When Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna for our benefit . . . Arjuna is in perfect knowledge, but aiming at Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction to all human society, and he admitted . . . after knowing Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12): "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Paraṁbrahman." Paraṁbrahman. Every one of us, Brahman. Brahman means spirit soul. We are not this body. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi . . . this is realization, self-realization. That is Vedic culture. One must understand what he is. We should not keep ourself in ignorance like cats and dogs, thinking that, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or so many designation. That is bodily designation. So when one comes to the spiritual understanding, that is called Brahman realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
So we are all Brahman; simply we have to understand it. It is not that we are abrahman, by some practice we become Brahman. No. Just like gold is gold, but if it is covered with some dirt, the dirt can be removed and the gold is gold; similarly, we are Brahman, spirit soul. Somehow or other we have come in contact with these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and we have got this body, covered, and I am thinking, "I am this body." This is ignorance. This is ignorance. So unless one is enlightened by the spiritual knowledge, he remains only just like cats and dogs. And to understand spiritual identification, that is called dharma. Dharma means that. And the ultimate goal of dharma is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have created so many dharmas: Hindu dharma, Mussulman dharma, Christian dharma. These are manufactured. Of course, there is indication how to execute dharma, but real dharma: when you come to the conclusion, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
So this is . . . Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, that we . . . we are not preaching any particular sectarian religious system. No. We are preaching the real . . . what is meant by religion. Religion means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Nobody knows what is dharma. This is the position. Because dharma means the order of the Supreme Being. That is dharma. Just like law means the order of the government, similarly, dharma means the order of the Supreme Being. That is dharma. This is the simple definition of dharma. So God is one; His order is one. How there can be different dharmas? It is not possible. That is ignorance. When we create different dharma, that is due to ignorance: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma or this dharma, that dharma . . . no. Gold is gold. Does it mean that if a Christian possesses some gold, it becomes Christian gold? Or Hindu possesses some gold, it becomes Hindu gold? No. Gold is gold. Either it is in possession of Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold. So we are preaching that, that "Here is dharma: to surrender unto the Supreme Being." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This is bhāgavata-dharma. Everyone should be taught how to surrender to God.