Prabhupāda: The whole human society is trying to get the highest perfection of knowledge, and they are trying also, by so many methods, to become happy, blissful. But they are being confused and baffled. Therefore if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these things will be easily achieved.
Confusion (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:
Prabhupāda: In India, due to her long subjugation by the foreigners, practically the so-called educated persons, they have lost their original culture. Rather, those who are not so-called educated, following the traditional rules and regulations, they are more Kṛṣṇa conscious. And the educated circle, they are thinking that this religious temperament is the cause of India's economic fall-down. But actually, that is not the fact. So not only India, in other countries also they are trying to imitate the economic situation or economic development of other countries, especially of America, but they do not find that in America, although the boys and girls, the younger generation, they are born of rich family, rich nation, they are still confused, and they are also hankering after something better. So the policy followed by India now, that is, to imitate the Western way of life, is not very happy mood.
Room Conversation -- October 20, 1968, Seattle:
Prabhupāda: Yes. So this material world is perverted reflection of the original energy. So this "Hare" means we are directly approaching the original energy of the Supreme Lord. "Please accept me, under You. Now I am under reflection. I am trying to get substance from the reflection." Suppose a tree is reflected by the bank of a river, the exact. So if somebody dives into the river and tries to take fruit from that tree, it will not be possible because that is reflection. One has to go to the real tree. So we are hankering after life, we are hankering after pleasure, but we are seeking pleasure in the reflection, māyā. Therefore we are frustrated, confused.
Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: I don't think so. I don't think so. Spacesuits are...
Reporter: You see I'm a little confused because I can't tell whether you feel that based on Vedic literature, that you said it may be possible for them to land and to return for a short visit, yet you say they cannot go with this body.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I say also this, that to land there you must have the specific body suitable for that place.
Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Spacesuit is not suitable. But if you can go with the spacesuit that may be contradiction, but that I am certain you cannot go.
Reporter: I'm confused.
Prabhupāda: I say... Just try to understand me, that if you can prepare a suitable body, you can go there. But this spacesuit is not the suitable body. Is that all right? Now if you actually go there by this spacesuit, that will be contradiction to my statement, but I am certain you cannot do that.
Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:
Journalist: He does an article for us next month. But I spoke to Dan and I told him that one of the things I would like to ask you, and I think that an awful lot of our readers, and an awful lot of people in the United States are terribly confused with the many people who claim to be avatāras and who come from India to this country, one after the other, after the other, and they say...
Prabhupāda: I can declare, they are all nonsense.
Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: You have failed to give them satisfaction. Your this materialistic way of life will no more satisfy them. There is a stage, in the beginning, when one is poverty-stricken, he may think that "Money and woman and good apartment, good car, can give me satisfaction." They are after this. But after enjoyment, they see "Oh, there is no satisfaction." Because matter cannot satisfy you. So your stage is, in America especially, you have got enough for enjoyment. You have got enough food, you have got enough woman, you have got enough wine, you have got enough house—everything enough. This shows that material advancement cannot give one satisfaction. The confusion and dissatisfaction is more in your country than in India which is said to be poverty-stricken. You see?
Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:
Journalist: Well, I... I'm still... It's not that I'm confused. I understand what you're saying...
Prabhupāda: You are confused still?
Journalist: No. I understand what you are saying. What confuses me or makes it... When I say, me, and so many of our readers. ...is why is it...? Let me ask the question again. Let me ask it maybe to become clear in my mind. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but let me say it this way. Are you saying that if your mission and the mission of the Jewish, Christian, western ethic is the same, again let me ask the same question, why is it that the younger people or people in general, are disenchanted, are trying to go towards the eastern-oriented religion if their aim or premise is the same as the western. Why are they going toward the eastern if the premise is the same?
Prabhupāda: Because these Christian people, they are not teaching them practically. I am teaching them practically.
Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. In different branches. I have got about thirteen branches. Some of the disciples are working in London. Yes, they are doing very nice. They are all married couples. I got them married. Yes. I got them married. They're young boys, all within thirty. My oldest disciple he is 28. Otherwise 25, 24. At most 30. And similarly, girls, you have seen this girl. You see. So I get them, make them happy in married life. Their mentality is... They are not after so-called puffed-up life. They can live very simply with the least demand of bodily necessities, but thinking very high of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I am very hopeful that even I die... Because I am old man, 73 years old. I may die at any moment. But I am now assured my movement will go on. These boys will carry it. That, my mission, is in that way successful. I came here with this idea, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be started from America. Because anything accepted by America, people follow because America is considered to be the... Actually America is not a poverty-stricken country. So they can very easily understand, they can take it. And there are many confused youths. So with all these considerations, I came here, and I think I'm successful, yes.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Conversation Before Lecture -- April 29, 1969, Brandeis University, Boston:
Prabhupāda: Yes. You go to responsible men and see, that "This is a nice movement. Why don't you patronize it to save your country's from the hippies' falling down, confusion?" We are saving. Practically this society is giving the best service to your country. They should appreciate, but they should not misunderstand us. How we can be hippies? We completely... That is also said. How foolish man he is, that, er... In that article, Satsvarūpa, in that article, it is clearly stated that we are refusing all these things. How they conclude that we are hippies?
Conversation Before Lecture -- April 29, 1969, Brandeis University, Boston:
Miss Rose: I think that the confusion is...
Prabhupāda: We cannot say, just like, in some hotels, that "Such and such persons are not admitted." No. We cannot. We admit everyone. Our mission is to elevate persons from down state of life to the highest state of life. So everyone is in down state. Lord Jesus Christ also said that "You do not hate the sinners, but hate sin." Is not that, Lord Jesus Christ said? So hippies may be sinners. We raise them to the pious life. But we say, "Don't do this. Don't do this sinful act. Don't take intoxication. Don't do this. Don't do this." We hate sin, not the sinners. Actually. If we hate sinners, then where is the possibility of preaching?
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:
Allen Ginsberg: So, as the Kali-yuga became more intense and as attachment became deeper and more confusing...
Prabhupāda: Attachment for?
Allen Ginsberg: ...that salvation would also have to become easier and easier in the Kali-yuga.
Prabhupāda: That is very nice statement that in the Kali-yuga salvation is very easier. That is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, but that process is this kīrtana, not LSD.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:
Guest (1): We are giving names; therefore we become confused because in our God incarnation...
Prabhupāda: No, no. If there is name why you be confused? If your name is Mr. such and such but you do not know the name, that is the confusion.
Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:
Guest (1): There are two things. I am still, I'm still... that we are raised upon this material life (indistinct) that may be available just like air. Air we do not keep the air under lock and key. There is no dearth of time, no dearth of energy, no dearth of resources. Only dearth is that we have no clear perspective (indistinct) we are under control. (indistinct) in the only because of our other and therefore we have become confused. So from Buddha's time we wanted there should be no sickness, old age, and death, etc. But it is continuing. There is no such country...
Prabhupāda: But how do you respect these words of Lord Buddha, first thing is.
Guest (1): No, I have got one thing, you see, that it is through the diffusion...
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Lord Buddha, we have to accept him as an authority, Lord Buddha. Now, he gives you idea that no misery. So how do you accept these words of Lord Buddha?
Guest (1): No, I do not because that was not..., has not come into...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means he was giving that hint in spiritual life, not in this life.
Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:
Prabhupāda: If you want to save yourself from this chaotic condition of life you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our proposal. Give me that knife. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not so many. Begin. Aiye. (break) ...friend of Kṛṣṇa. How much exalted he is, a great warrior, and he has the right to talk with Kṛṣṇa on equal level. Still, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master. And he said, "The confusion which I have created, it is not possible for me to clear it. It is You only who can clear, I know. Therefore I accept You as spiritual master." Therefore it is required that one should know who can clear your confusion, and there you must surrender. (aside:) Anyone? Everyone. Come on. Not in the left hand. Don't give anything by left hand; don't take anything. That is a etiquette. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Yes.
Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:
Guest (6): Let me say, tell you what submissive word means in relation of Gītā.
Haṁsadūta: Yes, the perfect example given by Arjuna, the perfect disciple, is "Now I am confused about duty..."
Guest (7): ...more than you or I.
Haṁsadūta: Arjuna says to Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna says to Kṛṣṇa... What does he say?
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. First let me know whether you want to submit or not?
Guest (8): I do!
Prabhupāda: First of all answer this question, whether you want to submit or not.
Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:
Prabhupāda: Neither you can give up this śloka. You cannot give up this śloka. Yes. So first of all you answer. See practical example. When Arjuna became confused, he said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Now I am surrendered unto You. Please teach me." Unless you come to that point, there will be no teaching and there is no use of teaching.
Guest (7): What time and what energy...
Prabhupāda: That you have to see. You have to see. You have to see your time, when you are prepared to surrender. When you are prepared to surrender, as Arjuna said that "I am now confused and I surrender unto You." If you think that you are not confused, you cannot surrender, then there is no question of teaching.
Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:
Prabhupāda: The, the confusion, confusion has come into existence because in India in later days the son of a brāhmaṇa, without having the brahminical qualification, claimed to be brāhmaṇa, and others, out of superstition or traditional way, they were accepted as brāhmaṇa. Therefore the Indian social order has disrupted. But our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are picking up from everywhere brāhmaṇas, everywhere, because the world needs the brain of a brāhmaṇa. Just like here, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, although he was a monarch, he had a body of learned sages and brāhmaṇas to consult, advisory body. It is not that the monarchs were independent. In the history it is found that some of the monarchs were not in order. They were dethroned by the brahminical advisory committee. Although the brāhmaṇas, they did not take part in politics, but they would give advice to the monarch how to, I mean to say, execute the royal function. Just like not, not very old, very, say, about... What is the age of, I mean to say, Asoka? Say about thousands of years ago.
Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:
Revatīnandana: That was semantics. That was word usage. That's why we got confused. And now I can clear up the confusion I stirred up. Thank you very much.
Haṁsadūta: But I have one more question Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: On the light.
Haṁsadūta: In our world here, there are material scientists and they understand things in a particular way. They understand, for instance...
Prabhupāda: Their way and our way is completely different.
Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:
Revatīnandana: It's in Volume One, when Brahmā kidnaps the cowherd boys. When I went to Paris, they had gotten all confused. Someone was thinking that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā is not a pure devotee, because...
Prabhupāda: In one sense, not. In one sense.
Revatīnandana: By his behavior sometimes...
Prabhupāda: No, no, behavior... Because he is in the material world, he wants to lord it over. But a pure devotee has no such desire.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Bob: He heard that hippie... (break) ...I was talking to him, and then some devotees were talking to him. And he had said some things to me which I could find no answer for. And he said he'll come back tomorrow to see devotees. But let me tell you. This is confusing. When he was young...
Prabhupāda: He's Indian?
Bob: Indian, Indian, lives nearby. He speaks English fairly well. When he was young, said he worshiped Kālī every day very vigorously. But then the floods all came, and the floods came, and the people saw hardship. But now he has no religion, and he says he finds his happiness in trying to develop love among people. And I couldn't think of what to say to him to add religion to his life, to add God to his life. He says, "After the hereafter," he says, after he dies, "so maybe I'll become part of God, maybe not," he says, but he can't worry about it now. He says he's tried this religious experience; it didn't work. And one reason I ask this is when I go back to America a lot of people I come across are like this. They see that religion, like his worship of Kālī or other kinds of religion that they've experienced doesn't work. And I don't know what to say to them to convince them that it's worth trying.
Prabhupāda: Hm. You do not try to convince him at the present moment. You try to be convinced yourself.
Interview -- July 5, 1972, New York:
Prabhupāda: Yes. If I get government help, I can give protection to these confused, frustrated youths. I have no proper house to accommodate them, to feed them. With great difficulty I am pushing on this movement. So if the government comes forward, this means a little facility, I can turn the face of your country, immediately. There will be no problem.
Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: This is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore it is necessary. And actually, because there is no sufficient knowledge of the position, I see the American boys and girls, although they are coming out very rich and respectable family, they are turning to hippies. In spite of your arrangement for very big, big university, they are becoming frustrated. They are no longer satisfied to live materially opulent like their fathers and grandfathers. In other countries also, the same symptoms are there. Just like in India, the Naxalites. So that is another form of confusion. In your country the confusion state is a different kind. Another type is another confusion. In China also there is another type of confusion. In Russia also there is another type of confusion. So the present position of the human society is very dangerous because everyone is feeling dissatisfaction for confusion.
Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not so much.
Śyāmasundara: And the father of one of our Godbrothers from America, Mr. Teton, he's from Chicago, he was there with Girirāja, and she was saying to him, his sister was saying to him, "You're so fortunate that your son is a devotee." He's a very wealthy attorney in Chicago, and his only son is a devotee, but he is somewhat, from material point of view, he was somewhat confused. So she said, "You should be very happy that your son is a devotee. I have eight sons, and they are not like your son."
Guru dāsa: You met Girirāja. He came last time to the city.
Ambassador: Oh, yes. I remember. Yes, yes.
Guru dāsa: He's from Chicago.
Ambassador: That's right. Now he, uh, he has a wife here? No? He's not married?
Prabhupāda: No, he's not.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- April 28, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Making more confusing to the innocent.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. One scientist explained to some extent. The matter remained the same. Another rascal comes. He explains again. And the matter remains the same. What advancement you have made? Nothing. Simply some volumes of books. That's all. Just like there is petrol problem. What your this explanation will help? You have created problem. Now you are dependent so much on petrol. If the petrol supply is stopped, then what these rascal scientists can do? They cannot do anything. It is stopped. Now there is scarcity of water in India. What the scientists can do? There is enough water. Why the scientists cannot throw this water where there is scarcity of water? It will require the help of cloud. That is God's manipulation. You cannot do anything. Water is here, so much water. Why don't you make this sand fertile by bringing this water? Fertilization made by supplying water in the desert.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 17, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Activity without knowing the purpose of it, that is struggle for existence. You must know why you are working so hard. What for I shall work? The aim of life is missing. Na te viduḥ. They do not know it. Therefore failure, confusion, hopelessness. All the results of this world, hopelessness. Is it not? What is one... Show one result, that it is very successful, hopeful. Just like, say, moon planet-hopelessness. What is there? They spend so much time and money, but what is this? Hopelessness. They do not know. All scientists are working, all politicians are financing, but result is hopelessness. Is it not? Similarly, everything they are doing, but they are so rascal, they will never admit that "We are failure." Still they will stick, "Yes, we are success... Future, in ten years we shall do it.
Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Yes. That DDD. All "D". (Hindi conversation for few sentences.)
Guest (3): That was a determination to learn. One has got the... He has written his own (indistinct) confusion ...
Guest (1): (indistinct) what was Droṇācārya. He has taken his thumb for nothing actually.
Guest (3): No, that was his test.
Guest (1): In order to please Arjuna.
Guest (3): In order to please Arjuna. And that was his test. And that was his determination, that he rejected, and he learned the science, just, uh, faith.
Prabhupāda: In material world such competition is there.
Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes, that is my ambition, that let the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā be practically accepted by the human society, and surely they'll be happy. Surely. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glanīr bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So now everything is confused. And in your country, or western countries, they are very organized. So you are not feeling now so much confusion. But it is coming. But in India and countries like that, it is very confusion state. Yes. They have lost their own culture, and they could not assimilate the western type of civilization. So they are lost. They are lost.
Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: But Kṛṣṇa is telling to Arjuna where to act, and how to act, and what to act, that is "Fight." And at that moment He is telling to fight the Kauravas. Now, we are confused here, that what is our fight? What is our fight?
Prabhupāda: Our fight, it is not the same fight as Kurukṣetra.
Reporter: No, it's not same. Therefore we are in confusion, that what is our fight? Of course, we must surrender our...
Devotee: He wants to know how he will be engaged. Who will tell him what to do?
Prabhupāda: The Kṛṣṇa's representative will tell you. Kṛṣṇa is not there, but Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. So you have to ask the Kṛṣṇa's representative.
Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: So, in this way, as soon as we understand or become convinced that I am not this body, then spiritual education begins. (If) I am different, then the next question will be, then what for I am working? Naturally at the present moment we are working for this body, maintenance of the body. For eating, sleeping, having facility for sex life or sense gratification and to protect this body from being harmed. This is our business. But if I am not this body, then, I am spirit soul, then the next question will be, what I am doing for the spirit soul? When actually I am working for this body because I, spirit soul, is within this body. Just like we are keeping this room fit for habitation because I am living here. Three months or four months ago we are not in possession of this room. So we were not anxious about this room. Because we were not living. So actually I am keeping my body fit, nice, just to live within this body. Therefore actually I do not love this body, I love myself. And to keep myself in a nice position, I love this room or this house. My main business is to get me, as I am, comfortable. Not that it is my business to keep this house neat and clean only. No. No, my business is to keep myself fit. So actually I love my soul. Then if you analyze, studying your soul, what is the constitution, you'll find the soul is part and parcel of God. Then you come to the platform that you love the soul because you love God. The ultimate issue is God. As you love this body because you love the soul, similarly you love the soul because you love God. And that is now lost. We are embarrassed in the affairs of loving this body. The background we have forgotten. This is our present stage. Therefore we are in confusion. There is no satisfaction.
Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one has got faith and devotion to God, God is one... God is neither Christian nor Hindu nor Muslim. God is one. So religion means according to... Not according to... This is the Vedic conclusion.
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
One must be religious. Without being religious, he cannot be satisfied. Therefore there is confusion, dissatisfaction all over the world because, because people have become irreligious. If you want to keep... In Calcutta, there was, in the American Consulate Office, I was invited. There, they have got a department: "Indo-American Cultural Society." Perhaps you know.
Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:
Ambassador: That is because of, I think, a lot of confusion with drug movement, hippies and all that...
Prabhupāda: Oh. But... It may be... You might have been cheated by counterfeit money in some place. Does it mean there is no good money? What is this reasoning? "Because I have been cheated by some man, he gave me some counterfeit money, therefore I'll not touch money any more. No. Any note, that's all. We don't like." What is this? He must judge whether it is counterfeit or real. That is required. So if you can help us in some way or other, try to help us. Otherwise we shall go on with this single-handed. But I am not getting any help from any other source. Then this movement had been, would have been very, very rapidly progressing. It is progressing, but... Because we don't get any support... Lord Buddha's movement was spread because King Aśoka supported.
Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Darwin was a number-one nonsense. Yes. Rascal. He has confused the whole world.
Dr. Hauser: Hmm. Why...?
Prabhupāda: Evolution of matter. Matter cannot evolve. That is not possible.
Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:
Guest (1): It is God's desire.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is nature's arrangement. And those who are rich... There are richer section when the rice was selling at three rupees per mound, and the richer section is still there when rice is selling, nine rupees a kilo. So they have no eyes because less intelligent. They cannot make equal. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, in the prakṛti there are three modes of material nature. They will be manifested. It is not possible to make everyone of the same standard, the standard must be different. So they are simply spoiling their time to make the whole society on the same status. The communists are trying, the others are trying. That is not possible. So one should not be disturbed with all these superficial low and high places. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,
- yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
- puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha
- sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
- so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate
One is not disturbed with this outwards happiness and distress, he's eligible to become immortal. Saḥ amṛtatvāya. How? (Hindi) Yaṁ hi... (break) ...amṛta, eternal. And that is perfection. And that is going back to home, back to Godhead. But they do not know what is the aim of life. Still, they are leaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31), leaders are blind, and they're leading blind men. Therefore there is always disaster, confusion.
Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Just try to understand that you must know how to discharge your duty. Because you do not know what is duty, therefore you are placing so many other duties, "Nationality, this is, this is..." kṛṣṇa-bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If you become devotee... Just like your son. Is he not maintaining his family, is he not respecting his father, mother, he is not doing his duty in the service, he is doing his spiritual master? But the main principle is that he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So if you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you can discharge your duties properly; otherwise you cannot. It is not possible. If you want to pour water, leaf after leaf, it will be useless waste of time. But if you pour water in the center, on the root, it will go everywhere. Because he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he knows how to discharge his duty towards his parents, how to discharge his duty to his wife, how to discharge his duties towards his spiritual master. He knows everything. But one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he does not know. He is simply confused. Sometimes jumping here, something jumping there, something jumping there. He does not know how to pour water.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Banker: We have had a long history of debate in America over wealth. We have had one group, the fundamentalist Protestants, who argue that... Most of them are poor, and they feel very guilty if they have money. And then you have another group of Protestants, the Gospel of Wealth Protestants, who say that if you are truly holy, then it is better that the money be entrusted to your hands than to a man who is unholy. And then you have still another group that regards money as an end in itself, rather than a means to, committing you to do other things, And this confuses people in America. Your parents will be one thing, you'll be another. In my case, my mother is a Gospel of Poverty person. Blessed are the poor. She thinks you won't get into heaven unless you are poor. And I'm in the Gospel of Wealth category. (laughter) And you just select your own philosophy along the way. Carnegie was in that philosophy. He even wrote a book about it a one hundred years ago. The steel Carnegie, Carnegie steel.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Carnegie's name I know.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Therefore everywhere you will find chaos and confusion. There is no brain. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are creating some brain. We are not creating the technological expert, but we are creating brain to know the purpose of human life and work on it under a systematic way. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not such bluff that "In darkness you meditate this, that," no. It is a science. It is a science, how the human society can be happy in all respects.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes. They are śūdras. Therefore, because it is the society of śūdras everywhere, there is confusion. No brain. Simply śocati, "want, want, want, want, want." And in brahminical culture, you will find even he is very poor brāhmaṇa, no source of income, no fixation of foodstuff even, but he is happy. He is happy. He is happy by his knowledge. He'll satisfy himself. If he does not get his food, then he will think that "This day Kṛṣṇa desired that I should not have my food. Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy."
Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Ah, therefore the whole world is in confusion. All rascals, they are busy. What is the use of such business? Like monkey. Monkey's very busy, always, but doing harm. That's all. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ. These rascals, they are busy just to destroy the whole world and do the mischief. That's all. Actually, they are doing so. That we also... In English language, sometimes it is said, "A sharp razor in the hands of a child." The child... That is this imitation. They want to imitate their father. So if he imitates the razor sharp, then he will create havoc. So these rascals, they have got now all power, and therefore creating havoc. They do not know how to use it. According to Vedic principle, the śūdras, they should not be given more money, the worker class. Now the worker class is given more money. So what they'll do? They'll produce drunkards. That's all. In America, it is evident. They do not know how to use money.
Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: But that, therefore there is confusion. The world position is like that. Now it is confusion. Everything is...
Bali Mardana: Conflict.
Prabhupāda: ...in confusion. That is chaotic condition. Every citizen says, "I don't accept government law. I have got my own law." It is confusion.
Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:
Bali Mardana: Confusion.
Prabhupāda: Confusion is not... Chaotic condition, confusion is not proper stage. That is a state of suffering. That is the position at the present moment. Otherwise, why they are fighting, nation to nation, man to man, group to group, community to community, diplomat to dip...? They're simply fighting like cats and dogs. This is not perfect society. Simply ca... They can say dogs. They can simply make barking, "Whowf! Whowf! Whowf! Whowf!" That is not perfect society. Human society should be sober. That is Vedic civilization.
Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Everyone, these rascals, they have no idea who is the proprietor of this world. So they are doing in their nonsensical way. Therefore there is confusion. The business is not profitable. But if they accept, "No, the real proprietor is such and such gentleman, so he wants to do us like this," then the business will be profitable. Everyone is thinking that he is proprietor, so how this business will profit? This is the position. Everyone is thinking that he is the proprietor. He forgets that he is worker. He is not proprietor. That is the mistake. Therefore the business is mismanaged, and there is no profit, simply chaos.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: No, the thing is that actually, at the present moment, they are śūdras or less than śūdras. They are not human beings. The whole population of the world. It doesn't matter whether it is western or eastern. That is the position. So unless they are trained up, so the society's already in chaos, and it will go on still more in chaos, chaos. It will be hell. How people will live? And these rascals are being elected as government men, and they're only making budget how to tax. So one side, there is no rain; one side, there is no rice, especially in India; and one side, heavy tax. So they'll be all confused. They have already become confused. So in the confusion state it will be very difficult to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore preliminary help should be given.
Viṣṇujana: Preliminary.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That they should not be in chaos and confusion. Otherwise, how the brain will work?
Viṣṇujana: Yes. No one can give rapt attention without peace of mind.
Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Therefore sleeping is my only business. Sleeping means for the weak. And for the strong, perspiration. This is the sign. When a man sleeps too much, he's weak in his health. And the strong man will perspire. These are very... Balera ghāma, and the durbalera ghuma. Ghāma and ghuma. Ghuma means sleeping, and ghāma means perspiration. (break) ...principle. And human beings means trained up under principle. That is the difference between animal. The animals, they cannot take up any training. But the human being, this human form of body is meant for taking training. So if they are not properly trained up, they remain animals and the whole society in chaos and confusion. That's all. (break) ...moment, the human society's so degraded that even we are walking, this is also risky. This is also... Gradually, it is becoming.
Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:
Nitāi: He was on the airplane when we were coming here to Hyderabad. And he was asking what our program was. And I was telling him that first of all, in order to relieve the confusion of society, we wanted to establish the Vedic culture with this varṇāśrama system. And he asked me what would be the program that we would have for a man who works in the factory...
Prabhupāda: He is a śūdra.
Nitāi: Would we retrain him as a farmer?
Prabhupāda: No, if he is prepared. If not, let him remain. But we can utilize that śūdra also.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:
Nitāi: Text seven.
- kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
- pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
- yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
- śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
- (BG 2.7)
"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That... Here is the question, "confused."
O'Grady: I am the first statement. "I am confused about my duty," that what is the... Thank you.
Nitāi: "...and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am..."
O'Grady: This duty, this duty, is this duty to the self or duty to others or duty to the state?
Prabhupāda: He is confused because he was a kṣatriya, soldier. A soldier's duty is to fight with the enemy. So Kṛṣṇa was advising him, "The opposite party is your enemy. You are a kṣatriya. Why you are trying to become non-violent? This is not good." Therefore he says, "Actually I am now confused. So in confusion I cannot take the right conclusion. I therefore accept You as my spiritual master. You just give me the proper lesson." This is the point. So they were friends. Still, he was confused. So in chaotic condition, in confusion status of life, we must approach the person who is in full knowledge of the things. Just like you go to a lawyer, you go to a physician; similarly, every one of us in the material world, we are confused. Therefore we must go to the spiritual master who can give us real knowledge.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:
O'Grady: Right. So, therefore, for example, I am very confused.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Atreya Ṛṣi: He is confused.
