Emphasize (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"emphasis" |"emphasize" |"emphasized" |"emphasizes" |"emphasizing"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: The chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, seems to play a very important role in the profession of your religious belief. Right? In fact, I think I will ask you and some of your followers who are sitting here with us tonight a little bit later to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: That probably would be a proper ending to this particular program. However, I'm still wondering, you know, about some of the aspects. In reading a little bit... I have not read much, of course, but in reading a little bit about your beliefs and your writings, your magazines, your publications...

Prabhupāda: I may correct here that it is not my belief.

Interviewer: Well, as you interpret it in your writings. Let me put it that way. It seems to me, sir, that there is a very high emphasis placed on the relationship between the individual and God.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Interviewer: Much more so than upon the...

Prabhupāda: That is for everyone.

Interviewer: Yes but more emphasis on that relationship than on the relationship between one individual and another individual. Am I right in that?

Prabhupāda: No. We have to establish first of all our lost relationship with God. You see? Then we can understand what is the relationship between one individual to another. If the central point is missing, then there is practically no relationship. Just like you are American. Another is American. Both of you, you feel American nationally because the center is America. So unless you understand God, you cannot understand what I am, neither I can understand what you are. So we have to first of all reestablish our lost relationship with God; then we can establish, talk of universal brotherhood. Otherwise there will be discrimination. Just like in your country, or any country, the national... National means a man born in that land. Is it not? But they do not take the animals as national. Why they have no right to become national? That is imperfect knowledge. There is no God consciousness. Therefore they think only the man born in this land is national, not others.

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Prabhupāda: No, that is a philosophical principle. Religion without philosophy is sentiment.

Interviewer: Don't you think there are very good reasons for the existence of these rules and regulations in this respect?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Rules and regulations must be established on philosophy. Otherwise it is sentiment, defective. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. They should be combined, philosophy and religion. Then it will be perfect.

Interviewer: I think that in this part of the world, in the Western world, at least, as much as I am aware of it, we do place a good deal of emphasis on religion and...

Prabhupāda: Based on philosophy.

Interviewer: Well, on religion... What I would like to highlight, what I would like to emphasize is that we place a good deal of emphasis on religion in the ways it gets one man to deal with another man. The ethic of religion. Now...

Prabhupāda: No. Our point is not that.

Interviewer: In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Our... We must clear. We are not concerned how one man deals with another man. Our point...

Interviewer: As a part of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Interviewer: This is not important?

Prabhupāda: No. This is not important. Because we know as soon as one understands how to deal with God, he'll automatically deal with other men very nicely.

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: But you know... Let's take the Christian religion for example.

Prabhupāda: No, I do not wish...

Interviewer: You know the ten commandments for example, there is a heavy emphasis in the ten commandments on the relationships between one human being and another. "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not steal." That sort of thing.

Prabhupāda: But I say that Jesus Christ never said, he never meant, "Thou shall not kill," means only human being. Where is that evidence? Jesus Christ never said "Thou shall not kill means it means only human being." Thou shall not kill any animal.

Interviewer: Any life.

Prabhupāda: Any life. That is religion.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there. It is open to everyone. It is not only open to us. Everyone. Bhagavad-gītā. It is widely-read literature in the world. But unfortunately, they have been misinterpreted.

David Lawrence: It was very interesting to read one of the very western versions, that of Professor Zeiner of Oxford. And on one or two points of contention between yourself and other translators of the Bhagavad-gītā, in fact, he, nearly always, went with you. Now, he's reckoned to be one of the foremost western Sanskrit scholars. And he every time emphasized the devotional tone of your translation. Nearly every time. I was very impressed by that.

Śyāmasundara: We talked with Professor Zeiner (Zayner?), and he may come. He's trying... He's going to see...

Prabhupāda: That is only interpretation. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Arjuna. He is plainly speaking that "I am speaking to you this Bhagavad-gītā because You are My devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam (BG 4.3). So first condition to understand Bhagavad-gītā is to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So in the Bhagavad-gītā, the only talk is about devotion. There is no other talk. There are other talks, but they are subordinate. They are not principal talks. The principal talk is to understand Kṛṣṇa through bhakti-yoga. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Reporter: Yes. Everybody is varṇa-saṅkara.

Prabhupāda: Therefore the only remedy is

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

This is the only, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only remedy for rectification all the misgivings. Therefore any sane man, any thoughtful man, should try to understand the importance of this movement, and they should come and help. This is the...

Reporter: Hm. But what...?

Prabhupāda: It is most scientific.

Reporter: But what you are emphasizing is bhakti-yoga.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter: But what I'm asking is how to bring the karma-yoga, the action, to transform the society, bring back into the...

Prabhupāda: Yes, the yoga in its preliminary stage is karma-yoga. Yoga, yoga means connecting.

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: So we are teaching this sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), just to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Then everything is all right. And then Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. He's taking charge. Then what is the anxiety? Just surrender, that's all.

Reporter: Yes, yes. But what happens that some people have a social dimension, social political dimension, and have no spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But then it seems to me—I'm just asking—that we, when we are emphasizing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are in danger of forgetting the social political dimension. So how to bring this...

Prabhupāda: You are thinking wrongly that we are not responsible. Why you are thinking like that? You are thinking wrongly. Kṛṣṇa did not take in politics, part? Then why you are thinking?

Reporter: No, no, I'm not saying Kṛṣṇa did not take... I'm just saying that it seems that He sometimes, it seems, that people who emphasize the spiritual consciousness do not clarify enough..., it is not clear enough—and I'm not saying it's not there but it's not clear enough—the social political dimension, social action, political action, how we run our society in its practical terms. So it is not clear.

