Altar (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"altar" |"altars"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: It is temple, just there is Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity and it's very, a place of sanctuary. If you go there you'll find immediately some impulse of spiritual idealism.

Interviewer: Do you have altars?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you have any of the other things you find in the inside of churches?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, we have altars, we have pictures. We offer fruits, flowers, incense, and immediately, by combination of these things, there is some spiritual atmosphere, and there is chanting. So people enjoy it very nicely.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations -- April 22, 1972, Japan:

Prabhupāda: Any other questions?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Bhānu: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Since we are going to have three altars, then we should also have three different plates, a different plate for each altar?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is already known to you. Bhānu knows very well. You have seen in Los Angeles. Why three plates? If you can spare more plates for each, that will be nice. Just like one for Rādhā and for Kṛṣṇa, one for Jagannātha, one for Balarāma, one for Subhadrā, one for guru, one for Gaurāṅga, Pañca-tattva, five. If you can increase, you can manage, that is nice. Otherwise one plate to guru is sufficient. If you cannot spare. If you can spare, you can increase as many plates as you can. Otherwise one plate to guru is sufficient.

Morning Walk Conversation -- September 28, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: We go this way?

Jayatīrtha: Somebody sent some dust from the bhajan-kutir of the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, and he was wondering whether it could be put on the altar in some little brass box, on Lord Caitanya's altar.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Altar is the seat of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotee's dust cannot go there. (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The distance from...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Pañca-draviḍa: Harayana also.

Prabhupāda: Harayana also. (break)

Gurudāsa: ...Gaurāṅga altar. When he saw that picture, he said, "Why is the door closed in the Guru-Gaurāṅga altar?"

Prabhupāda: There is no closed. No, it is three doors are open. That is not Guru-Gaurāṅga, that is extra.

Gurudāsa: Oh, oh, I see.

Devotee (3): There is two extra. (break)

Prabhupāda: Not regularly.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Gurudāsa: Thirty.

Indian man: Thirty rooms.

Gurudāsa: Small, behind the altar.

Prabhupāda: But the temple is very nice. Well kept.

Indian man: Well kept.

Prabhupāda: It is colored nicely.

Devotee (3): If he gives to you, what will we make there?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta:

Devotee (1): They are bankrupt and we are billionaire in spiritual life. (pause) Tomorrow the professor of Sanskrit has made appointment, a lady from University of Indonesia. She speaks English very well also. (pause) I will go speak with them see if they can bring their altar. (offers obeisances) (break)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (1): Yes. He's very nice. Actually he wants to become initiated but he can't chant. The only thing he doesn't chant rounds...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Devotee (1): He says that if I do that I can't do my business and he has many reasons. For some ten days he chanted sixteen rounds and then he just stopped and now he doesn't chant at all. But he's very sincere. He works very hard.

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There are eight kinds of Deity. Picture is also Deity. Even the thinking of Kṛṣṇa within the mind, that is also Deity. But we are not so expert that within the mind we can worship the Deity. Just like yesterday I gave you the example, the brāhmaṇa. He was worshiping Deity within the mind. There was no temple, no Deity. But within the mind, everything he was doing. And he got salvation. So that depends on particular person, how to worship Deity. So far we are gross men. So we must have Deity worship. Otherwise you can worship Deity anywhere, sit down and think, just like this brāhmaṇa was thinking. Because Kṛṣṇa is available in any way, because He is everything. But the method must be there. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano (BG 7.4). So mind is also another material thing. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa's form within the body, mind, it is as good as you worship the Deity in the temples made of brass or wood or stone. Because both of them are Kṛṣṇa's energies. So whatever possible, He can accept. And that is Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore the energy is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can accept your service in any of these material. So-called material. Actually there is no material things. Material things means the desire for sense gratification. That is material. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—tāre bali 'kām (CC Adi 4.165).' That is material. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma. That is spiritual. So that picture, that must be kept in a nice altar, regularly ārati and everything should go on.

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Why they give so much authority to television?

Karandhara: Well, everyone watches it. So they just become indoctrinated.

Prajāpati: That is their altar in their home. It is in a permanent place in the center of their house, and they put flowers on top and they worship like that.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Umāpati: It's intoxication also.

Prabhupāda: After all, they accept authority. Either the doctor or the television, is it not?

Yaśomatīnandana: Now they should accept Bhagavad-gītā.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Richard Webster: Yes, I appreciate that very much. I only say is it not possible for things to be dedicated to God without actually being placed on the altar in that way? I mean what people may be doing that in different ways maybe...

Prabhupāda: No, thing is, if you want to offer to God, then—God is all-pure—the things you offer, that must be pure. And you must follow the instruction of God. Suppose if you want to give me something eatable, as a matter of etiquette, you ask me, "What can I offer you?" And if I say that "You offer me this thing, and that is very nice," you cannot offer me according to your whims. That may not be acceptable by Him.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Bernard Manischewitz -- March 5, 1975, New York:

Prabhupāda: Sacrifice means restriction. One meaning of sacrifice is: if you believe in the śāstra, the animal is going to get next life as a human being. Because he is being sacrificed under Vedic rituals, so he is given promotion immediately, to human life. So he is not loser. His body being sacrificed before the deity, he gets the opportunity of getting a human life immediately, for which he had to wait perhaps thousands and thousands of years, because the evolution will go. Of course, after animal life the next life is human life. So anyway, he is given the concession to get a human form of body immediately after this body is destroyed, and with the right that he has the right to kill the man who has killed him. That mantra is cited, that "He was sacrificing your life, so you get immediately human form of body, and you can kill this man." So this is the Vedic rituals. Another animal sacrifice is there just to make experiment of the Vedic mantra. An animal is sacrificed in the altar, and he is given again life, rejuvenated life.

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: So she said instead my other son is God. He is very... Also she was a little angry because Guru Maharaj-ji's wife, that American wife that he got, who used to be his secretary—after they were married, in all the temples, their ashrams all over the world, they used to have that Bal Yogeshwara's picture and then his mother's picture. But now they took the mother's picture down and put the wife's picture up. So the mother was very angry. Therefore she kicked them both out, and now her picture and another son is on the altar.

Prabhupāda: Another son. So they're accepting.

Paramahaṁsa: Oh, yes. He was actually popular anyway, the other son. He was almost as popular as Bal Yogeshwara. He's the older son. He's a jazz musician, so they like it.

Prabhupāda: Jazz? What is that jazz?

Room Conversation with Carol Cameron -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: But supposing Christ distributed fish, but did he say that we shall maintain regular slaughterhouse for killing animals?

Śrutakīrti: He was against that. He threw the men out of the temple, because they were selling lambs in the temple to be offered at the altar. So he kicked them out, saying this temple is not a place for selling animals for slaughter.

Paramahaṁsa: But in one place they say Christ encouraged fishermen. Because he came and the fishermen were fishing on one side of the boat, and Christ came along and said, "You are fishing on the wrong side of the boat." He said, "Put your nets on the other side, and you will get more fish." An they did that and they got huge amounts of fish. And so they were encouraged in their fish-eating in this way.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: (To Bon:) "You are also not tolerant. Why you have come here? Because you are envious. You are the most intolerant. You are blaspheming."

Satsvarūpa: Yes. He also said that on the altar in Toronto... It's an altar just like in all our temples. He said, "Lord Caitanya should not be there with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." They have them separated like...

Prabhupāda: Why? My Guru Mahārāja have so many Māyāpur temples, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Brahmānanda: All the Gauḍīya temples, they all have...

Bhāvānanda: Yogapīṭha has.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere.

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Satsvarūpa: One temple, St. Louis temple, has come to this festival, and they brought with them their installed Deities which are Gaura-Nitāi. I wasn't sure that was right of them to do that. And They're now on the altar of the Chicago temple, but the Deities are not in the St. Louis temple. Gaura...

Prabhupāda: That is closed?

Satsvarūpa: They left one man there. Better to keep the temple open with the Deities there or can the...?

