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Bricks (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Parāsya śaktih..., parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). (Hindi) Originally cit-śakti. That cit-śakti is expanding. Just like we are..., rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Kalā means part and parcel. So we are also part and parcel, but we are very small part and parcel. But rāmādi mūrti, they are bigger part and parcel. Just like if you throw one brick on the floor, so there will be so many small particles, big particles, this particle, that. They are all part and parcel of the brick, but one part very small atomic part, and one big part, this part, this part, then this part, then this part. So all, Kṛṣṇa is the origin, and everyone is part and parcel. Some of them are bigger and some of them are smaller. So Viṣṇu-tattva is almost like Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: Like Kṛṣṇa.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To the sacrifice place.

Prabhupāda: We shall place the in... what is called, paraphernalia? And then begin. So ten feet deep and six feet wide. So you have ordered for bricks and cement? (loudspeaker in background very loud)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was speaking with Mr. Sanyal and he also agreed that by having a man come here and make the bricks, we can save fifty percent.

Prabhupāda: So try to find out. (break) You can talk. (break) (A devotee is speaking in Bengali over the loudspeaker and Prabhupāda mimics him, everyone laughs.) Mahāṁsa? Who is speaking, Mahāṁsa speaking or Bardon? (break)

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Gurudāsa: Subala Mahārāja was joking with me that I am wanting to preach, but instead I am thinking about steel and cement and bricks.

Prabhupāda: No. If that steel, cement, and bricks are meant for preaching, then it is all right. But if there is difficulty, then sometimes we become absorbed in steel-cement. Steel-cement is not bad, provided it is meant for preaching. That is also spiritual. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta-vairāgya. But because we are materialistic, sometimes steel and cement attracts us more than Kṛṣṇa. So this Bombay affair is giving me a little depression. Because so highly thought of, now these people they do not want to stay there. Just like this Mahaṁsa, Dinanātha, they do not wish to return. Something has to be done.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: And they work for how many hours?

Brahmānanda: Eight hours. So fifty-six dollars, or fifty dollars per day. Who can earn, the scientists, fifty dollars?

Devotee: The brick-layers get a hundred dollars a day.

Prabhupāda: Just see. So why don't you become a brick layer instead of scientist? (laughter) You get more money. Dr. Bose, he called me... I told you. He asked me, "What you are doing?" "Now, I am going to the share market." So he immediately said, "Then what is the value of your education if you are going to the share market like the Marwaris who are illiterate?" Share market means to have some tricks how to sell and purchase shares. That by practicing anyone can do. It is not very difficult. (break) ... life from life. Make vigorous propaganda. Let them come to argument, scientific discussion. (pause) The man and woman in your country, they have got equal rights. Why not here? (laughter) In the lavatory? Why this discrimination, "woman," "man," why? Equal rights, must be equal rights. (pause) What is the basic philosophy for contraceptive action? Why do they prefer contraceptive method?

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: This matter which you are seeing, this is manifested. But there is material stock, unmanifested. A stock of water, stock of fire, stock of earth. Layer. This universe is covered by different layers, and each layer is ten times bigger than the other layers. That is unmanifested. That is unmanifested. Therefore vyakto 'vyaktāt. This, what we see, this is manifested, but the stock... Just like from the stock of your, I mean to say, stone and lime and cement and brick, you make a skyscraper building, manifested. But the stock is also there. Stock is also there. Similarly this manifested material world is there. It is taken from the stock. The stock is, a huge stock there is. We get information. Layer, the universe. And penetrating all these layers, we have to go to the spiritual world.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Then so much control, that is another thing. But not control. "So much control" means no control. (japa) (break) ...admitted that we are controlled by nature. That you cannot refuse. That is foolishness. Now, next, how nature is working? That is also replied in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "The material nature is working..." Just like we are also taking the advantage of material nature, kṣity-ap-tejaḥ. Here is earth, but we can take this earth and make into brick and make a skyscraper building. So it is not that the earth itself is going to become a skyscraper building. I am living entity; I am utilizing. So nature means these five elements, eight elements. So that has been manipulated by another living entity. Just like the aeroplane is a combination of some matter, but it is being worked out by the manufacturer, by the pilot. Therefore that driver of the aeroplane or the manufacturer of the..., he's superior.

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. (break) ...between viṣṇu-tattva and jīva-tattva...

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Viṣṇu-tattva. They are viṣṇu-tattva. They are the spirit soul, they are varieties. Mamaivāṁśa. Just like aṁśa. Suppose if you break one brick, some fragments come out. All the fragments are not of the same size. There are different size. Similarly, although all the living entities are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, their constitution of impotence are different. (break) There are divisions, divisions, subdivisions. Yes.

Dr. Patel: But final, the main group is this.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...teṣv avasthitaḥ. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 25, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: That means their... That is their disease. The same thing, that "Why you are sitting here? Come with me, work." "What shall I do by working?" "You get money." "Then you'll enjoy." "And I am already enjoying." That the... This is called māyā. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). These rascals, simply for little temporary so-called benefit, they have created this working civilization, "Work very hard, very hard." That's all. Whole history... In this Rome city you can see. There are evidences. These buildings are constructed with hard labor. Now those rascals have gone, and they are maintaining, that "They worked so hard." Those who worked very hard they have gone away. Now nobody knows where they are and what they have become. But they are maintaining their bricks. That's all. Brick civilization. (break)

Yogeśvara: No one goes into the park at night. Too dangerous.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they are bahir-artha-māninaḥ, they are thinking that this is all. A group of men is coming, and they are exploiting the resources, material world. Just like this building. It is nothing but exploiting the resources. Making brick from the earth or stone or iron. And they pile up. Just like the children goes to the beach, they pile up the sand, and they imagine that somebody is making big palace, somebody is...

