Prabhupāda: What is the story? You can little explain.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That there was an explosion in the Apollo Mission 13, and they could not go to the moon. So they were in danger in outer space. So they were requesting as all the . . . (indistinct) . . . people so that, "Pray to God so that I can come back safe and sound to this planet." (laughter)
Prabhupāda: When they are in danger, they pray to God for safe and sound, but when they go to the moon planet, "We are scientist." (laughter) Just see how much foolish they are. When they go to the moon planet, at that time, "God give us permission, we may go"? No. "We are scientists. (laughter) We don't care for God." But when they are in danger, "God save us." (laughter) Just see what kind of scientists they are. This is practical. I am very glad that our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara has mentioned this in his book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
So that is the fact. And there is a version of Tulasi Das in Hindi. It is said, sukse sabe hari bhaje, duhkhse saha hari bhaje, sukse bhaje khoya. Or sukse ara hari bhaje, tu duḥkha hase haya. It is very nice instruction. The instruction is that when one is distressed, everyone remembers God. Yes. Duhkhse saba hari bhaje. Saba means "all." At that time . . . just like in the last war, Second . . . last war, when everything was in danger, Mr. Churchill started this movement B, and they were all going to churches—when the situation was very grave. And in Germany especially, because war was very, going on very seriously, so there was no men, so all the women, they went to the church and pray God, somebody—woman means husband, son or father—prayed, "Let my father come back" or "Let my husband come back" or "my son." But nobody came back. So they became atheist. This is the version of my one German Godbrother friend. So he said that all of them became atheist. Why? Now, they prayed so much to get back their husband or son or father; nobody came back. "Then there is no God." This is their conclusion. That means, "God is our order-supplier. God is our servant." Just like I ask my servant or my disciple, "You do this," and he must do it. We cannot accept God like that. God is neither going to be your servant.
So those who are going to religious life making God as their servant, they will be failure. You must approach God as master. You should become servant. The so-called religionist, they accept God as their order-supplier servant, "I must pray to God . . ." Whenever there is some inconvenience, "I must pray," or "I must . . . " Not "must." "At that time I shall pray, and then I shall finish that prayer, and God must supply. If God does not supply, then there is no God." This is general attitude. But that should not be done. The real religion is, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). First of all surrender. Then talk of mercy and this or that. Also, although God is very merciful, even those who are simply asking from God, not prepared to give anything, God is merciful, even though he . . .
Therefore He has given this field. "All right, you want to become another God or competitor of Me? You live in this material world and begin your life as Brahmā. I give you first-class chance. And then gradually, you become the worm of the stool." (laughter) This is called karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. First of all we get our very opportunity. Just like you Americans, you have got good opportunity. I have several time mentioned that you have wealth, you have got education, you have got beauty, janmaiśvarya, and heritage also. People outside your country, they know, "Oh, he is American. He is very advanced." You have got respect. So this is . . . this is due to pious life. If one is pious, he gets all these opportunities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). This is . . . janma means to get birth in high family, aristocratic family, or to become the members of a big nation. This is called janma. Janma means birth. And aiśvarya, opulence, money. Janma aiśvarya śruta, aiśvarya and śruta. Śruta means education. And śrī means beauty. These four things are outcome of previous pious life. So you have got this opportunity. You have got. Now you utilize these assets of life—nice birth, opulence, beauty, education—for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you take the chance of Brahmā, and then go to become the worm of the stool. The law of karma is like that.