Prabhupāda: Why you bring in religion? We are talking of knowledge.
Mrs. Sahani: Knowledge is there in all the religions.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Religion is now misunderstood. Religion is described in the dictionary, "a faith." So faith . . . your faith may be something, my faith may be something; that is not religion. Religion is described in the Vedic literature, "the law given by God." That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). So, just like law means the order given by the state, similarly, religion means the order given by God. So if you do not know what is God, what is His order, then what is your religion? Do you believe it or not? If you do not know what is God, if you do not know what is His word or what is His order, then where is your religion? If you do not know what is the government and if you do not know what is the government's order, then where is the question of law-abiding? Religion means, according to Vedic description . . . just like Kṛṣṇa said, mām ekām śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is religion. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "Give up all this nonsense. Surrender unto Me." So what is the objection? Religion is one: surrender to God. So where is the objection? And God says that "You surrender to Me." So where is the objection? So religion cannot be two. Religion one: surrender to God. If I say, "You are Muslim, you surrender to God," do you have any objection? If I say to a Christian, "You surrender to God," will he have any objection? Therefore religion is one. There cannot be two religions. Why you are bringing other religions? There is no question of other religions. Religion is one. You accept it?
Mrs. Sahani: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Nobody should have any objection. And if you do not surrender to God, then what is the meaning of your religion? It is bogus. That is the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all this bogus type of religion is rejected. And what is that bogus type of religion? Bogus type means which religion does not know who is God and how to love Him. That's all. Do you agree or not?
Mrs. Sahani: Yes, I agree.
Prabhupāda: So religion cannot be two; religion one. God is one, and to offer our submission to Him, that is religion. Simple thing. And God comes personally to demand this. Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Now say what is your objection about this religion.
Mrs. Sahani: No objection at all. Religion means surrender to God. That's called real religion.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is religion. And that is first-class faith which teaches how to surrender to God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
Mrs. Sahani: This is the highest knowledge.
Prabhupāda: That is highest knowledge. It doesn't matter whether you are Muhammadan, Christian or Hindu or this or that. Whether you know God and you have fully surrendered to Him, then it is perfect. Otherwise, it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevamalam. If you simply perform the ritualistic ceremonies very strictly, but you have no idea of God, you have no knowledge how to love Him, it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
You are very religious, very nice, but are you interested with God or dog? "No, I am interested with dog." Then what is religion? Religion means you must be interested with God. That is religion. What is the report? How much they are interested now?
Nava-yauvana: Forty million pounds.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Forty million pounds are being spent in Germany to take care of dog. This is advancement of civilization.
Mrs. Sahani: And how to surrender to God? How to do this?
Prabhupāda: Simply surrender to God immediately. He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66).
Mrs. Sahani: For a layman who doesn't know anything about things.
Prabhupāda: People do not know. Therefore God comes personally to teach you. Why don't you take the teaching? Why don't you take? Kṛṣṇa is coming personally and teaching you. Why don't you take the teaching? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). Why don't you become fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa?
Mrs. Sahani: Yes, but for, you know . . .
Prabhupāda: That is another thing.
Mrs. Sahani: Someone has to create interest first, and then people will take the teaching.
Prabhupāda: That is conditional. But He wants unconditional surrender. That is religion. Of course, if you cannot surrender unconditionally, then you at least practice. That is also instructed: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). At least think of Kṛṣṇa, man-māan. What is the difficulty if you think of Kṛṣṇa? What is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty?