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Universal brotherhood (Conv and Letters)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Unless you understand God, you cannot understand what I am, neither I can understand what you are. So we have to first of all reestablish our lost relationship with God; then we can establish, talk of universal brotherhood.
Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: Well, as you interpret it in your writings. Let me put it that way. It seems to me, sir, that there is a very high emphasis placed on the relationship between the individual and God.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Interviewer: Much more so than upon the...

Prabhupāda: That is for everyone.

Interviewer: Yes but more emphasis on that relationship than on the relationship between one individual and another individual. Am I right in that?

Prabhupāda: No. We have to establish first of all our lost relationship with God. You see? Then we can understand what is the relationship between one individual to another. If the central point is missing, then there is practically no relationship. Just like you are American. Another is American. Both of you, you feel American nationally because the center is America. So unless you understand God, you cannot understand what I am, neither I can understand what you are. So we have to first of all reestablish our lost relationship with God; then we can establish, talk of universal brotherhood. Otherwise there will be discrimination. Just like in your country, or any country, the national... National means a man born in that land. Is it not? But they do not take the animals as national. Why they have no right to become national? That is imperfect knowledge. There is no God consciousness. Therefore they think only the man born in this land is national, not others.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

If the center is missing, then how we can think of universal brotherhood? If we accept God is the center point, father, then I can understand you are my brother. Because you are also son of God; I am also son of God.
Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Lord Kṛṣṇa says that there are different species of life, yoni. According to Padma Purāṇa there are eight million, four hundred thousand species of different forms of life. So Kṛṣṇa claims that "All these living entities, in different forms of life, I am the seed-giving father of all of them, and the material nature is the mother." Just like father impregnates with the seed, and the mother gives the body, similarly God impregnates material nature with all kinds of living entities, not in different forms, but the original seed. And according to one's karma, he comes out in different types of bodies. The body is given by material nature, and the life is given by God. This is the sum and substance. And therefore God is one, and He's the father of everyone. As such, without the center point, God consciousness, we cannot substantiate the ideas of universal brotherhood. Because if the center is missing, then how we can think of universal brotherhood? If we accept God is the center point, father, then I can understand you are my brother. Because you are also son of God; I am also son of God. But I am missing the father, then we miss also our mutual relationship.

They'll talk of universal brotherhood, but they'll send the poor animals to the slaughterhouse. That means they have no right understanding of universal brotherhood.
Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: ...they'll talk of universal brotherhood, but they'll send the poor animals to the slaughterhouse.

Lord Brockway: They...?

Prabhupāda: To the slaughterhouse.

Śyāmasundara: Animals.

Prabhupāda: Animals.

Lord Brockway: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That means they have no right understanding of universal brotherhood.

Lord Brockway: No. With that I agree.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is the use of talking of universal brotherhood when you actually do not treat like that?

Lord Brockway: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But that is due to his lack of God consciousness. He'll talk very high words, but practically he cannot do it.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, no, not only United Nation, united in everything, "universal brotherhood," whatever you call-here is the example.
Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: United Nations were created...

Prabhupāda: No, no, not only United Nation, united in everything, "universal brotherhood," whatever you call-here is the example.

Dr. Patel: So-called United Nations were created not for unity.

Prabhupāda: No, no, either so-called United Nation or so-called nation. Here is also there is nation. What do they know about nation? Everyone, he is interested with his own pocket. That's all. "What money is coming in my pocket." That's all. Where is the nationality? If there was nationality, why such havoc could have happened? Now the strike is going on. There is no feeling of nationality because they are not thinking of the nation; they are thinking of their own pocket, that's all. Where is the nationality? They are simply bogus slogans. Actual unity, nationality, universality, is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is a fact. Let them see. Men, women also. There are women also. We do not hate anyone. Come on. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striya vaiśyās tatha śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
(BG 9.32)

Here is the unity for everyone, under the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

"We are trying to establish universal brotherhood." You were not present. Who was present? I said, "It is all bogus. You will never be able to do it." Immediately I told him." It is all bogus. You will never be able to."
Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Yadubara: Like that Yogi Bhajan. He didn't say anything for a long time. Then when he spoke he started speaking about his court cases.

