Srila Prabhupada at the Franciscan Seminary
Srila Prabhupada with Rajeev Gandhi
Madhuvisa: (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?
Prabhupada: 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. . Samah sarvesu bhutesu. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita>
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
sama sarvesu bhutesu (BG. 18.54)
Samah. Samah means equla 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 parcels of God. They are simply dressed differently. . So if St. Francis was thinking like that, that is highest level of spiritual understanding. (Srila Prabhupada speech at Melbourne Franciscan Seminary, 1974).
The atmosphere is the video of this speech was sort of like that of a big heavyweight title fight back in the day. There is clearly a lot of anticipation at what the founder of the new Hare Krishna movement would say, how he would act etc. especially in the context of this Catholic seminary. One can sort of feel the audience listening to every word to sound out Srila Prabhupada. He doesn't speak unkindly of his host. Just prior to the quote cited he also praised Jesus Christ and emphasized that it doesn't matter when and where a preacher of God consciousness arises.
Srila Prabhupada acknowledges the path of St. Francis in a way which was perhaps unexpected. Of course we are familiar with even the picture in BGAIS of the sage looking at and seeing the Supersoul in the dog, candala, elephant, etc. ..this is a true case of finding common ground. While a devotee on this level is most exalted, this is the goal of us all.
This is how we ought to talk to each other, finding common ground and yet Srila Prabhupada lets no one off easy, saying that we can't just kill animals because we are on a higher level.
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