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Why is there no emphasis?

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

There is no need. This is animal conception of life. The dog also combine together and make (makes barking sound:) ba ba ba ba ba. A human being also can do like that. Then where is the difference between animal and human being?
Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Ram Jethmalani: How is it that the Bhagavad-gītā doesn't emphasize public service? There is no emphasis on public social service.

Prabhupāda: Where it is? Tell me. You must give evidence. You are lawyer.

Ram Jethmalani: No, no.

Prabhupāda: Where does it say?

Ram Jethmalani: No, why is there no emphasis?

Prabhupāda: There is no need. This is animal conception of life. The dog also combine together and make (makes barking sound:) ba ba ba ba ba. A human being also can do like that. Then where is the difference between animal and human being?

Ram Jethmalani: But I don't know that animals, on the contrary, serve each other. It is men who do.

Prabhupāda: But what is the use of serving? What you can do? What service you have done? You cannot do anything beyond the laws of nature. Now Indira is in difficulty. What can you do? In one day, everything is finished. The law of nature is so strict. You cannot do anything. You are falsely proud that you want to do. It is not possible. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You can do only the service, that "You are not this body, you are spirit soul, your business is this." This is dharma(?).

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham...
(SB 1.5.18)

Now they are declaring... Our Mrs. Gandhi also said, daridra-anadha.(?) Then what she has done?

Ram Jethmalani: No, she has not done anything.

Prabhupāda: No, no, now she is adha(?). So who is doing this? You are completely under the laws of nature. You cannot violate. If you are tied up, hands and legs, what you can do? First of all liberate yourself. Then talk of liberating others.

Ram Jethmalani: But when you see so much of physical suffering around...

Prabhupāda: But what you can do? That is my... It is very good, sympathetic.

Ram Jethmalani: Is it right to tell the suffering that "I am busy, at work for my salvation"?

Prabhupāda: We don't say like that. We say that "Here is the remedy for rectifying your suffering, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Come to it." We don't say that "You suffer." We say, "Stop your suffering in this way." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). We are also trying to stop that suffering. But the ordinary people, they do not know how to stop it. Just like the United Nations. They are united, to mitigate the sufferings of the whole human... What they have done? Simply like barking in that assembly with... You go on suffering. Stop suffering. So you must know first of all how sufferings can be stopped. Then you do this, needful. Otherwise, what is the use if you do not know the method? Here is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). I think you have read Bhagavad-gītā.

Page Title:Why is there no emphasis?
Compiler:SunitaS, Rishab
Created:17 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1