38 Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers
BOB: Yes, Indian. He lives nearby and speaks English fairly
well. When he was young he worshiped Kali [a popular
demigoddess] every day very rigorously, and then the floods
came. When the floods came, the people saw hardship, and
now he has no religion, and he says he finds his happiness
in trying to develop love among people. And I couldn’t
think of what to say to him to add God and religion to his
life. He says that after he dies, ‘maybe I’ll become part of
God, maybe not,” but he can’t worry about it now. He says
he’s tried these religious experiences, but they didn’t work.
One reason I ask this is because when I go back to America,
a lot of people I come across are like this. They see that
religion, like his worship of Kali or other kinds of religion
they’ve experienced, doesn’t work. Ard I don’t know what
to say to them to convince them it’s vorth trying.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Do not try at the present moment.
You try to be convinced yourself.
BOB: Yes. I asked him to see devotees, but then on the way
out, as he was leaving down the road, I met him again and
told him, ‘“Come back,” but . . . Oh, I see.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: You first of all be convinced. And
then try to convince others. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s in-
struction is that you can improve the welfare of others
when your own life is a success:

bharata-bhiimite haila manusya-janma ydra

janma sdrthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
First-make your life perfect. Then try to teach others.
BOB: The devotees have told me that without consciousness
of Krsna all the time, you cannot be happy. But at times I
feel happy.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: At times. Not always.
