Vāsughoṣa: There are some religions that... Especially the one I am born in, they were especially preaching, you know, that "You should never see a graven image of God."
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Vāsughoṣa: "You should never see a graven image of God."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is required, because you are not competent to see God everywhere.
Vāsughoṣa: No, but they...
Brahmānanda: They prohibit.
Vāsughoṣa: They prohibit the worship of this vigraha. They say that "God cannot be made into a graven image."
Brahmānanda: They say it is blasphemy.
Prabhupāda: No. Yes, we also say. Although everything is expansion of the energy of Kṛṣṇa, not that everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy takes everything as expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya brāhmaṇa śaktiḥ. (Aside:) Jaya. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Everything is expansion of the energy of the Supreme Brahman. Kṛṣṇa confirms it, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no existence. But that does not mean anything existentional is Kṛṣṇa. That is Māyāvāda philosophy.
Brahmānanda: These religions even say that it is offensive to say the name of God.
Prabhupāda: So what can I do? (laughter) If the rascal says something, so what can I do?
Brahmānanda: Even when they write the word "God," they don't say, "g, o, d." They say "g, dash," then "d," so that they've indicated God, but they haven't said "God."
Vāsughoṣa: "It's too holy to pronounce," that's what they...
Prabhupāda: No, they can say, "G, zero, and d." (laughter) Zero between g and d. That is a nice explanation.
Devotee (4): Zero signifies their love for Him.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Zero is controlling both sides, g and d. Just like if you multiply something by zero, what it becomes?
Brahmānanda: Zero.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Śūnyavādī.
Vāsughoṣa: (break) ...people are following very strictly, how can we preach to them? Some of those people who are following these religions very strictly, how do we preach to them, those people?
Prabhupāda: Ask them, "What do you mean by religion?"
Vāsughoṣa: Well, they will say what is in their śāstra, their Bible.
Prabhupāda: Let them say what is there. Then you can talk with them.
Brahmānanda: They say, "I love God. I go to church every... Once a week I go, Sunday morning. I make my prayer. So what more? I have my family. I have my job."
Vāsughoṣa: But I was reading in this National Geographic Magazine, there is one sect of people in New York City, very orthodox following. They don't even go to cinema. When they have free time they are studying the śāstras, their śāstras. They are very strict. They don't even shave their faces because it says, "Do not round the corner of your face." So they have these big beards like this, and their whole life is dedicated like this to reading and... They also sing and dance.
Prabhupāda: That is something good.