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Instead of (Conv. 1976 - 1977)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: That is animalism. Dehātmā-buddhiḥ. "I belong to some particular body, and he belongs to the same body or same nation. Therefore we become..." Instead of "I," we become "we."

Acyutānanda: Recently there was an atomic scientist whose all major education was in America and Europe, and he won a Nobel Prize award...

Prabhupāda: That is the tendency everywhere. The Britishers.... You go to the Parliament and Westminster Abbey. They have kept all the statues of Sir Isaac Newton and this Churchill, this.... Mean, they want to show that "It is only our nation who has produced all these intelligent persons."

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Yes, yes. From "I-ness" to "we-ness."

Prabhupāda: (break) This is basis of Gītā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Learn from the real person, tattva-darśinaḥ, who has seen, who has actual experience of the truth. Learn from him. The Gītā never recommends that you imagine and make your theories. Never said. That is the Vedic culture. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). This is the way. Take lesson from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then you will get experience. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

unknown. He saw a thunderbolt and...

Prabhupāda: It is unknown to the rascal man. It is known to the sober man. (laughter) He should become sober instead of becoming a rascal. That is required. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "He knows, who has accepted the ācārya." This is Theosophical Society, I think. Huh? That trademark. Or Rāmakrishna Mission.

Acyutānanda: No, Salvation Army.

Prabhupāda: Salvation Army, oh.

Mahāmṣa: This is also school.

Harikeśa: Actually we're the only Salvation Army.

Acyutānanda: (break) ...the authority of a authority. We're accepting his authority, but his experience comes from his direct perception, which comes back to...

Prabhupāda: We don't take such authorities, who takes experience from others.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Mahāmṣa: Actually, in all the schools the young people are learning all the bad habits from the schools. Instead of getting to learn how to do right things, they are learning to do all wrong things because of association with people from low families.

Vasughosa: And they even have sex education in school. They are teaching people how to be rogues.

Prabhupāda: Our education is first of all to become brahmacārī, and the modern education is how to become vyabhicārī, this rascal education. And for this purpose there are big, big universities, vice chancellor, and so on, so on.

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, but when they don't become profitable then they'll close it. That's the point. Milk 'em dry. Instead of the state or the government being the servant of the Deity, they are making the Deity the servant of the government.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Money-earning servant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The tax collector.

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There are big mūḍhas who are never convinced.

Dr. Patel: Like me. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: No, no, listen...

Dr. Patel: I will argue with you instead of.... Mahārāja, you see, I have.... Again we had a very great altercation within myself. I was a.... (break) I may tell you, I have studied the Vaiṣṇava's philosophy from various angles. The last two years I have been making a very deep study of it, and I am a student of this theologian philosophy. I think he is absolutely right, that complete surrendering to God by bhakti...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: ...you get complete jñāna.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's it.

Dr. Patel: I was.... Before I thought it was not so, but it is so.

Indian man: But as you are convinced, but I am not convinced.

Dr. Patel: Therefore you read like me and you will be convinced. You study like me, go to temple...

Prabhupāda: Then you are still a mūḍha.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: What is the use?

Harikeśa: Well, instead of taking airplanes here and there, you could just...

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is the difference? If by practicing severe yogic means you fly, the birds are also flying. They are flying without airplane. Does it mean that it has become very great? There are many birds, garuḍa bird. They can fly from one planet to another. Just like small birds—they fly from one tree to another, take rest again—so they fly from this planet to another. Take rest, again another. What is the value of your airplane? You cannot go to another planet. There are birds; they catch up elephants and take it away for eating. Does it mean he has become, it has become God? There are Siddhaloka planets where the people can go without any airplane from one planet to another, Siddhaloka. They have got all yogic siddhi automatically, by birth. Just like we cannot fly, but a small bird, a small fly, from the birth it can fly. There are so many. So similarly, by birth they have got all yogic siddhis. This is called Siddhaloka.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Hari-śauri: That John Paul Getty is the richest man in the world, and they asked him, "What would be your wish if you could have anything?" He said, "I just want to be healthy. I've got so much money but I'm not healthy."

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are many. There was a big, rich man in Calcutta, Raja Jyotindramana Ṭhākura. So just like you give me so many things, he was king, he was getting more supply, but he had no appetite. So one day he was given so many things—because it was routine. So one coolie was going on the street, taking a fish and chanting very pleasingly. So he said that "Instead of becoming Raja Jyotindramana Ṭhākura, if I could have been a coolie like that, at least I could enjoy by eating. And what is this? I have got everything but I cannot eat." He regretted, "I would have become a coolie like that instead of becoming a Ṭhākura."

Morning Walks -- January 22-23, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: A cow is also big animal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So they say like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes... They don't say cow. They say better kill one big animal. "So instead of becoming sinful for killing so many animals, you better kill..." And that is also sacrificed in the mosque, and that is called koravāni. Restriction is there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So there's no... The karma for killing many goats is more severe than killing one cow.

Prabhupāda: No, no. You become responsible for each and every animal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Irrespective of what kind of animal.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now if you can serve the purpose by killing one animal, why should you take the risk of killing many animals?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if that one animal is a cow.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Animal is animal. And we say protect cow from economic point of view, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). Without saving cows you cannot get good food, not from the animal point of view. You require milk and milk preparation.

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: God has given, giving you the position that "You obey Me, and you get the position," but because you are rascal—you are not obeying—you are suffering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like a hog takes stool instead of sweetmeat. The hoggish mentality.

Prabhupāda: That is God's mercy that he wants to eat stool, and God has given you, "All right, you eat stool. Take this body."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not that God is not offering him sweetmeats, but the rascal won't eat them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has got such a body that he does not relish sweetmeat.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! Haribol!

Kāśirāma: Śrīla Prabhupāda, why do we have this rascal propensity?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Kāśirāma: Why do we have this rascal propensity?

Prabhupāda: Because you are rascal. That is the only reason. Because you are rascal.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: He always had some French people with him?

Prabhupāda: No, no. That... One French girl entrapped him. That woman spoiled him. He was actually practicing yoga very nice. After his release from political entanglement, actually he became a yogi, but this Frenchwoman, who became later on "Mother," she spoiled her ca..., his career. He became a bhogī then. (laughter) Instead of yogi... Otherwise, he was becoming yogi. You'll find from his photo. In the beginning, he was very lean and thin, and later on, when he died, he was very fatty. Means bhogī. (break) ...yogi bhogī, rogī. There are three.

Morning Walk -- March 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.

Madhudviṣa: And they distribute his books instead of your books on the street. Which is a fact.

Siddha-svarūpa: Which is a lie.

Madhudviṣa: Which is a fact.

Siddha-svarūpa: Why do you do like that? Why do you say like that?

Madhudviṣa: Because I have seen it in New Zealand. I have been there myself.

Prabhupāda: No, no, if he denies that...

Siddha-svarūpa: You know that they distribute Prabhupāda's books, but they can't give them away as cheaply, that's all.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So I think the gṛhastha themselves should form a small committee and define what they will do, instead of forcing something, because in this age, nobody can follow strictly all the stricture in the śāstras.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think that we formulated anything for them to do.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Any of our resolutions, it doesn't say anything about what they should do. It simply says what should, how our society should be run, our temples. It doesn't state anything about how the gṛhasthas should live.

Prabhupāda: No... What? What, was your pro...?

Madhudviṣa: Well, last evening we were saying that sex life according to the regulative principles means sex life only when the guru tells the gṛhastha to have sex life. And what I said last night is that if that is the case, then there would be no more gṛhasthas in the society. They will not... They will not become gṛhasthas.

Prabhupāda: Be practical.

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Pañcadravida: Then you don't even have to hear from a self-realized soul. Simply by seeing him you can become completely purified.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Both required. The matches must be also all right, and the wood must be also. Then there is fire. If one of them is defective, then, it will not.... But when you go to the fire, you become dry. But willfully we put again water. This nonsense business makes us late. This process is already there, how to become dry. But instead of taking the process, we put water. Then how it will be ignited? The rules and regulations is the drying process. But without following the rules and regulation, if you again become a victimized by māyā, then there is water and again dry it. So this is going on, watering and drying, watering and drying. No straightforward process for drying. That will help. But difficulty is that we dry and again water.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...small card. So one card is put into the shoes, and one card is in his hand. That's all. Number. Suppose twenty shoes duplicate, so one twenty card is put into the shoe and one number twenty in his hand. So a man can see that it is his shoe.

Yaśodānandana: Instead of requesting ten paisā, they may be requested to offer something to the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Why? Nothing. Let them come and see. That's all.

Yaśodānandana: (break) Our Deity is not beggar.

Prabhupāda: No. He is bestower. He gives everything. If anyone voluntary gives, that's all right. You should not ask. (break) ...instead of doing this. (Bengali) He said like that. "By showing the Deity to earn livelihood is condemned. Better become a sweeper, municipal sweeper, and sweep the road and earn money." He said like that. That is better, honorable. He is working and getting money, instead of making a good show of Deity and earn money. This is not required. If you want to earn money, go, work according to your capacity and earn money. Don't cheat people. That is Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayādvaita: (break) Instead of building you the house, we should print books, but I think we have to build you the house because the person bhāgavatam is as good as the book Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: No, that is the conclusion. Yes. Bhāgavata paragiya bhāgavata sthāne. One has to learn book Bhāgavata from the person bhāgavata. Bhāgavata paragiya bhāgavata sthāne.

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...beginning to come.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Rāmeśvara: Just beginning to come.

Tripurāri: Now it is all finished?

Rāmeśvara: I was just told that last night the winds were blowing so hard that they took everything down so the plexiglass wouldn't break. And this morning, right after your class, they're going to put it all up again.

Tripurāri: (break) Rādhā-Dāmodara buses.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So introduce this dancing as health exercise dancing.

Revatīnandana: They dance very gracefully. If we dance gracefully, instead of going like this, if we dance like this, they'll actually appreciate, because they have huge groups together, thousands and thousands, all dancing in unison.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you take him also?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think Dhṛṣṭa...

Revatīnandana: No, I think it will be a while before it will be at that stage. At first it will be liquor company representatives.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...you have come?

Madhudviṣa: Wherefrom you have come?

Man: Andhra.

Yaśodānandana: Andhra? More Andhra men. (end)

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Madhudviṣa: If the cow is given good feed, then the milk is much better.

Prabhupāda: No, that I.... That I admit. But one thing is that you practically see the cow is eating dry grass and giving you full of vitamins milk. So that does not mean that dry grass is the cause of vitamins? Otherwise you could eat also the dry grass instead of purchasing vitamin pills. Your country is very much fond of vitamin pills. You eat grass. Why you are after vitamin pills? Hm? Saurabha Prabhu? You can take vitamin pills with grass?

Dharmādhyakṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we saw a science film in Stanford, and one process of protein synthesis they called "The Magic Factor."

Prabhupāda: Again, that cau...

Dharmādhyakṣa: They didn't...

Prabhupāda: Chance. Magic is also a chance.

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Pañca-draviḍa: To the tree?

Prabhupāda: Yes, on the top, so high. There is no pipe. There is no pump, nothing. You do it. Instead of calling a plumber, you do something that the water will come in this tank.

Devotee (2): Well, they will say that the roots of the tree is bringing the water up.

Prabhupāda: That is a nonsense. You make such root and bring water here. Then your scientific knowledge will be proved. But you cannot do it. Can you do it? We are spending so much money for bringing water. Bring that root and bring water.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, that puruṣa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. We are worshiping that supreme and original person. And the women are declaring, "independent." They are begging door to door to a man, "Please give me shelter. Give me a child," and they're independent. One American woman, was.... She was speaking that "In India the woman are treated as slave. We don't want." So I told her that it is better to become slave of one person than to slave of become hundreds. (laughter) The woman must become a slave. So instead of becoming slaves of so many persons, it is better to remain satisfied, a slave of one person. So she was stopped. She was the secretary of that Dr. Miśra. You know that? And our Vedic civilization says, narī-rūpaṁ pati-vratam: "The woman is beautiful when she remains as a slave to the husband." That is the beauty, not the personal beauty. How much she has learned to remain as a slave to the husband, that is Vedic civilization. Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpam. The cuckoo, it is black bird, but why people love it? Because of the sweet voice. Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpaṁ vidyā-rūpaṁ kurūpaṇam. A man may be ugly, black, but if he's learned, everyone will respect him. And narī-rūpaṁ pati-vratam. And the beauty of woman is how much she is devoted and obedient to the husband. So it is very difficult.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

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."

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is the spirit soul implicated in that decision, or is it...

Prabhupāda: What is that decision?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Let's say, "I'll go to the cinema, or I'll go to the restaurant." So is the spirit soul implicated in that decision in any way, or is it simply the three modes of material nature working?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The three modes.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow what is your...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's a situation. Either I'll go to the cinema or I'll go to the restaurant. So is the spirit soul...

Prabhupāda: Both of them are sinful.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: That is said, man-manā. Think of Kṛṣṇa; He'll guide you. Very easy thing. Man-manā. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no question of falling down. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). These four things, if strictly done, he is safe. He is safe. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, become His devotee, offer Him obeisances and.... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, and worship Him. This is Deity worship. That will engage in always in thinking, in offering obeisances. And if we strictly follow only these, these four principles, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te: "You are coming back to Me without any doubt." But instead of thinking Kṛṣṇa, we are thinking something else, planning something, misusing independence.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhīmasena, I was speaking to him two days ago. He says that he'll turn over that temple to us. He wants to meet you, so I'm going to call him to come and see you.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: If you follow Bhagavad-gītā, then everything will be followed very nicely. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). And go-rakṣya, this is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you follow Bhagavad-gītā, then naturally go-rakṣya will be there. And if you read Bhagavad-gītā for some political reason, then slaughterhouse go on. That's all. Instead of go-rakṣya, go-killing. This is going on. Every politician is reading Bhagavad-gītā, but go-rakṣya... Instead of go-rakṣya, go-hatya. This is going on, no go-rakṣya but go-hatya. This is going on. Who cares for Kṛṣṇa? This is the misfortune of India. Kṛṣṇa spoke in India, in Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa appeared in India, but Indian people are neglecting. Therefore I say it is a misfortune. It is your own thing. You are neglecting it.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Well, that is.... It is.... It is known to everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Anna. Anna means food grains, eatables. You must produce sufficient food grains. Why you are producing tire tube instead of food grains? And just entering your Delhi from Vṛndāvana, a big Goodyear factory, very big factory. You are producing tire tube, then iron, Goodyear and this and that. Where is food grain? And both sides, the field is vacant. Nobody is going to grow food grain. Then why you'll not starve? It is your fault. You are producing tire tube and iron instrument. You are neglecting agriculture. Then why you shall not suffer for want of food grain? And you are pleading, "Indians are starving." Well, why shall not starve if they do not follow Bhagavad-gītā? They are thinking, "By increasing industry in America..." They have got industry, at the same time food grains also. But you are taking to industry without taking care of growing food grains.

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1976, Delhi:

Guru dāsa: So then to love Kṛṣṇa is unnatural?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, that is natural and everything else unnatural. The principle of loving Kṛṣṇa is distributed in so many ways. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, loving so many nonsense things, and we are becoming implicated. The principle is love, but instead of loving the right person, you are loving so many things. Hm?

Cyavana: Growing wild.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Our Vedic advice is that make life very simple. You must have some means of livelihood. Keep your body and soul together. So according to quality, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), there must be division and then simple life. The real aim is tam abhyarcya, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Everyone is.... Brāhmaṇa is guiding, kṣatriya is ruling, and vaiśya is producing food, and śūdra, they have no brain; they are helping. In this way the society is very peaceful, and everyone is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is India's civilization. Now, due to this association of the rākṣasas... Even up to Mohammedan time this civilization was being continued. Mohammedan did not touch the Indian culture. Sometimes by, what is called, fanaticism, there was fight. Not like this. The Arjuna.... Aurangzeb began this. Otherwise, from, what is called, the first emperor? Akbar. Akbar, Jahanghri, then Shajahan, there was no trouble. They did not touch. Even there was some marriage connection. They want to remain as kṣatriya king, that's all. The other things were not interfered. So instead of a Hindu kṣatriya, the Musselman kṣatriya. People were satisfied: "A kṣatriya... We have to work. Somebody must be king." So in this way the Indian people accepted the Britishers. "All right, you remain king. Don't interfere." But later on, to exploit the whole country, they began to plan.

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Yes, yes, sir. In heart attack we give that first.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So opium is poison undoubtedly, but if it is in the hand of physician, it is nectarine. It can save the life. Whatever God has created, it has got some use. One must know. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. That is wanted.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Marx's idea was that instead of trying to improve the condition of life, people would simply go to the church or like this and worship and accept their miserable condition of life without any material progress.

Prabhupāda: No, they do not know.

Dr. Patel: It is abstract materialism, sir.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: You hand over the steer of your...

Prabhupāda: Yes. The next line is mārobi rākhobi, yo icchā tohārā. (Hindi) This is surrender.

Dr. Patel: Yes, sir, that reminds me of a story that I read that one man, one English lord, had gone on a pigeon shooting. I told once this story. And he had got lot of pigeons in a gunny bag, and he would allow one pigeon to go and shoot. One pigeon, instead of flying, fell down at his feet. He could not shoot it. Like that. And this reminds me, this story, always reminds me, this complete surrender. He could not shoot that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: So God will not mara na(?). He will never maro, cannot maro, because you are at His very feet.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying everything without any surrendering. (Hindi) But that care and outside-the-jail care, there is little difference. In the prison house, even one is very highly qualified, and if he applies for some good post, he will not be given. He'll not be given. But outside the prison? "Yes, you are qualified. Come on." The same government, the same man, but so long one is criminal, there is no consideration. (break) Yes, regularly I get at one o'clock.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Mr. Dixon: If there was exchange for that money, I think you'd be right.

Prabhupāda: No money required. No money required. Simply one is required to work to produce food grain. That's all. No money required. And God has given us so much land that we can produce food grain and we can keep cows' milk, and from milk we derive so many rich, nutritious, full of vitamins foodstuff that the whole economic question solved immediately. But we are producing.... Instead of food grain, we are producing tobacco for smoking cigarette. We are producing coffee for going to hell. So how you can expect social reformation? In Africa I have seen. Instead of producing grain, they are producing coffee, tea, and keeping the cows for killing, making business to sell meat to other countries.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Stricture in this way, no meat-eating, because cow protection is required. We require milk. And instead of taking milk, if we eat the cows, then where is milk?

Mr. Dixon: So milk is very important.

Prabhupāda: Very, very important.

Mr. Dixon: In terms of production of food for the world, the world would be much better off without eating animals.

Prabhupāda: No, milk is required. Some fatty vitaminous food is required. That necessity is supplied by milk. Therefore specifically...

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Guest (2): No, see, you have a misunderstanding of the representation...

Prabhupāda: No misunderstanding. It is a common sense that if you have got respect for a person, instead of installing his form—either it is statue or stone, it doesn't matter—keeping it outside and giving chance the bird to pass stool on his head, if you keep that statue in a nice place, which is more respectful? That is my question. It is a common sense. If you have got respect for a person.... You have installed the statue. Don't call Deity. Statue. So which is more respectful, to keep him exposed on the open field or to keep him in a temple?

Guest (2): Well, I think if I was looking at it in your point of view, it would be more respectful to put him inside.

Prabhupāda: That's the.... That is the point.

