Dr. Pore: One problem... You see, I keep wondering how you're so sure you know what good is, particularly when it comes to war. I would be a little more worried I think that...

Prabhupāda: What is that war?

Dr. Pore: Well, when you were telling that sometimes war is necessary. I should think that it's important to know how to decide when...

Prabhupāda: No, no, necessary means you cannot expect in this material world all saintly persons. There are bad elements. So if a bad elements comes to attack you, is it not your duty to fight and protect?

(Garden conversation------Los Angeles).

Guest: I understand what you're saying. You're saying you cannot do practices and commit sin, right?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are, in every religion, there are principles. If you don't follow them, then how you become religious? Therefore this is my question. So nobody is following religious principles at the present moment. Therefore practically there is no religion. Everything is finished. We are trying to revive. If you follow religious principle, then it doesn't matter whether you are Christian or Mohammedan or Hindu or Buddha. Then you are religious. But if you do not follow any religious principle, then how you become religious?

(Room conversation--------Philadelphia).

Indian man (3): So many times Lord Kṛṣṇa told us: mama vartmānuvartante yantrārūḍhāni māyayā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (B.G.18:61). I want to know why He's so unkind and He allows us to sin. That people, He wants to go. They are very persevering. And He again said, yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ, indriyāṇi pramāthīni. He should have helped the nature, how to leave the whole universe, so (that) if mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ, if the (indistinct) the way, the royal road, the royal road of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, should be very easier.

Prabhupāda: So mama vartmānuvartante means that just like on the top of, just like there so many skyscraper buildings in America. A hundred and five stories. I think that is the latest. So suppose you have to go to the topmost flat. There is staircase. So everyone is trying to go there. But someone has passed, say, ten steps. Another had passed, say, fifty steps. Another has hundred steps. But you have to complete, say, two thousand steps. So the staircase is the same. Mama vartmānuvartante. Because the aim is to go to the topmost flat. But the one who has passed ten steps, he is lower that one who has passed fifty steps. And the one who has passed fifty steps, he's lower than who has passed hundred steps. So similarly, there are different processes. But all the processes are not the same. They're aiming at the same goal, karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti, but bhakti is the highest step. Because when you come to the platform of bhakti, then you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Not by karma, jñāna, yoga. That is not possible. You are trying, you are going towards that aim, but Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (B.G.18:55). He does not say, "By jñāna, by karma, by yoga." No. That you cannot understand. You can go forward, steps. But if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (B.G.18:55). This is the process. Therefore mama vartmānuvartante means "Everyone is trying to come to Me, according to their capacity, ability, but one who actually wants to understand Me, the simple process..." Just like the staircase is there, but not in this country, in Europe and American countries, side by side, there is lift, elevator. So instead of going step by step to the highest flat, you take the help of this lift. You go immediately, within a second. So if you take the lift of bhakti, then immediately you come in contact with Kṛṣṇa directly. Instead of going by step by step by step. Why should you take? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (B.G.18:66) "You simply surrender unto Me. Your business is finished." Why should you labor so much, step by step by step by step by...? (break)

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita-------Ahmedabad).