Grhe satrum api praptam. Satrum means enemy. If you see that an enemy has come to your house, satrum api. Satru means enemy; api, although. You should receive him in such a way that he'll completely believe you that you are his enemy..., you are not his enemy. That was the system. In the Kuruksetra war, the two brothers, I mean to say, cousin-brothers are fighting. But after finishing the fighting there is no enmity. These people are going to their camp, they are coming, talking or taking lunch. Very friendly. Friendly. There was another fight between Bhima and Jarasandha. The whole day there was fighting. It was decided that one should be killed. That's a fact. The fighting between ksatriyas it will not end unless one of them is killed. That is ksatriya spirit. So they know... Bhima and Jarasandha knew it very well that this fighting is going on until one is dead, one of the belligerent parties. But at night Bhima is the guest of Jarasandha, eating together, talking friendly. This is brahminical culture. For duty's sake, for some cause, we may fight. That's all right. But that does not mean we shall remain inimical always. Grhe satrum api praptam visvastam akuto bhayam.
Lunch (Lect., Conv. & Letters)
Expressions researched:
"lunch bag"
|"lunch bags"
|"lunch"
|"lunched"
|"luncheon"
|"lunches"
|"lunchroom"
|"lunchtime"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That I was going to speak, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. This tongue is sudurmati. It is very, very badly intelligent. Not at all intelligent. He wants to eat. That I hear. Just like here we can see, in these big cities. They have taken their lunch at home, and as soon as goes to the office, immediately, bring tea. So why the unnecessarily tea? But the tongue dictates, "Bring tea, bring coffee, bring cigarette." Therefore the tongue is very formidable enemy of this human being, if you indulge. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. It is very difficult to... (break) ...we can sometimes avoid the dictation of the genital, but it is very difficult to avoid the dictation of the tongue. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudur..., tā'ke jetā kaṭhina sam..., kṛṣṇa boda doyāmoy, kori bāre jihvā joy, sva-prasād-anna dilo bhāi.
"Now, you go to the Pāṇḍavas with your all disciples, sixty-thousand disciples, and you go when Draupadī has taken her food." So Durvāsā Muni one day... Because he wanted to give that benediction, he approached the Pāṇḍavas in the forest. And it is the duty of the kṣatriya to receive the brāhmaṇas. So they were, they were, they had finished their lunch, and Durvāsā Muni came. So how they can deny? They are kṣatriyas. "Yes, my lord. You can, you are welcomed. Just take your bath, and we are making arrangement..." What arrangement they will make? In the forest? So they were perplexed.
So Kṛṣṇa, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati... (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa's vow is that He will see always His devotees are protected. So when they were perplexed, Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa came that "What is the problem?" They explained, "This is the problem." Then asked Draupadī that "You have already finished..." Because Draupadī had an, a benediction that so long she does not take his (her) lunch, any number of men come, she, she will be able to feed. That was his (her)... But she had finished her lunch. then Kṛṣṇa said, "Just go, find out some foodstuff, any little in the kitchen." They said, "No, everything is finished. There is no food." "No, just try to see." Then, in one pot, they saw a little śāk, a vegetable, was stuck up. So they brought it and Kṛṣṇa took it, immediately. So as soon as Kṛṣṇa took, all the Durvāsā Muni and company, they, they felt that their belly is filled up. Tasmin tuṣṭo jagat tuṣṭaḥ. So they were feeling ashamed that "How we shall go? We cannot take any food?" So they fled away from the Ganges.
Prabhupāda: Our program is to eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda.
Devotee (1): I know, but I mean if we're not in a position, like we're away from... Like we're on the road at lunchtime or something.
Prabhupāda: Lunchtime you can eat bread, butter, fruit, milk. There are so many things. Dry fruits. So there are so many. God has supplied your country is, by God's grace, you have got sufficient foodstuff. You can use potato, vegetables.
Devotee (1): Cheese?
Generally, the sannyāsī goes to a temple because temple is meant for the traveling sannyāsī. And as soon as one sannyāsī... Still this custom is prevalent in India, as soon as somebody sees a sannyāsī has come in a temple, somebody from the village, not somebody, but many will come, "Sir, you can take your lunch at my place." So there is no scarcity. Many people will come to invite you still. Therefore many pseudo or phony swamis, they have taken this profession because there is no difficulty getting food. So, mahat-sevā. The... What is the idea? The idea is the gṛhasthas, they know that "We are simply engaged in the matter of sense gratification. If we invite some saintly person at home, if he eats at my place, then, we commit so many sinful activities, we'll be saved." This is the process. Therefore, a sannyāsī is advised to accept prasādam in the house of a brāhmaṇa, because a brāhmaṇa is supposed to be, become very pious. If you take foodstuff from impious men, then that means you are taking share of his impious activities.
If you take foodstuff from impious men, then that means you are taking share of his impious activities. But a saintly person, they can digest, but if (they) cannot digest, then you have to suffer. This is the process. Then he has to suffer. Therefore the safety principle is to accept luncheon in a pious family, where there is Vaiṣṇava family or brāhmaṇa family. Not that anywhere we can accept cooked food. Sometimes we have to do it, but that is against principle. We should not accept food anywhere and everywhere, unless he is pious. The brāhmaṇas are supposed to be pious; therefore, a sannyāsī is advised to accept food, luncheon in the brāhmaṇa family. And brāhmaṇa family, still, not all, a few families still in India, they worship regularly Nārāyaṇa-śilā, śalagrāma-śilā.
That is truthfulness. Satya sama. Satya śaucam. Śaucam, cleanliness. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal. External cleanliness by taking bath with soap and other cleansing material... Of course, in India, the brāhmaṇas, they take... They cleanse themselves externally at least three times a day: in the morning, early in the morning; at noon before taking lunch; and in the evening before going to the temple. Tri-sandhyā. There are so many rules and regulations for becoming cleansed. This is external cleanliness. And there is internal cleanliness. The internal cleanliness is this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the heart.
Actually, in India they take. In our country I was also taking twice bath till I was attacked last year. So I thought that in this country, twice taking bath is not possible, so I am taking once now. But India, there are many gentlemen, high class gentlemen, they take bath thrice. Morning, and before lunch, and in the evening. Especially the brāhmaṇas. So cleanliness is next to godliness. To take bath, to evacuate daily, to wash the teeth, wash clothings, this cleanliness process. But as the days of this Kali-yuga will make progress, this system of hygienic cleanliness, cleanliness both inside and outside Outside by taking bath, inside by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious—two kinds of cleanliness. Simply if we take bath with soap outside, and inside all rubbish things, that is not cleanliness. Cleanliness means bahyābhyantaraḥ. Bahya means outside, without. Abhyantara means inside. Unless we are clean, unless we are pure, how we can make advance to approach the Supreme?