Room Conversation -- May 1, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: So same thing: if the pilot is not expert, then goes down to the lowest, finished. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If the pilot is third class, instead of going up, he goes down, and everything is spoiled. So everything on the pilot. The machine is not important. The machine can go up if the pilot knows how to do it. And the machine can go down. Actually, it is happening. This landing point is very dangerous. If the pilot cannot handle very nicely, immediately smashed. The crash takes place while going up and coming down, generally. That is due to mismanagement of the pilot. When in the sky it is regular speed and balance, it is going nicely. There is no crisis. All crises take place while coming down and going up. Leaving the land and coming the land. I have seen sometimes, they clap as soon as they.... (Prabhupāda claps his hands. Devotees laugh) "The danger is over." So ūrdhvam and adhaḥ. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. So in this way, you have to place the subject matter, that the living entity, the soul, is the important thing within this body. Because he's struggling. On account of his ignorance, he's struggling. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is his position.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That's all right, general. But you know how to make general mass of people happy. That example we give, that the whole body.... You can make the whole body happy simply by supplying food to the stomach. That is the best way. And if you want to make happy every part of the body, individual, that will never be successful. You must know where to touch. Just like the huge machine is going on by the expert manipulation of the pilot. He is pushing one.... Works. Immediately the plane becomes.... It is.... So you must know where to touch. If.... I am layman, I am put into that, then, instead of putting here, I shall put my here, and then it will go down. "Ohhh." So finished. So this is nature's way, that you supply food to the stomach, and the energy will be distributed every part. You supply water to the root of the tree, it will be supplied everywhere. That you must know. Otherwise, if you.... Just like if you do not know, a expert, not expert, so he's advised, "Give to, the food to the stomach." "And in where?" "No, in the hole of the body." If he does not, which hole, then he will put somewhere, sometimes here, sometimes here, sometimes here, sometimes here. It will never act. Then you must know the science how to make everyone happy. If you do not know that, then your imperfect imagination will never be done, and that has become everywhere. Why there is difference of opinion even both of the communistic countries? Why there is difference of opinion between Russia and China? Because both of you do not know how to make everyone happy. That is the point.

Morning Walk -- May 31, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So he accepts God.

Devotee (1): (break) ...the fact that there's no need to worship God, the fact that there's a need to worship man, because man is actually the center of the universe instead of God as the center of the universe.

Prabhupāda: Why do you fight? Why do you fight? Is there no obstacle, why do you fight?

Devotee (1): Simply that it's human nature.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Worship God by fighting?

Hari-śauri: Then it becomes a question of who's the best man.

Prabhupāda: God, but you shouldn't fight with Him. But these rascals say worship man, but why does he fight with man? Another...

Devotee (2): (break) Actually there was a boy sitting like that, and a shark came and bit off his leg while he was sitting there.

Devotee (1): (break) ...they still think that...

Prabhupāda: Worship.

Morning Walk -- May 31, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (2): Useless waste products. They've discovered new ways in science how to use things which can be used and used again and again. For example, newspapers, instead of throwing them away, they can recycle them and make new newspapers.

Devotee (3): They also say they were going to recycle their own urine and stool and use it over and over.

Prabhupāda: How?

Devotee (3): Like in the spaceship. When they go to the moon they recycle their own urine and drink it over again. (laughing)

Devotee (2): Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the most popular philosophy is (inaudible).

Prabhupāda: Madman. (laughing)

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Reporter: Right.

Prabhupāda: Yes. God, service to God means, just like you put foodstuff in the stomach. Then the service, supplying energy, is distributed automatically. The eyes get service, the ears get service, the hands get service, legs get service, everything. But if you put foodstuff in the eyes, instead of giving service, you make it blind. If you put foodstuff in the ear, instead of hearing, it is blocked. Then that is ignorance. You do not know where to give service. The knowledge, God consciousness, means to know where to give service, so that the service will be automatically distributed. You pour water on the root of the tree and the energy will be distributed to the trunk, to the branches, to the twigs, to the leaves, to the flowers, everyone. We are missing their point. This is scientific,

yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
(SB 4.31.14)

So instead of giving service in so many ways—social, political, philosophical, cultural, this way, that way—if you simply learn how to serve God, then everything will be done. So that is our philosophy, and we are laboring for this purpose, that you understand God and give service to Him, then the whole society will be perfect, peaceful.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhogilal Patel had twenty-three cars. Just for him and his wife and father. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are spending money to save income tax. They have got enough income. So instead of giving to the income tax, they are thinking that "Why not provide some serfers(?), some drivers, some servants, and repair the house every year." In this way, spend money (laughing). It is good policy. Money's distributed to the poor instead of going to the government pocket.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's got at least thirty-five servants, and it is only father and son and daughter-in-law.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) That's all. No children even.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rādhāvallabha: Instead of planting grass by the roads, they are now putting green rocks. They figure it looks the same, and it saves money.

Kīrtirāja: They are also planting plastic grass in the middle of the road.

Hṛdayānanda: No opulence.

Rādhāvallabha: In Russia now they have declared one..., that it is a big crisis. Because their grains did not grow properly, they are not able to produce as much meat, so now one day a week everyone is forced to eat fish. So they are lamenting. They were describing how..., about the good old days were when you could go and buy an entire carcass.

Candanācārya: (break) ...country, build cities and then spend billions of dollars to make the city look like the country.

Prabhupāda: Carvita-carvaṇānām. Chewing the chewed, again and again. This is their position. (japa) (break)

Rāmeśvara: On the calendar it says it is Bhīma-ekādaśī.

Prabhupāda: Bhīma-ekādaśī, yes.

Garden Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) This rascaldom... This rascaldom makes him a dog. Instead of God, he become a dog. So this rascaldom is going on, that "I am God." For this purpose he's suffering, and still, he wants to continue it. Nobody can become God; God is one. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. So how we can become God? But that endeavor is going on.

Arnold Weiss: As I understand it, since God is omnipresent, omnipotent, all-knowledgeable and all-remembering, then He is in a position where He can know what our choices are going to be, and what is going to happen with us in the future.

Prabhupāda: No, no. You make a choice; you can change it. But as soon as you change it, God knows what you are going to do. This is very common sense. Suppose you are honest man; I entrust you with something. But as soon as you become dishonest, immediately I withdraw my interest (entrust?), because I know what you'll do. So you have got little independence. You are put into certain position, but you can change it at anytime. So your position is, actually, you are eternal servant of God. As soon as you change it, then your suffering begins. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, after instructing Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa is asking, "Now I have instructed you everything. Now whatever you like, you can do." Yathechasi tathā kuru. That independence you have got. Kṛṣṇa, or God, does not interfere with the little independence He has given to us. And because we are part and parcel of God, God is fully independent, so we have got little portion of independence. So by misusing that independence, we can desire to become God, and we suffer.

Garden Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So instead of becoming devotee, he wants to become God. And that is the problem. But it is the most confidential part of knowledge. Instead of carrying out the orders of God, he wants to order God. You see? Even in the lower stages of devotion, that mentality continues, that "God is order-supplier. If God carries my order, then I accept God. Otherwise I reject Him." In Germany... One of my German Godbrothers, he told me in 1935 that in the last world war, many people became atheists. They went to the church and prayed, especially women, "My husband may come back," "My brother may come back," or "My father may come back." Because all men went to the war field, and the women were there, they prayed in the churches. But nobody came back, and they became atheists. That means they took God as order-supplier. They ordered God, "Return my father. Return my brother. Return my husband," and God did not return. "Ah, there is no God. I don't care." This is going on. God is order-supplier. But our philosophy is God is not order-supplier; we are order-carriers of God. Anukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśilanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167).

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is another proof. That instead of, in spite of the brain is not working, the soul is there.

Richard: Okay, but just let me finish this, and then we'll leave it. The.... Okay, how am I going to say this? Is her spiritual, is her spirit in a less active state from when her brain was alive?

Prabhupāda: Spirit is always active.

Richard: It's always active at the same level?

Prabhupāda: Not same level, because you are understanding the spirit through the body. So body is changing. Just like the soul, when he's in the boy's body, it is talking so many nonsense things. But you don't take it seriously. But when you are grown up, if you talk such nonsense things, then you'll be taken as a nonsense, because the body has changed.

Richard: Okay, what I was leading up to was, her brain is dead, she has no...

Prabhupāda: Not dead, it is not working.

Room Conversation with Mother and Sons -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Well, the first thing is that you must know what you are. You should know that the mother is nature and the father is God. I am the child. Then you try to understand the father and the son obedience to father. Then you have to learned how to become obedient to the father. Then father will be pleased. And this father is not a poor father. He has created the whole material world. So if you become good son, then naturally you enjoy the property of the father. Everything will be solved simply by understanding the father. And it is natural the son inherits the property of the father. The father is so rich, God, that how much property you can enjoy? What is the use of your endeavoring differently? You have got your father's property. Why you are wasting your time to become happy separately from the father? You just become obedient son of your father; naturally, you will inherit the father's property and be happy. Why you are endeavoring separately without father? That is your mistake. You want to be happy. So happiness is already there. You are such a rich man's son, God. God is the proprietor of everything. So instead of becoming a very dear child to the father, why you are endeavoring separately to become happy? Just become a very dear child to the father. Then everything is there.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Bus way station? Railway station? Leave luggage. Put it and lock it, then not coming back. Then when there is bad smell.... This is going on. This is simply animal civilization. Taking the last drop of milk from the cow and immediately send it to the slaughterhouse. They are doing like that. Before sending to the slaughterhouse, they draw out the last drop of milk from the cow. And immediately killing. So you require the milk, you are taking so much milk, without milk you cannot.... And the animal from whom you take milk, she's your mother. They forget this. Mother supplies milk, she supplies milk from her body, and you are killing the mother? Is that civilization? Killing mother? And milk is necessary. Therefore you are taking the last drop of it. Otherwise, what is the use of taking the last drop of milk from the cow? It is necessary. So why not let her live and supply you milk, and you can make hundreds and thousands of very nourishing palatable preparation from milk? Where is that intelligence? Milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. So instead of taking the blood, take the transformation and live nicely, like honest gentlemen. No. They are not even gentlemen. Rogues, uncivilized. If you want to take meat, you can kill some insignificant animals like hogs and dogs which have no use. You can eat them, if you at all eat.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Mādhavānanda: They are breeding.... In the airport we met one man; he is working on breeding a large bull, cattle. They breed cows for slaughter. So they are breeding now a very large cattle. They grow very, very.... it's called, instead of buffalo, they've named it beefalo.

Jayādvaita: They crossed buffalo.

Mādhavānanda: Crossbreed. And it is very huge bull. They raise it only for slaughtering, for getting a large quantity of meat. One bull, one buffalo, weighs hundreds and hundreds of pounds. And they sell it for half million dollars for one, so that they can breed it with others and make many. In the airports, when we are distributing books, we meet many farmers who have slaughter ranches. Whenever they say "farmer," usually it's for slaughtering. (break)

Jayādvaita: ...in Wisconsin we saw that there are many dairy cows. They are raising them especially for milk. It's called America's dairyland. And they have many, many big dairy cows. And they are getting so much milk. We were preaching that "If you take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have the richest state, because you have so many cows, and we are preaching that people should drink milk and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So your state will be the richest."

Prabhupāda: No. We can.... From milk, we can make so many nice foods. You take ghee, and from ghee, from grains, from fruits, you make so many varieties. Just like dahl, pulses, soak it in the water and then fry in the ghee and put masalā, and it is so nice salty preparation, dahl mutta. Then make samosā. You introduce these things, dahl mut(?), samosā, jalebīs, they will like. They have never tasted all these. Sandeśa, rasagullā, pantoa,(?) so many varieties from milk, only milk.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: They have no idea that why the flowers are taken. It is not for our enjoyment, for your enjoyment. When your flowers will be accepted by Kṛṣṇa, you'll be happy.

Jayādvaita: It's a little difficult to explain afterwards. Instead of explaining before, that "Can we take," they would take and then explain.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that you have to manage. That is preaching. What you'll do? I have seen that garden. There are lemons, apples; they are rotting and falling down. So while they can be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose, why don't you give it? (break) ...too hot. At night, of course, it is not hot. They lie down in open place like this on a cot. Very pleasing sleeping.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Instead of so-called library, reception, you make doll room. These big, big rooms. All big glass case...

Mādhavānanda: Yes. They would like that very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mādhavānanda: Because already this is like a historic museum.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mādhavānanda: It's so beautiful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So in big glass case.... One girl saw me in Los Angeles. No? Hawaii.

Hari-śauri: Candranibha?

Prabhupāda: So she's not getting facility in Hawaii. She can come here with two, three assistants. There is so much place here. So correspond with...

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: "And what nonsense book you have got? (laughter) We are going to stop your sales." Tell them. "And we are going to stop your sales. Instead of helping you for selling your books, we are going to stop all these nonsense books. That is our mission." Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ (SB 1.5.10). That verse, that however nicely it is written with..., what is called, metaphor, poetic ornaments and very good language, grammatical set-up, and so on, so on. So that, although it is very nicely written from literary point of view, but because it does not contain any glorification of Kṛṣṇa, it is just like the spot where the crows take pleasure. Crows. The crows means they go the nasty place where all nasty things are thrown. They take pleasure there. So all these other literatures, they are meant for the crows. And this literature is meant for the swan, paramahaṁsa, white swans. So it is not the bodily color. It means those who are advanced in their development of life, consciousness, it is meant for them. It is not for the crows, who are still eating all nasty things in the garbage. Crows, they do that. They take pleasure where there are garbage, all nasty things and.... And the big swans, they will like water like this, garden like this. That is.... Even in the lower animals, there is difference between the crow's society and swan's society.

Morning Walk -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Satsvarūpa: ...the leaf movement. That movement is another watering of the leaf and branches instead of the root, to try to improve the lakes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ paramam avyayam. It has been published in the paper that we consider everyone a rascal, miscreant...

Devotee: Sinful.

Prabhupāda: ...who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That has been published. (laughter) You have seen it?

Viśvakarmā: Which paper was that?

Devotees: Los Angeles Times. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...question? Tell it.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: That is the material disease. When you contaminate some disease, do not try to find out the history. Treat the disease. That is intelligence. How I got this disease, instead of inquiring, better treat the disease. That is intelligence. Go to the doctor and get treatment and cure it.

Indian man (3): Prabhupāda, karma-yoga, Kṛṣṇa has said, "Do your duty, look after..."

Prabhupāda: But you do not know what is your duty.

Indian man (3): Yes, that's what we are trying to...

Prabhupāda: Know from Kṛṣṇa what is your duty.

Indian man (3): Now, to know this thing, we have to really follow, right?

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all, what you are? Then your duty. Are you clerk or ordinary orderly or the director or something, something? Then your duty. But if you do not know what you are, then where is your duty?

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Indian man (4): So the only hope for humanity is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Yes, only hope. Therefore this verse I was explaining.

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṁ nivartante
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani
(BG 9.3)

Those who will not take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these rascal will remain in the cycle of birth and death. Instead of taking Kṛṣṇa's instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), he's trying to become Kṛṣṇa, these rascals. So how there will be peace? Hmm? Kṛṣṇa says "Surrender unto Me." He's saying, "I am Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I surrender?" This is the difficulty.

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Even in the stool, the worms in the stool, he's also thinking "I have got so much stool to eat." This same mastership. "I am the monarch of all I survey. I have got so much stool." And you just take the worm from the stool, put it here: "No, no, no, here is my enjoyment." This mastership mentality is there in Brahma, and the mastership mentality is there in the worm of the stool. This mentality you have to give up. Then you become liberated. That is liberation. The bondage is that mastership mentality. He's servant, but he's thinking falsely that he's master. Just like your President Nixon. He thought that "Now I have become master of America, I'm president." He forgot that he's servant. As soon as the people wanted, dragged him down. That he forgot, that "I'm servant of the people." So everyone is servant, but falsely thinking "I'm master." That is material disease. The best thing is that if I have to remain servant, why not become servant of Kṛṣṇa? That's all. That is perfection. That is perfect life. Even by becoming a false master of the whole American country, I was not happy, I am now dragged down as a common man, Mr. Nixon, then what is the use of becoming master? It is all false. Let me become servant of Kṛṣṇa; then it is perfect. Instead of becoming a false master of the American country, let me be a real servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is liberty, liberated.

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: They have not replied even. (break) "Simple Living, High Thinking." "Then and Now: the Right to Distribute the American Dream." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So instead of giving books to the members, they can read the books in the magazines. One magazine should be given free always to the members.

Kīrtanānanda: Life members.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not books. "ISKCON-Ten Years of Spreading Kṛṣṇa Consciousness."

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Won't it help, though, to have the books in the members' homes, that perhaps their generations will read them?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Won't it help to have your books in their homes though? And maybe future generations will, you know, be benefited, they'll read your books?

Prabhupāda: Let the parent, present generation read first of all. (laughs) Then talk of future generations.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: But what if they say that "Actually this life of growing the castor seed is very difficult, farming is very difficult. It is easier to go to the factory for eight hours, and then I come home with my money and I enjoy."

Prabhupāda: No, you enjoy, but by enjoying, if you forget your real business, is that intelligent? Your real business is that you have got this human form of body to improve your next life. You are going to have a next life. Suppose you are going to be a dog. Is that success? So you must know the science that instead of becoming dog, how shall you become God. That is intelligence.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That is our proposal. Our real business is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So simply for improving the condition of life, the necessities of life, if I forget my real business, is that intelligence? Therefore it is said duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛti means merit. But merit is being utilized for sinful activities. Take for example the meat-eaters. When man was... The uncivilized man is still there. In the uncivilized way they are living in the jungle. They require to eat something. So they stone over an animal going, and the animal dies, and then they eat. Now instead of killing the animal by stoning, if you have discovered scientific machine in the slaughterhouse to kill the animal, is that improvement? If you think this is advancement, "Now we have discovered very technical machine. Instead of stoning one animal killing, it takes so much time, hundreds and thousands of animals you can kill in one hour," do you think that is improvement? That is going on. They think this is improvement. When we were uncivilized, we were stoning some animal and killing and eating, now we are, business is the same—animal killing and eating. But we have improved the machine how to kill. This is going on. This is going on as advancement of civilization. Hmm? What is your answer? Is that advancement of civilization? Now you are civilized, instead of killing the animal, you just take milk from it without killing and make so many nice preparations, and that is civilization. But killing is sinful. You have no right to kill any animal, even an ant. Because you cannot give life to anyone. It is nature's law, God's law. So infringement on the laws of nature or God, it is sinful activities. So you are utilizing your merit for this sinful activity. Therefore it is called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Merit is there, but it is utilized for sinful activities. That is defect of the modern civilization.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Niyataḥ. You should read Bhagavad-gītā so thoroughly for everything. That is good lawyer. Good lawyer means in the court, immediately give reference to the judge, "My Lordship, such and such law, under section...this is there." He's a good lawyer. Good lawyer means he immediately gives reference to the section on which he's talking. Immediately judgement is there. If there is previous authority and it is recorded in the lawbook, then he doesn't require to argue anymore, the evidence is there. Even in other court, if some judgement is there, they'll be accepted. This is the law. So a good lawyer means he gives references from different courts, the judgement makes easier. Instead of proceeding for a long time, he gives reference—"Here is the judgement, you see," and immediately...

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Take, for example, mauna. Mauna means don't talk rubbish. It is better not to talk than to talk foolish. So mauna is meant for them who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop talking. Mauna-vrata. Because he does not know Kṛṣṇa, he'll talk all nonsense. So sometimes the spiritual master says that "You remain silent for twelve years." So (laughter) instead of talking nonsense, you remain silent for twelve years. That is mauna. Because as soon as you'll talk, you'll be captured where you are. Better not to talk. This is mauna-vrata. But one who is devotee, why he'll not...? He'll talk about Kṛṣṇa. Vācāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Always talking about Kṛṣṇa. Why he should be silent? If he remains silent, then people will not get the benefit. Let him speak always of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that yāre dekho tāre kaho kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Whomever you meet, you simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, what He has taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. You become guru. So why guru will stop? Guru will speak. But what kind of speaking? What Kṛṣṇa has spoken. Not nonsense. Not like that: "I have painted so many pictures, therefore I have become God realized."

Morning Walk -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: And who will take? When he'll die, who will take his meat? That is also economical. Why don't you give it to the animal-eaters instead of wasting it? Why they bury in the ground? Why? Let it be thrown eating by the jackals or anybody else.

Śyāmakunda: The people should eat their..., the people, then, according to that philosophy, right?

Prabhupāda: No, when man is dead, why the economic calculation is not taken? Hm?

Devotee (2): Because they think it is animallike.

Prabhupāda: Animal or a man, when it is dead, then it is the same value. Is there any difference of value between the animal body and man's body?

Devotee (2): They think it is barbaric.

Prabhupāda: "They think," but you think like human being.

