Blank

Expressions researched:
"blank" |"blanks"

Notes from the compiler:

• VedaBase query: blank or blanks not "blank slate*"

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 11.7.71, Translation:

As the father pigeon wretchedly stared at his poor children trapped in the net and on the verge of death, pathetically struggling to free themselves, his mind went blank, and thus he himself fell into the hunter's net.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

They are janmaiśvarya śruta śrī (SB 1.8.26). These are not qualification. Kuntīdevī has said, akincana gocaraḥ: "Kṛṣṇa, You are akiñcana gocara." Akiñcana. Kiñcana means if somebody thinks that "I possess this; therefore I can purchase Kṛṣṇa," oh, no, that is not. That is not possible. You have to become blank, akiñcana-gocaraḥ.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja... There was some disagreement with the father, but he was not ordinary person. His father might... He's a very, very big man. He conquered the whole universe. So he was not a poor man's son. He was very rich man's son, Prahlāda Mahārāja. And he was educated by his father sufficiently. Of course, within five years... So janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī. Everything was there, but Prahlāda Mahārāja was not depending on his material circumstances. He was depending on his profound, ecstatic transcendental bliss of devotional service. That is wanted.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

So in order to know all these problems of life... Just like Arjuna submitted, and any one has to submit. One has to... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his personal behavior how to approach the bona fide spiritual master and submit before him and putting himself praṇipā, blank. Not that "I know something, and what my spiritual master can teach? I know everything. There is no need of spiritual master." No. This will spoil our life. The Vedic injunction is that you must have not a so-called guru but... That is also given definition.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Let's see how they're doing.

Śyāmasundara: Well, they're going to... Whatever they cannot understand, they're leaving blanks, and I'll listen later and fill it in.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.

Śyāmasundara: We were discussing last time these utilitarians. Their philosophy is that the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and that that should be followed, that law, and that that means the greatest pleasure for the greatest number.

Prabhupāda: Greatest good for the greatest number of people. So that means even if the people are fools and rascals. Does it mean so? Now some of the fools and rascals, they, just like at the present moment, they'll want, "Give us LSD." Then LSD is first-class thing? Is that philosophy?

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: There is purpose, but because he is foolish, therefore he does not see anything as purpose. There is purpose. Just if like I am hungry, this philosopher says accidentally I am hungry, I eat something. No. I am hungry when there is purpose. My bodily limbs are exhausted, they require energy, so therefore I am hungry, I must take some food. The foodstuff will be converted into energy. There is a plan. It is not blank. Everything is going on by plan. The sun is rising under some plan. The moon is rising under some plan. Seasonal changes under plan. Everything is plan. But those demons, they cannot see. They say, "No, there is no plan here."

Śyāmasundara: They see all activity as in vain. All activity is a useless struggle, a vain struggle.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. You cannot do, therefore you are rascal. You're talking all nonsense. You cannot do it, how you speak?

Karandhara: Up till two hundred years ago they weren't able to fly...

Prabhupāda: Want two hundred..., no, we want immediately, we don't want blank check. (devotees laugh) Rascal blank check.

Yaśomatīnandana: Prabhupāda, we can go this way.

Prabhupāda: Postdated blank check. (devotees laugh) We don't believe. We must have real cash.

Devotee (2): And then they will admit actually that their senses are...

Karandhara: No, then they'll want to see the soul...

Devotee: ...are limited.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, you put the chemicals. Just like I have sent my car, it is not running, so they know how it will run. They know. Therefore I say, "But if you do not know, you're speaking nonsense. You do not know anything." And as soon as you are captured, you say "Yes, in future I shall know." What is this? The same, postdated blank check, which has no value. Will the postdated check, will it be accepted by anyone? Suppose you give me a postdated check. If I'm paying, what is this nonsense? This is all nonsense. "Future." (devotees laugh) No future, sir. Immediately. Cash payment.

Hṛdayānanda: So that's cheating.

Prabhupāda: Ah. That is cheating.

Karandhara: But they'll say, "But you also cannot show us."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Dr. John Mize: It still disturbs me, of course, how the body can influence the mind so much, the mind not being the soul apparently. But I know that when I get hit on the back of the head, my mind seems to blank out. Once in judo I recall having my carotid artery pressed and consciousness left. But it was very pleasant. It was not unpleasant at all.