O'Grady: Very confused.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So you must approach a spiritual master.
O'Grady: And you make a decision, therefore to try to sort this confusion, to make some...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual master means who solves all confusion. That is spiritual master. When one is confused, he goes to a spiritual master, and the spiritual master's duty is to save him from all confusion. That is the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. If the spiritual master cannot save him from confusion, then he is not spiritual master. That is the test.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: This whole world is confusion, just like a blazing fire in the forest. When there is forest fire, all the animals become confused, "Where to go? How to save life?" It is very good example. When there is fire in the forest, all the animals become confused. Similarly, this material world is just like a blazing fire in the forest. Everyone is confused. Now how the blazing fire in the forest can be extinguished? You cannot take there your man-made fire brigade. That is not possible. Neither bucketful of water. So in this confused state of the human society you cannot manufacture the solution. The only solution is that when there is rain from the cloud on the forest fire, then it is extinguished. That is not in your hand; that is mercy of God. So spiritual master means who has received the mercy of God and he can deliver to the confused man. Then the solution is there. This is very good verse, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya **. One who has received mercy of God, he can become spiritual master. He can deliver the mercy of God.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: Yes, the best friend is the spiritual master because he saves from the blazing fire of confusion. That is best friend.
Room Conversation with Roger Maria leading writer of communist literature -- June 12, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of talking if you do not know the central point? He says that to come to the truth, neti neti. So we must come to the truth. So we must find out first of all truth. Then we discuss the other, subordinate things. (French) Neti neti means "Not this, not this," means to search out the truth. (French for some time, devotees try to explain Prabhupāda's challenges, RM makes a long speech.)
Bhagavān: The first thing is he's talking for too long, and you're missing the point. It's getting confusing. Ask him, first of all, to speak a little shorter. (French)
Yogeśvara: So he said, what he's suggesting is that first of all, we'd be better off not giving it some kind of concrete form because he thinks ultimately the silence is the best answer.
Prabhupāda: Then let him learn that. If silence is best, then don't talk.
Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:
Yogeśvara: He's confused: what do you define by person then? Because our experience is this person.
Prabhupāda: Just like I am a living being; I have got living force. You have got living force. But we are talking as person.
Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:
Karandhara: No, he doesn't understand the definition when we say spiritual then. He's confusing spiritual with something like esoteric. Spiritual is the opposite of material. And beyond material desire, that means beyond gross and subtle desire, when we say spiritual we mean transcendental, the opposite of material.
Prabhupāda: Purified, purified.
Yogeśvara: Purified desire. (French)
Bhagavān: Prabhupāda says spiritual means pure desire, not that it's opposite but it's pure desire. (French)
Yogeśvara: He says it's still a desire. It may be a pure desire, but...
Prabhupāda: Because he has no information what is spiritual desire, he thinks material desire is as good as spiritual desire.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:
Indian man: Thank you for the enlightenment. But I have got one other doubt. You had told that some great scholars like Mahatma Gandhi had confused and they did not believe in the Kṛṣṇa living, He ever lived, and Dr. Radhakrishnan and another also were not clear in enunciating the theory of Kṛṣṇa. I would like to know whether Kṛṣṇa living or not living, is it very important? And will the movement depends upon one Kṛṣṇa living, positive...
Prabhupāda: No, no. No, no. Kṛṣṇa is never not living—He is living. Otherwise how He can be Kṛṣṇa? But if you do not know whether He is living or not living, that is your lack of knowledge.
Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:
Indian man: Some people take Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā. So far as Bhagavad-gītā was preached by a philosopher like Kṛṣṇa, all other things are not so pertinent. But when people associate Kṛṣṇa with Bhāgavata, Kṛṣṇa of Mahābhārata and Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavad-gītā being a apart from Bhārata, if they all take together there's a lot of confusion.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa of Bhāgavata and Kṛṣṇa, Mahābhārata—the same.
Indian man: Thank you. I know a little about that, but still, if you we take Kṛṣṇa of Bhāgavata, and if you want to say, explain all the things that had happened pertaining to Kṛṣṇa, it would be very difficult to explain the same thing with Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā. That Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā will be separate to everybody.(?)
Prabhupāda: No, therefore... No, therefore... Therefore we say that first of all you understand Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā. That is the ABCD of Kṛṣṇa. Then you go to Bhāgavatam.
Garden Conversation with Dr. Gerson and devotees -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:
Jayatīrtha: Many of them admit that they are very confused, isn't it?
Dr. Gerson: Oh, yes, yes. If you put ten psychologists in a room and ask them for their opinion, you'll get ten opinions on the same subject.
Bahulāśva: Like munis. So many minds, so many ways.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: "If a muni, thoughtful man, hasn't got a different opinion then he is not muni." (laughter) And that is going on. They take it as advancement. There is no standard knowledge. You speak something, and if somebody refutes it with something else, then he is advanced. And then another comes, he becomes more advanced than the second one. And then another comes. So there is no standard knowledge. What is today standard knowledge, tomorrow it is obsolete. Another standard knowledge. So in that way nobody knows what is the standard knowledge. Is it not?
Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The materialistic people say that... When they see someone in the detached position, they say, "He is impoverished." They are so confused that they conclude the opposite.
Prabhupāda: Impoverished?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Impoverished means they are poor.
Prabhupāda: Then what is the poor? What you are rich? You are whole day working day and night, and we are not working, getting our prasādam. I am poverty-stricken, or you are poverty-stricken? You rascal, whole day you are working...
Brahmānanda: For a dry biscuit.
Prabhupāda: ...like an ass, and we are getting, sitting, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and getting our food. So you are poverty-stricken or I am poverty-stricken?
Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:
Father: That's the reason for a lot of confusion.
Jayatīrtha: Yes.
Prabhupāda: They must create confusion because he is a foolish man. He is interpreting on the words of God. He is not a devotee. He has got other purposes as a politician or something else. So he wants to push on his views through Bhagavad-gītā. That is a cheating process. If he wants to speak something, he can write separate book. Why he should go through Bhagavad-gītā? That is cheating. But he knows, "Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. If I push my philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā, it will be very easily accepted." That is going on. That is cheating. Why should you interpret? Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mād-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And the scholar says, "No, no, it is not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa says that "You become My devotee." And the scholar says, "No, no, it is not necessary to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa person." This is going on, big scholar.
Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:
Prof. Hopkins: But if one were to study, read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who was not ready for this, not prepared for it, this might throw them into confusion then, or this would be...
Prabhupāda: No.
Prof. Hopkins: Would it be bad for them or would they simply not learn from it.
Prabhupāda: No, as I told you the... Our only business is to know the Absolute Truth. If you do not try for this then you remain animals. Animal cannot know the Absolute Truth. So to remain animal means varieties of life. Sometimes cat, sometimes dog, sometimes demigod, sometimes this, sometimes that, sometimes American, sometimes something else. This will go on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). In this life we are living, we are making the next body. So if we work nicely then next body may be the higher planetary system or above this material world, in the spiritual world.
Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:
Citsukhānanda: Actually, nobody could leave your lotus feet, Prabhupāda. Once they've come and tasted this bliss of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody could leave. Everyone comes back. Sometimes we become confused a little, but nobody can leave you.
Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. (break) ...Mukunda, Mukunda, or Murāri? Mukunda. He was going everywhere. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected him. "Don't let this rascal to come here." You know that? Mukunda. (indistinct) (break) ...api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā, then?
Devotees: Śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām.
Prabhupāda: Ah. Śraddhāvān, That is required. If he has no faith, then he remains in darkness.
Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Cyavana: The Chinese come and make propaganda. The Russians come and make propaganda. The Americans come and make propaganda. They become confused what to do.
Prabhupāda: The climate is nice. There is good potential for producing food, keeping cows. Everything nice.
Devotee: It is all volcanic. The soil here is all from volcano, volcanic soil, very rich.
Prabhupāda: Oh? Volcanic or not volcanic, pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). When it is created by Lord, it is complete. You are originally from India? No.
Indian boy (2): No, Mauritius.
Indian boy (1): Our father from India.
Prabhupāda: All of you? Bihar? No.
Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Indian man (3): Swamijī, there is something quite confusing.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Indian man (3): Lord Kṛṣṇa created Lord Viṣṇu, and Lord Viṣṇu in His turn created Lord Brahmā. So...
Prabhupāda: Not created, expanded. Just like one candle is burning, and you lit up another candle. So this candle is not created, it is simply power transfer. Expansion. You can call it expansion. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya (Bs. 5.46). Expansion of the light. This is, contains iodine, this ship. Iodine. That ship is going or coming?
Cyavana: Going. But he's sitting.
Prabhupāda: Oh, it is standing.
Morning Walk -- October 7, 1975, Durban:
Devotee (2): Yes, but they are confused.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They want to enjoy, but they're not finding pleasure.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we give you enjoyment. Come to Kṛṣṇa. No tree?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There are some mango trees behind the house where we're staying, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They're not in season right now. There is some fruit on this tree. See up there? There is some fruit. Could be a mango tree.
