harmony with Krsna in the center

[Guest guest]

Lecture to International Student Society

 

Boston, December 28, 1969

 

Prabhupada: ...for your participating with us in this Krsna consciousness

movement. I understand that your, this society is known as International

Student Society? Yes. There are many other international societies. There

are international United Nations also. The idea is very nice, but we should

try to understand-internationally or universally-what is the central idea.

Just like if you throw a stone in the middle of water, it expands. It

becomes, the circle expands, and the circle goes to the limit of the bank of

the water. That is the way. The vibration, sound vibration also, radio

message also. Similarly, the circle increases and you capture the waves and

you understand. Similarly, international feeling can be extended also. In

the beginning of our life, just like a child, anna-brahman: everything he

wants to eat. A small child, whatever he captures he wants to eat. Personal

interest. Then, when the child grows, he tries to participate with his other

brothers and sisters: "All right. You also take little." This is increasing

the feeling of fellowship. Then he grows again, he feels for his father,

parents, society, then community, country, and at last, international.

Expansion. But in such feelings, unless the center is right, that expansion

of feeling, universally or internationally or nationally even, that is not

perfect. That is not perfect. Take, for example, internationally. In your

country, what is the meaning of national? National means one who has taken

birth in that particular country. Is that all right? National? You feel for

another American because he is born in this country. Or any other country,

Indian. That national feeling, that is called national feeling. You feel for

your countrymen. You sacrifice your life for your country. But there is

defect. What is that defect? If this is the definition-that a living entity

or a person born in that country, he is a national-then why not the animals?

They are also born in that country. But we are not expanding our feelings

beyond this human society. We don't think animals are national assets.

Animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. So this is because the center of

national feeling or international feeling is losing. The center is not fixed

up. If the center is right, then you can make circle from that center, any

number of circles, they'll never overlap. They'll be growing, growing,

growing. They'll not interact with one another if the center is all right.