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Conference (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Religious Group -- July 27, 1968, Montreal:

Guest (1): Well, then why a conference with men of other religions?

Prabhupāda: No, that conference is to consult together that London is the destination.

Guest (1): But then you know of a destination.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): But the idea that you have behind your mind, is to tell other people where the destination is, not to search for it with them.

Prabhupāda: No, I don't say search. I have already searched out.

Guest (1): Yes. So then I feel myself that this is not a conference.

Prabhupāda: Why not conference? If I have got some good news to tell you, is it not conference?

Conversation with Religious Group -- July 27, 1968, Montreal:

Guest (2): True. But then you are not going to a country that it is not London. And if I say I am not going to...

Prabhupāda: That is going on. That is going on. There are innumerable planets, and in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Now, if you think that London is not good for you, Paris is good for you, it is good for you.

Guest (3): Well, then the whole conference becomes useless.

Prabhupāda: No. If you don't agree that which is the..., or do not understand what is the highest goal, then conference is useless. If you keep yourself to the understanding where you are, then there is no need of conference.

Guest (1): That is the same thing...

Prabhupāda: No, not exactly the same thing. That is the conference—I want to convince you that London is the real place of happiness.

Guest (1): But maybe I think that I know...

Prabhupāda: You may think, but you'll have to be convinced that your thinking is wrong.

Guest (1): Or maybe I can convince you that your thinking is wrong.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Therefore conference required. (laughter) Therefore conference required.

Guest (2): Swamiji, the time is running out, however, and I would like to thank you very much for the, your coming in our center here.

Prabhupāda: Now you are convinced that conference is required. You have to convince me; I'll have to convince you.

Conversation with Religious Group -- July 27, 1968, Montreal:

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say that first of all we have to decide where to go. If anyone is satisfied that "I am satisfied with going to London or going to Paris..."

Guest (4): But that is the question. Where should we go? If you believe you must go to London, I believe very strongly I must go to India, and I am convinced that to me India is London...

Prabhupāda: No. As you are convinced that going to India is good for you, similarly, you must change your conviction also, that going to London is also nice.

Guest (4): Yes. But so may you also change your conviction.

Prabhupāda: I may... Yes, if you can convince me. Therefore conference...

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Sannyāsī... Sannyāsa reason was different. There was some misunderstanding between His students and... They were of same age. Because Nimāi Paṇḍita was very intelligent boy, so He was teaching other boys practically of the same age. So there was some misunderstanding and the students wanted to retaliate. He went to strike them with a stick, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And because they're of the same age they made a conference, "Oh, this Nimāi Paṇḍita has become very big man. He wants to strike us. Next time if He does so, then we shall also strike Him." Then He thought that "In this householder's position I cannot preach. I must take sannyāsa. Otherwise they will not respect Me." That is the system in India. A sannyāsī in this dress, whatever rascal he may be, he is offered immediately all respect. That is the system in India. So therefore He took sannyāsa early age, 24 years, 24 years of age.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: You mean to say that some ambassador's men should see you.

Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, it seems to me that your ambassador's men can come in contact with special, our religious organizations and can organize for you both meetings and conferences. There's no difficulty for some men. That would be interesting.

Prabhupāda: So you can say. We shall arrange.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Reporter: Sir, just now we are coming from the press conference of another saint, Bala Yogesvara. He said, his slogan is, "Give me love, I'll give you peace."

Prabhupāda: What?

Reporter: He wants immediate this thing. Yours, in your case, prema comes last. He says, "Give me love, I give you peace." Śānti-prema go śānti lo. (sound of siren) (discussion on siren sound)

Prabhupāda: I think blackout is over.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has this book department. Book department and... They may move according to convenience, Bali-mardana and Karandhara. He has got also very responsibility, with this department, that department. He has to purchase small houses. So big brain (indistinct). So similarly, you also think on the books. Everyone take big responsibility. Then we have to serve this mission. The people are foolish, they have forgotten God. We are delivering them. Best service. And without God, it is all useless, zero, all this civilization. Zero. Whatever they are making advancement, it is all zero. And nonsense. But actually it is. Now the priestly order supporting homosex. I was surprised. They are going to pass resolution for getting married between man to man. The human society has come down to such a degraded position. It is astonishing. When I heard from Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja there is a big conference for passing this resolution.

Morning Walk Conversation -- September 28, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Not Kali-yuga. This is the symptom of conditioned soul. It is very prominent now in this age. Conditioned soul means these four defects—to commit mistake, to become illusioned, to cheat others, and imperfectness of the senses. The scientists say that we do not know, that means imperfectness of sense. I am trying to see but the cloud is checking me, and I am considering beyond this cloud there is nothing. That is imperfectness of my seeing. Not... It is not a fact that beyond the cloud there is nothing. So these things are going on—cheating, illusion, mistake, and imperfect. And they are trying to come to a right conclusion. Just like somebody was telling that there is going to be a big conference of the Catholics to consider what wrong they have done. They can see that the people are rejecting the so-called Christian religion. So now they are thinking (indistinct). But it is also another cheating. They are deliberately violating the principles of Christian religion, and still they say, "What we have done?"

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: That's (all) right. They also come and here what is... It is open to everyone. Our special conference: Bhagavad-bhakti.

Guests: Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London:

Popworth: But the people who are at the conference are not all communist youth, are they?

Haṁsadūta: Well, whoever they may be, they've gone there with some interest about communism. Otherwise, they would not go there. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect communism, Prabhupāda always explained, because communism, so-called communism, they give advantage only to the human being, but not to the animals or the other living beings. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure, genuine, absolute communism because we recognize that the Supreme... Everyone should work for Kṛṣṇa. Everything should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme head of state, and everything is utilized for His purpose, His service. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you do as work, whatever you eat, whatever you give away, you do it for Me." The same philosophy... Communist philosophy is "Everyone works for the state; the state will distribute." Right? But it's imperfect. But here is the perfect thing. Kṛṣṇa, He is the supreme creator, He's the proprietor. Therefore everything must be used for His pleasure. Then it becomes perfect communism.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Dr. Inger: Yes. Now this is another problem. Everything of a philosophical kind, they call it science, human sciences, natural sciences, moral sciences. They think that is a fault(?) to satisfy scientific spirit. I think from that point of view, they allow big conferences to be held where a particular theme is taken, different people come. So the organization encourages, stimulates activities proposed, submitted and finally passed in resolutions by different commissions and different countries. And then it's held. And at that particular time, some people come and speak. So they have had... But they haven't... Mostly these meetings have been held and... Very few have been held here, except when they celebrated the tintinary(?) of Aurobindo, last year. Or when they celebrated the centenary of, another centenary of Ramakrishna. Like that. But not always.

Prabhupāda: Not Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Inger: They haven't. Not so far. Because from their point of view they have to prove the dates, historical dates, how many centuries, and so forth.

Prabhupāda: It is there in the śāstras.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Dr. Inger: Now if you were to inquire from... Because the only organization which deals with culture, therefore philosophy, therefore religion, therefore art, therefore music, is UNESCO Paris. Not New York. And if you did put such a question, you would get some kind of reply from one of the directors who says: "We, we... Such a proposal has not been made. But if such a proposal is made, let us say, presented, by any member state, out of the hundred and twenty-six or twenty-seven member states, and it is submitted to the general conference where it meets in session, two years in October, and is passed through, we will be able..." Now usually what happens is one country presents it and if the, and what it means in terms of expense, how much, how many people are going to be invited, and what is going to be the plan. And if that is done, they would say: "Yes, I think such a study has to be made." And it's possible to make it.

Prabhupāda: A sectarian question.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:
Prabhupāda: If, actually, anyone wants śānti, peace, he must know these three things: The Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the enjoyer, bhokta. What is called? Beneficiary? Yes. Because He's the owner. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. And He's friend of everyone. Suhṛdaṁ-sarva-bhūtānām. Jñātvā, knowing this, mām, Me, Kṛṣṇa says, śāntim ṛcchati, there is śānti. There is śānti. Otherwise, this, this so-called conference, and big, big office, big, big salary, big, big officers, it will never be successful.
Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: It doesn't belong to anyone. And these rascals are claiming, "This is my. This is my, this is my flag. This is..." Therefore they are all cheaters. And they are combining and trying to cheat other that "How much I can cheat you." "I am American. How much I can cheat you, Russian." Russian thinking, "Yes, I am also cheater. How much I can cheat you." This is going on, cheaters and cheated. And they are wasting their time. Is that civilization, to become cheater and cheated and waste our time in some so-called conferences? Is that civilization, do you think?

Dr. Inger: No. Not at all, but that's exactly as you say.

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

Haṁsadūta: So every animal can be controlled...

Prabhupāda: Therefore there was a meeting of all animals that how to get out of the control of man. (laughter) The elephant said: "My dear sir, I am so powerful. I am also controlled by that. So it is useless to hold meeting." "I am also controlled by man." The meeting was organized by an ass. (laughter) He thought that: "I have to work so hard. Let us have a conference of animals to avoid man's control." But he saw that elephant also said that "I am so powerful. Still I am also controlled by the man. So it is useless."

