Interviewer: Yes. That is not necessarily based on the religious principles, of course, what you are talking about.
Prabhupāda: No, that is a philosophical principle. Religion without philosophy is sentiment.
Interviewer: Don't you think there are very good reasons for the existence of these rules and regulations in this respect?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Rules and regulations must be established on philosophy. Otherwise it is sentiment, defective. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. They should be combined, philosophy and religion. Then it will be perfect.
Interviewer: I think that in this part of the world, in the Western world, at least, as much as I am aware of it, we do place a good deal of emphasis on religion and...
Prabhupāda: Based on philosophy.
Interviewer: Well, on religion... What I would like to highlight, what I would like to emphasize is that we place a good deal of emphasis on religion in the ways it gets one man to deal with another man. The ethic of religion. Now...
Prabhupāda: No. Our point is not that.
Interviewer: In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Our... We must clear. We are not concerned how one man deals with another man. Our point...
Interviewer: As a part of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Interviewer: This is not important?
Prabhupāda: No. This is not important. Because we know as soon as one understands how to deal with God, he'll automatically deal with other men very nicely.
Interviewer: But you know... Let's take the Christian religion for example.
Prabhupāda: No, I do not wish...
Interviewer: You know the ten commandments for example, there is a heavy emphasis in the ten commandments on the relationships between one human being and another. "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not steal." That sort of thing.
Prabhupāda: But I say that Jesus Christ never said, he never meant, "Thou shall not kill," means only human being. Where is that evidence? Jesus Christ never said "Thou shall not kill means it means only human being." Thou shall not kill any animal.
Interviewer: Any life.
Prabhupāda: Any life. That is religion.
Interviewer: It has never been interpreted that way.
Prabhupāda: But you have interpreted different way, but he said "Thou shall not kill." He never said "Thou shall not kill amongst human being." Why do you interpret in that way?
Interviewer: How would I recognize a true follower of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by his behavior? What would his traits be? What would his outward expressions be?
Prabhupāda: Yes. His behavior, he's a perfect gentleman. That's all. You cannot find any fault in him. That is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are prohibited not to eat meat.
Interviewer: Not to eat meat?
Prabhupāda: No. They are prohibited from illicit sex life. They are prohibited to intoxication. They do not smoke even, what to speak of other intoxications. And they are prohibited not to indulge in gambling. So if they can observe these four rules and regulations, they become perfect men. Simply.
Interviewer: Or women I presume.
Prabhupāda: Woman or man. Anyone.
Interviewer: Men or women. There is place for women in the religion too isn't...?
Prabhupāda: Woman and man have got the same right. Just like we are getting married boys and girls. They're following the same principles. The same principles. So these are the four pillars of perfect life. And if we indulge in these things, illicit sex life, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling, then they become the four pillars of sinful life. And If we take them away, then they become, the prohibited portion becomes the pillars of perfect life.