(Krishna or God is transcendental to the material world)
Devotee: ...and they say something like "I am God." Some young people our age, they talk like that. Does this mean that we should become angry at them because...
Prabhupāda: No. First of all... just like there is some gentlemanly behavior: even if you are angry on some person, but you do not show your anger; you talk with him. Similarly, actually these persons are demons, but because we are preacher, we are preaching. If we simply become angry and cannot convince him, that means imperfect preacher. You see? You are... basically you are angry. That's all. "I don't agree with them, neither we have business." But because we are preacher, so if I simply become angry, then my preaching work will be stopped. Do you follow?
The anger is there, but because we are preacher, we have to... just like politicians. They are angry upon the enemy, but sometimes, by diplomatic means, they take their work from the enemies. You see? Not that they show the anger always. There are... similarly, when you go to preaching, first of all try to convince him that, "How you become God? What is your definition of God?" You simply ask, "What do you mean by 'God,' that you are claiming to be God? If you come under that definition, then you are God."
Just like if somebody claims that, "I am millionaire. I am very rich," a poor man, walking on the street with niggardly (miserly) dress, if he claims that, "I am rich man," will you accept? Then he is crazy. If he is claiming that, "I am millionaire," then you have to ask that "Where is your sign of being a millionaire?
You have no car, you have no good dress, your feature is so ugly. How you are millionaire? What is the definition of a millionaire?" First ask him. Similarly, ask him that, "What do you know about God? What is the definition of 'God'? If your behavior and everything tallies with that definition, then you are God. I will accept. We are God worshiper. Then I shall worship you. But first of all let me know what do you mean by 'God'?"
Is it very difficult job? Let him define what is God. "If you say that I am God, then you must know what is God. If you falsely claim 'God,' then how you can be God?" You don't you ask like this... like this... that, "What is your definition of God that you are claiming God"?
The same example—if somebody claims that, "I am very rich man," but I see that he is poor man, shall I not ask, "What do you mean by rich man?" Then by his definition he will be defeated. Ask him, "What is the def..." Did you ask anybody, "What is the definition of God? What do you mean by God?"
He's a rascal. He does not know what is the definition of God, but he has got some conception that, "This is God." Then he must explain, "I mean by the word God this." Then he will be captured by his definition, by his statement. Just guess what he will explain about God if you ask him like that. Did you not ask like this?
Devotee: I asked one person, and he said: "Everything." He said he was everything.
Prabhupāda: He was everything.
Devotee: He said he was everything.
Prabhupāda: He was. Oh, "How you became..." He was not. He is not? Then ask him, the next question. He was everything. That's all right.
Devotee: Then he simply talks jugglery words.
Prabhupāda: That you also, you have to get. That's all right. He was once God. He was once rich. That's all right. But how he has become poor? He was at sometimes God, accepted. But how he has become dog instead of God? But God is susceptible to such falldown? Then what kind of God he is? If God is subjected sometimes to falldown, then he is not all-powerful.
Then the cause which has made him fall down, that is powerful. Therefore he is not God. God is all-powerful. So why other power will make him to come down from the position of God? Then that power is powerful. But God is all-powerful; therefore he is not God. This is common reasoning.
God cannot be subjected to any other external... just like according to Biblical philosophy, "God and Satan." God is never under the influence of Satan. Is there any statement in the Bible that "God has become under the influence of Satan"? Then Satan become great, God is not great.
Similarly, if by some cause, by Satanic cause, one has fallen down from the position of God to the position of dog, then that Satan is greater than God. But God is great. Therefore he is not God. Gaursundara? How do you think this argument?
Gaursundara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. God cannot be under the influence of anything so that He may fall down. That is not God. Because God is all-powerful. Why He should be influenced by any other power? Then what kind of God? Then he is not God. Just try to understand how to argue. Then you will be able to argue with them. Yes.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Hawaii, March 9, 1969)
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