Prabhupāda: It is clear. If you are actually surrendered soul, then to you it is clear, it is very clear. Kṛṣṇa gives direction, that this is the business of the brāhmaṇa, this is the business of kṣatriya. So politics is the business of the kṣatriya. So if you act according to Kṛṣṇa's direction in politics, then you are surrendered soul. It is not that because we have got this mālā and tilaka we are surrendered soul, and a kṣatriya cannot be surrendered soul, or a vaiśya cannot be surrendered soul. You have to act according to the direction. Kṛṣṇa is giving direction: "This is brāhmaṇa's karma." You do it. That means you are surrendered soul, at the same time you are acting as a brāhmaṇa. But if you act whimsically, then what is your surrender? And why did you become a brāhmaṇa? Then there is chaos. That is the present position of the society. They are not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they do not abide by the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Still, they have become leaders. Then the whole thing is chaos.

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You are always. But you forgot. That is our position.

Guest (2): No, I believe I was respecting all religions, all gods, but now I think I lay more emphasis on Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: How can be all Gods then? That is practical. If everyone is God, then what is the meaning of God? If... Do you think everyone is president, everyone is Indira Gandhi? Indira Gandhi is one. The Prime Minister cannot be many. It is a common sense. How everyone can be God? This is nonsense. Anyone thinks that there are many gods, he does not know what is God. Aiye. God is one. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. Therefore there is no education what is God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagava... Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody else superior than Me." That is God. Asama-ūrdhva. God is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as asama-ūrdhva. You can come this side? Let them come forward. You sit down... (break) ...equal to God. And nobody can be greater than God. That is "God is great." If somebody becomes equal to you, how you can be great? Or if somebody is higher than you, then how you can be great? So there is no equal to God, nor greater than Him. That is God. And that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). (break) "...anyone greater than Me." That is God. There are so many Gods, false gods, nowadays. Can anyone say that "Nobody is greater than me"? All these rascal Gods, can he say? Can anyone say? Immediately... He feels some sickness. Immediately he has to call greater God, physician. And he's claiming, "I am God." We don't want such kind of God, manufactured God. We want real God. When we see nobody is greater than Him, that is God. (break) ...We accept so many pseudo, pretender as God. But we do not know how to test him, whether he is greater than everyone? Whether nobody is greater than him? Then he's God. Can you find out any, so many gods, who has no greater than him, or equal to him? You are claiming You are God, I am also claiming, God. Then we are equal. Then how you can be God or how I can be God? We are equals. As soon as you find there are equals, or as soon as find there is greater, then you are not God. God—the great. He must be greater than everyone. Therefore śāstra has concluded, īśvara, God; parama, the Supreme; Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And why? Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is sat, cit, sac-cid-ānanda. Now you test. Your body's not sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, ānanda means full of bliss. Is, is my body sac-cid-ānanda, this body? No. It is not eternal. It is full of ignorance. It is full of miseries. Then how it can be God? So God, there cannot be many Gods. Many gods, that is not many, that is one. Just like you have got millions of photographs. That does not mean you are million. You are one. But you have expanded millions. Just like the sun is found in every pot. In millions of pot, you keep. And the sun is reflected. Does it mean the sun has become million? No. The sun is one.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: In the last World War there was a very famous German propagandist named Goebbels who wrote that if one controls the communications, the media, the radio and television, newspapers, like this, he actually controls what people think. So we've not put so much emphasis on that so far in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, actually controlling the linkage of communication. In the future should we be more and more concerned with that?

Prabhupāda: What is that future? What do you want to do in future?

Prajāpati: Actually permeate all the media with Kṛṣṇa consciousness propaganda, not simply just writing but actually all aspects of...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can take advantage of all this media. That we are doing. Just like we are taking advantage of this microphone. We are not rejecting, "Oh, it is material. Why should we take?" Nothing material. Anything used for Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Material means what is not used for Kṛṣṇa. That is material. You are materialistic when you are not used for Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you are utilized for Kṛṣṇa, you are spiritualistic. That is the difference. Here we say, "This is material world." This is material world because everyone has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is material world. So if they come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is spiritual. (break) ...conscious people now challenge this rascal that "We are searching after Kṛṣṇa. We are not searching... We are devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you are posing yourself as Kṛṣṇa. So show us some Kṛṣṇa's power. We immediately come to you."

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you have got any doubt, you can still ask.

Italian Man (1): Maybe... May I emphasize... (break)

Prabhupāda: We have got your photo. So... but the difference is that your photograph and you are different. Because the photograph is of the temporary body, therefore it is not absolute. But Kṛṣṇa, being everything, Kṛṣṇa's photograph is also Kṛṣṇa.

Italian Man (1): Yes, okay, thank you. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Is it all right?

Italian Man (1): Yes, thank you.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is everything. So His photograph is also Kṛṣṇa. It is not that foolish people, they worship a photograph. No. It is reality. It is reality. Yes. (break) Kṛṣṇa is everything. Can you explain? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Who can explain?

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Richard Webster: And if you try to follow but fail or if you...

Prabhupāda: No, you must follow. You cannot fail. Just like Lord Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." You must follow that. If you do not follow, then you are not Christian. It is not the question of that you could not follow or you are weak to follow. You must follow.

Richard Webster: But the Christians have a thing about forgiveness of...

Prabhupāda: Whatever is there...

Richard Webster: Within the Christian religion there is a strong emphasis on possible failure and forgiveness.

Prabhupāda: No. Forgiveness is... I know that in church the confession program is there. Forgiveness... Suppose you are or I am an offender. I ask your forgiveness. So you can forgive me once, twice, thrice, not more than that. You cannot make it a profession that you go on committing sins and God will forgive you. No, that is not possible. That is misconception. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). This sudurācāraḥ, means offender, that is not willful offense. One person is accustomed to some bad habits, but he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. But on account of strong habit, if he fails sometimes, that is excused, forgiveness, not that willful committing sin and ask for forgiveness. That is not allowed. In common affairs we do not see. I have got practical, I mean to say, experience. In my householder life I was proprietor of a big pharmacy. So my manager sold some morphia preparation to some unauthorized person. So the sales inspector, they noted it and made us a criminal. And the magistrate called me because I was the proprietor. So my statement was given that "I do not conduct the business directly. Of course, I am responsible for my manager's fault, but I shall be very strict in future. You can forgive me." Immediately I was forgiven. But next time, if I go, if I say like that, that is not forgiven. That is not possible. So this forgiveness is good for accidental fault. But it cannot be continued, that is a wrong philosophy.

Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So our, this movement is to create lover of God. It does not matter whether he follows Christianity or Hinduism or Buddhism or this ism or that ism. One must be lover of God, and that is stated in the Bhāgavata. That is first-class religion which turns the followers to become lover of God, that's all.

M. Roche-dieu: In Christianity, mystics would emphasize the same thing.

Prabhupāda: That is the essence of religion, to know God and to love Him. That's all.

M. Roche-dieu: Yes. Love God and love the man too.

Prabhupāda: Why man? Simply love God; then you will love everyone. Because God is the center, God is the father of everyone, so if you love the father, automatically you love the sons. It is not required that you simply love this son and not that son. That is not love of Godhead. "I love human being but I do not love the poor animals. Send them to the slaughterhouse." This is not love of God. So in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find, God says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

So God is the Supreme Father. It is not that He is father of the human being. He is father of the animals, He is father of the trees, He is father of the animals...

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, we don't say neglect the body. But the important factor... Just like our, this Svarūpa Dāmodara has explained that behind this material combination, there is an active principle which is soul. That is the important thing. But in the modern age they are giving more stress on the unimportant thing, and they have no knowledge of the important thing. This is the defect.

Dr. Muncing: I think I disagree with that.

Dr. Harrap: I'm a little uncertain from reading some of your comments about the primary aim that you would set for science. I would place a great deal of emphasis on the contribution that science can make to the community.

Prabhupāda: That I admit. That I admit. Yes.

Dr. Muncing: With respect, sir, I notice you wear a watch. This must be obviously a product of science, and this is what it's about. But you are stressing time and again in your writings the need to concentrate on the laws that you set out in order to achieve some standing in the future, in the life hereafter. Isn't this at the risk of neglecting the people who are sharing this life with us here and now?

Prabhupāda: No, it is not the question of neglecting. Just like formerly there was no watch, but still they used to keep time by the movement of the sun on a dial, just making some marks on the stone. Do you know this?

Guests: Yes, yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So their work was going on. Their work was not suffering for want of this watch.

Dr. Muncing: I agree.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we have got good brain. Instead of utilizing the brain to know what is the active principles of this whole universe, if we utilize that brain for manufacturing a watch, that is not very good proposal. You manufacture watch, but at the same time, you try to study the active principle, who is the watchmaker. I am seeing the watch with the eyes, but as soon as the active principle is gone, no more seeing. Where is that science? A watchmaker is making, screw-driving, and doing so many things. All of a sudden his heart fails. No more watch. What is that active principle? Where is that science? That is my proposition?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So first of all, as I say, that you are also transcendence, you just try to know yourself first. Then you will know what is transcendence. You are the sample of transcendence, and if you see the sample, you can know the whole thing. Just like if you taste one drop of sea water, then you can understand what is the chemical composition of the sea water. Therefore your first business is to know yourself, that you are not this body. In this way, when you know yourself, then you know the original transcendence.

Professor: Why do you make so much emphasis on (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Because without this, you are animal.

Professor: What's wrong with being an animal?

Prabhupāda: Animal means you are living a very risky life.

Professor: A very...?

Prabhupāda: Risky life. The animal is always in danger. A dog is running, but at any moment he can be in danger. I have seen in my own eyes in New York. It is little in the off from New York. In I think in the month of December or January, a dog was jumping and he fell in the water pool and immediately died. It was so cold it collapsed immediately. So what is the use of this dog-like jumping? Besides that, in the animal society there is no question of culture, religion, philosophy, science. Animal, they do not require it. And why man requires it? That means human society is searching after the transcendence. But without knowing the way, how to understand, they are now engaged in different way. You find out this verse from Bhāgavatam, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā na yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. Find out. Kamasya nendriya-pritiḥ.

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Hṛdayānanda: They still have doubts on this point that how can we know that it's worth our trouble, that if we dedicate our lives to this searching for the transcendence, how can we be sure that at the end of it we won't have wasted our lives? How can we be sure that the transcendence is actually worth searching for?

Prabhupāda: No, first of all you must understand the importance of the business. Then we can do it. If you do not understand the importance of the business, then you cannot do it.

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He says that he feels that you've already answered this question, but that they didn't catch it, that he thinks the key is that you said that the truth is not outside, but it's actually within us. We have to find it within us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He says why do you put so much emphasis on the personalism after liberation because it seems like to him that the ideal perfect thing would be the unity rather than having something separate.

Prabhupāda: That is your ideal, imperfect ideal. Because you are imperfect.

Professor: Are you perfect master?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, because I am heard from the perfect. I am not perfect, but what I say, that is perfect. Just like a child does not know what is this dictaphone, but he has learned from the father, "This is dictaphone," so when he says, "This is dictaphone," it is perfect. The child is not perfect, but because he has heard from his father perfect, so the knowledge is perfect.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Young man: Well, since the Old Testament, part of the Old Testament, is very similar to the Koran, I presume the creation of Adam, that bit, is also taken from the Old Testament. But He is projected as a great judge really, a supreme judge.

Prabhupāda: Yes, He must be the supreme judge because He is Supreme Being. So He is not only... Supreme judge means supreme knowledge.

Young man: Yes. Somehow in modern religion they very much emphasize on the fact that He judges. And I could never accept that idea for example, that the Supreme Being judges, because judging is a low activity. It's a... Spiritual people don't judge. So how come...

Prabhupāda: Spiritual...?

Young man: Leader.

Prabhupāda: They do not judge?

Young man: That's what I thought.

Prabhupāda: No, judgment is there everywhere. Unless there is judgment, how you can discriminate, "This is spiritual; this is material"? Judgment must be there for intelligent person. Otherwise how you can distinguish? We are distinguishing every moment—"This is good. This is bad"—in the relative world. So there is judgment. So God—the supreme judge. So as soon as there is question of judgment, then what is our position? There must be good and bad, so that if we have lived a very nice, good life, then by the judgment of God we get better position. And if we have not done so, then you get degraded position. Therefore, for human being it is very sanguine to understand how we are going to be judged by the Supreme. So if we are following the rules and regulation given by God, then the judgment will be better. And if we are not following the laws, the judgment will not be in favor. This is natural to conclude. Then we have to judge what is sin, what is piety, how to be pious, how one becomes sinful. So many things will come.

Conversation with Devotees -- March 31, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Vallabhācārya was rejected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I know that. So actually...

Prabhupāda: He was simply proud of his education. He had no realization.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You explained that...

Acyutānanda: Do they worship in vātsalya-rasa or just show?

Prabhupāda: Show, formality.

Acyutānanda: It's not genuine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not genuine.

Prabhupāda: Some of them say that "Kṛṣṇa, becoming, before becoming polluted." They say like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they do.

Prabhupāda: That means childhood age, there is no pollution, and youthhood age, Kṛṣṇa's, it was polluted by the gopīs. This is their version. Kṛṣṇa becomes polluted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they say like that.

Prabhupāda: Do they say like that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I have spoken to them, in Hyderabad, that Bāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa. And another thing they say is that Rādhārāṇī's name is not mentioned in Bhāgavata. So this whole emphasis on Rādhā is not correct.

Acyutānanda: Is not correct.

Prabhupāda: That means they cannot understand rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛti. They cannot understand. And therefore in their community you won't find any high-class devotee. Simply official sentiment. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I... Is Vallabhācārya...? So he cannot be considered in proper line.

Prabhupāda: Because Vallabhācārya was rejected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's in the line with...

Prabhupāda: He accepted him as learned scholar, but He did not accept him as very highly realized soul.

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: We are teaching to be influenced by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have written fifty books like that, four hundred pages. You can show some of our books.

Paramahaṁsa: This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Volume Two, Volume Four...

Prabhupāda: Sixty volumes.

Paramahaṁsa: Nectar of Devotion.

Guest (4): You seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on books. Are you following any particular path of yoga, niyama-yoga...?

Paramahaṁsa: She says we place a lot of emphasis on books, and she wonders if we are following a particular path such as dhyāna-yoga or jñāna-yoga or what?

Prabhupāda: Bhakti-yoga.

Guest (4): Bhakti-yoga.

Prabhupāda: There are different types of yogas. And you will find

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

You have found out? Read it.

Paramahaṁsa:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

Translation: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."

Prabhupāda: This is bhakti-yoga.

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So what is this? Everyone is seeing the beautiful, the most perfect creation of God, is a woman.

Indian guest: That's lust or maybe passion...

Prabhupāda: That's all. So what is the difference between man and dog? The dog is also seeing another she-dog—the most beautiful creation of God. The ass is also seeing the she-ass-most beautiful creation. So what is the difference between ass and dog and this? And a devotee says,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

nava-nava-(rasa-)dhaman(y udyataṁ) rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame (smaryamāne)

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanam (ca)

So long I have become devotee, since then, as soon as I think of sex, I spite on it." This is devotee. (break) ...whole world is going on simply by this perverted vision: the woman is very beautiful for the man and the man is very beautiful to the woman. This is the knot, hṛdaya-granthi. Otherwise how they will work? Reciprocally, they are seeing beautiful. Sometimes the women like big, big beard. Yes, they like. And they keep. The Mohammedans, they say, "We keep beard. Women like it." They don't want this shaven headed. Huh? What is your experience? (laughter)

Indian guest: Well, there is a lot more emphasis over here about sex and girls than it is...

Prabhupāda: That is everywhere. Why do you say here?

Indian guest: In India... I come from a village, and they don't talk... Well, fathers, parents, elder brother, and priest... And it is very different.

Prabhupāda: But that does not mean the thought of woman is absent. They may be more civilized. They don't talk loosely. But that does not mean he is free from the woman's beauty.

Indian guest: Yeah, they have it, but it is not that rampant. It is kind of suppressed a little bit.

Prabhupāda: At least, they know. They are taught by the culture, "This is not good." But here they do not know that, that the thinking of woman is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They think if you don't think of a woman, then that is not good.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You're abnormal.

Indian guest: That's right. They think you are abnormal. That's right. Over there something like divorce and the crisis, one woman marrying ten husband or going around..., those kind of... I don't anybody in India who has been divorced. I don't know personally. So it's different level.

Prabhupāda: No, amongst the mass of people in India, still there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not vanished. Because by culture, by taking birth in India that is inherent. India is so great.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: If I understand you then correctly, sir, you would say that the emphasis should be returned to the religious aspects.

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Without religious aspect what is the difference between dog and man? Man can be turned to be a religious man, the dog cannot be. That is the difference between dog and man. So if you keep the human society to the status of dogs and cats, how you can expect peaceful society? If you bring one dozen of dogs and if you want to keep them peacefully, is it possible? So if we keep human society as dogs, then how you can expect peacefulness?

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Reporter (2): Are you attempting to form a college?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is my next attempt, that we shall educate according to classification. First-class, second-class, third-class, up to fourth-class. And then fifth-class, sixth-class, that is automatically there. So first-class men, there must be, at least in the society, an ideal class of men, and that is one who is trained up for controlling the mind, controlling the senses, very clean, truthful, tolerant, simplicity, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life and full faith in God. This is first-class man.

Reporter (2): Will this college be quite different from our conventional college which has a great emphasis on athletics, I mean, football teams and...

Prabhupāda: Well, an education... A highly educated man does not require athletics. He requires good brain. Just like high-court judge, he requires a good brain, not a big gigantic body.

Bhaktadāsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the significance of the chant which everyone who has been around the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has heard? What is the significance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Chanting means the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is absolute. His name is not different from Him. So if you chant properly or improperly even, then immediately you be in touch with God. And as you become in touch with God, you become purified. So as you become purified, you know, actually you can see perfectly what is the aim of your life, how the human form of life should be utilized. These thing will be revealed. This is the process of chanting. Try to understand. Chanting the holy name of the Lord means the name of the Lord and the Lord, God, is not different. Just like the sun and the sunshine is not different. Wherever there is sun, or wherever... Sun may be 93,000,000 miles away from us, but by the sunshine we can appreciate sun. Similarly, God may be long, long away from us, but if we chant His holy name, immediately we become in contact with Him. This is the purpose of chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Guest (2) (Indian man): What was the necessity of creating this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?

