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Grand (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So many ladies, like that. That scene, I shall direct how to do it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father was not very rich man. So there was a big zamindar. He was devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So he had some affection for Caitanya. So when the marriage ceremony was being settled up, he said, "Oh, His marriage shall not be just like the brāhmaṇas' marriage." Brāhmaṇa's wife, they are poor; so there is no expenditure. Some way or other, his marriage is done. But especially kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, oh, they spend lakhs of rupees in marriage. So he said that "His marriage will not take place just like the brāhmaṇas. His marriage will be royal marriage." So he spent all the money, and there was grand, everything grandeur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then His wife, she died?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is giving you the opportunity, you Americans. Now you are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will be the most opulent nation of the world. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa both. You have got Lakṣmī, but if you take Nārāyaṇa, Lakṣmī will be permanent. Lakṣmī will not go. And if you reject Nārāyaṇa, then Lakṣmī will stay for some time. That is Cañcalā. Her name is Cañcalā. The British empire has failed, the Roman Empire has failed, the so many empires, the Mogul empire has failed, because they wanted Lakṣmī, not Nārāyaṇa. If you take Nārāyaṇa, your Lakṣmī will stay. Just try to convince your countrymen, just like President Nixon. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire that I was dictated to go to America, because Kṛṣṇa wants that you should take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa wants. So you have taken. Now spread. It will be grand success. And there are so many candidates, very nice. All right, go on, take... (end)

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Is there any example?

Yogeśvara: An example is the master of their movement. He was supposed to come, but he was on vacation. But the grand master of their movement, he says, is one example.

Prabhupāda: No, suppose to love everyone, that means you love the animals also. Their community allows, animal killing?

Yogeśvara: When you come into the movement, there are no regulations required of you. But little by little, it comes to that point. Their experience is that they give their students in the movement... For a short period of time, they are required to give up intoxication and meat and things like that. But it's not permanent.

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Thank him.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Thank you very much and he is going to tell the grandmaster about you.

Yogeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in San Jose, California, their grand emperor of the movement has his, their headquarters. And he said one day perhaps there would be the opportunity...

Prabhupāda: No, we have got our temple. (end)

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: The rascal, what is there, philosophy? This philosophy everyone knows. And he's philosophizing.

Yogeśvara: There was an article in this week's newspaper. Sigmund Freud's grand-daughter is now posing for naked pictures in magazines. She is saying, "My grandfather's philosophy was not so good." So now she is posing.

Prabhupāda: He's ad... She's advanced. (laughter) She's more advanced. That's nice. (laughs) This is going on. Animals, simply animals in a different posture. That's all. Fourth-class, fifth-class men. And they are governing, they are leaders. Then what is that? Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1975, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.

Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.

Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Yes, done grand style because I strictly follow the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that's all. Otherwise I have no strength. I have not played any magic. Did I? Any gold manufacturing? (laughter) Still, I have got better disciples than the gold-manufacturing guru.

Yaśodānandana: Before you came, many gurus came, but they did not make any pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is called hope against hope. That is foolishness. Therefore we say because you are expecting like that, therefore we understand that you are a fool. We can immediately understand, "Here is a grand fool." That is our study. Many fools have done like that, and you are one of them, you are also scientific (indistinct). Therefore our conclusion is "You are Fool No. 1."

Devotee: We may not be able to actually stop death, but while we're here we can at least prolong our lifetime and...

Prabhupāda: That also you cannot do. Where is the proof?

Devotee: Well, at the atomic research plants...

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is another foolishness, I say. You have not done it. You are simply expecting. Hope against hope. That's all.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Simply cheated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he wanted to be cheated.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Daughter (indistinct) and grand-daughter, all cheaters. Remember in the United Nation, (indistinct).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She cannot speak Japanese.

Prabhupāda: Everything cheated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She even said that she had four stillborn children. And we went to the hospital and there was no record of her having even been admitted to the hospital. Bali Mardana, she told him to wait downstairs while she gave birth to the four children and then two hours later she came down, she said, "Now it is finished." And he took her and drove away.

Prabhupāda: Mesmerized.

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Revatīnandana: When Kartikeya Mahadevia came to America some time back, he remarked to me that he had come to see all the sights like the Grand Canyon and like that, but primarily he seemed, now he was just simply going from temple to temple because the temples were nice. Nothing else was so nice as he expected.

