Friends and relatives (Conv., and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"friends and relatives" |"friends or relatives" |"friends, and relatives" |"friends, relatives" |"relatives and friends" |"relatives or friends"

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: It is the church, Christian church, which has defaced Christism.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everywhere the followers make the whole thing bungled. Hm. Go on. (break)

Dr. Patel: (break) No, he saw them there.

Prabhupāda: No, he never went. Not that. Never went because all of them were thinking of Kṛṣṇa always. Therefore He never went.

Dr. Patel: But they met again in...

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ gacchati. Kṛṣṇa... Physically it was seen that Kṛṣṇa left, but Kṛṣṇa remained within their mind. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) No, Kṛṣṇa came also.

Śrīdhara: "We gopīs of Vṛndāvana having left our homes, friends, and relatives have become Kṛṣṇa's maidservants but He is..." (end)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1975, Vrndavana:

You have seen in Hyderabad. Although your conference was going on, still, at least five thousand men were attracted to hear me. (Guest laughs) And I was speaking the dry subject of Kṛṣṇa. So India is so fortunate. They are still ready to assimilate the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. The land is so fortunate. So we must give them the chance. That is our duty. That is government's duty. That is teacher's duty. That is father's duty. That is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Pitā na sa syāt. Guru's duty. One who has got the chance of accepting something very easily... The guardians... The first guardian, the government, the second, the father, then the teacher, then so many, friends, relatives—that chance should be given.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: They have been described as dvīpada-paśuḥ, animals but with special difference: the animals, ordinary animals, they have got four legs, and they have got two legs. Dvīpada paśuḥ. Everything is there. And the Vedic civilization is no "Keep out," but even the enemy comes at your home, you receive him as very good friend. Gṛhaṁ satram api prāptam. "At your home, even your enemy comes, you should receive him in such a way," viśvastam akūto bhayam, "he will forget that you are enemy. He will be so confident, that 'I have come to a friend's house.' " This is Vedic civilization. And the Western civilization: "Beware of dog. Keep out." And actually they fire if you enter. And there is law that if he fires, you cannot stop. Trespassing. Private individually, private nationally, private communally—simply private. And when death will come, "No, sir. Keep out." "No keep out. Why you are here? I will keep it out. I will now keep it out." Then what you will do? When Kṛṣṇa will come and say, "I will keep it out now," what you will do? You have to go, go out. Finished, all "Keep out," "Private," everything finished.

Gurukṛpa: But I am surrounded by my family members who will protect me.

Prabhupāda: But you keep out. You rascal keep out. That is the last answer. And they will be also kept out, but let them live for some time. Nobody will live here. What he will do about that? So long his life is there, he says, "Keep out," and when death will come, he will make him keep out. Then what he will do?

Gurukṛpa: But that is in the future. Now I will enjoy.

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness, that... They have no future. So it is useless, "Keep out." Imagination, concoction, foolishness—this is the basic principle of material civilization. Mūḍhā, that's all. "I am asking to keep out; I do not know how long I shall live here." That he does not think. "I am asking others, keep out." If somebody asks him, "You are asking others to keep out, but when you will be asked to keep out, who will protect you? Is there any protection? Will your sons and grandsons and wife will protect you?"... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, pramatto tasya nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātmaśainyeṣu (SB 2.1.4). He is thinking that "These, my wife, children, and relatives and friends, will protect me not to be thrown out." But that is not possible. He will be thrown out. He will have to be kept out. And that is not by accident. Everyone knows, "Yes." That is not arranged. It is already arranged. Where is the question of accident? It will take place. But paśyann api na paśyati, he is so rascal blind, although he knows, still he forgets. Forgets not. He tries to forget. Paśyann api na paśyati. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Do all these things, but remember Kṛṣṇa. Be attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is your business. And if you do not awaken that consciousness, then whatever you have done, śrama eva hi kevalam: simply waste of time and labor. That he doesn't know. Śrama eva hi kevalam. He has got to work hard for constructing building like this and keep others out and live peacefully. But when he will be kicked out, then all this labor is useless.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1975, Honolulu:

Well, family men... When you are diseased, you do not say, "My family is there. Don't call for a physician. I am happy." That you do not say. You call for a physician. Your family cannot help you. And what to speak of death? That is another foolishness. When you fly in the sky with your friends and family and when there is danger, nobody can save you. You will drop down. Everyone is flying. Even airplane, if there is some accident in the airplane, what the other airplane can do? If the ship is drowning, what other ship can do? You are drowning; you must drown. There is no question of "my friends and relatives." That is described in the Bhāgavatam. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-śainyeṣu. He is thinking, "They are my soldiers. They will give me protection." Ātma-śainya. Śainya means soldier. Asatsv api. It is false, but he is thinking like that. That is foolishness. When you have to fly, you have to fly on the strength of your wings, own wings, not your son's wings or daughter's wings or... That will not help you. Svakarma-phala, phala-bhuk. You have to enjoy or suffer according to your own activities.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Indian man (3): I wanted to ask you a question. While talking to some of the European people, when we say that Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that asked him to fight, kill his own relatives and friends and not to bother about the consequences of the action. Now this statement sometimes is difficult for people of the West to understand, where they say before you do any action you should know the consequences and then only take action...

Prabhupāda: That is the only statement in the Bhagavad-gītā? There is no other statement?

Indian man (3): There is, but...

Prabhupāda: So you have captured that only.

Indian man (3): Not I, I'm talking discussion. In a discussion it's difficult to convince people of the West, what is to answer to that?

Prabhupāda: But if you know Kṛṣṇa, that He is God, then whatever He speaks, it is all right. Just like Arjuna, he accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). Find out this verse. So "Whatever You say, I accept it as truth." That is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. If you have understood Bhagavad-gītā, then you should have understood that whatever Kṛṣṇa has said, that is truth.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That is your idea, but if I am proprietor of something, I must keep my right. It is not that... Suppose I am proprietor of this house, and there is a nice garden. I allow my friends and relatives or family to use it. But when they misuse it, shall I remain silent? If I am proprietor, when things are being misused, shall I remain silent? When you misuse it and if I chastise you, how you can say that "You have given to us, whatever we like we can do. Why you are protesting?" Can they say like that? You say that God has given us, so we can do, there is no need of God. That is your argument, is it not? What that argument?

Nava-yauvana: God has given all these things...

Prabhupāda: God has given us all these things, but does it mean that if you misuse it and God will see only silently? Does it mean that?

Nava-yauvana: No.

Prabhupāda: Then how you can say that you can do it as you like? God has given us?

Jñānagamya: They don't understand how God chastises when they misuse. They don't understand karma.

Prabhupāda: That means shameless. They are being chastised at every step, and they don't think it is chastisement. They are shameless fools.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna Gopala -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Your letter December 30, 1972, is in hand, I have only just now got it, so tomorrow is your Sharadh ceremony of your father, so I do not know if this letter will reach you in time to be of any help in the matter. But for conducting Sharadh ceremony, that should be done in our temple, and feasting should be arranged in the temple. Afterwards, the prasada should be distributed to friends and relatives. Perform kirtana, give lecture and readings, just like our ordinary program. The idea is that in addition we are offering sumptuous prasadam of Visnu to the soul of father and mother. Therefore Visnu's prasada should be distributed in sufficient quantities, not otherwise.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Doctor Currier -- 15 February, 1975 Mexico City, Mexico:

I have never said that my disciples should sever all relationships with friends, relatives and others, but sometimes an inexperienced devotee may do it out of fear of being too much attracted to the materialistic way of life by associating with such persons. An experienced devotee is strong enough not to be affected, rather he can help others to become purified by his association.

Letter to Sri D. N. Mishra -- Vrindaban 8 December, 1975:

I had been to Kuruksetra with the idea of constructing a temple, the negotiations are going on with the late home minister G.L. Nanda. So far my injuries are concerned, by the grace of Krishna and good wishes of friends and relatives it is already completely cured.