The Sanskrit words abhijña and svarāṭ, appearing in the first verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are significant. These two words distinguish the Lord from all other living entities. No living entity other than the Supreme Being, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is either abhijña or svarāṭ—that is, none of them are either fully cognizant or fully independent. Everyone has to receive knowledge from his superior; even Brahmā, who is the first living being within this material world, has to meditate upon the Supreme Lord and take help from Him in order to create. If neither Brahmānor the sun can create anything without acquiring knowledge from a superior, then what to speak of the material scientists, who are fully dependent on so many things? Modern scientists like Jagadisha Chandra Bose, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc., may boast of their respective creative energies, but all were dependent on the Supreme Lord for so many things. After all, the highly intelligent brains of these gentlemen were certainly not products of any human being. The brains were created by another agent. If brains like those of Einstein or Newton could have been manufactured by a human being, then mankind would produce many such brains instead of eulogizing these scientists. If such scientists cannot even manufacture such brains, what to speak of foolish atheists who defy the authority of the Lord?
Isaac Newton
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Message of Godhead
There is much advancement of material science all over the world, but regrettably, these advanced scientists have made no attempt to understand the living spark, the spirit, which is always the most important subject. This is our gross ignorance. This is our helplessness.
Śrī Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin—the brilliant brain substance of each of them stopped working utterly, as soon as this little spark of living substance separated from their respective bodies. If it were possible to create this living substance by chemical or physical combination or permutation of matter, then surely some disciple or other of these great scientists would have brought them back to life and would thus have prolonged their scientific contribution to the world. But no material scientist can create the living spark by any material arrangement, and those who say they can do so in the future are the greatest of fools and hypocrites. The living spirit is eternal—he has no end and no beginning and thus can never be created by any method whatsoever. After all, it is within our experience that every created thing is subject to annihilation. The eternality of the spirit soul is proved through its noncreatability by material means.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So we have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We cannot understand higher things unless we follow the footprint of great personalities. Just like even in the scientific world, the law of gravitation. You do not know anything about law of gravitation, but Sir Isaac Newton, he said that there is law of gravitation. You accept it. That's all. That means you follow a great personality. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa should be accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead not by whims. But He has been accepted like by personalities like Lord Caitanya, Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, great personalities who are guiding the destiny of spiritual world. Therefore you have to accept in that way.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread. It is very easy. You drink water—Oh, you remember Kṛṣṇa. You hear something—Oh. Suppose there are... So many sounds are occurring in the street, but if you know that "This sound is Kṛṣṇa," then in every step you will feel Kṛṣṇa.
Then again He says,
- puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca
- tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau
- jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
- tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu
He is describing more elaborately. How is that? Now, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. Puṇyo gandhaḥ means flavor, the flavor. Any flavor, that is Kṛṣṇa, that is God. You cannot create any flavor. Synthetically, we may create some scent, but that is not as good as natural scent. So that is... When you have a good flavor, you can remember, "Oh, here is God. Here is Kṛṣṇa." When there is some natural beauty, oh, you can understand, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." And when there is something uncommon, very powerful, wonderful, oh, you can understand, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." And when there is life, jīvanam... As long a tree lives, as long a man lives, as long as animal lives, so you understand, "This life, this life is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." As soon as the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the spark, is taken away from that body, oh, everything goes. No meaning. So nice brain, we are acting—Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. But as soon as that small particle of Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel is removed from this body, no more Sir Isaac Newton working. Finish.
Real intelligence is to know, to understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and I am part and parcel." It is stated here that intelligence means sukhārtha-vivecana-samatyam.(?) Suppose one is very intelligent to drive a car. That is not... That is material intelligence for earning our bread. Real intelligence is sukhārtha(?), the finer sentiments to understand the finer activities of this nature. That is called buddhi, to understand how things are happening. Just like one is considered to be intelligent when he tries to understand not this physiological or anatomical construction of this body. He wants to see by intelligence what is the active principle of this body that is working. That is intelligence, not that...
Just like a child. A child sees that a nice motor car runs in the street. He thinks that the motor car is running out of its own accord. That is not intelligence. The motor car is not running... In spite of its... Just like here we have got this tape recorder, this microphone. Somebody may say, "Oh, how fine discoveries are these. They are working so nicely." But one should see that this tape recorder or this microphone cannot work for a single moment unless a spirit soul touch it. This is intelligence. We should not be wonderful by seeing a machine. We should try to find out who is working the machine. That is intelligence, sukhārtha-vivecanam, to see the finer.
Grossly seeing, that is not intelligence. Oh, man is working; man is living; man is writing books, oh, wonderfully. He is scientist. But what that finer things that at once it is vanished; the scientist becomes fool. No more scientist. Can scientist discover something and place it before his student that "When my body will be stopped, you inject this thing, and I'll come out again." Has scientist discovered this thing? No. If scientist could discover such thing then there would have been no scarcity of scientist. Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir P.C. Raya and so many scientists all over the world, they have discovered very, very... In your country, Edison... They have discovered so many wonderful things. Oh. Then why don't you... O Mr. Scientist, why don't you discover something so that we can keep it as soon as your body will be stopped, and we shall inject this scientific, and you will come out again and work? So this is called intelligence.
The scientist is working, the philosopher is working, not out of his own accord. It is working under the spell of material nature. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Prakṛti... By nature's law he's working. Why not everybody scientist? Why not everybody? If it is accidental and it is automatic, why there are so many differences? Here is a scientist; here is a fool. Why? Why this distinction? The distinction is made by prakṛti, by nature.
Anyone this humbleness and humility is taught everywhere. Without being gentle, humble, how one can be a man of knowledge? But at the present moment the humility is forgotten. Everyone is proud unnecessarily. Although he's nothing, he's proud. So much so that sometimes a rascal says that "I am God." This is the modern civilization. He's so puffed-up, so proud, that one claims to become God, what to speak of other things. No. The first thing is that one must be very humble.
This is the process of Vedic civilization. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. One has to become brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanna. He must be learned and humble. That is brāhmaṇa. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini. That is the first-class life. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa. Why brāhmaṇa is honored in the society? Because brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne and very humble. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). Vidyā means. vidyā dadāti namratā. Vidyā means he must be very gentle, namra. That is vidyā. Education does not mean unnecessarily to become proud.
Just like we hear that even a great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say, "What knowledge I have got? I have simply collected a few grains sand from the big beach." Yes. That is humbleness. So Kṛṣṇa says that in the process of acquiring knowledge, one must be very humble and meek. This is the first qualification.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Devotee:
- ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyāṁ
- yadubhiḥ saha pāṇḍavāḥ
- bhavato 'darśanaṁ yarhi
- hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ
- (SB 1.8.38)
"As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly, if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Pāṇḍavas and Yadus, will end at once."
Prabhupāda: So this is the case not only with the Pāṇḍavas but every one of us. When somebody dies, big man, big scientist, big politician, big philosopher, when he's dead, the big name, "Here is Mr. Nixon, here is Mr, Sir Isaac Newton, or...," this is name. Nāma-rūpābhyām. Nāma means name and rūpa means form. So, so long we are living, our name, our fame, our form, our activities, are glorious, very good. And as soon as the life is gone, nobody cares. It is a lump of matter. That's all. Now at the... When one is living, a big man, nobody can go before him or touch him—there are so many guards. But the same man, when he's dead, if he's lying on the floor, if somebody kicks on his face, nobody cares, finished.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Pradyumna: "This fact is corroborated by Kṛṣṇa in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Chapter, 1st verse, where He says, 'My dear Uddhava, you may know it from Me that the attraction I feel for devotional service rendered by My devotees is not to be attained even by the performance of mystic yoga, philosophical speculation, ritualistic sacrifices, the study of Vedānta, the practice of severe austerities or the giving of everything in charity. These are, of course, very nice activities, but they are not as attractive to Me as the transcendental loving service rendered to My devotees.' How Kṛṣṇa becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Nārada in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, 37th verse. There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāja. A devotee always appreciates the qualities of other devotees."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not find any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya, as Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se lagiṣṭha: (CC Adi 5.205) "I am lower than the insect within the stool." Jagāi-mādhāi haite se muñi pāpiṣṭha: "I am greater sinner than Jagāi and Mādhāi." Mora nāma yei laya tāra puṇya kṣaya: "Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished." He's placing like that. Because it is not imitation or any bluff. He's... Any devotee who's actually advanced, he feels like that. Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge." Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
If one thinks that he has become very advanced in devotion, then that is very dangerous.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The jñānīs, those who want to understand the Absolute Truth by their material, imperfect knowledge, how... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean. It is a different process. It is a... To understand God or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa is covered by the curtain drawn by yogamāyā; therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by everyone, neither His teaching, Bhagavad-gītā, can be understood without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is not possible.
