Prabhupāda: I have already told that religion means searching after God, every religion. The process may be different. The audience may be different. Just like in Christianity there is conception of God, "God created this world." So this is a fact. We also say. But we say in very lucid explanation from the Vedas. We don't stop, simply saying, "God created," but how created, how things developed, these descriptions are there in the Vedic literature. That is the difference. Otherwise there is no difference of opinion. The Christians accept God created this world; the Jewish religion, they also accept God created this world; the Muslims they also accept God created this world; we also accept God created this world.
I have already (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:
Prabhupāda: The basis of this teaching is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. I have already published my book, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This book is not new. It is very old book, at least five thousand years old, and it is very widely read all over the world. In your country I have seen there are about more than twenty-five different editions, English. Similarly, there is in German language, in England, in Japan. Everywhere, all over the country this book is very widely known, Bhagavad-gītā. In other words, this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The speaker of this book is Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the subject matter of this book is what is our relationship with God. Then, after understanding what is our relationship with God, we can work accordingly.
Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:
Prabhupāda: So that I am doing. That I am attempting. And with this mission, I have come to your country with the hope that if the American people take it very seriously, then it will be the greatest contribution to the world. So I have already published this, my magazines and my books, in this connection. So if people take advantage of this movement, try to understand these books, they will be benefited greatly. So that is the basic principle of my teaching. It is the most perfect humanitarian work. Try to understand. We invite anyone. And take it diligently, put your arguments, logic, understanding, and you will find it is sublime. That is the basic principle of my movement.
Conversation with Religious Group -- July 27, 1968, Montreal:
Prabhupāda: That's all right. I have already told you. That very purchase of ticket and the understanding that you are surely going to London, that is happiness.
Guest (1): But then there is no searching.
Prabhupāda: So what is that? If my destination is London, why there is searching? There is no use of searching.
Conversation with Religious Group -- July 27, 1968, Montreal:
Prabhupāda: No, I don't say search. I have already searched out.
Guest (1): Yes. So then I feel myself that this is not a conference.
Prabhupāda: Why not conference? If I have got some good news to tell you, is it not conference?
Guest (2): Swamiji, I think the objective will be... As far as you are concerned, it will be London. As far as I am concerned, it may be Paris or Hawaii.
Prabhupāda: No, then that is not... No, that is not. Hawaii... Then we have to consider where real happiness, whether it is in Hawaii or in Paris or in...
Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:
Prabhupāda: Yes. The flowers, incense, and fruits, the same thing. I have already explained that whatever He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone offering Me these things in devotion..." So we follow the same principle. So it is very nice thing. If the students follow, they can follow it individually. Even in his own apartment he can keep a picture of Kṛṣṇa and offer a lamp, a candle, and one, I mean to say, incense. He will feel tremendously spiritually advanced. And if he reads these books, his life will be changed completely. That is a fact. (break) And two boys, Kṛṣṇānanda and one German boy, is going there very soon. So, of course, we do not expect to sell English books in Germany very much, but maybe... (end)
Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: The same example as I have already given, that if you want to reside in ocean water, is it possible? If you want to construct a city like New York in the ocean, is it possible?
Reporter: No, but what if they had resided in the ocean or on the ocean for a short period...
Prabhupāda: Anywhere. Any, in the ocean or on the ocean, you cannot build up a city like Los Angeles or New York. That is impossible. So even in your presence, in different atmosphere, you cannot go and live. So similarly, the moon planet is completely different atmosphere. How you can live and go?
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:
Prabhupāda: But this is the point of understanding. That I have already told you, in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if you want to understand, first of all you have to surrender.
Guest (2): Surrender to whom? Not to the ācāryas but to the...
Prabhupāda: First of all find out whom to surrender, then talk.
Guest (2): ...supreme ācārya
Prabhupāda: That's all right. If you think that you are not fit for my surrender, that's all right. But first of all you find out somebody where you can surrender; then talk.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Bob: Was Christ's suffering this...
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained, that he took the sinful reaction of all the people, therefore he suffered.
Bob: I see.
Prabhupāda: He said... That is the Bible, that he has taken all the sinful reactions of the people and he sacrificed his life. But these Christian people, they have made it a law that "Christ will suffer and we shall do all nonsense." Such great fools they are. They are... "Let Jesus Christ make contract for taking all one sinful reaction, and we will go on with all nonsense." That is their religion.
Conversation with Author -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:
Author: I am not (indistinct) his understanding. I think he is worried about my understanding, which is why he is... Right. Well, I appreciate this, but I am trying to convince him that I am going to try to say accurately what your philosophy is. And in this I'll have to rely on your help, because I can't do it otherwise.
Prabhupāda: I have already explained our philosophy.
Author: I'm sorry, not explain. Describe, I think, is a rather better word.
Prabhupāda: That philosophy, if you want to know more, then we can speak more. But that is the outlines of the philosophy, that people, without knowledge of his identification, they are misled, being misled. And that is very risky. Risky means that you have got this opportunity of understanding your position and get out of the difficulties of birth, death, old age, and disease. If you do not properly use this opportunity and again you become cats and dogs, then are you not misled? So present civilization is misleading. They are concerned with a few years enjoyment, so-called enjoyment.
Room Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:
Prabhupāda: Everyone has got some professional or occupational duty. Just like you are printer. We are preachers. Somebody is something else. Everyone has got different occupational duty. So our philosophy is that it doesn't matter what business you are doing, but see that your life is successful. That is our philosophy. And how our life can become successful? Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you can preach Lord Buddha or Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter. I have already explained Lord Buddha is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. So if Lord Buddha is satisfied, then your life is successful. It doesn't matter what you are doing, but by your action Lord Buddha must be satisfied. Just like your assistants. Their business is to satisfy you. Whatever they may do, it doesn't matter. If you are satisfied, their business is successful.
Room Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:
Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. So our program is that, as I have already explained, the success of everything depends how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. So if you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then whatever you want, He will give you, benedict. I will give you one instance. It is stated in Kṛṣṇa Book. Kṛṣṇa was a student of Sāndīpani Muni. So when Kṛṣṇa finished His education, it is the system that the disciple gives some, I mean to say, reward, presentation to the spiritual master, because he has educated. So the disciple requests his spiritual master, "Now I have finished my education. I am going home." Formerly the student used to live with the spiritual master. "So how can I serve you?" So at that time the spiritual master, whatever he wants, the disciple will supply.
Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:
Prabhupāda: There is no separation. Kṛṣṇa is the all-inclusive. Economic problem means eating, sleeping, mating or getting some money. So we are getting money. I have already given you account.
Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:
Prabhupāda: Vedic injunction is, the ultimate goal of human life, to go back to home, back to Godhead. That's all. This is not... As... I have already explained that this is not our home, material world. We are spirit soul. Our real home is spiritual world. So in the lives, different species of life, 8,400,000's of species of life, they cannot understand it, that we are spirit soul, our home is in the spiritual world. They cannot understand it. That opportunity is available in this human form of life. Therefore if we don't take advantage of this information and prepare ourself accordingly, then we are losing the opportunity. Tad api aphala-janma. Anāśrita govinda-caraṇa-dvayam.(?)
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Raise fund. We approach these person for raising fund, that's all. Not for taking any lesson from them. ...Now, to have a temple here, we shall hold a meeting on the Indian gentlemen to raise the fund. You find out some place, immediately, so that while I am remaining, by performing Bhāgavata-saptāha, I'm influencing the Indian rich men here, they can purchase.... She will also contribute for.... October, July, August, September, October. So the negotiation will go on for at least three month, in the meantime she will come. She will also contribute. I have already given her hint. She agrees. So let us find out some nice place.
Interview -- July 20, 1972, Paris:
Prabhupāda: I have already explained what is our mission, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Already I have explained to some extent and if he wants some particular answer he can ask me.
Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The change is up to you; it is your choice. If everyone becomes God conscious, the world becomes the kingdom of God.
Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Rūpa Gosvāmī. So formerly they were living under trees. That I have already described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Later on, when Jīva Gosvāmī constructed this temple, he is nephew and disciple, at that time Rūpa Gosvāmī also, he lived with his disciple.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: They are exactly like cats and dogs. As soon as you enter some country, dog, watchdog: "Wowf! Wowf! Why you have come? What is your position?" ("Where is your visa?"?) This is dog's business. This is dog's business. (laughter) And they have set up immigration department. But it is a dog's business, watchdog. I say it is watchdog's business. A first-class gentleman is being searched out pocket, whether you have got revolver. Cannot be trusted, all these educated rogues and thieves. So what is this advancement of civilization? It is civilization? No sober man, no intelligent man, all cats and dogs, thieves, rogues. Is that civilization? It is not civilization.
Paramahaṁsa: The question I have, Prabhupāda is that before scientific advancement, many people would listen to, like, scriptural knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means śūdras. That I have already said.
Paramahaṁsa: But now they listen more to scientists.
Prabhupāda: That means śūdra. Śūdras are interested to hear from śūdra.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: One life is the food of another.
Prabhupāda: Another. That is not the question. That is also science. And this is also science that every living entity has got... (distortions) You eat. That I have already said, but why do you say something which is not fact?
Devotee: They say what is the difference between an animal and a plant?
Prabhupāda: Maybe different (distortion) difference between you and me. That difference you'll find amongst ourselves. We are all different. But that does not mean I have no soul. Any one of us has soul.
Room Conversation with Educationists -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: This is not religion. This is the only business. Religion is different thing. Suppose... Just like... I have already explained, that you are sleeping, and you have got a good engagement. And somebody's trying to awake you, that "You have to go there. Just get up! Get up!" So this kind of business is not religion. Religion is a, what is a kind of faith, a sentiment. That is different thing. It is the main business of human being. Because we are part and parcel of... Just like a boy, he's very rich man's son. Some way or other, he's out of his home, and he's suffering for want of food, want of shelter. And somebody's giving information that "I know you are such and such big man's son. Why you are loitering in the street? Why don't you go back to your home, back to your father?" So is it not the best business. So everyone is suffering. That I have already explained, how they are suffering. We are trying to save his suffering by dispatching him back to home, back to Godhead. This is our business. So it is not religion. It is the most important humanitarian work.
Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained.
Father Tanner: Yes. But which of those four pillars...?
Prabhupāda: All of them. All of them. Just like one is indulging in intoxication. He may say that "I am very pure." But how one can become pure, he's addicted to intoxicants? So I heard from one of my disciples that there is a hospital in U.S.A., and five thousand priests are there for curing their intoxication habit. Do you know that?
Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Father Tanner: What...? Would you ever admit that a spirit could fail after his last chance...?
Prabhupāda: That misuse of little independence. That I have already told. He has got little independence. So so long he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he remains in a spiritual body along with the Lord.
Father Tanner: No, I'm saying is it possible for any spirit not ultimately, after his various transmigrations through bodies, is it possible for any spirit never to regain contact with the Lord?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If he comes in contact with a servant of God, then he revives his old consciousness, original consciousness.
Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: No, you don't, you do not want, you want or not want, that is not the question. First of all you must know what is your real identity. You do not want and do want, that independence you have got always. That is a different thing. But first of all you must know what is your identity. Your identity is... That I have already explained. The... You are part and parcel of God. So far we understand, our philosophy is... From the Bhagavad-gītā. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. The whole thing is one unity, unit, and everything is part and parcel of God, His energy. So we, the marginal energy, living entities, we are also part and parcel of God. As part and parcel of God, what is my duty? Just like this finger. There is itching. Immediately it comes, serves.
Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:
Mother: Well, my brain works and I also, if there was a war tomorrow, I could go and be a nurse and look after the sick...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's all right.
Mother: ...and still be with God.
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. There are four divisions. So one division can take help of the other division. That is another thing. But you are asking that, "You are simply interested in brain. Why not for the leg?" But we are interested. But not in that way. When we can see that I can pay for the medical man and I can get the help, why shall I waste my time to become a medical man.
Room Conversation -- London, August 24, 1973 :
Prabhupāda: Suffering another way. Nobody is, is free from suffering. I have already explained. There are three kinds of suffering. So who is free from this suffering? You may not be suffering from any bodily disease, but you may be suffering from mental agony. You may not be suffering from mental agony, but you may suffer, suffering imposed by others. There are so many suffering. This place is suffering. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. This place is for suffering. Duḥkhālayam. Duhkha means suffering, alayam means place. Asasvatam. And still you cannot make adjustment. You, if you say "All right, let there be a little suffering. Let me stay here," that also will not be allowed. You will be kicked out: "Get out!" Then you have to accept another body.
Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: No, it is not faith, belief. It is a fact. Just like, I have already given you the example. You were a child. That body's no longer existing, but you know that you were a child. Therefore the conclusion is that although the body has changed, but you the soul, the knower, is still there. Therefore, when this body will be changed, you'll exist in another body.
Guest (2): In what form?
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. First of all you have to accept this fact, that you have to change this body. As you have already changed so many times. Tathā... Kṛṣṇa first of all says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Antara, another body you have to accept.
Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Anyone lives in that way, that "Kṛṣṇa has put me in this distressed condition of life. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. I would have been put into more severe condition of life, but He is a little, giving me little pain. So I must be very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa that He's so kind upon me." So if one lives like that, mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk, he has got the claim to become liberated. Just like a son has got the right to claim the property of father, similarly, one who lives like this, he has the claim to become liberated. Mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk. That is... This is Bhāgavata's statement. And similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā, also it is stated... Sit down. Yes. Why you are late? We have talked so many things.
Woman: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha. That I have already explained.
- mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
- śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
- āgamāpāyino 'nityās
- tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
- (BG 2.14)
Just like one is in winter season, and the winter... Not in this country. In Western countries, it becomes below thirty degrees.
Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes, dadāti. That I have already explained. Dadāti. He must give. Give. Everyone goes to God to beg, "God, give us our daily bread." But one must go to God to give Him. If I do not give bread to Kṛṣṇa, he will be starving. This is devotee's mentality. Yaśodāmāyī, Yaśodāmāyī is thinking, Kṛṣṇa, "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa well, my child will die." This is devotion. Otherwise everyone is asking from Kṛṣṇa. But Yaśodā-mā is thinking that "If I do not maintain Kṛṣṇa properly, He will die." Therefore he (she) is always trying to supply everything, mākhana, miśri. So real love begins when you try to give God.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Therefore I have already explained. There must be a class of men like me. They are called brāhmaṇa. They should help others. One who cannot rise so early, they will help him by his knowledge. He, the man who cannot rise early in the morning and cannot take the brahminical principle, śūdra, kṣatriya, vaiśya, he should be helped with the knowledge acquired by the brāhmaṇa. Just like the same example. The leg. Leg is not brain. The brain will give direction to the leg, "You go this side." Then it is perfect. The leg has no brain, but the brain is there. If he takes the advice of the brain and goes... Just like... It is called the logic of blind and lame.
Morning Walk -- December 3, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes, that chemical evolution is part of life demonstration. That I have already explained. Just like the chemical, citric acid, coming from lemon tree, a life. It is coming. So all chemicals are being produced... Just like in your body, in my body, there are so many chemicals. Because the body is there, the chemicals are coming. In my urine you will find so much, so many chemicals. In my stool you will find so many chemicals. Wherefrom the chemicals coming? Daily, enzymes, so many other chemicals are coming. Simply the medical man analyzes the urine, and so many chemicals are there.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:
Devotee (2): There is a fish called the starfish. It has five arms, and if it loses one arm it will grow that arm back, or that arm will grow back four other arms.
Prabhupāda: (laughs)
Karandhara: That's just material generation.
Prabhupāda: No, no. I have already said there is an idea that even in the insignificant material element we find this, that one is lost, another's grown. (break) So when the Supreme Absolute Truth is there, how much potency? That is explained in the Vedas. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). This is the idea of the Absolute. You take the complete from the complete, still it is complete.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So whenever he works, he never cares about anything, but he carries his only piece of paper and pen so that he can write molecules. So his consciousness is only on molecules, and he is very happy.
Prabhupāda: That is nice. That is māyā. That is māyā. Even the pig is happy eating stool. That is māyā. Āvaraṇātmika-śakti (?). Covering energy of māyā. Unless he's covered, he cannot eat and enjoy.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So these are all guided by māyā.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is conducting everything, as you are associating with qualities of prakṛti. That I have already explained.
Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Acintya, acintya, yes, acintya. Acintya potency, even you have got acintya potency. That I have already explained. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore there is pinch of acintya, inconceivable potency, in us also. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma... (CC Adi 17.21).
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Do we have any specific reference?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Jīva Gosvāmī. Jīva Gosvāmī has stated that unless we accept acintya, inconceivable energy, there is no conception of God. There is no conception of God. If you bring God to your conception, he's not God.
Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: No, I have already explained. What is not God? That is already explained. Anything you bring, He is, God is there. Without God, nothing can exist. So why this or that? Anything, that is God. But He's absolute. His love and His enmity, that is the same thing. We distinguish, here in this material world, "This is love and this is animosity." But God's animosity and God's love—the same thing. That is acintya. Here in the relative world we cannot adjust how animosity and love can be the same, one and the same. That is acintya, inconceivable by us. But God's love... Just like God's love for the gopīs and God's enmity for Kaṁsa, they're reaching the same result.
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Nobody may vote but we must go on preaching. That I have already explained, some of the university. The whole country is illiterate. Does it mean university should be stopped? University must be there. One who is fortunate will come and take education. It is not an argument that "People are illiterate. They don't care for it. Therefore let the university be closed." This is no argument.
Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That is your theory that because the cells were working, the man was living. That is your theory. But our theory is that because he was there, the cells were working. That is our theory. Because the soul was there, therefore the cells were working. But you take... That I have already explained. You take the cause as effect, and effect as... Because you have no sufficient knowledge. Therefore in illusion, you take the cause as effect or effect as cause. You do not know what is the cause and what is the effect.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 3, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Quickest way to knowledge... That I told you; take the knowledge from the authority. The example I have already given that you cannot make research, search out who is your father. But if you go to the authority, mother, immediately you understand. This is the quickest way.
New Devotee: The thing that's tearing me apart is, um...
Prabhupāda: But just try to understand this. The principle is that if you receive knowledge from the real authority, that is perfect and quick. And if with your imperfect senses you want to acquire knowledge by searching out, it will never be successful. The modern method is to search out the truth by their imperfect senses. All these scientists, philosophers, they are doing that. They admit that their senses are imperfect. Still, they are trying to go to the perfect by the imperfect senses. This is their defect. They are hoping that "Our imperfectness will be perfect by this research work." That is not possible. Imperfectness will remain ever imperfect.
Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, no. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had talk with the Pāṭhānas. He proved that "Your religion is Vaiṣṇavism."
Dr. Patel: Christianity is Vaiṣṇavism 100%.
Prabhupāda: Therefore in Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is. I have already explained that.
Dr. Patel: No, Christianity is 100% Vaiṣṇavism. I have studied Christianity very well.
Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: Then you make citta-bhukti nirodha (indistinct) yoga, and that nirodha, yoga, again that vacuum should not be allowed to be formed, but it should be filled with the, with God.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: That is bhakti. Am I right?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: I think my understanding is not-
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: I want to be corrected by you.
Prabhupāda: I have already told you, you are śānta-rasa bhakta. (break) ...originally, as spirit soul, everyone is Vaiṣṇava. Everyone is Vaiṣṇava.
Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: All rascals! Let them come! Let them come. Yes! I shall kick on their face!!! I am so strong. Where is good man?!
Dr. Patel: You see...
Prabhupāda: I have already kicked already that... What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bala Yogi.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi) and (Hindi). And he's a dog! In public meeting.
Dr. Patel: I meet with all these fellows. We talk of general philosophy.
Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:
Parivrājakācārya: Would the...? The persons who would take part in such program, they would have to be devotees in the first place. Is that...?
Prabhupāda: Devotees is... I have already explained. We are all devotees. Past condition, we are all devotees. We are not, we do not belong to this varṇāśrama. I have already told you. Suppose I am mopping. So that does not mean I am mopper. But I am teaching how to mop. This is our position.
Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Now you have to understand as it is in the dictionary.
Guest: Well, as it is used by people. You have to understand it as, as it's used, you know, in uh, by, by the people who are using this word to...
Prabhupāda: Nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means, I have already explained, this is the people take, those who know Sanskrit, nirvāṇa means extinguished. Now, you may have different meaning.
Room Conversation -- March 20, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: What is that liberty? Therefore we have to educate public that the...
Guest: And another thing, regarding the propaganda, as you said rightfully, that that propaganda you have to make in the city and not in the Juhu area. Because here...
Prabhupāda: No, no, in the city. I have told you. A big, big hall.
Guest: Yes. A big halls or a pandal as we had held two years back.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
Guest: I don't know how you have got the sanction.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes.
Guest: And there the people can come in the thousands and...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that I have already said.
Guest: ...on the neighboring stand, we should raise...
Prabhupāda: No, we request them that "You have taken so many ways, but your problems are not... Why not take this simple problem? Come with us, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and try to understand little, one śloka from Bhagavad-gītā. What is the...? You have no loss. But if you do it, we assure you the solution is there, all solution." Let us make this propaganda. Never mind, they do not sanction forever. It doesn't matter. But this propaganda wanted. What is that temple? Temple, there are many thousands.
Morning Walk -- March 25, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: And if I have got this shawl, if I am thinking, "I am shawl," that is my ignorance. But either shawl or shirt, we are all individuals. That is (indistinct) This, this is ignorance. But ignorance or knowledge, we are all individual.
Guest (1): Body consciousness is not, I mean it is... Suppose somebody insults me.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guest (1): Suppose somebody insults a God-minded person, and the God-minded person thinks, "Well, he's not insul..., he's insulting this body, and not the living entity in me." That means he has lost the body consciousness. Suppose if beats with a stick, and he goes...
Prabhupāda: No, no. That, that is ignorance. I have already explained.
Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: That is going on, that is going on...
Dr. Patel: On these... These ārambha-parityāgī. You don't take any, any cognizance of these works being done by the body. I think, that is to my mind, the exact meaning. I have not been able to (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: No, that I have already explained. If you have taken seriously Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so something happening due to my past habit, you should not take care of it. It will subside.
Chandobhai: Ārambha.
Dr. Patel: Sarva-ārambha parityāgī. (break)
Prabhupāda: This is the final conclusion of... Final conclusion, that if anyone has taken devotional service seriously, avyabhicāriṇi, avyabhicāriṇi. Avyabhicāriṇi means as instructed by the spiritual master. If one takes this business very seriously, and he's executing that, then he's guṇātīta. That's all.
Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes, without, without God, there cannot be anything.
Dr. Patel: There should be an ounce of Nārāyaṇa...
Prabhupāda: That does not mean... That I have already explained. But that does not mean he has become Nārāyaṇa.
Dr. Patel: I don't say he has become Nārāyaṇa.
Prabhupāda: But they, they say, daridra-nārāyaṇa. They say, the rascals say like that.
Dr. Patel: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...difficulty. All rascals, they have become leaders. They have no knowledge, and they become leaders. Therefore the whole world is in chaos.
Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Mayy āsakta. You just try to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. And the process is being explained in the Seventh Chapter. That is the only way. (break) ...sun is open to be visible by everyone. And Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sunshine." Why do they say that "I do not see Kṛṣṇa?" Here is Kṛṣṇa. And you take the water, taste it. That salty taste is Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. The prabhā of sūrya is there, and the water is there. You can see immediately Kṛṣṇa. Immediately.
Guest (5): Why did He create suffering when He could have created a permanent paradise on earth?
Prabhupāda: Eh? Eh?
Guest (5): Why did God create suffering...
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. That I have already explained. When you infect some disease, you suffer. That is your creation.
Guest (5): Why create the wrongdoers?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he does not hear Kṛṣṇa. He must be committing mistake.
Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, no, no, no. You created. Why do you blame?
Guest (5): How I was created, I created this universe?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. So you were created to serve God, but you do not serve God. You want sense gratification. That is your fault.
Guest (5): He's self-sufficient. He doesn't need service.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Why you are repeating that question like a fool? (laughter) I have answered this. If you disturb in that way, don't question. I have already, that you created everything.
Press Conference -- April 18, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So where are these things? How you can expect good society, good management? If you want good society, good management, people happy in this life and next, then you have to adopt the principles given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are preaching the cult of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much.
Mahāṁśa: Now we open the placement to your questions.
Prabhupāda: Yes, upon this, what I have already stated, you can...
Guest (1): Since you are following Bhagavad-gītā, do you believe in dvaita philosophy or advaita philosophy?
Prabhupāda: Well, first of all try to understand what is written in the Bhagavad-gītā. Then you try to understand the philosophy. It is simple thing. Kṛṣṇa says that annād bhavanti parjanyāt. So there is no need of dvaita philosophy or advaita philosophy. You require anna to maintain the animals and living men. Practically. Dvaita philosophy and advaita philosophy, this is controversial. But even though we agree to dvaita philosophy or advaita philosophy, the question of food grain will be required, either you become dvaita philosophy or advaita philosophy.
Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: Yes the whole basic principle I have already explained. Because they are animals, so sometimes ferocious animal. That's all. Animal, there are different types of animals. Tigers and lions, they are ferocious animal. But you live in the animal society. So animal society, some, another animal comes as very ferocious, that is not very astonishing. After all, you are living in animal society. So you become human being, ideal. This is the only solution. We have already declared, this is animal society. If some ferocious animal comes out, so where is the astonishment? After all, it is animal society. Either a tiger comes or elephant comes, they are all animals. That's all.
Room Conversation with Prof. Regamay, Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Lausanne -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:
Prabhupāda: So the sky is one. Sky is one. So in the sky, in the atmosphere, where God is forgotten, that is called material sky. And the sky where God is not forgotten, that is spiritual sky. Just like the sky is one, and the sun is one. But when your eyes are covered by cloud, you say the cloudy sky. The sky is not cloudy. The sky is one, it is always clear. But some portion of the sky there is cloud, and you say, "This is cloudy." (break) Similarly, materialism means when you forget Kṛṣṇa, that is material. And when you know Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual.
Prof. Regamay: Now, one question still. Why in the Ṛg Veda there is not even the name of Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: Oh yes, Viṣṇu, there is. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, I have already. There is no difference.
Prof. Regamay: Viṣṇu, yes, but not the name of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No, in Atharva Veda there is name of Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:
Prabhupāda: Well, Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is the same thing. It is external. Kṛṣṇa... Somebody says Kṛṣṇa is avatāra of Viṣṇu, and we say that Viṣṇu is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Now, this example I have already given. Just like one candle. The another, ignite another candle, ignite another candle... Now, all these candles, so far light-giving power the same. But you can call, "This is first candle. This is second candle." And if you say the second candle is first candle, so there is no trouble because the candle power is the same.
Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. That pure energy is spiritual energy, and from that spiritual energy the material energy comes out. That I have already said: From the soul the matter grows. So that is spiritual energy. The basic energy is spiritual. And because the spiritual energy is the cause and the material energy is the effect, therefore in one sense we can say there is no difference between material energy and spiritual energy. Because spiritual energy is the cause, and material energy effect. Effect may be presented in different forms. Just like cotton is the cause of thread. And the thread is transformed into cloth. But you cannot take cotton for cloth. The cotton is there in the cloth in a different, transformed, transform, but you cannot accept, when you require a cloth, you cannot take cotton. This is a crude example.
Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:
Prabhupāda: Then this is scientific. That I have already explained. So the, the supreme source of everything is Kṛṣṇa.
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Read it.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."
Prabhupāda: That's it. He is the source of everything. So-called material, so-called spiritual—everything coming from Him. Therefore everything transformed... Or not transformed. Everything is transforming. That's all right. Therefore everything belongs to Him. So everything should be employed for His satisfaction. That is perfection. Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, when one becomes actually scientist, he understands, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything." Find out.
Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: Why you bring Vi...? You are talking of living entities. Why do you bring Viṣṇu?
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: So the point then is that means one can have a conditioned desire or a material desire even without being in the material world.
Prabhupāda: He is already... That I have already explained. Suptottitha-nyāya. In the morning, as soon as you get up, you remember that you have to do so many things. That means it was already there.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Right. Is that just like the impersonalists? They go up into the brahmajyoti, but they have desire. So they have to come back down.
Prabhupāda: No, this is not going to the brahmajyoti. Those who..., brahmajyoti, they do not come in that way. They come in their own frustration.
Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: No, we have to make this propaganda because we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa orders, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). So we must take to agricultural work to produce food and give protection to the cows. And if there is excess product, we trade. This simple thing we must do. Therefore I'm anxious to take outside Paris this center. Our people should live there peacefully, produce food grains, give protection to the cows, and work hard. And if there is excess product, you can make money also. With ghee, you can start so many restaurants. That I have already... I have discussed on this point. We can make good money. We'll not be loser. Kṛṣṇa conscious men, they'll be never loser by following the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. They'll live comfortably without any material want, and tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), and after leaving this body, go to, directly to God. This is also...
Yogeśvara: We can produce food and ghee on the farm, and then bring it and make prasādam and sell it in the restaurant.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, we can open our own restaurant. Our own restaurant, that I have already suggested. You have not discussed?
Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell, Head of Scots Church -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:
Reverend Powell: What is your attitude to Jesus?
Prabhupāda: I have already explained in the meeting.
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We, we respect him as transcendental representative of God, son of God. Yes. He's...
Reverend Powell: Is there some sort of relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa? I mean...
Prabhupāda: Yes, there is relationship. He's coming from Kṛṣṇa. He... Jesus the Christ. Christ means Christo or Kristo or Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: They do not know except this thing, anyone. Anyone. They have no other desire. That without sex life there can be higher transcendental, eternal pleasure, they do not know it. Whole world, whole universe, whole material creation is centered around that. It is the pivot. That I have already explained. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). That is there. They do not know anything else.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: Jīva. So as there are bhagavān—somebody is rich, somebody is poor; this is also due to fortune or misfortune—similarly, if one is spiritually fortunate he gets a bona fide spiritual master.
Guest (2): Do you have any opinions about some of the other Indian masters who have been...
Prabhupāda: That I have already said, that unless one is bona fide servant of God, he cannot become master.
Guest (2): I mean specific people like Guru Maharaji.
Prabhupāda: So Guru Maharaji says that he is God himself. Then he's a bogus. How he can be God? God is so cheap? So only the foolish person will accept him. Those who have no knowledge.
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: You have to understand... I have already said that we have got our imperfect senses. We cannot understand. But we have to understand from a person who has got perfect knowledge.
Professor: But why existence of all these things?
Prabhupāda: So? Why? Then the answer will be: "Why there shall not be existence?" First of all you answer this. If you question like that—"Why there is existence?"—then I shall inquire, "Why there shall not be existence?" Therefore the decision should be taken from the Absolute. Your question, my answer, will not solve. If you say, "Why there is existence?" I can ask you, "Why there shall not be existence?" And who will decide this?
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: Our position is—I have already explained—that we are all imperfect. Therefore we have to take knowledge from the perfect. So God is perfect, or Kṛṣṇa is perfect, so we have to receive knowledge from Him. Then our knowledge is perfect. And so long we shall speculate, that is not perfect because you are speculating with imperfect instruments, what is the use? If I want to cut this table, I must have proper instrument. If I want to cut this table with this book, "Let me cut this," how it will be possible? You must know that for cutting this table it requires this instrument.
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: Identity is there. That, therefore, I have already said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānṁ. Both of them are identical so far nitya is concerned or cetana is concerned, but one is dependent, and other is maintainer. That is difference. Both of them are truth. Both of them truth. You are truth; I am truth. You are living; I am living, existing. This is truth. This is truth, but you are professor and I am something else. That is temporary. But so far you are, as living being, and I am, as living being, that is truth. But your dress and my dress, that is temporary. So we have to understand like that.
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: That I have already said, that you take the vibration from the Vedic knowledge and you experiment it. Observation and experiment, that is scientific. So first of all observation and then experiment. And when you are satisfied by experiment, then it is perfect knowledge.
Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: That I have already discussed, that you have to go to the perfect and take his experience. And then, gradually, you become a perfect.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): So then everything would be an act of faith, simply to believe.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no, not believe. You just corroborate it with your experimental knowledge, and you will find it is right. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that...
Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: There is no solution. There is no solution. You have no solution for anything, so you have increased your problems. Without perfect knowledge, you'll simply increase your problems. That's all.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): How can we get this perfect knowledge and how can we practice it if we're like prisoners?
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. You have to go to the perfect person.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said first of all that he asked you to give evidence, but that you did not. You said that you'd have evidence, but you did not give it.
Prabhupāda: Here is evidence. I have said that Kṛṣṇa says the proprietor lives within the body. Now you just try to understand and you will find that yes, this body is not the... This is a property. The proprietor is within. That is perfect knowledge. Just like a big mill going on. But if somebody does not find out the proprietor, then does it mean that there is no proprietor?
Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: No, we are not talking of religion. We are talking of philosophy and science. When we talk about these things that the occupier of the body is within the body, it is neither any Christian knowledge nor Hindu knowledge nor... It is fact. It is a science. The science cannot be "I believe or you believe or you..." That is not science. Science is science. I have already said. Two plus two equal to four is equally applicable everywhere. Similarly, this is knowledge, that the proprietor, or the occupier of the body, is within the body. You can study from any angle of vision. The fact is there.
Room Conversation with Metaphysics Society -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: God is person. That I have already explained, that the government is impersonal, the president is person, but the president is more important than the whole government. Just like a man in the court of the government is condemned to die. So there is no law in the government which can save him. But if the president shows him mercy, he can save him. Therefore, the president is more powerful than all the laws in the government. Therefore he is important.
Room Conversation with Psychiatrist -- February 22, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: That I have already said, that the driver is different from the car. But if you simply take care of the car, not of the driver, is that very good intelligence?
Psychiatrist (Hṛdayānanda): He agrees with that, that one should keep the body in the best condition in order to try to advance in life as far as possible.
Prabhupāda: No, unless you take care of the driver, the car cannot run.
Psychiatrist (Hṛdayānanda): He also believes in the spiritual advancement, but he feels that the body must be kept in the best possible condition.
Prabhupāda: That we also say. We never say... I have already given the example that the driver is different from the car, but if you simply take care of the car and do not take care of the driver, is that very good intelligence?
Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are all eternal. That is nityo nityānām. I have already explained. Nitya means eternal. There are two eternals: one chief eternal, God, and one subordinate eternals, they are plural number. God is one, and we are many. Father is one; the children are many. Similarly, both the father and the children are eternal. God is not created, and the childrens are not created. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā. All these living entity, they are never created; neither they ever die. Nityaḥ śāśvatam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They are eternal, ever existing. Even after the destruction of the body, they are not annihilated. So God is eternal. That I have already explained. And we living entities, we are also eternal. How the son can be otherwise? If the father is eternal, the son is also eternal. The son cannot be... Because son is the expansion, part and parcel of the father, so all the qualities of the father are there. The only quality difference is the father maintainer and the sons are maintained. That means the father has got unlimited resources to maintain the sons, and the sons, they have no resources. They are maintained by the father.
Interview -- March 5, 1975, New York:
Prabhupāda: That will include everything. If we make Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes perfectly educated. We do not require to... Just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the water reaches everywhere. And if you pour water on the leaf, on the twig, or on the branch, it does not go anywhere. It is localized. So at the present moment, service is a particular departmental service, not all-including. So, to educate people in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to educate him all round.
Reporter: I understand, Swamiji. Again the deficiency is obviously with my question. My question relates to service to the outer world by your disciples.
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained...
Reporter: Yes, but...
Prabhupāda: That if you pour water on the root of the tree, the service reaches everywhere.
Conversation with Devotees -- March 31, 1975, Mayapur:
Acyutānanda: What if they say Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a devotee, He worshiped the Supreme Lord, kīrtana, but His disciples say He's God?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Acyutānanda: Simply the disciples have said He's God.
Prabhupāda: No. That... Why do you...? I have already said that He's supported by śāstra. He's supported by śāstra. He's supported by learned scholars, means, in the transcendental scholars. And supported by guru. We follow our guru. So guru says; śāstra says; saintly persons say. Therefore we accept.
Room Conversation with Kim Cornish -- May 8, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: Consciousness is the symptom of ātmā. Because the ātmā is within your body, therefore your consciousness is there. Now, because the ātmā is within the body, if I pinch or if you pinch my body, I feel pains and pleasures. As soon as the ātmā is not there, it will be cut with a chopper, there is no protest. So, that ātmā is present within this body, that is understood by the presence of consciousness. Just like we are here in this room, but this light is the reflection of the sunshine. We understand there is sun in the sky. The light and heat we are feeling, that means the sun is in the sky. Similarly, our consciousness and knowledge, etc., are there, that means that the ātmā is there. The same ātmā, when it will go out of this body, there will be no more consciousness, no more knowledge, no more feelings of pains and pleasures.
Kim: Can one say what qualities the ātman has?
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. Eternity, knowledge and blissfulness.
Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Learned scholars, philosophers, they should understand the importance of this movement and how it is beneficial. They are suffering for want of knowledge of the spirit soul. They are keeping themselves in the animal platform with their so-called education, but unless there is spiritual understanding, the education has no value. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa mano-rathena asato dhavato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). He will remain on the mental platform. And mind is now materially contaminated. So even if he remains in the mental platform, he remains in the material platform. He cannot make any improvement. One has to come to the spiritual platform. That is required.
Dharmādhyakṣa: Prabhupāda, what is the symptom that you have reached the spiritual platform?
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. These persons who are on the mental platform, they will argue, "The animal has no soul."
Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: No, I don't say bad thing. I say if you are serious about God, now, here is God.
Dr. Pore: That's what a university in part is for, to study about how people have thought on different matters.
Prabhupāda: No, that's all right. I have already said. If you are seeking after something, if you get that something, why don't you accept it?
Dr. Pore: Do you believe that Christ said that Kṛṣṇa was his father?
Prabhupāda: The name may be different. Just like in our countries we say this flower something. You say something, something. But the subject matter must be the same. Name is not... You can say in a different way, as you understand. But God is one. God cannot be two. You may give Him different names. That is different thing. But God is one. God cannot be two.
Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Just like the sun. It is a fire light, but heat and light is expanded throughout the universe. So similarly, God is one and His energy is expanded everywhere. You can understand Him by His energies. Just like the government, the president, he is not here, but still, we are under government. Who can deny, that "I am not under government"? If you say, "I do not see who is president. What is the government?" That is not argument. You are. Simply you have to make your eyes to see how you are under Kṛṣṇa. That is required. But you are already.
Dr. Pore: But then God in His essence is Ātman, Brahman, not Kṛṣṇa. Is that what you're saying?
Prabhupāda: God is three. I have already given you the example. The sunshine, then sun globe, and the deity within the sun globe, they are all one; still, they are different.
Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: And not only that, horrible scene.
Bahulāśva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Killing and like that.
Dharmadyaksa: They sit hypnotized. They say we are becoming hypnotized by chanting, but actually they are hypnotized by this TV set.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that I have already explained. We must be hypnotized. If we do not become hypnotized by Kṛṣṇa, then we must be hypnotized by this television and other. (break) ...pūrṇimā? No. Full moon, last night? No.
Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:
Prabhupāda: That always remains. But when it is not purified, you perceive material things. When it is purified, you perceive spiritual things.
Devotee (2): So the same gross senses will be able to see spiritual things.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is purified. Bhakti is the purifying process. I have already said. Not that the eyes are suffering from cataract disease, "Pluck out." That is Māyāvādī philosophy.
Devotee (2): What does that mean, then, when the yogis withdraw their senses from the objects like it says like the tortoise withdraws his limbs within the shell? What does that refer to then?
Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that? I do not follow.
Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Again foolishness. That irritates me. When they speak like that, rascal, that irritates me. (laughter) Therefore I simply call them rascal. (break) Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇaḥ. They are claiming very, very, big man, but as soon as we see that he is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we reject, "He is a foolish." (break) There is... That is a fact, one case was going on, and the judge was dozing, like that. So his clerk warned, "You are dozing. Big, big lawyers, they are talking." "So let these rascals go on talking. I have already concluded my..., (laughter) what judgment I shall give. Let them..." (laughs) So our is like that. We don't hear these rascals. Our judgment is already there. They are rascals. That's all. Let them talk whole day and night. The judge said to the clerk that "I have already made my judgment, so let these foolish men go on talking." (break) ...minister of Orissa, he has promised a land in Jagannātha Purī. So if we get that land, is it not possible to construct another Jagannātha temple? You'll earn the American money here.
Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already in the beginning said, that give us facilities, the authorities, to chant the holy name of God and distribute prasādam. Prasādam means...
Lt. Mozee: Yes, I understand.
Prabhupāda: ...some refreshment as remnants of foodstuff of God. Then it will make tremendous change. I came from India alone; now I have got so many followers. So what did I do? I did the same thing. I asked them to sit down, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and distribute them little prasādam. This should be done in a mass scale, and then things will become very peaceful. It is fact. So I want little cooperation of the authorities to give me the facility, how I can call many men together, chant together Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and I supply them little refreshment, that's all.
Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Yes. One who does not like to take the risk, they do not take the risk of preaching. But one who takes the risk, he is recognized by Kṛṣṇa immediately, "Oh, he is taking risk." But he must know where to take risk and where to act foolishly. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu took the risk of being injured. But He was certain that "I can deliver him." That is...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You took a great risk also, Prabhupāda, by coming to us.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. I have already written that. I was thinking that "What shall I do here? I have come here. As soon as I shall impose these four principles they will say, 'Go home.' " But I took that risk. I never said anything palatable. Against their activities, "You don't do this, don't do this."
Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: No. First-class man means... I have already explained. He is the brain. Everyone should take advice from him. That is first-class man. And he will give perfect advice. That is first-class man.
Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: No, she has got structure—she has got brain. I have already told. But not as good as man's brain.
Reporter (3): You means she's not qualified as first, second, or third-class until she marries?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Woman requires to be protected—in childhood by the father, in youthhood by the husband, and in old age by the elderly sons.
Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:
Prabhupāda: This is religion. I have already explained that religion means to become lover of God. That is religion. When there is no love of God, that is not religion. Religion means—I have already explained—to know God and to love Him. So if you do not know what is God, where is the question of loving Him? So that is not religion. It is going on in the name of religion. But religion means to know God and to love Him. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇitām (SB 6.3.19). Can you find out this verse? Give him. You don't find?
Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:
Prabhupāda: But how can you interpret...? That I have already explained. How can you interpret the government's order, "Keep to the left," and "Keep to the right"? You have no right to interpret. If you interpret, then you become a foolish man because that interpretation will not be accepted. If you say, "What is the wrong there? Both ways there are roads. So if I keep to the left, what is wrong there?" You can interpret like that. But as soon as you interpret like that, you become a criminal. So all these interpretation are unauthorized, criminal. That they do not know because they are foolish men. You cannot interpret.
Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:
Prabhupāda: So this instruction is strīṣu duṣṭāsu: "When women become polluted, there is unwanted population." That is coming all over the world, the hippies. Therefore the first thing is how to train up women not to become polluted. This is the way of... In the modern society they have given women freedom. That I have already explained. In the name of freedom of woman, they are being exploited. Everything is there: social, religious, political, cultural, educational. We have to accept that course. Then everything will be all right. If you don't accept, then you have to suffer problems. It is not meant for a particular class of men or particular country, it is meant for the whole human society.
Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore devotee, without any knowledge he becomes devotee. That faith, only faith. The devotee advances. Jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukī. Later on, they become automatically full of knowledge because they have strong faith. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy: (BG 10.11) "Because he is faithful, therefore I help him how to get knowledge." Again you come to that. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Everything is there.
Jayādvaita: Your lecture yesterday was so nice, Śrīla Prabhupāda, everything, so many ideas from Bhagavad-gītā, all explained and put together so nicely.
Paramahaṁsa: Blind faith is the belief that little...
Prabhupāda: Blind faith, without... That I have already explained. Immediately, why do you forget? He shows me, "Prabhupāda, come this way." So I have no faith. Why shall I go? Then I have stop here, finished, movement finished. So you have to keep faith blindly. And if the man who is giving direction, he is perfect, then your faith will make you advanced. But if you go to a rascal cheater and if you have faith, blind faith, then you are lost.
Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:
Prabhupāda: Milk you are collecting. So put in the pan. I have already explained. From milk stage to yogurt, yogurt to old yogurt, from old yogurt to butter, and then water, that whey. Then butter convert into ghee and whey, you can use, instead of drinking water, drink whey. Not a single drop of milk will be wasted, if you know how to do it. And you can take as much milk as possible, because ultimately it is going to be ghee. So if you start in the cities, nice restaurant, so ghee can be sold there. They'll pay for that. And they can prepare nice preparations, kachoris, samosa, sweetballs. Or milk, if you don't convert into yogurt, then naturally it will become... What is called?
Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:
Prabhupāda: No... Kṣatriyas, I have already explained who is brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya according to guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), as you work, as you are fit for. If you are fit to become brāhmaṇa, become brāhmaṇa. If you are fit to become kṣatriya, become kṣatriya. If you are fit to become śūdra, do it. Three... Then... And a man who cannot become fit for any other purpose, he is śūdra. That's all. "Help. Help the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and take your food and little pocket expense. That's all." Little pocket expenditure. But in our society we don't require, but even if it is required we can give.
Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: No, freedom, if I have got already, why shall I pay? I have already paid. Why you're inducing? I am already enjoying. Why you are inducing me to work hard? I have paid for it. By my karma in my previous life I have already paid for that; therefore I am enjoying.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't believe in the law of karma.
Prabhupāda: Therefore they are rascals. Rascal. This is a rascal civilization. Rascal civilization: one side, they say contraceptive; another side, they will encourage woman to marry three times a week. This is their civilization. If you want stop population why you are inducing "Indulge in sex life"? Stop sex life—brahmacārī. Everything is contradictory. And it is all sense gratification, based on sense gratification.
Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is trying for peace in the world. I have already referred to the United Nations organization. They are also trying peace of the world. But one must know the right way how to bring peace in the world. So our proposition is that if you keep the human being as good as animal, then how there can be peace? There cannot be any peace among animal society. (aside:) Aiye. Let him... Jaya. This is our proposal. So we are bringing these Europeans, Americans, Africans, Canadians, Australians to this platform of understanding, that "We are human being; we are not animals." The... First I have already explained. So long we shall remain in the bodily concept of life, then we remain animal.
Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: But that is your lack of knowledge. I have already explained that, that yogurt is not different from milk. It is milk but still, it is not milk. You have to understand like that. Lord Śiva is not different from Viṣṇu, but he's still not Viṣṇu.
Indian man (7): No, but do we offer the prayer first to Śiva...?
Prabhupāda: That you do. There is no harm. Lord Śiva is also called Mahādeva. Amongst the demigods, he is the chief. So if you worship Lord Śiva... We also worship Śiva. It is not that we disrespect Śiva. We offer our utmost respect to Lord Śiva. But that does not mean that he is the Supreme Lord.
Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: That you do. There is no harm. Lord Śiva is also called Mahādeva. Amongst the demigods, he is the chief. So if you worship Lord Śiva... We also worship Śiva. It is not that we disrespect Śiva. We offer our utmost respect to Lord Śiva. But that does not mean that he is the Supreme Lord.
Indian man (7): The difference that is there, Swamijī...
Prabhupāda: Difference I have already explained. You cannot understand?
Indian man (7): No, no, we pray Śiva first and then we go to pray Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: So that you do. There is no harm. There is no harm. But you should understand what is Śiva and what is Viṣṇu. If you offer first prayer to Lord Śiva, there is no harm. It is good. He is... Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. He is our spiritual master. He is Vaiṣṇava. Why not offer first respect to him? But if you take Lord Śiva as the Supreme, that is insult. You are giving me respect as spiritual master, but if you give me overestimation, that "You are the king of the whole world," that is insult. That is insult.
Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the attraction, villagers.
Guest (1): Yes. We should go there and live with them for...
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have already suggested that you take land and be an ideal community.
Guest (1): No, if we don't get land, Swamijī. I would suggest if, for example, one week, four or three, Swamijī... (Hindi) What he wants to say...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good idea, very good idea.
Room Conversation with the Rector, Professor Olivier and Professors of the University of Durban, Westville -- October 8, 1975, Durban:
Prabhupāda: Well, the difficulty is that we are talking of transmigration of the soul on scientific basis. But you are trying to give it a Hindu color. Why? To become... I have already explained. To become old man is equally applicable to the Hindus, Muslim, Christian. So why you say it is Hindu belief? It is not Hindu belief. It is a science. Why you are bringing "Hindu, Muslim, Christian"? I do not know why.
Room Conversation with Bill Faill (reporter) -- October 8, 1975, Durban:
Prabhupāda: No, that... This I have already told you. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life. So you can enter any one of them according to your mental condition. We are under the control of the material nature. The material nature is being conducted in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. So just like three colors: yellow, red, and blue. Now you mix-three into three equal to nine, nine into nine equal to eighty-one. So these modes of material nature is being mixed up. Therefore there are so many varieties of life. So if we transcend this coloring platform of material nature, we come to the pure consciousness.
Room Conversation -- October 15, 1975, Johannesburg:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is destined to live for a certain period. You cannot prolong it, neither reduce it.
Harikeśa: What about all the sufferings of the body? Let's say one has a toothache or something like that.
Prabhupāda: No. That I have already said, that as soon as you accept this material body, you must suffer. That is the way.
Harikeśa: So if you fix one thing, another thing will just go bad?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot fix anything. You can simply think that "I am now fixed up." That is not possible. Even if you fix up one type of suffering, another type of suffering will come. So suffering must be there. The body means suffering. One should understand this, that asann api kleṣada asa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam asannapi kleṣada asa dehaḥ. You are trying to adjust things, threefold miserable condition, but you should understand that as soon as you get this material body, it will be suffering only. Therefore whole Vedic civilization is a culture how to stop this material body.
Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes. śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathā kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya śravaṇa... Because by hearing Kṛṣṇa, you'll be purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa. Simply by hearing, you'll be pious. And as soon as you become pious, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ jananaṁ puṇya... (BG 7.28). But nobody will come here. They'll go to the restaurant, club, the playing cards. Nobody will come. We are opening so many centers that the rascals may come and hear and become pious. That will also not do. Caitanya Mahāprabhu regretted that. Etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānu... "You have done so much favor to us, but I am so unfortunate that I have no desire to hear You." (Hindi) So much unfortunate. (break) That I have already explained, that akusam adhikāro.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Everyone is referred, but whatever Rāmacandra says, you should do that. You should not imitate. There are two words: following and imitating. Imitation is not good. Following is good. Yad yad ācarati zreṣ... You can... That I have already explained. Can you construct a bridge on the ocean? You are claiming, yad yad acarati. Can you do this? Then why do you say like that? You cannot imitate. You can follow only. "Because Rāmacandra ate meat, so I am eating meat. I become Rāmacandra." And why don't you construct a bridge on the ocean?
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already explained. That, you'll see in big, big factories, there is fire. Flame is coming. By seeing the flame, if you think there is no life, is that not nonsense?
Harikeśa: Oh, you gave the example last night of...
Prabhupāda: So many example. You go to the Tata iron factory, from distance you'll see so many fire flames. Does it mean there is no life? That is nonsense.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walks -- January 22-23, 1976, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you remain animal. But that is not the ideal, that you remain animal. That is culture. If you want to remain animal, then it is all right. If you want to remain pig, you eat whatever you like. But if you don't want to remain a pig, then you have got to make discrimination. You have to take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Because it is Bhāgavatam, it is written that one animal is food for another animal. That is for the animal. And I have already said that this Vedic civilization is meant for making the animal a perfect person.
Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:
Prabhupāda: "This or this." But he knows that "If I do it, I shall be punished."
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. But when an individual spirit...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is that actual freedom, though? Is that freedom?
Prabhupāda: No, I have already said that you cannot have absolute freedom.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, but is the spirit soul implicated in that decision in any way, or is it just the modes of nature working, "Well, I'll take this instead of that."
Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: That is the soul, or consciousness. The same thing, the pilot. The pilot may be a small man, and the airship may be very gigantic. You can make still more. But the pilot is the same. So the body may be elephant or a small ant, but the pilot is the same. That is real understanding.
Mike Barron: Just getting off that, can I ask why you've come to Australia again?
Prabhupāda: I have already explained that, that this is my mission, to educate people to understand himself. They are under this misconception that "Every one of us, we are this body." That is misconception. You must know who is within the body. That is real education.
Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: If you want real happiness.... That I have already explained. Real happiness—to become free from the natural material laws, birth, death, old age and disease. This is real happiness. Suppose you are arranging for your happiness, and all of a sudden death comes. Then where is happiness? So how you can check? So the real impediment of our happiness is stated: birth, death, old age and disease. So if you want real happiness, then you have to first of all make arrangement that you'll not die or you'll not take birth, you'll not become old, you'll not be diseased. Just like insurance. They make insurance of life. So where is your insurance for these things? You do not want to die, but you are forced to die. Where is insurance? This is insurance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: That is the difference. I have already told you that the soul is in the child, and the soul is in the body of the father, but the child's soul is.... Or.... Soul is everywhere, but the proportionate consciousness is not developed. Just like wood. In every wood there is fire. Do you admit?
Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: You can understand, provided you have got the sense. If you are nonsense, you cannot understand. You cannot understand means you are nonsense. That is the difference between sense and nonsense. That I have already given, the example: the same whip, to the animal it is not suffering, but for a man, simply by seeing it is suffering. It is the question of sense. That is the difference between man and animal. The animal cannot understand that he is suffering. Man can understand. That is difference. If you do not understand, then you are animal. Now, here it is clearly said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is unhappiness.
Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is real knowledge. We have got, I have already told you, only on this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, there is one book by Professor Judah. Have you got that book?
Devotee: No.
Prabhupāda: He has written one book very authorized, Hare Kṛṣṇa and Counterculture. So we are being accepted by learned circle, and who cares for these rascals? Nobody cares. Only some sentiment. There is no science; there is no knowledge. Here it is authoritative knowledge based on Vedic culture.
Room Conversation -- May 1, 1976, Fiji:
Prabhupāda: Just see. This is the position. How low taste: hogs' and pigs' business, and write philosophy. His books are selling like anything. (pause)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You mentioned, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that if someone can understand that they're not this body, then immediately he should be able to understand that there's a Supersoul.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that I have already told you just now. Therefore it is very essential to understand.
Morning Walk -- May 30, 1976, Honolulu:
Prabhupāda: :Obligation we must follow. That I have already said, that you have obligation to the state, you must pay tax. Otherwise you are criminal. So obligation must be there. If somebody is giving you protection, you must be obliged. If you don't feel obliged, then you'll be punished.
Hari-śauri: Gratitude is a sign of intelligence.
Prabhupāda: Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). In Bhāgavata it is written that everything belongs to God. You take whatever is your necessity. You take more, then you'll be punished. This is Bhāgavata's statement. So now the business is to become capitalist. He's taking more, holding the whole stock, at least in India. It is not coming to the market, and people are starving. So they will be punished. (break) ...also. The excess grain they are throwing it into the sea. So they'll be punished.
Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That I have already said, that when I am in tour in Europe and India, I completely forget about Los Angeles. I act according to the circumstances there. And again when I come to Los Angeles, I immediately remember. This is natural. Out of sight, out of mind.
Bharadvāja: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we don't have to learn the activities of our spiritual body?
Prabhupāda: Yes, when you are revived. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that now you have got this human form of body, you get up to your original position. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta varan nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction.
Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: You see. I have already explained. One is getting happiness by drinking, and one is getting happiness by going to the church. You cannot say that they are the same.
Richard: Well I think they're the same in intent.
Prabhupāda: Now what do you mean by that? First of all, describe what is happiness, whether drinking is happiness or going to the church is happiness. Therefore you have to define what is happiness. Then we have to select whether this happiness is obtainable in the liquor shop or in the church. You must have clear idea of happiness. And if you speak generally, then he will say, "I am getting happiness; why you are insisting me go to the church? I am getting happiness." Therefore you have to define what is happiness.
Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The drunkard is feeling by drinking his senses are very satisfied, that is reality.
Richard: Sure, it's his reality.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then why should you canvass him, "Please come to the church and accept Christianity"?
Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That is another thing, because you do not know that you are risking your life without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the.... You do not, that I have already said, that an innocent person doesn't know what is going to happen, but things are going to happen. That you do not know.
Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: There is. Just like I have already said that to keep your body in order you require to keep the head, the hands, the belly and the legs in order. Otherwise, there will be disorder. The present position of the whole human society is in disorder.
Interview with Kathy Kerr Reporter from The Star -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Educational. It is religious, but it is not a man-made religious. Our idea.... I have already explained that our idea of religion means that like the sugar, it must be sweet. It is not that in Europe sugar is not sweet, in India it is sweet. Sugar, wherever it is, it is sweet. Similarly, the soul, the spirit soul is the same everywhere. So he, the spirit soul, is now embodied within this material body, and he is suffering on account of this material body. So we are teaching everyone how to get out of this material body and stay in his original, spiritual body. This is our real movement.
Interview with Kathy Kerr Reporter from The Star -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:
Kathy Kerr: Do you believe then that when your physical body dies, that your spiritual body...
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained, that your physical body as child's body, dead, gone. How you are living? This simple truth we cannot understand. Where is this child's body? Where is that, can you answer?
Kathy Kerr: Child's body?
Prabhupāda: Yes, you had a body, a small child's body. Is it not?
Kathy Kerr: Yes.
Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Hmm. No. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is the duty to distribute it. It is his duty. You may... When I came here, I never came here because American boys or people wanted me. They did not feel any need of my presence. But I came here, because it is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me. So one may think there is need or no need—it is the duty of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons to spread it. Just like the example I have already given. The cloud..., the mountain does not want rain, the sea does not want, but the cloud throws water everywhere.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So long it is not clear, you can go on asking. One question after one question.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The point was made by you that they don't understand what actual progress is.
Prabhupāda: Actually, destiny cannot be checked. That I have already given. Even Mahatma Gandhi could not. The destiny you cannot check.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But then the question may be raised if destiny cannot be checked, then why not, when a child is born, simply let him like an animal run around and whatever happens to him...
Prabhupāda: No. That is the advantage of... you can train him spiritually. That is possible. Therefore it is said, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido (SB 1.5.18). For that purpose you engage your energy. That is open. Ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, apratihatā, it cannot be checked. Material destiny can be checked, or it cannot be checked. Similarly, your advancement in spiritual life cannot be checked if you endeavor for it. But your advancement of so-called material happiness, that is already destined. You cannot check it. Try to understand this.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So far Vedic religion is concerned, it is not for the Hindus. That is to be understood. The sanātana-dharma. It is for all living entities, all human beings. It is called sanātana-dharma. That I have already explained. The living entity is sanātana, God is sanātana, and there is sanātana-dharma. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). And where Kṛṣṇa is described sanātana in the Eleventh Chapter. Do you remember? He is described as sanātana. Sanātanam. So actually, the Vedic system is called sanātana-dharma. Not Hindu dharma. This is a wrong conception. The sanātana-dharma is meant for all living entities, not the so-called Hindus, Muslims, Christians. For everyone. That is sanātana-dharma.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually it is the way. That, I have already described it. It is not a sectarianism like Muslimism, Christianism or "Thisism..." Hinduism also now one of them. Actually, it is a way of life, varṇāśrama-dharma, how to become elevated to the spiritual platform. So that begins by the varṇāśrama-dharma, to select persons according to his capacity to different varṇas. Some of them selected, trained as brāhmaṇas. Some of them trained as kṣatriya, some of them as vaiśya, some of them as, remain... Those who cannot take any training, they are śūdras. So in the ways (indistinct) there must be social division not by birth, but by education.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Vedic religion, although there are demigods, but the ultimate is oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are sūraya, actually advanced, they see to the Viṣṇu paramaṁ padam. Viṣṇor aradhanaṁ param. The worship of Viṣṇu is the supreme worship. So actually everyone should be worshiper of Viṣṇu. And that is Vaiṣṇavism. So Vaiṣṇavism means for everyone or sanātana dharma. That I have already explained. The human.... The living entity is sanātana. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātana (BG 15.7). He is sanātana. God is sanātana. The exchange between God and the living entity is called sanātana-dharma or Vaiṣṇavism. So we are teaching that. We are not teaching Hinduism, Muslimism, Christianism. We are teaching how to love God. That's all. There is no question of proselytization. It is the natural.
Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: "If you want to keep it a private property, then the ISKCON name should not be utilized." Here you have understood that he's trying to utilize ISKCON's name...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: To collect.
Prabhupāda: ...to collect, and he'll be keeper. That should be frankly disclosed, that "This is not possible." So we shall write our Upendra? No, I have already written that he should be the secretary. No?
'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The most remarkable thing is these so-called scientists, is that they believe in the most unscientific statement. Like this long time period (Prabhupāda laughs) is the most unscientific. So how can they claim as scientists?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already said. We see practically within five days, within seven days, the life is manifest, and these rascals say millions of years, which he'll never see, neither I'll see. And we have to accept such theory. Before seeing that life system, his life will be finished and the student also will be finished.
'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: As I have already explained. It is not the man and woman sex creation. The life comes from outside. The solution was there, but life comes out. The same example. The solution of man and woman is there, but life must come there. Then there will be pregnancy. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Find out this, Third Canto.
Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: According to activity and association of the modes of material nature, we get, up and down, different varieties of body. Some of them are low grade, some of them are high grade. That depends on our association with the modes of nature. Nature's work is going on. Just like if we contaminate some particular germs of disease, that disease will develop and we have to suffer. Similarly, by our contamination or association with the guṇa, qualities of nature... There are three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. So we have to know how to associate. If we associate with the goodness, then we are elevated to the higher planetary system, deva. And if we associate with passion, then in the middle, just like human being. And if we associate with ignorance, then go down like animal, trees, plants, like that.
Bill Sauer: How is the spirit held in the system till it finds a new body?
Prabhupāda: Body, that I have explained, that you are associating with some modes of material nature. So according to that association, you'll get next body. Just like, I have already explained.
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: So it is not a sectarian religious sentimental movement. It is a movement for giving real education, knowledge, to the people all over the world without any discrimination. So at least those who are intelligent class of men, they should join and study this movement and try to broadcast for the good of the human society. The basic principles I have already explained.
Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: No, any intelligent man can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That I have already explained, that unless one is very intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So it is open for everyone. But there are different grades of intelligence. In Europe, America, they are intelligent, but their intelligence is utilized for material purposes. And in India their intelligence is utilized for spiritual purpose. Therefore you find so many highly spiritual standard of life, books, literature. Just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva was also in householder life, but he was living in the forest, and see his contribution of literature. Nobody can dream even. So by literary contribution, one's intelligence is tested.
Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: Just like, some of us are working like the hammerman, breaking bricks with hammer, but that does not mean he does not understand. So long one is in the jail, one is not in freedom, he has to work like that by force. But that is not his proper work. He has got a different work outside the jail or in his freedom life.
Interviewer: Well, what people are saying about the members of the Kṛṣṇa society is that they are not doing the jail work.
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The prisoner who is hammering the bricks, he's thinking that this man is simply instructing that you have a different life outside the jail, he's not hammering on the brick. Therefore he is surprised, "How is that he is not hammering like me?"
Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: We are explaining this science in so many books. It is open to everyone.
Interviewer: That's quite a library.
Hari-śauri: This is just the beginning. And there's another forty volumes after this.
Interviewer: Are all of these translations that you've made Your Grace? I don't blame you for sleeping only four hours a night. I tell you, just to produce a half a dozen books in a lifetime is quite a job you know.
Prabhupāda: It is very difficult, but I have already produced eighty books.
Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:
Prabhupāda: This is rational. Because we see all the points of similarity, analogy, therefore the human being has soul and the animal has soul, by points of similarity.
Mike Robinson: Yes, I can see the point you're trying to make about similarity, but what I'm asking is, what proof do you have that a human being has a soul?
Prabhupāda: That is, I have already begun. As soon as the soul is gone, what is the value of your this beautiful body? Who cares for this body? You throw it away, kick it out. And now, if I touch your hair, there will be fight. (laughter) Yes. That is the distinction. The soul is there and soul is not there. As soon as soul is not there, it has no value, useless.
Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: Yes, spiritual master, yes, must be there. That is Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Spiritual, that I have already explained. Spiritual master, good father, good king, good teachers, they are required. That is defect. There is no guru, there is no spiritual master, there is no nice king, nice father, whole society... (break) (in room) If you find out sand and rocks, you must also (indistinct) there was water. And from water, vegetation comes. From vegetation, other life comes. What we speak, we don't speak unscientifically. It is scientific. How this rascal says all of a sudden in the sky there is rocks? Wherefrom the rock came?
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: That also I have already explained, you depend on another chicken's egg. You cannot manufacture the egg. That is my challenge, that you manufacture the egg by chemical combination and put into the machine. That you cannot do. Another living chicken must lay down the egg, then you can reclaim. You're dependent. Where is your independence? Everywhere you are dependent. How you declare independence? Where is your independence?
Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: But for that part of propaganda, the energy will be required (indistinct). Money energy. Who can spare good money energy? Just like Kṛṣṇa is lifting the..., you'll show in the picture. You can inform also about that lifting by talking with him.
Guest (6): No, that is no sir. What my suggestion was that we are conveying whatever is there in Bhagavad-gītā, whatever, whatever one subject we take. While we are discussing the subject... After all, we are also all human beings...
Prabhupāda: I have already said that you can take it as part.
Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:
Indian man: But what is the stage at which it is ātmā gets merged with Paramātmā? If ātmā would get merged with Paramātmā then...
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.
Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: ...they're reading now. Here, although we have got books, nobody reads. But there they are reading. But nobody is... (microphone moving) That means they are concentrating (indistinct) with so many books. There are other books also. Why they cannot sell so many books. Unless public is interested... If one has read one part of Bhāgavatam, he has got some impression, and actually that is the... (break) One young gentleman came, I do not know where. He simply asked me, "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "Yes, sit down." His first appreciation was, "Swamiji, where you have got so vast knowledge?" I have already told some of you. So these people, these Americans and Europeans, they are intelligent. They are seeing that here are some ideas which is not to be found throughout the whole world. Therefore they are purchasing. Actually, it is right here. Every verse, every śloka is so sublime, and if it is properly explained people must appreciate.
Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Do you think United Nations is making any tangible progress?
Doctor: Sir, it at least brings people together under one umbrella to discuss. If you did not have that...
Prabhupāda: But discussion, that I have already explained.
Doctor: Sir, maybe, but if you don't discuss, you'll fight. Because if aim we don't meet at all then they will have the struggle.
Prabhupāda: No. If you have no idea how to come to the conclusion, ciraṁ vicinvan. You can forever go on discussing, you'll never come... You do not know what is the aim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31).
Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I think the best thing is to mobilise all the Indians in America because every country...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that I have already suggested, that they should take signature from all Indians that this is genuine Indian cultural movement and it a great fortune for Indians. They were bereft of their own culture and now we have got this culture again. The Ratha-yātrā is going on, we are so much enlivened. In this way they should file petition.
Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: In London there are very rich Indians. They can form immediately a solid association. They should present that this Kṛṣṇa is our God. In every Indian home we observe Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī. Even though one does not follow Kṛṣṇa cult, still if he is Hindu he follows the Janmāṣṭamī. Inevitably, everywhere. So this Kṛṣṇa cult is genuine, Vedic, based on Bhagavad-gītā which was spoken long, long years ago before any religion, any religious literature in the world. The Buddha literature or the Christian literature and Jewish literature, they cannot be counted more than two thousand years. A little more than that. But this Kṛṣṇa cult is coming, it is coming from, I have already explained in the introduction, it is coming from four hundred millions of years ago. But even from historically, it is five thousand years. Beyond all religious literature in the world.
Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: He is a learned scholar and he is influential man in educational circles. There are many Indians you'll find, they are...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can mobilise all the Indians, that's the best process.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Indian opinion. I have already given suggestion. The Indians should come forward. And from here also, similar if the member... Respectable Indian businessmen they should say that this Kṛṣṇa cult is very, very old, genuine and we are so enlightened that Swami Bhaktivedanta has taken this movement to the foreign countries. We are so proud, like that.
Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Suppose I go in a park. There is nice tank, reservoir of water, very decorated. And if I think, "There is no proprietor," is it not my foolishness? There must be one proprietor, but I do not know him. That is real sense. Similarly, everything has got proprietor. Why the sea and the land, the so many other things, why there is no proprietor? This is foolishness.
Dr. Kneupper: I don't understand how this relates to distinguishing who are the true teachers...
Prabhupāda: No, that I have already explained. Everyone is foolish now. You cannot distinguish who is thief and who is not thief. (Bengali) If you study everyone you will find everyone is rascal at the present moment.
Dr. Kneupper: But surely there are some who are...
Prabhupāda: Some must be there. There is no doubt about it. But they are so in minority. Who will hear about them? "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is rascal. If somebody is intelligent, who cares for him? Just like people laugh at me that I am talking of God. I am not only talking. I am writing so many books. My only endeavor is to understand God, that's all. There is no sectarian. And I am selling my books all over the world. So not that everyone is foolish. They're trying to understand my presentation, big, big scholars, big, big philosophers. Yes.
Room Conversation -- November 11, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Don't be worried.
Antardhyāna: She is worried Prabhupāda, about...
Prabhupāda: What is the worry? I have already said everyone is going to die.
Antardhyāna: She is worried about seeing the Yamadūtas. This is what she is worried about.
Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always think of Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:
Prabhupāda: Brahman (Hindi). You are Brahman. Because you are part and parcel of Parabrahman. That I have already told you. That gold, big gold and small particle, that is gold. Similarly, Bhagavān Parabrahman, and we are part and parcel of Him. Therefore I am Brahman. But I am not Parabrahman. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as Parabrahman by Arjuna: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Parabrahman. So param, this word is used, Paramātmā, Parabrahman, Parameśvara. Why? That is the difference. One is supreme and one is subordinate. Subordinate Brahman. You are Brahman, there is no doubt of it. But not that Parabrahman.
Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but he remains a disciple of his guru. He will never say that "Now I have become guru, so I don't care for my guru." He will never say. Just like I am doing, but I am worshiping my guru still. So I remain subordinate to my guru, always. Even though I have become guru, still I am subordinate to my guru.
Mr. Malhotra: But qualitatively...
Prabhupāda: Qualitatively equal I have already said. Not quantitatively.
Room Conversation -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Why should you cheat others, taking Bhagavad-gītā and interpreting in your own way? This has spoiled the whole thing. And Kṛṣṇa says that as soon as you deviate from the disciplic succession system then it will be lost. So what is the use of reading something which is already lost? If I want to supply you something food, it must be fresh and palatable. Then you'll enjoy. But if it is rotten, decomposed, and if we supply you that foodstuff, what you will enjoy and what you will get benefit out of it?
Guest (2): Most Hindus, they are not properly able to understand Kṛṣṇa direct.
Prabhupāda: No, I have already explained, that when you cannot understand, then you interpret. But when it is clearly understood why should you interpret?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: So what to do? Rāmeśvara, you are here. You can see. They are not cooperating. And besides that, Mahāṁsa takes loan. He never returns. He has taken about five lakhs for the temple. So I have already told to the auditor and the... They are (indistinct). This is going on.
Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: That is good recommendation, yes. If that museum is so important, so to keep our books there is prestigious. In Europe, America, it is going on nice. Now here we have to take advantage of these papers. So I have already given Jagadīśa the idea. Now you immediately put into effect. You keep that also with your papers, this format. Yes.
Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes, sahaja, this is sahaja. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Sahaja. Sahaja means you are born along with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is neither born, neither you are born. Sahaja, this word, means saha ja, "along with born." So you are part and parcel. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. When I was born the finger was also born. This is saha-ja. The finger was not separately born. When I was born, the finger was born. So similarly, so long God is there, I am also there. So God is eternal; I am also eternal. You understand this? Then why you are changing bodies? And that is knowledge.
Guest (9) (Indian man): No, why do we at all enter into this circle?
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. You want to be a separate Kṛṣṇa. That is your ambition.
Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: And still, they have to go to the Mars. Just see how degraded they have become. By drinking urine, they are going to Mars and bringing report, all false propaganda to keep the prestige of the scientists.
Hari-śauri: Yes. It's just a colossal hoax.
Rāmeśvara: No, they will go on and on with their bluffs. They will try to bluff that they are creating life, just like they've bluffed they've gone to other planets.
Prabhupāda: Everything bluff. I never believed them. I never believed them. In my Easy Journey to..., I have, ten years before, I have already rejected. Simply bluff.
Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:
Prabhupāda: Very good food. What is that? Hog intestine. Hog is eating stool, and the intestine is filled up with the stool, and they have to clear it out. When it is boiled there is a so bad smell. And that is very palatable. And by eating, as soon as he gets little strength, then sex without any discrimination. So hog. Śva-viḍ-varāha. And the uṣṭra. Uṣṭra I have already explained, camel. And then ass. Śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-khara. Khara means ass. Now, why ass is mentioned? Means he's work with the washerman, and he loads tons of cloth to take him to the ghāṭa where he'll wash, and give him a little grass. And he'll stand whole day. And again load and again come. He has no eyes to see that "Grass is everywhere, every... Why I am engaged in this washerman? Whose cloth? It is neither my cloth nor his." But he is working: "Oh, washerman is giving me grass."
Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: Then why do you waste your time?
Satsvarūpa: Relative value.
Prabhupāda: That I have already got.
Satsvarūpa: And that's all there is, they say.
Prabhupāda: Already I have got relative value.
Devotee (1): They say that each man has his own life to live so he can take the best from many authorities. He can say, "Well, I like some of what you are saying and some of what someone else is saying, so I can take what's best for me in my life."
Prabhupāda: But if I find in one place the best, why shall I take so much trouble? Why do you induce me to go here and there if I get in one place everything?
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: This is their civilization, that "You are not killing? You are cruel." (laughs) Just see. Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." That is cruel. How can you pull on this civilization? But this is their religion. So what kind of persons they are?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: There's some misunderstanding. When I came from New York, there was one Christian minister. He was going to Bangalore, India, but I was all the way from New York to Delhi with him. We sat together side by side, and since he was minister, he was interested in what I was doing, so we started talking about philosophy and the science of the self. So I asked that "Mostly we are told that in Christianity, many people don't believe that there is soul in animals." He said same thing, and he was a minister. In animals, plants...
Prabhupāda: Big animal. He's a big animal. Animals... He is also animal but big animal. That is what he... That I have already said, small animals. Śva-viḍ... What is that? viḍ-varā... Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). He's a puruṣa. He's a very exalted person, but he's a paśu, animal, because he does not know anything about spiritual life.
Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes. The atheists, when they are convinced, they become first-class theist. One of my teachers used to say that anyone who is not easily convinced, he does not forget easily also. And one who easily understands, he easily forgets. So the Russians, they are strong. You cannot convince them by bogus dogmatic theories.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's very true. Scientists, once they are convinced, it is also very difficult to...
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is not easily convinced, then easily he does not forget.
Dr. Sharma: I've always said, teach the Russians that we have our own brand of communism or socialism.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I have already explained.
Dr. Sharma: Yāvad... (Sanskrit) The amount of material you need to fill your belly, that is your own. You can call only that much you own. If you think you own something more, you are a thief and you should be punished. That's what Bhāgavata says. This is the highest kind of socialism one can...
Prabhupāda: This is real socialism. God is the supreme father. Everyone has got right to live at the cost of the father's property. But you cannot take more than that. Then you are a thief. Take whatever you... And even by nature you will find. You just immediately throw one bag of rice, so many birds will come. And they will take one or two grain or something... They will go away. And the human being, oh, he will take five shares, he will take ten shares. And within one hour, ten mounds of rice will be finished. The birds and beasts will not do that. Whatever he actually requires, they will take from there. Therefore they are not subjected to the sinful activities.
Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: It is preaching. Preaching means to make Jagāi-Mādhāi a devotee. That is preaching. Simply talking big, big words...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I'm enthusiastic to go there and to try and get these people to be devotees. I mean, I'm enthusiastic to do that. I'm just... I know that in order for it to work, they have to take it themselves. That...
Prabhupāda: Otherwise it is not possible.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. That was my only point.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Where we shall get men?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's the one thing we cannot...
Prabhupāda: That I have already clearly said.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I'm very keen to go there and to associate with the workers there, teach them as much as...
Prabhupāda: I am also going there for that. Otherwise...
Conversation with Shri Narayan -- May 2, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Indians, intelligent... (Hindi) Indians... So, but they have sacrificed everything for..., to imitate the Westerners. But Indian (Hindi) knowledge... But we have locked it. Our knowledge, we have locked it, and we are trying to imitate.
Shri Narayan: Yes, true, imitation is not good at all. We must keep our originality and ancient...
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Vedic culture (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) Within ten years I have already written eighty-four books.
Shri Narayan: Eighty-four books. (rest of conversation in Hindi, with few interspersed English words, until Shri Narayan and his associates leave)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everybody's appreciating this view. All the ladies were standing on the balcony.
Prabhupāda: So immediately contact Jayadal and Dalmia, and he has got a nice house. We go to Hrishikesh immediately. It is very nice. Or Patel.
Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:
Prabhupāda: That's all right. But you have to follow the rules. That is a fact. Either your own rules or Christian rules or Muslim rules or Hindu rules, you have to follow rules. That's a fact. Now, that I have already told. Now make your own choice. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). If you think your rules will solve this problem... Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). If you think that following your rules will solve this problem, then you follow.
Evening Darsana -- May 14, 1977, Hrishikesh:
Prabhupāda: Jawaharlal Nehru, up to the end of his life he wanted to remain prime minister. (Hindi with scattered English words) Practical application there are. (Hindi) (pause) (Hindi) (Hindi conversation with scattered English) Without bhakti, jñāna is never sufficient, but bhakti does not depend... Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked. (Hindi) Bhagavān is within. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). And He assures... (Hindi) The so-called jñānī, he wants to become liberated and become one with the Supreme-kāṅkṣati. When actually one is self-realized, na kāṅkṣati. Yogī kāṅkṣati. (Hindi) Bhagavān is the Supreme. We are part and parcel. So I have already given you the example, these fingers, part and parcel of the body. The only desire should be how to serve the body. That is selfishness. (Hindi) Then where is that picture? The gopīs are pushing Rādhārāṇī to Kṛṣṇa.
Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: You do not know. Trustee without designation—where is the trustee? I have already made one block of trustees, that Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: In that style you make.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So we'll make up a draft of that style and then, after the draft is approved, you can tell us which trustees you want.
Prabhupāda: That you select amongst yourselves. Why you are taxing me?
Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes. In this way make it immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you're gonna have your massage now.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the next group is coming out at three. That's nearly five hours from now. So I think that immediately we can have a meeting and discuss these points and immediately...
Prabhupāda: No, discussion I have already given. You do this.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I meant... And execute this.
Prabhupāda: All right, you do it. Don't delay. (break) Life is within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stham. That life in due course of time, it comes out through the water. All of a sudden there is bubble coming down, coming down. That is the beginning of generation. What do you think, that? Jalajā. Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti. They are elevated very high planetary system. Again, after reminiscing, they come down. That is described in the śāstra, fall down through rains. Again, like bubbles, come out. (break) Where? The bottom of the earth, giving life. That is already done. In favorable circumstances, due course of time, it comes out. (aside:) You keep. (break) Lots of money.
Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes. You could purchase. In our family or every family, they used to purchase gold from the currency and melt it and make ornaments. There was no restriction. "Guinea gold." Gold was purchased and sold as you like. Where is that gold? Refusing gold(?) and taking.(?)
Yaśomatīnandana: You want me to read the purport? "The basic principle of economic development is centered about land and cows. The necessities of human society are food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc...."
Prabhupāda: I am not interested in (indistinct). These I have already written some years ago. This is my idea.
Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: That argument also I have refuted. Just like animal, he is bound up. He is rotating around the log, and within that there may be Japan, there may be Calcutta, there may be Los Angeles. You can think this is there. But that is not all. Within that rounding circle, whatever is there, you may think this is all. But that is not all. He's limited condition. So within his limitation (Bengali). Within that limitation he's speaking. But Himalaya and other things, far beyond their limitation. That I have already explained. He's speaking within his limitation. Our position should be, correctly represent what is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But if there is some question, we should ask. Just like I am answering to the reasonable point. That if you are conditioned, within your condition you can see, you can experience, but beyond that you have no right to see.
Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Anyone who will give some service to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he'll make progress. Therefore I'm trying to engage everyone in this movement some way or other. A little help, svalpam api. It is such a nice thing. With that spirit you do and live comfortably. There is no question of unnecessarily taking a life of poverty-stricken. There is no necessity. But there is no necessity of luxurious life. And luxurious will already come for devotees. That I have already example. Who can live more luxuriously than ourself? Where is that? It is practical. All over the world we are living like princes. Princes even cannot live like that. All our devotees, and what to speak of myself? Six crores of rupees one house, who can possess? How many men there are in the world who has got many houses, each six crores of rupees? Hm? Bolo.
Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm going to go with Girirāja to the bank today, Śrīla Prabhupāda. That's why I was going to go to Rādhā-Dāmodara temple and at the same time go to the bank, because they're right next to each other.
Prabhupāda: No, do the needful. Girirāja is here. I have already given everything in writing.
Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: He instructed hospitalization.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, hospitalization.
Kīrtanānanda: Ultimately, whatever he says we have to do if we're going to accept him. But he's also very understanding, and I think in your condition there may be no need for hospitalization. We need to get some regular care established. There was to be a regimen for recovery.
Prabhupāda: No, that I have already explained. I don't want to go to hospital.
Room Conversation About 10th Canto -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Instead of defeating Kṛṣṇa, he became defeated. He could not understand what He was doing. Brahmā is the chief person within this universe. He became so much bewildered, what to speak of so-called scientists and philosophers. We should not make such attempt. The best thing is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). We should give up all our tiny efforts to defy the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa. Better whatever arrangement He is proposing, do like this. This is Bhagavad-gītā. That will make us happy. Is this clear?
Pradyumna: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Then it says, (Sanskrit). So mohayan vatsa-bāla-steyena, "By stealing the vatsa and bālas," mohayitum upakramamāṇaḥ... Viśvanātha Cakravartī says, "Just beginning to try to make him illusioned." (Sanskrit)
Prabhupāda: I have already explained that.
| Page Title: | I have already (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Matea |
| Created: | 22 of Nov, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=164, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 164 |