Familiarity breeds contempt. But in the Western countries when we speak of Krsna, they see the philosophy. They see the science and become attracted

Expressions researched:
"Familiarity breeds contempt"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

No. It is not Eastern. That is a wrong conception. God is for everybody. Eastern people, when I speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they say, "What is this Kṛṣṇa? We know Kṛṣṇa. What we have to learn from Swamiji?" "Familiarity breeds contempt." But in the Western countries when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, they see the philosophy. They see the science and become attracted. We, in the very beginning, we neglect: "Oh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Otherwise there is no question of Western or Eastern. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is neither Western, neither Eastern. But Eastern, our, especially Indians, they have learned to reject. That is their education: immediately reject it. This is their new culture, to reject everything.

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Prabhupāda: Yes. I worked as a manager of a chemical concern in my family life. I have got my family also, my wife and children, my grandchildren, in Calcutta. But I have nothing to do with them.

Guest (2): And when did you start on your . . .?

Prabhupāda: Yes. In 1950 practically, I left home.

Guest (2): You left Calcutta?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Say, for last twenty-two years.

Guest (2): And where did you go when you left Calcutta?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (2): When you left Calcutta, where did you go?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I retired in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana you know?

Guest (2): Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: So there I began to write books, and then when three books were finished I started for America. And there also I wrote many books, dozens of books. You have seen our books. Our Kṛṣṇa book is selling like anything in Europe and America. We are practically maintaining ourself by selling books. We have got our book sale all over the world, about twenty to twenty-five thousand rupees daily and we have to spend seven to eight lakhs of rupees monthly. In Los Angeles alone we spend $20,000 per month. In New York we spend $10,000 per month.

Guest (2): Doing what? How do you spend it?

Prabhupāda: We have to maintain our establishment, the temple, the Deity, so many devotees. In each center we have got at least twenty-five devotees, and at the most two hundred devotees. So their living costs, everything, by some way or other, Kṛṣṇa is giving us. But we have no fixed income; neither we have any bank balance.

Guest (2): In the minds of some people . . .

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Guest (2): In the minds of people, the sudden attraction of Western youth to Eastern religions . . .

Prabhupāda: No. It is not Eastern. That is a wrong conception. God is for everybody. Eastern people, when I speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they say: "What is this Kṛṣṇa? We know Kṛṣṇa. What we have to learn from Swāmījī?" "Familiarity breeds contempt." But in the Western countries, when you speak of Kṛṣṇa, they see the philosophy, they see the science, and become attracted. We, in the very beginning, we neglect: "Oh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Otherwise, there is no question of Western or Eastern.

Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is neither Western, neither Eastern. But Eastern, our, especially Indians, they have learned to reject. That is their education, immediately reject it. This is their new culture, to reject everything. At least Jawaharlal Nehru began like that, "Anything Indian is bad. Everything London-made is good." That was his philosophy. And if one European would go to see him, immediately admission. And if an Indian goes to see him, three days he has to wait.

So Jawaharlal made this impression that, "Everything Indian is bad, and anything made in London . . ." Because he was made in London. He was educated in London. So everything nice. Although in my household life I was doing some business in connection . . . I had to see Jawaharlal Nehru. So when he was common man, I went to his house, I saw it is completely Europeanized, although he is in khādi.

So his father, he hated Indian medicine. You see? Motilal Nehru. A doctor, his family physician, he told me. I was doing medicine business. So I introduced one preparation . . . (indistinct) . . . that was in a clay pot . . . (indistinct) . . . So doctor said personally, "If I prescribe your . . . (indistinct) . . . but Motilal Nehru says, 'Doctor, in case of medicine, please do not prescribe Indian.' " You see?

So this is our mentality. We have got all foreign mentality, but still, we are claiming that we have become independent. Not indepen . . . we are culturally conquered by the materialistic advancement of foreign countries. We have lost our own culture. This is our position.

Guest (2): Thank you so much. I'm sure the other gentleman . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So many Indian svāmīs, they requested me to dress myself with coat-pants. I never agreed. You see all my pictures. They are all foreign pictures. So I never indulge this dress also. Why shall I take to coat-pant? What is use? Now my students, they are giving up coat-pant. And girls, they are taking to sārīs. There is now good demand for sārīs in Europe and America.