Prabhupada, Honolulu, May 24, 1976: So, Ajamila was engaged in maintaining the family. Everyone is engaged like that. Cats and dogs also do that. It is not very extraordinary thing. Sometimes they say, “It is my duty.” Yes, it is duty, but the prime duty is to solve the real problems: how to stop mrtyu, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi.
That we forget. Minor duties we take priority. That is the present situation. They do not know that there is life after death, and according to our karma, we are getting the next life. This morning we were discussing, Krishna is always ready.
Automatically it is going on. Karanam guna sango ’sya. As you desire according to the contamination of different modes of material nature, immediately the body’s ready. Immediately after death.
So everyone is engaged in so-called duties but forget the real duty. This is called maya. By the spell of maya we forget what is the objective of life, what is the aim of life. This is called maya. We are thinking this is our duty.
No. Real duty in the human form of life is here is a chance whether you want to go to home to back to Godhead or again you want to go to hell, the repetition of birth and death. That is your choice. Otherwise why there are so many scriptures, religious system, all over the world? It is not only in India.
According to the capacity of understanding, in every civilized human society there is a system called religion. It may be Hindu religion, Christian religion or Buddha religion—these are major religious systems—but the aim is how to make a solution of the problems of life. That… But because they do not seriously discuss nowadays the religious propensity, tendency of the human society decrease.
It has become a also money-making business. The priestly order, they think that “As others make some money by working hard, by professional or by doing some business or working, so we shall also earn some money by showing the church or temple or the mosque.” They have taken it like that.
Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. Because those who are in charge of the religious department, the brahmanas, those who are in charge of religion, the priestly order or the maulanis or the brahmanas, they’re the same order, their duty is to keep people enlightened in the real mission of life.
That is their duty. But if they’re also doing the same thing, sense gratification, how long they can cheat others? Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. But that is not good. Because the system of religion has become polluted, we should not give up religion. That is our prime duty.
Karamayi tasya eka bhusesya. What is the difference between animal and man? The animal has no religion. They have no religion. Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Ahara- nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca, samanyam etat. This is very easy to understand. The dog is eating; I am eating. Dog is sleeping; I am sleeping. Dog is enjoying sex; I am also enjoying sex. Dog is also afraid; I am also afraid.
So what is the difference between dog and me? The only difference is that dog has no religion; I’ve got religion. So if I give up religion, life of religiosity, then I am equal to dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah (“animals and men share the activiities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending”). Full Lecture
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