46 Elevation to Krsna Consciousness
controller, and everyone is controlled. Unfortunately
we are forgetful of this situation, and this forgetful-
ness is called maya. We refuse to accept any control-
ler of this universe because if we accept a controller
we have to account for our sinful activities, just as
when we accept the government we have to account
for our unlawful activities. Our position is that we
want to continue in our sinful activities, and there-
fore we deny the existence of a controller. This is
the basic principle of godlessness. The current
propaganda that ‘God is dead” is spread because
people want to continue being rascals without re-
striction. This is the basic principle underlying the
denial of God’s existence. But however much we
deny His existence, He will not die. In this regard,
there is a Bengali proverb that says: sakuni sape
gorumarana. The work sakuni means vulture. Vultures
enjoy dead animal carcasses, especially the carcass
of the cow. Sometimes a vulture may go for days
without a carcass; therefore this proverb says that
the vulture curses the cow, wishing him to die. But
this does not mean that the cow will die just to
oblige the vulture. Similarly, these atheistic vultures
want to see God dead so they can take pleasure in
thinking, ““Now God is dead, and I can do anything
I like.”

We must know then for certain that there is a con-
troller; that is the beginning of knowledge. Why
should we deny this truth? In every field of activity
we find some finite controller, so how can we deny
the existence of an infinite controller in this creation?
It is not without reason therefore that Lord Caitanya