Prabhupāda: Necessity is that the human form of life is meant for advanced education. Unfortunately, they are being educated to live like animals. That is the mistake. So we want to correct this mistake.

Guest (2): But the spiritual organizations in India, all the spiritual teachings in India, have always put great emphasis on the fact that we are spiritual beings. So what was the necessity of creating another movement to say the same things?

Prabhupāda: No. We are... You have brought in the question of India. We are talking of the human society, so why you are bringing India? We are not talking about India only. Human being does not mean only Indian. You see, human being—all, outside India, inside India, everywhere. Wherever there is human being, they require this education. And it is the India's duty. Because India has got the opportunity to be spiritually advanced by the grace of learned, saintly persons, so they should first of all make their life perfect by taking education and distribute the knowledge throughout the whole world. That is India's mission. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that... The exact word is

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, he should first of all make his life perfect and... (break) ...no customer is coming, we go to sell our books. Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, we don't think anyone as low.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, so this will be difficult for the preachers, to see them not as Chinese but as actually Kṛṣṇa's servants too.

Prabhupāda: No, no, our devotees will not see like that. Our devotees will not see like that. (break) ...sama-darśinaḥ. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). A paṇḍita is sama-darśī. He does not see anyone as low or high. That is paṇḍita. There is a verse in Bhagavad-gītā, "One who sees Me in everything and everything in Me..." What is that verse?

Guru-kṛpā: Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: Sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is wanted. Chinese Communist philosophy, does anybody know? What is that? What philosophy? They have got some philosophy.

Hṛdayānanda: They're emphasizing industrial development. Everyone, the entire country, is mobilized for developing industry, economic benefits, so everyone can enjoy nice material life under...

Prabhupāda: And that is the philosophy of the Western countries.

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Bhūrijana: The clearness may be a deeper understanding to want to be humble. A deeper understanding to want to...

Prabhupāda: Humble, but if you do not follow your spiritual master's instruction, you follow others, then where is the humbleness? You say that... Your wife says that what Siddha-svarūpa says it is very clear and and others are not so clear. Is it not? What is that clear what is not clear?

Bhūrijana: He says chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So who says that you don't chant?

Bhūrijana: Maybe the emphasis wasn't so much on the chanting even though everyone says harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), everyone just chants their sixteen rounds a day, chants a half hour ārati in the evening and half hour ārati in the morning.

Prabhupāda: So what do you want more? What is your program? 24 hours?

Bhūrijana: I like more kīrtana than that.

Prabhupāda: So you don't like to sell books.

Bhūrijana: No, I think I like very much. I mean I think I would like to.

Prabhupāda: So what is difference?

Bhūrijana: Between selling books and kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: No no. Between others and you. Where is the difference? When you point out that this is the point, we differ. What is that point?

Bhūrijana: Well maybe the point about more kīrtana or less kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: So if you chant more, they're objecting?

Bhūrijana: No.

Prabhupāda: Then where is the difference? Has anyone objected (if you) chant more?

Bhūrijana: No.

Prabhupāda: Then where is the objection? What is the point of difference?

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Then why do you say we find these instructions more clear?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You say that there's no point of difference, but then you say that his instruction is more clear. There's some contradiction.

Bhūrijana: It's just the emphasis that was given to hari... to chanting. For myself, I know I was off track and I know that in my heart I built up an enmity toward your disciples and thinking that they..., that by their distributing books they were making people angry at Kṛṣṇa and...

Prabhupāda: That is real point. That is real point.

Bhūrijana: That's what I felt. See, when I was in Hong Kong, people I would meet, they used to yell... They'd yell at me, "What have you done to Kṛṣṇa?" Some Indians used to say that. People we'd meet, they'd tell us they see the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees and they hate Kṛṣṇa. I remember one specific time when I was speaking to one businessman who was helping us and...

Prabhupāda: He said that "We hate Kṛṣṇa"?

Bhūrijana: No no. He said that, "Your members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa, they're making people in Australia hate Kṛṣṇa. They make people inimical." Making people inimical to Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They feel threatened simply that we're preaching something that will discourage their sinful way of life. Simply they feel threatened. Not they're hating. Their argument is that because of our strong emphasis on preaching and book distrubtion, they say therefore that the mass of people they have a bad impression of Kṛṣṇa.

Bhūrijana: And also because...

Prabhupāda: Because we are selling books.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Because we're selling books.

Bhūrijana: Not so much the selling books. Maybe because of the emphasis on taking..., how much money can be taken. Like if someone says on the street, "Please give me a donation." So they give him a donation. "No, you must give more," and more and more. So the people think that the devotees are only interested in getting money and they get a bad impression that ISKCON is a money making movement.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We're selling one half a million large size books each year.

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

Prabhupāda: Barbians, ah, barbarians. In the jungle, the barbarians, they do not know how to produce food, how to utilize milk. They can kill animals. That is also not like this, by machine you kill thousands of cows. They did not know this. For their simple eating they might have killed some animals, not particularly cow. Perhaps they were not killing cows because they were getting milk. Other, nonimportant animals. But what is this civilization? I learned that in South Africa, before killing the cows, they take the last drop of milk, and then it is sent to the slaughterhouse. They are so expert that if there is still little milk, take it before her death. Is that civilization, that you are taking milk...? So Vedic civilization is as you are drinking milk from the cow, she's your mother. Actually she's mother. But what is this civilization, killing mother? Hm? Is that civilization? Take from mother whatever she can deliver up to the last drop of milk, and then kill her. Advanced civilization, scientific. Killing scientifically. This is not civilization.

Hari-śauri: And just to emphasize it, they deliberately moved the Indian community next to the slaughterhouse.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Because they know they don't like cow killing.

Devotee: Where?

Hari-śauri: In South Africa.

Prabhupāda: The Indian quarters near their slaughterhouse, and the animals screaming like anything whole night, and they have to hear it. The real purpose is that the Indians may go out.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prasādam distribution has now been started as a regular part of the program. And they did one program in a town called Dalialama. Immediately two monks and one British hippie joined the party.

Prabhupāda: Two monks means Buddhist monks?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Possibly. And he mentions in the last two weeks after we left Vṛndāvana we picked eight devotees, so they must have more devotees by now. The emphasis on their program he mentions is to make devotees and responsible preachers to carry on the Indian mission. And then he says that we've been advertising.

Prabhupāda: Advertising?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like this. He says "I want to make one banner and poster: 'Now you can join the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Travel all over the world preaching Bhagavad-gītā. All expenses paid. Free food, lodging, etc. No qualification necessary. Apply ISKCON.' " It's like army recruiting.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No qualification.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And he mentions the situation in Germany, at least the devotees are becoming a little stronger now. Saṅkīrtana is going on nicely.

Prabhupāda: That's all that we want. Saṅkīrtana must go on.

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

Interviewer: What's your view of Judaism and Christianity?

Prabhupāda: I have not studied, but any "ism," if it is meant for making the soul free from this bodily condition, that is first class "ism." Otherwise, it is simply waste of time.

Interviewer: Any religion that...

Prabhupāda: That gives facility.

Interviewer: Emphasizes making us free from the bodily condition.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: That's a first class religion.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Interviewer: I don't think Judaism and Christianity do that.

Prabhupāda: I do not know that.

Interviewer: They consider the body very important.

Prabhupāda: Again you come to the same. Body is important so long the soul is there. The car is important so long it is moving.

Interviewer: But they don't, they cherish the physical, you know, the world itself.

Prabhupāda: That is ignorance, that is ignorance.

Interviewer: That is ignorance.

Prabhupāda: We have got students from every community. From Jewish community, from Christian community, from Muhammadan community, from Buddhist community, from Hindu community, everywhere. Because the knowledge is for everyone. It doesn't matter whether he's Jewish, Christian or... "Two plus two equal to four" is good for everyone. It is not that "two plus two" is good for the Christians, not for the Jews. Gold is gold.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Pradyumna: If we take that analogy, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, then...

Prabhupāda: Everything is going on, karma-kāṇḍa. Whole world acting fruitive activities. "Let me work and get the result." This is karma-kāṇḍa.

Pradyumna: And it is like poison. From poison we suffer and die.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is... Die means spiritual death. No spiritual idea. Otherwise, we have no death, nitya. But spiritual death is there. So your friends are satisfied or not?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda. They said they were. I have noticed that people who are materially contaminated, when they hear spiritual preaching, they can always look at it from material point of view. For example, when you speak of designation, one boy was asking how come we are also having shaved heads and dressing like devotees. In other words, the emphasis on their minds is more on what is everybody else thinking, while the emphasis in your teaching is how you yourself can become free, not what everybody else is thinking. While our shaving of our head and dressing as devotee is a means to become free from all designation, he may be seeing other designations.

Prabhupāda: No, it does not depend on shaving head. But this is in the process.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Nandarāṇī: Allah allandallah(?) is a common...

Prabhupāda: That is their word, but what is the meaning?

Nandarāṇī: "God is great."

Prabhupāda: God is great, but how He is great?

Nandarāṇī: That is not emphasized, how He is great, just that He is great.

Prabhupāda: Then there is the proof of less intelligence. God is great, very good, but how He is great. What is the conception of greatness. You accept me as a spiritual master, great, so you have got some conception of greatness. That you see in your spiritual master, therefore you accept him. And if you have no conception of greatness, what is the meaning of "He is great"? Therefore the real fact is, in the world there is no religion. They do not understand what is God, what is religion. Traditional, you can say superstition or some idea, actually no clear conception of religion. No idea in the world, except that in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All vague ideas. "God is great," that's all. How He is great and worshipable? Who is God? And our ideal is to love God. So if I do not know about God, if I do not know who is God, then where is the question of love?

Nandarāṇī: But their faith is there.

Prabhupāda: That is good, but that is called bhakta prakṛta smṛtaḥ. That is not exactly on the transcendental platform. In the material platform, just appreciating some great power beyond our reach, that's all. Not clear idea. Therefore they are disturbed when they think form. Form means limitation, they think. At least, they should think like that. They do not know. Nobody knows, except in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Why we have described about God so many books? But they have this idea. Very poor idea. But they are accepting God is great, that will help in future.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Interviewer (5): Swamiji, another doubt. In this mahā-mantra that you publicize, Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is Kṛṣṇa that is emphasized. (indistinct) emphasis His Bhāgavata and other things are popularized. Is it corresponding...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. If you have studied Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. If you accept it that this is supreme name of God, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

This is the Vedic injunction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. In the Bhāgavata it is said kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). These things are there. It is not a manufactured program. It is based on śāstra. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. These things are there. You have to accept some authority. If you don't accept authority, you speculate. That is your business, but we don't do. We accept the authority.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: I have got a sister. She is three years younger than me. So sometimes I chastise her like anything. Because we have the same feeling, she is younger. Seventy-seven years, younger sister. But the feeling is there, younger. You know I sometimes chastise her.

Indian man: Here the feeling is about... We can do more work. It doesn't depend upon the age. In spite of this age we can do as much work as you want. This is what I wanted to emphasize here.

Prabhupāda: Because the soul is not dependent on the body. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. If the soul has got energy, he doesn't care for the body.

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

Mr. Malhotra: You know one thing I have found that there is spotless cleanliness in the centers. Whereas in our temples here in India, even when we go to Hardwar and Hrishikesh and all these, the temples, the outer cleanliness, not proper emphasis is given by the management.

Prabhupāda: I stress on this cleanliness very much. If they keep unclean, I chastise them like anything. (laughing) They have learned this art. I always say, "Cleanliness is next to godliness."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Then it is fortunate, fortunate.

