Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Nectar of Devotion you explain that there are three classes of devotees. And you say that the third-class devotee, he has belief but he cannot explain or give any support.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Bahulāśva: This is like Christian...?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bahulāśva: They believe that there is God.
Prabhupāda: If you believe there is God, that is sufficient. That is sufficient. But now they, being advanced in education, they want to know how God is there. There is no explanation. Therefore they reject it.
Jayādvaita: They try to explain scientifically what's in the Bible.
Prabhupāda: That science is rascaldom. So how they will be able? Because the whole thing is rascaldom, how they will explain God? Those who are actually advanced scientists, they have accepted. "There must be God," they say.
Jayadwaita: But otherwise the rascals, they try and explain scientifically. They come to the conclusion...
Prabhupāda: Yes, what is their science? Whole science is rascaldom. Just like they have never seen what is there in the planet, and they are concluding, "There is no life." You see? So they are all rascals. Maybe one or two like that gentleman who says that "No, there is God. There is grace."
Bahulāśva: So Prabhupāda, you said belief is enough?
Prabhupāda: Yes, for the noneducated rascal, belief is the... That is required, blind belief. That is good.
Bahulāśva: Blind faith.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bahulāśva: But to become an advanced devotee, do you have to have knowledge?
Prabhupāda: Therefore it is said, catur-vidhā bhajante mām...
Jayādvaita: Janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna.
Prabhupāda: Sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Jñānī... What is called?
Devotee (5): Ārto jijñāsur...
Prabhupāda: Ah. No, this first word, distress, ārtaḥ, ārtaḥ. Artaḥ, arthārthī, jñānī and jijñāsuḥ. So some innocent man, when he is distressed, he has belief in God. So he approaches God, "God, I am distressed. Kindly help me." He is simply on faith. That is good. And jñānī means he wants to know actually what is God. Then his enquiry is advancing.
Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes philosophers make a distinction between knowledge and a belief. They say you can believe in something, but that doesn't mean that you necessarily know that thing which you believe in.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's fact. Therefore for the neophytes, less intelligent, they should believe. That is the only way, viśvāsa. So generally mass of people they are not so educated. They should believe.