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Airport (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

Prabhupāda: Five o'clock?

Yamunā: That's when we have to get out.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. So you are going by taxi?

Guru dāsa: To the airport?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guru dāsa: Yes, I think so.

Devotee (2): You'd have to.

Yamunā: Three taxis.

Prabhupāda: Why three taxis?

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 27, 1969, Boston:

Devotee (1) (woman): Yes.

Prabhupāda: You are feeling all right? Satsvarūpa?

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You did not go to the airport?

Satsvarūpa: No. I gave the lecture that was cancelled at...

Prabhupāda: Oh. Lecture?

Satsvarūpa: You were supposed to give a lecture today, but because you gave a lecture last night in Buffalo, we cancelled it and I went instead.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: No, I am asking one ticket for plane.

Devotee (3): You'll fly alone to Delhi?

Yamunā: The Delhi airport?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is not difficulty. Ask Gurudāsa to take me. For two hours I can sit down. It goes direct to Delhi from here.

Devotee (3): No, it makes two stops.

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.

Devotee (3): But the same plane.

Prabhupāda: Same plane. And you come, all, by train.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Because he is not fit to get it, so God does not supply it. So we do not take anything as chance. We take everything as plan. But because God's omnipotency is so subtle, we cannot see how things happen. Therefore we say "It is a chance, chance of physical arrangement." Just like in the airport, as soon as I step on the door it becomes opened. It is not chance. A child will see it is a chance: "Oh, how it is? I wanted to go and the door is already open." He takes it a chance. That is poor fund of knowledge. There is arrangement, nice arrangement, electrical arrangement. So to a poor fund of knowledge it becomes a chance, and to the sober mind it is not chance; it is arranged by higher authority. Another opposite point is nobody wants to die. Why the chance of death comes? Nobody wants to die. If that argument is taken, necessity—I want to die, and the death comes—then it is applicable. But I do not want to die. Why death comes?

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: How far?

Dhanañjaya: From here its about five miles, four or five miles.

Devotee (1): It's, ah, towards the airport.

Prabhupāda: Towards the airport. So not bad.

Devotee (1): Not bad. No, it's still downtown.

Dhanañjaya: It's on the motorway. It's very near to the motorway, the motorway coming from the airport into central London.

Prabhupāda: So why not see earlier? Have you got any description?

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Devotee (2): He says George is in New York.

Devotee: (conversation in background)

Dhanañjaya: Oh, he may be with Mr. Ravi Patel. I think we saw him at the airport.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Dhanañjaya: He's a printer, and he came in the van with you from the airport. He's a very nice man. He's doing printing for us. He says he has so many thousands of rupees in Bombay and in Madras from his printing. And he also wants to offer his services. I think he will come tomorrow to see you.

Prabhupāda: They can print our books, in Bombay.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: Collin.

Devotee (2): Ah, I saw Mr. Collin at the airport when you arrived in New York at that meeting, press meeting.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was there?

Devotee (2): He was there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, why did he not see me?

Devotee (2): He didn't come. He was a little embarrassed, I think.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh Tripurāri Yes. Somebody said like that?

Tripurāri: Yes, two boys yesterday at the airport, they bought two sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams.

Jayatīrtha: Complete?

Tripurāri: Six volumes. They held the Bhāgavatams and said: "Thank you very much." And then they put them in their lockers and they were waiting for their plane and they each had the First Canto...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Any sincere man will feel obliged of our, this propaganda movement. "By distributing these books, you are doing a great service to Kṛṣṇa." He wanted to say everyone: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He comes, therefore. So anyone who is doing the same service, that: "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa," he is recognized by Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu (BG 18.69). In the human society, nobody is dearer than him who is helping preaching work. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: We are not ordinary, the so-called swamis and sādhus. We are going to give to the world something which they forgot. I told this in London airport. Yes. That was published in the papers. They asked me, "Why you have come to London?" And "Because to teach you something which you have forgotten."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is it before Prabhupāda came here.

Brahmānanda: In London.

Prabhupāda: In London. Here also I told in New York, "To make you intelligent. You are all fools and rascals." Yes, they are fools and rascals because they do not know what he is. He is thinking, "I am this body." So anyone who is thinking, "I am this body," he is an ass. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: Motor, motor, there is jerking.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: ...helicopter.

Prabhupāda: Now, now we, this, recently, before coming here, one of my students, Śyāmasundara, he took me from the airport on helicopter to my temple, and he spent one thousand pounds for that rascal thing. Unnecessarily. "Why you have spent unnecessarily?" No.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: What this mundane man?

Indian: (Bengali) (end)

Room Conversation With David Wynne -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: ...recently I've heard that the people in the airport protested against Indira Gandhi, that "Give us rain." Yes. That is Vedic civilization ideal. Why there is rain then no rain? The king should be responsible. One brāhmaṇa lost his son. He immediately went to the king and asked him that "The son has died before the death of the father; why this irregularity? You are responsible." You see? The ideal is that the king is representative of God, because we are all sons of God. We have come here in this material world for our proper guidance. The king is responsible, the spiritual master is responsible, the father is responsible, the elderly persons are responsible. Because you told me that we have to work for other. That other is Kṛṣṇa. If we utilize our intelligence for serving Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of the king or the spiritual master or the father, then the society is perfect. That is ideal civilization. What is your opinion about this? How do you think this ideal...

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Śyāmasundara: That's right. If ...one boy who stole from us, I told the police. We told them exactly where he was, at the airport, Manchester. "He's going on flight such and such to America tomorrow." Plenty of time to apprehend him. They didn't do anything.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Śyāmasundara: They came... Oh, they sent one inspector to take notes.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Śyāmasundara: Many notes.

Prabhupāda: Useless, all... And taxation. No security and ninety-nine per cent taxation. Just see the fun. They are very much accurate to take taxation. And there is no guarantee of security. This is the position.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Śrutakīrti: Must have been Pradyumna.

Prabhupāda: He has not come back? Why he hasn't?

Śrutakīrti: Yes, he's returned with his suitcase. And yours is at the airport. They would not give it to him because it was in my name. So they gave a form. I have to fill out the form and then anyone can pick it up.

Śyāmasundara: Well, we can go tonight. Make out the form.

Śrutakīrti: (indistinct) are open all twenty-four hours.

Śyāmasundara: Yeah. Make out the form. I'll go right now.

Prabhupāda: First of all phone if they're open.

Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: So when you understand Kṛṣṇa, then there is no need of yoga.

Student (1): I don't think you could ever understand God.

Prabhupāda: No, if you go to the place... Just like if you go to the airport, then you can understand which airship is starting from which gate, which gate. There are so many things you can see. But if you do not approach the airport, simply in other place, how you can study airport? First of all come to Kṛṣṇa. Then try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa you become liberated. First of all we have to know that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then you try to understand. But if you do not approach there, where is your question of understanding Him?

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Buddhist Monk (1): Well, not so strict now as in past because the word "religion" has been used as a narcotic by people. The religious institution was kissing the state, and the state was kissing religion.

Prabhupāda: When I was in airport, the customs clearance, as soon as they saw my book, Bhagavad-gītā, they called police. (laughter)

Buddhist Monk (1): I was also getting ready...

Prabhupāda: So the policeman saw and said, "Oh, you can go."

Buddhist Monk (1): Well...

Prabhupāda: They were so suspicious.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: They do not like.

Śyāmasundara: Only at the airport.

Prabhupāda: France? What is the position in France? They don't like also.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No.

Prabhupāda: In Canada, there is two languages, English and French.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. And unfortunately, a great feeling between the two.

Prabhupāda: This material world is based on jealousy. And spiritual world is based on friendship. That is the difference. So the, these materialistic persons, United Nations, League of Nations, they are trying to unite, but they, at heart, there is jealousy. So they can never become united. This is only bogus farce.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, selected persons.

Lord Brockway: What was the subject of discussion that day?

Śyāmasundara: Well, they were discussing something in the airport, and...

Lord Brockway: Oh, MacLynne (?) airport?

Śyāmasundara: ...Pakistan and Bangladesh and two or three other points.

Lord Brockway: Yes. Was I speaking?

Śyāmasundara: No, you spoke just before... When we arrived, you were speaking. You had addressed one question...

Lord Brockway: I was speaking; then you arrived. Yes.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Haṁsadūta: This is your visa. It's been extend...

Guru-gaurāṅga: I just came back from the airport, and they made it good.

Haṁsadūta: It's been extended up until the 16th.

Bhagavān: Prabhupāda will be here till the 16th, so if you would like to come back, if you would like to bring some friends...

Dr. Inger: Yes, I would most certainly like to come back if I may. What is the best time?

Bhagavān: About three to four in the evening.

Prabhupāda: In the evening at four.

Dr. Inger: All right. I would like to bring Chauhan(?) and two other men.

Bhagavān: You can bring as many as you like.

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. In Greece I think some people know of our movement. Because in the airport as soon as some young men saw us, they chanted "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" Yes. Maybe they are Europeans, but I had practical experience. (break) which..., that Park Avenue?

Bali Mardana: Wednesday they are having a meeting. Perhaps on Wednesday.

Prabhupāda: Wednesday. So you have to attend? No.

Bali Mardana: No, I don't have to attend. The lawyers attend. If I attend, it may ruin everything. (break)

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Yes, there is also my student. (break) Now the government is so irresponsible. Just like in Nairobi, I was refused permission. You see. We spent so much money, and they did not inform before. And when I was on the airport... That also, no written order. They said, "From higher authorities it is the order that you cannot enter." Just see. Kenya. So at the present moment we have got many enemies of this movement. (Hindi) "You are converting these European and American into brāhmaṇa. How they can become brāhmaṇa without taking birth as brāhmaṇa?" (Hindi)

Guest (1): You have done quite a lot. (break)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here also they go to parties. Where they go here?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But I could not spend because there was no exchange for Indian currency, no (laughter). So it was kept as it is. When I came back in 1967, that was spent as my taxi fare (laughter). At that time it was spent. From Palam airport to Delhi, that Chippiwada. So they charged me thirty-five rupees or forty rupees. So at that time it was spent, and 1967 there was heart attack.

Dr. Kapoor: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I was hospitalized, but I did not like the hospital. So I thought that now I shall die, let me go back to Vṛndāvana. (Hindi)

Dr. Kapoor: Yes, it was 1967, wasn't it.

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Well, you have read history; I have gone there personally.

Dr. Patel: Going there and reading history is something different. You have seen only at a particular time, but... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...I was on the airport, they called police because they got, they saw one Bhagavad-gītā in my bags. You see. This is the position.

Dr. Patel: They are, they are translating Bhagavad-gītā in their own universities now. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...may be because it was Bhagavad-gītā, they stopped me.

Dr. Patel: This is a phase of the government. The government is not the people. (break) (Heavy wind noise throughout)

Room Conversation -- April 26, 1974, Tirupati:

Indian man: America. (chuckles) I think I have seen you at Bombay once.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Bombay I have got my headquarters.

Indian man: And your friends were there at the airport, Santa Cruz Airport, and you came by plane, some two years back I remember.

Prabhupāda: No, I am going every year. Two times, three times, I have to go all round the world.

Indian man: I respectfully request you your name, please.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. That's all. Call me Prabhupāda. I am preaching this cult, what you have come to see, this being expanded all over the world.

Room Conversation -- May 20, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When I was going to London from Bombay..., no, no, when I was going to Switzerland, I think I stopped at Geneva.

Devotee (2): Zurich. You were in Zurich.

Prabhupāda: Zurich, before that I stopped at Geneva. I saw the airport, very big airport. Then I went to Zurich. And from Zurich I went to some Mount St....

Devotee (2): St. Hellish.

Prabhupāda: You have been there? You are right, St. Hellish. (unclear)

Devotee (2): (laughs) Śyāmasundara.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Śyāmasundara, "Oh, I have to..." He spent money for that. I thought "It is hellish." (laughter) Always covered with snow, I could not get out. Two days I was imprisoned in that hotel room. But people go there.

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Woman: What about Greece?

Prabhupāda: I never went to Greece.

Satsvarūpa: You said you went to the airport and they were chanting.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

O'Grady: Really?

Woman: I would think they would be in danger in Athens.

Bhagavān: It is danger.

Woman: There's no way that this movement could be very successful in Athens or in Greece. Not too many things are successful in Greece.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: At the present moment there is all over the world... We are touring all over the world. It is very hard to find out ideal class of men. That is the defect. In the Vedic culture the ideal class of men were the brāhmaṇas. Their qualification was: truthful, self-controlled, mind and the senses, and then tolerant, very simple life, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life and full faith in God. These are ideal character. But such men are not available at the present moment. So therefore the social idealism is defective. Just like in your body, there are four divisions. The head, the arm, the belly and the leg. If the head is spoiled then you are a madman. In spite of possessing hands and bellies and legs, you cannot work properly. So at the present moment the heads are spoiled. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. People, advanced in education, still they are inimical, one man to another. If you are passing on in the street, the gentleman's house there is a signboard, "Beware of the dogs. Don't come in," because he cannot believe anyone. You go to the airport, any high-class standard man. They search out the pocket. So nobody is believable. So this is the result of modern education. You cannot find out an ideal character man.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: I noticed this when I took the train from Calcutta to Krishnanagar. Once you get further out, it's so nice, the villages. There is the pond there.

Prabhupāda: And... Why Calcutta? You go to the airport. You will find so nice gardens, still existing. Now it is spoiled also. Because people have changed locally to the city. Nobody has to take care now. Otherwise, in Bengal especially, throughout the whole India, Bengal was so beautiful. The Europeans became attracted by the beauty of Bengal. Therefore they made Calcutta their capital, the Britishers. Yes. Every European liked Bengal. Every European. I met one European German gentleman in Bombay. He was in Calcutta. When I was in Bimha (?). So I asked, "Why you left Calcutta?" "Oh, I am very sorry. Calcutta was so nice." And actually. Where we have got our temple, these quarters were known as "Sahib" quarter. Just like our temple is "Sahib" temple. So these Chowringee and Camac Street, Park, these were all European. They liked very much to live in Bengal. And there is another story. One English officer he became attracted by the beauty of a Bengali woman. There is story by Bankima Candra. Candrashekhara. The man was after that woman, how to get it. That is the subject matter of story. He was attracted by the black eyes and black hair. Bengali beauty.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Satsvarūpa: Then the next question is where do you get your knowledge. Like that boy asked in the airport.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Go to guru. Guru. Yes. (indistinct) Who is guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: who has heard from the Vedas perfect knowledge and who is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is guru. Everything is there. Immediate answer is tad-vijñānārtham. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is for inquiring where shall I go for knowledge? Athāto brahma-jiñāsā.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Professor La Combe: They lacked authority. In Vṛndāvana there has never been such kind of trouble.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the airport, these international flights, they are not going. They stop only to take petrol, and no passengers going. That has hampered very much India's tourist department. Because no respectable, respectable or nonrespect..., no airlines, just like BOAC and other big, big, they are not going. The minister of tourist department, he has several times requested that "You also come." There are no tourists coming in India.

Professor La Combe: Where is your maṭha in Vṛndāvana? In Vṛndāvana proper?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have been in Vṛndāvana?

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Devotee: In Delhi also, we have a nice center.

Professor La Combe: What part of India?

Devotee: It's in West End. It is very close to the airport.

Professor La Combe: And in Calcutta?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Near Park St., Camac St.

Professor La Combe: Camac St. I know.

Devotee: Very nice, old... It was called the Ray Castle. It used to be occupied by some governors. (Someone gives the professor some prasādam.)

Professor La Combe: Thank you very much. Just a little.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: You are well now for distributing books?

Tripurāri: (break) ...these are prabhus from different temples. Some work under the direction of the temple presidents and some work under my direction. And all these devotees distribute at the airports. Mostly big books.

Prabhupāda: And you are all feeling all right? Eh? Is there any difficulty?

Tripurāri: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Devotees: Increasingly blissful.

Prabhupāda: That is fine. That is wanted. You are expert mṛdaṅga player? I have seen. He is very, very nice.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we open up these new airports, because the authorities, they are not familiar with us, they become very demoniac towards us. And some of them actually, they're thinking about Kṛṣṇa all day...

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (2): They see us distributing, and they don't like what we're doing, they get very angry, but still, they're thinking of Kṛṣṇa all day. We often wondered how they are benefiting even though they maintain this very envious...

Devotee (1): Just like the Mohammedans were benefited.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Yes, because he has chanted Kṛṣṇa, "Here is the Kṛṣṇa man. Here is the rascal Kṛṣṇa man." (laughter)

Tripurāri: We found one policeman at the Atlanta airport was always harassing the devotees, trying to stop them. And one time I came down the stairs and I saw him in the corner reading Īśopaniṣad and trying to understand. They know that we have some knowledge; they are just envious of our success. They want to find out, "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness about?" They don't want to admit that they want to know. Actually everyone wants to know about Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they must.

Tripurāri: You said that everyone is hankering for these books.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Tripurāri: Many of the karmīs appreciate the Fourth Canto, part four, the story of King Purañjana. They understand that.

Devotee (2): There's many psychologists at the airport. I would attract them by giving them that particular volume and saying how this deals with the psychology of the conditioned self. And they were attracted in that way.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very nice, Purañjana. His city, his gates, various manifestation.

Devotee (4): Sometimes we are very encouraged because we find people, they come back to us. They say, "I have gotten this volume, and I'd like to have the first part" or "I'd like to have the Second Canto." I found that in the army base among the soldiers... I went to distribute at an army base with the soldiers. And one man saw me, and he came up, and he says, "Can I have the Second Canto? I liked the first one so much." It's enlivening for us.

Prabhupāda: Sometimes they come and demand.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Where they have seen me? Somewhere. (chuckles)

Devotee (6): All the employees in the Atlanta airport, now they all know you. They've all seen your books, and they've seen your picture. And when we go through the check points they say, "Oh, we saw him. We saw him come through. We saw your spiritual master come through the airport."

Devotee (7): There was one lady when you were here the last time at the airport, she would ask, when we saw the woman at the airport, practically every day, "When is that nice gentleman going to come back to Atlanta?" And she's always thinking about you. (break)

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: (sic:) Kenneth Keat was ambassador in India. So Gurudāsa met him. Now he is ambassador in Israel. So he has written that "You are all doing very nice work." People appreciate, any intelligent man.

Devotee (1): For one period of two or three days we were going to the airport and simply... This was during the whole controversy about the cheating and the honesty and..., that controversy. So we just went and we just started preaching. And we actually didn't find that much of a diminution in the sales of the literatures. In fact one time a couple of us went out in dhotīs even to the airport, without wigs or anything, for a weekend. And we still did nicely. It was a little more difficult. They weren't so... Some of them weren't as warm. But we find that the businessmen, they can be convinced by just preaching.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Devotee (1): Sometimes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, people travel from one airport to another, and they'll get a book in Chicago and then they'll come to Atlanta and we'll approach them to give them another book, and they've already gotten one book in Chicago. And they ask, "How many of there are you around the world?" Because everywhere they go, in every airport they are getting books. So they think that there must be millions. They think that there must be millions of Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, because everywhere they go they're being approached to take a book.

Rūpānuga: I once asked a boy in Washington temple how many devotees he thought we had, and he said, "Oh, I cannot guess." And I said, "Make an educated guess." And he said, "Well, I've seen you here and I think maybe two million." (laughter) And I said, "Three thousand. Now just see the potency of Hare Kṛṣṇa. You're thinking we're two million, and we're simply a handful." He became a little convinced. So our books make us millions. People think we are millions because of the books.

Prabhupāda: Push on this. Then our movement is successful. All Americans should have at least one set of book. That is not very difficult for them, to purchase one set book. But it will be a good asset for them if they keep and see sometimes. Any line he reads, he will get transcendental knowledge.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Yes. For an American gentleman one hundred dollars is nothing.

Devotee (3): One nice boy in the airport, he was a soldier boy. He had, like read a Kṛṣṇa trilogy, and he was coming through the airport, and I approached him. And he immediately saw the books, and he immediately wanted one. And I didn't even have to ask him for the donation. Automatically he gave $20. And then I was walking down the hall, and I saw him again, and he came running up to me again, and he said, "Here, you're doing such a wonderful thing. Let me give you another $20." And somebody walked by as I was giving him another book, and they said, "Don't take that book. It's a rip-off. These people are trying to rip you off." And he said, "They don't know what they're talking about. They don't understand." And then, after that, he walked up to Cārudeṣṇa Prabhu and gave him another $40. So actually he gave something like $65 or $70 in the airport just because he had read one trilogy.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Balavanta: Who, Guru Maharaj-ji? Not so much. You don't hear about them. There's not much activity.

Devotee (5): Decreasing. We are increasing, and they are decreasing.

Tripurāri: Sometimes the Christians are distributing papers still at the airports. We invite them to come and take prasāda with us every day.

Prabhupāda: They come?

Tripurāri: They are reluctant. Some, one or two, come.

Devotee (2): Every once in awhile someone we meet when we're distributing books comes and joins us for prasādam, one time a businessman and one time a soldier. Various people sometimes join us. We take a 12 o'clock, 12:30 lunch break. Sometimes we'll be joined by one of these people we distribute books to.

Prabhupāda: When you were with Maharishi? Come here.

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: How you can see? You cannot see. You do not believe in transmigration. So how can you see? Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. When you will have the eyes to see—knowledge—then you'll see. Now you are monkey, how you can see? A monkey cannot see. Paśyanti jñāna cakṣuṣa. Just like our men in India, they know I have come to Australia. But he's not seeing by his eyes. He knows the arrangement was made, they purchased ticket, and they went to the airport. And they are confident. They are sending letters here. Has he come with me to see? How he knows? That I have come here, how he knows? He has not seen that I have come here. But how he knows?

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: In Australia.

Madhudviṣa: Yes, we had some suffering.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Now you have seen that letter? We have been permitted by the federal government to sell our books in the airport.

Madhudviṣa: Yes, that is a major breakthrough.

Prabhupāda: The judge might have seen our literature, "It is such a nice literature they are selling, they must be given permission." (break) No husband, no children, one dog. (laughter) Just see. Children-contraceptive. And dog-welcome.

Woman: Good morning.

Prabhupāda: Good morning.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: No, hour and a half. We will receive you at Albuquerque. And we would like you to come the day the other Indian gurus are coming because we would like to receive them at the airport and we would like to have state banquet arranged for every visitors. And our basic idea is to bring understanding among all men of God. And...

Prabhupāda: Hm. It is a good idea.

Yogi Bhajan: And in spite of the fact nothing may happen...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Yogi Bhajan: Something will happen.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That means they have created thieves and rogues. Therefore they are suspicious. Nowadays in the airport, everyone is searched. Then it is now taken for granted that all of them are cheats. So what is the value of this education if all of them are cheats? There is no discrimination, "Now, here is a educated professor, Dr. Ph.D., he cannot be searched." No, he will be also searched-because, "You may be Ph.D., but we know you are a cheat." (laughter) Is not the conclusion? Will he be excused if he says, "Oh, I am Ph.D." No, you must be searched. "You may be Ph.D., but you are a cheat." This is education. So what is the value of this education? And according to Vedic civilization, as soon as one is a brāhmaṇa, he is not within the jurisdiction of administration, immediately. The government has no right to check in his activities. Because he knows he is a brāhmaṇa. Four person, four or five, they are excused from the jurisdiction of law. The first is brāhmaṇa, the second is cow, the third is woman, and the fourth is old man, and fifth is the child. These five persons are not in the jurisdiction of law.

Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Rādhā-vallabha: In New Jersey one time we were driving very fast to try and meet you at the airport, and a police officer pulled us over, and he was very angry. We were driving very fast. And he said...

Prabhupāda: No, you should not drive fast. (devotees laugh) No, no, this is not good.

Rādhā-vallabha: We had to pick you up at the airport, Prabhupāda, and we were late.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but fast, drive very fast, is risky.

Rādhā-vallabha: So this police officer he pulled us over. He was very angry. He said, "Let us see your license and registration." We gave it to him, and it said International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness on the registration. He said, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa." And he asked us some questions about the philosophy, and he listened very carefully, and then he said, "I cannot give people like you a ticket." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they are pleased, but don't take undue advantage. Yes. (break) ...remain friends. That is wanted. (break)

Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Harikeśa: ...had the plan to perhaps get one bus and leave it at our place and then do tours on our own.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...airport by this way? No, the other way.

Jayatīrtha: You can go this way. We usually go on the freeway. You can go straight up this street. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...freely.

Brahmānanda: Yes. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.

Jayatīrtha: Everyone is afraid now, of taking it. The crime rate has become very high.

Prabhupāda: Black and white?

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Kāśīrāma: Just a few days ago there was a plane crash and many people died, but they were sitting very comfortably in their chairs thinking, "It is so nice," but then it was all over, finished. And in the airport I was distributing books, and I was telling them, "You could die at any moment," but they still are thinking, "I am going to enjoy." They are not caring.

Prabhupāda: Where this air crash took place?

Kāśīrāma: In New York. And it landed on the freeway.

Satsvarūpa: A lightening bolt hit the plane.

Prabhupāda: Lighting...?

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Jayatīrtha: ...they're both doing extensive articles for different magazines on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And they've already done a lot of preliminary study from what I understand. So they have a few questions to ask. I think they'll write very respectful articles. So this is the girl that interviewed you at the airport.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Mrs. Anne Jones(?), she's with the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Jayatīrtha: And this girl's name is...

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Sandy Nixon.

Jayatīrtha: Sandy Nixon.

Prabhupāda: She is a devotee, she was chanting.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Woman: Along the same idea, I wonder also about the many beautiful material things that the devotees bring to you, and, for instance, when you left the airport, you left in a beautiful, big, fancy car, and I wonder about this because...

Prabhupāda: That is teaching them how to respect. If you respect government man as government, then you must treat him like that.

Woman: But...

Prabhupāda: If you respect spiritual master as God, then you must offer him the facilities of God. Otherwise how you treat him as God? Simply in mind? In action also.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Reporter (1): Some of the objections are that the followers of the Hare Kṛṣṇa sect are, on the streets or in the airports, are bothering people.

Prabhupāda: The airport itself is a botheration, so much sound, so much accident. So why this little botheration they cannot tolerate? That means intolerance. It is full of botheration, and because we are chanting, they very much disturbed? We don't chant in the airport, but we ask people that "Here is a very good book. You will benefit. If you like, you can take." So what is the wrong there? Tell me what is the wrong? If I give you something very nice, is that, I mean to say, wrong? You read any book. We have got fifty books. You find out any fault in that. If we are distributing something, bad literature which is against the social welfare, then you can object. But you see. Bring all our books here, and you will see. Any page you open and you will find something good. Why you are denying to distribute such literature for the benefit of the people in general? What is the wrong there?

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Reporter (1): Yes. That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: These are all manufactured things.

Reporter (2): Could you tell me how much you do derive from the airport solicitations in the United States?

Prabhupāda: That I do not know, but we sell, on the whole, about $300,000 worth, books, every month.

Reporter (2): At airports alone?

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Devotees: That's everywhere, all over the world.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Bahulāśva: Just like yesterday those impersonalists wouldn't come on the stage. When they saw your opulent vyāsāsana and so many devotees offering your āratik, they realized if they came to the stage, they would have to sit at your feet. Therefore they wouldn't come. This one Swami Satchitananda... I have a friend who's a member of his movement. So this yogi told him that if you want to know how to receive the spiritual master you should go watch the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees when they greet their guru at the airport... Then you will learn what is the proper way to...

Prabhupāda: Who says?

Bahulāśva: Swami Satchitananda told him that. (laughter)

Yadubara: He cannot give instruction, so he has to...

Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: You have time to talk all this nonsense. (laughter) And you have no time to read Bhāgavata, that's all. This is our misfortune. (break)

Jayādvaita: ...at the airport they cannot save themselves from our book distributors.

Prabhupāda: Rather, they purchase also.

Jayādvaita: Yes. The scientists become conquered. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...scientists do not manufacture brain and give it to a stone, and he becomes a scientist. Why do they not do that? Manufacture. You have got so nice brain. Now manufacture another brain and put it on the stone, and he becomes that, what is called, Frankenstein? (laughter) Why they are not able to create another brain? What is the answer?

Morning Walk -- August 5, 1975, Detroit:

Ādi-keśava: Well, Tripurāri is also with us.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Including both.

Ādi-keśava: Yes, both. Now, what is happening, Tripurāri is training some of our men in the airports. He is training nine new men to distribute big books in the airports, men who were before distributing only the magazines. Now they will go to the airports and learn how to distribute the big books. And also some of Tripurāri's men have taken over the leadership of our parties to help the new men to distribute also. So that way they are cooperating. (end)

Room Conversation with Bill Faill (reporter) -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Now, now... So we are leaving this place at nine?

Harikeśa: No, no. We are leaving this place maybe nine o'clock.

Prabhupāda: "Maybe." You do not know. But where they will come, here or in the...?

Harikeśa: You mean you will meet at the airport?

Faill: Oh, we'll meet you. We'll have somebody out at the airport.

Prabhupāda: Then that's all right. So the airplane leaves this port at 9:45. So you can come, according to the time.

Faill: Yes. You'll have to leave here about 8:30 actually. It's about three quarters of an hour's drive there.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: That's out here?

Prabhupāda: We saw one advertisement. So we are remaining these three, four only?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's three of us. We're flying, and then Rūpa and Gokulendra will drive the gray car back to Johannesburg. One devotee will drive to the airport, Vapu.

Harikeśa: I'm almost finished.

Prabhupāda: They are making so many wonderful things, but they cannot stop death.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They just make it quicker.

Prabhupāda: After all, they are going to die. In Bengal it is said the topmost ill-naming, what is that? Ill-naming?

Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi:

Brahmānanda: There was a man yesterday at Dabji's house who was the brāhmaṇa who was officiating. He is a very much caste conscious brāhmaṇa, and although he and Shah were the first ones to meet you at the Nairobi airport when you arrived, in Nairobi, as soon as he heard your philosophy, he has never come. He came the first day only when you first arrived, and since that day he has never come. And yesterday I think he must have just come because Shah forced him. But he does not at all like our philosophy that brāhmaṇa by qualification. He is very staunch—"brāhmaṇa by birth."

Devotee (5): They always say the Africans could never become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: How they are becoming?

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the time?

Harikesa: 7.10 a.m.

Prabhupāda: So we shall return. (short discussion of actual time)

Dr. Patel: It is 7.20 a.m. You are airport?

Harikesa: Airport time.

Dr. Patel: Airport time is wrong. Every clock is very different time there. Each one has its own standard.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Now, the laws and legislative assembly there are, and there is punishment, there is court—everything there is. That we were discussing last night, that where is the honest men? Why? In spite of laws, legislative assembly, court and everything, the wholesale rogues and dishonest. Then what is the use of this? What is your answer? Why you are checked on the airport just like a culprit, criminal? They cannot trust even a gentleman, although he is educated, may be holding very good office, but still, he is not to be trusted. So this is the result of your so-called function, that there is no honest man throughout the whole world. Then, what is the use of such education? And what is the use of their living? Let them die. No hospital for them.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: And if you can arrange some... What is called, that? This helicopter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Helicopter.

Prabhupāda: Bringing our men from Dum Dum airport to our roof.

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There are at least four roofs like this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. The people will see. All the pilgrims will see. Like the demigods flying in.

Prabhupāda: At least we can make a show—it is coming twice in a day and going twice in a day. And they will see that "Oh, so many people are coming."

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: And he has understood the philosophy. He has got ten years experience of London.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I met him in the London airport and I told him, "Why don't you come to India?" 'Cause I saw him, I thought he'd be really helpful here. So, Prabhupāda, another thing, is there any need to increase our prasādam distribution? Right now about a thousand people come.

Prabhupāda: No, what... They are coming, but if you see that more are coming, then increase. There is no question of advertising.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There isn't. We shouldn't advertise.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Bas. That's all. Not for the swans. They are admitting. Otherwise how it is selling unless they are admitting the value? Maybe a few, but they are realizing. I told you that one young man, very respectable, he came to me in airport, maybe Japan or some place. So he said, "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "And yes, why not?" "Where you have got so vast knowledge?" And "This is not my knowledge. I am simply translating. That's all. It is Vyāsadeva's knowledge. It is not my knowledge." Mean... He appreciated the vast stock of knowledge. That is a fact. And this rascal says, even in India, that Bhāgavata is not written by Vyāsadeva. It is latest, within Christian era.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Last thousand years.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Who is this gentleman? Police?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man? He's a military man. This is one of our airport distributors, distributing books. Here is the bus construction. You can see how they're building the buses. That's our head office in-charge, Keśava-bhāratī.

Prabhupāda: Where the head of office? It should...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's in Phoenix, but it may be shifted soon to New York. Airport distribution. This is the installation of all the Deities you were attending in Chicago. That was a big ceremony.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Chicago? Did I install? No.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...when the ceremony was performed. Here is some of our vans and men, Viṣṇujana and Rādhā-Dāmodara. Here's the grandfather of airport book distribution, Tripurāri Mahārāja, dressed as a karmī to distribute in his distribution.... You can't tell, but he's wearing a wig. That's Tripurāri there. That's how he looks when he's in the airport. He never misses.

Guru-kṛpā: The master of book distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's Tripurāri giving a class. Here's a priest buying a Bhagavad-gītā. Gurudāsa Mahārāja preaching on campus. Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading a kīrtana. Here's a television show. That was that television show.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: You are Mr. Barclay also? No.

Ādi-keśava: Different name.

Prabhupāda: So our.... They are accommodated in how many buses?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Currently in six buses and six airports, because Tripurāri Mahārāja leads about twenty-five men distributing in different airports around the country, and then there's another hundred men who are working out of six buses. Now two more buses are being built to accommodate everyone. And then another ten men are working at our bus construction head office.

Prabhupāda: So, of course, you are not going to be absent for many, many days. You come and go.

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Yaśodānandana: And that light system.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People will pay just to get on that escalator every day. (laughter)

Pañca-draviḍa: In Los Angeles they have installed a speed walk at the airport, an escalator that you can walk on.

Prabhupāda: So you are not going to Calcutta? Calcutta?

Jayapatākā: I was going to go in a day or two.

Prabhupāda: So there is no news? (break) Of course, if there is devotee. Otherwise not.

Hṛdayānanda: I was thinking perhaps this year to begin with one car.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. Last year, Philadelphia, there was one car. Oh, crowd was.... Like that.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So who is taking care?

Satsvarūpa: Two of the library men who didn't come, just so they could go to this convention.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...therefore they search. And who goes to the airport? All respectable gentlemen, who can pay lump sum for air fare. So he's also searched out. That means there is no gentlemen. The airport security is searching through. Then in this world there is no gentleman, no honest men.

Haṁsadūta: Everyone is suspected.

Prabhupāda: All rascals. This is the position.

Hari-śauri: But when you go through, Śrīla Prabhupāda, everybody offers their respects.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is mercy. When they excuse a saintly person, that is, that is their great mercy. Now, according to Vedic law, a saintly person is never subjected to any law. He's paramahaṁsa. He's never.... Rather, the order is he must be given all help that he wants. That is the Vedic civilization. And brahmacārī, sannyāsīs, they should be treated as children at home, so that wherever they go, they will be treated just like children: "Oh, he's my son. He's my dependent." They will treat like that. And they also go to every home: "Mother, give me some food." So he's children, as the child asks from the mother, "Give me some food." This is system. This is civilization. And M.A., Ph.D., and searching after woman, how to induce her, and being searched out in the airport, whether he's a rogue—what is this education? We don't want this education. (break) ...student life we have seen practically, one big professor, Dr. Brajendranatha Śrī.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gentleman means that if you go to a gentleman's store, "Beware of the dog. Beware of the revolver." This is your culture. And when you go to the airport everyone is searched out, pocket. So who is gentleman? Is that gentleman? There is no gentleman in the world. All rogues and thieves, cheaters, bluffers. Now we are creating gentlemen. Otherwise there is no gentlemen. Here is the proof. If we are gentleman, why we are being checked in the airport? Hm? This is the proof. There is no gentlemen.

Akṣayānanda: Because they're not expecting any gentlemen.

Prabhupāda: That means there is no.... In other words, there is no gentlemen.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: We can do that tomorrow. So it has been settled where we are going?

Guru-kṛpā: Well, I have to go to the airport this evening.

Prabhupāda: No, with Vāsudeva.

Guru-kṛpā: Yes. He is.... He thought it was best.

Prabhupāda: Don't do anything...

Guru-kṛpā: No, it was his suggestion because he doesn't want it to be another small program. He feels...

Prabhupāda: This is also cold water?

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We went to the airport.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And practically they didn't even want to let us stay in the airport. We had to stay there only for four hours to catch the next flight. They are so much...

Prabhupāda: This is our position. Gradually they will show Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. In India also, although India's... They will want to crush down this movement. So this will be up to Him. Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's movement, the same thing. And Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed by Kaṁsa class of men and his company, the demons. So it will be there; it is already there. Don't be disappointed, because that is the meaning that it is successful. Kṛṣṇa's favor is there, because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's movement is not different, identical. So as Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed, many, many years before He appeared... At eighth child, if the mother produces child yearly, still ten years, eight years before His birth, the mother was to be attempted to be killed. So there may be attempt like that. And Lord Jesus Christ was killed. So they may kill me also.

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Harisauri: The thing is that the materialists will always find that. They see the devotees and we say that we renounce everything, but they don't understand that renunciation means to take everything and give it to Kṛṣṇa. So when... Just like that time there was such a great commotion when we hired that Rolls Royce to take Your Divine Grace from the airport to the temple. So in the papers they didn't put anything that you said. They simply put "His Divine Grace is arriving in a Rolls Royce." So this is the general attitude of the common mass of people.

Prabhupāda: That is envious. So if they sell books, so that is making Kṛṣṇa unpopular?

Bhūrijana: But one must learn to be a good book salesman I think.

Prabhupāda: But selling book, Kṛṣṇa, does it mean that the booksellers are creating unpopular opinion? Does it mean?

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's prestigious, and it also allows us to have a lot of information available. Just like, as we're finding out, for example, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja is working with our lawyer here, and we find that we have the legal right to distribute in airports. Legally, we have the right. Similarly, there are legal rights for our saṅkīrtana movement in various countries in the world, and through this group we would get access to all information on what the legal position is and other things of this kind.

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Yes, that's nice.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's our best means of advertising, that magazine.

Mahendra: Every day, the mail order department is delivering to the airport, or to the post office, a big stack of books to be mailed out.

Prabhupāda: So why not ask them to make a post office here, ISKCON post office?

Svarūpa: Each day fifty letters are coming. Some are inquiries, some are orders. (break) ...program Prabhupāda, we continue writing letters to these people, until they become devotees.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: One young man in Tokyo or some airport, very nice young man. He came. I was sitting. "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "Yes." So, "I have seen your photograph. Where you have got so much vast knowledge?" (laughs) And I..., "It is not my knowledge; it is Vyāsadeva's knowledge." So his first question was, intelligent boy.

Hari-śauri: He'd obviously read fair amounts of your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is a house, four-story?

Hari-śauri: That one's three-story.

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

Prabhupāda: And there is another problem, Irish problem. The Irish men, they are dropping bombs in London, in daytime. Creating always disturbance.

Gopavṛndapāla: I was in London just recently, and in the airport, where we distribute books, you cannot put your bag of books down because the police will come, hold you, and say, "You have a bomb in your bag." You must always keep it on your shoulder. And there are signs about every fifty feet, saying "Do not leave luggage unattended" because they are thinking anything which is unattended is a possible bomb.

Prabhupāda: London airport is very congested.

Magazine Interview -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: When Prabhupāda is there, for us it's the most, it's like our life has come back.

Guest: I was at the airport when he came in, and it was really quite joyous. There were about seven hundred devotees, I would say. The place was just vibrant.

