Grief (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"grief" |"griefstricken" |"grievance" |"grievances" |"grieve" |"grieved" |"grieves" |"grieving" |"grievous" |"grievously"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Excerpt -- May 27, 1972, Los Angeles:

Girl: I didn't check. I just poured it in.

Prabhupāda: You check after giving it? This is not...

Girl: How can I distin...?

Prabhupāda: How is that? Eh?

Girl: I didn't know.

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Girl: It's my fault because I wasn't conscious of what I was doing.

Prabhupāda: It is your fault but is it grievous fault that you put something instead of something?

Girl: What can I do?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Girl: What can I do now?

Prabhupāda: How it was done? What is that thing you put?

Girl: Salt.

Prabhupāda: Salt?

Girl: Yes. It tastes like it.

Prabhupāda: Tastes like. You know that it is..., that was salt?

Girl: Well, I didn't know.

Prabhupāda: So somebody responsible should be in charge. That way instead of salt something may be put. So many people cooking is going on. All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Just see how Kṛṣṇa's creation, wonderful creation. And they defy, "Oh, what nonsense they are." There is no brain in creating such nice flower, flavor? "It is automatic, nature, nature." What is this nature? Rascal. Nature means rascaldom. Nature. What do you mean by nature? Just see how foolish they are. They cannot explain what is this nature. Simply say. I'm simply sorry that the so-called institution education simply making people all fools and rascals. That is my grief only. I am therefore trying to give them some intelligence. The whole program is to create some fools and rascals, that's all. Any philosopher, any scientist comes, I can say that "You are simply creating fools and rascals because you are also fools and rascals." I can say, challenge. Then let us come to argument. "You are such a fool and rascal and you are creating fools and rascals, that's all. That is your business." And that is going on as the advancement of education. You do not know. What do you... How do you explain? You say nature. That means you are fool.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Amṛta means spiritual. (break) But this grief is for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is spiritual.

Dr. Patel: The gopīs became in grief when Kṛṣṇa went away.

Prabhupāda: Center is Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: I want to read this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam five times in one year.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. You read it. You will be benefitted. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalam: There is no black spot. Amalaṁ purāṇam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priya...

Dr. Patel: I have read all the modern literatures... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Even there is some broken language, abaddhavat api. Abaddha, not systematized. Because there is explanation, nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni, therefore śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Sadhu, they do not take care of this. They see what is the bhava there. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8).

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If a boy has got alone, without his elder brother, you see, there is anxiety also.

Dr. Patel: Even though they have realized the extraordinary quality of the sun, but they have not been able to think that he is God incarnate.

Prabhupāda: This means these things, these sentiments-anxiety, grief, anger, all these things—they are constant companion with the living entity. You cannot give it up. But when they are used for Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. That is upādhi-śūnya, without any designation.

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda, we are only neophytes. How we can know if our anxiety is still material when we feel anxiety in devotional service?

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you feel anxiety for Kṛṣṇa, then it is not material. That anxiety is not... That is love. That is pure love, that... Why you become anxious for our children? Because there is love. So whole scheme is that you have to transfer your attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

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

Satsvarūpa:

śrī bhagavān uvāca

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

(BG 2.11)

"Translation: The Blessed Lord said, While speaking learned words you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead."

Prabhupāda: What is your opinion about this?

Professor Durckheim: May I ask a question? How do you teach your disciples to become aware of this force which is no matter that makes matter alive?

Prabhupāda: That active principle, life, or living soul.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 29, 1975, Dallas:

Prabhupāda: ...of man, why? Why this movement?

Jagadīśa: Because the men are exploiting them.

Prabhupāda: That is the fact. They are dissatisfied with the treatment of man. The grievance is that they do not get husband, home, children, like loitering on the street. That is their aspiration: they want good home, good husband, good children. That they are not getting. Oh, it is a very big lake.

Morning Walk -- September 29, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has imposed death, that "You may make your plan as free man, but you'll not be allowed to stay. I'll kick you out." These poor men, they did not think of it, that "I am making so nice plan, but at any moment I'll be kicked out. So where is my freedom?" Dull brain does not think of it. A prisoner, if he thinks that he is free to act, is it not foolishness? A prisoner, in prison, and if he thinks that he is free to act, is it not foolishness? So that they do not think. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has grouped them: mūḍha, these rascals, mūḍha. They conduct freedom movement. Just like in our country also, before this British Empire or this Mohammedan Empire there was no knowledge about this freedom. Indian people never thought of freedom. They know that "We are not free. Where is the question of freedom?" These things have come from the foreign countries, freedom movement. What is freedom? Where are you free? You are completely under the laws of nature. Where is your freedom? So they were thinking of greater freedom, to get out of the clutches of the laws of nature. That is real freedom. What is this freedom? From frying pan to the fire? (chuckles) Now we have freedom means from frying pan to the fire. Formerly there was one viceroy. Now in each state three dozen viceroys, and you have to maintain that. So many legislators, so many secretaries, so many ministers. All, they are sucking our poor blood. That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you approach them for some grievances, "All right, give me application," and, after six months, "No." So we are maintaining for this purpose? Yes. "I say no." That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) ...ing of freedom, but we have no freedom even to stay in this body.

Morning Walk -- October 19, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: So? But it was not successful.

Indian man (1): Partly it was, because then they had to listen to him, what actually the grievances were. First they were not prepared to talk to him. They didn't want him to know anything. Then they compromised, and from then onwards.... Still it has been carried on up to now. The laws are there for the Indians.

Prabhupāda: Still the Indians have no equal right.

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So go and sit and talk. What is his grievance?

Devotee (1): His wife is very devoted. She has a small Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. She is... (indistinct)

Tejās: He is a very dirty man. His wife sometimes likes to give even a little flower, and she is afraid he will beat her if she gives anything to the temple.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...sign? Rāmacandra?

Tejās: Garuḍa and Hanumān.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tejās: Rāmacandra, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Garuḍa, and Hanumān.

Prabhupāda: (break) Unnecessarily there are so many parties, and they fight one another. This is democracy. Today is ekādaśī?

Tejās: Today.

Prabhupāda: From the moon it can be made.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Grievous folly is that they are disobeying the Ten Commandments.

Rāmeśvara: Disobeying.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the.... "Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not be an adulterer." Those are the big ones.

Rāmeśvara: "Covet thy neighbor's property, steal. Dishonor the mother and father, the cow, the earth, God."

Prabhupāda: Cows?

Rāmeśvara: Well, there's one of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt honor thy mother and thy father." But the mother is one of the cows, the earth. I mean the earth is the mother, the cow is the mother.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: Na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām, avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam (BG 2.8). "I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to destroy it even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth..."

Prabhupāda: No. There is another verse that "Without You I do not find anyone else who can give me real..."

Hari-śauri: You know that one?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No.

Devotee: The doubt when... The fallen yogi. "Who else can...? I think so.

Hari-śauri: I'll look it up in the...

Prabhupāda: In the, is the,... There is... What are you finding?

Hari-śauri: I'll look it up in the Sanskrit index.

Prabhupāda: What is the śloka? The śloka I do not remember exactly, but there is continuation. You read the whole thing. What is that chapter?

Hari-śauri: This is Chapter Two.

Room Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If it is dhāma-aparādha, committing offense in dhāma. Dhāma-aparādha. As dhāma-bhajana, if one undergoes devotional service out of Vṛndāvana and one executes devotional service in Vṛndāvana, that is hundred times better. Similarly dhāma-aparādha also. This aparādha, when offense is committed outside Vṛndāvana, that is not so grievous as committing offense in Vṛndāvana. Dhāma-aparādha. So the punishment is there, but the reward is also there. One life makes pardoned. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). Therefore a devotee in a reverse condition of life, he understands that "I am punished. Little punished for my previous mischievous activities. So now I am becoming liberated." So he becomes more enthused to worship the Lord, that "You are finishing my sinful reaction of life with slight punishment. Thank you very much. This is devotee. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So we have got our business, to please Kṛṣṇa. That is our mission. So despite there are so many inconveniences, we have to do this business. Mūḍhaḥ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ paramam avyayam. They are all mūḍhas. So we have been engaged to teach them some lesson. Caitanya Mahāprabhu did also. He sacrificed all personal comforts, home life. He was learned scholar, very honored in Navadvīpa. He had no grievances with family: His wife, Viṣṇupriyā; affectionate mother, Śacīdevī. But still, He gave up everything for the benefit of the whole world.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Indian woman (5): And do not grieve because this body is meant for death. Now, I think also...

Prabhupāda: So that requires training.

Indian woman (5): Then also compassion will come in, yeah?

Prabhupāda: Everything requires training.

Indian woman (5): But if you are compassionate, you feel the pain. Then how does that go with even-mindedness?

Prabhupāda: Compassion... That is little advanced. That's all. But that is not the stage of perfection. That animal has also, compassion. That is not a very big thing.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Allahabad 20 January, 1952:

1. People in the present age are generally shortliving. The average duration of life being 30 years or so.

2. They are generally not very simple. Almost everyman is designing and crooked.

3. They have no scope for high thinking because they are perplexed with different relative truths.

4. Unfortunate as they are in this age their problems remain unsolved for the whole life even though they are tackled by their leaders. They make the best effort to solve a problem but unfortunately the same becomes more acute and stringent.

5. And above all, people in this age are always distressed by famine, scarcity, grieves and diseases in an increasing ratio.

Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union -- Delhi 21 November, 1956:

Kindly accept my humble obeisances. It is the custom of India from a time immemorial that a citizen of the state would approach the king, to express his grievances for redemption and the king would very kindly consider his case as duty bound and give him necessary relief by the royal judgement:

At the present moment, your excellency is seated in the position of the king by the will and Grace of the Lord and as a true Vaisnava I must accept your excellency as the representative of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, as He has expressed Himself in the pages of Bhagavad-gita. As such I beg to lay before your most exalted honour, the following few lines for favorable consideration and do the needful in pure consciousness.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Delhi 30 September, 1967:

I am very anxious to go to Montreal. Therefore you must try your best to get my immigration visa on the basis of my being an authorized Vaisnava minister, based on Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I hop you have got the copies of my certificates in this connection. If not you can get the same immediately from N.Y. of S.F. centers. I wish that either from Canada or U.S. I should get my visa for free movement.

Regarding the incidence that took place on Janmastami day immediately send the following gentleman a copy of your grievance.

Letter to Jadurani -- Navadvipa 26 October, 1967:

The person who is very careful about his health does not generally fall ill. Similarly a person who is always fixed up in Krishna Consciousness cannot be defeated by maya. Sometimes in spite of our full Krishna Consciousness we fall a victim to maya but that is temporary just as seasonal changes such calamities do come & pass away & we have to endure them. If Kirtanananda has ever sincerely served Krishna, & his spiritual master, he will not fall down. The temporary systems will fall down without delay. We should all pray to Krishna for his steady recovery. My grief for Kirtanananda isn't anything personal but I am sorry that he has become like a mayavadi in spite of my best efforts to help him. Hope you are well.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Yamuna, Harsarani -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1968:

If you have any specific grievance, please let me know, but don't be disturbed by any sort of disagreement with your God-brothers and sisters. Each and every living entity is an individual soul and as such disagreement is quite possible in our dealings with one another but we have to consider the central point of interest. You are both very intelligent sober girls and I have got good estimation of you; do not take at any time an attitude of non-cooperation because you may have not agreed with another's point of view. I have heard about the incidents created by a new devotee, Jivanuga. He appears to be a crazy fellow. He should not have been initiated, but I have given him a chance to improve. Next time I am not going to initiate anybody who has not attended our classes at least for 3 months, and is not recommended by the leading members of the society. Less intelligent persons cannot take to Krishna Consciousness. Please let me know what is your specific grievance, but I request you not to become disturbed.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Sraman Maharaja -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1969:

Please accept my humble dandabats. I thank you very much for your kind letter dated December 31, 1968, I am so much grieved to learn the news of our revered god-brother, Swami Bhakti Sadhak Niskincana Maharaja, and I am so glad to learn that he passed away in full sense chanting "Krishna, Krishna". This is a glorious death. As it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam; Ante Narayana Smriti—this is the successful termination of our material existence. We do not know what will happen to us, but there is a Bengali proverb that everything will be tested at the time of death. So it is glorious for Swami Niskincana Maharaja that he has so gloriously passed away.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 22 April, 1971:

I beg to thank you for your kindly improving our mission in Western world by the hard work of all my students there, and for keeping my apartments and gardens nicely. Just as you are all feeling separation grief for me, similarly I am feeling for you.

Please offer my blessings to all the devotees and I hope this will meet you in very good health.

Letter to Bhagavan -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

Letter to Jagadisa -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

Letter to Karandhara -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- London 20 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. You happen to be a member of the GBC. So whatever you want to do or whatever ideas you want to introduce in the management of our society, please write in a letter and distribute the copies to all the GBC members along with one copy to me also. Then collect the opinions of each and every GBC member and if the majority supports the idea then it should be taken as a fact for being carried out in our society. The majority vote and my opinion should be taken. When the majority opinion is present, my opinion will be yes or no. In most cases it will be yes unless it is grievously against our principles.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Jayadharma -- Ahmedabad 13 December, 1972:

So far your question, how far should the orders of my duly appointed officers like GBC, etc., be obeyed and followed, the answer is that they must always be followed exactly as he says. Have you not heard me on this point? Why these questions are repeated again and again? This individual begging must be stopped. So many questions, it's not good at all. This question-begging is going on, even some of the important men are doing like that, that I know. So how I can say your question from here? I do not know what you are trying to do by such question. Of course, my authorities and so-called officers, they sometimes also order in such a way that everything becomes topsy-turvy. So you may write to me your grievance—what can I do?—but meanwhile you must follow him exactly whatever he says. If there is complaint, I can make adjustment later. But first of all you must without hesitation obey. It is something like the appealing to the higher court if one is not satisfied by decision of the lower court.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress . . . A devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result . . . One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things . . . One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service . . ." such person is described by Krishna as "very dear to Me."

Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973:

We invite everyone to understand the philosophy and reform the activities of life. This is our mission. I do not know why I was refused to enter into your country without giving me any proper explanation. I am therefore very much grieved by the treatment of your airport officials that they stopped me to enter into your city and make so many people disappointed for breaking usual procedure of the Movement, I wish, therefore, that you kindly let me know what is the reason that I was refused to enter without giving me proper notice, or to my men.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Madame Sangupta -- Bombay 15 January, 1975:

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your Bengali letter dated 29-12-74 and have noted the contents. The grievances of family life are always the same everywhere. There is nothing new in your case. I am very glad you have taken shelter there at our Detroit temple. You can remain there without any hesitation and learn how to become a devotee. We have no Bengali books. All of our books are in English, but you can chant always Hare Krishna and follow the rules and regulations and this will help you in the advancement of spiritual life.

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Johannesburg 16 October, 1975:

There is no question of removal at the present moment. We shall sit together in Mayapur if there is any complaint against one another. At the Mayapur meeting, whatever we have decided that is good for one year. So if anything has to be done it will be decided by majority decision of the GBC. I do not wish to give any decision without the GBC's verdict. My only grievance is that I appointed GBC to give me relief from the management but, on the contrary, complaints and counter-complaints are coming to me. Then how my brain can be peaceful. Naturally, I want to see that all of my centres are going nicely, so is it not possible to mitigate the differences of opinion and work smoothly, conjointly. So best thing is that we wait for the Mayapur meeting and decide there combinedly what to do.