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You have to become such intelligent person.
Guest: If he is misled by other, by circumstances, this is… He has no fault of his own.
Prabhupada: That’s all right, but innocence is no excuse of law. If you say that, “Somebody misled me to go to the left side” in the court, oh, that does not mean that you will be saved from the fine. So you have to become such intelligent person that you may not be misled by others. You have got the intelligence. Why should you be misled? Then what is the meaning of this human form of life? And you have to be educated. You have to take the opportunity of education so that you may not be misled. Why do you agree to be misled? Then you must agree to take the punishment also. If you, by innocence, put your hand on the fire, so fire will not excuse you. So innocence is no excuse. You have to be learned. Therefore we are here to give proper education to the people. Yes?
Guest: How do you reach there?
Prabhupada: That requires practice. Krsna is always with you. In this explanation of Prahlada Maharaja we shall come to that point. Krsna is not without you. Andantarastham paramanu-cayantarastham. Krsna is even within the atom. That is realization. One has to realize, and one has to talk with Krsna. So that means he has to qualify himself. Just like in your body there are so many things—do you know everything? Do you know everything? Then? Do you know? You are eating, and how it is being transformed into blood? Can you see it? Then it requires knowledge. Similarly, by knowledge you will understand that Krsna is with you. That is the mistake of this modern civilization. Everyone thinks, “I know everything. I don’t require any authority to understand anything.” But the Vedic literature, the Vedic civilization, they direct, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] “If you want to understand that science, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master.” This is very simple thing. If you want to learn engineering, then you must admit yourself in engineering college. If you want to be a medical man, you must admit yourself in a medical college. Similarly, if you want to understand Krsna, then you must approach a person who knows Krsna. It is not fanaticism or mental speculation. You have to learn the art scientifically. (starts playing karatalas and someone starts playing a melody on harmonium) What is that? Begin Hare Krsna. (changes to Hare Krsna melody on harmonium—kirtana) (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Montreal, June 23, 1968