You want, I want, everyone wants, but what does Krishna want?

GUEST: I have one question: what is Kali-yuga?

HANSADUTTA: Kali-yuga is the age of darkness, age of quarrel. It is the age of iron, the age of hypocrisy, the age of irreligion. This is Kali-yuga. We are living in Kali-yuga, the age of ugrakarma. Ugra means hellish activity, working in the factory, making nuts and bolts. This is ugrakarma. Working deep down in the earth, mining iron ore, coal, pumping oil out of the ground—this is all ugrakarma. Manufacturing iron machines for running on the road, flying in the sky, floating on the water in a ship—this is all ugrakarma. It is useless. You cannot eat the nuts and bolts, you cannot eat this tape recorder, you cannot eat your car, your computer. These things are not necessities; they are artificial commodities, things we use, but they actually do not produce anything we need. Can you produce potatoes by manipulating the computer? No. What are the necessities? I need food, I need some simple shelter. The earth will produce everything we need. But, instead so much energy and endeavor goes into producing nuts and bolts. Kali-yuga means we are spending 99% of our time producing things we don't need, and for that we get a handful of dollars. In the end, we go to the supermarket to buy those necessities which we otherwise could have produced from the earth on a small patch of land with a cow and a cottage. In other words, we have complicated our lives unnecessarily.

GUEST: Why can't God stop this Kali-yuga?

HANSADUTTA: Why should He? You want it. He gives what you want. You want, you take. You want skyscraper, take it. You want airplane, take it. You want automobile, take it. You want liquor, take it. You want cigarettes, take it. God is simply supplying everyone's desires. "Man proposes, God disposes." Nitya nityanam chetanas chetananam eko bahunam: "Amongst all the eternal living beings, one of them is the leader." You are eternal, I am eternal, we are all eternal living beings, so amongst all the eternals, one eternal is the leader. That is Krishna, God. And what is He doing? He maintains all the others, and He fulfils their desires. That is Krishna. You ask, "Why doesn't He put a stop to Kali-yuga?" But people want it, and He is merely facilitating.

In every war they say, "God is on my side." During the second world war, the Americans said, "God is on our side," the Germans said, "God is on our side," and the Brits said, "God is on our side." Everyone is fighting in the name of God. Poor God. He has to satisfy everyone. That is such a thankless task. Everyone is praying to God. One man prays, "Tonight I'm going to go to this man's house and rob him. Please don't let me get caught." And the rich man is thinking, "Oh God, I have so many valuables. Please protect my home from robbers." Everyone is praying to God, but no one wnats to serve God. Everyone is just asking, "Give me this, give me that, gimme gimme." No one wants to give anything. Just like children: "Father, I want a bicycle," "Father I want a car," "Father I want an allowance." Everyone is asking.

But when the child says, "Here, Father, take some bread," then the father is very pleased. Why? Because there is love. The child is showing some love for his father. "Dear Father, you eat. You should eat. Please eat." So the father doesn't need to accept the bread from his child's hand. The father is the one who has purchased it, provided it. Yet he accepts it, because it is given with love.

So when a person prays, "Oh, Krishna, please accept me. You are providing everything, and for so long I have just neglected You. Please accept me," that is bhakti, devotional service. And it begins with chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."

Srila Prabhupada used to say that chanting Hare Krishna is like the sincere crying of the child for its mother. Sincere crying. Children have two types of crying: one contrived or deliberate, knowing that if they make this sound, then mother will come, and the other genuine, when the child is crying in desperation. The mother can tell which is which. Similarly, Krishna knows. When there is sincere chanting of the holy name, Krishna responds. And when it is just mechanical, bogus or motivated, as in praying for this or that, Krishna will respond, "Okay, you take it," but you will not get Krishna. You will get what you want, but you will not get Krishna. It's like a bribe. If someone wants to see the minister, the minister asks his secretary, "Who is that? What does he want?" He might give what that person has come to ask him for, but he doesn't want to see him. Krishna is like that. He has everything, so what does He want? He wants love. He wants to be loved, and He wants to give love. That is bhakti, reciprocal love between Krishna and His devotee. But as long as there is some other motivation—"I need this, I need that"—Krishna will give it—"Here, take it"—but you'll never get Krishna.

So actually there is no need to worry, no need to ask. Krishna knows what you need. And He knows what you want. So don't ask. Just chant Hare Krishna and depend on His mercy. That's all.

Hansadutta das