Agree (Conversations 1976)

Expressions researched:
"agree" |"agreeances" |"agreed" |"agreeing" |"agrees"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: agree or agreeances or agreed or agreeing or agrees not "does not agree" not "doesn't agree" not "do not agree" not "did not agree" not "didn't agree" not "don't agree" not "not agree"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: That is merging. They do not know what is merging. Merging means "I, so long I was disagreeing; now I agree to abide by Your..." That is merging. Just like several states they merge into one. So they agree to work unitedly. That is merging. Merging does not mean that you have got your discretion and that is finished. That is not merging. Then your cetana is lost. How it can be lost?

Mahāmṣa: What about the analogy that many rivers flow into the same sea and lose their individuality?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Mahāmṣa: Their example is that many rivers, they flow into one sea, and then they lose their individuality.

Prabhupāda: Because they are short-sighted, blind, that there are many individual living entities within the river. But they are blind. They cannot see them. Because it is covered by water they see only the water is there. Because they are blind rascals, they cannot see. But if they go deep into the water they will see there are so many individuals, millions, and they are living in the same river.

Morning Walk -- January 15, 1976, Calcutta:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Real ones agree.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think this is their hospital here.

Prabhupāda: This is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of them, yes. I think they have.... This is...

Prabhupāda: (break) These trees are brought from somewhere else.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they weren't here last time.

Prabhupāda: No. (break) Just see how they are doing.

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Sudama: I had a similar experience, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Kansas with one college student who was a senior in commercial art. He had one big, large apartment and about five roommates, and he had all your pictures and pictures of Kṛṣṇa all on his wall, and Dhrstadyumna prabhu and I went and preached to him. And I began taking all the pictures down off his wall and said, "You are coming with us because you are a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." And he agreed, so we began moving everything, and he owned everything in the house, and all his friends protested at the door, "No, no. You cannot go. You cannot take all of your hi-fi equipment and music..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't love the friend; they love all of his things.

Sudama: So we took all of his things in big trucks. We had to take furniture and everything. And he sold over one period of a week. And then all his friends began coming to the bus for evening āratika and prasāda, and two of his friends, they also became influenced and started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa because they were left with nothing after he went away.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One boy who joined us in Boston...

Prabhupāda: (break) Chewing the chewed. This is going on. Material world means chewing the chewed.

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And he was asking 350,000. So I told, "All right, you take cash, 300,000," and he immediately accepted, though I had not three paisa even in the bank. So immediately... The girl has paid?

Jagadīśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: She agreed to pay half and our Ambarīṣa agreed to pay half. It was purchased immediately.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cash. And you only had three paisa. That means one who is servant of the richest, he also becomes rich. You always said, "Serving the greatest, you become great."

Prabhupāda: Yes. A big man's son squanders money and the father pays. Similarly, if you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the father will spend for you. Why do you care wherefrom money comes?

Bhavānanda: Just like, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had Dai Nippon print fifty thousand dollars in books in the beginning.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Yes. Yes. I gave him five thousand and I ordered him fifty-two thousand. And I told him, "The money will come." And he said that "Five thousand he is giving advance. Money will come." So they immediately published Kṛṣṇa book, forty thousand dollar worth.

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: When I was coming back from America at that time, I came via Japan for this purpose. At that time you were in charge.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your dealings with them were very memorable.

Prabhupāda: They said, "How we agreed?" (laughs) They were surprised.

Sudāmā: And whenever I would see the president... That one meeting you had with him... Whenever I would see the president after that, he would always ask me, "How is His Divine Grace? How is he feeling and where is he?"

Prabhupāda: I challenged him, "You are Buddhist." "Yes." "You are eating meat?" "Yes." "What is this?" (laughs) That was my first talking with him.

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we say... We agree, everything came originally from some elements.

Prabhupāda: That "some" He has explained. He is God.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we don't... We say that those elements were always there. There is no need of any creator of those elements. They were always there.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are the basic elements.

Prabhupāda: Yes, "always there," but there must have been creation of these elements. Just like in the laboratory, you... Soda bicarb. Carbonate mixed with soda makes soda bicarb. Sulfuric acid. You take sulphur and turn into acid by mixing with something else. That is going on.

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: "He's a saintly person. We cannot agree to that." Everyone knows police takes bribe. They admit, "Yes, we take bribe, but not in such cases." This was told by Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisi..., to me. He was talking many things confidential.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, what is that story that one time Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī was invited to... He wanted to get invitation or he was invited to speak and they put so many conditions on his speaking. It was some place.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They said, "Now you cannot speak on such and such subject." He agreed, "All right."

Prabhupāda: I think there was a Vaiṣṇava meeting inaugurated by Mahārāja Maṇīndrānandī. You are referring to that. (break) When I was visiting, I used to sit on his couch. Yes, like... Guru Mahārāja was sitting on the couch, so I took him as ordinary gentleman. So then nobody asked me that, that "You are sitting? Get down." No. Nobody asked me. Then I was seeing that all other big, big disciples, they are sitting down. So then I began to sit down. Neither Guru Mahārāja told me, neither anybody told me.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...an agreement that "Ford, if you want to become president immediately, you accept this, that you'll excuse me. Then I resign. You become immediately. Otherwise, I'll continue. Let me see. So you'll be delayed." So he thought, "I am going to be immediately president. All right, agree. That's all."

Devotee (1): He made him his vice-president.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hṛdayānanda: No, no. That was before.

Prabhupāda: Vice-president?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That was another...

Hṛdayānanda: Nixon had made Ford vice-president.

Prabhupāda: He was vice-president. Ford?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- March 5, 1976, Mayapur:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...for getting a big display inside. And I got him to agree to only seventeen point five percent commission, which is very reasonable.

Prabhupāda: All right. Let them send. (break) ...is compared with a rose flower without flavor. Man with education is compared with the koi. (cuckoo bird) Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpam. The bird, koi, is very black, but his sound, sweet, so sweet, everyone likes. Kokilānām svaro-rūpaṁ vidyā-rūpaṁ ku-rūpanam, nārī-rūpaṁ pati-vrataḥ. And woman's beauty is how she is chaste and devoted to the husband. That is beauty, not personal beauty. Vidyā-rūpaṁ ku-rūpanam. And education is the beauty for the brain. And the beauty of the koi is her sweet voice. Kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinaḥ. And those who are saintly person, they should be simply forgiving. That is their beauty.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As far as their living conditions, so let them have a committee.

Madhudviṣa: Yeah. I agree with that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. Then there's no disagreement. As long as you say we should not disclaim all of our resolutions.

Madhudviṣa: No, no, no, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, then it's all right.

Jayapatāka: Śrīla Prabhupāda is so merciful that if it comes to a point where it means that a person is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I think Prabhupāda'd rather support them and let them be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's why you have to see whether they stay in the society.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Dragging us back to Godhead.

Prabhupāda: When this paṇḍal is going to be filled up?

Bhavānanda: The exhibits should be arriving today with the devotees, Prabhupāda.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You talk on reasonable ground, that "You are in favor of giving everyone the same facility. So what do you mean by 'everyone'? Why you are selecting only your countrymen? Why? 'Everyone' means every living being." So what is their answer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we agree to spread communism all over the world, and we'll give everyone equal rights.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So equal rights, why not to the animals?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they're not as important, they'll argue. They'll say that they're not as important. They're not so intelligent. They're just animals.

Prabhupāda: Animals, but it appears to me that there are many men like animals, so why you are giving facility to them?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because they can be elevated to the point of being men again.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: What is the wrong in India?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...reviews from big, big people in Delhi, that will be very helpful in Russia. Like the head of the Lok Sabha Research Library is giving a review on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and other Sanskrit scholars have also been approached, and they've all agreed to give reviews.

Prabhupāda: Take these reviews. You print.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Print those.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of our men in our party did this. Before he even joined the movement, he had already done this for college.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yes. We went to the college, and we found this boy. He had done this for his class. We said, "Now you come with us."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And be a devotee." Just by reading your books, without ever meeting any devo..., just by reading a book he understood how to do this.

Prabhupāda: It is very nice.

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We agree that it would be nice to stop death, but where is...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, we know. You learn from us. We know. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is the process.

Bhavananda: But we haven't seen that anyone in your movement...

Prabhupāda: Again "seeing," condemned seeing. Your seeing is like that, that "The sun has come all of a sudden." That is your seeing. "And when the sun is not there, the sun dead." That is your seeing. This is rascal seeing, animal seeing.

Madhudviṣa: Then you want us to have faith.

Prabhupāda: No faith. It is knowledge.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: I have told him that "Whatever you want to give us, give us. If you cannot give us, give us in lease. You remain your proprietor, but give us in lease, and we develop it." But he has never replied that. What does he want to do?

Jayapatākā: Before he finalized once, he said he wanted to speak to you once more. But never was the thing actually discussed in detail with Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: It was discussed. And he agreed, "Yes," but his man has different idea. So if you think that he's serious, we can go today sometime. How long it takes by car?

Jayapatākā: It takes about an hour.

Prabhupāda: Hour.

Jayapatākā: But actually it's on the route to Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So we can.... But that will be very hastily. That.... The road is all right?

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is a good idea. That we can do.

Jayapatākā: And some place for studying also.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Five bighās. That we can do. If they agree, then let them give us. We shall do.

Jayapatākā: Lalitā Prasāda Ṭhākura was saying that.... He was feeling that one more interview with you was necessary. However, I'm reluctant to say to go today because I haven't seen him for a month or two, and I don't want a two-three hour trip to just go. Maybe nothing may come of it. That's why I'm thinking on the way to Calcutta there would be more..., wouldn't be much expenditure of time, I mean, as far as traveling goes. And let's say, if something comes of it, then it's all right. If something doesn't come, it's not such a great loss.

Prabhupāda: All right, we can do that. Then we shall go by the nice...

Jayapatākā: Oh, yes. The nice. There's only one little bridge. Other than that, everything is all right.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayapatākā: There's one bridge like we went over yesterday. That's a little.... Otherwise, everywhere...

Prabhupāda: No, no, bridge, it is in good condition or not? Sometimes it is.... Last time we went, that injured.... It made some damage.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: They make modernized meaning of Bhagavad-gītā. That is insanity. Do you agree or...

Reporter (1): What would you regard to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā means that there is God, and we are part and parcel of God. God is great, and we are very tiny, small, fragmental portion of God. In quality we and God are the same, just like a drop of ocean water is qualitatively the same as the big ocean.

Reporter (1): Beg your pardon?

Prabhupāda: Qualitatively is the same. The drop of ocean water is salty, and the whole ocean is also salty. The salt taste is there, but the drop is never equal to the ocean. This is the difference. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś... This is the Vedic..., that He is also living entity as we are. So we many, plural number.... "We" means living entities. We are many, and He is one. But He is also living entity. Now what is the difference? The difference is that He maintains the plural number living entities.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Unless he is a fool. (laughter) Unless he's damn fool, they do not. (laughter) If he's sane and sober, open-hearted, then he will agree. Not only Hindus. We have got so many Mohammedans also. So unless one is open-minded, sane, intelligent, they cannot understand. Therefore I say the Indians are becoming insane. By the influence of so many rascals they are becoming insane. So that has to be rectified. But insanity is prevailing all over the world, but not so much insanity as in India, that they are rejecting their own things. This is the greatest insanity. Why they are rejecting Bhagavad-gītā? What is the reason? Tell me, you.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Now the Russians also have come to this conclusion, the Russian scientists and astro-physicists, that there are some planets here in the cosmos which actually have people, I mean, has life like human beings. The other day I read a big article on that. Now they agree.

Prabhupāda: They will agree so many things.

Dr. Patel: They will agree later on that the dialectical materialism is not the right thing, but the dialectical spiritualism is the right thing. What Karl Marx said was wrong. But they have started reading the Vedas and all these, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, and...

Prabhupāda: They have got good sympathy for Indian culture.

Dr. Patel: And if they read it, then Karl Marx teaching will go away.

Prabhupāda: And we are getting enquiries from Russia of our books, about our books. We are getting enquiries. I am sending Gopāla Kṛṣṇa to make market of our books.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Mike Barron: You do agree that there are many people who do try and cheat?

Prabhupāda: No, first of all you agree that there is someone who cheats. First of all you agree that you do not know what is the aim of your life. Do you agree or not?

Mike Barron: I think I know.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Mike Barron: I think I know.

Prabhupāda: You know? What is the aim? Tell me. What is the aim of human life? Tell me. We shall accept you as guru. Tell me. What is the aim of life?

Mike Barron: To be happy in myself.

Prabhupāda: That, how dog is happy? Therefore I have said "dog mentality." You do not know what is happiness. You know simply by barking you'll be happy. That's all.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So therefore, therefore you cannot stop the nature's process. You are dependent. You should first of all understand that you are dependent on nature's process. That is intelligence. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi... (BG 3.27). If you extravagantly say that "I shall stop this nature's process," that is lunacy, craziness. It is not possible. You have to accept that you are under the stringent laws of nature.

Carol Jarvis: Oh, I couldn't.... I agree with everything that you're saying about the laws of nature.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So but therefore how you can make a plan of happiness? Nature is baffling your plan. That you have to understand, "Why nature is baffling me?" That is real knowledge.

Carol Jarvis: So your answer...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Carol Jarvis: I find it hard to see the difference...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you find out how to go to a physician, agree to his proposal. Then you'll be cured. Otherwise you'll have to suffer with that boil, always burning, burning, burning, burning.

Carol Jarvis: Thank you for your time.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give them some prasāda. (break)...yogi(?). There are many animals. They are also doing.... (background conversation) And Garuḍa also, vegetarian.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Garuḍa.

Prabhupāda: Garuḍa. But he carries the Lord Viṣṇu. That is not the point. How to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is really.... To become vegetarian, nonvegetarian, that is not very important. But we are interested in Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. We are not in the group of vegetarians or nonvegetarians. We are Kṛṣṇized. We take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. That is our.... We are servant of Kṛṣṇa, so whatever is left over by Kṛṣṇa, we take. If Kṛṣṇa eats meat, we shall take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. What can we do? Therefore we offer Kṛṣṇa whatever He wants to eat, and we take the remnants. That is our.... Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26), so we offer Him. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Māṁsa, eggs, give Me," then we shall offer Him and take.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Mr. Dixon: Yes, I think, ah, if you're looking at the...

Prabhupāda: No, no, this is the principle. Actually it is not your land. You come from Europe.

Mr. Dixon: I agree that it's not.

Prabhupāda: But you are now claiming it is your land. The Africans, they are claiming. So much land, you can produce ten times food grains for as many population as there are. Ten times milk is required, food grain is required. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44).

Mr. Dixon: If we produced all of the foods that we could produce and we literally gave them away to other countries that need them, we'd produce a tremendous disincentive in those countries for their own production. I don't think it's as easy, the world...

Prabhupāda: Production.... You take the total land as God's property, and all the population, they are sons of God. Then whole problem solved. Everything solved. If economic problem is solved, then social, political, religious, philosophical, everything is solved.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The Kṛṣṇa's mother was royal prince, so her father gave so many elephants, so many horses, so many chariots. That was the system. (break) This śrāddha ceremony. That is also, feeding the learned brāhmaṇas, saintly person, poor man, relative. Lavishly they spend money during three occasions: birth, death, and marriage. During birth the father spends; the marriage, father spends; and death, the son spends. This is the system. So social reformation, but there is no idea how the society will be happy. There is no idea. They are trying to remove this intoxication, LSD, but do not see the cause why LSD has come. They do not try to stop that cause. When the cause is effective, then they are disturbed with the effect. This is the defect. Neither they'll take advice. So how they'll be able to.... Big, big officer, drawing high salary, that's all. There is no effect. Neither there can be any effect. It is not possible. They do not know. Neither they want it. So we are advocating, "Remove these four sinful activities," so nobody will agree. "Illicit sex is our life, to keep a friend, to keep a secretary." And we are advising, "No illicit sex." Then where is life? That's all.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: My point is.... Just like the two points here: chastity and nonviolence. But this is not being carried out.

Guest (3): Well, we agree.

Prabhupāda: Then where is the prophet and where is the followers?

Guest (3): Well, see, the prophet is teaching the people about this and teaching them to live it.

Prabhupāda: That means people are not obeying the prophet.

Guest (3): Well, people are. We are.

Prabhupāda: Then how it is said that.... How they are killing animals? How the women are unchaste?

Guest (4): All people aren't following the prophet. All people in your belief aren't following you completely.

Prabhupāda: That is very nice. My point is that if we follow God—God's message is carried by prophet, and prophet if obeyed by the people—then the religion is in order. Otherwise it is a bogus religion.

Guest (3): Well, I think we would agree there.

Prabhupāda: We must follow; then it is all right. We don't follow, and still we rubberstamp, "I am Christian. I am this. I am that." This is the disease.

Guest (3): Would you agree that Christ is the greatest master of all?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We accept him as our guru.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Resurrection? What do you mean actually? But it is a fact that one, the soul, is changing from one body to another.

Guest (4): That's what.... We agree.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like you are young man. You had a body of a child. That child's body.... You remember that you had a body of a child, but that body is no longer existing. But you remember; therefore you, the owner of the body, is existing. Otherwise how do you remember, "I had a body like, like this," measurement? But that body is no longer existing, so you are remembering. So you are the owner of the body. Just like you have now black coat. Say after two days you may put on another color coat, but you remember that "I was putting on one black coat on that day." So you are existing; the coat is changed. Similarly, the soul is existing; the body is changed. Therefore it is natural that I am old man. When I change this body, I get another body. This is resurrection, if you say.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: ...of birth and death. It will depend on my action.

Guest (3): Exactly. Will you agree with this point, that we are not perfect?

Prabhupāda: Well, anyone who follows the order of God, he is perfect. Otherwise all are...

Guest (3): Can you be completely perfect and follow the orders perfectly?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? Just like what is the order of God? God wants that "You shall always think of Me, 'The God is my Supreme Father.' " So what is the difficulty? Now, if you think, "God is the Supreme. God is the Supreme Father," if you think like that, where is the difficulty?

Guest (4): We believe that God is Supreme, He is like you say. But we believe we are constantly striving to become perfect, every day.

Prabhupāda: No, why constantly striving? God says that "You think of Me." So where is my difficulty to think of Him unless I am disobedient? I can think of God always. There is no difficulty. There is no expenditure. There is no disadvantage. But if I am rascal, I'll disobey. That is the.... If I am rascal, then I will disobey. I will not think of God. I'll think of something else.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The Christian people say like that, that "We cannot become pious. We.... Let us go on doing all nonsense, and Christ will suffer." Is that very good?

Guest (3): I agree with you, see. I really do. But what I'm saying is I believe that we're not all perfect, and we're working for perfection.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I say that what is the difficulty to become perfect?

Guest (3): Well, we have to learn and...

Prabhupāda: That means we are nonsense. If there is no difficulty to become perfect and still we remain imperfect, that means we are nonsense.

Guest (3): I see, well, okay.

Prabhupāda: That means you are first-class nonsense.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: You may not, but Christians.... The Christians, they put the cross, a reminder that "Christ suffered for us." This is the cross. So we became sinful, and the Lord, he suffered for us. We should stop this sinful activity. That is sanity. But "Christ will suffer, he'll be repeatedly crucified, and we shall go on with our nonsense activity." Is that religion?

Guest (3): Well, I agree with you there.

Prabhupāda: So that is the point.

Guest (3): But I have a different thought and feeling.

Prabhupāda: You may have, but we are talking on the principle that if we are so base and fallen down that we go on committing sinful life and "Christ will be crucified; I'll be saved," that way is said, what kind of religion? "One should continually suffer for my sin, and I am free to act sinfully." Is that religion?

Guest (3): Well, we don't believe that Christ continues to suffer.

Prabhupāda: No, but the Christians do that. They are maintaining.... Christ says, "Thou shall not kill," and they are maintaining thousands of killing house, and still they are passing on as Christian.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Guest (3): Well, we don't believe that Christ continues to suffer.

Prabhupāda: No, but the Christians do that. They are maintaining.... Christ says, "Thou shall not kill," and they are maintaining thousands of killing house, and still they are passing on as Christian.

Guest (3): Well, they're wrong.

Prabhupāda: That is the point.

Guest (3): I agree with you.

Prabhupāda: So you should tell them.

Guest (3): Well, we are. That's what we're here for.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that "You are not Christian. Don't call yourself as Christian. You are persistently disobeying, beginning..." Christ said, "Thou shall not kill," and the Christians began killing Christ, crucifying Christ. And that is going on still, in large scale, and they are still Christian. The Pope is eating meat and.... I do not wish to say so many things. These are going on, and still, they are Christians. What can I say?

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Killing means that you have to eat something. Our philosophy is that we cannot stop killing, but there is no unnecessary killing.

Guest (3): We agree. We only kill for what we need.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But you.... Just like in.... Just a minute before, I ate so many nice fruits. So these fruits are meant for human being. Why shall I eat meat?

Guru-kṛpā: The same grain.

Devotee (4): It was Mormon scripture that said also, I read it, God is speaking, and He requests not to eat meat except in times of famine and starvation.

Guest (4): That's right.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: So you have no faith, you don't purchase; therefore remain here. Without faith you cannot begin to work. The same example: You have gone to a barber shop. He is shaving, and people blindly, closing eyes, and he has got a razor. He can immediately cut. But why do you do this? Because you have faith that "These people are professional barbers. They are shaving so many other people. They will not kill me. All right. Go on." This is faith. And if you have no faith, then you will never have clean shaven. You go away. So beginning is faith, but faith should not be blind. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You have to take faith from great personalities. That is faith. Just like you American boys and girls. You began with faith. Without faith nothing can be.... Ādau śraddhā. Just like people come, and they get some faith that "So many people are following Swamiji." So he associates for some time. Then he offers himself for initiation. This is the way. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And bhajana-kriyā, if he agrees with spiritual master and takes his word, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Spiritual master says, "You should not do this," and if he follows, then automatically his unnecessary burden is cleansed. This is the way. But faith is the beginning. And that is quite natural. Faith means by seeing others, respectable persons following, "And why not I shall follow?" That is faith. Faith is not also blind. You can see that so many others are doing, "So why I myself?"

Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise they should not be initiated. It is simple thing. Let them go on chanting, taking prasādam; we have no (indistinct). But when they are to be initiated, they must follow. This is the clear (indistinct). If you don't want to disturb them, let them come, chant, dance, take prasādam We have no objection. But don't recommend them for initiation unless he agrees to the rules and regulations given by the spiritual master. Where is the wrong? Where is the difficulty? You can talk with him like that.

Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: You have to submit. You cannot remain independent. That is the first condition. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ, śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting the rules offered by the spiritual master. That is śiṣya: "Ah, yes, I agree to abide by your order." Then he becomes śiṣya. Otherwise where is the question... "I am thinking like this, I am thinking..." So long you are thinking otherwise, you don't try to become a śiṣya. You remain outside and you are welcome: chant, dance, take prasādam, and remain independent. There is no objection. But when you become śiṣya, then you cannot remain independent. These things convince him. Then you don't become śiṣya. Remain as friend, there is no harm. Just like so many people, they come. So if these things (indistinct). One thousand twenty, checks (indistinct). This way. What is the wrong there?

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So that is artificial way of.... Unless one is prepared to.... Just like why they are inducing persons to sacrifice their accumulated wealth for the state? Why? Communistic idea that everyone should be equal. So if somebody has more than others, they want to take it away. Just like in India this policy is now growing. So everyone should give away, but now it is being done by law, by force. But that will not stay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We also agree it's a failure.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is bound to fail.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you voluntarily give, it will be failure. You will try to find out ways how you can take everything.... Just like income tax. The government is trying to take more money from the public, and public is hiding them in black market. This is going on. Nobody is.... Even your Nixon, he also hidden some money from the income tax. Why? He is the head of the government. So one side, he is head of the government, try to take money from the public, but he personally himself, he is hiding. Why this defect?

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, similarly, if somehow or other one can sell one book to a person it is good for him. Don't take how he is selling, but he's giving the book to that person and he's paying something and that is good. But big moralist, they cannot understand. They'll see, "Why the father has spoken lie to his son. He's not a good father." They'll mistake. Father is always friend. Father cannot be enemy. But for the benefit of the rascal child sometimes he has to say like that. That "If you take the medicine I'll give you cake." So those who are mundane moralist, they cannot understand this thing, because they are mundane platform. The another example is that Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. He was asked by Kṛṣṇa that "You speak lie to Dronācārya that 'Your son is dead.' " Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja refused. For this he had to see hell. He was more moralist than Kṛṣṇa. For this moral activity he had to visit hell. This philosophy cannot be understood by neophyte devotees. Our purpose is why we are pushing so much this sales of books. Because our missionary activities will be very widely known. That we want. Somehow or other let him purchase a book. That is our mission. There is no question of transgressing moral principles. Arjuna. Arjuna was arguing with Kṛṣṇa that this killing of my relatives, it is horrible, abominable. Better I beg and maintain myself than I kill my relatives and become a king. Did he not say? That is ordinary man's argument. But as Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja refused to speak lie, (break) Arjuna in spite of his conviction that it is sinful to kill my relatives, he still agreed to kill. Why?

Bhūrijana: That is supreme moral, Kṛṣṇa's desire.

Morning Walk -- May 25, 1976, Honolulu:

Hari-śauri: Is that from the Eighth Canto?

Prabhupāda: No. It is from Tulasī dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Oh. Like it says in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, if you have the mercy of Lord Caitanya, a big thing becomes easy, but if you don't have His mercy, then a small thing becomes difficult.

Devotee: (break) ...the universe was created five to ten billion years ago. Do we agree with their proposition, or...?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee: They say that this universe was created five to ten billion years ago. Do we agree with that proposition, or...?

Prabhupāda: Where it was before? (indistinct) Or gas?

Devotee: Well, they basically have two theories. Either the "Big Bang" theory...

Prabhupāda: Theories! Don't take theories. Nonsense. Theory is speculation, nonsense. (laughter)

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Ambarīṣa: I just came from Vancouver from the Habitat Conference. The U.N. is having a Habitat Conference in Vancouver, and they (indistinct) is not united, their discussions and arguments. Sometimes there are walkouts, so many things, and they're not able to reach any conclusions, they can't agree with each other.

Prabhupāda: How they can? Do you mean to say dogs simply barking, they will come to a conclusion? (chuckles) It is not possible. There is no aim, what is the actual aim of life. So this is very important movement. At least the intelligent class of men, they must understand it thoroughly. Just like there is body. There are different parts, different sections of the body, but the most important section is the brain. Similarly, the important section of society means one who is fully in God consciousness. I.... You can cut my hands, I shall live. You can cut my legs, I shall live. But if you cut my head, (indistinct). So, at the present moment, there are big, big scientists, big, big technologists. That's all right; that is hands and legs. But there is no brain. Therefore in one sense, you can take it as dead society. So in my opinion, I like your country, America. Sometimes I call, "This is my fatherland," because these American boys, they are helping me pushing on this movement. I am very much obliged to these boys. Now, let us take it little more seriously statewise. And if America takes it seriously, other nations will follow. And there is the United Nations Organization in America. And make a nice organization to understand God. United Nations God Consciousness. People will benefit.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But practically you are seeing that. But...

Reporter: Would you accept conclusions from science that..., only if it agreed with the Vedic scriptures?

Prabhupāda: First of all.... As you say science. What do you mean by science? Can you explain?

Reporter: Well, what the..., the best conclusions of the best people in science.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right, but what is the best conclusion?

Reporter: Well, rely on their opinions.

Prabhupāda: That is opinion, the opinion is changing. How you can rely? That is not fixed up. So what is this opinion, what is the value of this opinion?

Reporter: Well...

Prabhupāda: You give some opinion, and after some years you change it. So what is the.... How can I rely on your opinion?

Reporter: Would Darwin's theory of evolution and other evolutionary theories...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. If it is being changed every year or every ten years, then what is the value of this opinion? There is no value.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Candanācārya: There are many scientists who agree.

Prabhupāda: Now our scientists are challenging, Svarūpa Dāmodara and others.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They could scientifically publish a book.

Candanācārya: There are scientists in England who agree that they didn't go to the planet.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Candanācārya: There are some scientists in England who agree with you that they did not go to the moon.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did not. Simply propaganda. (japa) (break) Freedom.

Hari-śauri: It's just like you said in the BTG.

Prabhupāda: Equal rights. The rascal father has left, and poor mother is carrying the burden.

Rāmeśvara: She chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa just by seeing us.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. There is no other way. We are the only shelter for these forlorn women.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Hmm? So that's all right. If we are eager for Kṛṣṇa, we shall get Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we agree with that theory.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: It has been given by Kṛṣṇa because he always wanted to catch fish.

Hari-śauri: They used to give us a simple example at school. They said that the people that lived in Mexico City...

Prabhupāda: No, no, we accept that. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante (BG 8.6). If, at the time of death, he thinks that "If I would have possessed a beak," then he gets the life. That's all. (laughter) That's a fact.

Rādhāvallabha: They say that this is the way the different types of bodies come into being, that by the desire...

Prabhupāda: That we say also. There is no difficulty. Because at the time of death, whatever you are thinking, you'll get the next body. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But then who created the creator?

Prabhupāda: Huh? That we shall see, but first of all you have to accept there is a creator.

Rāmeśvara: They will agree, some people will agree...

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Rāmeśvara: ...that there is energy for creating.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be.

Rāmeśvara: But they do not give one person the credit.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Just like this manufacturer of this car, he's not handling this creation by his own hand. He has got money, energy. He pays the mechanical person to create, but ultimately it is Ford. Ford is not creating everything. Ford's money, Ford's employees, workers, they are creating, but the name is Ford. Similarly, everything is being created by God. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). And He has got so many working hands. That is also.... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Multi-energies, they are doing like that.... But He is supervising, "Have you done this?" "Yes." "That's all. Go on." So how can you go beyond your experience? Everything is created. A child may think, "How this car is created?" But it is, factually it is created. He cannot imagine how this nice car is created. Why child? Even elderly persons in a nondeveloped country, they'll be surprised how this car is created. They cannot do it.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (break) Worshiping Deity.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Oh, they're doing that beautifully, and they're expert cooks. They're very good devotees.

Rāmeśvara: They could just be so valuable to helping our temples if they agreed to preach to our devotees. They could train. (break) ...brought the reporters from Time magazine over to see our temple. I had Mother Yamunā prepare some prasādam, and she was also serving them, and then she was explaining about prasādam and preaching. So I could understand that as long as she stays on that farm, she's limiting herself, because she's an excellent preacher. She could be very valuable, expert preacher. In her.... Their idea is that they would like to make their farm a little bigger, with more women living with them.

Prabhupāda: I like that idea.

Rāmeśvara: There will be no man to help give advice, just the women manage it all themselves.

Prabhupāda: Just like in Vṛndāvana there is bhajanāśrama, they're only women.

Room Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: P-form sanctioned by the state government, yes, state government. So it was applied for. It was... No sanction was coming. Then I went to the State Bank of India, the officer Mr. Bhattacari. So he told me: "Swamiji, you are sponsored by private man. So we cannot accept it. If you are invited by some institution, then we could consider, but you are invited by a private man for one month, and, after one month, if you are in difficulty, and there will be so much obstacles and so on." "Well, I have already prepared everything to go." So I said that "You, what you have done?" "No, I have decided not to sanction your P-form." "No, no, don't do this. You better send to your superior. It should not be done like that." So he took my request and he sent the file to Chief Officer of Foreign Exchange, something like that. Anyway, he is the supreme man in the State Bank of India. So I went to see him. So I asked his secretary that "You have got such file? You kindly put to Mr...."—his name was Mr. Rao—"I want to see him." So the secretary agreed, and he put the file and put my slip that I wanted to see him. I was waiting. So Mr. Rao came personally. He said, "Swamiji, I have passed your case. Don't worry." (laughs) In this way.

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That means they don't like Catholic Church. They don't like. So they are missing the point.

Richard: Of the Catholic Church.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Richard: True, I agree. But is the point of the Catholic Church the only point that's to be made?

Prabhupāda: And if you accept Christianity, then the Catholic process, I think—I do not know—that is only way.

Richard: But is the point that the Catholic Church makes the only point to be made?

Prabhupāda: Not Catholic. I mean to say, any church original, authoritatively, that is genuine. If you deviate from that, then you cannot claim to that school.

Rāmeśvara: It's an example that if the Catholic Church is presenting the teachings of Jesus as it is, and then later on other churches deviate a little, then to deviate from the teachings of Jesus is bad, and to stick strictly to the teachings of Jesus is the only way, in Christianity. That's the idea.

Richard: Yes, but the goal is similar in Christianity.

Prabhupāda: The goal cannot be similar. If you deviate, the goal is different.

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: So your body...

Richard: I agree with all that.

Rāmeśvara: And that living energy is eternal, and when this body becomes an old man's body, or rather when you get an old man's body, the body you have now will be finished, but you will still be alive because you are that eternal living energy.

Richard: Okay, and what I am saying is that I have, there has never been any empirical proof of that.

Rāmeśvara: But I have already explained that these senses are not the perfect instruments for experiencing reality. Just like sometimes there may be a cloud, and therefore you cannot see the sun with your senses, but that does not mean the sun is not there. It simply means your senses are not powerful enough to see. The senses are imperfect instruments for perceiving reality. The sun is always there, but sometimes you can see it and sometimes you can't.

Prabhupāda: Just like night, this is night, you don't see the sun. That does not mean there is no sun.

Room Conversation with Mother and Sons -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: And if you purchase that land, it will be very beautiful.

Mādhavānanda: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: I have advised them to advertise books on the riverside. People will see.

Hari-śauri: Hmm. That's a very good idea.

Prabhupāda: Therefore, on the first day of seeing, I closed the transaction. "Now agreed, I will give you cash, three hundred thousand." He immediately agreed. Verbally, your transaction was finished on my first meeting. Then it was done. It was kept for us by Kṛṣṇa; otherwise, you could not touch this property, it is so valuable property.

Hari-śauri: Seems Kṛṣṇa arranges things very nicely sometimes.

Prabhupāda: Everything is done just like it is temple. The Deity hall.

Hari-śauri: It's a perfect place. Couldn't be better. (end)

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Jayādvaita: We gave a class in a university, and the professor was an atheist. He didn't want us to speak, but he finally agreed we could speak. And after we'd spoken, he gave some argument against us. But he couldn't argue against us. His argument was for us.

Prabhupāda: What was that argument? (laughs)

Jayādvaita: He said that two fish are swimming in a tank, and one fish said to the other fish that there must be God because someone must be changing the water in the tank. So he was trying to ridicule that these fish are speculating something. But I just said to the students, "So this is a very good conversation. The fish is intelligent. There must be someone who is running the environment, nature." So he couldn't say anything against us, although he was trying to be a big atheist.

Prabhupāda: What was the point?

Jayādvaita: He was trying to show somehow that these foolish fish were speculating something just to make some story that would sound..., that this is a ridiculous thing to think. But it was a very sensible thing to think.

Prabhupāda: What is that sensible thing?

Morning Walk -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Hari-śauri: No, according to our calculation.... We agree with the figure 93,000,000, as approximate to the sun, but then our figure is 1,600,000 beyond it to the moon.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Ambarīṣa does not agree. (laughs)

Ambarīṣa: No, I agree. I wonder where they went? I think they went somewhere. Maybe not.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda said in Los Angeles it's very easy to simulate these moon landing pictures in a movie so that they're.... Just like there are so many films now where they show this.

Satsvarūpa: People in the classes, when the students say that that they do not see God, there is no proof for God, I give that argument you give. I say, "Well, I am a common layman, I have no proof that we've actually gone to the moon. At least I haven't gone to the moon. Show me right away that you can prove it me." They say, "Well, we have rocks, they brought back rocks." "I don't believe that they are from the moon." They are astonished that I..., we could actually doubt. (laughter)

Ambarīṣa: There is another planet that is close to the earth that they could have gone to, isn't there?

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) some petrol station in the sky?

Ambarīṣa and Satsvarūpa: I never heard that.

Hari-śauri: They've been planning all kinds of space laboratories and things like that.

Prabhupāda: No, there was some plan that there would be...

Morning Walk -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Any one of these boys can answer? Why Sunday first? Ambarīṣa Mahārāja?

Ambarīṣa: Why Sunday first? Because the sun is closer to the earth. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: That is my version.

Ambarīṣa: Yes, I agree with that.

Prabhupāda: But why do they say the moon planet first?

Ambarīṣa: Because their senses are imperfect.

Prabhupāda: Svarūpa Dāmodara also, he also not replied satisfactorily. (break) ...do not count talking about sun, moon excursion. Why they are now stop, not talking anything?

Devotee (1): All they could get was some dust.

Prabhupāda: That is already known. Further?

Makhanlāl: They want to go to Mars and Saturn now.

Prabhupāda: Why? Moon finished? Simply by taking dust? And still the government is going to pay for Mars and Venus?

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...habituated to sit cross-leg. They have learned also. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So people in general, they are now out of God consciousness. Is it not?

Scheverman: Yes, I would agree that in our society, that the consciousness of God is definitely on the wane. There's no question about that. We find it very, very difficult, I think, even to speak about the Lord God in the presence of people, because the ears are closed or stopped. There's not a willingness to listen.

Prabhupāda: Why the people have come to this condition, that they are not prepared even to hear about God?

Scheverman: I think, I think that, perhaps...

Prabhupāda: One priest in Boston, he issued one booklet that "These boys, they're our boys, mostly they are coming from Christian or Jewish families. But before this movement, they were not coming even to the church, never inquired about God. Now they are mad after God." He issued one pamphlet like that. These boys.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Scheverman: Yes, we certainly agree, no contradiction on.... I think it's very, very important—we do not see you in competition with our...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no competition. It is a science. Science is to...

Scheverman: We rejoice when we see people coming to the Lord God, wherever it may be and however it may be.

Prabhupāda: Do you have the passage there?

Jayādvaita: Yes. "Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination."

Scheverman: Yes, we too see sin as an obstacle to communication and relationship with the Lord God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Read the purport.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Scheverman: Yes, we can certainly agree with that.

Prabhupāda: So, we have to teach people how to refrain from sinful activities. Then, when he's pure, then God will reveal. If we keep them in sinful life, at the same time we want to preach them, it will not be possible. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that those who are animal killer, they cannot understand about God. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. So if in the human society unnecessary animal killing is encouraged, he will never be able to understand what is God. The greatest sinful activity, paśu-ghnāt. So in human society, unnecessarily animal killing is going on. So they are entangled in sinful activities; therefore they are unable to understand what is God.

Kern: Are you speaking specifically about all animal killing, Your Excellency? Or, how do you speak of animal killing? In other words, vegetarian living, is that what you're speaking of?

Prabhupāda: No, animal means the four-legged animals. Vegetables are not called animals, even in dictionary.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: But that training is wanted at the present moment.

Scheverman: Yes, I think that, I would agree that the willingness of modern...

Prabhupāda: There's no training to qualify a person to become first class. There is no training.

Kern: I'm thinking of the retarded, the Mongoloid, the encephalitis, those who are born with...

Prabhupāda: Nobody's born intelligent; that is not possible.

Kern: No, I understand. You see, it mentions in there that.... I was thinking what message do you have for the parents of a child...

Prabhupāda: How to train them first class.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: This is first class. Again repeat that.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness."

Prabhupāda: So why they should not be educated to become first-class men on this basis?

Scheverman: That's right. I would agree that that is a worthy and very important goal.

Prabhupāda: So where is that institution who is teaching these things?

Kern: He said that the monastery did not teach this. I don't know if you can generalize about all monasteries.

Prabhupāda: I don't say monastery. I'm speaking that this is the way of training. Even a third-class born or fourth-class born could become a first-class man. This training should be given. There must be an institution how to become peaceful, how to become truthful, how to become honest, how to become religious, how to become believer in God. Why not this institution? They have opened institutions how to learn to deal the hammer, technology. But if, in the society, there is no first-class man on this basis, then who will guide? If there is no brain, then who will guide the hand or the leg?

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes.

Kern: Well, you see, in our training for priests, our training for religious women and men, brothers, our people in this work would heartily agree in the need that there is for that training.

Prabhupāda: There is. Just like I have already said that to keep your body in order you require to keep the head, the hands, the belly and the legs in order. Otherwise, there will be disorder. The present position of the whole human society is in disorder.

Scheverman: So you are talking not only about an intellectual fitness development, but also a physical fitness of body to go along with that.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: No.

Hari-śauri: Social body.

Prabhupāda: Physical fitness, they are, this.... To keep the brain in order, that is also physical thing. So.... And the soldier trained up how to fight, that is also physical. But you cannot ask the high-court judge to go and fight in the field. Both of them are physical, but you cannot ask the high-court judge, "Go and fight in the front." His business is different, his business is different.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So we have to come to that point, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is nature's way, pulling by the ear: "Come here, do this." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This will go on as long as you are not agreeing to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, there is no infringement by māyā. (break) (Bengali) You understand Bengali? So the process is going on by the laws of nature to give us different types of trouble. The main trouble is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). It will go on unless we surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Better surrender in this life and be perfect; then things are all right. And what is the benefit of our so-called independence? If we declare that we are independent of the laws of nature, is it possible? Is it possible? Then where is your independence? Why you are declaring falsely independence? If you declare yourself independent of God, then you become dependent on māyā. Just like the criminals. They don't care for the laws of the government. They become under the laws of the prison house, that's all. There is no question of independence. Either you remain free or in the prison house, you are under the laws of government. So why falsely declaring independent and don't care for the government? Outlaws. That is called māyā-false prestige which is not possible.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Guest (1): Swamiji, you came to New York, I believe, in 1965. Can you remember some of your first impressions of North American society when you came here? Did you feel it was ripe for Kṛṣṇa consciousness at that time?

Prabhupāda: No. I was not very much hopeful. That I wrote one poetry, that "Kṛṣṇa, why You have brought me in this country? What can I do? How I shall convince them how they will understand the philosophy? So, but because You have brought me here, must be there is some purpose. So all right. You make me dance as You like." That poetry, I (wrote) in Boston, Commonwealth Pier, on the sea. I came by ship. So I wrote that poetry, that I do not know what for I have come here, why Kṛṣṇa has brought me here. As soon as I shall say that there is no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no drinking, and no gambling, they'll say, "You go home. Don't talk." I knew this. Still I attempted. But these boys kindly accepted. I never made any compromise. I said, "These are the first conditions to become Kṛṣṇa conscious: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Are you agreed?" They say yes, then come. If I would have made compromise, "Yes, whatever you like you can do." No, I never did. Ask them. I never did. Some of them left, that "It is too difficult.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Patient is always rascal fool. You cannot expect him to be intelligent. He must agree to the physician's directions. That is intelligence. He must know that he's diseased, he must follow the instruction of the physician. That much will help him. Unless one is rascal, he does not fall sick. As soon as you violate the hygienic principles, you become sick. All commit sinful activities on account of ignorance. So therefore the best advancement of civilization is not to open hospitals, but to give them a lesson that they may not fall sick and go to hospital. That is real...But they do not know. They keep the mass of people in ignorance, they fall sick and they come to hospital and number of hospitals increase, they think it is advancement. This is their idea. So even the Christians, religious persons, they also open hospital to give relief to the patient. So that is not the program.

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "...God's property from being occupied by God's sons. America and other nations in the United Nations should agree that wherever there is enough land it may be utilized by the human society for producing food. The government can say, 'All right, you are overpopulated. Your people can come here. We will give them land, and they can produce food.' We would see a wonderful result, but will they do that? No. And what is their philosophy? Roguism. 'I will take the land by force and then I won't allow others to come here.' "

Reporter: "One American motto is 'One nation under God.' "

Prabhupāda: "Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There should be one nation under God, and one world government under God as well. Everything belongs to God and we are all His sons. That philosophy is wanted."

Kīrtanānanda: Who is this reporter?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jagannātha Suta. This was in Māyāpur. (continues reading) "But in America people are very much afraid of the central government"—this is the reporter—"because they think that wherever there is a strong government there will always be tyranny."

Prabhupāda: "If the leaders are properly trained, there cannot be tyranny."

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Abhirucir, yes. Now formerly marriage was a religious ceremony. Marriage was, this boy and this girl should be married, it is a religious function where the father and mother will see their horoscope and see if they are compatible, they will agree, they will live peacefully, so many things are there. Still, in India such things are calculated by the parents of the boy and the girl. But in this Kali-yuga, dāmpatye abhirucir. Abhirucir means the boy and the girl, if he likes, if he says, that's all. No other calculation. And the, after three days after marriage, there is divorce. (laughter) Because abhirucir, "I like, I don't like," that's all. Now I like, and after three days I don't like, finished, business. In Chicago I saw a newspaper. One girl, within three weeks she has divorced two husbands. (laughter) Yes, I saw it in the newspaper. So this, formerly the father, mother used to see that this boy and this girl are going to be married. So by horoscope, by other circumstances, by family, cultural, by education, so many things, whether they will live peacefully.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The father may be Hiranyakasipu, but his son is Prahlāda. Or a son... Not that the, one has to become exactly like the father. It may be. There is every possibility, but it is not a fact that the son becomes like the father. It is not fact. So similarly, the first class man is truthful. Now, wherever you find a truthful man, you classify him as brāhmaṇa. That is wanted. Why do you take that "Here is a son of truthful man; therefore he is brāhmaṇa"? That is misconception. You have to pick up the truthful men all over the world and classify them as brāhmaṇa. That we are doing. "If you follow these principles, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on." His father may be meat-eater or gambler or drunkard, but he is agreeing, "All right, come on, this come. You are welcome." Then it will be all right. You cannot abolish the truthful class of men. There are... You'll find truthful men everywhere. So you have to pick up. So Kṛṣṇa says that, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā, guṇa-karma... You pick up the quality of men and put them in the brahminical class, and then next, kṣatriya class, then vaiśya class, then śūdra class. But you cannot abolish that system. That is a false attempt. Because more or less, there will be a class of men who are truthful. You cannot abolish.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What they will answer? What do they know? All rascals.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you speak perfectly.

Prabhupāda: The scientist agrees?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have spoken to Tamal Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja today about the... (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is question number eight for this Bhavan's Journal, Bombay. We've covered the first seven questions. The eighth question, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is "In the Kali-yuga, bhakti has been described as the most suitable and easiest of paths for God realization. Yet how is it that Vedantic teachings, with their accent on jñāna, are being given the pride of place by noted savants or knowers?

Prabhupāda: The so-called Vedantists are bluffers. They do not know what is Vedānta. But the things are going on that people want to be bluffed and the bluffers take advantage of it, and therefore... Veda means knowledge, and anta means end of knowledge. That is the combination of Vedānta. So in the Vedānta the beginning is, Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsāḥ. "Now, in the human form of life, they should inquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the Vedānta philosophy. And what is that Absolute Truth? Sūtra means in aphorism, in small words, a big philosophy is given. That is called sūtra.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Jñāna, what is jñāna? Jñāna means... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So unless one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, there is no jñāna. This is all nonsense. And they're passing as jñāna. There is no knowledge at all. Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. So ultimate knowledge, the subject matter of ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa, God. So if one does not know who is God, who is Kṛṣṇa, then where is knowledge? This is fact, the knowledge, but if a rascal claims that "I am man of knowledge," then what can be done? Knowledge is explained, that when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is everything.... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). When one understands that Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything, then that is knowledge. Before that, there is no knowledge. It is simply misunderstanding. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). One may begin with impersonal Brahman by the speculative method or one can realize the, what is called, Paramātmā, localized aspect. That is the secondary stage. The final stage is understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is the final knowledge. But if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then where is your knowledge? Knowledge, half-way knowledge is not knowledge. Complete knowledge. That complete knowledge is possible, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Those who are striving to acquire knowledge, such persons, after many, many births, when actually by the grace of God and by the grace of a devotee comes to the knowledge, then he agrees, "Oh, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), everything is Kṛṣṇa." Sa mahātmā, that mahātmā, great soul is very rare to be found.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: They don't want to worship anyone. They want to worship their senses. That's all. Sense gratification. What is dictated by the senses, they agree to worship. Servant of the senses. In the material world nobody worships nobody. Everyone serves his own senses: "I like it." That's all. There is a Bengali song, yoke yadi lage phala kena dag botai(?). "If it satisfies my eyes, why shall I not see? I shall see." This is the sum-substance of... Yoke yadi lage phala kena dag bhajai.(?) Everyone wants sense gratification, to be servant of the senses. If the senses want "Do this," he will do it. And our movement is that we shall not hear the dictation of the senses; we shall do what Kṛṣṇa says. That is just opposite. So long I am carrying out the orders of the senses, then I am involved in this material birth, death, transmigration. Today I am running on this nice car. Next I can stand up here as a tree. Who can check it? After death you are completely under the... You are... Your life also completely under the laws of nature. So there is no discussion, no understanding, no knowledge about this. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We have to change our body. What kind of body we are going to get, nobody knows. This life is everything. This body is everything. Very risky. They do not inquire even wherefrom this body has come. They are also coming. They are also living. They are also eating. The trees, they are also eating water.

Room Conversation -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: But Rāmeśvara has not agreed to pay?

Rūpānuga: No, we do not have to get money from BBT this way. This way we do not have to take loan. It is good, because BBT does not have that much money.

Prabhupāda: No, we need, we supply money to India. Depend on Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa will supply.

Vipina: Jaya. That happened just about less than a month ago. Some gentleman who was a Seventh Day Adventist, he became interested and started to call and come by and listened to the philosophy and even listened to your tapes. And then shortly after that he gave a donation of five thousand dollars. We bought with it some chandeliers for Kṛṣṇa's temple for you to see tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: Five thousand dollars?

Vipina: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't misspend.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: If you want to discuss, there is points of discussion. (laughs) Yes. He worshiped Kali, is it not? Everyone knows it. Do you know that? And by worshiping he became God. Do you agree to that?

Dr. Sukla: No. He said, "I'm Rāma and Kṛṣṇa both."

Prabhupāda: But he realized by worshiping Kali. (laughter)

Devotee: ...he dressed up as Rādhārāṇī too.

Prabhupāda: So do you agree to that? Then how you appreciate it? Indian woman: No, I don't appreciate it.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. It is a common sense. He, later on, he became God, by worshiping Kali, is it not?

Dr. Sukla: He was cursed by Kali.

Prabhupāda: No, he was a big worshiper of Kali. And he was meat-eater also, Ma Kali's prasāda, that unless one eats that prasādam he cannot become a devotee. So this was his position, that he worshiped Kali, and later on by worshiping Kali... His picture is there, mother Kali's embracing. And he also preached yata mata tata pat: "Whatever path you take, accept, that is all right." Is it not? So do you think it is all right? He worshiped Kali and he said yata mata tata pat. You agree to this? Now, Ramakrishna says yata mata tata pat. And Kṛṣṇa says... He became Ramakrishna, identifying himself with Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa said mam ekam, and now he's becoming Kṛṣṇa, he says yata mata tata pat. Just see. When he's actual Kṛṣṇa, he says mām ekam, and when he became imitation Kṛṣṇa, he says yata mata tata pat. Kṛṣṇa has changed his views. (laughter) Just see, this foolishness is going on.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight." He hesitated. "How can I fight? To kill my grandfather, my teacher? To kill my brother? My nephew? And so on, so on, so on. What You are advising, Kṛṣṇa, I cannot do." Therefore Bhagavad-gītā was talked, and after learning he says, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava." (indistinct) This is perfection. He remained the same soldier. In the beginning, he was declining to fight, but at the end, he has agreed, "Yes." In the beginning it was "No." And when he was perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is "Yes." The materialist person, they are accustomed to say, "No." "No, God." When you become "Yes, God," then you are perfect. Jñānīs are "No, God." The karmīs are "No, God," yogis are "No, God," everyone, "No, God." Only the bhaktas, "Yes, God!" Yes. So that is perfect. This morning one Indian gentleman was talking about this impersonal, what was his question?

Devotee: (indistinct) Prabhupāda: No, some gentleman was asking the question in the morning? Devotee: (indistinct) interpretation, that one person is interpreting in this way and another in that way, so they're saying they feel like if... Prabhupāda: So why they should interpret different way?

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (4): Would it be possible to say—this is my question-would it be possible to say that all the religions are, as it were, aspects of the personality of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: No, our definition of religion is that religion is the word or the law given by God. That is religion.

Guest (4): Yes, but then there are these religions. There's more than one.

Prabhupāda: First of all, we have to agree on the principle. Religion means the word of God or the law given by God. That is religion.

Guest (4): But I go into a Catholic Church and I feel a different environmental personality from the environmental personality I feel when I come here. Or, and, if I'm looking for God, which I think is here, I feel God, certainly I feel it very strongly, in your person—well, that's a brutal thing to say, but I do—and that is...

Prabhupāda: That we have already explained. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God, so just like the particle of gold, the gold is there. There is no doubt about it.

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

Prabhupāda: That we can photograph it and make ten times, hundred times. Their business is in Arizona.

Rūpānuga: I think so.

Prabhupāda: And this is only the propaganda.

Rūpānuga: I agree. I think it was all like a movie set.

Prabhupāda: That's all. They are not going. Arizona is there, only accept. Why they are taking Arizona? That means they are in Arizona. Just like one man was stealing from the room, and there were some sounds, and the master of the house said "Who is there? What is that sound?" The man said, "No, I am not stealing. No, no I am not stealing." It is like that. (laughter)

Rūpānuga: Throughout this article they make comparisons with earth.

Prabhupāda: And there is no man. Just see the foolishness. The same logic, "No, no, I am not stealing." Who asked that you are stealing? He asked for the sound, but he disclosed. It is like that. Why they are bringing Arizona?

Rūpānuga: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you catch them red-handed.

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

Prabhupāda: They are right. They may present the wrong thing, but still they are right.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is their proposition?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is possible, but that's why we're claiming that. They agree that because not only there is several facts in science, that one should be (indistinct) this is true, then suddenly by some new discoveries came out all wrong.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we are discussing about our limitations of our so-called knowledge-finding technique. So we said, "One has to be a little open-minded and discuss these things..."

Prabhupāda: What does they say about that disi, astralogic kalokyam (Hindi) ?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And in this connection we actually wanted to also study Bhaktisiddhānta Prabhupāda's...

Prabhupāda: Sūrya-siddhānta.

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

Prabhupāda: So many cheat?

Devotee (2): Together. Together they all cheat, they all say they went to the moon. One thousand scientists, all together in one room? They all say, "We agree, this, they went to the moon, here's the..."

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say that if we can prove that the moon is beyond sun, then all these cheaters will be (indistinct), by one stroke.

Devotee (2): It's a great cheating effort, then. Must be a very great effort that they cheated everybody like this. Because so many scientists were fooled.

Prabhupāda: Scientists...

Devotee (2): They...

Prabhupāda: So many are... Because they're speculating. No valid knowledge.

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

Prabhupāda: So they may, but we have got. Our knowledge is paramparā. That Kṛṣṇa says, whatever He says is all right. Kṛṣṇa is not common man, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). He's not man at all He's Supreme Personality of Godhead. Abhijñaḥ. Experience in everything.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We agree that we have more limited senses...

Prabhupāda: He's a scientist, he knows.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Scientists also, when we talk together...

Prabhupāda: They know that they're talking nonsense, but they still want to cheat, to get their salary, that's all. This is the position.

Hari-śauri: That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Because they know, we can cheat these rascals, government. They are all rascals, we can simply talk in some bombastic words (speaks gibberish). They'll believe it. This is going on. All imperfect knowledge.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Who is the creator?

Bill Sauer: Well, there is a creative force. The power of life is light, and you say (laughs) Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. I believe it, it's trite and very true, in my understanding.

Vipina: He thinks everything comes from light, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Bill Sauer: Now all the religions refer to God as light. Most of the religions, and science agrees. Light is that very fugitive bit of energy that allows life to be possible.

Prabhupāda: Unless there is fire, wherefrom the light comes?

Bill Sauer: From the fire in the sun.

Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore the fire is the source of light.

Bill Sauer: That's the source of light, yes.

Prabhupāda: So as soon as you say light, you must find out the source of light.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Bill Sauer: Very good. See, he got his Nobel Laureate in explaining how the chemistry of light turns into life. So I passed my manuscript by him to make sure that he didn't run me out of town. So he agreed. He said it was rather novel. But I believe there is a fundamental truth that runs through the whole system, and I've read some of your comments in the magazines, and I think you are fundamentally in agreement.

Dr. Sharma: Prabhupāda, perhaps you can make commentary on this śloka,

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ

tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī

yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni

sā niśā paśyato muneḥ

Prabhupāda: The material civilization is the jāgrati for the materialistic person. But those who are spiritually enlightened, they think that these persons are sleeping. They got the opportunity of understanding God, and without understanding God, they are simply busy with the material body and its comfort and working hard day and night, and missing the point. And whereas the materialistic persons, they see these Kṛṣṇa conscious people, Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they are wasting their time by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and they are doing nothing. Just the opposite business. These people are seeing the materialistic persons, they are sleeping, not enlightened to the spiritual life; and these materialistic persons, they are seeing that these people, under some fictitious idea, they are spoiling their life without enjoying material facilities. Just the opposite.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Dr. Sharma: No, I would never agree to that. Religion and science...

Bill Sauer: In the Western civilization it's opposed. He's saying philosophically, he said "In the mutual reinforcement of these two still-opposed powers and the conjunction of reason and mysticism, the human spirit is destined by the very nature of its development to find the uttermost degree of its penetration and the maximum of its vital force." In other words, spirituality and science already have truth.

Vṛṣākapi: Excuse me, one thing is you should address your questions to the authority. This discussion that you are having will get you nowhere. Unless you apply your questions to the authority, then you will never understand anything. So the authority is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta is teaching on that authority. So if you have come here, then you should try to address your questions to His Divine Grace rather than arguing among yourselves, because you will not find any satisfaction in your argument. If you want information, then you must go to the authority.

Guest: Still, the argument was an aspect of the occasion, and it came out of the wisdom that he's here.

Prabhupāda: Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Things which are inconceivable, do not try to understand by argument. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. So our process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to take knowledge from the authority. Unless we take knowledge from the authority, however we may go on arguing, we cannot come to the conclusion. The modern scientists, philosophers, they are arguing, but they do not come to the conclusion. If you want to take conclusion... Just like two lawyers are arguing in the court, but the conclusion is given by the authority, the judge.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: But still you cannot do in the final. That is not possible. Because you are finite. You are not infinite. Your knowledge is limited. You can do something up to some extent.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: They agree, they all agree,

Prabhupāda: They are giving bluff: "Yes we shall produce life. Wait for millions of years, wait for millions." This is nonsense. Who will wait for millions of years and see your scientific discovery?

Rūpānuga: They say "Yes, we are finite, but we can work together, combinedly together, and make great progress, scientific progress. All working together, every nation."

Prabhupāda: You cannot do anything which is beyond your power. But you are limited, your power is limited, that you must agree. Your power is not unlimited. You are finite. That you must admit.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Then they say "Yes, we may be limited and our inductive process may be imperfect, but, you may criticize, but you have to show us something better."

Prabhupāda: I may not show, but as I give you example, that you have manufactured 747 and God has manufactured mosquito. You do that. We are... I am layman, but I see there is another, better manufacturer than you. I may be layman, but I can see that you cannot do it. If you say you can do it, then you are rascal. I must say that you are rascal. First of all do, then speak. You take your credit, as much as you have done. But if you want to take the place of God, then we must slap you right and left. (laughter) We cannot give better credit than God to anyone. That is our business. Asamordhva. There is nobody equal to God, nobody is greater than God. This is our preaching. So you cannot claim equal to God.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Scientists are responsible for that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the greatest mischief-maker, in the name of scientific knowledge. We must fight against them. Let them agree, "Yes, God is supreme." Then there is no fight. But as soon as they say that there is no need of God, science will solve everything, then they are rascal, you must expose.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Another point about this Institute, from my experience in the last few days in Washington, there were some Indians who come to the temple, and they are very favorable to the concept.

Prabhupāda: Include such members. Let them...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yesterday this Sharma, Dr. Sharma, he came, and he's going to come this evening, he's quite well known as a scientist.

Prabhupāda: Medical man?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, he's not medical man, but he has two or three Ph.D.'s in two, three different fields. In engineering, in chemistry and in pathology.

Vṛṣākapi: He's becoming a life member, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That pathologist.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Christian doctrine is not perfect. But symptoms of animal and symptoms of human being, primary necessities eating sleeping, mating, defense that is there, everywhere.

Rūpānuga: They may agree, but they'll say that this...

Prabhupāda: There is soul. As soon as there is living condition, there is soul. As soon as the body is dead, there is no soul. This is difference. It is the Christian doctrine, not scientific doctrine, that animal has... What we have to do with Christian theory?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They have poor understanding of the nature of the soul.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Christianity, they speak of...

Prabhupāda: It is not very advanced.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That is not the remedy, because afterwards he give up and become a sannyāsī, and then again become this gṛhastha. This is not good. Opposition is already there, especially in the Western countries; they will never agree. So why do you marry? That is understood. Huh? Both the boys and girls trained in such a way that there must be opposition. So that is expected, that in your married life there will be opposition. So why do you marry?

Hari-śauri: He's talking about if you're married before you come to the movement and one person wants to join the movement and the other person is not very agreeable.

Prabhupāda: No. Any... It is not because there is opposition, therefore I give up family life. Unless one is mature, there is no need of artificially giving up family life. The best thing is if one can remain without marriage. That is very good. No botheration. Hmm. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Practice this. Your mind, when he says something hodgepodge, just beat him with shoes. Just to bring him in order. Here is the real understanding, that

naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā

tvat prasādān mayācyuta

sthito 'smi gata-sandehaḥ

kariṣye vacanaṁ tava

(BG 18.73)

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whether you are prepared to act according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Otherwise you are in darkness. So as Arjuna, he was in the darkness... He's kṣatriya. The fight was arranged between the two sections of the family, Pāṇḍavas and Kurus, and when he was to fight actually with his family members, he became bewildered, that "Kṛṣṇa, what is this? I'll have to kill my family members." So then he became His disciple, that "I am kṣatriya, it is my duty to fight. Now I am hesitating." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ (BG 2.7). "I'm just deviating from my duty, so Kṛṣṇa, I accept You as my guru-kindly give me instruction." So that Bhagavad-gītā was given instruction... (break) He agreed, "Yes, now my illusion is over, I shall fight." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. If you follow Arjuna as he understood, then your understanding of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. If you do not understand, then you have not understood what is Kṛṣṇa's speaking and what is Bhagavad-gītā.

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Indian man (4): I just asked why he has preached impersonal form of God.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because they were all godless, so he said, "There is no God, but you stop this animal killing." That was his mission. And he said, "There is no God, but whatever I say, you accept." So they agreed. But he is God. That is cheating. Superficially he said there is no God, but he is God. Somehow or other, if people stop animal killing and accept Lord Buddha, then he becomes at least one step forward to God realization. So in a cheating process he made good to others.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, we find the father and mother for begetting children. So as there are so many children... And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). They are all children, but their mother is the earth. There must be father.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say father and mother is material. This is father and mother. They may agree, we have a human father, mother.

Prabhupāda: The principle. The principle. You have to see the principle. That is philosophy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't agree that God is the seed-giving father, though. They will say "How can you jump to the conclusion that God is the seed-giving father of everything?"

Prabhupāda: God says. Not only says, we don't see any production without seed-giving father.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we don't see God. We see the tree is giving seeds.

Prabhupāda: But you don't see your father; does that mean there was no father? Suppose before your birth your father died, does it mean you have no father?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: My mother has seen him.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: You'll understand, just try to understand me. That this body is important so long the life is there.

Interviewer: Right, I agree with that.

Prabhupāda: So this body minus life, what is the value?

Interviewer: None whatever.

Prabhupāda: This body minus life, what is the value?

Bali-mardana: He said none.

Interviewer: None, no value.

Prabhupāda: No value.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Gandhiji has preached or Dr. Radhakrishna has written, but who has preached that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is to be worshiped? Just like we are preaching. Here in America, you have seen our temple? How they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. So Bhagavad-gītā, main purpose is that. Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So who has preached this? So, although they came, so many swamis, yogis, and politicians, they came, but they talked, what can I say? All irrelevant. Nobody spoke that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You worship Him." Nobody has said. This is the first time, I am saying. Do you agree or not?

Interviewer: Yes. Do you think that this is because of the Western influence under which they have gone and you are...?

Prabhupāda: No, no, they wanted to compromise with the Westerners. They did not come to teach, but they wanted to be victimized by the Western people. They had no strength to save themselves. They have no strength. They have no determination. Hodgepodge, that's all. Therefore it was not successful. Not a single man became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even nowadays. Now Vivekananda is famous in India that "He preached in America, all Americans have become Vedantists," something like that. Now, practically, you have gone in Vṛndāvana?

Interviewer: Yes.

Car Ride -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So why not ask the mayor to construct a temple there? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think they'd...

Prabhupāda: People will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe, but, ah, I don't think they will agree to that. They're not that spiritual.