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

Prabhupāda: Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says it is already fixed up. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. This pleasure is the same, but according to the body... The uncivilized man in the jungle, they are having the same thing. And they are taking civilization that "Instead of living in that hut made of leaves, we are living in skyscraper building. This is advancement." But Vedic civilization says, "No. This is not advancement. The advancement is self-realization, how much you have realized yourself." Not that from the hutment you have come to skyscraper building, therefore it is advancement. Sometimes they misunderstand. In a high-court a judge is sitting soberly, doing nothing, and he is getting the highest salary. And another man in the same court, he's working day and hard rubber-stamping and he is getting not even one tenth of the salary. He's thinking, "I am so busy and working so hard. I am not getting any good salary. And this man is sitting only on the bench and he's getting so fat salary." So therefore this is question like that. The Vedic civilization is for self-realization. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido (SB 1.5.18). Kovido means very learned. He'll simply try for that thing which was not received, which was not achieved in other life. That means self-realization. Just like we are sometimes charged, "escape." What is the charge?

Devotee: We are escaping from reality.

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

Prabhupāda: Pratihatā means suppose you are destined to suffer. So apratihatā means in spite of your so-called suffering, the suffering will be reduced or there will be no suffering. But in spite of suffering, you can make progress in spiritual life. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja himself, his father was putting him in so many suffering conditions but it was not impeded. He was making progress. He was making progress. He didn't care for father'sputting him into so many suffering. That is called apratihatā. If you want to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your material condition of life cannot check it. That is the progress (?) (indistinct). But so far material condition, that cannot be checked. You have to suffer. But in case of devotee that suffering also, can be stopped. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa's version is false: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Suffering is there on account of my sinful activities but Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Make it clear. Ordinarily destiny cannot be checked. Therefore instead of wasting your time for change your economic condition or material destiny, you employ this energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That cannot be checked. Your so-called... So many men we can see, they are working so hard, does it mean that everyone has become a Ford, a Rockefeller? Why? Everyone is trying his best. Mr. Ford was to become rich man, his destiny was there, he became rich man. But does it mean that other man who has worked so hard like Ford, he has become like a Ford? No. This is practical. You cannot change your destiny simply by working hard like ass (?) and dogs. No. But you can utilize your energy for improving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So can all people have an equal interest in religion despite their different classifications?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already explained, that any human civilized man, he has got some religion. So religion, basic principle of religion is with reference to God. So here is God, What God says, if you take that system, then it will be perfect, not only for the Hindus, for Christian, for Mohammedans, for everyone. And that is being practically done in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got devotees from all groups of human society and they are taking to it. It is practical. There is no difficulty. So Hindus, Muslims, Christian, everyone take to this Kṛṣṇa religion, Kṛṣṇite. Kṛṣṇian. (laughter) Not Christian, but Kṛṣṇian. The word christo is also a Greek word. From this christo the Christ has come. So instead of c-h-r-i, k-r-i, the same thing. Christian or Kṛṣṇian, or Christian. Krishta is also another broken, I mean, another spelling of Kṛṣṇa. In India, if one's name is Kṛṣṇa, we say Krishta. My younger brother, his name was Kṛṣṇa. So we were calling him Krishta. So Krishta, Christian. So actually, if we take the root meaning, Christian means Krishnian or Krishtian. So that is a controversial point, but everyone can take to Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will be settled up. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). Make everything clear.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This next question is rather interesting. Question sixteen. "Is it not possible for all sections of Hindus, be they Advaitans, Dvaitans, or viṣiṣṭādvaitans, to come together instead of remaining isolated as warring factions?"

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dvaita and advaita. This is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to bring all the dvaitas and advaitas in one platform. To understand that he is essentially servant of God. The Advaitas, they are wrongly thinking that he is God himself. That is wrong, or not the proper way of thinking. How you can become God? God is ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇam, full with six opulences, all-powerful, all-strength, all-beauty, all opulent. So this is artificial, to think to become God. And... This is Advaita. And Dvaitas, they think that one is different from God, God is separate from the living entity. But actually, from the Bhagavad-gītā we understand that God is always the Supreme and the living entities, they are subordinate. And in the Vedas also it is said, nityo nityānaṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Both of them are living entities, but God is the chief. The difference between the two, that God maintains other living entities. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is a fact. We are maintained and God is the maintainer.

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

Prabhupāda: Dayā, dharma, religious principles—everything will be reduced. And the government men, instead of giving you protection, they will act like thieves and rogues. You cannot say anything. Very, very precarious condition, all freedom lost. In Russia, all freedom lost. They have no freedom. The professor giving that testimonial, and "Don't publish it." They are appreciating this book, but they cannot say "That is good book." Just see what kind of freedom is there. A nice book, I appreciate; I cannot give in writing.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Instead of the thing being wasted for nothing, let us devise some means, that you are eating, you can eat. And we want the skin, let us give him. What is the wrong there?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Perfect economics.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We require the skin, that's a fact. And you want to eat, all right, eat.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Could such a thing be done today in India also?

Prabhupāda: No, why it will be done? Everywhere it should be. That is the... Who does not eat meat? First of all, you try this. From economic point of view, why one thing should be wasted?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Practical preaching.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Everything should be utilized. Instead of drinking water, you can drink whey. It is very good for digesting. Whey, put little salt and black pepper, it is good digestant. You can avoid water, drink whey. You can use it for cāpāṭi.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Making dough?

Prabhupāda: Cāpāṭi, just like you dip the cāpāṭi, dāl, you can dip whey. You can save dāl preparing expenditure. Nothing of milk product can be wasted. You should learn it.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's what I thought, that's why I was asking.

Prabhupāda: Up to the last drop, it can be utilized.

Hari-śauri: Everything.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: There is, but he takes it as chance. All the possibilities taken together he is given by God. That he does not know. He takes it as chance. But there is no question of chance. It is the gift of God.

Sadāpūta: Next example, this is another example taken from music. This example is Mozart. Mozart was a musician. He composed symphonies. And in that quote which-I'll just summarize it instead of reading it—he explains how it was that he created these symphonies. He explained that actually what happened was that ideas just came into his mind, melodic themes and so on, and he says "Whence do they come I do not know, and I have nothing to do with it." And actually what would happen was that an entire symphony would just blossom into his mind, and he wouldn't even know where it was coming from. So...

Prabhupāda: Unknown.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That's it. Then they'll say plainly that "I'm hungry; give some food. Then I'll not talk nonsense. Give me some food." That's all. Take it. Tell the truth.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they talk these things, they can get money from the government, millions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So instead of talking all nonsense, tell freely that "I am hungry, give me some food."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually, that's what happens in principle.

Prabhupāda: They have finished all their talks. So far as I know, these so-called scientists, they have finished their business. Now they have no other means than to bluff. To get their salary.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: There is a place in India, Jabalpura, there is a fall passing, Narmada, and these stones are all marble, first class. Very nice place. I went there.

Hari-śauri: You mentioned in Hawaii how there are planets where instead of having grains of sand on the beach, they have jewels.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jewels.

Sadāpūta: Some scientists find it hard to understand the description of different planets wherein there are oceans of milk, because we know that there's oceans of water here, and that water has to be there to create rain...

Prabhupāda: So why the rascal carry this idea there? Has he seen everything?

Sadāpūta: No, but he cannot understand how an ocean...

Prabhupāda: So how he can understand? He's a fool. How he can understand? (break) ...into the moon planet, what does he understand about water there? There are so many millions and trillions of planets. How he can understand what is there?

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: All other business subordinate. That is only, because you have got this body, material body, it requires little rest, little sense gratification, little eating, little sleeping. We don't say stop it completely. That is not possible. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya, as far as it is required. As little as possible. That is spiritual advancement. If we make our progressive life engaged in understanding Kṛṣṇa instead of devoting in these unnecessary things, that is real life. That is real human life. The Vedic civilization is that. We find Vyāsadeva writing so exalted books, but life was very simple. People are, now in the modern civilization, people are accustomed only to the comforts of the body. Not for spiritual advance. That is the defect of modern civilization.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So when you engage yourself in soul's activities, then gradually your intelligence, mind, senses, become spiritualized, or original. Then material activities stop. At the present moment without (indistinct) spiritually (indistinct) we are acting on the platform of gross senses. But if we begin our activities from the opposite side, from soul side, then everything becomes spiritualized. But the question of giving up the senses, no, it has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Senses (indistinct) it should be purified. At the present moment, on account of material conception of life everything is polluted with material ideas. So when it will be spiritualised, that is perfect. But instead of working uselessly, if we use our legs for going to the temple then it is spiritualized work. And instead of going to the cinema, if we go and see Deity then it is spiritual eyes. Instead of going to the restaurant, hotel, if we take prasādam, so then you spiritualize your tongue. Instead of talking nonsense, if you talk about Kṛṣṇa, then it is properly utilizing the tongue. In this way we have to practice.

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

Prabhupāda: Because I am not scientist. (laughter) Just like I captured immediately, common sense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In one of the articles in Back to Godhead, I think Dharmādhyakṣa, he uses different words for these five elements. So we are going to use these elements in our book also, so we wonder, he says for fire "radiant energy" instead of fire. I think it may sound little more...

Rūpānuga: They think this is so simplistic, you know, mythological-type breakdown, oversimplification. So he used different words, fire he said "radiant energy," water he said "liquidity." What did he say for earth? "Solid matter" he said for earth, and air, "gas." And what did he say for ether? "Space." So we thought, we were wondering if these were acceptable terms to use.

Prabhupāda: That you can do.

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

Prabhupāda: Scottish Churches College. So one American, Scientific American, we have contribute(?). So there the picture was that one skyscraper building is constructed and so many men are working, carrying the beams and so on. So there was—I remember still—that all, some material construction, so many living entities they are being sacrificed(?). I do not know how the Scientific American gave this picture, I still remember. Actually that is a fact. This human being would have been released from this materialistic way of life, back to home, back to... No, instead of giving them the chance, they are engaged in constructing huge skyscraper building. They're spoiled. So it is little difficult to understand our philosophy. And Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Tat-prayāso na kartavyaḥ. This kind of activity should stop. It is simply wasting the valuable life. But they do not know how they're wasting. They're in such an ignorance. They are thinking that these people, crazy people, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, are wasting time, they're thinking like that. They do not know what is the value of life.

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

Sadāpūta: Some people would say the lemon tree was simply taking food and rearranging it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But the tree is the source, but everything is there in the earth. But God's creation is so nice that through the tree the chemical is coming. The chemical is there in the earth, but the seed of the lemon tree, when it grows, it extracts the particular type of chemical.

Sadāpūta: We were wondering then if also it could produce matter, instead of taking from the earth and rearranging it.

Prabhupāda: No, earth is the source of everything. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī, you get from... Actually you are getting all chemicals from the earth.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: They are mūḍhas, that is already explained. If you cannot convince them, then avoid them. What can be done? Instead of wasting time, you better avoid them. Upekṣā. Useless. Because godless persons means duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. So it is the duty of the preacher to enlighten them also, to take some risk. But if one is unable to take risk, he may avoid them.

Devotee (1): When we go to universities, so often we run into very educated people, so-called educated people. Of course, they see us, they think that we are simply sentimentalists, that actually we are not..., don't really have knowledge of the universe. I've explained to these people, it's not necessarily that they are sinful so much as they are just miseducated.

Prabhupāda: No, educated means they have knowledge, but real knowledge is taken away. He does not know God. Just like a man is rich, but he has no food. It is like that. māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. Therefore his knowledge is misused, duṣkṛtina. This knowledge, without any sense of God... Yes, come in. Sit down.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Everything has got divine purpose. This human form of life is given to us by laws of nature to understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship with God, what is this material world, why you have come here, these things we have to know in this human form of life, and, if we like, we can know also. But instead of knowing these different phases of life, if we simply take care of this body like the animals, then we miss the opportunity. The animal is concerned to take the care of the body, that's all. If we simply remain taking care of this body, then we are animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (1): Prabhupāda? For every animal except the cow, you said, like a..., does a person have to pay off a one-to-one ratio for the animal killed? He just has to come back one time for, like, killing a goat? Is it just one time then, instead of many times?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: His question is that is there some formula, that if you kill one animal or one thing then you get killed in the exact same ratio? You kill one thing, you get killed once. So in other words, if you are responsible for killing hundreds and hundreds of animals throughout your lifetime, does one have to take birth hundreds and hundreds of times and be killed?

Prabhupāda: Yes. For killing, you cannot kill even vegetable.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Dr. Sharma: Can I ask one more question, Swamiji? In chanting, they also say later on, gaṅgāmāyī ki jaya, yamunāmāyī ki jaya. We also have in Rāmāyaṇa jato jaya sankara sata nama haya(?) (indistinct). Śaṅkara's kīrtana in saṅkīrtana. Some people, just like he was indicating, some people are more inclined to worship Rāma, saying Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma instead of Hare Rāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa, both.

Prabhupāda: There is no difference.

Dr. Sharma: There is no difference.

Prabhupāda: Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat (Bs. 5.39). Rāma is avatāra and Kṛṣṇa is svayaṁ Bhagavān. There is no difference.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, why is the material world made on the level of a jailhouse? It's made on the level of a jailhouse, that, I've been told, the attitude of a jail instead of the attitude.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because there will be so many criminals. Therefore government has to construct a jailhouse. It is government's not desire. It is expensive, unnecessary. But because there are rascals who will become criminal, the government has jailhouse. So one who wants to remain independent of Kṛṣṇa, for them there is material world, "All right, you remain here."

Vipina: We also say that Kṛṣṇa is fulfilling the desires of every living entity. So if we want to enjoy independent of Kṛṣṇa, why doesn't He let us really enjoy independent of Him?

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. That is māyā it is called. You are not enjoyer, you are servant. Because you are willing to become enjoyer, you suffer, that's all. You are not enjoyer.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vipina: Instead of under His protection, you enjoy at your risk.

Prabhupāda: Therefore He advises, "Rascal, you give up all this enjoying spirit. You just surrender to Me, you'll be happy." But we don't accept it. Therefore sometimes we are in the heavenly kingdom, sometimes as a worm in the stool. That is going on. That is your risk.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Woman guest (2): That's because it came from scriptures instead of from men's minds.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore it is authorized. When you take anything from the statute, book, that is law. And if you manufacture something, that is not law. Just like, I'll give you one very good example. Just like in your front of your house there is U.S. letterbox. So another man, he sees that the box is in front of his house, "Why shall I go so far? Let me manufacture a box here." So he's posting. After six months, he'll see all these letters are lying there. (laughter) And one who is posting that authorized box, his letter is going to thousands and thousands of miles away. So you cannot imitate. If you imitate U.S. letterbox in front of your house and post your letters, it will never go, it will remain there.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Janice Johnson: I don't quite understand that in terms of my question about wearing street clothes and wigs instead of saffron robes and chanting and so forth.

Hari-śauri: She's pointing out that in recent years we've changed our dressing style while we're on the street selling books.

Prabhupāda: Dress? Dress is not important. Practically, as sannyāsī, brahmacārī, we dress with saffron cloth, but sometimes you do not like, but we have to do business with you; therefore we change. What can be done? "Necessity has no law."

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Parīkṣit, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He's expert. We have one boy in the temple here who has been doing murals on the walls in the temple room, and he's done it very quickly with a technique called air-brush. Instead of using a brush, you use a spray gun, and you spray the paint on. It's a modern technique. It's especially good in murals and things.

Prabhupāda: First of all they draw in lines?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And then they spray on the paint. He finishes a painting in two or three days. Big murals. (laughs) He's expert. He's known as the human camera. He can copy any picture onto a wall. His name is Viṣṇu dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So why does he not go to Māyāpur-candrodaya...? (laughter)

Evening Darsana -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: That was not killing. So instead of wasting his time, he said "I don't care for your Vedas. It is my order that you stop if you love me." Here is... You cannot open slaughterhouse, giving reference to the Vedas or any sacrifice, either in the Muhammadans, Jews and everyone. They also make sacrifice. One day in the year they sacrifice. It is not that they recommend open slaughterhouse. This is all nonsense, rākṣasa. That sacrifice also recommended in this sense, that you cannot stop animal killing; there will be a class of men who'll eat meat. To give them some concession, so this is recommended, "All right, if you want to eat meat, you sacrifice." Amongst the Hindus, just like Kālī-pūjā, Durgā-pūjā, the animal-eaters, they are given this concession, that "If you want to eat meat, you just worship Goddess Kālī," and this Goddess Kālī worshiping is recommended on the amāvasyā, on the dark moon night, one day in a month, and the dead of night.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like, you said that in the Vedas there is animal killing, therefore... (break) That was not killing. So, instead of wasting his time he said "I don't care for your Vedas. It is my order that you stop if you love me." You cannot open slaughterhouse giving reference to the Vedas, or any sacrifice either. The Jews, and everyone, the Muhammadans, they also make sacrifice. One day in the year they sacrifice. It's not that they recommend open a slaughterhouse. This is all nonsense, rākṣasa. That sacrifice also recommended in this sense, that you cannot stop animal killing, there will be a class of men who will eat meat—to give them some concession. So this is recommended, "All right, if you want to eat meat, you sacrifice." Amongst the Hindus, just like Kālī-pūjā, Durgā-pūjā, the animal eaters, they are given this concession, that "If you want to eat meat, you just worship Goddess Kālī," and this goddess Kālī-worshiping is recommended on the amāvasyā, the dark moon night, one day in a month, at the dead of night.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: In other words, instead of filling up that building and then just buying a new one, you just buy a second temple. And keep it that way.

Prabhupāda: That's a good building.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We shouldn't give it up. Very good facility. Especially once we make all improvements on it, why we should give it up? Better to simply open another one.

Prabhupāda: And that is advertised means nobody's purchasing at this quarter, it is not very safe.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: They speak all... That the egg will take millions of years and the chicken is bringing within five days. So why these rascals do not transfer their doctorate title to the chicken (laughter) instead of bluffing other rascals that "We are doctorate"? They should be ashamed to keep their doctorate. "Now let us transfer to the chicken; within five days there is life." Huh? What do you think? Am I right or wrong?

Hari-śauri: I am sure you are right.

Prabhupāda: The chicken is bringing from the egg life within five days, and they are calculating millions of years. Such rascals are passing as scientists. If chemical is the basis of life, just make some experiment, take the chemical and make a small egg and put into the incubator and bring life. Why they do not, hmm? It will take millions of years, and the chicken is bringing within five days?

Bali-mardana: They say in a few years they will do it.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Ādi-keśava: It swings back and forth in the breeze, and all the windows fell out. When we were two years ago in Boston, every day we used to hear how more windows had fallen in, so they made it all with wood. So it was a huge skyscraper with wood in the windows instead of glass.

Bali-mardana: Still they are not utilizing it.

Ādi-keśava: No, it's still bent, it cracked open.

Bali-mardana: It cost them over sixty, seventy million dollars and they cannot use it.

Ādi-keśava: It cracked all the concrete in the sidewalk because it was bending back and forth.

Prabhupāda: Which way?

Devotee (1): Left.

Prabhupāda: They have no estimation, that "So far we can come, then we'll fall"?

Bali-mardana: It all depends upon the foundation.

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

Prabhupāda: You read the books, Then you'll understand. Instead of asking me, you better read the books. That is real understanding.

Interviewer: I was just wondering how he personally got interested or involved, and what his route to his consciousness was.

Rāmeśvara: I see. She's asking about your relationship with your Guru Mahārāja, how you became inspired to start the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and write so many books.

Prabhupāda: These things you can answer. It is not very important things for public.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: In the prison the people are, their work is, say, to hammer on bricks. So when, if someone comes into the jail and tells the prisoners, "You shouldn't be doing this, actually you should become honest and go out of the jail and be free." Now if the persons in the jail... Because... They will then become envious that "this person, instead of working hard like us, he's simply talking." They cannot understand the benefit that he's giving them and they become envious, that "Because he's not working like us he is nonsense." So do you understand the analogy? It's an analogy. Just like we are coming in the world and telling people to get out of this world, to understand the spiritual world, spiritual side of life. But because we're not working like them, sometimes they misunderstand what is our purpose.

Interviewer: In other words you think people should get away from what they're doing in the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, that is real life.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Whatever we are doing, it is authorized. That is the principle for spiritual understanding.

Interviewer: What I was trying to ask you a while ago, do you think that these particular Vedic disciplines and spiritual principles, concentration on the spirit instead of the body, has a particular usefulness in Western society nowadays?

Prabhupāda: It is useful for every human being. If the Western society thinks that they are not human being, that is another thing. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We want you to do simply what you feel would be best.

