Here we conclude a conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Professor John Mize. It took place in Los Angeles on June 23, 1975.
Professor Mize: And if the Lord has all qualities, does this mean He even has jealousy?
Srila Prabhupada: Everything.
Professor Mize: It's difficult to imagine Krsna jealous.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes.
Professor Mize: What could He possibly envy or be jealous of?
Srila Prabhupada: You can speak of whatever quality, whether anger or whatever you have got God has got it in a bigger quantity and in a perfect quantity. That is the conception of God without any . . . what is it called?
Professor Mize: Imperfection?
Srila Prabhupada: Imperfection, yes.
Professor Mize: I hope He doesn't have my ignorance in such a huge quantity.
Disciple: But ignorance is not a positive existence.
Professor Mize: Well, is anger or jealousy?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Sometimes anger acts. Unless you become angry, you cannot fight.
Disciple: In the Vedic literature there are so many stories of Krsna's anger, all the way from His babyhood to His later life.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes.
Disciple: Krsna's activities are always for the good.
Professor Mize: Righteous anger.
Disciple: Yes, spiritual anger.
Srila Prabhupada: Everything has got its proper use. In the material condition we do not know that. Therefore, Narottama Dasa Thakura has made a list: how to use your anger, your greediness like that. He says, kamah krsna-karmarpane: we are lusty for doing something for our sense gratification, but the same desire, the same propensity, can be utilized for serving Krsna.
For instance, I am writing books staying up at night, the whole night. So for an old man like me, it is tedious. But I am doing it for Krsna. So similarly, another author may be writing the whole night to produce some sex literature. So the labor for producing sex literature and the labor for producing Bhagavatam is the same. It may be the same ambition: "Let me become a big author. My name will be very popular." But one thing is being done for Krsna; the other thing is being done for sense gratification.
So that propensity of becoming a reputed author, or the labor to do so it is the same, but it is being utilized for different purposes. Similarly, you can take any other quality. For instance, Hanuman became angry at the demon Ravana. He set fire in his city. Destroyed the whole city. Hanuman showed his anger, but not for his personal sense gratification he wanted to serve Lord Rama. Rama's consort, Sita, had been stolen by Ravana, so there was an arrangement for fighting, and Hanuman set fire. To set fire in your home or your country is not good, but he did it for the satisfaction of Lord Ramacandra.
So everything has its proper use when it is utilized for serving Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. We are liv-ing beings. We are conscious. We can-not give up anything. But we are being trained up in how to utilize everything for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness.
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada has written a book on the various philosophers. Prabhupada is discussing where their ideas connect with Krsna consciousness and where their ideas fall short.
Professor Mize: I look forward to seeing it.
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, in this book do you speak about Kant's philosophy? As you know, he's very popular.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, Kant is very popular. I was also a student of philosophy. In my student life, my professors were all Europeans. I was a student at Scottish Church's College, in Calcutta. So Dr. W. S. Urquhart was our professor for psychology and metaphysics. Later on, he became the vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta. A very nice gentleman.
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, Professor Mize finds that he's chanting Hare Krsna a little in the shower now. When he takes a shower, he chants a little.
Srila Prabhupada: [Chuckles.] In Berkeley, during the early days of our movement, a reporter wrote, "After visiting the university and hearing this Hare Krsna for just a few minutes, I came home chanting all the way Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." He gave this report.
Disciple: Many scholars have a hard time realizing that just by chanting Hare Krsna . . .Srila Prabhupada: Yes, it is so nice and so easy.
Disciple: . . . that you get the highest philosophical realization just by chanting Hare Krsna.
Professor Mize: Your Divine Grace, thank you.
Srila Prabhupada: Take this nice prasada.
Professor Mize: [Begins eating.] This is delicious.
Srila Prabhupada: Now you can take. Krsna has given us so many nice things. Why should we kill the poor animals? That's not good. Because there is no spiritual vision: samah sarvesu bhutesu the sense that every other being is my equal, as a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. But now the average man is not a brahmana. He'll give the dog a bad name and hang it. "The animal has no soul." What is this the animal has no soul?
Disciple: But, Prabhupada, sometimes people argue that vegetarians are also killing the vegetables.
Srila Prabhupada: That's all right. The vegetables also have life. But we are not killing them. When you pluck a blossom, the bush is not killed. When you take a fruit, the tree is not killed. When you harvest grains, they have already died. Only then can you take the grains. There is no question of killing. But even if it were killing, it would not be as murderous as killing a cow.
Why does the state hang a man when he kills another man? The man can plead, "So many animals are being killed every day if I kill one man, what is the wrong there?" The punishment is there because "You have killed a very important animal."
Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita we find krsi-go-raksya: the cow should be protected, because she is a very, very important animal. In fact, Lord Krsna does not speak of other animals. Nor does He say "all animals." He says "cows," because the cow is so very important. She's supplying you milk, such an important food. She is your mother and you are killing your mother? Is that your civilization? Killing your mother?
"My mother is old; my mother is no longer supplying milk. Kill." Is there any such sanction? Rather, our old mother should be given more protection. But what is this civilization killing our mother? In the morning we require milk immediately, and our mother the cow is supplying. And when she cannot supply "Kill her." What is this philosophy?
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, during a talk at a university, I was explaining this simple idea, and one man said, "This is just your sentiment. You just have some sentiment." So I asked him if he had a dog. And he said, "Yes." So I asked him, "When your dog becomes old, will you kill it?" And he said, "No. Why shall I kill it? It's a good dog."
Srila Prabhupada: In this civilization, the dog is good, the cow is bad. The dog is always creating nasty things, while the cow is so pure that it has been scientifically demonstrated that even her stool is pure and antiseptic and yet she has to be killed.
So, learned scholars and philosophers should understand the importance of this movement and how it is beneficial. People are suffering for want of knowledge of the spirit soul. They are keeping themselves on the animal platform with their so-called education. Unless there is spiritual understanding, people's so-called education has no value. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih: they will remain on the mental platform, and since their mind is now materially contaminated, they will remain on the material platform. They cannot make any advancement. One has to come to the spiritual platform. That is required.
Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, what is the symptom that you have reached the spiritual platform?
Srila Prabhupada: That I have already explained. Prasannatma na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu bhutesu: you are joyful, without hankering or lamentation, and you see, "All other living beings are spirit souls, equal to me." These persons who are on the mental platform they will argue, "The animal has no soul."