Prabhupāda: No, no. When there is Deity, it must be taken care of.

Satsvarūpa: They should not be transported to another temple?

Prabhupāda: No, no harm.

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Why, if there is no Deity, what is the use of keeping one man? (break) ...is meant for Deity, not for man. (break)

Viṣṇujana: ...Dāmodara here for the festival. Is it all right for Them to go on Lord Jagannātha's altar while He is gone?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Viṣṇujana: Is it all right to put the Deities on the altar in the temple, on Lord Jagannātha's altar while He's gone?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...private houses or...?

Bhavānanda: Some of them are university and some are private. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the news we have got the "no objection" certificate.

Morning Walk -- July 7, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Deity or not?

Brahmānanda: Oh, no.

Jayatīrtha: No. They worship their scripture, though the Toraḥ. They keep it on one altar and then they bring it out.

Brahmānanda: Once a year.

Jayatīrtha: And everyone pays respects.

Prabhupāda: The scripture gives any description of God? (break) (out of car) ...religion, they have got at least.

Devotee: Yes. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...talked to Gargamuni Mahārāja this morning.

Morning Walk -- August 6, 1975, Detroit:

Harikeśa: That man in San Francisco? The photographer? He was always trying to take pictures of your rings and always trying to take pictures of all the rich things on the altar. He was trying to make a story like that. They try to show that you are enjoying.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: They are trying to show that you are enjoying.

Brahmānanda: Even in Chicago the one, the woman who wrote the article, the 34-ounce? She said how "You looked at your gold watch." That was in the article, such an important thing.

Prabhupāda: Nityānanda Prabhu used to decorate Himself with very costly ornaments. Your teeth does not look very clean. Why?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Devotee: So we're going to try and make more devotees this year, more Indian devotees especially. We've never really tried before.

Jagat-guru: Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have seen on our altar, Gaura-Nitāi? We have large Gaura-Nitāi and two small, three actually, three small sets of Gaura-Nitāi Deities. The ones on the far left, just under Lord Nityānanda's feet, They are going also to South Africa. They came originally from East Africa. I mentioned it when I first came to Māyāpur(?). So we will be taking them. We have a very nice siṁhāsana built for Them, finished tomorrow, and we'll be displaying Them at all our programs, preaching programs.

Prabhupāda: Do the needful. That's all.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...widespread, Śrīla Prabhupāda, very widespread. Now I'm afraid about it being in New York, because one of the leaders has been.... I just found out that he's one of the leaders. He's been in New York for about three weeks on his way to London, and he's a pūj..., he has his own Deities which he has on the altar, which means he's talking to our pūjārīs. I am, I have to get back there as soon as possible to see. They have like a newsletter they send out all over the world.

Rāmeśvara: They mail it out?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, well it's a bunch of notes they mail out on a regular basis. It's really poisonous. Pradyumna has been investigating. He got a bunch of their notes photocopied. The one thing I've noticed about the people that are involved with this, two features I particularly have noticed. One of them is that they don't go out on saṅkīrtana. Everyone I've seen...

Prabhupāda: Then everything will be finished. Preaching will be finished. In this sahajiyā party, then preaching will be finished. Siddha-praṇālī.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda? We'd like to put.... We have got in some other copies, and we would like to put them on the altar tonight for sandhyā ārati. These two are your copies.

Prabhupāda: All right, take it.

Rāmeśvara: But those two are for Your Divine Grace. We have others to show the Deities.

Prabhupāda: All right. All right, do it.

Rāmeśvara: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: I think...

Mādhavānanda: Well, his point is right also that the Deity, actually the space the Deities take up on the altar is the same exact..., it's actually the same length, but it seems smaller because of the Deity room being excluded in the top portion. But if we section off a space for the Deities, then it would be considerably smaller.

Prabhupāda: You take length and breadth of both. Then we shall.

Mādhavānanda: All right.

Hari-śauri: The advantage downstairs is that they already have the archway section there also in the room behind, but there's not so much facility upstairs.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Mādhavānanda: Govardhana was the president. If the lawyer knows you do not know, then he will take advantage. (break) He measured the two rooms, and the lecture hall length is forty-seven feet and twenty-seven feet wide. And the temple room length from the back to the altar, not including the Deities room, altar, is fifty feet.

