Lady (Hṛdayānanda): She wants to know if it's the same thing to chant oṁ or to chant "I am, I am."
Prabhupāda: "I am"? Where is that stated, "I am"? Where is the authority of "I am"?
Lady: (Spanish) Ke es, "Yo soy. Yo soy. Yo soy Dios." (Spanish)
Prabhupāda: He says directly, He says directly, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Kṛṣṇa says, "You always chant My name." So why should we go to other things? God says that "You chant My name," so why should we go to other thing?
Lady (Hṛdayānanda): He says in this western hemisphere the supreme authority is the Saint Germaine, and he says that we should chant "I am." That's a quote from the Bible meaning... Apparently when they asked God, "Who are You?" and God said, "I am that I am."
Prabhupāda: What you are?
Guest: (Spanish) "I am" es el nombre de Dios...
Prabhupāda: But what you are? "I am," you are thinking, but what you are? Do you know what you are?
Guest (Hṛdayānanda): I think they mean that it's a quotation from God.
Prabhupāda: No, no. There must be your sense also. You are saying, "I am," but if I ask you, "What you are...?"
Guest (Hṛdayānanda): I am that I am.
Prabhupāda: But you do not know what you are. Then you are a nonsense. You say, "I am," but if I ask, "What you are?" you cannot reply. Then you are a nonsense. You must explain what you are. Then "I am."
Lady: Every time that we say, "I am..."
Prabhupāda: But you must explain what you are.
Lady: Yes, sir.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Lady: Every time that we say, "I am," we must be conscious of what we are saying that we are, and it must...
Prabhupāda: That I am asking you, that what you are?
Guest: Why don't we look at it this other way? You say the name of God is Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No, that is already separate, now another question. She says, "I am." But I am asking—I am also "I am,"—I am asking you, "What you are?"
Guest: May I explain? She says that God says that His name is I am, as a name.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Hṛdayānanda: He said that "I am" is a name of God.
Prabhupāda: God never says like that. Where it is? They must quote some authority. Where it is?
Lady (Hṛdayānanda): She said in the Bible, when some people were leaving and they said, "Who is sending them?" God said, "Tell them that it is the God of your fathers and that I am."
Prabhupāda: In the Bible it is said? Where it is?
Guest: Exodus, Moses, in Mount Sinai?
Prabhupāda: Anyone knows Bible it is said?
Śrutakīrti: It's in there, yes.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Śrutakīrti: God says, "I am who am."
Prabhupāda: No, God said, "I am," you say, "I am"—that is all right. But God says "I am,"—we can understand God. "I am" means God. But what you are?
Guest: Well, He said, "This is My name, and this is My name forever."
Prabhupāda: He says like that?
Śrutakīrti: That's the way it's translated, "I am who am."
Prabhupāda: So nobody knows Bible here? I am not very much conversant with Bible. But so far I know that Christ says that "I am the son of God." We can understand. So is there any difference? God says or Christ says that "I am the son of God." So the father is different. The father can say "I am," and the son also can say, "I am," but everyone is "I." But what is the relation between this "I" and that "I." That is wanted to know.
Guest (Hṛdayānanda): I am a particle of God.
Prabhupāda: That is this. Therefore I am particle; He is whole. Therefore difference. When God says, "I am," and I say, "I am," there is difference. I am particle "I am," and He is whole "I am." (laughter) Another, a millionaire says, "I am," and his servant says, "I am," but both the "I's" are same? So God is great. He says, "I am." He is great "I am." And I say, "I am." I am small "I am." Therefore this "I am" and that "I am" is different. This "I am," when I say, "I am," and God says, "I am," this "I am" and this "I am" is different. So not always I am the same. So far I am concerned, my identity, your identity is concerned, that is all right, one. But you "I am" and I "I am" not, different. The soul as soul, it is all right. But as particle, as whole, they are different. Yes, that is to be understood. God says, "I am," means "I am the whole." And I say, "I am"—"I am the particle." So therefore we should understand that when I say, "I am," and God says, "I am," they are different. (break) Your consciousness, your identification, my identification, my consciousness is different. And because we are different, therefore we are considering what is the ultimate goal. So in spite of difference, you can say "I am," I can say, "I am," He can say, "I am," but that does not mean there is no difference. My "I am," I am different from you, "I am." This is to be understood. I can say, "I am," you can say, "I am," but this "I am" and that "I am" is different.