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How they speculate about God? If you cannot understand even a common man, maybe very big in the society, you cannot understand a common man by hearsay

Expressions researched:
"how they speculate about God? If you cannot understand even a common man, maybe very big in the society, you cannot understand a common man by hearsay"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

How one can understand me from outside by speculating? Why do they come to see me? Let them remain far away and speculate. But that is not possible in ordinary common sense also. So how they speculate about God? If you cannot understand even a common man, maybe very big in the society, you cannot understand a common man by hearsay.
Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Is it possible for a man or for anyone that he can, he should be according to the life of his different friends or servants or sons? That is theology. Next time, when I go to your country, why not hold a meeting of all the theologicians to discuss publicly what should be the nature of God? What do they describe, the nature of God?

Prajāpati: They describe the nature of God simply in terms of how religious men have understood themselves. They talk about, "God is simply men understanding men."

Prabhupāda: That means nobody has approached real God.

Prajāpati: No.

Acyutānanda: No one.

Prabhupāda: That is speculation. If you want to study me, so you can do so either by approaching me or through one of my confidential servant. How one can understand me from outside by speculating? Why do they come to see me? Let them remain far away and speculate. But that is not possible in ordinary common sense also. So how they speculate about God? If you cannot understand even a common man, maybe very big in the society, you cannot understand a common man by hearsay, by speculation...

Prajāpati: Practically all the theologians are aligned with one denomination or another, and they're like company men to the big churches, and they're afraid of admitting they do not know about God because they're afraid somebody will leave their camp and come to ours. We say we know about God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We say frankly that we know God, His father's name, His address, everything. Let anyone come and challenge. He cannot say that "No, this is not God," because he has not approached God. He does not know what is God. How he can challenge us that "This is not God"? Suppose we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as God, so how anyone can challenge? Because he has not approached God. He is simply speculating.

Prajāpati: And not even on his own. He's simply approaching other speculators.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Prajāpati: One speculator simply approaches other speculators.

Prabhupāda: So how they can say, "This is not God"? Is it possible to say? We say, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, God." Why not discuss this point for our preaching work. Call all the sannyāsīs.

Śrutakīrti: Call the sannyāsīs?

Prabhupāda: Hm. (break) Theologician. You know?

Śrutakīrti: He's theologian?

Prabhupāda: You know?

Acyutānanda: No, I didn't know.

Prabhupāda: He's theologician. Now you discuss with him whether by theological arguments one can approach or understand what is God.

Jayapatāka: Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Sit down straight. Otherwise feel sleepy.

Jayapatāka: Myself and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa were just going to Krishnanagara to see that attorney for that...

Prabhupāda: Oh, all right.

Śrutakīrti: Others will be coming.

Jayapatāka: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and...

Acyutānanda: Theology or Theosophy?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Acyutānanda: Theosophy?

Prabhupāda: No, theology.

Śrutakīrti: Theology. Theologian.

Prabhupāda: Theosophy and theology is practically the same.

Prajāpati: No, theosophy is nonsense Buddhist...

Prabhupāda: But according to academic order, logic is the preliminary study of philosophy. Our, our professor, Dr. Watt (?), he defined like that. In 1917...-(Aside:) Come on.-There was the governor in Bengal, Lord Ronaldsey (?), Marquis of Zetland. He was a Scottish man. And our college was Scottish Churches College-(aside:) Get the light. So... don't lean. You'll feel sleep. Just like sit my Guru Mahārāja. Show the picture. Be... Become my Guru Mahārāja. Yes. That sitting is the yogāsana. I am gone to hell. (laughter) You are young men. You learn from my Guru Mahārāja.

Page Title:How they speculate about God? If you cannot understand even a common man, maybe very big in the society, you cannot understand a common man by hearsay
Compiler:Krsnadas
Created:26 of Oct, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1