A sādhu, a sage or a devotee, although he knows everything, still, he always places himself as he does not know anything. He never says that "I know everything." But actually, it is not possible to know everything. That is not possible. But one... Just like Sir Isaac Newton, he agrees that people say, "I am very much learned, but I do not know how much I have learned. I am simply collecting some pebbles on the sea shore." So that is the position. If a man who is actually learned, he'll never say that "I am learned." He'll simply say, "I am the fool number one. I do not know."
General Lectures
So Sūta Gosvāmī, he was representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he was addressing very learned brāhmaṇas. So he's addressing, dvija-śreṣṭhā. Śreṣṭhā means the, I mean to say, picked-up, the topmost of the brāhmaṇas. They were topmost of the brāhmaṇas; still, they require knowledge. Knowledge is so nice that even if you think that you are very learned, you are well versed in everything, still, you require knowledge. That should be our motto. Don't think that "I have finished." Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught this lesson in His life, that He represented Himself as a fool. So everyone should think of himself that "I am still a fool." Just like it is said that Sir Isaac Newton... He was such a learned man, but he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand from the beach of knowledge." Knowledge is so vast that his knowledge was simply a few grains of the vast amount of sand of knowledge. So everyone should think like that. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj, the author, he says that "I am lowest than the germs in the stool. I have no knowledge." So the more you become advanced in knowledge, you'll know that how insignificant you are in comparison to the Supreme.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: An animal is put in some certain atmosphere, he adjusts. But there are different types animals. Just like we see while walking (in) severe cold, we try to adjust by covering. Others, the birds, the skylark, the so on, they do not adjust.
Śyāmasundara: His finding is that new types of species will come out, which will be better adapted. The swans, if it becomes too cold, they will die.
Prabhupāda: They are better than us, than human being?
Atreya Ṛṣi: What the theory is Prabhupāda is that, for example, if there are many, many swans living in one place, those who cannot adjust will be extinct after many, many years, and those who can adjust will live. In effect, what he tried to prove was that Kṛṣṇa's law, nature's law, is perfect. But he was missing Kṛṣṇa. In other words, what the proof is very scientific, but it is lacking.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is adding zero, without one.
Atreya Ṛṣi: That's right, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Therefore the value remains zero. He couldn't find the one, so that the value of the zeroes at once increases.
Atreya Ṛṣi: But there are some great scientists like Newton who studied many, many, many years and made many, many theories and then they gave it up when they realized that they couldn't go further. Newton, at a very early age, like forty-three I think, went to a monastery.
Śyāmasundara: We discussed Newton's philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Sir Isaac Newton?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Long ago, in Africa.
Prabhupāda: No, he was Englishman.
Śyāmasundara: No, but in Africa we discussed his philosophy.
Prabhupāda: He died at the age of twenty-three. His picture is there in Westminster Abbey.
Śyāmasundara: His tomb, his grave. He is buried there.
Prabhupāda: Westminster Abbey has become now a museum.
Śyāmasundara: Graveyard and museum.
Prabhupāda: People go to see, tourist.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So in our, this Vedic way of life, to accept guru is essential. Even big, big ācārya... Even Kṛṣṇa, He accepted guru, Sandipani Muni. Lord Caitanya accepted guru, Īśvara Purī. They are perfect, but still, the ways They are showing because They are ācārya. Kṛṣṇa is teaching, taking the part of the ācārya, so he is also accepting, although the fact is as soon as went to, within a few days He learned everything. That is stated in our Kṛṣṇa Book. Within a few days He became expert warrior, expert magician, expert yogi, every..., so many things, all arts. But He learned from a guru. He is perfect Himself, Kṛṣṇa. He is called Yogesvara. He knows all the yoga process, but still, in order to teach us, because He is playing the part of a teacher, He shows us that you must learn from guru. "I am learning from guru." So any science, you cannot learn it automatically by yourself. No, that is not. Then we shall create so many mental speculators, so many things. That will be not a science. Even all scientists, they accept a formula from an authority: "law of gravitation." They accept it. Then their physical, so many things they discover. But accept one formula. Just like this formula is given by Sir Isaac Newton. So they accept guru. So from all practical point of view, the things which are unknown to us, we have to accept a guru, for things unknown to us. Now, there is another verse. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ. We are all born ignorant. Is it not? What do you think? Are we not born fools? Is it not?