Anna Conan Doyle: But many human beings get into the same conditions.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, our position is like that, like ass. We are also trying to get out of the control of material nature. Like an ass. But it is not possible. The conference is failure. Here, in the material world, even a so powerful being as Brahmā, he's also controlled. By God. He's also controlled. You have seen that picture? Brahmā is bowing down before Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Seventy. Seventy. Yes, no, we were student at that time. So what they have done? They are changing, changing, changing. And I went to Moscow, I saw the people were not happy. There are so many things that is against one's psychological understanding. So many things. Therefore now they are going to hold some peace conference. Who told me? Oh, yes, Haṁsadūta. So without God consciousness, there cannot be any peace. That's a fact. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. Tomorrow, when you are going?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Me? Tomorrow night. I'll come here tomorrow also.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I will give you some letters for Bali Mardana.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender unto Me. I give you protection from impure," because... Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. Because by impure life, they have committed so many sinful activities. But not that I surrender to Kṛṣṇa and I continue my impure life. Kṛṣṇa can forgive you, whatever impurities are there, "All right, squared up. Don't do it." Ara nare baba. (?) Jagāi and Mādhāi. Jagāi and Mādhāi said, "No sir, no more this life. Yes, I accept." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately accepted. Not that that confession system, go to the church-conference on Sunday and again come back, on Monday begin again sinful activities, and again go to church on Sunday and confess and nullify it. Not like that. When you deny that "I shall not do it," don't do it again. Then your life is perfect.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 6, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What you are doing there now?

Guru dāsa: Um, I've just been talking with Saurabha about the Māyāpur plans to present at this conference in Vancouver, Exposition. We're making a presentation there.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Gṛha-vratānām means those who are attracted to this... Gṛha means this worldly family life. Gṛha-vrata. Gṛha. Gṛha-vrata. So those who have decided that "We shall remain in this gṛha, for them, either personally or from others or by conference, the matir na kṛṣṇe."

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

If you don't perform yajña, there will be no sufficient rain, and if there is no sufficient rain, there is no sufficient food products. And if there is no food products, then how you will...? Simply by political agitation you will be happy? And that has happened. There is no food. Simply talks, in the assembly, in the conference, in the meeting. But there is no food. Food is selling at four rupees a kilo. Where is yajña? (break) "...need of brāhmaṇa, there is no need of yajña," or "Kick aside all these things. Simply make śūdras." Now, how you will be happy? There is no food, there is no cloth, there is no shelter. That's all.

Press Conference -- April 18, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So unless we accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme, what is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? So that we have to accept, and His instructions, as they are given, everything. Just like economic solution, there is in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). There is need of anna to feed the animals and the human being. Simply by passing resolution, conference, it will not do. You must produce anna so that animals and men, they may be fed sumptuously. They will get strength, then they can work for yajña. Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. In this way people can be happy.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: Desmond is a poet. He's written books also, published in London. And tomorrow he goes to Sicily to a convention of poets and writers, international conference for writers and poets. He's representing Ireland, he's coming from Limerick in Southern Ireland.

O'Grady: This is my friend, Michael Robert (indistinct) We are colleagues together since we teach literature, English literature. And this is another friend of ours who has just come from Greece. Everybody seems to be traveling within the last twenty-four hours. This is a young painter friend of mine, Bob Jackson, also from Ireland, whose first time in Italy, out of Ireland, and he's staying with me at the moment. He came back with me from Ireland just a few weeks ago.

Prabhupāda: We are also writing books, so many. You have seen our books?

O'Grady: I have seen some, yes, because some of the friends have come up and...

Prabhupāda: Some of the books, you can show him. Here is one book, Bhagavad-gītā.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Bhagavān: There is another big problem that now all the opposing countries have built up excess amounts of atomic weapons all pointed at each other. So now they are trying to have big planning conference how to diminish all these weapons.

Prabhupāda: If there is no opposite elements, there is no need of weapons. If I am not your enemy, there is no fear. We are preaching this philosophy, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: (BG 18.54) "As soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become jubilant." So where is your enemy? Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then where is your enemy? Formerly, a man might have become enemy of another man. But this demonic civilization has created nation to nation, country to country, community to community, all enemies. And on account of this communistic enemy, so many innocent people are killed. I have seen in Calcutta during the partition days. So many innocent Hindus and Muslims were killed. Any (indistinct), very quickly this Communistic feeling is aroused, and they fight, like cats and dogs. "Oh, here is another dog! Here is another dog, coming from another neighborhood." So this is demonic civilization. If you want to go to some country, you have to take visa, permission, this, that, so many. Why? Vedic civilization is "You come to my country. Welcome. You are my guest." Gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akutobhayam: "Even one is enemy, when he comes to my house, he is my honorable guest." And here, they are so much afraid that you keep dogs. The dog is kept here.

Morning Walk -- May 30, 1974, Rome:

Even by instruction by the spiritual master or higher authorities. Parataḥ. Svataḥ, personally, or by others' instruction, matir na kṛṣṇe, they cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Mitho 'bhipadyeta. Mithaḥ, or by conference, consulting, making a meeting, "What is the problem of life?" They cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why? Gṛha-vratānām. So long they have got this determination, "We shall be happy in this material world," they cannot take... Gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha means home and gṛha means this body also. Those who are trying to be happy within this body, material world, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why they cannot? Adānta-gobhiḥ: their senses are so uncontrolled. Therefore they must undergo the process of punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again and again, the same viṣaya: eating, sleeping, mating. That's all.

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

Pṛthu-putra: He asks if we have temple in France or if we do in apartment or if we do in conference, private conferences. How we are doing it?

Prabhupāda: Anyway. We welcome all, all learned men, or leading men, to understand this philosophy. And the book is... You show Bhagavad-gītā. And all other books also show him. (French)

Yogeśvara: He says, unfortunately, he doesn't read English.

Prabhupāda: Here is French. French language. (French)

Bhagavān: We have practical political philosophy.

Yogeśvara: He asks what are our political principles in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Do we have a program?

Prabhupāda: Our... We have not only political program, but we have got political, and economical, intellectual, and ordinary. We think... Just like in your body, there are four divisions: the head, the arms, the belly and the leg. So this is complete. Head is the most important division. If you cut your head, then everything finished. Therefore head must be there. Head means first-class intelligent men. And their qualification is stated... Find out, śamo damas titikṣā.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Bhagavān: Tonight Śrīla Prabhupāda is giving conference at Salle Pleyal.

Professor La Combe: Yes, I know. Tonight. I have seen. This?

Prabhupāda: This is a picture. I do not know wherefrom they have collected. (laughter)

Bhagavān: It is from Yogeśvara.

Prabhupāda: It is supposed that the gopīs are looking to the picture of Kṛṣṇa, is it not?

Professor La Combe: Yes. Very likely.

Prabhupāda: But this picture also appears to be searching out Aniruddha.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tran-van-Kha, and President & Members of the Society of Buddhists in France -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Yogeśvara: Last night, at the conference hall, this lady heard your lecture about how the soul reincarnates in different kinds of bodies. So she wants to know how is this possible because in the West, our understanding is that the animal forms do not possess a soul.

Prabhupāda: How does..., she can prove that she does not, it does not possess a soul.

Pṛthu Putra: She just doesn't understand. She does not say that. She does not understand.

Prabhupāda: No. She admits man has got soul, and animal has not soul.

Yogeśvara: See, what she says this is the traditional western idea.

Prabhupāda: But that idea is wrong.

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Yogeśvara: He says he was at your conference, last night and he was there when you described how human life is meant for knowing God. So now he wishes to ask you a question: What is our process for coming to know God?

Prabhupāda: That is very simple. It is not at all difficult. Just like in your body, you are, the soul, important active principle... (to Jyotirmayī:) Explain. (French) Similarly, this huge, gigantic, cosmic manifestation must have some active principle. That is God. So where is the difficulty to understand God?

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

Professor Durckheim: There is a change today. The other day, a little while ago, I gave a conference. There were about a thousand doctors, physical medical doctors and psychotherapists assembled, and I told them, "Today be careful. There are two sufferings in the world. The one suffering is suffering because of lack of being efficient in the world. And they are going to look for the medical doctor or the psychotherapist in order to repair them, to repair their machine in order to be efficient. But there is another suffering, the suffering of not being one with the divine self in ourselves. And this is something quite different. Then you doctors have to be quiet and to discover in yourself something like a guru who answers this question which has nothing to do with efficiency in the world." Oh, they were very, you see, became nervous about this question.

Prabhupāda: Now, the efficiency, just like medical treatment. If you know what is the end... Āyurvedic treatment it is called nidāna, nidāna, or diagnosis. First of all, before treating a patient you first of all diagnose what is the disease. Then you can give the proper medicine. But these people do not know how to diagnose. The diagnosis is that they must realize the Supreme. That is the disease. Because they have forgotten the Supreme, they are suffering. The symptoms are different. But they are treating only for the symptoms, not for the root cause. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to treat the patient from the root cause. They have forgotten God. Let them remember God.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:
Prabhupāda: There was a big writer in Bengal. So he is giving evidence in the court... That's a comic. So he says, "Do you think I am editor? I am pleader? I am prostitute?" Means indirectly he is saying that they are prostitutes. As the prostitute can say anything, lies, for their profession, similarly, these people, the editor and the..., pleaders, they are like that. "Do you think I am prostitute? Do you think I am lawyer? Do you think I am editor, newspaper editor?" So take this formula from the śāstras that a living entity is never created. These rascals are trying to create living entity and spending money and going to hold big, big conference. So where is the question of creation? They are already created. Why this common sense do not come in their brain? Why?
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are so-called educated, doctors, but actually they have no knowledge. Simply they are bluffing, cheating. Where is the question of creation? So many millions and trillions of living entities are there, and they are making conference, "How to create from chemicals?" Just see this childish proposal. And wasting time and misleading person, and wasting hard-earned money of the state. And big, big foundation supplying them money. And if you ask, "Give us some money for Kṛṣṇa consciousness," "No, no, we are not interested in religion.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Zero. And they are going to put this zero, and they are going to have some big conference. So many people will come and spend money unnecessarily.

