Prabhupada: But if the beginning is irresponsibility, then where is the question of responsibility? This is nonsense philosophy. If the beginning is irresponsibility… Just like there is a story, some thieves stolen some gold, and there were many, four, five thieves, so they were dividing the stolen property, and one them said, “Now let us divide it honestly.” [laughter] The whole thing is stolen property, and they are speaking of honesty.
Just like you Americans, you came from Europe and other countries, and you have stolen the property. Now you make immigration, “You cannot come, you cannot come.” It is like this philosophy. The whole thing is stolen property, and they are talking of honesty; they are citing scripture. So where is the responsibility, if the beginning is irresponsibility, chance?
Syamasundara: One of his examples, I remember, is there is a war, so I have to choose whether to fight in the war for my country or resist the war as unethical. His idea is it doesn’t matter. Whatever you choose, you must be a hero or do it very responsibly, either resist war or fight in war. But it doesn’t matter ultimately which side you choose.
Prabhupada: That means if you go to hell you must go like a hero.
Syamasundara: Yes. [laughs]
Prabhupada: Just like one man was fighting with another man, and he could not fight, he was going away, going away. The other man challenged, “Why are you going away?” So, “Why not shall I go away? Am I afraid of you? Why should I not go away? Am I afraid of you?” He is going away, he is defeated, still he said that “Why shall I not go? Am I afraid of you?” So this is childish philosophy.
Syamasundara: He says that because I have freedom to choose, that makes me susceptible to bad faith, to a condition which he calls bad faith, irresponsibility.
Prabhupada: You have freedom of choice — that’s nice — but if you do not make your choice nicely, then you have to suffer. That is responsibility.
Syamasundara: His idea is that because we have freedom, this makes us tend to be irresponsible, to shy away from taking responsibility.
Prabhupada: No. Responsibility is there, and still freedom is there. Just like ordinarily, in our dealing, out of responsibility the direction is “Stick to the right.” Or there is a red light, “Stop.” So if I do not care about the red light, then I become criminal. That is responsibility. You have responsibility, but at the same time you have got the discrimination. Without discrimination there cannot be any responsibility. So responsibility is not blind. That means you should discriminate. You should know what is right and wrong. That is responsibility. If we do wrongly, then we will have to suffer. That is responsibility.
Syamasundara: Yes. But his idea is that because we are free, we tend to avoid responsibility.
Prabhupada: That is freedom, that you can make your choice between right and wrong. That is freedom. Freedom does not mean you are dull.
Syamasundara: But what if you avoid even choosing right or wrong, you simply drift without any decision of right or wrong?
Prabhupada: No. That is irresponsibility.
Syamasundara: That’s what he is saying, that because we are free, we are susceptible.
Prabhupada: We are free means you have to make your choice between right and wrong. That is freedom.
Syamasundara: Yes. But his idea is that because we are free, sometimes we neglect to even choose between right and wrong.
Prabhupada: That is wrong decision. Then you should suffer. That is responsibility. Why you have done wrong?