Dhanañjaya: Big castle.

Prabhupāda: Big castle. And at a time they left. In the Roman, the... Formerly, the Romans, they also came. They also constructed big, big buildings. Now they are rotting, and another generation, they also are creating the same thing. But exactly like the children, after playing, they are going. Nobody knows where they have gone. Similarly, these rascals, they are coming. They have got the human intelligence. Simply spoiling that intelligence in amassing the external resources of material nature, and they leave the platform, and again go away and take the birth of some other form of life. Everything forgotten just like dream. This is going on. They cannot understand it has no value.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: So these buildings are mere symbols of their ignorance.

Prabhupāda: That's all. They have got some intelligence. They are utilizing for piling up these stones and bricks. That's all. This is their intelligence, how to pile up nicely stones and bricks. Crane. The same thing. The real business is to pile up some stones and bricks, that's all. They are making research, engineering. The real business is how to pile up stones and bricks. That's all. The same business as the children pile up some sand and imagine "This is park, this is this, this is that."

Dhanañjaya: Didn't Rāvaṇa want to pile up stones and bricks, too, to reach the heavenly planets.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. No, he was a materialist. That is the business of the materialist. What is this? Aerodrome? No.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: What is that dominate? One kick will finish everything. That is illusion. They are thinking, "We are going to dominate," but they are dominated always. Therefore, because they have no intelligence, they cannot understand. One earthquake can finish all this. All go down immediately. So what is that dominate? Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ kar... (BG 3.27). The prakṛti, nature, is giving chance just like father and mother give chance that the children pile up stone and sand. "Let them play." Similarly prakṛti, mother prakṛti, nature, giving all this, "Let this rascal play like that. What can be done?" He does not know that "After this piling of stones and bricks, I will have to leave this place. And I do not know where I am going." So less intelligence. And they do not know what he is. He is thinking, "I am this body," but this body will be finished. That's all. "I was zero. I assumed some body. Now again I shall become zero." That's all. Śūnyavādī. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. It is covered? (break) ...viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā, some utopian hope of becoming happy. This is called durāśayā.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: I would say "If he has no brain, what is the use of going to a meeting?" (laughter) Our only... Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). The men are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses. What they will do? Meeting of the dogs, hogs, camels and asses will be any beneficial to the society? We are very pessimistic, and our conclusion, that anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is dogs, hogs, camels, asses, that's all. No brain, animal. Animal has got brain: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life. So these people, they have got brain for that purposes only. That is animal life. Actually, they do not know what is the aim of life, why people should be educated, why human society should be organized. They do not know. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Enamored by these big, big buildings. That's all. "Oh, they are so advanced." And naturally, the common man comes to the European or American city, he says, "Oh, Americans are very rich." "Rich" means they have piled up stones and bricks, that's all. This is their richness. What is there in the richness here? But people are common men. They think that this piling of bricks and stone is like real civilization. What do you think? Is that real civilization?

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Piling of bricks and stones? Heaps of stones and bricks? That is emblem of civilization? They have seen. In Rome they have seen. They also piled like that. Now they have gone. Where they have gone? Why they left? Why they were obliged to leave? That nobody is questioning. And if he has got a different body, if he is living in that house as cats and dogs and rats and ants, then what benefit he has derived? There is possibility. If you have got an attraction for the body, for your house, but you are not going to get a human body, then you'll have to take your birth in that place, as tree, as plant, as live as rat or cat or ant. You have to live. Nature will give you advantage. But you must get the body according to your karma. That you cannot violate. Where is this science discussed? As soon as we shall speak gentleman like them, they will say, "I have got meeting."

Yogeśvara: Yes, "I must leave."

Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Basin, basin. So one basin full rice he will keep in the middle of the shop. And there are rats. So the rats will take the rice, and not cut even a single cloth. It is practical. Yes. They are also animals. Give them food. They'll not create any disturbance. Give them food. Yes. Because cloth are very costly. And there are rats. If one cloth is cut by the rat, then it is great loss. So to save from this loss, he'll put in a basin... Rice was nothing. Rice... In our childhood, we have seen, two ānās per seer. That is with profit. You see. So one basin full rice, it doesn't cost even one ānā. So by giving one ānā worth food, he saves so many, hundreds of rupees cloth. Otherwise, if they're hungry, they'll cut it. Everyone has got obligation. Even the tiger. Even the tiger... One saintly person was in the jungle. His disciples said the tigers will never come and disturb in the āśrama because the āśrama head, they'll keep some milk little far away from the āśrama, and the tigers will come and drink and go away. He'll call, "You tiger, come and take your milk here!" Just like we call the dogs. They'll come and take the milk and go away. And they'll never attack any inmates of the āśrama. He'll say, āmāra ajni hana isko bolo naya (?): "They are my men; don't harm them." Yes. Tigers can be trained up. Just like dog. They are a dog species. More ferocious, that's all. More ferocious dog. That's all. So you can train them. I have seen in the World Fair. One man has trained... I think most of you have seen. One tiger and one lion. And he was playing with that tiger, lion, just like one plays with dog. They can be trained up. They can understand also that "This man loves me. He gives me food. He's my friend." They also appreciate. Just like this picture, you have seen, Haridāsa Ṭhākura? The big snake is going. The snake also knows that "He's saintly person. He may not be disturbed. Let me go away." And from reason also, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe... (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart. He's dictating. So Kṛṣṇa can dictate to the animals, to the serpent, to the man, everyone. Such nice foodstuff. And mostly they are made of milk. These people, they do not know. They kill the cows and throw the milk away to the hogs. And they are proud of their civilization. Like jackals and vultures. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will transform these uncivilized men to real civilization. Their civilization is now compact in masonry work, collecting stones and bricks and piling them.

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Just like suppose if I do something here in Paris, and if you say, "Sir, as soon as your visa is finished, you'll be kicked out," shall I be interested to create anything? That is intelligence, that "I will be kicked out after two months. Why shall I construct such a big scheme?" That is intelligence. So these rascals know that he'll be kicked out. Still, he works day and night for collecting bricks and stones and he becomes a big man. Mean a foolish rascal, he is considered a big man. Therefore śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19).

Paramahaṁsa: People argue that "God has given us our intelligence and our senses, and therefore we must enjoy."

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. He has given nice reference. A devotee, although sees God in His lion feature, and very ferocious, he knows He is God. "He's my Lord." But this so-called advancement of material civilization is the greatest enemy. That is not... Material civilization is very, very backward position. Māyā-mohita. He'll be captivated by the so-called stones and bricks, and he'll forget God. That is the disease of the western world. They are very much fond of these stones and bricks, and therefore they have no knowledge about God. This electricity, the electrons, the radio, this, everything machine and stones. They have got, forgotten God. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. The more you materially advance, you forget God. So human life is meant for reviving our relationship with God, but if you forget God, then what kind of civilization it is? You are forgetting your real business.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Their aim of life is God realization, but they do not know that. And why they do not know that? Bahir-artha-māninaḥ: "They are thinking by these external features of the material nature they will be happy." That is very quite visible in the western countries. They are thinking that by constructing big, big, high skyscraper building their civilization is advancing, or machine, or technology. But they do not know this is not the aim of life. Real aim of life—to understand God. And na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā means something, utopian hope, which will be never fulfilled. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Piling up simply bricks and stone, they are thinking, "In this way we shall be happy." That is durāśayā. That is never to be fulfilled. And then how this society is being led? Andha. The leader is a blind man. The so-called scientists, technologists, philosophers, others, they do not know what is the aim of life. He is a blind man, and he is trying to lead other blind men. This is the position. So if a blind man tries to lead other blind men, what benefit they will get? Because they do not know what is the...

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. So actually there is nothing material. When God consciousness is there, it is spiritual. This... In association with God, everything becomes spiritual. Just like there is a church and there is an ordinary house. People say, " This is church, God's place, and this is house." What is the difference? That is also made of bricks; that is also made of bricks. Why people go to the church? Why not to the house? So the conclusion is, when the atmosphere is surcharged with God consciousness, it is spiritual. Immediately. Otherwise, as soon as you forget God, then it is material. Material and spiritual means where there is no forgetfulness of God, that is spiritual. And where there is forgetfulness of God, that is material.

Jesuit: Hm. Sort of a figurative use of the word.

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

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is superior energy, and the material energy, inferior energy. Just like in your body there are some inferior parts and some superior parts. But they are body, parts of the body. This part is superior part, and the rectum is inferior part. But that does not mean it does not form the constitution parts of your body. Otherwise how you become whole? Whole means comprising everything, superior, inferior. But comparatively, there is superior part, inferior part. So the material energy is also God's energy. And spiritual energy is also God's energy, but the spiritual energy is described here as superior energy, and the material energy is described here as inferior energy. But altogether, they are energies. So those who are expert devotees of God, they can utilize inferior energy for the purpose of superior energy. That is the proper utilization. Just like the same brick and stone is required for constructing an ordinary house, and the same brick and stone can be used for constructing a church.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. The material is not different. The ordinary house is constructed with the same bricks and stone, and church is also made of that. But why it is superior? Because it is specially, only meant for God's purpose. So anything utilized for God's purpose, it becomes spiritual. This is our philosophy.

Jesuit: Very good. You're kind, talking to me.

Prabhupāda: So we are trying to engage everything in God's service, to make it superior energy.

Jesuit: How do you see helping your fellow man?

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Not in the house. Wooden houses, they are just like match box. (break) ...Australia, they like cottage house. They don't like this skyscraper.

Bali-mardana: Yeah, they like brick house, many brick houses, spread out.

Prabhupāda: Small, one storied. They are aristocratic. They do not go to the skyscraper, common man.

Bali-mardana: They like the idea of one house.

Prabhupāda: That is good idea. That is Indian idea. (break)

Devotee (2): ...front of the hedges, all those hedges in the front? They produce this flower.

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

Prabhupāda: Ohh.

Bahulāśva: Built very solid.

Jayatīrtha: Made of bricks.

Prabhupāda: So all the churches we are purchasing. (laughter)

Bahulāśva: They are all going out of business.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...worm and the sun. When the sun is arisen, the glowworms, automatically finished. (break) ...motto, "Kṛṣṇa is sun." You know it? Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. So when Kṛṣṇa sun is there, all these glowworms' lightening will be finished. (break) ...this sun always shining. Then these glowworms will be finished. (break) ...that Sikh, Bhajan? What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yogi Bhajan.

Prabhupāda: Ah ha. He came to invite me.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: That... The particular jīvātmā who has been given this body, he is living in the heart.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: But according to the scientists, our body is made up of little cells just like a brick wall is made up of so many individual bricks. Each... Like in one piece of skin there is...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is body. Just like I live in a house. The house is made of so many bricks. But I am not brick.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: But they say that...

Prabhupāda: "They say!" They are foolish, we always say. Because I am living in a house consisting of so many bricks, it does not mean that I am brick.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: But is each cell an individual living entity?

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is different from the concept of cell. there are many living entities like germs...

Prabhupāda: So concept of cell is the cell is just like bricks. Matter and spirit, two things are there. Either it must be matter or must be spirit.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: But it's seen that the scientists, they can take some skin from your body and by putting in different solutions can keep that skin itself alive for such a long time. They have taken the heart of a chicken out of the chicken's body and then kept it beating for so many hours even though that heart was away from the main chicken. Or they take some other tissue and keep it alive. So they say that each cell is an individual living being.

Prabhupāda: So we have no objection.

Morning Walk -- August 25, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In this place it is closed with wall?

Brahmānanda: Oh, yes. Formerly there was no wall.

Harikeśa: No, there was no wall.

Brahmānanda: Not a brick wall.

Dhanañjaya: That is no... Actually the principal of the college, he has more say in the running of the college than Bon Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: He dictates.

Dhanañjaya: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How many students are in this college?

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice. So you are going to the magistrate? You have calculated?

Saurabha: Ten thousand bags.

Prabhupāda: Ten thousand bags. No, I wanted to construct this building with bricks.

Saurabha: Yes, but we have to make some slabs and some...

Prabhupāda: Slabs? So still you will require ten thousand?

Saurabha: No. If we do with mud, then it will be much less.

Prabhupāda: Not mud. The mortar means sand and cement.

Guṇārṇava: No plaster?

Prabhupāda: No, no, plastering also.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Simply brick. So in that way you still require ten thousand?

Saurabha: We require about eight thousand but it's best to apply for ten thousand. If we only need five thousand, we take that. They will give us that allotment.

Prabhupāda: Do it. (break)

Dhṛṣṭaketu: When Kṛṣṇa would play His flute then the airplanes would be there.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: When Kṛṣṇa would play His flute then the airplanes would come and...

Prabhupāda: Where is Kṛṣṇa playing flute?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: In Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then why the airplanes do not come Delhi? (laughter) (pause) He is godless and we have to fight against them. Just see our position. We have to fight with the whole world.

Morning Walk -- September 29, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is veranda that side.

Brahmānanda: On the inside or the outside?

Prabhupāda: No. No. Inside. Outside closed. (break) ...no that reinforced concrete, all brick. This is all brick. (Hindi) You have got that brick manufacturing concern near?

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Take as many bricks as you like. And we have got one address. You have taken, Agra, they will supply this lime. (break) (Hindi) ...rich men. Still, they are adulterating cement. (Hindi) (break) I heard it from very reliable source, my teacher. He was second teacher in my school, graduate, very good gentleman. He said that Edward VIII, er, VII, he was stealing jewels. You see?

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Last night you were present in the meeting? Read our books very carefully, and as soon as there is some doubt, inquire. Here wooden house, practically none.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mostly bricks.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's good. Wooden house-matchbox. So there is no, I mean to say, fire brigade disturbance.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, there is fire. Yesterday, few weeks ago, across the street in the field there was a bush fire.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But in your country, always fire brigade: "Dung, dung, dung, dung, dung, tunga, tunga, tunga, gara gara gara..."

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, there is always fires in America.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: The structure is over, Prabhupāda. Now the ornamental work is started since last fifteen days. They said they could finish it by March, but I don't know if we'll be able to push it before that. Since last one month the collections have also increased. So if the collections go on in the same speed as we are going now, it may be finished by March. But otherwise definitely by August it will be complete. (break) ...fifteenth of this month Indira Gandhi was in Hyderabad. I got a letter from Praghoṣa that there were lakhs of people there to see her, and we have printed up coupons which we go shop to shop and tell everyone that "You buy one brick for the temple. So eleven rupees is the cost of one brick. So in your name one brick must be put." So we have these coupons, and they distributed six thousand rupees' worth of coupons in that program. Six hundred coupons they distributed in that meeting.

Prabhupāda: "Sell well." You know he is "sell well" man. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: Sell a brick for the temple. Well, one person got the book, and he came the next day and he wanted to become a member. He was convinced. And Acyutānanda says that this is for the atheistic people who cannot understand God, so here we are proving scientifically that God exists and how Kṛṣṇa is the supreme scientist. So materialists, there are so many materialistic people, they always like these kind of books, so they are buying.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The next book will also be a big hit, I think, that these scientists are preparing.

Mahāṁsa: Daily there are at least 2,000 to 2,2500 people coming to the program. There would be more if there was more space, but it's an enclosed hall, so we can't fit in more people. It's packed up.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a lot bigger than it was three months ago?

Mahāṁsa: Oh, yes. We have very big publicity. And we get letters from different parts of Karnataka inviting us for programs in their villages.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you do that. (break) Some big man came to see me for cooperating with others like Chinmayananda and Vinoda Bhave.

Morning Walk -- December 20, 1975, Bombay:

Śravanānanda: Some life members (indistinct).... completely ridiculous. They were worshiping everything as God, so in every temple they go in they would pay their obeisances, and if there is some tree, they will pay their obeisances, if there is some stone or brick, and is covered with kuṁkuma and turmeric, they would also pay their obeisances.

Prabhupāda: So, what is the question?

Dr. Patel: Your answer is all right. Gurur brahma gurur viṣṇuḥ. So I mean that is the philosophy of...

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, cottage.... But make it little higher.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. If it floods.... There should be a plinth.

Prabhupāda: Plinth should be higher.

Jayapatāka: See, right now there's no bricks available in the market.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jayapatāka: Because they just started producing bricks in January, December 15th, and all the government has advance bricks. We wanted bricks.... Right now it's very little...

Prabhupāda: There are so many brick fields.

Jayapatāka: But they've just started production.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Just inquire. If it is available you can do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, inquire Jayapatāka.

Jayapatāka: I'll inquire. Because we just ordered four thousand bricks.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jayapatāka: We ordered four thousand bricks. It took two weeks to get them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but now it's later.

Prabhupāda: You can make a big tent here, big tent. So people may come: women tent and men tent. There is no need of rooms. That will be nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where? Right up here?

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, no. You can have a tent. If there is extra men they can live in this tent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supposing there are bricks available, should they try to build?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes, immediately.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's better.

Jayapatāka: We can start, but I'm doubtful whether we'll get enough bricks to finished. That's only my point, if I start and don't finish it...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But there's no harm.

Prabhupāda: There is no harm.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda said let's do what we can do.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jayapatāka: All the dollmakers have gone to Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Oh. All right. (break) ...bricks are available you can begin immediately.

Jayapatāka: (break) Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you can make tent here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, this is better place than up there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can make tent here.

Jayapatāka: We put much dirt here. This land is a bit raised now. We can just open them out here.

Prabhupāda: All right. Anywhere you can.... Here, you can make tent here, here. Just near the...

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: (break) Yes. (Break) ...went to Krishnanagar yesterday and he's found bricks, so we can begin...

Prabhupāda: Immediately.

Jayapatāka: He can supply two and half lakhs of bricks within one month.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Jayapatāka: We should give the... We have two life members there. I've done this before. Give the price for one lakh of bricks in advance and we get twenty rupees off. That way they'll give you the full supply. So in one month we can get all the bricks.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Madhudviṣa: Vertically.

Jayapatāka: I saw the masons measuring when they bricked it, but I never measured myself.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What do you think might be wrong, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Then, in due course of time, it'll fall down.

Indian devotee (1): You mean the foundation?

Prabhupāda: No the wall, if it is like this.

Bhavānanda: If it is leaning.

Prabhupāda: So you have not tested it?

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No the wall, if it is like this.

Bhavānanda: If it is leaning.

Prabhupāda: So you have not tested it?

Jayapatāka: I have seen while they were laying the bricks they were testing all the time.

Harikeṣa: It seems to be leaning.

Jayapatāka: In the future I'll pers...

Madhudviṣa: Drop a plumb line.

Jayapatāka: Yes, they have a...

Madhudviṣa: You can drop a plumb line.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: He breaks?

Jayapatāka: Because... He used to be baby. Now he's getting angry more. We'll make over there one fenced area, brick.

Prabhupāda: So make pakkā.

Jayapatāka: Yes. Otherwise sometimes he just picks up devotee and throws. Just last night he picked one devotee and threw him. Very dangerous now. He used to be quiet but now he's getting old and ornery.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He threw the devotee?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hurt?

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) You can get mosaic tiles.

Jayapatāka: It is no cheaper. We make the mosaic ourselves. We manufacture here.

Prabhupāda: So digging must begin today? The men are there for digging? So Saurabha, you give one site plan immediately. Yes. And order bricks, that's all. Cement and sand we have got. (break) ...any living entity having a material body, he has got soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Now preach this movement. (break) Begin also building there, like this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That piece of land right here?

Prabhupāda: Huh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When do you want to begin it?

Prabhupāda: Immediately.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, therefore everyone should grow seasonal grains. Everyone should take wheat. I think the number of men is more than the number of bricks. (break) ...rooms will be finished. They are not being finished. This? (break) ...Calcutta. So landlords became very perplexed. So one landlord asking, "You don't go. I shall reduce the rent." "Yes, that's all right, but your house is also not very good. There are so many rats." "All right, you can remain without rent." "And still, there are rats." "All right, I shall give you one cat so there will be no dis..." "Ah, who is going to keep a cat? I will require milk also to feed." "All right, I shall give you half kilo or one kilo milk also." "All right." So then he says, "Now no rent and one kilo milk, that's all right." This was in 1942.

Morning Walk -- January 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Contractor or no contractor, but you be assured. Otherwise don't engage.

Jayapatākā: He said we can finish all the brick work in two weeks.

Prabhupāda: I don't not know what they say, but I want finished within two months. Then engage so many men. Otherwise why you are uselessly...?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Six weeks left.

Prabhupāda: So if they cannot assure that, then keep only fifty men.

Jayapatākā: We can get everything finished except for the plumbing and the...

Prabhupāda: No "except."

Morning Walk -- March 1, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Suppose you, you, if you can make a nice vegetable preparation, but that does not mean you know everything of the vegetable. That does not mean. You are still rascal. Although you can prepare a nice preparation with vegetable. But that does not mean you know everything of the vegetable. That is karu kārya. That is called karu kārya. Just like this mason worker. They know how to set up the bricks and doing nice work. But that does not mean... Wherefrom the brick has come? You can take this flower, make a, what is called, in a vase, can make a beautiful...

Devotee (1): Bouquet.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee (1): Bouquet?

Acyutānanda: Arrangement.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

in Houston. They're buying a new one.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Boston, oh, it is very nice.

Rāmeśvara: This is one of the best neighborhoods in all of Boston.

Prabhupāda: They are framework or brick?

Satsvarūpa: It's called brownstone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, brown... Stone it is. That is nice. (break) ...new temple? No.

Rādhāvallabha: That's Ottawa, Canada.

Prabhupāda: Canada.

Rāmeśvara: That is the capital city of Canada.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Johannesburg. That is wonderful. (break) Stockholm, yes.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: I think American working class are paid more than any country.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The average income in the United States now...

Guru-kṛpā: You know a man who lays bricks, a brick layer, in India he gets paid 10 rupees a day...

Prabhupāda: Utmost.

Guru-kṛpā: And here he gets paid twelve dollars an hour.

Prabhupāda: Bricklayer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, twelve dollars an hour.

Guru-kṛpā: So one hundred dollars a day.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like this house, a combination of matter. But I am within this room, that does not mean I am this matter. Similarly, I am within this body, but that does not mean I am this body. This chemical composition is suitable arrangement, like this house is made with bricks, with lime, with stone, with wood. But as a living being, I am not identified with all those. Similarly, the body, it may be combination of chemicals, but the life is different.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So even if they could put the chemicals together, a spirit soul would still have to enter in order for it to become animated.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: My feelings is that even if they make these chemicals, the spirit is never going to come in that medium. Otherwise...

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Not taken care of.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Our building is also an old building, it's seventy years old. But it's made of solid stone and concrete, brick.

Prabhupāda: Then it will never get old.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's extremely...

Prabhupāda: You have to simply change the plastering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, painting, plastering.

Prabhupāda: Then it will continue new for hundreds of years.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's built like that, it's all steel reinforced everywhere.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is little crack, they are growing.

Devotee: Even on the roof of the building where we were sitting last night, between the cracks of the bricks on the roof, there were little plants coming out.

Prabhupāda: Between the cracks in the stone. (break) (in car)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When Balavanta was running for mayor of Atlanta he met him, so there's a good chance that if he gets elected to be President then that's easy opportunity to see the President.

Prabhupāda: What we'll do, seeing him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, right.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Just like a man has gone to jail, he's giving education to the prisoners, "My dear brother prisoners, this life is not good, you become honest, don't come to the jail." So other prisoners, they are working hard, they are hammering on the bricks, they think that "This man is not hammering on the bricks, he's talking only."

Interviewer: I didn't gather that.

Bali-mardana: In the prison the people are, their work is, say, to hammer on bricks. So when, if someone comes into the jail and tells the prisoners, "You shouldn't be doing this, actually you should become honest and go out of the jail and be free." Now if the persons in the jail... Because... They will then become envious that "this person, instead of working hard like us, he's simply talking." They cannot understand the benefit that he's giving them and they become envious, that "Because he's not working like us he is nonsense." So do you understand the analogy?

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Just like, some of us are working like the hammerman, breaking bricks with hammer, but that does not mean he does not understand. So long one is in the jail, one is not in freedom, he has to work like that by force. But that is not his proper work. He has got a different work outside the jail or in his freedom life.

Interviewer: Well, what people are saying about the members of the Kṛṣṇa society is that they are not doing the jail work.

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The prisoner who is hammering the bricks, he's thinking that this man is simply instructing that you have a different life outside the jail, he's not hammering on the brick. Therefore he is surprised, "How is that he is not hammering like me?"

Interviewer: In other words, he's not participating in jail life.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bali-mardana: He's educating them.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: That the jail life is no good?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: But then is that man that's hammering the bricks, isn't he going to quit hammering the bricks, too?

Prabhupāda: He may not hammer, he's giving instruction. Just like I was invited in Ahmedabad jail to give some instruction. So I'm not hammering on the bricks because I was in the jail.

Interviewer: No, you're giving instruction.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I'm meant for giving instruction, I am not meant for hammering on the bricks.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: But then once you get this...

Prabhupāda: So the person who is hammering on the bricks, he's thinking that "This man is simply talking."

Interviewer: That's why he thinks that the Kṛṣṇa people are separate.

Prabhupāda: He wants to draw him in the business of hammering bricks.

Interviewer: Of hammering bricks. Right, right.

Prabhupāda: That is the difference.

Interviewer: That's the difference. Well, what I'm talking about is...

Prabhupāda: He's thinking that "He's not contributing in hammering the bricks." But he does not know that this hammering on the bricks is not a very good business.

Interviewer: Not a very good business.

Prabhupāda: He does not know, the rascal, who is trying to bring us also in the business of hammering the bricks.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: (simultaneously) of hammering the bricks, that's right. Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is the difference.

Interviewer: Yes. Well when you get through with, talking, instructing the man hammering the bricks, is he going to lay down his hammer, too?

Prabhupāda: No, he doesn't require. The same... You try to understand.

Bali-mardana: He may continue hammering, but his knowledge will be complete. He'll have complete understanding.

Prabhupāda: At least he must know that "This hammering is my punishment." He knows that "This hammering is not by business, it is my punishment." That is knowledge, that is knowledge. When a prisoner understands that "This hammering business is not my real business, it is my punishment."

Interviewer: Isn't that a rather negative way to look at the work?

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: They do not understand that we are talking on the spiritual platform and they are on the material bodily platform. Therefore they find contradiction. One has to be little sober to understand this movement and what platform we are speaking. They are accustomed, on the same example, hammering the bricks. And when they see others, they are not hammering the bricks, they think they are different. They cannot understand that life can be without hammering the bricks. Karmīs. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the word mūḍha, that has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī, karmīs, these mūḍhas. They cannot understand.

Interviewer: I'm going to have to go back and hammer a few bricks. (laughter) It's been a pleasure, thank you very much, for your time.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Give him prasāda. Thank you very much.

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Because they are accustomed to the business of hammering the bricks from time immemorial, they think "This is the business. How is that this man is not engaged in this business?"

Hari-śauri: Even after he'd understood the analogy that the man was in the prison and hammering bricks, he was still thinking that "Well, shouldn't he still be hammering bricks?" He was asking that. He was still thinking like that. It's amazing.