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So that is natu... That is good. Big, big man. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was lear... "I am fool number one." And the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he says that "I am lower than the, a worm in the stool." So this is good attitude. Nobody... Sir Isaac Newton also used to say that "What knowledge I have got. I have simply collected..." They're... Every, every big man thinks like that. That is good attitude. But there is comparative study, that "Here is a big man, here is a common man." So our proposition is that it is a great science, great philosophy. So western countries, they are intelligent, especially the Britain, British people. They had very good opportunity. Still they have got opportunity. So my request is that let us study this philosophy and science and if possible introduce it in the human society. That is our proposal.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere it is useful because in scientific world also, you follow leader, Sir Isaac Newton, Professor Einstein. Why do you follow? There must be a leader.
Karandhara: Well, they just use the leaders as springboards. They don't accept them as absolute authorities.
Prabhupāda: No, it may be springboard, but you have to take their help. Because it is springboard, you cannot neglect. What do you think?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.
Prabhupāda: Yes, you have to take help.
Prajāpati: They feel great accomplishment when they can disprove something that these leaders are proposing.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. And he had made a replica. He had made a small replica of the universe with all the planets floating and so on. He had made a small replica, and it was sitting in his house. And his assistant came one day, his atheist assistant, he came and he says, "Oh, who has made this wonderful replica of the universe?" And Sir Isaac Newton, who was sitting there reading, he says, "Oh, no one." And the man said, "What do you mean no one?" He says... He didn't look up. He just says, "No one made it." And he kept reading and the guy, the assistant, the atheist, he became very perturbed. He kept saying, "What do you mean, you fool? Obviously somebody made it. He must have great intelligence, and I'd like to meet the fellow who created this." And Sir Isaac Newton put down his book and says, "My friend, this is but a small replica of the universe, and you're the one who is always declaring that no one has created the universe. And now you're declaring to me that somebody must have created that. I'm saying it just happened, but you don't believe me. So how can I accept your logic when you say that all of this just happened?" (break)
Prabhupāda: ...temple is very nice. (break) ...is also very nice.
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...lunch time.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is the tendency everywhere. The Britishers.... You go to the Parliament and Westminster Abbey. They have kept all the statues of Sir Isaac Newton and this Churchill, this.... Mean, they want to show that "It is only our nation who has produced all these intelligent persons."
Keśavalāl Trivedi: Yes, yes. From "I-ness" to "we-ness."
Prabhupāda: (break) This is basis of Gītā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Learn from the real person, tattva-darśinaḥ, who has seen, who has actual experience of the truth. Learn from him. The Gītā never recommends that you imagine and make your theories. Never said. That is the Vedic culture. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). This is the way. Take lesson from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then you will get experience. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What is the use of imagining?
Prabhupāda: They have many fools? Maybe like you?
Devotee (3): (laughs) Yes, I admit, I am the biggest fool. But they accept some people—just like Isaac Newton. They accept him as a great authority.
Devotee (4): Perhaps it's a speculation—I'm not certain. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it describes that lust is also sometimes like a fire. Practically one experiences that the heat in the body, the lusty desires increases heat within the body. So is there any correlation between fire within the body and the mode of passion?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Passion is there. Just like fire, if you fan it, it blazes more. Similarly, with passion, the fire is more powerful.
Devotee (4): Then the passion is like the fuel.
Prabhupāda: Lust is sometimes described as fire, kāmāgni. Heart burns, the lusty desire burns.
Prabhupāda: You should not be so proud falsely. That is our point. And mislead others that there is no God. Because you are accepted as authority, scientist, if you say that there is no God, they will accept it. Then our back to Godhead movement is stopped. Then we must stop your also nonsense. It is a fight. Because you say there is no God, and we say you are all nonsense. We must say it. You are challenging, we must challenge. But you accept God, then we have nothing... I think Sir Isaac Newton said like that: "The vast knowledge, we have simply gathered a few grains of sand on the beach of knowledge," something like that. That is good.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, humble.
