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A devotee should... (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 23, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: We should forego sleeping even. The real regulated life is that if sixteen rounds is not completed, then we have to forego sleeping. You should take out hours from sleeping. We should be... The main thing is that we should always be careful that... We are going, we have taken up a very responsible task, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should be very much careful in discharging the duty. The devotee should be so much careful that he'll always see "Whether this moment is spoiled or utilized?" Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). Avyartha-kālatvam, that "My time may not be wasted." He should be so careful, "Whether my time is being wasted?" and time wasted, the time we engage for our bodily necessities, that is wasted. Generally, conditioned souls, they are simply wasting their time. Only the period which we have engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is utilized.

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Prahlada Maharaja said. Yes. About this body. It is arrangement, according to different body. Now, these swans, they have left this, defending, they're going away. This is defending only. Yes. And as soon as they're on the water, they think, "Oh, we are safe because these rascals cannot come in the water." (laughter) They are thinking about us "rascals." As we are thinking about them that they are lower animals, so they are also thinking, "These are rascals." Just like some father rebukes a son, the son also thinks of the father as rascal, "Unnecessarily he's chastising me." There is a proverb that as the child grows... (break) ...also thinks that "This boy is a fool; he'll do wrong by..." This is stated. And the child is stated in a different way. Just like sometimes our audience also. When we speak they think, "What nonsense he's speaking. Oh, Kṛṣṇa, what is this Kṛṣṇa? Let us enjoy." They are not purified. So this Prahlada Mahārāja says that according to the body, the specific facilities of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending is already arranged. It is already arranged. So one hasn't got to learn. Just like for mating. There is no college or school where in the classroom dis..., that "This is way you have to mate." Everyone knows automatically. Everyone knows how to mate automatically. Nobody is taught how to laugh. Oh, when laughing comes, it, automatically one laughs. Nobody's taught how to cry. Everyone cries when there is some distress. So these things, what is wanted as the necessity of my body, so arrangement is there. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, you think that "We can do something." Therefore we take advantage of our high intelligence to defend ourselves more nicely, to have mating more nicely, or eating more nicely. And a devotee should be satisfied that whatever Kṛṣṇa arranged, that's all right.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So long you are in the material world, what is physical laws, you cannot neglect that. Just like if you go to a jungle, there is tiger. It is known that it will attack you. Why should you voluntarily go and be attacked? It is not that a devotee should take physical risk so long he has got some physical body. It is not a challenge to the physical laws: "Oh, I have become a devotee. I challenge everything." That is foolishness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Viṣaya, these physical necessities, the devotee is advised to accept the necessities of life without any attachment. Physical law is take the boiled water, but if boiled water is not available, does it mean he'll not drink water? If it is not available, you drink ordinary water. (break) We take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. But while in touring, in hotels sometimes we have to take some food in the hotel. Does it mean, "Oh, I do not take any foodstuff from the hotel, I shall starve"?

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is, I am talking about my Guru Mahārāja.

Bob: Oh, oh, I see. (break) ...question on prasādam, if I may. Let us say if some devotee has some trouble and does not eat a certain type of food. Like some devotees do not eat ghee because of liver trouble. So these devotees, should they take all the prasādam?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I say those who are not perfect devotee, they may discriminate. But a perfect devotee does not discriminate. So why should you imitate a perfect devotee? So long you have discrimination, you are not a perfect devotee. So artificially why should you imitate a perfect devotee and eat everything?

Bob: Oh-h.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Devotee: I was thinking if each devotee in the United States went out...

Prabhupāda: You write on the car, "The Spiritual Master of USA." (laughter) And people will see, "Oh, here is the spiritual..." (laughs)

Devotee: Should we do that? "Spiritual Master of USA"?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? (laughter)

Devotee: If each of your devotees collected five dollars one day, that's $5,000, more, more than $5,000.

Prabhupāda: That you... And soon as you issue letter, that will come. It is not my (indistinct) And she will carry. Make arrangement with government so that next time when I go to India, I sit on the car. That's all.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Let them fight.

Prabhupāda: Let them fight. (laughing)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The devotees should wish that "O my Lord, please..."

Prabhupāda: Devotees must pray that "This great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu may be killed by You, my Lord." Therefore He comes. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja passively... (break) ...father was being killed. He could have stopped it, but he did not. He did not. If Prahlāda Mahārāja would have requested, immediately it would have been stopped, but he did not. He said, rather, in his prayer, that "Nobody is sorry when a serpent or a scorpion is killed." He said like that. So he said, "My father was just like a serpent and scorpion. Now he is killed. So now You become pacified. No more need of becoming angry." Modeta sādhur api. Actually, I have seen. There was a snake in our Māyāpur temple. So Guru Mahārāja was standing on the..., while some devotees were waiting. "Yes, kill it." So at that time I could not understand that "Such a saintly person why he is ordering to kill a snake?" Then when I found in Bhāgavata, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "A saintly person also becomes engladdened when a snake is killed." Because it is very harmful. He said that "He will do so many harmful activities. Better kill him." Because his business is to create harm. That's all.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 10, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. No. A devotee never prays to Kṛṣṇa. They have to undergo so much trouble; still they never pray to Kṛṣṇa. They know that "Kṛṣṇa will give us ultimately protection. Let us do our duty." Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). When a devotee is in difficulty, he is not disturbed. He thinks, It is Kṛṣṇa's wish that I should suffer like like this. It is not suffering; it is my pleasure." Just like when a patient is undergoing surgical operation, there is pain, but he knows, "It is better for me." Therefore agrees, "Yes sir. You go on with your knife." So when you are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says that "I shall give you protection," so even in our distressed condition we must know that we are being protected by Kṛṣṇa. We should not be disturbed. Because we create so-called distress and happiness. Actually this world is distress. Here the so-called happiness is also distress. So why a devotee should be disturbed by distressed condition? Harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). (break)

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So how Caitanya Mahāprabhu treated them equally or gave better position to Rāmānanda Rāya than Rūpa Gosvāmī? This question was raised—not only now—when our Guru Mahārāja started Gauḍīya Maṭha. So he was allowing the sannyāsīs to live in palatial building and go in car for preaching work. So many such persons questioned, "How is that, sannyāsīs are going in car, living in palatial building?" So our Guru Mahārāja replied that "A devotee should be offered the best comfort of life. And if he would not have introduced this comfortable life, at the same time, to become pure devotee, then these devotees from Western countries will, would never come. They would never agree to sit down under the tree and, imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī... That is not possible." Do you understand or not?

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Hṛdayānanda: So, Prabhupāda, in our temples, we have so many devotees. Should the devotees...?

Prabhupāda: They should be engaged.

Hṛdayānanda: Should they be trained in a particular...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are not able to preach or to do other things, they must go to the plough department, agriculture.

Hṛdayānanda: Those who cannot preach.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are less educated, not very much expert in preaching, they must be acting as kṣatriya or vaiśya, or as śūdra.

Hṛdayānanda: And sometimes...

Prabhupāda: Not he's śūdra. Always remember that. But he has to act to fulfill the, fill up the gap. Proxy.

Hṛdayānanda: So we should encourage people, young people, young students to come to our college.

Room Conversation with Pater Emmanuel (A Benedictine Monk) -- June 22, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: So we are not killing. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we do not kill even vegetable because our Kṛṣṇa says... Find out this verse. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). (German)

German devotee: Should I read this in Sanskrit, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi bhakty-upahṛtam.

German devotee: (reads translation in German)

Prabhupāda: So we offer Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants: "Give me this foodstuff," so we offer the foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa, and we take it. Therefore, if for killing this patraṁ puṣpam there is sin, that is Kṛṣṇa's sin, not my sin. (German) But Kṛṣṇa, God, apāpa-viddham, sinful reaction cannot take place to Him. Apāpa-viddham. Pāpa means sinful. Just like the sun is powerful. It can absorb urine, but you cannot drink urine. (German) So the injunction is tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). One who is very powerful... Just like a king. He orders, "Kill this man. Murder." He commits murder regularly, chopped up. But he is not under the law, being hanged, because he is very powerful. But an ordinary man, if he commits murder, he will be hanged.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1975, Honolulu:

Guest (1): Hariyay Kṛṣṇa? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice. Very good. (man departs)

Devotee: Should we tell all Christians like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda? That they're killing?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are killing actually. They are maintaining slaughterhouse. What kind of Christian they are, I do not know.

Gurukṛpa: He admitted it, that they say it, but they really don't follow it.

Prabhupāda: If you don't follow the Christian principles, then how you are a Christian? Just to make a show-bottle. They don't believe in next life, don't believe in the Ten Commandments. Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill," and they killed first of all Christ. This is the followers. The instruction is "Thou shall not kill," but they said, "First of all let us kill you. Then we shall follow your instruction." This is the...

Gurukṛpa: "That's all right, though. We have been saved. We have been saved by Christ. We have accepted the baptism, so we are saved."

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1975, Vrndavana:

Aksayānanda: I heard that if you pass stool more than once a day you become a bhogī? You are called a bhogī?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Aksayānanda: Does that mean a serious devotee should only pass stool once a day?

Prabhupāda: Don't artificially do that. (laughter) First of all become yogi. Then do it.

Aksayānanda: Yes. Of course, it can only be done by Kṛṣṇa's mercy, but one should at least try for that.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Don't try for passing stool once. (laughter) That does not make you a yogi.

Bhavananda: Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47).

Prabhupāda: Antara... Yes. That makes you yogi, not by passing stool. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Huh?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So why our devotees should take flowers from them? Stop it.

Jayādvaita: Yes, I stopped it. Instead I sent a letter to the neighbors that no one is taking flowers and we are planting a big garden. Now they've done that, and the neighbors come and they appreciate that such a nice garden is there, they remark.

Prabhupāda: You can make them friends, that "Your flowers in the garden will dry and fall down, so while it is fresh, if it is offered to God, and you'll get benefit out of it, why you object?" Yes. That's a fact.

Jayādvaita: They'll do that, too.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so convince them. They will be not enemy.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Devotee: He'll have the same benediction as Ajāmila. (child calls out "Prabhupāda")

Prabhupāda: He knows me. (break)

Devotee: Should there be a canopy over top of the vyāsāsana?

Prabhupāda: No, no canopy. (break) ...to fly to our New Vrindaban? How long it takes?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I asked Kīrtanānanda. He said about one hour, twenty, twenty-five minutes. (break—new sequence in car)

Prabhupāda: Let us see what is the reception. (break) We have come from a different way. From Buffalo.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, you had to come from Buffalo. (break) ...take to get to Buffalo?

Prabhupāda: Three hours.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. So so long we remain devotees, our movement will go, without any check.

Devotee (2): Devotees should take over the world.

Prabhupāda: Yeah, that is... That is good for the world.

Devotee (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: If devotees take up the whole world for management, then everyone will be happy. It is no doubt it. Kṛṣṇa wants that. He wanted the Pāṇḍavas should be in charge of the government. Therefore He took part in the fighting. "Yes, you should be the... All the Kauravas should be killed, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira installed." That is the dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He wants everything goes very smoothly and people become God conscious. So their life be successful. That is Kṛṣṇa's plan. That, "These rascal misleading and therefore... the (indistinct) the human life has been spoiled." Therefore I was talking about the "What is the meaning of the independence, (indistinct)?" ? The life is spoiled.

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhagavān: A devotee should always feel lower than the straw in the street. (Mrs. Marchand speaks)

Translator: She wants to know if it is recommended that a woman become a sannyāsī.

Prabhupāda: Woman should stay under the father, under the husband, and under the elderly sons. Nothing more. Therefore it is the duty of the father to give her in charge of a young man when she is young. This is Vedic culture.

Translator: She's asking what should a woman do if she is alone?

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhūgarbha: Professor Chenique's suggesting that in the Middle Ages there were many philosophers who also were researching the same questions of the body of God and how His body is different from ours, and they came to exactly the same conclusions as are mentioned in the Bhāgavatam, so he's suggesting some of our devotees should read some of these books so we'll be able to in our preaching show the French people these conceptions that God has a body are not foreign conceptions, and actually even European philosophers in the Middle Ages were saying the same things.

Prabhupāda: No, you can convince by your words. It is not necessary that you have to read so many other words. If you are yourself convinced, then you can convince others by your words. The fact. The same example, when there is fire actually you can express it by any word.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is no question. This is the condition. If you agree, then stay here. Otherwise, you go to Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Akṣayānanda: Also visiting devotees should do that too. Anyone who comes here should do that.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Everyone.

Prabhupāda: You must make a rule.

Akṣayānanda: At least one hour in the temple.

Prabhupāda: Why one hour? Four hours. Four hours. Four times. Morning, evening, night, morning again.

Garden Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: If one is not a very strong devotee, should one have that same attitude of going...

Prabhupāda: That is wanted. Dṛḍha-vrata. That is perfection. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.

Hari-śauri: No, he's saying if you're not very fixed up then should you still go out and preach. If you're not very fixed up...

Prabhupāda: No, nobody is fixed. Nobody is perfect. But by rendering service he becomes perfect. The more you render service you become perfect. Not that in one day you become perfect.

Hari-śauri: Because I remember you also said that preaching is not for neophytes. You also said...

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁśa: Then Hyderabad temple, devotees should return to their services in Hyderabad, and Godruma should return to Deity worship. A crew of eight devotees will stay here to do the program over here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And Haṁsadūta will stay here.

Mahāṁśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And you begin your digging.

Tejas: Mahārāja, you should tell the other persons who I'll have to work with that whatever I suggest, that they should do like that.

Prabhupāda: But you take our ordinary laborer.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Excerpt -- February 10, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You should always remember. Don't manufacture ideas. As you do...

Devotee: Should we change this one?

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is all right, but don't dare like that.

Devotee: Yes

Bhavānanda: Risky. (end)

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Ādi-keśava: They used that as one legal argument. They said that one of our devotees should be put in the mental hospital for his own protection, because otherwise he would go and kill himself. And the court said, "Why is that?" They said, "Well, because in their books it says that if a devotee hears someone blaspheming the spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa, then they have to commit suicide."

Prabhupāda: No, they will argue on so many things.

Ādi-keśava: "Or cut their tongue out." They said, "Either they will cut my tongue out or they will kill themself. So either way, they should be put in a mental hospital."

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mentioned the other day that five hundred devotees should always be there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We have got place.

Pañcadraviḍa: Bombay?

Prabhupāda: We have got place. All right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So enthusiastic. All young men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Our enthusiasm is coming from you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We're simply enthusiastic coming from you.

Prabhupāda: I am old man.

Hṛdayānanda: Oh, Prabhupāda!

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How would we utilize such a thing?

Prabhupāda: That you consider. Otherwise, why you should unnecessarily...?

Guru dāsa: In other words, some other devotees should also...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Put all the women there.

Prabhupāda: Where are so much women? (laughter)

Guru dāsa: So I have this for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is from Alex. For your cars.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes, he wanted to pay me. What is the amount?

Conversation: Bogus Gurus -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So you can publish this in our Back to Godhead. These things are going on. Devotees should be very careful not to be victimized by this cheater.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think I can write a letter to the "Letters to the Editors" column. That'll be the proper place.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good. What are...? Now, this man proclaimed himself to be "tīrtha-guru." What are some of the other ways that they will say? I remember Jagannātha was saying that he...

Prabhupāda: Tīrtha-guru, if he's able to take him to the temple, then tīrtha guru. Otherwise he's a goru, cow, tīrtha cow. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Say like that.

Conversation: Bogus Gurus -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He'll not take his food, he'll not touch his water, and still, he's guru. That's all. In Vṛndāvana it is going on, large... So many visitors come. They are victimized. They have got their step, in that way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, right. The devotees should understand also that any money that's given to these persons, the Deity will never see this money.

Prabhupāda: Cheating is going on. You have to be careful. Otherwise very risky. Vipralipsa. One of the qualification of conditioned souls is to cheat others and be cheated. Vañchita vañchaka. Business cheat... (end)

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Then why interpretation? (Hindi) Na jāyate na mriyate vā. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) (pause)

British devotee: Should we stop now, Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's quarter to seven.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

British devotee: So the people how have been staying here...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can make an announcement.

British devotee: Yes. Everyone can please take leave now. Śrīla Prabhupāda now has to get ready to leave. He's going to Agra tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I do not know what to say.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know what to say. The devotees should all attend the conference. I think that's the point.

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. But where (whether?) the conference is going on or Bhagatji's feast is going on? This is perplexing me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why it is? Because some of the devotees may leave by next week. So Bhagatji wanted to have a feast when everyone was here. And I told him to arrange then for Thursday, which was yesterday. But he said that that was not sufficient time. Therefore then I told him, "Then if you can't arrange for Thursday, then the best day is Friday, because Saturday and Sunday are the more important days of the conference." I advised him that the feast should not be held simultaneously with the conference, but he said that there was no... (break) In other words, I attended the lecture and the program, but I came out on account of Bhagatji's invitation.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Prepare, an experienced...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we were thinking that some other devotee should go with him. Actually we were thinking about Bhakti-caru Mahārāja, the reason being that Bhakti-caru Mahārāja, being an Indian devotee, that's also one advantage that there should be one Western devotee, one Indian devotee, just in case he has to speak Hindi or something. And besides that, Bhakti-caru Mahārāja has got experience with you with all of these different kavirājas. So he'll be able to see a little bit whether the kavirāja is... You know. There should be some discretion on our part also. He knows the history. He knows your history, so he can explain it properly to the kavirāja.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So half of our men may come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Half of the men may come, and half should stay. All the Vṛndāvana devotees can stay. All the visiting devotees should go. All right, we'll make that division, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Keep that palanquin.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Keep the palanquin on the cart?

Prabhupāda: Cart?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Palanquin.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The devotees are crashing after two hours.

Lokanātha: The devotees should be prepared to stay overnight there. Under the trees. (laughter)

Haṁsadūta: We're supposed to be gosvāmīs. We have to stay under a tree. Different tree every night.

Lokanātha: When we were traveling from Vṛndāvana to Māyāpur we stayed many times. Outside we'd live under the tree. It's nice.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, but if just one window is open at night, Prabhupāda starts feeling cold in spite of the blanket.

Lokanātha: You are making mundane.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very cold in the early morning hours.

Haṁsadūta: We'll bring the van, and Prabhupāda can stay in the van overnight, or we'll find some place.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All the āśramas will be overcrowded.

Pañca-draviḍa: We can sleep around the van. Prabhupāda is like a desire tree. He satisfies everybody.

Lokanātha: That cart could be turned into house. Have bamboo sticks, cover it with...

Prabhupāda: So begin to plan.

Page Title:A devotee should... (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:28 of Apr, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=31, Let=0
No. of Quotes:31