Prabhupāda: No. Actually soul is above intelligence. Above intelligence. Our gross senses, that is our present perception, direct. And beyond these gross senses, there is the mind. And beyond the mind, there is intelligence. And beyond intelligence, there is soul. So come to that platform requires that meditation process to make the sense activities calm and quiet, mind settle, and then come to the intelligence platform, then come to the spiritual platform.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (break) What did he speak?

Mahāṁsa: He spoke on different verses, one by one, of the twelfth chapter. But no conclusion. Every lecture there was no conclusion. So he leaves the people in a blank. There is no conclusion to any of his lectures. And his philosophy is "Kṛṣṇa means black. Black means unknown. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Kṛṣṇa is unknown. We cannot know Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: And what about others' version who knows Kṛṣṇa? Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu or all the ācāryas? (end)

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is a place where they might be displayed. This is a blank place.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. There it should be written.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is very prominent.

Prabhupāda: Not only there, here also.

Jayapatāka: In big letters here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And there are so many places. Yes. First of all you place this and the other. We can give the upadeśa of Prabhupāda. I'll give you matter for writing. So writing, that charges should be reduced. One...

Jayapatāka: Yesterday Caitya-guru, the man he brought from Calcutta, he only wanted one rupee, seventy-five paisa.

Prabhupāda: For painting. And for writing that should be...

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

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. All glories to the saṅkīrtana party, Rādhā-Dāmodara.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, we signed only the two top checks. The left we left blank so you can do whatever you want. You can fill in whatever you want on the inside.

Prabhupāda: That is good. (end)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: (Hindu) But even you get the same thing by (Hindi). So Vaiṣṇava cult is easier than getting the mind blank and then getting all in the... Because here your mind is engaged to Lord Himself. It is... We call as samādhi.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). Just like a man is observing Ekādaśī, fasting. Another, in the hospital, he's also fasting. So these two fastings, they are different.

Dr. Patel: Here fasting of all the senses and applying to God.

Prabhupāda: For satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. And there compulsory fasting, but he has got desire. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When you get better taste, when you stop this nonsense for better taste, that is positive. Artificially, if you do, it will not benefit.

Dr. Patel: Ekādaśī, according to the Purāṇas and the stories, all the eleven senses should be withdrawn from their sense objects...

Prabhupāda: No, Ekādaśī, that is automatically... By Ekādaśī is one of the process for... (Hindi)

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And good, good paper. Then in script we shall write the title.

Brahmānanda: So "This is to..." The title will be... He has here, "devotional service in the field of..." Let's say the field is pūjārī worship.

Prabhupāda: So keep that blank.

Brahmānanda: So that would be the title, Pūjārī Worship?

Prabhupāda: No, title...

Brahmānanda: That would be something else.

Prabhupāda: Something else.

Brahmānanda: So the title could maybe come on the top, like...

Prabhupāda: You can... Where is our paṇḍita? Call him. (chuckling) What is the meaning of kovida?

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: It just says that they are specifically named somewhere.

Girirāja: It's except for these, it's all the deposits of ISKCON. It says. We weren't sure about this, but since Mr. Sharma mentioned it, we put: "I hereby appoint..."—and then we've kept some blank space—"...to act as executors of this will. I have made this will this-blank-day of June, 1977, in possession of full sense and sound mind, without any persuasion, force or compulsion from anybody. Witnesses, 1., 2., 3."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Ghosh should be one of the witnesses. According to Mr. Sharma, if a doctor witnesses, it's very good, attending physician.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: So what should we do about the clause which appoints the executors?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does that mean? The people acting to see...

Girirāja: They're responsible to see that the will is carried out.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And it was very interesting, that book. That was... This is the Origin of Species. That was Darwin's book. This was the modern version of Darwin's book. It's about this big, and it's full of nice colors with all molecules, DNA and all these nice, modern-looking molecules, and then they say... They start... It starts like this, "In the beginning there was a big blank." (Prabhupāda laughs)

Prabhupāda: "There was..."?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: "There was a blank. There was a void." Everything was blank. And the way he started, the foreword was given by a scientist called Crick, Watson and Crick. Crick is in Cambridge, and Watson is in Harvard. So these two men were the men who discovered the structure of the DNA molecule that they thought that may be life. And they got Nobel Prize for this. And Crick was writing in the first page, saying that "This is the way we have understood about life." But "Everything was started like that, from blank and a blank, blank. And somehow all these molecules get together and then it became Johnny later on." (laughter) And we can make a nice story out of it.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is no wonder that this transcendental treasure chest of spiritual texts have been described by many scholars as the first presentation of full encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge. This encyclopedia touches various subject matters relating to philosophy, religion, sociology and anthropology, literature and classics, political science, history and psychology. On the back side of this pamphlet an order blank to apply for a full encyclopedia published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is given. Please fill in and return." (chuckles) Here's what he says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library of Vedic Knowledge can make a worthwhile gift to a friend of relative or may be kept in one's own home. Or one may contribute a set to a school, college, hospital library, reading room, temple, or for any other charitable purpose. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is offering this encyclopedia on an easy installment basis by which one may receive published volumes every month without any extra cost." Sounds like they're getting a lot for free. (chuckles)

