Mistake (Conv. 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"mistake" |"mistaker" |"mistakes" |"mistaking"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: mistake or mistaker or mistakes or mistaking not commit*

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

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

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Experienced.

Prabhupāda: Automatically. (sic:) Parāsya bhaktir vividhaiva śruyate svabhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Svabhāva..., you can.... Just like if you ask me how to do something, if I say, "Yes, you do like this," svabhāvikī. I have got by nature knowledge how to do it perfectly. That is going on. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa is dictating that "You do like this." So, you see, everything is coming perfect. From the nim seed a nim tree will come. It is so nicely made by Kṛṣṇa-bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10)—that it will come nim tree, not mango tree. The chemicals are so combined. You do not know what is there, a small seed, baṭa vṛkṣa. And a huge banyan tree will come out, not other tree. That is knowledge. He has given the whole, I mean to say, operation in a small seed. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. There is no mistake. You simply take it and cultivate. You'll get the result.

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1976, Nellore:

Indian man: That I told him. For that he began to say, "No, no, you read my literature. You'll be.... We don't have any envy." I took that also with me, and he gave me.... Next time, when I went, after reading, I said, "How many mistakes are there? Not even a single dot is mistake in other literature, and still you say this literature? And what is new therein? Nothing new."

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand that whatever it may be, what is the mentality of these rascals, that "The good things do not come to your notice." If something is bad, "Oh, here is..." You see. Pāmarāḥ doṣam icchanti guṇam icchanti paṇḍitāḥ. Saj-janā guṇam icchanti doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. That means they are not even a Vaiṣṇava. You see? Vaiṣṇava means paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Even one has got some fault, a Vaiṣṇava does not see that. He takes the good qualities. But they are not even Vaiṣṇava. Yes. Doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. The mission of Gau..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is being preaching all over the.... That does not come to their.... Some Japanese paper has written something—it has come immediately. Doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. That fool, that he's a.... Here is a pāmara, and he's a lowest of the mankind. You can say that "Why this thing has come prominent to your eyes and not the other thing?"

Room Conversation -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Harikeśa: He just wanted to know if someone was allowed to come for darśana.

Prabhupāda: Yes, let them come. This time, five to seven? (conchshell sounds) (Bengali) (break) Śrīmad-bhāgavata-dharma is for the person who is not jealous. Paramo nirmatśarāṇāṁ (SB 1.1.2). This very word is used in the beginning, that "This bhāgavata-dharma is meant for persons who is not jealous." Otherwise the material, whole world is full of jealousy. Even during the time of Kṛṣṇa there was Paundra, out of jealousy. And there were so many. Beginning from Kṛṣṇa's birth the asuras were jealous—"How to kill Kṛṣṇa." This is the whole mat.... Even in the higher planetary system the jealousy is there, asuras and the devas, devasura. So our business is, as instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. This jealousy will go on. Therefore one has to learn how to tolerate jealousy. Kīrtaniyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). If one wants to push on this saṅkīrtana movement.... Prabhupāda.... We are insignificant creature. So many persons. You cannot avoid it. The best way is to learn how to tolerate. That is very nice. Otherwise Caitanya Mahāprabhu not have said, taror api sahiṣṇunā. That is the best. So we are not like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, neither like Prabhupāda, and we shall have to learn to tolerate. (Bengali) It is clearly written in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that kṛṣṇa śakti vinā nāhe kṛṣṇa nāma pracāraṇa. Even they have no common sense, what can be done? No, no, this formula, that this is something new in the history of the world, and still they are jealous, what is this? They are finding fault. In Vṛndāvana, Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, you know? He comes to me. He says, "So many people are jealous upon you." I say that first of all you create something like me. Then you become jealous. (Bengali) First of all let them become like me. Then.... (Bengali) The superior, he will dictate. And yei, equal, they will live like friends. And those who are junior, they should follow and obey. This is the Vaiṣṇava niyama. So those who are neither equal nor higher, how they can dictate? That is their mistake.

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Bhavānanda: Going up this way. I'm not exactly sure how the engineering works. Jayapatāka designed it.

Prabhupāda: It has been a mistake. The staircase should have been from this, within this.... Why it has not done, that? What is this nonsense, a ladder? (break) ...going to.... Yes.

Indian man: One person, he is coming today.

Prabhupāda: One person?

Indian man: From Krishnanagar he came yesterday and....

Prabhupāda: No, no, his rate is higher. Why should you engage him?

Indian man: So the other is coming on Monday or Tuesday.

Bhavānanda: From Calcutta.

Indian man: He is bringing a same person.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that's all right. But why should we pay him more, the Krishnanagar. He wants that one...

Bhavānanda: Three.

Prabhupāda: One rupee, eight annas, three. Why should I pay? Then? If he..., you pay him three rupees, then they will also charge more.

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

Śāstrījī: Śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam. Brahma-saukhya, ananta-brahma-saukhya. (break) (sings Bengali verses)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Don't manufacture knowledge. Take knowledge from Bhagavān. And that is our business. (Bengali) Don't order Bhagavān. Just follow Bhagavān. That is wanted. (Bengali) Don't write concocted poetries. That is not beneficial. Simply follow. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That is your business, not to give upadeśa to Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, do this." Nāciye nāciye āile gopāla: "My dear Gopāla, please come to me, nāciye, dancing." And the Gopāla is father's servant. Ordering, "Gopāla, come," nāciye nāciye, "my sense gratification." It is all nonsense. Why should you ask Gopāla to come to you? (Bengali) You cannot order. You must follow. (Bengali) ...to carry out the order of God, not to order God to carry out my order. That is mistake.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Devotee (1): ...ignorance, ignorance.

Prabhupāda: No, those who are inclined, they can become. Jnanam vijñānam āstikyam.

Devotee (1): Brahma karma...

Prabhupāda: So (Hindi or Bengali) śūdra-paricaryātmākaṁ kāryam. They should be engaged in serving. But sva-karmana tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). Everyone should be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is perfection.

Devotee (1): Abhyāse samārtho 'si mat-karma-paramo bhava. So...

Prabhupāda: Ah. Mat karma paramo... We have got service for everyone. (Bengali) The modern civilization is everyone is sent for academic education. That is mistake, waste of time.

Devotee (1): (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (end)

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Trivikrama: The so-called leaders, maybe they are imperfect, but the real leader, He is perfect.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is test of.

Madhudviṣa: They will say, "He is also makes mistakes."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is that mistake?

Prabhupāda: No, there is no mistake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have not seen any mistakes.

Gurudāsa: Where is the mistake?

Prabhupāda: There is no mistake.

Gurudāsa: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would you define...

Prabhupāda: If you think your leader is mistaken, then you are mistaken. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: If you think your leader is mistaken, then you are mistaken. (laughter)

Mahendra: Like a mirror. You see a mistake but it's yourself.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: The leader of mistake-therefore immediately gives evidence from śāstra. What is the use of quoting from the śāstra? "Just to prove that I am not mistaken, here is the proof."

Madhudviṣa: They would say that there is a way of life which is perfect, but all men are imperfect. There is a way of life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore they... Because you are imperfect, therefore you have to accept the leadership of a perfect person.

Madhudviṣa: They will say no one is perfect.

Prabhupāda: No, that is the... That is your ignorance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have never seen...

Prabhupāda: Now, just like blind man says, "Nobody is with eyes. Because I am blind, so everyone is blind." Ātmavat manyate jagat. That is the way.

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

Prabhupāda: But for us there is nothing material. We have no such vision as "material" and "spiritual." Material means when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right. That is material. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor; He is the enjoyer. So, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything Kṛṣṇa's. So when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right on everything, that is material. Otherwise there is nothing material; everything spiritual. Everything is generated by Kṛṣṇa's energies, and there are two energies, material energy and spiritual energy. So in the material energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is less or nil. And in spiritual energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prominent and very acute. I think I give this example somewhere. Just like this nail, and just little below, there is skin. Both of them are my body, but in the skin there is sensation; in the nail there is no sensation. But both of them are coming from the same source, the body. Similarly, everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. Everything is Bhagavān but appears like different to the different vision. Therefore we take everything.... kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything..., in everything there is Kṛṣṇa's relationship. So there is no question of giving it up. Why shall I give it up? This is Kṛṣṇa's property. Why shall I give it up, prāpañcikatayā buddhyā, by mistaking it as material? Kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. So these Māyāvādīs, they say the brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This material world is false, and Brahman is reality." And we don't say that. Everything is reality because it comes from reality. When it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, that is unreality. It is not properly being used. Otherwise there is no such thing as unreality, because it is coming from reality. So why shall I give it up, tyāga? Neither tyāga, neither bhoga. Everything utilize for Kṛṣṇa. This is our way. Any question on this regard? I saw your wife also. She is here.

Morning Walk -- March 22, 1976, Mayapura:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So is the principle to first prove that they are insane and then afterwards that we're sane, or first to prove that we're sane and then...

Prabhupāda: Our proof is that we are following the sane man's instruction, or sane being, the Supreme Being. There cannot be any mistake. Therefore, we are sane.

Devotee: They say they are also following.

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore, why they are changing? We don't change, millions of years. What Kṛṣṇa said, we are following the same. But they change every year.

Pañcadraviḍa: That Vairagi Bhava, he showed up in Hong Kong, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Pañcadraviḍa: You know that person who gives us the mandir in Vrndavana and... What's his name? We stay at that Fogal Ashram every year? Vairagi Bhava?

Prabhupāda: Vairagi Bhava.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Devotee (1): Yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, four or five people stopped me while I was in a bus during the day, and they would stop me and look at me with tilaka and etcetera, and say, "Why have you given up your Western life and taken to this life?" (Prabhupāda laughs) They were amazed. And then I had a Bhāgavatam, and I'd show them your picture, and I'd show them the Bhāgavatam and say, "Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59), a higher taste." And then they would appreciate. They would.... They were so impressed by your Bhāgavatam. They looked at your picture, and they'd go, "Yes, yes, you are right."

Prabhupāda: Yes, in my Preface I have written that: "What is the necessity of the human society?" This is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is required. It is a mistake to understand that we are trying to push on Hindu culture. Where is the Hindu culture? To become a gentleman is Hindu culture? It is for everyone.

Jayādvaita: They think that their paraphernalia makes them gentlemen. If they have a big car and a nice house then they are gentleman.

Prabhupāda: And he may be great rogue, that "Simply dress yourself nicely; you become gentleman."

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Bhakti means when you engage all your senses in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa. That is bhakti. But that we cannot. We say, "Oh, I have got this duty, I have got that duty," not cent percent engaged.

Dr. Patel: Ananya-bhakti.

Prabhupāda: Ananya, that is wanted. When cent percent engaged, that is ananya. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. If one takes to that position, ananya-bhāk, then even there is some mistake, even there is some fault, still, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30)—he becomes sādhu, immediately. (break)

Dr. Patel: ...for God, for Kṛṣṇa, is bhakti.

Prabhupāda: Yes, under the superior direction, not whimsically.

Dr. Patel: No.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Whimsical, you cannot do anything.

Dr. Patel: After complete surrender of the buddhi and mind...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: When he admits that he's a go-khara, he's not go-khara.

Dr. Patel: He's not go-khara.

Prabhupāda: He's no more go-khara.

Dr. Patel: Really? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Because go-kharas, they cannot understand their mistake. And as soon as one admits that he's mistaken, then he's human being.

Dr. Patel: But this ātma-dhī in this kuṇape tri-dhātuke is very difficult to knock off and establish it in...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Dr. Patel: This ātma-dhī and kuṇape tri-dhātuke is very difficult to take out, extremely difficult.

Prabhupāda: No, if you analyze, you can take it.

Dr. Patel: That is done by Sāṅkhya philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Dr. Patel: You have to analyze, sir, with Sāṅkhya philosophy, by jñāna-mārga, that you are not this body.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you analyze. Just like you take breathing. Breathing is taken as the life, breathing. When the breathing is stopped, then there is no life. So analyze this breathing. What is this breathing? It is air. So when breathing is stopped, then you can take air. There are so many persons here. And by some machine you can put within the heart or somewhere. Let the air go on passing. But that is not possible. Therefore immediately the air is rejected. Then take the bone, the muscle. Everything will be rejected. There is no life. So this is analytical study. And then what remains? That soul. Very common thing.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:

Guru-kṛpā: We are expert cheaters also. That's how we get the money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are big cheaters. You don't cheat two rupees, three rupees. Two millions. (laughs) That is accusation, Alexander and the thief. The thief accused Alexander the Great that "What is the difference between you and me? I am a small thief; you are a big thief. That's all. Why you are punishing me? You are a big thief. You are doing same thing." Then he was let loose. "Yes, what is difference? (laughs) I am a big thief." (break) ...means Alexander the Great, actually he was great. Otherwise he is the emperor, and ordinary thief is accusing him and he said, "Yes, I am thief." He admitted. That is greatness. That is greatness. If he was not great, then he would have hanged him or punished him: "Oh, you are so.... You are accusing me?" But no, he accepted. That is greatness. Mistake is one fault, but to accept that "I have done mistake," that is greatness.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You mentioned that on the beach in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That when a man admits that he is a mūḍha, he is no more a mūḍha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he has understood that "What I am doing? I am mūḍha."

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, similarly, if somehow or other one can sell one book to a person it is good for him. Don't take how he is selling, but he's giving the book to that person and he's paying something and that is good. But big moralist, they cannot understand. They'll see, "Why the father has spoken lie to his son. He's not a good father." They'll mistake. Father is always friend. Father cannot be enemy. But for the benefit of the rascal child sometimes he has to say like that. That "If you take the medicine I'll give you cake." So those who are mundane moralist, they cannot understand this thing, because they are mundane platform. The another example is that Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. He was asked by Kṛṣṇa that "You speak lie to Dronācārya that 'Your son is dead.' " Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja refused. For this he had to see hell. He was more moralist than Kṛṣṇa. For this moral activity he had to visit hell. This philosophy cannot be understood by neophyte devotees. Our purpose is why we are pushing so much this sales of books. Because our missionary activities will be very widely known. That we want. Somehow or other let him purchase a book. That is our mission. There is no question of transgressing moral principles. Arjuna. Arjuna was arguing with Kṛṣṇa that this killing of my relatives, it is horrible, abominable. Better I beg and maintain myself than I kill my relatives and become a king. Did he not say? That is ordinary man's argument. But as Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja refused to speak lie, (break) Arjuna in spite of his conviction that it is sinful to kill my relatives, he still agreed to kill. Why?

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1976, Honolulu:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In other words, they are theorizing that "Death is a very peaceful state of sleeping. Why are we protesting so much"?

Prabhupāda: But that is not sleeping. After sleeping you have to awake, and you have to bark like dog, "Give me food. Gow! Gow! Gow!" You are not going to sleep after death. You are awakening like a dog, and bark and disturb others. That is your mistake, that you are sleeping forever. No sleeping. You have to wake up again.

Rādhāvallabha: (break) ...told me that he was.... He said that spirit and matter are the same. So I grabbed him and threatened to punch him in the nose. He said, "No, no, that is different."

Devotee (1): (break) So if we have to wake again, then there's no really.... Why should we have to stop birth and death?

Prabhupāda: So you have no experience? Do you sleep perpetually, whole day and night? Why do you wake up? Is it not your experience that you sleep at night and wake up at daytime?

Morning Walk -- May 26, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...there's no such thing. "I believe." Immediately.... What Kṛṣṇa says, that's true. That is our movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What I believe? I'm a nonsense. I am.... I have got four defects in my life: illusion, mistake, cheating, insufficiency. What is the meaning of my belief? A cheater saying, "I believe," I have to accept if I know that he's a cheat? (break) ...the public, by misleading them they have gone to moon.

Devotee: (tape static-inaudible)

Prabhupāda: (inaudible) ...some tickets for going to moon. What they are doing with the tickets? You know that Pan American sold tickets for going to moon? You do not know? (laughs) They sold tickets, because in your country, you have got lot of money, any kind of cheating can draw money. (laughs)

Devotee (6): They're selling tickets to go to the moon?

Prabhupāda: Not now. They sold in the beginning. They're so hopeful now that "We shall go to the moon." Some family (inaudible) "Oh, scientific advancement. Yes, they go to the moon. So I have got money. Why not purchase a ticket so I can go to the moon?" There are many persons in your country who can very easily pay $50,000 for purchasing tickets for going to the moon planet.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That is another tradition. First of all, as soon as you feel necessity, the object is there.

Devotee (4): They say that necessity should not be God, but that it should be transferred to man.

Prabhupāda: I am not talking of God. I say as soon as you feel necessity, the object is there.

Devotee (5): That necessity is our mistake. That is our insecurity.

Prabhupāda: So.... (break) ...that is mistake, then you are rascal, that's all. Mistake is committed by rascal. So you are rascal. If you commit mistake then you are rascal. Then don't talk, stop talking. (everyone laughs) Who is going to hear a rascal? (indistinct) (break) ...he is hungry, there is no necessity of food? Who's that rascal that says "No, there is no necessity of food"? He's feeling hungry, he wants to eat something, and if he says "No, there is no necessity of food," then is he not rascal? And if you say "Now we are feeling the necessity of food, but that is my mistake," is that answer?

Devotee (1): They're feeling that some people have the necessity for God, but actually...

Prabhupāda: Why? That is the question. Why some people have? That means some people intelligent, some people rascals. That's all. This is wrong.

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

Dr. Wolfe: Yes, she lives here. She has worked in a clinic for many years, and exclusively with dying people.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that.... One has to come to this conclusion undoubtedly. And that is education. Her education is now complete, that he (she) has understood, he (she) is trying to explain scientifically that there is life after death. That is complete education. So everyone should try by his education to establish what is already said in the śāstras. That is a fact. When Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), one gets another body, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre... (BG 2.20). Kṛṣṇa says there cannot be any mistake. So if scientist, philosopher, establishes the statement of Kṛṣṇa by their scientific knowledge, that is real perfect scientific knowledge. And if he wants to defy the statement of Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. That is not possible. But he's vainlessly trying to do that. But if one by scientific knowledge establishes what Kṛṣṇa says, that is perfection.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā

sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ

avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito

yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam

(SB 1.5.22)

That is required. We are publishing one book, Dialectic Spiritualism: Vedic Views of Western Philosophy. We are just going to publish one book, Dialectic Spiritualism. Marx's theory is dialectic materialism (laughs). We are going to establish dialectic spiritualism.

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

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

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Then, that is not possible. (laughter)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They'll not last.

Devotee (1): But Śrīla Prabhupāda, they mistake us. When we go up and approach them with our books, they think, "Oh, you are this rascal." They know he's a cheater. And it's causing a lot of difficulty with our distribution. I was just wondering what we can do about it.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hari-śauri: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Satsvarūpa: This Moon group?

Devotee: Moon, yes. Interfering with some...

Mādhavānanda: Preaching is never easy.

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda said on one tape that.... Somebody said it was difficulty. He said, "When there's fighting, you can't expect it to be easy." (break)

Makhanlāl: There are many different levels of pure devotional service?

Prabhupāda: Pure devotional service is one. So long you are not on the pure platform, there are many.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: How many scientists?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are also fallible, they can also make mistakes. "Experts Misled: For instance, investigators in universities in the West were known to be misled by tricksters who claimed para-psychological powers." Like ESP.

Prabhupāda: They invent some big, big words (laughter). Aparkalasvena-vargolas-double-wakundali-gondolais (gibberish). (laughter)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "One of them was Uri Geller, an ordinary street magician who succeeded in hoodwinking two scientists of the Stanford Research Institute. He claimed that he was able to perform miracles with psychic powers obtained from a computerized brain thirteen million light years away in space." Very far away in space there's a computerized brain that he's using.

Hari-śauri: This guy, Uri Geller, he had a stage show. He would get one iron bar and stare at it, and the iron bar would bend, like this. And he could bend, he could put a spoon in the open palm of his hand, and it would bend. Things like this he was doing, and he became very famous overnight.

Prabhupāda: By bending iron.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter)

Scheverman: That's rather high on the ladder, I'd say, Your Excellency. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: These mistakes are going on.

avyapare suvyaparam

yo naraḥ kartum vichati

sa mula hantate khila

parthiva vanara vartuna (?)

One man's food is another man's poison. So one should not misplace what he's unable to do.

Scheverman: Many of these expressions that you are reading sound very similar to what we call the "Wisdom Literature" of the Old Testament of our Bible, of Syrac and Ecclesiastics and Ecclesiasticus, and also, of course, some of the sayings of Jesus are very close to what you're saying here. Jesus said "Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these other things will be added besides." That's the first-class man, who's constantly working toward the kingdom. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek" and so on.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. If there is a first class, set a first-class man on the head of the society, then everything will be done properly.

Interview with Kathy Kerr Reporter from The Star -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Material. When you were on the lap of your mother the body was so small. Now you are a young girl and you are.... So where is that small body? That means you have changed bodies. But your mother knows that you are the same, "My child." Because you have grown up or you have changed your body, your mother will not cry "Where is my child?" She knows that "My child is there, but she has changed body." Why these people do not understand this plain truth? Suppose you have come in this dress; next moment you come in another dress. But if I know you I'll not mistake because you have changed your dress. Similarly, we are changing our dress from baby to child, child to boy, boy to young man, young man to middle-aged man, constantly changing, every moment. Medical science also says. The blood corpuscles are changed every moment. So we are changing our body every moment. But still we cannot understand that on account of change of body, the living force within the body does not change. Is there any difficulty to understand?

Kathy Kerr: No. Does that mean then that the basic, your basic self, your basic spirit then, is innocent basically? Like if it's the same spirit throughout your life from the moment you were born on, then it is innocent and you can, you can achieve fullness...

Prabhupāda: Now first of all, let us accept that the basic principle is the soul. Now whether he is innocent or evil, that we shall consider later on. First of all, the basic power is the spirit soul. First of all we have to understand that the spirit soul is there always, although we are changing bodies. This first principle has to be.... But they do not understand. This education is lacking.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Indian man (2): Swamiji, you think bhakti is the solution to the problem of the world today?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. That is your natural position. You are protected, and God is protector. That's a fact. You cannot live even for a moment without protection of God. That is your position. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Perhaps you have read it in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You have read Caitanya-caritāmṛta? Yes. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, He immediately gives the definition and position of the living entity: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. Sanātana Gosvāmī asked Him, "People glorify me that I am very learned scholar." Grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari' māni. You understand Bengali? Grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. "My these neighbors, they call me paṇḍita. And I accept, 'Yes, I am paṇḍita.' But I am such a paṇḍita," āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni, "I do not know what is my aim of life and what is good for me. I'm such a paṇḍita." Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu answered, 'ke āmi,' 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya' ihā nāhi jāni kemane hita haya. So mistake is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately pointed out, that "You are learned, of course, there is no doubt, but you are submitting yourself as others..." Now He said that "You have questioned that ke āmi, 'Who I am?' " So He said that "You are servant of God. That is your real identification." Then He begins teaching. So our position is servant of God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). One singular number and plural number, ceta, eternal. The singular number cetana is the maintainer, and the plural number cetana is the maintained. So our position is maintained. Just like father maintains the children. That is natural.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So the teachings are there, the process is there, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is practical demonstration of the teachings. That is detected by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). So we require kṛṣṇa-prema, love of God. So "You are so munificent that You are giving Kṛṣṇa-prema. Kṛṣṇāya, You are Kṛṣṇa, we understand that You are Kṛṣṇa. You are personally giving kṛṣṇa-prema."

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya also said like that.

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

(CC Madhya 6.254)

So Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to teach what is God and what is the relationship with God. And people still mistake. Therefore He comes as devotee, how to teach people how to approach Kṛṣṇa. These things are there. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, it is very difficult. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). And Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially appeared to give Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if we go through Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we understand Kṛṣṇa very quickly. And as soon as we understand Kṛṣṇa, we become liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9), the whole solution of all problems.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva Śrīdhara?

Prabhupāda: No, no. He was made chief. Guru Mahārāja did not make him chief. But after his passing away, some of our Godbrothers voted him chief.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Am I mis...? You had told me once, I'm not certain. Maybe I made a mistake. You said that Vāsudeva, it was known fact that he was homosex?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva.

Prabhupāda: He was homosex and sex, everything.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in this city.... I haven't been back in so many years to America. Things have become more degraded. I'm watching women and women walking arm around each other. And I asked, "What is this?" "Oh," he says "they are lesbians." Women together, girlfriends. They don't mix with men.

Prabhupāda: This is now very much prevalent in America.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: That they haven't got. Common.... He is trying to become Kṛṣṇa. Everything is rolling around. So this is the mistake. He's trying to become center, that foolish rascal. How he's center? Center is Kṛṣṇa.

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

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

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

aprāpya māṁ nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani

(BG 9.3)

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

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: So your answer is there. They think liberty means whatever he likes. That is a demoniac person(?). Now discuss this.

Devotee (1): There's one... You've quoted Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, and he describes a scholar. A scholar is a man who can see all women as his mother, and all living entities, he treats them equally, and other's property as trash. So today's civilization is mistaking a scholar for a rogue and a rogue for a scholar, and here Kṛṣṇa is explaining a godly man, the qualities of a scholar and gentleman, whereas today's civilization is upside down, backwards.

Prabhupāda: Therefore preaching is required.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They feel that godly qualities are a sign of weakness. And the demoniac qualities is a good sign.

Prabhupāda: Heroism. That is heroism.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yes, heroism. In this purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly describes our student life. As students, we were doing everything whimsically. Or we would accept bad things.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends from the beginning of student life, kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1), they should be trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends. Now from the very beginning of student life, because there is no education, he is trained up as demon. What can be done? So many things have to be reformed by pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These are Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, whatever is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that is within the jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to do all this. Water.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He said at the time of death, "I think I've made a mistake."

Prabhupāda: What he was?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He was one of the richest men in the world, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was owning all the..., like aircraft, they are making, the jet airplanes, and he was a movie star in his youth, and he had many beautiful women, fabulous wealth, he owned hotels all over the world, airplanes, airports, but...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At the end of his life he didn't even mix with women so much though. He became very despondent and depressed. He was like a hermit.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He was afraid of germs.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He became like a hermit. He withdrew into himself. No one knew very much about him; he was very mysterious so far as his life with the public was concerned. But towards the end of his life he didn't live a very elaborate life of sense gratification at all. No one knew much about him at all.

Hari-śauri: This description is perfect, actually, because most of his fortunes they calculate he amassed by many illegal methods, like paying off police and fixing so many things up. With his money, he was always able to buy government officials and like this and get so many contracts to further the development of his aircraft companies and this and that.

Prabhupāda: He has manufactured airplanes?

Hari-śauri: Yes, he had something to do with airplanes. And also he had a lot of land in Las Vegas, this gambling city. So many... He was involved in many mysterious maneuvers. It's open in the newspapers, they said that he got most of his money from illegal methods.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: In his old age he was very afraid of germs. He didn't want to catch any disease. So he would wear..., he would live in perfectly sealed rooms with all artificial air and light, so no germs could exist, and he would wear these...

Prabhupāda: He did not know that he's creating germs within his body.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: He did not know that he's creating germs within his body.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He could not avoid death.

Prabhupāda: If there was no germs, how he died? So at last he said?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He said something to the effect that "I don't know what this life was about. I think I've made a mistake." Just at the end.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it was mistake.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Everyone is envious of such persons, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They think that "Yes, he could not enjoy his wealth, but if I had that wealth I would enjoy it." But then if they get it, then they also fail.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Next, what is next?

Hari-śauri: Half past eight.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Should we take your leave now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, I have no objection to sit down here. If you want to stop, we can stop, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

Prabhupāda: "If you follow these principles, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on." His father may be meat-eater or gambler or drunkard, but he is agreeing, "All right, come on, this come. You are welcome." Then it will be all right. You cannot abolish the truthful class of men. There are... You'll find truthful men everywhere. So you have to pick up. So Kṛṣṇa says that, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā, guṇa-karma... You pick up the quality of men and put them in the brahminical class, and then next, kṣatriya class, then vaiśya class, then śūdra class. But you cannot abolish that system. That is a false attempt. Because more or less, there will be a class of men who are truthful. You cannot abolish. More or less, there will be a class of men who are sinful. So as soon as you want to pick up from a family, then it is mistake, miscalculated. That caste system should be abolished. But real classification... Not caste. It is classification. Intelligent class of men, or truthful class of men, the fighter class of men, that will continue all over the world. You cannot abolish it. Even if you abolish caste system in India, you cannot abolish the class of truthful men. That is not possible. In spite of so much degradation, a class of men will remain truthful, a class of men will remain sinful. More or less. You cannot abolish this. So this is false attempt. And this caste system is also false. It is not based on the right description of caste system.

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

Prabhupāda: I have got some opinion, I can say. But unless.... Just like a lawyer is he who follows the standard law. If a lawyer says that "I have manufactured my own laws," so who will hear him? And what will be the use of becoming lawyer? No. You have to follow the standard law. Then you are a lawyer. And a big lawyer means who knows the standard laws very well. Similarly, guru is Kṛṣṇa and guru is necessary. But one must surrender to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then he will be successful. So so far.... Now, one can say that Kṛṣṇa is not present. But Kṛṣṇa is not present, how you can say? Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there, Bhagavad-gītā. How you can say that.... Kṛṣṇa, absolute, means the Supreme Lord is not different from His words also. The words of Kṛṣṇa and the Kṛṣṇa, they are the same. That is Absolute Truth. In the relative world the words "water" and the substance water are different. If I am thirsty, if I simply chant "water, water, water," my thirst will not be satisfied. I require the real water. That is relative world. But in the spiritual world.... Just like we are chanting Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is different from Hare Kṛṣṇa, then how we are satisfied chanting whole day and night? This is the proof. The ordinary thing, if you chant, "Mr. John, Mr. John," after chanting three times you'll cease. But this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, if you go on chanting 24 hours, you'll never be tired. this is the spiritual Absolute Truth. That is practical. Anyone can perceive. So Kṛṣṇa's present by His words, by His representative. Why don't you take? You have to take guru. Why do you go to the pseudo guru who will mislead you? Why don't you take to the real guru? That is your mistake. Therefore you are now disappointed. Now you are in doubt whether guru is needed. Yes, guru is needed, but you go to the real guru. That is instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just find out this verse.

