BY: Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

We believe that all are in the family of the one God. Some think that only humans are members of God's family, but this is also not true. All creatures: plants, creepers, grasses, fish and animals are also created by God. They are all children of the same, one God. Therefore, why should we not have love for all – creepers, cows, elephants, pigs and all other varieties of animals. We should not only love humans.

There are good instructions in the Vedas of India, the Koran of Islam, and also in the Bible, but we disobey their advice to some extent. We wrongly think that animals and birds exist only for us to eat, and that we should not feel love and affection for them. Earlier, the Counselor General said that "God is Love and Love is God." Similarly, in Indian Vedic culture it is said, "Sarve sukhino bhavantu" – everyone should be happy; not only humans, but creepers and other plant life, as well as pigs, birds and all other animals and all types of aquatics. They are also in the family of the same God.

There are not many gods; there is only one, the Supreme Lord. Allah, Brahma, Bhagavan, Yahweh and the many other names are names for the same, one God, but according to differences in language and culture, He is known by these different names.

Allah means "the greatest". All universes and all creation are within Him. Millions upon millions of universes are present within every pore of His skin. He can destroy all universes in a moment, and in a moment He can create millions of new universes.

If we have love for the Supreme Lord, why do we quarrel amongst ourselves? He is the same one God, and yet we are quarreling. This is because we don’t know what actual love and affection is. If there is real love and affection for the one God, we would naturally have love and affection for each other. That is why it is said in Indian Vedic culture, "Sarve sukhino bhavantu. All should be happy."

Our Scriptures are called Vedas. Do not think that the Vedas are a sectarian Hindu set of scriptures. "Veda" means knowledge. What is knowledge? Who we are, who is the Supersoul, the Supreme Soul, and what is our relationship with Him. What is this mortal body? It is a bag of urine, blood and many other unclean substances. This body is not the soul. We, the soul, are not this body. We are all part and parcel of the same Supreme Lord. All species, from top to bottom, such as animals, plants, humans, and demigods, are part and parcel of Him. The Vedas say, "Ekam eva advitiya, God is one. Everything in this world is only an expansion of His power or energy."

We must know what is happiness, and therefore we must try to follow the instructions of the Vedas, Bible, Koran, and other bona fide holy scriptures. The teachings of all scriptures are basically the same, with some small differences due to the different languages.

It has been said in the Veda: "Na alpam sukham asti, bhuma eva sukham -worldly things cannot give us happiness." It is said in the Sanskrit language that the Supreme Lord is both ananda and anandamaya. This means that He Himself is unlimited happiness, and He is also the container and sum total of happiness. He is happiness personified, the reservoir or abode of all happiness. We are all children of the same God, and we are also therefore the same in essence. We are part and parcel of that happiness – embodiments of His qualities. The only difference between us, the living beings, and the Supreme Lord is that He is great (vibhu), whereas the living entity is small (anu). We are minute, whereas He is akhanda-tattva, unlimited.

We are all part and parcel of the same Supreme Lord, yet we have divided up this earth, saying, "This is my country, this is your country." The sun is one, the air is one, and we should therefore also be as one. This is unity in diversity. We are like the Supreme Lord, created in His image, but unfortunately we have deviated from the Him and have forgotten who we are. We think of these material bodies as the self. We spend our days in collecting money and gold, and in securing positions, thinking that these things will make us happy. But this conception is totally wrong. These bodies are mortal, and all the doctors and scientists in the entire universe cannot stop old age from approaching. You should always remember that one day, after 20, 30, or 50 years, you will become old. Your beauty and power will disappear, you won't be able to walk without the help of a stick, and after some time you will die. You will have to give up everything you have accumulated in this world. Nothing can save you; only God can save you – if you are really serving Him.

God is all attractive; He is very beautiful. The Bible states, "God created man after His own image." What does this statement mean? If God has no image, or form, then why is this written in the Bible? His body is transcendental; it is not mortal. God means: G – generator; the generator of this world; O – operator; the operator of this world, and D – destroyer; the destroyer of this world. God nourishes and supports everything in the universe. If God were formless (nirakara), without a transcendental form, and if He were without transcendental qualities such as the quality of mercy, then what would be the use of worshipping such a bogus God? God is all powerful; He has the power to have a form. He is also very merciful. He has created this entire world for us, because we deviated from Him. His illusory energy, called maya, has kept us in the prison-house of this body and mind. We should always remember this.