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

Prabhupāda: The place is nice then.

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

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

Gurudāsa: Yes. We have Life Member tents, and some visitors have been coming. I have been receiving them. So we have... There's one thing I wanted to ask you. A lot of youths are coming, Western youths, some hippies, but mostly clean. Some hippies. But there are two hippies, and I saw what they were like, and I didn't allow them to stay. But mostly our camp is... Until the devotees come, there are some tents that are empty. So they said, "We need a place to stay. Is it all right?" So I said, "Tonight you can stay. Then I'll let you know later on." And we preached to them. We have a morning program there, and we have an evening program. So they attended. So I thought with your permission I could erect some tents, not in our living area... The chokidhars I put outside, right on the gate, because I didn't think they should live in our area, but they should be there, so the chokidhars have a tent. I thought behind the pandal I could erect some tents, or even behind our tin where people wouldn't see them so much, we could invite some guests, charge them something for living and preach to them.

Prabhupāda: Hm. But they smoke.

Gurudāsa: Yes, some will.

Prabhupāda: That is bad.

Gurudāsa: So, I mean it's up to... I'm asking what you think.

Prabhupāda: They will drink; they will smoke; they will not take bath. These are the defects. These people are unclean.

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

Hari-śauri: Should we try to make an effort to have our householders go and live on the farms, a special effort? If it's ready to do that?

Prabhupāda: Why householders? Everyone. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa)

Rāmeśvara: In America there is a very big emphasis on getting people to join us by moving into our temples. The temple presidents are very eager to get as many people to move in as possible, but in the long run most people cannot come up to the standard.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I am... Farms.

Rāmeśvara: So they have to be encouraged to have a little bit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in their own home, make their home a temple.

Prabhupāda: No, let them go to the farm, New Vrindaban.

Rāmeśvara: Many people... Most people in the world, they are gṛhamedhīs, and they cannot give it up so easily.

Prabhupāda: "No, you remain... Come here with your wife, children. You remain gṛhamedhī."

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Satsvarūpa: We should introduce the books as much as possible.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: I'll write to New York and tell them to emphasize it even more.

Prabhupāda: Bring all these books in the court. Sometimes in Calcutta, high-court judge was a big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than one thousand rupees per day, say sixty, seventy years ago. That one thousand means thirty times nowadays. Thirty thousand a day. He was very big lawyer. He was offered a judgeship in the... "No, no, no. I don't call for it." He was earning. The judges were getting at that time four thousand per month, and he was earning one thousand daily. So why should he give...? (coughs) So all the judges were friends. So in one case he brought so many books for argument. So the judges were friends, so he very mildly criticized, "Oh, Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) This was the... He addressed, "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law. No, no, you do not know what is law. I'll teach you today good lesson." He criticized him, "Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." This is a famous argument. So they cannot deny that "Why you have brought so many books to bother me?" No. "You have to hear. It may take twelve years to hear, but you have to hear. This is law."

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Our movement has changed in America in the past six years or so. Now devotees are not much seen on the streets chanting. So there's different feelings. Some say it is all right, because everyone is now distributing books more.

Prabhupāda: That is also nice.

Satsvarūpa: That's also a kind of kīrtana. But then the public, they hardly ever see us anymore. They used to say, "Oh, the saffron-robed people chanting on the streets."

Prabhupāda: But they come to the love feast.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. It's not necessary to emphasize that street chanting.

Prabhupāda: No. Sell books and invite them to come to temple for love feast.

Satsvarūpa: And there is all these men. It's still five more days before the ceremony. If they can do this..., programs locally.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They should go to the... Yes, locally. Kīrtana party. They should go in their bus and have in the city kīrtana party. Try to collect something. (end)

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: I just remember two or three years ago there was a thing... A pamphlet came out about introducing the varṇāśrama system in the society, but actually nothing came of it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That time was not right. Now you can do something.

Satsvarūpa: That was the beginning of emphasis on farms when Prabhupāda said that, when more and more farms start, the idea of the vaiśya. But nothing else happened.

Prabhupāda: Every business is important. Brāhmaṇa business is important, kṣatriya... Just like the body. Head is important; the arm is important; the belly is important. They must be kept in order. Just like I am in trouble because my belly is not working. Digesting power is not good. So in spite of brain, hand, and leg, I am diseased. If any part of the society remains diseased, the whole society will suffer. Therefore they must be maintained in correct order. You cannot say if there is some trouble in the leg, "Neglect the leg. Take care of the brain." No. Brain will be taxed due to the pain in the leg. This is nature. Therefore everyone should be kept in order. Then things will go on. That is varṇāśrama. They do not know that. Sometimes they are giving stress... That communist is giving stress to the śūdra class, and the capitalist are giving to the belly class. And what about the head? What about the arms? And therefore topsy-turvied. Everything is disorder. There are two classes of men now-capitalist and communist. The communist is giving stress, "No. Simply the legs shall be taken care." What is called? Proly?

Hari-śauri: Proletariat.

Prabhupāda: What is that proletariat?

Satsvarūpa: The laborers.

Prabhupāda: That's all. These rascals are giving stress on the legs. And the capitalists, they are giving stress on production. And where is the kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa?

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: So at least if we successfully introduce the varṇāśrama system in our own society, then when all the demons finish themselves...

Prabhupāda: At least... At least... At least they will see, "This is the ideal."

Hari-śauri: Yes. Then if there is a war after that, it will be all right.

Prabhupāda: At least ideal must be there. That we are doing.

Hari-śauri: This will more or less revolutionize the way we're running our centers. If we introduce it, it will more or less revolutionize the way we're running our centers.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why revolution?

Hari-śauri: Because right now our only emphasis is just to simply produce brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: So why you are taking "we"? Why not others? This is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. You are thinking of "we." That is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. It is not that "we." Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. You have to think for others also.

Satsvarūpa: But the people are not at our disposal to organize.

Hari-śauri: We are thinking of "we" because actually we only have our own society at the moment to organize.

