(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada and young Vaisnavi)
"If we become pure devotee of Krishna, then my love will be extended to everyone. Not only my society, but to everyone. It is not that 'This is my children, that is other's children.' All children. All human being. Not my countrymen -- all other countrymen. Not only human beings, but even animals also. That is sneha. It is not that 'I am safe, and let the animals be killed in the slaughterhouse.' No, that is not love. Love means for everyone. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Equality to all living entities. That is real love. That is real concern, Krishna consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976)
"In the universe there are so many men, animals, and plants, and beasts, and birds, and so many things. So we have to love everyone. That is universal. You cannot discriminate, 'Oh, this is not universal. This is universal.' Universal means all-including. So how you can avoid this person or imperson? You have to love everyone. That is universal."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, January 6, 1967)
"So our process is natural process. You love God, and if you are actually expert in loving God, naturally you love everyone. Just like Krishna conscious person, because he loves God, he loves the animals also. He loves birds, beasts, everyone. But so-called humanitarian love means they're loving some human being, but the animals are being killed. Why they do not love the animals? Because imperfect. But the Krishna conscious person will never kill an animal or give trouble to animal even. But that is universal love. If you love only your brother or sister, that is not universal love. Universal love means you love everyone. That universal love can be developed by Krishna consciousness, not by otherwise."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Gainesville, July 29, 1971)
"People are accepting Bhagavad-gita as something Indian or Hindu, but actually it is not. It is universal. Krishna says that there are so many forms of living entities. There are 8,400,000 different types of bodies. 'And all of them are My sons.' So if you love Krishna, then you love white man, you love American, you love European, you love Indian, you love cow, you love dog, you love serpent -- everything."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, January 6, 1967)
"Real love can be achieved when it is exchanged with Krishna or God. Prema pum-artho mahan, that is the recommendation given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is the highest... when we come on the loving platform with God, then we are satisfied. Big, big political leaders in our country like Mahatma Gandhi, he loved his country so much. But the result was that he was killed by his own men, by his country men. But this is not possible when the love is exchanged between God. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati (BG 9.31), a little love for God can save you from the greatest danger of life. That is real love. So if you love Krishna, then you can love with everyone. Just like we are spreading this Krishna consciousness movement. It is out of love for Krishna. Otherwise we would have sat down at home and love Krishna. Why you are trying to spread this love exchange to others? Because I know or we know that here in this material world, the so-called love exchange is frustrating, and people are being frustrated. So let him love Krishna, then we'll be successful. This is our mission. Everyone has got loving propensity. So this child has now love for his mother, for the mother has got... But as soon as the child will grow, the love is finished, he will love somebody else. When he becomes young man, his love is transferred to somebody else. So here the so-called love is not permanent, but when you love Krishna it is permanent exchange of loving humor or mellow. So that is required."
(Srila Prabhupada Evening Darshan, July 13, 1976, New York)
"The point is: if you love the root, then you love everything. Just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, then the branches, the flowers, the leaves, the fruits, and everything is nourished. So you have to know the technique, how to love the whole. If somebody is loving the tree -- he is putting water in each every leaf, every branch, every flower -- he is spoiling his time. Another intelligent man goes and he pours one bucketful of water on the root. Oh, it is distributed. This is foolishness, that without knowledge of the root, you want to love the branches. Your body. You love your body. Why do you supply your food in the stomach? Why not to the eyes, to the ears, to the nose? Why not individually, every finger, every hand, every part, every hair? No. As soon as you put the foodstuff to the stomach, the energy is at once distributed everywhere. Similarly, universal love means to love God."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, January 6, 1967)
"And because we are missing God, we are loving this thing, that thing, that thing, that thing, that thing, and frustration. That very love which is reserved for God, we are applying it in this material world: 'I love my country. I love my society. I love my family. I love my dog. I love my... I love.' But I am missing whom to love. That is the point. I am placing my love in so many things, and I am becoming frustrated. So when we understand the love is meant for God, that is our perfection of life. And if you love God, then you love everything. That is perfect love.
Without loving God... Just like you are the son of your father. So when you love your father, naturally you love your brothers also because you know, 'My father will be pleased.' So this is love. That universal love can be possible when you actually love God. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. In material platform that is not possible. But a devotee, a pure lover of God, he loves everyone. Just like we are. Because we have tried to love God, therefore we are wandering, touring all over the world, and the same message, 'Please try to love God.' We have no other message, because we have understood to some extent that without love of God, they are suffering. So they will be happy when they begin to love God. This is our mission."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Melbourne, June 27, 1974)
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