Prabhupāda: Organized very nice. Hm. "Gargamoney." (laughter)

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 19 December, 1968:

Now this should be filled up as soon as possible because a bank balance in my favor is required in this country. Due to this bank balance I got my permanent visa and also due to this bank balance we have got the nicest temple in Los Angeles. So in case of a need I may require to show this bank balance under different circumstances and especially because I am a foreigner. Therefore the bank balance's blank or vacancy already created by drawing out about $7,000 must be filled up by selling books as far as possible. My only suggestion for this selling is to get the books widely reviewed in different papers and that is the only standard method of promoting this publication. By such reviews as soon as there is some demand all the book sellers will purchase from the publisher at least three copies each. That is the way of propagating sales organization.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Arundhati -- Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 24, 1969. Regarding your working hours, if you can work more, of course that is very good. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that we should be engaged in Krishna's service always, without any gap. So we should mold our life in such a way that not a minute will be blank without Krishna's service. Regarding your first question, the proof of Krishna Consciousness is that the Bhagavad-gita it is oldest transcendental literature about God-consciousness in the history of the world. It is estimated from authoritative sources of Vedic literature that Bhagavad-gita is eternal truth and was first revealed within our knowledge at least 120 millions of years ago. So what other literature can be compared with Bhagavad-gita throughout the whole world or universe? The second proof is that Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality, not only in the modern age, namely within two thousand years, by great acaryas like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Lord Caitanya, etc., but before this in all Vedic literatures given by Vyasadeva, Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Calcutta 18 February, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter of 10th February, 1972, and have noted the contents. One thing is, I left on February 11th from Bombay and still there was neither intimation nor waybill for the 2000 BTG's, and you say "receipt no." and then there is blank, so I am curious how you are doing things, when you say everything was dispatched on the 5th. In 6 days mail cannot travel between Delhi and Bombay? Also, I understand that you were requested to send the magazines immediately upon returning to Delhi from Jaipur, which ended on the 23rd. Why you delayed so long? Now we have no Hindi magazines to distribute, either in Madras or Visakhapatnam, so I think things are not being managed very well, because, even there may be now 2000 magazines in Bombay, also there is no one there now to distribute them, nor will anyone be there until March, so you must take all these things into account, because unless the magazines are distributed nicely, what is the use of printing them? Also, I note that only Rs. 850/- was collected from Jaipur, but I was told by you and by others that more than 1000 magazines were sold. Kindly clear up this matter.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 8 August, 1973:

Out of the 150,000 Rs/. you have repayed only 27,000 Rs/. you have to complete this immediately so 3 lakhs will be shown from Gowalia Tank Branch and 9 Lakhs from C. B.I. Head office, so whatever money you collect use it to fill up this blank. You fill up the 50,000 Rs/. and I shall show the balance of 9 lakhs in the C. B.I. Head office.

So pay immediately another 30,000 Rs/. and free the second 50,000 Rs/.

The collections from your part meant for Vrindaban may be sent later because the construction is going on there. First of all fill up if you are serious about negotiations.

I have met Mr. Therany in Zurich and he is a nice gentleman, he will pay as promised, so keep him satisfied.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to All GBC and Presidents -- Dallas 17 July, 1974:

Also all devotees when writing a letter to Srila Prabhupada should include the return address on the letter and not only the envelope. Sometimes the envelope gets lost, and if there is no return address on the letter it is difficult to address the reply. All temples should be sure to print their full temple address on their letterhead, and not just have the name of the society with a blank space for the camp address which is sometimes omitted by the writer of the letter.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 17 July, 1976:

Enclosed please find the power of attorney which you requested over the telephone from Tamala Krishna Maharaja. It has been duly notarized and registered (recorded) in the court (see the attached blue card), and on the reverse side of the blue card it has been verified by the Consulate General of India in New York. The second blank (unused) page is for use in recording this power of attorney in the court in India. I trust that you will have received this safely and that you will immediately inform me by post upon receipt of this letter.