Leading (Conv. 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"lead" |"leading" |"leads" |"led"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 13, 1976, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: People.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...people there.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...places better than this place, then you shall go there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. (break) Madhudviṣa will be there in the morning. He leads the kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's very lively.

Jayapatāka: (break) ...twenty years, they've never swept the street.

Prabhupāda: Twenty thousand?

Jayapatāka: Something like that. "Are sweeping the street." But only a few thousand of that are actually doing it. There's a big scandal.

Prabhupāda: Dishonest. They are producing only dishonest men. (break) ...get a boat like this? No.

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

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) How they are bringing ruination. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The blind men led by another blind man. It is not new. In the Bhāgavata therefore it is warned that "Don't follow hog philosophy." Viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This kind of philosophy, that for sense gratification, laboring whole day and night, writing books, philosophizing and all these things, it is meant for the hogs, not for human being. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This kind of civilization is meant for the hogs. So they are exhibiting that they are no better than hog.

Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: After all, understanding... Therefore they are mūḍhas. They have to understand. If they do not understand, they remain mūḍha. That is human life. The human being should understand that "I am mūḍha, so I'll have to learn." And the Vedas says, "Then go to guru." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "You must go if you want to learn." And if he remains mūḍha and speculates, then he remains mūḍha. He never gets the enlightenment. He remains continually... Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva (BG 16.20). He cannot get God. Life after life, he will go on like that, mūḍha. Asuriṣu-yoni. Asurika-yoni. He'll remain completely ignorant about God, what was his function, only function to understand God during this life of human form of life. And so-called science wants to keep him rascal and mūḍha, that's all. Therefore we fight so much with these rascals, big rascals. They want to keep them. He is mūḍha, he is blind, and he's trying to lead other blind men. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām (SB 7.5.31). Rascal does not know that he is hand and bound..., hand and leg, bound up by the laws of material; still he denies, that "I am independent. I can think independently. I can avoid God," and so many things. Therefore they are mūḍhas. He cannot do it.

Morning Walk -- February 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Yaśodānandana: One of the leading paṇḍitas of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya has endorsed us as being bona fide Vaiṣṇavas, and also one of the main Aṣṭamaṭhas (?) in Uḍupi, the place of Madhvācārya, has given a letter to define that "The disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, His Divine Grace, is doing very good work for the sanātana dharma, and they are bona fide Vaiṣṇavas. So these letters are very good for our preaching work.

Acyutānanda: Śrī Raṅgam.

Yaśodānandana: Also in Śrī Raṅgam, the leading paṇḍita, the leading priest of the Śrī Raṅgam temple, that big Viṣṇu temple... We had a program there, and he's very much impressed by your work.

Acyutānanda: He's the descendant of Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Morning Walk -- February 26, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So what kind of leader? If you cannot lead others, what kind of leader?

Jayapatākā: That's why a brahmacārī should...

Prabhupāda: If you mislead them, if you mislead them, then what is the use of taking leadership?

Jayapatākā: That's why that system where a brahmacārī is recommended for one year and then he proves himself by doing some extraordinary preaching work is a very good system. Otherwise, anyone just comes and by pressurizing and begging and pleading, then they try to take sannyāsa. Then they don't stay to the path.

Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means ultimate success, because this human life is meant for becoming disgusted with this material life: "No more." Material life means to take a body and enjoy this material āhāra-nidrā, sleeping twenty-four hours, eating like elephant, and sex life like a monkey, these animals. This is material life, eating, sleeping, mating, and always afraid of. This is material life. And human life means to take freedom from these four things: no more afraid, no more sex, no more hankering after eating or sleeping.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is seeing that, how everyone is ready to serve. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa-bhakta also sees how everyone is eager to serve Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...engage them rightly, that is leadership. Yes. Otherwise andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). As a blind leader is leading other blind men, this whole world is going on like that. They do not know how to properly lead the people. Misleaders. (break) ...grains, cows, all they should be very properly taken care of and the products offered to Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should be engaged as Kṛṣṇa's servant. That is Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana everyone is engaged how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. (break) ...business to study Vedānta. In Vṛndāvana life we see they were not interested to know what is Brahman. They were interested how to please Kṛṣṇa, how to see Kṛṣṇa smiling. That is Vṛndāvana. Huh? Is it not? From Vṛndāvana picture you see they are simply busy to see how Kṛṣṇa is smiling.

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: "Artistry. But the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda is, of course, profoundly sympathetic to the theme. He brings to it a special interpretative insight. Here we have a powerful and persuasive presentation in the bhakti tradition of this dearly beloved poem. The Swami's introduction makes clear at once where he stands as a leading exponent of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is my actual...

Devotee (1): (break) ...not only have your books there in the New York Public Library, but the head librarian of that Oriental division did the review also.

Prabhupāda: "...government(?) of postgraduate college..." Oh, O.B.L. Kapoor. (break) "It is an exhaustive plan of original Sanskrit text in Devanāgarī, then a translation, English synonym... What practitioner of philosophy cannot but be attracted to this serious student and scholar of Sanskrit language and Hindu religion and philosophy? The viewpoint of a devotee cum scholar has the advantage of making the philosophy meaningful to any practical-minded person."

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Come on.

Devotee (3): Jaya.

Guru-krpa: This boy leads kīrtana for two or three hours nonstop by himself, playing the drum.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So parikrāma party has not come back?

Madhudviṣa: No, they didn't show up yet.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is not good. The class must be attended.

Madhudviṣa: They'll be back by the time class starts, I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then they should not go in the morning. They must attend class. That is very important.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You once gave the example of your spiritual master also, how people were invited on parikrama and you stayed back to hear.

Prabhupāda: I never went. (break) Otherwise they should not go in the morning. (end)

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's Tripurāri giving a class. Here's a priest buying a Bhagavad-gītā. Gurudāsa Mahārāja preaching on campus. Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading a kīrtana. Here's a television show. That was that television show.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And this is Kavicandra Prabhu. He's the leader of another bus. These are his Deities, and that is his bus and his men.

Revatīnandana: (break) ...is that they are very interested in health, exercise, dancing, like that. They have huge, mass swoopings of...

Prabhupāda: So introduce this dancing as health exercise dancing.

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Madhudviṣa: No, it requires a guide.

Prabhupāda: No, because you are rascal, you are under nature. So how you can guide me? Your position is the same. You are blind; I am blind. How you can lead me?

Madhudviṣa: They won't say that.

Prabhupāda: So they won't say means...

Madhudviṣa: They say that...

Prabhupāda: Why shall I accept a blind leader? If a blind... I am blind, and if a blind man says, "Come on, I shall guide you," why shall I accept that leader?

Madhudviṣa: Their contention is not that, though. Their contention is that Mao Tse Tung, along with being the political leader, is also the spiritual guide of the people.

Prabhupāda: Political, social is not. The leader must be perfect. If the leader is blind, how can I accept such blind leader? I am blind man. What is the use? I am blind; therefore I am asking, "Can you help me to cross the road?" Another blind, "Yes, yes, come on, I shall." Why shall I accept? First of all I shall ask, "You have got eyes?" "No, I am also blind." What is this nonsense?

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What... Śrīla Prabhupāda, what are the qualifications of a perfect leader?

Prabhupāda: No mistake, no illusion, no cheating, no imperfection. Anyone who commits mistake, he's illusioned, he's a cheater and imperfect—he cannot lead. So bring any leader of these rascal groups and test with these four principles; he is misleader.

Trivikrama: They're all servants of their senses.

Madhudviṣa: They will also say that within our movement the so-called leaders also have imperfections.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Madhudviṣa: They will say, within our movement, that the leaders also have imperfection.

Prabhupāda: No imperfection.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You lead them, Gargamuni. The other men can stand out here (?) (break)

Devotees: Jaya!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Move in. Move in more. O.K. Some men can come through the other room and stand out here.

Devotee: Those prabhus are going to have to go around.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You lead them, Gargamuni.

Prabhupāda: Get this fan on. Fan and lights.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fan and lights.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda...

Prabhupāda: Em.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: On behalf of all the bhaktas and Rādhā Dāmodara, we'd like to offer you this dakṣiṇā.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So our.... They are accommodated in how many buses?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Currently in six buses and six airports, because Tripurāri Mahārāja leads about twenty-five men distributing in different airports around the country, and then there's another hundred men who are working out of six buses. Now two more buses are being built to accommodate everyone. And then another ten men are working at our bus construction head office.

Prabhupāda: So, of course, you are not going to be absent for many, many days. You come and go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There won't be any difficulty, because every...

Prabhupāda: They are trained up. That is the.... Training, that is the real perfection. Our Tripurāri Mahārāja is there, and Viṣṇujana Mahārāja.

Morning Walk -- April 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Not very constantly.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you're worried that one thing will lead to the next. Actually all we have to do is follow your example.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, we don't have to add anything. What can we add?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What is the use of it?

Akṣayānanda: What can we add?

Prabhupāda: There is a proverb in Bengali that the crows, they eat stool. But when the crow is very young, he eats more stool. (break) ...tendency always, how to become hippie, as soon as there is little opportunity.

Recording of TV Interview -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Well, the scientists make research. One does wrong thing to do that. So our process is to carry out the order of the higher authorities. So my Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, asked me to do this. (inserted kīrtana)

Carol Jarvis: But you led a rather normal life—before this you were married. You were a businessman.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Carol Jarvis: What made you change suddenly?

Prabhupāda: By this association. Just like we are holding meeting, and so many boys, girls, they come. If somebody is capturing the idea, he makes further progress. (inserted kīrtana)

Carol Jarvis: Do you think the type of life that your devotees must lead...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Mike Barron: Can you tell me?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Your happiness is that you do not like to die: you die. That is your distress. You do not like to become old man: you become old. So that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is unhappiness. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). That is intelligence, that "I do not want death. Why death comes upon me? Where is my happiness?" This knowledge will lead you to understand what is happiness. But if you remain ignorant like animal, you do not know what is happiness, and if you think, "The dog is having sex. I'll have sex. That is happiness," then where is the difference, dog mentality and your mentality?

Mike Barron: And Kṛṣṇa consciousness can help me attain this?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He knows, "This dog's mentality of eating, sleeping, sex and defense is not my happiness. My real distress is that I do not want to die; I am being forced to die. So how to escape from this position?" That is happiness.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are also inquiring.

Guru-kṛpā: Every university in America takes complete book. Every book Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, there is standing order. Oxford, Princeton, Harvard, UCLA, University of California...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: All of the leading professors also have written very favorable reviews, citing these...

Prabhupāda: Where is that book, Professor Judah's book? Hare Krishna and Counterculture.

Carol Jarvis: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: You have read that?

Carol Jarvis: No, I haven't.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he has written big book, Professor Judah. He has very much appreciated. And he has given statistics and everything, very scholarly book. Hare Krishna and Counterculture.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Well, the scientists make research. One does wrong thing to do that. So our process is to carry out the order of the higher authorities. So my Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, asked me to do this. Therefore...

Carol Jarvis: But you led a rather normal life—before this you were married. You were a businessman.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Carol Jarvis: What made you change suddenly?

Prabhupāda: By this association. Just like we are holding meeting, and so many boys, girls, they come. If somebody is capturing the idea, he makes further progress.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So if, if.... At least they understand something about it. Otherwise how they are sticking to this movement? They are intelligent boys. They are coming from respectable family, educated. Why they should go after me unless they have got something? That you can ask them. There are so many. All of them are young men.

Carol Jarvis: They're forced to lead a very spartan way of life, though, aren't they? Why is this necessary?

Prabhupāda: If you want real happiness.... That I have already explained. Real happiness—to become free from the natural material laws, birth, death, old age and disease. This is real happiness. Suppose you are arranging for your happiness, and all of a sudden death comes. Then where is happiness? So how you can check? So the real impediment of our happiness is stated: birth, death, old age and disease. So if you want real happiness, then you have to first of all make arrangement that you'll not die or you'll not take birth, you'll not become old, you'll not be diseased. Just like insurance. They make insurance of life. So where is your insurance for these things? You do not want to die, but you are forced to die. Where is insurance? This is insurance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No more.... No more death, no more birth, no more old age, no more disease. This is insurance. And therefore it is the primary necessity for becoming happy. Otherwise you have made arrangement very nicely, and if all of a sudden you die, then where is your happiness?

Carol Jarvis: Do you think the type of life that your devotees must lead...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Carol Jarvis: ...is in fact a happy one, getting up very early in the morning...

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is. It is. Just like if you are suffering from some ailments, so you have to follow some rules and regulation so that you may be cured. Do the doctor not prescribe so many things, that "You don't eat like this. You don't do this. You do this"? There are so many don't's and do's. So if you really want to become happy, you have to follow some don't's and do's.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So what do you mean by spiritual and material? Do you know the distinction? Then I'll show you spiritual. And do you know?

Carol Jarvis: Well, the material...

Prabhupāda: I say that in the temple there is nothing material, all spiritual, but you have no eyes to see to it.

Carol Jarvis: I wonder if you could lead an equal sort of life without the richness of the temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can do. You can live at your home like us. We are giving the example. You can live also like that. That is spiritual life. If you follow the same rules and regulation and live like that, that is spiritual life.

Carol Jarvis: You told me earlier that you make thousands of dollars a day...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Brian Singer: What does.... When you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, does it mean you come into the chapel, or can you lead the sort of life that we lead and still...?

Prabhupāda: No, going to the chapel, that is one of the means, but there are nine different processes, of which, hearing about Kṛṣṇa is the most important thing, śravaṇam. If you continuously hear about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore these books are there, hearing and chanting. If you cannot read, I'll read; you hear. I'll speak. Or you will speak; I'll hear. These two processes are very important. Therefore we are presenting in English language the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa so elaborately. We have published eighty-two books like this. If you read one book.... This is the preliminary study. Then, if you read it with great attention, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious immediately. Then you understand about Kṛṣṇa from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in sixty books, and then you enjoy the transcendental pleasure in Caitanya-caritāmṛta in seventeen books. So you cannot finish even within your life. So many books are there. And you'll forget reading other books.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Brian Singer: How did you find the transition, or how did it affect you, the transition from leading a life in the business world...

Prabhupāda: No, no, business.... Business world is not bad. Why do you think that because I was a businessman, therefore I could not be...?

Brian Singer: No, no. I just want to know how you found the transition.

Prabhupāda: No, this is our regulative principle, that first of all you be trained up as brahmacārī. Then you be entered into family life. Then you retire from family life. Then you become a sannyāsī. This is a general procedure, not that you shall stick to one position. So a businessman does not mean he's fallen man. He can become first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). That is already dictated by Bhāgavata. These leaders, rascals who are blind, and they are trying to lead other blind men. All of them are falling in the ditch.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the case of Mahārāja Veṇa there was some recourse for the brāhmaṇas. What can we do?

Prabhupāda: Yes, brāhmaṇas were controlling the kṣatriyas. They were obeying the instruction of brāhmaṇas. That is social function. The first-class man will give instruction to the government, and the government will carry the order, "Whether people are actually doing this?" Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. And vaiśya will produce food grain and milk sufficiently. And the śūdras, they will help these three higher classes. That's all. This is social system. (break) The brāhmaṇas, they will be always engaged to make plan how people will be successful in the aim of life. And that will be executed through the kṣatriyas. And the vaiśyas will supply foodstuff. Food is also required. And good government is required, and nice direction is required.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: Therefore he is not to be preached. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra: (CC Adi 9.41) "Go to do good to others. First of all you do good to yourself." First of all you become really preacher. Then go to preach. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never sent neophyte to go to preach. For neophyte the preaching is not their business. For neophyte, one should stick to the worship of Deity in the temple. And those who have understood the philosophy, applied the philosophy in his life, he should go for preaching. Otherwise he'll preach wrongly, like.... What is that? Charan das Babaji. And it will stop. He wanted to preach, but he did not know how to preach, and therefore, after his life, it is finished. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say like that, that "You remain a rascal and go to preach." No. Janma sārthaka kari. "Your first business is that you make your life perfect. Then go to preach. Perfect means you learn how to obey My orders." That is perfection. Āmāra ājñāya. So if you are actually, perfectly carrying out the orders of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you are preaching. Otherwise you will do wrongly, mislead. Don't do that. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). If you remain blind, don't try to lead other blind men. That is misleading. First of all open your eyes. Everything is there. Nobody can do anything whimsically. If you do whimsically, concoctedly, that will be failure. It will not be effective.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Chinese people, they are trying to raise their standard of civilization. Do they?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many.... Their philosophy is called dialectic materialism. They want to advance materially and they.... We have prepared one report of an interview with the president of a committee on United States and China relations. He's one of the leading experts in China. So after researching and studying all the educational, the libraries, all the different functions in China, we went and spoke with this gentleman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First we got a lot of information ourselves, so we'd be knowledgeable. We read for one month. We got.... We wrote away to all the councils, we got hundreds of books like this, special reports about China, we read them, and then we went to meet this man, because he is the most knowledgeable expert person on China in the United States. And we made up a report which we wanted to read to you, because it gives everything very nicely. It tells what China is doing now, and what our program can be for book distribution.

Prabhupāda: No, what is their aim? After studying all these books, what do you think? What is the aim of China? What is the objective they are making progress towards?

Room Conversation -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976 :

Prabhupāda: It is the only process to save yourself.

Devotee (3): You..., you told a story once about, there was one, the devotee of Lord Caitanya, where he had never met Lord Caitanya, but he had some water sprinkled on him from a Muslim, Muhammadan, and that, that astrologer told him to pour..., to drink lead, hot lead. And he said, I was (indistinct)...

Prabhupāda: Buddhimanta Khān.

Devotee (3): Yeah, Buddhimanta Khān. (pause) You've also said in the past that there is no reality of this material world save for, save Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, save...

Prabhupāda: Yes, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (says), nāma vinā kichu nāhika āra, cauddha-bhuvana-majhe. (pause)

Devotee (3): Kṛṣṇa is our only insurance, and you are the, you are the insurance representative.

Prabhupāda: People are so intelligent that when the representative of Kṛṣṇa speaks, they (indistinct) enemies, and sometimes they crucify, kill. So people are so kind that they are not killing. Otherwise, why Christ, (indistinct) was killed? What fault? What is his fault? Just see. Was there any fault in his words? He advised, "Don't kill," and he was crucified. We have to deal with such rascals. I may be representative, but he is directly son of God. People are so rascal that they did not believe even the son of God, what to speak of His representative.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (1): You said that the different living entities in lower forms of life, they became those lower forms of life due to their work in the human form?

Prabhupāda: Yes. A criminal is freed, but if he again commits criminal..., criminality, then again he's put into the jail, like that. (inaudible) ...his freedom, now make your choice. But if you misuse it, then again go.... māyāprāpte nivartante mṛtyuḥ saṁsāra vartmani. (break) ...go home back to Godhead. But if we do not take the chance, and misuse it, like animals, then again we go down. The process is to go back to home, back to Godhead, eternal life, blissful life. And other process is the cycle of birth and death in different species of life. So this human form of body is to make choice whether to continue the cycle of birth and death in different species of life, or you want to go home, back to Godhead. (Sanskrit) He's Kṛṣṇa conscious when he goes back to home, back to Godhead. (inaudible) species of life, according to karma, they're going to be fish. From fish, by nature's way, leads to the plants, then insect. In this way.... Then birds, then beasts, again human being. Again another birth. In this way they are.... bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Similarly, after many, many births, when he comes to his senses.... "I have enjoyed very nice life. Now let me go back home..." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti... (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa says, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Such mahātmā, great soul, who has accepted that Kṛṣṇa is everything, he is very, very rarely found. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). After many, many millions.

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

Prabhupāda: Simply faith, blind faith we do not endure. And therefore they are becoming godless. And gradually, if we do not understand factually what is God, then the whole human civilization will be godless. To become godless means again animal. That is the difference between animal and man. In the animal society there is no question of religion, faith, God. These things are not there. The human civilization, if it becomes like that, without any faith in God, without any understanding of God, then where is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? They must know God scientifically. That is the actual aim of human life. Suppose the dog is sleeping on the street without any care whether a car is coming and smash it. He's also sleeping sound sleep. And we are sleeping in a very nice apartment. So after all, sleeping. And he is also enjoying sleeping, I am also enjoying sleeping. So do you think to change the, I mean to say, circumstances of the sleeping? I am sleeping in a very nice apartment, he's sleeping on the floor. Does it mean this is advancement of civilization? Sleeping is sleeping. Eating is eating. Sex life—the male dog is enjoying with female dog. The sex pleasure is to him, and we are enjoying with a beautiful lover. The sex pleasure is the same. Therefore, you take some eatable, either on gold fork or an iron fork, the taste is the same. Simply like putting the foodstuff in the golden fork, does it mean the taste has changed? So, the test of eating, sleeping, mating and defending is the same for the human being as well as the animals. What difference, what is the difference between the animals and humans? The animal cannot know God. That is not possible. The human being can know. That is the opportunity of this human life. If we are missing that opportunity, then we are leading an animal civilization. This is not civilization. Animal life is not civilization. Civilized means not animal life. Something more than that. That is God consciousness.

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

Rāmeśvara: His name is Jay Warner.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I.... Ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ:"Anything which is accepted by leading men, that is accepted by others." So you are one of the leading men in the society, lawyer. If you understand our philosophy, then many others will follow. So kindly try to understand our philosophy thoroughly, and then others will follow: "He's big lawyer. He's a Kṛṣṇa conscious man." If you have any doubt, you can ask. We will try to explain. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Find out this verse. (break) It must be distinct from other paintings.

Kīrtanānanda: Who did that painting?

Prabhupāda: I think that was done.... Everyone has done one picture.

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

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.

Richard: It's not working, okay. It's not working. She's getting no sensory input. She's not aware of the physical surroundings, and yet you maintain that her soul is still alive and still very active. Now would her state, her physical state, enhance the soul's activity or detract from...?

Prabhupāda: It has nothing to do with it.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: The lords are roaming on the street. I have seen many lords. They're ordinary.... Even they haven't got car. The Queen also, just like ordinary, common man. Royal family.

Rāmeśvara: One day America will be poor like that also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Luxury leads to poverty. When the American becomes too much luxurious, they'll not be able to defend their country. Then it will be finished.

Rāmeśvara: That is the fear even now, that America has lost their fighting spirit against the Communists.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. Yes. Vietnam. It is proof. When the Vietnam is attacked, American soldiers, they began to fly, flee away, became afraid. Naturally. They were not soldiers. They have no fighting spirit. By force they have been made soldiers. Let them take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. America will be saved. (japa)

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said yesterday, or a few days ago, that this movement will go on unimpeded for ten thousand years, so...

Prabhupāda: Yes, provided we keep it uncontaminated. You should take this opportunity.

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

Stansky: As a matter of fact, even among the educated classes in the United States, there is no culture. There are no cultural roots.

Prabhupāda: No, no culture. There is no culture. There is no standard social life. Simply hodgepodge. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only hope to bring everything in proper order. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. So America is the leading nation of the world. If you work on the principle of Bhagavad-gītā and train up your people, it will be ideal state and example for the whole world. At least a certain section of the American population should be ideal. That will also do. Not that..., we cannot expect cent percent will take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not needed. But if there is one section of the people ideal, that will be followed. We want to create that section, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

George Gullen: .... in public schools because we do not know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now whether still we shall remain in ignorance or we shall learn this science and teach, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sectarian religious movement. No, it is not that. This is science, scientific. So leading personalities like you, teachers, professors and other leading men, they should try to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is and join. It is for the human society, it is not for a certain section.

George Gullen: I would like very much to know more about these matters myself, personally.

Prabhupāda: So kindly do that. You are little interested. So we are receiving orders from all universities, colleges, of our books. You have seen our books? These are our books.

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Gentlemen class. Without first-class man, what is the use of second-class, third-class men. They will ever remain in the darkness.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Christians have a tendency to disbelieve that man can lead man back to God. They think that Christ, or God comes, and then, like this. It doesn't matter what quality of men they are.

Prabhupāda: God comes, when God says, "Come to the kingdom of God," that is God comes (indistinct).

Hariśauri: No, he's saying that God can take you there, but then after God's...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The Christians themselves, throughout the centuries, they have no faith that someone can be so much exalted that they can lead human society. In other words, the Christians have no faith that actually someone can become God conscious.

Devotee: They say Christ is God.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: These are specially made?

Kulādri: Yes, special for you, in New York City, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Kīrtanānanda: And this is the kind of doors and the stained glass work is being done like this. The marble is being worked like this.

Prabhupāda: This is lead?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Like in the church. Who has done this painting?

Kīrtanānanda: That is, I think, from India.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Kīrtanānanda: These pictures are rose quartz. This is rose quartz and twenty-four-carat gold.

Prabhupāda: Gold? (laughter)

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

Prabhupāda: "Oh, yes. The kṣatriyas ruled the government in Vedic times. When there was a war, the king was the first to fight. Just like your George Washington. He fought when there was a war. But what kind of president is ruling now? When there is a war he sits very securely and telephones orders. He's not fit to be president. When there is war the president should be the first to come forward and lead the battle."

Reporter: "But if man is small and imperfect, how can he execute God's perfect orders for a perfect government?"

Prabhupāda: "Although you may be imperfect, because you are carrying out my order, you become perfect. You have accepted me as your leader, and I accept God as my leader. In this way society can be governed perfectly."

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So the sanctity is in the sound vibration and not so much that it's in the Sanskrit letters itself. May I ask another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? "Are fasting and other dietary regulations necessary for leading a spiritual life?"

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena damena va

tyāgena sattva-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

To advance in spiritual life these things are essential, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something which may be painful. Just like we are recommending no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating. So those who are accustomed to these bad habits, for them, in he beginning it may be a little difficult. But in spite of becoming difficult, one has to do it. That is called tapasya. To rise early in the morning, those who are not practiced, it is a little painful, but one has to do it. So this is called tapasya.

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

Prabhupāda: He was very nice boy.

Rādhāvallabha: Leads nice kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Māyā is so strong. Lord Śiva is not excused, what to speak of others.

Rādhāvallabha: I have three sketches from the artists. Would you like to see them? This is for Eighth Canto, Volume One.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the only life, to think of publication and distribution.

Rādhāvallabha: This keeps me alive. If I didn't have this service, I think I would just die.

Prabhupāda: Even in this weak... I am very weak nowadays. Still, I am working.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: The thing is that these persons, they are holding the... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). A blind man, he has no eyes, and still, he's leader of other blind men. Is it possible? A blind man, he is blind man, he has no knowledge, and still, he's leading other blind men. This is a very dangerous position. He has no actual knowledge, simply speculating, putting theories and formulas, and they are leaders of the society.

Rūpānuga: We have to stop this.

Prabhupāda: Yes, otherwise people are misled. It is not the duty of education to mislead people. Real knowledge should be given. To become a great misleader and take some title, that is not good.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The other morning Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning about the Institute, the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So is there anything else that your Divine Grace wants to?

Prabhupāda: Institute, you have got sufficient subject matter as I was describing, this original source of life and the planetary system, as you are going to make planetarium. Who can say about so many planets in the sky? Who has got sufficient knowledge? They cannot even give... They think that moon is the nearest planet, but we do not think like that. But still they are unable to give sufficient knowledge about the moon. It is not vacant, it cannot be vacant. We do not find any part of the world vacant. There is living entities.

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

Prabhupāda: We had some talk with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. Recently our representative went to Moscow for selling our book. They have highly appreciated our books. They have given in writing appreciation.

Mr. Boyd: Your Grace, in regards to the organization of the movement, as such, I somehow am led to believe that there's no coordination between, should I say, your office, in regards to the karmī world, and the different temples. Are each..., does each temple operate by itself, or each division operate by itself?

Prabhupāda: No, (indistinct). There is separate arrangement for management, but the idea and philosophy is the same. Ultimately, I am managing. I have my twenty secretaries, they are called GBC, they are assisting me to manage. Every GBC has got a certain number of temples to supervise, and ultimately, I supervise everything. Therefore I come occasionally, stay for few days to see how things are going on. I have got hundred temples, big, big temples, very nice. They have organized palatial buildings, but I cannot stay anywhere. (laughter)

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. They want to prove "There is no God. Everything is science." However rascaldom it may be, "It is everything." But we are preaching about God. How we can tolerate? We must expose them. That is our business.

Mr. Boyd: There's a saying that's printed on a piece of stationery I get from one of my supply houses of a particular piece of equipment this man designs and sells. And on the bottom he indicates, "Somebody has to lead."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is a commonsense philosophy, that the earth is there, everything is coming out of earth. As mother is giving birth to so many children, similarly the earth is giving birth to so many children. So the children are there, the mother is there, and where is the father? But these rascals, they say "Without father." Is it possible for the mother to give children without father?

Mr. Boyd: Not legally. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Legally or illegally, there must be some father.

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

Prabhupāda: He's an able worker.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he goes out and leads the hari-nāma party on the street. He's very enthusiastic to make this restaurant very successful.

Prabhupāda: But keep watch on him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For the women.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He gets deluded. Well, you know what we've done with all of these people, Prabhupāda, we've...

Prabhupāda: If they are disturbed, let them marry.

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

Prabhupāda: On Ninth Avenue there are many grocery shops. Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Rādhāvallabha: Don't you want a lead car?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is the lead car?

Ādi-keśava: They don't know the way; I do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Go straight on, I want to show Prabhupāda the garage. I'll show you where we have our garage. This whole area, all this brown area, all the way where the yellow stripe is. Big, big. It's huge.

Prabhupāda: Down.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Down, the whole downstairs. Ten thousand square foot.

Rāmeśvara: That's the same..., ten thousand square feet is the same size as the book warehouse in Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Oh. The height is less.

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

Prabhupāda: With the eyes closed, then not seeing is there already. (laughter) What is the use of meditating?

Hari-śauri: You aren't going to see very much with two ping-pong balls over your eyes, are you? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The white hemispheres covering her eyes are halves of ping-pong balls. The wires lead off to an electroencephalograph." E.E.G. It keeps a record of changes in her brainwave output. "At that point when she is not seeing, which subjects in this kind of experiment call 'blanking out,' the electroencephalograph will record a brainwave output well into the alpha range." They also tell you how to make the Gansfield, how to cut the... It shows a ping pong ball and a knife. (laughter) This guy is weird.

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

Prabhupāda: That gradual, that will never come, and that is their another foolishness.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes they are seeing, though, that by their endeavors they are successful. Just like they may try to cure some disease, and then sometimes they are seeing that they are baffled. This leads them to think they are independent. This is leading them to think that they are independent, that sometimes they are successful.

Prabhupāda: No, they try their best, but still they are baffled. That means they admit there is some controller.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: That is intelligent.

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

Interviewer: Well is that what makes the people make this distinction between the life you are leading and the life of the world?

Prabhupāda: Yes, because we are working in different platform.

Interviewer: Uh huh.

Prabhupāda: We are working on the live platform and general people, they are working on the dead platform.

Interviewer: So in a sense the movement involves a rejection of the general world activities and...

Prabhupāda: Not rejection.

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

Prabhupāda: Everyone should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Not only the... President or not President, everyone, that is the objective of human life. He must know himself what he is.

Interviewer: Now, that leads up to another question I wanted to ask you, do you think that the, one of the attractions of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rather exotic, Hindu, unusual customs in the West. I mean these customs are unusual in the West and they have a sort of exotic appeal, a fascination for young people.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that ignorance is there both in Western and Eastern. It is the ignorance of the human society.

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

Prabhupāda: And all world scholars, professors, universities, they are receiving so nicely.

Bali-mardana: We have standing orders for all of Prabhupāda's books that he has now and in the future, all over the world in all the leading universities and the professors are using them as texts. We have hundreds of letters.

Prabhupāda: You can see some of the lists.

Interviewer: What I've heard, what I've heard some Hindu professors say is that Hinduism is such a complex and profound religion and that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness members are very superficial about it. They simply go through these disciplines and really don't involve themselves in the... They take a superficial version of Hinduism.

Prabhupāda: That may be Hindu religion. But we do not belong to any religion. That may be true for the Hindu religion what the professor has said, but we do not identify with any religion. We are different from any religious system.

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is this the small one or the medium size?

Ādi-keśava: This is the big one. (devotees shouting "Prabhupāda! Balarāma!")

Rāmeśvara: By chanting your name they are getting so much strength.

Satsvarūpa: They are chanting "Prabhupāda, Balarāma."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the best combination. There's Jayānanda leading the way.

Prabhupāda: Ah, the wheels are very nice.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha:

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

"When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think that it is not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification, by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another." Purport? "Begging, borrowing and stealing to live for sense gratification is condemned in this verse because such consciousness leads one to a dark, hellish condition. The four sinful activities are illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. These are the means by which one gets another material body that is full of miseries."

Prabhupāda: They do not know. When you can say, they'll think, "What these people are talking?" They are so dull-brained. They cannot understand anything. We are taking it, immediately accepted. It is so serious. And you, on the general public, if you speak? "All nonsense they are speaking." Dull brain. By eating meat and intoxication they have lost their all human brain tissues. Such a condition. Still, some professors receiving and doing some applause. That is. Otherwise who is understanding? The brain is so dull in the modern world.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: That is not possible, but if some of the leading men, they take it seriously, then others will follow. Just like in our book, your signature is there, "Oh, George Harrison. Yes." They take it without any consideration. Kṛṣṇa book. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tad tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If the leading man does something, then his followers also do. This is the way. So if some of the leading men of the world, they take this movement seriously, then people will be happy. There's no doubt about it. You have come alone, without any associate?

George Harrison: Just on my own.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, but now I am getting old. So it is little difficult for me. Still I have to do and come and see.

Mike Robinson: And that is your mission in life, is it, to...

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have established it, I want to see that it is not spoiled.

Mike Robinson: I see. Can you tell me how you feel led, you know, how you are guided to do what you do?

Prabhupāda: Well, there are the books, just like I also told you, the literature.

Mike Robinson: So it's from your scriptures that you've learned that you've got to do this.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got so many literatures. We are explaining in English. Guide is.... It is not manufactured. The guide is from the beginning. Simply one has to take that guidance, then everything's all right. And if we manufacture guidance, then it is spoiled. Just like in the literature of this microphone you say that this should be like this, this should be like this, number two should be by the side of number four. You cannot make any change. Then it is spoiled.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: Of the cows?

Prabhupāda: No, of our farms, farmland. Leading very simple life, in your country, in, I mean to say, America, Europe. Very simple life. Food grains and milk. You can prepare hundreds of nice preparations, full of vitamins, nutritious. And they do not know how to live civilized life.

Jayatīrtha: Here are some nice pictures here. Some of our cows, you see this small one. And here's one of our farms in West Virginia in America. There's over a hundred and fifty cows in this farm.

Mike Robinson: Do you find the English weather cold?

Prabhupāda: Because I am old man, I'm not a young blood like you.

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

Prabhupāda: Don't say "no." But give a taste for the good, then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no" then he'll, they will rebel. The four "no's," that is very difficult. Still they are breaking. No illicit sex, they are breaking. But if they develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this will be automatically "no." So don't bring many "no's," but give them positive life. Then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no," that will be a struggle. This is the psychology. Positive engagement is devotional service. So if they are attracted by devotional service, other things will be automatically "no." Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Just like Ekādaśī day. Ekādaśī day, we observe fasting. And there are many patients in the hospital, they are also fasting. But they'll "No, no." They'll, within heart, "If I get, I shall eat, I shall eat." But those who are devotee, they voluntarily "no." The same fasting is going on for the devotees and the hospital patient. And that "no" and this "no," there is difference. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). It is not meant for the mass of people, but at least if we keep a section of people ideal to the human society, they will be guided. At the present moment, there is no ideal section. Everyone is rascal, demons, rogues, everything. There is no ideal character. All politicians, scientists, leaders, they are all drunkards and woman-hunters. So what they can lead? There is no ideal man in the society. The politicians are giving big, big speech in the United Nations.

Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Hari-śauri: It's very good. There's just a real short one about the university in Kurukṣetra. It says, "Vedic Varsity for Kurukṣetra Soon." "The first Vedic university will come up soon at Kurukṣetra and will be affiliated to V.M. Cakravarty University. The proposed university is being set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, and will cost rupees two crore. Most of the funds will be provided by Mr. Alfred Ford, the nephew of the auto magnate Henry Ford. Mr. Ford, on becoming a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, founder of ISKCON, changed his name to Ambarīṣa dāsa. The Vedic university will offer courses leading to bhakti-śāstrī and sarvabhauma."

Prabhupāda: (break) ...new devotees joining?

Bhagavān: Yes. The last month we have about five new devotees.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhagavān: Including children, there are about hundred ninety altogether.

Prabhupāda: Hundred-ninety, two hundred.

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: There is some strength in the body, and as soon as he gets a little taste of sex life, "Oh, spend it, spend it," whole energy spent. The brain becomes vacant. This is recklessness. Beginning from twelfth year, by the thirty year, everything finished. Then he's impotent. In our childhood—in our childhood means, say, eighty years ago, or say, a hundred years ago—there was no motorcar. And now, wherever you go, in any country, you see thousands and millions of car. This is recklessness. Hundreds years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they're increasing bodily or material necessities of life. This is recklessness. And the leaders will say, "Stop this nonsense, come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," nobody will care. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is called blind leader leading blind followers. They do not know that both of them are bound up by the strict, stringent laws of nature. (break) ...how the laws of nature is working. They are completely in ignorance. They do not know. This is modern civilization.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Then there is no more God. God cannot be servant of anyone. God is master. As soon as He becomes servant, He's no more God. Then you are God. Then you do not know what is the meaning of God. Therefore you are rascal. You do not know the meaning of God and you are trying to explain God. Therefore you are a rascal. The difficulty is at the present moment, rascals are leading the human society. No sane man, only rascals. Their philosophy, their science, their politics, their sociology, because they are guided by the rascals, everything is bad.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So what is the position then? They are in ignorance, and they are leading the society as scientist, philosopher, politician. That is misleading. They cannot go even freely in the so-called moon planet excursion or Mars. Still, they are declaring independence. What is their independence?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Rascal.