Mādhava: They want to make a better human being by making life themselves. They want to make it better.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our proposal, that don't waste time. You are living entities. There are so many living entities. Now try to understand what is your actual constitutional position so that you may become happy and peaceful. This research should be done. Why they are going to waste time in this way, money and time? You can write to the organizer, sponsor of this meeting, that "Why you are foolishly going to waste time like that?" You can say, at least, "My Guru Mahārāja says like this."

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That's it. He has found out the original source. There is no conference needed.

Rūpānuga: This other question. During the day of Brahmā at the end of every Manu there's a partial devastation of the planets up to earth and celestial, right? Now, at that time there's like a flood, and the animals that are in their particular stage of transmigration of the living entities, their bodies are all killed. Now, at that time, when the end of that period is over, how are the bodies manifest? This is a question Richard Prabhu was asking.

Prabhupāda: There is no body. They are reserved in the Viṣṇu's body. And again, when there is creation, they come out. And therefore matter comes from the spirit. Matter is there, creation, matter. So take advantage of the matter. Just like the cloth is there. You cut it according (to) your body, and there is a coat. The spiritual body is already there. Now the matter is there. Now, from matter, you take. You make your body like a dog, like a ant, like a fish, like a tree, like this.

Room Conversation with Canadian Ambassador to Iran -- March 13, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. You have seen it. They were very much eager. They were very much eager: "Swamiji continue." And the others, like Communist and others, they became upset. I have seen many big, big officers. They were chanting, returning from the office in the office dress, and they were chanting and dancing. And you have seen the crowd, twenty thousand, thirty thousand people. The same thing happened in Calcutta. Now the government did not give us again that land. Yes. Last time when we held that conference in Delhi...

Paramahaṁsa: On the LIC Grounds?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. They gave us that Tal Kotara Park, you know? That is in the jungle. Nobody could reach there, and they gave us place there. (Ambassador laughs) Still, there were not less ten thousand people. It was not easily approachable. The motorcar cannot go. You have to leave your car three miles away to come there.

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Pañcadraviḍa: But when you came to France, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you spoke at the Theology Club. About four years ago you came for a conference. They arranged a big meeting at the Theology Society in France, a world-wide society. And one thing I was... One thing I was considering. They must be interested because the Christians say that there is soul, and they say that there is God, so then wouldn't our question be: "What is the relationship of the soul to God?" They admit there is a soul. Every human being, they say, has a soul.

Prabhupāda: No. That, that is also beginning of understanding. But first, preliminary understanding should be that God is one. There cannot be Christian God. There cannot be Hindu God. There cannot be Muslim God. That is not complete idea of God. That is imperfect. Just like in Vedic literature, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti: (SB 1.2.11) three phases of understanding of the Absolute. First, beginning, is Brahman, then, further advanced, Paramātmā, then, final advancement, Bhagavān. Similarly, the final realization of God is the Supreme Person. And then we should seek (see?) who is that person. That is real theology.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this Professor Dimmock was going to arrange a Vaiṣṇava conference at which we were going to attend. You yourself was going to be invited with many professors, but I received a report from one of the professors that when they tried to contact other professors, none of them wanted to come because they said, more or less, that we are like fanatics and we wouldn't actually discuss things in a philosophic way, that we would just use the conference to proselytize. So in this way, they're rejecting us from...

Prabhupāda: What is the harm? Let them reject.

Satsvarūpa: We don't need them.

Prabhupāda: Our business will go on, and there will be many professor Dimmocks who will support us. And they are doing that.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: The Bhagavad-gītā is read all over the world. So we can better talk on the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. Our philosophy is we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without malinterpretation. So we want to defy everyone who is malinterpreting Bhagavad-gītā. So we have to follow the authorities. And Bhagavad-gītā is accepted as authority. Otherwise, why they're reading so widely all over the world Bhagavad-gītā? Why not come on this term? Why you catch up so many literature? If, on this basis, there is a conference, that will be profitable, that "If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as authority or one of the authorities, so you cannot misinterpret the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā." But the Westerners, they are very expert in misinterpreting even their own Bible. We say that if you interpret any śāstra, either Bible or Bhagavad-gītā, then it is no more śāstra. It is your play toy. By so-called your rascal vote, without any reason and rhythm and rhyme, you can do everything.

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No progress. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. This is the greatest offense. (break) (switches to room conversation) ...the animals and human beings. Then they can work. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni, then parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Now parjanyaḥ, cloud and rain, that is required. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Then you have to arrange for sacrifice. So in the Kali-yuga the costly sacrifice is not possible. Therefore from the śāstra we understand, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Sumedhasaḥ, "one who has got good brain substance." There is one word in Bhagavad-gītā, alpa-medhasaḥ: "poor brain substance." So we require some sumedhasaḥ, not alpa-medhasaḥ. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasaḥ (BG 7.23). They are making plans by their material concoction that... That is antavat. That will be finished. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasaḥ. The things are there already, especially in India. We have got everything ready, and especially this land India. It is specially meant for God realization. By the birth, one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious. Still in these days, whenever... You have seen in Hyderabad. Although your conference was going on, still, at least five thousand men were attracted to hear me. (Guest laughs) And I was speaking the dry subject of Kṛṣṇa. So India is so fortunate.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: You have carried a big load. What is... Will you be in a position to come to the conference?

Prabhupāda: I don't think so. Which conference?

Yogi Bhajan: This Unity of Man Conference.

Prabhupāda: Where it is?

Yogi Bhajan: New Mexico. There are about, we have confirmed sixteen teachers coming from, various people from India. We have confirmation of people coming all around the world.

Prabhupāda: So they have not invited me, I don't think.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: They will never. (laughs) You may call all conferences, hundreds and thousands, but they will never, because there is no common platform. Godless.

Yogi Bhajan: That is what we are trying to provide.

Prabhupāda: But you are trying, that's nice, but it will be never successful. You can write it down.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: No, we should... The conference should be made that if there is God and God is one, then who is that God? What is His characteristic? That should be discussed.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Now, in India, I think, people ask me the "How many they are Kṛṣṇa conscious?" "Everyone in India." At least in India everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So the majority of people... And why majority? The whole India. Even there are many Mohammedans who also worship Kṛṣṇa. So if Kṛṣṇa is God, we, in this conference, why not present, "Here is God, whose name is Kṛṣṇa."

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Determination, and yuddhe ca apalāyanam. Now when there is war, these politician will remain in their room safely. They will not go to the war. And why these people are voted for political post? Formerly the king would first of all stand. To the other side also, the king is there and this side also. The fight is going on. If the king is killed, then the victory is there. Yuddhe ca apalāyanam. The formula is there. So these classes of man should be on the administration, not anyone coward, nonsense, and by hook and crook they get some vote and take the political leader... How you will find peace? The fourth class is required. Just like in your body you have got brain, brain is required. Then hand. Whenever there is some attack, consciously, unconsciously, I forward my hand. So the division is already there. If you come to attack me with a knife, I don't push my head. I push my hand. So when there is attack, the brāhmaṇas are not expected to go forward; the kṣatriyas. So this is training. Everything is perfectly there. People are not accepting. You don't require conference. You simply accept the standard knowledge. Then everything is there. I am speaking to you because you are leader of the society. So if we take Bhagavad-gītā seriously and train people from all over the world —not that Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the Hindu or for the Indians—for everyone, then there will be all right.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: You have to provide the opportunity for those who will not have the chance to meet you to meet you. Those who have no opportunity to listen to you to listen to you. Those who have not seen you to see you. And I think that has its value. I never... I would never have gone to meet Sant Kirpal Singh. He came. And there the idea of this Unity of Man Conference was framed. And I left all the way to India, and I asked him one thing which I loved in him. He said, "Well, I am going to die next year. You take over," and I said, "Forget it, that's not my job. I'm not going to take over anything from anybody. I have to do what I have to do." Then he said, "Well, this is the idea. Would you try to be second with me in this time?" I said, "All right, I'll do that." And in the end I almost was convinced that he is a great man. And he asked me, he said, "You don't believe in anybody except God. Human forms are very... I understand you, I know you," because he knows me from very childhood. But I asked him one thing. I said, "I have never seen a saint on whom saints believe. They all have their own territories and whole thing." You know.

Prabhupāda: Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: "He is not a muni if he does not disagree with another muni."

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. He may distill one pound of water. That does not mean that... Why they are unnecessarily proud and denying the authority of God? How foolish they are. Therefore I don't like them, the most heinous type of atheist, not gentlemen. (break) Whenever they hold some conference they say, "Don't talk of God. Then you cannot come to the conference." Do they not? What is that principle?

