(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
Prabhupāda: Then what is the basic idea behind Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means originally we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is my Lord, is my father... Because part and parcel... Just like somebody's children. The children is a part and parcel of the body. Why I love my child? Because he is my part and parcel of this body. I don't love so much other children because they are not part and parcel of my body. This family affection means the family members, they have got with bo..., relationship with my body; therefore he has got the consciousness, "He is my father. He is my mother." And the parents have consciousness, "They are my child." So they have got some duty. The father wants to see how the children are comfortably raised, and the children also seeing the interest of the father and mother. Just like in family life we have got a certain kind of consciousness, "He's my father. He's my child." Similarly, if we develop our original consciousness, that "God is our father; we are all children," then the whole trouble ceases. If God is the proprietor of everything and every children has got right to enjoy the God's property, then where is the trouble? For want of this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is claiming, "This is my property. This is my state. This is my country." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Aham means "I," and mama means "mine." This is nonsense. Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everyone has got right to live on God's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
If everyone is taught this God consciousness, there is no need of this artificial United Nations. We are united by nature. God is the center. Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities. Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality, that "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother," this is lack of knowledge. But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body. The ant has got also the same punishment—birth, death, old age and disease—as you have got. You are also criminal; he is also criminal. But he is also son of God; you are also son of God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Hawaii, March 23, 1969)
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