Journalist: Do you think if people had a deeper understanding of God, a spiritual consciousness...?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then he will be happy.
Journalist: Do you think it would solve the problems of...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Certainly.
Journalist: Which problems?
Prabhupāda: All problems. Whatever problems you have got. Social, political, religious, cultural, everything.
Journalist: The problems that exist in Ireland and India?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everywhere. You simply give education to understand what is God, then all problems will be solved.
Journalist: What about yourself? How long have you had this understanding and awareness of God?
Prabhupāda: How long you want? (laughter) I have had this understanding from my birth. My father was God conscious; he taught me how to become God conscious.
Journalist: And you are in fact the spiritual leader of these students. What does that mean?
Prabhupāda: Huh? Because I want to teach them what is God. If anyone is interested with God, I can teach him.
Journalist: How long does it take?
Prabhupāda: It takes one second.
Journalist: Well, can we do it?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You accept, surrender to God, then you become God conscious.
Journalist: And what happens to me then?
Prabhupāda: Then you become happy. And the Bhagavad-gītā says that God said that "You surrender unto Me, I give you protection from all sinful reaction." That is the statement of God. So if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, or God, that "God, so long I was forgotten about You. Now I surrender unto You. You do whatever You like," everything is all right.
Journalist: Thank you. Thank you for your time.
(Srila Prabhupada Interview, London, August 11, 1972)
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