Satsvarūpa: We cannot approach the masses to organize.

Hari-śauri: It can't be implemented on such a big scale.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow what you say.

Satsvarūpa: Just like...

Prabhupāda: Ideal. We are giving the ideal.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Ādi-keśava: They are rascals, and eventually they are going to be exposed.

Prabhupāda: No.

Hari-śauri: They'll be finished for certain.

Prabhupāda: We want they should be finished. (laughs)

Ādi-keśava: Right. Sometimes Mukunda, for instance, was saying that we should make an alliance, and then we can have more strength. But I said, "No. When we do that... We are pure, we are genuine, and they are artificial."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We should keep our purity.

Ādi-keśava: So we are always to emphasize that...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ādi-keśava: ...that we are separate.

Hari-śauri: Kṛṣṇa's our strength. They have no strength.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa will save us. But the asylum in India with the government help, that will be very nice.

Ādi-keśava: So we'll investigate more in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Immediately, first duty.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: "I am very proud to have the acquaintance of such a saintly devotees of ISKCON, who have such an addition of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in our library. I have also...."

Prabhupāda: So he will get order anywhere if you present this.

Gargamuni: Yes. "I have also found the Hindi book Īśopaniṣad to be of excellent quality. I am hoping that every sincere seeker of truth and higher knowledge will find repose in the books of Swami Bhaktivedanta." Signed, V. P. Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi, Benares Hindu University.

Prabhupāda: It is a very important document. It is written nicely.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: And print it. Wherever you go, you'll get order.

Gargamuni: Yes. Especially now the new prime minister is emphasizing Hindi literature and the study of the Vedas.

Prabhupāda: And send him one copy.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Request him that introduce this Hindi Bhāgavatam to all government officers.

Gargamuni: One of our parties have just returned, and they have secured many new orders from factories, Raukala Steel Factory in Raukala.

Prabhupāda: In Hindi?

Gargamuni: No, Hindi they did not have. They did not have any sample copies. This was done by another party who were in U.P.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

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

Bhakti-caru: "Chief Minister lauds Krishna movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness was the essence of every faith and belonged to the world, Maharastra Chief Minister Mr. M. P. Chawan said at the Third International Hare Krishna Festival at the Cross Maidan in Bombay on Wednesday. Mr. Chawan lauded the work done by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He said that Swami was responsible for popularizing Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. Speaking after the chief minister, Swami Prabhupāda emphasized the need for scientific understanding of the Bhagavad-gītā to solve the problems confronting humanity. 'When human society is without dharma,' he said, 'it becomes animal society.' The festival, scheduled to end on Tuesday, has been extended another five days."

Prabhupāda: So his wife also...

Mr. Rajda: But now, poor fellow, he's also going. That is his fate.

Prabhupāda: That's all. This is political struggle. It doesn't matter. A man is what he is. That's all. And to come to this field of activities, one has to become free from all designation. "I am the chief minister" or this or that, that is designation. So I have to give up.

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

Ram Jethmalani: How is it that the Bhagavad-gītā doesn't emphasize public service? There is no emphasis on public social service.

Prabhupāda: Where it is? Tell me. You must give evidence. You are lawyer.

Ram Jethmalani: No, no.

Prabhupāda: Where does it say?

Ram Jethmalani: No, why is there no emphasis?

Prabhupāda: There is no need. This is animal conception of life. The dog also combine together and make (makes barking sound:) ba ba ba ba ba. A human being also can do like that. Then where is the difference between animal and human being?

Ram Jethmalani: But I don't know that animals, on the contrary, serve each other. It is men who do.

Prabhupāda: But what is the use of serving? What you can do? What service you have done? You cannot do anything beyond the laws of nature. Now Indira is in difficulty. What can you do? In one day, everything is finished. The law of nature is so strict. You cannot do anything. You are falsely proud that you want to do. It is not possible. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You can do only the service, that "You are not this body, you are spirit soul, your business is this."

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Patita-pāvana: In that press release that we gave the paper we wrote a great deal about the work of Your Divine Grace in the West and how...

Prabhupāda: So how you get it that "Here is only prominent, Surabhī Swami"?

Patita-pāvana: One thing is, he's a Christian.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be...

Patita-pāvana: I guess so. It's true.

Prabhupāda: He has nothing to do...

Patita-pāvana: But we have emphasized that several times in the talk.

Prabhupāda: Hm. What is that?

Girirāja:

sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye

yan māṁ vadasi keśava

na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ

vidur devā na dānavāḥ

(BG 10.14)

Sarvam—all; etat—these; ṛtam—truth; manye—accept; yat—which; mām—unto me; vadasi—You tell; keśava—Kṛṣṇa. Translation: "O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality."

Prabhupāda: So it is easy for us. What Kṛṣṇa says and Vyāsadeva says, that's all. We haven't got to manufacture. And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayaḥ... (BG 4.2). This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. Whatever little success is there for me, I did not manufacture any idea.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "We have a great debt to repay you and we are perplexed how to repay. At least Your Divine Grace may stay as long as we try to repay till the debt we owe to you. I think if we work hard and preach and the world recognizes this movement, then you may want to stay here longer."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I am constantly filling this into the minds of the members of the Library Party. We are now emphasizing your books as a library of Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge, and I am herewith enclosing reviews from the biggest Marathi, Gujarati, and Sindhi scholars."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very nice. He has done quite efficiently.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, there's another thing. This whole thing, these are new reviews I'm going to read to you.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I also have other good news." He says, "The Andhra Pradesh government has sent a newsletter to all libraries in the state, requesting them to order our books, as they are approved by the state." Wow!

Prabhupāda: So you can do it from other provinces also.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: I'm saying the emphasis of marriage responsibility, I don't know if it's preached that strongly. Generally it's preached that one should not...

Prabhupāda: No, if he marries, why he should not take responsibility of maintaining? Why he should marry if he has no power of maintaining?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does that mean, "power of maintaining," Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: He must maintain his wife, children nicely. Otherwise why he should marry?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He shouldn't expect the temple to maintain him.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible.