Guest (1): Could you ask Prabhupāda to explain . . . Prabhupāda, could you explain why . . . I didn't quite understand why it was necessary that we have religion. You said that so that we can be different to cats and dogs.
Prabhupāda: Why it is necessary that you should know the laws of the state?
Guest (1): To know . . .?
Prabhupāda: Know the laws of the state. You are living in some state, under some government. So why it is necessary that you should know the government's laws?
Guest (1): So you can live best under them.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So we can live best under them.
Prabhupāda: So you must have religion to have proper life.
Guest (1): In other words, religion means . . .
Prabhupāda: I have already explained: religion means the law given by God. As you are . . . you must abide by the laws of the government, similarly, the supreme government, God's, you must know what is His purpose. Otherwise you'll be misguided and you'll be punished. Just like if you violate the government laws, you are liable to be punished; similarly, if you violate the supreme government's law, then you will be punished.
Guest (2): Surely, if we live naturally we will be obeying God's law.
Prabhupāda: Yes. God's law you must know. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā ultimately God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You just become obedient to Me, surrendered to Me. I shall give you all protection." This is the law. So if you become a surrendered soul to God, then your position is very secure. Otherwise you will suffer.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Are there any other questions?
Devotee (1): Prabhupāda? If you follow the essence of any religion, is that the law of God?
Prabhupāda: The essence I have already given: to surrender to God. What else, essence? What is else? The essence is that you surrender to God. You may follow any religious system, it doesn't matter, but whether you know God and whether you have surrendered to Him, that is essence. If you do not know God, then what is the meaning of your religion? And if you do not surrender to God, if you surrender to your senses only, then what is religion? Simply by rubber-stamping religion . . . that has happened at the present moment. Nobody knows what is meant by religion. And this is the essence of religion: to surrender to God. So if you do not know who is God, where you are going to surrender? You cannot surrender to the air. You must know what is God and what is surrender meaning, gradually. But this is the essence of religion, to surrender to God.
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
If you want to be happy, ātmā, suprasanna, then you should be a lover, bhakti, devotee of God. This is the essence.