Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


It is very good (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- September 6, 1968, New York:

Prabhupāda: No. The yoga practice is like that. It is very good, that "Why we should bother ourself with such things?" That is the opinion of the devotees. The devotees, they do not want any such miracles to perform or to make some jugglery to the people. They are satisfied with the service of the Lord. So that is the position of the devotee. But generally, the yogis, they want such things. There are many instances of great yogis in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, just like Durvāsā Muni. He wanted to show his power to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. That's a very nice story. I shall narrate next meeting. The yogis, everyone, yogis... Yoga practice is, therefore... It is more or less material activity. Because when they are powerful to show some miracles and people become captivated, "Oh, he is performing such miracle thing." In Benares in India there was a yogi. His business was anyone who will go there, he immediately produced two or four rasagullās and offer him. And many hundreds and thousands of educated men became his disciple simply for the matter, rasagullā, which is only four annas worth. So people want to see this jugglery.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Materially I do not commit any offense or undergo any loss, but if there is any gain, why not try it? There is no expenditure. (laughs) Everything has got some expenditure. So this mantra, Kṛṣṇa or His later succession, do not sell or distribute. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone. Dance in ecstasy. It is very nice thing. So I have come to your country, come to your place. It is very good. So my request is that you are intelligent boys. Try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy with your all reason, arguments. It will not to be accepted blindly. Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kaj, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he says, caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra: "Just put into your judgement the mercy of Lord Caitanya." Vicāra karile citte paibe camatkāra: "And if you scrutinizingly judge over it, you'll find it is sublime." So we are putting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement not as a force, but to the judgement of the people. Let them judge. It is not a sectarian movement. Not any religious movement.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Allahabad, Gorakhpur. So same thing. And for persons spiritually inclined, for them this traveling is very good. Traveling means with this occupation. It is very good. You'll be more popular and there will be no difficulty, mind will be steady.

Śyāmasundara: It takes away our attachment for everything materially.

Prabhupāda: The Gosvāmīs, they did not stay underneath a tree for more than one night. So you decide; then you do the needful.

Haṁsadūta: When should we arrange for Śivānanda's fire ceremony?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Conversation -- September 28, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But where you are getting the bodily comforts? Supposing you are (indistinct). The (indistinct) searches after bodily comfort, but still they are not getting bodily comfort. Where is the bodily comfort? There is disease, there is old age. Where is bodily comfort? You cannot stop it. It is very good that you are searching after bodily comfort, but there are so many discomforts of the body and the mind. You cannot stop it, then where is your actually benefit of searching out bodily comfort? You could not do it. Where is bodily comfort?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: For example, they will say that in early history people used to live in the caves and they used to wear skins.

Prabhupāda: That is your rascal's conception. They used to live in palaces. You are rascal; you do not know the history.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Mr. Wadell -- July 10, 1973, London:

Śyāmasundara: He is teacher just down the road in the school.

Prabhupāda: You take little this. Yes. Just take little.

Mr. Wadell: May I take just.

Prabhupāda: Just little. I am not giving you much. (lots of laughter)

Mr. Wadell: Oh, it's very good. Just a little.

Prabhupāda: It is very good, tasteful.

Mr. Wadell: Thank you.

Prabhupāda: All right. (end)

Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: First of all... First of all thing is the, what is the aim of practicing yoga? So to achieve that end, that purpose, you have to control the mind because mind is very flickering, going here, there, there, there. So first of all you must know what is the purpose of practicing yoga, why you should practice yoga. So in order to achieve that goal, you have to concentrate your mind, and therefore you have to control the mind going here and there. That is control. Mind business is acceptance and rejecting. This is mind's business. Immediately I accept, "It is very good;" again, next moment, "No, no it is not good. Reject it." This is called flickering mind. So by yoga practice you have to make your mind in such a way that whatever you decide, that is correct, not the state of rejecting and accepting. So first of all, you have to know why you are practicing yoga. As you asked the question, "Why control of mind?" Then the next question will be "Why you are practicing? What is your aim?" You are going to practice yoga. Why? What is the aim?

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, no, laws of nature if you want. If you want to be condemned, then laws of nature is there. Otherwise laws of nature is teaching you how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just like police. Police business is to make you lawful. If you become lawful, there is no question of police. There is no question of police law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā is kicking you one after another so that you may come to sense that "This life is not good." But we are so foolish that we say, "No, it is good." Yan maithunādi. "There is sex life. Oh, it is very good." This is the position.

Devotee: You give the analogy in the Bhagavad-gītā that it's like pouring gas onto a fire you're trying to put out.

Hṛdayānanda: He said like putting gas on the fire.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Spiritual spark is not carried by, but he resides within the body. He is carried by his own karma, subtle, subtle desire is carried. Everyone is carried by his desire. Why did I come here, in America? I have got a desire to preach; therefore I've come. Otherwise I had no business to come here. So desire. So desire carries you. That is, the rascals, they do not know. Desire is there, they cannot see, but desire is there. Mind is there, intelligence is there; they cannot see. That is carried. The example is given, just like the aroma of a flower is being carried by the air. And nobody can see, but one can feel, "Oh, it is very good, nice aroma. Wherefrom it is coming?" But he has no eyes to see either the aroma or the air. Similarly, the soul after destruction of this body is being carried by the desire, but they have no eyes to see what is that desire, what is that soul, what is that intelligence. They are saying, "There is no soul." This is mostly stupidity.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The main point is that "In God we trust," on this slogan... So the same point that, "What do you mean by God and what do you mean by trust? That you do not know." So you have to explain what is God and what is trust, thoroughly, from our books. Our point of propaganda should be that "It is very good that you write this slogan, 'In God we trust,' but nobody has got clear conception of God; neither they do not know what is the meaning of trust. Under the circumstances, so you have to learn it scientifically. And our propaganda is like that, to teach actually what is God and what is trust. And you important men of the state, you come forward, try to understand, and open schools, colleges. Make it perfectly known what is God. And make America strong. As the Communist party, they are preaching godlessness, now America should preach, 'No, in God we trust.' Now there should be a fight, not on the political point of view, but actually it includes everything. A class of men godless and a class of men who knows God. There should be fight. Then there will be peace in the world.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 9, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is not good. It is included everything, that I was informed by...

Guru dāsa: Then it's, then it is good. It is very good for us.

Prabhupāda: Then we shall accept.

Guru dāsa: Oh, yes. It is good quotation. But he is not willing to do the bank guarantee.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guru dāsa: The pound, the huṇḍa, what is it called?

Prabhupāda: Huṇḍi.

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...bhakti. Bhakti, the definition of bhakti is given in the Bhāgavata, apratihatā. Pratihata means impediment. I have seen amongst the Mohammedans. It is very good. As soon as their namaz time is there, anywhere they will...

Guest (1): Anywhere, anywhere, they will.

Prabhupāda: It is very good.

Guest (1): Even on road, they will...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): On the boat, on everywhere.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere.

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual master means who solves all confusion. That is spiritual master. When one is confused, he goes to a spiritual master, and the spiritual master's duty is to save him from all confusion. That is the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. If the spiritual master cannot save him from confusion, then he is not spiritual master. That is the test.

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

This whole world is confusion, just like a blazing fire in the forest. When there is forest fire, all the animals become confused, "Where to go? How to save life?" It is very good example. When there is fire in the forest, all the animals become confused. Similarly, this material world is just like a blazing fire in the forest. Everyone is confused. Now how the blazing fire in the forest can be extinguished? You cannot take there your man-made fire brigade. That is not possible. Neither bucketful of water. So in this confused state of the human society you cannot manufacture the solution.

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...devotees, they do not want any opulence of this material world. They are, what is called, pessimistic. They do not give any value to the opulence of this material world. And it is very good philosophy. But fools and rascals, they are attracted. Now, these buildings were constructed, very highly intellectual men undoubtedly, but they enjoyed, say, for hundred years. That's all. Then their bodies changed, and nobody knows what kind of body he has got. This is materialism. Suppose if you are offered some very nice comfortable life, and if you know that "Next life I am going to become a dog," would you be happy? But they have no information that what next body... Body, he has to take another body. He cannot enjoy. Whatever he has created, he cannot enjoy for good. That is not possible. He has to leave it. Just like these Romans. They have left. They constructed so big, big building just to enjoy, but they had to leave it by nature's force and accept another body. That they do not know.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: They will not take any payment. Just like under me so many Europeans and Americans work daily. I don't pay them a farthing. When they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you'll haven't got to pay anything. But you cannot take also anything. You cannot, you do not expect that "I don't have to pay anything, so it is very good profit." No, sir, you cannot take also anything. If I would have taken all the sales produced of the book selling, then you would not work. Because although it is my books, I do not take any profit or any sales proceeds, therefore you work. Similarly, these rascals, the proprietor of the factories, if they do not take anything, they will also agree not to take anything. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then the solution is there.

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

Prabhupāda: So he was thinking in terms of designations, that "I am... I belong to the same family. The other side, they are my cousin-brothers. They belong to the same family. So why shall I fight? Let them enjoy." From material point of view it is very good man. But Kṛṣṇa condemned him. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādān: (BG 2.11) "You are talking very high words, but you are fool number one." That is the first, because he was talking on the platform of this bodily concept of life. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, when he understood that "I am not this body; I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa," then he fought. Superficially, he remained the same soldier. But in the beginning he was a soldier for his designation of this body, and later on, he became a soldier to carry out the order of the Supreme. That is the difference. So when we act to carry out the orders of the Supreme, that is self-realization, not for this body.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is very fortunate to see so many big men at a time. So we were also talking to this doctor about this philosophy, how human civilization should be conducted. I was explaining to Professor that at the present moment, not at the present moment, always in this material world, we do not know what is the goal of life. We have got different philosophies, different mode of life, because we do not know what is the goal of life. If the goal of life is... (break) ...then everything is solved. Now it is very good fortune that you are all present. What is the goal of life? That is my submission. Human life is there, human intelligence is there. So what is the goal of life to achieve? The goal of life cannot be different. That is one. That is, we take from Vedic literature, this goal of life is to understand what is God. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). (aside:) That is one. You serve it out. So we are missing the point, that we do not know what is the goal of life. Different persons, different philosophers, they have got different proposition of the goal of life. Similarly, different politician also.

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

Prabhupāda: With the body. But the body is false, false in this sense, that you are not this body. You are simply... Just like I am occupying this apartment, but I am not this apartment. I am different from this apartment. This is understanding. So if you take interest of the apartment and you forget yourself, that is false. (German) If I simply decorate this body, apartment, and I don't eat myself, then what is the... This is false attempt, that we are trying... This is called. In the Bhāgavata it is said that aprāṇasya hi dehasya mandanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Now, this body, just you or I, everyone, we are nicely dressed. But if the life is gone from the body, if you dress the body, is that very good intelligence? You have understood? That I am dressing, so long my life is there, I am dressing very nicely this body, but when the body is dead, if you dress the body or somebody or your relative dresses nicely, it is very good intelligence? (German) (break)

Room Conversations -- September 10, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is a sympathy. But you cannot change it. That is not possible. It is very good sympathy.

Devotee (1): This poet, in her poetry, her business was to try to create that sentiment.

Prabhupāda: (Sanskrit) He is not poet. Poet means he must have full knowledge. Then if he writes poetry, that will be beneficial. The rascal's poetry, just like in your country, one line, three lines, one line. This is rascaldom; it is not poetry. (aside:) You should not show your feet before the Deity. That is possible only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We teach our men to address his fellow man as prabhu: "You are master, I am servant." In the material world, everyone is trying to become master; nobody is trying to become servant. And we are teaching that you try to become servant. Just the opposite. Nobody will agree. Therefore, they say the Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality. They say. They do not know that it is success of life to become slave of Kṛṣṇa. They do not know. Who has become happy trying to become master? (indistinct)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Bernard Manischewitz -- March 5, 1975, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nutritional information means that we require for balance food: starch, carbohydrate, protein, fat. What else? Starch, carbohydrate, protein, fat. These are necessary nutrition, but these things are there in vegetable diet. Rice, starch; wheat, protein; dahl, protein; then vegetable, carbohydrate; and milk, fat. So if we take food and test it within these four, five groups... Eat according to our conception, sattvikaḥ. Sattvikaḥ means foodstuff in goodness. There are three qualities in the material world—goodness, passion and ignorance. So they are described: these are goodness foods, these are passion, these are ignorance. So these items: rice, wheat, vegetables, dahl and milk is sufficient for nutrition. Above that, you take little fruit, it is very good. And in India this foodstuff is taken by the learned circle—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas—and they keep very good health, very good life.

Room Conversation with Journalist -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very good, just like we also use motorcar, but not for fashion. Suppose if we go for preaching. If we can go by car quickly, we take advantage of the car. We have got many cars for preaching work. So everything is good, provided it is used for progressive goodness. (coughs) That our mistake is that when... Now listen, there is the mistake in Darwin's theory also. He has no information that the evolution is taking place, of the body, by the desire of the soul. That he does not know. Just like sometimes people were happy and living in a small cottage. Now they are making big, big skyscraper building. So what is the difference? The cottage and this... The cottage is not becoming the skyscraper building but the man who was living in the cottage, by his desire the skyscraper building is coming. Similarly the evolution means the soul within the body desires a certain type of body and he gets it. Not that the monkey body has developed into human body.

Morning Walk -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So that means nobody will die. Is there... The law is it to die. Why disease? Disease or no disease, everyone should die.

Śrutakīrti: But if we kill the cow without it, while it is healthy, then it is very good to eat the meat.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but the argument is die. As soon as you kill, it is died. As soon as you take the fish out of the water it dies. So how you can say that dead animal is not good? It is dead. For argument's sake, "A dead animal is not good," but you make him dead. Then you eat. Where is the argument that dead animal is bad? You are eating dead. That means they are not even common sense. That is the rascaldom. Rascal means one who has no common sense even.

Australian devotee 5: They would say then, "Why don't you let the vegetables die naturally before you eat the vegetables?"

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: They catch.

Paramahaṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They say it is very good eatables.

Paramahaṁsa: Yes, (Laughing) they say like that.

Prabhupāda: And crabs?

Paramahaṁsa: Clams.

Prabhupāda: Oh no? What is called?

Paramahaṁsa: Crabs and clams and lobsters...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Lobster is very popular.

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Satsvarūpa: It is good...?

Prabhupāda: Because it has got Indian climate.

Satsvarūpa: Oh, yes. There's a very high altitude. It's a mile high. They call it "the mile high city." Because it's five thousand feet above sea level. It's supposed to be good for health.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...in India up country. Up country, in northern India. It is very good health, Punjab, because up country. (break) ...place Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says,

māṭā yasya gṛhe nāsti
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
aranyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāranyaṁ tathā gṛham

A man who hasn't affectionate mother at home, neither very good wife, so he should immediately give up that home and go to the forest because for him it is as good, either you remain in forest or in home." (chuckles) How intelligent.

Morning Walk -- July 3, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: So you remain with bad and good. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. That possibility is here. Sometimes you are going to the higher heavenly planets, a long duration of life, better standard of enjoyment—again coming back. (break) Good and bad is exemplified: just like I catch you and put down the water, and when you are suffocated, I raise you little, and you say, "Oh. (laughter) It is very nice." But you do not know, again you are going to be... You see? "This good, bad" is here like that. He is put into the water and suffocated, and when he is taken out little, he says, "Oh, it is very good. It is very good." The rascal does not know, the next moment he is going to be again drowned in that. That is going on. Daṇḍya-jane rāja-jana... That was the chief punishment formerly. If one has to be punished, instead of putting into the jail and feed him, the officers will take him to a river and put him in the water. In this way, one day doing, he will say "I will never do these things. Please excuse me." Daṇḍya-jane rāja-jane nadite cubaya. (break) ...unless one remembers this, that "To be in the material world, how suffocating it is," he will not fit for going to back to Godhead. He must be completely detestful. If he keeps little attachment, "No, it is very good sometimes," then you have to remain here. (break) "This is not permanent. I shall be put next moment in the bad condition."

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: All right, trying. But you women, you cannot see that this so-called equal right means cheating the woman. Now I say more clearly that a woman and man meets. Now they become lover. Then they have sex, and the woman becomes pregnant, and the man goes away. The simple woman, she has to take charge of the child and beg from government alms, "Please give me money." This is your independence. Do you admit this is independence, that the man makes the woman pregnant and he goes away without any responsibility, and the woman cannot give up the child, she maintains, begging from the government or she tries to kill the child? Do you think it is very good independence? What is your answer?

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Sandy Nixon: It's the worst crime you could commit.

Jayatīrtha: Her brain is getting larger. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Do you think it is very good business?

Woman: I think this is a very complicated question.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say they are cheating you in the name of independence. That you do not understand. Therefore 34 ounce. They are cheating you, and you are thinking you are independent.

Sandy Nixon: They forget the responsibility that comes with freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not take the responsibility. They go away. They enjoy and go away. And the woman has to take the responsibility, either kill the child or maintainer, begging. Do you think begging is very good? In India, although they are poverty-stricken, still, they do not remain independent. They remain under the husband, and the husband takes all responsibility. So she has neither to kill the child nor go to beg for maintaining the child. So which is independence? to remain under husband is independence or to become free to be enjoyed by everyone?

Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But without God where you get the ingredients?

Rāmeśvara: He is automatically supplying them.

Prabhupāda: Oh, therefore there is no need of God. I supply you everything and you say, "There is no need of you." It is very good intelligence. Ungrateful. The intelligence is ungrateful. So such men should not be given any credit, ungrateful.

Rādhā-vallabha: They also say that "At least our method proves out with facts, whereas your method, there is no facts. Simply you have some faith. So better that at least we know the facts and not know the source."

Prabhupāda: We know (?) fact. We accept this earth, water, air, fire, everything. Bhūmir āpo...

Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good idea, very good idea.

Guest (1): That would be mercy to make the people conscious. And then again and again have here a same thing and then they would be influenced.

Prabhupāda: Good idea. It is very good idea.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The idea was in Hindi. It was in Hindi. We don't understand.

Prabhupāda: In the village... I shall speak in Hindi?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In English so we can understand.

Prabhupāda: I am speaking in... So in the village, if these people go, they cannot do anything because they cannot speak in Hindi.

Guest (1): No, we should be there to organize. We will be there to organize.

Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you do organize, then I shall stay. It is very good program. Let us give it some shape with your good cooperation. So Kṛṣṇa is giving you intelligence. He is giving so nice program. So do it practically.

Guest (1): And we can conquer out there.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is so powerful that it will conquer. It will be victorious. So I am very glad to meet you. And do this program. And if you like, I shall come back after a week and do. Utilize me in this way, I shall be very glad. That's all right.

Devotee: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise it is bogus.

Indian man (5): It is very good.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. Formerly these goldsmith boys, their father simply taught how to test gold. And as soon as he learns, he opens a shop and he earns thousands and thousands of rupees. No education. Simply by...

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. Even today the jewelers' sons, they are expert in knowing diamonds and they make millions of rupees.

Indian man (6): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: This is Indian old fashion. They simply know how to test jewels and gold. That's all. One knowledge makes him rich.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So why they are drying? They should water it. (break) (Bengali) They are doing rightly. There are so many men. Why this should be not taken care of? (break) ...not indulge to give shelter persons—in the name of so-called japa they take advantage of free boarding and lodging. You should be very careful. Everyone should be, according to capacity, must be engaged to some work. Don't allow this stupidity. (break) ...plants are grown properly you get so many fruits. They are drying. There is so much space. You can get the sak and the fruit also.

Sudāmā: (break) We made vegetable from that stem.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very good vegetable. (break) ...and cycle.

Bhavānanda: That is one of our boys from Italy. He is working in the gośālā.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That is not utilized. (Bengali) (end)

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: As you like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We like what you like.

Prabhupāda: So there will be rain. And if there is rain now, it is good. For these food grains. It is very good.

Jayapatākā: Good for everything but the masuri.

Prabhupāda: Well, masuri is not very important.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is masuri?

Jayapatākā: Lentils.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's not good for construction.

Jayapatākā: No, no, it won't be...

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, you can send all the quotations, not only one. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...very enlivening, encouraging, very good. And especially from the Western countries. All classes of academic leaders. It is very good.

Madhudviṣa: I think they should be displayed in all our temples all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, oh, yes. Oh, yes.

Madhudviṣa: Anybody who comes, they will see how authorized your books are.

Rāmeśvara: That's our idea, that we can mass produce these, and any temple can order the quotes from any school of their choice.

Rādhāvallabha: We can make an announcement to temple presidents...

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is gentleman. He is Kṛṣṇa conscious. This can be used very nice dako(?) If you stack it nicely, you can use as dako(?). It is very good...

Jayādvaita: (break) Cintāmaṇi gate.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Vaiṣṇavas in general in Vṛndāvana, are they lamenting for the physical upkeep?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Are the Vaiṣṇavas in general lamenting for the physical upkeep of Vṛndāvana, or are they indifferent?

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: But this has become a business, that I commit sin and repent. "We believe, I repent, and again I commit sin." Do you think it is very good business?

Guest (3): Well, see this is the thing. Christianity has made it a business. So what we're saying is we...

Prabhupāda: That means they are not Christians.

Guest (3): That's right.

Prabhupāda: So then where is Christian?

Guest (3): Well, the Christian world that the majority of the people think is...

Prabhupāda: Majority is not the calculation. Minority. If one person carries out the order of Christ, then he is Christian.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: It is very good reason that, "Because the flies cannot be checked, and the crows should be allowed to pass stool?" At least you stop the crows. If you cannot stop the flies, but you can stop the crows. We have done that. We don't allow the crows to come.

Guest (2): That's good. That's very good. We have taken a lot of your time, Your Grace, and we are very honored and thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: No, we are talking frankly. That's nice. Our point is that.... That is our philosophy, that if we want to be God conscious, we must abide by His order, just like here it is very nicely written. I very much appreciate this thing. But we must practically do that. And what is that? "Again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God." Now, it is conditional. "You have come to the knowledge of the glory of..." Now, what is that knowledge, glory of God?

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

Prabhupāda: That is the danger. But if they at once go to rāsa-līlā, because they are not trained up neither they are liberated, they'll think this rāsa-līlā is just like our young boys, young girls mix together, have sex like that. So it is supported our.... "Why should we restrict to no illicit sex, no this, no rules and regulations? We shall do all nonsense." That's all. And become a gopī. It is very good to aspire to become high-court judge, but how you can become high-court judge without qualification? That they are not thinking. They have no qualification, they have illicit sex, pregnant, going to abortion, and they're high-court judge.

Rāmeśvara: They say Ajāmila had no qualification and he just chanted.

Prabhupāda: Ajāmila had no qualification. Therefore they should have no qualification.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So similarly, when the cow is dead, you dig, or put it within the.... Or take it. No, nobody will object. In India, that is the system. When the cow is dead, there is a class, they are called cobblers, camar(?). They are informed and they'll come. They'll take it. And they'll eat the flesh and take the skin, and tan it in their own method, and then prepare shoes. They sell it in the market. So without any price, they get the skin, they eat the flesh. So nobody is harmed. But there is a class.... (break) ...they are not going to starve. From economic point of view, it is very good. So why you are killing and maintaining so big, big slaughterhouse? Let everyone maintain the cows for taking milk. And when it dies, you take it, you meat-eaters. Make that arrangement.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No, it is not necessary, but those who are interested in studying Sanskrit literature, for them it is very good help. And at the same time they get sublime knowledge. They study Sanskrit and get knowledge. So you have kindly come to join us. You study our philosophy very minutely and then try to do something for the suffering humanity.

nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau
lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

The saintly persons, at least in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, they are not meant for idle life. They are always busy for the welfare of the whole human society. This is the sign of saintly person. They are misguided and they are suffering, and it is the duty of the saintly person to give them instruction, education, how they can become really happy and make their life successful. This is saintly person. A saintly person doesn't mean to live at other's expenditure and do all nonsense things. This is not saintly person. Hm. (Hindi) (break) You asked me some question?

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.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Not outside. Not like England, they have to import from... This is a very good example. Just like salt, we require. A little salt will increase the taste. But because it is absolutely necessary for eating, salt—everyone eats salt, nobody can avoid salt—it does not mean I shall eat too much. If I take this whole salt pot and put into..., "It is very good," that is foolishness. Similarly, sense gratification, so long we have got this material body, we require little. But because it is tasty, let us take it, whole pot, that is mistake. This is going on. This foolishness is going on. Sex life is good; simply take sex life, go on and spoil your whole life. That is going on. If everything is accepted in regulative principle, little salt, that's all, that's very nice. But as soon as you think "It is very nice. Let me take simply this," then it is spoiled. That is wanted. We don't reject anything but accept in a regular way. Flesh eaters? All right, you want flesh? "No, I want flesh, but I want this big cow." Why not less important animals? There are so many other animals.

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

Prabhupāda: All right.

Devotees: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the very complex molecules, very slight probability, practically none, that this could happen by chance. There has to be some intelligence. It is very good argument for chemistry point of view.

Hari-śauri: Even anyone with a little common sense can understand that a very simple thing cannot produce a highly complicated thing. It's such an obvious point, but they have to have so many mathematical equations to accept it.

Prabhupāda: Dictaphone, so many complicated, then it is working.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And if one slight thing is off...

Prabhupāda: Immediately, work stopped.

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: There is no need of hundreds of rascal child, children. One is sufficient. Varam eka. Varaṁ guṇī-putra, he must be qualified. And who is guṇī, who is a devotee and learned scholar. Ko'ta putreṇa jātena, yo na vidyā na bhaktimān(?). What is the use of such rascal child if he's not a devotee, neither learned? Khanena cakṣuṣā kiṁ cakṣuḥ pīḍaiva kevalam.(?) What is the use of blind eyes? It is simply troublesome. So let there be one child, but he must be like Prahlāda, like Dhruva Mahārāja, and then child production is beneficial. Otherwise, if we beget children like cats and dogs, what is the use? That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instruction. Another example is given: ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā-sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, it is sufficient to give light to the whole sky. What is the use of millions of stars? So, it is very good that you can take care of one child and make him a great devotee and learned scholar. Then it is successful. So Dr. Bhagat, I get some pain. It is... (end)

Morning Walk Around Farm -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: You have so much land to cultivate here.

Devotee (1): ...they produce a type of nut.

Prabhupāda: Who eats that?

Devotee (1): We can eat. We roast in the oven, it is very good, offer it to the Deities.

Prabhupāda: (break).... A small potato, in the śukta you gave it?

Harikeśa: No, that was radish.

Devotee (1): See from the garden many tomatoes and squash. Cauliflower is coming also.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...a large stock of water.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Iran Air also, no problem. You'll get the best flight.

Prabhupāda: It is very good climate.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you must rest.

Harikeśa: Last year when we were in Denver, I think you were very healthy there, and this is the same altitude.

Prabhupāda: So then we can stay here.

Hari-śauri: I'll go down and see how the prasādam is coming along. They've brought the prasādam up now?

Prabhupāda: You can bring here. Who is there in the bathroom?

Hari-śauri: They're just cleaning it out. They're giving you the big bathroom because it has a Western toilet and a nice shower and separate everything, it's very nice, and we'll use the small one. They're just cleaning it now, if you want you can use.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Ah, nobody can see their attitude.

Jñānagamya: So it is very good. On the abridged Bhagavad-gītā we have Americans, Emerson and Thoreau saying this is a wonderful book. That is very good, that is very impressive to Americans. They will accept if some great Americans have said.

Prabhupāda: That was my policy from the very beginning, that if the Americans accept, then my mission will be successful. And that is being done gradually, and I am insisting that, preach in America vigorously. If America accepts, then whole world will accept. That's a fact. Anywhere, although America may be fallen, the ideal is American, everywhere. Because they have got money. Kali-yuga means money. If you have got money, then you have got culture, you have got education, you have got everything. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Formerly, they were attached, family, aristocracy, culture, education. Nowadays there is no such thing. Get money and you get everything. It is not? Somehow or other, if you have got control over money then you have got everything. Bring that black Bhāgavatam. What is that sound coming? There is goat?

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Fall or rise also. Why do you say fall? You can rise to the highest platform from the fallen condition. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That you are in a fallen condition, come to the highest platform and talk with God, play with God, dance with God. That is our opportunity. Now it is up to you to take it or not to take it. That is up to you. But our propaganda is this, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā deham (BG 4.9)—this is our propaganda. We are trying to induce people to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then his life is successful. But if you don't try to understand, that is your business. But we are offering that here is a movement, you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. What is the wrong there? But if you don't like, who can force you? We are going country to country, door to door, town to town. What is our business? We are simply requesting that "You try to understand Kṛṣṇa." And Kṛṣṇa says, "As soon as you understand Me, you come to Me." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Now it is up to you. If you take theoretically, that "If by understanding Kṛṣṇa I can go to the eternal, blissful spiritual life," why not try it? And if you inquire that, "All right, it is very good proposal.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: This is said five times a day..., three times a day. "Come and be truthful, and remain fortunate, remain truthful, stick to the right path. Come and join in the best activity, which is praise of the Lord. The highest form of activity, which is praise of the Lord." This is azan.

Prabhupāda: It is very good.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Very nice. Nobody hears it.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: They have brought some Holland bulls and Jersey cows and then Indian bulls, and brought some genetic researchers brought out a new hybrid.

Indian: It is very good cow, very good. Giving thirty to forty liters per day.

Hari-śauri: Those cows we have in the Pennsylvania farm, the two best ones, they're the two best pedigree cows in the whole of America. They have their pedigree traced back two hundred and fifty years to when the first cows came to America. Purebreds.

Prabhupāda: In our Philadelphia farm we are selling fifteen hundred dollars extra milk. Fifteen hundred dollars per month. So if cow is properly protected, it can supply immense milk.

Dr. Patel: It was Mr. Nehru, he said that we cannot prohibit cow slaughter. Therefore he made so many wrong things. (break) (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) This is māyā. We are...

Evening Darsana -- August 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Your mind, his business is to think something. But ordinarily the thinking is we accept something and reject something. Or accept the same thing and again reject the same thing. This business is going on. But if you think of question, there is no question of rejecting. Simply accepting. Then it is fixed up. Other things you accept and reject. Something we accept as "Oh, it is very good." Again, "No, no, it is not good." Accepting childish. Child is playing, one type of playing, "No, no, another one." That is material. And when you fix up, no rejection, simply accept it, that is Kṛṣṇa... So if you think of Kṛṣṇa... Just like here is temple. If you come and, as other devotees are doing, if you do, if you attend maṅgala-ārati, if you attend bhoga-ārati, always see, then offer obeisances, then naturally you will think of Kṛṣṇa. Then as you think of Kṛṣṇa, you become purified. Just like if you touch with fire you remain always warm.

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

Prabhupāda: This combination of rich men, poor men, for Kṛṣṇa. The same—andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Both of them are useless separately, and when they combine in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are all useful. It is very good example. And there is another example, that a piece of wire is falling, rotting, and a piece of bamboo, rotting, and a piece of squash skin is rotting. And one gentleman collected. He nicely trimmed the piece and dried the squash, the outer portion, and took the bamboo and nicely cut it and joined the string and this became a sitar: "Ting, ting, ting." So it is the intelligent person who joins all these things and makes it very useful. These are the examples. The bamboo alone is useless, and a small piece of wire, useless, and a thrown out squash skin, useless. But if you can join them together,...you can "Ting, ting. Similarly andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Here is a lame man; here is a blind man. All right, combine together and use them. That is wanted. Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhi labhate. This wire does not change. It is wire. But when it is combined, it is useful.

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 -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in Philadelphia.

Gargamuni: Yes, I heard it is very good there.

Prabhupāda: His wife is... They are making...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā.

Prabhupāda: Cāpāṭis. When she brought, it was so thick. And "How shall I eat this?" But when I ate it was so nice. Soft and sweet. I ate everything.

Jayapatākā: Devotees have brought from the farm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe she should come here to cook for you.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Restless, that's all. Mind not fixed up. Restless. Now what he'll do with that four thousand rupees? It is very good program. If I get some thousands of rupees and sit down in Rādhā-kuṇḍa and eat, that is very good idea.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we can find him. We know where he is.

Prabhupāda: You can find him, that is not difficult, but what is his mentality. Why he has gone to Rādhā-kuṇḍa if he was teaching here? You cannot rely upon him. When he'll go (indistinct). Rādhā-kuṇḍa, Rādhārāṇī's place, if anyone thinks that it is very easy to remain in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, the topmost place. Rūpa Gosvāmī has spoken—he must speak about Rādhā-kuṇḍa. But what he has spoken about other things?

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

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

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

Akṣayānanda: Just about every devotee, before coming to you, has thought about suicide.

Prabhupāda: Suicide? Oh.

Akṣayānanda: So many, I know I have spoken with them. And myself included.

Prabhupāda: Yes, there was no hope. What is the use.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Five hundred libraries in India have ordered these books in the last four months.

Interviewer: Must have. These are very good quality book, it is. Very good quality.

Prabhupāda: Give this one book from the...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I brought it back. (break)

Prabhupāda: India's culture and knowledge are richer than any other culture. And that is being accepted. Yes. Real knowledge, real culture is in India. Unfortunately, we did not try in that way. We simply went to the foreign countries to beg, "Give us wheat, give us this, give us this, give us that." But if we give our culture, they will accept that India is still richer than any other. You can bring some of the press items, professor, learned scholars' opinions. Aiye. (pause) Where is Caitya-guru?

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) better, I was seeing that. And every page Kṛṣṇa. There is Kṛṣṇa. Every page, there is Kṛṣṇa. Similarly that happened in Germany. I told them. "It is very good that Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughing) We are known as Kṛṣṇas. They call us Kṛṣṇas. You put yourselves "Kṛṣṇians." They are Christians and we are Kṛṣṇians. And actually from Kṛṣṇian, the Christian has come. Yes. Kṛṣṇa, ah, Kristo, there is Greek word and Kristo, is broken spelling of Kṛṣṇa. In India we say one is, one name say is Kṛṣṇa, at least in Bengali we say Kṛṣṭa. Kṛṣṭa. This Kṛṣṭa word is come Kṛṣṇa. And from Kṛṣṭa, Christ has come. This is original root, Kṛṣṇa. So we have to fight, here is a chance for fighting, so why they're afraid?

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, Hare Kṛṣṇas. That will be main thing. At least they will criticize Hare Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) That's all. We want. (Sanskrit) It is said that. (Sanskrit) If we respect chanting, it is very good, even by neglecting chant, that is also good. Just like Ajamila, he chanted. He never meant "Nārāyaṇa." He meant his son, but he got result. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). He never meant that he's calling for Nārāyaṇa. He did not follow up bhakti. But Nārāyaṇa took care of it that "Now anyway he's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' He must come to Vaikuṇṭha."

Devotee: This is what (indistinct) in San Diego.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is Sixth Canto. Hm?

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1976, Bombay:

Devotee: Other day one man was telling me they bought two of your Bhāgavatams, Ramakrishna Mission. He said that one Ranganath Swami from South India, from Hyderabad was lecturing there but he was... When he was lecturing he had your Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Part One in his hand and he was speaking from there. (laughter) I said it is very good.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Give him prasāda. (Hindi)

Devotee: Many ācāryas, they imitate you. They read your books and take some of this part and what is useful for them they use on their lecture. How we should stop them? (break)

Hari-śauri: At least part of the lecture's going to be all right.

Prabhupāda: They cannot utilize my writing in their favor.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: That is very good. There our men suffer very much. If that room is available, then it is very good.

Gurudāsa: They made a... Abhirama made a bathroom. He put four tanks on the top, and there's running water in that bathroom.

Prabhupāda: In our side?

Gurudāsa: In the one we have.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Gurudāsa: So that's somewhat of an improvement.

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? Improvement can be done. There is space. Anyway, if we get the down room, it will solve a problem. What is the rent?

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We are presenting God, His address, His father's name, His residence, everything. If you are intelligent, you can go back home, back to Godhead. If not, you may suffer. Others will go.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That example you gave of the dead husband... Prabhupāda gave an analogy, it is very good. To indicate who is being brainwashed. The example was a dead husband is calling his wife. That is very good example.

Rāmeśvara: They're actually doing service because they are forcing all these newspapers...

Prabhupāda: That is... Hare Kṛṣṇa—this name has become popular all over the...

Rāmeśvara: Yes. (to Gopāla?) You have experience. (laughs) The learned people in America are very concerned that we are being...

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's very convenient. Like this logical positivism...

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very good argument, that these rascals have never produced life, and why do they say like that? It's good argument because they say that "We have not seen; therefore we don't believe." They're experimental. But you have not experimented. Why you push? Why you brainwash my brain?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: According to this logical positivism, you can say that it is convenient to say that man has arisen from apes, but that is not the truth.

Prabhupāda: There is no experiment.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: She wears all white sari. Other women that age, they would be looking for another husband, another husband, another husband.

Prabhupāda: This widow life is also brahmacārī life. This printing is all right? At least for India it is very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The paper quality I saw that Gopāla is using now is getting much better.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The book could be sold anywhere in the world. The most recent publications of his could be sold anywhere.

Brahmānanda: His Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Ādi-keśava: I agree. I think it is very good that they see us dressed like this in court.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we should...

Ādi-keśava: They will understand what we are.

Prabhupāda: We shall...

Hari-śauri: We have to represent our religion properly.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A priest will not put on a suit.

Ādi-keśava: In fact one time... Even the last time I went...

Prabhupāda: No, whatever is done, done. Now you make a difference. In any case, we shall go in this dress.

Hari-śauri: Tell Rāmeśvara that, too.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: ...service, and we need men here anyway.

Prabhupāda: It is very good.

Ādi-keśava: Because they... It is also good tactic. It makes the government not want this to happen. It makes them look bad that someone has to get political asylum from America.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Because they pride themselves on freedom.

Prabhupāda: They get prestigious loss, loss of prestige.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no, marriage, they do not speak. That is the disease in your country, that... There is no objection nineteen-years-old boy and twelve-years girl, it is very good combination, but the culture is so bad that after few days they will separate.

Rādhā-vallabha: Yes. That's the actual problem.

Prabhupāda: If they stick to have one husband and one wife, it is very good. Or even the man can marry more than one wife. That is allowed in the Vedic system. The difficulty is nobody remains as wife, nobody remains husband. It is very dangerous. That is against Vedic. Otherwise man can have more than one wife, but woman cannot marry more than one husband. But the system—the boys and girls intermingle so freely, and in your country there is no restriction—naturally it becomes adulterated. That is the danger.

Rādhā-vallabha: So he wanted to know that...

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why ten commandments? And these rascals took it that "I shall not follow any of you. You take our sinful reaction. It is very good religion."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And therefore they say no one is more merciful than Jesus.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if... We are doing anything, but he still forgives us.

Prabhupāda: This is going on. Therefore according to history, he retired. That is resurrection. He went to Kashmir. "It is hopeless."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He didn't die on the cross.

Prabhupāda: It is not possible to kill him. Such a great personality, representative of God, he is not killed. That is not possible.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Ram Jethmalani: But when you see so much of physical suffering around...

Prabhupāda: But what you can do? That is my... It is very good, sympathetic.

Ram Jethmalani: Is it right to tell the suffering that "I am busy, at work for my salvation"?

Prabhupāda: We don't say like that. We say that "Here is the remedy for rectifying your suffering, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Come to it." We don't say that "You suffer." We say, "Stop your suffering in this way." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). We are also trying to stop that suffering. But the ordinary people, they do not know how to stop it. Just like the United Nations. They are united, to mitigate the sufferings of the whole human... What they have done? Simply like barking in that assembly with... You go on suffering. Stop suffering. So you must know first of all how sufferings can be stopped. Then you do this, needful. Otherwise, what is the use if you do not know the method? Here is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). I think you have read Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It was started nine years ago near Pondicherry with the same target of fifty thousand but has still a population of only four hundred, mostly foreigners." In other words, this is... The idea is that just as Auroville is a farce, any one of us, we're also farcical.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is... It is very good farce. That is the... Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's the implication.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a farce. There's no... From what I can see here, there's no mention in the whole thing... It never mentions "International Society for Krishna Consciousness." It never mentions "Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami." It doesn't even mention...

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

Prabhupāda: It is... I think it is a good proposal. If President comes, it must be very successful. It is very good chance.

Mr. Dwivedi: So if I have your permission, I'll do this.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. I... For mine, that... You told that "You gain your weight, increase your weight." That induced me.

Mr. Dwivedi: The very fact that Your Holiness will be going there, that has manifold increased our... We are not worried about that.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Then accept. Then accept.

Mr. Dwivedi: As the saying goes in Rāmāyaṇa, sevaka sādhana svāmī avagamanu, maṅgalun amaṅgala harlun(?).

Conversation: Vairagya, Salaries, and Political Etiquette -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And they are concluding that they cannot stop committing sins and Jesus Christ will take account for them. Therefore it is very good religion, that "We can do whatever nonsense we like, and if we keep our faith in Jesus Christ, then we are saved." Pāpa-buddhiḥ, nāmno balād pāpa-buddhiḥ. Great offenders. So what news?

Girirāja: Well, the reason I came up is I'm going to try to phone Mr. Rajda now.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Girirāja: Going to try to phone Mr. Rajda. And considering that the Prime Minister may not have that much time... We had discussed that he should come here to meet you, but suppose if we fix up, say, a minimum time if he can't come here, say at least a half hour undisturbed, something like that, is it possible to fix in the city or we should just insist that...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: So it is very good premise. So why Gopāla should be sorry that "I go"? Is there any reason?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he'll feel that he's worked in Delhi before. He developed the Delhi temple. If he feels he can work with it, they'll be...

Prabhupāda: If he can also join, what is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He won't... I'm speaking... I'm just... We don't want him to become disappointed. I know in the past sometimes Gopāla gets disappointed.

Trivikrama: He has so much to do in Bombay with the book, BBT.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm not giving my opinion. I'm only speaking on the fact that we should not any way...

Trivikrama: Yeah, discourage our Godbrothers.

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

Mr. Myer: Yes, the posts will change now because it is very good man over here, new business in America and on the Prime Minister.

Prabhupāda: And "Get out. Get out."

Mr. Myer: This "Get out..."

Prabhupāda: And "Get out" means another ten thousand rupees. He has to go out, again come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a big harassment.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like now...

Prabhupāda: How much harassment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...I still have to go...

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

Prabhupāda: Delhi temple is going on nice?

Bhāgavatāśraya: Oh, yes. We are redecorating everything inside. We've painted to about four feet off the ground with some gloss paint and then nice distemper. And I've spent, oh, a lot of money, around two thousand rupees on the whole temple. Temple room, Deity room, kitchens, everything, we're painting it all. And now Bhakti-caitanya Swami, he will have his office there. BBT office will be in Delhi. It is very good arrangement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe I should show you the pictures first. I've brought your glasses. These are the photographs, Śrīla Prabhupāda, of the Deities to be installed in Fiji. He's sending to you for your approval. First, this is Śrī-Śrī-Guru-Gaurāṅga in day dress.

Prabhupāda: First class. Just like life.

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

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Yaśomatīnandana: Very much they love it. People come from distant villages in groups.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Make them... In Gujarat it is very good. So you show an example that other camp will...

Yaśomatīnandana: This year we are taking some cash crops just to develop the farm.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Yaśomatīnandana: But then, once we have developed, then we can have rice and wheat and then distribute free prasāda to everyone. Because every inch of the land is cultivatable.

Prabhupāda: I have given so much for... Try to repay.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. It is very good.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And now we are doing this for the encyclopedia and for the Hindi books. Like our advertisement came in the third page of the Illustrated Weekly of India. It came in Hindustan Times of that Sunday. Plus, we are sending a mail order campaign directly to people's houses. And thousand Gītās in two months is very, very good, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: It's just the beginning.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to see those advertisements? Okay. You saw it earlier. It's the same advertisement in different magazines, and this company is paying for it.

Prabhupāda: Not at our expense.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I understand that you go to the royal family and talk with them for hours. So it is very good sign.

Parivrājakācārya: Yes. There's... Some people in their family are very good, and they're very interested in learning about Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They can do... They can do very good things for the world if they simply have knowledge of what to do. So we're trying to preach to intelligent people.

Prabhupāda: Yes, intelligent. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). What intelligent man takes up, so ordinary man, ordinary generally follow. Bhagavad-gītā is meant for rājarṣi, not for foolish. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Not for a so-called loafer class. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham. That is being mistaken. Bhagavad-gītā should be taught to such royal family, and if they take up, others will take up. Hm? Ātreya Ṛṣi?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Do you follow?

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, no, you are managing, I know, but you are all important men and unnecessarily you are bound up. You cannot go. So Lokanātha party has got some experience and let me go. In India the climate is now good. If I recover, it is very good. You know. So what is the wrong? If I die, then the body will be brought either in Vṛndāvana or Māyāpura, that's all. And if I live, it will be a great end of a life. You are all experienced.

Jayapatāka: As much as you have trained us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that is only how much we are experienced. We don't want that you be burdened any more with material management problems but...

Prabhupāda: No, not from that point of view. What is the use of lying down here?

Page Title:It is very good (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:25 of Sep, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=78, Let=0
No. of Quotes:78