Bahulāśva: Some life members came to San Francisco, and we picked them up in this Mercedes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's him, that same man.

Bahulāśva: And they were so impressed that we had such a nice car for greeting the life members. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They talked about that. It's the same man I met in Washington D.C., Mr. Poddar.

Bahulāśva: Mr. Poddar, yes. They said, "Oh, this is the life member car."

Prabhupāda: One gentleman came to see me in Hawaii. He's also life member.

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, (Hindi). Hm.

Dr. Patel: Same thing—our boys have started smoking LSD in the colleges here. Yes, yes. In Grand(?) Medical College boys have started smoking. They know very well that it is a bad thing, medical students. Never bother the arts and science schools. (Hindi) Because their ideal starts from American precedent. The last precedent (president?) was so idealistic, so... (laughing)

Girirāja: A few days back in the newspapers there was..., smoking causes damage to the brain...

Dr. Patel: It causes damage everywhere, because it damages your blood vessel which carries the vital fluid to all the organs. The blood vessels are spoiled and narrowed down so not sufficient amount of blood will get to your brain, to your heart, to your lungs, your everything practically. Follow? This is not one of (indistinct). They smoke this ganja, sir, because artificially they go into a sort of a trance. That is what the psychedelic drugs.

Prabhupāda: That man also says like that.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: You may read that.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "One of India's biggest and most ancient religious festivals, Ratha-yātrā, the festival of the chariots, which has been enacted in several Western cities in recent years, is to be staged in South Africa in July. The festival in honor of Lord Kṛṣṇa is planned to be held in Durban next month by the local branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Based on the thousands-of-years-old annual parade of the three main deities of the Jagannātha temple on huge chariots through the streets of Purī, Orissa, the festival has been staged by devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa in major world cities such as London, Paris, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal and Melbourne, following the spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst thousands of Westerners in the decade since the founding of the movement in 1966 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Almost a million devotees participate in the chariot festival held every summer at Purī, where they offer oblations to Lord Kṛṣṇa; lend a hand, tugging the ropes, to pull the huge chariots; line the grand route; or simply attend to see the color and pageantry from high vantage points.

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Seventy, then sixty then fifty. In this way, if a man lives from twenty to thirty years he will be considered grand old man. These are the symptoms, āyur. Then?

Pradyumna: Balam.

Prabhupāda: And bodily strength. Bodily strength... In India we, in our childhood, I have seen when British rule was there, all the Europeans were coming, very tall and stout and strong. Now such Europeans are not coming. Even bodily strength reduced. Then?

Pradyumna: Smṛtiḥ.

Prabhupāda: And memory. It will reduce. Just see, compare everything, religiosity and the power of mercifulness, pardoning, truthfulness, cleanliness, bodily strength, duration of life—they're all reduced. Now who can say it is not reduced? Can you say? This is called tri-kala-jñā. Tatas, what is that? Cānu-dinaṁ rājan?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Duration of life is decreased. If one is twenty years old, he will be a grand old man.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is coming.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Bodily strength decreases. Then smṛti, intelligence...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Memory is decreasing.

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.

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

Prabhupāda: So? What do they say?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Says it's a Grand Canyon. Just like in Arizona there's a canyon called Grand Canyon.

Prabhupāda: So might be from Arizona? (laughter) Like Arizona, that means Arizona.

Rūpānuga: Just like Arizona, the same rocks you find in Arizona.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is called Martian Grand Canyon, and an ocean meandering gorge ten times the size of Arizona's Grand Canyon.

Prabhupāda: That we can photograph it and make ten times, hundred times. Their business is in Arizona.

Rūpānuga: I think so.

Prabhupāda: And this is only the propaganda.

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Hari-śauri: In Arizona. There's an article, and it showed a picture of Mars and it compared, there's supposed to be this canyon four miles deep. So they said it compares to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, like that. So Prabhupāda said that by even mentioning Arizona they've revealed themselves. And he told one story about, there's a man, he heard a noise in his room, and he said, "Ah, who is that?" And immediately the reply came, "Oh, I'm not stealing." So even without asking, they've revealed themselves by saying Arizona, even mentioning Arizona.

Prabhupāda: Why these rascals compare it with Arizona? As if there is no other place in the world. Everything they are doing in Arizona. All photograph in this place. Now they have been caught. I was always protesting, "These rascals have never gone." For the last ten years I've protested. Whenever they asked me, I say straightly, "It is all childish. They have never gone, neither they'll be able to go." That has been proof available. Now they do not talk about it. That is finished, all propaganda, finished. Now they have taken another...

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Lord Rāma's, what is this?

Hari-śauri: There's shop there with a sign of Lord Rāma's.

Rāmeśvara: Train station? Grand Central?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Grand Central Station.

Ādi-keśava: You want to go on the upper level and around?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...underneath there is subway.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: About hundred yards below.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda explained that the picture they took of Mars, they now say that there's..., they pointed out that there's a similar canyon, the Grand Canyon, in Arizona. So they were reporting like this, and Prabhupāda said this is an indication that actually it is a picture of, they have unintentionally they have let out the information that actually the photo is simply a photograph of the Grand Canyon.

Hari-śauri: He gave an example. There's a man in his room at night, and he hears a noise. So he says "Oh, what's that sound?" And then back comes the reply, "I am not stealing." So no one asked the man to say what he was doing, but he unintentionally let it out what he was actually doing there. He just asked what the noise was, but he said "I am not stealing." So in the same way no one asked them to say anything about Arizona, but they let it out.

Prabhupāda: They have disclosed unintentionally. That is going on. It is beyond their dream to go either to the moon planet or Mars planet. It is not possible. Not nowadays I say—I said it ten years ago.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And he was old. So he had to agree. Otherwise, the whole thing was catastrophe. So the king said, "Yes. She's not married. If you like I can offer my daughter to you." Then everything was settled up. But the daughter was young, and he was like her grand, great-grandfather. Match was not at all suitable, but he had to offer. So this girl also took it seriously, and she was serving the old husband very faithfully like honest, chaste wife. Never mind. Then, some days after, the same saintly person was visited by two heavenly physicians, aśvinī-kumāras. The aśvinī-kumāras, they had some difficulty. They were not allowed in the society of the demigods while drinking soma-rasa. They had some defects, something like that. So when the physician came to see Cyavana Muni he said that "If you can give me young age, beautiful, you can make me by your treatment beautiful young man, which is very pleasing to young girls, then I shall give you the facility of drinking soma-rasa in the society of demigods." "Yes." So he made him very nice beautiful-looking young man by taking him to a certain lake, and they dipped down and all of them became fresh young men, beautiful, very beautiful.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He has used very nice strong words.

Hari-śauri: Hm. "They effected through devious means to have 2 members of the New York Hare Kṛṣṇa centers to be arrested. Therein lies the infection(?) of the injustice. To compound it, a judge and a grand jury agreed with their charges of unlawful imprisonment and brainwashing, a charge which is unheard of to my knowledge in civil legal proceedings, and ordered the devotees to be jailed. As a citizen I am appalled by the over-reaction, the lack of understanding, and the hate that finds wrongdoing, not only by the people that make the charges but by the court as well."

Haṁsadūta: He says the same thing.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, hm. (break) ...just in front of our house, attached to our house. That means the house belonged to one of our relatives and her son, stepson, he sold the whole house to a Marwari without the knowledge of this, my, she was in relation grandmother. So when the house was sold in those days, about say about 100 years ago, not 100 years, about 90 years. In Mahatma Gandhi road, most important, that Mullik's house you have seen? That was one of the Mullik's house, for 12,000 rupees. One bighā of land and grand building. So it was unknown to the stepmother, the stepson sold it. Then she appealed to the high-court that, "I belong to a respectable family and this my spoiled stepson has sold the house without my knowledge, then where shall I go?" The high-court considered that, "The drunkard son has sold at a cheap price, and she's belongs to a respectable family, where she'll go?"

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: "But such tactics are a gross violation of fundamental human and constitutional rights are to go without saying. In cases where victims have instigated charges of kidnapping against parents and deprogrammers, grand juries have thus far refused to issue indictments apparently because the work is done at the behest of parents or other relatives and ostensibly for the good of the victim. The situation which has prompted me to communicate with members of the professional psychiatric community involves sweeping implications of a very important legal case which will be going to trial sometime in the late winter or early spring. Some background of the case may be helpful here." Then he explains about the case. Anyway, it's very nicely written. And he's mostly trying to expose that the psychiatrists have to take an objective standpoint. Otherwise, there are some psychiatrists who are atheistic and they are contending that any religious experience or so-called religious consciousness is a...

Prabhupāda: Artificial dependence.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

D. D. Desai: And that was my grand-uncle, my grandfather's elder brother. So we were all joint family, Hindi joint family. So Swamiji used to go round and... When I say Swamiji, I mean Vivekanandi. He used to go round and then request from us sometimes, sometimes casually, sometimes persuading... Whatever I have known from my father, who was at that time studying in Bahubiri College... He died at eighty-two years' age. Now he has finished his century, so I believe that was sometime, beginning of the last century, end of last century. So he was telling that Swamiji was quite a person, and he would never worry about (Hindi) or anything. He would still take care of his own little self-respect, but still he insisted on other people being informed with his knowledge, imparted with his knowledge. To that extent, he also, when he went to States... You said in 1902, that is, he...

Guest (1): No earlier, earlier.

Prabhupāda: No, he went... 1893.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, instead of taking one building, we are in possession of the all the buildings. Then that is my policy, that we must remain on the head of every building. Therefore I constructed. They cannot say absolutely it is tenant, no. Mixed. We are therefore occupying the head of every building, fixed building.

Dr. Patel: There are some grand courts again (?) behind...

Prabhupāda: That is one story. Otherwise we are on the head. They cannot monopolize the whole building.

Hari-śauri: We have a room in that building, anyway, in that one-story building we're storing our books in.

Prabhupāda: That we have taken now, that portion. We have paid for it.

Dr. Patel: This place, that is the worth of that, this amount, was originally bought by Mr. Nyer, for this place, for...

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Kṛṣṇa.

Rāmeśvara: "There are two legal cases in progress at this time that we must support—one in New York and one in Los Angeles. In New York the two ISKCON leaders have been indicted by the Queens County Grand Jury for unlawful imprisonment and attempted grand larceny. In Los Angeles, ISKCON and Madonna Slavin have accused her family of kidnapping, and charges of unlawful imprisonment have been entered against the mother and several other members of the Slavin family and two friends." These two friends are the professional deprogrammers. Then it says, "As in nearly all of these cases, the media will greatly influence the outcome. Do not underestimate the power of the media. We therefore must tell our story..."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's already become media.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Family?

Rāmeśvara: If the family wants them out, we have a reputation that we will hide them, so the family cannot get them. "One example is in the Queens case." That's Ādi Keśava Mahārāja. The charge of attempted grand larceny stems from an alleged extortion attempt against the Shapiro family by the temple leaders who wanted money from the parents and threatened to harm their son..."

Prabhupāda: This is false.

Rāmeśvara: "...unless the money was given."

Prabhupāda: This is false.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: His wife is also helping?

Rāmeśvara: She is doing the sewing for the clothing. The whole show will be finished before Māyāpura, and Bharadrāja is coming for the festival. Then right after the festival we will go back to Los Angeles and have the grand opening.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Rāmeśvara: When it is finished, then we'll take color pictures and send them in case you're still in India.

Prabhupāda: By the month of...

Rāmeśvara: It could be April. The grand opening, I think...

Prabhupāda: I may go there some time. From London to Los Angeles there is direct plane. Takes about ten hours, eh?

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: He didn't write it, did he?

Rāmeśvara: No, it was on the telephone. But he has been charged by a Grand Jury of attempted extortion.

Hari-śauri: They can never prove that. It's ridiculous.

Rāmeśvara: I have heard that now, this month, we have already been on the biggest television shows in America, big night shows. They have these shows that go two, three hours at a time, and everyone in America watches them. Forty million people watch them. So we've already been on those shows now. Our devotees have already been on those shows now because of this controversy. We're becoming more famous.

Prabhupāda: And they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. (break)

Gurukṛpa: This is much cleaner than down there where the tourist hotels are.

Prabhupāda: The first plot is very pleasing. It is all right. And you'll have very grand. Make road to sea, down to sea. (break) Now mostly people are adhīra. Therefore they cannot understand. Where is that Flagstaff? There is a house called Flagstaff. One can walk miles.

Hari-śauri: Yes. It's a very big beach.

Prabhupāda: Therefore tourists come here. (break) Then gradually you can develop. (break) ...Bajoriya house and that land.

Gargamuni: And that other...

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. A student who is more chastised is advanced. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "My spiritual master saw Me a grand fool. Therefore he has chastised Me." That is the position. The more we remain a grand fool, then more we may advance in spiritual consciousness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. He was mūrkha?

Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, one thing they're doing against us more and more in the West is taking the testimony of an ex-disciple of yours, and he will say, "I was a Hare Kṛṣṇa..."

Prabhupāda: "Because he is rascal, therefore he's 'ex,' excommunicated. My Guru Mahārāja kicked him out, so what is the value of his word?"

Gargamuni: We can say these men were excommunicated.

Prabhupāda: Ex means he's executed. That's all. He's finished.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: That Mrs. Lalita Bose, she compared you to Nethaji, that you went outside of India and organized an army, (laughter) then came back to India. She said that. She's the grand-daughter? That Lalita Bose?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Niece.

Gargamuni: She said, "Your Gurujī is just like Nethaji. He went outside of India and organized army of Vaiṣṇavas."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now it is in the right hand. Resourceful, you Americans. You can do this. There is scientist. So we have got the framework very nice. Now you can push on. It is a good movement for the benefit of the whole world. Kṛṣṇa will help you. Kṛṣṇa will recognize you. Go on pushing rightly. Our only mission is para-upakāra—we don't want to exploit anyone—Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. The people in general, human being, they have got this opportunity of being out of the clutches of māyā and they are kept in darkness. What is this? Is that civilization? This is our mission. Here is opportunity for his getting out of the clutches of māyā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14), and they are being misled, the so-called science and nasty philosophy and economics and making them, training them as demons and rākṣasas. What is this civilization? So our movement is against this demonic civilization. It is really para-upakāra.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can get this light on.

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.'

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: We had a ceremony for our new warehouse, opening up of the new warehouse, and they published one article in the papers in California. It circulates about almost fifty thousand, this local paper. It says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa publishing office opens. Culver City councilman Paul Jacobs, assisted by Hare Kṛṣṇa leaders, cut the ceremonial ribbon last week at the grand opening of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement's new office building in Culver City Business Park at 8500 Higuera Street. The new 30,000 square foot warehouse and office building will house the organization's publishing arm, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, parentheses, BBT. BBT prints millions of dollars' worth of books every year and is the world's largest publisher and distributor of books on the culture, religion and philosophy of India."

Prabhupāda: Present this in the court.

Room Conversation First Day in Juhu Quarters -- March 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: One section room was dictation, one section cooking, one section editing. So this is more on a grand style.

Prabhupāda: So actually my lift will be used once in a day. Then how it will be in order?

Saurabha: We will repair it. It's not that we will make it work and then no one will touch it.

Prabhupāda: And at the time of my use, if it is out of order?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe you should keep a man there all the time.

Gargamuni: Let's hire an operator. They have lift operators in many of the hotels.

Saurabha: See, they took the fuse out so that we can use it, so we put the fuse back, so the lift works, and then just before you came, someone went in there...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Practically the only people who will be here will be your servants and occasionally...

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Darwin... Grand rascal. All speculation. Transportation I told.

kabhu svarge uṭhāya kabhu narake ḍubāya
daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya

Just try to explain to them. (break) ...interesting. I can give you the ideas. You put in the scientific way. But whatever idea I give, that's a fact. They have stopped making propaganda about going to Mars?

Brahmānanda: Going to Mars? They've stopped propaganda?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, they are a little silent.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Hoax. First hoax was little successful. Now they say it will not be very successful.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Full nonsense, this rascal. How much havoc he has done to the human society. A grand rascal, this Darwin. And he is taken as the basic principle of anthropology. The whole world has become... So all scientists, by combined meeting, they should kick out his Darwin theory. All, they should modify... (pause) Long, long ago, before, things were there. Nobody knows how long. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, bhramyādbhir jīva-jātiṣu. You know this word?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Bhramyādbhiḥ. There are different forms of bodies of jīva. That is also stated. Jalajā nava-lakṣānī sthavara lakṣa-vimśati. So first of all, general, from water. That you have got experience. Fish is coming. As soon as there is some reservoir of water, after some day mosquito will come, fish will come, many other bugs and germs will come, jalajā. And their number is also given, nava-lakṣānī. In this way, bhramyādbhir jīva-jāti, the soul, the living entity, is wandering, jīva-jātiṣu. Then he gets a human form of life. The civilization is there. And five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation) Britishers made a mistake. They made a empire, very good, but they did not rule for the people. They wanted to rule over the world for their own sake, London. Their policy was all big, big brain from England should go outside, earn money and bring in London, exploit. Therefore it is... Otherwise it was a very grand plan. They were very nice. This was suggested by one of their viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, that "India is a vast country, very cultured country. Don't try to exploit them. Better send one royal family member to become king here and rule as one empire. Don't discriminate." The others did not like the idea. "Make England's men king in India. The people in general, they like king. And rule over them and have good relationship." These rascals, they did not like.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: Our grand-uncle in the family, he named all the brothers in the family after God. My eldest brother, he's in Belux.(?) He's already met you several times in Māyāpura. He's one of the first member in ISKCON from there. He was called Ram Prem Narayan Sen Myer. So teacher found the name was too long. She dropped the Ram, so she kept Prem Narayan Sen Myer. Then Dr. Badrinarayan Maraka, he abridged the name in Bangalore to Har Narayan Sen. However, I was told I named myself Krishan. I don't know how it... So that's how the name came into being.

Prabhupāda: So keep it on Sunday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's a letter from Vāsudeva, Deoji Punja. Would you like to hear?

Prabhupāda: Hm. (break)

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. He says, "The FATE..." They call it FATE, First American Theistic Exhibition. "The FATE Los Angeles exhibit is now complete with very small details remaining on the complex computer system. It will be operational on July 10th." Four days ago. "And the grand opening will be held on Janmāṣṭamī this year. I have no right to hope in this way, but in spite of my intelligence, I wish Your Divine Grace could see this first attempt for theistic exhibition in the Western world."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says if it's not possible for you to come, then he'd like to make a film and bring it to India to show it to you. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It makes the whole body soothing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. (pause) Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) Should I go on, Śrīla Prabhupāda? "This grand temple opening and Janmas..."

Prabhupāda: Very encouraging letter. Very encouraging letter. I am very pleased. If our farm project is organized all over the world... (break) You know that? Are you aware of this plan?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: One man is kneading flour, five sers, and he's getting two hundred rupees' salary, and paratha and halavā. This is management, going on. Now today it has been checked. They are eating paratha and our men are starving. He is getting two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. This is management. What can be done? And he has... Three dozen manager, four dozen cook. This is... That's all. I am giving you report which he has given to me. Money is squandered like anything, and live blindly, and "Still, I want everything for myself." Everything is in my notice. I can feel now actually (indistinct) is coming. Anyway, we want... In India, the affairs are most mismanaged. That we see. In foreign countries they are doing very nice. In New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago. Now there is Toronto report. This Toronto report... I do not know how things are managed there very nicely, and here..., three dozen cook. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: He's expecting ninety to come.

Dr. Kapoor: Ninety to come, oh. Then it will be a grand success.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...theory, they are doing nonsense. Vivekananda's theory, Darwin's theory... Who is that Ram? Ramakrishna's theory. Another. What is that Ram?

Brahmānanda: Another Ram?

Dr. Kapoor: Ram-tirtha.

Prabhupāda: Ram-tirtha. Without life, life coming is bogus. Darwin's theory. Have all been discussed?

Brahmānanda: In this booklet? I haven't see it.

Dr. Kapoor: The most wonderful thing is that they say life comes from matter, and they don't know what matter is. They don't know what matter is. They confess, "We don't know what matter is." Yet they say life comes from matter. Not one scientist till today has been able to say what matter is. Rather, they have confessed, "I know not what matter is." Even the biggest scientists, they have made this confession.

Prabhupāda: And a person from whom life is coming, He says aham ādir hi. And they will not come. Where is Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very grand opening is being planned for Bombay, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So many.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: If the President of India comes, then it will get front-page coverage.

Prabhupāda: Who is the President?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is the President now?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ansen Jiwar(?) Reddy. He's more religious than the previous one.

Prabhupāda: Ansen(?) Reddy, he was Home Minister? No.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that was Brahmānanda Reddy, who you met. We had a program at his house once.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When was that?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: About two years ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where was it?

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Call one week early.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One week. Very grand event. There is no such project like that anywhere else in India, or in the world. Would you like to hear kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (break) (kavirāja arrives—Hindi discussions; Bhagatji arrives)

Bhakti-cāru: It's less now, this restlessness and the pain.

Kavirāja: (Hindi conversation)

Bhakti-cāru: He didn't pass urine after that. Last one is at five past twelve.

Bhavānanda: That's all. He hasn't passed any.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhakti-cāru: He asking about urine, Śrīla Prabhupāda, whether you passed urine afterwards. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Tamāla is there?

Page Title:Grand (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:09 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=42, Let=0
No. of Quotes:42