First business (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should we try to avoid getting injections as much as possible?
Prabhupāda: That is my opinion. But as soon as you go to a medical man, especially in your country, first of all, you have to give blood, immediately. (laughter) One ounce of blood immediately. First business. And then other injection. Because I underwent so many medical examination, I have got experience. For my immigration. I think, three or four times I was under health examination, and blood-taking, and injection. Of course, it is not very painful. That arrangement is there. But the business is like that, "First of all give your blood; then talk of other things." Better to die without a doctor. (laughter) That's the best principle. Don't call any doctor. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and die peacefully.1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śāradīyā: Prabhupāda, he just got over jaundice. In Bombay.
Devotee: In Bombay he had jaundice.
Prabhupāda: Oh. So give him sugar candy water. Bring in the morning. You know sugar candy? The sugar candy... Soak sugar candy at night in a glass, and the first business in the morning you should take that glass of water, sugar candy.1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Harikeśa: Associating with you is so wonderful, and yet...
Prabhupāda: Just like here in Vṛndāvana, I was here, as I am sitting here. I was sitting here in this very place. That was (indistinct). And when I was hungry I could take my food there, same place. So that is one thing. Just like there are many persons, but because my spiritual master wanted, so I, at seventy years old, when I thought, "Now I shall go, I went, to serve the order of my spiritual master. Otherwise I am sitting here in Vṛndāvana. I am old man, I was chanting. Therefore, because that is my first business.1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Haṁsadūta: In one lecture you were explaining those prayers, saṁsāra, and you said the first business of the guru is to take away the anxiety of the disciple.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, our people, they have got some hope that they're going back to home, back to Godhead. And all other rascals-zero. Who is endeavoring for zero? What is this endeavor?Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes. It is not something we forget because it's BBT.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But these are the important problems, that the, here in India, the members are complaining. Sometimes they are sending complaining to me. So the first business is how to, how the collection from the membership is being dispersed, how the money is being dispersed. Suppose I... He is a member. I take him, 222. Then how the money is being sent? So you see first of all that...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a GBC matter.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is GBC matter.Prabhupāda: Imitation is also good. If you imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that is also your great fortune, even if you imitate. [break] imitating, it does not mean you are condemned. Even if you imitate, that is also good. [break] If you have some other business and if you say, "Now I am imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, I cannot do it," that is very bad. "I am busy in imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura." That is not good. That is very bad. [break]
Brahmānanda: If the devotees are asked for service they say, "Oh, I have to chant."
Prabhupāda: "I am imitating." Yes. "I am imitating Haridāsa. This is my first business." That is very bad.Mahāṁsa: Also this bullock cart party can recruit many persons from villagers to come and stay at the farm.
Prabhupāda: That is first business, that they should join this movement and eat prasādam and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] ...food, they have begun spinning their own cloth.1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when one returns to his svarūpa, his natural form, how does...
Prabhupāda: First of all, anartha-nivṛtti. You are accustomed to so many bad habits. First of all try to rectify it, then talk of svarūpa. Where is your svarūpa? Simply wasting time. A man is diseased, he's thinking, "When I shall be cured I shall eat, go to this hotel, I shall eat like this." First of all cure, then talk of eating this and that. Svarūpa, when you are cured, that is svarūpa. So long you are not cured, what is the use of talking svarūpa? First business is cure yourself. Anartha-nivṛtti, that is anartha-nivṛtti. Then svarūpa will come. That is the bābājīs. In Vṛndāvana, you have seen? Siddha-praṇālī.
Pradyumna: Ah, siddha-praṇālī, siddha-deha?
Prabhupāda: They are smoking and having illicit sex with one dozen women-svarūpa. Rascal. This is called sahajiyā, a rascal. Condemned. Where is your svarūpa? Don't talk unnecessarily. First of all come to svarūpa, then talk of svarūpa.Devotee: So our motivation should be to get free from birth, disease, old age and death.
Prabhupāda: That is already explained. But you must be determined how to execute devotional service. Without determined devotional service, how we can attain that position? So what is the use of talking utopian? First business is anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Ādau śraddhā tathaḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. You adopt this means that you have got full faith that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness will save me." Then you live with devotees who are similarly determined. Then you execute devotional service. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, you'll be free from all these.... These are the stages. There is.... Up to anartha-nivṛtti, you have to struggle very hard with determination, and then automatically everything will come. Tato niṣṭhā tato rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. So before svarūpa, anartha-nivṛtti, don't expect all these.Prabhupāda: That means you are not properly trained up. The thing is, the first business of human being is to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta philosophy. Now we have got this human form of body, it is your duty to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. But if your guardians, if your parents, if your government does not teach you, then it is our misfortune.
Interviewer (3): Do you want this to become a part of the educational system here?
Prabhupāda: This is the first education. Otherwise it is animal. Animal does not require absolute education. Animal is not able to understand what is self, what is God. But a man can. Therefore the man's first business is to understand this self-realization.Commissioner: Yes. That is also part of the, that is the other part of it. We are having dhana-prasthānam,(?) bhajana group, hari-kathā group...
Prabhupāda: But kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. The Vedas are meant for the brāhmaṇas. So there is no brāhmaṇa practically. Neither there is training of brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa means he must speak truth. Satyā śama dama titik—and if you ask nowadays anybody that "You don't speak lie, you speak truth," he will laugh, that "What a rascal this is. By speaking truth one can live nowadays?" he will say. The first business is satyam. And if you ask him, "You speak truth," he will laugh. So where is brāhmaṇa? A brāhmaṇa is so simple that if you ask him about his secrecy, he'll tell you, "Yes, this is..." Satyam. Just like Jābāli? Upaniṣad, he was asked, he went to Gautama Muni. Satyaka, yes, for initiation. Gautama Muni asked him, "Who is your father?" He said, "I do not know." "Go to your mother." He went to the mother. Mother said, "Oh, my dear son, I do not know." He was a prostitute's son. So he came to Gautama Muni and said, "Sir, my mother does not know, I do not know." So he said, "You are a brāhmaṇa. Because you don't keep any secrecy you are brāhmaṇa. I'll initiate." So it is not the birth, but the quality-truthful. But these qualities will come when you make him a devotee. So this process should be taken, how to make him a devotee.1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. So try to understand Kṛṣṇa from the right source. Otherwise, you will remain a rascal. That's all. That is your first business, to understand Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is explained in so many śāstras. If I am so rascal that still I cannot understand, that is my misfortune.
Indian lady: But I want to convert it into gurukula on the basis of Hare Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Our gurukula means how to teach them to become self-controlled. That is first business. This literary education secondary, grammar secondary. The first necessity is how to create them śānta, dānta, self-controlled.Rāmeśvara: They believe Jesus came to this world to teach people about God.
Prabhupāda: "Jesus... Jesus had to speak to rascals and fools like you. Therefore he did not speak." This is the argument. "Because you are such a fool that Jesus said, 'Thou shall not kill'—your first business was to kill him. So you are so nice, advanced men. Now, what he'll speak to you? He knew that you are all rascals. Even the one word you cannot understand, 'Thou shall not kill.' So what you will understand? Therefore Jesus Christ did not say." Give them this answer. Jesus Christ was perfect, but because you are rascals, he did not say, because you could not understand even his one word. You are so intelligent. His commandment is "Thou shall not kill," but your business is to kill him first. How far you are advanced and civilized, just imagine. And you want perfect instruction. You cannot follow even one instruction. That is your position.Rāmeśvara: I've studied but more Americans buy records than books. They spend more money buying records than buying books.
Prabhupāda: Mm. That is natural.
Rāmeśvara: But commercially there's some good potential.
Prabhupāda: But do not neglect book sales.
Rāmeśvara: No.
Prabhupāda: That will not do. This is our first business.Rādhā-vallabha: I think that instruction you gave will help him very much about even if he thinks there is some mistake, just forget about it.
Prabhupāda: He is mistake. He should not think his authority mistake.
Rādhā-vallabha: He didn't know what he should do. He didn't know...
Prabhupāda: So why he should be given this business? He's such irresponsible man. He should not be given any responsible work. Our first business should see how he is advanced in devotion. We don't want so-called scholars.
Rādhā-vallabha: They just leave us.
Prabhupāda: Leave, I don't mind. Just like he became a big scholar.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nitāi.
Prabhupāda: Nitāi, he's a rascal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Big rascal.
Prabhupāda: I think that Jagannātha is within his group? Nitāi?Prabhupāda: They have sacrificed their lives. They are scientists, they could earn lots of money, but they do not care for it. They have dedicated their lives. In America they could earn lots of money, such a qualified person. But they did not care for money. They care for the truth. That is real brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa does not care for money. Knowledge. Satya śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. The truth. That is brāhmaṇa.
Dr. Sharma: And they are living like brāhmaṇas in, you know, so... Bhagavān also has taken out time to protect the brāhmaṇa.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa...
Dr. Sharma: Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya...
Prabhupāda: His first business is to give protection to the brāhmaṇas and the cows. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Jagad-dhitāya. Next, welfare of the others. First, Kṛṣṇa says specifically, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. He gives specific instruction: go-rakṣya, protect cows.Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They might like that. He's British, and the money will come from England.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a new twist. Usually they're always seeing our money coming from America, but his money will come from England.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I think I have got six thousand pounds.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a good amount.
Prabhupāda: At least for few months I can continue. This is first business. Do it. And another point, that formerly the Britishers expanded empire. Now we have got better service. They... You expand the empire of consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is also the same view, but it is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa has given you the ability. Do it enthusiastically with the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother.Page Title: | First business (Conversations) |
Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
Created: | 27 of Aug, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=59, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 59 |