Father Tanner: If I serve the Lord, do I lose that little bit of freedom?
Prabhupāda: Because you are meant for that part.
Father Tanner: Do I lose that little bit of freedom?
Prabhupāda: No, that is real freedom. Just like this, my finger, is part and parcel of my body. So long the finger serves the body, it is healthy. If it is painful, it cannot serve, then it is unhealthy. Similarly, a living entity, when he cannot serve God, that is his material condition, or unhealthy condition. When he serves God, that is his natural condition. Because he's part and parcel of God.
Father Tanner: Where did we lose the contact with God?
Prabhupāda: When you misused your freedom. You have got little freedom.
Father Tanner: But at what point did I . . . no. Or a child lose its contact with its Creator?
Prabhupāda: It is said . . . suppose I am serving my master. I can think of, "Oh, why shall I serve him? I shall become independent." That is my freedom, little freedom. So I cannot become independent. That is not my healthy stage. Just like . . . take for example a dog. A dog is healthy when he has got a good master.
And if he hasn't got a good master, he's a street dog, neglected. He's not healthy. Similarly, our position is like that, that we must be dependent on God. Therefore in your Christian Bible also you go for your bread, "God, give us our daily bread." So you are dependent. So it is better to remain dependent on God than to use your so-called little freedom.