One must be serious that, "We are talking about God, so what is my God realization?" That is nice. Otherwise, if I go on life after life talking about God and there is no God realization . . . that is going on. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
We are talking of God, but instead of loving God, we are loving this body. So that is not practical. That is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. If one does not become enthused to love God, then simply talking about God is a waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is going on all over the world. Somebody's Hindu, somebody's Christian, somebody's Muhammadan; they are going to the church, they are going to the mosque, they are going to the temple; everything is going on. But when you ask, "Whether you love God or dog?" he'll say: "I love dog." Practically we see. Everyone is keeping a dog, very favorite pet. And in church, they'll talk of God, but practically they love the dog. Is it not? This is going on, in the name of religion, that's all. Therefore Bhāgavatam says it is simply a waste of time. What is the use of talking God? If by talking of God perpetually you are developing your love for dog, then what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply waste of time. These are all discussed. Regularly going to the church, regularly going to the mosque or temple, but the love is for material things, not for God. How I get money, how I get motorcar, how I get dog, how I get nice wife, how I get nice . . . the love is here. The example is given, just like a vulture. The vulture goes very, very high, four miles, five miles up. But his business is to find out "Where there is a corpse? Where there is a corpse?" Very highly elevated, but business is to find out a dead body. And as soon as he finds it . . . (hand motion indicating swooping down) So this is going on. Very religious, very regularly performing religious ceremonies, rituals, but the business is "Where is a corpse? Come on, here is some sense gratification." This is going on. If you are talking of God, then you must love God. That is progress. But there is no love of God, there is love of something else, so what is the use of talking about? Hmm? What do you think? Is it not waste of time?