(Click to enlarge painting of Lord Caitanya revealing His spiritual identity to Ramananda Raya)
"Rāmānanda Rāya suggested that jṣāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva (SB 10.14.3): 'One should give up the false knowledge, false knowledge that "I am God. I am God." 'This is false knowledge. So when this was recommended by Rāmānanda Rāya to Caitanya, that 'One should give up this false knowledge...' Jṣāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. 'One should be very meek and humble,' namanta eva jīvanti, 'and in that way if he lives,' san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, 'and tries to receive knowledge from really self-realized person...'
The motto of life. He is describing the motto of life, that 'One should not be falsely proud. One should be very much meek and humble, and try to receive knowledge from self-realized person. If one continues, follows these principle, then one day he will find that God, who is ajita, who cannot be conquered by anyone, who cannot be known by anyone, God realization...' Because God realization is not an ordinary job. It is very difficult. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that 'Out of many, many thousands of men, one may be interested how to make perfect this human form of life. And out of many, many thousands of perfect persons, one may know actually what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa.'
So God is inconquerable, cannot be conquered, or He cannot be understood by your puffed-up mentality that 'I can know Him.' No. God can be known by the meek and humble who is submissive and who takes the shelter of a God-realized person and tries to hear from him. Then… then the result is, although God is unapproachable by our limited knowledge, He becomes jita. Jita means He becomes conquered—simply by this position.
So we are following that system. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this system, that one may remain in his position, never mind what he is. It doesn't matter, either he is Indian or American or a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or white or black. But a human being with common sense, if he simply gives up his false, puffed-up knowledge that 'I am God' and becomes humble and meek, and tries to understand the science of God from a realized soul, then one day it will so happen that God has become within his hand. Prāyaśo 'jita jito 'pi. God cannot be conquered, God cannot be understood, but jito 'py asi, by following this process, God becomes conquered, or one can understand actually the nature of God by this process.
So our propagation for opening different centers is for this purpose, that we give chance. This is our duty. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa also recommended this process, that if you give chance to the people to understand the real knowledge from the Bhagavad-gītā... Now, it remains to the people to accept it or not accept it. That is his choice. But our duty is... Just like a representative of a business firm, he goes from door to door, from shop to shop, that 'Here is a thing we are selling, and this is such and such.' Now, it does not mean that wherever the representative will go, the things will be sold. No. That is not expected.
But maybe somebody may come and take to such transaction maybe seriously. But we cannot expect that everyone will understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not for ordinary man, not for the proud man, especially, who is thinking that 'I am God.' It is for the humble and meek, who can actually submit to a God-realized person and receive knowledge from him. But he has the, I mean to say, liberty to inquire from him.
One should not blindly accept the thesis, or the theory, which is put forward from Bhagavad-gītā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One should be asking questions by two principle. He should ask questions from a person whom he believes to be a man of knowledge. Otherwise it is simply waste of time. And at the same time, sevā, by service. Then question is allowed. Otherwise, blind acceptance is no acceptance. One should understand, but with service and surrender. These are the processes, and we are trying to administer this Kṛṣṇa consciousness under the principle of Bhagavad-gītā and Lord Caitanya. So you are all welcome, and if you put up questions to understand, we shall be very glad to serve you."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Montreal, October 25, 1968)
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