Initiation Lectures
Prabhupāda: You think yourself that you are servant of him. Suppose you are playing the part of George Washington in a drama. Are you George Washington? But while playing, you may feel like that; otherwise the play will not be successful. That is different thing. (pause) So Govinda dāsī, so long you are here, morning, evening, you should see that the ārati is performed. In the morning, evening, and lunchtime. Yes.
Jaya-gopāla: When one is fully engaged in transcendental loving service, how is freedom of choice playing a part in your..., in choice of service? Does one have a choice? Like when Kṛṣṇa completely takes over one's life.
Prabhupāda: I do not follow what you said. (break) (chanting of Bhaja bhakata) One line is missing. Puruṣottama, you have taught them? (referring to ārati song) Thank you. That's all right. Now you learn it, it will be all right. Now you can take prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa. In this way one or two, practice daily, then it will come out nice. Yes.
General Lectures
This is for woman. And for men, hard work, field work, taking care of the cows, of the animals, to go to collect wood, to construct building. In this way cooperate. The girls who are here, they should prepare nice prasādam so that the boys, in time they can get their prasādam, timely. This is the duty. And they must be given timely breakfast, lunch prasādam. They will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls. That will keep your health very nice. Ma Yaśodā, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, just see how exalted she was. Materially, she was rich also. She had many maidservants. Still, she took pleasure in churning. You have seen the picture. Recently in Los Angeles they had the festival, dadhi-maṇḍa... What is called? Butter, butter ceremony. So people took part in churning, and there were twelve pounds of butter churned in the meeting. Yes. And they collected good amount by churning.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Bhāgavata-dharma, there is ideal communism. You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhagavatam in the Seventh Canto, Nārada Muni is instructing to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about this communism, that "A gṛhastha, before taking lunch, he must see that every insect, every lizard, every cat, every rat..." (break)...whether a snake in that house must have been fed, must have taken their food. This is so hospitable that the householder, the owner of the house, not only see that his wife, children, servants are well fed, but even the rats, cats, or the insect or the lizard or even the snake has got his food. That is the ideal communism. Because when you are paṇḍita, learned, you cannot distinguish that "This is animal and this is human being." You can treat them differently because their consciousness... But on the basic principle, the living entity, any living entity—it doesn't matter whether is animal or man—he's part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Bhāgavata-dharma, there is ideal communism. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Seventh Canto, Nārada Muni is giving, instructing to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about this communism that "A gṛhastha, before taking lunch, he must see that every insect, every lizard, every cat, every rat, even a snake in that house must have been fed, must have taken their food. This is so hospitable that the householder, the owner of the house, not only sees that his wife, children, servants are well-fed, but even the rats, cats or the insect or the lizard. Or even the snake has got his food. This is the ideal of communism. Because when you are paṇḍita, learned, you cannot distinguish that "This is animal and this is human being." You can treat them different because their consciousness is... But on the basic principle the living entity—any living entity—it doesn't matter whether it is animal or man—he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is actually perfect communism. The Communists are thinking in terms of the human being, and that also within the state, but a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he is thinking in terms of all living beings. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni caiva śva-pāke ca (BG 5.18). In the Bhāgavata it is stated that a householder, before taking his lunch, he should invite on the street, "Sir, if anyone is still hungry, please come at my place. There is still food. You can take it." And he should see that in the household even the lizard he is not hungry. Even there is a snake, he is not hungry. This is Vedic principle, God consciousness, that "Somehow or other, one animal has become lizard. Maybe he is hungry. So at my house he is. Why he should remain hungry? Give him some food." Nobody likes snake, but in the śāstra it is said, "Even there is a snake, you should see that he is not hungry, he is given some food."
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Not only that; before becoming hungry, I will acquire food. Just like we go in the market and purchase food. At that time I am not hungry, but I know I shall be hungry, I shall have to eat; therefore we shall have to prepare foodstuffs before I become hungry. That is concern. When I am purchasing foodstuff, I am not hungry actually, but still I know that I shall become hungry in the after..., lunch time, so I must prepare for. That is our concern. I am arranging for an apartment, not that at that time I am feeling sleepy, but I know that I will have to sleep at night. That's why I must have a place. This is my concern.
Śyāmasundara: He calls this concern is the symptoms of..., characteristics of existence, and he says that this existence has priority...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That we also say. Because I want to exist, therefore my concern means the struggle for existence. I am struggling, how to exist.
Śyāmasundara: For instance, he gives an example that, let's say that in an institution there is lunch served for one hour between twelve and one, and at one o'clock the door is closed and locked, sharply. So automatically everyone who wants to come must come before one o'clock, otherwise they will be punished.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. If anyone prefers to starve, they may not come. That law will be not be obligatory to a person who prefers to starve.
Devotee: That isn't the point. The critics make difference. He says that free will can be essentially eliminated. He says you no longer have the choice to be agreeable or not agreeable.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Modern sociology is targeting the state or the people as the owner of a certain state, but our Vedic conception is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ: (ISO 1) "Everything is owned by Īśa, the Supreme Controller." Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: "What is given by Him, allotted to you, you enjoy that." Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam: "But we not encroach upon others' property." This is Īśopaniṣad, Vedas. And the same idea is explained in different Purāṇas. So the Vedas can give you... The other day I was reading in the, that paper, Moscow News, there was a congress, Communist congress, and the president declared that "We are ready to get others' experience to improve." So I think the Vedic concept of socialism or communism will much improve the idea of communism. Just like we are thinking in terms of human beings, the commu..., socialistic state, that "Nobody should starve. Everyone must have his food." And in the Vedic conception of gṛhastha, householder, it is recommended there that a householder shall see that even a lizard living in the room or even a snake living in that house should not starve. They should be also given food. And what to speak of others? The gṛhastha, before taking his lunch, he is recommended to stand on the road and declare that "If anybody is still hungry, please come. Food is ready." Then, if there is no response, then the proprietor of the household life, he takes his lunch. In this way there are so many good concept about this socialistic idea of communism. So I thought that these ideas might have been distributed to some of your thoughtful men. Therefore I was anxious to speak with you.
Prabhupāda: I'm going to Mombassa.
Dr. Weir: Really. That should be interesting. One of my greatest pleasures was to be able to entertain the Dalai Llama's secretary in the luncheon hall in the (indistinct) just near here.
Śyāmasundara: We went walking there one morning, Lincoln's Inn.
Mensa Member: (indistinct)
Dr. Weir: Yes. I've always wanted to go there. We've got four Tibetans over studying (indistinct) part of the college estate of Hampstead. And I've always liked, the idea of their going up into those wonderful mountains and... Although you may say, you know, one mustn't overvalue material things, as far as their diet is concerned, they must be very much like you followers. You know, they have... because they have to learn (indistinct) perfect (indistinct) They have nothing wrong with their gums or their teeth. It must be about the only place in the world...
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Ah?
Devotee: What would you like to take for lunch today?
Prabhupāda: I'm not feeling very much hungry. Don't prepare now. If I feel hungry, it can be done. Call Śyāmasundara.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Would you have any instructions as to how I could serve you better? For me?
Prabhupāda: By convincing people of... (end)
Prabhupāda: Indian people say like that?
Guest (2): Some of them, not all. It's not said, anybody. It's just argument of people that... Even Americans. People, they say, "We are not killing your sacred cow because your sacred cow is in your country." It was long ago, I remember. During lunch break we had some argument.
Prabhupāda: Then what are these? American cows?
Guest (2): Yes. They said, "Our cows are not holy."
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, not papad.
You have got papad?
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Take papad. Not now, at lunchtime. (Hindi) So you can come at night?
Devotee: (offers obeisances to Śrīla Prabhupāda) (break)
(Hindi conversation)
Devotee: Very soon the man from department of religion will be coming.
Guest (1): Minister of religion.
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: How Kṛṣṇa is enjoying lugdu with His friends.
Professor: Yes.
Yogeśvara: He's taking lunch.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They're taking lunch, and Brahmā is playing trick.
Yogeśvara: You know the story?
Professor: Of what?
Yogeśvara: Lord Brahmā stole away all of Kṛṣṇa's cows and...
Professor: Yes, yes, yes, yes, I know.
Prabhupāda: No, no. You can place there. What you want just now?
Ambassador: I just want to place it here, and that washroom.
Prabhupāda: Yes, you can wash inside. (break)
Ambassador: I'm sorry. I came immediately after lunch you know. Leaving only one hour between the lunch and one hour, you know. So I'll remember this, Your Grace, and of course, I will do personally what I can. I've...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that...
Ambassador: ...distributed the invitations to all the Indians, you see. But I'm afraid the Indians in Sweden are extremely...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And you'll find that it is well protected cell, and you find two pieces of cāpāṭi and one glass of water, ready. No need of cooking. Yes. You simply take. Take the water and take the pulp and eat pulp and the glass of water. That's all. Your meal is finished; luncheon is finished. You don't require.
Sudāmā: The atheist class of men, they are thinking "Well, we are watering. We are giving the water with the hose. We are giving water in the tree. Just like this man is cutting the lawn. So we are maintaining it." They are not thinking that Kṛṣṇa is giving the water.
Prabhupāda: Then wherefrom water comes? You rascal, wherefrom you got the water?
Sudāmā: They say, "It's too much to think about."
Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, one time we went to a shopping center and I was walking down the sidewalk and a boy came running up to me and he said, "Is that Volume Two?" And he said, "Can I have Volume Two?" He said, "I've almost finished Volume One, and I was in so much anxiety that I was going to not have anything else to read, because they're so beautiful." And he said that he works in a candy store, and he has so much anxiety all day from all the people that just give him problems and he doesn't like the work and he doesn't like the people. But he says that lunch time he goes and every day he reads the Kṛṣṇa Book and he says he comes back feeling so high. (break)
Praghoṣa: ...so he came up and he asked me to look into, if I could show him the Kṛṣṇa Book for a second. And he had two friends with him and he said, "Here I would like to show you boys something," and he said, "Do you mind?" And I said, "No." So I handed him the Volume One and he opened it up to that picture of Kṛṣṇa with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī playing His flute, and he showed the boy and he said, "Look, isn't He beautiful?" Just like that, and they both looked at Kṛṣṇa and said, "Wow," just like that. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Yes, the very picture is attractive, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. (japa) (break)
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (1): The number of cells that he comes equipped with is less than the normal and number of enzymes that must be equipped in certain proportions do not come in the right proportion so that the later functioning is not to the mark. Therefore full and cognitive ability is very much affected. So what we are trying to do is—hopefully in the next five years we can do it—is to define a critical period. We do not know yet what is a critical period. We are talking of a very large time, large span of time, but most probably it is only a few months period in which if the baby is supplied very well, at least then our system will not be affected. His body may be affected. By the lunch program in a school they have been able to improve very much the physical characteristics of the body but if the mental mischief has been done, it is done. It cannot be corrected later on. So...
Prabhupāda: No, now this killing of the babies are going on.
Devotee (2): Every once in awhile someone we meet when we're distributing books comes and joins us for prasādam, one time a businessman and one time a soldier. Various people sometimes join us. We take a 12 o'clock, 12:30 lunch break. Sometimes we'll be joined by one of these people we distribute books to.
Prabhupāda: When you were with Maharishi? Come here.
Doug: I joined the Maharishi in 1969, and at that time I was living in Washington, D.C. And his national director came, gave a lecture, and they said that they needed some help because they didn't have a center there.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Atreya Ṛṣi: Which is... In that case, it has to have GBC approval.
Prabhupāda: So...
Jayatīrtha: So we can adjourn for lunch and...
Prabhupāda: Yes, you can... Till next we meet again.
Jayatīrtha: So the rest of these things we can discuss in...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, yes.
Jayatīrtha: ...separate meeting.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can...
Devotee (3): It's almost time for lunch, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Eh.
Devotee (3): Shall we go?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) It will take some time. But our line of action...
Devotee (2): Generally these type of people are... They're so mentally puffed-up that a process like chanting doesn't appeal to them. They want something for their minds to speculate on.
Prabhupāda: Why not process? Eh? Eh?
Prabhupāda: No. You can... Cashew and ginger. And you make, what is called, channa. In the lunch make cheese. Cheese, cheese. Fry it, and make preparation.
Śrutakīrti: Tomato and cheese?
Prabhupāda: Tomato, cheese, potato. Yes. And fried peanuts? And salad, fruit. By force... Communism is going on, by force. It is the result of sinful life.
Paramahaṁsa: They're put into that circumstance.
Prabhupāda: Yes, people are sinful, they will not do nicely, and now, by nature... Just like this child killing. They did it in his previous life. Now he is suffering. He will be killed. The nature's reaction. We are taking sympathy with the child who is being killed, but we do not know that he did the same business. Now he is being killed. That is nature's law.
Prabhupāda: ...temple is very nice. (break) ...is also very nice.
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...lunch time.
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. (break) ...the location also. That's a very good location they have, on the main road.
Prabhupāda: Japanese?
Siddha-svarūpa: Yeah. (break)
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have taken lunch? So, it is very important movement. Try to study, understand. And it is the duty of the pressmen, journalists, to propagate. They must know the first science of the living force within the body. That is the most important part.
Reporter: I just feel that, in a way, I have enough to write, and I have enough to... Well, I believe in giving a little message of something in those things that I write. I try not to make them negative, and at least, I can present people with what they have and what you are saying. But I feel that within myself, and this concerns myself, that I haven't spoken to you enough, that I haven't heard you enough, and that I have...
Prabhupāda: No, you can ask me more, more, other question. I can reply. There is no harm.
Prabhupāda: These things should be stopped. They leave their own temple and go to Swami Nārāyaṇa temple? Stop.
Indian man (4): They likes their lunch. They goes for lunch. Yes, that's true. All of them went without asking me. About five, six devotees, immediately from here went to Swami Nārāyaṇa.
Prabhupāda: So this should be rectified.
Prabhupāda: (break) Yes. Make samosa and halavā.
Harikeśa: For lunch?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Harikeśa: For lunch. (break)
Haṁsadūta: I couldn't follow the numbers. I just heard that so much for sleeping, so much for the toilet, so much... The noise of the machine... I couldn't follow the years.
Prabhupāda: Out of hundred years, fifty years-sleeping. And fifty years balance twenty years-playing. And twenty years-old age, invalid. And ten years-frustration. Bas. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Mixed with little uraḍ dāhl, then it will be very palatable and very beneficial.
Aksayānanda: For at lunchtime?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Aksayānanda: Yes. Very good. (break) ...dāhl will give you as much energy as eggs will any time.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Aksayānanda: Practically the same thing.
Prabhupāda: It contains protein.
Prabhupāda: Huh huh. (laughing)
Akṣayānanda Swami: Then again at lunch time and after that again sleep. They couldn't do anything else, there was no time for preaching or for distributing books or... But yet they were supposed to be doing 64 rounds. That was in Vishakapatnam.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Akṣayānanda Swami: They were all very fat.
Prabhupāda: What is time now?
Devotee: Five to seven. ...here now. I've never been there but I heard there are a lot.. reports Cit-sukhānanda prabhu is there now.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, I became a guest. A gentleman was our tenant, and he gave me introduction letter to his brother-in-law. He was a pleader in Jagannātha Purī. So he received me very well. So he offered me a lunch, and I saw there was something, a small ball-like, in the pot, bowl. So I asked, "What is this?" He said, "It is meat." (laughs) He was eating meat, so he thought it is good reception, the guest is offered nice meat. So I said, "No, you... I never took meat. I never expected..." (break) Then "Never mind." Then I stopped eating there. At that time I was a boy. After appearing in my B.A. examination there was holiday, so I went to Jagannātha Purī in 1920 or something like that. So I was married in 1918. So some of the friends of my wife, they said that "Your husband now gone. He is not coming back." So after returning I understood she was crying. (laughs) So anyway, then I used to purchase prasādam in the market.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Madhudviṣa: There was no security around him. He just was standing there on the sidewalk out in front of one hotel after this luncheon.
Prabhupāda: Mm.
Madhudviṣa: And she just walked up to him and "Oh, this is a flower for you," pinned it on his lapel.
Prabhupāda: Mm. So he has no personal guard?
Madhudviṣa: He had some guard, but it was not very strict security, there was no... It's not like in America, where the president is very..., his life is very jeopardized all the time. (pause)
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) He is the right person.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And the restaurant is very successful. Also they have not advertised that, but every day about fifty people come for the lunch, and at least another seventy, eighty people come in the evening for dinner. For a full meal each person pays an average about $2.50.
Prabhupāda: That's cheap.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All you can eat for two dollars...
Prabhupāda: And for public it is very cheap.
Prabhupāda: Eight hours. Without any recreation?
Hari-śauri: Well, one break, for lunch. It was just indescribable. There's so much heat and fumes, and always covered in oil and grease, crawling around on your hands and knees to fix some machine.
Jagadīśa: All for the advantage of some wealthy man.
Prabhupāda: And after this hard labor, his only recreation is wine. Did you drink?
Hari-śauri: (laughs) Yes, we used to go straight from the steel works to the pub, public house.
Prabhupāda: So tomorrow I shall take lunch at 1:00. That's all. Then, by 3:00 o'clock, I shall be ready. (to Indian man:) (Hindi?) Kṛṣṇa is preparing you to join this movement wholeheartedly. It is very nice. Now you have got it?
Jayādvaita: Yes. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja quotes, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). "All these incarnations of Godhead are either plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the puruṣa-avatāras, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." Then he says, "The Bhāgavatam describes the symptoms and deeds of the incarnations in general and counts Śrī Kṛṣṇa among them. This made Sūta Gosvāmī greatly apprehensive. Therefore he distinguished each incarnation by its specific symptoms. All the incarnations of Godhead are plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the puruṣa-avatāras, but the primeval Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of all incarnations. An opponent may say, 'This is your interpretation, but actually the Supreme Lord is Nārāyaṇa, who is in the transcendental realm.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. That is our life and soul. Gṛhe vā vanete thāke, 'hā gaurāṅga' bole ḍāke. Wherever you live, it doesn't matter, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only support. So bring food here.
Jayatīrtha: We should have the lunch here?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
George Harrison: All the devotees are looking really good.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
George Harrison: The devotees are looking great. Strong.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Phalena paricīyate. By the result, one has to study. Yesterday, one devotee's father and mother came, Hari-śauri. She and his father were very pleased to see him healthy, bright.
Prabhupāda: Yes, cats and dogs they are eating. Yes. Hong Kong. they are eating. Who said that one gentleman came to Hong Kong hotel? Eh?
Hari-śauri: One of the devotees in America. Some man came with his pet dog. So in America they tie up the dogs outside the restaurant, so he did that and he went in. And then he pointed, he showed the doorman his dog, meaning that he was liable to look after him. So after he'd eaten his meal he went out and his dog was gone. So after some inquiry they found out that when he showed the doorman the dog, he misunderstood and thought that he wanted to eat it, that he was bringing his lunch with him, so he took the dog and killed it and served him. He ate his dog.
Jayatīrtha: A local policeman said that in England there are more laws protecting the dogs than there are protecting the children. If you beat your children, then no problem. If you beat your dog, immediately they'll come arrest you.
Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.
Harikeśa: It changes, it leaves earlier and gets there four hours later. Was lunch all right today? Lunch? Your lunch was all right?
Hari-śauri: Was lunch all right? Prasādam?
Prabhupāda: The potatoes and karelā should be fried.
Harikeśa: Yes, it was fried. I fried it with the cover on.
Prabhupāda: No, not in the beginning. Fry it, and if it is still hard, then...
Harikeśa: Then put the cover on. Oh, all right.
Prabhupāda: We can welcome hundreds and thousands of children. There is no question of economic problem. We know that. But the father, mother must take care at least. Properly trained up, they should be always engaged. That is brahmacārī gurukula. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). From the very beginning they should be trained up. From the body, they should be trained up how to take bath, how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or some Vedic mantra, go to the temple, offer obeisances, prayer, then take their lunch... In this way, they should be always engaged. Then they'll be trained up. Simple thing. We don't want to train them as big grammarians. No. That is not wanted. That anyone, if he has got some inclination, he can do it personally. There is no harm. General training is that he must be a devotee, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That should be introduced. Otherwise, the gurukula will be... Otherwise Jyotirmayī was suggesting the biology. What they'll do with biology?
Prabhupāda: Chuktaha? Chugda.
Jayapatākā: Chugda: That's where you take your... That mango orchard where you take your lunch? That's just the nearest place go Chugda. So he was very pleased with all the work that you are doing. He's in Vṛndāvana now for Janmāṣṭamī. He hadn't been to Vṛndāvana for about five years, so he went to Vṛndāvana for darśana. He may be there even when you go. I'm not sure if he'll be there.
Prabhupāda: You have advised to see our temple?
Krishna Modi: I will take after lunch.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a letter from the biggest library in Russia to Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. They have ordered some books, and they want the remaining books but they wanted free, in exchange. But they don't have the money. They want all of Prabhupāda's books but they don't have the money so they want in exchange. This is from the biggest library in Russia.
Krishna Modi: Our economy is something good at this time.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Indian economy...
Krishna Modi: Indian economy is better. Income tax also they have got 67% more. Because they have reduced the rate.
Prabhupāda: What is the percentage?
Prabhupāda: You give me lunch in banana leaves. Give me.
Hari-śauri: We were doing that in Māyāpur. I remember last time.
Prabhupāda: Because there are so many banana leaves. You can utilize it. One leaf is sufficient for four plates at least.
Caraṇāravindam: Actually I must confess, generally most days I use a bit of banana leaf to take some of your remnants on. Take a bit on a banana leaf, and then take from there. It is very handy. Actually the monkeys they come and also they eat this leaf. They often come and tear off a piece of leaf and sit on this eating them. Monkey.
Prabhupāda: That is destructive. They do not know.
Prabhupāda: They want business.
Mahākṣa: Just a business. We also had a program with Dr. Gupta (?). That was a nice program. And his wife she cooked some Bengali prasādam for us. We took our lunch there. That was very nice.
Prabhupāda: I think that he is disciple of Tīrtha Mahārāja.
Mahākṣa: Yes. But his son... His house, they have so many pictures of Ramakrishna and Sai Baba. His son is telling him to not follow the same like his father. And his father did not speak. He only spoke about three words. He's suffering from some rheumatism or something. Anyway, we had a good kīrtana there. (break) No, I never say, I never say.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Mahāṁśa: The same road. That's where the dioramas will be. (break)
Devotee (1): ...having lunch with the cowherd boys on this rocky place and then people can come and sit here also.
Prabhupāda: Later on. First of all grow vegetable. Let us eat first of all. Immediately grow vegetables sufficient. And this is good idea, we shall do that, but first of all let us organize the vegetables, fruits. What are these trees?
Prabhupāda: ...they'll not walk on the street. This was the system.
Rādhā-vallabha: You would never see them at all.
Prabhupāda: That is...
Rādhā-vallabha: You want lunch? Do you want some lunch, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
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.
Prabhupāda: All right. Do it. For the time being, what I took yesterday, my lunch, I'll take. And these things we can begin from tomorrow because it is already arranged.
Indian doctor: No, pills can be taken. (break)
Indian man: It is there in śāstras.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And if you don't care for the śāstras, if you manufacture your own way, then, as it is stated, na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti. You'll never be successful. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. Neither happiness nor better life will be next or the supreme goal. These things finished. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). If you do not take the guidance of the śāstra then all your hope is finished. You can hope, but you'll never... This is our... Therefore we follow the śāstras and we teach others to follow śāstras. If you like you can do. Otherwise do whatever you like. But you don't manufacture and spoil my life and others. You don't do.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
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: Water is there.
Pālikā: Ācchā.
Prabhupāda: Lunchtime you'll make some cāpāṭi, very thin. I think I shall take cāpāṭis, a little rice. I'll give you instruction.
Pālikā: And what?
Prabhupāda: And at the time I shall tell you. Not any of the same thing. (chuckles) Everyone wants to cook for me.
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Oh. The same program?
Guest (9): Yes. The same program also.
Satsvarūpa: You were recently initiated?
Guest (9): Yes.
Satsvarūpa: Oh. That's the same program. So that is already fixed with Gaura-Govinda. You spoke with him, Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja?
Prabhupāda: I take my lunch at half past one. So by that time... (end)
Satsvarūpa: So the men would not buy their lunch from the meat-eaters.
Prabhupāda: No, that is not our scheme. Our scheme is that pathya, auṣadha. Auṣadha means medicine, and pathya means diet. So in order to cure him from these material desires we shall give him medicine, hari-nāma, and diet, prasāda. We have no such program, to make him vegetarian. That is not our program.
Yugadharma: I had one more other scheme with Dhanañjaya dāsa from Vṛndāvana. Dhanañjaya is making with this Spanish devotee who's staying, making... I have just seen last week these beautiful, beautiful Gaura-Nitāi mūrti, these Gaura-Nitāi Deities that he is making. They are casting them in Vṛndāvana, and they are very, very beautiful. And Dhanañjaya has told me that you have encouraged him to sell mūrtis in the United States.
Prabhupāda: Yes, up to one o'clock, two o'clock, he was engaged only with his pūjā, my father. He was going late, at twelve o'clock, to bed. Then he was to... He used to rise little late, at about seven, eight. Then taking bath, sometimes purchasing. Then from ten o'clock to one o'clock he was engaged in pūjā. Then he would take his lunch and go to business. And in the business shop he was taking little rest for one hour. And he'd come from business at ten o'clock at night, and then again pūjā. Regularly. Actually his business was pūjā. For livelihood he was...
Hari-śauri: Just doing some business.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow.
Prabhupāda: Chili in mild quality, it is digestive.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every day with the lunch that we are getting...
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...we have chili, and we have nimbu ācār. That is also digestive a little. And then at the end we have popper, dry popper.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Rāmeśvara: No one will believe it. Their idea was that... Anyway, I agree. It was a mistake. This issue that's at the printer right now has many pictures of Kṛṣṇa in it. It's a big improvement.
Prabhupāda: So do it very conscientiously.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's time for everybody to take lunch prasāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes, go.
Brahmānanda: Jaya Prabhupāda.
Rāmeśvara: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Prabhupāda: You were not present?
Gargamuni: No. I just came now.
Prabhupāda: When it is going to be held again?
Hṛdayānanda: Yes. We just stopped for lunch break, and then, after lunch, again, around two o'clock.
Prabhupāda: So you attend?
Gargamuni: Yes, I'll attend. I just wanted to stay in Calcutta a few days to...
Prabhupāda: Pick up some fight. (laughs) There was no fight?
Hṛdayānanda: Just little fight.
Girirāja: He is coming in the morning and leaving in the evening.
Prabhupāda: So daytime he can take...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lunch prasādam.
Girirāja: Well, see he's coming because he is a leader in the municipal corporation, and tomorrow they are electing the new mayor. So I was thinking that probably on the way to the airport in the evening we could invite him to stop here.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Girirāja: Otherwise, he is coming back on the 8th to spend about a week here.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Prabhupāda: And the nim is very, very good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She says that she will make some further nim preparations for you for lunch.
Prabhupāda: Have suktā-nim also. Pick the nim. So this Karachi, he has given correct report. Very nice report. You have seen?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: And he is very intelligent boy. Open this. This is the real United Nations. These rascals, they are barking simply for the last thirty years, and "United." Simply barking.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Simply more flags.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And we don't care for the lunch. What is the... I am sitting idly. I haven't got to work hard. I don't require food, little fruits even. Those who are working, they require food to get strength, but I am sitting idly, and brain is working. So so far my physical necessity, there is no necessity of food. But I may not so depend on that going to the bath, toilet. I require... And that is also not required. There are many persons. That Rajda... I... He was also... I have seen many men. For rising up, they require help.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So there is money, there is intelligence and... That's all. I can give you one... (indistinct) You have taken your lunch now?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we'll take prasādam.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: You look better, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Acchā? (break) ...I want.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Neither would simply just begging some rice and dāl to feed ourselves.
Prabhupāda: Now Kṛṣṇa is (indistinct) (break) Do you think that the..., if the scientists attend meeting, they are interested? Or they feeling dry?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he says that "I heard..." This is from ex-president Ford. There was some discussion that perhaps he would be a candidate in the 1980 Presidential election here. Anyway, he's an important man. Then he lists some of the people who have gotten your Bhagavad-gītā as well as other small book in Russian or other languages or prasādam. "Mr. Igor Orligalik, Deputy Director (gives list of many Eastern Bloc professors and directors) You see, he keeps a file on all these people, so if ever we go to these countries, we know which people got our books, and these are all highly placed people, very prominent people. Good work. One of these lunches is very expensive-$7.50 per person. (reads:) "Los Angeles World Affairs Council cordially invites you to attend a special luncheon discussion meeting with the USSR-USA Society Delegation to the Soviet Union." This is one such invitation that's put out by these people. Every one of these people who spoke there, all these delegates, he gave them Bhagavad-gītās, the Russian Easy Journey and a calendar. (break) (kīrtana)
Prabhupāda: ...slaughter, bigger slaughter. This is my practical experience. Father hates. (break) We saw lots of people.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He has here nice room. He's had prasādam. He had lunch with us.
Surendra Kumar: Everything is your mercy, Divine Grace.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi conversation) How long we have left Bombay?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We left Bombay about a month and a half ago.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...recommended that... What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hrishikesh.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)
Bhakti-Prema: Next step will be planetary system.
Prabhupāda: All right.
Bhakti-Prema: The third planetary system, above Mount Meru.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. You have taken lunch?
Upendra: Yes, Prabhupāda. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...there is sun, and above that, there is moon. And they are going to moon. They are going nowhere, simply taking laboratory photo, studio photo, and cheating. Why this cheating can go on? You do not know. That's all. Who is insisting that "We must know"? (end)
Prabhupāda: So you show by example. Bring these brahmacārīs. Teach them, and gradually... Just like our organization not all of a sudden has become so big. I was... For more than one year I was simply loitering on the street of New York like a vagabond. Who was hearing me? Still, I am going once in a month to the ship company that "When your next ship is coming to go to India?" So the manager: "Swamiji, you are coming. When you are going away?" I said, "Yes, I have no business practically here. But still, I want to stay and see if things can be pushed." Therefore I am writing. Otherwise I am useless. I am simply loitering and seeing the Fifth Avenue and the... And within the subway station, after taking my lunch I used to go by bus here and there, in the subway, anywhere go, it stops. No shelter. I was cooking, myself, in a friend's house.
Prabhupāda: Restrict, that instead of myself, he has to restrict: "Do this way."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Including go to the court. This boy writes further. He says, "They claimed I was brainwashed by Śrīla Prabhupāda and the devotees, and they were here to get me to think for myself again. They kept me up for ten hours at a time for so-called deprogramming, just blaspheming Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa and telling lie after lie. Finally they let me go to sleep, and in the morning it was time for more blaspheming and lies. But by Kṛṣṇa's mercy I was able to escape out the front door of the house," he says, "which was unguarded. I ran down my block barefoot and was able to get to my friend's house. I told him the story. He gave me enough money to get to a nearby temple. There I served Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and had the association of my Godbrothers, who are most dear to me. There I spent the happiest time of my life as a devotee with the association of the Brajabāsīs. Being a devotee of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there's nothing like it-singing, dancing, taking prasādam, being happy and free from anxiety all the time. It is just a blissful life. All Kṛṣṇa wants is for us to be happy with Him. I called my parents and told them that I was doing fine and that I had even gained seven pounds in weight. They had the police looking for me all over the place in only a minute, and they finally showed up. Mahārāja felt it was best that I go back and clear things up with my parents and with their consent come back. But they refused to let me go, and instead put me through a one-month deprogramming session. This time I was unable to escape. But now Kṛṣṇa has pulled me through, even though I'm forced to live with my parents. They are nice people, but they just don't understand about transcendental life. But they will come around sooner or later. I cannot keep any Vedic literature at home, so a friend lets me keep it at his house, and I read it during my school lunchtime.
Prabhupāda: Where work is being...? In this building or the other building? (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what we were wondering. The guesthouse. The guests also like to rest after lunchtime. Well, anyway, even though the times have changed, you have, by spreading this movement, at least in all of our temples, it is at least one hundred years behind the times-peaceful. Everyone marks that in our temples it is very peaceful. People like it. I know when I joined I went to that temple and the thing I loved was that I felt it was very protective, that nothing could harm me when I was in the temple. (end)
Prabhupāda: Hm. (pause) That's all right. You can...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. We'll go and take our lunch now? Er, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Now you'll be taking mung water, so in about a couple of hours would you like to try some milk? Okay. So we'll take leave now, Śrīla Prabhupāda, take our meal. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) (reading:)
Prabhupāda: This time what they supply?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What they supplied? You mean prasādam? There was some... Of course, today is the day after Ekādaśī, so they had some cereal made with gur and some guava fruit salad with guavas and bananas. That was all this morning. Lunch is usually substantial, very good. It's the best prasādam that we have had in many years in India here. This boy, Ayodhyā-pati, he's doing very nicely. He cooks usually... Do you want to know what he cooks for lunch? He cooks a ālu sabji with dahi sauce, and he makes bindi, very nicely spiced, and ḍāl, ruṭis, rice, apple chutney, and dahi, raita. Every day.
Prabhupāda: Who assists him?
Prabhupāda: Everyone liked?
Devotee: I liked it.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everybody likes the lunch?
Devotees: Yes, oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are the perfect father, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You provide everything for us-place to live, food to eat, everything. And you've trained us up with spiritual knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Chant. All together. (Tamāla starts, all chant together) (break)
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Rāmeśvara: Every evening they get about eighty to one hundred people for dinner at the restaurant, and they're just starting the lunch shift. When I was there the president of the largest bank was coming for dinner, and other important people in the country of Iran were coming.
Prabhupāda: Vegetarian dinner.
Jayatīrtha: And they're all Muslims.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you have the right man there, Śrīla Prabhupāda-Ātreya Ṛṣi.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he is very able.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: You also said.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I personally feel that the prasādam here at lunchtime is some of the nicest prasādam I have eaten ever. Every day it's consistently very nice, served very nicely, and sufficient quantity.
Prabhupāda: So kindly maintain this standard. That is very important item. I am not eating, but I am hearing (laughter) and getting the appetite.
Devotees: Jaya.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I haven't gone yet. I was in the conference for a little while. The scientists took prasādam at about 11:30. The conference was supposed to start at ten, but it didn't start till about nearly noon. And at the same time, Bhagatji has apparently arranged a program of prasādam and kīrtana at his house, and it was to be the same time when ordinarily the conference would have halted for lunch. So as the conference began two hours late, now that has upset things a little. Not very much. I was in the conference for a while and all the guests are there, scientists are there. Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu is giving a lecture. There weren't very many GBC or sannyāsīs there, but I think it was on account of the fact that the conference started so late today. There is another conference this afternoon, as far as I know. And then two more tomorrow and again the next day, and I'm pretty sure everybody will be attending. I found it very interesting. The only reason I left was that I wanted to know whether I should attend Bhagatji's lunch or not. He invited everyone and made big arrangement. But I'm your secretary, so I don't want to go unless it's proper to go.
Prabhupāda: How you have accepted invitation today?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The time it was fixed for was the lunch time of the conference. Another reason Bhagatji wanted to have it was that he just wanted to have it while everyone was here. But the main thing is that the lunch was supposed to coincide with the lunchtime of the conference. That's the main point. In other words, there was no conflict of the two.
Prabhupāda: Why did you not go there?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the scientists did not come on time. They did not come on time. They came late. The conference was to begin at ten, but it began at noon. I mean I don't think it's... The main point is that the devotees will start to attend probably the afternoon session, because it will be on a more regular schedule again. This was just a very irregular... Even the scientists... There was only thirty of them in the conference, because although more than that have arrived, they haven't yet settled into their quarters. This first... The first lecture is a little like that. Everybody's getting settled in.
Prabhupāda: I do not know what to say.
Bhāgavata: We fed them nice prasādam also yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, three meals a day. They get breakfast in the morning, they get some kacuri and some hot jilabi and some ālu sabji and hot milk for breakfast, nāstā. Then in the afternoon for lunch they get two sabjis, they get rice, they get ḍāl, they get cāpāṭis, and two sweets, peṛā and bundi lāḍu. And then in the evening again they get some sabji and ruṭi, samosā, like that.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. We had nice prasādam.
Bhāgavata: And everyone is very pleased and satisfied with the prasādam. (break)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think about forty. Forty people. Today it will come more. Then Dr. Khorana is coming tomorrow. He's a medical doctor. He's bringing several of his friends. He's also our life member.
Abhirāma: His son is a devotee. Śrīla Prabhupāda knows him, Navīna Kṛṣṇa.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Navīna Kṛṣṇa. He's in Detroit. After the conference, I'm going to have a debate in Delhi, round-table conference with Dr. Kotari, D. S. Kotari and his group.
Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.
Bhavānanda: Taking glucose in juice.
Upendra: We have lunch ready. Getting ready.
Dr. Ghosh: Glucose in water.
Bhavānanda: He's been taking glucose in fruit juices. He hasn't taken today very much.
Dr. Ghosh: Every hour, a sip, sip. If he can't take at one time, let just him sip every half an hour a teaspoon. Otherwise it is very low.
Prabhupāda: Teaspoonful I can take. Teaspoon I can take.
Dr. Ghosh: Teaspoon, yes.
Bhavānanda: Every half an hour.
Prabhupāda: After eating.
Dr. Gopal: Yes, after eating. So you just eat. Not very frequently. Little amount after every hour or every one and half hour, two hour, small quantities. Frequently small quantities. Not like this—only morning, have breakfast, lunch and the... Not four times. You can give eight times, ten times, twelve times. But only little bit. That much only, the amount he can digest easily. It should not come out. And a little of water, either plain water or with the electro powder, you can do.
Bhavānanda: That electro powder will reduce the nausea?
Dr. Gopal: No.
Bhavānanda: Will reduce it?
Brahmānanda: Who is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bharadvāja and Haṁsadūta.
Pradyumna: Haṁsadūta was here at lunchtime.
Upendra: Bharadvāja came also. He was here most of the morning.
Brahmānanda: You were resting at that time.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They sang for nearly two or three hours.
Śatadhanya: And he said that as soon as you wake up, then he will come.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think anyone is avoiding, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I was just thinking that that doctor, it seems, doesn't know very well.
Prabhupāda: Then?
Bhavānanda: Also you said he took twelve spoons of khicuṛi and loki?
Bhakti-caru: Yes. You took some lunch today, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You took morning and lunch.
Prabhupāda: That is very little.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But compared to other days, you took as much or more. Well, then we can postpone and we can put ourselves under the care of this other kavirāja who came the other day.
Prabhupāda: Who came?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember the kavirāja from the Raṅgajī temple? The assistant that this man was going to bring. So now we can be put under his care and take our chances. 'Cause that's what staying here means.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Regarding your reminder for my good cooking, I am very much thankful to you and next time when I shall go to your home, I must serve you with good lunches without fail. Now I am far away from you otherwise I would have at once gone to you and entertained you with such lunches. I am anxious to learn about the health of you all specially of your little children. How is your naughty daughter Kamla. Please offer them my love and blessings and so also accept both of you. Please write to me occasionally and as Gopala is not accustomed to reply promptly I shall henceforward write to you. Did you meet your good father and mother in the meantime? If you meet them please offer them my respectful regards. Both your father and mother are good souls and therefore you are a good daughter of your parents.
1967 Correspondence
Therefore she took advantage of my old age weakness and gave me a death dash. But Krishna saved me; therefore we should thank more Krishna than eulogize maya. So far my present health is concerned I think I am improving; at least I am taking my lunch better than in N.Y. So as soon as I am a little fit to return to the field of battle I shall again be in your midst.
Regarding your question about Lord Caitanya's thinking himself lower than the grass, it should be understood spiritually. The dimension of the spirit soul is 1/10,000 part of the hair tip; so the spirit soul is certainly smaller than the grass. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching us as a teacher, so he represented himself as an ordinary living entity; but as the Supreme Brahman he is greater than anything.
1968 Correspondence
And Yamuna Acarya says that whenever I think of sex, I spit on it. This is the state of Krishna Consciousness. The more you forget about nonsense material enjoyment, you must know you are advancing in Krishna Consciousness. You haven't got to ask anybody how you are making progress, you will realize yourself by this test. Just like a person taking lunch, he will feel satisfied of hunger and strength, himself. Similarly, the more you serve Krishna, you will forget material hankerings and get spiritual strength. This is the test.