Hari-śauri: They diverted all the other passengers somewhere else because they couldn't get into the room, there were so many devotees.

Rāmeśvara: The knowledge that Śrīla Prabhupāda is giving us is actually giving us our real reason to be alive. Most of us didn't know what the goal of life was. We had some ideas about this profession or that, but most of us had no real, you know, aim in life. And this philosophy and this knowledge has now given us proper direction. It's cleared up a lot of bad qualities that we may have had.

Interviewer: Is this your last trip to America?

Rāmeśvara: He's asking if this is your last visit.

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily.

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: That means they cannot improve the condition of the people. Just like at the airport, everyone is checked. There is no gentlemen. Why everyone is checked? That means the whole mass of people, they're all rogues and thieves. Therefore it is necessary to keep an ideal, an ideal class of men brāhmaṇas. Then people will follow. But there is no such.... Everyone is coolie. That's all. Everyone is. They are making everyone coolie. Coolie civilization. One officer came to see me in Perth, Australia. So I told him, this is a civilization of fourth-class men. You remember?

Devotee (2): We heard the tape.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs)

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: So they force them to eat fish now. (laughs) It's very bad.

Mādhavānanda: They are breeding.... In the airport we met one man; he is working on breeding a large bull, cattle. They breed cows for slaughter. So they are breeding now a very large cattle. They grow very, very.... it's called, instead of buffalo, they've named it beefalo.

Jayādvaita: They crossed buffalo.

Mādhavānanda: Crossbreed. And it is very huge bull. They raise it only for slaughtering, for getting a large quantity of meat. One bull, one buffalo, weighs hundreds and hundreds of pounds. And they sell it for half million dollars for one, so that they can breed it with others and make many. In the airports, when we are distributing books, we meet many farmers who have slaughter ranches. Whenever they say "farmer," usually it's for slaughtering. (break)

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Mādhavānanda: Now everyone wants to travel by air. In some large cities, the airports are so crowded, there is so much traffic overhead, that now they have to develop means of...

Prabhupāda: All accident takes place while coming down. Or while going up. On the sky there is no danger.

Devotee: They call it traffic control system in the sky. Just like there is traffic on the road, they call it the traffic control system. They have so much traffic in the air.

Prabhupāda: What they control?

Hari-śauri: They keep them flying around the airport until there's room for them to come in.

Prabhupāda: That already they are doing. When there is no space, they send news, that "Don't come down." So they come like this.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Mādhavānanda: Māyā-sukhāya.

Prabhupāda: So the airport is also becoming a problem.

Hari-śauri: Everything's a problem without Kṛṣṇa.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: When we are traveling on the road we see so much land not used. And we think "Why not take everyone out of the factories, let them plant fruit and flower trees along the roads all over the country and build beautiful ponds. So everyone can bathe when they walk, for refreshment." Just like in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I think Nṛsiṁha Brahmacārī, he was building a road for Lord Caitanya, very nicely.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No, they will create slaughterhouse, brothel, then liquor shop, gambling house. That's all.

Mādhavānanda: This is our biggest book distributor of the men-Pañca-tattva dāsa. One day in the airport he distributed three hundred Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams in one day. That is the record.

Prabhupāda: Hardbound Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Pañca-tattva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: How did you sell so many? Unless you have got supernatural power.

Mādhavānanda: Kṛṣṇa empowered him.

Prabhupāda: Actually, it is not.... It is uncommon.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: And you give the book?

Mādhavānanda: Yes. It is like magic. Kṛṣṇa is trying to help them also.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: One big lawyer, he is fighting us for not going to the airports. He is working for the airlines. So he was going on a pleasure trip to Las Vegas from New York. So his friend gave him five dollars and said, "When you come to a good charity, give this—it will give you good luck." So he took the five dollars, got on the plane, went to Las Vegas, gets off the plane, goes into the terminal, and a young man comes up to him, says, "We are doing very good work. Please give a donation." He said, "Oh, my friend has given me five dollars, so here is a good cause." Gives the five dollars to the boy, he said: "Oh, here, take this book also." So he, "All right." He goes and sits in the car, opens the book, he said, "Oh, no!

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Māyā's harassing, that means you are not in devotional service. It is not concoction; it is fact.

Devotee (1): (indistinct) We're having a lot of trouble distributing books in the airports now.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What is the difficulty?

Devotee (1): It just seems legal problems. People don't like us there.

Mādhavānanda: People are opposing more. As our movement grows more and more, people want to check.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Devotee (1): ...trying to get it open in the terminals, and there's a possibility of maybe getting forty devotees inside the airport to distribute your books.

Prabhupāda: So, that is favorable. (break)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: ...so powerful, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that all over the country young men are running away from home. We have one fifteen-year-old boy, he left everything after getting a book in a parking lot. Another boy is a sculptor, an artist. He's also runaway, seventeen years old. Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, once he was attracted by Lord Caitanya's movement, nothing could keep him at home. So all the young men of America, as they read your books, will come and join us.

Prabhupāda: Our books are prescribed as textbook in Hamburg University.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Eastern Berlin.

Prabhupāda: East Berlin. As Sanskrit text.

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

Prabhupāda: Hour and half?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Kīrtanānanda: To the airport from Toronto?

Hari-śauri: From leaving Toronto, we left one o'clock, and we arrived at, it was about two hours. We arrived just after three.

Kīrtanānanda: Some devotees were there from Buffalo?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. (break)

Kīrtanānanda: ...had a very nice place for you.

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

Prabhupāda: Carl, yes. He has left. Washington directly? This road?

Kīrtanānanda: Not Washington, D.C., this is Washington, Pennsylvania.

Prabhupāda: This is Pennsylvania state?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. The girls were saying that today at the airport was the most demoniac day they ever had.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Kīrtanānanda: Today was the most demoniac day at the airport they've ever had. They're getting very, very nasty. Every time they talked to someone, they come up and they say, "Don't take it. Don't take it. They're ripping you off. They're 'Moon' people."

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Just see how forcefully they are being kept into ignorance, and we want to give knowledge, they don't, won't allow. This is government. So anyway, it is good news that our books are being read in that way. That means people are very eager, but they are being suppressed by the so-called government. What is the wrong there, that they cannot read these books publicly, because there is God? What is the wrong? When I was in Moscow airport, as soon as they found Bhagavad-gītā, they called police, the customs checking. The foolish man was kind enough, he said, "Not serious offense. Don't send him in the concentration camp." They can do. In Russia, even if you are foreigner, they can immediately send you to the concen..., without any knowledge, they don't care for your embassy or your... Such a rascal state, there is no civilized method.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Oh. His father came to see me in London.

Kulaśekhara: He used to chauffeur you in his car. He would drive you in his car from the airport.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kulaśekhara: He is a good man, but he's not intelligent.

Prabhupāda: No, he'll profit by your activities. Kṛṣṇa will give concession to your family. Because you are Vaiṣṇava, everyone will get the profit.

Kulaśekhara: In London you said thirteen generations.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He was one of the richest men in the world, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was owning all the..., like aircraft, they are making, the jet airplanes, and he was a movie star in his youth, and he had many beautiful women, fabulous wealth, he owned hotels all over the world, airplanes, airports, but...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At the end of his life he didn't even mix with women so much though. He became very despondent and depressed. He was like a hermit.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He was afraid of germs.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

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

Vipina: Our distributors were in the airport not long ago, and they distributed a book to a man who has just recently written a book called The Fourth Kingdom. And he stopped off to visit our temple and talk with us because he was impressed with the devotees and the literature, and he would like to come and speak to you.

Prabhupāda: You have arranged some engagement?

Vipina: Yes. If it's all right with you, he'll come. He's very nice, but he has some mixed-up ideas.

Prabhupāda: Everyone has mixed-up ideas because nobody is properly trained up. Some ideas they have got, some inquiries they have got. But unless one comes to the right person, he cannot be enlightened. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore one must approach the proper guru.

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

Woman guest: I've known two people who went into it, and I was at a meeting when you were on Q Street. And I've always liked it.

Eugene Thoreau: I have found it strangely appealing. I met it by accident at an airport, and one of the devotees gave me a flower, and I was struck by it. So I happen to be a lawyer and I offered my services, and I got a call just a few days after that.

Prabhupāda: Open the fan.

Carl Warentz: I find it interesting.

Vṛṣākapi: You like this speed, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should we turn this on for you?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āp? (Hindi, "You?")

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do they own or lease it?

Rāmeśvara: They lease. The city builds it and they lease it from the city.

Prabhupāda: What is the name of this airport?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: La Guardia.

Prabhupāda: La Guardia, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are three airports.

Prabhupāda: I think these buildings are not ten years ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. New York has three airports.

Rāmeśvara: This is the oldest airport.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, first of all you take your answer one by one. You say, "against the family." It is a wrong. It is a wrong propaganda. Oh, there are so many families in our society. It is a society. There are family members. There are brahmacārīs. There are sannyāsīs and vānaprastha. Whatever situation is suitable for you, you can accept, and in any situation, you can become God conscious. That's a wrong propaganda, that we are against family. Here is a wife of a boy. They have family. There are so many families. Why do you say like that, "We are against family? It's a wrong. You should note it especially that this type of criticism is envious. It is not proper. We invite all families, children, husband, wife, "Come on. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Interviewer: I've been accosted at airports, on streets, places like that by devotees, and I've been told that you operate drug centers and a number of other things.

Prabhupāda: Drug centers?

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But our people are all free from all that drug disease.

Rāmeśvara: He is saying that he has simply met devotees at airports and other places where they approach him to maybe ask for some contribution, to see if he's interested, and they say that they are representing some drug center, something like that. So what's the question?

Interviewer: Well, and they think how to sell literature and... Is that the way to God consciousness, by selling and soliciting? Is that...?

Prabhupāda: No, no, if you are...

Interviewer: How does that fit in?

Morning Walk -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That walking place?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda will be leaving for the airport tonight.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: About six-fifteen at the latest.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Six, six-fifteen.

Rāmeśvara: Oh, yes, six o'clock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādi-keśava, you have to make arrangements, garlands, flowers, devotees. (break) ...museum.

Prabhupāda: Which museum?

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: No, in the village there must be.