In the Upanisads (part of the Vedas) there is a history. There was once a self-realized soul, named Yajnavalkya, who served in the council of the great and celebrated king, Janaka Maharaja. He was very learned and expert in the Vedas, and he had two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani. When Yajnavalkya reached old age he called his two wives and said to them: "For a long time we have lived in the grhasta asrama. I have amassed so much gold and so many cows, and have also given each of you several children. I now want to divide all my property between you two so that you can be happy for the rest of your life. After this, please permit me to go to the forest to meditate deeply on Para-brahma the Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead."

Hearing this, Katyayani became happy and said: "Oh yes, you can go. You want to meditate on the Supreme Lord, and this is a good aim. You are my husband, and I should try to help you."

But Maitreyi said: "Please allow me to ask you a question. Why is it that you are going to the forest? Are you not satisfied with the gold and property you have collected during your life and with your wives, children and friends? Do you have no faith that these things will make you happy?"

Yajnavalkya replied: "By asking this question you have made me very happy. You are truly a chaste wife. This question is the topic discussed in all the Vedas and Upanisads.

"Gold and property cannot give real happiness. Position in society, learning, reputation, friendship and family can never make one truly happy. Money and whatever may be bought in this world with money cannot give us what we are hankering for. We are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord and He is anandamaya, the reservoir of all happiness. Therefore, we can find happiness only in Him. The Supreme Lord alone can satisfy us. So I wish to go now to the forest to attain Him."

Yajnavalkya also told her: "The service of brahma is actually real happiness. Therefore the Vedas state, "Na alpam sukham, bhuma eva sukham. The happiness we taste in this world is very minute (alpa). It is also perishable." Also, "Raso vai sah. Para-brahma – that is to say, the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna – is an ocean of rasa and the embodiment of supreme happiness. So I am going away to endeavor for that."

It is written in the Koran, "Inallah kalaka mein suratihi" [Allah or Kudda has shape, and from that shape He fashioned man.] Surht means "form".

In the Vedas and Upanisads it is written that we are all children of that "Happiness", the Supreme Lord. We should try to realize this truth. My request is that you should not quarrel with other religious parties. As the Counselor General said earlier, this is the way to live happily in this world. Our religion is one without a second, and that religion is love. We should love each other.

How can we do so? The Supreme Lord has created cows, and those cows give milk to all, without distinction or discrimination. They don't consider caste or creed. In the Vedas, the cow is referred to as go – go mata – mother cow. As far as I have read, nowhere in the translations of the Bible is it written that you should kill cows, or any animal. I think that after some time the Roman Catholics added something and changed the meaning of the Bible's original texts, and I think that in the original Old Testament it is not written like that.

This is also true of the Koran. Some modern Muslims think that if one is Kafir, a non-believer, he should be killed. If one thinks "Everyone outside of Islam is a non-believer, that we are the only religious persons, the only sons of Allah", this thinking is quite wrong. Everyone should act according to his scriptures. He should follow according to his religion, and he should not have any objection to the religion of others. Only then can there be unity in diversity.

What is the meaning of unity in diversity, or diversity in unity, if there is no faith or love and affection for God and for all living entities? One can call the Lord by different names, in any language, but God is one without a second. We should try to realize this fact, and try to have love and affection for all humans, all animals, trees, plants, creepers, and so on. Indian Vedic culture states that if a field has been plowed, you should not walk on it. A seed has been planted in that field, and if you walk there the seed will die. Don’t cause pain and suffering to anyone. Our mission is the same as that of the respected Mayor and other honored guests present.

We should try to help all others. We should not fight amongst ourselves. If we are fighting amongst ourselves and maintaining differences of opinion, how can others learn anything from us? My desire is that you love one another – love other Vaisnavas according to their gradation of devotion. I have been to America, to European countries like Holland, and next we will go to Spain and then onto Germany. All our festivals have been very successful, and several hundred devotees came to each festival and became very inspired.

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