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is the best? Starting point, my presence required?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it's not a question of required. I mean that's a very exciting time, you know, but I wouldn't say it's required. We're going to start. One way or the other, we have to start the parade. It's exciting at that time, but you could also join midway. Suppose you could also join at Thirty-fourth Street instead of Fifty-ninth Street. Halfway is about Thirty-fourth Street. So you could join there.

Prabhupāda: That will be better.

Hari-śauri: That would be about three o'clock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That would be at about three o'clock. It depends upon your resting period also.

Prabhupāda: No, that I will adjust. That is not the thing. I want to know when my joining will be very good. That I want to know. At the beginning or the middle, in the last, that you have to decide. Then I shall adjust. In London, I think... Of course, the whole route I was present, but that was little troublesome because sometimes I am called by nature. But you say there will be a car. So under the circumstances, which time will be good? That you say. Then I shall adjust. That you consult, which time.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Meaning of life means to enjoy, but we are in a different platform of life. Therefore we are suffering instead of enjoying. But if you come to the real platform, then you enjoy. Because here we see struggle for existence, everyone is struggling, but what is the aim? For enjoyment of life. Therefore life means enjoyment. But at the present moment our life is not enjoyment.

Mike Robinson: At the present moment, our life is not...?

Prabhupāda: Our life is not enjoyment-suffering.

Mike Robinson: Suffering, hmm.

Prabhupāda: Yes, do you admit or not?

Mike Robinson: You are saying at the present moment we are all suffering?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
(BG 14.4)

That's all. That study will be nice. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ. Just like father gives the seed, similarly, Kṛṣṇa gives the seed. The seed, when pushed into the womb of the mother and properly nourished, a rose plant comes out. This plant comes out. The seed is there. It is very easy. The father injects the seed within the womb of the mother, and the childs come out. Similarly, whatever is coming out from the earth, the seed-giving father is Kṛṣṇa, and when the seed is pushed within the womb of the mother, then the plant is coming, and everything. This nature's law is going on. Where is the necessity of understanding more than this? We understand the mother is pregnant. Now how she has been, how the child is growing, that is not under your control. It is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27), immediately it is in hand of the nature. Even if you study, you cannot understand how things are arranged—the intestine is joined to the navel of the child and the food is supplied, how it is mechanical: do you know everything? Can anyone do? Can anyone understand? But things are there. That is being done by prakṛtiḥ. Even if you study, you cannot understand. So best thing is to understand that it is being done by nature under the instruction of Supreme Lord. Let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa instead of studying these.... There are many students, many botanists, many.... They, vaguely they are studying, and the have no understanding of Kṛṣṇa. They're denying, rather the father. The child has come into existence without father. This is their knowledge. So instead of becoming such a fool and rascal it is better not to study.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: This meat-eating, chicken juice, tea, these things are unknown to India. No, why India? By nature, you say that you refused meat. Although you were born of a father and mother meat-eaters, still. What a horrible civilization they have made. He's human being born. Making him animal by culture. Instead of making him more cultured towards the spiritual life, making him redirected again to animal life. This is the civilization, Western civilization.

Hari-śauri: Yes, there's not much choice, not any choice.

Prabhupāda: These children are fortunate. Yesterday I was astonished how these children were receiving just like friend, laughing and something saying, you have seen it? As an old friend. Their mother pushes they would not come, but they were very glad to see me.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Ali: The way I look at it, it's better to talk about God than to talk about...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is good. One must be serious, that we are talking about God, so what is my God realization? That is nice. Otherwise, if I go on life after life talking about God and there is no God realization... That is going on. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
(SB 1.2.8)

We are talking of God, but instead of loving God, we are loving this body. So that is not practical. That is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. If one does not become enthused to love God, then simply talking about God is a waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is going on all over the world. Somebody's Hindu, somebody's Christian, somebody's Muhammadan, they are going to the church, they are going to the mosque, they are going to the temple, everything is going on, but when you ask whether you love God or dog, he'll say, "I love dog." Practically we see. Everyone is keeping a dog, very favorite pet.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Rituals are meant for the neophytes who are given education to begin with. But if he's stuck up with rituals, do not make any further progress, then his progress is checked. You have to go, progress, more progress. Instead of having no sense of God, they, if it is prescribed that "Go to the mosque and pray to God, five times," that is good, ritualistic. At least you're accepting there is God, I must offer. Similarly... This is Muslim process. Hindu process, they say go to the temple and see God. And this Christian, go to the church and offer... The subject matter is the same—accept God. Accept God. But the ultimate, shall we say, goal is not only accept God... They go to God for some material benefit, because they have no other idea. Like the Christians say, "O God, give us our daily bread." I do not know what the Muhammadans say in the prayer. Hindus also, they go to God, "Sir, I am very poor, give me some money," or "I am diseased, please cure me." So these things are the same in different ways according to country and customs. But it is good because they have approached God. That much is good. They are accepting there is God. That much is good. But when he makes further progress, that there is God, what kind of person He is, what is His business, then you make further progress. So these, for the neophyte, these ritualistic formula is good, but he must make further progress. Instead of godlessness, these processes are better. Let him go to the mosque, let him go to the temple, let him go to the church. At least, let him maintain the idea of God. That is the ritualistic. Then there is further progress. One must be interested. But people are losing interest even in the neophyte stage. They're becoming godless. That is going on. So that is very dangerous. Instead of becoming godless, if somebody approaches God, it doesn't matter in some way, some ritual, it is better than this atheist class of men. At least they are accepting God, and if they offer prayers sincerely, God is there within your heart, He'll gradually reveal. The more you become purified, the more He reveals. Then He'll talk with you.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That is my opinion, that instead of spending so much money for films, if you spend some money for propagation of book distribution... Any advertisement is good, it never goes in vain, but the film advertisement is very expensive. Very, very expensive.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: It is very true. Very expensive and very much endeavor.

Prabhupāda: Advertisement never goes in vain, that's a fact. But if it is too much expensive, it touches our financial position.

Hari-śauri: And then there's no certainty that it will be a success anyway.

Jñānagamya: There is a method. There is a method...

Prabhupāda: Suppose there is little success, but in comparison to the money expended, that success is little. Just like I, in the beginning I advertised my books in the Times, New York Times. They charged me sixty-three dollars, a small space. So there was inquiry, not order, three inquiries. Not even order. I have got this experience. For me, at that time, sixty-three dollars were too much. So I did not get any response. That is my practical experience. I got three inquiries, not even order. But the Times, New York Times, they have got millions of customers and millions of readers, but I got three inquiries.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: From the one everything is coming.

Jñānagamya: Why isn't it coming from several sources? Instead of one source, why not several sources?

Prabhupāda: That, he has no intelligence. Just like government has so many departments. But original is the king. The departments are only facilities for functioning. But the origin is the king, government. Because there are different departments, there is no king. This is rascaldom. They are rascals, simply rascals. There is no solid argument against.

Parivrājakācārya: When they say there is no God, sometimes we say, "How do you know?"

Prabhupāda: No, we say that there is a creator, and that is God. By experience we see that there is a creator, and God means the supreme creator. That's all.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Guest: I think the temples are increasing, particularly in Germany, England, and I suppose in America as well.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in America we have got forty branches. Our philosophy is simple. We educate people to understand that there is God. This is a godless civilization. So we say that there is God. Try to understand, and love Him, that's all. This is our philosophy. Then you'll be happy. And so long you do not love God, you simply love dog, you'll never be happy. That is our philosophy. You have diverted your loving spirit to the dog. You change it. Instead of loving dog, you love God. Then dog will be loved and everyone will be loved. If you simply love dog, then your love will be simply in dog. But if you love God, then you'll love God and dog also. Just like you are eating. So the eatable is going to the stomach. If you distribute this eatable to the eyes, to the ears, to the nose—there are nine holes—it will be uselessly spoiled. And if you give this foodstuff to the stomach, the energy will be immediately distributed to the ears, to the eyes, to the nose, to the... Similarly, if you have got a propensity to love, you love God, your love will be distributed everywhere. And if you fix your love to the dog, then it is uselessly spoiled. That is going on. They have manufactured love for country, for this, that, so many things. But without love of God. Therefore the disturbance is going on. However big nationalist you may be, you cannot make happy anyone. That is not possible. Take for example our Mahatma Gandhi. He's recognized nationally, but he was killed by his countrymen. That's a fact. That means he could not make happy anyone. So we have got some loving propensity. If we love... That is our natural position. If we love God, then our love for others will automatically be done. And on account of loving God, our life will be perfect. What do you think of this philosophy? What do you think of this philosophy?

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: He creates the difficulty.(?) He came to Vṛndāvana as retired life, but instead of that he wanted to make some personal profit. That is his difficulty.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: So, is he, does he have any sincerity?

Prabhupāda: No, I don't think.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: He has no sincerity. We should not encourage him to come here.

Prabhupāda: No, no. He's after sense gratification. He requested you?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What he'll do?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, I thought that he's a devotee and I should engage him, we should engage him here. But of course, if he's not sincere...

Prabhupāda: He's trying to get such opportunities. He's requesting so many, "Take me here, take me there."

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: We require all these things. The more they become civilized, the more they require medicine and all these things. So you decide. I am so far giving instruction and help, and that will be available.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We have been, Śrīla Prabhupāda, talking and thinking about it amongst ourselves, that now that we have this propensity to be in business, instead of working for karmīs we should have our own business.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: So it's much better... If devotees are in charge, then the karmīs can work for us and they can become devotees. But if the karmīs are in charge...

Prabhupāda: We are. Our society, it is not that we are simply sannyāsīs. We have got brahmacārīs, we have got gṛhasthas. So gṛhasthas should be provided with some profession, business, so that they can earn very nicely. That is good idea.

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: Yellow mustard seeds.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mustard seeds and instead of chalk powder we mix nim powder. Mustard seed, nim powder.

Harikeśa: Calcium carbonate.

Prabhupāda: And salt. Calcium carbonate means...? Oh, calcium, instead of calcium carbonate, let it be nim. It will be very effective.

Harikeśa: I think the taste will be horrible.

Prabhupāda: Yes, taste will be... (laughter)

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: First time they are hearing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the cause we are selling six lakhs of rupees' worth books daily. They understand it is not so-called religious sentiment, it is science. Our so-called swamis and yogis, they never tried. They did not know. Also big, big swamis, they went there. Instead of teaching them, he was taught how to eat meat. Sannyāsī eating meat. He was convinced, "Yes, why not?" At least, in India still, the sannyāsīs they do not eat meat. Except that rascal missionary. No one. There may be difference of opinion, Māyāvādīs. But their behavior is the same.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Right. Some tons of things. The ass does not know why he is carrying so much load. Therefore mūḍha. What for he is carrying? What is his profit? He does not know. But he's carrying so much. "I am big industrialist. I have got so much business." What for you are doing industry? That he does not know. Ass. Karmīs are described as asses. They do not know what is the interest.

Indian man (2): How does it matter what people call Kṛṣṇa, whether they call Bhagavān or Viṣṇu or what, Kṛṣṇa? If it is just only one God. We are talking removing Kṛṣṇa from Gītā but putting Bhagavān there instead of Kṛṣṇa. How does it matter?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior authority than Me."

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Simply by seeing that Kṛṣṇa is lifting the Govardhana Hill, they'll, many of them will laugh, that "This is all mythology. A boy is lifting Govardhana Hill." Many of them will laugh instead of taking seriously. Because unless one is devotee, he cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as he sees the boy Kṛṣṇa is lifting Govardhana Hill—he does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa-he'll laugh.

Indian man (3): That is elsewhere.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Here also.

Yaśomatīnandana: Mostly here. (several Indians talking at once) (end)

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jaundice. They cannot eat much milk product.

Dr. Patel: Yes, sir. Cow is the biggest factory to produce protein, first-class proteins for human beings. Instead of taking advantage of the products of the factory, they eat out the factory itself.

Prabhupāda: So we see practically in our farm the cows give more milk than other farms.

Dr. Patel: The satisfaction of the animal.

Prabhupāda: They are very satisfied. You have been in New Vrindaban with me? No, you were not. So the cows are so happy that... Just like in India. They are walking here and there.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Who is going to become brāhmaṇa? We are inviting everyone, "Come here, become brāhmaṇa." Who is interested? He'll go to the factory. Instead of becoming brāhmaṇa he'll be hammerman. In America no students are coming to the philosophical class or higher mathematics class.

Dr. Patel: Mathematics?

Prabhupāda: No. Higher studies, nobody comes. Only technology. The higher class, higher studies class, they are being closed. The professors are getting no job. We have a friend, Dr. Henderson, he is a doctor in higher mathematics, he is not getting job. No students, nobody is interested in higher... Similarly, many other things, and literatures.

Dr. Patel: Here also the same thing, nobody. And Sanskrit practically nil.

Prabhupāda: And philosophy class, closed. Here I think also. Nobody... They think "What is the use of speculation?"

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: He has given?

Jayapatākā: Favorable reply. He said, "This is a good project. It will help the district." He only said that they should maybe get three hundred acres instead of 350 or like that. He reduced something. Then that went back again to the Commissioner, who was a Christian. He's the one I mentioned. He wrote bad report. Then when Choudhuri got it, he wrote a very good report. He wrote a very good report. He said that there's no question of Hindu or Muslim. Just like in Bangkok they have that one big Viṣṇu Temple. Or the Taj Mahal. This is no longer any type of religious. This is for all mankind. Similarly this Māyāpur will be a monument for the whole mankind.

Prabhupāda: For the whole world.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You can ask that instead of making paraṭā, a light khicuḍi in the morning. That is...

Hari-śauri: Instead of that sabji and everything.

Prabhupāda: No, sabji can make.

Jayapatākā: Khicuḍi instead of paraṭā?

Prabhupāda: So khicuḍi will be easy, like...

Hari-śauri: You want some khicuḍi and the potato?

Prabhupāda: Put in the khicuḍi and tomato. Like in the morning.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You can bring so many men and keep everyone in charge of such places, and it will develop. Money, there is no scarcity. But the difficulty is as soon as we establish, the immigration, "You go away." This is... What is this? You say the MLA and this Tarun Kanti." This is our difficulty. Otherwise there is no difficulty. We can take all the charge and develop them very nicely." So if one man is kept in charge, and after few months he's advised, "Go away," then all his training goes to hell and we have to spend another ten thousand rupees. This is the difficulty. What... We are not... Not a single case there is that we have taken any part in politics. So give us some facility. We can take charge of everything. Tell them that actually that is fact, that there is no scarcity of money. We can bring money from America and develop. There is no difficulty at all. The difficulty is the immigration department. You can say that "Prabhupāda has put this philosophy, andha..." What is that? Paṅgu. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Blind and... Depends on this... Blind and... I think you have already know. Blind man, lame man. One man is blind, another man is lame. Both of them are useless. But when they combine, the blind man takes the lame man on his shoulder, and the lame man gives direction to the blind man, "Go this way. Go this way." So he walks. So both of them are benefited. So America has got money but blind. And India has got culture but lame. So let us combine. Then things will be done very nice. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Just like I am the same man. I was finding difficulty to start this mission in India, very, very difficult. With great hardship I published three books. But as soon as I went America, the andha-paṅgu-nyāya became successful. So this is the the position. So instead of becoming envious from political... We have nothing to do with... To the Americans unnecessarily thinking that "CIA, CIA..." Let American money and India's culture combine together, and the whole world will be benefited.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That "instead of this tea, you take milk." Little milk, that is beneficial. So membership should be clearly defined so that they may not misunderstand.

Gargamuni: But we're not having trouble now...

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Gargamuni: Because we printed a new form. And generally when members come they always donate more so we give them one book.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: He is to be punished. His misusing. Suppose in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement somebody gives us money. He is giving good faith that "It is very good organization." But if I misspend that money, then I am responsible. Then I'll be punished. His business is finished. Kṛṣṇa noted that he has given his hard-earned money for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If I take that money... Instead of doing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if I use it for my sense gratification, then I'll be... Then I'll be responsible. What is the use of Kṛṣṇa's money being used in industry? Any purpose outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Let this money be utilized for spreading the glories of Kṛṣṇa. But they do not recognize Kṛṣṇa. All the so-called Bhagavad-gītā readers, they want to kill Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: The industrialists... That is also one of our programs. Let them hold festivals every Sunday, as we hold. And we shall go and have kīrtana and sumptuous feeding give. They'll be very satisfied. And instead of giving the income tax, let them spend in this way. Convince them.

Jayapatākā: At the factories. Weekly foodstuffs. They feed all the workers. We'll prepare the prasāda, offer to the Deity and feed to all the workers.

Prabhupāda: They'll be satisfied.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Farmers' policy is if they have got money, they purchase land. Therefore they are making ceiling. The whole policy is not so good (?). Farmers, as soon as they get some money, they want to invest the land but the ceiling..., so they cannot invest money in the land; they give to the bank. And as soon as you keep money in the bank it will decrease the value. This is... Money is decreased, value of all over the world. Because it is not money actually; it is paper, cheating. Real money is gold. But they will now allow to keep the gold. The whole policy is vicious. If I purchase gold with five lakhs of rupees, then it is real money, and after five years I can sell it ten lakhs. That they will not allow. Therefore I... My policy is that whatever money is there, spend. Don't keep. In land and produce food. That is the best use of. All buildings, government (for men?), there is no need of. And instead of keeping money and take interest, you print books. That is also good. You can sell. Or you purchase land for producing food.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Now for residential quarter there is already bungalow.

Saurabha: There is a bungalow with four big... It's a big bungalow. And stone is available there, just like here in Hyderabad. At the back of the land it's like a rocky area. One small portion that is so much stone there available, so you can just build from the stone anything. The land can be used for the cement, instead of cement. So very cheap you can build there.

Prabhupāda: One lakh rupees? No.

Saurabha: Well, it depends how many devotees are going to stay. But for a farm, I think ...

Prabhupāda: Say ten rooms.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: This is made for that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the advancement on that idea, dictaphone. Telephone. And the dictation of the author. He's hearing and typing. Nowadays everyone is using. The doctors dictate prescription. The doctor, instead of sending note, he dictates for such and such patient, "He should receive this, take like that..." That is recorded. Another, another, and immediately taken and the compounder hears and... No writing.

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is a fact. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā. That is the verdict of Bhāgavata also. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Kṛpaṇā na iha tṛpyanti. One or two child, children, they are not satisfied. They want to produce more and invite distress more. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. But they are practicing in a different way. And Bhāgavata recommends brahmacārī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. You know this gentleman? (pause)

yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ
kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham
tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ
kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ
(SB 7.9.45)

Instead of begetting more and more children by sex it is better... Better means dhīraḥ. And tolerate the itching sensation. This is recommended. But the itching sensation is so strong nobody can stop. We shall go inside? No.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Even not in our favor. I am working hard in foreign countries and bringing money to India. You should give us some credit. But instead of giving credit, I am being criticized in the Parliament.

Krishna Modi: They are putting like this. They are putting this case like that, that foreign money is coming here to advertise the American embassies, like that. They are that talking like that.

Prabhupāda: They may talk nonsense, but this is the fact. This is the fact. I have got my Book Trust Fund and I've advised regularly to send eight lakhs of rupees per month. That is being spent in Bombay, in... I'm not collecting from here.

Krishna Modi: That is correct.

Prabhupāda: So if an Indian brings from foreign country by his labor eight lakhs of rupees per month, how much credit he should be given? He should be recognized. But instead of recognizing they are criticizing.

Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Devotee: A form of prāṇāyāma, breathing. The scientists, or doctors, say it takes so many muscles in the body to laugh and so many to frown, and it takes less to laugh, so they say why waste energy? Everyone should laugh instead of frowning all the time and be happy. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Ninth Canto, I shall take up Eleventh and Twelfth.

Devotee: Someone was explaining about these Cantos that you start like the feet from Kṛṣṇa and as you read through the Cantos you slowly move up the body of Kṛṣṇa and the Twelfth Canto is the...

Prabhupāda: Head.

Devotee: Is His head. The Twelfth Canto must be a really beautiful book, too. (Hindi) (end)

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everything is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛpaṇa, brāhmaṇa, kṛpaṇa, tṛpyanti neha. He knows that one bāccā has given me so much trouble. Illicit or legal, (Hindi) it is troublesome business. Otherwise why these Americans and Europeans, they're killing their own child. They don't want to take the botheration. (Hindi) So it is botheration, there is no doubt about it. The Bhāgavata says tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇāḥ. The kṛpaṇa (Hindi) What is the meaning of kṛpaṇa? Do you know? Miser. Miser, what is the meaning of miser? Yes. We have got this something, human form of body, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Instead of doing that, in spite of possessing this something, I am utilizing it for sense gratification. If you want sense gratification that's all right. Get one child, two child. Why again and again? Therefore śāstra says tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇāḥ. Because he's kṛpaṇa, he's never satisfied. He's suffering—again, another child, again, another child. All right, you have got two child, one child, that's all right. Be satisfied. Why again and again? The kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa, he does not know how to utilize this asset of human life. He's wasting the asset in a different way. Kṛpaṇa. One has to become brāhmaṇa. The opposite word of kṛpaṇa is brāhmaṇa. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). That is wanted. So we are giving brāhmaṇa's position. Instead of taking the brāhmaṇa position, if he wants to take again kṛpaṇa position, then what is the use of being initiated? All these great sages, saintly person, who were they? They were all brāhmaṇas.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Uddhareta. There is a word uddhareta. Reta means semina. One who has learned how to divert the movement of the semina to the brain. Uddhareta. Greatest yogis. By yogic power they can do that. Instead of discharging, going down.

Akṣayānanda: So if they become sterilized then there's no more possible for the semina to go up. Never again.

Prabhupāda: No. Semina will not be produced.

Akṣayānanda: It cannot, therefore it cannot go, nothing can go to the brain. Therefore their brain is finished for life. It is the same...

Prabhupāda: Anything you do artificially...

Akṣayānanda: It is just like making an operation on the brain. Sterilization is therefore the same...

Prabhupāda: The Kali-yuga is... The material world is for suffering. Kali-yuga is more suffering. But it is not fault of the... Just like this bābājī has been sterilized. Because the government knows, even the so-called sādhus and bābājīs, they are using their sex.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So it is coming again. (fountain starts) (break) ...very celebrated astrologer.

Akṣayānanda: Yes. He said, "Well, Bhaktisiddhānta Mahārāja was."

Prabhupāda: But he gave up.

Akṣayānanda: That's what I told him. Instead of Sūryasiddhānta he became Bhaktisiddhānta.

Prabhupāda: If he wanted he could have practiced lucratively. But he gave up.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, very good.

Prabhupāda: And he had many students. (pause) (indistinct) He dropped in the fountain?

Akṣayānanda: No, he's going on the outside.

Hari-śauri: He swims around sometimes inside.

Prabhupāda: They like it. But they make sound. (break) So if actually I am serious to serve Kṛṣṇa I must begin immediately.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is that? Acakṣuḥ? Andhasya. Abudho guru. So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are gurus. They are blind, and they are guru for blind men. Abudho guru. These have been described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we are to accept guru, so the original guru is Kṛṣṇa because He instructed Lord Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). He instructed the ādi-kavi. He is the guru, Kṛṣṇa. And in the Bhagavad-gītā He also says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So He is ādi-guru. In Bhagavad-gītā also He is instructing Arjuna. He is ādi-guru. So instead of this tricky, jugglery guru, why not people approach Kṛṣṇa? Therefore acakṣur andha. (Hindi) Read this verse again.

Room Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is further from them. Everything is being done by superior arrangement. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). People should learn all these things by practical example instead of becoming irresponsible and without any obedience to the superior law. They should learn it, but they have no intelligence. They think, "We are all free." Wherefrom the monkey is coming, why there are so many varieties of life, how it is...? What do they know? Nothing. All bluff, vague explanation and that is going on in the name of science. This is the position. All rascals. Fortunately we have got this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. All knowledge. First-class knowledge. (break) ...eternally-enjoyment. For him everything, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Everything ānanda. He has no such thing that this is harmful, that this is useful. That is Kṛṣṇa. Because nobody can do harm to Him and neither in the spiritual world, anyone is harmful. Everyone is advanced devotee. Even the tigers, they are also devotees.

Room Conversation -- September 16, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Eggplant. And this banana. So whatever he's grown he takes in a basket, goes to the market, immediately sold. And they're all fresh. Collected in the morning, and it is sold by eight o'clock. All fresh vegetables. There was no export, there was no facility of transport. These rascals introduced transport. Big scale transport, this railway. There was no railway. So transport means this villager, instead of selling locally or one mile away, he will dispatch in Calcutta. The Calcutta people, they are sitting on table and smoking and printing paper money and exploit.

Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:

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).

Doctor: Maybe so, but if two people instead of coming to blows come together to talk, it is a step in the right direction.

Prabhupāda: No right direction because he does not know what is the aim.

Doctor: They both want to have peace so they at least try to...

Prabhupāda: Everyone wants that. But if he does not know how to attain peace, then go on discussing forever. That is going on.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, hm. (break) ...just in front of our house, attached to our house. That means the house belonged to one of our relatives and her son, stepson, he sold the whole house to a Marwari without the knowledge of this, my, she was in relation grandmother. So when the house was sold in those days, about say about 100 years ago, not 100 years, about 90 years. In Mahatma Gandhi road, most important, that Mullik's house you have seen? That was one of the Mullik's house, for 12,000 rupees. One bighā of land and grand building. So it was unknown to the stepmother, the stepson sold it. Then she appealed to the high-court that, "I belong to a respectable family and this my spoiled stepson has sold the house without my knowledge, then where shall I go?" The high-court considered that, "The drunkard son has sold at a cheap price, and she's belongs to a respectable family, where she'll go?" And the high-court order was, "The half of the house shall be used by this lady. During her lifetime, you cannot take possession," the Marwari who purchased. So under that grandmother, we used to live. Therefore this half portion of the house was a Marwari school. So it is just like our temple and this. So my father first admitted me in that Marwari school. So I learned this devanāgarī there, for a few days I was going. I was the only Bengali student there. Because I was little, my father thought that instead of going outside the house, within the house there is a school, get him admitted. The school name was Visuddhana(?) Marwari Vijnala(?), something like that, and later on they constructed huge building Visuddhana(?). Then the house was vacated. So in the beginning I was admitted in a Marwari school and I learned a little Hindi there, that's all.

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We shall come... 6:30-7:00, ārati will go on. So we can come half an hour before.

Hari-śauri: 5:30.

Prabhupāda: 5:30. 5:30. Instead of coming there at six, I come there 5:30. And one hour, then 6:30 begins. Make that like that. That will be nice. So why you were not present in the meeting?

Pradyumna: I was there, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. That's all right. I think you can understand Hindi? No.

Pradyumna: I am trying to. I can understand little bit. I am practicing.

Prabhupāda: You should learn Hindi, Bengali. You are learning?

Pradyumna: He talks... When he talks, he talks a little fast, when he reads the anuvada.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Pradyumna: Ah, Prema-yogi.

Prabhupāda: Ah, he is... But I am studying. He is translating nice. He is learned.

Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jagadīśa: Some of the younger boys chant six or eight rounds instead of sixteen. They chant that much during that time and then they study. Then they attend the temple program, guru-pūjā and Bhāgavatam class. And then after that, they go upstairs, wash their clothes and clean the āśrama. That takes them about an hour, to wash their clothes and sweep and cleanse the floor, cleanse the shower room, wash their clothes...

Prabhupāda: Now, when they chant the mantras?

Jagadīśa: Brahma-saṁhitā?

Prabhupāda: Or any...

Jagadīśa: Any mantras. At... Right now they're chanting from nine until 9:30 in the morning with Yaśodānandana Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Not in the, early in the morning?

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So you can eat dogs, hogs, so many other animals. But don't touch the cows. This is God's instruction. And they are advertising that "These Hindus, they are so fool, they are worshiping an animal, a cow." They do not know what is the economic value of this cow. In the beginning of your life you want milk immediately in the morning. And you are killing the mother? You are civilized? Do you think? You take milk up to the point of death. In South Africa, before killing the cows, they drag out milk and then send it. Milk is important, but because they are uncivilized, they do this. You take milk. Instead of killing, you prepare so many nice things from milk which is good for brain, good for intelligence. But they do not know because uncivilized. Foolish fourth-class men. So we are trying to bring them to become first-class men, and they are accusing of brainwash. "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." We are teaching that "These boys, they are becoming first-class." Anyone will worship them. How nice they look, how behavior, how their character. We are creating this, and they are accusing, "Oh, they are kidnapping our children." Why you are going? Eh? Why you are going?
Room Conversation -- November 24, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So do, do. What is that? Ta...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we can do it outside instead of troubling you. We can sit down... Actually, I've already told them since I've been here yesterday that whatever problems they have, we can solve it ourselves.

Prabhupāda: So go and settle up in that lungi.(?)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can settle it ourselves instead of bringing it to Prabhupāda.

Akṣayānanda: I don't think there's any great difficulty, Prabhupāda.

Devotee (1): Actually, we've been speaking the last few days and these problems can be solved.

Prabhupāda: No, it is Kṛṣṇa's service. Everyone is offering voluntary service. So not that anybody's paid and if he cannot, dismiss or... Yes. This bureaucracy is not... Train him. Train him. If he does not know, train him. But things must be done very nicely by cooperation. That is wanted. Everyone should remember that we are serving Kṛṣṇa, and everyone should remember, "The other person is serving Kṛṣṇa. And because he is serving Kṛṣṇa, he is not my servant; he is my master." That should be always in view. Therefore we address, prabhu: "You are my master." We never address, "You are my servant." We are trained up to say my brother, that "prabhu," "such and such prabhu." Prabhu means master. Nobody think himself that he is master. He should always think that everyone is his master because he's serving the master. This is our philosophy. So in this way... Now you have got good arrangement and they're all intelligent persons, young persons.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: First of all try to understand. It is... The free will is there. If you don't surrender, then, Kṛṣṇa says, niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ: "Instead of sitting idly, better you do your prescribed duty." So the prescribed duty is cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). According to guṇa and karma, there are four divisions. So if you are in the first-class division as brāhmaṇa, you do the brāhmaṇa's work. If you are a kṣatriya, you do the kṣatriya's... Niyataṁ kuru karma. What is you are destined, you do that nicely. Don't be idle. That is Kṛṣṇa's in... But if you are intelligent, then Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). But you are foolish; then you be engaged in your prescribed duty. And if you are intelligent, then "You give up everything; simply surrender to Me." That depends on you. If you are intelligent, you'll surrender; if you are not intelligent, be engaged in your karma. Kṛṣṇa is giving all facilities. Now it is up to you to make your selection.
Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Purchase one canopy instead of renting. We shall have to continue this program.

Mahāṁśa: Right now it will be difficult to purchase because we don't have enough money.

Prabhupāda: What is the money? How much?

Mahāṁśa: We don't have enough money. It will cost at least a thousand rupees or more, the whole thing, at least a thousand, maybe more. We don't have so much money right now.

Prabhupāda: So I'll pay you thousand. But... You pay me the rent, I'll pay you thousand. Yes. What is the rent per day?

Mahāṁśa: I'll get it free, without rent.

Prabhupāda: Then don't purchase.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: In Bengal it is called tilake tāla. Tāla, a palm fruit, it is big, and tila, is the sesame. You know sesame seeds?

Haṁsadūta: Sesame.

Prabhupāda: Sesame, yes. That is very small. So these seeds, sesame seed, is called tila. Tila lava, and they make it tāla. Instead of tila, it becomes tāla, and then big mess. Tilake tāla. The fact was tila, but they called it tāla.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "This science of Bhagavad-gītā, I spoke to the sun-god millions of years ago." By the calculation it is forty millions of years ago. Now who will believe that, that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā forty millions of years ago to the sun-god? Hm? Who will believe that? They'll say mythology. So where is the faith in Bhagavad-gītā and faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa? Understanding Hamlet without Hamlet. (distortion) You cannot make your interpretation that whatever is written there, I take instead of..., I take... (coughing) That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Then from the very beginning you'll spoil it. Then what is the meaning of preaching Bhagavad-gītā? If you do not accept the direction of the author, then what right you have got to say that you have understood Bhagavad-gītā?

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Guest: But Swamiji, you have also given so much (indistinct). That is interpretation.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not interpretation. That is explanation. Interpretation, if I change Kurukṣetra into something else, that is interpretation. That is wisdom. That is wisdom.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say instead of collecting so many hundreds and thousands of literature on the Bhagavad-gītā, why not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is? What is the difficulty? Kurukṣetra is this position is fact. Mahābhārata, Mahābhārata means greater India. And that is, it is itihasa. It is called itihāsa. Itihāsa, if you don't believe that there was a battle in the Kurukṣetra... But that is the fact. It is the history. Then how you can finish (?) Bhagavad-Gītā? Every point of Bhagavad-gītā, it is clear. It is clear. There is no need of interpretation. That is the first thing. If you interpret you spoil the whole thing. Because interpretation is required when the things are not clear. If everything is clear, why should you interpret?

Guest: No, it is explanation I think.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you first of all learn Sanskrit, then you (indistinct). If there is (indistinct). This practice should be stopped. If you want to preach Bhagavad-gītā, and if you want to preach your own philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā, don't do this preaching. You preach your philosophy, your (indistinct). You can preach any philosophy you like, but don't take Bhagavad-gītā and (indistinct) on it. (?) That is my (indistinct). That is being done. That is being done. So therefore, instead of studying, collecting so many literatures, why not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is and preach? And as evidence to prove he is (indistinct) ...all over the world. Before me for 200 years there was preaching of Bhagavad-gītā. Not a single person became... It is the history of (indistinct). Now you see thousands. Why? Because there is no interpretation. There is no interpretation. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). We are presenting, "Here is God." You are searching after God, Kṛṣṇa, and they are accepting. They do not (indistinct), what is Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Englishman: He said he was, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But he's a person. So how the father is imperson? What kind of father?

Dr. Patel: Sir, instead of calling person, we say he's an individual. Person means this body.

Prabhupāda: Person is individual.

Dr. Patel: Individual. So God is an individual then?

Prabhupāda: No, person. God is a person. Individual means person. Individual person.

Dr. Patel: Everything person is body.

Prabhupāda: Body or no body, that is separate thing. But when you say individual, he is a person. And it is explained also in the Bhagavad... Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Those who are inclined to the impersonal feature... God has got that impersonal feature. So they have to undergo more troubles to understand Him. And after going through troublesome business, bahūnāṁ janmanām, many, many births, then he understands, "Oh, vāsudevaḥ sarvam, here is the person." Everywhere this disease is very prominent, that God is impersonal. Perhaps this is the only movement in the world that's preaching, "No, God is person."

Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, you don't beat me with shoes. He never beat them the shoes. He said, "Well we don't like you." If I say, "Do this," and it is not good, I mean, I'm not wrong in that way I suppose. I'm open to correction.

Prabhupāda: No, no. English civilization is not good. What was the wrong? I say repeatedly again and again, he ruined the Manchester cloth business, he developed Ahmedabad cloth. The result is we poor men, we were paying one rupee six annas per pair, now we are paying thirty rupees. Money is going... Instead of going to the pocket of the Englishmen it is going to the pocket of Mahadevia. (laughter)

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: So you are elaborating on this thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ignorance. Stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mūḍhaḥ nābhijānāti. You take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. Oh, that is given to that doctor. (Hindi) But that knowledge is being neglected by Indians, and the whole world is in ignorance. The knowledge has to be given by India because knowledge is in India. But the Indians, they have become rascals. They are imitating the rascals. This is reply. India should have given knowledge to the whole world. Instead of, these rascals are imitating their ways of life, and knowledge remains in the darkness throughout the whole world.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: When we go out and preach and we just repeat or try to repeat whatever we've heard from the spiritual master, but we may not have fully realized what we're speaking about, does that somehow or another reduce the potency of the Gītā or the Bhāgavatam or...

Prabhupāda: Yes, realization takes time. Therefore there is no question of realization. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says you simply repeat as Kṛṣṇa says. That will save you. The so-called political leaders, they have no realization, but they manufacture their ideas. That is dangerous. Mislead themselves and others. In Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, ācāryopāsanam. Amānitvam adambhitvam. This is the process of knowledge. These so-called scholars and politicians, they have no ācārya. Instead of being amānitvam, they're mani... "I have become a leader, so whatever I shall say, it will be accepted." This is going on. Very bad. It is clearly said, as soon as you give up the ācārya system it is rotten. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So things which is rotten, what you'll get benefit? That is going on. Therefore in spite of so many Gītā commentators, big, big leaders, scholars, not a single person is converted into a devotee. Not a single person amongst their followers. It's useless talking. Therefore it is forbidden. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtam... Because they are not Vaiṣṇava, politicians and—reject them immediately. Immediately. That is the injunction. I wrote Mahatma Gandhi that "You are so respectful. People have got... Now you have got your svarāja. Please take Bhagavad-gītā seriously and let us preach."

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So Prabhupāda, I was just finalizing today this year's festival when the devotees come. I think instead of having a festival, a pandal in Delhi like we had last year. We had one in Ludhiana and Mathurā. In Ludhiana Caityaguru promises that he can raise money for the whole thing. Our devotees won't have to spend a penny. In Delhi if we do a pandal it will require an investment of at least twenty thousand rupees. If we do our festival in Ludhiana, book distribution I calculated will be as good and no money will be invested. We have a festival in Mathurā in Janma Bhumi. Every evening by buses devotees will go from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā. You wanted to have a big program there, you remember? When I was in Vṛndāvana. So we can invite different leaders also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He's not chanting?

Yogi Amrit Desai: He chants. During his silence, his chanting is allowed. Because when he says... When you say the name of the Lord, that is not called breaking the silence. So he chants.

Prabhupāda: Silence means we shall not talk nonsense. We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is silence. Instead of wasting time, talking on this material thing, let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is positive. And the silence is negative. Stop nonsense; speak sense.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Right! That is right.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. If one ceases his nonsense, then param, the Supreme... Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When you have got better things, then you give up naturally the rubbish. So anything material, that is rubbish. Karma, jñāna, yoga, they're all material. Karma, jñāna, yoga. Even up to so-called yogas, they're all material.

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Yogi Amrit Desai: That's the real meaning.

Prabhupāda: Swami means who is the controller of the senses.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Master of the senses.

Prabhupāda: Senses. So instead of swami, he is servant of his senses, and he is preaching as swami. These swamis go to the foreign countries. Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam.

Yogi Amrit Desai: They have vairāgya to his senses, of the senses.

Prabhupāda: A sannyāsī... A sannyāsī means he has ceased all material desire. There is no material desire. And the concentrated material enjoyment is sex. So if one could not control his sex life, then how he is swami? He's cheater.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So if we can get that land, then we can divert our sewer in the land and utilize it for nice agricultural purposes. So instead of spending lakh of rupees for municipality, why not acquire that land?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Acquire or buy? Acquire.

Prabhupāda: Acquire means you have to pay, but government...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but acquire usually takes a long time.

Prabhupāda: Not long time. They'll give us, because it is lying vacant.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: On the sewage problem in Vṛndāvana, we'll have to make, do something quickly because even the Gurukula will not be able to open till we can...

Prabhupāda: So you can do it immediately. But go on, purchase. It is lying vacant.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But these coconuts, there would be more coconuts if they are looked after, all these, putting fertilizer on and watering them. All these houses behind here, they should be very planned out. This is all filthy. Behind it is very filthy. All these tenants will be segregated on one side, this side. And those living, they will be taking possession and...

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

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

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

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

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

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Abhijñeṣu. Abhijñaḥ means those who are in knowledge. Abhijñāta.

Dr. Patel: That means sat-saṅga. Instead of doing sat-saṅga, people go to Kumbha Mela... (laughs) Prabhupāda: No. Kumbha Mela is sat-saṅga. If you go to Kumbha Mela to find out a man of knowledge, then your Kumbha Mela is right. Otherwise, yad-buddhiḥ śalile sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). If one thinks that this śalila, the water, to take bath in the water, is Kumbha Mela, he is a go-kharaḥ. But the real..., that "Now there are assembly of so many saintly persons. Let me take advantage of their knowledge." Then he is intelligent. (break) ...of highly learned saintly persons. People should take advantage.

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But reading... By reading, you cannot understand. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is also vidhilīn: "In order to understand that science, he must go to guru."

Dr. Patel: But, sir, instead of reading no books of knowledge, if you read Bhāgavata or Bhagavad-gītā, it is a sort of a sat-saṅga, and that develops. Someday he'll go to a guru. He'll find out.

Prabhupāda: No, no, if he reads Bhāgavata, he is not ordinary man.

Dr. Patel: He is on the way up.

Prabhupāda: If he reads Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, he is not ordinary man.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But one thing is that we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In Bhagavad-gītā there is no such statement that you take care of the eyes of the people. There is no such statement. That is your manufactured idea. But we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is the difference. Our preaching is that instead of giving relief to the eyes, give him relief in such a way he hasn't got to accept any more this body with eyes. You cannot make a solution of the problem. Somebody is taking care of the eyes, somebody's taking of the finger, somebody of the hair, somebody of another, genital, and so on, so on. This will not solve the problem. The problem is, as it is said in the Bhagavad..., janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is intelligence. As soon as you take birth, then you'll have eyes, you'll have eye trouble, vyādhi. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. If you accept janma-mṛtyu, then between janma-mṛtyu there is vyādhi and jarā. You have to accept. You may give some relief, but you have to accept. So that is not solution. The solution is how to stop this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is solution.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He went to preach Vedānta, but instead of preaching Vedānta, he learned so many things which is objectionable from Vedic civilization.

Mr. Asnani: He also said that you cannot teach the religion on empty stomachs.

Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy.

Girirāja: So many people say that.

Prabhupāda: But why the kings left their kingdom and became empty stomach? There were...

Mr. Asnani: They lived in jungle for tapasya.

Prabhupāda: Why this Bhārata-varṣa, Bharata Mahārāja, at the twenty-four years of age and his wife was young, children were young, and he was emperor of the whole world, so why went voluntarily to become empty stomach? He was not poverty-stricken. But why he accepted?

Devotee: Tapasya.

Mr. Asnani: No, he realized that the material world is not the solution.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Night means ignorance, when one sleeps. Yes. And day is awakening. So what is day for the materialistic person, so that is night for the spiritualistic person. And what is day for the spiritualistic person, that is night for the... Just like a spiritualist person, he has sacrificed everything and he is after God, and they are thinking, "These rascals, unnecessarily, empty stomach, wasting, 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,' chant." They are deriding. And he is thinking that "This rascal got this human form of body. Instead of spiritual culture, he's spoiling his life, cats and dogs." That means in the subject matter where the spiritualists were not interested, he is interested. And in the subject matter, the spiritual person, interested, he is not interested. This is day and night.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Gurudāsa: Use gobar instead of...

Dr. Patel: No, gobar is not that much available.

Gurudāsa: Gobar means cows. Get a cow.

Dr. Patel: We use gobar. All of us keep cows. But there is not sufficient for that.

Gurudāsa: You can eat six thousand rupees' worth of rice yourself?

Dr. Patel: No, you can't. You have in the market. No, I cannot eat even this much because I can't bring it here to Bombay. There is a barrier. You can't export from one place to another. This is the government. And our rice is just like the (indistinct) quality.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: You go and eat there. (laughter)

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: He thought that India is spoiled by American policy, Mr. Dulles's. And he spoiled the pitch, this Mr. Nehru, Nehru, being a flamboyant, highly arrogant man... And then they supported Pakistan, and Americans lost lot of money on these small wars. Instead of that, much money was given away to a poor country. it was Dulles who got United States to this present condition. We should have insulated this country after svaraj, not selling anything, not taking anything. Produce yourself or starve and die. People don't work when they get food like that.

Prabhupāda: I am simply surprised when I compare British days and nowadays. My practical experience—one of my maternal uncles, he's a very big, rich man. He was; he is not existing. So he was doing business, rice exporting. So in Calcutta, Chetra side, he had big, big godown full of rice. Not only he, other merchants also. But now they are empty. Similarly, from Bombay the oil seeds are being exported.

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

Prabhupāda: That is better. That is better. To write some letters here, that is not so important. But if he can preach and he... At least, we are expecting... He's old sannyāsī. He knows how to preach. Let him do that.

Jagadīśa: So I'll suggest that he goes straight to America instead of coming here.

Prabhupāda: If he's coming here, let him come. We shall talk together. There is no secrecy.

Jagadīśa: I'll leave it up to him, as he prefers.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If he's coming, don't stop him. That is...

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I've got a letter here from Jayādvaita and from Jagannātha dāsa regarding some corrections. These are two books that are in production right now. So would it be all right to ask you them?

Prabhupāda: What is that book? (break) Sarvātmana yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. Factually Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate shelter. If he has taken that shelter, he's free, immune. And that Kṛṣṇa has confirmed here. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo... (BG 18.66). If he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then if he gives such a duty, he's liable to fall down. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣ... "Because you are giving up all other duties, don't think that you'll be liable to punishment. I'll give you protection." So the conclusion is: if one is not fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he's obliged to do his duty. This is the easiest way to become free from all obligation—to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That, I think, duśyanta-rāja?

Pradyumna: Duśyanta-rāja. Duśyanta-rāja.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) Very nice. People will so much appreciate it. Yes. They've never seen. From artistic point of view, it should be rewarded by government. And they are prosecuting us. This... What injustice... So many young men, they're exhibiting their talents in this art, and they are trying to harass us. What is this government? Put this matter before this government, that "Just see, your lordships, we are presenting culture, religion, knowledge, philosophy, art, and they are trying to condemn us. Do you think it is all right?" Simply ask. "It was never known in this country. And it is worthy. We are the first-class nation in the world, and we are still giving something more of our talent. Instead of encouraging government help, we have to suffer this harassment. Do you think it is justice?" Just put before him.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: The whole war of Kurukṣetra was just so Kṛṣṇa's devotees...

Prabhupāda: Yes. It was designed by Kṛṣṇa. But the idea was to kill. "Call them all together here and kill them. Bas, finished, all the demons finished." This is Kṛṣṇa. "Instead of killing them separately, call them here and kill. Finished." Like slaughterhouse. It was a slaughterhouse for the demons. "Call them and kill them. Bas, finished." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin: "It is all my design. Even if you do not fight, they are not going back to their home. They must be killed." This is Kṛṣṇa's plan. "You simply take the credit. That's all. It is all My design. You are My devotee. I want to give you this credit. Otherwise without your help they are already killed." So... Kṛṣṇa... Paritrāṇāya... He has got two business. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). This is another side of His business. (end)

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). So sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). If we accept sarvam etad ṛtam, as it is, then we benefited, and if we do not accept in that way, then it is naṣṭaḥ. Sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Then it is being spoiled. And what benefit you will get with spoiled thing? As soon as you interpret it is spoiled, immediately spoiled. So what benefit will be derived from the spoiled things? And that is being done. Don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, don't believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, and if I am preaching Bhagavad-gītā, what is the benefit? It is spoiled? So if you distribute some spoiled food, it will increase food poison. That is going on. Instead of taking benefit from a first-class food, if you distribute a spoiled, then there will be food poisoning. That is being done. In India every home knows Bhagavad-gītā. And because it is spoiled now there will be food poisoning. They are denying the existence of God. God is speaking—Bhagavān uvāca—and they are now..., don't.... They are not believing in the existence of God. "God? Where is God?" Science. This is going on. If we speak of God, then we are "primitive." And up-to-date? "I am God; you are God." This is up to date. And if we say, "Now, God is Kṛṣṇa. You worship Him. You become devotee," this is primitive. And these Americans, although they are up to date, they have accepted it, my word. I presented them that Kṛṣṇa is God. They have accepted. This is their qualification.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: All right, let them not come, but those who are unemployed, let them come.

Rāmeśvara: But what...? For those people who already have their jobs, instead of...

Prabhupāda: That job... They will be very soon jobless. Don't worry. (laughs) They will come. They will be obliged to come. Now they have got job, but as the days are advancing in Kali-yuga, they'll be jobless.

Hari-śauri: So we can expect that material conditions are going to become very much worse than this.

Prabhupāda: They may come or not. We don't care for it. Let us establish an ideal society. That is the...

Jagadīśa: If someone who is well-off wants to become a devotee, shall we encourage him to give up all of his material well-being or shall we ask him to instead put a temple in his house and encourage him how to make his house into a temple and make his whole family Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: And what is your material well-being? Everyone is going hundred miles for well-being. Is that well-being? Either they may go by motorcar or by train... And as soon as there is—what is called?—bottle-neck, they become very much disturbed: "How to go to the office?" Where is well-being?

Room Conversation -- January 15, 1977, Allahabad:

Gurudāsa: So that means they would spend at home instead of India for the benefit of themselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No Englishmens were allowed to domicile in India. No. Strictly. But if... As soon as they make home, it will be America. The Americans made their home in America, so a war of independence was... They have experienced that, so did not allow the Englishmen to make India home. "You come here, work and take your payment. Can't come down."(?) This was the policy, Home Bill. And India's gold was kept in London. So gradually all the gold finished. Very, very crooked policy they followed. They... They... In Muhammadan period there was no such peaceful exploitation. These Muhammadans, they wanted to become lumma, kukum(?). Bas. That's all. They were satisfied. But their princely expenditure was done in India. When Shah Jahan constructed the Taj Mahal, heavy expenditure, but the payment was received by the Indians. And here a railway, very smart railway bridge is constructed that... The payment was paid in England. This was the policy. Every even screw, iron screw, was imported from England.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Tax invention? What is that?

Rāmeśvara: They call themselves educational organizations. They are educating the public because they do speaking engagements at colleges and different places. So on the basis of that, they applied to the federal government, "Please, we are just an educational group. You must give us tax exemption." So they have been given that. Now people can donate money to them. Instead of paying taxes to the U.S. government, they can donate money to them in exchange for paying taxes. (laughs) So the fighting will get more...

Prabhupāda: Intense.

Rāmeśvara: This year, definitely. But that means more propaganda for us, more publicity.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. (chuckling)

Rāmeśvara: And I look forward to it, because we'll smash them in each confrontation. They now realize that when they have a debate against us, they always lose. We have had maybe five or six confrontations in Los Angeles on television and on the radio, and every time they lose. And every time they go away like this.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) You can keep there under the bath section. I'll wash there.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: By practically knowing he's a... Are you independent, anyone? Everyone is servant. He's serving his senses. That's all. He's servant. He's never master. But he has become the servant of māyā or senses. That's all. He has to change only; instead of becoming servant of māyā, be servant of Kṛṣṇa. Servant he is. Where he'll go? How he will become master? To remain a servant is his position. He cannot become master. That is false pride. As soon as he wants to be master, that is false pride. That is māyā. "So if I am servant, then I have to serve. So why shall I serve the senses' dictation? I will serve Kṛṣṇa, what He says." So he's self-realized immediately, within a second. Where is the difficulty to become self-realized? Hm? Is there any difficulty? He must know that "I am serving. I am never master. But serving the senses, that's all, whims of the senses in the name of independence." That is not possible. Very simple philosophy. One who understands, he's self-realized. And if he preaches, then he becomes recognized. On this principle we shall help everyone. "Come here. Stay with us nicely. Nicely you can. But serve Kṛṣṇa. We take responsibility." Organize in this way throughout the whole world. Give them shelter; give them food; give them cloth. That is the most benevolent welfare activity in the human society. So here people have generally tendency to come to the beach to enjoy. "All right, we shall give you a place. Come on. Stay here. You haven't got to pay anything for food or lodging. Simply attend ārati, classes. Then... For experiment, three days' period, you see."

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. All charges are replied in these books. So you read these books and argue on this. Finish this. Then give judgment. Make this. Make a firm. Bring all these eighty-four books. That is legal! From law point, it is legal. What I have to say, you have to hear. So we have said everything there.

Gargamuni: Instead of spending for these lawyers, let us bring your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes!

Gargamuni: That is the testimony.

Prabhupāda: And read them and argue on them. "Finish this argument; then give the judgment." Why don't you do it? Make an experiment?

Gurukṛpā: We've done that.

Hari-śauri: They're going to do that.

Gurukṛpā: We did that Śrīla Prabhupāda, just recently.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Then he has to follow you because by taking your instruction I shall stop following others; that means I'll have to follow you. So what is the benefit? Instead of following others, I have to follow you? My following is there. That is not stopped.

Satsvarūpa: They claim they don't want to be leaders, but actually they do.

Prabhupāda: That means rascal. What he says, that is contradictory. That means rascal.

Pṛthu-putra: But he commit suicide at the end of his life, Camus, yes. He's a philosopher, a French philosopher. He commit suicide at the end of his life. Can you believe that?

Passerby: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, Rūpānuga Prabhu abandoned completely the idea of this Santa Claus in Washington while we were having our meeting. Stayed about a few days. And then he had this telephone call from distance, from outside saying that "Tomorrow I'll shoot you. I'll kill you," things like that. They get this telephone call in the temple from outsiders, "If you come like that, in Santa Claus, we'll give you a bullet," like that. So Rūpānuga completely abandoned this idea. So he said, "Tell what we are, be honest, and do as we have been doing." And in fact, devotees are doing, and they got more the next morning, got more books sold just going as Hare Kṛṣṇa, in Hare Kṛṣṇa dress, instead of going as Santa Claus. So I think...

Prabhupāda: So now it is stopped.

Hari-śauri: That was just Christmas time.

Gargamuni: That Santa Claus is only used for two weeks.

Prabhupāda: So from next year we shall not do that.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It makes a better point for them instead of making a better point for ourselves.

Prabhupāda: Against party, they take it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. So they take that advantage, that's all, because so many people are trying to find out the defects here and there, just little bit, and they want to amplify if they find little.

Prabhupāda: So on the whole, our temple activities are going nice?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There is no hindrance on account of this counter propaganda?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So far, I know only in Atlanta and Washington.

Prabhupāda: No, what is the position, Atlanta and Washington?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Atlanta also, they have difficulty. Balavanta told me just before I left that...

Prabhupāda: June.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: While slowly, then life will be automatically finished. Instead of seeing success, he'll be... He will die. Sarthe sarthe dal puriya gelun.(?) One man was to go to a fair, so he began to dress himself nicely. So dressing, dressing, in the meantime the fair is finished. (laughs) This is their program. You require water immediately: "All right, after three hundred millions of-water." This is science, all rascals. I use very strong word, but actually... Simply promising, no solution of problems. They do not know even what is what. But big, big words, jugglery of words... They are themselves rascals, and some rascals praise them, "Oh, you are..." Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). What they can do? Real problem, there is no solution. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Big, big scientists, why they not make provision that "My dear students, when I shall be dying, you give this pill and I shall again...," or "I am manufacturing another brain like me. You can utilize it"? Where is that science? The scientific brain of Einstein, he could not prepare another brain like his. Hm? Was he able to do that?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. No. They have to...

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The intelligent boy knows that, that chastisement is mercy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Devotee (2): The scientists are saying that instead of everything coming from the micro organism, instead of that happening now, that it's coming from man. Life is created from man.

Prabhupāda: Then life is life. Life coming from life.

Devotee (2): But they're afraid to tell everybody publicly because it is in all the history books and the children will be effected by it. So they say it will be at least ten more years before the truth is out, that actually Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme in the textbooks in the schools.

Prabhupāda: No, if they are afraid of putting the real truth, how they are scientists?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are cheaters.

Prabhupāda: Cheaters. Here a scientist said that. That is more valuable.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: ...India because the Japanese people, they were trying to expand. Two, three wars they tried, they could not. They wanted to take this advantage, Subash Bose's cooperation. But their motive was different. And therefore they killed Subash Bose. Subash Bose was... (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...in Manipur. So they wanted to construct some sort of memorial building but, somehow, India government is not granting them. So instead of doing that, they were just collecting the bones. They found out some bones by some... (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Bhūtejyā. This is called bhūtejyā.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And they carried those bones along with them. Just in the village where I lived many Japanese bones were found. And they were coming very frequently to collect the bones.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So you reply this, that "You come. I shall train you. You will guide. We are prepared to guide you, but it is not possible to, bring men outside to guide you. You come to us. I shall train you how to guide." This is the reply. And that is wanted. This Bon Mahārāja failed. Why? He wanted... Guru Mahārāja wanted that you start one temple in London. But he was thinking of bringing, taking men from India. Actually he had no.... (break) That is the fact. Therefore he failed. Instead of serving Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, he wanted to serve Vivekananda. To become like Vivekananda and "I shall be very much eulogized in my country, second Vivekananda." That was his ambition. He never wished to defy Vivekananda and elevate Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has introduced in his Oriental Institute, Gandhi philosophy, Vivekananda philosophy. Just see his position. He's appreciating... We are simply condemning Gandhi philosophy, and he's appreciating Gandhi. We are simply depreciating Vivekananda, and he's introducing Vivekananda. This is his position. He cannot understand even that where is philosophy in Vivekananda and Gandhi? Gandhi is nationalist.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he went to South Africa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. South Af... He had no practice here. One attorney, he told me in Bombay that "Your Gandhi was waiting for cases here, sitting in this chair." He was not even successful lawyer. Then he got a case in Africa. He thought it wise, "Let me go there." And there, instead of becoming a lawyer, he became a political agitator. So to take equal status for the Indians he fought there. And that was failure. Still it is going on. They are very determined not to give any advantage to anyone except these whites.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Pradyumna: I was just remembering that verse, sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). They will fight to the... They will say, "Yes, you are washing the brain." Sattvaṁ śuddhyet.

Prabhupāda: Washing is required because you have no brain. Instead of brain, you have got some stool. So therefore it requires washing. Washing is required because you have no brain.

Pradyumna: It is covered by ignorance.

Prabhupāda: It is covered by the stool, so it requires washing.

Pradyumna: Malam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (end)

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Instead of quoting from some śāstra, they quote from a mundane book.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the books. There's no more Sanskrit used.

Prabhupāda: So who has done this? You are asking me?

Brahmānanda: Rāmeśvara Swami's in charge.

Hari-śauri: Another example's like that they put a recipe for halavā in the magazine, two-page spread in color.

Prabhupāda: So the Rāmeśvara should not be in charge. The Satsvarūpa should be in charge.

Satsvarūpa: I'm very eager to take it over again.

Prabhupāda: Immediately do.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So best thing will be Satsvarūpa now shall edit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's some serious discrepancies. One thing is that after your name at the beginning they have written founder-director instead of founder-ācārya.

Prabhupāda: They are making mine?(?)

Satsvarūpa: Because the American public would not be able to accept that. Then later in the issue...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, founder and director of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement."

Prabhupāda: Of course, ācārya means director. That is another... But why they search out?(?)

Satsvarūpa: One difficulty is later in the issue they referred to Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja as "founder and director." So it makes him... "Of New Vrindaban." So you're director and he's director, so you're equal. They're described as equals. But if you were ācārya, he could not be also called ācārya of New Vrindaban.

Prabhupāda: No, it should be continued as "ācārya"

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Fools. "Therefore you have no brain. It requires to be washed. Your brain is filled up with stools, so we have to wash it. What can be done? Our, this business is washing. We cannot foolishly... We are sweeper on behalf of God, and we are engaged to wash your stool in the brain. That is our business." (laughter) You can say, "Yes, brainwashing, yes. Because you have got so much stool in your brain, we require to wash it." Tell like that. "We are engaged by Kṛṣṇa. Because you are satisfied, instead of having a real brain, you have got stool in the brain. You are so rascal, you are satisfied. But we are seeing, it is so obnoxious, hampering your existence. Therefore it is my thankless duty to wash it. You should have thanked me, but you are so fool, you are condemning."

Room Conversation -- February 21, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This oil. You produce castor seed oil. You grow castor seed by agricultural.

Bhāgavata: Grow cas...?

Prabhupāda: Castor seed.

Bhāgavata: Castor seed.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and you get sufficient oil.

Bhāgavata: And that was used, castor seed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Instead of one cand..., one lamp, hundred candlepower, if you want more light you just have hundred castor seed lamps. That's all. It will look beautiful, and there'll be light. You'll find it. If you bring one hundred castor seed lamps, it will look very nice and the light is there. (end)

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Let us try to give a substantial platform of civilization. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hari-śauri: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). (sound of thunder and rain) This time rainfall is very beneficial for crops. This is the way of living. You perform yajña, there will be rain. And as soon as the ground is moist, you can produce anything, whatever you want. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. From the field, you can get all your necessities of life. The first necessity is the food grain. So food grain you can eat, and the rejected grass portion, you give to the cows. So both the animal and the man get sufficient food. And the cows will give you nice milk, and from milk you can get butter, ghee, yogurt, so many nice sweetmeat. And there is ghee, and here is food grain, then you make kacuri, puri, samosā. Then sufficient foodstuff, nice, palatable, nutritious. First necessity is āhāra. You get sufficient āhāra. Then make little cottage for shelter. Just like there is rainfall. Now you require little... (thunder sounds) Āhāra, nidrā, bhaya, and sex. So marry. Then the whole problem is solved. And then, rest time you save and advance in Kṛṣṇa conscious... This is civilization. Why you create unnecessary necessities of life and become complicated and forget Kṛṣṇa? What is this civilization? Rascal civilization. Instead of giving protection to the cows, you are cutting the throat. Is that civilization? So this is a civilization of duṣkṛtina, means mischief monger.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Instead of keeping in the bank, keep books stock. It will save. That principles let us follow. Simply keep the book that it may not be spoiled, it may not be stolen. Otherwise it is our..., as good as government currency notes. Take that. As soon as there is money, convert it into books.

Harikeśa: I was thinking also that Gopāla Kṛṣṇa could buy the milk powder from Bali-mardana by printing books for him. He could print the books in India for Australia...

Prabhupāda: I have suggested already, already suggested that "Take milk powder and ghee from Australia, and every center distribute prasādam like anything." And in India at least, if you give them nice puri and chānā preparation and sweet preparation from milk, oh, they'll be so glad, both poor man and rich man. Yesterday I was eating kacuris. What is this kacuri? Made of ghee. Samosā, made of ghee; rasagullā, made of... Cow is so important. She can deliver so many nice preparations, sweet and salty. The whole world does not know how to eat. Like rākṣasas they are killing the poor animals. So we have to teach. This is an introduction of new type of civilization for making life successful.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And one who is learned scholar, then "śāstrī," "bhakti-śāstrī."

Harikeśa: In other words, you want "ārādhana-kovida" instead of "pūjā-kovida."

Prabhupāda: Hm. This is like Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, like that. Ārādhana-kovida. A.K. (laughter) Instead of B.A., A.K. Make nice paper, nice script, and the titles should be written in handwriting so that he can frame it and keep it.

Hari-śauri: Should there be some kind of a seal?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:

bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam
apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam
śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ
harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā

"The upper portion of the body, though crowned with a silk turban, if not bowed down before the Personality of Godhead who can award mukti, or freedom, is a heavy burden only. And the hands, though decorated with glittering bangles, if not engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead, Hari, are like those of a dead man." Purport: "As stated hereinbefore, there are three kinds of devotees of the Lord. The first-class devotee does not at all see anyone who is not in the service of the Lord, but the second-class devotee makes distinction between devotees and nondevotees. The second-class devotees are therefore meant for preaching work, and..." (break) Sometimes the scholars criticize you that you are giving us all the Kṛṣṇa viewpoint instead of being impartial.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Bhāgavata begins, namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Instead of going on Monday, we shall go on Wednesday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that is fixed up now. I think Saurabha will be quite relieved. Śrīla Prabhupāda, the turn-out at the pandal has been quite good. Many good class of people have been coming. So Girirāja Prabhu and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu are thinking to extend the pandal on about another week, because there is not any extra costs more than about a thousand rupees, since the main cost is in actually building it. So Bhavānanda Mahārāja and myself felt that they could continue the pandal, and you wouldn't have to attend. Perhaps on the last day, which would be very big again, next Sunday, you could come. But they could, the devotees themselves could speak as they....

Prabhupāda: I know that very nice. I want it may be possible for you.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By starving you at night, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your appetite in the noontime is becoming increased.

Prabhupāda: No, I should not take at night. At night, a little milk and barley water. Light.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today we'll leave at twenty-five of seven instead of a quarter to seven. We'll arrive by seven at the pandal.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I left from Delhi to Bombay.

Hari-śauri: If you fly from Delhi, they come Delhi, Bombay, Perth, Sydney, like that.

Prabhupāda: Perth. Oh.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Instead of going to the Far East, they go straight to Perth. And then refuel and then go on.

Prabhupāda: So Perth is nearer.

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: I have been in Perth.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is the duty of the Indians. But instead of Indians, I have to collect these young men from foreign countries.

Mr. Rajda: We were just now talking about it on the way. In India we must take it up.

Prabhupāda: Let there be one institution for training Indian youth, for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Mr. Rajda: That could be done.

Prabhupāda: You do it, and it will be wonderful thing. Do it. In New Delhi. Or in Bombay we have got now very nice building.

Mr. Rajda: In Juhu.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cooperate with us. It is scientific. Last night our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara presented very scientifically. We can challenge any scientist, any philosopher. So if you become serious, if you cooperate with us, this institution can set a great example, not only in India, but to the whole world. So you are so kind, you have come to see me. You have got desire. So let us take it seriously.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Devotee: Bhaktivedanta Road.

Dhanañjaya: Well, you see, what happened was, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they put it in Hindi Bhaktivedanta Swami Marga. And the marble cutters, they made mārga instead of road.

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Mārga is now the Indian style.

Prabhupāda: I am not speaking of that. You have printed in the book, Bhaktivedanta Marga, not Bhaktivedanta Swami Marga.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You left the word Swami out.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I follow.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyone can be Bhaktivedanta.

Prabhupāda: No, no, apart from that. Actual name is Bhaktivedanta Swami Marga, but you have made Bhaktivedanta.

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now in our childhood, when we were ten-years-old boy, my father used to purchase high kilo saraṣera tela, for eight annas. Can these rascals do to that standard? Eight annas, first-class Kanpur mustard oil. Now that oil... Not that quality oil, still, they are being sold thirteen rupees per kilo, instead of three annas.

Dr. Sharma: They were always, even in a small village, there were five or ten good people were to do the kīrtana. You know, they had a knack of one particular instrument, they could get up and all on the Janmāṣṭamī and so many festivals they used to have kīrtana. And all, you know, small village, even nook and corner of the country, bubbling with life, religious life. This is only twenty-five years ago, even thirty years ago it was there. And look now...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is better late than never. (Hindi) We are sending our men from village to village. Not only here, also in the European countries.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is another sinful thought—Jesus has taken contract for ridding your sinful activities. That's a plea, what is called plea for the sinners, that they will continue acting sinfully, and Christ will take contract to counteract. This is most sinful conviction. Instead of stopping sinful activities, we have given contract to Jesus Christ to counteract it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So these people are not actually getting free of their sins unless they stop sinning.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of his preaching? They will continue sinful activities, and Jesus Christ will take contract for saving them. How nonsense idea this is! Bhavānanda, do you think it is good idea?

Bhavānanda: Not a good idea, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Nonsense rascals. These people should be immediately hanged. "Our religion is very good." What is that? "We cannot stop acting sinfully, and Christ has taken contract. He will save us."

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your old quarters. You don't get the advantage of the breeze.

Prabhupāda: No. Sometimes there is nasty breezes coming.

Gargamuni: That still comes. Every morning at six o'clock we wait for that. Guru dāsa was thinking of writing letters to the municipality, signing it in foreign names, that "I am a tourist staying in a hotel, and this smell is coming. Something should be done." Because they should have a pipe back there instead of a river. One of those big round pipes.

Prabhupāda: They must doing something.

Gargamuni: The thunder showers have started in Bengal now. So it is not so hot when I was there.

Prabhupāda: Kala-vaise.(?) (devotees discuss weather) So get a bank immediately here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll do that first thing in the morning. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Gargamuni: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This movement is started to give something to the whole human society about the real culture. And that is India's prerogative. India can give it. The whole world is in darkness of ignorance. So India was expected after independence to give the real knowledge. But instead of giving the real knowledge, they became victimized by their glimmer of material civilization. So I wanted that such a magnificent gift from the side of India, it shall remain uncontributed to the world, let me try. This is my... This culture is based on Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is named Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In India practically every home, every person, every leader, they read Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately they do not understand the human life. Because in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā we find Kṛṣṇa says,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
(BG 2.13)
Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Yes. Machine, if you take the importance of the machine and not the machine driver, then what is your knowledge? If a dog is thinking "I am a bulldog, gow gow," and if a man is thinking "I am Indian, gow gow," what is the difference? He is embarrassed with the machine body, and he is also embarrassed with the machine body. The dog is jumping, monkey is jumping with a machine body, and if we also imitate jumping like the dog and the monkey, so what is the difference? The human being is to understand that "I am not this body." That is the first knowledge. That is the first principle.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
(BG 18.54)

That is brahma-jñāna. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So these things are here in India. Instead of distributing, understanding these things, we are jumping like cats and dogs, like the Western civilization. Anthill and four-wheel dog race. These big, big buildings, they are like anthill. You know anthill? The ant also can make a big stack of earth. Does it mean it is civilization to compete with the ant? Or run with the dog? Sometimes if a car is driving, and dog is running, it is a competition and the dog running. Is that civilization? Without understanding, the whole thing is going on, running on like that.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then that television speech must be out in the paper.

Girirāja: Yes, it must have been reported this morning. I mean he is representing a return to the more traditional standards of morality and culture of India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say that they are going to replace this family planning with yoga. Instead of using artificial means, they're going to teach yoga.

Prabhupāda: To become brahmacārī.

Girirāja: The minister of health and family planning, he said, he denied, that "This name should be changed to just minister of health, because this type of family planning is against the traditional values of India."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is totally against it. It's Western, the whole Western conception.

Girirāja: Actually, a short time ago, everyone knew that these things were wrong, but now they are trying to pretend that it is not wrong. They are trying to forget.

Prabhupāda: They can do, all their political divisions. These rascals, they can do. Anything. They have no principles, no morality, no standard of morality, nothing. Simply all rogues and thieves. It will more and more. All rogues and thieves will take part in politics. That is stated. Dasyu dharmeṇa. Just like dasyu, the burglar, the thieves, they have got organization how to get money. So they, the government, they'll be rogues and thieves. And whenever there is necessity of money, then tax. You work hard; they will tax. Organized burglars, organized guṇḍās. And Indira was doing that. Indira and company. Take the power and club(?) them and do whatever you like. She is a prostitute; her son is a guṇḍā. This is the sample of the... But it will be done all round the world. This is a sample of that.

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And therefore we challenge them, "Who is a Christian?" It is not a single one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, if one studies the life of Jesus, we live more like that than any so-called Christian.

Prabhupāda: So we have got very nice diamond. Try to sell. But if there is a purchaser, he will purchase. Otherwise not. It is our duty to canvass. But we cannot sell iron instead of diamond.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just wondering about this, that we may be traveling around, and even here Your Divine Grace is not so fit for going to all of the ceremonies. Maybe you would like it if we were to keep a little Deity here.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In your apartment.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't need...

Prabhupāda: Hm. The Deity is there, fixed-up. That's all right. I was keeping Deity with me, but a constant change of this servant.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: In the university, when we were students, there were some postgraduate classes that no student was coming. But still, the university maintained that class, paying, in those days, 1,200, 1,500, salaries to the professors. They maintained that. So here there is no question of salary. Here the institution must be maintained, strictly following the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. It is open. It is not difficult at all. Just like Kṛṣṇa says the perfect life, how one can become perfect, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Always think of Me," man-manāḥ, "just become My devotee," mad-bhaktaḥ, "worship me," mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, "simply offer your obeisances unto Me." One, two, three, four-four items. If you do one item at least, your life becomes successful. Even this child can do this. So to understand Bhagavad-gītā and follow the principle—not at all difficult. It is not reserved for any particular class of men or country or society, such a nice thing, and the human body is meant for understanding this knowledge, not to imitate the cats and dogs, jumping. This is being done by the cats and dogs. By evolutionary process, when we come to the human form of life, it is meant for understanding this science. So this opportunity there is, but we are blocking them not to take this knowledge and try to understand how to jump like cats and dogs. Greatest disservice to the human society. We have got such chance, so instead of helping you to get the chance, if I mislead you another way, is it not greatest disservice?
Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is doing(?). But we have rejected. Our misfortune is that our property, we have rejected.

Mr. Rajda: Instead of rejecting, it would be correct to say that we have locked it up.

Prabhupāda: That means we don't take any importance. But now, if you want to do something, then you maintain this institution rigidly, follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. It doesn't matter. It doesn't require many men. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā sahasraśaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient. You don't require millions of stars, twinkling. So let there be an institution, and it is open to everyone. There is no question of "secular" and particular.... Let them learn this art. That is wanted. Not blindly, but apply your consideration and take it after mature judgment. No, what is that? Everything is there. There is no difficulty. Why you are neglecting this important business of India? Do you think it is right?

Mr. Rajda: One should not neglect. And as real it is done, it is better, not only for the world, for India also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is, mean, their plea. Really, today... Just like in our childhood my father had three hundred rupees, and that three hundred rupees is now ten thousand. So if my father would have deposited three hundred rupees at that time, automatically he has become ten thousand... So if you pay me instead of three hundred, say, six hundred or eight hundred, what is your loss? It has already become ten thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it's practical also, because supposing I have a cow...

Prabhupāda: But it may be... This cheating is going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But is it... What I'm asking is this: Supposing you have a cow, and you give to me a cow, so from that cow I get from you...

Prabhupāda: That I understand, that in twenty years you get another..., same money. That is another. But another side is the money is gradually losing its purchasing value.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Result is nothing. Therefore we say it is dogs' race, imagination that "We are becoming happy." He's becoming implicated in karma, cheating karma, and losing the opportunity of human life. Instead of applying his energy and intelligence how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and get out of this, he is becoming expert in cheating and suffering. Then you become mouse. Unless you cheat, you cannot eat even.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the leaders of government, they are encouraging like that. Instead of encouraging honesty and work according to the varṇas, cātur-varṇyam, they are doing like this to become...

Prabhupāda: There is no honesty all over the world. It is a forgotten. "These are primitive," they say, "Now, the honesty, to become pious, to become religious. These are simply primitive idea." We have to open this. That is a specific subject matter of that... But we have to write very nicely. Everything is based on tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Land value has increased.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they say that land, buying land, is better investment than putting your money in the bank, so much increasing.

Prabhupāda: And they'll not allow. Rather, I cannot purchase land instead of keeping in the bank. They will not allow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they won't.

Prabhupāda: You can purchase, at most, sixty bighās. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. Then you get to... But what about the cheating going on, big cheating, international cheating about the space flights?

Prabhupāda: Everything is cheating because so long you are a conditioned soul, out of four defects, one of the defects is cheating propensity, kāraṇa pāṭava, er, vipralipsa.(?) That is a qualification. And in this material world, the more you are expert cheater, you are considered very able man. All over the world, so many expert cheaters are going on.

Conversation with Yadubara (after seeing film) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And then by flit(?) he will be killed. "No, no, sir, I am your countryman, I am countryman. I belong to the same nation." "Who cares for you, flies, cockroaches? Kill them. American flies, who cares for you?" "I was a staunch nationalist. Now I have become fly. Don't kill me." "Who cares for you?" Will they excuse American flies, American cockroaches? But dehāntara-prāpti. That you cannot avoid. Then where is your nationalism? Nation means one who has taken birth in that land. The cockroach, the flies, the animals, they also born in that land, but who cares for them? Dehāntara-prāpti. So you are great nationalist. But the body is changed. How can you save yourself, not become a cockroach? Because the body is changing. That is in other's hand, Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By superior supervision. It is not your choice. Here is dehāntara-prāpti. "Make me president body." "No, no, that is not your choice. You have to accept what I will give you. It will be just by your work, infection of the modes of nature." Daiva-netreṇa. This is a great science. They do not know it. Instead of understanding their life fictitious, they are asking whether Kṛṣṇa is real or fictitious. This is going on. Kṛṣṇa is fictitious, and on fictitious Kṛṣṇa the big, big ācāryas, they have written so many books. Just see their intelligence. He's a big lawyer. That is your intelligence. Big, big ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, such stalwarts. Their notes, apprising notes, how they have studied. And they have wasted their time on some fictitious? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has spoiled His life after a fictitious? How rascaldom.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And this opening hospital, that is not Vedic civilization.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: That is Western idea. "Give him some relief." Modern.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Most of the time, instead of relieving, they make things even more difficult.

Prabhupāda: Because they do not know. Nowadays they make experiment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I got the feeling that that gentleman yesterday was experimenting...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...or guessing. Have you read the book of Satsvarūpa Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: No. You have read?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I was thinking I could read some portion of it to you if you would like to hear it. Or I could read some other book.

Prabhupāda: You can read his book.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Again election, as if election will change their quality. They remain... Let them remain as rascal, and simply by election, in place of one rascal, another rascal will improve it. This is the... Let them remain rascal, but get vote. So that is... That is described in Bhāgavatam, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). The population is śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra, and they are giving vote—another big paśu. That's all. This is going on. This is democracy. The voters are paśu, and he is selecting another big paśu. This is going on. The rascals, they do not know, "If instead of a tiger, we select one lion, then what is the difference? Simply name. The tiger was president. Now the lion is the president." And both of them—animals. Where is the man, human being? This is going on. And because they are paśu, śva-viḍ-varāha, they are happy: "Now there is lion. Now the tiger is driven away. Now there is lion." This is going on. Hm? Am I right?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let us all go there. We can finish now with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and then we can go and write everything down in my office.

Mr. Dwivedi: So my people need not come here now.

Prabhupāda: No. We are going.

Mr. Dwivedi: My... Their good luck in taking Your Holiness over there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Instead of the mouse going to the hill, let the hill go.

Mr. Dwivedi: (laughing) Hill go to the mouse.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Prasādam?

Upendra: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (end)

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So earlier means when?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That we arrive... My proposal is that instead of arriving on 7th, we will arrive on 6th. Prabhupāda will arrive 6th.

Prabhupāda: Then you'll have to...

Mr. Dwivedi: 6th is what...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 6th is Friday. We will arrive 6th.

Mr. Dwivedi: 6th is Friday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the program may be...

Prabhupāda: Then you have to, we have to start on Thursday.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then why do you say like that? And Kṛṣṇa says openly, mam ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. He doesn't even recommend to worship demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). So these are imagination, concoction. They are not authorized. Vivekananda advocated daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā hundred years ago. So India is full of daridras. What Mothilal can do? What Vivekananda can do? This is all simply concoction. You cannot do anything.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
(BG 3.27)

The nature's law will go on. You cannot make a poor man a rich man, unhappy man an happy man. That is not possible. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Can you make a hog eat halavā instead of stool? Can you make? By nature's way it is going on. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). These are foolish person who concoct ideas. It is not possible. If you can do anything to the human society, induce him to become a Kṛṣṇa devotee.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone should take note of this, and you can privately say, "You never speak like that. The etiquette is: when you are permitted by Guru Mahārāja, you can speak," not that "He is speaking. I know better than him. I shall speak something." That's very licentious. It is not ordinary talk. The system is unless he is ordered that "You explain," then nobody can talk. And outsider, they may do. They should not... They also should not, but that is the system. And Viśvambhara may... If possible, he can come for one or two days.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was thinking that same thing, that instead of writing Akṣayānanda, maybe I should write Viśvambhara. Or both of them could come. Do you think it is all right if they both come?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was thinking the same thing, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So today I have to write a letter. As soon as the ticket is booked, I shall write a letter to Akṣayānanda Mahārāja. One copy we will send in the post, and the other we will give by hand to Nava-yogendra Mahārāja. I think it will be a very nice program.

Prabhupāda: And if the President comes, it will be very, very nice.

Conversation: Animals' Expertise -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore mosquito curtain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prevention.

Prabhupāda: Prevention is better than cure. They are meant for that purpose. God has made. So instead of killing them, you protect your... But if you are in the service of the Lord, you are not responsible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One great Vaiṣṇava was putting the... There were maggots eating in...

Prabhupāda: And that is also story given. Do not believe.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there's mention of one great...

Girirāja: Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Oh, yes.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: "Astronomer knowing the planetary system," you can advertise. "Expert astronomer who knows the planetary systems as described..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, we can advertise. Instead of having somebody going all over India.

Prabhupāda: He assured that he has found out an expert. The other man did not come because he does not know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Patita said that these were the two top men in all of India, guaranteed.

Prabhupāda: Let us see what does he do. (end)

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Missionary visa... (Hindi) That because he's Vaiṣṇava, he'll not go.