Bhagavān: The trouble is if you get sick along the way.

Jayatīrtha: On the way back from the airport we had to stop twice.

Bhagavān: Anyway, that trip to India is also long, eight hours. It's also long.

Hari-śauri: Thing is Prabhupāda is thinking that if he has to go to India anyway, so he may as well go straight there.

Bhagavān: The thing is you may be bothered in India. There are so many people who come, even though you say no. Even though you say no, there's always people.

Prabhupāda: No, the present problem is that I cannot go out.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: We can arrange things.

Jayatīrtha: Bhagavān, we should.... Couldn't we somehow arrange it so that Prabhupāda doesn't have to go through the heavy traffic to the airport?

Hari-śauri: We'll have to see what time they're flying.

Jayatīrtha: Every hour. All right, so you're sure that this is...

Prabhupāda: No, I want some nice water, digestive. Let us see there.

Jayatīrtha: Here the water is not good?

Prabhupāda: No, no, I don't say it is not good, but...

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, but if you or somebody argues, "Where is Lenin? You are.... Why you are worshiping? You cannot see Lenin..." Because they say, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa? You are worshiping a statue," so we can say the same thing, "Where is your Lenin? The statue, it is?" In the airport station, street crossing and everywhere there is picture. And they go to worship Lenin's tomb every day. Many other fools also go there, tourists, that Red Square. They tried in India for Jawaharlal Nehru's tomb, for Gandhi's tomb. So in the beginning there was little crowd. Now nobody goes. But Vṛndāvana, Govindaji's temple, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple? Without invitation-crowd. This is culture. (loud chanting begins in background)

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Harikeśa: We were just deciding whether.... I think it's easier in Geneva, because the airport is only fifteen minutes from the temple.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Harikeśa: In Geneva. The temple and the airport are very close, and there's a direct plane on Friday from Geneva to Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Oh. How many hours?

Harikeśa: About seven.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, that is also nice.

Harikeśa: So we're just going to decide after this which is exactly the best thing to do.

Prabhupāda: That is also nice. Which day the...?

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Yogeśvara: I haven't seen any new devotees come from London, so probably not.

Harikeśa: No, it was air-freighted, it's sitting in the Paris airport.

Yogeśvara: It is? How do you know?

Harikeśa: Portal's in Paris airport, no?

Hari-śauri: Well, it was there at ten o'clock this morning. Did they pick it up?

Prabhupāda: That don't mind labor. You try to grow portal here. You have got greenhouse.

Devotee: Some bitter melons. Some karelā melons.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is happening in Japan and other places. They put, and when the obnoxious smell comes, they open it and they find. Mother has become so kind. They put in a box and lock it up.

Hari-śauri: Airport lockers.

Prabhupāda: These are happening. But when you talk of that "You learn how to become brahmacārī," that they will refuse. This is the position. The aftereffect is very, very bad, either you get legally or illegally. Legally, we have to raise the children very nicely. Otherwise, they will, unwanted children, create so much trouble. You have to take care for their proper education, of their clothes.(?) We say, "Never mind, you have got children, give them proper education, make them devotees, make their life successful." We cannot say that "You kill them." That we cannot say. That is not possible. Neither we can pack them in the, what is that box?

Hari-śauri: Lockers.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: You cannot expect favorable situation. It is not possible. When I came in America, I never expected any favorable situation. I wrote that poetry in disappointment, that "Who will accept this?" That is the position. By Kṛṣṇa's grace, gradually it will become a favorable situation, but don't expect any favorable situation. You have to handle unfavorable situation and make favorable situation to preach. That is preaching. Any business. (to devotee fanning:) Just on the head. Just see, there is flies. So Nityānanda Prabhu, He went to preach to Jagāi-Mādhāi. There was no favorable situation. They were drunkards. They caused injury on the body of Nityānanda Prabhu. So this is preaching with only unfavorable situation. You cannot expect favorable situation. And still you have to preach. That is preaching. They will speak like madmen, so many things. They are mad, after all. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). They have no sense. All materialistic persons are madmen. Still, by the order of superior, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we have to do this preaching work. Actually, the American boys are fighting against so many unfavorable situations. They are sometimes beaten in the airport, you know that? Still they are preaching; that is preaching, that is preaching. "The unfavorable situation, so let me give it up," that is not preaching. Yes, we must know that there is unfavorable situation, still I have to. That depends on your brain, how to tackle. You cannot expect favorable situation.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That means you are violate the laws of God. Every place is God's place, so you're all God's sons. You can go anywhere. Unless I do something harm, you cannot check me. In the airport, everyone is checked. That means everyone is dishonest. Nowadays everyone is checked. So in the airport, the passengers, at least it is to be supposed they are paying so much fare, they are all respectable gentlemen. But nobody is to be trusted. They are all dishonest. This is your position. Even though you are outwardly respectable gentlemen, the airport authorities accept you as dishonest, to be checked. This is the effect of your education, everyone is dishonest. (lamb crying in background) Why the lamb is crying? Eh? The lamb?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they have lamb.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Sixth. So we are finishing fifth only?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are finished will be six stories. Pardon?

Prabhupāda: Only fifth, up floors?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, you can't go more than that. This is near the airport. Now they've introduced a new law that you can't go even below this. What we did is the new law has just come into effect, and so we did the slabs in the night.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a new law which reduces the height even further. You can't have any big buildings in Bombay now.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gurukṛpā: He's a life member from Bangalore. He was one of our first members in South India.

Prabhupāda: I saw you? Give them prasāda.

Indian man: Last night at the airport.

Devotee: They had prasāda.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi or Bengali)

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya
jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ
aprāṇasyeva dehasya
maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam

Without bhagavad-bhakti, this so-called advancement of civilization is simply decorating the dead body.

Guest: Correct. Cent percent correct.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of decorating the dead body?

Room Conversation with Pandita from Tirupati and Government Minister -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Minister: So when shall we meet?

Prabhupāda: As you like.

Minister: I'll come to Delhi.

Prabhupāda: So if you are coming to the airport, then we shall talk further. That all. Thank you very much. You have taken little prasādam?

Minister: Yes, I have.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. (end)

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

Prabhupāda: In every big city...

Krishna Modi: Five or ten, they should go with all their expenses.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They can stay at our temples. Wherever they go. We will pick them up at the airport and bring them to the temple.

Krishna Modi: Pre-arrangement should be done by our, this thing, this transport and fooding and lodging.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Local transport and...

Krishna Modi: That is. So that I may fix up this program with the...

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Interviewer: One American professor who is a teacher of Hinduism there, in some of the universities you mentioned, she said, I asked him a question about ISKCON, and she said, "Well this thing is creating a bad impression in the sense that people are accosted everywhere, in the streets, on the airport, at the bus stand. They accost you and force you to buy their literature, to buy their books. And this is creating a revulsion.

Prabhupāda: So why you are forced? Suppose as preaching work... In our childhood we saw the Christian preachers were also standing on the road. So if we stand on the road and preach and sell our books what is the fault?

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jagadīśa: "Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Māyāpur project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world's largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understanding..." (break) ...civilization.

Dr. Kneupper: It sounds like a beautiful project. That is near Bombay, now?

Prabhupāda: No, that is near Calcutta.

Dr. Kneupper: Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: About sixty miles.

Dr. Kneupper: Have they progressed much now?

Room Conversation -- November 18, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, on the whole there is now attempt to stop this movement. (break) ...but in... We have made so many court cases. Now, only loss we are feeling now—in some airports they have stopped our book selling. So formerly also, they were stopped and again revived.

Hari-śauri: Legally we haven't been stopped in any airport, I don't think.

Prabhupāda: Legally we have been stopped?

Jagadīśa: In Los Angeles, in Dallas and Atlanta.

Prabhupāda: Legally?

Hari-śauri: But that's only temporarily, I think.

Room Conversation -- November 18, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, since His birth struggled. (laughs)

Jagadīśa: We had harassment from the police in Montreal for two years. Sometimes they even beat up the devotees. They have put them into jail...

Prabhupāda: They have beaten even our book sellers in airports.

Hari-śauri: Chicago.

Jagadīśa: And the police mistreat the devotees. But still, the devotees continue and now in Montreal there's no trouble.

Prabhupāda: They crucified Jesus, what to speak of devotees. Prahlāda Mahārāja was persecuted, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. I think I shall not go to Europe, America, for some time. (laughter)

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

Mr. Malhotra: Ācchā, then I said "What is this?" "This is śikhā." I said, "Well what it is meant for?" So he said "Well, this is the..." What he told me was this exactly, that the aerial of knowledge. He said that this is the aerial of knowledge. I said is it your own interpretation. No, but I think that I feel that way. This is the aerial of knowledge. (break) ...that "You come have prasādam in the morning." So next day we had to leave actually. So in the morning busy going to airport. Then I met in this New York. Then when I came to Europe, then I was sitting in one restaurant in London, and then a big group of about 15, 18, 20 devotees, they were having a good chanting, and they were...

Prabhupāda: Our men regularly go on the Oxford St.

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

Prabhupāda: Virāṭ. Bṛhatyad, brnhanatya iti brahman.(?) Not only the largest, but increasing. That is Brahman. Bṛhatya brnghanatya.(?) I'm very much thankful to you. So you arrange immediately. (Hindi)

Guest (5): I will send a message today and you will let me know the date. They will come and receive you either at the Benares airport or here at Allahabad station. Because it's not far away from Allahabad.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I know. I was in Allahabad for thirteen years.

Guest (5): I know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Kumbha-mela we had every year.

Guest (5): First of all, you see, we have taken just near Yamunā bridge. As soon as the pilgrims come from various parts of the country we have got a...

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: OK, then it is...

Indian man: Kodekana is outside (indistinct).

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, is there a train station or airplane, airport?

Indian man: Railway may be going, but even that will be zigzag.

Prabhupāda: Simla, er, Darjeeling is not so zigzag but big, big loops (?).

Indian man: Loops are big. Roads are very difficult. Kodekana there is no train. In Ootacamund there is a train.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Kodekana there is no train at all?

Prabhupāda: No, there is train from Madras.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Chambur, I stayed there for a week. So almost on head, aeroplanes.

