12 Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

has entered. If the sun enters your room, then your room
and yourself—everything—will be finished. Immediately.
You will not have the leisure to understand that the sun has
entered. Is it not?

BOB: It is so.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: But you cannot say that sunshine is
not the sun. Without the sun, where is the sunshine? So you
cannot say that sunshine is not the sun. But at the same
time, it is not the sun. It is the sun and not the sun— both.
That is our philosophy. Acintya-bhedabheda—inconceivable.
In the material sense, you cannot conceive that a thing is
simultaneously positive and negative. That you cannot
think of. That is inconceivable energy. And because every-
thing is Krsna’s energy, Krsna can manifest Himself from
any energy. Therefore, when we worship Krsna in a form
made of something—of earth, water or something like
that—that is Krsna. You cannot say that it is not Krsna.
When we worship this metal form of Krsna [the Deity form
in the temple], that is Krsna. That’s a fact, because metal is
an energy of Krsna. Therefore, it is nondifferent from
Krsna, and Krsna is so powerful that He can present Him-
self fully in His energy. So this Deity worship is not
heathenism. It is actually worship of God, provided you
know the process.

BOB: If you know the process, then the Deity becomes
Krsna?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Not becomes—it is Krsna.

BOB: The Deity is Krsna, but only if you know the process?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. Just like this electric wire —it is
electricity. One who knows the process, he can derive
electricity out of it.

SYAMASUNDARA: Otherwise it’s just wire.
