Mother: You've got a hard job ahead of you, then.
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, very hard job. But everyone can become first class if he likes.
Mother: If they want to.
Sister: This is similar to many views of psychologists who believe in self-actualization.
Prabhupāda: Belief is different thing and fact is one thing.
Sister: Philosophi . . . or, say, hypothesize that you can reach self-actualization.
Prabhupāda: Belief is no good. I believe. You may believe something wrong. That is not . . . you must know the fact. That is wanted.
Mother: But a person knows if they're doing wrong always.
Prabhupāda: If you are educated in a wrong way, then you will do wrong.
Mother: But I mean a person knows when they're doing wrong. They know when they're doing evil.
Prabhupāda: No, they cannot understand. They are sometimes doing wrong thing as right thing. So many wrong things they are doing. One has to suffer. Nature will not excuse. (pause)
Sister: (aside) Tired? Are you tired?
Mother: No.
Gaṇeśa: You have some more questions you would like to ask Śrīla Prabhupāda? I think they have finished, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Give them prasādam.
Gaṇeśa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So try to bring your mother and sister to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your duty also. And Kṛṣṇa will help. Because they are in relationship with you, Kṛṣṇa will help them, your family. Kṛṣṇa will think of your family, yes. Just like a soldier fighting, the government takes cares of his family. That is special prerogative. If he dies in the fighting, the government gives pension to the family members. So you are fortunate in that way, because your son is fighting with māyā. So you take advantage of it. You read the books. You try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And your own son is there. You can take instruction from him. So take advantage. Don't lose this opportunity.
Mother: What do you think about Hebrew religion?
Prabhupāda: Well, there cannot be Hebrew religion, Christian religion, Hindu . . . religion is one. Religion means God's rules. God is one. So if you are this or that, you can manufacture so many ways, but God's ruling is one that, "You surrender to Me." That's all.
Mother: So we all believe in the one God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. God is one. God cannot be two. Then He is not God. There cannot be two Gods. God is one. Otherwise how . . . what is the meaning of God?
Mother: That's right.
Prabhupāda: So, (aside) find out this, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya.
Amogha:
- mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
- kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
- mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
- sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
- (BG 7.7)
Translation: "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread."
Prabhupāda: God is the Supreme Truth. So Supreme Truth cannot be Hebrew truth, Christian truth, Hindu truth. Truth is truth. Just like gold. Because gold is found in America, nobody says: "It is American gold." It is gold. So similarly, God is one. He is for Hebrew, He is for Hindu, He is for Muslim, He is for everyone. Simply we have to know what is God. So if you try to understand through Hebrew religion, that's all right. But if you come to know what is God, that is all right. Otherwise useless. If you cannot understand what is God, then "Hebrew," "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian," these different names, they are useless. And if you understand God, then whatever method it is, it is all good.
Mother: Yes.