22 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION
the living entities within the material world are but a small portion of the
living entities throughout the creation. This material world is compared
to a prison, and just as prisoners represent only a small percentage of the
total population, so the living entities within the material world con-
stitute but a fragmental portion of all living entities.

Those who have revolted against God—who are criminal—are placed
in this material world. Sometimes criminals say that they don’t care for
the government, but nonetheless they are arrested and punished.
Similarly, living entities who declare their defiance of God are placed in
the material world.

Originally the living entities are all part and parcel of God and are re-
lated to Him just as sons are related to their father. Christians also con-
sider God the supreme father. Christians go to church and pray, ‘‘Our
Father, who art in heaven.’’ The conception of God as father is also in
the Bhagavad-gita [14.4]:

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir :
aham bija-pradah pita
“It should be understood that all the species of life, O son of Kunti, are
made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-
giving father.”

There are 8,400,000 species of life—including aquatics, plants, birds,
beasts, insects, and human beings. Of the human species, most are un-
civilized, and out of the few civilized species only a small number of
human beings take to religious life. Out of many so-called religionists, |
most identify themselves by designations, claiming, ‘‘I am Hindu,”’ ‘‘I |
am Muslim,” ‘‘I am Christian,’ and so on. Some engage in philan-
thropic work, some give to the poor, and open schools and hospitals. This
altruistic process is called karma-kanda. Out of millions of these karma-
kandis, there may be one jfdni (‘‘one who knows’’). Out of millions of
jfidnis, one may be liberated, and out of billions of liberated souls, one
may be able to understand Krsna. This, then, is the position of Krsna. As
Krsna Himself says in the Bhagavad-gita (7.3):

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye

yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