Nandarāṇī: If someone accepts his dependence on God, then what is the second step? In preaching, so someone has accepted, "Yes, we are dependent on God," but actually they have no knowledge who God is.

Prabhupāda: Give them knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā. If you accept dependence on God, then you take instruction from God, how you'll be happy. Just like a child. The child knows he's fully dependent on parents. So he's fully obeying the orders of the parents, then he's happy, naturally. The father, mother, knows how to take care of the child and they're happy. And by nature they're dependent on father and mother. So they are happy. Mother says, "My dear child, sit down." He will sit down. By nature.

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Guest: They are already traced out. So we come here.

Prabhupāda: No, you come and preach. The country is going to hell, the human society is going to hell for misguidance. These rascal leaders, they're going to hell themselves and they're leading others. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These fools and rascals are leading, they are going to hell, and they are taking the followers to the hell. This is going on. Stop this. At least in India. Save. That is real para-upakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Para-upakāra. Our India is not meant for exploiting others. Doing good to others, that is India's mission. Our teachers, our ācāryas, do not teach us "Go and exploit others and bring money"—British Empire. This is not India.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Thunderbolt.

Jayapatākā: Thunderbolt. And the policemen said that never—even the chief minister came here once—not even half so many people came, and that was announced for one week. This was announced for one day and more people came than ever before. He said, "This really shows me that the people are hungry for spiritual answer. They have no one to lead them."

Gargamuni: And these leaders are simply envious, that's all. The only reason why they're not helping us is because they're envious. Because so many people are interested and no one is interested in them.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, our Gītār Gān is selling.

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) We can cooperate.

Minister: Unless you are so single-minded it can't be. Therefore you say there is no compromise. Otherwise if there are compromises, there will be adjustments, it will lead to dilution. We understand.

Prabhupāda: Compromise (Hindi). These boys when they come for initiation, no compromise. You have to do this. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication. Even up to smoking cigarettes or drinking tea. No gambling. If you accept, then you become my disciple. They accept. No compromise.

Minister: (indistinct) ...because you are establishing a center here. That will be very good.

Prabhupāda: We are meant for this purpose, coordination, but if you take our... You have taken prasāda?

Minister: Yes, we did. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...and he is such a big man that he goes above the ācāryas. Ati-buddhi. Ati-buddhi galaya dekhe. (?) If one is overintelligent, hang him. That is a Bengali saying. Ati-buddhi galaya dekhe (?). If one is unnecessarily overintelligent, just hang him with a rope in the neck. He is ati-buddhi. Anyway, he was intelligent to purchase.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, even Russia, which is Communist, has admired Prabhupāda's books. I have written reviews. I was in Russia two months ago. They're praising Prabhupāda's books very much. The leading professors there.

Krishna Modi: Also, this is a part of nowadays. Advertise and all these things, to know each and every thing. This is correct that why you are worrying about all these things. People should know it about you. Why not hear it? This is perfectly right, I agree with you. But in the interest of other people who have faith in their religion...

Prabhupāda: No, our mission is that this Kṛṣṇa cult should be preached all over the world. That is the... Bhagavad-gītā, (indistinct) Find out this verse, ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (Bg 18.68). Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69).

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

Prabhupāda: Whole government is supporting.

Krishna Modi: Supporting. His meaning is this, that this Congress government is also doing all these mischiefs, so that they will... (laughs)... That his main idea, and nothing else.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are also victimized by this Kṛṣṇa cult.

Krishna Modi: One thing, then, you will give us all these recorded informations and all these...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Reviews. And also we give you letters of leading ācāryas of India who are...

Krishna Modi: No harm. And second thing, after three months or at the time of session, you must call the MPs for a time only for taking prasāda. And they'll come.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, in some respects I found them even lower than India. You'll be amazed... I visited all the leading libraries of Russia and Leningrad. Moscow University Library, all the big libraries. These libraries don't have any foreign exchange for ordering these books. They all want to order... They were begging me for free books. They said, "Why don't you give us a donation or exchange." They have a book exchange that if they give their books then we give our books. Each library gets such little foreign exchange allowance to buy books from abroad.

Prabhupāda: A taxi driver, he was asking some bhakshish.

Krishna Modi: In Russia.

Prabhupāda: And I was talking with Professor Katovsky. I asked him please call for a taxi. So he said, "Swamiji, it is Moscow." That means taxis are not available. Then he came down with me and from the gate he showed me, "You take this shortcut when you go to your hotel." He could not call a taxi. Taxis are not available. He said, "Oh, it is Moscow."

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Calcutta University purchased.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I said four hundred universities. I didn't... "Even Russian scholars have praised Bhaktivedanta Swami's books and placed orders. For your information, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the leading seller of books of Vedic culture outside India."

Prabhupāda: Topmost publisher of religious and philosophical... In the world. That is admitted.

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

Doctor: One day after barking they will come to a conclusion.

Prabhupāda: No that is... Let it be known, fact, that that will never come. If you do not know what is the aim. That is stated, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. This is, means, a bad hope, that by this external exhibition of manipulation of energy, they will come to peace. It is not possible. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ adānta-gobhir... (SB 7.5.31). Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. This kind of leading is made by the blind leaders. If the leaders are blind and the followers are blind, what result will be there?

Doctor: That is true, sir, but that stage has not come. One day it will come. But till that stage and that realization of...

Prabhupāda: No, stage is there. But if the obstinate persons, they do not take it... Here it is clearly said... Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of all the lands, all the planets." So how can you say no? There must be someone proprietor.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: Seriously means that a spiritual movement is India's movement. So if some of our leading men take seriously, then whatever I am doing single-handed... I don't get any support either from the Indian public or from the government. But if they take it seriously, then we can present in more organized way and it will be more successful. So far it is done single-handed.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: We have our centers, we have got big centers in Bombay, in Navadvīpa, in Vṛndāvana. We have got very comfortable guest house. So you can come and live with us and see practically.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: If you all don't mind, just for five minutes, we would like to read the selected extracts from some leading scholars about this movement. We're not reading the views of Western scholars. These books are being used in five thousand universities, including Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, but some of the leading Indian scholars. So you also get an understanding of the Indian appreciation of Prabhupāda's activities. This for example, is a letter from Mr. Ghosh, District and Summon Judge in West Bengal: "I'm highly impressed at the sincerity and devotion of the disciples of the International Society of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. A visit to the Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir, West Bengal, sublimes the mind from all harsh talk and disturbing influences." Then...

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop now. Don't divert attention.

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

Prabhupāda: Hm, Dr. Saligram taken a leading part?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Who?

Hari-śauri: Dr. Saligram Sukla.

Prabhupāda: Saligram Sukla.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In America? Yes.

Prabhupāda: He is a learned scholar and he is influential man in educational circles. There are many Indians you'll find, they are...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can mobilise all the Indians, that's the best process.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Indian opinion. I have already given suggestion. The Indians should come forward. And from here also, similar if the member... Respectable Indian businessmen they should say that this Kṛṣṇa cult is very, very old, genuine and we are so enlightened that Swami Bhaktivedanta has taken this movement to the foreign countries. We are so proud, like that.

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

Prabhupāda: Chanting in the street. (Hindi) What do you want to do? Propose. Hold a meeting of all the gosvāmīs. You take the leading part. Go to Viśvanātha Gosvāmī, if you like he can go with you to see others, "This is the position, you come and join." What do they say?

Guest: (indistinct) contacted them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Immediately.

Guest: How long you are staying here?

Prabhupāda: I will stay if you hold immediately meeting in this temple. We have got enough space here. First of all you see some leading gosvāmī, and then you chalk out how to fight. All the (indistinct). Now it is question of Kṛṣṇa cult, it is not only Gauḍīya. So take gosvāmīs, some of you and meet all the leaders and hold a meeting, immediately... And explain the whole situation. Let us combine and those who are educated, they should go. We shall arrange for their all expenditure. It doesn't matter. Fight. This is a genuine cult. If you discriminate, that is discrimination against religion, cult. We are accepting everyone but it is a genuine cult. You also Christian, you accept anyone, why you say it is not genuine? That we have to prove. There the Hindus and Indians who are there, they will also join. So immediately hold a meeting. It is very serious situation. (Hindi) This is genuine movement. Why the American government should be discriminating against a genuine religious sect, Kṛṣṇa? Make this company. Prasāda, give him prasāda. Very serious (Hindi) Are you...? Go with him.

Evening Darsana -- December 3, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest: These are... all paths lead to the Supreme.

Prabhupāda: How? Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). How, you nonsense, straightly say that everyone goes to God? This is nonsense. You can go to Śiva, you can go to Indra, you can go... There are so many planets and you'll go there. And that is reasonable. And how do you say that "Whatever ticket I purchase, I go to this, Delhi?"

Vāsughoṣa: They say that all, they're all the same.

Prabhupāda: "They say." Therefore they are nonsense, mūḍha, rascals. They do not know what is God, what is demigod, what is Lord Śiva, what is Lord Viṣṇu or Brahmā. They do not know. If a woman says, "Oh, everyone is my husband," then she is a prostitute. That's all. A chaste woman will say, "No, there is one, my husband. That's all." That is chaste woman. And if she is liberal, if she says, "No, no, everyone is my husband," that means she is prostitute.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So in this way the world is going on. "One man's food is another man's poison." So similarly, we are creating our next birth according to our desire. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). According to the infection of the different modes of material nature, we are creating good or bad body next life. The laws of nature is unknown to the foolish society. They are thinking, "This life is everything. Misled, they do not know the aim of life. That is going on. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). One blind leader is leading other blind men. This is going on. And when we present the real solution, they say it is brainwash. Now against our movement there is propaganda in USA, charging that "He has brainwashed them." (aside:) You can come here. (Hindi) "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." This is our position. When we speak all these things, they say it is brainwashing movement. Actually it is brainwashing movement because we are dissipating all kinds of misunderstanding, values of life. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It is not brainwashing; it is heart-washing. Our heart is stacked with so many dirty things, so we are trying to wash it. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And that is our movement. We are trying to cleanse the heart so that he can understand himself. One can understand his real position and then do the needful and life becomes successful.

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, there is local bus. For one, two men van running is not good.

Mahāṁśa: So one bus party goes immediately to Kakinagar with maybe Ātmavidyā or whoever...

Haṁsadūta: Ātmavidyā.

Mahāṁśa: Ātmavidyā can lead that party. And one party goes to Nagpur as soon as that is fixed. And to fix that program, Vāsughoṣa and Vāsanta Kṛṣṇa can go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁśa: Then Hyderabad temple, devotees should return to their services in Hyderabad, and Godruma should return to Deity worship. A crew of eight devotees will stay here to do the program over here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And Haṁsadūta will stay here.

Mahāṁśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And you begin your digging.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is very nice, very strong and very comfortable and simple. So the villagers have come?

Mahāṁśa: Yes, it sounds like it. Tejas: Their children. By themselves they were doing this kīrtana. Jagadīśa: Is somebody leading kīrtana now? Tejas: The children. Jagadīśa: We should go. Mahāṁśa: Let's go. Prabhupāda: Sit down daily and make next program. Then it will be success. Mahāṁśa: Jaya Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda: Jaya. (end)

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. If you have to go to the Himalaya, you must go to the path which leads to Himalaya. You cannot accept a path which leads to Delhi. There is no different answer, the answer is one. Just like Himalaya is in the northern side. The answer would be, "The Himalaya is on the northern side." Nobody will say, "No, Himalaya may be in the eastern side or the western side or southern side." That is not the answer.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Mr. Malhotra: This road straight leads to Bangalore, Madras. This road goes to south, entire south. You can go by this road only to Kanyākumārī.

Prabhupāda: Oh!

Mr. Malhotra: Yes, Cape Comorin, right up to Calicut.

Prabhupāda: And all the tīrthas are on the four sides. Very good road?

Mr. Malhotra: Last year in the month of December I went to Rāmeśvaram.

Prabhupāda: On this road?

Mr. Malhotra: On this road.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Because they have got bad leaders, the rascal leaders. Just like see. Mahatma Gandhi, he misled. But he did not know how to lead. And what to speak of others. They do not know. I saw this Vinoba Bhave, he does not know anything. He has become leader. I saw in his āśrama about one dozen women, they are reciting Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. And for the last forty years he's working on Bhagavad-gītā, and the result is some forty women is reciting Bhagavad-gītā. So this is the result. So what they will do? They do not know how to lead. And he has written one book on Bhagavad-gītā, but he has become a great leader. And that is also not according to Bhagavad-gītā. This is going on. This is going on.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tombe (M.L.A.) -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Mr. Tombe: Then how to throw out good leadership?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Good leadership means you must learn how to lead people. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If the śreṣṭha, the leader is ideal, then others will follow. But if the leader is not ideal, if he is not in the awareness of things, then people will be misguided.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tombe (M.L.A.) -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Mr. Tombe: So how can we chalk out a program of, say, training of leaders from the villages...

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have to take lessons from the biggest leader, Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). He's the leader of the demigods also. We have to take lesson from... That lesson is there, Bhagavad-gītā. But we do not take it. We manufacture our leadership. That is the defect. What Kṛṣṇa said... Everyone is proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā, but the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is how to kill Kṛṣṇa, that's all. That is their... All these. What can I say? These misleaders, they are doing that. Leadership is already there. Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna is learning from Kṛṣṇa. So if you learn from Kṛṣṇa you become perfect leader. But we do not take Kṛṣṇa's instruction. We manufacture our own ideas. That is failure. Otherwise in our country so many learned sages, especially Kṛṣṇa is there, and their books are there, their instructions are there. We do not take them. Still we become leader. So what kind of leading? He's imperfect. So he cannot lead. Then there will be some mistake and chaos. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said... He said bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). You understand little Bengali?

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

So Indians, they can make their life perfect by following this Vedic literature, and they can lead the whole world. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. First of all you become perfect by taking lessons from the Vedic literature. And then you do good to others. But without making yourself perfect, if you try to do good to others, that is chaos. Then again comes, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Some blind men following another blind man. What will be the result? The present Indians, we have lost our own culture. We have rejected our own culture. Still we are leading people. There is chaotic condition. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to correct this mistake. So leaders like you should cooperate.

Room Conversation -- December 28, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If woman walks on the street then she is not respectable. Now women are going to offices.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now they are doing everything. Even leading nations.

Prabhupāda: Nation is also doing that.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In President Carter's new cabinet he included a woman as a secretary now. As a minister, for the first time I think.

Hari-śauri: In England also they have a woman Prime Minister for the first time.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: She's a leader of the opposition.

Hari-śauri: No, she was the Prime Minister as well. She's the opposition now.

Prabhupāda: Woman is acting as police in England.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

CID Chief: ...that advancement has led them to some sort of monotony, which they want to avoid, and they want to...

Prabhupāda: No, first of all, we must know the destiny of life, what is the destiny of life. Then whether we are advancing or degrading, then it will be decided. But they do not know what is destiny of life. They are so fools, they are thinking that this life, say, for hundred years, and after hundred years everything finished. The Russian big, big professor, they think like that. I went to Moscow, and I talked with Indologist. They say "Swamiji, after this body is finished, everything is finished."

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So, our point is that if he was not on the platform of mokṣa, liberation, why did he waste his time by spoiling himself and for spoiling others? Now he has come to his senses, it is good, but it is to be understood that he simply spoiled his time and spoiled others' career by misleading them. Thus, without being liberated, nobody can guide anyone. That is useless. That is andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). If you have no eyes, then how can you lead others? If you are blind and they are blind, then what is the use of becoming their leaders? Actually all the so-called leaders and scholars, they are blind themselves and they have become big, big leader. That is the misfortune of the present life. And, therefore, our proposition is you take direction from Kṛṣṇa and His representative. That's all.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So we are trying to enlighten them with our teeny effort. Although it is single-handed, still it is genuine. If you kindly try to understand the whole philosophy—the first thing is, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā, the whole world is now being conducted by blind leaders. And they're keeping people in darkness because they are themselves in darkness. They do not know what is light. So they do not know what is the object of life, what is the destination of life. Simply in blind faith they have created so many isms. It is simply misleading. It is little difficult to understand that we are simply leading others... That's a fact, that's a fact. If you impersonally try to understand this philosophy that every man is kept in the darkness of a different stamp, different ism. That is the first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir, after death you have to change your body. Then where is your ism? Whole ism changed. That they do not understand. They're so much in darkness, mūḍha. "Today I am very great national leader, my country, my..." So on, so on. And tomorrow by the laws of nature if I become a dog in Europe, then where is my nationalism? And it is possible. What is called? Because you are under nature's law, you are not independent.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I've touched the slaughterhouse, brothel...

Hari-śauri: I just finished reading that Perfection of Yoga. It's an amazing book. Each chapter gradually leads more and more to the ultimate goal.

Prabhupāda: They were my beginning speeches in your country, in America. I was daily speaking in... So Hayagrīva has edited. Hm. What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "The basic principle of economic development is centered on land and cows."

Prabhupāda: That idea I'm still maintaining. Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And that is also different standard. People are not satisfied with simple living.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So they want...

Prabhupāda: Therefore there is certain age, that "At this age no more such ambition, material. Lead simple life and advance." That is after fiftieth year. This is our Vedic system. In the beginning it is not possible, but by practicing... So if one lives for hundred years, fifty years' extravagancy, "Now stop. Now be regulated and try to be mukta." This is the system. But they don't want even up to the point of death, even men like Gandhi and others. They do not want. This morning Indira Gandhi said that "I am for the mass of people." And Vivekananda, "My country." The same feeling as a person, individual person thinking of his family, these people are thinking of his country, a big family, not for the whole living entities, jīva. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody is interested in the śāstric injunction. They've lost them all... Temporary... This is an institution to elevate people gradually. (break) If we follow our own... (microphone moving)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It is not very difficult. I don't find it very...

Prabhupāda: Not at all.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: How nice he has...

Rāmeśvara: His name is Dr. Harvey Cox. He is widely known all over the world as a leading Christian theologian. He has written many books. And he said that Christianity today is synonymous with profit, material gain, accumulation, performance, material success. So it has lost or it has forgotten its original message. And it takes something as exotic as the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement from India to remind a Christian that there's another way of life, based on simplicity and truth and spirituality.

Prabhupāda: He's right. And he's a very important man.

Rāmeśvara: He has joined this society to defend us. He's now traveling different places in the United States to speak on our behalf.

Prabhupāda: He's serious gentleman. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa will help us.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Very prestigious papers like Time, Reader's Digest. Reader's Digest is the highest circulation.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Sunday New York Times has a big section just on books, and that's the most respected in the world, their books section and their book reviews. That is very prestigious. All the leading people read it.

Prabhupāda: But wherever you advertise, it must be prominent. It must immediately come to the notice. You can spend little more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, this advertising will also increase our college orders, because even college professors and librarians read papers. So when our salesmen go there, they'll say, "Oh, I saw your advertisement in the papers."

Prabhupāda: On nice pages(?) you just give your... Another proposal was that, some New York or somewhere somebody is proposing to sell individually. Who was that?

Jagadīśa: Encyclopedia?

Prabhupāda: Like that.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can give the name of few leading bookstores in each city.

Prabhupāda: Not through bookstore. Only our...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and you can give that Calcutta agent, Vrnda Book... That's all.

Rāmeśvara: And for the books you have in Hindi you should write "available in Hindi."

Prabhupāda: No, Hindi we shall advertise differently.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In Hindi papers.

Hari-śauri: Advertise in Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Hindi, yes. And this is English. In this way I have given the idea. We'll make the space contract and ask them the concession, because it is charitable...

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

Prabhupāda: "This spiritual spark cannot be cut into pieces." Acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam: "It cannot be burned into the fire." So... (aside:) Come on. But these rascals, they are seeing that "The body is burnt into ashes, so everything is finished." And Kṛṣṇa says, adāhyo 'yam: "It cannot be burned." So it remains. And that transmigrates. And that small particle you have no eyes to see. You say, therefore, "Why shall I believe transmigration?" How nature's law is working so subtle way? Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). But the ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. I say, rascal, not manufactured by me. Ahaṅkāra vimūḍha. Vimūḍha means a great rascal. Mūḍha means rascal, ass, and vi, viśeṣa, particularly, first-class ass, vimūḍha. Under false pride, he is thinking, "I am everything." Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti... (BG 3.27). "I can do anything by science, by this technology." That's... Vimūḍhātmā, great rascals. And these great rascals, they are leading the world. Therefore people are in darkness. They have become leaders, the so-called scientists and educationists and political leaders. All set of rascals, and they have become leaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are blind, and they are leading other blind men, so people are kept in darkness, and the opportunity of this human life is lost. By nature's way, by evolutionary process, we get this human form of life. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Manuṣya, arthadam.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No. She liked at our...

Gargamuni: She knows we're leading a good life.

Rāmeśvara: We have one mother in Los Angeles of a girl named Līlā-śakti. She's a big book distributor. And her mother, she loves this movement so much that when the deprogrammers start debating us, she stands up and yells at them that "My daughter was on drugs, hippie, before she came to this movement. This movement has saved her. If I had known about this movement when I was a young girl, I would have joined this movement!" On television she's speaking like that, very strongly. "You have no right to criticize! You don't know anything about this movement." She says, "You just come over to my house for lunch and I'll tell you all about this movement, how nice it is." She started this club, "Parents for Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Oh, she is very sincere. And her daughter, this Līlā...? What is?

Rāmeśvara: Līlā-śakti.

Prabhupāda: She's wonderful girl. She's expert in everything. Hayagrīva's mother, father?

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that is our mission. We want to save.

Rāmeśvara: Here. "The set edition of the Bhāgavata series we hope will serve as a boon to the English-knowing world for its abiding values and ennobling thoughts of spiritual perspective to give the correct lead to mankind in the midst of sickening contemporary problems."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our mission. Who has written that?

Gargamuni: That's Dr. Krishna Gopal Gosvāmī.

Rāmeśvara: Head of the Department of Sanskrit at Calcutta University.

Prabhupāda: He has got good experience because university students they have become so rascal. In the university they don't care for professors, teachers. Don't care.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. Then the professor and the head of the Department of Bengali and the dean of the faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Calcutta says, "The world, tormented by psychic troubles like avarice, hate, and other baser qualities of the mind, will never escape from utter annihilation of the soul unless it finds refuge in His Divine Grace. I have particularly read some portions of this English translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and I think this book is capable of saving mankind from the clutches of māyā. I have no doubt that the ISKCON will lead the world to the path of divine grace."

Gargamuni: He's a very big scholar, too. He's a Ph.D.

Prabhupāda: No, all of them Ph.D.'s. All...

Rāmeśvara: And here, Dr. Jagadish Sharma. He's the author of nineteen books, a very well-learned man. He says, "The work done by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda toward the revivalism of Hindu culture and civilization is unsurpassable. His Holiness has done a great service to Indian culture by reinterpreting the concept enshrined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will go a long way to help the scientists in rediscovering phenomena of the universe which is yet to be discovered. The thoughts of this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam radiate to anyone who sees it. This book helps to brighten the gloomy and dark clouds which are covered by the nuclear fear and the apprehensions of society."

Prabhupāda: So let the judge read this opinion, read this book.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: And that philosopher of this philosophy, Camus, he said, "Don't try to lead me because I may not want to follow you, and don't follow me because I am not capable of leading you. Just walk beside me and be my friend." So he said by writing his books he was not trying to lead other people but just trying to free them from following falsely any absolute philosophy.

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.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So king has the power to chastise him. Just like if this child says, "I don't believe in education," shall I have to accept? He must be punished. He's a child. He can say, "Father, I don't believe in education. Let me play." Will the father allow? Chastise him. That is king's duty.

Devotee (1): So if someone wanted to be, say, a Christian in the Kṛṣṇa conscious..., a society led by a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if someone wanted to be a Christian, would he be chastised?

Prabhupāda: First of all, whether Christian is religion or, imperfect thing, we have to see that. The father does not chastise always. When the son does wrong, then he chastises. Otherwise why shall he chastise? Christian means if they... Religion means one who believes in God and abides by the order of God. That's his religion.

Satsvarūpa: So if they chanted Christos and stopped eating meat but they still wanted to follow the Bible...

Prabhupāda: No, Bible... But if they follow Bible, that is religion, approved. But they do not follow. Bible says, "Thou shall not kill." They are killing. So what kind of Christian he is? He's a nonsense.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Lead a gentle life. We don't allow divorce. Is that not good? Where is that check?

Hari-śauri: Two checks. There were two checks for a hundred and ten. That went to Calcutta with Abhirāma.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that check. And another check?

Hari-śauri: And that other check went with Rāmeśvara to Bombay.

Satsvarūpa: One of their arguments is that they'll get some member and deprogram him, some weak devotee, and then he will go to court or he will write and say, "Yes. I did not want to join this movement, but they did something to me, and I lost my free will, and then..."

Prabhupāda: They have said like that?

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So many things going on. Very difficult to lead spiritual life.

sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca

hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu

(CC Madhya 11.8)

Actually one who is serious going back to home, back to Godhead—for such person, one should be niṣkiñcana, no connection with these material woman and money. Niṣkiñcanasya. (break) But I am not collecting money for sense gratification. For preaching work. Kṛṣṇa-sambandhe... Kṛṣṇa sabaya yāhā haya anukula, viṣaya boliyā tāhā haya phul.(?) The anything which is favorable to my preaching work, that is not viṣaya. Ta phul.(?) Then that is mistake. Why the air is misty? That... (break) Similarly, you can kill. You have to see it, what for they are killing. Stalin was killing for his own sense gratification.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Obstinate. That scissors philosophy. There is no other way to understand it, but he'll not accept. That is his misfortune. Mūḍha. Bokā. And our problem is that these bokās, rascals, they are leading the society. And they are suffering. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). He's blind. We are also blind. And they're leading us. What will be our consequence? And we are losing the chance of human body to understand what is spirit, what is matter, what is God. We're losing everything. Very precarious condition. These rascals will not allow to understand real thing. That is the position. Otherwise what we have got to do with these rascals? But because they are taking some position, the whole populace is misguided. Means they are losing the chance of this human body. Suicided.

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And in Vedic civilization, animal is being attempted to be killed—"Oh! Who are you?" "Kali-yuga." "Get out!" This is rāja, king. And there is nobody to protest. So many animals are being killed. This is Kali-yuga. Why? "They are my subject. You cannot touch." Kṛṣṇa is embracing gopīs and the calves also, not that He has selected only gopīs to be embraced. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). "Anyone who loves Me... Loves or not, I am protecting." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's giving protection to everyone. And if he is a devotee, a special protection. This is God, and government means God's representative, God's, not people's representative. Government does not mean people's representative. Government means God's representative. That is government. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for the loafer class. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Unless the kings and big, big stalwart leaders understand this science, how they will lead? Because these leaders, they do not understand Bhagavad-gītā, they make their own plan. Therefore so much catastrophe, chaotic condition. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Big, big government officer, big, big kings, presidents, ministers. They should understand it. And government is making law, "No Bhagavad-gītā in the school, college," because they do not know the value. (break) ...Kali-yuga. "Kali-yuga, thank you very much." Dhanya kali-yuga teri līlā. (break) Thank you.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: All churches are closed.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just see. They call a meeting of five hundred rabbis, all of the leading rabbis, and the Jewish leaders in the whole USA, just to deal with this question of "The cults taking our children."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Us? Au...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're the main cult.

Prabhupāda: Then? This is a verse. They do not know what is the aim of life.

Hari-śauri: "Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them." All liars and cheats.

Prabhupāda: This is demon.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, if the law helps to kidnap, then what you can do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that just now there was a meeting of the five hundred leading rabbis of the Jewish faith in favor of deprogramming, because they're very alarmed that the young men and women of the synagogues are joining our movement and other type of movements and leaving their so-called past religion. So the rabbis are going to take up... They like this deprogramming. They like this kidnapping. And he says also that just now in Newsweek magazine there's been a big article printed in favor of deprogramming, special article about this Tucson, Arizona, deprogramming center. So he says that he expects more and more of this deprogramming. He's a little bit alarmed because all of our leaders will be here in India now for the next few weeks.

Ādi-keśava: Turn the fan off...

Prabhupāda: The light, not the fan.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Men will come by distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I was just trying to raise that point.

Jayapatākā: But the difficulty is that the men that are coming, they're not suitable for leading the party. We don't have any men coming, but theoretically when they come, the better class, they could distribute. But for leading would take several years. But their party leaders...

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter. Let them be leader.

Jayapatākā: There are some distributors in the West that are very... They've been distributing five or six years, and they're very weak, and they want to come to India.

Prabhupāda: Let them come. (end)

Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But organized business means there must be so many men, secretary, manager. That is regulated. So in the beginning, "All right, bring some money somehow. Then I shall..." So you cannot reject this organization because he's chanting. Then what is the use of writing so many books, the nāma-aparādha and other discussions, if anyone can chant?

Rāmeśvara: So it definitely has to lead them to that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we must come to that point. In the beginning you may be very liberal: "All right, chant." We do like that, and I have done it. There is no regulation. But that does not..., that it should be neglected. He should be given affirmed, "By simply, whimsically chanting this..." No, that is not.

Hari-śauri: Niyamāgraha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't make it cheap. It has got a science. It has got a form.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Sometimes we see that an Indian, he's living at least a more saintly life than the life that we have led, but sometimes we are more qualified to hear than some Indian men.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because you have got qualification-dhīra. What I say, you hear with patience. And those who are adhīra, they cannot. Sometimes... Aye. (someone enters) You can come this side. (break) Two words is very important. One is, that in the beginning one must be dhīra, not restless. Restlessness is for the animal, or a child. He is restless. He cannot understand. An animal, a cat and dog... Sometimes they remain very silent before the master, but not always. Their habit is not silent. So this understanding, that "I am not this body," is not possible for, say, restless person, that "I am not this body." It is specially mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīra. He must not be a restless animal, always busy. Just like monkey. Monkey is always busy. But as soon as the monkey comes, everyone knows he is very busy. He can jump very nicely. And immediately they take a stick, "Get out! Get out! Get out!" Busy fool. Fool, if he remains little silent, so he does less harm. But if he is busy, he is more harmful. So this is the position at the present moment, that people are kept in the animal civilization and they are busy. So they are creating more harm. It is not for the good of the society. They are creating more harm. This dehātma-buddhi is the conception of the animals.

Conversation with Italian Woman with Translator -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So it's not possible. So I also spoke in an Indian school in Bombay. There are about some three hundred students, plus professors. We even had a short kīrtana, Girirāja and about four five devotees, selling little books outside. So there was... They wanted us start with a kīrtana. So we started Hare Kṛṣṇa, and then they themselves started. The students started leading kīrtana. And I spoke on the... They all saw all the nice equipment...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. This propensity is there already. We are simply awakening. That's all.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I found that in India, though, there are some people like that, but they are not as arrogant as... They are a little...

Prabhupāda: Because background is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sukṛtina. Sukṛtina. They're not so sinful. In India they're not so sinful as the Western. Sukṛtina. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. And in the Western countries they are simply acting sinfully. Now Kīrtanānanda was prosecuted because he is not killing cows.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Iron-clad demons, they will be made remain.

Girirāja: But innocent people, they can be convinced. One thing I was concerned about for the pandal is that many of these leading personalities, they want to meet Your Divine Grace. But at the same time it might be very strenuous for you to come from Juhu every day.

Prabhupāda: Not every day.

Girirāja: Just selected days. The other alternative would be to arrange a place closer to the pandal, but then it would have to be with some member like Kārttikeya or someone.

Prabhupāda: That is near pandal, Kārttikeya's house?

Girirāja: Well, it's about a fifteen or twenty minute drive.

Prabhupāda: That is also good.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Girirāja: Because, I mean, if your health permits and if you could come every day, then we could arrange very leading people for all of those days...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Girirāja: ...and it would enthuse them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bombay is good place for propaganda, for making any movement popular.

Girirāja: Yes. People are very modern and advanced. In Delhi they're all...

Prabhupāda: Servant of.

Girirāja: Too much afraid of the government.

Prabhupāda: Servant class. They are not independent. (break) So I am very seriously thinking about organizing your institute. So how much hopeful it is?

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: How much hopeful? I think there's a great potential. It is a great future, and I can see that if we start publishing the first journal, volume, then it's going to attract many people from the academic circles and intellectual surroundings, and in some time I can see there will be a whole new field of preaching in the academic circles all over the world, not only in India and United States, Canada, but Europe. Europe is going to be observe better centers along these lines. In fact, there are some very leading men in Cambridge and Oxford going to open the whole...

Prabhupāda: So arrange for that, what to do, immediately.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. So we have our Indian headquarters in Bombay, and we can organize in such a manner that...

Prabhupāda: Where you will give them place?

Girirāja: Well, we could give them where your quarters used to be. Next to the sannyāsī āśrama.

Prabhupāda: Will that do?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Yeah. He is supposed to be one of the leading doctors in India. Especially of heart, cardiology. So I also thought this would be a good night for Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu to make his presentation, so that this leading doctor can also attend that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: And the television people are also supposed to come tonight, and show you and them the drama.

Prabhupāda: When you have to go?

Akṣayānanda: The boys can leave at 6:15.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: We have enough time one hour. And K. K. Dattrey and I are working together in one association for the psychic surgery. He is the president, I am the vice-president, so I know him very well, personally.

Prabhupāda: Cardiologist.

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

Prabhupāda: That means you do not know, and you are passing your remark that life comes from chemicals. Such a rascal you are. You do not know what is the thing, and still, you are declaring your knowledge. You are misleading people. And you are captured, you say, "Yes, wait millions of years. We shall do it by trying." What is this nonsense? All post-dated check. So these rascals should be stopped. Speaking all lies, propaganda. Let him go to hell, I don't mind. But why they are misleading others? That is the greatest harm they have done. We attack them only for this reason. Otherwise, individually, you go to hell. Who cares for you? But in the name of science and becoming a scientist, you are misleading others. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. You are blind rascal, and you are leading other blind men. Why you are doing these harmful activities? You are admitting that you are blindly believing. So you are blind. You remain blind if you don't accept knowledge. Why you are trying to lead other blind men? Let them have knowledge. They have got the opportunity, this human form of life. This is the opportunity to get knowledge. And you are keeping them in darkness. Is that service to the human?

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The real scientists, they must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise he cannot be a scientist.

Prabhupāda: No. The real thing he does not know. We know. We know on the basis of śāstra, authorities, ācāryas, so many. And what is your support? Your support is yourself. Then everyone will do that. His support is himself. Everyone will become authority. "I think, I believe." What is this nonsense, your belief? These things should be stopped now. (Hindi) Misleading, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These conditioned souls, very stringently bound up hands and legs by the laws of nature, they are trying to lead the human society. This rascaldom must be stopped. You do not know. Say you do not know. That's all. Why you mislead others? Giving them false knowledge. If you do not know even the distinction between the living entity and the material elements... You are trying to prove the living entity is also combination of these material elements, chemicals. Such a rascal you are. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedam (BG 7.5). It is very important thing. You do not know anything about it. Kṛṣṇa again says, nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi. Negative definition. Still, you are so rascal, you do not understand, and you are misleading innocent persons. So combine together as many as possible and go and challenge.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: On the whole—you read this article—why not say that "We can lead you to the highest perfection of cultural, social, religion." It will be...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want us to write a letter to the editor?

Prabhupāda: Not editor. The person who is the leader. Means the harijana movement. They are feeling frustration. Now we can give them the light.

Bhakti-caru: Actually it was written by one professor, K.H.A. Parthan.

Prabhupāda: So write to him.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So write to him. On the basis of

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

(BG 9.32)

"According to Bhagavad-gītā, we can lead you and make your life successful."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One problem I see... Of course, I haven't read the article in any detail, but generally they very much oppose—of course, unrightly so—they very much oppose the delineation of "śūdra." They are śūdras, these harijanas. But...

Prabhupāda: But it doesn't matter. We shall elevate them to go back to home, back to Godhead. Whatever he may be. Striyo vaiśyas tathā śūdrāḥ (BG 9.32). Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayaḥ (BG 9.33). Simply by denying that "I am not śūdra," that will not help. But they must be elevated to the standard of brāhmaṇa. That we will talk later on. But we have to convince that "This world movement is going on to make the human society to the highest perfection of life. If you join, we can help you." To the perfection of life. On the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. That we can do.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The article ends by saying, "Let harijanas be their own pathfinders and let them lead themselves from darkness to light, from pain to pleasure."

Prabhupāda: That you do not know. Otherwise you would have done it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And from a living hell to tranquillity and joy of life."

Prabhupāda: You do not know how to do it. Otherwise you had done it. You do not know the way. We can teach you. So cooperate with us; we shall fulfill your ambition. That's all right.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That means the rascals, they do not see it, that godlessness, godless education will be like that. The teachers who are suggesting, they are themselves blind, and they are leading. They do not know what is the defect. You can write to them, that "You are leaders, you do not know what is the cause. This is the cause. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Without God consciousness, there cannot be any education. There cannot be any good qualities. You do not know this. Simply you are crying in the wilderness. You yourself do not know. All the education, its propaganda is how to make the world godless, although the most scientific knowledge of God is there in the Bhagavad-gītā." Write him. Give him a slap, that "You do not know." Introduce our Kṛṣṇa consciousness books in the educational department. "Yato mata tato patha. Transcendental meditation. God has given you senses. Why you should not enjoy?" This is his...

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jaya Prakash Narayan. Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, and... What they'll do? Churchill and this and Napoleon, Hitler. Simply misguiding, whole history. Simply mis... They are rascals. They do not know what is what, and they lead. Gandhi... All rascals. Vivekananda and Sai Baba, this, that, so many... They should be stopped. That is real philanthropic activities. Where is...? Now we are going to show this planetarium. These rascal scientists: "All desert. All rocks and desert." Simply this planet, for his father's property. This is now happening. "The moon planet is a desert." And from the desert such brilliant light is coming that is illuminating at night the whole universe. And we have to believe it because they are spoken by scientists. You see? All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, they are leading. And our determination is to stop these rascals. That is our... It is not that "Let the rascals go on with their... Let us make our salvation." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "No, no, no, I don't want. I don't want. If there is salvation, I must take them also." This is Vaiṣṇava. "I don't want such salvation for my personal..." This is Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Naturally a Vaiṣṇava will be unhappy. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). You know this verse? So we must know that these so-called leaders... Just see. He could not do it nicely.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What do they say?

Girirāja: That "You had a very big program, and..." They know the theme also. They say, "Yes, the theme was modern civilization, and it failed, and the only solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." And then, having so many leading people praise your work...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually a letter came yesterday, I think, from the chief minister. I haven't opened it yet. Shall I bring it?

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Fan.

Upendra: (bringing garlands) This one was made by a little girl. The boy who fixed the buzzers, his little daughter made.

Prabhupāda: This is our flower? Hm? Get all round, flower, the first land vacant. You should plant them. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That hog philosophy, which is forbidden. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān (SB 5.5.1). Why? Why you should work so hard? That I said, that Daily Messenger, in the pandal, hanging...

Girirāja: They say that by opening factories they are giving work to so many people. So they cannot also lead the same...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading letter) "The Chief Minister's Secretariat, Government of Maharastra, Saciwalya."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not a very long note. It's signed by the Undersecretary. It says, "Dear Sir, I am desired to acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter dated the 3rd April, 1977. Yours faithfully, Undersecretary." You sent him a very personal letter. I think he should have... He may be a little bit depressed at this time due to having to leave office.

Prabhupāda: That was his dilemma. If he said, "No, we cannot cooperate or join this..." I asked, letter?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: You have constructed this skyscraper building. Live here forever. Why don't you live? Kicked out. In the same house can become a cockroach because you have got attachment. "All right. Live here as cockroach." Who can check it? Cockroach is also life. Dehāntara. The proprietor becomes cockroach. Can you check it? Nature will do. Now we are proprietor, next life a cockroach. "Live here in your skyscraper building." How much valuable time he has wasted by constructing this skyscraper building. He remains there in the photograph, and actually his life is in the commode. Cockroach. He is living in the commode, and his son's worshiping his photograph. This is... This is called ignorance. Very misleading civilization this is. So we are trying to save everyone from this misleading civilization. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying ourself to be perfect and trying to teach others perfect life. Kṛṣṇa begins His teaching from this understanding. "You are not this body." This is beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. And in the bodily concept of life where is spiritual knowledge? They talk of spiritual, that life is... First of all one has to understand that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Then if I am Brahman, then what is my value? So far I have led my bodily concept of life, but I am Brahman?" Then brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. How Brahman lives, how Brahman is produced, what is his real life. So I think this film will be useful for Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So that is stated in the Śrīmad... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are interested only in the external nature, bahir-artha. They have no sense of understanding what is within the body. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. So the leaders are blind and they are leading blind men. Society is in chaotic condition. You are going?

Guest (1): So that I will take my friend home. I will come again some other time.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One of the greatest men in this "Life coming from matter" is in Russia. His name is Ino Voparin(?), A.I. Voparin(?). He's in the Moscow Academy.

Dr. Sharma: He's a biologist.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, he's a biologist. He was one of the leading men who proposed this theory. He's getting old, but still, he's active. We wanted to send him all the things that we have written when it's finished.

Dr. Sharma: They may work on life and the gerontology. And they have published many papers on that. (indistinct) (pause) You have got anybody coming this evening?

Prabhupāda: I don't think so. (end)

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Bhakti-caru: Charan Singh (Hindi) "Ninety murders in one district. 'There was a constitutional breakdown in the states,' he said. The chief minister of Maratha states had admitted to him that his government's reach was no longer running the way it had done earlier. He was receiving many complaints from the U.P., Rajasthan, and Haryana. Fifty murders have been committed in one district in Bihar in one week. Mr. Charan Singh's statement, which was preceded by the (indistinct) meeting earlier in the morning, led to a spate of questions. He was asked whether he was going counter to the spirit of the federal structure which permitted different ruling parties and centers and states, whether the ruling party M.P. would be asked to resign if a state..., if the states they came from turned down his party government and whether the central government would not invoke the power of an article which stated by the Constitution despite capitalism in the Janata party election manifesto."

Prabhupāda: So what is this yoga? (laughs) Sanjay Gandhi's yoga, just see. A rogue, devil, he is practicing yoga. His mother was practicing also yoga, the same.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No Indira Gandhi's news?

Bhakti-caru: (continues to read news articles) No... Indira Gandhi... "Infighting with Civic Congress Party leads to more powers for laborers." "Civil judge regrets motives against magistrates." (reads more headings and newspaper articles) " 'The revolutionary work of eliminating poverty and unemployment in the rural areas can be accomplished by a considerable extent through the khādi and village industries. To achieve these objectives modern technology must be used to rise to the extent possible.' He hopes the new commission would take steps in this direction." (continues reading news articles; Prabhupāda is silent)

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm. That's all. (break)

Girirāja: ...lal to meet you. So far, he hasn't shown himself to be too...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Girirāja: So far, he seems to be more preoccupied with his own ideas, so we don't know whether there will be any benefit to this meeting.

Prabhupāda: But if he wants to meet, I have no objection. (break) ...and the host was very rich man in anywhere. And he has no son. He expressed his desire to father to take me. This is the position.

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are taking from this point of view, that India's culture has been so nicely spread that people are taking serious con... That is their appreciation. We have got differences of opinion, philosophy. That is our... But India's culture is being accepted through the world. That they are appreciating.

Girirāja: During the New York case, one of the leading men in the Arya Samaj wrote a very personal letter in support of us, not a standard letter, but in his own words he was glorifying your work like anything, and especially from this point of view.

Patita-pāvana: Even this Arkasomayaji, his iṣṭa-devatā is Kanaka Durgā from the Kabur district of the Godāvarī in Andhra, and he's a Māyāvādī. I told him, "We have some difference, but please shelve your differences and simply follow our point of view." He said, "That's all right, but I think your guru is the Divine walking the earth, and I must serve him." (laughs) So I said, "Very good. Please come and help."

Prabhupāda: So arrange to receive them. Give them very kindly... If Acarya agrees, that will be great success.

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

Mr. Dwivedi: No, He advised, quite right, hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm, tasmāt...

Prabhupāda: No, no, in politics, when you deal in politics there is no question... Kṣatriya therefore. These things should be trained up. Some of them should be trained up as brāhmaṇa. Some of them should be trained up as kṣatriya, some of them as vaiśya. They are required. So these things we want to organize. We can give you instruction. We can give you help. Now you have to do it, the leading... But it will be done. If you follow our instruction, it will be done. So the buildings are there. There is no...

Mr. Dwivedi: The buildings...

Prabhupāda: Simply it has to be repaired. Climate, I think, it is good, eh? Eh?

Mr. Dwivedi: Climate is fine, particularly of the place where we have our headquarters, very pleasant, in summer especially, very pleasant. We don't have bad nights.

Prabhupāda: Why not go? If we go there, eh? In this time?

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

Prabhupāda: He cannot understand. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī... Bhakta... How to become bhakta? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa says, "By bhakti one can understand." He never said, "By jñāna, karma, yoga..." No. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata... (BG 6.47). Eh? What is that? Antar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo... So if you want to organize on that line, then it will be successful. Otherwise it is waste of time. That is real cooperation, that we must accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is and preach as it is. Then people will be happy. Otherwise waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8).

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

Now, that is wanted. (Hindi) Those who lead the sevā-saṅga, they must learn how to do benefit to the people. They must practically assimilate, apply in their practical life, and teach others. Then it will be successful. There is no doubt. And the proof is here. In our foreign countries, they are foreigners. They are practicing different religious systems. Now, why they are taking to Kṛṣṇa con...? Millions of copies, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, we are selling. Kṛṣṇa book, how many?

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I can at least present. So, so many people are suffering for want of good leader throughout the whole world. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are in ignorance, and some rascals are leading them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it would make...

Prabhupāda: And spoiling the chance of human life. Nature's law will go on. If somebody becomes next life a dog... There is possibility. These political leaders are like that. They are not trained up. Just like these dogs at night, they are very busy. Nobody has appointed them. But he is thinking, "I am in charge of this, watching." As soon as one dog will bark, all they, "Oh, gow! There is some important duty. Come on. Come on." And "Gow! Gow! Gow!" (laughs) And who has appointed him? They, all the politicians, are like that. Nobody likes... "Oh, oh, give me vote. Give me vote. I shall give you this arrangement." And barking amongst themselves, "Gow! Gow! Gow!" Therefore I said that the United Nations is an assembly of barking dogs. Actually that is. They cannot do anything. What they have achieved, the United Nations?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wasting money.

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

Prabhupāda: Unfortunately nobody cares to hear.

Sita Ram Singh: That's right.

Prabhupāda: They have their own program. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Blind men leading blind men. You realize that your Constitution is defective?

Sita Ram Singh: Yes, of course.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of changing? The same instrument... So our proposal is that unless the limbs are perfect, the end cannot be perfect. So we are presenting, therefore, the limbs of Bhagavad-gītā, perfect, everything. But they are manufacturing their own way. There are so many parties, Ch.D., D.A.C., Ph.D....

Sita Ram Singh: All they have got a party for their own selfish end. Actually though I belong toward the party, but I must (indistinct). Because they have all got their own selfish aims.

Prabhupāda: They are interested to keep the new position of the party. Who is thinking of the public? Public is in the same distressed condition.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We have got ambition, but this is our ambition, that live with devotees and execute the mission of our predecessor. This is our aim. Without ambition nobody can live. Self-interest, ambition, is everywhere. But self-interest is to execute the Kṛṣṇa's desire. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That they do not know. So you are Americans, and they are responding. You are responding means Americans responding. So do very carefully, and if one fourth of America becomes Vaiṣṇava, the whole world will change. They are the leading nation. Kṛṣṇa has given them all facility—good land, good intelligence, good education, good facilities, good prestige. Is it not? They are fortunate. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Everything is there. Take this opportunity. This is our ambition. I went to America with this ambition, that "If the American people will take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness..." That is coming to be fulfilled. Now the Indians resident of America, they are also taking. That you... Who said?

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: (reads in Hindi about "Fifth Avenue Hare Kṛṣṇa Saṅkīrtana")

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bali-mardana's picture is there. He was leading that kīrtana party then.

Bhakti-caru: Was it written by the same person who wrote this book?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no. No.

Bhakti-caru: I mean, this Caitanya Mahāprabhu Śikṣāmṛta.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Bhakti-caru: Somebody else.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Bhakti-caru: Yet that style of writing is quite alike. (break)

Prabhupāda: When I go to Los Angeles I am in Vaikuṇṭha. When I am got to New York I am in Vaikuṇṭha. Wherever we have got temple, that is Vaikuṇṭha. So why shall I have objection? So do your duty nicely and see what Kṛṣṇa desires. Let it be fulfilled. But you do your duty. It is your duty to pray to Kṛṣṇa as affectionate children, and let Kṛṣṇa decide. And I have no objection, either.

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

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One aspect in science that they're worried more nowadays is called biomedical ethics. That means they are worrying about so-called this genetic engineering. They say by this engineering they can develop some small insects or microbes that will be great harmful. It will be very harmful to the society. So these big, big schools like M.I.T. and Harvard, they are... Some of the leading scientists in this field, they're very much concerned about this new development. (end)

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, Bose Institute.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The director wasn't there, but there was very leading professor. His name was Amrtabal Singh. He's the..., just next to the...

Prabhupāda: Woman? Woman?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, no, Amrtabal Singh is the name. And he told me he didn't have time to talk with me because, he said, he had a meeting. So I told him that I just came to see the director, but since the director is not there I just want to let him know that "We want to hold a conference on life sciences and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so if you are interested, I'd like to invite you because you're a leading scientist.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If we get some very leading scientists in the world on our side, at least few, let's say about three, that's enough.

Prabhupāda: So that I am asking to enroll as members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That must have come from the United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have got enough material to convince. We are not blind.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Well, people nowadays expect, if anything comes from the States, that's a fact. So sometime all the leading scientists of the world are in the States. Even if they are coming from other countries, they all get together in the States. Everybody goes there. So something is coming from the States, it is formally respected by all the big men all over the world. So that is why I want to attack United States as my last, bringing men from all over. Then we can make a strong presentation in the States.

Prabhupāda: And actually it so happened. Who would have joined unless I would have gone from United States? Useless. Their money, their men, they are helping. That's a fact. And that was my aim.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You tried here first.

Prabhupāda: And they are useless here, waste of time. Neither I wanted to go to London. "New York I shall go."

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

Prabhupāda: They give facility. No, I have got good respect for America.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, I'm sure that the scientists, some of the leading scientists, will accept.

Prabhupāda: I therefore say America is my fatherland. India is my motherland.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in the normal dealing also...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...the Americans are very friendly, very nice actually, in general. When I studied in California, I was a stranger, but everybody looked like a friend, very different from England. England is very conservative. They don't say hello, and different.

Prabhupāda: England, nonsense number one. Worst false prestige, England. In that respect, other countries are better. They had a British Empire. They are still puffed up. And they will stay there to continue British Empire. Now they are earning money for eating, showing British Parliament House. Now there is no business.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: She said yes. She actually felt the necessity, and she was actually praising a lot about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that such things are being discussed in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, and she had a great hope that this can be pushed on and the philosophy can be very accepted in the scientific community. So I request her also to help us in different capacities. She can write articles, we can publish in this journal, Sa-vijñānam. We can print it and publicize more on the presentation of Vedic scientific knowledge. So like that, I want to generate some momentum among the leading Indian scientists.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Do.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very helpful. And I think it is also their responsibility, duty.

Prabhupāda: Great duty, great respons...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I told the same thing to this Professor Kundu, that "You know all these things, but you just remain silent. You never speak out. You only accept that whatever quantum theory is coming from that West, that is all knowledge, scientific knowledge. What about this aspect?"

Prabhupāda: Sir Jagadish was influenced.

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

Prabhupāda: ...ashes. This is going on. Hm? (Bengali)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, this will be for everybody because just starting here. But especially I like to attack the Japan and the United States, 'cause Japan and the United States, they are pretty much the leading bars, very...

Prabhupāda: Stubborn.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And I'd like to specially make a strong show in Japan and the United States. So I'd like to attack them as my last point. Getting momentum from the smaller areas and having confidence and also some support from some leading scientists, then I'd like to put my full force in Japan and United States.

Prabhupāda: Japan and... Make... (Bengali)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I have many friends in Japan because when I studied in California, there were many students from Japan, because California is...

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Ask best... (Bengali)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have to be serious because this is a threat to the existing scientific theory. So they cannot just remain silent. They have to do something, 'cause otherwise we are going to propagate it, it's all wrong. So they have to do something. They cannot just remain silent because... We are not just speaking. There will be books, proving that these are all nonsense.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) You have got increased snuff boxes?

Upendra: Er, one little one and that big one there. I'll check to see if there's any more.

Prabhupāda: Life is a different material.

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

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I haven't seen what this is yet. It's from Gargamuni Mahārāja. It's "To all India GBC and temple presidents: Dear Mahārājas and Prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. Enclosed please find our newly established Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge program. This is the beginning of the major big book distribution program in India. Our library party has already received tremendous success in this program, and Śrīla Prabhupāda has greatly encouraged us to sell these all over India. The profit only amounts to Rs. 10 per book, but it will allow everyone to regularly read our books and refer to it as an authentic encyclopedia. Our aim is to replace this encyclopedia against all other encyclopedias, which are meant to take the people to the hellish planets. When our representatives come to your area, please be good enough to assist them in making possible that Śrīla Prabhupāda's books be distributed to leading educational, intellectual persons all over India." Here's what he's published, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's called "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge." I think I should read it to you, because it's got mostly words in it.

Prabhupāda: Read the covering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's pretty much the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Pamphlet.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it's a pamphlet.

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

Prabhupāda: I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Mahārāja.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Arjuna was a great, powerful devotee, and he could overcome the shock. But we are most fallen and cannot endure such a shock of having you leave us. We are already mortified by such a thought. Your movement is just now being accepted, and we want you to remain to lead all your devotees towards successful spiritual life. Despite our offenses, all of us deeply have great love for Your Divine Grace, and our world will become dark without your presence. Materially you have provided all of your devotees with everything: big temples, money, prestige, and honor, nice prasādam." (chuckles) That's not material. "But I would relish more being with you without all of these things..." He says, "But personally I would relish more being with you without all of these things, as we began at 26 Second Avenue. Simply hearing you chant and talk for hours is my only solace. I don't want anything else. We left all these material things to be with you only, so please have mercy with your devotees by allowing us to have your personal appearance as long as..."

Prabhupāda: He was from very beginning. Brahmānanda. He has worked very hard from the beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says "I may also come to cook and clean for you."

Prabhupāda: Yes, you are welcome.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "They have a mission to develop this whole area, Southeast Asia, for book distribution." He sent a team of three men to develop Southeast Asia, and they've opened an office in Bangkok. "Their program includes: 1) government recognition of our books, 2) sales to universities and colleges, 3) acceptance of our books by leading scholars, and 4) sales of encyclopedias to Hindus. All of Southeast Asia will be developed for book distribution. We pray for your blessings in this..."

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa's blessings are there upon you. He is dictating the organizing capacity. Do it very nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Pālikā, being the manager, is very active and happy and busily engaged in keeping all the files properly."

Prabhupāda: Now she has got right appointment. She's very intelligent girl. And give her proper assistance. She can do very nice work.

Room Conversation Mayapura attack -- July 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...are completely against us. He says Girirāja and himself are meeting leading Hindus like Sadaji Vitlal, etc. He said, "We will have to bring up the Calcutta incident in Parliament." He says this has to be brought up in Parliament. "It was just like Uganda." Just like what happened in Uganda. Whole thing is a plot of the Communists.

Prabhupāda: And it has gone to the Central Government?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said that.

Room Conversation Mayapura attack -- July 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Government published this. The Statesman, therefore, has not given any description.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I didn't notice. Here's a little news clipping. It's probably the same. You probably have seen this already. This is from Indian Express. "Why Krishna Mandir Men Fired Salvo." By a... "An attack on the devotees and destruction of the premises of ISKCON Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir, West Bengal, led to the shooting incident, according to Mr. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, Secretary, Bombay center of the organization. Mr. Dāsa, in his statement issued on Monday, said the news from their sources in Bengal stated that on July 8th about fifty miscreants were found encroaching on our agricultural field and stealing our crops.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, you are already. You are doing very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "P.S.: When is the scientific conference led by Svarūpa Dāmodara? We have also called for a meeting on the 20th August in the biggest hall in Colombo and challenged Dr. Kovoor to be present and produce life from chemicals. I doubt, however, that he will show up. But the audience will be tremendous, at least twenty-five hundred people to be sure. At all our programs we distribute halavā profusely. People here have never tasted such a thing. They love it. Halavā beats chemicals any time." So I can read you more later on, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: On the whole, they ...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Come out very nice.

Room Conversation Arrival of Jayatirtha and Harikesa -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (speaking with great difficulty) It is... If I want to survive, of course I'll have to take something. It is not possible to survive without taking any food. But my survival means so many, one after another, as you say... It requires... Therefore I have decided to die peacefully in...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shall we chant kīrtana? (Haṁsadūta leads kīrtana) (break) Those postal receipts. When they become due, then I'll give them to each of the individual members? Okay. Don't worry. I'll see that each of them is satisfied. They won't feel sorry in any way. You've provided for everyone, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) They want you to survive.

Prabhupāda: If I want to die, this is the way of peaceful death.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Go on chanting. (kīrtana) (end)

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: We have all met together, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We want you to remain and lead this movement and finish the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Brahmānanda: We said you must remain at least another ten years. You've only done fifty percent work.

Prabhupāda: No. There are many good... Everyone will have. Hm. Good to hear. Hm. All right. (devotees laugh with relief)

Kīrtanānanda: Haribol.

Prabhupāda: So give me something to drink.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, why don't you lead? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: He opened a branch in Pakistan.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did he open a branch in Pakistan?

Rāmeśvara: Not yet. There's one woman in Karachi who is Hindu woman. But her husband was a governor, one of the governors in Pakistan. He was a Muslim and he just died. And now she wants to reestablish her Hindu faith. She contacted me in Los Angeles and she wants to help open the temple in Pakistan. So I have given the name and address to Ātreya. (leads kīrtana) (break)

Prabhupāda: That will be our excellent achievement. This is our mission, the... Whatever we have got, teach others. In this spread. The whole world is chanting. Did you recite the verses in Fiji?

Yaśodā-nandana: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Eh? Unlimited.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And you have to lead us, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am prepared, provided Kṛṣṇa allows me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today you said Kṛṣṇa is giving you the choice.

Hari-śauri: In the Bhāgavatam you mentioned that Nārada Muni has the free will to travel anywhere within the universe-spiritual or material. So you must also have the same ability.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today we were discussing how nice a devotee you are, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you are so faithful servant and devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa that He allows you to do whatever you want, because He knows that you'll do everything for Him.

Prabhupāda: Viṣaya means material activity. One side is viṣaya chāṛiyā, se rase majiyā. One has to give up material activities and engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is one side. Another side, my Guru Mahārāja said, kṛṣṇa sevāi, yāṅhā kahe anukūla, viṣaya boliyā tāṅha haya bhula. Anything which is favorable for kṛṣṇa-sevā, if we give up that business as viṣaya, that is mistake.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (coughs up mucus)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think this milk should be given again, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It has caused maybe this mucus. So we'll give you something to drink after a half hour. Okay. (Yaśodānandana Swami leading Govindam prayers)

Prabhupāda: Viśvambhara.

Upendra: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (chanting)

Prabhupāda: Who is...?

Bhagavān: Bhagavān, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bhagavān: Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata?

Bhagavān: Bhagavān. Bhagavān dāsa. (chanting)

Prabhupāda: I wanted to see Viśvambhara.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This Tulasī dāsa has sent different things. Here's a news clipping from the Leader. It's a newspaper. It says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa festivity. All roads lead to the Hare Kṛṣṇa farm āśrama at Cato Ridge last Sunday where thousands of well-wishers and devotees celebrated Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī. His Holiness Śrīmān Jayatīrtha dāsa Prabhu came out especially from the United States for the occasion and to officiate at the opening of the new temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness." One picture shows the devotees... It says, "Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and followers of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda lead the crowd in the singing of Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. In the foreground is the havana-kuṇḍa on which the sacrificial prayer was performed prior to the opening of the new temple. A view of the large gathering...," it shows thousands of people, Śrīla Prabhupāda, "...at the Hare Kṛṣṇa farm āśrama at Cato Ridge at the weekend when the new temple was officially opened. The function was held in conjunction with Lord Kṛṣṇa's birth anniversary celebrations." Here's the temple. "Head of the group, Tulasī dāsa, seen with other devotees in front of their new temple." It's a very beautiful temple with pillars and arches. I don't know how they built it so soon. (laughs) It's a big temple they built there. It says, "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, more widely known as the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, opened its temple to coincide with the celebration of the birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This birthday celebration..." (break) Here's another article, pictures of devotees opening the temple. Another article. "Śrīmān Jayatīrtha dāsa Prabhu, one of the top officials..."

Prabhupāda: Still, they criticize us. Hm? Affirmations(?) good character, good health...

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.

Hari-śauri: Done, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, Bharadvāja?

Bharadvāja: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You have heard what I've have said?

Bharadvāja: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Do you like this idea? Hm?

Bharadvāja: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What is the harm?

Bharadvāja: All the devotees will love to see you.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (end)

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's nothing at all to lead us to feel dismayed that they haven't..., he hasn't... For example... I mean we got the call through to Calcutta by 2:30, and they said that he got the kavirāja and they got on the plane and left. That's very, very positive information. I mean, imagine if someone had picked up the phone in Calcutta and said, "I don't know," or "He couldn't find the kavirāja." But they said, "He got the kavirāja and they got on the plane." That's very, very positive information. Maybe we should read a little bit. That will be a good diversion now.

Prabhupāda: What you'll read?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, the other night... I mean we could read SB.. I'm always eager for you to hear Bhāgavatam. I mean, I wanted to call... I always like to call Pradyumna and Jayādvaita. Of course, that requires... If you wanted to translate, you could make the effort. Otherwise Jayādvaita could read some of the edited work.

Bhakti-caru: He went to Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that Jayādvaita went to Delhi today. Why? (quietly) Irresponsible. He goes. He didn't even tell me. (break) ...read Kṛṣṇa book, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who was there, this meeting?

Brahmānanda: This meeting? Well, the meeting was led by the three men who came to see you this morning. The center was the man from Auroville, and then Mr. Nārāyaṇa and Mr. Bajaj.

Prabhupāda: So that will be three.

Brahmānanda: Yes. Of the three, Mr. Nārāyaṇa is very favorable to us. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami was noticing it. He preached to him about two or three years ago. At that time he was chief minister for Gujarat, governor.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I want to suggest that you should not talk too much, because the doctor said conserve yourself. (indistinct) Because tomorrow we're going to be leaving at about two o'clock, two or two-thirty, so you won't get a full night's rest.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are the most important (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Bon Mahārāja you did not see?

Brahmānanda: He didn't see me. I was in the back, and he was in the front. Mr. Jaluka came. I spoke with him, and he asked about you.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like some more kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Lokanātha can lead. Lokanātha, you lead.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lokanātha.

Lokanātha: Not for chanting, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Lokanātha: We just had a big kīrtana, but I could chant more. I have come a long way to see you and chant for you. So if you allow I will chant.

Prabhupāda: Yes.