Greater Beings

Rationalists tend to think that human beings represent the pinnacle of life. Srila Prabhupada compares us to ants. (From a lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.3.16 on September 21, 1972 in Los Angeles): “But as you can smash millions of ants simply by rubbing your leg on the ground, similarly there are other beings who can finish you simply by rubbing their legs. Don’t think you are all and all. The rascals, the so-called human scientists, they are thinking they are all in all. ‘I am the monarch of all I survey.’ That is not. In God’s creation there is smaller than the smallest and the bigger than the biggest. Nobody can claim that ‘I am everything.’ No. That is not possible. So they were standing on the… Without standing, how they are churning? But the sea water is up to the knees. How they can stand? So the seven mile sea water is up to their knees. Your, an ant, even seven inches is sufficient water. And for you seven feet is sufficient water. Similarly, others, even seven miles is not sufficient. This is the order of… Don’t think that these are all stories. Surasurasuranam mathnatam. ‘How they can stand on the ocean? How they can churn? Oh, these are all stories.’ ”