English (Conversations 1968 - 1973)

Expressions researched:
"english" |"englishing"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This is not Indian name. This is Sanskrit name.

Interviewer: It's what?

Prabhupāda: Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a language which is mother of all languages. Sanskrit, S-a-n-s-k-r-i-t, Sanskrit language. So this is the original language of this..., not only of this planet. In other planets also, this language is spoken. So the names are in Sanskrit. They do not belong to any community or any section. It is universal. We have no information. Just like this word, Kṛṣṇa. It is universally known: "all-attractive." The exact English translation is "all-attractive." So there cannot be any proper nomenclature for God than this "all-attractive." Unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? This is the perfect nomenclature. Similarly, anything Sanskritically named, that is all perfect. Yes.

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Interviewer: Your Grace, what is the basis of your teachings?

Prabhupāda: The basis of this teaching is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. I have already published my book, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This book is not new. It is very old book, at least five thousand years old, and it is very widely read all over the world. In your country I have seen there are about more than twenty-five different editions, English. Similarly, there is in German language, in England, in Japan. Everywhere, all over the country this book is very widely known, Bhagavad-gītā. In other words, this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The speaker of this book is Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the subject matter of this book is what is our relationship with God. Then, after understanding what is our relationship with God, we can work accordingly. Just like you are citizen of America, you have got a particular relationship with the state, and you are expected to work according to that relationship, and then you are good citizen, you are law-abiding citizen, and state gives your all protection, and you can improve to the highest perfectional stage. Similarly, if we know our relationship with God, whom we call Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive, and that is the perfect name of God.

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Interviewer: Now I just want to read one section here. I think you'll be able to... "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness began when Swami Bhaktivedanta arrived from India with $2 on his person, a metal suitcase full of ancient-looking books and a cotton cloth robe, colored yellow, as a sign of the renounced order of life. In India, men of his order are completely dedicated to propagating the spiritual life of a mendicant wanderer. He had wandered across the sea upon the order issued to him by his guru who told him he should prepare to go to America to teach the principles taught in the Bhagavad-gītā and to translate the sixty volumes of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam into English." Now, are you a guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am the spiritual master of this institution, and all the members of the society, they're supposed to be my disciples. They follow the rules and regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are initiated by me spiritually. So therefore the spiritual master is called guru. That is Sanskrit language.

Interviewer: Guru means teacher.

Prabhupāda: Guru means not exactly teacher. Guru, the word, means heavy. Heavy. H-e-a-v-y, heavy.

Interviewer: Is guru and swami the same thing?

Prabhupāda: Swami means practically the same idea. Swami means the master of the senses. One who has not control over senses, he cannot become guru. The renounced order means he's strictly away from all kinds of sense gratification, especially sex life. Therefore, he's called swami. Swami means the master. One who has become the master of the senses, he can become the spiritual master of the society. That is the idea.

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Hm. (pause) Yes.

Devotee: Somebody said you want to film the Bhagavad-gītā, Swamiji?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you can take up, I can direct you. (exclamations from guests)

Devotee: In Sanskrit or in English?

Prabhupāda: English. Yes.

Devotee: OK, Swamiji. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: But it will be very expensive to arrange for the warfield. senayor ubhayor madhye. We require so many elephants, so many chariots. That panoramic manifestation of warfield, it will be very expensive. Where are the elephants? They don't find here elephants.

Devotee: Oh, you can rent elephants.

Prabhupāda: Uh?

Devotee: You can rent elephants.

Prabhupāda: You can rent, but how many you can rent?

Devotee: Well, how many do we need? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You know, there is, there were eighteen akṣauhiṇī senā, eighteen groups of akṣauhiṇī. One akṣauhiṇī, so many hundred thousands of soldiers, so many hundred thousands of chariots, so many hundred thousands of elephants, horses. That is one group. Such eighteen groups were present there. At least, to make a successful scene we require at least fifty elephants to make a show. And chariots. Then it will be something scenic. Bhagavad-gītā, I think, has not been attempted by any cinema company for this reason. It is very difficult to make arrangement for the war scene. This is not modern war. There are many modern war films. You can present that. But it is different kind of war. So if you want to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then these things will be required.

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Devotee: Are there elephants available in India, Swamiji?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Elephants, there are many in India. Elephants, camels, horses also. Still there are many.

Devotee: Could we film on location, on the battlefield?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. The battlefield is still existing, Kurukṣetra. Yes. It is about hundred..., about within two hundred miles from Delhi. It is not far off. That, my red tape recorder is not replaced. Is it very costly now?

Devotee: I think so. Yeah. About five hundred dollars.

Prabhupāda: Five hundred dollars, that may be Japanese. The original is English.

Devotee: Oh, English? I thought it was German. English?

Prabhupāda: Yes. German or English. That is eight hundred dollars. It was very nice. Yes. I therefore used to keep daily in my compartment. I didn't allow to leave it here. How you are feeling, Jadurāṇī? All right? So I think we shall chant little Hare Kṛṣṇa and close this meeting. (kīrtana) (end)

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Interviewer: (inaudible)

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Interviewer: What do you offer to Kṛṣṇa? That is, do you offer money in the sense of an offering in a Christian church or do you burn anything, for example, incense or could you explain this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The flowers, incense, and fruits, the same thing. I have already explained that whatever He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone offering Me these things in devotion..." So we follow the same principle. So it is very nice thing. If the students follow, they can follow it individually. Even in his own apartment he can keep a picture of Kṛṣṇa and offer a lamp, a candle, and one, I mean to say, incense. He will feel tremendously spiritually advanced. And if he reads these books, his life will be changed completely. That is a fact. (break) And two boys, Kṛṣṇānanda and one German boy, is going there very soon. So, of course, we do not expect to sell English books in Germany very much, but maybe... (end)

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Reporter: The residents of the moon live for a long time? Thousands of years?

Prabhupāda: Thousands of years.

Reporter: Now are you talking about...

Prabhupāda: This information we get from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this book. I have rendered into English.

Reporter: Which book is this?

Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Reporter: Was this a book which you wrote or translated or...

Prabhupāda: Translated and commented.

Reporter: Translations and comments.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, I have translated this book also. This is being published by Macmillan company, one of the biggest publisher of your country. Yes. I have published this book...

Reporter: Were you referring to this book when you meant, when you said residents of the moon, do you mean people that go there to live or that are...

Prabhupāda: They are there already. In every planet there are living entities, residents.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 12, 1969, New York:

Brahmānanda: Right in the home.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Tulasī dāsa's remark. So in many passages of his poetry he has not done very justice to woman. And another poetry, he writes, dhol guṇār śūdra narī. Dhol guṇār śūdra narī ihe sab śaśan ke adhikārī.(?) Dhol guṇār paśu śūdra narī, ihe sab śaśan ke adhikārī. Dhol, dhol means drum, mṛdaṅga. Gunar, guṇār means... What is called English? A fool, fool. Illiterate fool, what is one word?

Brahmānanda: Buffoon?

Prabhupāda: Maybe buffoon. Buffoon is sometimes troublesome. But guṇār means he doesn't understand very nicely.

Brahmānanda: Dullard.

Prabhupāda: Dull, dull. Dhol guṇār, dhol means drum and guṇār means dull. Śūdra, and the laborer class. Three. Dhol, guṇār, śūdra, and paśu, household animals, just like cows, dogs.

Brahmānanda: Pet.

Prabhupāda: Pet, like that. Dhol guṇār śūdra paśu and narī. Nari means woman. (laughs) Just see. He has classified the narī amongst these class, dhol, guṇār, śūdra, paśu, narī. Ihe sab śaśan ke adhikārī. Sasan ke adhikārī means all these are subjected for punishment. And what about the guest?

Govinda dāsī: Oh, the guest? It's coming.

Prabhupāda: So śaśan ke adhikārī means they should be punished. (laughs) Punished means, just like dhol, when the, I mean to say, sound is not very hard, dag-dag, if you beat it on the border, then it comes to be nice tune. Similarly, paśu, animals, if you request, "My dear dog, please do not go there." Hut! (laughter) "No, my dear dog." Hut! This is the way.(?) Similarly, woman. If you become lenient, then she will be troublesome. So in India still, in villages, whenever there is some quarrel between husband wife, the husband beats and she is tamed. (laughs) In civilized society, "Oh, you have done this?" Immediately some criminal case. But in uncivilized society they don't care for court or civilized way of... Kicharī.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes, yes, I have heard his name.

Allen Ginsberg: So I've been writing music. He's a lot like Kabir. Yes. Śrīmata Kṛṣṇaji and Bankibehari in Vṛndāvana. Do you know them at all?

Prabhupāda: Śrīmataji?

Allen Ginsberg: Śrīmata Kṛṣṇaji in Vṛndāvana, is a lady in Vṛndāvana who translates Kabir into English, compared him with Blake.

Prabhupāda: No, she is different. I know one Mātājī. She came to see me from Vṛndāvana in Los Angeles. She's in London.

Allen Ginsberg: So I have been learning to notate music, in..., singing songs by William Blake which I've written a little music to. So those are, in a way, my guru's songs.

Prabhupāda: I can give you so many songs. (laughter) Just like he can read it.

Allen Ginsberg: Are there many songs in there?

Prabhupāda: Not there. There is diacritic mark. Can you read it?

Allen Ginsberg: No. I don't think.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: They should inquire about the Absolute Truth.

Allen Ginsberg: Okay. So my original question was: is the complicated ritual and the Sanskrit language...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Now we are placing so many things in English language. Our all books are being published in English. Our magazine is in English.

Allen Ginsberg: But the question is, is the mode of life that you are proposing adaptable to many, many, many people?

Prabhupāda: That I say that is not for many, many people.

Allen Ginsberg: Yeah. But there are, there is a thirst by many, many people for an alternative answer. For a better alternative system.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So if they are actually thirsty, if they are actually thirsty, then they can adopt this. What is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. So many American boys they have already adopted. They are not feeling any difficulty. They are feeling relief. What is difficulty? In what point it is difficult? Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting you are chanting.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Hm? No limit. You can pronounce in any way Kṛṣṇa. K-r-i-s-h-n-a. That's all. Any way. Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ.

Allen Ginsberg: The limit is people's prejudice...

Prabhupāda: So we don't say that why you are chanting Kṛṣṇa like this? We never say that. We simply say, please try to chant Kṛṣṇa.

Allen Ginsberg: Or let us say there would be a limit until the word Kṛṣṇa became as common in English as any other English word.

Prabhupāda: It is already in the dictionary. It is already in the dictionary. All dictionaries you will find Kṛṣṇa. What do you want more?

Allen Ginsberg: Something that will not disturb truckdrivers.

Lady (Indian): They can say Christ, they can say Kṛṣṇa. It is same.

Allen Ginsberg: That is true... True. But they don't say Christ. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Now Krist... I have read one book, Aquarian...

Kīrtanānanda: Aquarian Gospel?

Prabhupāda: Gospel, yes. In there it is explained that Krist means love. Christ means love. And Kṛṣṇa also means love. So there from Kṛṣṇa this word Krist has come. And in India somebody says Kristha. Instead of Kṛṣṇa, they say Kristha.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: Catholicism in the West operated in Latin for centuries.

Prabhupāda: Latin is from Sanskrit. Yes. Latin is from Sanskrit. Professor Rowe and Webb of Presidency College in Calcutta, they have got a grammar. They have said the Sanskrit language is mother of all languages. They were big English scholar, professor, Mr. Rowe and Webb. We had to read their grammar in our childhood. They have said that Sanskrit language is the mother of all languages. And in the dictionary you'll find Indo-European language practically all from Sanskrit. The original word mātṛ-śabda—the "mater," no?

Allen Ginsberg: But the question I'm posing still is this. You accept the possibility of a series of Kṛṣṇa consciousness centers in the United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Provided a man is not adversely inclined. Otherwise it is very simple.

Allen Ginsberg: But what I'm wondering is how far beyond exclusive centers, how far beyond that can it go in the United States? How far beyond a special study cult centers can a Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or any religious movement grow? 'Cause the need is for a large single unifying religious movement in America.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So here is Kṛṣṇa. All-attractive. You now find out... You can say, "Why I shall accept Kṛṣṇa?" You can say like that. Your first question is the unifying agent. I say here is Kṛṣṇa. Now we can analyze, "Why you shall accept Kṛṣṇa?" Then I shall reply, "Why you shall not?" What do you want, expect from the Supreme or the unifying, what do you expect? Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa. Opulence-Kṛṣṇa. Beauty-Kṛṣṇa. Wisdom-Kṛṣṇa. Renunciation-Kṛṣṇa. Strength-Kṛṣṇa. Everything in Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you want you'll find in Kṛṣṇa. That is the unifying center. That I will convince you. He is the unifying center actually. And Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ partha sarvaśaḥ. "Everyone is trying to come to Me. Everyone is trying to come to Me." Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). "But he's realizing Me in My different phases. But everyone is trying." So so far unifying religion is concerned there are three groups: impersonalists, personalists, and localized. Some are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal way.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Hayagrīva: No, that doesn't make it.

Kīrtanānanda: You couldn't do it(?) that for five minutes.

Allen Ginsberg: Well, you could almost do, "Amen, Amen."

Hayagrīva: That's not English.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, that's not English. (laughter) But it's known in English. And maybe Kṛṣṇa could become as well known as God and Amen, or something like that.

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa is in English dictionary.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. Now in the dictionary?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Allen Ginsberg: He infiltrated the dictionary.

Hayagrīva: Although as an incarnation of Viṣṇu.

Prabhupāda: English dictionary.

Allen Ginsberg: Let's see what it says in the English dictionary.

Hayagrīva: "Eighth incarnation of Viṣṇu."

Lady: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: Just see. Here is an intelligent statement. Yes. You can explain in English.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: So you have to accept little trouble to utter Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Allen Ginsberg: I'm willing.

Prabhupāda: We have taken so much trouble for understanding English language. And simply for our transcendental understanding...

Allen Ginsberg: It's next to Santa Claus in the dictionary.

Lady: Yes, Kṛṣṇa is Santa Claus. He is everything. He gives everything.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Allen Ginsberg: Have you seen that? Kṛṣṇa's next to Kris Kringle.

Prabhupāda: What is the, what is the Kṛṣṇa? What does he say?

Kīrtanānanda: "Eighth avatar of Viṣṇu. From Sanskrit Kṛṣṇa. The widespread form of Hindu worship."

Hayagrīva: That's the usual. That's in all the dictionaries.

Lady: Only the Indian people are lucky that still they are holding it tight. That's all. Now other people have forgotten. But it's all universal.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am the father of everyone." Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Not only human being. All animals, trees, plants. So Kṛṣṇa is universal.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Vidyāpati, Candidāsa, Jayadeva.

Allen Ginsberg: Jayadeva, I know.

Guest (1): Jayadeva is a great Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: There are many nice poets.

Allen Ginsberg: I know some of the Baul poetry in English.

Prabhupāda: You just try to read this Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura especially.

Allen Ginsberg: Who?

Prabhupāda: Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

Allen Ginsberg: Nartham.

Prabhupāda: There are many...

Guest (1): Narottama.

Prabhupāda: That song you were reading last night, Nitāi pada kamala? That is Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's song. For the Vaiṣṇava, to become poet is another qualification. Vaiṣṇava has twenty-six qualifications. I think it is written there.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: They become immediately liberated and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Allen Ginsberg: And everybody else gets involved deeper and deeper in the yuga.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. So if anyone believes in the śāstras, they should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is intelligence, to take advantage of authorized scriptures. You'll find in the Bhāgavata, There is a history of Candragupta, and "The Yavanas will become kings." That means English occupation, Mohammedan occupation. Everything is there. And Buddha's appearance, kikaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Kikaṭeṣu means in the Bihar province in India. Bhaviṣyati. Because Bhāgavata Purāṇa was written five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago. So therefore it is stated, bhaviṣyati: "In future, just in the beginning of Kali-yuga, Lord will appear as Buddha. His mother's name will be Añjana, and his business will be to cheat the atheists."

Allen Ginsberg: To cheat the atheists.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sammohāya sūra-dviṣam (SB 1.3.24). Sūra-dviṣam means atheists. Surat. Sura-dvisam means those who are envious of Lord's devotees. That means atheist. So to bewilder them. What is that bewildering? This atheist class, they became so much absorbed in this animal-killing, they forgot everything about God. So they said, "What is God? We don't mind." So Lord Buddha says, "Yes, there is no God." Lord's philosophy is: "There is no God. Void. There is no God. But what I say, you follow. Yes. That's all right." But he is God. Is it not cheating?

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Nidhuvana.

Allen Ginsberg: And met two bhakti devotees. The one I mentioned, Śrīmata Kṛṣṇaji and Bankibihari.

Prabhupāda: Bankibihari?

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. They translate from Mīrābhai.

Prabhupāda: Oh. English.

Allen Ginsberg: Into English. Good translations. Good translations. They were published in the Bhakti-vidya-bhavan series. In that series. They have four or five books.

Prabhupāda: Oh. They have five books they have written?

Allen Ginsberg: One Sufis, Yogis, Saints, poets like Muktesvara. And then another of Mīrā. Two volumes of Mīrā with a life of Mīrā. And then one on the Kumbhamela, a book on the Kumbhamela.

Prabhupāda: They are good scholars.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. Good scholars. They know Blake also. They know English.

Prabhupāda: Mataji?

Allen Ginsberg: Śrīmata Kṛṣṇaji.

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

Prabhupāda: You can do, you can ask me for fifteen minutes more.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. We also wish to show a scene of Lord Caitanya in school, learning. Some kind of incident about how nice a pupil He was so we can show people that He was the best student in the school.

Prabhupāda: In India the system is in the school that the best student is appointed... What is called in English? The chief student is called "minor," or... "M," beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Monitor.

Prabhupāda: Monitor, yes. Monitor. So He was monitor. That is the same. And He'll teach the students from grammar all Kṛṣṇa. Dhātu. Dhātu. There is subject matter. Dhātu means verb. So He will ex-plain... dhātu means, when a dhātu is taken away a man is dead, and this dhātu is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the life. Without Kṛṣṇa a man is dead." In this way He explained. Kṛṣṇa explanation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How old was He?

Prabhupāda: I may say, eight or ten years old.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1969, Hamburg:

Prabhupāda: ...Prabhu, you understand English?

Woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You stay with your son?

Woman: No. I am ...(unclear).

Prabhupāda: So why don't you stay here and join your son for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because your son is so good, you must be good. Because a son cannot be good unless the mother is good. Because son inherits the mother's quality. That is nature. This Hayagrīva's mother wrote me first one letter of congratulations, and she came also to see me in New Vrindaban, his father and mother. Especially his mother is very happy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will produce good father and mother, and therefore they will have good children, and there will be no problem in the world. If everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Not everyone, even ten per cent people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there will be no problem. Problem is created due to bad children. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Varṇa-saṅkara. So if there are good children, there is no problem. Even in this material world, everything will become happy. The basic principle of Vedic civilization is to create good children. All the rules and regulations, everything is there just to create good children. In the first chapter of Bhagavad-gītā these things are described very nicely by Arjuna. There are many purificatory processes to create a good child. A human being is not meant for creating offspring like cats and dogs. They must produce very good child. That is Vedic civilization. Good child means Kṛṣṇa conscious child. That's all. Yes. So we are trying to turn these children of the Western world, good children. And people should cooperate with us, this movement. We are taking care of the children, especially young boys and girls who are coming, and we are taking care of them very nicely. Sometimes we are getting them married also, to make their life very peaceful and intelligent and spiritually advanced and make a solution of life. So people should come forward to cooperate with this movement. How many children you have got? Two?

Woman: Two boys. And other one.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like in arithmetic. There is all mathematical calculation, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, this or that, fraction. One has to learn. So Bhagavad-gītā is so nice book and it is accepted. Not that because we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are advocating for Bhagavad... No. It is accepted by scholarly section, religious section, not only in India, but all over the world. Perhaps you know. In every country there are thousands of Bhagavad-gītā translation, in every language, in English, in French, in German, all languages. And even Mohammedans... Of course, scholarly Mohammedans, they also read very nicely Bhagavad-gītā. I know one Mohammedan professor in India. He was a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He did not disclose that he was a devotee, but he was observing Janmāṣṭamī fasting day and he was writing one article on Kṛṣṇa every Janmāṣṭamī day. There are many. They read. And in our childhood... Not childhood, we were young man at that time. So one Englishman was a tenant in Calcutta, my friend's house. So he was vacating the house. We went to take possession of that house, and he had many books, and there was a book, Bhagavad-gītā. So that, my friend, Mr. Mullick, he was a little astonished that "He is Englishman, he's Christian. How is that, he has got Bhagavad-gītā?" So he was touching that book, and that gentleman thought that "He is my landlord. He may like that book." So he immediately said, "Oh, Mr. Mullick, I cannot present that book to you. This is my life and soul." He said like that. So Bhagavad-gītā is accepted by scholarly section, by philosophers. So I think people should have one scripture, one God, one mantra, and one activity. One God, Kṛṣṇa. One scripture, Bhagavad-gītā. And one mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And one activity, to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. There will be peace. There will be actually peace all over the world. So I request you to, at least to understand this philosophy to your best knowledge. And if you think that is nice, you take up. You are also willing to give something to the world. So you try this. You have read our books, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is? No.

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

Prabhupāda: So why he's taking Kṛṣṇa's book as authority? Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa's book. Everyone knows. Why he's taking Kṛṣṇa's book?

George Harrison: Well, he didn't. He just translated it into English.

Prabhupāda: Why? Unless he has got some respect for that book?

John Lennon: But I've also read another, part of another translation by Yogananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda.

Prabhupāda: Everyone will have to take Kṛṣṇa's book first to prove their authority.

Yoko Ono: But, er... What...

Prabhupāda: Vivekananda has taken, Aurobindo has taken, Dr. Radhakrishnan has taken, Mahatma Gandhi... There are thousands and thousands. So why do they take Bhagavad-gītā?

George Harrison: So that we can read it in English.

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is not the question of English. It is the question of the thoughts. English it may be or Parsee it may be. That doesn't matter. Why do they take shelter of the thoughts of Bhagavad-gītā unless they accept Bhagavad-gītā as authority? Why they quote from Bhagavad-gītā? So why not directly Bhagavad-gītā? If Bhagavad-gītā is the authority for everyone, why not Bhagavad-gita as it is? That is our proposition.

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

George Harrison: But Bhagavad-gītā as it is is Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: No, we have made English.

George Harrison: Yes, but they all make it English.

John Lennon: But that must be also a translation, mustn't it? Whoever puts it into English. I mean...

Prabhupāda: So you also read any Bhagavad-gītā translation only. You don't read the original.

George Harrison: Well, which is the original? It's the same as the Bible.

Prabhupāda: Original is there. Origin is Sanskrit.

Yoko Ono: It's in Sanskrit, but we don't read Sanskrit.

John Lennon: Yes, but it's pointless, me reading Sanskrit, because I don't understand Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to take translation.

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

Yoko Ono: I mean, we're not just saying that. We want to ask your advice on that. In other words, what is your answer to that. Your saying there's five hundred versions.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is seven hundred verses.

Yoko Ono: All right, so seven hundred. I don't know. But what I mean is you use the word authority, saying why would he translate that into English without authority? Now, what is the authority and who has the authority?

Prabhupāda: Authority is the original text.

Yoko Ono: Yes, but everybody's translating from the original text, I'm sure you know.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yoko Ono: So what's the difference between one and the other?

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say that sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te viphala mataḥ. If we then don't take from the disciplic succession of the authority... Just like Kṛṣṇa. Now, take for example. We have explained this in our introduction, that nobody is authority. Don't care. Kṛṣṇa is authority because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. That you cannot deny. Can you deny that?

Yoko Ono: Is Kṛṣṇa translated...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is authority. Kṛṣṇa is authority.

Yoko Ono: Yes, all right. Did He translate it into English?

Prabhupāda: Just hear me.

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

George Harrison: I'm not saying Kṛṣṇa isn't the Supreme. I believe that.

Prabhupāda: No, no. I mean to say, even there are other sects, as you say, Maharsi. They accept also indirectly Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority. Because if we say Maharsi belongs to Śaṅkara sampradāya...

George Harrison: Yeah, but we had a misunderstanding before about the translation of the Sanskrit Gītā into English, and I was saying that there's many versions, and I think we thought you were trying to say that your version, your translation, was the only authority and that the other translations... But we didn't really have understanding as to the identity of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. If you believe Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, if that is your version, then you have to see who are much addicted to Kṛṣṇa directly. For argument's sake. That these people are twenty-four hours chanting Kṛṣṇa, and another person who has no, not a single word Kṛṣṇa, how he can become devotee of Kṛṣṇa? How he can become representative of Kṛṣṇa, who does not utter even the name of Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa is authority accepted, therefore who are directly addicted to Kṛṣṇa, they are authorities. (Kīrtanas follow, George Harrison leading) (end)

Discussion about New Vrindaban Gurukula -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Hayagrīva: All right. Arithmetic should be taught?

Prabhupāda: Arithmetic? Yes. That is necessary.

Hayagrīva: What about any history? World history or American history or American literature or English literature?

Prabhupāda: American history. That's all. They are Americans. They should learn American history. Don't bother much.

Hayagrīva: Any Indian history?

Prabhupāda: Indian history, that... Bhāgavata is all right.

Hayagrīva: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: That Kurukṣetra battle. That's all. And there are many other stories in the Bhāgavatam. They are all historical.

Hayagrīva: What about literatures? When they get older, of course. This would be for when they are older.

Prabhupāda: Literature, we have got so many. Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata.

Hayagrīva: Any English literature, American literature, English literature?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Any... Some of the English literature, recognized.

Hayagrīva: Any of the sciences at all?

Prabhupāda: I don't think we require any science.

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Prabhupāda: Whole?

Hayagrīva: The total manuscript is there.

Prabhupāda: So we have to prepare for next publication, revised and enlarged, giving in the same process: original verse, transliteration, synonyms, and translation, and purport.

Hayagrīva: English synonyms. Pradyumna was preparing...

Pradyumna: I've already started that, the first chapter.

Prabhupāda: Our first printing will be this, what is name? Nectar of Devotion. And then, if possible, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, revised and enlarged.

Satsvarūpa: Īśopaniṣad is even before Nectar of Devotion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Īśopaniṣad. That is already... And then Bhāgavatam. Then Bhāgavatam. And so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, Kṛṣṇa we shall print after this Nectar of Devotion in our press if it is printed. But if I get some money, contribution, from George Harrison, then I may get it printed immediately from Japan. Yes.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Guest (1): May I ask one thing. How you chose this America to be your first...?

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja ordered me that "You go and preach this cult amongst the English speaking public and specially in the western countries." So first of all I thought of London, where is London, but I had no money. So I got the opportunity for going U.S.A. free on the, on a trade ship by the Scindia Steam Navigation. They gave me their first-class cabinet, the proprietor's cabinet. I was well carried. But first of all I went free on a steamship. I had no money, what to speak of aeroplane. So... What was your question?

Guest (1): My question was that how you selected America to be your...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So I got the opportunity to go to America because their ship goes to New York. So I accepted, "All right, we can see, either go to London or New York." New York is better place than London.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is God. People are searching—"Where is God?"—but they are missing Kṛṣṇa. That is the dilemma of the present society.

Guest (4): You have written number of books also ...?...volumes are there. It is not only appealing to your eyes but to your heart and to your soul. By the very look of the book, our heart is..., rather, our soul is elated and we come into that state of mind. Huh? So after reading this, we don't know what stage will come? See how beautiful...

Guest (5): Will they be answering in Hindi or English?

Prabhupāda: Which one?

Guest (5): This gentleman. You'll be answering in Hindi or English?

Prabhupāda: As you like.

Guest (5): They know Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (6): (Hindi)

Guest (7): No, no. If you want to put questions in English, Swamiji will reply in English. If you want to put in Hindi, I hope... Yesterday I heard him in Hindi, I had the good fortune, and I can say with my understanding that he is equally past master in Hindi ...(laughter) Yesterday we had the good occasion and the good fortune of hearing him in Hindi as well. Disciples will speak English only.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not speak.

Guest (8): They probably don't know Hindi.

Prabhupāda: No.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Guest (6): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) I was born a Vaiṣṇava family. My father was a great devotee. Naturally, he led me... Oh, I am speaking in Hindi, English. (Hindi) They are not attracted to the Hindu dharma.

Guest (6): Then why they attracted to Hare Rāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: They are attracted to Kṛṣṇa. These people, they are... (Hindi) But you are taking Kṛṣṇa as Hindu. That is your mistake. Kṛṣṇa is... Hindu ne. He is God. He is God. God Hindu ne, Mussulman ne, Christian ne, Parsi ne—God is God. (Hindi) And I am also not interested to preach Hindu dharma. (Hindi) ...Kṛṣṇa dharma. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the only dharma. (Hindi) ...Kṛṣṇa literature. It is not a Hindu dharma literature.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So you can inquire from me. In my presence, you can inquire from me. Because, after all, they are my students, they may not be able to reply thoroughly. So if you have got any inquiries you can ask from me.

Guest (4): Yes. Yes. Mahārāja, I am a teacher of Sanskrit and English in one of the higher secondary schools here and I am very much interested...

Prabhupāda: So you join us. Simply lip sympathy will not do. Just like these boys and girls, they have joined wholeheartedly. So I do not find any Indians.

Guest (4): I am ready to join but for my family liabilities. Is there is some...?

Prabhupāda: So you can join. You are family man, so it is not that we have no family men. We have got many family men. Now, they are all family. These girls, they have got a husband. And some of them, they are living separately. Just like one of my students, Professor Howard Wheeler. He is married man. He is living separately. Not separately. He is also conducting our, one establishment, New Vrindaban. So it is not that one has to live with us. He can live separately also, but his whole life is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Guest (4): Mahārāja, could you employ me in some...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, employ, I can employ in any way. But there is no payment.

Guest (4): I am M.A. in English, M.A. in Hindi. I am trying to devote myself to this work...

Prabhupāda: So please come.

Guest (4): But for my family liabilities...

Prabhupāda: What amount you want for your family, minimum?

Guest (4): Five hundred a month.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Yes, you require five hundred. I know that. That is not much. To maintain a family nowadays five hundred rupees is not much but where is the money? How can I pay you?

Guest (4): I would be a very good asset to your publications work.

Prabhupāda: That I know. You are qualified, educated boy. You can do it. But one thing I can do, that you can live with your family just like they are living. That I can arrange. And whatever food we can provide you have to accept. We can... We can arrange for the education of your children also, everything. But we cannot pay anything. That is not possible. We can take charge of the husband and wife. We can take charge of your children. But it is not possible to pay. And besides that, when there is question of payment the service is not good because the payment means he is serving the money. He is not serving the cause.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Then you are welcome. I am asking young men like you to come and join me.

Guest (5): (unintelligible)

Prabhupāda: Aiye. Yes. I am speaking in English because my students, they cannot understand Hindi. But if educated young boys like you come they will be also able to understand English, so there will be no difficulty.

Guest (4): Thank you, Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Replay little. (break) Please try to understand the philosophy. Thank you. Yes. (Hindi) So you are welcome. You come. Live with us with your family. We take charge of you. But if you ask some salary, that is not possible. That is not possible.

Guest (4): I have my sisters and mother and father to support.

Prabhupāda: So let them come, all, and live with me. (Hindi) That's nice. (Hindi). That I can take. But if you want money, that is not possible.

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So you can explain. (break) ...the footprints of liberated predecessors like Manu and others. So they are conditioned. Therefore their rules and regulations are not perfect. It cannot be perfect.

Haṁsadūta: Here is our monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. These are our... (indistinct) This is in Washington, D.C. This is in Berkeley, California. That magazine is being printed in six languages: Hindi, English, French, German, and Japanese, and Bengali. Bengali is not yet out, but it's coming. Then Prabhupāda started presenting these books while he was still in India. This book was published in 1965. This was printed in India, the First Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The First Canto comprises three volumes like this, the First Canto. And then the following Cantos are being printed by our own press in America in Boston, like this, chapter by chapter, so that people can take advantage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and read it at their convenience instead of...

Guest (1): (indistinct)

Haṁsadūta: And here, Kṛṣṇa Book, is the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prabhupāda calls it, "Kṛṣṇa: The Supreme Personality of Godhead." And it's full of illustrations which are done by his American students. Just see how beautiful. There are eighty-four full color illustrations that show the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. So the people in the western world and for the first time in the history of the world will get an idea of who God is, what He looks like, what He does, where He's residing. This is the Kṛṣṇa Book, in two volumes. This is volume number one and this is volume number two. This is just a blueprint. We haven't got a printed copy yet. Then Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, which you must be familiar with, in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya and there are also illustrations although they're not color. They're black and white.

Guest (1): Śrī Tukārāma is disciple of Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: He also went through in Maharastra by His chanting, (indistinct)

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: He also went through in Maharastra by His chanting, (indistinct)

Haṁsadūta: And most important, Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā. He calls it "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is." He explains in the introduction that till now there's been so many Bhagavad-gitas printed in all languages and all of them are misrepresenting. They have not presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They are trying to present Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa. They want to leave out the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā and put themselves forward. So Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and therefore this movement has taken such hold because the real thing is being presented. This is in San Francisco, California. Then, the Nectar of Devotion, Rūpa Gosvāmī's book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, also there. This book is the lawbook of devotional service. Īśopaniṣad, word for word translation, then the complete English translation and purport by His Divine Grace. So these books are (indistinct) bhakti-yoga (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa consciousness (indistinct) explaining the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So we have so much literature. And in India we've introduced a program, our membership program, so that we can go on distributing these literatures. And that membership program, there are four types of membership. One is life membership. Life membership means the member is entitled to all the books that we have printed plus all the books we will print in the future, plus a lifetime subscription to our magazine, Back to Godhead. And the member is entitled to stay at any one of our branches throughout the world free and if he happens to travel abroad or in India. We will have our branches. So that life membership fee is 1,111 rupees. And then we have donor membership. The donor member is entitled to all the books that have been printed, a lifetime subscription to our magazine, but he does not get the books in the future. That is 555 rupees. And subscriber membership, lifetime subscription to our magazine, which is 222 rupees. Or there is membership, yearly subscription to our magazine. In this way we're trying to recruit members that support our movement. This movement is being supported just by literature. So in this way we can flood the whole world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and then there'll be a change. If we want to see a change in the world, then we have to distribute knowledge of Kṛṣṇa in this way. You are welcome to become a member. And also your friends. Tell them about our membership programs.

Guest (1): Swamiji, open a center here.

Prabhupāda: I wish to. I wish to open a center.

Guest (1): No, no, now?

Prabhupāda: Not yet.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Now, amongst these Purāṇas, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called the Mahā-purāṇa.

Prof. Kotovsky: Mahā-purāṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we have translated in English the full, with the original Sanskrit text, its transliteration, an English equivalent for each word, then translation, and then purport, explanation of the verse. In this way there are 18,000's of verses in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the ācāryas, the great saintly sages who are the preachers of this Bhāgavatam throughout India, their opinion is that it is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). And it is accepted by all, I mean, Indian scholars, and especially Lord Caitanya, He preached this Bhāgavata. So we have got that, complete in English translation. If you want to see some of them, we can show you.

Prof. Kotovsky: It seems to me that in the Moscow and Leningrad libraries we have nearly all major texts of ancient Indian culture, beginning from Vedas, original text in Sanskrit. For instance, we have in Lenin Library nearly six or eight editions of...

Prabhupāda: (Aside:) You have not brought any books? Eh?

Prof. Kotovsky: ...Manu-smṛti.

Prabhupāda: You have not brought any books? Bhāgavata?

Prof. Kotovsky: Editions is there. Especially in Leningrad, you know, in Leningrad we have...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Varṇa, varṇāśrama. And in the Bhagavad-gītā—perhaps you have read Bhagavad-gītā—there is also the statement, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ (BG 4.13). It is... This system is created originally by Viṣṇu. So as everything is creation of the Supreme, they cannot be changed. That is a prevalent everywhere, that a... Sun. Sun is creation of the Supreme. So sunshine is here in America, in Russia, in India—everywhere. Similarly, this varṇāśrama system is prevalent everywhere in some form or other. Just like the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas means the most intelligent class of men, brain, brain of the society. Then the kṣatriyas, the administrator class. Then the vaiśyas, the productive class, and the śūdras, the worker class. These four classes of men are everywhere present in different names. And because it is creation by the original creator, so it is prevalent everywhere, varṇāśrama-dharma. (break) So have you seen this little, how we are translating this? You can see little. Original śloka, its transliteration, then its English equivalent, then translation, then purport, each and every verse is being done like that, whole Bhāgavatam Purāṇa.

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Prabhupāda: I have got many other Godbrothers, but I was particularly ordered to do this from the very beginning. So I am trying to please my spiritual master. That's all.

Interviewer: Now you were sent to this country, to the United States of America. This is your territory. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Hm. No. My territory, what he said, that "You go and speak this philosophy to the English knowing public."

Interviewer: To the English speaking world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And especially the Western world. Yes. He told me like that.

Interviewer: When you came, sir, to this country about 15, 16 years ago and started...

Prabhupāda: No, no, not 15, 16 years.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: He has got. There you will see how it is scholarly written.

Mohsin Hassan: Oh, yes. Wonderful.

Prabhupāda: So we are publishing all our books in a scholarly way so that professors, teachers, philosophers, they, they can read it. And it is very easily done. Word-to-word, Sanskrit word, English, and diacritic marks. So we are working very hard. So if it is introduced among the scholarly sections, professors, teachers, it will be very beneficial to the human society.

Mohsin Hassan: Do you do your printing in Japan and America?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. I am... Whenever I travel, I travel all over, around the world.

Mohsin Hassan: I want to ask... Just a few more minutes. You went to Russia. What's your impression?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Russia is the same people. They are anxious to receive this movement. Very much anxious.

Mohsin Hassan: And are you intent to (indistinct) over there?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Mohsin Hassan: You are the founder of this movement. You are the founder.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mohsin Hassan: Is it the same you found in all over the world, everybody speak the language, English-speaking language, you went and you did the same thing, you went up there, chant, and with the miracle of Lord Kṛṣṇa you received your devotees...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mohsin Hassan: ...and disciples?

Prabhupāda: The same process. We follow the same process, anywhere. It doesn't matter whether it is America, Russia, or Europe. It doesn't matter. Japan, the same process.

Mohsin Hassan: So you are intent to serve the Lord Kṛṣṇa in the same method for ever.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because I am ordered by my spiritual master in that way. So I am trying my best.

Mohsin Hassan: How old are you?

Prabhupāda: I?

Mohsin Hassan: Yes.

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Interviewer: And I...

Prabhupāda: My territory, what he said, that "You go and speak this philosophy to the English-knowing public."

Interviewer: To the English-speaking world?

Prabhupāda: Yes, and especially in the Western world. Yes. He told me like that.

Interviewer: When you came, sir, to this country, about fifteen, sixteen years ago, and started...

Prabhupāda: Not fifteen, sixteen.

Interviewer: Five, six years ago, I beg your pardon.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: ...to this part of the world, you did not come to a part of the world where religion was lacking as such. In the United States of America we have many religions, and I think people in this country like to believe in great majority that they are religious people, people who believe in God, you know, who devote themselves to some form of religious expression. And I wonder what your thinking was. What do you think that you could add to the already living religious expression in this country by coming here and adding your own philosophy to it?

Prabhupāda: When I first came to your country, I was guest of an Indian friend at Butler.

Interviewer: In Pennsylvania?

Prabhupāda: Pennsylvania. So although it was a small county, I was very much engladdened there were so many churches.

Room Conversation -- London, August 10, 1971:

Dhanañjaya: Actually, you see, it's the younger Indian families also. They're English. They're not Indian. They're more English than Indian. Their children, they don't speak Hindi, and they're playing just like Western children. So they're, when they see us, when we, when devotees go there, to the communities, they're so eager to take the books 'cause they can read them and they can relate with, with Kṛṣṇa consciousness somehow. Because they go every Sunday to their meetings there, and they hear the priest, and it's all boring. It's for the older, for the old. It's sentimental. That's all. So the older people, they're coming, and they're listening to the readings of the Rāmāyaṇa and so many other things. And the young people, they know, "Oh, these, these European people and American people, they must be doing something genuine. Otherwise why are they sacrificing so much?"

Prabhupāda: So how to attract the Indian younger people?

Dhanañjaya: But then again, they're influenced...

Śyāmasundara: They've asked us in that Hindu Center to teach classes.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Śyāmasundara: They've asked us to teach classes also in that center.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you do that?

Śyāmasundara: Not many people come, though. But we could attract them to come. Advertise and attract.

Dhanañjaya: See, that..., their main function is on a Sunday, and the last time Your Divine Grace came there, last year, that's where they hold their meetings, in that hall. But it's full of so much nonsense. They have pictures of Vivekananda...

Prabhupāda: Why don't you call that Dr. Shah?

Śyāmasundara: Dr. Shah.

Conversation with Journalists -- August 18, 1971, London:

Journalist (1): But it must be very difficult for you to...

Prabhupāda: No. It is difficult because this civilization is demons. Just like India. India welcomed everyone. But the result was they occupied. Just like your English people. They were welcome. Lord Clive was welcome, but he intrigued to occupy India. And his statue is worshiped here. Because what is his credit? He made an intrigue, illegally entered India and made occupation. That is his credit and he is worshiped. That is Western civilization.

Journalist (1): That's really what I was going to ask you. You must find life difficult preaching the values of brotherhood in a society...

Prabhupāda: Natural brotherhood. Just like in a family, naturally, a father has got ten sons, they are brothers. But one son is intriguing how to take the whole property. That is going on. That is demonic. If every one of the father's sons thinks that "Father is one and father's property equally should be distributed." But no. One cunning son is simply intriguing how to occupy the whole estate for me. That is going on all over the world.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1971, London:

Haṁsadūta: And another thing I wanted to ask you about, Prabhupāda, is that Maṇḍalībhadra, he wants to make your literature perfect, which is natural because we want to make the nicest presentation. But the devotees are saying that the translation... For instance, this Easy Journey to Other Planets, has been in the process so long, it has so many times been reworked, that it's no longer palatable to them. They don't even read it. They'd rather have the English version. So I know that Your Divine Grace has said you have full faith in his ability to do the work...

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you... you find out somebody else. He can also do. Haṁsadūta: Because my opinion is that he's becoming overworked, it's becoming strained, so much so that we're not even able to bring it to the printer because he insists on making every time more and more corrections. Prabhupāda: (chuckles) It never comes to perfection. Haṁsadūta: It never comes to perfection.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: If you can arrange a meeting amongst the scholars.

Haṁsadūta: Some scholars.

Prabhupāda: But another thing is that I do not know German language.

Pradyumna: They all speak English.

Haṁsadūta: They generally speak English very well. Generally, they all know English.

Prabhupāda: Then if some scholars' and philosophers' meeting is going on that will be nice.

Haṁsadūta: Then I will try to do that. What about a meeting in the biggest hall of Heidelburg? Would you also be interested in that?

Prabhupāda: But I will have to speak in English.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. They know English. This city is especially English. They, practically everyone knows English. Very, very, many people from America are always there. Especially the younger people, they all know English. It's a center for...

Pradyumna: It's the best German university. The most famous German university is there.

Haṁsadūta: And Śivānanda. Shall Śivānanda come here to see you? He wants to know about his taking sannyāsa. He can either go to Paris and meet you there or he can come here.

Prabhupāda: He cannot go to Paris?

Haṁsadūta: He can go to Paris and meet you there.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Dr. Weir: Socrates, Christ, plenty.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So here the love propensity is being misplaced in this material world. That should be placed in God. Then the love will be perfection. Just like if you pour water on the leaves of the tree or branches of the tree it is simply a waste of time. If you pour water on the root then the effect of pouring water is distributed. Similarly, foodstuff, if you place the foodstuff on your nose, on your eyes or your ears, it is simply wasted. But if you put foodstuff to the mouth in the stomach immediately the energy derived from the foodstuff is distributed throughout the whole body. Similarly, if you love God then your, automatically your love is distributed to everyone, every entity. But if you don't love, if you simply love your country... Just like an Englishman, you love your country; German, he loves his country, but there is fight between the English and the Germans because the love is misplaced. But if the Germans or the Englishmen or the Indians they put their love in God there will be no more fighting. Therefore our philosophy is to educate people how to love God. That is real religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion which teaches the follower how to love God. And as soon he becomes a lover of God... Just like I am Indian, but I have come to western countries to teach love of God. It is not that I am satisfied only in myself that I love God, that's all right. But due to my love to God I love others also, because I am trying to teach them to love God, the same philosophy. So if people take seriously this movement, how to love God, then human society will be first-rate.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: But so far we know that Buddhists they do not believe in God, existence of God.

Dr. Weir: No. They believe in this existence of a "Godness" if you like.

Mensa Member: It's very subjective, the Buddhist point of view in general seems to be very much that of the nineteenth century English rationalist, the agnostic in its visual sense.

Dr. Weir: That's why I say the Unitarian comes closest to it.

Mensa Member: The fact that I got here is impossible to comprehend. (indistinct) in these very brief terms.

Dr. Weir: But if you accept its existence then it's present in everybody. Exactly what you're saying. Whether they utilize it, whether, as you call it, uncovered, or to the degree to which they are conscious of it, is a different thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a question of consciousness, development of consciousness.

Dr. Weir: That's where your line is so very good in saying that the real evolution of man's mind has been his ability to produce more and more the functions of whatever the mind may be. But the mind is just as indivisible as God. We know what the brain is, but we don't know what the mind is. Yet more and more of it under conscious control instead of being irrationally eruptive(?).

Prabhupāda: But there is the summum bonum of that realization. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births of this mental evolutionary process, when actually he becomes wise he becomes God conscious and surrenders to God. That is real evolution(?). That evolution will go on. But when it comes to the summit, that is God realization. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). God is cause of all causes. That is final realization. Unless one comes to that point he has not come to the perfection of evolutionary process of the mind and intelligence.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Dr. Weir: Well, I think that's being a bit hard when a person is not... If he's tried his best to do something and he doesn't intend to mislead, to call that cheating is a bit hard.

Prabhupāda: No, even if not intend, but if you misguide some way or other without sufficient knowledge, that is also cheating.

Dr. Weir: Well, we would say, using the English language properly, that's a misuse of the word.

Prabhupāda: But, generally, if I'm not in perfect knowledge, if I guide you, that is, according to Vedic version that is cheating. You must be confident of the knowledge perfectly. Then if you deliver the knowledge that is right. Just like our position is that we say what Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is God. So we say what Kṛṣṇa says. We don't say anything which does not Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa does not say. Therefore you are confident that we are delivering the right message. We don't manufacture our own philosophy or words. We simply say, "Kṛṣṇa says, 'sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).' " Kṛṣṇa, God, says that you simply surrender unto Me, I take charge of you. We are preaching the same philosophy. That you surrender to God and you'll become happy because God takes charge of you. We don't manufacture our word. That is not cheating.

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Cinmaya, cinmaya-śarīra (?) we have got. In the Padma Purāṇa, the length and breadth of this cinmaya-śarīra is given: one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya (CC Madhya 19.140).

Dr. Singh: This is my wife.

Prabhupāda: Ah, how are you?

Dr. Singh: And this is Mrs. (indistinct), one English friend of ours who is out..., who is...

Prabhupāda: So why are you sitting down?

Dr. Singh: Because I have a little problem in sitting on the floor, but she is all right.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much for your humbleness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has taught, therefore, that

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

(indistinct) because here everyone is puffed up.

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: If you give one bottle of John Walker...

Dr. Singh: (laughs) Johnnie.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Johnnie Walker? What is it?

English woman: I'm so surprised you know the name of that liquor.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am used to everything. (laughter)

Śyāmasundara: What is that phrase, Johnnie Walker?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: The phrase (indistinct) (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Very nice. You are author, you are thoughtful, you are a devotee. Now apply all these things for Kṛṣṇa. (Sanskrit) That is perfection. For Kṛṣṇa. Dedicate life for Kṛṣṇa. So (Sanskrit), keep in your position but serve for Kṛṣṇa. That Mr. (indistinct) is a very nice boy.

Dr. Singh: (indistinct), you mean our High Commissioner?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) Somehow or other, he prays to Kṛṣṇa, so you cannot say that He's evil.

Bob: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk (BG 9.30). You have read it?

Bob: Yeah. I think, the Sanskrit I don't know, but the English maybe I do. Is it "Even if the most evil man prays to Me..."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bob: "...then he will be elevated."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bob: Something like that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So as soon as he begins to pray to Kṛṣṇa, that is not evil. Therefore He is all-attractive.

Śyāmasundara: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Why don't you cover?

Devotee: I covered the outside with a cloth, I didn't want to disturb you; so I put thick cloth on the outside.

Prabhupāda: You have covered?

Devotee: Yes. (break)

Prabhupāda: Kaṁsa... You know Kṛṣṇa's life?

Bob: Not, not much.

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

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.

Bob: (laughs) Yes, yes. I did... I asked him to see devotees, but then on the way out as he was leaving down the road I met him again and talked, "Come back," but... Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: You first of all be convinced and then try to convince others. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is that you can do welfare for others when your life is success.

Room Conversation -- March 12, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta. Intonation, what do you call?

Dr. Kapoor: No.

Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta, what is the exact English?

Dr. Kapoor: Penance.

Devotee: Atonement.

Prabhupāda: Atonement.

Dr. Kapoor: Atonement, yes.

Prabhupāda: Atonement.

Dr. Kapoor: Atonement. So I was made to undergo atonement, you see. (chuckles) I was coming to Mathurā. I had to drop down some (indistinct) at Mathurā, and I had a trunk and bedding with me. (break) (Hindi), a big volume, about one thousand pages, that he had given to me for revision. So that thing was there, there was one...

Prabhupāda: Bengali?

Dr. Kapoor: Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Hindi.

Conversation in car -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:

Prabhupāda: We say that in whatever occupation you may be, try to find out some time and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our preaching. So it will help you. At least you will get, even if you are attached to the material activities, you will get next birth a human body, rich family, another chance, or Vaiṣṇava family. That is also great benefit. Even there is no salvation, but he gets opportunity again. (sings another line) So Karandhara Prabhu, what advantage you will get by opening their office there?

Karandhara: Well, all of the communications can be done with the liaison officer. He'll have a telex, so I won't have to wait for two weeks to get a letter back. I'll just speak with him, and he can telex. And we can save the money we're spending now on telex. And sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's hard for them to understand my English and it's hard for me to understand their English. It takes a little elaboration. So if there's a person there to speak with and he can speak with them in Japanese and with me in English, it's simpler.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Oh, there will be a great many advantages, but they have to expend for that service. They will expect some more business. That will... We think we shall be able to give him.

Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:

Dai Nippon representative: Three thousand.

Prabhupāda: Yes. For weeks they prepare. And the competition is the more items the temple prepares, he becomes... (break) And distribution, prasāda distribution, free of charges. It was a very nice system that nobody should remain hungry. That is the system. If there is any temple in any neighborhood, in that neighborhood nobody should remain hungry. The Vedic system is that in your house, a householder shall see that even a lizard in the house is not hungry. He must also be given food. Even there is a snake—nobody likes snake—but a Vedic householder has to call the snake and give him food. He also may not remain hungry. This is the... And these things will be explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that anything, wherever it is, on land, on the air, sky, within the water, everywhere, God's kingdom; and all living entities, they are God's sons. So everyone has got the right to take advantage of his father's property. This is Bhāgavata communism. The communists are thinking in terms of their own country. But we, a devotee, we think in terms of all living entities, wherever he is, either in the sky or in the land or in the water. These things are explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Everything, politics, sociology, religion, philosophy, science, astronomy—everything is there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And we should not take this movement as a religious movement. It is not religious movement. It is a movement for understanding knowledge. Veda. Veda means knowledge. So religion, according to English dictionary, is a kind of faith. Faith you can change. You have faith today in something. Tomorrow you may change. So this is knowledge. Any human being must be interested with advancement of knowledge. So you are waiting to stop me?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Rajiniganda. They are called Rajiniganda.

Devotee (2): Night Queen?

Prabhupāda: Very nice flower. (indistinct) In English is called (indistinct)? What do you call in English?

Devotee (2): Night Queen. In Fiji they call them Night Queen. I didn't know if this was the same thing.

Prabhupāda: Just see how Kṛṣṇa's creation, wonderful creation. And they defy, "Oh, what nonsense they are." There is no brain in creating such nice flower, flavor? "It is automatic, nature, nature." What is this nature? Rascal. Nature means rascaldom. Nature. What do you mean by nature? Just see how foolish they are. They cannot explain what is this nature. Simply say. I'm simply sorry that the so-called institution education simply making people all fools and rascals. That is my grief only. I am therefore trying to give them some intelligence. The whole program is to create some fools and rascals, that's all. Any philosopher, any scientist comes, I can say that "You are simply creating fools and rascals because you are also fools and rascals." I can say, challenge. Then let us come to argument. "You are such a fool and rascal and you are creating fools and rascals, that's all. That is your business." And that is going on as the advancement of education. You do not know. What do you... How do you explain? You say nature. That means you are fool. We have got our explanation. Kṛṣṇa, His energy is working. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. His energy is so fine and nice that automatically it appears that the color has come, the painting has come, but there is working, very fine work, working. The modern science, you want to talk with a friend, immediately you pay something, telephone, "Yes, I am speaking." Actually the man is there, he is talking and I am hearing, but by scientific arrangement is so that he is thousand miles away, just like speaking with him. But he has come before me. Although he is away thousand miles, it appears that he has come before me and talking.

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

Śyāmasundara: He can oversee some foreign...

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has this book department. Book department and... They may move according to convenience, Bali-mardana and Karandhara. He has got also very responsibility, with this department, that department. He has to purchase small houses. So big brain (indistinct). So similarly, you also think on the books. Everyone take big responsibility. Then we have to serve this mission. The people are foolish, they have forgotten God. We are delivering them. Best service. And without God, it is all useless, zero, all this civilization. Zero. Whatever they are making advancement, it is all zero. And nonsense. But actually it is. Now the priestly order supporting homosex. I was surprised. They are going to pass resolution for getting married between man to man. The human society has come down to such a degraded position. It is astonishing. When I heard from Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja there is a big conference for passing this resolution. In India still, if there somebody hears about homosex (makes sound of breathing out). Homosex is there but nobody will support publicly. (indistinct) People are going down and this is the subject matter for priestly order? It may be subject matter for the legislator, priestly order, they are discussing for one week. Just imagine. Phalena paricīyate, one has to study by the result. Not that superficially you show that "We are very much advanced." Phalena, what is the result? Phalena paricīyate, your, that is in English word also, end justifies the means. The end is this (indistinct) "We are going to support homosex." Getting married. There are many cases the priestly order has actually got married. I read it in that paper, Watch, what is called?

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:

Sumati Morarjee: And sugar, and heat it, and keep it some time, and then properly mix it, and then not very cold or anything. Little how you'll give it to him and that will improve his digestion. Because this (indistinct) won't be there, due to itch. (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Our example, gosāi, gosvāmī all the gosvāmīs, let me speak in English.

Sumati Morarjee: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: The gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they're nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **.

Sumati Morarjee: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Nidrā āhāra vihāra, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau. Āhāra nidrā vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was, at that time, 500 years ago, his father's income was 12 lakhs of rupees.

Sumati Morarjee: I know Jīva Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, or Rūpa, Sanātana.

Prabhupāda: Rūpa-Sanātana was minister, minister.

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:

Sumati Morarjee: I know, and he was a communist member before.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Sumati Morarjee: Home (rule) and all that. He was the man. So I knew him some many years. So he came to see me, and I talked to him, at that time, you know, his position had become very bad. so he said that I started talking to him English, he said why do you talk to me in English? You talk to me in Kachi. We have common language. I thought you forgotten. He said (indistinct) at that time (Śrīla Prabhupāda laughs). And after that, you know, he, this movement of Pakistan, and India became very strong and he went away.

Prabhupāda: He was, he was paid for that running on the League of...

Sumati Morarjee: Ah, I know.

Prabhupāda: Was the Muslim League.

Sumati Morarjee: I know.

Prabhupāda: This all Englishmen subscribes.

Sumati Morarjee: Because you know is the policy divide and rule.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that was it. (indistinct) was made.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Devotee: They were showing them in India?

Prabhupāda: Uh? Yes. Max Linder, I remember, he was sitting in a park. (laughter) You know that?

Devotee: I don't know anything about it.

Prabhupāda: He was sitting in a park, so that English dress, that tail coat? What is called?

Devotee: Coattails, yeah.

Prabhupāda: So the tail was hanging, so some naughty boys, they fixed up nails, you see? So when he got up, the whole tail gone, you see? But he could not understand. He went to the ball dance. So he's dancing, so everyone's seeing his tail, in this way. So he thought, "Oh, what is the matter?" He went to the mirror and he saw, "Oh, my tail is lost." (laughs) Then he came again in the ball dance and he was pushing everyone, just to show. And everyone was asking, "What is this? What is this?" "Oh, you do not know? This is latest fashion. This is latest fashion." Then all of them cut the tails. I think he had taken the idea, (Sanskrit). This is Sanskrit story, that (Sanskrit), or monkey, he lost his tail, and he began to advertise, "This is the latest fashion." So that ball-dancing without tail, that was, I remember, it is very enjoyable. They say that Charlie Chaplin is the student of Max Linder. He learned this funny play from Max Linder. So I knew Charlie Chaplin is an Englishman.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: I would have collected the money and used for my sense gratification. Then nobody would help me.

Devotee: I think the English milk is better than American milk, isn't it?

Prabhupāda: I think so. It is from Holland.

Devotee: Oh. There's some famous islands between England and Holland called the Jersey Islands. There's special milk that comes from Jersey. Jersey milk is best.

Prabhupāda: No. These Europeans, Americans, if they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll be more happy. That is assured. From all angles of vision-their family life, their political life, their social life, their cultural life, their religious life, their philosophical life, their scientific life—everything will be perfect. Now you have to teach them. I can give you the ideas how they'll be happy. The rascals, they do not know why, what is your specialness, and just to teach you this. My only ambition is that you are... (aside:) Oh, there is no water. You are supposed to be the most intelligent persons. (Prabhupāda drinks) So if you take, others will take. That is going on. So I have no distinction between East and West. They're thinking that East is conquering West by culture. That is their enviousness. (laughter) That is, they are afraid. Because the Britishers, they kept Indian culture suppressed so long because... (break) ...the kṣatriya, kings, in special cases. Not for public. Among the kṣatriyas. And among the vaiśyas, one day in a year, when they were allocated(?), to try one's luck. One day they'll bet. Not amongst the brāhmaṇas or the śūdras. Śūdras have no money to gamble, and brāhmaṇas prohibited. The kṣatriyas, they were also allowed in special cases, and the vaiśyas were allowed to engage in gambling one day in a year. That means restricted.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is why the individual is lacking intelligence, he doesn't know whether he's cheated.

Prabhupāda: No, he has got intelligence, but he wants to be cheated, wants cheap things. Just like our... Who has left, Saṅkarṣaṇa? Is that his name?

Jayatīrtha: Kapiladeva.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Kapiladeva.

Prabhupāda: He has gone to that camp. He saw, "It is very difficult to follow the rules and regulations. Better go there." He wants to be cheated.

Jayatīrtha: If something is valuable, the price will be high.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is it like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the English... (end)

Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Śyāmasundara: (to daughter) Sarasvatī, who is that?

Prabhupāda: (Hindi with Indian man)

Śyāmasundara: What is the history of this temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: (to Indian man) You say.

Indian: You would like to say in English?

Śyāmasundara: Ah, yes.

Indian: Not in Hindi.

Śyāmasundara: If you can speak English, please.

Indian: This is an old place, Vṛndāvana. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu came here and sat under this tree nearly five hundred years back. He sat under this tree and meditated: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, until midday. Several days He chanted His name and came here and sat. This tree is the old tree of Dvāpara-yuga. Under this tree, Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa both met once. This is written in Param-Gita(?) For this reason Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu came here with this reason. He came here and sat under this tree and recited the name Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. When He sat here once, one Vaiṣṇava, name Kṛṣṇadāsa, name Kṛṣṇadāsa, he saw, at night, he dreamt of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and became mad to see Him, and he crossed the Yamunā River, Keśīghāṭa, and gradually came here and saw the glorious silhouette of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he made his obeisance to His feet, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu touch him, and he became mad with Kṛṣṇa-prema, and then Mahāprabhu, from this place, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu came, went to Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but displayed the name of this before that time.

Prabhupāda: He went to Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

Indian: Rādhā-kuṇḍa. He went there and asked the old gentlemen of that place that "Where is Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa?" But none of them (indistinct) Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, discovery of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If we organize our Bombay, then we shall regularly teach all the students from the very beginning. And in London also we shall. London, Dallas. So that these students will be transferred. Their parents will be very glad that our students have gone to foreign countries for study. We shall have very, very good sympathy(?). Our only policy will be the students should be taught very nice English for understanding our books.

Gurudāsa: In Bombay rather than Māyāpur?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Gurudāsa: In Bombay rather than...

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Everywhere. But you make higher study, higher study, higher study.

Gurudāsa: Māyāpur can be the highest.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct), or everywhere this existence(?) should be lower class, higher class. But our all institutions should be for giving spiritual. We have got so many books. Simply he has to learn English and Sanskrit, that's all. (indistinct) So we are not going to follow the university curriculum, no. We have got our own.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: He's a nonsense. He's a nonsense. Now he's suffering. I saw him last year in Madras. He has lost his brain. He's suffering now. You cannot ask him whether he's hungry or whether he wants some... Only his daughter is attending and here he cannot understand who is standing before him. He cannot speak. Like that. (Hindi) He has committed so much offenses under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi for some minutes) ...very meritorious. I think you cannot understand Hindi.

Devotee: He speaks English.

Prabhupāda: Ah. So you can understand English then. So (Sanskrit). Duṣkṛtinaḥ means... kṛtiḥ means meritorious, very meritorious. But duṣkṛtiḥ. Whatever merit he has got... Nowadays at the present moment the civilization is so mad that everyone as human being... Any human being he has got some merit because he is not cat and dog. He's a man. As a man he has got brain, better than the cats and dogs. That's a fact. And actually they're doing so many things. Just like this picture. It is a very meritorious workmanship. So everyone can do some meritorious workmanship. But when that workmanship is diverted to, for the use of sinful activities... Just like one man is very meritorious, he's planning to form a party how to plunder. This requires merit. Without merit you cannot form a party. But the merit is being used for plundering, for harassing, for so many other sinful activities. So that is called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Merit is there but the merit is being misused for sinful activities. Therefore duṣkṛtiḥ. Just like modern scientist. It is meritorious that they have discovered the atomic bomb. The merit is used for killing. If you just use your merit so that man may live; that they're dying. Everyone is dying. So you have discovered a bomb which will accelerate death. Death, everyone is going to die.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) Yes, this is the explanation. There is no second explanation. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). This is the only explanation. What explanation can you... Who can give another explanation? There is no second explanation. Bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ, aprāṇasyeva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. It's like if you decorate the dead body. It may be pleasing to some relatives of the dead body, otherwise what is the value of it? Others will think, "What a foolish man, he is, that decorating the dea..." Suppose if there is dead body and you're decorating (indistinct) flower. That may be your sentiment because the dead body belongs to your father or mother, like that. It is pleasing to you, but actually what is the value? So similarly, this human civilization is meant for understanding God. If that sense is lacking then it is simply decoration of the dead body. That's all. There is no value.

Guest (1) Indian man: This gentleman doesn't understand English.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (break)

Guest (1): He's nice devotee of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. I remember many years ago, I met him in Surbaya. He used to preach on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but in Sindi language.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Devotee: Very soon the man from department of religion will be coming.

Guest (1): Minister of religion.

Devotee: Yes.

(Hindi conversation between guests and Śrīla Prabhupāda with occasional English words and phrases interspersed)

Prabhupāda: Shall we go there so that we can sit comfortably.

Devotee: Well there're the same amount of chairs whether we're here or there.

Prabhupāda: No, there are no more chairs. (indistinct)

Devotee: Yes, I guess that's best.

Prabhupāda: People are coming, so will you kindly take the trouble to, inside sitting?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, thank you very much. (to guest:) You don't take charge of that.

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Guest 2: Excuse me, my English is very poor. I would like Mr. Kunti to translate, Indonesian. (Indonesian)

Devotee: He would like to have him translate English to Indonesian.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): He is the director of the (indistinct) of Hindu and Buddhist religion, from Department of Religious Affairs. His duty is to maintain and look after the development of (indistinct) expecting that all people of Indonesia that has to follow any kind of religions (indistinct) Christians, because we have also in charge for the Christianity, we have also in charge for the Muslim, or Islam, and we have also in charge for the Catholic and we have also in charge for other...

Prabhupāda: Very good idea. This is very nice.

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: So this is the idea which I was explaining that...

Guest (2): (Indonesian) As a matter of fact, also that we are looking from the Hindu and Buddhist religions' point of view, how to get (indistinct) this department, especially because we are feeling of lacking of materials because no of our books actually here, written in ancient Indonesian language, which are translated from Sanskrit (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Ancient English...?

Guest (2): Ancient Indonesian language.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Guest (2): And now actually, most of the Sanskrit texts also, are not available anymore. Of course we have some few can be available from (indistinct) and that is why actually, to develop this new religions, as well as the Buddhist religion, which have a lack of material for reading. Now the government also tried to rewrite into Indonesian bhāṣā, and as one of the aspects, for example, that Bhagavad-gītā has been translated into Indonesian.

Prabhupāda: Mmmm.

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Guest (2): Which we are expecting that this Bhagavad-gītā should be read by English (indistinct) and also, matter of fact, most of English readers can understand and they have the ideas of the Mahābhārata, and Rāmāyaṇa, and the essence of the Bhagavad-gītā. Now the problems, at least the department has (indistinct) facing difficulties to supply materials that are actually needed by the people, is we are lacking of materials. So how, actually we have to solve this problem actually. We are actually, from the government point of view always looking and how we can try to get international relationships between various countries to solve the problems. As the same case also how to educate Indonesian peoples to study more about the Hinduism in order they can teach the Hinduism because in our country religious instruction is compulsory in our, any institution. So we felt, actually in our lack of material as well as lack of institution to develop this Hindu religions. And I, from our government actually, we are expected your visit here that it will be beneficial, both for our side, from the government point of view, and as well as for here and as well in your country.

Prabhupāda: So I think your problems can be solved if you kindly cooperate with us.

Guest (2): Yes. That's why we are looking for... because...

Prabhupāda: We can give you correct idea of religious principles as well as our philosophy.

Guest (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Religious idea without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. They should be combined. Religious idea supported by philosophy. Then it is correct. And philosophy without religious idea is simply mental speculation. They should be combined. That combination of religious idea and philosophy, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, provided you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If you interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, then you'll miss the point. Just like in our country, in India, Bhagavad-gītā has been interpreted in so different ways that people are now bewildered. They do not know what is actually Bhagavad-gītā. Take, for example... Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). I think you know Sanskrit.

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Devotee: This Bhagavad-gītā translated into Indonesian. (pause)

Prabhupāda: So will you explain me in English some of the Fourth, Fourth Chapter.

Scholar: This what you got in it? What you got? Fourth Chapter.

Prabhupāda: What is the subject matter?

Scholar: About yoga has been taught by Vivasvān, and Vivasvān taught to Manu, and Manu taught to Ikṣvāku.

Prabhupāda: So only the translation is there?

Scholar: Yes. Translation and some explanations.

Prabhupāda: What is that explanation?

Scholar: He said that Vivasvān is the personification of Sūrya, the sun-god. He was the first man created by Brahmā and he learns yoga from (indistinct) himself. And then we..., Vivasvān taught yoga to Manu, who is the creator of the law, and of institutions. Just explaining only the, who is Ikṣvāku, who is Vivasvān, and so on. There's no philosophical explanation. Just word by word explanations. Because of course if you compare...

Prabhupāda: But er... He said that indirectly, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the original verse can you read? Original verse?

Scholar: Śrī Bhagavān uvāca: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Bhagavān uvāca.

Scholar: Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: All over the world. It is called spiritual bankruptcy all over the world and leading men are thinking this catastrophe, and the only hope is Bhagavad-gītā. (indistinct) ...religion there is no science. There is no philosophy. Buddhist religion there is little (indistinct). Otherwise...

Devotee (1): They are bankrupt and we are billionaire in spiritual life. (pause) Tomorrow the professor of Sanskrit has made appointment, a lady from University of Indonesia. She speaks English very well also. (pause) I will go speak with them see if they can bring their altar. (offers obeisances) (break)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (1): Yes. He's very nice. Actually he wants to become initiated but he can't chant. The only thing he doesn't chant rounds...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Devotee (1): He says that if I do that I can't do my business and he has many reasons. For some ten days he chanted sixteen rounds and then he just stopped and now he doesn't chant at all. But he's very sincere. He works very hard.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (1): I will tell him. I have told him many times. Actually it took a long time to get him to read your books, and then when he read, then we told him, "You must chant. You must hear. It takes time to (indistinct)."

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (1): The only problem is that in his community he's rejected.

Prabhupāda: Rejected?

Devotee (1): Yes, because a few years ago his family left him and his wife and children deserted him, and he... The wife told many stories about him that he was very, doing degraded things, and so everyone rejects him. And when he speaks to Indian people they reject. He irritates them. And also sometimes he is, it can be changed, but he is, he makes them irritated a little too much pride, but he can be changed because he's chanting so much. But he tries very, very hard. Only we have to get him to agree to chant. And now he has another wife and a child.

Prabhupāda: A child?

Devotee (1): A child.

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: You have to give up this four prohibitives.

Guest (1): By sacrament?

Prabhupāda: By taking vow not to indulge in four prohibitives.

Devotee: Oh. I'm not very expert yet.

Prabhupāda: No, you can say it in English.

Devotee: Oh in English. We have a special private ceremony...

Guest (1): Ceremony.

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Calcutta, yes. A very perfect gentleman. Kind-hearted. Sometimes we joked. We were taking this, what is called, peanuts. So the professor was passing. So some of our friends remarked: (Bengali) So he thought that professor did not know Bengali. So immediately he turned: (Bengali). So we became very much ashamed. Yes. So all the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system. All officers, big officers, educate... (Aside) Good morning. ...big educationists, they were to learn the local language. And they used to learn Bengali. Especially in Calcutta. There was one professor, Mr. Scrimgeour. He was professor of literature, English literature. So while teaching one English literature, he was giving parallel passage from Bankim Candra Chatterjee. Yes. "Your Bankim babu says like this." He used to say like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: That means he studied Bankim literature. Bankim Candra Chatterjee was compared with Sir Walter Scott, of English literary men. Sir Walter Scott. In those days, Charles Dickens.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Charles Dickens?

Prabhupāda: Yes. And Sir Walter Scott were known two very great English literary men.

Karandhara: Novelists.

Prabhupāda: After sixth year... Yes novelists. So the relationship was very nice. There were... Otherwise, how the Britishers could rule, unless there was obedience. But as soon as they saw now the obedience is going on, the soldiers are leaving our camp and joining the national camp," immediately they decided to leave peacefully. Otherwise, there would be some revolution. At that time, all good relationship will go. Better separate with good relation. This was Attlee's policy, to convince statesmen like Churchill that: "You cannot rule over India any more. Better separate in good relationship."

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: In another life. Some other life. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Ne. (Bengali)

Indian: (Bengali)

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (Bengali conversation continues for some time) (Devotee shows some vegetables)

Prabhupāda: Oh, paṭal is there? Oh. (Bengali conversation with a little English, talking about success of the movement around the world, which vegetables to eat during Cāturmāsya and other topics for some minutes)

Prabhupāda: How within five or six years...?

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (Bengali) The intellectual barrier has been crossed and from there, it is being extended to this mundane world of ours. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: One intelligent boy, you have heard his name, George Harrison, he's one of the greatest musicians at the present moment, of the world. I think so, eh?

Devotee: Yes.

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: Thirty dollars, yes. So this is very encouraging that our books are... (Bengali) The books are selling like anything, these books.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Hotcakes. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Hotcakes, yes. We are ordering to Dai Nippon, because they are giving us facilities, 100,000 copies each. And distributed all over the world. The whole world, Australia... The whole... Australia is English-speaking. Whole America is English-speaking. England, English-speaking. And Europe also, half, English-speaking. India, more than half, English-speaking. So in this way, English literatures, worldwide circulation we are getting. And besides that, we have published in German language, in Spanish language. Just yesterday I received Spanish Back to Godhead. People are liking it very much. So here is something.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Who is in charge of this publication?

Prabhupāda: Publication... I have made one Trust, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Who is the leader?

Prabhupāda: I am there, and one, my sannyāsī śiṣya, Bali-mardana.

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: Place.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: "...of accommodation in his own, in the maṭha of Prabhupāda." (Bengali) Adṛṣṭi-parihāsa. What will be the English expression? Adṛṣṭi-parihāsa. Kasno...

Prabhupāda: Desire.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: I have got another śloka. That is, that will be very effective to have a clear conception of Prabhupāda's mission. Nikhilo bhuvana-mayacchino vicchino karteji vivhala bahuta mukti mohan tadatri, siti-liti-vidhi rādhā rādhā-rādhe sādhane vilasatu dviji taṁ bhaktisiddhānta vāṇī. (?)

Prabhupāda: Āpnāra composition.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: A clear picture of Prabhupāda's mission. Visi siti mayachinna vichinna kartr. And vibudha bahula vimudhe means scholars. Vibudha bahula vigdha mukti mohana dart asiti...

Prabhupāda: The mohan.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Eh?

Prabhupāda: The mukti (Bengali conversation continues with Sanskrit verses praising Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī) ...garden like this, surrounding. Like I see so many fruit trees.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Ah, yes. Do it gradually. And the more beautiful, they will do it in their time.

Prabhupāda: Eh? This is very beautiful species.

Conversation with Mr. Wadell -- July 10, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: But Kristo is person.

Mr. Wadell: It is a name applied to...

Prabhupāda: It is a name, then it must be a person.

Mr. Wadell: Yes, that is true. But the name is not always the same as the thing it describes or the person it describes. My name, I have said, is spelled in English in a certain way. It could be pronounced Waddle, Wawdle or, you know what I mean.

Prabhupāda: No, I am just suggesting there is similarity and the meaning "anointed." And from Kristo, the word Christ has come.

Mr. Wadell: Yes, in English, that is quite true.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the Christ, what is the meaning of Christ?

Mr. Wadell: I, well, it is this that he is the anointed.

Prabhupāda: No, Christ means love, something like that.

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

Prabhupāda: Dhruvānanda. Yes. Aiye. Aiye, bache, Aiye bache. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) You are coming from where?

Guest (3): (Hindi)

Guest (2): His, there's a place here, his.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (Hindi)

Guest (3): (Hindi conversation for some time with English words here and there.)

Guest (3): (Hindi) And I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed, and I have come back. I think the life is more peaceful here than it is in India.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Guest (3): It's more peaceful.

Prabhupāda: Especially in Bengal, all, they have turned to be low...

Guest (3): Due to poverty, Guru Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: Ne, culture...

Guest (3): Culture nāsti.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Poverty's not question.

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

Satsvarūpa: Sure, later we can talk.

Prabhupāda: There are good teachers. We are teaching Sanskrit and English especially.

Guest (3): They teach Sanskrit, English?

Prabhupāda: That is what. We are preparing them so that they can read our literature which is in Sanskrit and English. As soon as they can read, that's education finished. They will understand, practical demonstration, ārati, worship of the Deity, and they play mṛdaṅga, they chant, they join Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. They are not meant for any technology.

Guest (3): No.

Prabhupāda: No. That we do not train. We are training them to become actual devotee, brāhmaṇa. Not for become technologists. Technologists, there are many.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, nobody can understand. Simply he can understand.

Guest (1): So difficult.

Prabhupāda: It is meant for him.

Guest (3): You read Guru Mahārāja's Bhagavad-gītā, so simple. Even the child can understand who knows English. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...trouble to the poor animals. Why the poor animals should be killed? They have got equal rights. But these rascals, they will not give equal rights. (break)... National means one who is born in that land. The animals are born in that land. Man is also born in that land. Trees are also born in that land. But they are not national. Only human beings national. Imperfect knowledge.

Guest (4): In Luton, before eighty years... When I was reading the history of Luton, on the page number 176, it was written that there was a great shortage of food before eighty years, and in some place people were cutting their own children and eating.

Prabhupāda: Huh?!

Guest (4): This is written. If you like that book, I can send you. So the non-vegetarians...

Prabhupāda: Cutting their children?!

Guest (4): Cutting their own children, killing them and eat them. In some private places in Luton, where I am residing now. The history of Luton has been published by the County Borough of Luton. The non-vegetarian food leaved them to such an extent that they couldn't stay without the meat. And they had to cut their own children. Now we are vegetarian. I have never tasted any meat. I don't know the taste of it. Still. we all exist on vegetables, all sorts of vegetables.

Prabhupāda: The same thing happened in Kanpur in a hotel. One man was eating meat, and he found a little finger...

Guest (4): Finger of some...

Guest (2): That was in the Bombay, in the Villa Parle, in my place, where I was living.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: That is... These are items. These are items. First of all you have to follow a perfect leader. Then whatever he says, that is perfect. So that peace, you have given a definition of peace. Kṛṣṇa is giving definition of peace:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

"I am the proprietor of all the lokas," sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. "I am the friend of everyone." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām. "And I am the enjoyer of all fruitive activities." Jñātvā mām. "When one knows Me like that, he gets śānti." This is the śānti formula given by Kṛṣṇa. One has to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Enjoyer. Because He's the proprietor of everything; therefore He should be enjoyer. And because everything belongs to Him—we also belong to Him—so suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, He's friend of everyone. So these three things, if you understand-Kṛṣṇa, or God, is the supreme enjoyer. He is the supreme proprietor, and He is the supreme friend of everyone—then you get śānti. If we understand these three things only, then there is śānti. Otherwise there is no possibility of śānti. Now, how it is fact, that is a subject matter of discussion. Say, Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), "I am the proprietor of all the lokas." And now you study this fact. Who is the proprietor? We are claiming proprietor, nation. Englishmen, they are claiming, "This land belongs to the English people." Others claiming this land belongs to the American, Indian, like that. But are they actually the proprietor? Take for example the American land. Two hundred years ago, or, say...? How many years ago they won it?

Haṁsadūta: Four hundred.

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

Prabhupāda: So you give... Yes. That is the... The only difference is that in human form of life you can awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the animal form... Here we are sitting with all human form of life, gentlemen, civilized men. I cannot call cats and dogs and sit here, and to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Therefore this opportunity should be given. This opportunity should be given. And especially, you are English nation, recognized, great nation, respectful, you are respected... Especially in India, we have got very good respect for English nation. We had connection for so many years. And the politicians, they spoiled. Otherwise, the, I, we liked the British Empire, means unity of the human being all over the world. That can be revived again. That can be revived again. If you come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, your Queen comes to that,... There is process. There is process. You can revive your British Empire. It is not story. If you people take little advice from me, I can help you. Yes. You are intelligent nation. So kindly do this service to the students and awaken their dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It will be a great service. And we are meant for helping you all. So you can inquire. You are at liberty to come at any time and inquire.

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

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is our qualification. Yes.

David Lawrence: Unfortunately, as we find, the youngsters that, certainly that I teach, have got such materialistic views of their...

Prabhupāda: If you keep the students as English boys or American boys, then it will be difficult. Then the, the cultural question will come up.

David Lawrence: Yes, yes. We try to bring in as much... In fact, now we have a new course... This is the sort of thing that's happening. (Break) ...the Jewish-Christian scriptures which do not, you know, just don't lend themselves in any way to the right sort of feelings being created and the right sort of experience being created. We found that this year's course-it's the first year-has been tremendously helpful. We brought the boys... I can't think anybody was here, but we brought the boys up to the London temple, and...

Prabhupāda: Here?

David Lawrence: Yes. Well, no, in the Bury Place. And they were thrilled to bits. We had one or two who made the usual silly comments, you know, which you'd expect. But they were embarrassed, you know. Everything that came over, which was interesting, was that they found that all the devotees were very kind, very loving and very sincere. This, this came from even really the most secular of boys with a very, very low intelligence. He could see and perceive and understand that this was how it was.

Prabhupāda: That is our general certificate, everywhere. Even the Americans, they are surprised. They inquire, "Are you Americans?" (laughter.)

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

Prabhupāda: So that is, that is due to our strict following the principles. That is making them stout and strong in spiritual platform.

David Lawrence: Yes. This is surely it, that so much, so many other movements, as such, and sectarian groups have compromised so much, haven't they? They, they... If one goes past the average English church which is these boys' experience of religion, they pass the biggest cars in the neighborhood on a Sunday morning. This is, this is what they see. And, of course, when they came to the temple, they found people living out a lifestyle, which, even though was so totally alien from their own, they could feel that it was worthwhile.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

David Lawrence: It was tremendous. In fact, one boy we found listening to the George Harrison record. You can tell George this if you like. He was listening to the record quietly in the music room that we have at our school with the big speakers, you know. Lots of noise. And he was reading these words. And he put the words down. And I was watching him...

Prabhupāda: "I am in material world."

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

Prabhupāda: Have you, have you got any knife? Give me. (pause) So you are living in this village?

David Lawrence: London, you mean?

Prabhupāda: You live (in) London.

David Lawrence: No, I'm just here for the evening in fact. I'll be taken back this evening, hopefully, to London. I live on the shores of the English Ganges, you know, the Thames. (laughter) No, it's very difficult by transport at night. And I haven't got a car, you see.

Śyāmasundara: No, we'll take you back. Don't worry.

David Lawrence: It's always a thing...

Prabhupāda: There is no subway?

David Lawrence: Sometimes it runs.

Prabhupāda: Oh, (laughs) sometimes?

David Lawrence: The subway's all right. It's the main line that I have to get, going back, you see.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

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

Prabhupāda: So give them this... You use your technology.

David Lawrence: Thank you. You know, I think that later on it may well happen, you know. (eating) Our boys don't eat meat, anyway. They eat baked beans the whole time. We have a generation in our country who could eat virtually anything, but they insist on sugar drinks and baked beans. Have you come across these strange English things? Baked beans? Most peculiar.

Prabhupāda: Baked beans?

Śyāmasundara: Baked beans.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Śyāmasundara: Beans...

David Lawrence: Haricot beans, put them in a tomato sauce.

David Lawrence: Haricot beans.

Śyāmasundara: In the oven.

David Lawrence: This is one of the English spiritual journeys. You know, they believe this is one of the greatest things to do, don't they.

Prabhupāda: Sometimes invite them all and give them prasādam. Nice boys.

Śyāmasundara: Have them all out here, yeah. (break)

Prabhupāda: You just work little, produce your food, eat, and save time, and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is the nature's arrangement. Anywhere, any part of the world, you can produce your food. Simply you require a little land and some cows. Everything is complete. You take milk from the cows and just till the field and get some food grains. That is sufficient. Whole economic question solved. And save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the arrangement.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: That they can continue. But the spirit of Vedic culture should be accepted. It is not that because one has to accept the Vedic culture, he has to stop industry or material progress. Not like that. Bhagavad-gītā does not teach that. Simply to change the consciousness. Therefore we have named the Society "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness." One has to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be adjusted. Not the mode of life should be changed. Little change. Just like we recommend that four things should be avoided: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. So to give up these four kinds of activities, which are considered to be sinful, that is not very difficult. That is not very difficult. These English and, I mean to say, European and American boys, they are young men. They have given up. So in the society, if there is prevalence of sinful activities, then there will be reaction. So these four things are considered sinful activities: illicit sex, meat, unecessarily killing of animals, and intoxication, and gambling. Yatra pāpas catur-vidhaḥ. These are four kinds of sinful activities. So Vedic civilization means they should be freed from the sinful activities. Then other things will automatically come.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: But West Pakistan, they speak Hindi, or Urdu.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: And the southern states are very conscious of their different languages.

Prabhupāda: Actually, English language... Now we see. We have got the facility of speaking in English language all over the world. Yes.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: That is true. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Whole America speaks English language. Australia, New Zealand. In India also, practically all educated men, they speak in English. So in Africa. In Europe also, they understand English language. Not very much, but... (laughs) The Germans, especially, they do not like.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes. No.

Prabhupāda: They do not like.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: They do not like.

Śyāmasundara: Only at the airport.

Prabhupāda: France? What is the position in France? They don't like also.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No.

Prabhupāda: In Canada, there is two languages, English and French.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. And unfortunately, a great feeling between the two.

Prabhupāda: This material world is based on jealousy. And spiritual world is based on friendship. That is the difference. So the, these materialistic persons, United Nations, League of Nations, they are trying to unite, but they, at heart, there is jealousy. So they can never become united. This is only bogus farce.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They cannot be united because at heart there is jealousy. They go to the United Nations assembly. So one man is speaking with jealousy for the other. The other man is speaking (laughs) with jealous... So how they can be united? It is not possible.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, in Calcutta. And Lord Rolandson, Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. He was governor of Bengal. So he's also a Scotsman.

Lord Brockway: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So he came to our college in our, when we were young men, second year student. All our professors, mostly they were Scotsmen, and there was one English professor, Mister Warren. All other professors, they were Scotsmen, Mr. Keye, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Scrimgeour in this way.

Lord Brockway: Those are Scottish names.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Scottish names. So you remained only four years after your birth.

Lord Brockway: That is true. But I have quite clear memories, especially of Berampur, of our house, of playing with Indian children under a tree...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Śyāmasundara: He goes back frequently to India for visits.

Prabhupāda: Berampur is not very far away from our temple.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: We are training every day.

Mother: But then, this is languages. You've got to, you've got to study languages. You can't just be taught...

Revatīnandana: Yes. So a few of us, so the few of us who have an aptitude for Sanskrit language are studying Sanskrit language.

Prabhupāda: We are teaching Sanskrit, we are teaching English. Especially. Especially we are giving training to our boys to learn simply English and Sanskrit. Then they will be help. By learning Sanskrit, they will be able to read...

Mother: Latin? And...? What...?

Prabhupāda: There is no need of... One language sufficient. English language, practical...

Mother: Ah, but then that is one-sided then, isn't it?

Revatīnandana: Most of us don't even study Sanskrit very much.

Prabhupāda: No. Just like English book. We are translating in German, translating in France, in Spanish...

Mother: But there's a lot of Latin that needs translating too. I mean, you must, you must, you must have a full understanding of everything if you're going to translate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It will be better. If you also join, then we'll have full understanding. (mother laughs)

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Jesuit Priest: What language, master, was your books originally written in?

Prabhupāda: Sanskrit.

Jesuit Priest: Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jesuit Priest: Don't you find it extremely difficult to get the literal meaning from the Sanskrit to the English?

Prabhupāda: No. You may, it may be difficult for you, but...

Jesuit Priest: No, no. I'm just thinking...

Prabhupāda: ...for one who knows Sanskrit, it is not difficult for him.

Jesuit Priest: When I did my studies, we had to do Greek and Hebrew and Latin and, naturally, reading the scriptures in English. But it helped enormously with a background of a little bit of Hebrew. Not very much. But certainly Greek and Latin. You get a much more comprehensive notion of what's in the scriptures.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we are teaching Sanskrit.

Jesuit Priest: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: We are teaching Sanskrit to our students.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: We are teaching Sanskrit to our students.

Jesuit Priest: Yes, but all I was saying was, isn't it difficult to get across at times what you can see the meaning in the Sanskrit, but you can't put it into acceptable English? You know what I mean. The idiom isn't the same.

Prabhupāda: We are giving every word, meaning. The book... Have you got any book? Bring it. You can see. Each and every word of Sanskrit we are giving meaning. Our mode of presentation is first of all we put the original Sanskrit language in devanāgarī character. Then we give English, Roman transliteration, pronouncing the same word by diacritic mark. Then each word is translated into English. Then we give translation, the whole. And then we give the purport. This is our way. So we are giving meaning of each and every word means we have got considerable knowledge of that word. Otherwise how we can give? Yes.

Jesuit Priest: I was just thinking how difficult it is. I read Latin pretty well. And Greek. And I can see the meaning in the original, in the Greek when it was translated from the Aramaic. Now in your translating you can get a phrase, and if you know the language, you know exactly what it conveys.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Jesuit Priest: Put it into English and somehow, some of the meaning has come...

Prabhupāda: Then that exact...

Jesuit Priest: It's like the French. How do you say in..., how do you translate "au revoir"?

Prabhupāda: Otto?

Revatīnandana: He's asking you how to translate a French word, "au revoir."

Jesuit Priest: How do you translate into English?

Prabhupāda: No, no. I'm not translating. The person who knows French language, he translates from our English.

Jesuit Priest: Yes. No, well, I'm only trying to... A very simple question. It's not a question of trying to try anybody. I happened to say or give an example of what I mean. How'd you say in English, "au revoir."

Prabhupāda: Just... Just the... You have seen the... Just show him how it is done. Yes, you can do it.

Revatīnandana: That's all right. Mahādeva, you do it.

Prabhupāda: You see the original Sanskrit.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Jesuit Priest: Well, I wouldn't know anything about that.

Revatīnandana: Well, it's the modern... It's accepted by the Church of England and most other Protestant churches in England. It's the new English Bible.

Jesuit Priest: Yes.

Revatīnandana: And it's recommended by all these churches for their followers to read. And it's translated by scholars, Oxford scholars.

Jesuit Priest: Yes. I see. I take your point, that you can have a translation which is purely academic and a translation which is not merely academic, but has a, sort of a spiritual experience behind it.

Revatīnandana: Um-huh.

Jesuit Priest: In fact, I can say, by... I'm a Catholic priest, and by and large, I think our men, who are to, doing the translations are pretty, like, good chaps anyhow.

Revatīnandana: Hmh. So if, if the translators and the knowledge are adequate, then why is it, as Mrs. Christie just pointed out that so many young people are interested instead in false religious experience of LSD?

Jesuit Priest: Well, I wouldn't know. Because, I would say, because there's some kind of inadequacy in their lives. There's something missing, and that, the thing which is missing, is what we in the Catholic Church call the life of grace, the supernatural. Somehow, something's gone wrong somewhere. And so, they, lots of the young people today...

Prabhupāda: That, that I was trying to explain, that nobody can understand God and God's conception, being sinful.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: This translator work?

Mother: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If we are teaching our boys...

Mother: But you know what I me...

Prabhupāda: ...Sanskrit and English to translate the original Vedic lit..., is it not education?

Mother: Yes, I agree with you. That is education. But I mean a fuller education.

Prabhupāda: You are trying to induce our students to become technologists, medical men. You want that.

Mother: Yes, because the world must have them.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But our point is that if we can get the help of technologist by paying little money...

Mother: Well, you'd laugh if you were ill and there was no doctor, wouldn't you?

Prabhupāda: ...why should we waste our time?

Mother: If you had acute appendicitis, what would you do?

Devotee: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Cardinal Danielou -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā... (Aside) Bring glass of water.

Bhagavān: We can get glass of water?

Frenchman: Yes.

Cardinal Danielou: Glass...

Bhagavān: Do you understand English enough to...?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, I understand, very well I understand some...

Prabhupāda: The king, this creation, God created this material world. What is the purpose? What is the purpose of creation? There must be some plan. When you manufacture something, do something, there must be plan. So what is the plan behind this cosmic manifestation?

Cardinal Danielou: Yes. What is this plant like? Yes. Yes sir. Yes.

Prabhupāda: What Christianity says about this plan?

Cardinal Danielou: Christianity thinks that creation is the work of the love of God, and the signification of creation is that God wants to partake His richness, His joy, His beauty with free spirit and the goal of the creation is essentially the realization of this communion with God, the communion with God. Alors, the visible world is without great importance. It is an appearance. But there is a reality in human person, in human personality, because human personality is, has a...

Yogeśvara: If you like I can translate. (Paraphrase)

Cardinal Danielou: Oui. You understand, you understand what I say? Or not very well? (French)

Prabhupāda: So the creation... We are, we all living entities, we are also part and parcel of God.

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

Prabhupāda: A sectarian question.

Dr. Inger: No, no, no. It won't be.

Prabhupāda: It is... Why it should be presented to Pārtha-sārathi. Even American representative or English representative or French representative, any representative can do...

Dr. Inger: Because being a governmental organization, the only kind of reply one would get from such a question would be a very polite and courteous one, but it wouldn't have... No action would be taken. Action can only be taken, if it is governmentally presented. That is the only problem. There are many ideas which come forward, boundless ones, but the people need to present them officially. And... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...your position there?

Dr. Inger: Well, now I am a consultant. I used to be a regular member of the staff for a long time. Now I do certain projects for them, and I'm a visiting professor, and I'm a writer, visiting professor at different universities. So I'm connected with, with UNESCO in a way that I can not be now a permanent member of the staff which I was... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...purpose is not to propose only. Because I wish that there are so many scient..., scientific men, philosophers and thoughtful men... Suppose even if I ask you, what is your answer, that what is the purpose...? The cosmic manifestation is there, the universe is there, and there are innumerable planets within this universe, and they are very organizely kept. Everything is nicely going on. The sun is rising in due time. The moon is rising in due time. The seasons, seasons are changing. There is nice organization. So is it not a bona fide inquiry to, "What is the purpose of this organization?"

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

Prabhupāda: She looks very intelligent face. Yes. Yes. Oh, that's nice.

Guru-gaurāṅga: She speaks English.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Anna Conan Doyle: I speak English. I'm Danish but I speak English.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice. It is very nice. So intelligent men and women should take interest in this great movement. It is a very scientific spiritual movement. People are suffering for lack of spiritual knowledge. They have become materially like animals. Materialism means animalism. Yes. Materialism means animalism. Animalism means in the lower grade of existence. What is the difference between dog and a human being. He has got a lower grade body, and the human being has got a higher grade body. So the more we become materialistic, we get lower grade body. In the lower grade body, the consciousness works only on four activities, eating sleeping, sex life and defence. This is lower grade activities. And higher grade activities: working for understanding God. That is higher grade life. In the lower grade life, nobody can understand God. In the higher grade life, one can understand God, yes. One can feel with intelligence. Just like dog may understand this is day, this is night. But he does not understand why it is day, why it is night. But a man can understand that it is day because the sun is there. And it is night because sun is now set. That is the difference dog and man. Better knowledge. So as we advance in better knowledge, that is perfection of life. And the topmost knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then he's most perfect being. That is perfection. Knowledge other than Kṛṣṇa consciousness-degraded knowledge, or lower grade knowledge. So at the present moment, although superficially, we have got very nice building, nice apartment, but the knowledge is doggish. How to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. That's all. No more. The same degraded life as the dog. Dog is also trying how to live, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to defend. He's making: "bak bok bok bok." (barking sound) That is defence. His way of defence. That is defence. He's defending for the master. Similarly dog has also sex life, dog has also sleeps, dog also eats. So if a human being is also engaged in these four principles of business, then where is the difference between him and the dog? He must be interested in the business of understanding God. Then he's human being. Otherwise, he's a dog. Do you agree? Eh?

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: He's a rascal. He's simply bogus. He's trying to... There are so many parties like that. They're four or five, they make a group and imitate these Beatles. As if... Beatles have made money. They'll also make money. That is the... And speak all nonsense. That's all. These are crazy fellows. So independence means that you can do or not do. Just like you, as a nation, American nation, or English nation, you are all independent. But why you go to the jail? Is it government's fault that you go to the jail? Therefore government has fault? Why this nonsense question. When a man, instead of going to the university, goes to the police custody, is it government's fault? Is it?

Haṁsadūta: No.

Prabhupāda: Then? It is a common sense affair. The God has given you independence. If you do something wrong, against the will of God, then you must suffer. Therefore we find so many varieties of living entities. In different grades of life. That is due to misuse of independence.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Professor: Many people are able to read it in English.

Yogeśvara: Oh, but for those who cannot read the English, there's necessity in French.

Professor: Quite. Oh, yes.

Yogeśvara: For example, Bhagavad-gītā, we're preparing now in French.

Professor: Oh? Yes.

Prabhupāda: Give him some prasādam.

Yogeśvara: In France, I believe, the only version of Bhagavad-gītā that people know is Aurobindo's translation.

Professor: No, there are many others.

Yogeśvara: Many?

Professor: There are many others.

Prabhupāda: English?

Professor: No, no. In French.

Prabhupāda: In French.

Professor: Bhagavad-gītā? Yes. I think translated I think something like ten or twelve times.

Yogeśvara: Ten or twelve times in French?

Professor: Oh, yes.

Yogeśvara: He says there are ten or twelve different French translations of the Gītā.

Professor: Yes.

Prabhupāda: In English also there are...

Professor: Oh, English, more than that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Professor: English, more than that.

Yogeśvara: So now we wish to present the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Professor: As It Is.

Prabhupāda: Without interpretation. And, according to the trades manager of MacMillan Company, our book is topmost selling.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Professor: So do you think it is possible, for instance, to have the husband being involved in this movement and not his wife?

Prabhupāda: No, wife also involved. Everyone is involved. The child is also involved. You'll find in our class a small child dancing to the tune. Yes. We have opened one school for children in Dallas. All the gṛhastha-bhaktas, those who have got children, we send there. Have you got pictures of Dallas? So there we have got very nice building, and, about, for the present, about near about hundred students. They're simply taught Sanskrit and English.

Professor: Nothing else.

Prabhupāda: Nothing else. Later on, little geometry, geography, mathematics. They're not meant for outside work. They're meant for as soon as they learn Sanskrit and English, they'll read these books.

Professor: I see. But to get the initiation, you have to be how many years old?

Prabhupāda: At least ten years.

Professor: Ten years.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ten to twelve years. That is the Vedic system. Twelve years old. He can be initiated.

Room Conversation with Officer Harry Edwards, the Village Policeman -- August 30, 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London:

Prabhupāda: Generally the gypsies are Egyptian, but are they Egyptian or English?

Harry: No, no.

Guest: No, these are really tinkers. They're just...

Śyāmasundara: (talking in background:) In a sense. In a sense.

Harry: They are, they are wanderers actually. But there are various kinds of gypsies. Now, you've got gypsies...

Prabhupāda: In India, we have got gypsies.

Harry: Yeah, types of gypsies.

Revatīnandana: Baul? Bauls?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Revatīnandana: Bauls, or...? What are they called? Bauls? Bauls in Bengal?

Prabhupāda: Baul, Baul.

Revatīnandana: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: No, Baul is different.

Room Conversation with Officer Harry Edwards, the Village Policeman -- August 30, 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London:

Harry: Well, that would be Kṛṣṇa's will, mercy.

Guest (English Man): No, it depends, you know, if it's just some minor thing, you know.

Śyāmasundara: (talking over) ...maliciously try to take our property or something valuable, we have to defend.

Harry: Yeah. And how would you defend by? Yeah. (laughs) Yes, that's it, how would they defend?

Revatīnandana: That's where you come in. (laughter)

Harry: 'Cause that's right, you were the one who said that we could move in with a gun and shoot them, didn't you?

Revatīnandana: No, I didn't say that. I'm the one who hit him with a big piece of wood. Yeah.

Harry: Oh, you are? Well, they said they'd, "Why... Shoot them?" I said, "This is England, not America." (laughter) That was the cows, you know. Remember the cows?

Śyāmasundara: Well, in America, we're used to shooting rustlers, you know.

Harry: Yeah, but, uh...

Śyāmasundara: String him off the nearest tree.

Revatīnandana: Lynchings.

Harry: But what are you going to do about your security? Can I talk to this about this, you know?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London:

Haṁsadūta: God is meant for everybody. Doesn't matter East or West. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared in India, but we are not Indians. We are all Americans and Europeans, so... Just like the sun. The sun may appear over London or England, but it's not English sun. Everyone's sun. Similarly, when God appears or God's representative appears, it's meant for everyone.

Guest (1): Yes. So, forgive me if I talk across you, please, won't you.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, yes.

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Guest (1): You mean the subtle body or the soul, the same thing?

Prabhupāda: No, soul is different. Soul is different. Soul is finer than intelligence. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

(BG 3.42)

First of all, gross understanding. This body means the senses. Indriyāṇi. Those who are animals, they are thinking this is all. But they do not understand that these indriyas are being controlled by the mind. If one's mind is, what is called, distorted, then the indriyas cannot work. That is madman. You try to cure the mental disease just to bring him in proper position to control the senses. Otherwise, he does not know how to control the senses. Therefore the controller of the senses is the mind. And above the mind there is intelligence. And above the intelligence there is soul. So we cannot see even the mind, intelligence and ego. And how we can see the soul? The soul has got his magnitude. And without understanding, without education about the soul, about the spirit soul, any other understanding, that is animal understanding. (pause) Give him prasāda.

Guest (4) (English woman): Could I ask please, if prāṇa is the life force, isn't it? Is it the prāṇa is the life force, isn't it?

Pradyumna: Says like prāṇa is the life force.

Guest (4): Is it in different parts of the body?

Prabhupāda: These are air. Prāṇa, in the prāṇa, air, the soul floats. Therefore the controlling the air is called prāṇāyāma. That is yogic process.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Read it.

Pradyumna:

tāṅra doṣa nāhi, teṅho ājñā-kārī dāsa

āra yei śune tāra haya sarva-nāśa

Prabhupāda: ...haya sarva-nāśa. Read the English translation.

Pradyumna: "Śaṅkarācārya, who is an incarnation of Lord Śiva, is faultless because he is servant carrying out the orders of the Lord, but those who follow his Māyāvādī philosophy are doomed. They will lose all their advancement in spiritual knowledge."

Prabhupāda: This is the opinion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone who hears Śaṅkara's comment on Vedānta philosophy, he is doomed.

Professor: That's about it.

Prabhupāda: What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "Māyāvādī philosophers are very proud of exhibiting their Vedānta knowledge through grammatical jugglery, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā certifies that they are māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), bereft of real knowledge due to māyā. Māyā has two potencies with which to execute her two functions: prakṣepātmikā..."

Prabhupāda: Prakṣepātmikā.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: We have published only six volumes. Our manuscript is ready, but it requires great amount of money to publish.

Ambassador: And also...

Prabhupāda: But we are satisfied that in English-reading public, in Australia and America, in England, Europe—we are publishing in different languages—people are accepting our books very nicely. And lately that, one distributor...

Ambassador: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: This. No, not this. Where is that catalog?

Haṁsadūta: Brockridge, Keenan and Hall?

Prabhupāda: Ah, ah?

Haṁsadūta: Catalog? I think we must have left that in London.

Prabhupāda: They are also distributing our books, Macmillan Company. People are... Now there will be a big meeting on the 12th, September, how to organize. Because this kind of literature was there, there was none before this. The bhakti cult, this was never presented to the western countries.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: And we have given each meaning of... You can see the Sanskrit verse, how we have explained. Here and in America especially, as soon as they see, they purchase the whole set. Six copies. See.

Ambassador: Beautiful. Very, very elegant English also. (Reads Sanskrit verse:) Brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ. And then you, you make it easy. Actually, it's...

Prabhupāda: Transliteration also.

Ambassador: ...It's for students also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Transliteration.

Ambassador: Yes. Transliteration and then (Sanskrit) and then...

Prabhupāda: Translation.

Ambassador: Viccheda. How long will Your Divine Grace be here?

Prabhupāda: Four days?

Haṁsadūta: It's on the 11th. Eleventh morning we're leaving, back to London.

Ambassador: Back to London. And you'll be visiting only Sweden this time?

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Dr. Hauser: Hmm.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So our material disease means unclean heart. So we have to cleanse the heart. And this is the process. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. You are Swedish?

Dr. Hauser: Yes, I'm Swede. Yeah.

Prabhupāda: But you can speak English very nicely.

Dr. Hauser: I lived in South America for about five years.

Prabhupāda: Johannesburg. What is called? South America. Oh, South Africa.

Śrutakīrti: South America.

Paramahaṁsa: Oh, Johannesburg, South Africa. Yeah.

Prabhupāda: You lived in South America?

Dr. Hauser: In Brazil, yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Brazil.

Dr. Hauser: And I went to an English school there.

Prabhupāda: We have got our temple in Mexico.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: What is that difficult word? You are feeling difficult.

Haṁsadūta: The Indian words means Sanskrit words.

Dr. Hauser: Yes.

Prabhupāda: No, Sanskrit word we have given English equivalents. So what is the difficulty?

Dr. Hauser: It's not that, it's not that... I can understand them but... and I can get the translations and... but then...

Prabhupāda: We have given the equivalent of each word.

Dr. Hauser: Hm.

Prabhupāda: And then translation and then purport.

Dr. Hauser: No, but what I mean to say is that this is knowledge that can be spread in this way, it must be spread to people who are rather accustomed to reading, to getting...

Prabhupāda: No. If he reads he will be accustomed. Reading will make him accustomed.

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

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is in India from Vedic age, since a very, very long time. But especially since five thousand years ago when...

Reporter (3): So you, you didn't start everything off?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I'm simply presenting in English language. That's all.

Reporter (3): Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is already there.

Reporter (3): Yes. What, what... And can I ask one last question?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter (3): What do you think of young people who follow the Divine Light Movement.

Haṁsadūta: Guru Maharaji.

Reporter (3): And...

Prabhupāda: That is a bogus.

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

Prabhupāda: Our students. We have got these books. That's all.

Prof. Gombrich: You don't have the Bengali paṇḍitas teaching Sanskrit?

Prabhupāda: At least, at the present moment, we haven't got. They're... Generally, in India, they want to learn English. So, as soon as they learn English, they can read our books. And Sanskrit is also... You have seen? We have given each word meaning, Sanskrit. The pronunciation. Oh yes. Here is the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Prof. Gombrich: So in Navadvīpa, will the instruction be in English or in Bengali?

Prabhupāda: These boys, they do not know Bengali.

Prof. Gombrich: Oh, I see. So it's literally for English-speaking devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not English-speaking. They are Bengalis, the students. But they want to learn English. Therefore we are teaching English.

Indian Man: Is this a government-recognized college now?

Prabhupāda: No. Government recognition means we have to abide by the orders of government. We cannot teach Bhagavad-gītā only or Bhāgavata. But our aim is to teach... We have got another school in Dallas for small children. There we are Sanskrit, teaching Sanskrit and English. Yes.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some of these are. This one is the most popular. It is printed by MacMillan (indistinct) publishing house. They went through already three editions just in the first year. The sales manager at MacMillan reported that while all the other editions of Bhagavad-gītā are declining in sales, ours was increasing. So there is a good a interest there. So many I think there are so many English Bhagavad...

Prabhupāda: 645.

Gargamuni: This is the boy I told you who knows also Sanskrit and Bengali.

Banker: Oh yes, I saw the photograph of him.

Gargamuni: Yes, he is the same one. We call him Paṇḍitjī.

Prabhupāda: How he saw his photograph?

Gargamuni: I have a photograph of him with all his books. Very nice photograph.

Lady: Is this the same book that you have in three small editions?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have a small book.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:

Śyāmasundara: Smith's...?

Prabhupāda: Smith Stanstreet, an English company. They gave me an agency. So some of my enemy... He was my, he was my employer, but he gave information that I am also manufacturing now, drug and chemical works. So they informed them that "He's pushing his own goods, not your goods." They... He wanted that agency. Yes. In this way, because as soon as you come in the... Even in the spiritual field, my godbrothers are envious. You see? So as soon as you become successful, there will be many enemies. That is natural. That is the sign of success. In your business, if there are many enemies, competitor, that means you are successful. So anyway, Kṛṣṇa has brought me to the right path. So I may not fall down. That's all. (laughter) When I was reading this verse, that yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8), Kṛṣṇa said that "When I show somebody My special favor, I take away all his money," I became shuddered, "So Kṛṣṇa will take my all money? If He's..." And actually that happened. He took my all money, all family, all friends and everything. (laughs) And He asked me, "Go to America. You'll get many money, much money, many friends. You go ahead, Come here." Yes. That was His intention. And I was sticking to limited money, limited friends, limited society. This is special favor.

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: He is Christian, she is Mohammedan, she is Buddhist. Secular government means government should give protection to the Hindu, to the Muslim, to the Christian, to the Buddhist. But it is the government's duty to see that no one is cheating.

(Prabhupāda and guests converse in Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Government's duty to see that people may not become cheated. (Hindi) Let me speak in English, so they can follow.

Guest: So they can follow.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. Take for example a man is representing himself as brāhmaṇa but he's doing something else. That should be stopped. You are doing the business of a śūdra, why you are claiming as brāhmaṇa? This is government duty.

Guest: Now say this person who is doing wrong(?)...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: One has to understand that a lady should be respectfully called as mother. You call as mātā or mother, it doesn't matter. Yes, some rascals inquire from them that, "Do you know Sanskrit?" Where is the condition that unless one knows Sanskrit he cannot be a devotee? Where is that condition?

Guest: In the same way you see early Christians inquired, "Do you know Latin?" And that's why the whole of England wrote it and said we will do only in English.

Prabhupāda: So, one bābājī... I think that you were in Surat?

Devotee:: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You were Surat? He was asking, that bābājī, that, "Learn Sanskrit then you'll understand Bhagavad-gītā." So I immediately asked him that, "You go away, you go away from this place."

Guest: Not at all.

Prabhupāda: So he supposed.... I went to preach in the Western countries. Did they know Sanskrit? Then how they have become Vaiṣṇavas? It is a training, it is a training. It doesn't matter whether you know Sanskrit or not Sanskrit. But some rascals inquire, "Do you know Sanskrit, otherwise you cannot become..."

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. So therefore we see, fifty-two percent drunkards in your country. Eh? What is the percentage?

Devotee: I'm not sure, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Karandhara: It's probably close to that.

Prabhupāda: Eh? At least fifty-percent. Eh?

Karandhara: Drunkards, debauchers.

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: But for the child, the presents at Christmas do appear automatically by the grace of the parents. So the fruits appear automatically by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rūpānuga: The main thing is that their leaders have no qualifications. And our leader has all qualifications. Our leader has all qualifications.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes, because they are perfect.

Prajāpati: Therefore all-auspiciousness appears by your presence, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but why they, you accept it? You have got independence also. Acceptance and rejection.

Yaśomatīnandana: English car, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Rolls Royce. Not only English, you could not. (laughter) You could not, but he has done. Sometimes Śyāmasundara is envious of Karandhara. Now, just see what is the difference. He has taken twenty thousand dollars. He cannot pay.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Which car? No, it is my auto? (break)

Jagajjīvana: We don't have that many Spanish books.

Prabhupāda: English books.

Jagajjīvana: A small fair. Thousands of people go to this flower festival in the mountains, and we went in, and they let us in and we chanted and hundreds of people came to chant. And then the officials came to stop us.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jagajjīvana: Because too many people were coming to hear the chanting. So then...

Prabhupāda: They did not like it?

Jagajjīvana: No, they did not like it, the officials. So then we started to leave, thinking, "Well, rather than cause any trouble, we better leave." So then the people, they wouldn't let us leave. So then the leaders there, they were forced to put us on stage. And so we chanted on stage with big microphones and thousands of people came to listen, and then we taught them how to chant Nitāi-Gaurāṅga, and they all chanted. Nitāi, Nitāi, Gaurāṅga, Gaurāṅga. It was very amazing. And then we distributed books and we lectured. (break) Their Lordships Gaura-Nitāi have come because of that chanting, Deities. (break)

Prabhupāda: If the chanter is sincere.

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Election?

Jagajjīvana: Yes. He is thinking of running for Congress next. (break) And that was very nice.

Prabhupāda: Students are doing very nice?

Jagajjīvana: Oh yes. I was there before when Amarendra ran for mayor in Dallas. I helped him with that. And I got a chance to associate with the children there. And they have made so much advancement since last I was there.

Prabhupāda: They are now chanting ślokas very nice?

Jagajjīvana: Yes. Dayānanda Prabhu is doing very well. And Hiraṇyagarbha Prabhu is teaching them Sanskrit and English. But mostly they like kīrtana. They become very ecstatic during kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: That is real business.

Jagajjīvana: So Mohānanda was very good at kīrtana. He was kīrtana man. Expert. (end)