We are wandering all over the universe. When we are doing some pious activities, we are elevated to the higher planetary system, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). When we are not very much pious, but not impious also—ordinary, following moral principles—then madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. So in this way, up and down, we are wandering by transmigration of the soul. This is our position.
The nonsense civilization, they do not know that what is our main business. They do not know. Ajñānata. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto (SB 5.5.5). Abodha jāta, these, all these living entities born in this material world in different forms of life, abodha jāta, all rascals. All rascals. We can prove they're all rascal. Nobody is intelligent. As soon as he'll become intelligent, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje seva-ucate se baḍa catura. As soon as he becomes intelligent, he must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we must accept him as rascal number one. . . . we declare it . . . he may be a very big man in the society, but we take him as rascal number one. That is our challenge. Anyone, he may be a ordinary man, he may be so-called svāmī or may be so-called yogī or so-called leader, but our test is whether he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. One test. If he's not, then he's a rascal. That is our challenge.
How we are challenging? Because we have got the test. Just like in the chemical laboratory, this test paper. Perhaps most of us will know that urine test paper. If there is sugar, immediately the color of the paper will be different. If there is no sugar, it will remain neutral. Similarly, there is test paper. What is that test? That test is, Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme authority says, that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So anyone who is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he must be duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ means he has got brain, but his brain is being utilized for sinful activities.
So duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, and rascal who does not know anything—what is God, what I am, what is this world—he's a rascal. He's animal. Mūḍhāḥ means ass. As ass does not know what is God, what I am, what is this world, what is our relationship, what is this universe, nothing, no knowledge—mūḍhāḥ. And narādhamāḥ, narādhamāḥ means human being is especially meant for understanding this philosophical aspect of life, but one does not care. He is simply acting where to eat, where to sleep and where to get woman, and that's all. That's his business. This is mūḍhāḥ. This is the business of hogs and dogs. So therefore, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, narādhamāḥ, these description was there.
So our test is there. If one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he must be within these division: narādhamāḥ, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. And one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then what he is? Aahh, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ.
- bahunam janmanam ante
- jñānavān mam prapadyante
- vasudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
That is the test. As soon as he has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes the greatest mahātmā, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. A mahātmā like me, because, simply by changing dress . . . that is another thing. Because sometimes this dress gives us good opportunity for easy livelihood. That is another thing. But those who take this dress for begging and for fulfilling the hungry belly, that is . . . that mahātmā is different thing. He is not mahātmā; he is durātmā.
My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if one is inclined to collect money by showing Deity, it is better to become a sweeper in the street. It is better to become a sweeper in the street, because he's earning his livelihood honestly. And this man who is keeping a temple and doing all nonsense, simply by showing Deity, collecting some money, this class of men, they're most sinful. You cannot do, sir. You cannot take other's money. You'll be debtor.
Therefore gradually, because this class of men are developed at the present moment, they have become . . . in Vṛndāvana there are so many temples, they have become . . . made a business by showing temple, collecting money. This is not good. There must be . . . temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they have dwindled. Now, in Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many churches, because people have no more even interest in. There is no education. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came . . .
Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test. This is the test.
So anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he's the, mean, greatest mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described that out of many, many human being, common man, one is karmi. Karmi, karmi means honestly working according to the direction of Veda. Karmi does not mean that a monkey also jumping, that is also karma. No. Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma.
And what is dharma? Dharma means varṇāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties. The prescribed duty is that you act, you enjoy life.