The first aratrik ceremony is performed as you have seen in Vrindaban, at Radha Damodara Temple, early in the morning, before sunrise, at least one and a half hour before sunrise. The second aratrik is performed at about 8:00 in the morning, after dressing and decorating the Deity with flowers. The third aratrik is performed after offering the luncheon to the Deity. And then the fourth aratrik is performed in the evening. And the fifth aratrik is performed when the Lord goes to bed. So you have got practical experience, you have seen how they are doing in Radha Damodara Temple, and gradually, as far as possible, you can introduce them. Jagannatha Swami is very kind to the fallen souls, because He is the Lord of the Universe, and all the living creatures are His subjects, therefore, Jagannatha Swami will bless you with all the required intelligence, how to satisfy Him.
The story is like this: Caitanya Mahaprabhu after taking His lunch would rest for a while and Govinda was daily massaging His feet. So one day Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell asleep very soon and keeping His head on the threshold. So while He was sleeping, Govinda came crossing the body of Caitanya and massaged His Feet. But he was sitting there, so when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was awake He saw that Govinda was sitting there although it was too late. So He inquired, "Govinda, you have not taken your Prasadam, you are sitting here?" So he replied, "Yes, I shall go now to take Prasadam." Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, "Why so late?" He replied, "I could not go on the other side because You were lying on the threshold."
Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "How did you come in?" He flatly replied, "By crossing You." Then He inquired, "Why did you not go out by crossing Me?" Govinda said, "That I cannot do. I came crossing You inside the room for Your service, but I cannot go out crossing You for taking my lunch. That would be for my sense gratification." The idea is for service of the superior sometimes such violation appears to be in the scene. Ramanujacarya violated the order of the Spiritual Master to advance the cause of the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master's mission was to deliver fallen souls, therefore Ramanujacarya considered that if the mantra was so powerful to deliver the persons, why not deliver it to everyone as soon as possible. That was a little tactic to advance the cause of the Spiritual Master. So everything has to be judged by the motive, and as the motive of such apparent violation was very good, Ramanuja's Spiritual Master embraced him. This is not actually violating the order of the Spiritual Master.
A disciple should not do anything without asking first his Spiritual Master. It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam that a brahmacari should beg and collect things and then deliver them to his Spiritual Master, and when the Spiritual Master will ask him to come and take prasadam he will do so. If one day the Spiritual Master forgets to call a brahmacari to participate in the lunch, he should rather fast that day than take food out of his own accord. Of course I do not mean to impose upon you such strictures, but the purport is that a brahmacari should not do anything without being directed by the Spiritual Master. I know that you are sincere devotee and a faithful brahmacari, but still you should not do anything without consenting me. If Vamanadeva gave such unauthorized counsel, he did not do right.
1969 Correspondence
I have received one enquiry from __ __ ___ letter and copy of my reply and endorsed herewith. Please do the needful. ACB
I have received the Mango pulp dry for which thank you. Please send it at regular interval because I eat it daily with my lunch.
Requirements are as follows: They should attend class in the mornings from 7 to 8 a.m., then during lunch hold kirtana, then from 12 to 4 sankirtana party, evening arati, and MWF evening classes.
Q. 9. July 1966;/?. Registration of the society in New York under the religious act of the state and the copy was submitted to your officer who came to inquire in Los Angeles, and here is the copy of the letter wherein it is admitted that the certificate of incorporation is seen by Mr. R. E. Davis, LTC, AGC, Assistant Area Coordinator.
Your last consignment of sandesh was very very nice. Keep this standard and try to make it whiter than this. I had a good taste of them at today's lunch. Thank you.
As you know that my mission is to spread Krishna Consciousness in the Western part of the World, I wish to establish one permanent Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in London. In this connection I beg to invite you in a meeting as follows for the purpose. Please join and encourage me.
Meeting on Monday the 27th day of October 1969 at 7:30 P.M.
Place: English speaking union Main Luncheon Room. 37 Charles Street West 1 near Berkeley Sq.
1970 Correspondence
I heard from Tamala that you have sent further $1,500, but they have not received as yet. I hope by this time you have already sent this check.
I have invited some of the directors of Dai Nippon to take lunch with me today and I may inquire if they have received further money. The bill is already for $32,000 for the books which I have ordered to be printed and over and above this if the amount for KRSNA II and Hindi BTG is added the amount will come to somewhere about $53,000. So kindly go on sending weekly whatever collection you make for the Book Fund.
I am very sorry to learn that your health is deteriorating due to passing of sugar. The best medicine is to starve. I had one very influential doctor friend, the Chief Medical Officer of Vienna. When I was taking lunch with him sometimes in the year of 1955 he was suffering from diabetes and he told me that it is a disease for voracious eating and T.B. is a disease for undereating. If you kindly find some time and see me at your convenience that will be a great pleasure.
You have reminded me of the Janmastami Day and it was pompously observed at our New Vrndavana. We were expecting some guests from India; unfortunately nobody came.
1972 Correspondence
So I am very glad that you are taking your business very seriously and you may consult always with Satsvarupa in all matters of management and policy, and if he cannot answer to your satisfaction, you may also ask me something. For children it is a long time between 8:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., therefore they are naturally hungry long before the lunch time. If it is convenient you may add another period for light prasadam between those times. The children should e allowed to eat as much as they like, therefore if children are complaining from hunger we must feed them. On the second point, if someone is coming to our school for the first time, still, they must eat what we are eating, namely Krsna prasadam. Yes, everything should be prepared for the pleasure of the Lord, without any other consideration. Our policy is that the children should be so trained that they will enjoy performing austerities, it is not that we shall spoil them at young age by indulging them in sense gratification.
1975 Correspondence
I have heard from Gopinatha Mahesawari that you came here to see me, but that due to the Governor's coming there was some confusion and you were not able to see me. I am extremely sorry for this. I wish to invite you to come and take lunch with me on the 26th of April at about 11:00 AM if it is convenient for you. I will be awaiting your arrival.
I had sent you one letter of invitation which I think did not as of yet reach you. Gopinatha Mahesawari spoke to you on the phone and told me that you will be coming here on the 30th of April. He gave me a more complete address and now I am hoping that this note will reach you in time. I will be awaiting your arrival on the 30th for luncheon with your family also at about 11:00 AM. I hope that will be convenient for you.
1976 Correspondence
I am very sorry to learn that His Holiness Hirji Baba has recently disappeared from this material world. Last time when I was in Nairobi, I had some talks with him when we were preparing to take lunch at the house of Damji Devji. That was our last talk. So it is a great shock that he is not visible to our eyes. But as we know, the living being does not die. It is said about the saintly persons: moro va jivo va which means that the saintly person devoted to the lotus feet of the Lord is always glorious, either physically present or not present. So I wish that the devotees who took shelter of this saintly person continue to progress in spiritual life. May Krishna bless all of you in spiritual life.
| Page Title: | Lunch (Lect., Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 28 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=16, Con=66, Let=17 |
| No. of Quotes: | 99 |