Meeting with Father Wallace
When Prabhupada mentioned reincarnation, Father Wallace also found this hard to accept. How could the soul transmigrate between species, up to or down from the human form? Prabhupada gave a simple example:
"Just like you are in this apartment. You can go to another apartment, and that apartment may not be exactly like this. It may be better or worse. Similarly, we have entered this body."
By contacting the lower modes of nature, Prabhupada described, one could be infected and sink down to hellish life. He listed meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex as prime gates to animal existence.
Father Wallace, again, could not concur. He did not agree that sex was inherently bad. "Everything that God makes is good," he said.
"That's all right," Prabhupada explained. "Good for somebody. Just like stool -- stool is good for the pigs to eat, but not for the human beings."
Father Wallace had difficulty coming to terms with this. "But every man is made with a sex appetite."
"Yes, this is natural inclination, but if you can stop it, that is victory."
Father Wallace shook his head. "No, I can't accept that."
"Why not? In the Christian religion there is unmarried life."
"But married life is a good life," replied the priest.
"Yes," said Prabhupada. "Good if you follow the rules and regulations. Krsna says "dharmaviruddha -- I am sex life which is not against religious principles."
The priest was relieved to hear it; but after Prabhupada defined illicit sex as any sex, even between husband and wife, without the desire for conception, Father Wallace changed the subject.
"Tell me more about your concept of God. Krsna. What does 'Krsna' mean?"
"Krsna means all-attractive," Prabhupada replied. "You say 'God is great'. We say 'Krsna is all-attractive'. Unless you are the greatest, you cannot be all-attractive."
"So when you speak of Krsna consciousness, it means .. "
"God consciousness. God is great and I am His eternal servant."
Father Wallace asked Srila Prabhupada whether he had heard of the Jesus Prayer.
"Any prayer. God is one," said Prabhupada. "We may pray in a different way. It doesn't matter."
"So, you chant Hare Krsna, don't you? That is a prayer, a rhythmic chant?"
"Yes. That is spiritual. To give glory to God is not material."
Father Wallace gave a short demonstration. "In the Jesus Prayer, you might say something like this: (Singing softly) 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.' Now that's chanting, singing, and it sums up everything I believe in. But then there can be another kind of prayer where there's no sound, but I'm still thinking it in my mind."
Prabhupada saw no contradiction. "Similarly you can think of Hare Krsna. (Sings) 'Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna ' Same thing. There is no difference."
Father Wallace drew the lengthy conversation to a close with a final few questions. "How do you see helping your fellow man?" he asked.
"We are helping by making them God conscious," Prabhupada replied.
"Is it by prayer to God that you help the world?"
"Yes, this is prayer, Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna means, 'Oh, Krsna and Krsna's energy, please accept me as your servant.'"
"And do you believe God is pleased by your prayer and helps them because of your prayer?"
Prabhupada lowered his head slightly. "That depends on God. God is fully independent. He may not like. You cannot force Him. But it is our duty to request Him."
Father Wallace looked at his watch. "Well, I have kept you long enough."
"No", Prabhupada grinned. "You can keep me engaged whole day and night." Everyone laughed. "We are meant for this purpose."
Cont'd
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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