We create trouble for our sinful activities. Just like I have already explained: there is enough food, but I gather more food, I stock it to make business so that when there is less supply the price will increase, and I shall sell at that time. This is my process. This is going on as economic development. There is grain—by God's arrangement, sufficient grain. But I am a man, I have got some influence. I have got some money, and I go to the bank, "Sir, I want to purchase one hundred thousand, millions of dollars' worth of wheat. So I have got ten thousand dollar. Please give me loan." Bank gives him loan. He purchases. He stocks it somewhere; nobody knows. The price is increased. There is scarcity.
Actually there is no scarcity, but it is so-called economic law, man-made law, that creates scarcity. From God's side, there is no scarcity. Sufficient supply—more than what you need. But how this man can be checked from this evil propensity, to gather money and stock unnecessarily?
In India, in 1942, they created artificial famine by this process. Big men, they collected rice. The rice was selling at six rupees per mound. All of a sudden, within a week, it came to fifty rupees per mound. I have seen it. No rice was available in the market. People were hungry. They were purchasing. But the beauty is one American gentleman was at that time present. He remarked that, "People are starving in this way. In our country, there would have been revolution." Yes. But the people of India are so trained that in spite of creating this artificial famine, they did not commit any theft, stealing others' property. They died peacefully.
Of course, this is a single instance. But the thing is that the problems are created not by God, it is created by us. Just like in the . . . One, my German Godbrother, he said that during the First World War . . . perhaps some of you know. The politician created war and there was war. So people went to church. People means all women, because men were all in the active field. So they prayed, "My brother may come back," "My husband may come back," "My son may come back." But nobody came back, and they all became atheist, "Oh, there is no God." But the thing is that God does not say that, "You create war, create problem, and for solution of the problem you come to Me." No. You have created your problems; you have to take the result.
But still, one who takes to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, or God, his problems are solved. That's a fact. Here it is stated, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. Somebody. Who? Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vasudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇa, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, these words are there in the Vedic language. In another place you'll find:
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayati āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
If you apply your devotional service to Vāsudeva, vāsudeve bhagavati . . . Vāsudeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you apply, if you engage yourself in devotional service to Vāsudeva, then the result will be janayaty āśu. Āśu means very soon, without delay; janayaty, generated. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Vairāgyam means knowledge by which one becomes detached from this material allurement. That is called vairāgya.
Simply by employing yourself in devotional service you get the highest knowledge. That is vairāgya. Without vairāgyam . . . jñānaṁ ca. Jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna means knowledge, and vairāgya means detachment. This is required in this human form of life. As soon as you get the right knowledge that, "I am spirit soul. I am not anything of this material world. Somehow or other I have been in contact with this material world, and because I have desired to enjoy this material world in different capacities, therefore I am transmigrating from one type of body to another type, and I do not know since when this system began, but is still going on," this is called knowledge. To understand one's constitutional position and how he's suffering in this material world, that is called knowledge. Now that perfection of knowledge comes when one becomes vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ.