Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is not that, five thousand years ago, not like that. Just like you cannot say the sun is now coming. It is there. It is there always; you are seeing now. They used to think like that—at night the sun is dead—these rascals. And they are advanced. They used to think that this earth is square, (laughing) these rascals. And they are advanced. They are changing their opinion daily. That is their scientific knowledge. Why they should change?
Amogha: They say this means they are discovering the truth, step by step.
Prabhupāda: That means you do not know the truth. That is a fact. You do not know—simply speculating. You are accepting some spot, "This is truth," and after some days, "No, no, this is not truth, this is truth." This is their position.
Paramahaṁsa: Many of the scientific textbooks that were written twenty years ago are all outdated. Can't use them any more.
Prabhupāda: Useless. So this scientific at the present moment, after twenty years they'll be useless. This is your scientific.
Amogha: But at least what we know now is more true than what we knew before. And if we keep trying, we'll know more.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that means you are always in ignorance. This means that you are always in ignorance. And Kṛṣṇa does not say like that. Kṛṣṇa says, "The same thing I am speaking to you again." That means you are not in ignorance. We may forget something, but the truth is always the same. But you are making, manufacturing, discovering truth. That means you do not know what is truth. You should answer like that, that "You are all rascals. You do not know what is truth; therefore you are discovering truth. Truth is never discovered. It is already there. But you do not know what is that truth. That is credit that you are making advance towards truth, but you do not know what is truth. That is a fact." Is it clear? Making discoveries means you do not know what is truth. But it is good credit for you that you are trying to advance. That's it. That we agree.
Paramahaṁsa: So eventually, if we keep advancing like this, we'll understand the truth.
Prabhupāda: No, you'll never advance. Your advance is so slow and foolish that you cannot.
Amogha: But some Indian history professors say . . .
Prabhupāda: We are not talking of Indian history; we are talking of the whole truth. We never say it is Indian truth.
Amogha: But Bhagavad-gītā has been presented in so many ways also, and now we are saying it is another way.
Prabhupāda: Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "I am showing you the way how to understand Bhagavad-gītā. You have to accept that." Not so many ways. Only that way. That I have explained in the Preface, that when you have to take a medicine, you have to take the direction: dose, such and such. Not that so many ways doses are prescribed. No. According to the prescription you have to take. Otherwise you will waste your time. (pause) Now they have wasted so much plates. What is the value of this? (referring to memorial plates on trees)
Amogha: Bhūtejya.
Prabhupāda: What benefit is there? A soldier has died. So what is the use of having a tree, having a plate?
Amogha: This will make us remember how much our countrymen . . .
Prabhupāda: What benefit is there by remembering?
Paramahaṁsa: Well, the family feels honored that there is a tree here for that son of theirs.
Prabhupāda: What benefit do they derive?
Paramahaṁsa: Well, they can come and see it, and . . .
Prabhupāda: Do they think that man who has died is still there?