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Blessings (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Hayagrīva: Yes. Does she give Him her blessing finally?

Prabhupāda: No. Of course, mother's blessings are always there. But the scene was that mother was crying and He was falling on the feet and His mother was very sorry that He had very beautiful hair. Now it is all cut off. In this way, the scene is very pathetic. So in this way, after remaining at Advaita's house, His mother was asking Him through Advaita, "Let Him remain for some time." Then He consulted "Mother, now just you think over that I have taken sannyāsa. And if I remain in this way, leaving My own family, and if I leave another family, do you think this is very nice for a sannyāsī? So give Me permission to go away." Then mother agreed and other friends like Advaita and Śrīnivāsa requested His mother that "You give Him permission." Then (s)he said, "Yes, I have to give Him permission because He has already accept sannyāsa. If somebody blames Him, blasphemy, that is also not good. So my last request is that He may make His headquarter at Jagannātha Purī so that... Because people generally go to Jagannātha Purī, so I shall be able at least to know about Him, how He is faring there. That is my last request." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at once accepted. "My dear mother, I shall always stay in Jagannātha Purī, and sometimes I may come to Bengal also to take bath in the Ganges. So there will be meeting. Now let Me go." So in this way they departed and Caitanya Mahāprabhu for the last time saw His friends and mother.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Comment on Painting -- May 9, 1968, Boston:

Prabhupāda: I have to thank Jadurāṇī for nice pictures. She is giving us light about spiritual understanding. So Kṛṣṇa will bless her with greater energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you. So this picture, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, with His associates just joined into the picture... Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau (CC Adi 1.5). It is a very great science. The Absolute is one, but in order to enjoy transcendental bliss... (end)

Room Conversation about Marriage -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:
Prabhupāda: So these challenges were made amongst the kṣatriyas. Otherwise, generally, the parents would select. We were married. Whatever our parents selected, we accepted. I did not like my wife, (laughs) but gradually, I was accustomed. I was obliged to like. That's all. (laughs) That is the Indian system. You like or not like, you have to accept it. That's all. The psychology is that the girls, generally, before attaining puberty if she loves one boy, she cannot forget him. That is her psychology. And a boy also, when he is grown up, the first girl he makes choice, he also cannot forget. Therefore, by some way or other they are mixed up. So in your country the situation is different. You see? The boys and girls are freely mixing, and from school, college, they are freely mixing, free sex without any restriction. So we cannot enforce, at least, at the present moment. If some boy and some girl agree, then I bless him. That's all. Now another thing, that girls should not be taken as inferior. You see? Sometimes... Of course, sometimes scripture we say that "Woman is the cause of bondage." So that should not be, I mean to say, aggravated. (laughs) That should not be aggravated, that "Woman is inferior," or something like that. So the girls who come, you should treat them nicely, at least. I heard that Gargamuni, after his wife left him, he became a woman-hater like that. (chuckles) That is not good. You see? Yes. After all, anyone who is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, man or woman, boys or girls, they are welcome. They are very fortunate. You see. And the idea of addressing "prabhu" means "you are my master." That is the... Prabhu means master. And Prabhupāda means many masters who bows down at his lotus feet. That is Prabhupāda. So each, everyone shall treat others as "My master." This is the Vaiṣṇava system. So now, who is going with your party? That girl?

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

Prabhupāda: Lotus is blessing. And that disc and club is for punishing. Viṣṇu has to see two ways because He's the Lord. So, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Just like the state. State is meant for punishing the criminals and giving protection to the law-abiding citizen. Wherefrom this idea is taken? It is taken from Viṣṇu. Everything. Because He is the supreme maintainer. So everything is required for maintaining. So this gada, the club, and the disc is for punishing the disobedient, the demons, or those who are harassing devotees. To punish them the Viṣṇu-cakra is there. Just like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was harassed by Durvāsā Muni, and Viṣṇu-cakra punished him sufficiently. Mahārāja Durvāsā... Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a great king, but a great devotee at the same time. Because he was kṣatriya and householder, Durvāsā Muni, he was envious. Durvāsā Muni was brāhmaṇa and a great yogi. So he could not tolerate that a householder king... King is supposed to be dealing in politics, economics. Therefore, according to social position, he is lesser than the brāhmaṇa because they are simply engaged in the matter of transcendental advancement of life. But a devotee is above the brāhmaṇas. That is the position of devotee. Here, the highest qualitative position is to be situated in the modes of goodness or to acquire the qualities of brāhmaṇa, in this material world. Truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity and knowledge, faith in God, there are so many qualifications which makes a person as recognized brāhmaṇa. But a devotee, never mind whether he's brāhmaṇa or a caṇḍāla, he automatically develop all these qualities.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: You might not like what I say. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: No you say your experience, how you're experiencing. That's all.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. Okay.

Prabhupāda: Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ. You have got Kṛṣṇa's blessings upon you. You are not ordinary man.

Allen Ginsberg: I'm not certain that I'm worthy of that, Swamiji.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But I know that you are not ordinary man.

Allen Ginsberg: Well... I've only recently stopped smoking, by the way, finally. With that car crash, I quit smoking. But I haven't stopped eating meat. So what is the intelligence of meat?

Prabhupāda: You remain with us at least for three months and you'll forget your... You remain with us for three months. (laughter) With your associates, you just come to Vṛndāvana. We shall live together.

Allen Ginsberg: You have a farm now?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Allen Ginsberg: You have a farm now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. And you'll forget everything. You'll be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

George Harrison: Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: This Kṛṣṇa's blessings.

George Harrison: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There is a verse in Bhagavad-gītā,

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
itaras tad anuvartate
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
(BG 3.21)

The idea is that anything which is, I mean to say, accepted by the leading persons, ordinary persons follow them. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas. Śreṣṭhas means leading persons. Ācarati, acts. Whatever leading persons act, people in general follow them. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute. If the leading person says, "It is nice. It is all right," the others also accept it. So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, you are leaders. Thousands of young men follow you. They like you. So if you give them something actually nice, the face of the world will change.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 15, 1970, Surat:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (indistinct) but you must know. Another thing is that you must know Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a bhāgavata, whose life is bhāgavata. First of all you must know what is bhāgavata. What is bhāgavata? Can you give me idea what you have understood? Instead of going through the instruction, first of all let me understand what do you understand about this (indistinct) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is essential. So you cannot explain what is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You have read Bhāgavatam from the beginning? Dharma projjhita kaitavo atra. You have read?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Eh? You have not read even the first verse and you are going to give instruction on Bhāgavatam? Your life should be bhāgavata. You should understand what is bhāgavata. Simply by (indistinct) words from others how can you accept?

Guest (1): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Huh? So I bless(?) you that you try to understand. Then you write. That is my request. That's alright, alright. (end)

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London:

Sister Mary: Well, if you're relaxing, if you need to relax, and you sit and listen to some music, it doesn't say praise God all the time, but in fact is, because it's beautiful.

Prabhupāda: No, we don't accept anything beautiful without God. Without God, everything is ugly to us. Everything ugly.

Sister Mary: So you have to bless it by offering it to God first.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is another thing.

Revatīnandana: Just like we have so many beautiful songs and melodies and everything. They're very nice. And we sing these songs. They are glorifying the Lord. And we enjoy like that. Music is there, everything is there, but because it is directly in the devotional service of God, therefore there is this bhakti, there is this devotion there. Devotion to God. Without that, everything becomes void. Tasteless.

Guest (2): Can I get one point straight? Is the Beethoven symphony all right provided it is blessed as an object and a work of art. Is it then all right? Or is it not all right because it doesn't use religious themes?

Haṁsadūta: Originally, music and art were employed only to glorify the Lord in the scripture and...

Prabhupāda: In Sāma-veda, Sāma-veda.

Room Conversation with Mayor -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: But if he goes as my unmarried grandson...

Guest: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then he can get. So that will be done. (Hindi) So your sons are very good sons. I have got all blessings for them. (Hindi)

Guest: (Hindi) You have so many grandsons, but I am the one erratic son, bad son.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) What is that problem?

Guest: Material problems. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) I never told you that you give up your family life, but in family life you just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi conversation) There, there is a similar case in Lord Caitanya's time. The son became first a great devotee. So when the father came, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, (indistinct). Then father said, "No. He is my father." (laughs) So (Hindi conversation) Political economics and...

Guest: Indian literature.

Prabhupāda: Indian Literature. That's nice. So their work is proposed to...

Guest: I think he should go there to study something, earn some money. That's all.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana:

Yadubara: Many other societies make compromises. Many other religious groups make compromises in their doctrine.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because they have no clear idea. They cannot push forward their concept. Just like the other day (indistinct) lady, she asked if Kṛṣṇa was a naughty boy. Yes, because He is God He must be naughty boy. Otherwise, wherefrom this idea of naughty boy comes if that quality is not in God? God is the origin of everything, creator of everything. So if He hasn't got this naughtiness in His person, then how this thing comes to be? That is the Vedānta version, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Absolute Truth is that from which or from whom everything emanates. So wherefrom this naughtiness comes if it is not in the person of God? Wherefrom this stealing propensity comes if it is not in God? But because He is absolute, His stealing is also as good as his blessing. Mākhan-cora. Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter, that is worshiped, mākhana, by the very name. Just like in another temple, Kṣīra-cora-gopīnātha. Gopīnātha is known as condensed milk thief, Kṣīra-cora. He is famous by the name cora, thief. But that cora and this cora, you cannot compare. He is famous as cora, or thief, but thousands of people go every day to worship that cora, that thief. And in the material, if one is known as thief, then thousands of people will beat him with shoes. (laughter) That is the difference. If you say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa was a thief, then I can become a thief," then your will be beating of shoes on your head, and Kṛṣṇa will be eternally worshiped because He is thief. That is the difference. That is Absolute. He will be worshiped as thief, and He will be worshiped as very honest. That is Absolute. (aside:) No, no, this (indistinct) is not good. I will take little fruit.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Devotee (1): If we can do twenty times, it's only because you gave us the energy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My blessings are there, you do it, try. Just like Guru Mahārāja gave blessings to everyone, but if they do not try, if they remain Kuñja Babu, then they'll remain Kuñja Babu, what can be done? If he's satisfied only one building in Māyāpur and two buildings in Vṛndāvana, that is his only ambition. The ambition is poor.

Śyāmasundara: Just like Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa and his wife, they hitchhiked all the way to Australia.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Śyāmasundara: They landed by ship in northern Australia, Perth, where our plane first landed that night.

Prabhupāda: He is very energetic.

Śyāmasundara: And they hitchhiked across Australia, one thousand five hundred miles through the desert.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Śyāmasundara: He said sometimes a car would not come by for many hours, and they would be standing in the hot sun, no trees, anything.

Prabhupāda: Oh, desert, big desert.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This is the feeling of separation. Such feeling everyone should... (aside:) Go on.

Devotee (1): "...from the poisonous water of the Yamunā, from the serpent Kāliya, from Bakāsura, from the anger of Indra and his torrents of rain, from forest fire and so many other things. You are the greatest and most powerful of all. It is wonderful that You have protected us from so many dangers. We are surprised You are neglecting us at this moment. Dear Kṛṣṇa, dear friend, we know very well that You are not actually the son of Mother Yaśodā or the cowherd man Nanda Mahārāja. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul of all living entities. You have, out of Your own causeless mercy, appeared in this world, requested by Lord Brahma for the protection of the world. It is by Your kindness only that You have appeared in the dynasty of Yadu. O best of the dynasty of Yadu, if anyone afraid of this materialistic way of life takes shelter of Your lotus feet, You never deny him protection. Your movements are sweet, and You are independent, touching the goddess of fortune with one hand and in the other bearing a lotus flower. That is Your extraordinary feature. Please, therefore, come before us and bless us with the lotus flower in Your hand. Dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the killer of all the fears of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. You are the supremely powerful hero, and we know that You can kill the unnecessary pride of Your devotees, as well as the pride of women like us, simply by Your beautiful smile."

Prabhupāda: Unnecessary pride is very bad. "Oh, I have become very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That we should never think.

Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor:...here at Rādhā-Dāmodara. After his long tour of the world in which he got passed the message of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the different karmas, to the different nationalities of the world. This return back to homeland of Śrīla Prabhupāda, is particularly significant, because this time he comes back with a host of his western disciples. This signifies to me the meeting of the East and the West, or at least the beginning of such a meeting. This signifies the victory of spiritualism over materialism, of good over evil. This is really a rare moment in history, for for the first time in the history of the world, for the first time at least living memory, Vaiṣṇavism, the message of Vaiṣṇavism, the message of Mahāprabhu, the message of devotion and of pure devotion has been carried to the west and carried so successfully. I am sure that historians of the future will have a lot to say about Prabhupāda and his movement, and they will be even envious of us for living in a time when this movement was begun and for participating in it. I have a secret realization that at this moment, while we are welcoming Prabhupāda, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, whose samādhis signify their eternal presence in the sacred precincts of this temple, are also joining us in welcoming Prabhupāda, and they are showering their choicest blessings upon him. I can hear them saying, "Long live Prabhupāda, long live Prabhupāda." I am sure as a result of their presence, Prabhupāda will live long for many, many more years, to broadcast the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all the world over and inspire us to inspire us with a special zeal in our hearts. And I am sure as a result of their blessings he will rise always, from glory(?). I have also a secret realization that Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī are not only showering their blessings upon Prabhupāda but also upon the western disciples of Prabhupāda that have come along with him and saying that in the process will be realized (?) the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and surely and steadily advance on the path of peace, happiness, and divine grace.

Prabhupāda: So blessings of Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor. He is a Vaiṣṇava. Although by age he is my younger brother, we are Godbrothers, and for the last forty years perhaps, since he was a student at Allahabad and I was doing some business there, we are known to each other. So his association is a great blessing for us. But this reception is actually not my reception. It is the reception of my foreign students. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that His message should be broadcast all over the world, in every village and every town, and my Guru Mahārāja attempted. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura distributed his literature. I think, in 1896, he sent his first book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and I saw in McGill University that book. And I do not know. That was the year of my birth also, 1896. So somehow or other, later on, I came in contact with Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 1922, and he immediately asked me that "Why don't you go to the foreign countries and preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings." So I was little surprised. Especially at that time, I was very young man and I was newly married. I got one son also. So it was my mistake that I did not take up the words of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja immediately. I thought that "I am now married. Let me settle down." Perhaps if I would have joined from 1922, by the blessings of Guru Mahārāja, I could do more preaching work.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta:

Devotee (1): They're more attached to the external form that they already have.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is which we call churchianity. Christianity, churchianity.

Devotee (1): Churchianity. (laughs)

Devotee (2): Also he may lose his position because he has no knowledge (indistinct).

Prabhupāda;: That is going on everywhere. These, our Indian people, they're not interested in God. They're interested in (Hindi), some blessing, because they can make improvement in their material position.

Devotee (3): Yes.

Prabhupāda: So therefore these rascals come, they give them (Hindi or sounds like "asirvada", maybe referring to Sai Baba), I give them, "I am so powerful, I give you (Hindi)," and they give them money, "Oh, here is a sādhu." They'll get (Hindi) very cheaply, and make money. Instead of two lakhs, I'll make ten lakhs, by the (Hindi). And he's Sai Baba, like rogues, they come to show them some magic, that "I have got some power, I can do anything I like, and if you become my devotee, you will improve." All these yogis, everything, they do like that. Mahesh Yogi also: "Take my mantra. Within six months you become perfect man and whatever you like, you can do."

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Big sum, yes. So Gosvāmī Mahārāja very much appreciated, and he began to speak highly about me that "Abhay Babu is so expert, he has got so many friends, he has collected so many... So why does he... He should be the Maṭha in-charge." In this way. "Why should he not live with us? Why he's living separately?" In this way. So Prabhupāda, Mahārāja, Śrīdhara may remember it (laughing), he said, "It is better to live separately from you people, and he will do the necessity in due course of time." So I could not understand what Śrīla Prabhupāda meant by that. So his inclination, blessings, were always upon me although (indistinct), but he was so kind.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct) collecting sufficient funds to come back (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Yes, he was afraid.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: He asked you.

Prabhupāda: Prabhupāda gave me some money, that he is afraid, "You keep this money. When they need you can..." So, by guru Vaiṣṇava, and whatever position I have got it is by guru's mercy and the Vaiṣṇavas' blessings, otherwise I am insignificant. So I wish that Śrīdhara Mahārāja may bestow his blessings as he was doing always, and my Guru Mahārāja may help me. I can give some service (?).

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes, I thought that (indistinct) Guru Mahārāja wanted and these Gauḍīya Math people did not do anything, so let me try in this old age. The inspiration came, and I went. By his grace it has become little successful, that's all. I have no credit. It is all the blessings of guru and Vaiṣṇava, that's all. I have no credit. I do not know how things are happening, because I am not at all bona fide position. But it is truly chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Are you going (indistinct) kindly talk with your men (?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: That will be (indistinct) to us, the land of gold and Golden Avatara (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: I am always (indistinct) to this, my American disciples that you are so much, I mean to say, taken care by God (?), this is... Your position is very good. Now you take to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, and you become a perfect nation. That I preach always. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have got everything. All material opulence. Now make it plus Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be very nice. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. So, these boys are trying, very sincerely and seriously, and I hope, even I do not live many more years, they will carry out this order.

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

Śyāmasundara: One pound, one shilling.

Prabhupāda: So in India it was available, any amount. You pay price and take. And they would melt it and make ornament, that Guinea gold. There was no restriction. You can purchase any amount.

Śyāmasundara: Why all of a sudden it changed?

Prabhupāda: But, they have lost all gold. There is no gold, simply paper. That's all. Simply blessing, "Yes, you'll get money." (laughter) But you'll never get. In the bank also, any amount of gold you can purchase. Bank was canvassing that "You take gold from us." I do not know where those gold gone. Nowhere, all over the world, you cannot purchase gold. Even in America.

Śyāmasundara: You can purchase some places, but the price is so high for a small amount.

Prabhupāda: Zurich, you can get.

Śyāmasundara: Yes, Switzerland.

Prabhupāda: But you cannot get out with the gold.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Animals also can be delivered, provided he follows a devotee.

Guest (11): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (2): He's just asking for your blessings...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (2): Your blessings, Swamiji, will do a lot of good. He's involved in some personal family problems.

Guest (11): Personal family problem. I am now (indistinct)

Guest (2): I told him...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) chanting... Hare Kṛṣṇa nāma... Bhavauṣadhi... Bhavauṣadhi, medicine of all material diseases. This distressed condition of material world is a diseased condition, and this is the remedy. (Hindi for a few sentences)

Guest (7): To eradicate disease, it needs counteraction. the... I...

Prabhupāda: Eh? This is recited from the śāstra, bhavauṣadhi. This is the only disease, uh, only remedy.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Guest (8): You can come in the morning. We have got... Guru Mahārāja speaks in the morning, Bhagavad-gītā classes.

Prabhupāda: Morning (Hindi)

Guest (7): To chant Kṛṣṇa's name, I was wondering if I could have the blessing and the beads.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can have the beads, but there is a process. Whether you are prepared to... Otherwise, you can chant. There is no restriction. You can take the beads and chant. But if you want to be officially initiated, there are certain rules and regulations, and other things. But without being officially initiated, nobody is barred from chanting. You can chant. Just like Ekalavya, he was speaking. Although he was not initiated by Droṇācārya, he became a good archer, simply by practicing. Similarly you can practice: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Guest (3): Swamiji, tomorrow is Gaura-pūrṇimā. And a friend of mine, his father, or his mother died on Ekādaśī day. Husband and wife were, they had been fasting Ekādaśī doing Satya-nārāyaṇa-kathā. So now father, he is very lonely, and he said, "I have got no guru." Then I told him about you. So he immediately grabbed the idea. He wants to come tomorrow, in the morning to have your blessings. But then is it possible that he could have the initiation?

Prabhupāda: Well, let him come. First of all let him understand...

Guest (3): That man already comes. But tomorrow is Gaura-pūrṇimā. That's why I thought if tomorrow...

Guest (8): If he deserves it.

Prabhupāda: So let him come tomorrow. We shall see.

Guest (3): Tomorrow morning? Ācchā. The beads, Swamiji. He wants the beads. We can get it from the office?

Prabhupāda: No, beads, they also purchase from the market. There is no harm. Either you take it from here or from the market.

Room Conversation with Anna Conan Doyle, daughter-in-law of famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: No, we attended the ceremony. (laughter)

Bhagavān: It is a souvenir of the ceremony.

Prabhupāda: You were not marked because you did not attend the ceremony.

Anna Conan Doyle: I see. It's just a sign. It has no particular meaning.

Prabhupāda: No, this is the general meaning. And this is blessing. After, after the ceremony, if there is any blessing, you get the blessing. Yes.

Guru-gaurāṅga: It's a nicer kind of souvenir than the kind you find in Paris.

Anna Conan Doyle: Exactly, (indistinct) to my eye.

Prabhupāda: Just like nowadays, voting, the man who goes to put his vote, he's marked with a star here. You know that? That means he cannot come again. He cannot represent a false voter. Like that. (break) ...book you are reading now, my books?

Anna Conan Doyle: At the moment, Gītā.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Very nice.

Interviews with Macmillan and various English Reporters -- September 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

English Boy: I'd like to...

Prabhupāda: Which newspaper?

English Boy: I'm not from a newspaper.

Haṁsadūta: He said he's not from any newspaper, but he would like your blessings.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

English Boy: I do, regularly.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you chant it? Very good. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ācchā. Call that Jaya Hari.

Haṁsadūta: Jaya Hari.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jaya Hari, no, Jaya Hari. What is the name?

Haṁsadūta: Jaya Hari.

Prabhupāda: Jaya Hari, eh? So what has happened to you?

Jaya Hari: I've been working in London, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: But when I go to London temple, I don't see you.

Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda. It must be stopped.

Prabhupāda: How much important is your movement, just try to understand.

Prajāpati: This will be accomplished only by your blessing, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) My blessings are already there. Kṛṣṇa's blessings are. But if you don't take the blessings, then how it will be done? You have to fight. Arjuna never said, "By blessings, the fight will go on." You must fight. It is not like that, "Your blessing..." Fight. My blessing is there. You have to fight. Arjuna never said to Kṛṣṇa, "Sir, you are the Supreme Lord. By Your blessing, I'll win over the war." Kṛṣṇa said, "No you must fight. My blessings are there." That is wanted. We have to fight. Not that take a room and chant, peacefully chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not like that. We must fight.

Prajāpati: But later, lately, we've been reading in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam how Arjuna's potency was gone. He was not even able to protect Kṛṣṇa's wives. What was missing there?

Prabhupāda: No, that, that, that is a example, that without Kṛṣṇa's help, everything is useless. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa's wife can be stolen away by others, the plan was different. But the outward show is that without Kṛṣṇa's mercy, nothing can be successful. Even you have got the same bow, same arrows, same man. But Kṛṣṇa... We must depend... That is trust. We have to depend on Kṛṣṇa's mercy. At the same time, we have to work. That is required. It may be Arjuna was proud that "I am Arjuna. I am taking them. Who can touch them?" That proudness. You see? And might be. It is quite natural.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor: Śrīji Mandir. (indistinct conversation in background) I was told by responsible person that C. D. Gupta is coming to see the temple at 4 o'clock. I don't know. At any rate I may be wrong. It's (indistinct) you see. They shouldn't make the two programs coincide. (pause) Program is working wonders through you?

Prabhupāda: It is by your blessings.

Guest: (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: I do not know how (indistinct) making plans. I am sometimes myself puzzled. (laughter)

Dr. Kapoor: Yes, because you are just an instrument (laughter).

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Kapoor: You are just an instrument, you see.

Prabhupāda: Just like Kavirāja Gosvāmī also writes that I do not know how things are coming, but with my hand is getting written. It is something like that.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...that qualification, satya, always truthful. (break)

Girirāja: "...violent and they never claimed any false prestige. They were all bona fide brāhmaṇas, and there was no reason to think that their blessings would be useless."

Prabhupāda: (break) ...social divisions. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The other varṇas, they would give simply to the brāhmaṇas charity. And the brāhmaṇas were so advanced that simply by their blessing, they will get all benefit. So there must be a class of men who can actually benefit simply by blessing and the society must maintain them. This is real society. And everyone is śūdra, engaged in technology—then what benefit you will get? Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There must be a brahminical class, a kṣatriya class, a vaiśya class, a śūdra class. Not that all śūdras. Then what will be going on? That is the condition. Everyone is being educated as śūdra. Then what benefit you will get? That is the defect. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Therefore there must be a brahminical class.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Indian man (1): But they have provided you with motorcars and aeroplanes to go across the sea, reach America, France, within a few hours.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is also credit. Because they have done something...

Indian man (1): Something to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: No, yes. That is our mercy, that we take advantage of their creation to bless them. We don't require all these things, but we take the advantage: "Because he has done something, let us take it." Just like we are using the microphone. So we don't require any microphone, but because he has created, that is the proper utilization. Not for sense gratification, cinema song. That is not required.

Indian man (1): Cinema can be used for education.

Prabhupāda: That can be used. Everything can be used. Everything can be used. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Therefore we are "lessoning" people that "Whatever you have done is rotten. Utilize for Kṛṣṇa." That is our purpose, not that we enjoy these.

Room Conversation -- April 26, 1974, Tirupati:

Prabhupāda: West Germany. Berlin?

Indian man: No, he is in Frankfurt.

Prabhupāda: Frankfurt. Oh, yes. Frankfurt is a big city. Sons are all married?

Indian man: The last son is not married. Two sons are married. Three daughters are... This daughter is to be married. We are trying, not able to get a suitable groom, you see. With your blessings I hope we will succeed.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Nowadays it is very difficult job to get married. (everyone laughs)

Wife: Suitable.

Prabhupāda: Well, suitable cannot be. There is no suitable.

Indian man: Difficult to find.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Formerly, as the girl is grown up, any boy.

Indian man: We used to marry at the age of ten, eleven. That is... Those days have been forty years back.

Prabhupāda: I was also married. My wife was eleven years old.

Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: And I thank you for your coming. (chuckles)

Yogeśvara: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Give this flower. Thank you.

Swiss Man (1): And God bless you.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (guests leave) These Aurobindos or Vivekanandas and Gandhis, they have spoiled Hindu culture. Vedic culture they have spoiled. Hodgepodge writing, hodgepodge speaking, dry speaking, speculation-choked up the progress of Vedic civilization. Now here is some hope. People are now taking it. Now, did I say wrong, that "Why shall I go to Aurobindo?"

Nitāi: You never say wrong. (laughs) All of your answers were right, great.

Prabhupāda: I have got better instruction than Aurobindo. Why shall I go to Aurobindo, waste my time? People don't know anything. Nobody has become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa in reading Aurobindo's literature. And here, as soon as they saw our literature, immediately police officer said, "Oh, you are so high." Immediately. Where is the record, the professors and universities eager to purchase Aurobindo's book and Vivekananda's books? There is no record. But here they are eager "All sixty books, please, sir." "All twelve books, please, sir."

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Pradyumna: "The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhāgavatam says: dharmaṁ hi sākṣād-bhagavat-praṇītam—the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect."

Prabhupāda: We have started a gurukula in Dallas. Small children are being trained up. Just like formerly there was brahmacārī āśrama. (aside:) Those ladies, they have come? No? If there are any inquiries. (break) ...record?

Devotee: Which record?

Bhagavān: From this afternoon, the recording.

Devotee: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Mesman, Chief of Law House of Paris -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Problem?

Yogeśvara: Proverb.

Prabhupāda: So put into action this proverb. So that is... You are one of the leading mayor. That is our appeal. What is unreasonableness in our proposal that so long the cow lives...? Cow, every cow gives milk. So it fulfills your proverb also. So under the circumstances, let the cows live peacefully, take milk and make this preparation of cow's milk, and when it is dead, free of charges. (French)

Yogeśvara: He says he will try to take to heart what you have told him today, and he thanks you for having received him.

Prabhupāda: So kindly do this service. Kṛṣṇa will bless you.

M. Mesman: Thank you. Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (end)

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Paramahaṁsa: Some people glorify suffering in the material world because they say this increases their sense of appreciating the momentary happiness they have.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is good. (laughter) That is good, yes. "Blessings of adversity." That is blessing.

Yogeśvara: Blessings of...?

Prabhupāda: Adversity. Yes. Therefore, according to Vedic system, big, big king, they give up their kingdom and becomes a sannyāsī, mendicant, voluntary acceptance of adversity. This is good. To live very comfortably and forget God is not good business.

Devotee: How can a devotee be free from being attracted to this worldliness?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: How can a devotee be free...?

Prabhupāda: When he's attracted by Kṛṣṇa, he'll forget. Just like we are more or less not attracted by these material features because we have little attraction for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So increase your attraction for Kṛṣṇa; you'll forget all nonsense. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). The bhakti means more realization of God and forgetting this, all this nonsense. That is bhakti. That is the test of bhakti: how much you have become disinterested with this material advancement. That is bhakti, advancement of bhakti. And the... Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, niṣkiñcanasya. At last, when you'll feel that "Now I am dispossessed of all this material nonsense," then you make progress. And so long you'll feel "I have got this, I have got that, I am in possession of this, I...," that means your material disease is continuing. When you'll feel that "I do not have anything material," that is the beginning of Bhāgavata-dharma.

