Bow down or be forced to bow

[Guest guest]

Young man: I just feel as beings we are more or less all equal. I mean, you

know, it's kind of a philosophy that I have. I don't feel that I have to bow

down to anybody and I don't feel anybody should bow down to me.

 

Prabhupada: Why? Why? Why do not bow down? Why?

 

Young man: Because I don't feel that I owe him anything or he owes me

anything.

 

Prabhupada: So that is the disease. We are forced to bow down and we think

that "I don't like to bow down." This is the disease.

 

Young man: He didn't force me to bow down.

 

Prabhupada: Yes.

 

Young man: He isn't forcing me to do anything. I'm just kind of there and

he's kind of there.

 

Prabhupada: No. Just try to understand. It is a very nice question. You say

that "I do not want to bow down." Is it not?

 

Young man: That's basically true, yes.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Why?

 

Young man: Because I don't feel like I'm inferior to...

 

Prabhupada: That is the disease. You have diagnosed your own disease. That

is the disease of materialism. Everyone is thinking that "I want to be

master. I don't wish to bow down myself." Everyone is thinking, not only

yourself. Just try...

 

Young man: Uh...

 

Prabhupada: Let me finish this. This is the disease, material disease. First

of all try to understand. It is not your disease or my disease. Everyone's

disease is this, that "Why shall I bow down? Why shall I become

subordinate?" But nature is forcing me to become subordinate. Now who wants

to meet death? Why people are dying? Can you answer this?

 

Young man: Why are people dying?

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Nobody wants to die.

 

Young man: I thought it was a biological...

 

Prabhupada: Just try to understand. Who is here... That means biological

force. You are subordinate to biology. Then why do you say that you are

independent?

 

Young man: Well, I feel that I'm...

 

Prabhupada: You are feeling wrongly. That is my point. That is your disease.

 

Young man: I'm feeling lonely?

 

Prabhupada: Yes, wrongly.

 

Young man: Wrongly?

 

Prabhupada: Yes. You are subordinate. You must have to bow down. When death

is there, you cannot say, "Oh, I don't obey you." Therefore you are

subordinate.

 

Young man: I am subordinate to God, yes.

 

Prabhupada: No, no, don't... Forget God. Just now we are speaking common

sense.

 

Young man: Krsna... I don't...

 

Prabhupada: No. Don't speak of Krsna. That is far away. You just try to

understand that you do not want to die, why you are forced to death?

 

Young man: Why am I forced to death?

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Because you are subordinate.

 

Young man: Oh, yes.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Then you understand your position, that you are

subordinate. You cannot declare that "I am free. I am not subordinate." If

you are wishing that "I don't wish to be subordinate, don't wish to bow

down," that is your disease.

 

Young man: What do you want me to... What...

 

Prabhupada: No, first of all try to understand your disease. Then we shall

diagnose your medicine.

 

Young man: I'm feeling wrongly, okay, but... But who do I or what... What

exactly do I bow down to... I mean...

 

Prabhupada: You are bowing down to everyone. You are bowing down to death,

you are bowing down to disease, you are bowing down to old age. You are

bowing down to so many things. You are forced. And still you are thinking

that "I cannot bow down. I don't like." Because you are saying "I don't

like," therefore you are being forced. You have to bow down. Why you forget

your position? That is our disease. Therefore the next process is that "I am

being forced to bow down." Now we have to find out "Where I shall be happy

even by bowing down?" That is Krsna. Your bowing down will not be stopped,

because you are meant for that. But if you bow down to Krsna and Krsna's

representative, you become happy. Test this. You have to bow down. If you

don't bow down to Krsna and His representative, then you will be forced to

bow down something else, maya. That is your position. You cannot be free at

any moment. But you'll feel... Just like a child is twenty-four hours bowing

down to his parents. He's happy. He's happy. Mother says, "My dear child,

please come down, sit down here.Yes." He's happy. This is the nature.

Simply you have to seek out where you have to bow down, that's all. That is

Krsna. You cannot stop your bowing down, but you have to see where you have

to bow down. That's all. If you artificially think that "I'm not going to

bow down anyone. I am independent," then you suffer. Simply you have to seek

out the proper place where you have to bow down.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968

[Yogkriya 0]

 

 

Hari bol Maharaj!

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

"You're gonna have to serve somebody" --Bob Dylan

 

Govinda! Govinda!