Rādhāvallabha: He couldn't understand any of the analogies.

Prabhupāda: That is the karmīs. Even the Orissa politicians, they accused Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because the Orissa politician, it is a fact the Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was politically very strong. At that time the Muhammadans were conquering different parts of India, but they could not enter Orissa or the southern India. They were very strong. So this Mahārāja Pratāparudra politically was very strong.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: They do not know what is progress. That I was talking with your Associated Press, press reporter. Just like they do not know that their material life means they are in the prison house for being punished. They are so dull headed they are taking the activities of punishment as regular life. A man is put into the prison house, and his engagement is breaking the bricks. So he has forgotten that "This breaking of bricks is not my business. I am meant for living freely outside the prison house." So these people, less intelligent people, they think that this material life of working hard day and night, just like the hogs and dogs, is general life. That is due to their ignorance. In the Bhāgavata it is said, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1), that this human form of life, although we have got this body, and the hog has also got the body, the hog is working day and night... Perhaps you have seen in Indian village, the hog is loitering in the village.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Catches on.

Hari-śauri: It begins by saying that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has had an amazing cultural impact on India in the last two years.

Prabhupāda: Stone houses or brick?

Bali-mardana: Stone.

Prabhupāda: Stone?

Bali-mardana: Yes. Now they cannot afford to make it like that.

Prabhupāda: In Jaipur still there are so many nice craftsmen, and they charge very little.

Bali-mardana: Jaipur.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These buildings are not actually made of this stone. They are made of brick, covered by stone.

Prabhupāda: But they are very nicely made. It is not possible now to construct such nice...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtanānanda is constructing like this, though.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is this building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Museum of Natural History. Actually, it is made of stone. The museums are...

Prabhupāda: Government building, they can stand at the cost of taxpayer. (break) West Central Park?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Central Park West, it's called.

Rāmeśvara: That portion there, Śrīla Prabhupāda, through the trees there is a green dome—I don't know if it can be seen now—that is the Planetarium of the Museum of Natural History. All atheistic arguments are presented there.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: He was lamenting that "These men, they did not make, publish any number of books. They are simply after this stone and bricks." He condemned. He was very, very sorry. So I thought that I must take a risk. And he's pleased.

Bhagavān: So now you have books and temples.

Prabhupāda: Yes, temple is automatically.

Jayatīrtha: Without fighting, you've got so many temples.

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.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Hari-śauri: Like that man from the Associated Press. You forced him to stay on those two analogies until he understood. For ten minutes you explained that, the car and the driver, until it finally got through to him. Then when he finally had some realization of it, then you again gave him another analogy about breaking the bricks in the prison. And again you forced him to stay on the same subject matter. And he..., you do it in such a way that they think that they're asking very good questions from their own intelligence. Actually, you've already captured them.

Harikeśa: It's like taming wild animals. The perfect animal trainer. (laughing)

Prabhupāda: He said that breaking the bricks is the business. I said the sooner you give up this, then you are happy. Karmīs, the karmīs want this, breaking the bricks. They think this is civilization. Brick, more brick, and bring more bricks and break it. That is civilization.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Hari-śauri: And then when we tell them that this is not your business, they ask us, "Why aren't you breaking bricks?"

Prabhupāda: You are punished. You are being punished in this way. Actually, I saw in New York, big, big building, they are breaking, again, another skyscraper. "No, I have business. Breaking the bricks," that's all. They think this is very good business. Once constructed, again break it. As child, children, they make a sand house and break it again. This is the occupation.

Harikeśa: But there's nothing else to do for them.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the difficulty. Now see, there is no soul. Why no soul? How foolish it is. "We believe." You believe something nonsense, it has to be accepted? Where is the difference of analogy?

Harikeśa: (laughs) They have to give up.

Prabhupāda: Analogy, the more the points of similarities are there, it is perfect. That is the logical conclusion. Everything is there similar, why you should deny the other? How rascaldom it is. Common sense.

Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Woman is meant for that purpose, how to make nice palatable dishes.

Devotee: Just these young boys who were carrying the bricks every morning, they would prepare their own vegetables and cāpāṭis like this, and I was amazed to see this because you would never get anyone doing this...

Prabhupāda: Jaya. In Bengal there is a ceremony after marriage, bahu-bhāta. (?)The newly married girl, she shall cook, and all the relatives, friends, are invited and they appreciate, "Yes, nice cook." Then she is accepted as member of the whole family. Bahu-bhāta.

Devotee: And if not, Prabhupāda? If her cooking is not...

Prabhupāda: Therefore she is trained up.

Devotee: And if she's not trained up.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They eat?

Hari-śauri: Yes. The eyeball. They think it's a great delicacy.

Prabhupāda: Now their delicacy their own children. (break) ...big stack of bricks, iron. Left over.

Hari-śauri: Sometimes they don't even finish the buildings they're building. That building across the road from our temple in New York, that's been there five years like that, half-completed.

Prabhupāda: Now things are deteriorating. And fire is always... (Siren bell sound:) dungdung dungdungdungdungdung-gawaawaawaa. Saṁsāra-dāvānala. Still they think that they are advanced. In one hour three times fire, still he is advanced. Therefore he is mūḍha. At least, in small city such disturbances are not... It is always gawaagawaagawaa.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: These are weapons. That was the only endeavor, how legally he could occupy the bricks and stones of Gauḍīya Math. That's all. He had no other ambition. How to push on Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, how to push on Guru Mahārāja's... He had no such. It was simply show. But real purpose was how to occupy, how to take the whole property. Business.

Rāmeśvara: And none of the other Godbrothers had strong preaching spirits.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They also, when they saw that "This man is legally taking everything. Gauḍīya sannyāsīs, we cannot go home. We must have some shelter." No spirit of pushing on.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Therefore this reinforced concrete is not good.

Gargamuni: No. Unless it is, we put marble over it. Then it's all right.

Prabhupāda: Even bricks.

Gargamuni: Yes, bricks also fade away. I have seen. The bricks have become so small on those buildings, the ones, the buildings that are broken down. Those buildings can't be more than twenty or thirty years old.

Prabhupāda: Only?

Gargamuni: Yes. I saw one... In Gopalpur I saw one built in 1938 called Blue Haven, and there was nothing left of it. The whole thing just corroded away. There was just a few things left. And the sign, the marble sign said 1938.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: 1930 is very recent.

Gargamuni: So that's a matter of thirty, fourty years. There was nothing left of the cement, and the bricks were finished. So we'd have to take careful advice of making it out of stone.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Stone or marble.

Prabhupāda: In Bhuvaneśvara you can have stone.

Gargamuni: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: To build such a big temple you'll need many devotees.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Cashew. And jao.

Gargamuni: What is Jao?

Prabhupāda: What is called, jao? This fiberlike bricks. That is grown very...

Hari-śauri: Some kind of a fruit?

Prabhupāda: No fruit. Evergreen. It is called evergreen.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes. I have seen them growing on the beach there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Yes. These pine trees like evergreen tree.

Prabhupāda: Yes, evergreen.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: That's all, part and parcel of God. (aside:) So why these people are outside? The jīva is a small sample of God. That example I was giving you yesterday, that you take a big brick, and you just strike it on the floor. There will be so many fragments. (aside:) Why you are busy now? Come here. Finish. Then you can leave. Why you are disturbing now? Keep it behind this post. You can leave it. Yes. So when the brick is broken, some parts of the..., bigger, some smaller. And at last, the dust. So all of them are the parts and parcels.

Indian man (1): The same thing.

Prabhupāda: Same thing. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. So jīva is also Brahman. It is same thing, but very small particle. That's all. You can understand the nature of God by studying the nature of jīva. It does not take much hard... He said, mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke. Manaḥ... Because now... He says, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). "So why he's struggling? Because he's depending on the mind and the senses. He's not depending upon Me."

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I want. I... Everywhere I go and say, how these rascals...? So much land is lying, and these rascals are not developing. And they are making... What is that? Coal stone. Coal. They are interested with these bricks and stones, not green vegetables. Such a rascal government. Give them facility. We know how to do it. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ, yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Let them engage in kīrtana. There will be more water for gardening, and it will be moist, and then produce fodder for the animals and food for you. And animal gives you milk. That is Vṛndāvana life. And they are absorbed in this so-called opulence. Kṛṣṇa has taken birth. They are bringing so many nice, pleasant foodstuff, very well-dressed and ornamented. These are description. In the morning we were reading. How they were happy, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana with Kṛṣṇa and living and cows. That I want to introduce. At any cost do it and... Don't bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat sumptuous. Eat sumptuously. The animal is happy. The animal even does not give milk; let them eat and pass stool and urine. That is welcome. After all, eating, they will pass stool.

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

Prabhupāda: Bhramyādbhiḥ. There are different forms of bodies of jīva. That is also stated. Jalajā nava-lakṣānī sthavara lakṣa-vimśati. So first of all, general, from water. That you have got experience. Fish is coming. As soon as there is some reservoir of water, after some day mosquito will come, fish will come, many other bugs and germs will come, jalajā. And their number is also given, nava-lakṣānī. In this way, bhramyādbhir jīva-jāti, the soul, the living entity, is wandering, jīva-jātiṣu. Then he gets a human form of life. The civilization is there. And five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So what this nonsense Darwin will tell us? Rascals. We have already information-jīva-jāti, they are already existing, one after another. (break) "...missing, fossil." What is this nonsense? What is missing? The monkeys, they, your father, is there, monkey. Where is monkey is missing? Your father, grandfather is there. So why you have got this body of all a sudden? Enjoy. You have to accept. You are changing body from monkey to man. So these so-called scientists, they are hovering for some false understanding. Now they should come to welcome this point and accept that living entity is completely different from these eight elements, physical or chemical or mental. This should be propagated. Then they will understand what about this spiritual... Actually the spirit soul is the basis of all activities. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate... (BG 7.5). Actually, because the living entity is there, all activities are going on. Who else would have taken care of this garden unless there was a living entity? Not that all of a sudden the bricks have developed to become a fountain. What is this nonsense? Such a rascal scientific theory?

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Brick building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not a big building. It's not that big.

Prabhupāda: Wooden.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, brick building. Yes, Prabhupāda, brick building. It is brick.

Prabhupāda: In London mostly they are brick.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause of the cold climate. But the location is...

Prabhupāda: Very costly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...very, very important. Just off Oxford Street.

Prabhupāda: The corner.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just off the corner, in the middle of the block.

Prabhupāda: They said that report following will come.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No. No, no. Don't make it a rush.

Yaśomatīnandana: Because we had no facilities there.

Prabhupāda: No, you can prepare bricks. By brick... Make in such a way that we get local supplies.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said we can make the bricks also.

Prabhupāda: Bricks and tiles... Local potter can make that round tile. Make a brick that... And you have got bamboo. Take local supply as far as possible.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Only thing is if we put some electricity there. But after this year's crop they're going to do it, because...

Prabhupāda: Government will help you.

Page Title:Bricks (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:04 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=73, Let=0
No. of Quotes:73