256 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION

mahd-Ssano maha-padpma
viddhy enam iha vairinam

Krsna tells Arjuna, His disciple, that ‘‘It is lust only ... which is the all-
devouring, sinful enemy of this world.’ [Bg. 3.37] In the Vedic language
there is no word for materialistic ‘‘love,’’ as we call it in the present day.
The word kama describes lust or material desire, not love, but the word
which we find in the Vedas for actual love is prema, meaning one’s love of
God only. Outside of loving God there is no possibility of loving. Rather,
there is lusty desire only. Within this atmosphere of matter, the entire
range of human activities—and not only every activity of human beings
but all living entities—is based upon, given impetus and thus polluted by
sex desire, the attraction between male and female. For that sex life, the
whole universe is spinning around—and suffering! That is the harsh
truth. So-called love here means that ‘‘you gratify my senses, I'll gratify
your senses,”’ and as soon as that gratification stops, immediately there is
divorce, separation, quarrel, and hatred. So many things are going on
under this false conception of love. Actual love means love of God,
Krsna.

Everyone wants to repose his loving tendency in some object which is
in his opinion worthy. But the question is one of ignorance only, because
people have a poor fund of knowledge about where to find that supreme
lovable object who is actually worthy to accept and reciprocate their
love. People simply do not know. There is no proper information. As
soon as you have some attachment for anything material, it will kick you
upon the face, deteriorate, and disappoint you. It’s bound to dissatisfy
and frustrate you. That’s a fact. But these young boys in your country,
and all over the world, are accepting, ‘‘Yes, that is a fact,’ and they are
getting the right information from Krsna:

bahtinam janmanam ante
Jndnavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah

‘*After many births and deaths, he who is actually wise surrenders unto
Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great
soul is very rare.”’ [Bg. 7.19] Again Krsna uses that word mahdtmd, great
soul. Therefore our devotees that you have met are not ordinary boys
and girls. No. They are to be considered actually wise, great souls because
