Ba'hai

Expressions researched:
"ba'hai" |"ba'hais" |"baha'i" |"baha'is" |"bahai"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Dr. Copeland: And what is your relationship with the Ba'hai faith?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Dr. Copeland: The Ba'hai faith that also preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: They preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I don't think.

Dr. Copeland: You don't know of the Ba'hais? B-'-h-a-i?

Prabhupāda: I have heard the name, but they are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Dr. Copeland: (laughs) Not your kind, but they worship Kṛṣṇa. Not the same kind of consciousness, but they also worship Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Dr. Copeland: You don't know about the Ba'hai religion.

Prabhupāda: (To devotees) Do you know the Ba'hai?

Madhudviṣa: They have more or less... They accept all religions, and part of their worship is Kṛṣṇa. They have the person of Kṛṣṇa. But the difference is that we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the Ba'hais...

Prabhupāda: That and many others, they also do that. They also worship Jesus Christ. That is... (break) We have no disrespect for anyone.

Dr. Copeland: And you've been rather successful in institutionalizing your religion, getting a large number of temples constructed or built or taken over, and a large number of followers.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Copeland: Why do you think you are so successful?

Prabhupāda: I don't think I am successful, but people say.

Dr. Copeland: (laughs) Very good.

Prabhupāda: I will be successful when everyone will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: In Kenya we went into one government officer asking for some land for a farm. He also said, "We want to give you land right in the middle of the village, so you can build your church there."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Brahmānanda: He offered that. He said, "All the other religions, they have their... We have certain plots for them, and there is a church for Catholic, a church for Protestant, a church for Bahai."

Prabhupāda: No, no, take anywhere they give land. Yes. That will be recognition. We don't mind for the land, but the government has given land means recognized. That is wanted.

Brahmānanda: Oh yes, yes. (break) One of the African devotees was explaining to the vice-president that verse, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13).

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: It is good you have done this, but make this Kṛṣṇa consciousness also one of the paraphernalia. Then it is very nice. But they are not inclined. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Jagadīśa: ...newspaper there were pictures only.

Brahmānanda: So do you have the clippings?

Jagadīśa: Yeah, it's posted.

Prabhupāda: Every house, however poor he may be...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Go along the north shore, where the Bahai temple is. That's very... (break)

Jayatīrtha: About, a big town has got maybe ten television stations. (break) ...means of enjoyment are available.

Prabhupāda: Center variety is crime.

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: ...that requires complete overhauling. This religion, that religion will not help. They have no idea what is spiritual knowledge. Everyone is hovering on the mental plane. (break) ...the principle of Ba'hai religion?

Jayatīrtha: It was founded in Persia. It's a hodge-podge principle. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Jagadīśa: They think that everyone is evolving, that after taking this human life, you have to go to heaven. That's the next stage, even if you're the most sinful of all sinners.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Even one is sinful, he will also go?

Jagadīśa: Yes. Because they say that God is all-merciful, therefore...

Prabhupāda: You can do whatever you like.

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Jayatīrtha: They have a big temple.

Prabhupāda: This is Ba'hai temple?

Jagadīśa: No, no, it's back the other way.

Jayatīrtha: It's much bigger than this building?

Jagadīśa: Yes, it's quite a..., very nice. (break) (walking:)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. So long one is in the bodily concept of life, he is animal. Will these people accept this? Hm?

Jayatīrtha: They won't like to.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By our preaching we have to make them accept it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually that's a fact.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

Regarding Ba'hai philosophy: I have read the pamphlet you sent me, and I find in it that this Ba'hai movement is more or less a humanitarian movement which has no spiritual information. Generally people are attracted by humanitarian movements and Swami Vivekananda was a popular figure of this platform but this humanitarian movement of the material platform is always unsuccessful because one has to counteract the 3 modes of material platform. I do not find any hint in Ba'hai literature where one can surmount the reactions of material qualities. The idea of Ba'hai movement is more graciously presented in our Krishna Consciousness movement. The Ba'hai movement doesn't take any consideration of living entities beyond the human society. But our Krishna Consciousness movement includes everything in the creation of God. As a scholar, you can read such books but I am sure it will not help very much in the matter of advancing our Krishna Consciousness movement. Humanitarian movements is certainly very attractive for the people in general, just like if you start a movement to stop war, it will be very attractive to the people in general. But as a matter of fact, war cannot be stopped. We aren't after stopping the war, but we are after utilizing war actions for satisfying of Krishna, as Arjuna practically performed. War cannot be stopped from the material world, but it can be purified. Therefore, so called humanitarians are our target of Krishna Consciousness. Their statement about Krishna that He is an Individual chosen by God as His representative means that they have no knowledge of God. They require to learn what is God, then they will understand Krishna. Generally speaking everyone has got the conception of God, but actually they do not know what is God. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore our knowledge of God is far better than any other one in the world. That means if the Ba'hais do not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they have never read Bhagavad-gita as it is. Their claims of reading of Gita is false. You should try to convince them of the Supremacy of Godhead Krishna. Whenever we are able to meet such opposing elements about Krishna, we should know that our Krishna Consciousness is perfected. The Ba'hai people if they are really sincere, they should try to understand Bhagavad-gita sincerely. As soon as they say they have understood Bhagavad-gita and at the same time accept Krishna as a chosen individual person, their sincerity fails. There is less rational thinking in Ba'hai philosophy as I can understand from the pamphlet. There is already contradiction that they accept Krishna as chosen person and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is contradiction of Bhagavad-gita.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Surasrestha -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1972:

In answer to your questions, the red incarnation who appeared in the Treta-yuga is Yajnapati. Lord Mohammed is accepted by us as Saktyavesa Avatar, but we do not recognize the Bahai faith. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears once in the day of Brahma or whenever He is required to come. So far attending pujas at the houses of the Hindus there we can go and hold our kirtana but we should not take prasadam there. We can accept raw materials and take them to our temple but we should not accept any prasadam prepared by them. However, if they insist then we can take fruits and milk and offer them to Krishna. Cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants.