262 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION
sitting in one place and I am sitting in a different place, this difference
does not affect our actual existence. We are both human beings. The con-
ceptions of ‘‘Irishman,”’ ‘‘Englishman,”’ ‘‘Protestant,’’ ‘‘Catholic,’’ and
so on are but different dresses. One has to become free from these desig-
nations. When one is thus free, he becomes purified.
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.12]
When you have purified your senses and engaged those purified senses in
the service of the master of the senses, Krsna, you have perfected your
life. That is nonduality, and that is absolute.
; Mr. O’Grady: But the system insists that you think yourself American or

Indian or African or whatever.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Materialistic society means duality.
Mr. O’Grady: But that is unavoidable. How can you avoid material exis-
tence?
Srila Prabhupada: That is possible in Krsna consciousness. The lotus
lives in the water but never touches the water.
Mr. O’Grady: I don’t think you can explain situations in one area with
metaphors from another. How can you argue political problems in terms
of vague spiritual concepts? Their nature is completely different.
Srila Prabhupada: Sometimes a variety of examples helps us to under-
stand or appreciate the problem better. In the vase there is a variety of
flowers, and that variety helps us better appreciate the idea of flowers.
From any point of view, Krsna can resolve all problems. Why just the
problems of Irishmen or Englishmen? All problems. That is called unity
in diversity. Our students come from different backgrounds, but because
they are all in Krsna consciousness, they are unified.
Mr. O’Grady: Very good. Yes, I accept that. I would like to know,
though, that when you say ‘‘Krsna consciousness,”’ is there any dif-
ference between that and Christ consciousness?
Srila Prabhupada: No, there is no difference. Christ came to preach the
message of God. If you actually become Christ conscious, you become
Krsna conscious.
Mr. O’Grady: And does becoming Krsna conscious or God conscious
mean becoming self-conscious? That is, conscious of who we really are?
