To become God conscious is not difficult. Simply one has to learn how to practice it. That's all. Everything stated. Find out that verse, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. (pause) Who will not respect Jesus Christ? He sacrificed everything for God, even his life. So who is that rascal that he'll not respect to Jesus Christ? What did he do wrong to the human society? He did everything for the good of the human society. Oh, I have got very, very great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. Not only . . . every, I mean to say, God conscious man, he must have respect for Jesus Christ. There is no doubt about it. My Guru Mahārāja had very great respect for Muhammad, Jesus Christ . . . we pray Lord Buddha. Although he preached atheistic philosophy, but we know that he's incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.
So a Vaiṣṇava is godly. He is qualified with all good qualities. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. He knows the value of each and every thing. Therefore he's godly. And therefore to offer respect to Vaiṣṇava is also a great qualification. Even to offer respect to the Vaiṣṇava is greater qualification than one who simply offers respect to God. That is stated in Devī Purāṇa:
- ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
- viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
This is the statement of Lord Śiva.
- tasmāt parataraṁ devi
- tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
- (CC Madhya 11.31)
"Worship of God, Viṣṇu, is the highest, topmost method of worship. And greater than the topmost worship is to worship Viṣṇu's paraphernalia. Viṣṇu's devotee, Viṣṇu's temple, Viṣṇu's dear . . ." Just like we worship tulasī. Why? Because it is very dear to Viṣṇu. Tadīyānām. Viṣṇu likes, Kṛṣṇa likes. When, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), the tulasī flower, leaf is offered to Kṛṣṇa, He becomes very pleased. Therefore we love tulasī, because He likes. In common word they say: "If you love me, love my dog." I have seen people do that. One man is going with his dog. His friends meet, and if the friends pats the dog, the man becomes pleased. Is it not?
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So . . . just like if you have got your child on your lap, if some friends come and takes your child and pats him and kisses him, then you become pleased, immediately: "Oh, this gentleman loves my child so much." Similarly, if a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, is respected, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Therefore it is called yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. The respectful to guru makes easier to receive mercy from God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. What is the meaning?
Satsvarūpa: "By the mercy of the spiritual master one gets the blessings of Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa is immediately pleased, "Oh, he's obedient and respectful to My devotee." It is in the same way, "Oh, he loves my child so much. He loves my dog." Dog is not qualified, but because the gentleman's dog is loved, the gentleman is pleased. This is counteractive. Similarly, a pure devotee, representative of God, if he is offered respect, that respect goes to God.
Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda, you said that we should respect everyone as a devotee, but then also you teach that . . .
Prabhupāda: No, no. By qualification, a Vaiṣṇava respects everyone.
Satsvarūpa: But then there's also a teaching not to respect a nondevotee, even if he's a big man. We may formally offer him respect, but if . . .
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Yes. Formality, you should be respectful. Suppose your enemy—that is etiquette—comes in your room. But when he has come to your room, you should offer him respect, "Come on, come on. Sit down." That is etiquette. You know that, "He's my enemy." That . . . the etiquette according to Vedic civilization, gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto-bhayam. Even your enemy comes at your home, you should treat with him in such a nice way that he'll forget that you are his enemy. Gṛhe śatrum . . . that was . . . just like Jarāsandha and Bhīma. They, they wanted that "We want to fight with . . ." (break) Unless one of the kings die . . . (break)
(break) . . . a strong flavor, and it is continually, continues. So long it is alive, the flavor is there. So where is that art, where is that science? When you have . . . where is that scientist amongst the human society? They are very much proud of their scientific advancement. Everything see, the flowers and leaves, so artistically, beautifully manufactured that simply by seeing them you'll feel pleased. How the man can manufacture it? And still they are denying the existence of God and taking all the credit. How foolish they are. Mūḍha. (laughter) Yes. Yes, they have been described as mūḍha. Now, we are appreciating immediately Kṛṣṇa's craftsmanship, artistic sense, and we are glorifying. So that should be done by everyone. But the mūḍhas, they will not do that. They'll explain away. They'll never admit God's hand, intelligence, brain is there. They'll never admit. Neither they will explain how it is. They know it, how it is done. It has been done, or it is being done by somebody. That they do not know, who is that somebody. And when we say it is Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa says: "It is I am"—they'll not agree. This is their position. They do not know who is that somebody, and when we say: "Here is that somebody," they'll not believe it. This is mūḍha.
Therefore it is said . . . the mūḍha cannot explain all . . . and at the same time, will not accept the real thing. That is mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. And they will set aside the thing, "Yes, scientifically we are searching. In future we shall be able." And when that future will come? Past, present and future, the future will become past also. Just like tomorrow, 29th June, this is future. Now, day after tomorrow, it will be past. (laughter) So if you are talking of future, but where is the history . . .? In the history the future is past. This is common sense.