Prabhupāda: What are these plants? Pineapple? No. Different. (break) ...intelligent. Just like here is sunshine. Wherefrom the sunshine is coming? We can see the sun globe. So what is the arrangement there? This is inquiry. And there must be some heating arrangement, lighting arrangement. There must be some fire. And who has made this fire? How it came, so big fire that the whole universe is heated and light? This is inquiry. And see the sunshine and say, "It is nature," and finish business, dismiss all other questions—what is this nonsense? "I am great scientist." Eh? What is your reply? "It is nature, that's all." A great scientist. That a child can say also. It is automatic. That is not intelligence. If the scientists simply study the sunshine, they will have to come to the conclusion there is God.
Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:
Saurabha: But they're afraid to take decision. They're very much confused.
Harikeśa: They're afraid to take a decision whether to kill them or not by pulling out the plug.
Prabhupāda: You take decision or not, he will be killed. That you cannot say. You are becoming very much moralist, whether to kill, but it will be killed. You cannot save him. That is not possible.
Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:
Indian man: She asked Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, I think. So we will arrange. She should go, you know. She made a great confusion yesterday.
Akṣayānanda: That's all right. Let her have.
Prabhupāda: Let her return the receipt or give a receipt and let her go away. Nobody can stay more than three days.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- February 19, 1976, Mayapura:
Acyutānanda: People confuse change for progress. When it is just changed and done in a more complicated way, they think it is called progress. That is also the Communist thing when there is protest: "Oh, well, you have to accept change. It's natural. It's a natural change."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is communal thought.
Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: I think that poet was convinced.
Trivikrama: Yes. He admitted that he was confused.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This philosophy pervades all of modern science.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This chance theory.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:
Mike Barron: But some people are confused by the number of false gurus.
Prabhupāda: So why you bring guru? You try to understand yourself. If you are fool, then what guru will do?
Mike Barron: But there are people...
Prabhupāda: You should be intelligent. You should know that what is the subject matter of knowledge. Why do you accept so many fools and rascals as guru? First of all you know what is the subject matter of knowledge. Just like if you want to become a carpenter, you should go to an expert carpenter. If you want to be a medical man, here, if you want to become medical man, you must approach the medical college. So first of all, what do you want? You do not know what you want. Therefore you get so many cheaters. You do not know what you want.
Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:
Guest (3): No. Could I just share one experience, and I'd like your feeling on this. This is one thing that, the reason that we come throughout the world, and that is that we believe that in the year 1820 that there was a young man, Joseph Smith, who was confused about religion. And in this confused state he sought the Bible, and he read James 1:5, and the inspiration was to go seek God and ask Him in prayer. And in his prayer he had an experience where God the father and His son Jesus Christ appeared to him. Now, see this is what we base our religion about, is that a young man saw God and was visited by Him and His son Jesus Christ, and through him They used him as an instrument in restoring His true church. Now that's our testimony, and we believe this with all of our heart. We feel that it's built upon the spirit and that it's through prayer and study that we've found this. Now, what's your feeling about that?
Prabhupāda: No, if he has seen God, then God has given him some message.
Room Conversation -- April 30, 1976, Fiji:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. So because he accepted discipleship, so He immediately chastised him that "You rascal, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are on the platform of bodily conception of life, the platform of the animals." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who accepts this body as self, he's animal. He's not even a human being. So the whole world is on this bodily concept of life. That is going on. "American," "European," "Hindu," "Muslim," "black," "white," this, that. They do not know what is education. That is the first education, that "You rascal, you are not this body. You are within the body." So who understands this? And they're declaring that "We are student of Bhagavad-gītā. We have studied Bhagavad-gītā." Hmm? Even Gandhi, he takes photograph with Bhagavad-gītā, but his fighting is for nationalism. The others are doing that. So what is the use of taking Bhagavad-gītā? The Pakistanis are also doing that. But you have taken Bhagavad-gītā, you are doing the same work. So what is your credit? This is going on. So nobody is learning Bhagavad-gītā. It is first time that we are teaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Otherwise, everyone is misled. The subject matter is that the soul is different from this body.
Morning Walk -- May 27, 1976, Honolulu:
given the chance?
Devotee (2): Most people think that if it's very confusing, and if their philosophy is very contradictory, then it's very profound. They think that if a philosophy is confusing...
Prabhupāda: Jugglery.
Devotee (2): ...or contradictory, then it is...
Prabhupāda: The word is jugglery. The word is jugglery. If you present something with jugglery of words, "Oh, it is very deep thought."
Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:
Reporter: They have.... Is it that they have confused materialism with happiness?
Prabhupāda: Not Material, I mean, I mean to say. Happiness is knowledge.
Reporter: Hmm.
Prabhupāda: Happiness is knowledge. Man who is in ignorance, he is suffering, and that you say material and spiritually. A person who is not in developed consciousness, he is suffering. And they commit sinful acts also.
Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:
Hari-śauri: One thing that has always confused a lot of devotees is how is it possible to eat something in the spiritual world when that, the thing that you're eating is also spiritual?
Prabhupāda: There is no need of eating, but if they like, they can eat, enjoy.
Rāmeśvara: The taste, the flavor.
Devotee: But what happens to the thing that they're eating?
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Then you will see when you go there.
Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:
Hari-śauri: It's very confusing, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Confusing must be. How you can understand the subtle laws of God? You have dull brain, with cow dung. (laughs) You cannot understand.
Arcita: So according to the Christians, Śrīla Prabhupāda, Jesus Christ was born without contact of any material father. He was divinely placed in the womb of Mary.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Divinely placed by the Father is God. That's all. You cannot deny the fact. And he claims: "I am son of God." Then, what is the argument?
Arcita: Is there any such experience in the Vedic literatures, Śrīla Prabhupāda? An example we can cite also?
Prabhupāda: No, no, Vedic literature, apart from. Your argument, that without father, how it is without father? Without father, there is no question of birth; without mother, there is no question of birth. Our point is that without father there is no creation.
Garden Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:
Jayādvaita.: "Material perplexities are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not therefore remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse. Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad the perplexed man is described as follows: yo vā etad akṣaraṁ gārgy aviditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇaḥ."
Prabhupāda: Yad viditvā yaḥ prayāti sa brāhmaṇa, etad avidyāt yaḥ prayāti sa eva kṛpaṇaḥ. Read.
Jayādvaita: " 'He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization.' This human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity, who can utilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser. On the other hand, there is the brāhmaṇa..."
Prabhupāda: They do not know even what are the problems of life. People are so uneducated, they do not know even what are the problems of life. They do not know. What generally people think the problems of life?
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: One is..., when one is confused and frustrated by this material existence, he wants to find an answer to his problem. So there are different authorities in the world offering solutions, but one has to find the actual authority.
Prabhupāda: That is the purport. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsu śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). One has to go to guru when one is inquisitive. Jijñāsu. Jijñāsu means we want to know so many things; that is our nature. Child also wants to know. He asks his parents, "What is this, father? What is this, mother?" That inquisitiveness is there in everyone. So when one wants to know about the Supreme, then he requires a guru, or spiritual master. It is not a fashion that "Everyone keeps a guru; let me also have a guru." Not like that. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). "In order to understand the transcendental science, one has to go to guru." Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. After artha,... Just like generally, naturally, one goes to temple, church... Four classes of men.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Hari-śauri:
- kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
- pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
- yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
- śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
- (BG 2.7)
"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking you to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me."
Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore guru is necessary. Everyone is perplexed. Nobody can decide himself. Even a physician, a medical man, when he is sick, he does not make his own treatment. He calls for another physician because he is sick, his brain is not in order. How he can prescribe the real medicine for himself? That is natural. So similarly, when we are perplexed, bewildered, we cannot make any solution, at that time the right person, guru, is required. It is essential. You cannot avoid it.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Hari-śauri: "The Supreme Person Bhagavān said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy. O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy. Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu, Kṛṣṇa, how can I counteract with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa who are worthy of my worship? It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, our spoils will be tainted with blood. Nor do we know which is better, conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield. Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to destroy it even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven. Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken, Arjuna the chastiser of the enemies told Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, I shall not fight, and fell silent. O descendant of Bhārata, at that time, Kṛṣṇa, smiling in the midst of both the armies spoke the following words to the griefstricken Arjuna."
Prabhupāda: So he has said already that "I do not find any other means to pacify me, and You are the only..." The purport is that Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru to instruct him how to get relief from the perplexed position. So in this sense the real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is guru. Not only for Arjuna, for everyone. So if we take instruction from Kṛṣṇa and abide by that order, instruction, then our life is successful. That is our mission. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. We don't say... Don't divert your attention.
Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Ṛṣi Kumāra: There are a lot of artists and people who have everything, and they're living in the nicest..., that's about the nicest place to live, and they're all unhappy. My brother's living there. He's a psychiatrist, and he's beginning to understand that the more he thinks, the more confused he gets, and I've been preaching to him, and he understands. There are also a lot of devotees who aren't in the temple now. They like Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but they also can be preached to, I think.
Prabhupāda: Yes, preaching constantly required to keep them in balance. As soon as the balance is tilted over on the māyā side, then everything is finished.
'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now most of these slides will appear in our book, the origin of life and matter, Life Comes From Life. Now Sadāpūta and myself made these slides. These are some of the... Only a few slides. We specifically want comments from your Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda, whether these slides will be appropriate to be in the book. Now this is the philosophy between the difference between life and matter. So this is sāṅkhya philosophy. The principles and the philosophy, as Śrīla Prabhupāda comments in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the Third Canto, the sāṅkhya philosophy is especially meant for persons who are conditioned by this material world, and by understanding the science of devotional service and sāṅkhya philosophy, one can become free from the modes of material nature. So we want to impose that in order to understand the distinction between life and matter, one must at least have a glimpse of the Absolute Truth, at least some idea of the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, it is completely impossible to understand the difference between what is life and what is matter. That is why scientists nowadays are so much confused about the concept of life and matter. So in fact the scientist Orgell, in his book The Origin of Life, he starts with saying "What is life? The question 'What is life?' should not be inquired." He says...
Prabhupāda: One minute. That Absolute Truth is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Absolute Truth is that from whom everything comes into existence, everything emanates. Now that has been discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary by the same author. So he begins janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). This word is used. He's not dead body, dead matter-abhijñaḥ, like that. In the beginning. That source of everything... Janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1).
'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So that differentiates also the simple matter without life. For example, sometimes it has been asked whether a crystal is alive or not. This is confusing to the scientists. Sometimes they say that a crystal is behaving just like a living body, it grows and this and that, they say. But actually there is no flow of matter. That tells us that crystal is not life. There's a fundamental difference. The last point in this connection is that matter is impersonal and life has personality.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Guest (2): Yes, it is just like that, sir, just you said it is like a small pond and big pond. No doubt, He is a big light. You cannot that thing. But what my confusion is, is this thing, that we have to, and a bhakta will also, with a limited sense, will never be able to go to that extent unless he has to surrender to some bigger power than him. And what I think...
Prabhupāda: That we, we take Kṛṣṇa as the bigger power.
Guest (2): Sure, we have to take. This is my... We have to take a bigger power. Otherwise...
Prabhupāda: So if we take Kṛṣṇa as bigger power, there is no controversy. Whatever He says you have to accept.
Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:
- kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
- pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
- yad chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
- śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
- (BG 2.7)
Translation: "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."
Prabhupāda: Everyone is perplexed conditioned. In this material world, you cannot find anyone who is not perplexed. Is there anyone who is not perplexed? Can anyone say that "I am not perplexed"? (laughs) Everyone is. Therefore everyone requires guru. But a guru knows. Guru means like Kṛṣṇa or His representative.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, pradhāna. Then from pradhāna, by the action of time this mahat-tattva is generated. Now we were a little confused about that. He said by the impregnation of the Lord's internal potency there is hiraṇmaya, is produced within mahat-tattva, and this hiraṇmaya is self-effulgent.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's effulgent.
Prabhupāda: Hiraṇmaya?
Hari-śauri: Effulgent.
Prabhupāda: Oh, effulgent, yes.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: (indistinct) ...with this hiraṇmaya, the relationship between mahat-tattva and the hiraṇmaya is clear, then I think we can have some idea. So we are little confused on this very point. It is also said pradhāna is the twenty-four elements that doesn't contain time.
Prabhupāda: Pradhāna is the ingredient.
Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:
Indian man (2): I don't know. Somehow or other, I myself am totally confused about Indian community in this country. I have no comments to make, but I found out that they are the least charitable community among all communities. I lived in Canada almost ten years, and I found out other communities are very charitable. Even if you go to other community, at least they will give something, but Indians...
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Every Indian should come to the temple and become a devotee.
Indian man (1): I think more and more people are really coming to the temple and becoming part of it, as I think most of the devotees around here know, in the last few years. Everybody I know of...
Prabhupāda: "More and more coming" means not all are coming.
Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:
Indian man (2): There are many swamis coming from India nowadays, and they are trying to establish, some of them like Gaṇapati temples or the Lord Śiva temples, and so forth, and trying to confuse Westerners, especially Americans, because most of them, they do come to America. Being Indian, how we can help about this confusion?
Prabhupāda: You take Bhagavad-gītā as standard. Who is the Hindu or Indian there who can refuse the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? So you present them Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then it will not happen. I don't think any Indian or any Hindu can deny the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. Is there anyone?
Devotee: No.
Prabhupāda: Then you present them. That is, I have taken, that this is the summum bonum of Indian culture, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is accepted all over the world as the greatest book of knowledge, so take this standard and preach, and people will be enlightened, without misinterpretation.
Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even in India nowadays they are confused also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. In Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a word, vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñe nā bujhāya: "The activities of a Vaiṣṇava, even the most intelligent person of this world cannot understand." Vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñe nā bujhāya.
Hari-śauri: I remember reading in the Kṛṣṇa Book, you mention that to the ordinary man a Vaiṣṇava appears to be crazy.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York:
Hari-śauri: One of the big problems that you read about a lot now is how parents are confused about how to educate their children, because there are so many different standards, and they don't know how their children will turn out anymore.
Prabhupāda: Here is our standard—to make him devotee.
Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:
Mike Robinson: I think I'm beginning to get, if you could explain, a bit confused. What I'd like you to explain is...
Prabhupāda: We are trying to educate people on this basis.
Mike Robinson: But that's, if I understand you correctly, you seem to be educating people on a purely scientific basis.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:
Hari-śauri: He was a little bit confused because first of all you quoted śāstra, said everything was from śāstra. Then again you said "Forget the śāstra; this is logic." (laughter) He couldn't figure out how they both came into play. And then at the end you said that religion is logic.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is religion. If you have to accept the supreme authority, then as soon as you violate you are punishable. Very common sense.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:
Nava-yauvana: Prabhupāda, some people confuse the chanting with the...
Prabhupāda: Every people must be confused, because he has no training. Not some people. You say, "All people." Then it is all right.
Atreya Ṛṣi: This is one sort of confusion that he wants to explain.
Prabhupāda: You should know everyone is confused. If you have got capacity, then you make him peaceful. Otherwise, you expect everyone is confused. It is a different life. Unless one is very, very fortunate, he cannot understand it. So confusion is natural. There is not the question of some people or other, everyone is confused. They do not know what is spiritual life, what is spirit. Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." So how he'll not be confused? The very beginning is confusion. So long one is confused with this bodily conception of life, he's called in the śāstra animal. The animal is always confused. He does not know what is life, what is aim.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: Anyone who is in the bodily concept of life, he's confused like the animals, cows and asses. That is the general condition. So you should not be surprised to see somebody confused. Because he's in bodily concept of life. Unless he overcomes the bodily concept of life, he'll remain confused. Because he's accepting something which is not. He's practically seeing that he's not body, still he's thinking "I am this body." This is confusion. Practically he's seeing daily that body is there and the spirit soul left the body, now the body has no value, everyone knows it. Still, he's thinking, "I am this body." How much foolish he is. That is confusion. He knows that. He practically sees every day, "My father is gone." "Why your father is gone? He's lying there." "No, no, my father is gone." He's experienced. His father is gone, his brother is gone, his relatives gone, and still he thinks, "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." This is confusion. So it requires little advancement of knowledge to get out of this confusion. But he is practically keeping himself in this confusion. So not somebody, but everybody.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:
Atreya Ṛṣi: Practically material life is very confusing, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is confusion.
Atreya Ṛṣi: One is thinking that one can enjoy and goes after something, and it is not there. Everybody's trying to grab for themselves. Very confusing.
Prabhupāda: Therefore the śāstra says, yenātmā suprasīdati.
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
He is..., everyone is trying to become happy, wants to love somebody, but everything is misplaced. So as long as this activity will be misplaced, he'll never become happy. When it is properly placed, then he'll be happy. The confusion is there. The easiest process is recommended in this age, to chant the holy name of the Lord. Then you'll be gradually purified and you'll understand. You'll be out of confusion. This very easy thing. It is not, we are not recommending that you simply chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the name of God, but if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is Indian name or Hindu name, why shall I chant it?" No, you have got your God's name, you chant that. You chant that. We recommend that you chant. God's name must be. Then you'll be purified.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. This is Vedic instruction. If you simply understand God, then you understand everything. Therefore God says janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). "If anyone understands Me factually, then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), then after giving up this body, he's not going to accept any more material body. He comes to Me." So simply try to understand God. And that is possible simply by chanting the holy name of God. Very easy. It doesn't matter. Either you are Iranian or Indian or, chant the name of, holy name of God. I think there should (not) be any objection for this movement. Eh? What do you think? That's all. We are simply pleading, "My dear sir, please chant the holy name of God." Who will have any objection? Nobody will have any. Do it. There is no confusion. If you are confused, chant the holy name of God, you'll be out of confusion. Tell them like that. Everyone should join with us and preach this cult. This is not a cult, this is a science, that you chant the holy name of God, that's all. You have seen that house? Dayānanda, no, was with you?
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: Yes, He's giving. Read the Bhagavad-gītā. But you rascals don't accept, what can be done? God is personally coming to give you intelligence, take this intelligence. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). "I come when there is no intelligence, when you are all rascals, I come to give you intelligence, but you don't take, what can I do?" That is God's mission, that "These rascals, without properly being guided they'll go to hell. Let Me give them some intelligence." That is Bhagavad-gītā, that is Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is kārpaṇya doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ: "I have become confused, so give me intelligence." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). He's taking intelligence, how to tackle the situation. He was confused. He was to fight as a kṣatriya, but he saw that the persons with whom he has to fight, they are all family members. So what kind of fight is that? Who is fighting with family members? That was his confusion.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Ali: Yes, that's right. My question is answered, but my confusion is still...
Prabhupāda: What is that confusion?
Ali: I'm amazed that... When someone tastes something, a nice fruit, something pleasant, he remembers, appreciates that, even in material world. How could someone see God and come from a source as powerful and lovable as that and then forget? How could he forget so easily and become so badly attached to this materialism? Why is it that we are so far? I know it's in due course to my actions.
Prabhupāda: That tendency is here. Because we are very small fragment of spiritual identity, that tendency is there. The example is given, just like fire and spark of the fire. The fire and the spark, the spark is very small, but it is fire. And the big fire, together they look very beautiful. With the fire, when the sparks come-sput sput—so many sparks, it looks very beautiful. But the sparks sometimes fall down from the original fire. Then it is no more fire. It is fire, but it's extinguished. The illumination is over. So we are small particles of God. God is big fire; we are small particles of God. So we are playing with the big fire very nice, but there is chance of falling down.
Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Nava-yauvana: Many people, when they see the devotees, they are confused, and they think that the devotees are engaged in some kind of ritualistic activity; the chanting and practices of devotees are ritualistic, and they compare it to their own rituals and they don't see any distinction. So they see it as sectarian.
Prabhupāda: What they want?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Some of them are not sincere, so they simply want to find fault, but those who are sincere can be encouraged to...
Harikeśa: They are all wanting material things. Like in Bhagavad-gītā, what is the verse, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ? Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna to rise above the scriptures, the flowery words of the Vedas.
Prabhupāda: They are not concerned with the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot quote from Bhagavad-gītā to instruct these rascals. You have to talk with them with common sense. Their charge is, what is their charge? That you are engaged in ritualistic ceremonies?
Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Harikeśa:
- kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
- pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
- yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
- śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
- (BG 2.7)
"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."
Prabhupāda: This is the position. Unless one feels like that and asks somebody, a superior, accepts him as guru, there is no use talking. It will not be useful. This is the position. If the injunction is tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), if anyone is interested to know about the transcendental subject matter, he must approach a guru, and unless one approaches a guru, he cannot understand, and if by force I become guru, he may not be interested. This is the position. But still, for a preacher, he has to do something against all odds. That is preaching. You cannot expect favorable position. Your question was that we go and they say like this, but you cannot expect that wherever you are going you'll find favorable situation to talk. That you must understand. But you have to preach, you have to create favorable situation. That is your duty.(?) You cannot expect. If they are not prepared to take good instruction.
Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:
Hari-śauri: They get a bit confused because God has to... Like that man last night was saying not even a blade of grass can move without God's sanction. So they think because God sanctions...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is so many times explained. Just like a child wants to do something. The father says, "Don't do it," I have said several times. Reluctantly, "All right, do it." I have given this example of my practical experience in 1925 or '26 when my son was two years old. There was a table fan, "I would like to touch it." And I said, "No, no, don't touch." This is child. So but it's a child. He again tried to touch it. So there was a friend, he said, "Just slow the speed and let him touch." So I did it, slowed the speed and he touched-tung! Then he would not touch. You see. So this sanction was given, "Touch it," reluctantly. Now when he gets experience and I ask him, "Touch again?" "No." So this sanction. All of us who have come to this material world, it is like that. Reluctantly. Therefore God comes again to inform these rascals that "Now you have tried so much, better give up this, come to Me again." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Sanction was given, certainly, and he has experience, very bitter, but still he won't... This is obstinacy. Dog's mentality. The father has come personally. Now we have experimented everything—karma, jñāna, yoga, this, that, all nonsense. "Now I say..." It is said most confidential. Sarva-guhyatamam. "Better give up this job. Surrender to Me, come back to Me." So sanction was there, certainly. Without sanction they cannot do it. God created this. That is sanction.
Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:
Harikeśa: "The first six chapters of the Gītā are meant for those who are interested in transcendental knowledge, in understanding the self, the Superself and the process of realization by jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, and discrimination of the self from matter. However, Kṛṣṇa can only be known by persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other transcendentalists may achieve impersonal Brahman realization, for this is easier than understanding Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person, but at the same time He is beyond the knowledge of Brahman and Paramātmā. The yogis and jñānīs are confused in their attempts to understand Kṛṣṇa, although the greatest of the impersonalists, Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, has admitted in his Gītā commentary that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But his followers do not accept Kṛṣṇa as such, for it is very difficult to know Kṛṣṇa, even though one has transcendental realization of impersonal Brahman. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of..."
Prabhupāda: The subject matter itself is difficult. Therefore ordinary persons or a little advanced person cannot understand. And unless one is fully aware of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become spiritual master. The subject matter itself is difficult. Therefore you don't find many spiritual masters.
Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:
Ātreya Ṛṣi: If you take the scientist's thinking like this one step further, we see that because of this thinking they do not see, they become very confused, and then they say God is..., if there is God, He's unjust. He's not just because...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. There is God, rascal. First of all, our point is this. Unjust or just, we shall see later on. First of all, you accept there is God.
Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior authority than Me."
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- (BG 7.19)
These things are there. Iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā. Then explain. Vimṛśya, this word is there. Vimṛśyaitad yathecchasi tathā kuru. Find out this verse, iti. These are strong words. Because we are misled by foolish leaders, we are confused. Otherwise everything's clear.
Evening Darsana (on night of arrival) -- August 16, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: There is no question of management. Anyone comes, if you have made packages for distribution, give a package.
Indian man (4): There will be a lot of confusion, Prabhupāda, there. And what we should do in that passage, we should make them sit, as we were discussing, about six hundred or so. We should make the passage and put daddis(?) these on that and make all the visitors and guests sit on that, and immediately after pratiṣṭhā is over, installation of the Deities and all, one by one they should be allowed to go have darśana and come back. When they return, give them prasāda. Not in package, bhoogi (?) sweet, it is...
Prabhupāda: Whatever you want to arrange. When they're going back. That's all.
Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana:
Hari-śauri: This is... And then the next part's even worse. "For the doubting or confused minority, to which section I then belonged, Swamiji has this message. "Those who want to secure pearls from the sea have to dive deep to fetch them. It does not help them to dabble among the shallow waves near the shore and say that the sea has no pearls and that all stories about them are false. Likewise, if a person wants to secure the love and grace of the avatāra he must also dive deep and get submerged in Sai Baba. Then only will he become one with me and carry me in his innermost heart."
Prabhupāda: Everyone can say like that. What you have done as God? God is an Indian. Making things very complicated.
Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is why these leaders are getting confused, so many bogus people are there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That should, action should be there. If we come out successful in this, how you say, messing, and that will be very good. It is called that, messing?
Hari-śauri: Mixing.
Haṁsadūta: Mixing.
Prabhupāda: Not mixing.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:
Hari-śauri: Hm. The people are so confused because they don't know...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: What's bona fide and what is not now.
Prabhupāda: Neither they want. They are becoming skeptic.
Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:
Jagadīśa: Because with the temple there has been confusion.
Prabhupāda: Now the temple, you can make separate account.
Jagadīśa: We have one question about one of the boys. His name is (name withheld), and he's a... He's more or less a bad boy. He's had a bad background. His mother's a devotee and she's a nice devotee, but he's very... He terrorizes the other boys.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Jagadīśa: He misleads them. He lies.
Prabhupāda: How old he is?
Jagadīśa: He's thirteen.
Prabhupāda: So he cannot be... He must go back. We cannot spoil other children.
Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:
Mahāṁśa: I mean, the problem that came up in the temple, it was going on okay before, but then there was suddenly so many more devotees that came. Half of them were here, half of them were there, and they were moving around every day. So the temple managers were confused. They didn't know how much, how many devotees...
Prabhupāda: No, temple... Who is temple manager?
Mahāṁśa: Ānandamaya is managing now. He's very good. He can do it nicely but he was confused because there were devotees...
Prabhupāda: Now there is no confusion. Immediately they can go, all the devotees. They are not required. What is the use?