Prabhupāda: That is good. But how you can say there is no God, everything is science? And misleading people. That must be stopped. You take credit as much as you have done. That we are ready to give you. Because you have created one airplane, 747, therefore you can do everything, if you give... Like that, that is misleading.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is a very good explanation. (chuckles)
Bhāgavata: Isaac Newton disproved that theory.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Chance. (break)
Hari-śauri: So one man, he did a paper called "Life Has No Meaning."
Prabhupāda: Ācchā? (break)
Satsvarūpa: That means dead.(?) (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Life has no meaning, but the lifeless man's words have meaning.
Satsvarūpa: We have to give life meaning, and that's the glory of man, they say, that he finds the meaning, gives his own meaning to the meaningless. (break)
Prabhupāda: "Life has no meaning," eh?
Prabhupāda: Hm. He was rascal speculator. He took the idea from the Vedic literature, and he wanted to take the credit himself, and the different hodgepodge theory, this is... Britishers took the idea from Vedic literature and presented in British way. Britisher wanted that "We are the monopolizers of all scientists, all big men." Sir Isaac Newton, then the, who is that, Darwin, big politicians, Gladstone, everything big-British. They wanted it. "British means all big men. Therefore we must rule over the world." All Lords, Sirs, and this and that... They wanted to prove, "The only big men of the universe, they take birth in England, and therefore we should rule over the world." (laughs) And this was their pledge.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For a while they did a pretty good job.
Prabhupāda: No, artificially you can do for a while. Unless it is sound footing, it cannot stay. You can cheat some people for some time..., no, all time. You can cheat some people for all time, and all people for some time, not all people for all time. This is the... That was their business, to cheat some people for all time and cheat all people for some time. But not all people for all time. That is not possible.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a chance to come to understanding.
Bharadvāja: We also have a diorama here of Isaac Newton showing the model of the universe to his friend, and his friend says, "Oh, such a brilliant thing, such a wonderful model. Who has made this?" And he says, "Nobody. It just appeared here." And he makes his point that if such a small thing has taken so much intelligence and skill, then what to speak of the great universe that we see before us? How could it have come from nothing?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Ideas are there. If it is properly exhibited, it will be wonderful thing.
Bharadvāja: Then we have... We are showing that human and animal, they have the same activity basically. So what is the difference between man and animal? So we show in this diorama. And we also show that actually sometimes animals are superior to man because they sometimes have better senses. The dog can smell better, the elephant can eat more, and the pigeon can have more sex, etcetera. So, again, why is man considered superior if animals have better senses? So then the third point, we are showing that human life means responsibility.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Regarding your German acquaintance, I understand that he may be a very intelligent man and believes in science. But even the most advanced scientist depends on the statements of authorities. Science begins on some definite data, just like Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation, and so much scientific advancement depends on such authoritative statements. So even scientific knowledge has to stand on the evidence of authority. He admits that we are all spirit soul inside the body entrapped, and he believes this body is composed of various chemicals about which we know a great deal. But unfortunately, with all this chemical combinations combined together, we can not produce a body like this; this is also a scientific fact. Just like rasgulla is a milk product everyone knows. But how to make a rasgulla from milk requires expert further knowledge. Therefore, simply to know that this body is made of chemicals is not sufficient knowledge.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna speaks about spirit soul from the very beginning. Unless one understands what is this spirit soul, his further advancement of the Supreme Spirit God has no value. So this gentleman is puzzled in his understanding about wherefrom we have come, what we are, and where we are going. But we are certain about it. So if he wants to know all these things, there is bona fide source for understanding these problems, providing he agrees to give a submissive aural reception to the respective authorities as much as he believes in the authoritative statements of Sir Isaac Newton. So either to accept the statements of Sir Isaac Newton or the statements of Lord Krishna, the beginning is a kind of faith. Unfortunately, these so-called scientific men can usually pin their faith on Sir Isaac Newton but not to the statements of Krishna or his representatives. So try to explain to him in this way.
| Page Title: | Isaac Newton |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 05 of Mar, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=10, Con=10, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 24 |