Bali-mardana: Yes, yes, they do that. There was a conference on biology and evolution, and they made a rule at the beginning of the conference that "Whatever we discuss from now on is all right except that we will not discuss about God or anything, any divine factor of creation.

Prabhupāda: Just see how much atheist they are. Shameless atheist. Other atheists, they have got some shame. But these people are shameless. Shameless.

Morning Walks -- June 18-19, 1975, Honolulu:

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, literature inviting people, you know, about the conference. (break) Is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita widely available in India?

Prabhupāda: That is not very important thing. It has nothing to do with spiritual..., but moral instruction.

Siddha-svarūpa: For kṣatriyas?

Prabhupāda: No, for everyone. You can get from India, Canakya Paṇḍita. It is called Cāṇakya-śloka, "Verses composed by Canakya," Cāṇakya-śloka. (break) ...western country, they have come to a stage in which by nature they are now seeking after some spiritual importance. And that is available in India. But these rascals, they are taking advantage of it and exploiting, this Guru Mahārāja, these yogis, these... But these people, western people, they are searching after this. So it is our duty especially to give them the right thing. They are searching after, and they are taking advantage of it and exploiting them. (break) ...is one of them.

Car Conversation -- August 3, 1975, Detroit:

Ambarīṣa: Yes. They just had a big conference in Finland. They all signed... All the heads of state of the Western countries signed a document saying that they would respect each others' boundaries.

Prabhupāda: Russian boundary, American boundary meets there. What is that? The corner?

Jagadīśa: Alaska?

Prabhupāda: Alaska. That boundary? No.

Brahmānanda: No. This is in regards to Europe, isn't it?

Jagadīśa: Eastern Europe. America finally agreed to recognize that...

Prabhupāda: East Berlin.

Jagadīśa: Eastern Europe is under Russian dominance and should stay that way.

Prabhupāda: So the Eastern countries, they agree?

Brahmānanda: Well, they don't have much opportunity to disagree.

Car Conversation -- August 3, 1975, Detroit:

Jagadīśa: Actually, the Russians were the host of the conference.

Brahmānanda: And they received the benefit.

Prabhupāda: That means they are commanding.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Gandhiji, when he went to one first round table conference in London, and he had to confront those women, I mean the wives of the workers of the Manchester mills, he said that "We are poor." They say, "We are poor. We are suffering for the poor of India." Then he had to give this argument that "Poors of India are much poorer than what you are." So he is trying to..., I mean, take a...

Prabhupāda: So that is bodily concept.

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, Prabhupāda. I'll never leave your lotus feet. They asked you about other movements yesterday at the press conference...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...this movement and that movement. You said, "This is Kṛṣṇa's movement." So this should be our line of argument, because especially amongst the Indian community, when they question us about this swami and that swami...

Prabhupāda: They replied that in everything there is light. And yes, the light of, what is called, glowworm and the light of sun is not the same. Everything is light; that doesn't... We haven't got to accept so-called lights. Even there is light, when there is sunlight, why you should aspire after glow of light? (People chanting in background) Who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Cyavana: Everyone is saying Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Rāma Hare Rāma. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is a good response, that after seeing our temple he decided to attend our conference. That is very good.

Mahāṁsa: The boys are selling more than fifteen hundred rupees' worth of books, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: In Bangalore?

Mahāṁsa: Yes. And the most popular book there now is that Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Everyone, everyone is buying. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They wanted us to print lakhs of copies of that book.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Harikeśa: ...next conference.

Devotee (4): They're all trying to learn Russian here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for when the Russians come and take over their country. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the talk amongst the high-court judges. So when there was fierce fighting was going on between the Germans and the Allies, so during their relaxed hours, the judges were sitting. So one, the Chief Justice of Calcutta, he asked one Justice Mukherjee. So Justice Mukherjee was very... He was vice-chancellor. So he asked him, "Mr. Mukherjee, now the Germans are coming. What you will do when they come?" He said, "Yes, as soon as they come, we shall: 'Come on sir, come on sir, come on sir.' We shall receive them." "Why?" "Now, you have taught us like that. You British people, you have taught us. (laughter) Our business is to receive. Anyone comes, we shall receive him. That's all."

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They had a world conference of women in Mexico recently, where every country sent a delegation of women.

Prabhupāda: To become man? (laughter)

Harikeśa: Yes, nowadays we're doing that also.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughter) So you become woman. (break) ...here. Kalā, kalā?

Tejās: Stones.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kalā means craftsmanship. Why it is not here, lacking? No money. The kalā cannot be shown without money. I never saw New Delhi in such nasty condition.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Reporter (2): In the past.... I should start this way.... This is the first press conference you are holding in Delhi, isn't it?

Prabhupāda: You can come forward.

Reporter (1): ...if we can finish this answer if you don't mind. If the plural number entities are being maintained by Him...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Yes. Just like father and he has got many children. So both of them are living entities, but the father maintains the children, and the children are maintained by God. One is maintaining, and others are being maintained. That means dependent. We are dependent on God, or Kṛṣṇa.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Reporter (2): Your Divine Grace, this is actually not very relevant to the press conference, but have you ever met people like the Sai Baba or Bala Yogeshwara or...

Prabhupāda: Why shall I meet these nonsense? Why shall I meet? What is the business? Fools and rascals may meet them. Why shall I meet? What can I get from them? What is their special value? Tell me, why shall I meet? What is the business I have got to meet him? You are suggesting?

Reporter (2): No, I mean...

Prabhupāda: No, no, why shall I meet? Why you expect like that, I shall meet?

Reporter (3): He just wanted to know if you have ever met them. They are also...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why he is...? Why he is asking this? What business I have got to meet with them? What shall I get from them?

Reporter (2): Just to discuss metaphysics.

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There was a lion in the forest, and he was disturbing all the animals. So there was a peace conference: "Sir, you don't disturb every one of us. We shall come."

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Eka eka.... (Hindi) "We shall come automatically." So one day it was the turn of a rabbit. So he was a little late, so the lion, "Why you are late? My time is over." "Yes sir, another lion in the way, he wanted to eat me. So I said, 'No, you cannot eat me. I will be eaten by such and such Mr. Lion.' " So he became very..., "Who is that?" "Yes, come on. I will show you." So he got him near a well, and he said that "Here is the lion." So immediately, (growls) "Aww!" (laughter) And there was sound, "Aww!" Then he saw the photo, I mean, the reflection, and immediately jumped over.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This just came from Los Angeles along with some other things. They're having an international yoga and meditation conference in Chicago in June, and Rāmeśvara was wanting to know if we should send some of our preachers there, try and have some kind of a booth or take part in it.

Prabhupāda: If it is possible.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It is sponsored by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Swami Rama from the Himalayas.

Prabhupāda: Bogus. He's a bogus. Then don't take part.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Ambarīṣa: I just came from Vancouver from the Habitat Conference. The U.N. is having a Habitat Conference in Vancouver, and they (indistinct) is not united, their discussions and arguments. Sometimes there are walkouts, so many things, and they're not able to reach any conclusions, they can't agree with each other.

Prabhupāda: How they can? Do you mean to say dogs simply barking, they will come to a conclusion? (chuckles) It is not possible. There is no aim, what is the actual aim of life. So this is very important movement. At least the intelligent class of men, they must understand it thoroughly. Just like there is body. There are different parts, different sections of the body, but the most important section is the brain. Similarly, the important section of society means one who is fully in God consciousness. I.... You can cut my hands, I shall live. You can cut my legs, I shall live. But if you cut my head, (indistinct). So, at the present moment, there are big, big scientists, big, big technologists. That's all right; that is hands and legs. But there is no brain. Therefore in one sense, you can take it as dead society. So in my opinion, I like your country, America. Sometimes I call, "This is my fatherland," because these American boys, they are helping me pushing on this movement. I am very much obliged to these boys. Now, let us take it little more seriously statewise. And if America takes it seriously, other nations will follow. And there is the United Nations Organization in America. And make a nice organization to understand God. United Nations God Consciousness. People will benefit.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody has criticized them. They have taken it seriously; otherwise, why they have published? Yes, that's right. What they have done except barking? "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am this," "I am that," that's all. If you keep them dogs and hogs and, nicely dressed, they go to United Nations and talk of unity, is it possible? Can the dogs and hogs can unite? Common sense. You bring all the dogs of this neighborhood and ask them "Don't bark now. Live peacefully," (laughter) will they be able? (laughs) The United Nation is like that. They're kept as dogs and they're advised, "Now keep peacefully." Is it possible? They have no common sense even. First of all, let them become human beings. Conference is going on, big conference, and Jawaharlal Nehru has imitated, that in the conference there are different languages, different..., but if somebody is speaking in any language you'll hear it in your own language. Remember? In New Delhi he has done that. This rascal thought, "Now I am finished, I have done my duty." All rascals. (japa) Thus our definition, that anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's either in these four groups, bas, final. You just try to prove it.

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Hari-śauri: We got it in Hawaii. Yes, it was for that Habitat conference.

Prabhupāda: So we are not politicians, but we give some idea. Is it not good?

Kīrtanānanda: We have political philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is our movement: Take instruction of God, follow it, and you'll be happy. What is this?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is the end of that article, then the magazine goes on.

Prabhupāda: They have not replied even. (break) "Simple Living, High Thinking." "Then and Now: the Right to Distribute the American Dream." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So instead of giving books to the members, they can read the books in the magazines. One magazine should be given free always to the members.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: They invite some invitation. They have had a big international religious conference in Millford a few weeks back, and all the professors, universities and big, big shark(?) have got... And I understand...

Prabhupāda: Mūḍhas.

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: (laughs) Mūḍhas, yes. So I understand... Some of the friends said it was a big feast and all that, but there was nothing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They never talk about the Lord. They were simply arguing each other, "I think so." (laughs)

Prabhupāda: This is their business.

Morning Walk -- August 27, 1976, Hyderabad:

Indian man: All the conferences here are educational.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Built by the Americans?

Indian man: Yes. Behind this is a fruit farmer's lot. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the tomb? Very big.

Harikeśa: I was just thinking that this was really a case of decoration of the dead body.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, see the Taj Mahal. That's thousand times better than this.

Prabhupāda: In the gate it is said that bicycle prohibited. (break) ...tomb was constructed before Taj Mahal. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, the news of Ratha-yātrā. "New York Celebrates Festival of Chariots." Even at the U.N. conference we were there. They welcomed Vedic... We presented a Vedic reply to the U.N. conference.

Prabhupāda: Wherever possible we are presenting Vedic culture, Indian culture. And I have no support from the government.

Krishna Modi: Let us have.

Prabhupāda: And a professional dancer is going and the government is paying.

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They had a big press conference in which Prof. Sukla spoke up...

Prabhupāda: Hm. He has written very nicely.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Rāmeśvara said he got up and he said "How can... You are insulting our religion..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, better that the Indians should combine and they should bring a case against these people.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And then it will be alright. That this is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine, and these people are trying to insult us. Bring a defamation case against these persons.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Surabhi: Yes, I got a letter from Dharmādhyakṣa in Surat two months ago. He was invited to the White House after our... He had an exhibition at Vancouver, that habitat. So it was a world conference of solution to life, living. So he was invited. He met some of the officials there. He was invited to Washington, but he had to wait for Carter to become the President because then it would be fifty percent more favorable because they had a relationship. There these people... Then he said there's a great chance they will help us in India. So he is going to go there and speak with the...

Prabhupāda: In India.

Surabhi: No, Washington, D.C. That's in America. They invited one of our devotees there to discuss this Māyāpur and all this social type of... Dharmādhyakṣa. He's writing for that Back to Godhead magazine. He worked with Gurudāsa together.

Prabhupāda: His article, one is there?

Hari-śauri: Yes, "Simple Living High Thinking." You saw that.

Prabhupāda: So he met him.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But All India conference, it is not for mass understanding. Kṛṣṇa said yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ. Śreṣṭhaḥ means the leaders of society. Rājarṣayo. Not ordinary persons. Rāja, he must be just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Lord Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. They are rājarṣi. They are saintly persons, but they are governor. Such persons should understand. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ tad tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If the śreṣṭha person understands Bhagavad-gītā, it is not for the mass of people. Because

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)

You cannot make a mass meeting and pass resolution and you'll understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not like that. Workers must be also very śreṣṭhas, not ordinary workers. He must understand Kṛṣṇa. Then he can... It is not foolish, what kind of (indistinct). So if you want to prove Bhagavad-gītā, find out the śreṣṭhas of the country, sit down. Not that at mass conference—you bring meeting (?) And preaching. Select! If you understand then you can preach.

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

Prabhupāda: Everything. Yes, bhakti is, generally He gives bhakti. If you want something other than bhakti, you can get it.

Mr. Malhotra: This is the center of M.R.A., Moral rearmament. I phoned them for yesterday, so that Rajmohan Gandhi is away, not here. But the other people are here. We will visit this some time during the day. These days one conference is going on. There are 130 countries. Some conference.

Devotee: There?

Indian man: What is the subject?

Mr. Malhotra: I don't know, remember.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you may not know it, and this will do never any benefit.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is actually a religious conference. All the different groups, they gather in that holy place, and they propagate their philosophy, discussion, like that. India is country of religion. They know how spiritual life more important than this material life. That is India. Now they are diverting their attention to the material; otherwise whole India, they are for spiritual life. They don't care for material ... This material life is brought from Western countries, these railways, these..., so many things, bridges and so on, so on.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: Then they say, "The next best thing to do after you get the deprogramming is to hold a press conference to explain all the reasons that there is a need for criminal conviction of destructive cult leaders. Have ex-victims, especially of Hare Kṛṣṇa, present. The truth of their personal experiences carry great weight with reporters. It is now necessary to awaken America to how widespread..."

Prabhupāda: I... In the beginning... I have told many times when I first went that "If I say these prohibitions, who will accept?" And now it has taken a shape, it has become a problem throughout the country. I was thinking, "Who will hear me? As soon as I'll say this, they'll say, 'Go home.' " But by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement it has become a problem. That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. It has become a problem for them; it is success for me. Yes. I presented something which is now a problem for them.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: They are so proud that they have offered to hold a big press conference to announce to the press and all the journals of printers that they have gotten this order to print so many copies of Bhagavad-gītā from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Let them say that. This is our advertising. And let this opposition party understand that "If it is brainwash, then your whole country is now washed. (laughter) How you'll protect them? It is already washed." Tell them like that, humorous.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Unless they made such propaganda, how they could stay? They must give some plea that "I am staying for their benefit." That was the propaganda all through. And any Indian who would agree to say in the League of Nations and when there is conference, "Yes, we are so much benefited," he would be made secretary, governor. The flatterer, he would be made governor.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: No. He went to that Habitat Conference. That was different thing.

Gargamuni: So this man, he saw he was outnumbered, so he said, "All right, let us not talk." (Prabhupāda laughs)

Prabhupāda: A bogus.

Gargamuni: He's Chatterjee. He's Calcutta demon. I think Chatterjee is brāhmaṇa name, but he is talking like demon.

Prabhupāda: The Rāvaṇa was also Chatterjee. He was the son of Kaśyapa, brāhmaṇa. Bankim Babu wrote one book. The name of the book was Chatterjee and Bannerjis. So they're being distributed prasādam?

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: ...but he's not writing books himself. It's all people. They hear his conferences, they collect all his conferences, and they write for him. He never wrote any books himself, Krishnamurti.

Hari-śauri: No, I read a book he wrote. (break) A friend recommended it to me. He said he was very exuberant. He said he'd found a book you could read and throw away at the end. So out of curiosity, I started to read...

Prabhupāda: So why shall I take the trouble? I throw it immediately. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Initially there was a big conference of all the lawyers and they were all indirectly supporting our position. They just wanted to advertise this big controversy. They say that this controversy is the most important issue of the 1970's. Just like in the 1960's, the Vietnam War was a big issue. So it's becoming very important.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. So we have got very good certification by the psychiatrist of Calcutta University. You have seen it?

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

Rāmeśvara: Well, we want to have a press conference tomorrow.

Gargamuni: We're going to have... At the Calcutta Book Fair we finished decorating our pandal. It promises to be very successful. We're just opposite the Americans, who have spent fifty thousand rupees, the American Embassy. And next door to us is the German Embassy, and on the other side is the British Embassy. So we're in a very good spot, and we'll have all our books. We'll have the displays as well as the movie, the BBT movie, and we have our men there, who will take orders and sell books. It starts tomorrow afternoon. And we'll have a press conference also and release these figures.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Rādhā-vallabha: Want to hear more?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: Conferences. Scientific conferences.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We can give very nice slide show there.

Prabhupāda: So you make Bombay your headquarter. India means Bombay. And from Bombay you go and come. Make this...

Bali-mardana: In the West now Indian scientists have a big name because they are making...

Prabhupāda: And recruit Indian scientists. Make it. It will be very nice. Let us go to Bombay and organize.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: None of them. Especially in India, this will be a great attraction, if we speak these subjects... We should call a press conference. Whenever these scientists make some new discovery they hold a press conference. So we should also hold a press conference and say "Life comes from life."

Prabhupāda: That will come automatically. We are not very great scientists.(?) Let us speak important institute.

Śrīdhara: In India they have a club, and some of the famous scientists in India belong to it. It's called the "Life Comes From Matter" club.

Devotee: Really?

Prabhupāda: Challenge them.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow speak.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what you were thinking originally, that you would be going only on certain days to the pandal, important days. Do you want to ask Prabhupāda about the press conference?

Girirāja: So we wanted to invite the newspaper men to Juhu, and usually they are more inclined to come for these meetings if we give them a nice meal. So that would be..., what I was thinking is that if you are taking your meal at 12 o'clock, then if you could meet them for a short time after that, say, at about 12:30, and then, after that, then they can take their prasādam. Otherwise we could have it in the afternoon, but I don't think we'll get as good response, because they are after that; they like that meal to be served.

Prabhupāda: Well, whatever time, you decide. But after taking my meals, I require a little rest.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "Educated people lack basic values. The question whether formal education has a corrupting influence on the minds of children, particularly the illiterate tribals and villagers, was raised by Dr. D. Y. Goharkar, vice chancellor of Nagpur University at the three-day conference of the third Vidarbha Teachers Educators' Meet, which concluded here last week in Candrapur. Inaugurating the conference, Dr. Goharkar observed that some of the basic values of life such as honesty and trustworthiness were conspicuously lacking in the so-called educated communities in general. He urged educationists and researchers to look into this question and suggest remedies."

Prabhupāda: That means the rascals, they do not see it, that godlessness, godless education will be like that. The teachers who are suggesting, they are themselves blind, and they are leading. They do not know what is the defect. You can write to them, that "You are leaders, you do not know what is the cause. This is the cause. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Without God consciousness, there cannot be any education. There cannot be any good qualities. You do not know this. Simply you are crying in the wilderness. You yourself do not know. All the education, its propaganda is how to make the world godless, although the most scientific knowledge of God is there in the Bhagavad-gītā." Write him. Give him a slap, that "You do not know." Introduce our Kṛṣṇa consciousness books in the educational department. "Yato mata tato patha. Transcendental meditation. God has given you senses. Why you should not enjoy?"

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: So he wants to arrange another meeting of the Gītā Conference. So he's thinking of either Kurukṣetra or Vṛndāvana. So I suggested that they should hold it at our Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. So he's seriously thinking of it. But he's not very much intelligent. I mean, he's not able to understand the Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: They are influenced by these rascals, Vinod Bhave and company.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Your photograph and your name and nothing else.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, one point is this: When you hold a press conference you don't give them a fifty-page booklet and expect that they're going to read any of it. They're not going to read any of it. When you hold a press conference you give one sheet, and on that sheet everything is there in order of importance. Nobody ever gives this in a press conference. This is a book.

Prabhupāda: No, no...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't have the time to read. I mean, that's why they won't publish any of this. This is good, but it...

Prabhupāda: No, no, where is mentioned that Surabhī Swami was...? His name? How they have picked up your name and your photograph as everything?

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You look at any project in Bombay that's coming up, or anywhere in India. They'll always mention who is going to use the building or who is..., who paid for it. Hardly ever... If anything, the architect's name is mentioned in one line, "designed by so and so." But the architect never holds the press conference. That's another... I mean, I never heard of an architect holding a press conference. Neither I have heard the architect doing so many of the other things which the architect is doing. That, I think, is the essential thing. Whenever Bhavānanda Mahārāja...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you form immediately joint committee. You cannot do independently. That is not possible. Whatever is done is done. Now, henceforward, you should be guarded. You, you published that article?

Patita-pāvana: What is that?

Prabhupāda: The Times of India?

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. I talked with one professor, Norman Brown or something like that. He does not know Sanskrit. He is in charge of the Sanskrit...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Amogha-līlā Prabhu has arranged a press conference today.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes. Talk with them scientifically.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. That is at three o'clock.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Where it will be?

Girirāja: In the city, at... It's a vegetarian restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. Talk with them.

Girirāja: It's a popular place for press conferences.

Prabhupāda: So they know that the scientific...?

Girirāja: Oh, yeah, yeah. It's on the basis of science.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Kānā-māmā (?). If there is no māmā, blind māmā is all right. And who is that, this photograph?

Bhakti-caru: This one is Mr. Charan Singh addressing a press conference in Delhi on Monday, Charan Singh, Indian Prime Minister. (Hindi) "The passport of Mr. Sanjay Gandhi, Mr. Motilal, and Mr. Dhirendra Brahmacari, who runs a yoga center here, have been impounded. Official sources also said here today the necessary instructions have been issued in this regard to the concerned authorities."

Prabhupāda: Impound? Impound? What is the impounding?

Bhakti-caru: Cancelled today.

Prabhupāda: Where there is?

Bhakti-caru: New Delhi.

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's the biggest paper in this area, Hindi paper, Amara Jana(?). In Agra, Vṛndāvana, Mathurā. They have written about us several times. Even when the road was changed to Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, we had a press conference—I was there—and they reproduced it that Chattikara Road name had been changed to Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg.

Prabhupāda: What is that photograph?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They have one of your photographs.

Prabhupāda: Which one?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: On the right, walking on the beach, I think.

Conversations -- May 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They asked me what program can be initiated for the Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and Institute for Higher Studies. So I suggested that during some auspicious time in Vṛndāvana like Janmāṣṭamī we'll hold a conference, the Institute, when the... They told us it will be opened in July. So I suggested that we're coming, all the scientists together. We would like to present "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, the Scientific Philosophy." We can invite scholars from Delhi and surrounding Vṛndāvana communities and...

Prabhupāda: Seminar.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Seminar. Conference. Yeah, we'll bridge the gap. And I think that would be quite appropriate. It will be quite appropriate, so that we can start propagating the message. Then I will... They're making a pamphlet for tomorrow. Dr. Sharma is going to print it in Delhi. So we can do some nice program in Bombay. And in a little time most of the schools in India are closed, so we can have nice conference in Vṛndāvana and have slide shows and... I'm going to see that film tomorrow. Messages that we have... And I proposed that we have nice form so that we present nice slide show and specific objects.

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice. Good idea.

Conversations -- May 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Keep me forward. Yes. Keep always busy. That I wish to see.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. We can have a nice conference here in Vṛndāvana. It's very appropriate also. I always liked the Vṛndāvana idea, especially when the... That Bon Mahārāja's, that original plot, I was always attracted to his plot of land.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The original Śrīla Prabhupāda's idea that in '74 when you suggested Bon Mahārāja's, that little plot of land... I was very fascinated with the land.

Prabhupāda: Hm. But he spoiled everything. No, we have got now our own...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Since now we have a nice building here, so we can... Our scientist Mādhava, he suggested that he wanted to stay in Vṛndāvana, do some nice writing work.

Prabhupāda: So let him stay here.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Jaya. (Bengali) Or if you like, you can travel with him, but your translation must be main work. If you like, you can go to the foreign countries along with him. (Bengali) So that program you planned, he can come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I suggested to Dr. Sharma that first of all we hold that conference in Vṛndāvana and come here. So we can announce some nice topics, so he can also speak. And we can invite some scholars. They can also speak. We can have open discussion, exchange of ideas and philosophy, so that we expose Kṛṣṇa consciousness on this scale. So Prabhupāda wants that Bhaktivedanta Institute is also here in Vṛndāvana along with the Bhaktivedanta Gurukula, an institute for higher studies, and there be one office in the gurukula building so that...

Prabhupāda: No, I request you all that you keep this building always busy with some conference, with some meeting, with some... It shouldn't remain vacant. And for expenditure, I shall arrange. There is no want.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We can invite about two hundred guests and have a week-long conference.

Prabhupāda: If they voluntarily give contribution, that's all right. Otherwise we shall provide. We have got guesthouse. It is very nice. Even they do not pay, we shall pay.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We can make scientific propaganda. And we can also do the same thing in Bombay. Bombay will be bigger.

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have been trained up, (chuckles) for this purpose.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm thinking of the title of our conference as "Bhaktivedanta Vijñāna Conference."

Prabhupāda: They'll take it farce, that "Bhaktivedanta is no a vaijñānī."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be scientific conference.

Prabhupāda: It may be, but they will take it lightly because "Bhaktivedanta Swami is not a scientist."

Bhakti-cāru: Yeah, but you are above science, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, this will be "Bhaktivedanta Vijñāna Conference." That includes everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That you can...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I have taken that idea because in the United States there is a conference called Garden(?) Conference, and I want to develop this in the future as a regular feature of our movement, organize this conference all over the world. We'll title as "Bhaktivedanta Vijñāna Conference," and it involves all sources of knowledge. Just like Garden Conference. They have a meeting in Boston, in Harvard, in chemistry, and Garden Conference is in all fields, in physics, chemistry, the humanities. It is very respected all over the academic world. So we also wanted to generate a spiritual scientific conference along these lines.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta is spiritual.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And I also started telling him little bit about what the significance of this conference will be. (describes own preaching activities and plans for scientific conference for some time) And I requested him to participate in this program and... It will be very meaningful as a normal...

Prabhupāda: So you are listing all the men who will participate?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I'm going to have all the... I'm leaving tomorrow in the morning, and I'm leaving for Bombay. From there I'm leaving to the States on Friday morning.

Prabhupāda: I want to give you the best place in Bombay.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja told me that.

Prabhupāda: Because you have to invite so many respectable, big scientists.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We are coming back just at the end of August. It's only two months. At this time we are all coming together, and I have organized the Vṛndāvana conference. That's October 14, 15, 16. I have organized for three days. There will be six topics, in each day there'll be two topics.

Prabhupāda: Morning, evening.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Morning and the evening. And I'd like to have six chief guests. All, they will be scientists from Delhi and surrounding areas, some well-known scientists. And also I'm thinking of inviting a few political...

Prabhupāda: Leaders.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Leaders. Governor of the state and Educational Minister. Dr. Sharma told me that he can arrange those things easily.

Prabhupāda: So do that.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I wanted to ask Śrīla Prabhupāda... Yesterday I was asking about that title, that "Bhaktivedanta Vijñāna Conference." That doesn't seem to be attractive. It's not...

Prabhupāda: No.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So Your Divine Grace has some suggestion?

Prabhupāda: Why not stress that life comes from life, not otherwise?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, that will be the theme: life comes from life. Just like "Scientific Conference on Life Comes From Life"?

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, I think that will be... That will be an interesting title to...

Prabhupāda: That will be nice.

Room Conversation Mayapura attack -- July 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is all planned.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we've finally got the facts on this case. We practically already knew it. I think actually this will probably come out in all the newspapers. They held a press conference in Bombay. That means it will hit all the newspapers in India.

Prabhupāda: Oh. They held?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. They held a press conference in Bombay. It says... Here it is. "The Press release, which has been... We are issuing the correct story at the request of the journals to publish the correction."

Prabhupāda: Who said?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gopāla. And Rāmeśvara is doing it from the international side. It came in all the papers. Imagine, they're getting calls from Rāmeśvara in Los Angeles, Jayatīrtha in Africa. Jayatīrtha visited Africa recently. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they would have done. The first news was that "The founder was not there." Otherwise the police would have charged me that "He has given order."

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now we are going to hold Bhaktivedanta Institute scientific meeting. What is that? Where is that paper? Bombay. Scientifically presenting, among the scientists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's called "The First International Scientific Conference on 'Life Comes From Life,' sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute, Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." Should I read this?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Current scientific theory holds that life is a product of molecular interaction." (break)

Dr. Kapoor: I think they should attack the very basic concept of science.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Dr. Kapoor: The very basic concept of science should be attacked, the molecules and the atoms. They say life comes out of molecules. But what, according to modern science, are molecules themselves? You see, before... (break) ...molecules disappear. As a matter of fact, particle disappears, you see. What remains...

Prabhupāda: Oh, they knew... They have written... That they have denied. It is not chemical-physical.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So they wanted to hold this conference here, and later on, we decided Bombay... (Hindi) Let them decide.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, you are already. You are doing very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "P.S.: When is the scientific conference led by Svarūpa Dāmodara? We have also called for a meeting on the 20th August in the biggest hall in Colombo and challenged Dr. Kovoor to be present and produce life from chemicals. I doubt, however, that he will show up. But the audience will be tremendous, at least twenty-five hundred people to be sure. At all our programs we distribute halavā profusely. People here have never tasted such a thing. They love it. Halavā beats chemicals any time." So I can read you more later on, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: On the whole, they ...

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

Prabhupāda: What arrangement is being made for the conference?

Bhavānanda: Śatadhanya Mahārāja and I have formed the welcoming committee, and we're going to greet all of the guests when they come. We're having... The guesthouse will be empty tonight and cleaned up and all arrangements made for their stay there. That's as much as I've been able to do to date, because I don't know what Svarūpa Dāmodara has done. That's all I'm able to find out. There was nothing done as far as that goes-greeting the people and seeing that their living arrangements are made. They've made a temporary kitchen over in the Gurukula building for cooking, and we're seeing that the prasādam is... We're going to go over the menu, that that is all nice and nicely served. I'm waiting for...

Prabhupāda: And what about the conference place?

Bhavānanda: The conference place is being cleaned up now.

Prabhupāda: Which room?

Bhavānanda: On the ground floor in the front, the conference room? They had a big conference room there?

Hari-śauri: That was going to be the bank.

Bhavānanda: Right. That's being cleaned now, and that will be all ready. So everything is going on.

Prabhupāda: When the conference begins?

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Dr. Mishra, I think, is going to inaugurate the conference, and his friend, Dr. Chowdury, have just arrived. We've checked them into their room. They're taking a little prasādam. Svarūpa Dāmodara is with them.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, some men have come.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Do you know about the conference?

Kīrtanānanda: About what?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: About the conference.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So cooperate. You have heard what the arrangement?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: You have heard about the arrangement here in the conference?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm inviting, requesting all the GBCs, and also the sannyāsīs, mahārājas, to kindly attend the conference unless they're engaged at that time.

Prabhupāda: According to horoscope, life is finished. Still, I am living. What should be the interpretation?

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm inviting, requesting all the GBCs, and also the sannyāsīs, mahārājas, to kindly attend the conference unless they're engaged at that time.

Prabhupāda: According to horoscope, life is finished. Still, I am living. What should be the interpretation?

Kīrtanānanda: The interpretation?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: About the conference?

Prabhupāda: No, about... About me.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: All embassies.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And also I have set up one round-table debating conference in the Indian Academy of Sciences. That will be right after the conference in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Rāma?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Round-table conference. There will be other scientists from Delhi, like D. S. Kotari. D. S. Kotari is the ex-chairman of University Grants Commission. He's a very well known physicist. He's a very interested... I think he's the most interested in India in our field. He's retired and very respected. All Indian scientific community... Actually, this was his idea, that we set up a round-table conference in Indian National Science Academy. So we agreed to that. We'll have some sort of a debating form. So I'll bring all our members, and we'll have conference in Delhi. Also Krishnamurti... He's the director of television in Delhi. He's going to make some arrangement for us after the conference for the television appearance in New Delhi. Also most of the schools, they want us come and speak on the same topics that we are organizing here.

Prabhupāda: We want that they should be interested.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So, Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, how do you like?

Kīrtanānanda: The conference? I think it's wonderful.

Prabhupāda: This is the beginning. And arrange for such conference one after another, many... Do something for that before my departure. I can see something. Oh (indistinct), make like that. Or smite. Where is Bhavānanda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Brahmānanda?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Bhavānanda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhavānanda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Bhavānanda Mahārāja?

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, things are being arranged very nice?

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Everything is being arranged now. The district magistrate and local officials have all been invited personally this morning, and the guesthouse is being completely cleaned up and made nice. Prasādam is being arranged. Conference room is being decorated. The dining hall for their prasādam is all being arranged also.

Prabhupāda: At the present moment our ordinary prasādam is very much liked by...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. We want to treat them very nicely outside the conference, like giving nice prasādam. (break) ...yes. So we have specifically arranged for this nice prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Inside you're not going to be nice to them? (laughter)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Inside we are going to say very strongly about our philosophy and science. So anybody who's going to oppose that, we're going to duel them. Also we'll show some films, our Hare Kṛṣṇa films, just after the conference. The evening, I have some entertainment program. That program is for showing our films and our activities, ISKCON activities throughout the world. So I have brought all the slides from Los Angeles that we have from our BBT department, and also I have all the films ready. Also they can attend maṅgala-ārati, and in the evening they can also attend the sandhyā-ārati. And also some of them want just to see our temple, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. They have heard that the architect is very nice, and it's very nicely decorated. So some of them already heard about it, so they just want to see how the temple is here. Overall, our idea is also to make them devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is wanted. So go and arrange. That's all.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: Oh, Bhavānanda. He's with the conference. All the devotees went to the conferences on and off today.

Prabhupāda: The conference still going?

Upendra: Yes. Movies.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Elegant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very elegant. All the scientists who are attending, they're dressed a little informally. But our men are very formal. They have the ties on. Everybody has a badge. All the people who are attending have a special badge mentioning the scientific conference's name and the individual person's name. That's in one place. Then in another room is the conference room. It was the room where we were going to have the bank there. Really big room with fancy backdrop. Some decorator has come and made a very fancy backdrop with a big... There's a long table and podium with microphones and very nice seats. In the dining hall all the seats have special white linen cloths over all the chairs. Very fresh looking and clean. And in the other room it's very cool. There's curtains so that the sun can't come in, and now there's a big yajña going on. Yaśodānandana Mahārāja and the Gurukula boys are inaugurating the conference by chanting Sanskrit mantras, and some of the scientists are... Actually they were very amazed to see how our men could chant like that. The whole building is first-class for this purpose. When we build this Bhaktivedanta Institute hall... It's the most wonderful idea to have this conference here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. These scientists, they're going to be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I was certain of it by seeing these arrangements. They never could have... They're being tricked.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I have given the ideas. Now you give the shape.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We want some more ideas also. You have to give enough ideas for at least ten thousand years. (Prabhupāda chuckles softly) This is a great idea, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's wonderful. I think that each year, if we hold one conference, at least one in Vṛndāvana, it gradually will become one of the main events of the scientific community of northern India. No doubt about it. In fact I'm certain that people will be begging to be able to come. There'll be big competition for who is able to be given the permission to come and the reservation in the guesthouse. I think we'll have to build many guesthouses here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We shall do.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I saw that yajña that was going on. I mean that hall is first-class looking. Even though this is not the final hall that we'll be building, still, it is one of the nicest decorated halls I have seen, with chandeliers. They rented chandeliers, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I mean it looks very elegant. Everyone is impressed. They never expected. These scientists probably think that Vṛndāvana is some forest. I mean, suddenly they came into a scientific conference. And naturally, after the conference, they are attracted to go into the temple, and then they get darśana. And they're taking prasādam. It's wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Up-to-date gentlemen, they hate to come, Vṛndāvana. They know it is a place for guṇḍās. Pāṇḍās means guṇḍās. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So I am thinking now to lay down. (break) Meeting is going on here, and you have gone to Bhagatji?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I haven't gone yet. I was in the conference for a little while. The scientists took prasādam at about 11:30. The conference was supposed to start at ten, but it didn't start till about nearly noon. And at the same time, Bhagatji has apparently arranged a program of prasādam and kīrtana at his house, and it was to be the same time when ordinarily the conference would have halted for lunch. So as the conference began two hours late, now that has upset things a little. Not very much. I was in the conference for a while and all the guests are there, scientists are there. Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu is giving a lecture. There weren't very many GBC or sannyāsīs there, but I think it was on account of the fact that the conference started so late today. There is another conference this afternoon, as far as I know. And then two more tomorrow and again the next day, and I'm pretty sure everybody will be attending. I found it very interesting. The only reason I left was that I wanted to know whether I should attend Bhagatji's lunch or not. He invited everyone and made big arrangement. But I'm your secretary, so I don't want to go unless it's proper to go.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

unless it's proper to go.

Prabhupāda: How you have accepted invitation today?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The time it was fixed for was the lunch time of the conference. Another reason Bhagatji wanted to have it was that he just wanted to have it while everyone was here. But the main thing is that the lunch was supposed to coincide with the lunchtime of the conference. That's the main point. In other words, there was no conflict of the two.

Prabhupāda: Why did you not go there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the scientists did not come on time. They did not come on time. They came late. The conference was to begin at ten, but it began at noon. I mean I don't think it's... The main point is that the devotees will start to attend probably the afternoon session, because it will be on a more regular schedule again. This was just a very irregular... Even the scientists... There was only thirty of them in the conference, because although more than that have arrived, they haven't yet settled into their quarters. This first... The first lecture is a little like that. Everybody's getting settled in.

Prabhupāda: I do not know what to say.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know what to say. The devotees should all attend the conference. I think that's the point.

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. But where (whether?) the conference is going on or Bhagatji's feast is going on? This is perplexing me.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why it is? Because some of the devotees may leave by next week. So Bhagatji wanted to have a feast when everyone was here. And I told him to arrange then for Thursday, which was yesterday. But he said that that was not sufficient time. Therefore then I told him, "Then if you can't arrange for Thursday, then the best day is Friday, because Saturday and Sunday are the more important days of the conference." I advised him that the feast should not be held simultaneously with the conference, but he said that there was no... (break) In other words, I attended the lecture and the program, but I came out on account of Bhagatji's invitation. The lecture should have been over by one according to their program that they published. But on account of the scientists' arriving late, they did not want to push anyone. This was the whole point, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think it's just a, what would you call it, a circumstantial mistake. It was not planned that the two would..., one would interfere with the other. And the conference is in no way being interfered with. It's going on.

Prabhupāda: That I want.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The conference is going on. Anybody who's required in the conference is there. But some of the sannyāsīs and GBC's are choosing to go to Bhagatji's. But the conference people who are involved, they are all at the conference, and many devotees are there also. I think it's all right.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't want you to be disturbed about it. So should I go or not go, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to Bhagatji's?

Prabhupāda: That you make your choice.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And where the conference is being held?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Conference is held in that bank room. We have about 150 chairs in that hall. We have displayed Śrīla Prabhupāda's books with the bronze bust, nicely arranged, all the books. And we also have Śrīla Prabhupāda's picture from Bhaktivedanta Manor, that enlarged picture. It's very nice. We have that on the background. Then we have also the recording systems. Everything is recorded. We also had some men from radio... Five men came from radio, All-India Radio. They recorded. So everything seems to be going nicely, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. That's all.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So, we are learning, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is our first conference. And we... We are confident that we can do it.

Prabhupāda: Who is seated over...?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Where is Brahma-tīrtha? He's the Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, one of the authors. Next to him is Sadāpūta, who wrote two books on quantum physics and the laws of consciousness, demonstration by mathematics that life cannot arise from matter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I read you that in London, Śrīla Prabhupāda. That was Sadāpūta's book that we read in London.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And next to him is Mādhava. His body is like mine-small. So we are making points that modern science doesn't know life.

Prabhupāda: No, you are making point, but there is no reaction from the other side?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Not so many.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Navīna Kṛṣṇa. He's in Detroit. After the conference, I'm going to have a debate in Delhi, round-table conference with Dr. Kotari, D. S. Kotari and his group.

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It was very tasteful, but my tongue has no taste. Maybe gradually by stimulating the body...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Vṛndāvana is so beautiful at this time, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Everyone's... The sky is so clear, the stars are so bright, and also the weather is so beautiful. We have a nice decoration of the hall. Last night one of the professors from Agra told me that he wants to have us organize this conference next year. He said this should be an annual feature, a science conference in Vṛndāvana every year.

Prabhupāda: Let them make advance in scientific research, but still they cannot capture the real thing.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gupta's there, and Dugal. They've come twice. They came this afternoon and Girirāja fed them prasādam. They went to the conference hall where we were having prasādam with the scientists. They took full prasādam. The man has come with his wife. He's a devotee.

Prabhupāda: So Gupta is being transferred.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Niyamāgraha. (laughter) Do everything very carefully. You were present in the conference?

Girirāja: Well, actually I wasn't, because I wasn't feeling too well this morning. But tomorrow I want to be present.

Prabhupāda: I don't see Brahmānanda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Brahmānanda has malaria, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for the last four days.

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's good. You attended the conference?

Acyutānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You liked?

Acyutānanda: Oh, yes. It was very successful. One scientist has actually been touched. His heart is changed, Dr. Ramaya. He, in fact, defended our one point with one other scientist.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are ready for bathing, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That round table?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. There will be a round-table conference debate in Delhi. So all five will be there. Brahma-tīrtha, our geologist from Houston, he's going back, he told me, on 28th. So I decided to do on 27th. Also before that... Krishnamurti is the director general of television in New Delhi, and he's a good friend of our Dr. Khorana. Dr. Khorana is our life member in Delhi. So he also came to the conference on the last day. In fact, he brought the head of the All-India Medical Association also. So he told me that any day I come, any day we want, we can fix a date for a television appearance also. And since we are here, I also don't want to go far away from Vṛndāvana at this time. So in this process I'd like to go to Agra and Delhi and also possible Punjab areas, and I'd like to do some program and come back in Vṛndāvana. I don't want to go far away from Vṛndāvana at this stage. And in the process also we'd like to do some engagements. And then in about one or two months we'll work for Bombay. Bombay, I was told that three rooms are provided for the Institute. But we are at least four, and also we need a secretary for typing. So it seems to me that three rooms that are allotted for us will be not sufficient.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "So I shall prefer." Maybe Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu can arrange some conferences for himself in Calcutta. Then he can visit you regularly in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That way he can come regularly and give you report on how the science conferences are going. That will be very enlivening. (to Svarūpa Dāmodara:) That's part of your plan.

Bhavānanda: I'm already thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, what preparations we have to make.

Prabhupāda: Simply fresh vegetable. And mung ḍāl also.

Bhavānanda: Everything comes to life when you come to Māyāpur. You are the crown jewel. Māyāpur is such beautiful setting, but without Your Divine Grace's presence, we are always feeling empty-hearted. And as soon as you come, all of us are enlivened.

Prabhupāda: So let us go in a team.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Svarūpa Dāmodara brought an article from The Statesman about the news of the conference that was held here in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Statesman carried an article.

Prabhupāda: Oh, really?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It was printed in The Statesman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to hear it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The importance of Bhaktivedanta Institute is there, not that theory molecule. Come on. We are challenging. Discuss like scientist, not like sentimentalists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It seems like we should... Next time we have a conference here, it should be done in the proper hall.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got enough place.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some people were thinking that Vṛndāvana is not a good place for building that hall, but...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no immediate necessity. We have got already nice building.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we have no hall in that building. There's no... The place where they held the meeting last time is now going to become the restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Let it become.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) No sentiment—"Come on"—scientific challenge. (Bengali) No theory. (Bengali-Prabhupāda telling about Dr. Kapoor and scientific conference, Fiji, etc.) (Bengali) Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is Kṛṣṇa-kāliya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Jaya. (more Bengali conversation) What is that?

Śatadhanya: Well, this is the Bhāgavata-darśana in Bengali.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation, with devotees showing Godbrothers various news-clippings, books, etc.) (break) Just get the curtain and try for urine.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What about the gate?

Akṣayānanda: That's going on. Construction is going on. Saurabha Mahārāja came yesterday, and he has given that idea. He had some objection before. He's clarified that objection. It was an architectural point, just for the beauty. So he's clarified that with the engineer, and it's going on now. I haven't had time, Prabhupāda, to talk to the members—some of the members are still remaining-about their conference, because I had to go for this work. But I'll go now and meet some of these gentlemen, get some idea what is their aims and objectives and resolutions. Otherwise, unfortunately, I could not be present there. But I'll give you a report.

Prabhupāda: Their aims and object is superficially good, that "We altogether preach." But they do not know the ways. That is their defect. Neither they'll take up as it is. So it will be failure.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, it's arranged by the head of the chemistry department. There's one professor called Gupta. He's very enthusiastic. And there are also several professors who came to our conference. All of them are arranging together. There's one Dr. Sukla, also there's one Dr. Sharma. Three, four of them are organizing the lecture. They have... Most of the people I found there, they have great respect for ISKCON, and they appreciate Śrīla Prabhupāda's activities so much. I also requested them it is their responsibility to actually try to spread the genuine knowledge as a real science, scientists.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Stories and fables will not convince them.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I want to briefly outline tomorrow the comparative presentation of two aspects of modern science versus the Bhagavad-gītā, the varying concepts of life.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Page Title:Conference (Conversations)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Mayapur
Created:02 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=129, Let=0
No. of Quotes:129