Prabhupāda: Smaller.

Mādhavānanda: No, actually larger.

Hari-śauri: Three feet bigger. That's without a Deity room also.

Mādhavānanda: It's larger. And the width of the temple room is twenty-eight. So if we were to put in the altar in the top room, it would also take ten feet. So that would make thirty-five feet as compared to fifty feet downstairs. So because we don't have that extra space of the temple room, the downstairs actually is bigger. The only difficulty is because there is an upstairs walk we have to walk above the Deity. But if we put a nice domes there it might look very nice also, and then not walk up there. But the space is bigger.

Prabhupāda: I thought this space was bigger.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: But there will be picture of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Ambarīṣa: Yes.

Śrutikīrti: A nice altar, small altar, Pañca-tattva.

Ambarīṣa: The temple is only one block away. We were wondering, should we offer the food to the Deities in the temple or should we offer it in the restaurant?

Prabhupāda: Better in the restaurant.

Ambarīṣa: Better in the restaurant. Yes, that is a little easier also.

Prabhupāda: They must know that they're eating prasādam.

Ambarīṣa: Yes, yes.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's the educational center of America.

Ambarīṣa: Academic center of the United States. So now we are fixing up the temple very nicely. We've spent about fifty thousand dollars putting in all new tile floor and a beautiful new onyx altar. Very, very gorgeous.

Prabhupāda: So it is framework or solid building?

Ambarīṣa: The building? It's stone, brownstone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then it's nice.

Ambarīṣa: Very sound.

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

Devotees: Jaya! This is from the altar.

Scheverman: Praise God, for His beautiful things.

Prabhupāda: Give. Give one to the president.

Kern: We are grateful for the time that you have given us.

Prabhupāda: I am also very much obliged that you came.

Kern: And we are happy. And if we can be helpful, we would be...

Prabhupāda: Yes, let us cooperate for the whole human society.

Scheverman: I feel very much like one of the disciples, so to speak, coming with the master, and it's a great privilege to be able to join this circle this evening.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol.

Scheverman: Thank you. Oh, we're to eat this?

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Viśvakarmā: They invited me, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to visit one of their Sunday services, and I went, and they had a fire, an installation of the Deities. They had one brāhmaṇa, and they had a small Deity of Viṣṇu, and he had the fire sacrifice in four minutes, and then they installed the Deity on the altar. That was it.

Prabhupāda: They, what do they know?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The press reporter's here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

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

Viśvakarmā: ...for the balcony in the church in the other room? How can we... (announcement being made)

Prabhupāda: ...fit for sitting. That is very nice. And next time when I come the seat should be just Deity altar, so that all balcony can see.

Viśvakarmā: Seat should be?

Prabhupāda: My seat should be near the altar of the Deity.

Hari-śauri: The vyāsāsana. Like in Los Angeles, at the side? On the left-hand side?

Prabhupāda: Not left-hand side. Just like you are facing Deity and there are spaces here.

Viśvakarmā: Between the doors.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Viśvakarmā: Which side, Śrīla Prabhupāda? On the left-hand side or the right-hand side of the Deity, facing towards the altar?

Prabhupāda: Any side.

Viśvakarmā: Any side? How far away from the front? In the middle so that they can see from the balcony as well. (child calls out)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Prabhupāda?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sounded like it.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. Changed means?

Kīrtanānanda: The whole downstairs has been made into a big area.

Prabhupāda: But I see the marble pillar?

Kīrtanānanda: Yeah, it has a marble altar.

Prabhupāda: The same altar?

Kīrtanānanda: No, no.

Prabhupāda: That is the beginning of New Vrindaban, yes. All right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end)

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: "This is our religion." What is religion? "No God." What is religion? Then, those who are godless, they have got religion. Atheism has got religion. Then why bring this religion? What is the meaning of religion? Just see.

Pradyumna: One time we went to a church in Boston to speak. They had only a pulpit for the preacher, and behind, no altar, no crucifix, nothing, just big map of outer space with planets on the wall. Not even any Christian church, but no cross, nothing. Only universe. Universalist Church, it's called. The Universalists.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, but give some information of the universe.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is favorable, keep in touch. (long pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One thing I wanted to ask was about the ārati, in offering ārati, now we blow the conchshell, but, ah, coming out the pūjārī from the altar, outside, when the pūjārī blows the conchshell, he does this, especially in Atlanta, and I think in other temples also I have seen, the pūjārī comes out of the...

Rūpānuga: Yes, he comes on this side of the altar and blows the conchshell. Is that all right? It should be behind the curtain or in front of the curtain?

Prabhupāda: Behind the curtain?

Rūpānuga: He should blow it behind.

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

Prabhupāda: Even though they are not coming, they should now come, and we can open many other temples if you come. We can maintain many other temples. You come and take advantage of it. Why you are losing your own culture? That is foolishness. You are Indians and you do not know Kṛṣṇa. That is not a very good credit.

Indian man (2): Remember when we were building our altar? Remember last year when I talked to you? We were building altar, and actually I went to every Indian, and myself and the president of that temple, we begged everything we can do possible... And we wanted to collect almost ten thousand dollars, we couldn't even collect five thousand dollars, and most of them were making between fifteen and thirty thousand dollars. Some of them in fact gave us pennies.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: And besides that, even we are claiming to be very materially advanced, we do not know everything of the material world. Just like so big universe, material, what do you know about that? We have no knowledge practically. Even of the material world we have no sufficient knowledge, what to speak of the spiritual world.

Interviewer: Could you tell me something about your altar?

Prabhupāda: Which altar? This Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda, we are worshiping Him.

Rāmeśvara: The two figures on the throne of the altar represent an incarnation of God named Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, and They both appeared in India approximately five hundred years ago. They are incarnations of God, God Himself, who descends into this world. So those forms represent the Supreme Lord. Therefore we are worshiping Them. And below, on the step, are the pictures of the spiritual masters coming in the disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya when He appeared in this world five hundred years ago.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: This is very traditional in India, temple worship and the figures are on the altar. It's very very traditional. It goes back many thousands of years.

Interviewer: Let me ask you one more question. Why are you returning to India? Had you ever considered staying here in the United States?

Prabhupāda: I have got branches everywhere. Just like I am coming here after traveling so many branches, similarly I am going to India.

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda has no fixed home.

Prabhupāda: I want to see that every center, things are going on nicely.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. I thought you were not returning to the United States.

Cyavana: He has traveled the world sixteen times around?

Prabhupāda: Yes, sixteen times.

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

Prabhupāda: Now there should be one rule that unless they are husband-wife, man and woman should not worship together.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: On the altar.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Strictly prohibited.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On the same altar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Different altars is all right, but not the same altar.

Prabhupāda: No, different quarters... They should not go to the...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They should not be brought before the Deities.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: You can send him pictures in India. I was going to ask you, Srila Prabhupāda. If I wanted to install Gaura-Nitai Deities also, like the ones in Baltimore and this farm, here also, along with the Radha-Kṛṣṇa Deities, without two altars...

Prabhupāda: Here?

Jayatīrtha: Yes. Whether or not that's all right.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: The devotees very much like to worship Gaura-Nitai along with Radha-Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavān: You are wanting sun?

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhagavān: Yes. We should show Prabhupāda each thing that we're doing. (break)

Devotee (1): These are flowers which decorate the vases, they are very tall. They put in the vases every day on the altar, Kṛṣṇa, and this morning, taking garlands made out of this, smells very nice. Also the carnation. It was the one I gave you yesterday on your walk. It has a very nice scent.

Prabhupāda: No, you have got this cucumber?

Devotee (1): Yes, there is cucumber.

Prabhupāda: So if fresh, why not eat?

Hari-śauri: We have fresh cucumber every day.

Prabhupāda: But when I take it does not appear to be fresh.

