Prabhupāda: Yes. Certainly. This creation is only a part of manifestation of His energy. Insignificant. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā:
- atha vā bahunaitena
- kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
- viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
- ekāṁśena sthito jagat
- (BG 10.42)
"The whole material existence is simply a partial manifestation of My energy." Ekāṁśena. Viṣṭabhyāham. Aham. "I have entered into this whole material creation, and that is My partial manifestation of energy."
Just like what is your this body? The body is the . . . a manifestation of your energy. The seed, living entity, is put into the mother's womb and he expands. This body is expanding. But because you are limited, so much. That's all. Three feet or six feet. That's all. No more. You cannot expand more than that. This is crude example. But He's unlimited. He's expanding. Bṛhatvad bṛṁhaṇatvad iti brahma. Brahman means nothing is greater than Him and nothing can expand like Him. Bṛhatvad bṛṁhaṇatvad iti brahma.
So everything is there scientific. Simply we have to administer. We have got authoritative scripture, description, answers. Everything is there. It is not blind following. It is not religious fanaticism. It is actually solid ground. Simply one has to understand nicely. That's all. And there is no difficulty. So simple.
Now, this . . . our recommendation is simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So far the Sanskrit word is, that is not a problem. Everyone is chanting. So what is the difficulty? Bring any religious principle. You cannot find so easy. We don't recommend the ritualistic. That is . . . that is not very important thing. We are giving, say, simply chant. Ritualistic performance a little more helping. That's all. It is helping. It is not required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the strength and all the beauty, all the wisdom, everything is there in the name. Simply by chanting we get all, everything. But just to help it. It does not . . .
If somebody does not want our ritualistic, that is not an important thing. We don't say. We simply recommend that "You please chant." That's all. I requested you to chant. Not that I requested that you adopt our means. So that we are requesting. Let them chant. Make an experiment. It is not very difficult thing.
Allen Ginsberg: Well, the chanting is easy. The chanting is easy. That's true.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Let them do that. Don't come to the ritualistic performances. Let them chant, as far as possible, and see the result. This is the easiest method of transcendental realization. But if you recommend, oh, that will be accepted by many. And if we . . .
Allen Ginsberg: No. You see, I recommend it quite a bit, but it isn't accepted by very many.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, no. Then I say, you are American. You are popular leader. You have got some voice. I am a foreigner. I have come new, and who cares for me? That is a different thing.
Allen Ginsberg: Well, that's why I'm asking you very specifically, 'cause I've been chanting for five years, six years. Since 1963, '64. Since the fall of 1963, I've been chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on this continent, beginning in Vancouver in July, 1963. And I am finding there is a limitation to how many people will join that chant. Or I have found a limitation. Part of the limitation is the fact that it is strange and new to people here.
Prabhupāda: But there is no loss.
Allen Ginsberg: As it becomes familiar, it might spread more. Part of the limitation is just a natural resentment or resistance—people wanting a prayer in their own tongue, in their own language. I don't know . . . so that is, for the same reason an American Indian chant would not take hold or even a Latin chant would not take universal hold.
Prabhupāda: Mantra, mantra means . . .
Allen Ginsberg: So that many of us will say: "Is it possible to find an American mantra?"
Prabhupāda: Mantra means the transcendental sound. You see. Just like oṁkāra.