Dr. Wolfe: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are aware that they advance the argument of mesmerization against chanting. The psychologists do that.
Prabhupāda: That's good. That's good. If you can mesmerize, that will . . . now Dr. Judah has admitted that you can mesmerize the drug-addicted hippies and engage them in understanding Kṛṣṇa is a great achievement. (laughter) Yes.
Dr. Wolfe: That's not mesmerization, of course.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. Dr. Judah has admitted. So if mesmerization is for good, why not accept it? If it is for bad, then it is another thing. If it is doing good, why not accept it? Hmm? What do you think, Professor?
Dr. Orr: I don't know how to react. I think I agree with you. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: If it is good . . . everything good should be accepted.
Dr. Orr: One problem . . . you see, I keep wondering how you're so sure you know what good is, particularly when it comes to war. I would be a little more worried, I think, that . . .
Prabhupāda: What is that war?
Dr. Orr: Well, when you were telling that sometimes war is necessary. I should think that it's important to know how to decide when . . .
Prabhupāda: No, no, necessary means you cannot expect in this material world all saintly persons. There are bad elements. So if a bad elements comes to attack you, is it not your duty to fight and protect?
Dr. Orr: It just may be, though, that mine are the bad elements, and I keep thinking that other people are the bad elements. (chuckles)
Prabhupāda: No. Even God has got this discrimination. He says, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). There are bad elements. So if in God's mind there is good element, bad element . . . so we are part and parcel of God. We must have also the same sentiment. We cannot avoid it.
Jayatīrtha: Nowadays it's ninety-nine percent bad. So the wars are simply between two bad elements.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayatīrtha: So it's different thing now.
Prabhupāda: So you cannot stop war between bad elements. Make them good. Then you can avoid. You cannot stop fighting between the dogs. (laughter) That is not possible. If you try to make the dogs stop fighting, it is not possible. Is it possible? Then it is useless attempt. You keep the human being as dogs, and you want stop fighting. That is not possible. Impractical.
(Video 3 end)
Peter: Must a person believe in Kṛṣṇa in order to chant?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Dharmādhyakṣa: (explaining) Must a person believe in Kṛṣṇa in order to chant?
Prabhupāda: You must believe somebody. You believe in God or not?
Peter: Do I believe in God?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Peter: Um . . .
Prabhupāda: Doubtful. (laughter)
Peter: Yeah, I guess you could say that.
Prabhupāda: So first of all you have to believe yourself that you are part and parcel of God.
Peter: I don't believe that what I experience is necessarily different from what most of the people . . .
Prabhupāda: What do you believe? Let me know what you believe. That also you do not know?
Peter: Yeah, I don't know what I believe. That's the problem. Okay, true. I grew up without a consciousness of God, or without even . . .
Prabhupāda: Without God.
Peter: Well, I wouldn't say without God, but without. . .
Prabhupāda: But without God, how there can be God consciousness?
Peter: So, so . . . I don't think that I experience differently than anybody here, but I think that I express that differently. So, what . . . if I believe in God in my own way, which it may be expressed. . .
Prabhupāda: No, our proposition is that you believe or not believe, there is God.
Peter: Well, how can a person not believe? How can you not believe? You have to believe.
Prabhupāda: Just like there are so many criminals. They do not believe in government. They don't care for the government. But that does not mean there is no government.
Peter: Okay, and so . . .
Prabhupāda: And he will believe when he is arrested and given punishment by the government. Then he will believe. The criminal may say: "Oh, don't care for the government." That does not mean there is no government. And as soon as he becomes a criminal, he is arrested and punished. Then he understands there is government. So you believe or not believe, there is government. Similarly, you believe or not believe, there is God.