Dr. Patel: They come this way and they, on the head on Santa Cruz. Few of them are like that... (break) ...New York.

Prabhupāda: Kennedy airport? There are two, three airports. (break) ...forget spiritual body. Next time he is going to be dog. That he does not know.

Dr. Patel: (laughs) Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, sir. Even dog has in his day. There is the dominance of God.

Prabhupāda: No, no. We don't hate dog. We say that this life is meant for getting release from this repetition of birth and death. Otherwise punaḥ punaś carvita... Either you become a dog or a hog or a man or a god. The business is āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithuna... (break) (bell rings)

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: From the Mela the train starting?

Gurudāsa: Yes. Some going.

Prabhupāda: There is some temporary station.

Gurudāsa: Yes. And they're even making a temporary airport from the 14th on.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Gurudāsa: In Allahabad.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Dr. Patel: Allahabad has got an airport already.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Formerly there was airport. The place is called Babroli.

Dr. Patel: You must have seen all these places. You lived there for twenty years.

Gurudāsa: Thirteen or twenty years?

Prabhupāda: Thirteen years.

Dr. Patel: That is sufficient long time to know a place. At that time what was the population of Allahabad? About ten lakhs?

Prabhupāda: No, not so.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are not inviting us.

Rāmeśvara: No.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's all private property.

Rāmeśvara: Our book-selling is going on on the public property, like the airports. But the stores and the shopping centers are privately owned, so it's illegal. Sometimes our men will do it anyway, take a chance in disguise.

Prabhupāda: So they are taking risk for Kṛṣṇa. That is great service. Kṛṣṇārthe 'khila ceṣṭaḥ. That is one of the valuable service—for Kṛṣṇa's sake, all kinds of dangerous position. Somebody's knocking.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll explain this to Rāmeśvara, and if he approves, then... Because now we have just finished hundred thousand Gītār Gāns...

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: This is Mr. Sharma, the head technician at the airport, radar.

Prabhupāda: When I went to your MIT, I challenged that "Where is that technological department where a dead man can be brought into life?" It was interesting speech. The students gathered. This body is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā as machine. Do you know that? This body is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā as machine. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Rāmeśvara: Now they say if we are thinking of our members to be gentlemen, then why is it when they go to the airports they are bothering so many people?

Prabhupāda: They are not bothering; they are educating. You take... A rascal, when he is advised... A thief when he's advised, "Kindly do not become a thief," he takes it botheration, but that is good advice.

Rāmeśvara: They say it is invasion of privacy.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Why privacy?

Rāmeśvara: They say every man has the right to think the way he wants.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore I have go the right to think like that.

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Rāmeśvara: And we gave this proof, another proof that our movement is transcendental to all material obstacles and impediments, that this year in America there was spiraling inflation and unemployment, and the cost of living was therefore rising like anything, but our books, in defiance of all these material trends, were being printed in larger quantities, but the temples were paying less for the books than ever before. And even though all the major airports were closed for, a minimum, six months or more, the hardbound book distribution—we just looked at the numbers-actually increased by one hundred percent.

Prabhupāda: So it is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. "You can do all kinds of opposition, but we shall go forward. The caravan will pass. You may bark." So take all these things as Kṛṣṇa's mercies and engage more enthusiastically. Why should we be defeated? Yuddhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Just remember Kṛṣṇa and fight. Bas. Fighting is... This material world is fighting. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). The karṣati is struggle, but struggle for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. That's all

Rāmeśvara: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Oh, long distance.

Gargamuni: Yes. Very long flight. So I was number 15,000 on the list. Everybody camped out at the airport. Because of the war everyone wanted to leave. So there was a line of 15,000 people. They gave me my number. I was 15,000. So we waited at the airport. I said, "I can't wait here," because the bombs were dropping and the tanks were coming and the troops were coming and... I said, "I gotta get out of here." So I spoke with the commander, and I played him a tape of kīrtana. I had a tape, and they... All the officers, they were Mussulmen from Pakistan, and they started clapping: "Oh, kīrtana." You know. So I asked him, "Could you allow me to go on board before all the others? There's no use in us staying here. Who knows what will happen? We are foreigners." We were dressed as sādhus also. So he allowed us to go on in front of everyone. So we managed to leave.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just like here it happened, Hindi and English. That enviousness is always there. I have seen in Montreal. All the officers, they are speaking in French. They won't talk in English. Airport. Purposefully. And there was fight, regular fight between these French speaking and English speaking, riot. People are so foolish. So it is bilingual. In everything, English and French. If you put one notice, it must be in English and French, as here (chuckling) they in the provincial language, Oriya, and Hindi, state language, and English for outsiders-three languages. You'll see in the railway station the local language and the Hindi language and English. Actually people take advantage of the English language and little more from the Hindi. Local language nobody knows. Just like we do not know what is Oriya.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: June.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We lost an airport in court, book distribution. That was just before I left. So people are trying to be very critical, especially in these different circles, with the New York problem and all these symptoms, becoming very critical.

Prabhupāda: Critical means they are taking this movement now seriously.

Gargamuni: Yes. It is coming up because their sons and daughters are joining.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Critical means our triumph.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They know we have some substance now.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now arrange for big festival. There is a program, Manipur. I want to start in that small state varṇāśrama idea. That is my dream. Small state it can be done, brāhmaṇa, kṣatri... So when you arrived in the airport?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we first... The airplane that we came on landed in Delhi, and we went down to Bombay yesterday morning. So we stayed the day in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: You have seen the progress?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Going on all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but I don't think it will be finished by... They say Daśaratha, but I have my doubts.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This is very dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of our devotees in California was kidnapped out of the airport. She was distributing books in the airport in San Francisco, and because the court gave an order to the parents that "For thirty days you can take your daughter and commit her," so they have brought her to Arizona, where they have a special center set up for deprogramming, legal psychological tests. So for thirty days they ran these... They did some... We don't know what's going on there, some horrible things. Now the girl has sent a letter, and it showed that she is no longer in a devotional attitude. She said, "I'm very glad that I was rescued.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: ...in the airport. And this caused big sensation, because never, even when big Indian gurus have come to South Africa, never have any whites bowed down. It was the first time whites bowed down to...

Prabhupāda: They clapped. After hearing me they clapped. They purchased books. Now they are selling books. So I think my books are more important. We shall give more concentration for pushing on and publishing. What do you think?

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Huh? Suitcase stolen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Calcutta at the... There's a big hotel at the airport, and he left his bags there, three bags. And when he came back, one of them was gone with all of his wife's jewelries. Hindustan Hotel, I think it's called. Yeah, Hindustan, that big airport hotel. When you go down to Māyāpur by that road there's a big hotel near the airport.

Prabhupāda: I do not remember, but may be.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So. Anyway, he's lodged a complaint with the Tea Board because he's a big tea importer, so he has connections. So he's lodged a complaint with the Tea Board. They're so dishonest. Even this is the five-star hotel. It's a big hotel in Calcutta, one of the two or three best, and they're so dishonest that as soon as a foreigner comes, they can figure out where the valuables are and they steal it. And most people will let them get away with it. He may not, because he's got so many connections. But it's so dishonest. Even they make an attempt to cultivate tourism and be professional but-spoiled.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Our real damage is there. Otherwise let them do whatever they like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I want to explain that. In other words... I'll give you an example. Now they have learned that the way they can hurt us is through book distribution. They're understanding that. For example, now in about three or four different cities they are going to the airports where we do our big book distribution. And three or four people are engaged to break up all the sales. This happened in Chicago, it happened in San Diego and it happened in Minneapolis all within the last two or three months.

Hari-śauri: Still happening there?

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They cannot.

Hari-śauri: If we give them a good beating they wouldn't come back again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes we did that. There was one man, very, very big demon, who was breaking up all the sales in one airport. So finally the devotees hired a professional man, and this professional watched how this man went home, and after about a month of observing him, this professional man hid himself near the man's garage, so when the man came back home—after disturbing our sales for five months—the professional beat him very severely.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is allowed. That is within Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are doing that, because the policemen and others are beating our men in the airports sometimes. We are getting hit and beaten. Tripurāri sometimes was punched in the face. Many times it has happened to him. He has been beaten for distributing.

Prabhupāda: We can also do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And it's so horrible that when this happens... Just like...

Prabhupāda: No, best thing is we find out another venue. But if there is possible, we can also give. It is very nice, example: fight and give him some lesson. There are many examples. The Pāṇḍavas did it.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari-śauri: No, we were out at the farm.

Prabhupāda: No, we were staying, but he supplied his car. But he came to airport.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to supply some good man for Fiji.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva was speaking that some proper person for teaching them pūjā...

Hari-śauri: This boy...

Prabhupāda: Trained, very trained.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu was mentioning that he met Upendra.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Where?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In the airport, Calcutta airport. He arrived last night, but somehow his luggage was left in Bombay airport. So the luggage is coming tonight at seven o'clock for Bombay-Calcutta flight, and he told me that he's coming after, a taxi. So he'll be arriving about nine o'clock tonight.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He has received that telegram.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Hawaii.

Prabhupāda: He is coming from Hawaii?

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, there is no need of coming. We are going.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) It's hard to reach him. He's...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In the airport.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) ...stationed in the Calcutta airport.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have quite a big entourage now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Scientist...

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore I thought it. Ideal Vaiṣṇava state. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they are doing very nicely, and people will be surprised, "Oh." There is no question of hatred. It is division for proper discharge of duty.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But I saw in the airport, the policemen, they have this tilaka.

Prabhupāda: Tilaka.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Policemen, they are dressed, but they have tilaka.

Prabhupāda: Manipur? Manipur?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Manipur. And always give respect. Though I am nobody, but...

Prabhupāda: Tilaka.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Everyone likes.

Rāmeśvara: (aside:) They're coming in this morning.

Gargamuni: The jumbo jet arrived. There was at least one hundred dignitaries of Air India, TV, radio, watching the plane land on the airport.

Prabhupāda: When it is arriving?

Gargamuni: It arrived around 4:30 this morning. First time jumbo jet landing. They said, "Very good landing."

