Bishop Kelly: God not merely is there to improve upon what you might say would be a natural goodness of man, but man has a natural deficiency he needs God to overcome. And as he overcomes, of course, he progresses further and he is enriched by God. But we hold that very clearly.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated in one of the Vedic literature, that:
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye . . .
- (CC Madhya 22.107)
The inherent principle is eternally a fact, his obedience to God. But artificially he has covered it. Artificially. The God consciousness is there in everyone, but by so-called material advancement, he has forgotten. He has his obedience to God, natural. Even the aborigines in the forest, they also submit to the manifestation of God's different energies. As soon as there is some lightning and there is thunderbolt, they immediately . . . they offer obeisances. As soon as they see a big sea, ocean, they offer obeisances. So that is inherent. But due to the material association, it is covered. And therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says:
- jaḍa-vidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava,
- tomāra bhajane bādhā
The more we advance in so-called material, what is called, amenities, we forget God. We forget God. So the inherent, dormant propensity is to become servant of God, but material association is checking him. Therefore if he . . . just like now psychological treatment—a crazy fellow, he goes to the psychiatrist and he talks with him; gradually, talking, talking, he cures him—similarly, these men who have forgotten, or these living entity, if they associate with devotees and they constantly talk and hear about God, then again he revives his God consciousness. Yes. So we are, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or any other . . . we open many centers, and we talk, we sell our literature.