Rāmeśvara: No, in America you have to raise your own money for temples. You cannot get the city to build it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, you can't get their land either, not for a building like that. You can put a hospital maybe. Thing is, park space is so short in that area of the city that they..., I don't think they'd give it up for a building. Prabhupāda told us yesterday that we should rent a small building downtown in that area and call it Guṇḍicā, so that Lord Jagannātha will stay down there.

Prabhupāda: For one week.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For one week. And we'll keep a restaurant there.

Prabhupāda: And then they'll again come in procession.

Interview with Religion Editor of The Observer -- July 23, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: We are trying to give real life. The present civilization is... (to someone else): Hare Kṛṣṇa, but... How are you? (converses in Hindi) So you are religious observer. What is your idea of religion?

Cline Cross: I would say much the same as yours, from what I've seen in your writings—that there's an underlying truth behind all religion. Would you agree with that?

Prabhupāda: Religion, as it is explained in the dictionary, "accepting a supreme controller." Is it not? So do the people accept a supreme controller? Do they accept? There are so many system of religions, but do they actually know who is the supreme controller? That is my question. What do you think? Just like, this is British government, and we know that the Queen is the supreme controller. Similarly, of all creation, cosmic manifestation, there is a supreme controller, and who is that supreme controller? Do they know it? That is my question.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: The fact is we are completely dependent on the laws of material nature. Even if you defy a little bit, immediately you'll be punished. That is the strict laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So we do not understand. There is no education throughout the whole world how we are being controlled by the material nature and why we are being controlled. Why we are put into this position of being controlled? These questions should be raised. That is human life. Otherwise it is animal life. The cats and dogs, they cannot inquire, "Why I am being controlled?" But they agree to be controlled. But human life there is struggle. They are called struggle for existence. They are trying to overcome the control of material nature by so-called scientific method, but that is not the way. You cannot do that. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like their so-called scientific way. They are trying to go to the moon planet or Mars planet. Why they are trying to go? Because they are controlled. They have got their flying machine. They can to go any planet, but they cannot because they are being controlled. So we should come to our senses that we cannot bring the laws of material nature under our control. We are already under the control of the laws of material nature, and that is our conditional life. Actually, we require freedom from conditional life, but that freedom can be achieved when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: Actually all of us agreed yesterday when we were discussing it that as far as health purposes is concerned, we do not think it is a good idea for you to go to India immediately.

Hari-śauri: We argued for a half hour against going to India, but in the end, you decided that you wanted to go to Bombay immediately.

Bhagavān: But I mean, if you have to risk that eight-hour plane ride, that's much more difficult than going to the farm. The farm is only three hours in a comfortable car.

Hari-śauri: It's not just that. It's the problem that you have to fly from France to somewhere else and then from somewhere else back to India. I said the main problem is that if you do go to France, then it means a great deal more traveling than would be involved in simply flying to India, because you'd have to travel back and forth to the Paris farm. Then you would also have to stay in Tehran, up and down like that in the plane, and then again fly to Bombay.

Bhagavān: But he doesn't have to stay in the farm for just nine days. He can stay there for long time.

Prabhupāda: If the health suits, I can stay there. If the health improves, I can stay.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: Valmiki was a murderer, or a dacoit, thief. So he was met by Nārada Muni, I think.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Valmiki.

Jayatīrtha: And he was advised by Nārada Muni to please chant the holy name of the Lord and give up this thievery. So he wouldn't. So instead Nārada Muni said, "You chant mara." Mara means death. So he agreed.

Prabhupāda: Maramara, rāma.

Jayatīrtha: Later on, this Valmiki, he wrote the Rāmāyaṇa after having chanting rāma, mara, he became purified.

Hari-śauri: Transcendental trickery.

Jayatīrtha: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (end)

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, do you admit or not?

Mike Robinson: You are saying at the present moment we are all suffering?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mike Robinson: Yes, I would agree with that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then the question should be, "I want to enjoy. Why I am suffering?" Then you will have to mold your real life.... Then you'll enjoy. And that is spiritual knowledge.

Mike Robinson: I see. Can you explain to me, then, perhaps finally, just some of the stages you go through in this spiritual life. Sort of, from somebody being a new devotee to Hare Kṛṣṇa, what are the mental or the spiritual stages you go through?

Prabhupāda: As they follow the principles, they realize that "Yes, I am advancing," Otherwise, why they should stick? They are also educated, they are young men, and they are coming from respectable family. They are not dull-headed dogs. So why they are sticking to this principle unless they feel, "Yes, I am making progress"? Just like you are hungry, and if you are given some foodstuff, you eat the.... With every morsel of food you feel, "Yes, my hunger is satisfied. I am feeling strength, I must go on till I am fully satisfied." It is like that. It doesn't require certificate from others. He'll feel himself, "Yes."

Morning Walk Around Grounds -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: It requires much water. Then sow grains. (break)

Devotee (1): This is from the previous owner, Prabhupāda. He's agreed to take the grapes away. He is simply finding another place for them. It's part of the contract we made with him that he had to move them.

Prabhupāda: This land?

Bhagavān: That is the proprietor's land on this side.

Prabhupāda: And he does not find any land to move the grapes.

Bhagavān: What was that, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He has so much land?

Devotee (1): There is a law by which it's very difficult to move grapes anywhere. So he's trying to get permission from the maire to do it. (break)

Bhagavān: ...built a big factory here to engage people who were socially misfit, and he was making all kinds of plastic toys. So when we moved in we suggested that he help manufacture Spiritual Sky. So now almost his whole factory is being used. Many young Indian boys who have come to France looking for something, they had no money. So he has employed them here. So they're working, they've brought their families.

Prabhupāda: They're established.

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: How he can? If the top floor is hundred steps, how you can get it at ten steps?

Bhagavān: The point is that he has to at least be aiming in the right direction.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that right direction you can take everybody's going, but one who has gone ten steps and one who has gone thousand steps, they are not equal. (man says "d'accord, d'accord.") What is "d'acca?"

Translator: He's agreeing.

Prabhupāda: So, truth is one. Everyone is trying to go to the truth. Somebody has gone ten steps, somebody has hundred steps, but to cover all the steps, say one thousand steps. So unless you have passed one thousand steps, you cannot reach to the truth.

Translator: He says it's always been difficult for him to keep walking or climbing up the stairs in the right direction.

Prabhupāda: So we shall give him a lift, one second. You haven't got to go step by step. We shall give immediately, one minute. If you refuse to take the advantage of the lift, that's your choice. Kṛṣṇa personally says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ (BG 18.66). Immediately, one second. But we will not accept. That is our misfortune.

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

Prabhupāda: French, he must be French, expert in language, at the same time, a devotee. Then he can explain. Otherwise no. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he asked that brāhmaṇa, bhāgavata paḍā giyā bhāgavata sthāne:(?) "Go and study Bhāgavata from bhāgavata." I have discussed this in the beginning of translation of Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata, that is the limit of education. Vidyā bhāgavata vadhiḥ.(?) One has to study and take education up to Bhāgavatam. That is, if one understands Bhāgavatam, he's finished his education.

Bhūgarbha: He agrees. He's saying that he wishes-he's not criticizing in any way—but he wants that your books have a better audience, then more people will accept them. And he feels that if the French, the way that the French has been written, is changed, we'll have a better audience, it will reach higher.

Prabhupāda: But that is from scholarship point of view. But our point is this Bhāgavata must be presented by bhāgavata. And there is no much scholarship required. Just like Bhāgavata begins with the words janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This Sanskrit word means the Absolute Truth is that from where everything emanates. Now that Absolute Truth further explained: anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. That Absolute Truth is aware of everything, directly and indirectly, of all this creation. In this way, if you step-by-step study, it is not very difficult so far the word meanings are concerned, but it is a question of realization. Unless one is realized, he cannot explain properly. That is the secret. Therefore we have given the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in our Bhāgavatam because He's living Bhāgavatam.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: What is the rent?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The rent now it is twelve hundred dollars. But of course everything is now much more expensive. So I was negotiating in New York for better arrangements, because in Iran price is going up and up and up. And I told my company that they should buy one house. And they have agreed. So there is going to be that house, we will buy something like this for Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: This is very nice.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And also we have saved some money, we'll buy a temple also in addition to that.

Prabhupāda: No, this is very nice. Dayānanda, do you like it?

Dayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is very nice place, private, everything is so nice. In winter, what is the temperature?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Very cold.

Prabhupāda: Very cold.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: And to love God we must have definite idea of God, our exchange. Just like materially also, if somebody loves somebody, one must know each other. Otherwise where there is question of love? Love means direct contact. So they speak of love of Godhead. Just like the Christian people, they say "Love of Godhead." But they have no idea who is God. So where is the question of love? It is an impractical proposition, love of Godhead. First of all, you must know who is God. If I love somebody, I must know him, what he is. So this is going on. They speak of love of Godhead, but they do not know who is God or what is God. Therefore they are misguided. Simply it is words. There is no practical value. Do you agree with this point or not? If you have no idea of God, if you have no business with God, then where is the question of love? What is the definition of love, huh? What is the definition of love?

Ali: We talk about love, but I think you should personally, an individual should experience. My definition would be, a, uh, unworthy.

Prabhupāda: Definition of love, you can explain what is definition of love.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Ali: Is there a time limit for this spiritual growth?

Prabhupāda: No, in a moment you can be spiritually enlightened. So why don't you agree?

Ali: Why I mean is from the time that you start, has it got deadline or something.

Prabhupāda: Well, starting, just like when there is a seed sown, the starting is there. Now it grows a tree and there is fruit, there is flowers. The fruit is green now. When it is yellow mango and ripe, you can take. The beginning is when you sow the seed. Just like child. The father puts the seed within the womb of the mother. The body begins from that moment, grows and grows. When it is fully grown up it comes out and acts and then walks. So beginning is there. You can begin at any moment. But it is spiritual, it does not take so much time. You should remember spiritual. Just like speed, there are different kinds of speed. Mental speed and physical speed. Physical speed, you have got a very good nice airplane. Still, you have to take ten hours to reach London. And mental speed, you can immediately, within a second, go to London. And spiritual speed, still more. Kṛṣṇa says tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma mām eti (BG 4.9), as soon as you give up the body you immediately go to Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual speed.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Nobody should have any objection. And if you do not surrender to God, then what is the meaning of your religion? It is bogus. That is the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all this bogus type of religion is rejected. And what is that bogus type of religion? Bogus type means which religion does not know who is God and how to love Him. That's all. Do you agree or not? So religion cannot be two; religion one. God is one, and to offer our submission to Him, that is religion. Simple thing. And God comes personally to demand this. Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Now say what is your objection about this religion.

Mrs. Sahani: No objection at all. Religion means surrender to God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is religion. And that is first-class faith which teaches how to surrender to God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Mr. Sahani: But we don't want to go and fight like Arjuna, go out and kill people.

Prabhupāda: Why? If Kṛṣṇa orders, you must. Why don't you like? That is your misfortune. What Kṛṣṇa's... Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. That is following. You like or may not like. Arjuna did not like to fight. That's a fact. Therefore whole Bhagavad-gītā is spoken to him. Arjuna did not like fight. But when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). You cannot give your verdict. What Kṛṣṇa says, you have to do it. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. You like or don't like, that doesn't matter. Just like a child. He likes or not likes, but what the parent says, he has to do. That is his success. If the child says, "Father, I don't like to go to school," will the father agree? "No, you must go to school." And if he agrees, that is his benefit. Our liking, not liking, has no value. What Kṛṣṇa likes, we have to do it. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇanu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), that is bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇanu-śīlanam. You have to act which is favorable to Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. You cannot make you choice. What Kṛṣṇa says, you do it. That is bhakti. (break) What is their reason?

Mrs. Sahani: Well, they were not even Kṛṣṇa conscious people.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Mrs. Sahani: Kauravas.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: You surrender, not surrender, that is you business. But my business is that I am requesting you that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So where is my difficulty? You surrender, not, that is your business. But my business is to canvass, "Sir, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa." So I am representing. And Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). I have to be recognized by Kṛṣṇa. That is my business. So if I do agree, then I become recognized by Kṛṣṇa. You do or not do, that is your business. My only business is to request you.

Mr. Sharma: That I should surrender.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But if you accept it, it is good for you; you don't accept it, that is your misfortune. But my business is finished.

Mr. Sharma: So fortune comes very much into it.

Prabhupāda: Fortune you create. Man is the architect of his own fortune. If you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's advice, then unfortunate. But my business is not difficult. We are simply going door to door and asking, "Sir, you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." If he is inquisitive, "How can I become?" "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So where is my difficulty? Haven't got to pay you something. I simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya (BG 18.69). "He's My most beloved person, who does this." So why shall I give up this simple job and become recognized by Kṛṣṇa? It is very simple thing.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: ...the existence of God. There must be. How can you deny existence of God? It is not possible. Now, if you are convinced that there is God, then the next question will be What is that God? Is He a living being or a stone? What is the nature of God or the features of God? Whether He has... So many things we have to study about. But first of all we have to accept there is God. God, what kind of thing is that God, that is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is the beginning of philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is God, what is His nature, what is His feature, what does He do—these things can be inquired by human beings. A dog cannot inquire. So if a human being is not interested in these things, he's a dog. Do you agree or not? If a human being is not interested to know about God, then he's dog. This is our first charge. Now let the agnostic refute. Hmm? In human life... There are varieties of living entities, so many. The trees are also living entities, but it is standing, it has no other capacity. The birds are there, they're little improved, they're flying, they can move from one tree to another, but they have no capacity to inquire about God. There are so many insects, they are also living entity, but they do not inquire about God. It is only human being, he can inquire. That particular facility is given.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Bīja, bīja. Bījāhaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. You sow the seed, there will come out a tree, and from that tree there will be big trunk and you cut the tree, then you get wood.

Hari-śauri: That's all right, that's agreed.

Prabhupāda: But that is real, that is intelligence, that wherefrom the tree has come.

Harikeśa: But this has been going on eternally.

Hari-śauri: But the material elements are there, and they just evolve into different shapes and forms.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but the original creation is there.

Harikeśa: No, no, it has eternally been going on.

Prabhupāda: Eternally is going on, but the process is here. Eternally this man is born, that does not mean you were not born by your father. You deny your father, eternally born. You must have particular knowledge. Don't talk like that. Eternally, eternally father gives birth, that's a fact. But there must be father. Eternally father is giving birth to a child, that's a fact. Eternally birth is going on, that does not mean denying the father. The father is the cause. Anything law, that is going on eternally, there is no question of... Nature's law is going on eternally. That is a fact.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That is their business. They want or they don't want, that's all. Two business. Because their mind is not fixed up, they have got two businesses—"don't do it," "do it." That's all. There is no third business. Two things—"do it," "don't do it." That's all. Sometimes accepting—"Do it"—and again rejecting, "No, no, don't do it." This is material world. "Do it" and "don't do it." And things are becoming implicated. Saṅkalpa-vikalpa. So he has to fix up his mind. "I have done so much 'don't do it' and 'do it.' Now I shall decide to do only what Kṛṣṇa says." Then his life is perfect. "I shall give up this business, 'don't do it' and 'do it.' But I'll simply do what Kṛṣṇa says." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes, now I'll do it. What You say, I'll do it." Then his life is perfect. Otherwise he'll continue, "don't do it," "do it," "don't do it," "do it," that's all. And Kṛṣṇa will give him sanction—"do it" and "don't do it." Unless he comes to the original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa has to give him sanction, "Yes, do it." "Yes, do not do it." What can be done? But He says, "Give up this business, 'don't do it' and 'do it.' Simply do what I say. Then you'll be happy." Unless we agree to that point, we have to continue this material life, life after life, and suffer. Material body means suffering. Either you get human body or animal body or tree body or any body, suffers.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: A devotee, because a nondevotee has become a devotee, he is practicing how to simply accept Kṛṣṇa's orders. But by his previous habit he's still engaged in "do it" and "don't do it." That is his previous habit. Just like this fan is running. You take out the switch, the current is stopped, but it's still running, at least three, four rounds. So similarly, if you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your, that current of "do it" or "do not," is stopped. Because you have agreed to do only what Kṛṣṇa says. If you have actually decided like that, then you are free. There is no more current of "do it" or "not do it." But because you were habituated in your past life to this "do it" or "not do it," sometimes it is found. But that is... Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

api cet sudurācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

(BG 9.30)

He has got little practice of these nonsense things. But if he sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this will be stopped very soon. That is the only remedy. So a devotee means he has taken vow before the spiritual master, before the fire, before... If he sticks to his principle, then he's free.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Jñānagamya: Actually, Prabhupāda, that lust is a perverted expression of love. Kṛṣṇa is creating out of love, and in the material world it becomes perverted. So in the material world lust is the cause.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the spiritual world, what is love, that is in the material world lust.

Harikeśa: Then you agree with me?

Jñānagamya: Yes, you are right, but you do not understand where that lust is coming from. That lust is perverted from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Obstinate. It is perverted reflection of love. Actually, it is... They say it is love. The sahajiyās in Vṛndāvana, they have got connection with woman. If you criticize them, say "Why you are connected with illicit sex?" "What is the wrong there? It is love." They say it is love.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: What is their definition of love?

Prabhupāda: Rascals, they are all... These sahajiyās, you'll find most of them illiterate. Not a single of them is even literate, they are so low class. Most of them they come to Vṛndāvana... Why Vṛndāvana? There are many other places. Their aim is woman and money. Just like these swamis and yogis, they come.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: God cannot speak? God cannot come. A very big man, he can come, but He cannot speak?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They agree. He can speak and He can send representatives.

Prabhupāda: Because He has spoken to Muhammad, and Muhammad has come, he is speaking the same thing. So recently... There is no need of God's coming. If Muhammad is speaking on behalf of God, then that is all right. There is no need of God's coming. This is paramparā.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That they agree. And they also agree that that paramparā is lost. They agree with that because they can see there is nobody who can represent Muhammad. There is not a single person. They agree.

Prabhupāda: No, that is everywhere.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: In every religion it is true.

Prabhupāda: Just like these rascals, Bhagavad-gītā they explain in a different way. What Kṛṣṇa says, rejected. He says something else. That is the difficulty-paramparā is lost.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Guest (1): Well, that I agree. It is not possible to make men devotees or religious by showing films. But at least those who cannot read our books, to whom individually we cannot reach in spite of our...

Prabhupāda: But they know, they hear. They hear. There are different processes. They know Kṛṣṇa (indistinct). Just like in India the Janmāṣṭamī is coming, I think cent percent houses will observe Janmāṣṭamī. There is no doubt about it. Either he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa or not, even some Muhammadans are there. I know that.

Guest (1): Yes, Parsees, Muhammadans, (indistinct)...

Prabhupāda: They observe.

Guest (1): They observe it.

Prabhupāda: So to some extent they have got some affection for Kṛṣṇa but not to that extent. They, there maybe one man may seeing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So you don't train, how they will learn?

Indian man: No, he himself is not trained, so he cannot give any answer to the children. So I told him, "At least you get their ISKCON books. You can read now before the children can read." So he immediately signed up. He immediately paid 2222 rupees by check and he agreed "I'll read Bhagavad-gītā and everything."

Prabhupāda: We don't require much money also. We require men first. Money will come. Money is coming. I started this business forty...

Indian man: Forty rupees.

Prabhupāda: So there is no scarcity of money. Now our daily collection is six lakhs of rupees throughout the whole world.

Indian man: Per day.

Prabhupāda: Per day. So there is no scarcity of money. A business started with forty rupees bringing six lakhs daily, it is not ordinary business.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (break)... The devotees who can spare time. First of all, all the devotees, they are also in the training, and if they have to learn another training, it may be very difficult.

Indian man (3): Sir, you would perhaps agree that... (break)

Prabhupāda: That we are doing. Just like in New York we have got stage. So we are playing something from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Bhāgavata occasionally.

Indian man (1): I saw in New York one month back Rāmāyaṇa-gītā. In the temple I saw the Rāmāyaṇa-gītā. It was really very exciting. My two sons are there in New York, so I took them to the temple. So Your Divine Grace was at that time perhaps busy or something, that I couldn't have the darśana.

Prabhupāda: When I was there you were also there?

Indian man (1): Yes, same day I was leaving for India. So I couldn't have your darśana I just got there. Girirāja told me... (break)

Prabhupāda: What about the car(?) there? But a film project, it can be done, provided it is done in foreign countries. Here everything is expensive and lacking manpower. (break) To make a film it requires huge amount of money.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Now, just a few days ago, when I invited him for Janmāṣṭamī, then I asked him what the... He told me at that time... He said, "Now..." He had recently received a phone call from the Chief Secretary." You see? Now your favorite project is going to be spoiled." Then he went over to see the Chief Secretary. He showed him an article from the Rāja-Sabhā, how the member of Parliament had given this challenge that "Are these people CIA or this or that?" Then Mr. Choudhuri said, "Sir, I am not afraid." He said, "Why not?" "Because I have you, don't I?" Then the Chief said, "Yes. You have won me over. I believe in this project." Then he said that now the Chief Minister has agreed that the project be sanctioned. But he said that "I don't want to take the full brunt of the decision. Let the Nadia District Planning Committee take the decision."

Prabhupāda: Nadia?

Jayapatākā: District Planning Committee.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: I went to Haridaspur as soon as I received your letter because Bahusvarūpa was there, making arrangement for the Janmāṣṭamī festival. So I spoke to all those people for two days, Thursday and Friday. And the land is in the name of the zamindar, Mr..., Ghosh family. There's fourteen members who have to sign. So in Haridaspur nine members are living, and they are all agreed for signing. And they say the other five members live in Calcutta. Once they sign the deed, they'll also sign. There's no doubt because that's not even in their possession. That's in the public's possession. And all the public, Anchal-pradhan and all the other leaders of that village they are also all eager to have us start . I think that we can also raise some money in the neighborhood. There's some relatively rich people. So that... I was trying to register that before I came here but because Monday is... That zamindar has one haṭṭa. And that's... His haṭṭa day is Monday, so he was busy. And Tuesday was Janmāṣṭamī by government of West Bengal, and Wednesday was our Janmāṣṭamī and Haridaspur Janmāṣṭamī, and I came here today, Thursday, so we couldn't do it beforehand. But as soon as I go back, I can register that. And... But someone should immediately come, Mūrti or Saurabha or someone and see that land.

Prabhupāda: No, no, we have to... Yes. We have to see, make plans.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So asato mā sad gamaya. This is Vedic injunction. Don't remain on the asat platform. Come to the sat platform. Asato mā sad gamaya. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Don't remain ignorant. But unfortunately people are so absorbed in asat things they do not know what is sat. They cannot go to the sat platform. They cannot go to the light platform. And they are struggling like that. No solution. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The government may change, but the men are the same, in darkness. What improvement will there be simply by changing government? The persons who are governing, they are in the darkness. So how, by change of government, there will be change of situation? I said in, where? That the United Nations is an assembly of dogs barking. Where did I say it? It was published in the paper. I said that if you keep them as dogs, and if you ask some dogs, "My dear dogs, please do not bark. Live peacefully," is it possible? The dog will bark. That is their business. So we are not enlightening them what is actually we are. We are keeping on this bodily conception. That is the dog's conception. And how there will be peace? There cannot be. Simply by agreement, by treaty, there can be any peaceful? No. Just like children. They agree, "Yes, we shall not fight." Next moment they'll fight. And again they will make agreement. This is going on.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They are doing that. You can see from this big, big person. Gandhi used to say that he believes in Gītā and Gītā gives him solace in difficult times and so on, so on. But has he ever preached about Kṛṣṇa? Tilok has ever preached about Kṛṣṇa? Radhakrishnan has ever preached Kṛṣṇa? Nobody. Their policy is take Sītā and kill Rāma. Rāvaṇa's policy. Take away Sītā. Take away Gītā and kill Kṛṣṇa. So Rāvaṇa's policy will never be successful. Rāvaṇa's policy means he will be destroyed. You cannot do any harm to Rāma, but he will be destroyed. This policy, that take Sītā and kill Rāma, means he will destroy himself. So this is going on. Take Gītā and kill Kṛṣṇa. This will destroy the whole thing. This Rāvaṇa's policy. And Hanumān's policy is somehow or other rescue Sītā and get her seated by the side of Rāma. Therefore he's worshiped, Vajrāṅgajī. That is the difference between Rāvaṇa's policy. Sītā is the via media. But one is trying to bring back Sītā and seat her by the side of Rāma, and another is trying to take away Sītā and kill Rāma. This wrong policy will not take. We have to accept the instruction of Gītā and accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Then everything will be all right. Prasāda? So thank you very much for your coming. So, kindly if you will agree to take the instruction of Gītā, I am always at your service. I'll give you such guidance, our men, our everything. But you have to decide this. You cannot take up this policy, take Gītā and banish Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.(?) (end)

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

So we have to take this. You manufacture in your own way, and still you carry out the mission of Kṛṣṇa. That is contradiction. You have to take the lesson from Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be successful. Karma-yoga is for the third-class. They are addicted to karma, a little bhakti, that's all. That is not pure. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). When there is not a tinge of karma and jñāna, that is pure bhakti. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. So everything is there, direction is there. We can guide you, not according to our whims, but according to śāstra. And if you agree to accept, then we can also cooperate with you. But if you manufacture your own way, then how we can possibly... Kṛṣṇa's mission is this: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Except kṛṣṇa-bhakti, bhaktyā, everything is glāniḥ. All glāniḥ. And that can be awakened, kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Just like these boys are doing. That is enunciated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta-nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa—everyone has kṛṣṇa-bhakti. You have to awaken simply. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema sādhya kabhu naya (Cc. madhya 22.107). It is not artificial.

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Minister: No, we are agreed (?) to that. There is actually no difference at all than what you are saying. As a matter of fact government is..., that's what I said, they have started their own society, society of Kṛṣṇa bhaktas. (indistinct) This country, our country, this country itself, it is such a great service.

Prabhupāda: Whole world will accept.

Minister: This country itself is such a great service. It will require miracles.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) We can cooperate.

Minister: Unless you are so single-minded it can't be. Therefore you say there is no compromise. Otherwise if there are compromises, there will be adjustments, it will lead to dilution. We understand.