Room Conversation -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So... Just like if you have got your child on your lap, if some friends come and takes your child and pats him and kisses him, then you become pleased, immediately. "Oh, this gentleman loves my child so much." Similarly, if a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, is respected, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Therefore it is called, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The respectful to guru makes easier to receive mercy from God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. What is the meaning?

Satsvarūpa: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one gets the blessings of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa is immediately pleased. "Oh, he's obedient and respectful to My devotee." It is in the same way, "Oh, he loves my child so much. He loves my dog." Dog is not qualified. But because the gentleman's dog is loved, the gentleman is pleased. This is counteractive. Similarly, a pure devotee, representative of God, if he is offered respect, that respect goes to God.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Life originates from matter?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Devotee: False theory.

Prabhupāda: About false theory. Very good. (laughter) Very good, it will be very nice. You have all Kṛṣṇa's blessing, do it nicely.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then from fifth chapter it will be evolution versus transmigration.

Prabhupāda: Mm, yes, very good.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And explanation. That will be written by me.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And then on the sixth chapter there will be a topic called "Molecular Evolution." This will taking the jumbles of the scientific findings, but we use it as a jumbles and turn around to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That is perfection. If you can write this book nicely all together, it will be a great service to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa will bless you and help you.

Rūpānuga: Will you read the rest of the chapters?

Prabhupāda: Mm? Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then in the eighth chapter there will be...

Prabhupāda: Just make that Dr. Agarwala also interested.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, he can...

Prabhupāda: He is the also scientist, professor of physics.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: "Defects and Errors in Scientific Research," it will be a title and we will find out all the mistakes that normally found in scientific research. That will be written by Mādhava Prabhu.

Prabhupāda: And add "and how to make it perfect." Find out the defects. Don't be, what is called...?

Rūpānuga: Negative.

Prabhupāda: Negative only.

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

Rūpānuga: If you can give us your blessings...

Prabhupāda: That you discuss, some of the agenda.

Jayatīrtha: The agenda that we've created so far is... The first point on the agenda is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jayatīrtha: Yes. You said that that should be our first point.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious movement means... It is very practical. Because our consciousness is now polluted... Just like water. Water, originally, crystal clear water. But as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes dirty, muddy. So our consciousness-originally clear, Kṛṣṇa consciousness: "Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. I am eternal servant." This is real consciousness. Now, since we have come into this material world, we have made, instead of Kṛṣṇa, "My wife is my master, my society is my master, my country is my master, my political leader is my master," so many. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the dirty things and then... So, to purify this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleaning the mirror of consciousness, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is only way.

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Later on. He went to China also.

Bhagavān: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But they are uncompromising. The communists, they, they are staunch enemy of the capitalist. Their whole philosophy is against God and against capitalism. So if America becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious and fights, they have got strength plus God's blessing. They'll come out victorious. Fight is going on. We cannot stop. But if the American people take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and fight with the communist, they'll come out victorious. Then the menace of communistic movement will stop. And we want that. We want that these demonic communists should be finished. The Russians, as people, they are not communists. They are not communists. A certain class. Just like in India, a certain class is communist. The mass of people is not communist. They cannot become communist. It is not possible.

Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: God loves. That is natural, but you do not love, I do not love. That is the difficulty. Father loves the son; that is natural. But when the son does not love father that is a very precarious condition.

Jesuit: Good. Well, thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, jaya.

Jesuit: Thank you. We will pray for one another.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jesuit: God bless you. Goodbye everybody. (leaves.)

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: You have got that canteloupe? No.

Śrutakīrti: No. Guruprasāda, you can get melon, honeydew melon now?

Guruprasāda: Yes.

Śrutakīrti: Okay. You made him run away. He said, "I must run away." (laughing) (end).

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

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Raymond: And what we're doing is we've decided we're going to have the family.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, very nice. So give some prasādam to his son and his father-in-law.

Raymond: And then my wife said, a couple of nights ago my wife said, "Well...

Prabhupāda: Take some blessings from the temple.

Raymond: Well, thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: For your son and father-in-law.

Raymond: So we decided to get all of my father-in-law's friends. He doesn't know yet, and I'm supposed to pick him up, you see, and I was supposed to be there over an hour ago.

Prabhupāda: So you must go on. Oh, yes. It is very nice. It is very nice function. The father-in-law, the grandson. (chuckles) Give some prasādam for them also.

Madhudviṣa: He invited everyone over to one, Ugraśrava's, house one night. We had a big party, and Wally came and Raymond came, and they became very much addicted to prasādam. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Make his father-in-law also interested.

Raymond: Well, he was here on Sunday. He came down on Sunday.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes? So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. We can make friend anyone. So you are going? Thank you very much for your coming.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: But I don't think Christians believe.

Guest (1): So I know you people are good, just as good as I am. Bless you all, and I wish I and all of us were better.

Prabhupāda: Do you think Christians believe in the Ten Commandments?

Guest (1): We think we do, I guess, but we don't practice it, you know.

Prabhupāda: Christ says, "Thou shalt not kill." So why they are killing?

Guest (1): Yes, you're right. But, you know, up the road someplace maybe there's an answer.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Guest (1): Maybe up the road there's an answer someplace, but we're too slow in arriving there.

Prabhupāda: There is no answer. The Lord says, "Thou shalt not kill." Why you are killing? Who is a Christian? If you don't obey the order of Christ, how you become a Christian? You cannot say that you are Christian if you disobey the order of Christ.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: We have no temple there?

Śrutakīrti: No.

Gurukṛpa: We've been there many times for saṅkīrtana.

Guest (1): Well, you folks are good people. God bless you. And, you know, sometimes it takes a little nerve to come up and stop you. But I was just curious. An awful lot of people might be, and they do a little staring, but they never get enough guts up to stop and talk to you. And I thought I'd do that. It's nice talking to you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Gurukṛpa: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Can you say that?

Guest (1): Can I say what?

Gurukṛpa: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (1): Hariyay Kṛṣṇa? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice. Very good. (man departs)

Devotee: Should we tell all Christians like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda? That they're killing?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are killing actually. They are maintaining slaughterhouse. What kind of Christian they are, I do not know.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Brahmānanda: We have already discussed that pure devotional service to the Lord is automatically followed by perfect knowledge and detachment from material existence. But there are others who consider that all kinds of different occupational engagements, including those of religion, are meant for material gain. The general tendency of any ordinary man in any part of the world is to gain some material profit in exchange for religious or any other occupational service. Even in the Vedic literatures, for all sorts of religious performances an allurement of material gain is offered, and most people are attracted by such allurements or blessings of religiosity. Why are such so-called men of religion allured by material gain? Because material gain can enable one to fulfill desires, which in turn satisfy sense gratification. This cycle of occupational engagements includes so-called religiosity followed by material gain and material gain followed by fulfillment of desires. Sense gratification is the general way for all sorts of fully occupied men. But in the statement of Sūta Gosvāmī, as per the verdict of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this is nullified by the present śloka.

One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as follows.

Prabhupāda: People are after material gain. They have no spiritual information even, what is spirit, what is the need of spiritual realization, they do not know. Therefore they have been described as mūḍhas: fools and rascals. Those who are after material way of...

Prof. Hopkins: Do you... Do you think then that that, that message is the most important message that you have to convey?

Prabhupāda: This is the most important message. Because you are not this material body. Suppose you have got this shirt. If you simply try to maintain this shirt, is that very good intelligence, without taking care of your person? Similarly, if we are spirit soul and the body is just like dress, so the whole material world is, everyone is engaged to take care of the body. Nobody knows what is spirit soul, what is this need. Nobody knows. All these educational institutions, they are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). And the whole system is also blind. If a blind man leads another blind man what is the benefit? No benefit. Therefore in your country, every country, it is a blind education. No spiritual enlightenment.

Morning Walk -- July 28, 1975, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Nonsense spirit. Rascal spirit.

Yadubara: But sometimes those people get killed when they're fighting the bull.

Prabhupāda: But your arrangement is to kill the bull. By chance or by God's desire you become killed.

Brahmānanda: It's a very popular sport.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And they are Christians.

Jayatīrtha: I think before the bullfighter goes to the ring, he first goes to the church and prays for blessings that he will be able to do very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Brahmānanda: And everyone gets drunk.

Prabhupāda: Very good preaching.

Yadubara: They also have those cock fights, you know, those chicken fights. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...begin war with their own children. This is also war. The child wants to come out, and they are fighting, advanced. (end)

Morning Walk -- August 7, 1975, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So in my absence you read the books. What I talk, I have written in the books. That's all.

Indian Man (2): Personally, we think more greater.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But still, you can associate with me by reading my books.

Indian Man (2): I am reading books Prabhupāda. That books are your very, very good and most blessful to us. It is the biggest good will upon whole of universe at present, I think. By that knowledge, from dog to, I have become... I feel like I have something in my property of your books in my home. That's the only property I feel that I have, this one. I was misled, misguided in this country.

Prabhupāda: Therefore in the beginning of Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating type of instruction is kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only substance." Vāstavam-vastu vedyam atra. One who is really anxious to know reality, for them, it is Bhāgavatam. And those who want to be misled, not for them. One who is sincere to get the light, for him Bhāgavata is the only remedy. (break) ...the question that "Why Bhāgavata is so important than other books?" The reply is there: mahā-muni kṛte kiṁ va paraiḥ. "What is the use of other books?" It is written by Mahā-muni Vyāsadeva, the Vedānta-ācārya. (end)

Morning Walk -- August 28, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Do you think like that?

Member: Yes, I feel. In the heart of hearts I feel like that. I am very happy to see you and have your blessings. And I think that the whole world will be blessed or be benefited by your presence. I think we must take opportunity of utilizing your service and get benefit. That is what I feel.

Prabhupāda: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that every Indian should do like that. I am only one Indian. If I can do as, according to your estimate, so much, so if every Indian does like that.

Member: Unless he has been directed by God. He must be ...

Prabhupāda: No, God is directing. This is the direction of God.

Member: Only through you they will get that. Only people like you can relate with... It is dormant. The soul is there, and it is in a dormant stage. Unless it is kindled, it cannot have light. People like you can kindle them. And it is really our fortune that we are having Swamiji with us. There was some ṛṣi. Even our Samanja Ācārya(?) or his guru, they were not able to carry this outside India. But you are able to, with all your... I think you are... Is it not said that you are an incarnation of God or you are deputy of God, is it?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Don't say like that.

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Prof. Olivier: These are introductory?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I think in the beginning Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Prof. Olivier: Well, thank you very much, sir...

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prof. Olivier: ...for sacrificing the afternoon for me like this, and God bless.

Prabhupāda: Thank you, yes, for your...(chuckles)...thank you.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So shall I come by your office Monday with some copies and then (?). I myself, I have to go with Srila Prabhupada to Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, and right after the programs there are finished I’ll come back to Durban and pursue this further with you.

Prof. Olivier: Yeah, let's see what we can...we can discuss. Thank you very much.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Thank you very kindly. Thank you for coming.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Separate times we become religious for being promoted to higher standard of life, economic development, big, big scheme, plans, how to make gorgeous city, buildings, roads, cars, slaughter house, scientific, how to cut throat very scientifically. These plans are going on. Some of them are trying to be religious to go to the heaven because he has heard, and that's a fact also, that heavenly planets the standard of living is more opulent, hundreds and thousands times, the sex enjoyment, is hundred and thousand times better. So by so-called religious functions and sacrifices, they are engaged the same, how to satisfy the senses. The dog is also anxious to satisfy his senses. As soon as he finds a female dog, he wants to make friendship with her and have sex. On the street, never mind. And similarly the demigods they are also engaged in the same business. In a different standard only. The business is the same. Āhāra-nidr-bhayam etam. So if one wants to continue this business then he'll continue this material body and if he wants to stop this business, come to his original position, then he makes real progress. But nobody is interested in advancement of spiritual life. Generally they take to religion, religiosity, for material happiness. Artho 'rhati. I am distressed, I have no money, or I am suffering from some disease; you'll find all these. So all of them go to the sādhus only for this purpose. Sir, I am suffering from some disease, so without going to the doctor, and saving so much money, let me pay hundred rupees to the sādhu and he'll give me his blessings. So I will save thousands of rupees, for curing the disease. For this purpose they go to sādhu. Nobody goes to sādhu for going back to home back to godhead. It is only (material) proposition. Otherwise the so-called yogis, sādhus, swamis, they are making good luck business simply by promising that you'll get this material power. This Mahesh Yogi he says that, what is his philosophy?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When do you want to begin it?

Prabhupāda: Immediately.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What's this?

Prabhupāda: (break) Nṛsiṁha-deva wanted to give him benediction, blessings, "Whatever you like." He refused that. He said that "I am not a mercantile devotee that I'll get some benefit from You, but first benediction I want that let me engage in the service of Your servant, Nārada Muni." Tava bhṛtya-sevām. "Because my spiritual master gave me blessing, therefore I see You. So my first business is to serve him." This is Vaiṣṇava conclusion. So he refused direct service but he wanted blessing that he may be engaged in the service of his spiritual master. This is Vaiṣṇava conclusion.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was indebted to his guru.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Certainly he must be. Certainly he must be. Because by the mercy, guru takes the compassion that "These are suffering in this material world," he goes door to door and tries to save him. And if one forgets guru and jumps over to serve Kṛṣṇa, he is not a devotee.

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: A figure of speech. Not meant to be literal.

Prabhupāda: Everything is theory. No practical. (break) ...ten direction. Eight direction, corner, and northeast, east-west, and up and down. So everywhere He is present. So Kṛṣṇa has got ten hands. So my father used to say, "When Kṛṣṇa takes your money or possession in ten hands, how you can protect it with two hands? And when He give you in ten hands, how much you can take in two hands?" (laughs) So in my case it has become practical. Everything He has taken in ten hands, and now He is giving in ten hands. (laughter) I am practically experiencing. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me, "You do this." I was trying to save my business, my family, with two hands, and Kṛṣṇa took it in ten hands. And now, after making me beggar, He is giving me, ten hands: "You take as much as you like." Now I am thinking of my father's instruction. (break) ...ambition was that I become a great de... bhāgavata. That was his... He used to invite so many saintly persons, and he would pray, "Please bless my son"—I was very pet son—"that he may become a devotee of Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī may bless him." That was his only prayer.

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Where is Jayapatāka?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatāka Mahārāja. (break) ...almost sixty years.

Prabhupāda: Sixty years, they could not do any of these books. And still they are envious. Within sixty years they could not attract any foreign student or any book published. And still, they are proud. They have got all the blessings of Bhaktisiddhānta.

Yaśodānandana: They cannot even attract Indian students.

Prabhupāda: Just see, how black snakes they are.

Yaśodānandana: They do pretty good with old widows, however. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Getting a lot of flowers here, it seems.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There must be always all full of flowers.

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

Devotee (3): I found the verse. It's in "Ohe Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura." Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya bolo, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtane.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, not this verse. What is the meaning?

Devotee (3): Meaning is, "I do not find the strength to carry on alone the saṅkīrtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which one can attain the great treasure of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: So nobody is powerful alone. In Kṛṣṇa's service also, combine together. That is wanted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think there is no question of being alone anywhere, because the guru is always with one.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the ideal.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Guru is also depending, and combination means I depend on you, you depend on me, that's all. That is combination. That's all. So prasādam? Now, we are fasting.

Meeting with Bankers -- April 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: He became very big king. But his younger brother, the same brother, was killed by the Yakṣas in the fight. So he wanted to take revenge on the Yakṣas, and he was killing the Yakṣas like anything. Then the Yakṣas' father, Kuvera, he came to him with other, recommendation of other demigods, that "You are a Vaiṣṇava. It is not good for you that you are killing so many Yakṣas indiscriminately. Now, whatever is done, you stop it." Then this Kuvera was very much pleased because his descendants were being killed and the fight is stopped, so he was very pleased. This is our point to understand. The Kuvera was very pleased, and he offered Dhruva Mahārāja that "You have become so kind. You could kill all my descendants, but you have stopped, so I am very much pleased upon you that you saved my family. So I want to give you some benediction. Whatever benediction you want, you can take from me." Now this benediction.... He is Kuvera. He is the treasurer of the demigods, unlimited wealth. And he offered him that "Whatever you like, you can take." But what Dhruva Mahārāja did? Dhruva Mahārāja said that "Kuverajī, I am very much obliged to you that you are offering me benediction and you are the treasurer of the demigods. I can take money from you as much as I like. But my prayer to you—that I don't require any money. Kindly give me your blessings that I'll remain a devotee of Kṛṣṇa."
Meeting with Bankers -- April 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I have got now the Punjab National Bank, so you are ready to give me money, but I request you that you bless me that I may remain a servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Indian: Should I represent Kuvera?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian (1): Now Mahārājajī has told you the story about the Kuvera of the old days. I will tell you the story of the Kuveras of the today. That is us. In fact, it was in a paper. There was a cartoon. A bank manager, means today's Kuvera, was sitting in an office, and he received a call, such and such big Dalmiya or Birla, "We want two lakhs of rupees just now." He said, "Yes, come along. Here is our Swamiji. He'll pay you two lakhs." Then there was another call. There was some industrialist or a small-scale industrialist man. He said, "I want to start an industry. Could I get a lakh of rupees as a loan from you?" He said, "Yes, yes. Please do come along and we'll make some arrangements." Then he also. And ultimately the third picture in the cartoon, that the manager—that is today's Kuvera—he goes out of the bank. He is standing on the gate, and he says to that caukidāra, (Hindi punchline-laughter). It is today's Kuvera is not in any position to give anything. He also wants your blessings, you see, in fact.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: Free food and free home.

Prabhupāda: Yes, ājagara-vṛtti. What is that? Python. Ājagara-vṛtti and madhukāra-vṛtti. For your necessities of life either you take ājagara-vṛtti or madhukāra-vṛtti. Madhukāra means the fly, honeybee, bees. They take little from this flower, little from this flower, and they stock it, and somebody comes and takes it away. Don't stock. Therefore we have to follow this, that whatever money is coming, spend it for publication or for constructing temple. No account in the bank. Finish.

Jayādvaita: (break) ...is that no one can be contaminated by it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that blessing for them.

Jayādvaita: As soon as I have five dollars, I'm thinking that "Now I have five dollars. I can..."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayādvaita: I'm thinking, "Now I have five dollars. I can purchase something. What shall I buy?"

Prabhupāda: Why? If you don't require anything, why should you purchase? Don't create artificial demand. If you require to purchase something, then purchase. That is material civilization. "I don't require it; still I want it." Atyāhāra.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: ...misleader. But he himself has no character. So here it is open secret, to keep a beautiful girl as secretary, everywhere in Europe and America. So where is purity? Purity? Marriage is a taboo, and keep secretary is very good job. And you can get secretary even free of charge. Rather, she will pay. So this is going on. In Vedic civilization marriage is one of the important function of life. As death is important function, birth is important function, similarly, marriage is also important function. Janma-mṛtyu-vivāha. So in this age everywhere, not only.... The marriage is now farce. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There will be no more marriage. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. Even there is marriage, there will be simply an agreement. That is happening, and it was written five thousand years ago. Svīkāra eva. Svīkāra means by agreement, signing agreement. No marriage function. Otherwise marriage is a.... According to Vedic system, if one has got some money, he will spend the money in three functions. When the child is born, very gorgeously he will spend money, give in charity. Always in the Bhāg... Nanda Mahārāja is giving in charity cows and money, and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is giving. Kṛṣṇa, as family man, He was giving in charity. So when the child is born, the horoscope is made, and to make the child happy, blessings of saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, they are given. Ordinary men also sumptuously fed. So bhūribhiḥ.(?) Everyone gives some blessings so that the child is.... Then marriage. During marriage time.... You have seen Kṛṣṇa's mother's marriage? That was the system. The father gives to his heart content, as much as possible, to the daughter.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Fijian (indistinct): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very good idea.... (break) ...Kṛṣṇa, and everything will be all right. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has blessed: ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. "Every perfection you'll get by chanting." That is His blessing.

Indian: (Hindi) (break)

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Indian: (indistinct) ...he works in town council.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he's South Indian.

Indian: South Indian. (end)

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

Prabhupāda: That is his blessing. He wanted; I tried. That's all. Whatever is being done, it is by his desire. Vaiṣṇava sata saṅkalpa.(?) Whatever he desires, that is to be fulfilled. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Therefore, full faith in guru, that is the prime factor of success. Not any other things, no qualifications, no education, only strong faith in guru. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the secret. So whatever little success is there, that was only this qualification, that I wanted to serve him. That's all. Otherwise, there was no business of coming here at the age of seventy years.

Hṛdayānanda: No one could imagine that.

Prabhupāda: You have seen all my room in the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple?

Rādhā-vallabha: We looked through the cracks. They're usually not open. Very inspiring.

Hṛdayānanda: Rādhā-vallabha has one newspaper article when you had just arrived in, I think, Butler.

Rādhā-vallabha: Trivikrama brought it up last..., two nights ago.

Hṛdayānanda: When you had just arrived, I think before going to New York, and when you were being interviewed, and it said the Swami is welcoming lectures, and it was very inspiring for us.

Prabhupāda: The Butler picture?

Rādhā-vallabha: Yes.

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..." Then he said, tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam: "And greater than viṣṇor ārādhana, Viṣṇu worship, is to worship tadīyānām, anything in connection with Viṣṇu." Anything.... That is Vaiṣṇava. Just like we are worshiping tulasī, tulasī plant. Why tulasī plant? It is a plant only, not even human being. Tadīyānām. Because tulasī is liked by Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, anything in connection with Viṣṇu, to worship, that is better than Viṣṇu worship.

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

Prabhupāda: Take more also, give him one more.

Scheverman: They're very good. I'm afraid I won't be very enlightened if I eat all this.

Hari-śauri: You have the Fathers' shoes?

Scheverman: We'll get them when we go down. It's a great pleasure. May the Lord bless you in your work. Continue.

Pālikā: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very nice to meet you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Scheverman: We'll see you in.... (priests depart)

Prabhupāda: Somebody's going (indistinct)

Jayādvaita: These priests like to be in the position of your disciples.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Jayādvaita: These Christian priests.

Prabhupāda: If you remain to your principles, you can make the whole world your disciple. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. You have read that?

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Viśvakarmā: Yes, they want fire sacrifice. Can we give them some other ceremony to satisfy them?

Prabhupāda: Other ceremony? Why?

Viśvakarmā: Well, sometimes the Indians come with their children, and they want us to bless the children, so we give them caraṇāmṛta and...

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Viśvakarmā: ...and hold the child and then they give some dakṣiṇā, five dollars or ten dollars.

Prabhupāda: No, that we can do. That is first-class.(?) Give caraṇāmṛta and they have given some donation, that's nice.

Viśvakarmā: We can give them a lecture on householder life? Have them sit and give them a lecture and then give them caraṇāmṛta?

Prabhupāda: Who will hear your lecture?

Viśvakarmā: The, all the people that come for this ceremony.

Prabhupāda: They can hold kīrtana. That will be nice, if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Or quality.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These are all Guru Mahārāja's blessings. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is stressing on this point,

guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya,

āra nā koriha mane āśā **

Simply execute that. Kṛṣṇa bhakti, kṛṣṇa prāpti haya yāhā haite. You'll get Kṛṣṇa. (long pause) (break) Govinda, Gopīnātha, Madana Mohana, Śyāmasundara, Rādhā-Dāmodara, Gokulānanda, and...? Rādhā-Ramaṇa. The same thing, Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava. Then other Vaiṣṇavas came, Raṅganātha, Rāmānuja. (break) ...devotees from India, we import to develop these quarters, will government allow?

Kīrtanānanda: I don't think there's as much trouble from our government as from the Indian government. Our problem so far has been Indian government.

Prabhupāda: What is the difficulty? If somebody wants to go, migrate in America, what India government will do?

Kīrtanānanda: They won't give them passport.

Prabhupāda: No, no, passport means coming back. But if he's going to domicile, Indian government cannot check. If I want to go somewhere and live there...

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva, surrenders. That's nice. All right, continue tomorrow. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19).

Devotees: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Distribute this prasādam. (break) Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgya and jñāna, both thing will develop, Vāsudeva. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasādam. Give him twice, he has worked very hard. (laughter) Double, you should give double. So Kṛṣṇa will bless you. So push this scientific movement, go to every university, every college. How they are receiving now in the college circles?

Sadāpūta: We gave a lecture a couple of days ago in Gainesville, and it was interesting. We actually gave a couple of TV interviews.

Prabhupāda: How they received it?

Sadāpūta: Well in the class, at first the professor said "That's completely fallacious." But he quieted down.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they will say like that, "fallacious," but you have to make them down. (laughter)

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

Dr. Sharma: You are so very kind you have given us the temple, and these devotees are such saints.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is for this purpose. People may come, see God, then you can think of God. There is no difficulty. If you see something, you think of it. That is man-manā bhava. And if you regularly do it then you become a devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. And when you come to the temple you worship Him. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). Worshiping means give and take. Take blessings and offer little fruit or little flower. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. And if you cannot do anything, just offer your obeisances. Very simple thing. Even the child can perform it. But they will not do it. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Why does he not do it? That is explained. Because unless one is sinful, duṣkṛtina... He has got merit, but he's utilizing his merit for sinful activities. Kṛti, kṛti means meritorious, but duṣkṛti, he has got merit, intelligence, but he's utilizing merit and intelligence for sinful activities. Therefore duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍha means rascal. He knows everything except God. Narādhama, the lowest of the mankind. The human life is meant for this purpose, to understand God. But he does not. 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.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Today is Ekādaśī also.

Dr. Sharma: I do not know when I will be fortunate to have your darśana again, but I certainly think God will again give me the blessing to have your darśana. India is fortunate to have...

Prabhupāda: We shall see every moment, every day with our work. If the work is going on, then I see you, you see me. (laughs)

Dr. Sharma: And I think that Vivekananda came here before. He brought some things. After that, nothing was brought out. The only thing which has been brought out which is genuine, which is really in the benefit...

Prabhupāda: Indian culture, it is really...

Dr. Sharma: These are the only two things which I have seen.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Thank you very much.

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everyone but the wife.

Prabhupāda: No, no, why one should not call a wife a mother? Is that very great advancement? But this rascal was impotent, he had no other alternative, so he manufactured some idea and people thought, "Oh, he's so devotee of goddess of Kālī that he sees even his wife as mother." This story he told me by Guru Mahārāja personally. He was talking with me privately somewhere, although I was a bad householder. (laughs) He was very kind upon me. And whatever is being done by his blessing, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, what time do you take your bath? Because I can get hot..., you know we have a big heater in this building. So for hot water...

Hari-śauri: Sometimes between quarter to one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I make sure there's hot water at that time?

Hari-śauri: You can put it through the pipe system? Anytime from twelve-thirty on. (in car)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When the devotees heard about your idea for a neon sign on the top of the building, they all went "Jaya!" They like that idea.

Prabhupāda: What is this street?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ninth Avenue. Sometime I'd like to show you the garage.

Prabhupāda: On Ninth Avenue there are many grocery shops. Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These posters are from Reverend Moon, advertising his big Yankee Stadium appearance.

Ādi-keśava: Fiasco.

Hari-śauri: It says "God Bless America."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's the title of it, "God Bless America." But who is God? He says "I am God."

Prabhupāda: No, he has taken advantage, that "So many rascals are coming from India, God, why not from the Christian league? I become God." He's taking advantage. He's intelligent man. So many gods are coming from India, why not from Korea?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, he's the first Korean god.

Rāmeśvara: He's very intelligent. He's big in Korea. Multimillionaire.

Hari-śauri: He makes rifles.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a big factory that makes weapons.

Rāmeśvara: He hates the Communists. He hates them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's why the American government likes him. A lot of big politicians in America are backing him because he's anti-Communist and he's a big man in Korea.

Prabhupāda: So he's already a big man.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a special article about prasādam, Prabhupāda, called "Food for the Gods." "Of all the ways of getting to heaven, or nirvāṇa, or whatever your ideal place may be, the Hare Kṛṣṇa way is one of the most pleasant. Believers of this faith are convinced that you can eat your way into higher spiritual realms. Of course, this doesn't mean that food itself is sacred and the more you eat the holier you are. To begin with, there is a strict prohibition against the killing of animals, so meat, fish and eggs are not included in the diet at all of the Kṛṣṇa devotees. Furthermore, there are many special rules for preparing the food which may be offered to Kṛṣṇa to be blessed by Him and therefore to bring blessings to anyone who partakes of it." Should I read this whole article?

Prabhupāda: Um, hmm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The recipes given below, taken from the Hare Kṛṣṇa Cookbook'—another good advertisement, and they give you at least three or four recipes in here. They give recipes for, the recipes are for...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, he has given more pages for our movement.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Your father-mother here?

Indian man: No. They are dead now. They have expired. But I still offer my obeisances to them. First obeisances to you, then to Kṛṣṇa, then to my father-mother, and then I start my pūjā.

Prabhupāda: That's...

Indian man: And I do complete ārati and everything because I want your blessings. I wish that I have a guru like you every birth after birth. But one of the problem, Prabhupāda, personally, I have found among the Indian people is that because we are used to so many demigods, they still don't accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are so many arguments I get that like...

Prabhupāda: There is no question of argument. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, but if they do not accept Bhagavad-gītā as the authority, then they are fools.

Indian man: Yes, they are.

Prabhupāda: So fools cannot be enlightened. That is the difficulty. If they do not accept the authority, then they are fools.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: They are all viṣṇu-tattva.

Indian man: In fact, I remember very vividly that in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you wrote that it was Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu who came down to bless Dhruva Mahārāja when the planetary system started trembling due to his tapasya here. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. This is why people are questioning me continuously that "How can you call Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not Viṣṇu?" And I say "All are viṣṇu-tattva." But it is very difficult to explain to them the actual position of Kṛṣṇa, because only through chanting...

Prabhupāda: That is decided by Bhāgavatam, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), that tu, the name Kṛṣṇa, in the incarnation of God, Kṛṣṇa is also included, but this Kṛṣṇa is the origin.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Indian man: Right. In fact, several people, even in our community in Poughkeepsie, received letters from Satya Sai Baba's followers that "Here is a letter. Make ten copies and send the ten copies to ten different people. If you don't, Satya Sai Baba's thunderbolt will come and strike your family, and they'll be destroyed." Now no guru ever puts a thunderbolt on his devotee, and I said, "If that is a guru, I'll stay ten thousand miles away from him, because my guru is very kind and he'll bless me." I said, "No guru should ever put a thunderbolt on his devotee."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. You can turn towards this.

Indian man: At Monticello in Catskill... I don't know if you know it. Monticello in Catskill Mountains here? Just about fifty-sixty miles north, there is Muktananda.

Hari-śauri: Muktananda.

Indian man: Muktananda. And he has got his retreat, and some of our people go there, and I heard from them that he is teaching... He is quoting Gītā, but if you go to his room, oṁ namaḥ śivāya. I said, "This is contradiction." I said, "If he is a Śiva follower, he should teach Śiva Purāṇa and not Gītā." I said...

Prabhupāda: But they are actually impersonalists. They neither follow Śiva nor Kṛṣṇa. They are impersonalists. Their idea is the Absolute Truth is imperson. You can worship Him either as Śiva or as Kṛṣṇa, as you like. That is their philosophy. Yes.

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So all the cars should go also, behind.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have some..., I think we have a lot of good vans here, Rāmeśvara.

Rāmeśvara: We can arrange for it at prasādam. That's the time when everyone should be there.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very nicely made, everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya. Thank you for your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Look at those spires! Prabhupāda, do you see that spire? There's a spire at the top.

Rāmeśvara: Right at the top, right under the canopy on that cart.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's going to be placed on top.

Rāmeśvara: And that must be a flag on top.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Golden colored?

Rāmeśvara: Like gold.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Huge spire.

Prabhupāda: Not very heavy?

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is not Eighty-seventh, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Tripurāri: Seventy-second and Amsterdam. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...station like this.

Passerby: Bless your heart.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow, he said, "Bless your heart."

Passerby: What's the scoop?

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Passerby: Hare Kṛṣṇa? How about Christ Jesus?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How about Hare Kṛṣṇa as father?

Passerby: Father? His father? 'Fraid not, fella. You'll meet your father.

Prabhupāda: Drunkard? No.

Hṛdayānanda: Crazy.

Prabhupāda: This is Amsterdam? Cross street? No.

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

Prabhupāda: Because my Guru Mahārāja ordered that "You go and teach this gospel in the Western world."

Jayatīrtha: His teacher instructed him to do this.

Cline Cross: Yes. And are you surprised at the great success you've had?

Prabhupāda: That is my Guru Mahārāja's blessing. He ordered me, I tried my best, so there is little success. When I see so many boys and hundreds of centers, they are living very peacefully in a nice house, getting good prasādam, having good knowledge in the books, and reforming their character, and getting some good home, that is my success. Otherwise, they are loitering, no home, no character, no peace of mind. So at least this is my success. I have given so many boys a life. That is my success.

Cline Cross: Well, I'm very honored to have met you. I've read some of your work. I intend to read more.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we are trying to give the best service to the humanity, human society, and this is the only service. People should come forward and cooperate with us. It is not a sectarian sentimental religious system. It is a scientific understanding of the value of life.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: No, I never stressed on temple. I was engaged in publishing the Back to Godhead. Whatever I could do, I did it because I took it very seriously that he is very sorry that these things were not done. He said that "There will be fire in this Gaudiya Math." Āgun jvālbe, he said. Amari taci loka kichui boi kakrayebo (?): "If I can, I shall sell these marbles of this temple and convert them into books." That was his ambition. He started a very nice press and this Tirtha Maharaja sold it.

Jayatīrtha: Sold it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: The press.

Prabhupāda: He's not representing Guru.... "Better let's have money for fight in the court."

Jayatīrtha: Sometimes I'm sorry that my name also has this word in it.

Prabhupāda: You are Jaya-tirtha. You are victorious. Now whatever is being done, it is by his blessing. Let us work sincerely. Things will be all.... Otherwise it is humanly impossible. It is by his grace.

Jayatīrtha: George was also commenting on that, how one man could have written so many books.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: And they are generally.... I know this, that these.... I like Indian people, but these Indian people are not very conscious of your position. They think that you're just another guru. Many of them do. Of course, some of them appreciate you.

Prabhupāda: Indian mentality is that "If we see one saintly person and offer obeisances, we get some blessing for our material..."

Hari-śauri: They're very selfish.

Jayatīrtha: In this way, I don't think they really appreciate your...

Prabhupāda: Āśīrvāda, āśīrvāda.

Jayatīrtha: Last night, one man came with his family. They wanted to have your darśana. I said, "Prabhupāda is in bed. He's resting." He was insisting, he said, "I do not want to hear him speak, I simply want to see him." I said, "He's in bed. You can't go into his bedroom. How is it possible?" "No, that is all right. I will just go in, and I will see him." (laughter) I said, "What is this? Get out."

Hari-śauri: I remember when we left Bombay, you'd been giving darśana for four and a half hours on the roof.

Prabhupāda: What is the water there?

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Because he did not have the blessing of Lord Caitanya, he did not understand it, so he rejected some of it, and as a result he was concocting. When he went to Africa, to South Africa, he started the movement there, this nonviolence...

Prabhupāda: There it was failure.

Atreya Ṛṣi: It was a failure.

Prabhupāda: Twenty years he tried, it was failure.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes. It was actually a very frank article, and after I read it...

Prabhupāda: Who wrote it?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Somebody by the name of Mehta. He was obviously a very great scholar, because this magazine is very first-class magazine. It's not a cheap magazine, and it was written very nicely. Somebody by the name of Mehta. He's a Dr. Mehta. In the New Yorker magazine, New Yorker.

Prabhupāda: He has written one book, My Experiment With Truth, that truth is truth, but it is very (indistinct) thing. That means he did not know what is truth. (long pause-child says "haribol") He says "Haribol"?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you are older than me.

Older man: Your blessings.

Prabhupāda: Live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is for you, so many buildings. Let devotees come, live here peacefully, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that's all. That I want.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a lot of devotees visiting Bombay.

Prabhupāda: How many you are housing?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: On a permanent basis about forty, but there are a few from different centers.

Prabhupāda: Where you have received this?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ṛṣabhadeva, president of Spiritual Sky Products.

Prabhupāda: President of?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Spiritual Sky in Los Angeles. He has come on a business trip. They were trying to negotiate buying incense sticks from Mysore, sandalwood, and Bangalore. So they are... Did you get those color proofs I sent you of Bhāgavata? Did you like? It's coming out quite nicely.

Prabhupāda: Not as good, not as good as foreign.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What about the car(?) there? But a film project, it can be done, provided it is done in foreign countries. Here everything is expensive and lacking manpower. (break) To make a film it requires huge amount of money.

Indian man (3): Money perhaps we would be able to..., that problem we will be able to solve now because initially for the project, not only making the film, the whole project of the campus, I have got the blueprint with me. When you are little better, I'll show the blueprint and I'll have your blessings that if I am able to achieve it. What I was thinking that a short film, say, about eight to ten thousand feet, which occupies an hour and twenty minutes or so, initially made. And dubbed into as many languages as can be done, because the sound portion is always separate. And as I was discussing to Saurabha, Girirāja... (break)

Prabhupāda: The life of Kṛṣṇa is known almost everyone. So...

Indian man (3): Yes. And also, sir, there are...

Prabhupāda: What benefit they will get?

Indian man (3): ...numerous pictures also. What we have to educate the people...

Prabhupāda: (break) By practice. We are training them to practice how to become devotees. By superficial seeing the activities of Kṛṣṇa, this is not... One has to practice. Just like we are going to start gurukula. Gurukula means practice. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dāntaḥ (SB 7.12.1). How to become self-controlled, dānta. That is the... So our mission is to awaken the original consciousness, and that can be done by practice. Without practice, it is not possible. It is not by seeing some picture one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That Mādhavendra Purī or somebody delivered to Vallabhācārya. Mādhavendra Purī is not possible, somebody else. (break) Dvārakā Śaṅkarācārya, he's a Māyāvādī, and he'll give Bhāgavata?

Acyutānanda: No, he's just going to give blessings to the... He's presiding, I guess. (break)

Prabhupāda: That is also complete like this?

Saurabha: Yes. The other side we are making one special room for you on the roof. So...

Prabhupāda: One special room like this? No.

Saurabha: That is the lift room. But next to that, the similar room, the same size. It is not done. Because that we have to do later on. We're not allowed to do that now. There's a new law passed in Bombay that no one can build higher than six stories, nowhere in Bombay. So we had to rush for this, otherwise they would have stopped us.

Prabhupāda: So why you are not rushing?

Saurabha: No, this is finished. We have reached the highest. That point is the highest. It's only for the slab. Afterwards, they don't mind. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...from this light.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: And enclose his two letters. He wrote very nice letters. Very beautiful letters.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Gargamuni: He wishes us all success, and he begs for your blessings. He begs for your blessings.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this letter should be... They should immediately be brought into court and charged the damage for fifty thousand dollars.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Pradyumna: And this is completely nonsense: "Their major concentration seems, however, to be in Orissa"—we don't have anything in Orissa—"the land of princes and paupers. They have built a center close to our atomic energy commission complex."

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You dedicated the Kṛṣṇa book to him.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he was a pure Vaiṣṇava. And he wanted me to become like this. He was praying Rādhārāṇī. He was praying to Rādhārāṇī. And any saintly person would come, he would simply say, "Give blessings to my son that he may become a Rādhārāṇī's servant." That was my father's prayer. He never prayed that "My son may become very rich man." He never prayed like that. Actually, his ardent desire that his son may become a Vaiṣṇava. And my Guru Mahārāja's training has put me this position. That I have admitted. Later on. What is that word I have given? Hmm? Find out.

Gargamuni: "The eternal father?"

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "Which was later on solidified..."

Prabhupāda: Ahh!

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "...by my eternal father."

Prabhupāda: "The ideas given by my father were solidified by..."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what you said.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: That is not transcendental literature. Because by reading these books you come to transcendental realization.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is wanted. They want āśīrvāda. Just like so many people come, āśīrvāda. "You are a saintly person, you give me āśīrvāda so my material happiness may increase. I am not interested with the spiritual knowledge. Give me blessing so that for nothing I get, upgrade my material opulence." This is their... So those Tulasīdāsa readers, they are like that. They want material opulence. Ārto-arthārthī, arthārthī, want some material benefit. They chant Tulasīdāsa's Rāma-carita-mānasa for some material benefit. They're not interested in the spiritual advancement. Nobody. That Delhi temple where they have paṇḍita? I'm forgetting his name.

Garden Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Why does he not come to us? He likes Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Caraṇāravindam: He loves Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Prabhupāda: Determination. No, if he's in difficulty he may come. We can take care of him.

Vipramukhya: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I go tomorrow to Delhi and I'll leave to go to Istanbul.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Go with the blessings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Very good. Kṛṣṇa will save you. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and depend on Kṛṣṇa. Then everything's all right. Don't be afraid that you are going to foreign country. There is no foreign country.

Caraṇāravindam: Kṛṣṇa's everywhere.

Prabhupāda: Īśāvāsyam idam—everything's Kṛṣṇa's. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. Surrender means that. "Kṛṣṇa, I have surrendered to You. Now if You like You can protect me. If you like You can kill me. Whatever you like, do." That's all. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā nitya-dāsa prati tuwā adhikārā. "I am your eternal servant. You have got full right. Either you kill me or protect me, that is your business. But I surrender." Bas. This is surrender. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. This is surrender. If you put me into inconvenience, then I'm not going to surrender. That is conditional. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: No one else is trying. No one else has done it.

Prabhupāda: It is due to the blessing of my Guru Mahārāja. He directly told me that "If you get some money, publish some books." I took it seriously, so he's helping me. All our Godbrothers, they didn't take it. Did not know it, neither... Even they... They know it. Because from the very beginning, Guru Mahārāja was serious about publication. He started press and published these books. This Bhāgavata was published by him. And the journal, six journals, he was very much fond of publishing, publication. Very, very. He told me directly that if it was possible to get the marbles from this Gauḍīya Maṭha and sell it and convert it into books, I would have done it. Because I know there will be blazing fire in this place. (break) And by Kṛṣṇa's grace, by selling books we are getting. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace. Otherwise... This Bon Mahārāja is so proud of his institution. He could not do this. He could have done it. For the last forty years.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is that other magic? Generally he...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Generally, it is said he blesses sick people who have diseases and they get cured.

Prabhupāda: So that is done by medical men also, so what is the excellence. Huh?

Hari-śauri: One man said that once he was traveling in his car and a train came, and the train hit the car and he was thrown out, but somehow or other he survived. He said he was thrown out to the left hand side and the train stopped, came to a sudden standstill just as it hit the car. So then he said he went to see Sai Baba, and then Sai Baba looked at him and he said, "Oh, you have been in an accident and your car was hit by the train. But I stopped the train and threw you to the left and therefore you were not injured." Like this. And he also mentioned that at that time you should think of God.

Prabhupāda: If he can do so, can he save him from death? If he's so powerful.

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

Prabhupāda: You are reading?

Dr. Kneupper: Yes, I... I try to read it frequently, because it gives me some real spiritual...

Prabhupāda: And if you want to know further, you can write to me.

Dr. Kneupper: Good. I'll take back your blessing to Slippery Rock when I go back there.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and there, so many old friends, you can offer them.

Dr. Kneupper: OK. Dr. Morrison and Dr. Sharma...

Prabhupāda: There is Sydney Weld there, when I went.

Dr. Kneupper: Very good. Is the friend which you were... You were staying with somebody in Butler?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Kneupper: Is he still there?

Prabhupāda: No. That friend was one of my friend's son.

Dr. Kneupper: I see.

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

Prabhupāda: In the college, yes.

Dr. Kneupper: Every time I go to that hall I remember the story that you spoke there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they still say.

Dr. Kneupper: Yes. You must have left some kind of blessing upon it. It has a nice atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: That was in 1965.

About eleven years ago.

Dr. Kneupper: Such a short time and so many changes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Kneupper: The growth, the temple here, beautiful. On my next trip to India...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can come and stay here or in Bombay, we have got...

Dr. Kneupper: But I want to see the one, the city when it's constructed. That would be really...

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is... Yes.

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: No, it's not experience. Then there is no. If you do not accept one authority, then there is no answer of your question.

Indian man: We have to accept. But realization is not there, as you holy men will say.

Prabhupāda: We don't require realization. Realization will be had.

Indian man: How to realize that?

Prabhupāda: No, that is the way. The master will present the answer in such a way that the student will realize. That is master.

Indian man: Then please, bestow your blessings on me, how to realize this.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can be realized.

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

Prabhupāda: Foreigners.

Mr. Malhotra: Foreigners, and that to who have more or less completely, I mean very much away from the spiritual life, very much engrossed in material life, very much engrossed. And it was something very, very, very difficult, right? Without the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself... (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Therefore their fathers are charging me that this man knows something, mesmerism. (laughter)

Mr. Malhotra: Their fathers are charging with that this man knows some mesmerism. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Brainwash.

Mr. Malhotra: Brainwash, ācchā. How you entered in their hearts?

Prabhupāda: Mesmerism, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Well, starvation... Suppose you are diseased, and if your father does not give you to eat, that is your blessing. Guest (1): And what about...? He will die or...? Or this will go away?

Prabhupāda: Why you are complaining? Suppose your father, he gives you everything. But when you are diseased, if he said, "My dear son you cannot eat everything," is that starvation?

Guest (3): But...

Prabhupāda: First of all give me answer this. Is that starvation?

Guest (3): No...

Prabhupāda: That is cure. This is cure. In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is giving food to the cats and dogs. Nobody is starving. If you are starving, that is your blessing.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We do not suppose. We get the reference to the śāstra. That is our disease. We don't manufacture. We don't manufacture anything. Our point of view is if there is starvation, then we take it: mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Tat te nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). When we are put into starvation, we take it: blessings of God. We don't complain, that "I did something wrong or there is something wrong, so God has put me into this position. It is His blessing." This is our view.

Guest (2): Guruji, my father mentioned about this very beautiful picture just above your head. He was saying it is one of best pictures he has seen of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. And you indicated that there may be a card or something.

Girirāja: Yes, I have that.

Guest (2): Oh. Very good.

Guest (1): You want big picture? I can give you one.

Prabhupāda: No, you have got cards printed?

Guest (1): I have got lot of the big ones. I think big ones you don't have.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So this starvation point, we take it as blessing. People generally question that "How God is unfavorable to somebody and favorable to...?" That is foolishness. God is good, but that we do not know. Because we are less intelligent, we think that "One man is in starvation; therefore God is not good." That is our fault. We are not good. We do not understand God. But a Vaiṣṇava says, "Oh, it is blessing." And if he takes like that, then the result is mukti-pade sa dayā-bhāk. His mukti is guaranteed. In any circumstances, if somebody takes God as good, then his mukti is guaranteed. And if he blames God—"Oh, He has put me into starvation"—then he has to suffer. This is the common argument sometimes we meet, "Oh, why God has made somebody so rich and somebody some poor? He is unjust." That is foolishness. God cannot be... He's just, always just. That is God. So unless we have got that firm conviction, then we cannot become devotee.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering about that?

Girirāja: That's what I say. We have stood...

Prabhupāda: Gopāla is bothering too much about...

Mr. Asnani: No, Prabhupāda, with your blessings, I know the Assistant Commissioner, and he is number three or four in entire city of Bombay and a very much influential center. He's a courageous man also. He's a sarvaji(?). And if I will place this problem before him as and when it is necessary, he is there to guide us.

Prabhupāda: So first of all where is the necessity? I have been talking...

Mr. Asnani: Why create a problem? Today the problem is not before us.

Girirāja: The thing is that the same constitution we've had since the beginning, and we've always got the exemption...

Prabhupāda: Yes. And why you are bothering? He's going Delhi?

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, I am not talking of me. I mean to say generally everything is declared. We have to take advantage of this. Then it is everything.

Guest (1): I mean to say, Śrīla Prabhupāda, Lord Kṛṣṇa also has said that "My pure devotees are more powerful than Me."

Prabhupāda: You have all my blessings. You have done so much for Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (1): So, Prabhupāda, I can come here till you are here. I thought that I should not, because medically you are not advised to. You talk less, but at least we will have your darśana.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Five to seven you can come.

Guest (1): That is sufficient for us without much... We will take your leave so that you can have rest.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

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

Prabhupāda: Then it is fortunate, fortunate.

Gurudāsa: Yes, very good. A blessing in disguise, yes. So they're trying to organize. There's many bhangis who pick up the stool.

Prabhupāda: The place is nice then.

Gurudāsa: Oh, yes. And I cut down the pandal size. Originally the pandal was 100 by 150, 100 feet wide. But I saw that were going to emphasize saṅkīrtana and I measured that 120 by 75 was adequate.

Prabhupāda: Our visitors, they have got facility to come?

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: No, my... Of course, I did not attempt in the beginning. I started my activities when I was seventy years old. So they thought, "This man is gṛhastha. He is embarassed with family life. What he'll do?" (laughs) That was their impression. But I never neglected. Guru Mahārāja told me. I was simply thinking, "How to do it? How to do it?" I thought, "Let me become a rich businessman. The money will be required." That was my thought. But Guru Mahārāja was asking me, "You give up this. I'll give you money." That I could not understand. I was planning. My plan was not wrong. But I was thinking "The money required, so let me earn some money. Then I shall begin." And Guru Mahārāja said, "You give up this money-earning endeavor. You come completely. I'll give you money." I can understand now. But my desire was there. Therefore he guided me. So I was... In 1936 or '35 in Bombay, after installation of Deity, so—I was gṛhastha—I helped them to collect some money. All my Godbrothers applauded and recommended to Guru Mahārāja that "Abhay Babu is so influential. Why he lives outside the temple? He can become the temple commander and manage this Bombay temple. Why he is living outside?" Mean "Guru Mahārāja may ask him." So I was... From this Allahabad I was going to Bombay. I had one small office there. So after hearing, he said, "It is better that he is living little away from your Matha. And when time will rise, he'll do everything. He hasn't got to be advised." I could not understand why he said like that. That means he was so kind that he expected that I shall do something. That was my asset, his blessing. And I was thinking that "His, this mission must be done very nicely." Although I was not capable to do anything, I was thinking like that. So desire was there and maybe blessing was there. Yes. There was no question of qualification.

Room Conversation -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: But one cannot give up the family life, and it was an opportunity to give up family life. So it is blessing in disguise.

Abhirāma: I'm sometimes thinking that if my activities were more purified...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Abhirāma: But trouble is it seems that in my..., engaged in management work, sometimes my spiritual activities suffer. That is unfortunate.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Management is also spiritual activity. Why do you take like that? It is Kṛṣṇa's establishment.

Abhirāma: But my wife never sees that, unless I am just chanting japa and offering Deity worship. Otherwise it's all nonsense.

Prabhupāda: Well, she is also an woman. She has no much intelligence. But here, to manage Kṛṣṇa's affairs, is also Kṛṣṇa's work. Don't take it otherwise. We must be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business. That's all. That is our duty. Fighting is very good business? Killing? But why Arjuna...? "Yes." Kariṣye vacanam. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. And Kṛṣṇa said, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "You are My devotee, very dear friend." What he was doing? Fighting. The fighting is good business, to kill others? But for Kṛṣṇa's sake... He personally denied, "No, no, no. I don't want this kingdom." Personally he had no desire. But when he saw that Kṛṣṇa wants it, "All right. I shall do it." And this is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: And you bless us to have the same consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Please come here, take care of the center.

Guest: We belong to a hundred miles from this place.

Prabhupāda: Oh, hundred miles? (break)

Brahmānanda: ...here to Allahabad, I was coming from Bombay on the train. I was riding with some respectable people. They saw this button, and they said, "Oh, you are the disciple of Prabhupāda?" And I said, "Yes." And they were very appreciative of your work. And then I had one Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eighth Canto, the story of Gajendra. And one man wanted to see the book. And he started reading it, and he kept the book throughout the whole journey, and he read the whole book, and he loved it. He said, "Your guru has written very nicely, very simply, very directly, and everything is there." He wouldn't give me back the book until he finished it.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So our book-selling appreciated all over the world.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So in India... You are born in India, where God comes as Lord Rāmacandra, as Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Caitanya, and you are asking, "What is God?" So how much deteriorated you have become, just imagine. So we are trying to reform all this nonsense business, and how I can associate?

Guest (2): No, no, we don't ask your association. We want your blessing.

Prabhupāda: How can I give my blessing? It is... I protest, rather. I protest, rather. You should not present this.

Guest (1): No, this is about the activities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, no, you said Jayadeva's.

Guest (1): We have taken some rasa, merely some songs of Jayadeva.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is also dealing with the gopīs. Dehi pada-palavam udaram. So these things are not ordinary things. You should understand that. If you make, propagate, then the people... I have seen one book one rascal Bhaṭṭācārya has written. And the United Nation or something like that supported, gave him, them money. And in the cover of the book he has given a picture of Rādhārāṇī sitting naked. This is going on.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So... No, no. So you have to take the light and the sun—a process. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu saṅgo tato bhajana-kriyā.

Guest (2): All right.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): When you are giving a darśana... Yesterday we came to see you. That, these people, had to go to Bombay yesterday. But when a certain uttered that you have come here, we were astonished. They ran to my office, told me that "Guruji has come." "No, you are wrong." "No, you see. It is from our local newspaper." He's from Bengal. So he came for us and told me he would let us go and see. By five o'clock they had told him... "Let us go." We came here, and there's some people here I was talking to him. That engineer when Guruji tell that no rain, he was searching for the water, (indistinct) in that I was telling him that way. So Guruji when you are giving the light, wisdom, or making blessing that you become filled the superness. You surrender yourself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our propaganda.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Simply I am attracted with the words of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. No compromise.

Guest (2): No compromise. No compromise. There is no question of compromise.

Prabhupāda: That is not surrender.

Guest (1): Guruji, we must get your blessing definitely. In future we are...

Prabhupāda: Then, if you make conditional blessing...

Guest (2): No, no. No condition. With full devotion, full surrender...

Prabhupāda: Best thing is... This is the formula given by every big personality. The Rūpa Gosvāmī, he is authorized person for bhakti-mārga. He says, ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga.

Guest (2): We are so lucky. We are writing the letter... We wrote here that "From distant land of Orissa, Guruji... This is... Your literature has tempted us, and perhaps it is your intention that we should go upon..., with Nitai Gaura..."

Prabhupāda: Just like our this Kṛṣṇa book, from the very beginning, or Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But no, no..., that, that... They're overintelligent. Just like Nitāi has become overintelligent. "Please bless me I may find out a bona fide guru." He has written me.

Pṛthu-putra: (laughs) That's craziness.

Prabhupāda: He has written me that. He is asking my blessing to find out another bona fide guru. Such a rascal he is. If his present guru is not bona fide, why he's asking blessing from him? Such a rascal. He has written me.

Pṛthu-putra: This is nonsense proposition.

Prabhupāda: No, you say, but he is such a learned, overlearned, he's asking somebody blessing who is not bona fide to find out bona fide. Just see his position. If you are seeking a bona fide spiritual master, why you asking the blessing of non-bona fide? (laughs) I could simply laugh, that's all, that such a rascal... He was doing some tangible service, editing work. He left everything. Now he's going to find out bona fide spiritual..., for bhajanānanda. Therefore, asat-saṅga-tyāgī ei vaiṣṇava. The first thing is... It is enunciated by... Whether this man is attached to woman? Then finish, all bona fide finish. As soon as one is attached to woman, either legal or illegal, his all qualification finished.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: But I think he's sincere.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he's God-believing. This statement that he makes at the end, this statement that "Any attempt, be it circuitous, direct, well-intentioned or not, presents a clear and present danger to this most fundamental basis and eternally needed right of our citizens." "Eternally needed right." Freedom of religion.

Prabhupāda: So we should send him a letter of congratulations. "May God bless you for such right judgment. Be... Live long life to serve God." Like that, make a nice... That is our mission.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Very honest and sincere people normally appreciate our movement. Only those who are envious...

Prabhupāda: Envious we don't care for. We don't mind. Never care for them. I didn't care anyone, any times, even my Godbrothers. Neither I care just now. I'll go on with my... Why? We are doing our duty. That's all. Under higher authoritative order. Have no fear. It is not personal gratification. So arrange for Manipur. We shall go. Let us go.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a close relationship.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he treated... Although my mother was first cousin, he treated my mother as younger sister. In that way he liked my father also, myself. That gentleman and one Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose, and two-one, my own father and my Guru Mahārāja. I knew that. He liked me. He liked me from the very heart. Guru Mahārāja liked me. I know. By his blessing it is, everything has happened. I was not worth. What did I...? I do not know why he liked. I was not worth. There were so many disciples. And still, he liked me.

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

Rādhā-vallabha: In the exhibit there is a framed picture, each language and the books, each title, and then there is one big frame, one showing international.

Prabhupāda: This is the blessing of my Guru Mahārāja. He wanted it. And because we are trying to do this, he is giving us all blessings. He told me personally, "I wanted to sell this marble and publish some books." Calcutta, that Gauḍīya Maṭha is also marble floor. Now, he said that "Since this temple has been given by Mr. Datta, our men are fighting, 'Which room I shall occupy?' So I know there will be blazing fire here. So before that, I wanted to get out this marble and sell it and turn into some books." He told me, like that. So I noted down that, that he wants books. So I tried to do that. That's all.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Where he is now?

Rādhā-vallabha: I don't know. I heard that he was heading for America, then wanted to go back to India, some nonsense. I could find out if you want me to. (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wrote Prabhupāda, "Your blessings..."

Rādhā-vallabha: I saw the letter.

Prabhupāda: "...to find out better guru."

Rādhā-vallabha: That's like trying to get blessings to find a light brighter than the sun.

Prabhupāda: Where is his wife?

Rādhā-vallabha: She left the movement some time ago.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rādhā-vallabha: I heard there was some correspondence between them after he left you. Birds of a feather.

Prabhupāda: So they are husband and wife still or not?

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

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Jayapatākā: Śrīla Prabhupāda? My mother left this morning, and she wrote a letter to you. I'd like you... If I could read it... "Śrīla Prabhupāda: I am sorry to hear of your illness. Jayapatākā tells me swift changes in temperature cause many illnesses in Māyāpur. A place so beautiful must have its thorns. May your recovery be soon. It was auspicious for me to have met you. Not having seen my son for so long, finding him in the midst of God's blessings at ISKCON with a spiritual master of such great repute was humbling in its magnitude. Perhaps in some small measure I can help parents understand what their children are into and weaken their weapons. This visit will be shared with others. It was propitiously enjoyable. As far as fund-raising, there is a seminar on new methods I am trying to get to, but Kṛṣṇa seems to be pulling me back. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to go to Calcutta and Delhi. I will be corresponding regularly with Jayapatākā. In a few months I plan to move to California. You have taken good care of my son. You have brainwashed the cobwebs of materialism (laughter) and elevated his soul. Your goodness radiates to all who meet you. May God bless your body with good health. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jayapatākā's Ma."

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is from Dr. K. K. Divyeshwar to the Secretary of Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, "Respected Śrī Gopāla Dāsajī. Haribol, Swamiji. Namaste to you, all the Gosvāmīs, and all the gop..." Ahem. "My heartfelt congratulations to venerable Śrīla Prabhupādajī with my most humble long stretch at his feet, who at this juncture has not shown any disturbance or upheaval from his side. Truly the great saint is nearer to God than we in many respects. His greatness and nearness to eternity makes me bow down for his blessings. May Lord Caitanya bless us and direct us towards the superior light and let us attain more and more wisdom to be with him for an eternal merger." It's a little bit impersonalist, I think. (laughter) "Haribol, Swamiji. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma." (laughter) At least he's chanting the holy name. "Yours obediently, Dr. K. K..." Who is that?

Hṛdayānanda: Divyeshwar.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's to you, Gopāla. (laughter) Your preaching doesn't seem to be... Oh, this is from Shaktimati. Now we have her correct address.

Prabhupāda: Let other.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jail?

Mr. Rajda: Yes. In that emergency, you know, and about 150,000, patriotic people were in jails, J. K. Prakash, Morarji and all Hindu leaders and all of the workers. So I was kept at Central Prison for nineteen months. Then they released me, and after this election period, just I would order to fight the elections from Bombay South. And with her blessings I have won it with a very comfortable margin, 65,000. Just now we were at Shivaji Pack. And when Girirājajī told me that you were here, I told him definitely I would like to ask for darśana.

Prabhupāda: The material adjustment... Just like we felt little danger under the regime of Indira Gandhi. Now we have another feeling. This is material adjustment. Material adjustment may be temporary beneficial, but that is not permanent beneficial.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So there is some Kṛṣṇa's purpose that you were elected.

Mr. Rajda: It is through His blessings.

Prabhupāda: Take advantage of His blessings. Do some service. Your full name?

Mr. Rajda: Ratan Singh Rajda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. (pause)

Girirāja: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think we can go with Mr. Rajda to the pandal, and since you have already met and it is very late...

Prabhupāda: I can go. You want me to go also? You want me to go also?

Girirāja: No, I am thinking that Acyutānanda Swami must have already spoken and, you know, we've had the rāma-līlā. So I think it may not be necessary for you to go.

Prabhupāda: All right. Then you take Mr. Rajda.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: We can take by palanquin.

Prabhupāda: No, one story I can go. Not now, but I can go. So you are trying so much for my comfort. I do not know whether I shall be able to repay you. Then I shall try my best. It is not possible to repay your debts, that so kind. So I can simply pray to Kṛṣṇa to give His blessings to you so that you may remain very steady in devotional service and preach this cult all over the world. Otherwise, I have no other means. Without your help I could not do anything. So you are very much kind. Kindly continue your cooperation. Paropakāra. This is the movement for paropakāra. I have got report from our other temples all over the world. They are doing very nice, is it not? Other temples outside India, they are doing very nice.

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Sharma: (replying to Svarūpa Dāmodara) ...to some of the basic scientists. Some of them have a spiritual background, you know. Just they probably are waiting to meet a person like your background or Mādhava's background. Normally it has come out like this. People talk half-heartedly here, and they don't pursue it, they don't have the conviction to pursue it in this country. Very quickly give up. If I get this idea, then next morning I forget about it, and then whatever... I don't even, you know, I am afraid to talk about it. So you have very boldly come out with this, and so many centuries of tradition is there to back you up. So I think you should pursue it with all your enthusiasm, and with Prabhupāda's blessing you will really go a long way, as I say about it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Only by Prabhupāda's blessings.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you can... Śrīla Prabhupāda, you wanted to ask Dr. Sharma about altitude?

Prabhupāda: Seven thousand feet high altitude, it is good for a person to go there?

Dr. Sharma: I think it will be better if you go with an oxygen cylinder and by helicopter, not by the routine journey. Not by, you know..., gradual. Because suddenly you can get air hunger, you know, when you...

Prabhupāda: It is risky.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everyone has seen that. The bank manager at Central Bank today said that "I saw your movement is now respected as genuine religion."

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is genuine. It is genuine.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This court case turned out to be a blessing. You had said that earlier, not to worry.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda wanted us to push it on for fourteen years.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The court case?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I would not have given up. I would have spent all my assets to fight this case. But Kṛṣṇa's grace, in one day. Not fourteen days even. This is Kṛṣṇa. On the first review. Yes. I wanted even fourteen years. Yes. I was prepared. I will spend all my money. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He wanted: "Take it, this advent(?). Finished." This is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful. I have written one chapter...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Wonderful Kṛṣṇa."

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So you can stay there. We have a good place.

Girirāja: He sent... I didn't bring them with me. He sent two of his books with a message, and he said that he wanted your blessing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you give them to me, we can write him a letter inviting him to come, thanking him for the books. Śrīla Prabhupāda, this telegram arrived. Remember that letter from Mahāṁśa requesting 75,000 rupees for his farming? So we've replied him. The letter's going to be given to you today for signing. First of all agree to the principle of the loan, then I'll give you... So a telegram arrived. "Please expedite letter dated 9/4/77."

Prabhupāda: So do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So still we should send him that letter. Okay. I think... I mean, there has to be a principle of loan. Otherwise... Apart from that, there wasn't any... (end)

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

Indian (1): With a commission.

Prabhupāda: But...

Mr. Rajda: With your blessings... With your blessing I can be sure to be able to do something.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Rajda: Last time we had talked about this, and in Delhi, actually, I was on the verge of arranging the meeting, but never here. But then our Girirāja telephoned me, and in deference to your health we didn't arrange that meeting in Delhi. When Morarji-bhai is coming here, we shall see that...

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all you can talk. It is not expected that everyone will be able to understand. It is not expected.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Ram Jethmalani: Sir, I will take leave of you, and with your blessings, I hope we shall soon be...

Prabhupāda: No, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any sectarian... That is our... Unity on spiritual platform. Try to understand.

Ram Jethmalani: I hope we can be of some use sometime to your...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That position... That is required, that you want to cooperate.

Ram Jethmalani: Whatever you order any time.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. So we have got some difficulties here, inform him.

Girirāja: Actually, he offered that if there was any difficulties he would help us.

Prabhupāda: So inform him. Prasāda?

Girirāja: Actually, there is supposed to be prasāda coming up right now.

Prabhupāda: So please wait, let the prasāda come. Take.

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Advice... Well, you come here. Stay here. We shall teach you. Not that you have come here for five minutes—I have to teach you sarva-dharmān...

Indian man (5): No, you don't have time.

Prabhupāda: No, I have got time. So that's all right. You have to... You have to learn it.

Indian man (3): Swamiji, you bless ourselves in such a way that we will not...

Prabhupāda: You have come. You are welcome here and take the blessings. But you won't come. When I say, "Come here and take the blessings," you won't come. What can I do? If one has fallen in the blind well—"Please get me up! Get me up!"—so I give him a rope: "Yes, catch it. I'll get you..." "No, no, I shall not catch." Without catching, there is no... So if you want to learn, come here. Stay. We shall teach you. That you won't do. Then how can I teach you? You learn from them. Just see these European and Americans, how they are... You have to learn from them by their behavior. These are American boys. Just see how they have tilaka, how they...

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Indian man (1): Swamiji, can't...

Prabhupāda: No, don't waste my time.

Indian man (5): Swamiji, we have not come to waste. We have come here to take only your blessings.

Prabhupāda: That's all. I cannot... I cannot waste my time in this way. We have got our śāstras. We are following them. That's all. If you want, you learn here. Otherwise do your whatever you like. Let us alone. We have no difficulty. We are triumphant all over the world. That's all. Phalena paricīyate. We have to see by the result, not by talking. So thank you very much for your coming. Give them su...

Indian man (5): So please bless us.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. But if you are interested, you are welcome.

Indian man (3): Yes, Swamiji.

Indian man (6): When door is kept open, it is...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Indian man (6): When door is kept open, it is...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man (6): ...very natural to come to you, Swamiji.

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Indian man (1): Really, Swamiji, bless...

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Jaya. Aiye. (Hindi) (guests leave)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Next time maybe we should deal with them?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it all right that they are brought in, or should we talk to them?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not necessary to bring these people.

Prabhupāda: Distorting meaning.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: He has written books also on tantra-śāstra. And I understand most of these ministers, they were going to seek his blessings. I did not know to whom he gave his blessings, but what I know is that most of these people were going to him. I only... One day I asked him. He's very kind towards me, so I go to him and dine with him. So I told him one day, I said, "Mahārāja, you speak to mahatlal (?) people to give some money to our institution." He said, "Mr. Dwivedi, I do not ask any friends or anybody to do anything for me or to anybody." So then I said, "Mahārāja, then I put one question to you if you permit me." He said, "All right, I permit you." So I asked, "Vivekananda has said that 'Service of God... Service of humanity is service of God.' Do you think it is correct or it is incorrect?" He said, "This is correct." Then I said, "We are running educational institution. Whatever good or bad, leave that aside. But in our own little small way we are rendering little service to humanity. And..."

Prabhupāda: But I may interfere. The... In the Bhagavad-gītā is there such statement, that "Service to humanity is service to God"? Is there any statement?

Mr. Dwivedi: Daridrāṇāṁ bhara kaunteya... (?) I think there is somewhere...

Prabhupāda: There is no.

Mr. Dwivedi: But this particular I remember, daridrāṇāṁ bhara kaunteya...

Prabhupāda: This is... This is wrong theory. Don't maintain this. This is a very wrong theory. Just like "Service to the leaves is service to the root." Is it not wrong? What do you think? Like a tree, so where the service should be given, to the root or to the leaf?

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He does not know anything. Now he goes away. He goes back and he... Why he has come?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For your blessings, twelve-hundred-rupee blessing. There are learned men in India. There's no doubt. There must be learned men.

Prabhupāda: All bogus.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like that...?

Prabhupāda: Bokā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's that one man, Gangeshvara..., Gange..., that one blind...

Prabhupāda: Gangeshvarananda.

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Sita Ram Singh: I came from Delhi. I got down here: "I want holy darśanas."

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Sita Ram Singh: He told me, "His lordship in good health..." "Of course, I won't speak to him, but simply I will have his darśana." Because you are still part human being... (Prabhupāda chuckles) Everyone wants a blessings of persons like you. What you have done and to remember these things... One should feel himself satisfied only after having your darśana.

Prabhupāda: You... You belong to Delhi?

Sita Ram Singh: No, I belong to Bihar. I come from the... (explains where he is coming from, about his family, political party, etc., difficult to understand) But what I want, I want darśana. And if you have got any sympathy for me, kindly...

Prabhupāda: I have got sympathy for everyone.

Sita Ram Singh: Ah, yes.

Prabhupāda: Unfortunately nobody cares to hear.

Srila Prabhupada Vigil -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Some karmī job to get money.

Prabhupāda: Just see. (laughs) And he's asking my blessings for a guru. He's a fanatic. (break) ...know that story, punar muṣako bhava. (laughter)

Jayatīrtha: Yes. That's a very suitable story for this case.

Prabhupāda: "Again become a mouse." That's all. "I made you tiger. Now you want to eat me? All right, you become again a mouse." (break) That is called dṛḍha-vrata, firm determination. Hm. Go on. (break) Doesn't create any... That is bhakti life. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. So where is the difficulty? The things are already there. I have to repeat it only. Why shall I create, make hodgepodge everything? But that they do not know. Bhaktivedanta has no difficulty. The things are already there. Simply you have to present them as it is. That's all. You become Vaiṣṇava. Where is the difficulty? And as soon as you change, become over-intelligent, spoiled, everything spoiled. That is the... (recording grows very faint, then inaudible) (break) What arrangement is...? What arrangement is made? (break) And if they do not repeat, they fell down(?). You have to bring. You cannot satisfy everyone. That is not possible. Here Nārada Muni is blaming Vyāsadeva, "You have not repeated." And here is a scholar, and he has repeated. The actual position is repetition. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). That is the position. So we shall go on doing that.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: Diamond Press. So his sons are in London, and he wants to start a business there in September, but he didn't want to do so without your blessing. Because you gave blessing for his daughter's marriage, so he's always thinking that if you give blessing, then it will come out nicely. (Prabhupāda laughs) He also wants to put Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities in his home just outside of Birmingham, and he wants to invite the Indian community to come to his house for having programs. So he gave me some money to purchase Deities here in Vṛndāvana, but he also wanted your blessings for that.

Prabhupāda: Who will worship the Deity?

Brahmānanda: His wife. They have... The town where they live, there is no temple.

Prabhupāda: But they have to observe the rules and regulations.

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He couldn't do it.

Prabhupāda: This idea, that "My son should be B.A., M.A., Ph.D.," it is wrong idea. Why? What is there, Ph.D.'s? First of all one must earn. Self-preservation is the first law of... But not... The Marwaris used to do that in Calcutta. Many pakorā. No business—he was frying pakorā and selling. Why unemployment? This is disastrous, unemployment. As soon as there is unemployment, there are so many devils. They'll plan. And the first plan will come-wine and woman. So we want to save the society from this downfall. At least keep one ideal. And that is our mission. Otherwise there was no nece... But at the present moment they cannot take so much trouble. We are trying to give them as much as possible comfortable life, but become an ideal vidvān and bhaktimān. That is required. Otherwise it is animal society. Prime Minister's son is a debauch, rogue, thief. They are not ashamed even. And people are adoring him: "O Sanjay, you are Indira Gandhi's son. I take your blessing." Doing practically. He was very much anxious to see Sanjay Gandhi. So what did I say?

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhakti-caitanya: ...just to go here and there. And I am picking up much responsibility between...

Trivikrama: One other point is Raj Kumar Gupta, that man who is so devoted. He's now sitting in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: So you combinedly do. That will be...

Bhakti-caitanya: I am sure that if... With your blessing... Because Gupta is very influential in Delhi, and Delhi, we will also be able to get the men sitting in the rear(?) if we want, because he has so much influence in the ministry now.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Bhakti-caitanya: That Mr. Raj Kumar Gupta. He is the right man in the ministry now. That Kedaranath Swami, the mayor of Delhi, he always... He is a fast friend. So if we have influential man... Now he has shifted his office from Chandigarh to Delhi, so I have to get the all ordination for Chandigarh from him, through him. So if he will introduce me to his friends in Delhi, and Delhi people mind if I will take our money to Chandigarh, so what I was wondering is collect the money from Delhi from all over, put in Delhi and Chandigarh together, all the north India.

Trivikrama: There will be no shortage of money. There's so much... Just yesterday a man gave five thousand rupees. And he wasn't even a big man. Small man. Big man, we can get. There's so many.

Bhakti-caitanya: (laughs) Yes, practically because we have no small big man.

Prabhupāda: So it is very good premise. So why Gopāla should be sorry that "I go"? Is there any reason?

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhakti-caitanya: Or couple of... What I was wanting... If we will make our Delhi office, from all the BBT payments we will make a conserving of that collection from there, and from there we can supply books all over north India, no problem. And I have a little bit brain to expand it, and I have seen, experienced, since about six months. I don't have any help from anyone except your blessings. So I was trying my best, and I am successful. I can... You can see our work.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I... I mean, everything sounds rather nice to me, and there's always... You know, everything has to be done so that nobody... People should not be sentimental.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That should not be his business. It may be inferior. If not inferior, not with the... Then it is mentioned in the... (break) Still more. (break) And that is all written, Hindi, English. They can go home to home and distribute Hindi books to the ladies. They can be engaged in that way. (break) Therefore any so-called yogi (indistinct).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are delivering unadulterated. Here is another report from Haṁsadūta. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to exhibit, you have to pack. Do it nicely. Kṛṣṇa will bless you. (break) ...and book for all men. That is important. People may... (breaks)

Śatadhanya: Nectarean.

Prabhupāda: And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohinī-mūrti, distributing ambrosia. These scriptures should be brought to the (indistinct) system, and they'll get opportunity to meet with them. So how...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I also... It could mean... According to Gopāla, from Africa, that prasāda...

Prabhupāda: Prasāda from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From all over.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is no problem. Now you manager... That means you have to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now it's on you, starting tomorrow, to show some something.

Mr. Myer: One thing, if I could just, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for initiation...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to be initiated, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Mr. Myer: Then I could have your blessings to start the work.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you have all my blessings.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you want him to be initiated just now or wait some time?

Prabhupāda: He can be initiated. First thing is that... That is required.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants that. You have to shave your head to get initiated.

Mr. Myer: No problem.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you do that?

Mr. Myer: Yes.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Or you can read. No harm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She says, "Our most revered Guru Mahārāja, my crores of charan and vandana at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and at the lotus feet of our revered Guruji. When you were here we could not have your darshan due to your illness, and after that, you left Bombay and went to Vṛndāvana. We prayed to Lord Kṛṣṇa for your life, and our Lord Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He again heard our prayers, and now you are better. We are informed by the devotees that Guru Mahārāja is better. May Lord Kṛṣṇa give you a long life, happiness and good health and your stay with us for a few more years. We were in dark, and you have enlightened our life and taught us real religion. You shower your blessings on us. I always feel your presence near me always in the heart. We want you. Your life is very essential for us. Kindly, Guru Mahārāja, take care of your health. We believe in both prayer and medicines, so kindly do not neglect yourself. Your dream of Bombay ISKCON temple has come true. It is just like Kṛṣṇa's palace in Dvārakā. It is a top building, a jewel and (indistinct). Now I close my letter with my prayers for your good health. Your faithful devotee, Nirmala Singol."

Prabhupāda: You reply that I am progressing little.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "Now it is again possible for us to think, to act. Our senses have regained their consciousness, enabling us to expand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by selling more..." (break) He says, "We pray that your health may continue for years to come so you may conquer the whole world by your pure devotion and you may continue to bless us more and more so that we may be instrumental in this work. I am your puppet. You are controlling the strings. Make me dance as you like. I am simply awaiting the tugs of your lotuslike hands upon my strings. I would like to make a report of the activities here. Eastern Europe..." (break)

Prabhupāda: Where I landed in your country there is a storehouse of lobster. They have become so rotten that some of them are coming like pus.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pus is coming out?

Prabhupāda: Not pus, but the lobster has become so spoiled that it had become like pus, and they're eating that.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...which would attract the attention of some of the world's greatest leaders and dignitaries. The scope and implications of this task are breathtaking, and I am feeling very small and insignificant in confrontation with it, just like a dwarf trying to touch the moon. However, if you want me to perform this task, then kindly give me your mercy and bless me..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. You train up assistants and this will be recognized by government and everyone. You'll do more than Columbus. (laughter) In the Washington, in different compartments, a different explanation of Bhāgavata śloka by dolls will attract millions of people to see. Will it not?

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

Prabhupāda: May Kṛṣṇa bless him. You are doing very tremendous job.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "First week, July, three of our men are opening a BBT Library office in Bangkok."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "They have a mission to develop this whole area, Southeast Asia, for book distribution." He sent a team of three men to develop Southeast Asia, and they've opened an office in Bangkok. "Their program includes: 1) government recognition of our books, 2) sales to universities and colleges, 3) acceptance of our books by leading scholars, and 4) sales of encyclopedias to Hindus. All of Southeast Asia will be developed for book distribution. We pray for your blessings in this..."

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa's blessings are there upon you. He is dictating the organizing capacity. Do it very nicely.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that he has three lakhs' rupees credit so far, and "our accounts receivable still amount to two lakhs." So five lakhs in one year.

Prabhupāda: So invest. Invest in printing books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "No school has defaulted in their payments." None of them. "I am also enclosing a complete list of our standing orders in India. We pray for your guidance and blessings in our march towards successful spiritual life."

Prabhupāda: Yes. All success to your forward march.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you want to hear some of the reviews, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You're not feeling tired at all now.

Prabhupāda: No.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe later on I can read some more of these to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are very ecstatic. Yeah. Later on I'll read more to you. We haven't even touched this section. This is the list.

Prabhupāda: So send Gargamuni many thanks for arranging in the libraries. Kṛṣṇa is blessing him. Organize in Bombay office very nicely, and arrange for printing enough stock. All money collected should be invested immediately. This is giving me new life, all these. Somebody is proposing to give us some dairy land? Dairy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dairy land in Agra?

Prabhupāda: Agra?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I heard also someone was proposing. One man who's staying here now is proposing four acres in Agra. They went today to see it. I think Bhagatjī went and also Akṣayānanda Mahārāja. They'll give you a report on it.

Prabhupāda: Supply of ghee from that dairy land would be very good.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This paper is nice.

Yaśomatīnandana: We will have a few at least a few books ready in a few months.

Prabhupāda: No, the manuscript you take. I want to see at least manuscript is not left idle. That is...

Yaśomatīnandana: Now, with your blessings, we'll go very fast.

Prabhupāda: Now we have got some position, Hindi books.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Gujarati books also should be same standard.

Prabhupāda: Yes, same standard. Very nice, Hindi books. All right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Be enthusiastic to print books. And these items are very, very nice, greeting.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And plus, the temples make money also. It's a new source of income for the temples. And if we don't do it, the karmīs are doing it in any case.

Prabhupāda: No, no, we shall do exactly like karmīs, but not for us. For Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Same thing we are doing. Therefore these Māyāvādī cannot understand. "Again form?" The example is just like a man like me, he's diseased, he's suffering. And when they say, "Mother Yaśodās' crying," "So again crying?" He does not know what is this crying. He thinks this crying and that crying the same. Therefore Māyāvādī. They want to make it zero—no crying. But we take it a great blessing, crying for Kṛṣṇa. But they cannot understand. They say, "Again crying? Then what is the benefit?" And this is māyā. You understand? This is the simple understanding of Māyāvāda. As soon as there is crying, they say, "Oh, it is māyā. No crying." Nirviśeṣa-vādī. Crying is a great transcendental pleasure. That they cannot understand, the poor fund of knowledge. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was simply crying. That is love. So that they do not understand, how crying can be pleasure. That is Māyāvāda. All right.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's nice?

Prabhupāda: Anyway, all blessings of Kṛṣṇa upon them. They are doing very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Bali-mardana was there years ago, and he seemed to be doing well. It is just that with all these countries, visa is a great problem. They demand always so much foreign exchange. Please let me know what I should do. I have also six other men who have to leave. If I go to the Far East, I could not take them all, just one or two. If possible, telegram as mail is slow. I have three weeks as of today. By 30th August I have to go. Please reply this letter immediately." So we'll tell him to go to the... "Yes, I need my own field, perhaps due to my obstinacy, as Your Divine Grace pointed out. I cannot seem to blend in someone else's field. I am really engaged here and very happy by your grace. You will be pleased to know that we have made another devotee. Shree Lanka is definitely a first-class field for preaching..."

Prabhupāda: So maintain the branch by local devotee.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Which book?

Bhagavān: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Volume. The devotees are thinking if they can do over twenty thousand big books in one week you'll be encouraged to stay. And then they will do even more.

Prabhupāda: No. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī will give them blessing. He'll delay.(?) He wanted this.

Bhagavān: When the book distribution is going on so strongly, everything is remaining very pure. It is taking away all inauspicious elements.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (break) You can note down from him the crisis day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want me to get those dates? Tomorrow is one of them.

Prabhupāda: There are so many.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Parivrājakācārya: If we can only give them philosophy, they can do the...

Prabhupāda: Rāja. And if we turn them ṛṣi, then our mission is fulfilled. Very good. Now you have started your own business.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. With your blessing. The business is not important, but it is a medium for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My secretary is already a devotee, and the other people are also becoming interested. The goal is to have a Kṛṣṇa conscious group working in the society.

Prabhupāda: Go very slowly. Never mind. You all young men. All right. Go on chanting. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What meeting is going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We had two meetings today.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Two telegrams came for you. One of them was sent by one of your Godbrothers.

Prabhupāda: Who is he?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mādhava Mahārāja. He sent you a telegram from Chandigarh. It says, "Extremely anxious for your health. Praying to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord Gaura-Kṛṣṇa for Their blessings unto you."

Prabhupāda: So send him back telegram: "Thank you. Excuse my offenses—all Godbrothers." What you have written?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Thank you. Excuse my offenses, all Godbrothers."

Prabhupāda: What is the other say here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The other telegram is from Australia.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, please do not leave us, for without your lotus feet we have no shelter. We are trying to distribute more books. Your eternal servants at Sydney Mandir."

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am willing to stay. After all, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: His father was a minister.

Purī Mahārāja: Yes. Proper dose you have given. Kṛṣṇa must bless him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he gave him big challenge. "Rupees five lakhs' challenge to Dr. Kovoor."

Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) Dr. Kovoor. He cannot be called as "doctor." How could he be a doctor?

Haṁsadūta: Quack. Quack doctor.

Prabhupāda: There is a story. A bridegroom was selected. So, the other party, bride's party, they inquired how the bridegroom was quite qualified. So they said, "He's a doctor." Then they inquired, "What kind of doctor? Doctor of philosophy, doctor of medicine or...?"

Purī Mahārāja: Doctor which way?

Prabhupāda: So he said, "No, no, no. He's not all these nonsense. He's a big doctor." "What is that?" "Conductor." (laughter)

Room Conversation With Dr. Ghosh -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dr. Ghosh: By that rocket bus. Sixteen hours it took us from Siliguri to Calcutta. Terrible, bone-breaking. I never did that in my life, sixteen hours by bus. In Calcutta, Calcutta the greatest thing. With Lord Kṛṣṇa's blessings He could otherwise. This is the third flight that we got. We couldn't get before that. This morning we got a flight without a great...

Prabhupāda: Rocket bus?

Dr. Ghosh: Ha, from Siliguri to Calcutta. It usually takes twelve hours, but the road was so bad that it took sixteen hours to come to Calcutta. From Siliguri to Calcutta. Then Calcutta we were delayed. We couldn't get the first flight, second flight... Couldn't rest. With greatest difficulty, third flight we came this morning. Otherwise we would have reached yesterday, last night.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Dr. Ghosh: Our name was in the waiting list. They would not give, do it. Anyway, we have reached.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, now it is good that you have come.

Dr. Ghosh: You should measure his urine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We do. We do that. We have kept a record for two months now of everything that he takes in and passes out.

Prabhupāda: You can show him the record? Huh? (pause)

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bharadvāja, you are helping the Society in so many ways. So we are indebted to you. So Los Angeles, what is going on there?

Bharadvāja: Now they are...

Prabhupāda: You gave me the other day a plan, very nice. If you put into shape it will be wonderful.

Bharadvāja: By your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, it can become possible.

Prabhupāda: So who is looking after now?

Bharadvāja: Now? Ādi-deva.

Prabhupāda: The room, formerly Deity room, this is now complete?

Bharadvāja: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What has been done there?

Bharadvāja: It has been made into a museum, complete museum.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You look very peaceful, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) He was not talking, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: "Without your blessings, how can I get compassion?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And without your blessings, how could we distribute so many? We directly see the proof of that verse, that the more the Pañca-tattva saw that these fruits of love of God were distributed, the more they relished. We find in distributing your books that the more we distribute your books, the more blissful we feel. This book distribution is actually a part of our daily lives, just like... It is one of the regulative principles practically. Chant sixteen rounds, follow the four regulative principles, and distribute Prabhupāda's books. Everyone sometime in the day does some book distribution or helps in some way the book distribution. (break) ...distribution has begun, the devotees enjoy it so much that they even like to do book distribution more than the life membership. The ecstasy of approaching people, person by person, simply on the friendship of your books is the highest of all pleasures. (break)

Prabhupāda: So far I am thinking, I'm not improving in strength. And how can I improve by drinking little barley and milk and little fruit juice? I have no appetite for anything else. In case I... Most probably, I am diminishing my strength.

Page Title:Blessings (Conversations)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:29 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=144, Let=0
No. of Quotes:144