Prabhupada 1052 - Under the Influence of Maya We are Thinking that 'This is my Property'
750522 - Conversation B - Melbourne
Madhudviṣa: ...one of our very dear friends, Raymond Lopez. He is a barrister and a visitor who has helped us out tremendously with some of the legal dealings that we've had here in Melbourne. And also this is Mr. Wally Strobes, he has also helped us out and given us good guidance. And this is Bob Bourne, he is a photographer who has... He has taken that nice picture of the Deities that I have brought to Māyāpur festival.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Madhudviṣa: Very nice. So he has taken many photographs for us. And we are particularly indebted to Wally and Raymond for giving us a lot of good guidance in our dealings with the police. And one time we had one incident about three years ago, when some of the boys were a little enthusiastic about Ratha-yātrā festival, and they went out and they picked many flowers illegally. So they were caught.
Prabhupāda: Illegally? Where? In the park?
Madhudviṣa: No. In one flower-growing nursery.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Madhudviṣa: So they were found out and caught. But Raymond was able to get them off free due to Kṛṣṇa's mercy. But it taught us a good lesson.
Raymond Lopez: Actually, I think they had the wrong people.
Prabhupāda: There was a great devotee in South India. He was a treasury officer. So he took money from the treasury and constructed very nice temple. (laughter) Yes. Later on, he was caught, and he was put into jail by the Nawab. At that time the Muhammadan king, Nawab, he saw in dream that two boys, very beautiful, they have come to the Nawab: "Sir, what money he has taken, you can take from me and release him." So the Nawab said, "If I get my money, I can release him." Then, when his dream broke, he saw the money on the floor, and nobody was there. Then he could understand that he is great devotee. He called him immediately, that "You are released, and you take this money also. Whatever you have already taken, that's all right. And now this money also you take. You spend as you like." So devotees sometimes do like that. Actually, nothing is private property. That is our philosophy. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1): "Everything belongs to God." That's a fact. Under the influence of māyā we are thinking that "This is my property." Just like suppose this cushion. Wherefrom the wood has come? Has anybody produced wood? Who has produced? It is God's property. Rather, we have stolen God's property and claiming, "My property." Then Australia. The Englishmen came here, but is that the property of the Englishmen? It was there. America, it was there. And when everything will be finished, it will be there. In the middle we come and claim, "It is my property," and fight. Is it not? You are a barrister, you can judge better.
Wally Strobes: That was the argument he used.
Raymond Lopez: No, it was (indistinct). (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Originally, everything belongs to God. So why we are claiming, "It is my property"? Suppose you have come here. You sit down for one hour, two hours, and if you claim, "It is my property," is that very good judgment? You have come from outside, you are allowed to sit down here for two hours, and if you claim, "This is my property..." Similarly, we come here. We take birth either in America or in Australia or in India and remain for fifty, sixty or a hundred years, and why shall I claim, "It is my property"?