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Instead of being G-O-D he is D-O-G

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: Later that morning we went for a walk on a steep, wind-swept peak overlooking a bay and skyscrapers. Prabhupada said it reminded him of Darjeeling, a mountainous area of India. The weather was windy-cold, and Prabhupada noticed that Panditji had no warm clothes. Prabhupada therefore asked Bhurijana to please buy Panditji a jacket or coat.

Several interested Hong Kong Chinese boys accompanied us, and they inquired submissively from Srila Prabhupada. He very patiently and enthusiastically answered all their basic questions about the body, the soul, the next life, and God, discussing in depth the answer to each question. While criticizing the foolish man who works hard with no knowledge of the soul, Srila Prabhupada pointed to the clusters of tall buildings across the bay. "What is the purpose of these skyscrapers?" he asked. "They build them with such sturdy foundations, but those who build them will have to leave." As we spoke the wind gusts made it hard to hear, and everyone but Prabhupada was visibly shivering.

For the sake of debate, I argued with Prabhupada, "These buildings are being built so that the owners will be able to enjoy them," I said. "No," said Prabhupada, "they will be kicked out of these buildings by death when they try to live in them." "Well then," I said, "they can build these skyscrapers for the enjoyment of posterity. Their own family will enjoy them in the future, and they will get satisfaction from that." "That is ridiculous!" laughed Prabhupada. "What about oneself? One builds these skyscrapers actually to enjoy oneself, but he is not able to because he is kicked out by death. This is illusion, this building of skyscrapers for enjoyment. The skyscraper's foundation is firm, but the man's foundation is very flimsy."

After the walk, there was a press conference in the reception room of the Tibetan Suite. Half a dozen reporters and TV men, mostly Britishers, came and fired questions at Srila Prabhupada in the usual manner. When Srila Prabhupada mentioned the need for renunciation, one of the men remarked, "You speak of renunciation, and here you are in the presidential suite." "For me," Prabhupada replied, "I could live under a tree, but would you come to the press conference?"

One of the men asked Prabhupada his opinion of a popular, controversial guru. Prabhupada had been asked such questions before, and he would sometimes say, "I don't know him, but in Bhagavad-gita Krishna says," or something like that - straightforward and yet avoiding a personal criticism. But this time Prabhupada answered in an overwhelming way. "He is a cheater," Prabhupada said. "He claims that he is God. Anyone who says that he is God is actually just the opposite. Instead of being G-O-D he is D-O-G." The answer caused a ripple of laughter and excitement among the reporters. They went on with further questions and then left.



Reference: Life with the perfect master - A personal servants account by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami