View source for But what of our efforts to conquer cancer and tuberculosis (no, we do not say that we are making progress like you. We are trying to make spiritual progress. We are servant of God. We never say that we are very big men)?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1975]]
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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="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="MorningWalkJuly241975LosAngeles_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="153" link="Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles" link_text="Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles">
<div class="heading">No... We are trying to avoid death. Everything is cured. Cancer, cancer's father, grandfather, everything is cured. So we are trying for that. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "If you simply understand Me..." Simply if you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, why He comes, what is the purpose, then you become conqueror over death. That is our philosophy. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is our progress, how much we have understood Kṛṣṇa. And when one understands fully Kṛṣṇa-fully it is not possible; at least partially—he is conquering over death. That is real human life, how to conquer over death.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles|Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Bora bora goye gala rasatala, vetta gore bole katha jala(?). There is a river. The horses, they can swim. So the river was so ferocious and many horses drowned. So one vetta gora, means third-class horse, he said, "How was the water? Let me try."</p>
<p>Paramahaṁsa: (laughing) They all drowned.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: The vetta gora. These are vetta gora, horses with (remedy?).</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: But they can point to progress, not that they're all drowning.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: What is that progress?</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: Well, people never thought they could reach the moon. Now they think they have.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So that is not progress. Progress means when you conquer death. That is progress.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why is that the only progress?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Because whatever you do, death will come and take it. So where is guarantee that you will enjoy?</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Relatively we can enjoy.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Relatively everyone... The ant also thinking, "I am also some important..." That is Kṛṣṇa's proposal, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānu... ([[Vanisource:BG 13.9|BG 13.9]]). You are trying to get out of all kinds of miserable conditions, but here is your real misery, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age... First of all conquer them. Then talk of advance. You cannot conquer even on disease. There are so many persons suffering from disease. You cannot stop it, and you're making progress? What is that progress? It is all rascaldom.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we see that even your devotees, they are also subject to birth, death, disease and old age.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, we do not say that we are making progress like you. We are trying to make spiritual progress. We are servant of God. We never say that we are very big men, Vaiṣṇava. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. We think most insignificant creature.</p>
<p>Paramahaṁsa: But what of our efforts to conquer cancer and tuberculosis?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No. Because we are conquering to... We are trying to avoid death. Then it is... Everything is cured. Cancer, cancer's father, grandfather, everything is cured. So we are trying for that. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9|BG 4.9]]). That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "If you simply understand Me..." Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Simply if you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, why He comes, what is the purpose, then you become conqueror over death. That is our philosophy. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is our progress, how much we have understood Kṛṣṇa. And when one understands fully Kṛṣṇa-fully it is not possible; at least partially—he is conquering over death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9|BG 4.9]]). That is real human life, how to conquer over death. Aihiṣṭhaṁ yat tat punar-janma-jāyāya. All the great sages and big, big kings, they left everything, went to the forest for austerity, penance. Why? To conquer over death. That is the mission. That... Everyone can do that, human life. And that is plainly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Simply try to understand Me and you conquer over death." Simple thing.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But still we see, the Vaiṣṇavas... They may argue like this, that... A karmī may say that "Still, how do we know that you have conquered over death, because you're still..."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You cannot know. Because you are foolish, you cannot know. Just like the example is given: there is reel. You know? What is called? The children...</p>
<p>Paramahaṁsa: Swing?</p>
<p>Jayatīrtha: Ferris wheel?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no. In your country there</p>
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