Prabhupāda: Has to be. Sky was clear also. I was very much doubtful about the sky, but Kṛṣṇa's mercy... Today there is no fog.

Brahmānanda: Yesterday it was all overcast.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, then two...

Gargamuni: And he said, "It is thanks to your society that this is landing now." He thanked us.

Rāmeśvara: Some reporters were also speaking with me at the airport, and I told them, "Don't think that Air India can bring planeloads of people to Bengal. Don't think that they can attract people to land in Calcutta. But only because of Lord Caitanya, we are making so much propaganda that by the planeload they want to come to Bengal." He was writing these notes. The whole credit goes to Lord Caitanya, we were saying.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Otherwise no one would want to come.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And you did not send to the reporters and the...? No.

Hari-śauri: Did you give these figures to the reporters at the airport?

Rāmeśvara: Well, we want to have a press conference tomorrow.

Gargamuni: We're going to have... At the Calcutta Book Fair we finished decorating our pandal. It promises to be very successful. We're just opposite the Americans, who have spent fifty thousand rupees, the American Embassy. And next door to us is the German Embassy, and on the other side is the British Embassy. So we're in a very good spot, and we'll have all our books. We'll have the displays as well as the movie, the BBT movie, and we have our men there, who will take orders and sell books. It starts tomorrow afternoon. And we'll have a press conference also and release these figures.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: East.

Bali-mardana: Eastern coast of Australia. And it is twenty-five minutes from the airport. So it is very easy to get to. It is right near all of the resorts where the Australians go for going to the beach and vacation during the winter months.

Prabhupāda: One can get good appetite?

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes. Tonight very nice fruits.

Prabhupāda: Nowadays I cannot eat.

Bali-mardana: Mango is growing on the property.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you maintain cows and get ghee.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: That is the center of the gambling in America.

Hṛdayānanda: Gambling, prostitution, intoxication.

Rāmeśvara: The whole city is managed by criminals. But they have given us permission to sell books in the airport.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: Then... Also, Rāmeśvara permission to open in the summer to cover these national parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. In South America, Pañcadraviḍa Swami permission for the next year to open Monterrey, Mexico; Guatemala, and Panama; Medellin, Columbia. Hṛdayānanda dāsa Gosvāmī, permission for a few cities in Brazil, Bolivia, and Valencia, Venezuela. In Europe, Bhagavān dāsa given permission to open centers in Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; and Harikeśa Swami has already started centers in Berlin, Zurich, Helsinki, Hamburg and... Rockshaw?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lunch prasādam.

Girirāja: Well, see he's coming because he is a leader in the municipal corporation, and tomorrow they are electing the new mayor. So I was thinking that probably on the way to the airport in the evening we could invite him to stop here.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: Otherwise, he is coming back on the 8th to spend about a week here.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Girirāja: But he is very enthusiastic.

Prabhupāda: Very good. He is a good boy.

Girirāja: He said, "I am all out for this movement. I am all out for Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: Send him this remark from the chief minister. He'll so much appreciate.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We read in the papers today that there is talk that Sanjay Gandhi and his mother may run from the country, because the government has launched many investigations into the malpractices of Sanjay Gandhi. So the government has ordered the security on all the borders to be very tight.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the airports now they are making special security, especially to check any politicians who might try to escape the country, due to being investigated.

Guest (1): Their passports are also taken away. That's what I have heard.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were, in themselves, the most exalted, and now they are treated as criminals.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Times of India you saw that starlight or side light or something, about Indira Gandhi. In today's paper, Indira Gandhi had gone to a ten-day function at one of the African embassies. She went with her daughter-in-law, and nobody even noticed her. Only fifteen minutes after she left the function did the host realize that Indira Gandhi had come. She went to a party, she stayed there, and she left and the host did not know that "Indira Gandhi is here." That shows how material nature changes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It also shows that actually she had no value, because one who is actually great doesn't lose his value simply by losing an election.

Prabhupāda: Vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. Vidvatāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana.(?) She is not a learned man. She occupied the royal seat. That honor was so long there, the royal seat. And who will be honor her?

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This court case has not stopped them from deprogramming. It has established... It's a precedent case, which makes it very difficult. But they can still try. In different states they are still pressing for other laws. It wasn't...

Prabhupāda: But the airport authorities, they're also coming favorably.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Gradually they'll come. We haven't got to be afraid of all, anything. That is the point.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the point. Yeah. Just like the...

Prabhupāda: We have not minimized our program.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we're increasing our program.

Morning Talk -- June 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I received directly such congratulations in the airport many times. Many times.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People would come up to you.

Prabhupāda: I think in Japan I have got. One European boy came. He came: "How you have got so much knowledge, sir?" His inquiry was that. In Dum Dum Airport some gentleman came, Indian. The thing is, knowledge was there. It was not presented. (pause) (aside:) He'll take one; you take. (break) Hm? Kṛṣṇa asked the gopīs that "You can take your cloth, one after another. You have done a great fault. Naked, you are taking your bath. So just offer to the deity namaskāra." (laughs) Chastised: "You are very naughty. Why you are doing like this? I tell you, this is for your good." So they did it. (pause) Gopījana-vallabha. (pause) Kṛṣṇa's naughty activities... In every neighboring house they would come, Mother Yaśodā, friends, and they'll repeat Kṛṣṇa's naughty activities, and Mother Yaśodā, stopping all household business, she would hear.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja made one life member aboard the train, a very nice gentleman living on Marine Drive, quite wealthy. He says he never takes the train, only flies. But he went to the airport at four o'clock, and the airport said, "We have no flights. All flights cancelled." They didn't even give the courtesy to call up the people to tell them the flight was cancelled, although they had the telephone numbers of the ticket purchasers. So the man had to take the train.

Prabhupāda: The strike instrument invented by modern civilization, so dangerous.

Hari-śauri: Means the government becomes completely controlled by the lowest working class.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That kavirāja did not come?

Upendra: What happened? No one knows. They left. They say he left Calcutta at twelve o'clock flight.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I could have gone to the airport. Maybe they are coming tomorrow on the train, Taj Express?

Upendra: No, by air they came.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, from Delhi. I thought that maybe he didn't know that, Adri...? If it starts from Calcutta at twelve o'clock, it should be arriving at Delhi about two o'clock.

Upendra: Then let's say one hour, then three to here.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I am prepared also. How many hours it will take altogether?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By plane?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It will take three hours to the Delhi airport. Then it will take..., say, three hours, then one hour before take-off is four hours. Two hours on the flight is six hours, and three hours to Māyāpur, total...

Bhavānanda: No. Four hours to Māyāpur, 'cause we'll go slow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, within ten hours from this bed to your bed in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Ten hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maximum.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ten hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maximum.

Prabhupāda: How ten hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Three hours from here to the Delhi airport. One hour at the Delhi airport makes four hours.

Prabhupāda: You are going to Delhi airport in three hours. Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then one hour waiting for the plane to take off. That's four hours. Two hours for the plane. That's six hours. And three to four hours to go to Māyāpur. Three hours to go to Māyāpur.

Bhavānanda: It always takes four hours.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (to Bhavānanda:) But that's four hours from the Calcutta temple, not from Dum Dum. No, I'm telling you, you don't have to go through Calcutta at all.

Bhavānanda: It only takes half an hour to get to the airport, and we'll go slow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then four hours from the Calcutta airport to Māyāpur. Total of ten hours.

Prabhupāda: Four hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I'm arguing this point with Bhavānanda Mahārāja, but he insists that he knows, so I'm accepting his statement. Three to four hours.

Bhavānanda: Because the road is...

Bhakti-caru: Yes, it's not so good now.

Bhavānanda: So if you go too fast, then it's too bumpy. If you go slow, then it's reasonable.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Mrs. De at the airport?

Śatadhanya: At the airport that Mrs. De, who... I think she met you previously. She had told you, "I am also a De."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember when we flew to Bombay that lady helped us for getting special seating?

Śatadhanya: So she very kindly made all the nice arrangements at the airport. There was a big caravan with flowers to take you to Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You expected Prabhupāda on that plane?

Śatadhanya: Yes. We had the car out. Everyone was expecting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They couldn't get through in time to tell them you weren't coming, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so they were all ready at the airport with the cars.

Prabhupāda: So we failed to catch.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whether he can purchase? If you don't go to Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all of Māyāpur will come here to be with you. Now, if you get a little stronger, we can go.

Śatadhanya: Even the airport officials were disappointed. They were saying, "Where is our Guru Mahārāja?" I was shocked to hear them saying. "Where is our Guru Mahārāja?" They had purchased very nice fruits and vegetables of all different varieties, and Prabhupāda could choose which he liked-portal, jinga, so many things.

Prabhupāda: What other news?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What other news?

Śatadhanya: Everything is very nice there, very organized. Jayapatākā Mahārāja and Bhavānanda Mahārāja have organized it very nicely. Calcutta is very clean. Also Calcutta was prepared in case your Divine Grace was feeling tired. Then you could have stayed at Calcutta for a day or so and then gone on to Māyāpur. Many life members had come to the airport. Sita Ram Daga...

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we have to go soon, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Actually, to take you to different places is the greatest ecstasy, because there's no greater pleasure the devotees have than when you first arrive, they see you. Their feelings know no bounds. Airport arrivals have always been ecstatic over the years, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The newspapers always remark how ecstatic they are.

Prabhupāda: What is the condition of the road?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This road is hopeless. We have to find an alternate way.

Bhakti-caru: How about going from Mathurā to Delhi by train?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda, this morning you were asking for Bharadvāja? Here he is. We thought of a better way to go, Śrīla Prabhupāda, than car. We'll take the Taj Express from Mathurā to Delhi. It's quite a nice train ride. It takes only one hour and forty-five minutes, and it doesn't even stop one time.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: And then they have big caravan arranged, so from the airport or from Calcutta temple to Māyāpur there will be at least forty devotees going with Your Divine Grace to Māyāpur—the devotees who go and the devotees who greet you there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That we go in big numbers like that?

Bhavānanda: Then at Māyāpur there will be at least 150 devotees to greet you.

Page Title:Airport (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:29 of Apr, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=153, Let=0
No. of Quotes:153