So although the nature’s law is like that, one animal or one living entity is the foodstuff for another, but that should be, there should be discrimination. So so far we are concerned, Krsna conscious men, we are not animals. We are perfect beings. We don’t eat any living entity.
Those who are lower grade living entities, there… This is the struggle. One living entity is the food for another living entity. That is lower grade life. In the higher grade life, no, they cannot kill anyone for eating purposes. Therefore in the Bible the First Commandment is “Thou shalt not kill.” But all these Christians, they are violating the First Commandment. That is their business. Simply engaged in killing, big, big slaughterhouse.
And they give the example that “Others are eating vegetable, that is also killing.” Yes, that is also killing. But that I have already explained, that because one living entity is foodstuff for another living entity, that does not mean you shall eat your family members or any human being. No, there must be discrimination. But so far we are concerned, we are not killing anybody for eating purposes. We are eating krsna-prasada, foodstuff which is offered to Krsna and then we eat. The remnants of foodstuff we eat.
And Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. “A leaf, a flower, fruit and liquid, milk or water, all these things, within these categories, whatever a devotee offers Me in love and devotion, I eat.” Krsna says. Krsna is not hungry. Neither He is dependent on your supply of foodstuff. No. But still, Krsna has become your guest. Just like you have brought Krsna here. He is very kind. Because you are devotees, you want to serve Krsna, Krsna has come in your temple in a form which you can very easily serve. Krsna does not require your service, but He is so kind that He is accepting your service. You are bathing the Deity, you are dressing the Deity, offering flowers, garland, and whatever preparation you can make, you are offering Krsna. So Krsna has accepted your service in a form which you can handle. That is His energy.
And if you want to serve Krsna in His gigantic form, universal form, you do not know where to catch Him. That is not possible. Krsna showed His gigantic form to Arjuna and he was terrified: “Please again become in your original Krsna form.” Even Arjuna who is always constant companion of Krsna, friend, he was also terrified by His gigantic universal form.
So Krsna is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Krsna’s greatness. Here in the material world, a thing which is very big, it cannot become small. But Krsna, because He is the almighty God, He can become the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]
So Krsna is bhokta and we are bhogya. It is not our position that we become Krsna and become bhokta, no. That is wrong conception. You cannot become the enjoyer. You are enjoyed. But when you want to imitate Krsna and want to become enjoyer, then you are sent in this material world. This is material world. Why we are in this material world? We are part and parcel of Krsna. We should remain with Krsna in the spiritual world. But why we are put into this material world? That is explained. Purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan [Bg. 13.22]. Because constitutionally a living entity is not enjoyer but enjoyed.
But sometimes… Everyone here, they want to imitate Krsna. Everyone is trying how to become a very big man, how to construct a very big, high skyscraper building, how to possess three dozen motorcar and how to possess so many servants, how to possess so many followers. Everyone is trying like that. This is the material world. Everyone is busy.
Why busy? Not for eating, sleeping. That is not problem at all. Because eating, sleeping, even the birds and beasts and insects, they have no problem. They are confident. They are depending on nature. Just like we are. Because we are surrendered to Krsna we are confident about eating, sleeping. We don’t bother about that. That is not our problem.
Our problem is how to serve Krsna honestly. This is our problem. The devotees are always anxious. Here Krsna is the enjoyer, and we’re enjoyed. So our business is to see “How I am being enjoyed by Krsna, by serving Him.” This is devotion, this is Krsna consciousness. So long you want to enjoy this material world, you are in the material world. And as soon as you offer yourself to be enjoyed by Krsna as servant, according to His order you serve, then immediately you are in the spiritual world.
Bhagavad-gita 13.22-24
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Melbourne, June 25, 1974
Those who are lower grade living entities, there… This is the struggle. One living entity is the food for another living entity. That is lower grade life. In the higher grade life, no, they cannot kill anyone for eating purposes. Therefore in the Bible the First Commandment is “Thou shalt not kill.” But all these Christians, they are violating the First Commandment. That is their business. Simply engaged in killing, big, big slaughterhouse.
And they give the example that “Others are eating vegetable, that is also killing.” Yes, that is also killing. But that I have already explained, that because one living entity is foodstuff for another living entity, that does not mean you shall eat your family members or any human being. No, there must be discrimination. But so far we are concerned, we are not killing anybody for eating purposes. We are eating krsna-prasada, foodstuff which is offered to Krsna and then we eat. The remnants of foodstuff we eat.
And Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. “A leaf, a flower, fruit and liquid, milk or water, all these things, within these categories, whatever a devotee offers Me in love and devotion, I eat.” Krsna says. Krsna is not hungry. Neither He is dependent on your supply of foodstuff. No. But still, Krsna has become your guest. Just like you have brought Krsna here. He is very kind. Because you are devotees, you want to serve Krsna, Krsna has come in your temple in a form which you can very easily serve. Krsna does not require your service, but He is so kind that He is accepting your service. You are bathing the Deity, you are dressing the Deity, offering flowers, garland, and whatever preparation you can make, you are offering Krsna. So Krsna has accepted your service in a form which you can handle. That is His energy.
And if you want to serve Krsna in His gigantic form, universal form, you do not know where to catch Him. That is not possible. Krsna showed His gigantic form to Arjuna and he was terrified: “Please again become in your original Krsna form.” Even Arjuna who is always constant companion of Krsna, friend, he was also terrified by His gigantic universal form.
So Krsna is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Krsna’s greatness. Here in the material world, a thing which is very big, it cannot become small. But Krsna, because He is the almighty God, He can become the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]
So Krsna is bhokta and we are bhogya. It is not our position that we become Krsna and become bhokta, no. That is wrong conception. You cannot become the enjoyer. You are enjoyed. But when you want to imitate Krsna and want to become enjoyer, then you are sent in this material world. This is material world. Why we are in this material world? We are part and parcel of Krsna. We should remain with Krsna in the spiritual world. But why we are put into this material world? That is explained. Purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan [Bg. 13.22]. Because constitutionally a living entity is not enjoyer but enjoyed.
But sometimes… Everyone here, they want to imitate Krsna. Everyone is trying how to become a very big man, how to construct a very big, high skyscraper building, how to possess three dozen motorcar and how to possess so many servants, how to possess so many followers. Everyone is trying like that. This is the material world. Everyone is busy.
Why busy? Not for eating, sleeping. That is not problem at all. Because eating, sleeping, even the birds and beasts and insects, they have no problem. They are confident. They are depending on nature. Just like we are. Because we are surrendered to Krsna we are confident about eating, sleeping. We don’t bother about that. That is not our problem.
Our problem is how to serve Krsna honestly. This is our problem. The devotees are always anxious. Here Krsna is the enjoyer, and we’re enjoyed. So our business is to see “How I am being enjoyed by Krsna, by serving Him.” This is devotion, this is Krsna consciousness. So long you want to enjoy this material world, you are in the material world. And as soon as you offer yourself to be enjoyed by Krsna as servant, according to His order you serve, then immediately you are in the spiritual world.
Bhagavad-gita 13.22-24
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Melbourne, June 25, 1974
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