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Give people (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"gave people" |"give chance people" |"give people" |"give starving people" |"give the people" |"give these people" |"give to people" |"given people" |"given to people" |"giving chance people" |"giving people" |"giving the people" |"people are simply given" |"people be given"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Temple Press Conference -- August 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: That of course depends on the person who is really anxious for guru. Just like when you go to the market to purchase some thing, you test it whether it is genuine or not. Similarly, you have to test who is genuine.

Woman Interviewer: How can you tell if you don't...?

Prabhupāda: That requires little education, a little knowledge. Therefore we are opening so many centers, giving people opportunity to know what is genuine, what is not genuine.

Woman Interviewer: How many followers have you got now throughout the world or can you not count...?

Prabhupāda: Well, for any genuine thing the followers may be very little, and any rubbish thing, the followers may be many.

Woman Interviewer: How many... I meant for the initiated followers, people who have...

Prabhupāda: About three thousand we have got.

Woman Interviewer: And is it growing all the time?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is growing very slowly. Because we have got so many restrictions. People do not like any restriction.

Woman Interviewer: Yes. Where is the following the greatest? It is in America?

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

Prabhupāda: No. They may not be gentle, but we are gentle. Please come to us and learn. They may not be gentle. We can create gentle, provided he follows.

Journalist (1): Is that one single...

Dhanañjaya: (background talk) Śrīla Prabhupāda, (indistinct) the BBC One, Radio. They're (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: You can also note—this is common-talking of God.

Journalist (1): One last question. Is there a single, simple stitch (?) that you could give to people who don't know anything about Kṛṣṇa consciousness to help them to understand it. Is there one simple, single...

Prabhupāda: Very simple. God is the proprietor. God is the enjoyer. If God is proprietor, He must be enjoyer. And God is the supreme friend.

Journalist (1): Thank you very much. How long're you going to be...?

Prabhupāda: If you simply understand these three things. This is fact.

Journalist (1): God is the proprietor.

Prabhupāda: God is the proprietor. God is the enjoyer.

Journalist (1): Enjoyer.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: You have to live with us. Then your friends will not ask you, "What about marijuana?" (Bob laughs) Keep the association of devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-ras... (SB 3.25.25). We are opening centers to give chance people to associate with us. Why we have taken so much land? Providing for those who are seriously desirous. They will come and live with us. Association is very influential. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you associate with drunkards, you become a drunkard. If you associate with sādhu, then you become sādhu.

Śyāmasundara: He can come and stay with you in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śyāmasundara: He could come and stay in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can stay with us in Bombay. But here he wants friend, marijuana. That is the difficulty.

Bob: Um, let me ask you about something else. Then maybe I'll come back to this because I'm still... I find that I think of myself too much, and this way you can't think of God so much. One can't think of God. I think of myself in too many places. How can I forget about myself so I can concentrate on other more important things?

Prabhupāda: As they have done.

Bob: (laughs) You are saying to me that my path... I think what you're saying is my path to purity is to become a devotee.

Prabhupāda: Do you hesitate?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 1, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, energy. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala grahāṇām. Sun is working under the order of... Just like if you don't see the managing director or the proprietor of a firm, the immediate boss who is controlling you, you have to obey. In the office or in the factory. Similarly, you cannot see directly God, but God's agent is working. Why don't you obey? God's agent is working? How it is working? Yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ, exactly in time by the order of Kṛṣṇa, rising exactly in the time, without any deviation even by 1/10,000th part of a second, astrological calculation. Is it not? So how it is working? Under whose order it is working? Śāstra says, "By the order of Kṛṣṇa." Yasya ājñayā. "Under whose order he is working," govindam ādi-puruṣam, "I worship that Govinda." The śāstra is giving you information, that he is working under, he must be working under... Otherwise why it is so accurate, so punctual, unless there is some direction? Unless there is order of God, why this big ocean is so obedient, it is not coming here? Why don't you study like this? Where is the difficulty? There must be some direction that "You Pacific Ocean, you are so big, that's all right, but you cannot come here. Remain up to this." Otherwise why you are feeling so safety although in the front of a big ocean. If the ocean likes, within a second, he can finish us immediately. But she will not do, because there is order. Similarly sun. Sun is also moving under the order. You have to study like that. If you do not see God, see how God's order is being carried out. Then you will understand. Just like we do not see President Nixon. But you know there is direction, and the government is going is going on under his direction. That we can know. This is seeing of God to see how things are going on under His order. That is seeing of God. Just like from long distant place like this hills, we are seeing, but at the same time not seeing distinctly. You are seeing those, but you do not see the detail. Similarly you are seeing God by these things, but because you are not so powerful, you are not seeing Him in detail. But you are seeing God. You cannot say that "I don't see God." How can you say? These are the directions. You are seeing that things are going on under direction. Yasyājñayā. Therefore you have to... śāstra yonitvāt. The Vedānta says, "You have to understand God through śāstra;" by the scriptures you have to understand. śāstra yonitvāt. Everything is there. The śāstra gives you direction. Therefore human being is meant to study the śāstras. The śāstras, Vedic literature, is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. If you don't consult the śāstras, then you remain a cats and dogs. That's all. Why you are taking so much trouble, writing śāstra, explaining to you? So that you may come to the real platform from the platform of cats and dogs. That is our mission. That is the duty of the spiritual master. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The spiritual master is the most beneficent friend, he is giving you direction from the śāstra. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau: "He is the real welfare worker for the human society." Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. You see śāstra is giving direction. So many lawyers are going to the school colleges to learn the government laws. Why they are taking so much trouble? Just to give people the direction that "You work under this direction, you will not be in difficulty." Similarly the spiritual master is the lawyer.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Cardinal Danielou: But you have a great interest in France amongst (about) the yoga, monk, Indian method of prayer, a great interest. And we, we think that the method of prayer are the same in the various religions. We have in Christian faith method of meditation of interior, interiorite, of silence.

Bhagavān: What is the, what is the program that Christianity has for giving people in general this experience that they're missing?

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Cardinal Danielou: Oui. Bien. Cest, nous avons... We have today many community of prayers where young men go together and in the monastery or in the... N'est ce pas? And pray together with alternative of silence and of lectures, of some text of the Bible and of the gospel, you know. Because we, we think that the life of Jesus is the model or the shape, and we like that Jesus is the manifestation of God. He is the way, the way. Because it is necessary to find God, who is hidden, to have a way, to have a way. And for ourself, Jesus is the way to go to the hidden God. You know, you know. The imitation of Jesus is, for a Christian, the ideal, imitation of his poverty, of his goodness, of his love of God.

Yogeśvara: He says the ideal of Christianity is to imitate these various qualities of Lord Jesus Christ.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: "Yes, anybody can claim. But we think you are a rascal. Therefore we do not come. Now, if you can show us something like Kṛṣṇa, then we shall immediately come. Our difficulty will be solved. We shall see Kṛṣṇa. But we know that you are a rascal." You go there. Go there, somebody, and tell like that.

Prajāpati: No. There is one rascal, Prabhupāda, who can do tricks. His name is Sai Baba. He can make jewels appear, give people photographs of himself, give them to people like tricks.

Prabhupāda: But another rascal will be victim of that tricks. Why shall I accept him as God?

Karandhara: Besides, they're insignificant tricks.

Prabhupāda: Insignificant tricks. So if gold is the standard of becoming God, then there is gold mine. So who has created the gold mine, I shall accept Him God. Why shall I you. If gold is the standard, why a little chaṭāka(?) of...? We are not so fools. You can make this trick for other fools, not to us.

Yaśomatīnandana: I told his mahatma, his main disciple... He says that "Actually, book is not important," he says, "but experience is important." And I said, "Yes, there is experience. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness experience by which you feel..."

Prabhupāda: No, no. Book means experience. Book means experience, not rascaldom. What is book? A scientific book means one scientist who has experienced, he is writing book. So book means experience. Without book, where is experience?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 23, 1974, Hawaii:

Satsvarūpa: We try to give people that. They don't want that; they want temporary help.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. They are mad. Still, we have to do that. Madmen does not, he doesn't think that "I require anyone's help." But still, the father, mother, guardian, government, gives him help. We are not dependent on their decision; we are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: Vaiṣṇava is unhappy seeing others unhappy. Otherwise, they have no unhappiness. They are unhappy seeing that "This rascal is unnecessarily suffering." That is unhappiness of Vaiṣṇava. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa... Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "I have no, any problem, but I'm simply thinking of these rascals, that for some temporary happiness they make so gorgeous arrangement, and forgotten their real business." Just like all these... What is this city? At any moment, it will be finished, but... Just like they're flying, fleeing some other place, "America will be destroyed." So why they have spoiled so much energy? They do not know where to apply the energy for real benefit. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been called as mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina: showing very good merit for this big, big building, big, big road... Kṛti, kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛti. Duṣkṛti means for useless purpose, real purpose missing. They have no information of the soul within the body; simply they are engaged in the bodily activities. The soul is neglected.

māyār bośe, jāccho bhese',
kāccho hābuḍubu bhāi

(japa) (break) ...at least one verse of Bhāgavata, every one of you, and try to understand scrutinizingly, life will be successful. At least one verse.

Bali Mardana: Every day?

Prabhupāda: Every day. Why I am taking so much trouble? Everything enlightened.

Bali Mardana: I was reading yesterday about the talks between Uddhava and Maitreya and Kṛṣṇa, and it described that previously Uddhava was one of the eight Vasus who desired to associate with the Lord.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: So that enjoyment, eating, sleeping, mating, the animals are doing that. What other enjoyment you have got? The same thing, eating, sleeping, that's all. That can be done without this building. Even the animals, they very nicely sleep on the ground. They haven't got skyscraper building, but they have no disturbance in their sleeping. The birds are sleeping on the top of the tree very nicely. So what advancement you have made than the birds and the beasts? The business is the same.

Devotee: The Communists say that first we must feed the people, give the people the same rights, and after, we will give them a life of spiritual life, a life of...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But you cannot do that. Why there are so many hungry people all over the world? What you have done? There are thousands and thousands. Even in big, big cities like New York, why there are so many people lying on the street? Why the hippies are lying on the street, on the park? So what is the value of your, this proposal? You cannot stop it.

Devotee: Yeah, but they criticize us that we don't want to feed...

Prabhupāda: No, why the hippies are lying on the street or in the park? Why? You give them relief. The whole Amsterdam city is full of hippies lying on the street and park. What you are doing for them? They are not poor men. They have got enough to eat. Their parents, father, grandfather, they can give. Why they are lying? What you can do? Go and pick them up. Make them nicely living. Why don't you do that? Talking nonsense. What is their answer? Why they have become hippies? They are not... The Indians may be poverty-stricken, but they are not poverty-stricken. In England the whole British empire is there. The whole American government is there. And still, western countries, they have got resources. They have means. They are not poor. Why your sons and grandsons are lying on the street? What is their answer? They are making plan that everyone would live materially very comfortably, but why these people, in spite of possessing material facilities... (break) Yes, this is the real problem.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Is there any difficulty to understand? As soon as you say you become manager, that means his karma is better. Where is the difficulty to understand it? Why you appoint one man manager and one man worker? His capacity of karma is better. So where is the difficulty to understand? Better karma, better reward. It is going on.

Haihaya: The communists asked to us what we do for the starving people.

Prabhupāda: Rascal, what you have done? You are simply talking. What you have done? There are so many starving people all over the world. What you have done? "Starving people." I have seen. They cannot give starving people. Just like we went to Russia. So we wanted rice. There is no rice. There was no good rice. We wanted fruit. There was no fruit. So what you have done? I am starving for fruit and rice. You cannot supply me. That is practical. I have seen it. They will offer, "Take this beef instead of fruit." Then I will starve. So what he has done for me? I am starving. I cannot take beef. I want rice, but you cannot supply me. That I have seen. One Madrasi gentleman was bringing rice for me. It could not be purchased in the market. There is no fruit. So if I want fruit and rice and if you give me beef, it is as good as if I want bread, if you give me stone. So where is the capacity to satisfy the starving? I am starving for rice. You cannot give me. Why do you propose like that, that you can satisfy the starving man. You cannot do that. You are talking nonsense. Can you satisfy everyone? Somebody is starving for knowledge. So how you can... This bluff will not satisfy him. So where is the question of starving, satisfying the starving? It is not possible. Unless he is satisfied, nobody can satisfy others. That satisfaction is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "I am fully satisfied. I don't want." Where is the satisfaction? You cannot satisfy everyone. That is not possible. In Russia, there are so many unsatisfied people, so many millions. Where they are satisfied? If you think that "You must eat what I give you," that is not my satisfaction. That is your satisfaction. So where is the question of satisfying the starving? How it is possible? You cannot force me to do something and say, "Be satisfied." That is not possible. If you satisfy me as I want, then you can satisfy me. Are they able to do this? Then where is the question of...?

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Just hear me. But when you come to the form of human being, you should have discrimination. If you have no discrimination, simply you live like animal, then where is the difference? My only point is the lack of brain. Human being, he has been given by nature... They are also life, the fruits, the vegetables, the food grains, the milk, the sugar, they have got enough food value, and the human being should be satisfied within this group. Why they should maintain slaughterhouse, and do not think that they are not sinful, and still they want to be happy without caring for God? That is lack of brain.

C. Hennis: My organization is not directly concerned with giving people brains.

Prabhupāda: No, your organization may not be directly concerned, but the human society, if it is brainless, however organization you may make, it will never become happy. That is my point.

C. Hennis: It is concerned with taking away the obstacles which prevent people from attaining brain.

Yogeśvara: This is the obstacle.

Prabhupāda: No.

C. Hennis: One of the obstacles is just plain poverty. One of the obstacles is overwork.

Prabhupāda: No, no. A human being should be considerate. Everyone has got religion. Either he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter. There must be discrimination between sinful activities and pious activities. Human being should be engaged for pious activities, not for sinful activities. That is human society. If the human being does not discriminate what is pious activities and what is sinful activity, that means lack of brain. He has no brain. He is no better than the animals.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

C. Hennis: I think that there, in your whole philosophy, there must be a very large number of points of coincidence with the more materialist activities that we engage in. But, well, they're just trying to give people a fair share of the material things of life, proper wages, decent houses, decent opportunities for feeling and for leisure.

Yogeśvara: All that must be there, but without proper instructions simultaneously as to what is the goal of life...

C. Hennis: Yes, but I don't think you can properly expect to indoctrinate people. I don't think that... At least, you can't expect an international organization to indoctrinate people on the national level. I'm sure that the...

Prabhupāda: No, it is not national. It should be international. Just like everyone... United Nation, it is meant for international activity. Our only proposition is that as the international organization, United Nations, they should keep a class of men who should act as brain. Then it will be all right. Without brain, simply legs and hands working, no direction, that is not very good.

C. Hennis: I think you'd have to see the secretariat of the United Nations and the United Nations family of organizations, not so much as leaders and bosses and generals, if you like, but rather as the servants of mankind. I don't go...

Prabhupāda: We can see provided we get the chance.

C. Hennis: I don't consider myself to be a leader of mankind. I am very much a servant of mankind with a view to helping people to reduce the differences between them, with a view to helping people to understand one another better. In my own particular branch in which I'm concerned we endeavor to make people understand one another in the manner of an interpreter, if you like, to show, to allow people to speak and understand with one another, and to enable them to comprehend each other's problems and understand...

Prabhupāda: No. If there is actual brain, there is no problem. Just like if I have got good brain... I want to take this thing in my pocket. But if I have got brain, "No, this will be stealing," then I can refrain from it. But if I think that "It is lying here. I can take," what is that?

Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: I think this gentleman still isn't feeling satisfied about his question.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Yogeśvara: That how can we say that to give people..., that the only real problem is to give knowledge. There are people who are starving; there are people who are sick; there are people who are in so much distress.

Prabhupāda: But you cannot do. You cannot do. There are so many people starving in the hospital. What can you do?

Yogeśvara: (translates)

Swiss Man (1): (French)

Yogeśvara: He says, "Probably not very much." He said, "But maybe we can do something."

Prabhupāda: Then this is simply a false pride, that "I can do something." You cannot do anything. Rather, you can do this service, that "There is God. You are servant of God. Please become servant of God." And if you make this program, "I can give food to so many," what you can do? There are millions and millions. People are starving all over the world. What can you do? It is simply false pride. You cannot do anything. Now, just like I have heard that in your country, because they have got excess milk supply there was recommendation to kill twenty thousand cows. Is it a fact?

Guru-gaurāṅga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So is it very good intelligence? Because there is excess of milk supply, why not supply it to others who are starving for milk?

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the bhakti-mārga, means, the first thing is śravaṇam, hearing. Just like these books are being written to give chance people to hear. That is first business. If we don't hear about God we simply imagine something. No. We must hear about God. We are publishing eighty books like this, simply to hear about God. Then when you hear perfectly then you can describe to others. That is called kīrtanam. Śravaṇam, kīrtanam. And when the process goes on hearing and chanting or describing, kīrtanam means describing. Just like our, this whole society is hearing from these books and they're going out to describe. This is called kīrtana. Then by these two process, hearing and chanting, you remember, smaraṇam. That means remembering, you always associate with God.

Dr. P. J. Saher: So at all times, "Remember Me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Then worshiping the Deity, to offer flowers to the lotus feet of the Lord, to garland, to dress, pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanam, offer prayer, dāsyam, serve. In this way, there are nine different processes.

Dr. P. J. Saher: We have a similar thing in the Christian (German).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Christian method, the offering prayer. That is bhakti, that is bhakti. (German) (break) Kali-yuga means fight. Nobody is interested to understand the truth but they'll simply fight, "In my opinion, this." I say, "My opinion, this." You say, "His opinion." So many foolish opinions and fight within themselves. This is the age. No standard opinion. Everyone has got his own opinion. Therefore there must be fighting. Everyone says, "I think like this." So what is your value, your thinking like that? That is Kali-yuga. Because you have no standard knowledge. If a child says the father, "In my opinion, you should do like this." Is that opinion to be taken? If he does not know the thing, how he can give his opinion? But here, in this age, everyone is prepared with his own opinion. Therefore it is fight, quarrel. Just like the United Nation, all the big men go there to become united, but they're increasing flags. That's all. Fighting, it is a society of fighting only.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: If you simply speculate, it will never help you. You have to receive the favor of the Supreme Lord by your enthusiasm. Then it will be successful. Simply theorizing, speculation will not... Therefore it is said ciraṁ vicinvan. You can go on speculating for millions and millions of years. It will never be successful. Ciram. Ciram means perpetual. That will not help. This is the process, ādau śraddhā. By śraddhā, "Oh, here is God consciousness, very nice. Let us come and see what they are doing." This is called śraddhā, faith, little faith. Then in order to increase that faith you have to associate with the persons who are executing devotional service. That is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). The devotees are called sādhu. Therefore we are opening centers, why? To give chance people to make association with the devotees. Sādhu-saṅga. And then sādhu-saṅga, after sādhu-saṅga one who has properly made sādhu-saṅga, the next stage is bhajana-kriyā: how they are executing devotional service. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then this anartha. Anartha means unwanted things. Just like illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, these are unwanted things. It is not necessary. People have learned them by bad association. When one has got his wife, why he should indulge in illicit sex? This is sinful. When we have got so many things to eat, why shall I go to kill an animal, eat it? So these are anartha. Anartha means "without any meaning." So these things become vanquished. If one is actually engaged in devotional service, the first symptom will be that he is not interested in things which are unwanted, artificial. These are the stages. Then niṣṭhā. Niṣṭhā means firm conviction. Then ruciḥ, taste. Then āsaktiḥ, attachment. Then bhāva, and then prema. So as a student is serious, he gets promotion to next higher class, higher class, higher class, higher class, gradually to the M.A. class. That is natural. But if in the beginning he is not serious, no enthusiasm, then what is the reason that he will be promoted to the higher section? That is not possible.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: No. No there. Here, here I impress...

Guest: He has bestowed all His love to a given people. And my third point is that if we believe God as a life force or who must be discovered by a human being and the human being who has to proceed toward this truth, then also we have no reason to confine this into one people.

Indian man: Swamiji, I may take your leave.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why you are going soon?

Indian man: I have to go still far off.

Prabhupāda: Oh, all right. Jaya. Jaya.

Guest: So I think what we have in Islam is... They say that the road, the way towards God, the ways are many, as many as the human beings, that is said. So in the number of human beings you have ways towards God. So everybody, each person, has his own way towards God. And it's really hard for me, difficult for me to believe that there's only one way and there is only one book and one school, one way of teaching.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: And when Muhammad said that God is great, he simply said God is great, and he adds nothing to it for somebody who is well acquainted with Islam culture and he who knows well about Koran's teachings, it cannot be understood and accepted. It is the same with somebody who is well acquainted with Christianity and the truth spoken through Christianity. It is the same with the Buddhism or other ways which are designed, which are...

Prabhupāda: So your point is that God is understood in different ways. That is not point?

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Those who are atheists, they are also working hard. They are feeling nice by drinking. Why shall I believe in God? Let me drink.

Harikeśa: Because they're being satisfied by sense gratification, but in...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Why shall I believe in God? Sense gratification is there. Why shall I believe in God?

Upendra: There has to be a certain amount of self-respect that the Christians give the people...

Prabhupāda: Nobody respects. Nowadays, if somebody is religious, he is thought of as a fool. He's not...

Siddha-svarūpa: Actually, because what you're saying is right, people are going away from religion. There is no use for it anymore.

Prabhupāda: No religion. No, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Therefore they create some religious system. They create: "Let me create something. After all, it is bluffing. So if I can..." Just like this, from India there are so many come. Here also there are many. They create some. It is... After all, it is bluffing. "So let me create something." Real business is to bluff and take money.

Bali-mardana: They like to make a show.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Bali-mardana: Even President Nixon he was having Bible meetings while he was cheating everyone. (Prabhupāda chuckles.) (break)

Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but fast, drive very fast, is risky.

Rādhā-vallabha: So this police officer he pulled us over. He was very angry. He said, "Let us see your license and registration." We gave it to him, and it said International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness on the registration. He said, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa." And he asked us some questions about the philosophy, and he listened very carefully, and then he said, "I cannot give people like you a ticket." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they are pleased, but don't take undue advantage. Yes. (break) ...remain friends. That is wanted. (break)

Rādhā-vallabha: When they arrest us we read to them out of Kṛṣṇa Book, the pastimes, and they listen the whole time. And sometimes for an hour and a half, two hours, they'll listen to us while we preach. Then they let us go. (break) Sometimes we are about to make an announcement to collect donations and the police officer will be standing there like this, like he doesn't want us to do it. And we go up to him and say, "If you don't look, we'll go ahead and collect and pass out magazines," (Prabhupāda laughs) He will say, "All right."

Prabhupāda: "Please close your eyes. (everyone laughs) Let us do something." (break)

Jayatīrtha: (back in car) ...register as a travel agent so that we can get discount on all of our tickets, airplane tickets, and then also we can work on arranging that, that these tours would stop there.

Prabhupāda: The Cox and Kings, they inquired from me, "Whether you can take charge?" Guru dāsa can take charge of this. He is well acquainted with the several places. And he is loitering here and there doing as he likes. (break)

Harikeśa: ...had the plan to perhaps get one bus and leave it at our place and then do tours on our own.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...airport by this way? No, the other way.

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: No, that is lust. That is not love. And as soon as my lusty desire is not fulfilled, then you are my enemy. (break) If we take shelter of any materialistic person, that is like to take the..., capture the tail of a dog and try to swim over the Pacific Ocean. It is like that. (break)

Nalinī-kaṇṭha: ...ing that we should not give people anything other than Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: And what you have to give? First of all you consider what you have to give. What you have got to give?

Nalinī-kaṇṭha: I was thinking that sometimes the devotees engage in business, selling so many things to help the temples, and you were saying that we should not do that?

Prabhupāda: If you are business-minded, you can do that. Do business and give the result to Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Brahmānanda: ...planting a tree. And here are the animals. The tiger and the lizard, fish.

Prabhupāda: So what is the meaning?

Bahulāśva: This is zoology. They study all the animals.

Prabhupāda: Not himself?

Bahulāśva: Well, they think they get an idea of man by studying the animals.

Brahmānanda: Catching the tail of the dog.

Room Conversation with Bill Faill (reporter) -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by mystic?

Faill: Well, there seem to be chaps who've had some very odd experience and always remembered it and found it very difficult to put it down in words.

Prabhupāda: Mystic means something jugglery? What do you mean by mystic?

Faill: Well, it's just the name they seem to give people who've had an experience of another level of reality.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So yes, that... We don't say mystic. Our reality is God realization. There are different stages. I mean to say, direct perception, then receiving knowledge from authority, then personal experience between the two, then above that transcendental, and then, I mean to say, spiritual. In this way we have to go, step by step. We have to come to the point, to the spiritual platform. So, so long we are on the bodily concept of life, our understanding is sense gratification because body means the senses. And then, if we go still up, then we can see that mind is the center of sense activities. We take the mind as the final, and that is mental platform. Then, from mental platform, we come to the intellectual platform. Then, from intellectual platform, we come to the transcendental platform.

Room Conversation with Bill Faill (reporter) -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Transcendental platform. And from transcendental platform, we come to the spiritual platform. These are the stages. So in this age, because people are so fallen and in the śāstra a special recommendation that give the people directly spiritual platform... That direct spiritual platform is chanting of this holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So if we cultivate this practice on the spiritual platform, then immediately we realize our spiritual identity, and God, and it becomes very quickly successful.

Faill: So in a sense, what a lot of people are saying today is that we must look inwards rather than outwards into the world of the senses.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Inward means that you are spirit soul; you are not this body. But if you keep your bodily concept of life, then where is inward? It is outward only.

Faill: It's just another way of looking out.

Prabhupāda: No. That means it is simply talking. It has no realization. Unless you understand that you are not this body—you are spirit soul—there is no question of inward. That we have to study first of all, whether I am this body, or I am something within this body. That is inward. But that they do not understand. There is no education in the school, college or university. Everyone is thinking "I am this body." You see? Just like in this country, everywhere: "We are South African. They are Indian. They are this. They are this. They are this." So whole bodily concept, the whole world... "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means it starts when one is above the bodily conception of life. Then the starting begins.

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is University of Minnesota. This is a book review of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He says, "I know of no better introduction to the vast literature of kṛṣṇa-bhakti than Swami Bhaktivedanta's paraphrase of Canto Ten of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Purāṇa. Translators inevitably have to commute between felicity and fidelity. In this edition, Bhaktivedanta resolves the dilemma by presenting a purport of each chapter which is both readable and substantial." No one can argue with the authority of these literatures, it's a fact, because Śrīla Prabhupāda has not manufactured anything from his own mind. It's simply being presented, the Vedic literatures, as they are, in such a way that we in the Western countries, we can understand very clearly without any hesitation what is being said in each verse and each chapter. In other words, Prabhupāda is not presenting in order to confuse or to juggle words, but to actually give people understanding. That is why it's been accepted so readily. We have many such literatures.

Prof. Olivier: Yes, it's... That other letter you showed me, the first one, is a...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's from Utaḥ State University.

Prof. Olivier: Yeah, sociology. It's a good letter. It would be a good letter to have a copy.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I can make copies of some of these letters and bring them by. Will you be in your office on Monday?

Prof. Olivier: I have a meeting in the morning, but my secretary...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I can leave it there. And all of these books are readily available here in stock.

Prof. Olivier: Are they?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We have thousands and thousands of books here in South Africa.

Prof. Olivier: In South Africa?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. Very, very reasonable prices.

Prabhupāda: Your Sanskrit professor, he has seen?

Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Reporter: If I asked you to give the people who will read my article a message...

Prabhupāda: This is my message, that the whole civilization is misdirected, giving importance on the body, but the living force within the body, he does not know anything about.

Reporter: But what message would you give to people in terms of helping people, perhaps, to live better lives?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But if the basic principle is wrong, then all their plans for becoming happy is also wrong. So he does not know what is the important factor. So when he comes to know that he is not this body, he is spirit soul—he studies what is the nature of the spirit soul, what is the necessity of the spirit soul—then he becomes happy. If he is under misconception... Suppose if I take you, Mr. Singer, as the coat, and I take care of the coat and not of you, person, then is that very good proposal? So that is going on. They are taking care of the shirt and coat, not the person who is putting on the shirt and coat. This is the mistake of the modern civilization. And the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to correct it, not theoretically, but by scientifically, by philosophically, economically, religiously, everything. Therefore we have got so many books. We are trying to distribute, enlighten people. This is our business. Then people will be happy. Unless one who knows "what I am, and what is my business, what is my aim of life," then how he can be happy? Just like a dog is jumping here and there, here and there, but he does not know what is the aim of life, so if we do not come to the spiritual platform, that we remain animal like cats and dogs, then what is the civilization of cats and dogs? If you keep the dogs as dog and if you ask some of them to come together and make a peace formula, is it possible the dogs will be able to make any peace formula? Because they are dogs, they will go on barking. That's all. So we are attempting so many peace formula, but we are keeping the consciousness on the body, exactly like the dog. And therefore there is no peace. There cannot be any peace. First of all you must come to the real platform, the living force, what is that spirit soul, what is the necessity, what is the aim. That you do not know.

Morning Walk -- October 26, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa nāmādi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). By these material senses, you cannot understand God. Nāmādi. Even you cannot understand His holy name. Our understanding of God begins by chanting the holy name. So by chanting, chanting, because God is not different from the name, you associate with name..., er, with God, and then you become cleansed. This is the process. God is not different from His holy name. So you chant the holy name of God. That means you associate with God immediately. Just like you associate with the sun immediately, er, sunshine—you become warm—similarly, by associating with God, you become God conscious. This is our program. We are giving chance people to associate with God directly by chanting His holy name. God is omnipotent. His name is as omnipotent as He is. These fools, they do not know that.

Brahmānanda: They think it's some lesser, ordinary.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And if you say, "Why, then, Kṛṣṇa? There are many names," so Caitanya: "Yes, any name of God, if it is God's name, it is as powerful." If it is God's name. "Any name" does not mean you manufacture some name. That is not. Any name by which one can understand this is God's name, that is there said. Nāmnam akari bahudha-nija sarva-śaktis tatrarpita niyamitaḥ smarane na kalaḥ. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching. If you do not accept Kṛṣṇa as a God's name, then if you have your own name of Kṛṣṇa, er, God, chant it.

Brahmānanda: But it must be standard.

Prabhupāda: Must be God's name.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:

Hari-śauri: Our success is in the spiritual master's pleasure, not the public's pleasure.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is bhakti. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)? "You haven't got to please so many religious instructions. You simply please Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's...

Siddha-svarūpa: I don't think the devotees who factioned out were against book distribution. I think that a little bit was that some of the devotees were using very, very forceful tactics and trying to give people books and take their money, and people were becoming very offended...

Prabhupāda: That is not (indistinct).

Siddha-svarūpa: That is not what you want.

Hari-śauri: That's all right, but don't give up the book distribution.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes.

Hari-śauri: This is what happened. The temples fell down, the devotees went away. The ones who were distributing the books went on and distributed more books, became more expert, so that the public were not so much disturbed, and still they're distributing books. But these people who factioned off are not distributing books even now, two or three years later. So it was simply actually a question of faultfinding more than earnest desire to please the spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) Discuss.

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: No, that's not the fact. It is misunderstanding. We are actually struggling for achievement of the highest goal of life. Otherwise, why we are writing so many books? It is for the human beings. And they are being accepted. It is not for the cats and dog. This Bhāgavatam is not meant for the cats and dogs. So, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhi. In the beginning it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyaṁ vāstavam atra (SB 1.1.2). Atra śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ vāstava-vastu-vedyam, what is actual life. So we are struggling to give people what is actual life. Kṛṣṇa comes down to teach us what is actual life. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). When people become cats and dogs, dharmasya glāniḥ. Dharmasya glāniḥ means cats and dogs, because in the cats and dog society there is no question of dharma. They simply jump over and enjoy life. Eat, drink, be merry, enjoy eating, sleeping, sex and defense. That's all. So if human life is also trained up in a polished way, the same principles, then where is the difference between cats and dogs? Dog is thinking, "I am this body, hound, greyhound," and barking, "gow, gow." Similarly, if we remain like that, in the bodily concept of life, that "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," then where is the difference between dog and ourself? The human life is meant for understanding that I am neither Hindu nor Muslim nor American nor Indian. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is beginning of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what is Brahman? Then life begins. The cats and dogs, they cannot think that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna was thinking in the bodily concept of life, "My family, my brother," and so on, so on, so he declined to fight. So...

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Everything will be very harmonious and come to a common conclusion. But so long as...

Prabhupāda: We are giving the solution, let them take it. This is our greatest contribution.

Viśākhā: The problem is they believe what they see.

Prabhupāda: Believe or not believe, we shall have to give the people by books, by knowledge, by film.

Hari-śauri: But if somehow or other that sun-moon thing can be proved, then they'll all be finished, completely.

Prabhupāda: It will not be finished because some rascals, fools will remain to support it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's always like that, just like in Mahābhārata...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: there was two, demons and the...

Prabhupāda: So this is his world of duality. You cannot have all support on your side. It isn't...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we always expect opposition.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We must be ready for...

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) just like we're opposing their theory. They are not absolute.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Even for eating, sleeping, sex life and defense we require some knowledge from a teacher. Say for eating, so we take knowledge from expert what kind of eating we shall take, what kind of vitamin, what kind of... So that also requires education. And sleeping also requires education. And so for bodily concept of life one has to take knowledge from others. So when he is above this bodily concept of life—he understands that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul"—so similarly he has to take lesson and education from an expert.

Interviewer: Could you go over each of the three functions you've been mentioning-eating, sleeping and sex—and tell me what specifically, what rules or hints that you would give people who are seeking spiritual enlightenment to aid in their lives in these ways.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, that is our books. It is our books. We have got enough matter to understand. It is not a thing that you'll understand in a minute.

Interviewer: I understand you sleep very little. You sleep three to four hours a night. Do you feel that this is what any person who is spiritually actualized will also realize?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we see from the behavior of the Gosvāmīs. They practically had no material necessities. This eating, sleeping, mating and defending, practically they had no such thing. They are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business.

Interviewer: Engaged in Kṛṣṇa's...?

Rāmeśvara: Kṛṣṇa's business or God's service.

Bali-mardana: He's setting the example of the previous spiritual masters.

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. You cannot merge. You simply imagine. Merging means you merge in the spiritual atmosphere, but without ānanda you cannot stay there. Therefore you have to come back again to this material world. Suppose you are advocate and you are given some place without any practice. How long you will you remain there? If I say, "Please remain here happily without any practice." How long you'll remain? We want some activities. That is our nature, for ānanda. But here we are trying to get that ānanda, but that is temporary. That is not satisfying us. Therefore being disgusted we want to stop it and merge. But there is also temporary. Unless you go back to home back to Godhead, there is no complete life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and shows by His spiritual activities. He's playing with the boys, He's dancing with the girls, He's killing the demons, and so many activities. This is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). They are all spiritual. You have read our Kṛṣṇa Book? Yes. There is everything. So as far as possible we are trying to give people the real knowledge from the śāstra. Now it is up to them to accept or take advantage of it.

Indian man: And practice.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man: Will Swamiji discourse this evening?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man: You are doing greatest service to the humanity throughout the world.

Prabhupāda: At least, I am trying. But it is very difficult. We have to spoil hundreds of gallons blood before one comes to the point. It is very simple thing. Only our leaders of the society, they are sleeping. They are misguided themselves and misguiding others. That is the difficulty.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: It's somewhere near the testes. They cut the tube. It takes ten minutes. And it stops you producing any more semina.

Akṣayānanda: It's so bad. They give people... (break) ...and eating so much nonsense. So the preaching in India has to be done very, very tactfully.

Prabhupāda: No, just like I was speaking from Bhāgavatam.

Akṣayānanda: Just what you have spoken. But our actions must be very tactful also.

Prabhupāda: If you speak only on the subject matter as it is mentioned in the books, it is already tactful. Yasyāṁ śrūyamāṇāyāṁ kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe, bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā. Now they are in a position of śoka-moha-bhaya. So you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the best tact. Now it is the time. Now they are put into śoka-moha-bhaya. It is already there going on, śoka-moha-bhaya. But it is now special time for śoka-moha-bhaya. So you have to take it. It may be out of fear, bhaya, they may take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Akṣayānanda: Still, they have to just take, that's all.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto (BG 7.16), ārto. Ārtaḥ means who is afraid of. So this is the position of ārta, śoka-moha-bhaya. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But that he can take provided he is sukṛtina, if there is background. But still, by hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa he becomes sukṛtina.

Akṣayānanda: I think most of the devotees became by fear. I think most of the devotees have become devotees because of fear.

Prabhupāda: Fear must be. If he's a gentleman he must be afraid of this material world. That is very good qualification. If one is afraid of this material existence, it is very good symptom.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Khicuṛi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Khicuṛi.

Pañcadraviḍa: But for khicuṛi it would be difficult to feed one lakh of people.

Jayapatākā: No, we're now giving people...

Rāmeśvara: We could do both.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda suggested when I asked him about this...

Prabhupāda: Give them sumptuous food. What is this? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nakaldana. Prabhupāda wants them to be properly fed.

Pañcadraviḍa: All right. You mean khicuṛi?

Jayapatākā: Those that eat, they are satisfied.

Pañcadraviḍa: I was told that we were doing it for everyone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda suggested khicuṛi...

Prabhupāda: Make one khicuṛi, one potato, one eggplant vegetable. No, tomato-eggplant. Tomato.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Tomato. Chutney?

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Scholars, they theorize. I say practical. Scholars want to say, want to show how much their imaginative power is strong. That's all. And they all speak nonsense-Ramakrishna. And my point of view is how to give people practical hints so that they may be raised from this rotten condition.

Śatadhanya: You are compassionate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tathā vinoda(?). I have done on reality. I want to establish reality, not imagination. What is the use of giving some imaginative idea, just like this rascal Darwin? Everything rascal. No practical value. And he has written volumes of books, and people are accepting: "From monkey, man has come. That's all." But monkey is there; man is there. Where monkey is extinct? The whole theory is absolutely bogus, and people have accepted it. I never believed that. Anthropo... Anthropomor... No? The...?

Upendra: Anthropomorphism.

Prabhupāda: And... What do you call, this science?

Śatadhanya: Anthropology.

Prabhupāda: Anthropology. Anthropology we believe; as it is stated in the Vedas, we believe, one after another. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarāḥ... That is the... The soul is changing. So there is no question of... "Survival of the fittest." Nonsense. Who is fit?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No one except the devotee is fit.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is dying. Who is the fittest?

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is business, earn money. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's why I... Every day we are getting orders of more than thousand cards just in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And now I've just written... I'm adding three more cards to the line to give people more variety. So...

Prabhupāda: Very good. So there you have got business. You have got money. Why you are miser? Earn money and spend money. That's all. I know this business. Earn money and spend money.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I try to make it...

Prabhupāda: Throughout my whole life I have done this. Earn money and spend money. I am not miser.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. When you wanted something...

Prabhupāda: See money. Earn money and see money. I don't follow this policy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you wanted something, you'd spend anything.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like that land in Bombay, that house...

Page Title:Give people (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:05 of Dec, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=32, Let=0
No. of Quotes:32