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

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Bhagavān: Tomorrow we have the schedule of events. At nine o'clock we begin with the initiations, and we'll have the purification with water, and Pṛthu-putra Mahārāja is going to give the lecture on the ten offenses. Then everyone will come back in at ten o'clock and we'll have the bathing beginning then. And that, Jayatīrtha and I figured'd be about an hour. So we thought that perhaps towards the end of that, maybe around quarter to eleven, you'd like to come down and either participate in the bathing or give lecture at that time. And then afterwards the Deities will go back on the altar and we'll give the names outside. Is that all right?

Jayatīrtha: You don't have to come outside for giving the names.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes. And he's come and taken prasādam and we talk to him sometimes.

Jñānagamya: He offers pūjā to Lord Buddha, he's worshiping Lord Buddha. He has an altar.

Prabhupāda: The other boy?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Śiva, Mr. Śiva from Malaysia. He's Hindu I believe. And he's recently come to visit us. Next is Dr. Rulf, he is from Holland. He is an economist and he is working here. I've been acquainted with him through business. And that is Reza. He has been coming here for a long time and he's been chanting.

Prabhupāda: He's trying to be (indistinct).

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So your daughter is good assistant in the matter of cooking?

Nandarāṇī: Yes, they are both very good in cooking. And they clean the altar and they do some maintenance of the altar and the temple room, and they cook and sew, and I give them class in the morning, Bhagavad-gītā in English.

Prabhupāda: Yes, teach them personally. That Aniruddha is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nandarāṇī: They are?

Prabhupāda: No, Aniruddha.

Nandarāṇī: Aniruddha, yes. (laughs)

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Atreya Ṛṣi recommending another house.

Nandarāṇī: Yes, we actually want two places because when Iranian businessmen come, we cannot just show them the altar and say, "Here is our program." It must be very careful. And yet when the Indians come we want to have Deities, we want to have kīrtana. So we are trying to do two things in one house and it is very difficult. So he wants a separate place for a restaurant, for Deities, for my Gurukula school, a big room for my classroom, and then a separate home when we have some sophisticated guest we can bring them for dinner. But then we have many Indians, we can bring them for Deities. The Indians, they think this is a temple, but because there are no Deities, then they are not inclined to come. They want to see the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Indians, they want Deity.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, we go on as Hare Krishna Land, Juhu.

Saurabha: Yes, that is... You don't have to say the road.

Prabhupāda: Hare Krishna Land, Juhu.

Saurabha: Yes. Everyone knows. It's no problem. Now, the altar of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, I sent you a picture that showed four columns—one here, one here, one here, and then the top. Here is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and here is Lalitā-Viśākhā. Those columns here, they're not in the front but they're in the back only. In front it is open.

Prabhupāda: Open. That's nice.

Saurabha: So then that is all right to use that one?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then thank you. That is another thing. But fifty men you can keep. Fifty men you can keep. And there is collection in the box. There is collection by prasāda, so many other things.

Indian man: And the altars.

Prabhupāda: That should be engaged fully in Deity worship. Not extravagant. That I shall see. I shall remain here. How things are going on. I shall manage myself. I shall see how things are going on. So anyway, fifty men, five thousand. No more twenty-five thousand. Forget. No more twenty-five.

Harikeśa: That's three rupees a day.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Don't allow him. This botheration he has gone. He is simply posing himself very learned Sanskrit scholar, above everything. That is his ambition.

Saurabha: And on the opening day the Deities will be on the altar or they will be in front when they're bathed? When the bathing is taking place in Bombay for the opening...

Prabhupāda: That the priest will arrange who will come from...

Saurabha: Yes. But they will be on the altar or they will be in front?

Prabhupāda: No. In the front they are left.

Saurabha: So not on the altar.

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

Mahāṁśa: ...plant more trees, orchards for fruits and flowers, flower garden. So there will be plenty of flowers for the altar in Hyderabad every day and for the programs here. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...walking road.

Mahāṁśa: Yes. This road also, we want to extend it all the way to the end of the land.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Mahāṁśa: The same road. That's where the dioramas will be. (break)

Devotee (1): ...having lunch with the cowherd boys on this rocky place and then people can come and sit here also.

Prabhupāda: Later on. First of all grow vegetable. Let us eat first of all. Immediately grow vegetables sufficient. And this is good idea, we shall do that, but first of all let us organize the vegetables, fruits. What are these trees?

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:

Mahāṁśa: I was thinking we can make their house just like our house. If they are living right on our border, we can go to their house, tell them how to make an altar and make them live like how we are living. Let them stay there but let them live a good Kṛṣṇa conscious life.

Prabhupāda: They'll come gradually, not immediately. Immediately, the psychology is, they have got attachment for their house. It may be worse house, but still, their attachment... That is natural. Long, long ago, when I was child practically, I went with my father in the village. So one man from the village was serving us. So my father: "This boy is nice. So why not take him to Calcutta?" So one day he was absent. It was dropping and... So I went in the interior of the village and I saw that his house was broken, there was no roof, and rain was falling and he was sitting, covering with a cloth. Then I told him that "Why not come with us in Calcutta? We shall give you nice place, nice food." So his answer was, nā bābu kanceri jabo nā (?): "Bābujī, I cannot go out of my home." That was his home. (laughter) This is my practical exp... He was sitting idly and it dropping and he could not come to serve. Still, that is his home, and he cannot leave home, that "Bābu kanceri jabo nā (?). That is psychology. It may be very worse condition; still, nobody wants to give up "home sweet home." That is natural psychology. So you have to manage.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: And Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, like Vṛndāvana.

Rāmeśvara: That will also be very wonderful, to have Lord Gaurāṅga on the altar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's very important now, Lord Caitanya.

Rāmeśvara: Very big Deities. That would be good if there were big Gaura-Nitāi Deities.

Gargamuni: Yes, there should be huge Deities.

Hari-śauri: Like in Hyderabad. There's those very big Deities there, five feet or something.

Prabhupāda: Five feet? Deity we can get it done here also. But there is no white stone. Stone is available here.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: He doesn't deny.

Gargamuni: No. He says, "I have come. You can accept me or reject me."

Nanda-kumāra: Some people say they put a picture of him on their altar, and honey drips from the picture, and they collect it, and it gives them health.

Prabhupāda: His bodily feature is just like rākṣasa.

Devotees: Oh, yes!

Rāmeśvara: It's ugly! And in Jagannath Purī I saw one shop which was selling pictures of him. One of the pictures he was wearing cosmetics like a woman. His hair was cropped like a woman. It was the most ugly thing I ever saw.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayatīrtha: Therefore you called Him Rādhā-London-Īśvara.

Prabhupāda: Our London, Bury Place, Deity is very beautiful, smiling.

Kīrtanānanda: There's a picture there, Prabhupāda, on your altar.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is the first installed...

Jayatīrtha: Yes. And the new place also, we're...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayatīrtha: The new place we bought on Soho Street, we're making it into reading room and restaurant.

Prabhupāda: New place?

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "One point," he says... "One point I would like to clear up in connection with our distribution of mūrtis. I have had many requests and inquiries about placing the form of Your Divine Grace on the vyāsāsana along with or instead of on the altar for worship. Is this permissible? In some temples the altar is too small and will not accommodate the present size of the..."

Prabhupāda: No. Vyāsāsana is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So either one is all right.

Prabhupāda: No. If there is picture in the middle and vyāsāsana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So these mūrtis can be placed on the vyāsāsana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what about Guru-Gaurāṅga? Just like in Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple they're going to have it on the altar.

Prabhupāda: So one place will be good, the same.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if there's enough room on the altar it can be there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Otherwise on the vyāsāsana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These ones I'm showing now, they will be in a temple which has just been built in Fiji. It's going to be opened in August, and this will be one altar. These dolls are made by our own devotees. These are Deities, mūrtis, for installation.

Dr. Kapoor: Good doll. Very lifelike, huh? I first thought this was your photo.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just see how they've made these mūrtis.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they have made a statue—I am writing books like this, moving.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then there'll be... Central altar is Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya.

Dr. Kapoor: (laughing) Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These are made from a special material for making Deities. (break)

Prabhupāda: Give him.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gurukṛpā brought his Deities, little Gaura-Nitāi. He's wondering where will be a good place to keep them while he's here in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: The altar?

Gurukṛpā: No, that's not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's difficult. He says...

Gurukṛpā: I'd like to bring them in daily for you to have darśana since you cannot go to the Deity.

Prabhupāda: No, I go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda goes every day. Difficult to put 'em in here?

Prabhupāda: But very carefully it should be done.(?)

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But very carefully it should be done.(?)

Gurukṛpā: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His Deities. You have a lot of jewels with you.

Gurukṛpā: I can't keep them on the altar.

Prabhupāda: If you like, you can keep in private room also.

Gurukṛpā: Yes, that is better.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They've arranged a very big room for the men, the biggest room here, so it's practically like a temple room in itself. It's where the gurukula used to be.

Gurukṛpā: It is better. We cook separate for Them.

Prabhupāda: Cook separate?

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: I once heard that when some devotees wanted to buy a church in America you suggested that they should keep the altar and next put Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and give simultaneous lecture from Bible and from Bhagavad-gītā. I was thinking that in Shree Lanka, if it would be all right to have a deity of Lord Buddha and speak simultaneously on the Dharmapatha(?) and also Bhagavad-gītā, showing how Bhagavad-gītā is beyond the stage of nirvāṇa. Is that a good idea, Prabhupāda, or not?

Prabhupāda: Good idea, provided you can present properly.

Haṁsadūta: Because Buddhists come and they ask, "If Lord Buddha was an incarnation of Viṣṇu, then why he did not teach about God? Why did he not teach about the soul?" So I always explain to them it's like teachings ABC's and teaching advanced literature. He was teaching ABC. That was required. He did not go into higher subject matter.

Prabhupāda: First of all the Buddha wanted to make them sinless, "Don't kill." And you are not following that even. His business was to stop sinful life. In sinful life one cannot understand God as He is.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So this will be... At least this one will be given to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. So who will take care of?

Kulādri: Yes, should be taken care of. Or it can sit on the altar, Śrīla Prabhupāda? The box is here. It is also jewelry. It can sit on the altar at Their feet?

Upendra: No, "Who takes care that someone...?" They have one safe, almirah, for the jewelry, small.

Kulādri: At least you can wear the ring, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Kulādri: At least you'll wear the ring. Does it fit?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Other ring?

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: This the was agni-hotra ceremony on the day the temple opened.

Hari-śauri: Just after this, there was a huge rainstorm. Very successful.

Rāmeśvara: And this is the altar, with Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya and the Nāga-patnīs.

Hari-śauri: Should Kṛṣṇa be dressed very, very opulently like this, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They had a question in Fiji. They wanted to know whether He should be dressed simply or opulently.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple (Bengali).

Rāmeśvara: This is Kṛṣṇa's birthday cake for Janmāṣṭamī in Los Angeles.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Describe it.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hṛdayānanda: Always more or less warm. Tropical, subtropical. Always nice fruits. Perhaps some day, in a Kṛṣṇa conscious world, we'll have to bring many people there, because there's so much unused land, all very green, lots of rivers, very nice, warm, and no one lives there. Thousands of miles of very nice land, and no one is using it. We are sending a few devotees back to Argentina, and we're going to try and see what can be done there. We are hopeful that even though our movement was kicked out there, still, there are many, many people who are chanting sixteen rounds or building altars in their homes and offering their food to Kṛṣṇa. And even since the government's kicked out all the different groups, including ourselves, just by your books circulating, many people are becoming devotees and leaving the country to go to other temples. So actually we're still making devotees there just from the books that were distributed. And now we're investigating to try to again get legal permission, also perhaps establish something like some type of restaurant or farm community there. (break)

Prabhupāda: What news?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're trying to fix a debate in Delhi on October 27th among different scientists and ourselves.

Prabhupāda: 27th October?