Freedom (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"freedom"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: freedom not "freedom from"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: If some children discuss some serious subject matter, what is the value? And they are all children in the cradle of nature, that's all. Prakṛteḥ kriya.... Therefore it is word, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Just like children—"Ha! Sit down here"—he has to sit down. Then where is his freedom to discuss? Prakṛti says that "You sit down here. Don't go there." He has to accept. Then what is the value of discussion?

Acyutānanda: Mainly, these Karl Marx, they were angry at the Christian church for exploiting the poor masses, and that's the reason...

Prabhupāda: This is our...

Acyutānanda: ...so he has attacked. He has taken vengeance on this.

Prabhupāda: That they are doing. Still they are doing. Just like you said, some sprinkling water. They have no philosophy and they violate everything, what is stated there in Bible. Now you say that "Thou shall not kill;" they say, "Thou shall not murder." They are molding. Now this homosex they are sanctioning, man-to-man marriage. They are sanctioning abortion.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: If He wants us to come to back home to Godhead...

Prabhupāda: But, you rascal, you are suffering. He says, "Come back." You don't go.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Because He has given you freedom and this is...

Prabhupāda: He says, "My dear boy, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)" But you don't do. You must suffer. It is your creation, suffering. You must suffer.

Devotee: They say, "If He is all-loving, why is He...?"

Prabhupāda: Loving, but.... You are.... I love you. I say, "Do this." If you don't do it, then...?

Devotee: It's reciprocal.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: So this question of freedom of jīva and control of Kṛṣṇa, that there is freedom but at the same time there is no freedom, is a very fine line between the two that sometimes we do not understand.

Prabhupāda: But why don't you understand? Just like you belong to a free nation, the American. Does it mean you are free to do anything and everything?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: With your limited freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: There's a fine line between this freedom.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Take that example of the habit, if someone is smoking out of habit. So again. So is he free in that smoking, or is it..., has he completely surrendered his freedom?

Prabhupāda: No, no.... These things are very common. Just like in your country the government has written on the cigarette box, "It is harmful to health." But if you still smoke at your risk, do it.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: So freedom.... You can smoke, but you cannot avoid suffering from the result.

Prabhupāda: Yes, from the result.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: You have to suffer.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: This is.... Already warning is there that "You smoke; you suffer." And if you still do that, suffer. What can be done? Common thing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The freedom is always there, minute independence.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Minute.

Guru dāsa: Freedom with responsibility.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guru dāsa: Just like they say that you have the freedom to yell "There's a fire" in a theater, but you don't do it.

Prabhupāda: So many examples are there. Freedom is there, but you are not absolutely free to do whatever you like.

Guru dāsa: Because of the stringent laws of nature.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So many examples are there. Freedom is there, but you are not absolutely free to do whatever you like.

Guru dāsa: Because of the stringent laws of nature.

Prabhupāda: Because you are small. Just like children. He has got freedom, playing. But when he is doing something wrong, father, "You don't do this. Don't do this. Don't do this." But if he does it, even he is children, even he's child, he'll suffer. He cannot say, "I am child. I did not know, father." Then that does not matter. You must suffer. You must suffer, even though you are child.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And, Śrīla Prabhupāda....

Prabhupāda: Father takes care, "My dear child, don't do this. Don't touch fire." But still, he touches; he must suffer. The fire will not excuse because he is child. That is not possible. Nature's law will act.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This idea of freedom and independence, is it possible for anyone theoretically to surrender to Kṛṣṇa at any time?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So let's say someone is in a very degraded condition of life, modes of ignorance, passion. Their mind is always disturbed. Is surrender to Kṛṣṇa.... Is it possible that it can be independent even of the mind?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In other words, let's say someone's mind is...

Prabhupāda: You are independent of mind always. It is your mind. You are not mind.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then you are independent of mind always.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Yadubara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Individual's freedom, when he is ignorant, it is not really freedom because it's completely under the control...

Prabhupāda: And when he gets the money, and he spends it, and he sees, "My poverty is gone," then he becomes thankful. "Oh, it is so merciful that he has given me this thing."

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The individual freedom, when he is in the mode of ignorance, is completely under the laws of material nature. When the individual makes spiritual advancement...

Prabhupāda: Individual freedom means.... We should always know our freedom is limited.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Limited. Yes. But...

Prabhupāda: So we are not.... Because the Absolute, so how you can..., your freedom can be absolute?

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: So the karmī thinks.... His freedom is limited to thinking "Am I going to eat this meat rare or well done?" That is the sort of freedom he is getting.

Prabhupāda: No, you have to...

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Completely ignorance.

Prabhupāda: Just like a thief. He also has got the conscience, "Why shall I steal?"

Ātreya Ṛṣi: "This or this."

Prabhupāda: "This or this." But he knows that "If I do it, I shall be punished."

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. But when an individual spirit...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is that actual freedom, though? Is that freedom?

Prabhupāda: No, I have already said that you cannot have absolute freedom.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And when you carry out that order—you fully surrender—then you enjoy full freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is full freedom.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is the freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is freedom.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is absolute freedom.

Prabhupāda: Full freedom means to be under the order of the Supreme. That is full freedom. That is full freedom.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The cinema or restaurant is not freedom. It's completely conditioning under the laws of material nature. But fully surrendered soul is fully free.

Prabhupāda: No, no, if you simply, even if you want to go to a cinema...

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Clear-cut criterion is that we living entity, being part and parcel, we are as good as God. But when we are under the control of the material nature, that is our diseased condition. Same example. Just like you, as a good citizen, you are as good as Indira Gandhi. You are Indian; you have got all the rights. But if you become criminal, you put into the prison. So we are in the.... Conditioned state means no freedom. It is not clear?

Reporter (1): No, sir, I just wanted you to tell me some yardstick from which one could...

Prabhupāda: But because you are suffering, that is the sign of impurity.

Reporter (1): Beg your pardon?

Prabhupāda: Because you are suffering.... Do you admit that you are suffering? Do you know this?

Reporter (1): Suffering means that there is some impurity.

Prabhupāda: No, are you not suffering?

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Just to see how the animal is jumping. (to passers-by:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya, jaya. (chuckles) Just like a fish is given freedom, even if he's caught up by the trap. It is like that.

Madhudviṣa: So Lord Caitanya had him on the line all the time.

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya was waiting, "Let the rascal go on speaking. How long he can speak?" (laughs)

Hari-śauri: He just waited till he dried up.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. He's foolish. He knows that he has got some limited stock; it will be finished very soon, so "Let him finish, then I shall capture." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's policy.

Madhudviṣa: But should we take that example or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not?

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So what kind of government it is? It is a horrible government. And they are hackney only in literature. These communist country, the people are forced to accept the government regulation. And that is all bad. I have seen in Moscow, generally the people are morose, their face not very happy. They are also Europeans, they want freedom to go here and there (indistinct) and to work. The taxi driver-first of all there is scarcity of taxi, you can not get taxi...

Guru-kṛpā: Even in Moscow, big city.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That Professor Kotofsky, I asked him, "Please arrange for a taxi." (indistinct) "Well, Swamiji, this is Moscow." So he came down to the gate—he was very virtuous—he showed me, "You go this way, actually there was 3 or 4 lane then you find a short lane, then you go this way, this way, then you get to your hotel. He showed me some short cut, personally. They... He could not call a taxi. And somewhere we went, we got a taxi, private taxi, and that man was begging for more than the fare.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes. A criminal is freed, but if he again commits criminal..., criminality, then again he's put into the jail, like that. (inaudible) ...his freedom, now make your choice. But if you misuse it, then again go.... māyāprāpte nivartante mṛtyuḥ saṁsāra vartmani. (break) ...go home back to Godhead. But if we do not take the chance, and misuse it, like animals, then again we go down. The process is to go back to home, back to Godhead, eternal life, blissful life. And other process is the cycle of birth and death in different species of life. So this human form of body is to make choice whether to continue the cycle of birth and death in different species of life, or you want to go home, back to Godhead. (Sanskrit) He's Kṛṣṇa conscious when he goes back to home, back to Godhead. (inaudible) species of life, according to karma, they're going to be fish. From fish, by nature's way, leads to the plants, then insect. In this way.... Then birds, then beasts, again human being. Again another birth. In this way they are.... bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19).

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: As soon as you say "God," they will reject.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, actually, one of the things which this council handles is freedom of religion throughout the world.

Prabhupāda: That means they do not believe in God. Freedom of religion means whatever you like, you do.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: That is going on. Religion is not very important.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's not one of their major considerations.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, that is their consideration. Animal activities.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But one advantage of this is that all of the.... Just like they make a lot of studies of various countries.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: "Studies" means if they do not take the science of God as the most important items. Then they'll say: "Yes, you have freedom, you can do. I have got my freedom."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. They make a lot of information available on the.... In other words, it'll help our saṅkīrtana movement because they make inquiries into the freedom of an individual, for example, to.... As we want to distribute literature in various countries, they have so much facts and figures on where that would be possible.

Prabhupāda: And the newsreel will say that this saṅkīrtana movement is nuisance, it is disturbance. Then what they'll do?

Rāmeśvara: There's also some respectability if we become connected with...

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Māyā will keep you freed when you fully surrender. If you surrender to your wife and many women, māyā will not give you.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's thinking freedom without Kṛṣṇa.

Rāmeśvara: He says that māyā keeps making him full of material desires.

Prabhupāda: Yes, māyā must keep you, must keep you, must keep you because you are not surrendering fully.

Rāmeśvara: Then he says that "As long as I have all these material urges, I cannot control them. The māyā is insurmountable."

Prabhupāda: No. Māyā is not.... What māyā is? Punishing, that's all.

Hari-śauri: The desire is ours; it's simply either Kṛṣṇa or māyā.

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to rectify your desires. That is bhakti.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Candanācārya: There are some scientists in England who agree with you that they did not go to the moon.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did not. Simply propaganda. (japa) (break) Freedom.

Hari-śauri: It's just like you said in the BTG.

Prabhupāda: Equal rights. The rascal father has left, and poor mother is carrying the burden.

Rāmeśvara: She chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa just by seeing us.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. There is no other way. We are the only shelter for these forlorn women.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to give them shelter.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But on the garb of civilized person it looks odd. Especially in America when religious freedom is there. Otherwise they would have done. (break).... real peace formula, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's rascal. This is very revolting. "Because I am not Kṛṣṇa con..., because I am a rascal?" "Yes." (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, they don't like that.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) This is too much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even you were challenging their gurus. That they get very angry at. Sataji will always tell me, "I like your Prabhupāda very much. But he is always criticizing all of our gurus."

Rāmeśvara: Like Ramakrishna and this cheater magician.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "He calls them cheaters, rascals, rogues, in public." At all the pāṇḍāls you used to do that. Oh, they couldn't stand it.

Hari-śauri: That man that stopped me in the street...

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Ah, thank you. This is the disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). The rascal, he is bewildered, vimūḍhātmā, on account of false egotism. Just like we are inviting everyone: Please come and learn Bhagavad-gītā. "Huh! Bhagavad-gītā, let us go the sea and swim." Surfer, surfer? They are taking so much trouble. I have not see here; in Hawaii. For hours together, struggling with waves. I've seen it South Africa also. Very fond of this surf sporting. So they are wasting so much time and laboring so hard just to become fish. Yes, they are going to be fish. Because at the time of death they'll think of "How I am jumping in the water, surfing." That is natural. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). Because he has constantly thought over his sporting, naturally he'll think of sporting in the water. So this gross body when finished, his mental, intellectual and false ego will carry him to become a fish, and he'll have full freedom how fish is jumping within the water, going against the waves.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Sarva-gataḥ is another, sarva-ga, the word is used. Sarva-ga means he can go anywhere he likes. He can go anywhere. Such freedom is there. That is confirmed in another verse. Yānti deva-vratā devān: you can go to the deva-loka. The moon planet is the beginning of the heavenly planets. You can go there. You simply prepare yourself.

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā

yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām

(BG 9.25)

"And if one tries to go back to Me, back to home, back to, he can also go there." The intelligence is there that if, by preparing myself, I can go to God, why shall I endeavor to go to this moon, to the sun, to the hell, to the this or that? For everything, I'll have to prepare; so why not prepare myself to go back to home, back to Godhead? That is intelligence. Wherever you want to go, you have to prepare yourself, you have to make some endeavor. So why not make little endeavor for going back to home, back to Godhead? Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

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

Prabhupāda: Ah, na tat-prayāsaḥ kartavyam. This prayāsa, endeavor for economic development, na kartavyam, don't do it. Here is a revolution against this modern civilization. They are simply after economic development, and here it is condemned. It is condemned that this kind of endeavor is simply wasting the balance of our life. If one is intelligent, he sees that "I have got, say, ten thousand dollars in the bank balance, now I must utilize it properly so that it may not be spent," that is intelligence. Similarly, we have begun our death from the date of birth. Daily, every moment we are, our balance is being decreased. So therefore we should be intelligent. So long the balance is there, let me utilize it properly by which I can be really benefited. So the ideal of my benefit is that I'm suffering in this material condition of life, to stop this conditional life, to get freedom life. That is the aim of life. And that freedom can be achieved only by going back to home, back to Godhead. Not any other way. You cannot get the freedom of life here in this material.... That is not possible. Although you are trying for it. Everyone is trying to.... (aside:) Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja can come in. Yes. So without endeavor for this purpose, if we are simply trying to develop our economic condition, that is.... What is that? Āyur-vyayaḥ? What is that word?

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That mercy depends on Him. You cannot dictate Him. If I am merciful, that will depend on me, whether I can show you mercy or I can condemn you. That is, depends on me. Simply on the basis of "God is merciful," I can do all unlawful things, this is not practical proposal. Merciful means it depends on me. Whether I shall show mercy or I shall be very strong and strict, that is my will, freedom. I may show you mercy, I may not show. You cannot force me, that "You must become merciful." That is not right. God is really merciful. Otherwise, how He's supplying this... In the morning if a fog, so God mercifully has asked sun, "Now give them some sunlight." So we are enjoying. He is merciful. When there is sunshine you see the sinful man and the pious man, both enjoy. That is His mercy. When he bestows His mercy, it is for all of them, either you are sinner or you are pious. That is God's mercy. Just like the cloud when it pours water, it does not make any discrimination. On the sea, there is also rainfall; on the rocks also, there is rainfall, where there is no necessity of rain. Therefore where is necessity of rainfall on rock? What is the use? There is no use. It is simply waste.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: But they are not free. That means they are fools. They are not free, still they are thinking free. That is foolishness. If you are actually free, that is another thing, (laughs) but you are not free. You are responsible for even a minute work or misdeed, you are responsible. Where is your freedom? That freedom means ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). The rascal, foolish, bewildered, he's thinking that he's free. Where is your freedom? Nature is working. If you are free, then why you are dying? If you are free, then do not die. Nobody wants to die. What is the answer?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They will give some nonsense answer.

Prabhupāda: What is that nonsense? In nonsense there must be some sense also.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think they would like both. Like the Christians, they would like to enjoy sinful life and at the same time live forever.

Prabhupāda: No, we don't talk of any sect, we are talking of the general principles.

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Formerly in the currency, when you go to take some exchange, it was the etiquette of the teller to ask you, "What you want, silver money, gold money or paper money?" It was their duty. If you say "I want gold money," they will pay in gold money. Not only it is written in the paper, "I promise to pay," but the promise was kept. If he wants, "Give me payment in gold," they will pay. And now, to keep gold, hoarding gold, is illegal. So you cannot ask. This is going on, legalized cheating. You have to accept this paper money. That's all. Don't ask for gold. And there is no honesty at all. I can take paper money for my convenience sake, but how you can force me to take paper money? That is not honesty. So dishonesty begins from the government. You cannot keep gold. If you have kept gold, there will be searching, and if it is found that you have gold, you'll be punished. In India it is now being done. There is no freedom even at your home, in your private life. Formerly, any common man could keep gold according to his desire.

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Dayā, dharma, religious principles—everything will be reduced. And the government men, instead of giving you protection, they will act like thieves and rogues. You cannot say anything. Very, very precarious condition, all freedom lost. In Russia, all freedom lost. They have no freedom. The professor giving that testimonial, and "Don't publish it." They are appreciating this book, but they cannot say "That is good book." Just see what kind of freedom is there. A nice book, I appreciate; I cannot give in writing.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The American government would say, "How can you say that there's no freedom when the First Amendment of the United States Constitution says that there is freedom of religion? One can make any religion he likes and follow."

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Rūpānuga: It is like a prisoner in the prison house thinking he has some freedom.

Prabhupāda: That freedom is danda jane raja jana nadi secu bhau.(?) Drowning the man in the water and, "Now you have independence, so breathe." (laughter) So he breathes in, "Ah! Ah!" "All right, you are now a little relieved, all right, again. Again become drown." "Oh! Save me, save me, save me, save me." "All right," take out, "now breathe, independently." This is independence. Danda jane raj jana nadi secu bhai.(?) The rascal does not know "I am breathing independent, but at any moment I can be drowned again." Very correct example, danda jane raja jana nadi secu bhai.(?) No independence. Independence is only there when you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You surrender your all independence to Kṛṣṇa. Then there is. "Kṛṣṇa, I have foolishly acted as independent, so many lives. Now I surrender all my independence at Your lotus feet. If You like, You can kill me; if You like, You can...," that is independence. Otherwise, there is no independence. All foolishness. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. By false egotism, he's thinking that "I am independent."

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, improve, improve, to understand that I am not a person of the jail. I am a person of freedom. Long living in the jail one who identifies that "Without jail I cannot live."

Interviewer: Well, I hope we all get out of it sometime, somehow, someway, either here or there.(laughs)

Prabhupāda: But we are trying to educate the prisoners that "Your life is not perfect within the jail. Your life is perfect without the jail." This is our education.

Interviewer: Life is not perfect in the jail.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the person in the jail they are thinking, "What is this, they are not working for the jail life?"

Interviewer: Person in the jail, I didn't get that.

Prabhupāda: Because they cannot understand that there is life after jail. They are so fool, rascal that they cannot understand that without jail one can live.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like, some of us are working like the hammerman, breaking bricks with hammer, but that does not mean he does not understand. So long one is in the jail, one is not in freedom, he has to work like that by force. But that is not his proper work. He has got a different work outside the jail or in his freedom life.

Interviewer: Well, what people are saying about the members of the Kṛṣṇa society is that they are not doing the jail work.

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The prisoner who is hammering the bricks, he's thinking that this man is simply instructing that you have a different life outside the jail, he's not hammering on the brick. Therefore he is surprised, "How is that he is not hammering like me?"

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, so our business is to educate them that "Your hammering business is not your life. Your freedom is real business."

Interviewer: Freedom is what?

Prabhupāda: Real business.

Interviewer: You've, I'm sure you've heard or read about these claims by these parent groups that claim that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement members are, ah, sort of controlled by intensive indoctrination? Brain-washed they call it, you know, by getting up and having the two hours or three of chanting in the morning and prayer beads constantly and the group life, that they're sort of controlled, and denied their freedom. What do you say about that?

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

Prabhupāda: It is due to misunderstanding. They do not understand what kind of preaching, what kind of education we are giving. We are giving education how to become free from the hammering business in the jail. They think hammering business and keep oneself within the jail is the real life because they have been accustomed to that. And when we speak that "Hammering or to keep within the jail is not your real business: your real business is freedom," naturally they find contradiction, and they think that we are doing something against their business. That is the difficulty.

Interviewer: Like doing something against their what?

Bali-mardana: Against their business.

Interviewer: But in other words you think that there, is there not something to this idea of brain, of being spiritually controlled or spiritually directed?

Prabhupāda: It is not controlled, it is not controlled.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The Constitution of the United States gives great deal of protection for civil rights, religious freedom.

Prabhupāda: Therefore they are so advanced.

Kīrtanānanda: But there's a lot of talk now that they aren't, so far as income tax is concerned.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Kīrtanānanda: So far as our collecting money, they are going to maybe change some laws. There's a lot of talk about that now.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They've done that in India.

Hṛdayānanda: The religious leaders have become such cheaters that the governments are thinking "Why shouldn't they pay taxes? They're just ordinary people."

Prabhupāda: Best thing is collect and spend, that's all.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'It's surprising that you find this right in New York City. It's our way of life,' said Nagan Patel, a civil engineer from Jersey City, who immigrated from Bombay. 'We love New York City and America. It's the most beautiful place in the world. No other country will give such freedom for our own ceremony.' "

Prabhupāda: That's a fact, that I say always.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "But the Kṛṣṇa people were not entirely free of harassment. Along the parade route three men, including one who said he was an Evangelical Christian minister, jeered at the parade and called on parade watchers to become Christians. 'Idol worship. This is absolutely ridiculous. Read the Bible,' cried one man who would identify himself only as a normal Christian. There was a brief scuffle when an Indian immigrant tried to tear a large placard out of the hands of another heckler. The placard read 'Turn or Burn.' The police broke things up but made no arrests. 'They are insulting us,' said the Kṛṣṇa follower who declined to identify himself. 'I'm a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and Christ. These people who are doing this in the name of Christ are criminals.' " Very strong statement.

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Because you do not train the boys to be qualified. You train them to become debauch. What can be done? You train them from brahmacārī, then they'll be responsible husbands. Both the girls and the boys should be trained up. Then they'll be responsible husband and wife and live peacefully. In their young days, if you give them freedom, they'll spoil. What can be done? Young, youthful days, if you give them full freedom, they'll be misguided and spoiled.

Translator: She's asking that since in these Western countries the families are so broken up and the women sometimes cannot find a qualified husband, what should she do?

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: No, no, I'm not tired

Translator: He says he has very much appreciation for all that we're doing here, for all of our activities, but he's wondering what is the actual freedom we're getting from all these activities, what is the actual goal, and what is the freedom we derive from doing these activities?

Prabhupāda: So, explain what is the goal.

Translator: What is our definition of liberty, freedom, spiritual?

Prabhupāda: Liberty means whatever you like, you can do. That is liberty. But at the present moment, you cannot do that. Just like you want to go to the moon planet, you cannot do that. But when you are spiritually liberated, you can go anywhere you like. Still, in this material world there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of that planet, they go from any planet to any planet. But still, they can not go to the spiritual world.

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Translator: He says this freedom to go anywhere and everywhere...

Prabhupāda: This is one of the items, there are so many others.

Translator: So he's pointing out that when one acts in complete freedom, he follows a path, a definite path to attain a certain truth.

Prabhupāda: You get a spiritual body, that means freedom, no condition.

Translator: But he's asking where we're finding that truth. Can we find it only in the scriptures, in following all the regulative principles we're following day after day, or can we find also that truth by following our own path, by keeping our own freedom to do whatever we like?

Prabhupāda: No, you have no freedom. You have to accept some way for freedom.

Translator: He says that this very truth is contained in the scriptures. So right from the beginning, to start with, he has to accept the scriptures.

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Apratihatā.

Translator: He says we're always forcing him to take prasādam. This is not freedom. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes, this child has to be forced to do something. For his interest.

Bhagavān: Prabhupāda once gave the analogy sometimes when the horse is sick, the doctor takes the pill in the hand, he puts it down the throat.

Prabhupāda: No, we are prepared. Just like horse is not prepared to take the medicine. But four men force him to take the medicine. Nobody was crying for this edition of Bhāgavata, but we are forcing, "You must read. You must take." We are printing and forcing everyone. French edition, Bhāgavata's edition, they were not dying for this book, but this is our force.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No. You have got independence, little independence.

Atreya Ṛṣi: You have freedom to choose intelligence or be a rascal.

Prabhupāda: You have got independence to misuse your independence. That independence you have got. You have been given intelligence. Now you have got, because you have got intelligence, little independence, you can misuse that. Just like you are all my secretaries. So I give you some independence. You can misuse it. So that misuse is wrong. Then you'll become unhappy. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Says. He doesn't force you—you must do it. You do it. That means independence. Now it is your choice. You have got independence of misusing it. So independence is a quality inherent in living beings, because he's part and parcel of God. The quality of the father is inherited by the son, even physically. Similarly, you have..., God is fully independent, you have got little touch of independence. Now that independence is properly utilized when you carry out the order of God.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Mrs. Sahani: This means we have the freedom.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, you he got little freedom. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, "You do it." He does not force. He can force you. He's all-powerful. But He does not force. He gives you the chance, "Do it, you'll be happy." If you don't do it, that is your choice. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Eh? Find out this verse. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna the freedom, "Now I have given you all instruction, now make your choice." Yathecchasi tathā kuru. "Whatever you like, you do." What is the difficulty? Could not find? Ask somebody else.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Hari-śauri's trying.

Prabhupāda: Why don't you ask Pradyumna?

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Sthito 'smi gata-sandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). This is understanding. "Now my illusion is gone," naṣṭo mohaḥ. Smṛtir labdhā. "I am in my original consciousness." So what you'll do? Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. "You are asking to me to fight? I shall do it." Everything is explained. Kṛṣṇa gives you freedom, yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). And one who understands Kṛṣṇa, he says, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. That's it. Not by interpretation, or refuse by interpretation. That is not Kṛṣṇa's... Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. This is understanding. Otherwise simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). If you like, you can waste your time. And find out this verse, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69), ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (Bg 18.68). Find that verse, ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes, shameless. Dukankata,(?) in Bengal it is called. So if you want to continue, then continue. The facility is already given there. The material world is there. You go on, continue. But if you want to stop it, if you are conscious of the material position, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), then you have to stop it. Kṛṣṇa has given you freedom, yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Whatever you like, you can do. If you like to suffer, go on suffering. Who can...? It is your business.

Nava-yauvana: But unless one is getting Kṛṣṇa's instruction, he is forced to go on.

Prabhupāda: Yes, māyā is there. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). You cannot do anything without knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is there, māyā is there. They'll take care. Kṛṣṇa's agent māyā will take care of you. You have to be taken care, either by māyā or by Kṛṣṇa. If you agree to be taken care by Kṛṣṇa, then you are happy. And if you don't agree, you will be taken care by māyā. You go on suffering. In either case you are not independent. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). That verse is very important-yathecchasi tathā kuru. Find out that verse. It is the last part. Yesterday you found.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Vimṛśya, "Now you think over it." Not that blindly accept. You consider, make your deliberation, and then you do whatever you like. This freedom is given. What is the wrong there? Iti te jñānam ākhyātam, "I've explained to you all kinds of different types of knowledge, and ultimately, guhyatamam, the most confidential knowledge I've spoken to you, that you surrender to Me. Now you deliberate on this point very nicely, and then vimṛśya, then after full consideration, do whatever you like." It's everything up to you. There is no force. "If you want to remain in this material world, remain here, suffer life after life. Otherwise you come to Me." That is your choice. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have got your intelligence. God has given you intelligence. Now you deliberate. But if you... A devotee, without using my intelligence, I surrender. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). Immediately you become the greatest mahātmā. If you simply believe in Kṛṣṇa, "What my nonsense intelligence...? What Kṛṣṇa says, I shall do. Bas." Your life is perfect. And if you think still that "I am more intelligent (than) Kṛṣṇa, let me deliberate and consider," then you remain rascal. You cannot be more intelligent than Kṛṣṇa. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), you take it. That is real intelligence. That is real intelligence. Just like obedient son, my father says to do it. "All right, I shall take it, although it does not appeal to me." That is good son. Natural guardian, father, if son understands "My father or mother, whatever they will say, it is surely for my good. They cannot be cheater." So intelligent son will take "Yes, my father says, I'll do it. That's all. Never mind it does not appeal to me." That is intelligence, real intelligence. "Because I am immature, my father knows my good, he says 'My dear son, do it. It will be nice.' I'll do it." That's all. Without any objection. That is intelligence. That is real intelligence. But the father gives the freedom, "Now you deliberate."

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everything is possible by Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable energy. Everything is possible. That is inconceivable. It is called therefore "inconceivable." You, we cannot conceive how it is done. Our intelligence is very little. We cannot conceive. Therefore we say, "Oh, this is all mythology." Because we cannot conceive of it. Whatever we cannot conceive we take it as mythology. Nothing is mythology. Everything is possible. That is inconceivable. But they cannot understand what is inconceivable. Unless it is conceivable by them, they do not accept. That is their foolishness. We can see at night worms or flies so small Just like if you divide one grain of rice into one hundred divisions one division—such a small fly. They are independently walking, flying. Freedom. Now just imagine how their anatomic physiology is manufactured within that small (indistinct) of life. But he's exactly doing everything just like a big fly. How it is doing? Therefore I said in that, my interview.

Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Nothing. They'll be free. Nothing to do. Recess means nothing to do. That is brain, I mean to say, rest. All continually you cannot do that. That is not good. Utmost, forty minutes or forty-five minutes. Then give them ten minutes' freedom. Then begin another. Not more than forty to forty-five minutes at a time, reading, writing.

Jagadīśa: After class, then, by 12:30 they bathe again, second time.

Prabhupāda: They take prasādam first and then bathe?

Jagadīśa: They bathe... They take prasādam at 9:00 in the morning, 9:30. Then they have class. Then after class is finished, then they bathe.

Prabhupāda: After class they bathe?

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We should stop all rascal plan and should take the plan given by God. Then it will be... Everything will be all right. Simple solution. The God's plan is there in this book. Let us take it. Then everything solved. But "No, we are scientist. We are philosopher. We are big man, politician. We shall make our own." Do and suffer. God has given freedom: "All right." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā after explaining Arjuna everything, then He asked, "What you have decided? Your plan or My plan?" So Kṛṣṇa said, "I am giving you freedom. Whatever you like, you can do." The plan is there. Now it is up to us to accept it or reject it. If you reject, you suffer. If you accept, you become happy. So we are requesting people, "Accept it." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Then you'll be happy." But who cares for us? He is making his own plan. Therefore he must suffer. Nature's law he cannot avoid. That's not possible. Nature's law, there is... (break) ...if God likes, immediately there will be rain. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ. That is also stated. So read that. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni, annād.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Indian reporter: No, they don't reject. They give religious freedom.

Prabhupāda: What is freedom? That "Whatever you like, you do."

Indian reporter: No, not that.

Prabhupāda: So then what is freedom?

Indian reporter: Whichever religion I like, I am free to follow it.

Prabhupāda: This freedom means you can manufacture your own religion. And this is freedom. They want this freedom, that you can manufacture. Yato mata tato patha, as the Ramakrishna Mission says, that "You can manufacture your own way of religion."

Dr. Ramachandra: Somebody said religion is the opium of the masses.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they will say.

Dr. Ramachandra: That is... They trained us.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: No, now what freedom we have got? (laughter)

Mr. Malhotra: That is a different thing.

Prabhupāda: But that means we do not get such information from Bhagavad-gītā, that "Make your country free." Why he took Bhagavad-gītā and did this business, miscreant (?) business. He took Bhagavad-gītā and he was busy declaring war. Because politically, sometimes required. But the thing is that if your ideal is to live very simple life... His, I mean to say, followers, Jawaharlal Nehru, he did not take up this.

Mr. Malhotra: He used to stay in bhangi colonies, Gandhi. Hm?

Prabhupāda: So, and he was killed in the bhangi colony. No, he was killed in the Birla's place. And there is not a single picture of Kṛṣṇa. Although he was thinking, "This is my life, Bhagavad-gītā," without Kṛṣṇa. What is this?

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, mind.

Guest (1): Very difficult to control mind.

Prabhupāda: But if you want freedom, you have to do that.

Guest (1): Yes, that's true. There is no other alternative.

Guest (2) (Indian man): Freedom from mind, how would you explain it or how would you detail it? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...mind means polluted mind. We are part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva is as pure as God and on account of this mind, he is suffering in this material world. You can see. You can see. Here is a living being, this tree. It is also a living being, but he's standing before me for fifty years or more than that. He cannot move an inch, and we are moving.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So why this condition? He is also living being; I am also living being. I have got little freedom to move; he hasn't got. Why this difference of position? Due to the mind. So here in this material world there are 8,400,000 different forms of life. They're all due to the mental concoction. So if we want our original life as good as God, at least in quality, that is freedom of mind. And then we cease to become one of the covered living beings within this material world.

Guest (1): Sir, I read in one of your lectures at London, before the British office (indistinct), and you gave the example of Mahatma Gandhi and Kennedy. In particular, Mahatma Gandhi you said that four types of (sic:) defaulted mind and this condition and those condition.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Every living being is polluted by four kinds of deficiencies. A conditioned soul commits mistake. He takes something for something. And because he has no perfect knowledge, he wants to become leader. That is cheating.

Guest (1): Right. You have said that in that speech.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Harvey Cox?

Girirāja: Yes and Kīrtanānanda Swami. His books are very famous. And they have brought up this issue, freedom of religion, that this is a bona fide religious movement and we should have freedom to worship. Then there's also a letter from a member of the World Fellowship of Religion and he is also saying that he takes this very seriously and very grave that such a bona fide movement is not being allowed to practice their religion freely. And then there's one Professor Sharma at one American University, and he is...

Prabhupāda: Sharma or Sukla?

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: "...is not actually religious but is an exploitative brain-washing technique. In the past and even today the leaders of the Hare Kṛṣṇa faith, as we understand, have been abducted, assaulted, and subjected to mental and physical abuse. We also understand that there are widespread pressures being applied to convince the media and the government that religious freedom should not include the choice to live by the tenets of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Hindu scriptures. We strongly feel all these developments to be objectionable to all freedom-loving people of this great country. We will appreciate if you please look into this matter and take the needed steps to halt such religious suppression. Signed, V.J. Pandhi, Corporation Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors."

Prabhupāda: V.J.?

Jagadīśa: V.J. Pandhi.

Prabhupāda: Pandit?

Room Conversation -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, try to see the distinction. Before me, so many people went. They misinterpreted Bhagavad-gītā, there was no effect. And we are not misinterpreting. We are simply presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is given. That is the point. Everyone says, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful thing." But I say , "I do not know any magic, jugglery. But wonderful thing is that I have not adulterated." That is wonderful. Otherwise, nothing wonderful. What I am saying? Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. I am creating them bhaktas, that's all. I am starting these temples and ask them that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. You become devotee, you always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That's all. And they are giving up everything. Their father and mother, they are thinking, "They are our lost child." They are now giving the opposition. They have brought so many cases against me. But unless it is effective, how they are feeling the weight? Now these boys, their father, mother constantly kidnap them. "Stay here." No, they will not stay. They'll not eat with their father, mother. So they think that "Our son is lost." Other yogis and swamis go, they give some method. And the son is there at home."All right, a young man is going there." But here, their son is lost. Here their son is lost, and they are now called "American Hindus." So naturally they are very much against me. And counter movement is going on. Hindus... The government...That this is not a religion. The swami knows some mind-controlling power and he's brainwashing. In this way, there is charge. So because America has got freedom of religion, so if they accept my movement as Hindu religion, they cannot do anything. People are free to accept.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In our childhood I saw. To go weekend to the garden and... Generally they go with family, and others, they go with prostitute. With prostitute they have got freedom to handle. The higher... And not only that, during marriage ceremony, high circle marriage ceremony, they would participate in drinking, even men and women. Otherwise, in India, woman drinking or taking meat is a horrible crime. And what to speak of smoking? That is most shameless. That was aristocratic, drinking and eating meat... The Bengali, they were the richer section because others, they were foreigners. They came to Calcutta and earned money. And the Bengalis, they had their aristocratic families, zamindaries, everything in their occupation. So Bengalis were richer section in Calcutta, and..., four, five big, big families. And now they are finished on account of this aristocracy. So one gentleman, he was Harendranatha Singh, very rich man, one of the richest men of Calcutta. He lost all his estate simply by this extravagance. Every evening his house is full with guests every evening, for... What is called? That table?

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Only Kennedy was the first Catholic to be. Otherwise till Kennedy came, there was no Catholic ever elected. (break) Methodist. Even in material world, he was a fool the way he carried out... (laughing) But sir, one thing: about the freedom of America. I have my hat off that that man could be knocked off by ordinary paper reporter. That would not happen in any other country.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I asked to take the government.

Dr. Patel: That would not happen in any other country but America, freedom par excellence.

Prabhupāda: There is possibility of Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees will take the government.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That can be possible because of freedom, essential freedom of that country.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we are being checked that "They may not grow." One politician has said that "If they grow like this, in ten years they'll take the government."

Trivikrama: Someone has said that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. He said. Some politician has said that "The Hare Kṛṣṇa people are growing so rapid, like epidemic." He has said. "And if they grow like this within ten years they may take our government." He has remarked it.

Dr. Patel: Good for them. The amount of money that has been wasted by America, that much money could have raised the standard of living the whole...

Prabhupāda: Money is no consideration.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Must be. That is also the same person, meat-eating, how you can separate?

Dr. Patel: (indistinct) Free. Freedom. We have cherished that type of freedom in our country.

Prabhupāda: No, they are thinking I am checking on their freedom. They eat meat. I say, "No, don't eat meat." So I am checking on their freedom. They'll take it in that way.

Jagadīśa: It's called a fool's paradise.

Dr. Patel: These people must have sort of a false sense of superiority also because of that.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I condemn everyone, that "You are all dogs and hogs." And United Nations a pack of dogs barking. That's a fact. And in Chicago I said, all women, "You cannot have freedom. You have got only thirty-four-ounce brain, and man has got sixty-four-ounce." I told them. So I became a subject of very great criticism.

Trivikrama: Women's liberation.

Prabhupāda: I denied, "No, you cannot have." I told them. One girl in the airship, she was seeing like (makes some gesture-laughter). I asked her, "Give me 7-Up." "It is locked now." So I frankly said that "No, no. You cannot have equal rights because your brain is thirty-four ounce." Actually that's a fact. Where is woman philosopher, mathematician, scientist? Not a single.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes! It is trick by the men, yes.

Dr. Patel: How... Could you explain that?

Prabhupāda: Because if they remain free, they get young women free. That's rascal's man brain. That "You take freedom."

Dr. Patel: This is a third-class argument.

Prabhupāda: This is argument! This is argument. This is fact. These rascals keep these women unmarried to enjoy daily new, new young women, these karmīs, these rascals. There is club. There is club. These young women are paid for that topless, bottomless. You do not know.

Dr. Patel: No. I have never seen a girl naked. I refuse to...

Prabhupāda: I have... I know everything.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They make pregnant and they go away. And this poor girl, either she has to kill the child or beg from the government, "Give me welfare; otherwise..." Is that freedom? These rascal woman...

Dr. Patel: This is freedom. Actually the government recognized...

Prabhupāda: Government means a set of rascals. But practical point of view the woman wants equal right. Equal rights they enjoy, and the woman becomes pregnant, and he goes away, the boy. And she has to kill the child or beg from the government. This is her freedom. And still, equal rights. Where equal right? The boy has gone away. You also go away? No. You'll have to carry the child. To get freedom you have to kill or you have to beg. And still she thinks, "I am free."

Dr. Patel: Such experience (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Rather we are giving freedom, that "Never mind you have got illegitimate son. Come here. Live with us. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Oh, were...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa gives freedom. Striyo śūdras tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parām. "Never mind. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa (BG 9.32). "Anyone. Come on. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasāda." This is my propaganda.

Dr. Patel: My mind is haunted by those (indistinct). There will be somebody...

Prabhupāda: I know that I sincere to Kṛṣṇa, He'll do the rest.

Dr. Patel: That is right. You have extreme faith.

Prabhupāda: Faith means extreme faith. Not reserved. Faith does not mean any reservation. What is that? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. This is... Ananya-bhāk. No reservation. That is... Sādhur eva. He is sādhu. Whatever he does, it doesn't matter. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He sādhu. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). These are the words. Require staunch faithful devotion. Then you are perfect. Then doesn't matter what you are, what you are doing. Whether the real point is fixed up. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Fifty percent, ten percent devotion...

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I am thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and if you stop me to think of Kṛṣṇa, is it not going against my thought? Bhagavad-gītā, it is recommended, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. So this is a standard thing. So I thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Why you should stop me? Is it not infringement my freedom?

Rāmeśvara: They argue that they are not stopping you from thinking about Kṛṣṇa. They want to stop you from being a member of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.

Prabhupāda: Why? If I have to think of Kṛṣṇa, I must be member of the society. Otherwise how can I think of? Suppose if I have to do business, share business, I have to become a member of the share market.

Rāmeśvara: They say that the way the society is managed...

Prabhupāda: You can say. But this is the system. If you have got some thought, you must mix with such similar thoughtful men. That is everywhere. The scholars, they associate; the medical men, they associate. How can you stop it?

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: They've actually legalized it. There's one group, they're claiming that by deprogramming people they give him freedom of thought.

Prabhupāda: But you are... By deprogramming... They are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. You are checking. Where is the freedom of thought? Then you are illegal. They want to think of Kṛṣṇa, and you are checking. Then who is illegal? We have to put in that way, in their word, that "Then you have no right to check him about thinking of Kṛṣṇa." This will be our argument. Yes. How you can check? Let him think of Kṛṣṇa freely, because Kṛṣṇa wants. Then you have to take Bhagavad-gītā as illegal.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, if they condemn the whole thing, they have to condemn the whole, entire Hindu religion.

Prabhupāda: That's it. We have to fight in that way.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Surrender, this is surrender, that... First of all, why you surrender? You must know it perfectly well that "Kṛṣṇa is master; I am servant." Otherwise there is no question of surrender. Then you have to believe that "Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So now I have surrendered. I have no more fear. Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." To believe firmly... "Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. Kṛṣṇa is my master. He is not a fakir, that He's talking nonsense." We have to believe that. This is surrender. If you think, "Kṛṣṇa is another fakir like me. He's talking nonsense," then that is not surrender. You have to believe that. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that śraddhā śabde viśvāsa niścaya. This is śraddhā. Sraddha is the beginning. That śraddhā means when you firmly believe in Kṛṣṇa: "Yes, He'll give me protection." That is surrender. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. When you come to this stage, firmly believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, that is surrender. First of all, you have to check yourself whether you firmly believe in the words of God. If you don't believe, there is no question of surrender. Then you remain where you are. This is firm belief: "Kṛṣṇa says that He will give me protection. So let me surrender. I have surrendered to māyā. I have not become happy. So why not surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" This is intelligence. You are not free. Then why you are declaring yourself as free? This is your disease. So intelligent means that I have no freedom actually.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) But why do you take Bhagavad-gītā? You are free to do whatever you like. That freedom is given. Kṛṣṇa has given. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). That you have got. But when you speak of Bhagavad-gītā, then you speak what Kṛṣṇa wants.

Guest (7): You should take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You explain it but not interpret it.

Prabhupāda: There is no need of interpretation.

Indian man: You can explain it in the language which people can understand.

Prabhupāda: Explanation also not very much required because the explanation is already there, and we are not so intelligent that we can explain. But we take it, the words of the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). If we see that one is not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he comes to this group: duṣkṛtina, narādhamāḥ and mūḍha. That's all. This is our conclusion. We are fools and rascal.

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

Rāmeśvara: The American people are... They consider it backwards. Prabhupāda: That has to be educated, that backward is real life.

Rāmeśvara: They think they have achieved a higher standard of freedom by traveling all over the world...

Prabhupāda: Where is your freedom? Where is your freedom if for your livelihood you have to go a hundred miles? Where is your freedom? Why you are illusioned? For your bread, you have to go hundred miles off, either by car or by train. So where is your freedom?

Rāmeśvara: The freedom is in leisure time. They have a lot of leisure time.

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

Prabhupāda: Where is leisure time? You rise early in the morning and start for your office. Where is your leisure time? All imagination. I have seen in New York. They are coming from the other parts, starting early in the morning, two hours in the ferry and two hours in the cars, and standing two hours. What is this? Leaders, rich men, can think like that, that "I have leisure," but a worker, lower class, they have no freedom. That is illusion, and we are trying to give freedom to everyone. That is freedom. You are forced to go to the factory and work there in a hellish condition of life. Is that freedom?

Rāmeśvara: There must be still education so the people will... Say we are one day...

Prabhupāda: No education, no. Education will be required only for the guiding class: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, not for anyone, śūdras. They are two only. Others will... What education required? Suppose if you produce... If you..., you are accustomed to agriculture, cow protection, there is no need going to college and schools. If you remain illiterate, still you can do.

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

Prabhupāda: So, what is to you and to your father? Let them do that. Everyone has got freedom.

Rāmeśvara: But they say that that takes away freedom, because it takes away freedom to think.

Prabhupāda: So that is a controversy, that you want to take his freedom and still, you are accusing that, that way.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, that's actually the fact. The want to take their freedom, but they are accusing us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So if you are sane man, let us sit down. First of all ascertain what is religion. Then we shall see whether your religion is genuine or my religion is genuine. First of all ascertain. Let there be an assembly, that "What is religion?" "We say that the law given by God is religion. Now you refute this." Nobody can manufacture religion. "God is one, and whatever He has given, law, that is religion. Now you refute it?" Give them this challenge.

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

Prabhupāda: We must because you checked her freedom.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why did you kidnap? Therefore we must teach him some lesson.

Jagadīśa: Everyone acts in such a way to please his friends, anyway.

Rāmeśvara: Their argument is that this girl who was kidnapped, she still likes her family, but now we have told her, "You must sue them." So therefore she is doing it. So therefore she is not free. She is... We are controlling her.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you want to control her. We are controlling, but you want to control her. So if you can control, why shall I not control? Why you are poking your nose? We shall cut your nose. (laughter)

Jagadīśa: That's what we're going to do too. (Hari-śauri returns with candy)

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But any psychologist will give report or anyone can...

Rāmeśvara: Anyone. You just pay him, and he'll give you a report. They are rascals. And then the court issues an order that "Now this person's freedom is taken away," and she's put under the charge of her family for thirty days. Then they come with the police, and they give the paper, and they take her away by force, and they fly her to one of these camps where they harass her for thirty days.

Gargamuni: Brainwash.

Rāmeśvara: Try to break their faith.

Gargamuni: Actually they are brainwashing.

Prabhupāda: So this can be done by law?

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. That is the real point, that this is like Nazi Germany. This is insane. So because it is so anti-American, then many people who would not normally connect themselves with our movement are now coming forward to help us.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they must. Otherwise the freedom is lost. Anyone can be kidnapped.

Rāmeśvara: That is what they are realizing, that this may not stop at just Hare Kṛṣṇa. They can kidnap anyone. That's our propaganda to get support.

Prabhupāda: Just like emergency.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Hari-śauri: In Russia they do that. When they don't like someone, they put him in a mental home.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Spiritual service—to render service to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Then you'll be happy.

Guest (3): No, but those who are freedom fighters, they are actually on the wrong path?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Everyone who is not serving Kṛṣṇa, he is in the wrong path.

Guest (3): But Kṛṣṇa means... Who is He? Is He a personal or impersonal?

Prabhupāda: Person. Service means person.

Guest (3): Person?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you are person, I am person, how I can serve you or how you can accept service?

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And all these rubbish things we are finishing. "Yes, it is brainwashing, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the core of the heart, all mistaken ideas." Speak in the court like that. "And see how we are being appreciated by scholarly section. Here is our book. Read if you have got time and see the opinion. It is really brainwashing, but for the good. Everything requires cleansing—for good. If bad impression, bad ideas, are washed, why do you protest? Let it be done. Give us freedom. It is brainwashing, but for the good, washing for good. Just like you wash your cloth. Do you think it is bad? Dirty cloth, if it is washed nicely with soap and water, who will protest against that? 'Oh, why you are cleansing your dirty clothes?' That is another foolishness. Everyone, every gentleman, every civilized man, washes his clothes with soap and water to become more refreshed. So we are giving this civilization...

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: Yes. They're all afraid to speak.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No freedom.

Rāmeśvara: No intellectual freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: That's very well known.

Prabhupāda: No, even physical. You cannot go out without government consent. And they don't allow, especially young men. They do not allow to go out of the country.

Rāmeśvara: No, I was reading to you that if they apply for leaving the country, then immediately there is a long delay.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Crocodile. (break) ...topless, is that freedom for the woman? The shop is open from ten to four a.m. I have seen the signboard in Texas. Is that freedom for the woman? They have no means of livelihood, and they come.

Satsvarūpa: But those women who advocate woman's liberation, they also say that that is not freedom for women, that the men are using the women.

Prabhupāda: Not only that, I have seen that if one woman is speaking... He (she) was sitting. I am going. "Oh, she has got a husband." Immediately I studied all this, this happening of her life. She was... She became very surprised that he's (she's), her friend had a husband.

Gurukṛpa: Thing is that the marriages are simply based on sex. Therefore the marriages don't last long.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But where is your freedom?

Satsvarūpa: That I don't have someone to tell me what to do. I will learn by my own experience.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you go to school? Huh?

Satsvarūpa: Well, nowadays school also, they don't think that the professor is like their guru.

Prabhupāda: After all, the parents send the children to school to learn. Why not freedom?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. That's a good argument.

Prabhupāda: When you go in your childhood on the street, why the father does not give you freedom? You'll... You get freedom to die, and the parents takes your freedom to save. So which is better, to die or to be saved?

Satsvarūpa: To be saved.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But after all, you had no freedom. Similarly, you are still child because you are speaking like a child.

Hari-śauri: Their conception of freedom is very limited.

Prabhupāda: There is no freedom. Where is freedom? You have to die. Where is your freedom? You don't like to die. But you have to die.

Gurukṛpa: They used to have a slogan, all the hippies: "When I have to die, I'm the one that has to die. So let me live my life the way I want to."

Prabhupāda: What is that? "When I have to die"?

Gurukṛpa: "I have to experience it. Therefore let me live the way I want to. When it's time for me to die, it's my death."

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Your scientific knowledge, your car, means you are more dependent. Now, suppose you have to stay here. You had to, some very important business. Now whole thing is finished. But if you have calculated without having this car, then you would have done your duty. So the more material advancement means more you become dependent, more you become rascal. That is calculation by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Jaḍa-vidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, jīvake karaye gādhā, tomāra bhajane bādhā. Anitya saṁsāre, moha janamiyā, jīvake karaye gādhā. My business is that how to leave this material conditional life and become free. Now, with this so-called advancement of science I am becoming more and more attached. So I'll never get freedom. This is the result. Because I am trying in different way how to get, freedom. "Yes, wait millions of years. We shall do it. We shall do this." Gādhā, ass. You'll die trillions of times within millions of years, and he is expecting good result of his scientific... By the time, he'll become a banyan tree and stand there by nature's law, and he's expecting good result after millions of years. So gādhā, ass. Durāśaya.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They must be entangled. They are trying in the false way, wrong way. He is suffering on account of being placed in this material atmosphere, and he's trying to adjust things with this material... That means he's becoming more and more entangled. Sometimes we have seen a fly falls down in the bee honey and he becomes entangled. So how it will be possible to become free and again fly unless he's taken and washed all these dirty things for him? Then he can fly. Freedom. And so long he'll try to adjust things in the prakṛti-sthāni, that is nonsense, all nonsense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And while talking, all of a sudden there was a very big bumping in the plane, so everyone was afraid just before we reached Calcutta. So then I mentioned that every moment we are in danger.

Room Conversation -- February 4, 1977, Calcutta:

Satsvarūpa: The District Attorney who was trying to prosecute us, Ādi-keśava, he reveals his strategy here because many lawyers say that we have a right to practice our religion. This is freedom of religion. He says...

Prabhupāda: Free... It is bona fide religion.

Satsvarūpa: He said "But it's not a question of religion." He said, "What we're..." He said, "Mind control has nothing to do with religion. It's a question of individual free will. I don't think an individual in his right state of mind would allow someone else to control his mind. Just think of it in terms of hypnosis."

Prabhupāda: Mind control is everything.

Satsvarūpa: Anything.

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

Prabhupāda: Everybody's śūdra. Nobody's brāhmaṇa, nobody's...

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: Śūdra is to be controlled only. They are never given to be freedom. Just like in America. The blacks were slaves. They were under control. And since you have given them equal rights they are disturbing, most disturbing, always creating a fearful situation, uncultured and drunkards. What training they have got? They have got equal right? That is best, to keep them under control as slaves but give them sufficient food, sufficient cloth, not more than that. Then they will be satisfied.

Hari-śauri: If that's done then how will those who have some potential to be educated, how will we recognize them?

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: We are machine?

Hari-śauri: Can't think for yourself.

Brahmānanda: They say that we have no freedom of choice.

Prabhupāda: Children has got also the same thing. Why the father stops? Children want to play. They do not like to go to school. Father does not like it. Is that father's attempt to check the child's freedom? Every father is doing that. The government is doing that. Why government is checking criminality? Hm? Why government chastising those who are criminals?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because what they are doing is not good for themselves and for others.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is... Your criminal law will also criticize that "Why you are giving this instruction?" The two parties must be there, duality. If I accuse you of some criminality, you'll say, "Why you are checking my freedom?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because they have forgotten God, they no longer understand what is best for themselves.

Prabhupāda: They are like animals.

Hari-śauri: They don't know how to discriminate properly. Like that newspaper article, "The Hare Kṛṣṇa Puzzle. Are they good or are they bad?"

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Why do they take "puzzle?"

Bhavānanda: You wanted that map of the pukura?

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: We want that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was taking up on his own so many civil rights cases. He's a fighter for individual freedom.

Prabhupāda: Not only that. He should be convinced that "Here is a good mission for the human society."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are some very big persons now who have formed a group for the protection of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. And these men have specifically stated that it must be only for the protection of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, not others. They don't want to fight on behalf of any other movement. Specifically this movement. Because they are convinced of the philosophy of this movement.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: At that time not Churchill. Attlee, Attlee was Prime Minister.

Brahmānanda: In Africa, Nehru, he was instructing the African leaders also how to get...

Prabhupāda: Freedom.

Brahmānanda: Freedom. So they all allowed the Indian example. So the British, they were very resentful against the Indians.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now British making "Drive away. Drive away the Indians."

Brahmānanda: They became the leaders of the independence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now they are still resentful.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Canada, Australia. The problem is that... Actually it's a fact that many of these groups are bad. They're cheating. Of course, ours is not, but because they're not very intelligent, they cannot see the distinction. Probably as a result of this court case, we will make them aware that now the other groups are bogus but we are not. That they'll have to admit. That will be the effect. But at least up until now we are being lumped in with these other bad groups. Cults, they call them. But it's a very dangerous thing. Therefore the lawyers and all of the scholars and intelligentsia of the United States is very alarmed that this is a great treading on human rights. This is a great danger to human rights because the Fifth Amendment of the... The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion. But according to these laws that they want to pass, a parent can say, "It is not a question of religion. My son has become abnormal." So who is to say what is religion and what is abnormal? They are saying, "This is not religion." So we have to prove, "No, this is... Hare Kṛṣṇa is a religion." Otherwise they are saying this is abnormal. Now, just... Our lawyer has pointed out that if you say that the devotees' preaching is brainwash, then you must say that every single Christian priest who preaches, he is also brainwashing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You must condemn all preaching. So this is against the Amendment, the Constitutional First Amendment. So there is a big Constitutional case. This court case has great interest to all the people who are into civil right and things in the United States because it is testing the freedom of religion. It's a test case. It's the biggest test case of this decade in the United States. And the American Civil Liberties Union is taking this up as their main..., one of their main points of fighting now. All over the United States they're defending. Of course, there are many groups also who are insisting, "We will fight, but only for Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are not going to align ourselves with a general group." They wanted to give a name, as Brahmānanda was saying. And they insisted that it must include the Hare Kṛṣṇa. The name of our organization must include the word Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Brahmānanda: This is a group of scholars and intelligent people who want to help Hare Kṛṣṇa, in other words, friends of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So actually it was some of our devotees, they suggested that the name of this group should not say Hare Kṛṣṇa. It should say, "Friends of God conscious people," or something like that, because they thought the word Hare Kṛṣṇa makes some negative...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Reaction.

Prabhupāda: But Hare Kṛṣṇa is religion.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Then Americans' liberty is gone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's why the lawyers and others are very alarmed, the intellectuals, 'cause they're seeing it is becoming like Russia.

Ādi-keśava: They're saying now that psychological freedom is more important in the law than religious freedom.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, if the law helps to kidnap, then what you can do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that just now there was a meeting of the five hundred leading rabbis of the Jewish faith in favor of deprogramming, because they're very alarmed that the young men and women of the synagogues are joining our movement and other type of movements and leaving their so-called past religion. So the rabbis are going to take up... They like this deprogramming. They like this kidnapping. And he says also that just now in Newsweek magazine there's been a big article printed in favor of deprogramming, special article about this Tucson, Arizona, deprogramming center. So he says that he expects more and more of this deprogramming. He's a little bit alarmed because all of our leaders will be here in India now for the next few weeks.

Ādi-keśava: Turn the fan off...

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Because they pride themselves on freedom.

Prabhupāda: They get prestigious loss, loss of prestige.

Ādi-keśava: Yes. When this one girl Kulaja... She is now in Toronto, and she got...

Prabhupāda: And Indian government will be convinced that we are not CIA.

Hari-śauri: If we come ask for asylum, then it's obvious.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that "Americans, they are taking refuge in our law." Do it very nice. Immediately do it.

Ādi-keśava: So I will investigate this in America. I think before I go back, I'm going to go see some people in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: This Home Member can help in Delhi.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Washington, March 18th. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement was called a 'bona fide religion' yesterday by the New York high-court justice who threw out two charges against the officials of the movement of 'illegal imprisonment' and 'attempted extortion.' A charge had been preferred by an angry parent that his son, as well as another disciple, had been held by the movement illegally and that they had been brainwashed. 'The entire and basic issue before the court,' said the Justice in dismissing the charges, 'is whether or not the two alleged victims in this case and the defendants will be allowed to practice the religion of their choice, and this must be answered with a resounding affirmative.' Said Mr. Justice John J. Lee, 'The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is a bona fide religion with roots in India that go back thousands of years. It behooved Merrilee Kreshower and Edward Shapiro to follow the tenets of that faith, and their inalienable right to do so will not be trampled upon.' " This is all quote. " 'The separation of Church and State must be maintained. We are and must remain a nation of laws, not of men. The presentment and indictment by the Grand Jury was in direct and blatant violation of the defendants' Constitutional rights.' The Justice said that it appeared to the court that 'The people rest their case on an erroneous minor premise to arrive at a fallacious conclusion. The record is devoid of one specific allegation of a misrepresentation or any act of deception on the part of any defendant.' The Justice said, 'The freedom of religion is not to be abridged because it is unconventional in its beliefs and practices or because it is approved or disapproved by the mainstream of society or more conventional religions. Without this proliferation and freedom to follow the dictates of one's own conscience in this search for the approach to God, the freedom of religion will be a meaningless right as provided for in the Constitution. Any attempt, be it circuitous, direct, well-intentioned or not, presents a clear and present danger to this most fundamental basis and eternally needed right of our citizens-freedom of religion.' "

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is...

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he's God-believing. This statement that he makes at the end, this statement that "Any attempt, be it circuitous, direct, well-intentioned or not, presents a clear and present danger to this most fundamental basis and eternally needed right of our citizens." "Eternally needed right." Freedom of religion.

Prabhupāda: So we should send him a letter of congratulations. "May God bless you for such right judgment. Be... Live long life to serve God." Like that, make a nice... That is our mission.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Very honest and sincere people normally appreciate our movement. Only those who are envious...

Prabhupāda: Envious we don't care for. We don't mind. Never care for them. I didn't care anyone, any times, even my Godbrothers. Neither I care just now. I'll go on with my... Why? We are doing our duty. That's all. Under higher authoritative order. Have no fear. It is not personal gratification. So arrange for Manipur. We shall go. Let us go.

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:

bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam

apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam

śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ

harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā

"The upper portion of the body, though crowned with a silk turban, if not bowed down before the Personality of Godhead who can award mukti, or freedom, is a heavy burden only. And the hands, though decorated with glittering bangles, if not engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead, Hari, are like those of a dead man." Purport: "As stated hereinbefore, there are three kinds of devotees of the Lord. The first-class devotee does not at all see anyone who is not in the service of the Lord, but the second-class devotee makes distinction between devotees and nondevotees. The second-class devotees are therefore meant for preaching work, and..." (break) Sometimes the scholars criticize you that you are giving us all the Kṛṣṇa viewpoint instead of being impartial.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I think I shall be able to work from today. Now I have got very nice place, full freedom. So there will be no difficulty.

Girirāja: Actually, even coming at seven in the morning, you can begin that after some time if you want to rest more.

Prabhupāda: What is that, seven?

Girirāja: The program to come at seven in the morning, so if you want to gain more strength for some days, you can begin that program also after a few days.

Prabhupāda: After some time. No, I can go. Provided the lift is working. Otherwise I shall be obliged. What can be done?

Gargamuni: Will you be walking, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Walking should be stopped at least for some time. And if I walk, I may walk on the roof.

Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is ceremony.

Mr. Koshi: Don't you think that the children should be given freedom to choose voluntarily?

Prabhupāda: Do you want to give freedom to your children?

Mr. Koshi: I am asking you.

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is the use of giving freedom to a child with a razor? He will cut his throat, that's all.

Mr. Koshi: But at a later age, perhaps when he is better...

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: She is not leader, she is a prostitute. Woman given freedom means prostitute. Free woman means prostitute. What is this prostitute? She has no fixed-up husband. And free woman means this, daily, new friend.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is Indira's husband, a congressman?

Girirāja: He died at an early age.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Who?

Girirāja: He was asking what happened to her husband. I said he died. He was a Parsee. As Your Divine Grace had said, that due to the saṅkīrtana movement an auspicious atmosphere is being created all over the world. So is it not possible that at least for the time being things will improve?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Improve. Not for the time being. For ten thousand years.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Women should be taken care of—as daughter, as wife, as mother, bas. No freedom. Then prostitution. Then spoiled the whole thing. Unwanted children, contraceptive, abortion. Very dangerous. In our society there are girls. They should live separately. They should be given full engagement, taken care of. No mixing. Then it will spoil. Both of them will be... We see big, big workers, sannyāsīs. (Name withheld) fell victim. The example is given: fire and butter. (laughs) You cannot say the butter will not melt even in fire. Woman is like fire, and man is like butter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The butter should be kept cool.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In a cool refrigerator, cool-headed. As soon as come in contact with the fire, agitate. The example is given. In Indian... Up to our time restriction was very strict. Now it is slackened.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now you see boys and girls freely mixing here, in India.

Prabhupāda: Without coeducation there is no college.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: A horrible position. People have lost their freedom, their culture, spiritual life. Here so much care is taken for children, and they are so opulent. They are fully opulent and spending money lavishly for the welfare of the child. And they are spending money lavishly in the hotels, in the brothels, in slaughterhouse, the liquor shop, and kill. And this is going on as civilization.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't understand at all how to be happy.

Prabhupāda: Most uncivilized. Most uncivilized. I have described to you, "two-legged animals."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-pāda-paśu.

Prabhupāda: And this cannot allow, discussion.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very serious feature. It is not possible for me to check, and they are doing all nonsense, freedom. (pause)

Yaśodā-nandana: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What to do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think Svarūpa Dāmodara's point, that all the books should now be checked before they're reprinted again... And they have to be checked not by some so-called learned Sanskrit man but by a learned devotee. Just like you always favored Jayādvaita because his Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

Prabhupāda: Jayādvaita, Satsvarūpa...

Yaśodā-nandana: Bhakti-prema, Satsvarūpa is there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Bhakti-prema... That's a good solution.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So they are doing very freely and dangerously. And this rascal is always after change, Rādhā-vallabha. He's a great rascal. (pause) Read.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Translation: Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.

Purport: The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the mahājanas, or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own good may follow these mahājanas and thus attain the supreme benefit.

Prabhupāda: Read.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If Girirāja can deal with these men, then let him do it immediately.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Very good. He can, because he thinks legally, and that's how you have to deal with these men. They're actually small time, and they're just harassing us because we're acting in a very gentlemanly way and they're acting in a very ungentlemanly way. Anyway, we're not going to take out our fixed deposits. The ones that are there should be matured. But when they're matured, if we want to transfer them to somewhere else, we should have the freedom to do that and not be bound to have to keep the money there. That's the only point. And we'll be bringing so much money. Your Divine Grace has plans for making Vṛndāvana very much developed. So they should not worry like that. None of our other bankers are worried. They see sometimes we take the money, sometimes we bring money. But because of the way they're dealing, we don't want to bring any money. I'll tell Girirāja to..., if he can deal with this matter, that he should take it up. He wanted to meet them. He said he wanted to see what...

Prabhupāda: Let him meet.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But the defect is that here the head manager does not know English.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, this man, we'll have a little bit more freedom to act. Generally they're going to now rectify all of their mistakes. They feel very sorry. The senior people in the bank feel very sorry for the way in which business has been dealt with towards us, and they're going to transfer... The receipts have already been transferred. We're just finishing up all the formalities. Girirāja was right. The thing which he wanted to do now has been done. It's... The head men in Punjab Bank had no idea of how we were being dealt with locally. And when they were informed, they became very much desirous of rectifying everything, because they feel that we're a very worthy accountant holders with them, and they don't want anything to jeopardize. And we told them, "We have every intention of expanding our facilities here. Simply we want to be dealt with in a proper, normal way." So I think I should return there to finish the discussions. Everything was quite in order, though. It's nothing to worry about.

Prabhupāda: And the manager is not there?

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're just getting Pradyumna.

Prabhupāda: Yadubara has freedom...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yadubara has freedom to do anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara? Has freedom to do anything.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think that will make his service very enhanced to know that. (break)

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Try to help but not squander.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's the point.

Prabhupāda: I give you full freedom. As you learn. But arrange that they may remain in that house, lifelong and get each two hundred and fifty. Only my wife five hundred, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What happens after when they start getting seven hundred fifty rupees after seven years, they may squander a little bit. But we'll be...

Prabhupāda: No, that is already invested. I read government paper.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: OK. Those three things.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That was my scheme, but we have not given full freedom to the tenant, or controllment(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're always on their heads.

Prabhupāda: You take four brāhmaṇas from South India, four from Vṛndāvana, and four from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bombay.

Prabhupāda: In this way, make it gorgeous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm just thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that each of these brāhmaṇas have their own style and method, and by bringing three different groups, it will be a..., you know, there may be some disagreement amongst them.

Prabhupāda: Go on like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who should be... They will adjust. Each one should have a head brāhmaṇa plus three other assistants.

Prabhupāda: Yes.