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Attitude (Conversations 1975 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"attitude" |"attitudes"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: attitude or attitudes not "service attitude" not "attitude of service"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: No, we are dealing generally with the masses. But if we can convert one leader, then it is equal to turning many people in the mass. That is the idea. Some way or other, we are doing Kṛṣṇa's service. Either you serve the mass or the leader, it doesn't matter. Your service is recognized.

Tripurāri: Sometimes the devotees question, if they were pure, then they could get everyone to take a big book. It's simply our fault that we're not pure enough that we can't get everyone to take a big book. Or is it just that we can't engage everyone, we can't get everyone to surrender completely?

Prabhupāda: Well, that is also a devotional attitude. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I do not love Kṛṣṇa. So that's... And if I would have loved, then I would have died without His presence. But I am living now. Therefore I have no love for Kṛṣṇa." This is another thing. One who is too much addicted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is very good sign. So your headquarter is now Pittsburg?

Tripurāri: No, now Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: Philadelphia, oh.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Haṁsadūta: And then another point in this connection is that when I was in Los Angeles last time, all the people that worked for Spiritual Sky, they were, they were starting to fall away because of Karandhara's karmic attitude...

Jayatīrtha: That's...

Prabhupāda: So this point you discuss.

Jayatīrtha: (to Haṁsadūta:) That problem we'll discuss, and I'll discuss it with you.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 12, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī (BG 6.1). Anāśritaḥ kar... Everyone is expecting some good result for his sense gratification. That is āśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. He has taken the shelter of good result. But one who does not take shelter of the result of activities... It is my duty. Karyam. Karyam means "It is my duty. Doesn't matter what is the result. I must do it sincerely to my best capacity. Then I don't care for the result. Result is in Kṛṣṇa's hand." Karyam: "It is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja said it, so it is my duty. It doesn't matter whether it is successful or not successful. That depends on Kṛṣṇa." In this way, anyone, if he works, then he is a sannyāsī. Not the dress, but the attitude of working.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore those who are in high standard, they do not take anything as wrong. Everyone is suffering his own reaction. Then bhaktas, they think, tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). When a devotee is in trouble, he thinks that "I am suffering for my past deeds. (break) ...me." That is a devotee's attitude. "Let me do my business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And then he is sure. Such person is assured to come back. He doesn't care for all this suffering. He thinks, "I am suffering for my past deeds. That's all. Why shall I bother myself?

Morning Walk -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: As soon as you say these demons they separate Kṛṣṇa, "What is Kṛṣṇa? What is God? We are scientist, we are technicians and so on, so on. We create our own thing." That means they don't dovetail with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are materialist. When we want to enjoy life without Kṛṣṇa, that is material. And Kṛṣṇa gives chance, "All right, you enjoy without Me." And when he is disgusted, then Kṛṣṇa comes once, "Now you have experienced. You haven't got happiness. Now give up this attitude to enjoy without Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66).

Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So your this behavior, attachment, is very much appreciated both by Kṛṣṇa and devotees. So continue this attitude and follow the instruction. Then it is guaranteed, go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not difficult. For a sincere person to go back to home, back to Godhead is not at all difficult. Especially Kṛṣṇa in this age has personally appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very kind to the fallen souls. Pāpī-tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. His business was with all the pāpī and tāpī. Pāpī means sinful, and tāpī means suffering. Pāpī-tāpī jata chilo... (to child:) Sit down.

Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Guest 3: I think this is the attitude to certainly my religion, where we believe that through the profession, the way you mention it, we are doing things towards God. And even in the ordinary days of the week, that you could be doing or generally making life in a way to please God. And that's my belief because my religion has the same belief as what you've just been mentioning, that even through the running of the professions and all the practice of the profession is one way of helping people. And because you are helping people you are in fact doing something that God wants.

Prabhupāda: No, not general people.

Morning Walk -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Visitors are coming?

Nitāi: Visitors are beginning to come. Even though there is no advertisement, they are beginning to come, and their general attitude is that they're very pleased with the building. They like it very much.

Prabhupāda: How many visitors come?

Nitāi: Well, daily three families will be there.

Devotee: Every evening āratika there are almost one hundred visitors at evening āratika.

Nitāi: To see the temple, whole buses come. Over a hundred rupees a day are collected just by...

Morning Walk -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Dharmādhyakṣa: Nowadays they're actually realizing their error and they're studying death more, trying to prepare people for death more. But the only thing they can tell them is, "Accept it." The only thing they can do is say, "You are going to die. So just accept it with a cheerful attitude."

Prabhupāda: But I do not wish to die. Why shall I be cheerful? You rascal, you say, "Become cheerful." (laughter) "Cheerfully, you become hanged." (laughter) The lawyer will say, "Never mind. You have lost the case. Now you cheerfully be hanged." (laughter)

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

Prabhupāda: He is not careful about himself. He is thinking... He cannot take care of himself, he is thinking of others.

Rādhā-vallabha: They this is a humanitarian attitude, to worry about the future.

Prabhupāda: So to protect yourself is not humanitarian? You are "dogtarian"? You cannot protect yourself and thinking about humanity. You are also human being. Why don't you take care of you first of all?

Rādhā-vallabha: Maybe it is a higher duty to worry about people in the future.

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) The windows this side cannot be opened?

Satsvarūpa: "... all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bags and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk."

Prabhupāda: You can open this, these windows. There is no window? Just hear this.

Nara-nārāyaṇa: Close?

Prabhupāda: No, open this glass window so ventilation may come. Ah. So? Yes, so read the translation.

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Satsvarūpa: "During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhisthira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk."

Prabhupāda: That's all. Because the cows were very cheerful, the milk was dropping from the milk bag so that the grazing ground became muddy. It was muddy not with water but with milk. So how much milk was being delivered by the cows. Because, the reason is... Why? They remained cheerful. What is that? Second line?

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Satsvarūpa: "Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude,..."

Prabhupāda: "Cheerful attitude." If cows know. They have got intelligence that "We will be killed." Therefore they are not supplying sufficient milk. They cannot, just like if your mind is full of anxiety, you cannot work fully. So because they are denied this cheerfulness, you are getting less milk. If you keep them cheerful, they will give more milk. This is nature's economic development. Artificially you cannot increase the production of milk. But according to the instruction of scripture, if you keep them cheerful without any fear, they will deliver double milk.

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: They don't have to work. They simply put some cows in their field, and when the price is high, they sell them. In this way they live.

Brahmānanda: What is the attitude of the neighbors to us here? They like us?

Nityānanda: Pretty friendly.

Brahmānanda: There's a papaya.

Prabhupāda: They grow nicely here?

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Prabhupāda: No, Britishers. The Muslims interfered. They wanted to propagate Islamism. Not all, some of them. But Britishers, although they were spreading Christianism, still, outwardly they were neutral about religious affairs. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura preferred that "Britishers are good. They do not interfere with our religious affair." So the idea is that India—you may say primitive or whatever you want—they wanted to make progress of the soul. They did not care who is ruling. So "Whatever tax is due we shall pay. Let us do our own business." That was India's attitude. They never thought in terms of nationalism. That was never educated. They were never educated.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: But that's just a fatalistic attitude.

Prabhupāda: Why fatalistic? It is practical. You want to live, you want to enjoy this nice house, but you are not allowed. Why don't you talk practically? That is your foolishness, that you will not be allowed—that's a fact—but still, you are spoiling your energy. That is foolishness.

Harikeśa: Well, it's not exactly spoiling. We are really enjoying.

Prabhupāda: What enjoying?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Vulgar.

Dayānanda: Their whole attitude is vulgar also, not just language but whole... Yeah. And like even in Europe before, a gentleman was a gentleman. They were... I think. And even in America before, they had some good qualities. But now the so-called gentlemen or educated men, they're very vulgar.

Hṛdayānanda: Vicious.

Dayānanda: Becoming more and more gross.

Prabhupāda: Varṇa-saṅkara.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: I'm just saying that we should have a more practical understanding of this, of our attitude towards the whole situation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's why Prabhupāda corrected us.

Prabhupāda: So I think it may be further decided. Make a small committee of three or four gṛhasthas, and you define how you live.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what about their relationship with the society? This point was to... I don't understand why that is being avoided. In other words, how they should live, that they should have a committee for, but the fact that the society cannot support them, that is not for them to decide. That is for the GBC to decide. That is my point.

Yaṣodānandana: I think that point, that's clear.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not dualism. How many isms, nobody knows. But... What is called? Faction. Faction. Everyone is divided from the other.

Madhudviṣa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: So we should not bring that attitude in our society. That is my request.

Guru-kṛpā: Envious. They're all envious.

Prabhupāda: That you should not do. And that unity is possible with, only when harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21) is there constantly. Otherwise, it will be factional. What do you call? Factional is the right word?

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: For example, there is, as we have been discussing, there is between the brahmacārīs and the gṛhasthas... The brahmacārīs have this tendency—at least, this is the attitude—towards renunciation. And so far we can see, a brahmacārī who gives up his brahmacārī life means he's more inclined towards the enjoying spirit, at least to some extent. So how do we deal with this situation?

Prabhupāda: You can... If you want to enjoy, who can stop you?

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we cannot..., we cannot support it. We cannot support his enjoyment. That he should take on his own self to do.

Prabhupāda: They... According to different position and attitude, the four āśramas are there: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This means that everyone is not on the equal platform. Different platform. But the whole idea is how to give up the propensity of enjoyment. That is wanted.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Therefore the books are there.

Sudāmā: Even practical, everything...

Ātreya Ṛṣi: But without attitude of devotion, nothing will work.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Attitude of devotion must be there.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: The attitude, devotion, is there. Otherwise why one should come to our camp? But it must be properly utilized. It should not be misused. If you go to school and if you don't read books, you'll fail in the examination.

Guru dāsa: But the attitude of devotion should be there every moment, so everything...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore we say prabhu. Prabhu means "You are my master. Please order me. What can I do for you?" That should be the attitude. (break) ..."Guru dāsa Prabhu, please come here and brush my shoes." (laughter) What kind of prabhu? He should say, "Guru dāsa Prabhu, can I brush your shoes?" That is real Vaiṣṇava, not that "Guru dāsa Prabhu, come here and brush my shoes." Other devotees, they do not come for morning class?

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.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I think, that's one..., there's one disadvantage is that they have a little bit of a, their attitude is a little bit separatist from ISKCON in the sense of keeping aloof, and if the girls go there and live there, they may develop that same mentality. It might be better for her to come to the temples to teach.

Prabhupāda: Then make arrangement; I have not objection.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: The prisoners.... Haridāsa Ṭhākura was very well known, so all of them assembled and offered him respect. Haridāsa Ṭhākura blessed them, "Stay in this condition." (laughs) So they were surprised, that "We offered respect, and the blessing is that 'Stay in this....' " Then they were explained, " 'Stay in this condition' means your attitude to offer respect to a Vaiṣṇava." That was the intent, not that "You stay in the prison house." Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava, offering respect.... (break) ...ārādhanam. When Pārvatī inquired from Lord Śiva what is the best form of worship, he advised, viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: "Oh, to worship Lord Viṣṇu is the best form of..."

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

Scheverman: I think we certainly would have no quarrel with that. I think Father's concern is what is your message for, what is your attitude toward those who are handicapped in our society? How do you respond, how do you treat those?

Prabhupāda: Handicapped.... Suppose your hand is cut. So I cannot bring another hand to join. It is not possible. Suppose your hand is cut. The handicap, now "handicut." So can I join any other hand? Is it possible?

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

Prof. O'Connell: Swamiji, could you speak a bit about the proper attitude of the child towards the father? Is it one of fear, respect, love?

Prabhupāda: Love. Basic relation love. Father loves the child, naturally. The child also naturally loves the father. This is natural relationship. Father works whole day and night for maintaining the children, family, and if the child out of love takes his lozenges and offers to the father, "Father, it is very nice, you take," father will be very glad. "Oh, yes, yes, I'll take." Father does not require the lozenges, but out of love the small child offering a little lozenges, father is very glad:

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

Prof. O'Connell: The human children often play with their fathers. Is playfulness the proper attitude for...

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is not play, that is real love. Just like father sometimes becomes a horse, and the child rides over, and father enjoys. There is a story about Prime Minister Gladstone. He was prime minister, so many people come to him. So one man came and the doorman said, "He is now busy. Wait." So he was waiting for one hour. Then he became impatient; he wanted to see what this gentleman is doing. So he saw that he has become a horse, and his grandchild is driving him.

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

Hari-śauri: Says, "Religion: 1. monastic condition, being a monk or a nun, enter into a monastic order; 2. practice of sacred rites; 3. one of the prevalent systems of faith and worship, i.e. Christian, Muhammadan, etc.; 4. human recognition of superhuman controlling power and especially of a personal God entitled to obedience, effect of such recognition on conduct and mental attitude."

Prabhupāda: This is religion. Personal conception of God.

Hari-śauri: And then "5. action that one is bound to do."

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

Prabhupāda: That's all, clear. What are the other items?

Hari-śauri: Then, "the effect of such recognition on conduct and mental attitude." And then "action that one is bound to do."

Prabhupāda: One is bound to do. Dharmena hina paśubhiḥ samana. If he does not do, then he's animal. It must be done. There is no question of optional. If you are human being, you must be religious, you must recognize the supreme controller. Otherwise, you are animal. What is the other interpretations? Beginning one?

Hari-śauri: "Monastic condition, being a monk or a nun."

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

Prabhupāda: He never says, "By jñāna, yoga, karma, one can understand Me." No. Bhakti. Bhakto si, "You will understand, Arjuna, because you are My bhakta." That is first qualification to understand Kṛṣṇa. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena (BG 4.34). A bhakta is submissive. And nondevotees, they are not submissive. They are so proud that they say "I am Bhagavān, I am God." So that attitude will not help to understand. (Prabhupāda converses in Hindi with an Indian lady about how one does not have to renounce family life to understand Kṛṣṇa.) He says paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He understands perfectly. There is no question of gṛhastha or sannyāsī.

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

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say narādhama, lowest of mankind. "But he is very educated." māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. He is so-called educated. Actually, he is not educated, because he does not know what is God. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. The basic principle is atheistic attitude. So these class of men will never offer obeisances or surrender to God.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, why is the material world made on the level of a jailhouse? It's made on the level of a jailhouse, that, I've been told, the attitude of a jail instead of the attitude.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because there will be so many criminals. Therefore government has to construct a jailhouse. It is government's not desire. It is expensive, unnecessary. But because there are rascals who will become criminal, the government has jailhouse. So one who wants to remain independent of Kṛṣṇa, for them there is material world, "All right, you remain here."

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

Cline Cross: I mean, what is your attitude towards Christianity?

Prabhupāda: Don't come to Christianity. I'm talking on religion, the science of religion. The religion... When we speak of religion, there is no question of Christianity or Muslim or Hindu. Just like when they speak of gold, gold is gold everywhere. Gold cannot be Muslim gold or Hindu gold or Christian gold. We are concerned with gold, not the country where the gold is produced. That is not very important thing. Whether it is gold, that is our business.

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

Hari-śauri:

śrī-nārada uvāca
brahmacārī guru-kule
vasan dānto guror hitam
ācaran dāsavan nico
gurau sudṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ
(SB 7.12.1)

"Nārada Muni said, A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacārī should live at the gurukula, only for the benefit of the guru."

Prabhupāda: Next.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Just see!

Hari-śauri: "...and especially of a personal God entitled to obedience, and effect of such recognition on the conduct of mental attitude."

Prabhupāda: This is religion. This is religion. So this religion is applicable to everyone, any human being. Why do you bring Christian or Hindu or Muslim, or...? Everyone has to accept that. That is real religion. And this is not religion, "We believe there is no soul of the animal." That is not religion. That is most unscientific. That is not religion. Religion means scientific understanding of the supreme controller.

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

Prabhupāda: That attitude will help him. That humbleness, that "I cannot follow," that will help.

Bhūgarbha: He says he has a tendency more of a jñānī, and his training has been according to Śaṅkarite and also Buddhist lines. But still he appreciates very much bhakti, and he is very happy to meet the devotees, and at the same time he's very depressed to meet all these intellectuals who know so many things but cannot understand anything.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Ah, nobody can see their attitude.

Jñānagamya: So it is very good. On the abridged Bhagavad-gītā we have Americans, Emerson and Thoreau saying this is a wonderful book. That is very good, that is very impressive to Americans. They will accept if some great Americans have said.

Prabhupāda: That was my policy from the very beginning, that if the Americans accept, then my mission will be successful. And that is being done gradually, and I am insisting that, preach in America vigorously. If America accepts, then whole world will accept. That's a fact. Anywhere, although America may be fallen, the ideal is American, everywhere. Because they have got money. Kali-yuga means money. If you have got money, then you have got culture, you have got education, you have got everything.

Garden Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

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

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

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

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

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So the result was all of them became without passing stool. So the king could understand there is some offense. So... Because formerly the kings were saintly persons. He asked all his men, "What you have done?" Then the girl said, "Father, I have done something." Then he made this plea that, "Kindly excuse this girl... Out of ignorance..." He was very angry, that Cyavana Muni. His attitude was always angry. Then all of them became very much aggrieved. Then he asked, "Whether your girl is married?" King could understand that "He wants to marry my daughter. Otherwise, why he's inquiring." And he was so old... I have got my skin still tight. All loose.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: So Dr. Allen Gerson says, "I am here today as a citizen who dislikes injustice, as a person who's own people, because of their religious beliefs, are being persecuted repeatedly, and as a scientist who knows how ignorance can turn the normal rationality of people into blind hatred." (aside:) He's Jewish. "As a citizen I can see a great injustice perpetrated here. Several people, all of legal age, have chosen a lifestyle which, because it differs in form from our lifestyle, has been viewed by their families as unacceptable. These families with honest but misguided intentions have had their children removed from the Hare Kṛṣṇa Temple and have attempted to reprogram them to the behavior and attitudes of society at large. The reprogramming obviously did not work and their children returned to the movement, thus angering and frustrating their parents. Not being able to understand the wishes of their children, or their behavior, or their motivation for returning, and needing to blame someone they effected through devious means to have 2 members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa..."

Prabhupāda: He has used very nice strong words.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: There's one interesting statement in there from one of these men. He's lived in Vṛndāvana for about two years. And he says how when he first went to Vṛndāvana, all the people there, they would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, but it was kind of a derogatory thing because they had seen this film, Dum-mada-dam. So whenever they saw a Westerner they thought, "Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma," implying, "Oh, you're a hippie, you're a drug addict." Like that. But he said in the last two or three years since we established our temple, now that is completely changed. They're still saying, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rāma," all the children shout it, but now they expect us to shout "Haribol" back and that it's a sign of, it's a friendly gesture now. So he's an outsider, but he's noticed the change in the Indian people's attitude, especially in Vṛndāvana.

Jagadīśa: He said, "Any Westerner they see in Vṛndāvana they say Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma."

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh. So he's very qualified.

Girirāja: Yes. And his father said that he is always the first rank in the class. Very outstanding student. And I mean the best thing is his attitude towards Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He asked for a copy of the Bhagavad-gītā and...

Prabhupāda: Where he is now?

Girirāja: He's in Bombay so I invited him to meet you. Actually, he was so interested that the father became scared at the end. He said... You know first he was encouraging me to influence the boy but then at the end he said, "Don't make him a sādhu."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So your wife came... (break) This is Indian attitude. They do not care for the modern, civilized way of life, wasting time reading some nonsense book or going to the bars, the cinema, talking unnecessarily. They do not like. Those who are old style, they do not.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I know many women who are very good cooks, I have tasted...

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just like Arjuna learned Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa. He submitted, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). So in that attitude... But pariprasna, counter-inquiry is allowed. Just like good logician, good scientist, one can... That answer is there. But if one inquires as a blind person, keeping her faith or his faith in something differently, then it is as useless. It must be flexible to the level of logic and science. Then it is very easy. That is like I explained. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So where is the difficulty? I am changing my body. So why I shall not get another body after my death? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

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. Otherwise I would have been made to collect money all my life for your society, and now I'm saved from this."

Prabhupāda: She had been dictated to write like that.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: "During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira the cloud showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk."

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Now read the purport.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). Caitanya Mahāprabhu also presented Himself as idiot number one. He said to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "You are a sannyāsī. You do not read Vedānta and You chant and dance. What is this?" So He answered, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. "My guru found Me a fool number one, so he has chastised Me, 'You rascal, You are fool, You cannot read Vedānta. You Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " So it is good that we remain as fools and idiot. Then we can make progress. And if we think, "Oh, I know everything," then finished. It is a good attitude. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Yaśomatīnandana: "Kāmam—everything needed." Translation: "During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man profusely. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk."

Prabhupāda: Introduce this, rascal. This party government, that party government, big, big belly, big, big monkey, eating cows and hogs and dogs, and they have become big, big minister. What they can do? That is not... This is the secret. What is the second line?

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The mental attitude of the inquirer or the seeker in this bhakti process, you also said, it plays a very important role in understanding this relationship between the jīva, or individual life, ātmā, and Paramātmā, these two relationships. So we proposed that since it is based on psychological interactions, willing, feeling and the thinking, so the attitude should be humble and it should not be arrogant, and it should feel the limitations. Actually we try to bring all the brahminical qualities in order to study this bhakti-yoga in a scientific manner, and we presented like that, briefly, in a scientific community, and it was mildly accepted. They were just thinking that...

Prabhupāda: Therefore in the society there must be qualified brāhmaṇa. The all rascals, śūdras, professors...

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they know. And besides that, they did not exploit. Whatever enjoyment they did—within India, not that taking away the money outside India. Therefore it was very good relationship. And Indian people, they do not mind who is king. "We pay our tax. That's all." That is the attitude from the very beginning. The general people, they did not mind whether Kurus or war(?) will reign over or the Pāṇḍavas. "We don't mind. You become fight. You become king. We give our tax. That's all." So there was no fight with the subject between king and citizens. This democracy is a demon-crazy. It has no value. It is simply waste of time and effort and no feeling, demon-crazy. I do not know who introduced this. In India still there is no demon-crazy. Indian king always. Everyone is taking part in politics.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's... We're trying to impose some preconceived idea onto this. As soon as that happens, this knowledge is blocked. Because the whole attitude shouldn't be like that. One should come out of service and devotion, not with some mental, materialistic speculations.

Prabhupāda: Did you know that story, the Nārada was going to Vaikuṇṭha? Nārada came back and replied to a cobbler... Cobbler asked him what Nārāyaṇa is doing. "He has taken one elephant and He's drawing through the hole of a needle like this and again taking." The learned brāhmaṇa, he began to laugh. "These are all stories." And the cobbler began to cry, "Oh, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, can..."

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: Actually South is full of it. They have got a Theosophical Society, there's the Aurobindo Society, there is the J. Krishnamurti Trust. Many, many things are there. But each one of it is just a very shallow... J. Krishnamurti has never written a book himself. Always another person writes about him, his thoughts, his speeches. So only thing is that they started many, many years ago, fifty years ago. So they have bought some piece of land and started some schools, and like that they have created some systems. But basically it's very difficult. One cannot make any advancement with such people. But all, everywhere in India today tendency is people just go and ask for some personal gain. In Tirupati people go there, they say "If I get a son, I will come and pay some money." And some people say, "If my husband gets all right, I will come and do something." Some women go there, they just take off all their diamond necklaces and pour it. In one day they will sometimes collect a crore of rupees. It's unbelievable. So that is the type attitude people developed. Then that legend also says Lord Viṣṇu married, and for a marriage He has taken a big loan. So whosoever is helping Him to repay it, he gets a good from the...

Prabhupāda: Lord Viṣṇu. Who is that?

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your pulse is nice and strong, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What is the attitude of our Godbrothers?

Bhavānanda: Favorable and helpful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which ones?

Bhavānanda: Mādhava Mahārāja, Kosan Math(?), Madhusūdana Mahārāja.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mādhava Mahārāja was there?

Bhavānanda: He was there two weeks back.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. He appears to be hopeful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He seems very hopeful, his attitude appeared hopeful.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They all say that your heart is very strong, therefore what is the question of dying? They all say that point. Their whole contention is on the heart, that because the heart is strong, they say there's no question of dying. And actually that agrees with the astrologers. None of the astrologers say you will die now. They all say it's a difficult time but they never say that you will die now.

Page Title:Attitude (Conversations 1975 - 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:16 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=57, Let=0
No. of Quotes:57