitutionally I am servant. And because I am not servant of God or servant of Kṛṣṇa, that I have become servant of my dog. In the morning I go with my dog. The dog says, "Yes, stand up here." "Yes, I am standing." "Let me pass my stool." "Yes, my dear sir. It is very nice." So I am servant. But I have no shame that I have become servant of dog and I'm refuse to (be) servant of God. Such a foolish we are. You see? So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Just change this kindly. Don't become any more servant of..." Servant of dog means servant of your senses. That's all. We are here all servant of senses. That's all. A swami means master of the senses. "Oh, sense wants? Oh, my tongue wants immediately to smoke? There is some sensation. Oh, I must say, 'No. There is no smoking. Stop.' " Then you are master. And if you have become servant, "Oh, I want. Will you kindly give me a cigarette?" Because I am servant of cigarette. So you have to train yourself to become swami, master of your senses. Then everything is all right. Don't be servant of your senses. Servant you are. Just change your servitorship. Instead of becoming servant of senses, just become the servant of the master of the senses. The master of senses is Kṛṣṇa.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB772528SanFranciscoMarch131967_9" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="776" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967">
<div class="heading">You can perceive the activities of the soul even in your present state. That I am explaining, that the soul's activities is to serve. So we are serving dog. We have to serve God. That is soul's activities, real. Simply the difference is that instead of dog, we have to change the word—"God." The service is already there.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967|Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You can perceive the activities of the soul even in your present state. That I am explaining, that the soul's activities is to serve. So we are serving dog. We have to serve God. That is soul's activities, real. Simply the difference is that instead of dog, we have to change the word—"God." The service is already there. Your activities are already there. You are not stopped. It is not a new thing. Service is already there. Just like India has become independent, or you have become independent. Now, there were government servants. Before independence declared, they were servant in the same office. And now the Britishers have gone away, Indians are controlling their own management. The same servant is there. Now he's thinking, "I am independent." And what independence? You are serving here still. In the British period, you also served, and you are serving. What is your independence? "Oh, now I am serving my own country." That's all, rubberstamp change. For imperial government, "His Majesty," now the rubber is "India government." The rubber stamp is changed. So you have to change your rubber stamp. Instead of serving dog, you have to serve God. That's all. Change your rubber stamp. Is it very difficult? So please try to change your rubber stamp. That's all.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB772528SanFranciscoMarch131967_10" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="776" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967">
<div class="heading">You are already servant of Kṛṣṇa, but you are declaring yourself that "No, I am not servant of God. I am servant of dog." So that is your madness. The sooner you give up your madness, it is better.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967|Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Bhaktijana: If you become a, you become a servant of Kṛṣṇa, will He provide a way for you to meet your physical needs?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Well, you are, if you become Kṛṣṇa..., servant of Kṛṣṇa... It is! Not to become. You are already. Just like a person, a citizen of United States, he's under, already under the obligation of the state. If he thinks that "I am not under obligation," that is his madness. Similarly, you are already servant of Kṛṣṇa, but you are declaring yourself that "No, I am not servant of God. I am servant of dog." So that is your madness. The sooner you give up your madness, it is better. There is no question... If you becoming a servant of dog, your everything is supplied by somebody, but do you think that becoming servant of God, nothing will be supplied to you? If God is so poor that if He can supply the necessities of a servant of dog, and He'll not supply the necessities of a servant of God? Why do you think like that? You see, in our Society, we are all servants of God. Do you think we have got any want? We have got everything full. This Kīrtanānanda, he has gone to Montreal. He is spending five hundred dollars every month, and he went from here without a farthing. Here is the practical example. So don't think like that. God is not so poor. Everything belongs to God. So, if you are sincere, oh, God will supply you everything.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7912MontrealAugust191968_11" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="815" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968">