Sita Ram Singh: You see, seven lakhs of rupees are unnecessarily used every year.

Prabhupāda: And just now I have got news. We have got a branch in Ceylon. So we thought that instead of going back to U.S.A. or Europe, let him go to Ceylon and renew the visa. So I hear that they have been forbidden, not to issue visa to our boys. (Hindi)

Sita Ram Singh: (Hindi) Rather, the Constitution is molded from bad to worse. This point should be repaired. I have got feeling for that.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Sita Ram Singh: When I go next time to Delhi I shall write letter. I have got address of this mission here. I shall write a letter here, and one of the representatives will go. I will give that...

Prabhupāda: No, you can speak to Mr. Vajpai. He is in charge of foreigners. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation to end)

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why it is remaining to be done?

Mahāṁśa: They have asked for fifteen thousand rupees instead of nine thousand because we put a value of the land on six lakhs, and they have valued it as ten and a half lakhs. So I just wrote a letter to Your Divine Grace, asking whether we should pay them the amount and go ahead or...

Prabhupāda: Pay on protest.

Mahāṁśa: On protest.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁśa: That... Yes, the advocate said if we go to the higher court, we will get a transfer.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pay immediately and protest. They'll return immediately. Pay on protest.

Mahāṁśa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Hm.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, no new trust.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: Instead of trustees...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Use a different word.

Prabhupāda: Ah!

Rāmeśvara: Not to apply in trust.

Girirāja: Oh, I see.

Rāmeśvara: It's a different word.

Prabhupāda: Supreme managers.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then put it into ghee. That according to your... Put it long time or keep it or take it, as you can digest.

Upendra: It sounds... You may have instructed some devotees like this long time ago, because in San Francisco the devotees would sometimes make... Instead of making the cāpāṭi, they would make the balls and put it in the oven and then afterwards put butter on it and sometimes honey. They like honey. They dipped in honey. But it was the same thing, only put in the oven because we didn't have this cow dung chip. You may have instructed then. I never knew where they got this idea of putting the balls in the oven.

Prabhupāda: Oven is also good, but this is the best.

Upendra: This is the best. Best flavor, open fire.

Prabhupāda: So you can try any day.

Upendra: Kandi fire.

Prabhupāda: I may eat or not eat, but you try it, how it comes.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They like prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, very much. Because vegetarian is becoming now a very popular thing. People are thinking that it is more healthy to eat vegetarian. They call it health food. It's called health food. In fact, they have places called "health food bar." Instead of getting a whiskey, they get carrot juice, like that. People come... They comes sometimes just for one glass of juice. They'll pay dollar and a half, any price. They'll pay anything in America. If you know how to sell it, you can ask any price. Now, this month of June, now the prasādam carts will be doing more and more, all day long, because New York...

Prabhupāda: No, I have seen. They are always busy. Always.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our New York building we have two elevators. And that impresses people when they come there to see. If you own a building with two elevators in it, it's a big thing.

Prabhupāda: It goes up to the roof.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, if they consult us, even with changing, that's all right. But they just edit here and there and cut it out, certain things. They're changing the whole meaning. And that makes sometimes nonsense instead of making sense.

Prabhupāda: So on the whole, these dangerous things are going on. How to check it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There has to be strong philosophical leaders who can check this, like Satsvarūpa and Jayādvaita.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have to also be included in the decisions of the BBT. It can't simply be that managers make decisions.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Without their sanction, there will be... Let them... These all rascals...

Room Conversation with Alice Coltrane -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Spelling... But yaḥ, you do not know, "So let me see how to this 'yaḥ.' Which yaḥ is there."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That I didn't know. I didn't know that. I mean, I know it's my fault. I was looking for y-a-s, and I should have seen y-a-ḥ. I was looking for ya śāstra, y-a-s, instead of y-a-ḥ.

Prabhupāda: So you know how to read phonetical.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Phonetical.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yaḥ. What is that mark? Diacritic.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You must know thoroughly that, that how yaḥ is spelled. This is standard. Practice. Everything practice. (break) Y-a-ḥ... This is determined by the diacritic mark. But this, everything is there. So this was beginning... (break)

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. But the custom was that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seems like someone should simply cultivate spiritual life at that age instead of...

Prabhupāda: In Bhāgavata there are many instances, very old man married. Anyway, this gentleman was such a nice devotee. Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was particularly nice about his devotional quality?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which devotional qualities particularly did he...?

Prabhupāda: Because later on he retired—he was a pleader—so whole day and night, simply devotee. Sometimes he would offer obeisances to the Deity. Actually he was old man. He'll fall asleep by... And he would remain in that two, three hours.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So why family planning? Because they are rascal. Because in this lower species of life they have no planning. You'll find in the dogs, dozens of dogs, dozens of children. And... So there is no family planning. So how they are being raised? There are many animals. So family planning is different thing, but one thing is that these rascals are misguided. They do not know how to give them... In Bengal there is called śiva gotri bango(?). He was ordered to make a doll of Lord Śiva, and he made a monkey. You see? They are doing like that. They were to make Lord Śiva's doll, but they have a monkey because he does not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvān cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ. The rascals do not know how to make things right. Therefore Vyāsadeva has written so nice literature. But they'll not consult. They'll not take Kṛṣṇa's advice, Vyāsadeva's advice, or our advice. They'll manufacture. And instead of preparing doll of Śiva, they are making a doll of monkey. This is going on. And when the monkey is made, "Oh, we did not like this for..." Russia said that occasional revolution is required. Because the things which have been made, that is imperfect, therefore you require revolution. The things are being given, but if we take the perfect thing, it will be nice. These rascals will not take. This is the difficulty. So if Morarji Desai is in favor of... He's also recommending family planning. So that means he does not know.

Bhu-mandala Discussion -- July 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. He is animal. Know that. What is his idea? And he has not correctly estimated that how high is Himalaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. A gross underestimation-five miles instead of eighty thousand. Not even close. That means he has no idea.

Prabhupāda: There are... I have seen many places by aeroplane, hilly tract. Perhaps you have also seen. They could never go there. Hundreds and thousands of miles, simply stone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that we've seen.

Prabhupāda: Who is going there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah...

Prabhupāda: You have seen from aeroplane?

Śatadhanya: Some. Some mountains.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think that is not good. You should go positively instead of attacking some particular person. They will never admit that they have been failure.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, but we can prove that they are. See, his whole point of his book is that he wants to attack others.

Prabhupāda: No. That will not be good. That will create a section of enemy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what he's asking. He thought it would...

Prabhupāda: Satyaṁ vada mā likha. You can criticize them with your mouth, but don't put into writing. That will create a section of enemy. Then we'll have to fight with the enemy one after another. That will be wasting of time and energy. What is the use of criticizing them? They are failure. Failure. Finish. Let us prove by action that all others are failures. And they will be automatically. Just like the Bala-yogi is failure now. (chuckles) Whatever it is. The Transcendental Meditation is going to be failure. And so many others. To criticize them means to give them some importance, that "the rival to Hare Kṛṣṇa." We don't care for them. We go on positively, and automatically they are failure.

Room Conversation about Mayapura Attack Talk with Vrindavan De -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Go and take rest. (break) Because I am very much fond of traveling, touring, they might have caused some danger. So Kṛṣṇa has detained me. What do you think?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you're right, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Yes. Actually the GBC, we all were thinking that it might be dangerous for you...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...to travel.

Prabhupāda: They would have been very glad that "Here is the old rascal who has spoiled our children." They could charge, and drag me to the courts and give me trouble. Therefore a restriction on me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Restrict, that instead of myself, he has to restrict: "Do this way."

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "One point," he says... "One point I would like to clear up in connection with our distribution of mūrtis. I have had many requests and inquiries about placing the form of Your Divine Grace on the vyāsāsana along with or instead of on the altar for worship. Is this permissible? In some temples the altar is too small and will not accommodate the present size of the..."

Prabhupāda: No. Vyāsāsana is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So either one is all right.

Prabhupāda: No. If there is picture in the middle and vyāsāsana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So these mūrtis can be placed on the vyāsāsana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what about Guru-Gaurāṅga? Just like in Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple they're going to have it on the altar.

Prabhupāda: So one place will be good, the same.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the benefit?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In terms of time? You mean flight time instead of stopping in New York, what is the benefit of flying direct? Just the landing time in New York you save. The flight is pretty much the same. You save at least an hour to an hour and a half, two hours. Because when the flight goes from London to New York, when it first hits America, it hits America north of Canada practically, and then they go down the eastern seaboard. It hits Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and then it goes south down Massachusetts, like that, Connecticut, and then to New York.

Prabhupāda: But it does not stop.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. So I'm saying if it was going direct to Los Angeles it wouldn't have to go down. It could keep going. It would be like this, straight. So you'd save time.

Prabhupāda: Generally from London to New York, six hours.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is nothing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Nothing. It took us fifteen minutes by scooter to get that. So I suggested to Yaśo that we should make that farm like New Vrindaban. Let us build a temple there...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...instead of in the city.

Prabhupāda: No, city should be... Make there.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And this will be a very unique project in India then.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. There is no need of... City does not need temple. If there is a good temple fifteen miles, that is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And then we can sell cottages to big life members. They can make cottages...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa:...in our land and come there for the weekend.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They will pay for that.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What my idea was, Śrīla Prabhupāda, was this: If he can print in Bangladesh, not only he can print for his own needs in Bangladesh, he can print for West Bengal. And Jayapatākā, instead of... We can pay him in foreign exchange from America, and Jayapatākā can pay the money for the books to the construction fund, which would have been coming from America anyway. In that way it will be very nice accounting.

Prabhupāda: So make that scheme. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Nepal is there Lloyd's Bank?

Prabhaviṣṇu: I don't know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if there's not Lloyd's Bank...

Prabhupāda: No, Lloyd's Bank has branches all over the world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And they also have relationships with other banks...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They're thinking like that. We cannot freely have our money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually it's only with the greatest difficulty that you were able to transfer this fixed deposits. Four times they came to you, and for even a half hour to one hour at a time went on and on, explaining to Prabhupāda why he should not do this. Really the best thing is that, I mean, if I can give this humble advice, is that someone like Girirāja should deal with them instead of... Because I feel, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they take advantage of you when they talk with you, and that makes me feel very bad to see.

Prabhupāda: Then tell Girirāja. Ask Girirāja to take...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because they see that you're not that well, and they also know that you're so merciful. And you're also a local Brajabāsī in a way. Therefore they're always against any of us taking any participation. It's the funniest thing. I explained something to Girirāja. He's been dealing with so many legal things for so long that he's become like a lawyer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Central Bank is very straightforward.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they get raises. They get promotions. But they've lost money instead of gotten more, because of the way they've dealt with Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: Mean consciousness. Kṛpaṇas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I didn't want you to have to get involved again, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with them.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say do the needful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. I dealt with them nicely this morning, and they were very satisfied. I gave them a little prasādam. They were happy. I did as you were dealing with them. Now you have to allow us to give you some relief, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You have written him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The real problem is the digestion. There's no digestion. Anything you take forms mucus. Instead of forming blood, it forms mucus. You're not as warm as you were yesterday, but you're still a little warm. The rest of your body is not warm. Your head is not so warm. Your pulse is very fast. I don't know what to say, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's certainly bewildering. I can only expect somehow Kṛṣṇa has to do something, unless Dr.Gosh with some Western-type medicine can do something.

Prabhupāda: This oil massage is very pleasing.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have given you receipt, huh?

Girirāja: Well, they gave receipt for the letter, and what they propose for the certificates is that we give them the certificate, they will give us a receipt for the certificates, then they will endorse the certificates for Delhi instead of Vṛndāvana. Then they will give back the certificates and we will give them the receipt.

Prabhupāda: So let them write and give us the certificates, and we shall do this.

Girirāja: They should write that they will give us the...

Prabhupāda: Whatever they are asking, they can write.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So there is no problem. Huh?

Girirāja: Well... The only problem is if the Vṛndāvana people try to hold on to the receipts and make difficulty. In ordinary course of business there is no difficulty. This is the ordinary procedure. So we will try to arrange that the endorsement of the certificates to New Delhi could be done in our presence instead of our giving them the certificates.

Prabhupāda: What is that endorsement?

Girirāja: That this money, instead of being payable from Vṛndāvana, now we can take that money from the New Delhi office.

Prabhupāda: The money is due after some years.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So do we have reason, deposit them? (?)

Girirāja: Yes. I feel that we can do this.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Tejiyas has come.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So instead of water, barley water.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take barley water now?

Prabhupāda: In milk. Milk will give some strength.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Milk will give some strength, Prabhupāda says. He's going to make now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Milk or...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complan?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have... Jayatīrtha brought us new boxes of Complan from England. You have fresh supply now. You want Complan instead of milk?

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, whatever you take, we don't want you to cough. That's a fact. That's too disturbing. So... (break) Why not take barley water instead of milk? I mean is milk better than barley water?

Prabhupāda: No.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Abhirāma: It can be used to mix these. We can use it instead of water?

Doctor: Rather, it is a protein food, protein without fat. (Bengali) Matta(?) means when you serve the milk, milk or curd, you get whey. And that whey will be very easily digested. It will prevent the gases also and will be a supplement of protein.

Dr. Kapoor: Give in a small quantity first.

Doctor: Small. See what is the response, how does he like it.

Prabhupāda: Deity prasādam.

Room Conversation About 10th Canto -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He is mystifying the whole universe.

Pradyumna: Svayaiva māyayā—by his own mystic power.

Prabhupāda: He became mystified, Brahmā.

Pradyumna: Ajo 'pi.

Prabhupāda: Instead of defeating Kṛṣṇa, he became defeated.

Pradyumna: Svayam eva vimohitaḥ—he himself became bewildered.

Prabhupāda: Each word clear?

Pradyumna: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then the meaning will be clear. In this way, if we finish one verse, and that is complete. Is that not?

Pradyumna: Yes. Then I can read from these ṭīkās?

Prabhupāda: No, the word meaning finished?

Pradyumna: Word meaning finished, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then translation.

Room Conversation About 10th Canto -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Try to overcome Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). We should surrender unto Him instead of endeavoring to surpass Him.

Pradyumna: Then Viśvanātha Cakravartī, (Sanskrit-tataḥ to iti) In previous verse it said Brahmā was ciraṁ dhyātvā sa ātma-bhūḥ. He could not understand.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: Tataś ca brahmā moha (Sanskrit—to nipapātetāha)

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?

Room Conversation About 10th Canto -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Instead of bewildering Kṛṣṇa, he became defeated.

Pradyumna: (Sanskrit-mohitasyāpi to mityarthaḥ)

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is going on. As we are trying to defeat the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa, we are becoming implicated in Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It cannot be. And better... Mām eva ye prapadyante. Anyone who has reached to surrender to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, māyām etāṁ taranti, he is liberated. He is free from Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Just like government force you cannot overcome. First of all there are laws. Then there is police power. Then there is military power. One after another... What is the use of trying to overcome government power? This is, is... So...

Pradyumna: (Sanskrit-na to iti)

Prabhupāda: Yes. He became defeated by his own attempt.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I did not like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's bitter.

Upendra: That's because they mixed it with honey.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They made it with honey, Śrīla Prabhupāda, instead of miśri-jala. What kind would you like to have?

Prabhupāda: That other fruit?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sweet lemons? Do you find that you have a good result with drinking that kind of juice at night? You don't have any reaction in any way? Causing mucus or something? It's okay?

Devotee: We could make an ice cream shake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Upendra will make it? All of the devotees are very excited about your travel plans, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter) Maybe Bhagatji will come also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter) He likes the Māyāpur.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Any time. If by parikrama, even I die, that is good luck. Do you follow?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Instead of dying on the road, jerking of train, aeroplane, why not here?

Hari-śauri: Vṛndāvana is the best place.

Prabhupāda: So arrange like that. It doesn't matter. Which leaves his time with kīrtana, even I may die or live, it does not matter.

Hari-śauri: For us it matters, Śrīla Prabhupāda. For us it matters.

Prabhupāda: That... No... What can be done? If Kṛṣṇa desires...

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How do you like this idea?

Haṁsadūta: Very good.

Prabhupāda: Instead of dying-train jerking (laughs) or aeroplane jerking—why not parikrama? Die or live, it doesn't matter.

Haṁsadūta: Parikrama is noble.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Either in palanquin or make a stretcher, but have parikrama.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Do you like this idea?

Haṁsadūta: Yes, I think it's a good idea.

Prabhupāda: So arrange like that with leading men. Let me have parikrama. If I live, that's all right; if I die, that's all right. Both ways.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The sun only rises at about a quarter to seven now. It used to rise at like five-thirty. That's why ārati now is at five o'clock instead of four-fifteen.

Prabhupāda: So it is not possible to have parikrama now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you desire, anything is possible, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Haṁsadūta: It's not that cold outside. It's possible.

Prabhupāda: If it is possible, why not do it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Prabhupāda: So you can bring some sweater.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, that is the only hope. All hopes fail.

Bhavānanda: But then Kṛṣṇa did direct you within that dream to take this medicine. Just try one more day. If all hope is frustrated, then what is the loss if we take that medicine one more day?

Prabhupāda: That medicine take...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, were you hopeful about this medicine when you first took it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I thought it will give strength, but instead of strength, I am passing stool, so whatever strength is there... (end)

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good for stopping diarrhea. I think you should take some, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Instead of taking the medicine, take a little of this prasādam. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: All right, I'll try to take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing I've seen is that although you're passing stool more, you're not passing out more, too much in sense of total amount of... Urine is less now. You're passing less urine. Stool is coming more, but urine is less.

Prabhupāda: No, that is natural.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's natural.

Prabhupāda: If you pass stool, there will be less urine.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Natural passing of stool is good instead of taking by enema. It is good sign, actually.

Bhakti-caru: Yes, it means that the bowel is moving.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. The organs are functioning properly.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When stool comes, urine does not come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. No, there's something definitely... Something is amiss, that instead of coming out as urine, it comes out as stool. (break)

Bhavānanda: But you did say Kṛṣṇa advised you through this dream to take that medicine.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: You said that Kṛṣṇa directed you through that dream to take that makara-dhvaja medicine. So there are six different types of makara-dhvaja.

Prabhupāda: But Kṛṣṇa directed-Rāmānuja Vaiṣṇava.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Navadvīpa. And give the standing instruction at that time to Parliament Street bank to transfer every month the interest. That was my idea. But for the time being we have to tell them what to do with the interest. So I thought instead of going to the botheration of opening new accounts at the Punjab Bank at Parliament Street, let them go on transferring it to your accounts here. And then, when we open the Charity Trust account, then I'll give them a fresh instruction.

Prabhupāda: What...? The... In the Punjab National Bank, fixed deposits in the name of?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fixed deposits are in the name of... Five lakhs are in the name of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple Maintenance account, and five lakhs, sixty thousand in the name of Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So where they will kept?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just try to manage.

Girirāja: I had a very nice dream last night in which Your Divine Grace appeared. And you were walking around the premises of the Vṛndāvana temple, and there were some doll exhibits. So you were saying that they should improve the quality of the exhibits, because this is their sādhana. So I felt that you were, actually, you were telling me that I should improve the quality of my service and that this was my sādhana, but to be, you know, polite, instead of saying it directly, you were pointing out to their service. And then you started to speak very directly and very boldly, and you were saying... You quoted the verse,

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
(CC Madhya 7.128)

And you were saying, "This is my order, so you do it for me." I mean, I felt that you were saying that since it was your order and we were doing it for you, even though it's very difficult, but it would be successful.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, there is a beginning in Nepal. Try to implement.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The deposit money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fixed deposit money. Well, of course, but that we would have gotten anywhere. But from the point of view of rent it is certainly very substantial rent. That was your scheme, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility. Utilize it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I especially like that bank, because when you come in, in the center of the wall, instead of seeing some old grumpy-looking bank president, we see Your Divine Grace's effulgent picture, and it says, right under your picture-it's a very big picture—it says "I.O.B. Welcomes You." It's very nicely done. And in each of the teller's counters, each of the cashier's counters, there's a little picture of Rādhā-Rāsabihārī.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's very nicely done. People who go there bank with confidence.

Prabhupāda: And they are getting benefit.

Page Title:Instead of (Conv. 1976 - 1977)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:08 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=239, Let=0
No. of Quotes:239