Bhaktijana, Boston, May 7, 1968: Does Jesus Christ reside in the Vaikunthas or Brahmaloka?
Prabhupada: No. Vaikuntha. He’s person. Brahmaloka, Brahmaloka is within this material world, and Vaikuntha, in the spiritual world. Do you follow what I say? That, if you want to know God, you have to approach a person who knows God. Otherwise there is no possibility. If you think that “Here is a man who knows God,” then you ask him. If you don’t think that in this world there is no man who knows God, then you have to remain in ignorance about the knowledge of God.
Young woman: That seems a very hopeless situation.
Prabhupada: Then hopeless for you, but not for others. One who accepts…
Young woman: How, how do I…
Prabhupada: One who accepts the authority, then it is not hopeless for him. It is very simple. Just like one is asking, “Swamiji, what is this?” I say, “It is rose flower.” Then the knowledge of rose flower is there. Then, if somebody says, “I don’t accept it,” then he may not know.
So you have to accept authority. There is no other alternative. Now you have to find out who is authority. That requires intelligence. If you go to a bogus man and ask him about God, you may be misled. That is a fact. That is your duty—to find out a man who knows God. Then you’ll get. Just like… This is commonsense affair. Suppose if you want to purchase something in the market, some milk. So you have to know that “I’ll have to go to some store.”
You don’t go to a hardware man, hardware dealer’s. If you go to a hardware dealer and ask him, “Give me one bottle of milk,” he’ll say, “You are crazy. This is hardware shop.” So you must have such common sense where to go and ask for God. That common sense must be there.
And that is also very easily understood. Those who have devoted their life for God and they have no other business than God, to serve God, he is the right man.
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