<div class="heading">Our position is that God is the Supreme and we are subordinate, and our business is to serve God. This is our position. We are serving, but instead of serving God, we are serving dog.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968|Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Mukti means when you give up your material contaminated life. Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sa guṇena avasthiti. To be, I mean to say, situated in the constitutional position, that is called mukti. So our constitutional position is that God is great and we are small. And our position is that God is the Supreme and we are subordinate, and our business is to serve God. This is our position. We are serving, but instead of serving God, we are serving dog. That is the position. But service is there. So when you, actually when we serve God, then we can serve everyone. Because that is real position. Just like if you love your father, then you can love your brothers also. Because you know that "If I don't love my brothers, then father will not be pleased." The center must be the father. So without loving father, you cannot love your family members. Similarly, without loving God, you cannot love, exhibit love, in any way. You may advertise yourself, universal brotherhood and so on, so on. This will be all failure because the center is missing. The present defect is that the center is missing; therefore there is no peace in the world. So we have to search out the center.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionBombayJanuary111973_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="25" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973">
<div class="heading">They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine..." (laughter) That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god, dog, māyā. You cannot be, become without service.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973|The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So that service, when one agrees to serve Kṛṣṇa... Because nobody's agreeable to serve Kṛṣṇa. They will... Kṛṣṇa personally came, canvassed. How many people are serving Kṛṣṇa? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā ([[Vanisource:BG 9.11 (1972)|BG 9.11]]). "Oh, it is too much. Kṛṣṇa is asking that 'Give up everything and serve un..., unto Him.' It is too much." People are taking, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, because they are mūḍhas. They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine..." (laughter) That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god, dog, māyā. You cannot be, become without service. That is not possible. That is not possi... You must have to serve somebody. But you'll not be satisfied. By such service, you'll ne... The, the master whom you are serving, he will never be satisfied, neither you'll be satisfied. But if you serve actually the Supreme Master, Kṛṣṇa, He will be satisfied and you will be satisfied.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20100WashingtonDCJuly51976_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="51" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976">
<div class="heading">Actually nobody can be master; everyone is servant. Either we are servant of God or we are servant of dog. That's all. Nobody can be master. If anyone has no master, then he keeps a pet dog to become his servant.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam ([[Vanisource:SB 1.3.28|SB 1.3.28]]). These are the Vedic evidences. So actually nobody can be master; everyone is servant. Either we are servant of God or we are servant of dog. That's all. Nobody can be master. If anyone has no master, then he keeps a pet dog to become his servant. That is nature, we can see. One is servant of his wife, one is servant of his pet or government service or this service. Nobody can claim that "I am the master." That is not possible. That is also temporary. So actually this is the position of all living entities. Everyone is servant. But in the material sense, he is servant of māyā, servant of senses. Servant of māyā means servant of senses. And spiritual life means instead of becoming servant of māyā or servant of senses, we become the servant of Kṛṣṇa or God. That is the position. Servant we shall remain. We have to change the position. And if we become servant of God, then we become happy, and if we remain servant of dog or māyā, then we remain unhappy. This is the position. We have to change the position. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. One intelligent brāhmaṇa, he's offering, "My Lord, I have become servant of so many senses, but neither the senses are satisfied, neither I am satisfied. This is the result of my service. Therefore now I have got my intelligence that I want to become Your servant." This is intelligence.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20100WashingtonDCJuly51976_1" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="51" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976">
<div class="heading">Sva-rūpeṇa, legally, constitutionally, I am servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Now I have become servant of dog and māyā. So if I give up this service and again become servant of God, that is mukti.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So this is intelligence, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. That means mukti. Mukti does not mean you'll get four hands and eight heads. No. Mukti means, as it is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. That is mukti. Sva-rūpeṇa, legally, constitutionally, I am servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Now I have become servant of dog and māyā. So if I give up this service and again become servant of God, that is mukti. That is mukti. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. We are trying to become... Here māyā means "which is not." Ma-ya. We are every one of us, we are thinking, "I am master." "I am the monarch of all I survey." Here is a poetry. Everyone is thinking. I made my plan, I make my survey, and I become king. But that is māyā. You cannot become. You are already servant of māyā.</p>
</div>
</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="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1972 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1972 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationJuly41972NewYork_0" class="quote" parent="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="31" link="Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York" link_text="Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York">
<div class="heading">Instead of being controlled by dog, let me be controlled by God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have not seen, man, how he is controlled by a dog, in the street? The dog stops, passes stool. "Yes, I stand."
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York|Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So, so long I am being controlled by these rascals, so there is no benefit. I'm controlled. I have been controlled by my senses. So under the control of the senses, I have served family, so-called family, society, country, nation, up to serving the dog, but nothing has given me the satisfaction. Therefore now I have got sense, good sense. I put myself under Your power. Instead of being controlled by dog, let me be controlled by God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have not seen, man, how he is controlled by a dog, in the street? The dog stops, passes stool. "Yes, I stand." Is it not? He's passing stool, his urine, and the master is thinking, "I am master," but he's being controlled. That is māyā. He has become servant of dog, but he is thinking that "I am master of dog." This is māyā. This is māyā. So unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, one cannot understand. We can understand that this rascal is being controlled by this dog, but he's thinking that he is the master. We can understand. What do you think? Does he not become controlled by the dog?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithReporterJune31976LosAngeles_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="109" link="Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles" link_text="Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles">
<div class="heading">I am servant, that's a fact. And voluntarily keep a dog and serve him. They have no master, then I keep a master, dog, cat. You call it by the name, pet. What is a pet? I do service, that's all. So this is our advancement of civilization. We have refused to serve God, and you voluntarily accept to serve dog.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles|Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So I have come to America, you say "Keep to the right." If I say, "No, I have no faith in this 'Keep to the right.' " No, I must obey. That is law. Similarly, religion means you may have faith or no faith, but you must obey. It is a must. It is not optional. That is religion. That, I explained it many times that (indistinct) means characteristic. Just like everyone of us, we are servant. So, the living entity is servant. He may have faith or no faith, he must be a servant. And if you don't become servant of God, then you become servant of dog. That is your advancement of civilization. When there is no service for God, just like here we have got service for God, there is no question of serving dog. But when we forget service of God, then automatically we become service of dog. But service.... I am servant, that's a fact. And voluntarily keep a dog and serve him. They have no master, then I keep a master, dog, cat. You call it by the name, pet. What is a pet? I do service, that's all. So this is our advancement of civilization. We have refused to serve God, and you voluntarily accept to serve dog. Now in India, they are also learning. (chuckles) And formerly, dog keeping, dog there was in the neighborhood. But they were not allowed to enter the room or house. Now, they are keeping dogs just like the Western people keep. They are making dog show and so on, so on.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="InterviewwithNewsdayNewspaperJuly141976NewYork_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="212" link="Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York" link_text="Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York">
<div class="heading">Consciousness means when he understands that "I am part and parcel of God. I am servant of God." Then it is all right. But if he is thinking that "I am servant of dog," then it is not proper way.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York|Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Rāmeśvara: He says, "But you can come to God consciousness by different processes."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, different processes... Our...</p>
<p>Bali-mardana: Can do.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, it is not that. The aim is to come to the God consciousness. And the means may be different. So that means is justified by the end. If at the end, you do not come to God consciousness, then whatever process you have, that is bogus. That is not bona fide.</p>
<p>Interviewer: You say it works?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If it works, it is bona fide. If it does not work, then it is bogus.</p>
<p>Interviewer: And to your mind is it possible to come to God consciousness through other means than yours?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: I say if it is possible, then it is all right.</p>
<p>Interviewer: Is it possible?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, if it is possible.</p>
<p>Interviewer: Is it, though? (laughter)</p>
<p>Rāmeśvara: That you have to see.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, thing is that...</p>
<p>Hari-śauri: That you have to see. You have to judge whether you are going to get that result.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. People... Whether he is coming to God consciousness or dog consciousness, two things are there. Consciousness means when he understands that "I am part and parcel of God. I am servant of God." Then it is all right. But if he is thinking that "I am servant of dog," then it is not proper way.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>