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SAINT FRANCIS, JOAN OF ARC and GURU NANAK.‏

Prabhupāda: Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, is... He is son of God, the best son of God, so we have all respect for him. Yes. Anyone who is teaching people about God consciousness, he is respectful to us. It does not matter in which country, in which atmosphere, he was preaching. It doesn't matter.
Madhudviṣa: (repeating question) St. Francis, the founder of this particular order which we have been invited to speak to, found God in the material world. And he used to address the aspects of the material world as "brother" and "sister." "Brother tree," "sister water," like that. What is your view upon this?
Prabhupāda: This is real God consciousness. This is real God consciousness, yes, not that "I am God conscious, and I kill the animals." That is not God conscious. To accept the trees, plants, lower animals, insignificant ants even, as brothers... Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
(B.G.18:54)
Samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal to all living entities, to see the spirit soul, anyone... It doesn't matter whether he is man or cat or dog or tree or ant or insect or big man. They are all parts and parcel of God. They are simply dressed differently. One has got the dress of tree; one has got the dress of king; one has got the, insect. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ: (B.G.5:18) "One who is paṇḍita, learned, his vision is equal." So if St. Francis was thinking like that, that is highest standard of spiritual understanding.
(Lecture at St. Pascal`s Franciscan Seminary in Melbourne.......by Srila Prabhupada).

Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Woman: Is there any person in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam similar to her?
Prabhupāda: You want to see Joan of Arc in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Why don't you take Joan of Arc of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Any activities of devotees, that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What do you mean by Bhāgavatam? Bhāgavatam, Bhāgavatam, Bhāgav, this word comes from Bhagavān. Bhāgavata, Bhāgavad-śabda. The word is Bhāgavata. And pertaining to Bhāgavata is Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata can be expanded to any unlimited. So anything in relationship with God, that is Bhāgavatam. So if Joan of Arc, she was in relationship with God, she is also Bhāgavatam. You should expand Bhāgavatam in that way. Yes.
(Lecture on the six goswamis-------by Srila Prabhupada).

Guest (2): What is the position of people like Guru Nanak, Muhammad, and other people?
Prabhupāda: They're servants of Kṛṣṇa. They are serving on behalf of Kṛṣṇa among certain people who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like a student in the primary class, he does not know what is M.A. examination. Therefore teacher is teaching according to his position. But he's a teacher, he's an authorized teacher, appointed by the school, authority.
(Room conversation-------by Srila Prabhupada.

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