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Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
[“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”] But we won’t take this. We shall put forward so many false proprietors, false friends, false enjoyers, and they will fight one another. This is the situation of the world. If education is given and people take this knowledge, there is immediately peace ( śāntim ṛcchati ). This is knowledge, and if anyone follows this principle, he is honest. He does not claim, “It is mine.” He knows everything: “Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa’s, so therefore everything should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa’s service.” That is honesty. If this pencil belongs to me, the etiquette is—My students sometimes ask, “Can I use this pencil?” “Yes, you can.” Similarly, if I know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, I will not use anything without His permission. That is honesty. And that is knowledge. One who does not know is ignorant; he is foolish. And a foolish man commits criminality. All criminals are foolish men. Out of ignorance one commits lawbreaking. So ignorance is not bliss, but it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. That is the difficulty. The whole world is enjoying ignorance. And when you talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not very much appreciate it. If I say, “Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor; you are not the proprietor,” you will not be very much satisfied. [ They laugh. ] Just see—ignorance is bliss. So it is my foolishness to say the real truth. Therefore it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. So we are taking the risk of offending