Finding the Cure for Today’s Social Ills 169

bharata-bhiimite haila manusya-janma ya’ra
janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
[Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 9.41]

Anyone who has taken birth in India should make his life perfect by
becoming Krsna conscious. Then he should distribute Krsna conscious-
ness all over the world.

Lieutenant Mozee: Sir, there is a Christian parable that says it is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to come
before the throne of God. Do you think the wealth of the United States
and other Western countries is a block to spiritual faith?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Too much wealth is a block. Krsna states in the
Bhagavad-gita (2.44):

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayadpahrta-cetasam

vyavasayatmika buddhih
samadhau na vidhiyate

If one is materially very opulent, he forgets God. Therefore too much
material wealth is a disqualification for understanding God. Although
there is no absolute law that only the poor man can understand God,
generally if one is extraordinarily rich, his only ambition is to acquire
money, and it is difficult for him to understand spiritual teachings.
Lieutenant Mozee: In America, those who belong to the Christian faith
also believe these things. I don’t see any vast differences between the
spiritual beliefs of one religious group and another.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, the essence of all religion is the same. Our pro-
posal is that whatever religious system one follows, he should try to un-
derstand God and love Him. If you are a Christian, we do not say, ‘‘That
is no good; you must become like us.’’ Our proposition is that whether
you are a Christian, Muslim, or Hindu, simply try to understand God and
love Him.

Lieutenant Mozee: If I could return to my original purpose for coming,
might I ask what advice you could give to assist us in reducing crime? I
recognize that the first and foremost way would be a return to God, as
you say—there’s no doubt about that—but is there something that we
could immediately do to diminish this spreading criminal mentality?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. As I’ve already outlined in the beginning of our