Prabhupāda: Compromise (Hindi). These boys when they come for initiation, no compromise. You have to do this. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication. Even up to smoking cigarettes or drinking tea. No gambling. If you accept, then you become my disciple. They accept. No compromise.

Minister: (indistinct) ...because you are establishing a center here. That will be very good.

Prabhupāda: We are meant for this purpose, coordination, but if you take our... You have taken prasāda?

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Krishna Modi: Also, this is a part of nowadays. Advertise and all these things, to know each and every thing. This is correct that why you are worrying about all these things. People should know it about you. Why not hear it? This is perfectly right, I agree with you. But in the interest of other people who have faith in their religion...

Prabhupāda: No, our mission is that this Kṛṣṇa cult should be preached all over the world. That is the... Bhagavad-gītā, (indistinct) Find out this verse, ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (Bg 18.68). Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69).

Hari-śauri: Is that the one, "There's no one more dear to me than..."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even in black Africa Prabhupāda has temples.

Krishna Modi: Yes, that is good.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I said even in black Africa you have temples and devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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.

Akṣayānanda: Already, the rule is made...

Prabhupāda: No, no, already rules we are... Just like to continue kīrtana there must be four batches.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And he was old. So he had to agree. Otherwise, the whole thing was catastrophe. So the king said, "Yes. She's not married. If you like I can offer my daughter to you." Then everything was settled up. But the daughter was young, and he was like her grand, great-grandfather. Match was not at all suitable, but he had to offer. So this girl also took it seriously, and she was serving the old husband very faithfully like honest, chaste wife. Never mind. Then, some days after, the same saintly person was visited by two heavenly physicians, aśvinī-kumāras. The aśvinī-kumāras, they had some difficulty. They were not allowed in the society of the demigods while drinking soma-rasa. They had some defects, something like that. So when the physician came to see Cyavana Muni he said that "If you can give me young age, beautiful, you can make me by your treatment beautiful young man, which is very pleasing to young girls, then I shall give you the facility of drinking soma-rasa in the society of demigods." "Yes." So he made him very nice beautiful-looking young man by taking him to a certain lake, and they dipped down and all of them became fresh young men, beautiful, very beautiful. So his chaste wife, she could not recognize, "Who is my husband?" They look all very beautiful young men.

Garden Conversation -- October 14, 1976, Chandigarh:

Indian man (4): How should I persuade myself that that...?

Prabhupāda: No, if you don't persuade, nobody can induce you to persuade. If you are obstinate, who can persuade you?

Indian man (4): Well, the devil persists. (?) I try to believe he persists. (?)

Prabhupāda: But you must agree. Therefore it is advised, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First of all, you have to surrender. But if you don't surrender, how you'll get knowledge? If you think you are very big man, then how you get knowledge?

Indian man (4): No, we don't think that we are big men.

Prabhupāda: No, no, everyone thinks that, not you. I don't say particular. Everyone thinks, "I know everything."

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He has used very nice strong words.

Hari-śauri: Hm. "They effected through devious means to have 2 members of the New York Hare Kṛṣṇa centers to be arrested. Therein lies the infection(?) of the injustice. To compound it, a judge and a grand jury agreed with their charges of unlawful imprisonment and brainwashing, a charge which is unheard of to my knowledge in civil legal proceedings, and ordered the devotees to be jailed. As a citizen I am appalled by the over-reaction, the lack of understanding, and the hate that finds wrongdoing, not only by the people that make the charges but by the court as well."

Haṁsadūta: He says the same thing.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Haṁsadūta: That this charge is unheard of in the legal history, brainwashing, and what was it? Brainwashing what?

Hari-śauri: Brainwashing.

Haṁsadūta: That there was never such a charge in the history of law, someone who's been brainwashed.

Hari-śauri: (continues reading) "As a person who's own people have been persecuted for their own beliefs I can sympathize with any..."

Prabhupāda: You can charge anyone, brainwashing.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We spend for Kṛṣṇa. Just like spending it, lakhs of rupees in Bombay for Kṛṣṇa.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, I agree.

Prabhupāda: Every month.

Hari-śauri: We just have to show them how many books we are printing and everything, too.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: It's not that we're letting the money sit and accumulating.

Prabhupāda: No. I am daily canvassing Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, "Print book! I don't want to keep the money in the bank, convert into the books and keep it in our..." I am asking.

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Whatever little money I've got, I don't want to keep in the bank. I want to convert it and purchase paper, print book. Then these rascals will never be able to take anything from us.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They-fresh fish—they smear with turmeric and salt and keep it in the sunshine and they dry it. And of course this fish it has no, what is it taste. (laughter) But they keep it. (aside) Bring me little water. (Bengali and Hindi) This I want to introduce, let them be satisfied whatever they can produce themselves locally. What is that, little cloth, little food? Any man can produce these things. There is no difficulty at all. They must agree to this simple life. Otherwise, everywhere you can produce your own food and cloth and cottage. If possible you can construct big buildings. There is no need. And they should be satisfied, happy with Kṛṣṇa. Then life is successful. This I want to introduce now, anywhere. And it is practical. It is not something bogus. It is... We have already experimented. By God's grace we can produce everything from the lands, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī? You can get everything. If they are satisfied with this simple life, then they save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness and happy life. In India they don't require even cottage. One katiya (?) is sufficient. Keeping in one place and lay down. Eight months, at least six months, it is very nice. At night, even in daytime it is very hot, at night it is cool. So you have got very good sleep, soothing, then you become refreshed in the morning. If you have got good sleep at night, then you become refreshed, your health is regained. Hm? If I (indistinct), take morning snāna and cāpāṭi. During very hot season they don't take even cāpāṭi. They take some fruits, guava and this... What is called that? (Hindi)

Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Four o'clock. So after maṅgala-ārati, the maṅgala-ārati prasādam should be given them, a little sweet.

Yaśodānandana: We hadn't agreed on that (indistinct).

Jagadīśa: Yes, the maṅgala-ārati sweets.

Prabhupāda: Maṅgala-ārati sweets, they should be distributed amongst the children, little sweets. Then they can take 9:30 prasādam.

Jagadīśa: Full prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then? Again they are taking bathing at what time?

Jagadīśa: The scheduled next bathing is 12:30.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the... 12:30, then?

Jagadīśa: After bathing they take a little prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice. Then it is all right.

Evening Darsana -- December 3, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: I know. There is no question of individual. I know these rascals. God is so easy thing that simply by I am thinking that "I am moving the sun, I am moving the..., mo mo mo mo." He'll... because the whole world is mūḍha, we cannot say that "Yes, I am also with you. I am also one of the mūḍha." We cannot say. The votes may be against us but we cannot agree to that. We simply speak for Kṛṣṇa's sake. That is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot make any compromise. What do they say about this version in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya devatāḥ (BG 7.20). What do they say? What is their opinion? But don't say, "Somebody said..." Everyone is fool, rascal. What is the value of their words?

Guest: Or this one mission says, "You worship your is the devatā."

Prabhupāda: Yes, I know these rascals. Therefore the country's position is the Godless India. They lost their culture.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Tell seven rupees.

Hari-śauri: Seven. Tell him seven. (Hindi) He's going.

Prabhupāda: Seven?

Devotee (2): He agreed for ten rupees.

Prabhupāda: So do you think we shall take?

Devotee: Yes, so much petrol and...

Prabhupāda: All right, ask him.

Devotee (7): (Hindi) (laughter)

Hari-śauri: When he gets here tell him eight.

Mahāṁśa: Tell nine.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Mahāṁśa: Charge him nine.

Devotee: He must give the basket also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has good basket. Give him ten rupees.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Mr. Malhotra: Aṅguli. (Laughs) It is one part, to say many.

Prabhupāda: No. You should be, should be senses. Just like this aṅguli, I am asking, "Do like this." It is my servant. After all, it is part of the body, it is my servant. If it cannot serve my body then it is diseased. Similarly we are part and parcel of God. If we cannot serve God, that is our diseased condition. The same example. This finger is part and parcel of my body. But I ask finger, "Please come here, to my nostrils." If it cannot do, then it is diseased. It is not in normal condition. So anyone who does not serve the whole, part and whole, he is diseased. He is not in normal condition. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Therefore because we have forgotten this relationship with God, declared ourself as God, that is diseased condition. Therefore God comes and He orders, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). "Surrender unto Me. Don't talk nonsense." That is God. So when we agree, that is our perfection. Not to artificially become God, but to agree to serve God. That is liberation.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Merge means you do not disagree. That is merge. Do not disagree. Just like when Arjuna was disagreeing, that is his condition, that is his conditioned identity, and when he agreed, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73),"that is identity of oneness.

Mr. Malhotra: Surrender.

Prabhupāda: Surrender, that is oneness. Not that individually he has become different. Individually he is, but he does not disagree with Kṛṣṇa. That is oneness. Just like we are sitting, we are of different interests. But so far my disciples are, they will not disagree with me. That is oneness. But he is individual. He was individual, he is individual and he will continue his individuality. But as soon as he accepts me as the leader, then he is agreement. That is oneness.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise why is he asking, "You surrender," unless there is individuality? Why this request is there? Because you are individual, you can deny it. That individuality continues. But if you have love for God, then you agree, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." So that is wanted. Not that he lost his individuality. Individuality is there.

Mr. Malhotra: Individuality remains. It seems so, that the individuality remains.

Prabhupāda: And this is the fact, Kṛṣṇa says. What Kṛṣṇa says you have to accept. Otherwise, what is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? You cannot accept Bhagavad-gītā through your whims. That is nonsense. You must accept as it is. That is wanted.

Mr. Malhotra: This Satya Sai Baba, he is also disciple of Kṛṣṇa. How he produces...?

Prabhupāda: Then if he is disciple of Kṛṣṇa, he would not have foolishly said that he is Bhagavān. That means he is bogus. It is bogus... You cannot say... You are disciple... Just like they are my disciples. They will never say that they are equal to me. They will never say.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Mr. Malhotra: Mr. Biani, Biani. He is just Birla's tea (indistinct) looking after tea. Last time I was in Delhi about two months back, so I just talked about you that I had to meet you and we could go to Vṛndāvana. Because at that time I was told that you were there. So he knew you very well, he had been to your discourses, Mr. Biani. He's Marwari. They are in Calcutta. Tea business, export tea business. We agreed on one thing, that it is very easy, rather, to make Indians understand the spiritual teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa, because in homes, in houses, forefathers, grandmothers, mothers, they are doing, I mean, always. But to, I mean, impart this knowledge to the...

Prabhupāda: Foreigners.

Mr. Malhotra: Foreigners, and that to who have more or less completely, I mean very much away from the spiritual life, very much engrossed in material life, very much engrossed. And it was something very, very, very difficult, right? Without the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself... (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Therefore their fathers are charging me that this man knows something, mesmerism. (laughter)

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Politics. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta. Senayor ubhayor madhye. (BG 1.21) "Between the two soldiers, keep my chariot, my dear Acyuta." He is addressing Acyuta. Acyuta, Kṛṣṇa, agreed to become his chariot driver. Therefore he is purposefully using this word acyuta. "Because I know You are the Supreme Lord, and I am ordering You, but because You promised that You will carry my order, Acyuta, You never fail in Your word." So God's another name is Acyuta. God never falls down. This Māyāvādī theory that "I am God, now I am fallen down," That is wrong theory. How God can fall down? If God falls down He is not God. Dog falls down, not the God.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the thought only. Oh, Doctor comes.

Dr. Patel: I asked him where you were and he said that you are on the roof.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (Hindi) (break) I do not know. (break)

Dr. Patel: You agreed, huh? (indistinct) is coming.

Prabhupāda: I am going within four days.

Dr. Patel: You go, find out what you... and then communicate with you. Huh?

Prabhupāda: No, you asked me to stay at least a few days.(?)

Dr. Patel: But you must stay, if you don't stay, you can't stay, I have got not power to keep you. If you will stay, well and good. If you can't even, well I will try our best to inform you what should be done in four days. Hm?

Prabhupāda: Let God do whatever He likes.

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why shall I agree? Because there is no such thing in the śāstra. Is there word, any word, in the whole Bhagavad-gītā, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā?

Indian man: No, but what Ramakrishna Paramahaṁsa...

Prabhupāda: Ramakrishna, how he become paramahaṁsa if he does not know the śāstra? That is the difficulty. Everyone becoming self-made guru, self-made avatāra, self-made saint. That is the difficulty. Without any reference to the authentic śāstra.

Indian man: So it's a very revealing thing, you deny Ramakrishna Paramahaṁsa...

Prabhupāda: I don't deny. You accept, you accept. My point is unless it is authoritatively mentioned in the śāstra, we reject.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He did not say no, but the printing of books, that was difficult task for him. He had no money. He's hardly collecting for maintaining. And India, printing of books is a big job. There is no guarantee of sale.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He must be feeling sorry for it now. Of course, he's dead. But later on he must be feeling sorry that if he would have given you... Agreed to your request...

Prabhupāda: Yes. These things I would have done from Caitanya Maṭha.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I never knew... We never knew that you went to Tīrtha Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) No... Rather, it is Guru Mahārāja's institution. I first of all gave him...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: A chance.

Prabhupāda: He's head man. "All right. I shall join you."