Why have you said Cinmayananda, atheist?

Expressions researched:
"Why have you said Cinmayananda, atheist"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Where he is recommending that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him"? Has he done that? That means misleading. He can become a very good orator, and he can get claps, but what is the benefit? He's a good orator, there is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You become a orator and cheat others." He does not say. He says, "Surrender unto Me." So if actually one is preaching, he should teach the audience that "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." And that is reading of Bhagavad-gītā.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Guest (2): Why have you said Cinmayananda, atheist?

Prabhupāda: There are so many statements. In his book there are so many statements. Does he recommend to worship Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (1): Does he recommend to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (2): I don't know. I have not read...

Prabhupāda: So then why you are asking about him? (laughter)

Guest (2): No, my point is he is preaching religion...

Prabhupāda: He is nonsense. You do not know about him, and you are asking about him. That is the pity. If you know about him, then speak.

Guest (2): No, I don't know enough about him.

Prabhupāda: Then why you are recommending? Then why you are recommending?

Guest (2): But he's preaching religion.

Prabhupāda: That means you don't know religion.

Guest (1): He is preaching Gītā, that's true, but as Swamiji says, that is interpretation of his own. Original words are there. Everybody who speaks about Gītā...

Prabhupāda: Religion is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. But he does not recommend to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. What does he know about Kṛṣṇa? That is the difficulty. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, what is religion, and he is preaching religion?

Guest (1): He's supposed to be one of the biggest propagator of Gītā. He had Gītāra jñāna yajña in Bombay. There were thousands of people there.

Prabhupāda: False, everything false. Misled. He does not recognize Kṛṣṇa, he does not recognize religion, and he is religious.

Guest (1): One of the best religious leaders. That's what people think.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that may be, falsely representation, but where he is recommending that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him"? Has he done that? That means misleading. He can become a very good orator, and he can get claps, but what is the benefit? He's a good orator, there is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You become a orator and cheat others." He does not say. He says, "Surrender unto Me." So if actually one is preaching, he should teach the audience that "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." And that is reading of Bhagavad-gītā. If I take Bhagavad-gītā and speak something of my opinion, that means I am cheating. I am taking advantage of Bhagavad-gītā, and I am impressing people with my nonsense ideas.

Guest (1): That's right.

Prabhupāda: If you want to cheat others, you cheat in your own way. Why do you take Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest (1): Don't take the protection of Bhagavad-gītā. That is doubly wrong.

Prabhupāda: That is great cheating, great cheating.

Guest (1): In the name of Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): ...one should not...

Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty. Everyone is doing that.

Guest (1): Yes. We have many propagations of Gītā in this country.

Prabhupāda: He is preaching his own ideas and taking Bhagavad-gītā.

Guest (1): Under the umbrella of Bhagavad-gītā he does it.

Prabhupāda: Smoking gāñjā with a friend's hand because there is smell, so the friend's hand will smell. (Hindi) (laughter) This is going on. (Hindi)