Guest (1): (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: India is already there, but suppressed them. Bhagavad-gītā is there, but are you preaching Bhagavad-gītā? Why you don't preach this great science? Why you are disinterested? Answer this question.
Guest (1): But who has to preach?
Prabhupāda: You have to preach, because you are born in India.
Guest (2): But you yourself didn't preach it here. First you went to USA.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is preaching. But the thing is that it is not in India, not outside India. But it is the duty of every Indian to do it. I tried preach it beginning from India, but nobody joined. Still they are not joining. What can I do?
Interviewer (3): But how to make the people realize importance of Bhagavad-gītā?
Prabhupāda: If you don't realize here is Bhagavad-gītā as it is, Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in India. If you don't take interest, who can induce you? If you don't take interest at all, those who are preaching Bhagavad-gītā, they are making different interpretation.
Interviewer (3): I am a layman, I do not know the importance...
Prabhupāda: You are not a layman, you are a representative of paper.
Guest (2): He doesn't mean that he's a layman, but suppose he is a layman...
Prabhupāda: Layman, he must go to a person who is experienced.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
This is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. If you are layman you must go to a person who has seen the truth. If you remain at home, then how you can see?
Guest (2): But I am so preoccupied with my...
Prabhupāda: You are taking so many education...
Guest (2): ...that I don't have to time to contemplate or study such things. Don't you think it's the responsibility of people like you to...
Prabhupāda: That means you are not properly trained up. The thing is, the first business of human being is to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta philosophy. Now we have got this human form of body, it is your duty to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. But if your guardians, if your parents, if your government does not teach you, then it is our misfortune.
Interviewer (3): Do you want this to become a part of the educational system here?
Prabhupāda: This is the first education. Otherwise it is animal. Animal does not require absolute education. Animal is not able to understand what is self, what is God. But a man can. Therefore the man's first business is to understand this self-realization.
Interviewer (3): Do you think it will come to India via the West now?
Prabhupāda: I don't follow.
Interviewer (3): Will it come to India via the West?
Prabhupāda: India is already there. You are neglecting. Why don't you admit that you are neglecting?
Interviewer (3): Will that neglect go, disappear, through the West?
Prabhupāda: How will that? If you don't like it, how it will go?
Interviewer (4): No, no, my colleague's point is, we have not been accepting, we are not able to understand Bhagavad-gītā on our own. Just because first Western people understand, and because of their...