We are talking of God, but instead of loving God, we are loving this body. So that is not practical. That is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. If one does not become enthused to love God, then simply talking about God is a waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is going on all over the world. Somebody's Hindu, somebody's Christian, somebody's Muhammadan; they are going to the church, they are going to the mosque, they are going to the temple; everything is going on. But when you ask, "Whether you love God or dog?" he'll say: "I love dog." Practically we see. Everyone is keeping a dog, very favorite pet. And in church, they'll talk of God, but practically they love the dog. Is it not? This is going on, in the name of religion, that's all. Therefore Bhāgavatam says it is simply a waste of time. What is the use of talking God? If by talking of God perpetually you are developing your love for dog, then what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply waste of time. These are all discussed. Regularly going to the church, regularly going to the mosque or temple, but the love is for material things, not for God. How I get money, how I get motorcar, how I get dog, how I get nice wife, how I get nice . . . the love is here. The example is given, just like a vulture. The vulture goes very, very high, four miles, five miles up. But his business is to find out "Where there is a corpse? Where there is a corpse?" Very highly elevated, but business is to find out a dead body. And as soon as he finds it . . . (hand motion indicating swooping down) So this is going on. Very religious, very regularly performing religious ceremonies, rituals, but the business is "Where is a corpse? Come on, here is some sense gratification." This is going on. If you are talking of God, then you must love God. That is progress. But there is no love of God, there is love of something else, so what is the use of talking about? Hmm? What do you think? Is it not waste of time?
Parivrājakācārya: We can always tell by what people are serving, what they really are loving. If they are serving just their body, then no matter what they are saying, we know . . .
Prabhupāda: That is śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Officially, "God, God, God," but result is dog. Love is there. Love is . . . that is natural. I want to love. Everyone wants to love. But the . . . unless he loves God, he'll never be happy. So simply talking of love, and if the love is simply transferred to dog, then where is the love of God? So such kind of talking is called śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply waste of time and energy. You must practically come to the platform how to love God. So it is a great science, and it is available for everyone to understand and act. It is a great science. One can take advantage. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sectarian religious movement, no. It is a science, how to understand God, how to love Him.
Ali: Shouldn't there be a balance between physical existence and spiritual existence? Like between body and spirit?
Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all, you must have spiritual understanding, then spiritual study. If you have no spiritual understanding, then why spiritual study? All these scientists, they are trying to understand the spirit soul by material, on material platform. Therefore they are being misled. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, to distinguish between matter and spirit it is negatively described: nainaṁ chindanti śāstrāṇi. (aside) Find out. The spirit soul is there which cannot be cut into pieces by any instrument.