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:
Jagadīśa: There is one confusion in my mind, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Mahāṁśa said that the local villagers will not be inclined to come here and live because they are living just outside. But my impression was, from hearing you speak was, that everyone, whether they're living just outside or a long distance outside, they are suffering from material existence. They're having to struggle for existence. They're being taxed by the government. There's so many problems to maintain themself. And every living being in the material world is struggling to maintain himself. But if we offer them a house here and some work and we give them all food, clothing, and...
Prabhupāda: That is our aim.
Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:
Mr. Malhotra: That is what I said, huh. So there are so many interpretations that you get confused. Because of the same thing, some interpret it a different way.
Prabhupāda: One thing is that you have to become intelligent. Just like Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Now why I shall accept interpretation on these plain words? That is my foolishness. If somebody says dharma-kṣetra means this body and Pāṇḍava means the five senses, why this nonsense interpretation? If you are not intelligent, then you will accept such rascals interpreting unnecessarily. Interpretation is required when things are not very clear. But when the things are clear, why you should accept interpretation? That is my foolishness. There is no need of interpretation. (break) ...is it still there? Why, if the rascal interprets Kurukṣetra means this body, why shall I accept it? Kurukṣetra is still there. There is no difficulty to understand. And if somebody interprets... (break) ...interpretation, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that as soon as you interpret, the whole thing is lost. So why shall I be so foolish, I shall accept something which is lost.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:
Guest (1): No. These people have confusion in their mind. One of course is CIA, then then FBI, then this hippie, then this narcotic people and...
Prabhupāda: Hundreds there are. But what we have got to do with them?
Guest (1): They're addicted with those things. And also some of our own Transcendental Meditation and so forth, all these things are creating some mental confusion and lack of certain clarity which is...
Prabhupāda: But we must have eyes to see. What they have got, position? All these, they go and come. But here it is entering into the core of the heart of the younger generation. They are becoming mad after it. One should have eyes to see. And therefore the authorities are afraid that "Younger generation, if they..." Here is one book by Professor Stillson Judah. He's a great, learned scholar. After five years study on this movement he has written this book, Hare Krishna and Counterculture. He has given his verdict that "This movement will stay." He has very thoroughly studied the statistics and meeting every member, in this way. There are many books about us, small and big. But here is a responsible master of religious studies.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Mr. Asnani: Oh, I was taking sometime in literary sense. So it was sometimes confusing me.
Prabhupāda: No, it is literally, that yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. He, spiritualist person, he knows, that "What is the use of the sense gratification? The sense gratification is there in the cats and dogs. Why I am wasting in this way?" That is awakened. What is the difference? A man is having sex life in a very nice apartment, very decorated and nice cot. He is enjoying sex life, that "I am advanced civili..." And the dog is enjoying sex life on the street in presence of everyone. But the enjoyment of sex life is the same. There is no difference either for the dog or the man. So the spiritualistic man, he says that "Why shall I waste my time in sex enjoyment? This is enjoyed by the dogs and cats. I have got this human form of life for spiritual advancement."
Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Rāmeśvara: Actually the field now for preaching in America is better than ever. More people are becoming interested to hear what we are and what our message is than ever before because of all this controversy. Whenever something is making newspapers that is confusing or controversial, they immediately want to hear about it because they have a tendency to look for faults.
Prabhupāda: That is everywhere.
Rāmeśvara: But they're very eager to have us come to the colleges and high schools...
Prabhupāda: Envious.
Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, no, he's coming. Kīrtanānanda has gone.
Rāmeśvara: Kīrtanānanda has gone, but now they are a little confused what should be done next. They originally... The plan was that he was going to come here to be your secretary. So now they need some new instruction. So we thought Jagadīśa could call and invite him to come to America to preach.
Prabhupāda: That is better. That is better. To write some letters here, that is not so important. But if he can preach and he... At least, we are expecting... He's old sannyāsī. He knows how to preach. Let him do that.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:
Rāmeśvara: These are misunderstandings that confuse people.
Prabhupāda: The whole life is misunderstanding, material life.
Rāmeśvara: But we want them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's the main thing.
Prabhupāda: Why they are envious of us? When we live very nicely, they are envious that "These people do not do anything, and they are living so nicely."
Evening Darsana -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: But when the things are understood very clearly, why interpretation?
Guest (2): It will, rather, confuse.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (2): Suppose I will drag this meaning...
Prabhupāda: This was protested by Caitanya Mahāprabhu vigorously. Why should you interpret?
Guest (4) (Indian man): Yes. He told, the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the ultimate bhāṣya of prasthāna code, Vedānta-sūtra.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, anything, if you can understand very clearly, where is the question of interpretation? But it has become a fashion that "If I can interpret in my own way, I become a big scholar." This is going on. If you have got your philosophy, you can speak. Everyone is free. Why you should take Bhagavad-gītā and distort it? Kṛṣṇa never meant that "In future Gandhi will come," or "Dr. Radhakrishnan will come, and he will explain My ideas." What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa was a foolish person that he left it for Gandhi for distortion? He could not explain Himself that Kurukṣetra means this body? Gandhi has to interpret? Do you think it is right?
Guest (5) (Indian man): Not at all.
Prabhupāda: But this is going on. What right you have got to interpret? If Kurukṣetra means body, Kṛṣṇa would have explained that. Was He not learned? He left it for Gandhi. Just see. He left it for Tilak. How harmful these interpretations are. That is going on.
Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: Mano-dharma means once you accept, "Good," and next moment you reject it, "Bad." This is mano-dharma. So that is going on. And therefore we have taken this vow that "Whatever Kṛṣṇa said, that is good, and everything bad. Bas." Our confusion is finished.
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I had a question about the prasādam distribution money that I am hoping to get from the record sales.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They're somehow confused.
Prabhupāda: Hm? That means less intelligent.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We need to show the alternative.
Prabhupāda: No, a child can see there are two things, that what is the difference between a living man and dead man. So my father was living one moment before. Now he is dead. The something is missing. The two things are there. Where is the difficulty? And these big, big scientists, they cannot understand. How less intelligent they are. Immediately understood two things, but something is missing.
Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:
Rāmeśvara: This book has already gotten scholarly reviews even before it's published, so we printed them on the back cover. It says, "Readers, be of good cheer. To those of you who have surveyed in confusion the trackless path of Indian philosophy, this volume offers hope and respite. You are holding in your hands a reasonable and highly readable account of the particulars of Vedic thought. Read and find enlightenment." By Professor Jerry Clack, Department of Classics, Duquesne University. And another one... This professor is very favorable. Dr. Thomas Hopkins of...
Prabhupāda: Yes. He saw me several times.
Showing of Planetary Sketches -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, previously we painted in the art department... Just like Varāha lifted the earth, and the earth was a globe, and we showed also a globe of the earth. How does that relate to this? Previously, when we painted, we showed the earth a ball. So now the artists will be very confused. How it fell in the Garbha Ocean as a ball?
Yaśodānandana: It depends on what we mean by earth. The Western conception of earth is just five continents and a few oceans, but according to Bhāgavatam, earth means Jambūdvīpa, because earth is connected with Jambūdvīpa.
Devotee (2): So whole Jambūdvīpa fell.
Bhakti-Prema: Bhāgavata describes the height of Himalayas, eighty thousand miles.
Prabhupāda: No, about this earth globe.
Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:
Girirāja: On the one hand, the full management of the society rests with Your Divine Grace. But on the other hand, as a society, there is also a bureau which passes resolutions. So they were confused as to the relationship between Your Divine Grace and the Bureau. So they wanted to clarify some of these issues with their legal department.
Prabhupāda: Is there any difficulty?
Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This Rāmānuja. He looked at it, he said, "This is not makara-dhvaja." Now let us wait. There may be some confusion over the name or something, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I'm not jumping to conclusion yet. But my interest in Vanamali in only that since we gave these valuable ingredients, I want to know that what he gave us is the same thing. I'm not saying that he has played any tricks. Better that we should be patient and check carefully everything. There's no reason to jump to any conclusion yet. It may be that the name he has given is a different name.
Prabhupāda: Then why he did not come?
Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, because we've already given them a scheme which accounts for everybody. Better to have the whole thing done in a very organized way from one bank, rather than a little here, a little from there. That is simply confusing. Besides that, the... It's just a lot simpler, you know, if we do it this way. That is my opinion, because we've already given a scheme to Indian Overseas. We've put fixed deposits worth a certain amount which bring one thousand rupees interest. So now, if we have to tell them a whole new scheme, then it becomes confusion. It's easier simply to inform the Punjab Bank to discontinue sending the five hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: And unless they send, Overseas...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. I am not sending a letter to Punjab Bank. The letter is being sent to Girirāja with the clear instruction on cover letter, "Only send this letter to Punjab Bank after you have it confirmed that they have begun to dispatch Rs. 1000 per month." The same way we did for Sulakshman De. When we stopped sending it from here and we began sending from Bombay, we only told them to stop when it had begun to be sent from another bank. In other words, she'll get the money first from Indian Overseas before the other payment's stopped.
Prabhupāda: So how she will get?
| Page Title: | Confusion (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 22 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=123, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 123 |