“If you accept there is God, what is the Objection to accept a Place for Him?”

Prabhupada, Stockholm, September 7, 1973: First of all, they have no such information that there is a place where God lives. They think it is all fictitious. So, why it is fictitious? If you accept there is God, why, what is the objection to accept a place for Him? We have got our place, we have got our residential quarter, and God has provided us all these facilities, and He has no facility? He is impersonal? He has no place? Just see.

So, these things cannot be understood by the materialistic person. Therefore, one has to practice vairagya, renunciation. That is pointed out here. Bhagavata upasanam upadeksyamana vairagyam vina upadisto ’pi bhakti-yoga na samyag pratitisthati iti. Side by side we have to practice, voluntarily, to be detached from material activities. Then we can make progress in devotional service. Tad utpataya kaman mindati. This is our voluntary work. If we want to be detached… Because Krsna is so kind, if you have got even a little pinch of attachment for this material world, you are not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. You must be completely free. Therefore, bhakti-yoga is enunciated by Rupa Goswami: anyabhilasita-sunyam. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11]. Sunyam means zero. All kinds of material desires should be made into zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. Jnana, speculative method for understanding the Absolute Truth, as the Mayavadis, they are speculating, “This is not, this is not, this is not.” Neti neti. This is jnana.

And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmi. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajnas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty… Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then… You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night… You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how “Next life also we’ll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet.”

So this hard labor is going on. So Rsabhadeva says that this hard labor should be stopped. There is no need of so much hard labor. Why you should work so hard? This such kind of hard labor is seen amongst the animals. There are animals, just like we saw one jackal was passing on the street. So they come out in the night, some of the animals, especially ferocious animals. They come out at night for their food. Everyone is working hard; they also come. So animals also, they are also working very hard. That is given example, the hogs and dogs. That is restricted. If you go on working for better standard of life, then you’ll be attached to this work and youddr mind will be absorbed in such work. And if the mind continues to be absorbed in working so hard, then after giving up this body, you’ll have to accept another body to fulfill such desires within the mind. Krsna will give you full facility. Therefore it is said, deha-bhrtan madhye (ja) nr-loka manusyah tasmin sattvayam manusyah deha kastan krcchran sampadyamanam ata duhkha-rupam kaman yajnadini. Yajnadini prati na hati. Kaman anubhavitum narhati ity artha.

Rsabhadeva says that simply for sense gratification, don’t work so much. Actually, we haven’t got to work. Everything is there. We have repeatedly discussed. Just like in the morning the birds get up, they do not work very hard. They know that “We shall go in some, upon some tree, and there is food, there is some fruit, and we shall eat.” There is no very great problem. The animals also, they are assured, everyone is assured.

Full Lecture: http://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/5/5/1-2/stockholm/september/07/1973