You are 15 years late already!
We took our last walk along Juhu Beach this morning, as Srila Prabhupada will be leaving tomorrow to begin his world tour. The conversation took up from yesterday's discussion about science.
Dr. Patel began by stating that the scientists of apara-vidya, or material knowledge, and those with para-vidya, or superior spiritual knowledge, like Srila Prabhupada, must not have any quarrel.
Prabhupada's response was frank. "No, there is no quarrel, but we say that these are for the rascals. Yes. Apara-vidya is for the rascals." Unless one comes to the point of understanding Krishna, he said, he is still in the apara-vidya and is therefore less intelligent.
Dr. Patel was firm in his belief that although we are spirit soul, apara-vidya is necessary since we have a body.
Again Prabhupada disagreed. "No, no. No. That is to make the best use of a bad bargain, how to use the body best to perfect para-vidya. That is intelligence. Just like you have a car. A car is not neglected. We don't kick out the car, but it must be used for spreading Krishna consciousness."
"That is what I say, sir, that you must have the knowledge of car, and that knowledge of car is apara-vidya.
"No. No. No. There is no need of. You have the car, you can go from this place to that place very quickly, so utilize it for Krishna conscious."
"They must know how to drive it. That is knowledge. Why do you say no?" Dr. Patel protested.
"That automatically comes," Prabhupada said.
"How automatically? Nothing can come automatically."
Prabhupada explained. "You'll see many drivers. They do not know about mechanics, but they are very first-class driver."
"Well, learning driving is a knowledge of driving," Dr. Patel said.
"You are a physician," Srila Prabhupada said. "You are not a motor mechanic, but you know how to drive. That is not a very difficult thing."
Gurudasa Maharaja grasped Srila Prabhupada's point. "Isn't it when you drive for Krishna, doesn't it become para-vidya then?"
"Yes," Prabhupada answered. "Everything is done for Krishna, that is para-vidya."
Dr. Patel clearly likes to think of himself as an appreciator of both disciplines. He seemed intent on proving that scientists are not as bad as Prabhupada makes them out to be. This is probably because, as a doctor, he considers himself something of a scientist.
In his opinion, if they studied Krishna's energy, in one sense they are connected to Krishna. He obviously felt that this study was necessary in order to come to higher spiritual knowledge.
Srila Prabhupada pointed out, though, that the intentions of the scientists are not as noble as the doctor likes to think. "Now scientists say that 'Now we are advanced. We don't require God.' There is a book. Yes. 'We don't require God. Now we shall adjust. We shall create human beings according to our necessity.'"
Dr. Patel conceded the point, yet persisted in trying to defend the scientists. But as we walked steadily across the sand, occasional jets booming overhead and the docile sea waves continuously breaking along the shore, Prabhupada repeatedly reduced his arguments, and he gradually began to let down his defense.
Srila Prabhupada's playful criticisms of Dr. Patel's arguments often make us laugh. But for Dr. Patel, being constantly defeated in front of Prabhupada's young disciples is sometimes a little hard to take, as he wants us to show him respect. Today though he took it all good naturedly because he actually has great appreciation for Prabhupada. "So I look a fool and they'll become wise, all of them, eh?" he said.
Without irony, Prabhupada immediately reassured him. "Oh, yes. You are wise."
"They want that I should say something, and then you call me a rascal, and they take pleasure in it."
Gurudasa Maharaja assured him that although we may laugh, we do not do it out of envy, or pleasure in seeing him discomforted. "No, no. Para-duhkhi. A Vaishnava is not happy in someone else's misery."
Srila Prabhupada encouraged him that actually he should associate more with the devotees [sat-sanga]. "Amongst devotees, if you remain, then Krishna-katha will be so pleasing, rasayana katha."
"Even good literature sanga is also sat-sanga, is it not?" Dr. Patel asked Prabhupada.
"Yes. Yes."
"So in the morning I do your sat-sanga, and afterwards I do the sat-sanga of Bhagavata and Bhagavad-gita. So it is a continuous sat-sanga. So don't say I am not doing it," Dr. Patel laughed. "No, no, I don't say that you are rascal," Prabhupada humbly said. "Rather, I think myself rascal because I could not draw you in my temple." Everyone laughed at this.
Dr. Patel immediately appreciated and reciprocated the sentiment. "You have drawn me lot, but still, you are dragging me by leg nowadays. I think I am not fit to be with you, so far I consider myself. I must correct myself and all my defects. Otherwise I would pollute you."
It was a pleasant exchange. Dr. Patel was encouraged, and he gave Prabhupada his assurance that he intends to fully dedicate himself to spiritual life. "I will become after sixty-five."
Prabhupada laughed. "You are 15 years late already!"
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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