“Everything belongs to God; the Land, Water, Sky”

Prabhupada, Delhi, November 28, 1975: The spiritual conception of life is that everything belongs to God. That is the fact. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Everything belongs to God; the land, water, sky. It is said, bhumir apo analo vayuh. This is expansion of the energy of God. So what is the use, claiming God’s property as my property? That is mistaken. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape. This body is also God’s property. Everything God’s property because Krishna says, bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca.

This microphone, what it is? It is made of some earthly metal, wood, but the material belongs to God. I may have taken advantage of taking this material and manufactured something. That does not mean it is mine. If a carpenter makes a good furniture and the wood is supplied by somebody else and the carpenter is paid his wages, when the nice furniture is made, to whom it will belong? To the carpenter or to the person who has supplied the ingredients? It is very commonsense question.

So actually nothing belongs to us. We also do not belong independently. We are not independent. Krishna says jiva-bhutah, or mamaivamso. We are part and parcel of Krishna. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body, so the finger has no separate existence. If this finger is cut off from my hand and it has a separate existence, it will fall down on the street, and it has no value. Others are trampling down; still nobody cares for it, although it is the same finger but cut off from this body. But so long this small finger is attached to this body it has value. If there is some disease or pain, I can spend thousands of dollars for curing it. And when it is cut off from my body it has no value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, when we are forgetful or cut off It cannot be cut off, but still, when we forget God, then we have no value. The same example: When I ask my finger to come here and give me some itching sensation, then the finger is in normal condition. And if the finger cannot give me any service, that is useless. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, our business is to give service to God. That is our normal condition. And if we do not give service to the Lord, if we keep separately, then we have no value. Full lecture