Prabhupāda: Court cases?

Yadubara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He is very expert, expert in dealing with legal cases. So what they will speak? What they have got? Better not to talk.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. During that meeting, that Muni, he was interested in spiritual conversation. But Yogi Bhajan, he did not take part at all in that part.

Prabhupāda: No, no, he is after woman. That's all.

Yadubara: Afterwards he said his ego was very large. He said he had a big ego.

Prabhupāda: Eagle? Eagle bird.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, ego, ego.

Prabhupāda: Ego, oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He admitted he had a very big ego.

Prabhupāda: But who cares for you?

Yadubara: He said he was trying to do away with it.

Prabhupāda: But your beard is growing more and more. (break) He said that "I say to my disciples that if you have to take instruction, that is Bhaktivedanta Prabhu." He said that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then why doesn't he go to Bhaktivedanta?

Prabhupāda: No he comes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. Yeah, you are not going to him. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...first came to me that "We are trying to establish universal brotherhood." You were not present. Who was present? I said, "It is all bogus. You will never be able to do it." Immediately I told him." It is all bogus. You will never be able to."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I noticed, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in your conversation with him that there was some mention that the Vedas were the universal doctrine. So he mentioned, I think, that his... What is that book they have? The Guru-grantha could also be accepted as universal. And I think you said something that it was only a branch.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was feeling that it wasn't a branch. It was as good.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

We actually spreading universal brotherhood. Kṛṣṇa is the father and everyone our brother.
Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Prabbupāda: Quote this: Kṛṣṇa is not restricted to the Hindu. We say, "We are not Hindu," means we are not.... We embrace everyone. We are not restricted to the Hindus. The so-called Christians, so-called Mohammedans, they.... We embrace everyone, and actually we are doing that. Why should we simply be compact within the limitation of Hindus. That is not our purpose. Then we would not have come to western countries. We actually spreading universal brotherhood. Kṛṣṇa is the father and everyone our brother. We are claiming, all our fallen brothers to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is our movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu (said) pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, this is our movement. Why you should be restricted, to the India, and amongst the Hindus.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

We should learn to look upon every living being as our own brother and treat him in that love. Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy began from this philosophy of universal brotherhood which is not restricted to the human kind but to all the species of life.
Letter to Harbanslal -- Bombay 2 August, 1958:

According to Indian way of thought, every one is advised to do good to others namely not only to the human society but also to living beings other than human being. The Indians are not cow worshippers as others wrongly interpret it, but the Indians are gratitudeful to the species of cow for supplying milk to the human babies and the sentiment is so fine that simply for supplying milk the cow is accepted as one of the seven mothers. That is called Indian cultural mission. We should learn to look upon every living being as our own brother and treat him in that love. Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy began from this philosophy of universal brotherhood which is not restricted to the human kind but to all the species of life. That is the sign of real intelligence. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that a learned man looks upon a well educated Brahmin who is well behaved by education and so also upon a candala who is accustomed to eat the dogs. And what is the purport of this equal vision? The purport is that we should look upon every one as the spark of the Supreme Brahman and we should not look upon the outer dress which every one has to give up one birth after another.

1970 Correspondence

This brahma-bhutah status means free from all anxieties, without any hankering or lamentation. At that stage only, one can think of universal brotherhood.
Letter to Anil Grover -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

Fourth question: "Where does the spiritual life lead us? How should people recognize whether we do take birth in our next life or not?" Answer: Spiritual life leads us to our original constitutional position free from all designations. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as brahma-bhutah status. This brahma-bhutah status means free from all anxieties, without any hankering or lamentation. At that stage only, one can think of universal brotherhood. And the next stage is to be engaged in pure Krishna Consciousness, and thus gradually be transferred to the spiritual world where there is eternal life full of bliss and knowledge.

Page Title:Universal brotherhood (Conv and Letters)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Erick
Created:26 of Sep, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=6, Let=2
No. of Quotes:8