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

Prabhupāda: So that is not possible in this... Taking consideration of the time, circumstances, it is not possible. There are different kinds of karma-kāṇḍīya-yajña. It is expensive also and there is no expert brāhmaṇa to guide how to perform this yajña. So Kali-yuga, it is not possible to perform yajñas. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). In the Treta-yuga yajñas were possible. Dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt, that in this age of Kali-yuga the real yajña is hari-kīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Therefore those who are intelligent, having good brain substance, they take to this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. And practically we are experiencing, simply by saṅkīrtana-yajña, even the lowest person in the sinful activities, he is becoming purified. So karma-kāṇḍa is, to revive them in this age is not possible. Neither jñāna-kanda. That is also not possible. People are so fool and rascal that it is impossible. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said... He has condemned karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. Even it is properly done. Karma-kāṇḍa, by performing ritualistic ceremonies of karma-kāṇḍa, you can go to the heavenly planet. But what is the benefit there? You can enjoy there materialistic way of life in higher standard. That's all. You can live for a very, very long duration of period. But that does not mean that you become immortal. The demigods, they are called amara. Amara means they have got very long duration of life. Does not mean he is immortal. So by karma-kāṇḍa you can elevate yourself to the higher planetary system. Even it is properly done... And now it is not possible to do it properly. And even it is properly done, that is condemned. It is not required. Similarly jñāna-kāṇḍa. Even it is properly done... You can merge yourself into the Brahman effulgence. But that is also not safe because in the śāstra we see that arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Even one merges oneself into the impersonal Brahman, he again falls down. Patanty adhaḥ. We have seen practical, in India many sannyāsīs, they elevate themselves by jñāna-kāṇḍa, but because they cannot stay, they again come to the karma-kāṇḍa, philanthropy activities and hospitals and schools. That is their fall down. So either in karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa you cannot achieve the real purpose of life. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali visera bandha. Either you accept karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kanda, they're different pots of poison. Amṛta boliya jeba khai. If by mistake you take poison, death is inevitable.

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

Vṛṣākapi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Not outside. Not like England, they have to import from... This is a very good example. Just like salt, we require. A little salt will increase the taste. But because it is absolutely necessary for eating, salt—everyone eats salt, nobody can avoid salt—it does not mean I shall eat too much. If I take this whole salt pot and put into..., "It is very good," that is foolishness. Similarly, sense gratification, so long we have got this material body, we require little. But because it is tasty, let us take it, whole pot, that is mistake. This is going on. This foolishness is going on. Sex life is good; simply take sex life, go on and spoil your whole life. That is going on. If everything is accepted in regulative principle, little salt, that's all, that's very nice. But as soon as you think "It is very nice. Let me take simply this," then it is spoiled. That is wanted. We don't reject anything but accept in a regular way. Flesh eaters? All right, you want flesh? "No, I want flesh, but I want this big cow." Why not less important animals? There are so many other animals. The goats are there, the lambs are there, the hogs are there. Take them. Why Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya? It is a very important animal. It will give you brain substance, this rasagullā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya. But this rascal has no knowledge. The cows give us milk, very nutritious. "Oh, eat the whole cow. Then all nutrition will come." This is their intelligence. Rubbish civilization. Why Kṛṣṇa has recommended go-rakṣya? He never said that other animal. If you are fond of eating flesh, you take other animals, not the cow. Give protection, take milk from it, and prepare nice preparations, that will be good for brain, for your mind. Apart from... There is no question of religious sentiment. From practical.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now this experiment, another interpretation of these material scientists is that they claim that this experiment disproved the vital theory. But on other hand, actually, the opposite is true, that he proved that there is a vital theory, rather, that spirit must be there. That was actually proved by this experiment also. But the mentality of these scientists are so demoniac that they twist the truth around... (break) RNA is a big molecule and that is actually transferred from this DNA molecule. DNA molecule, they call it the master molecule from which everything comes, all the molecules. Now if we see this carefully, we can see at every step that there is a specific direction and information without which this whole machinery will break down.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Find out this verse. Vedaiś ca sarvair... So "If you want to acquire knowledge how these molecules are working, so you must know it is coming from Me, the direction is coming from Me." You are waiting, wherefrom this direction is coming. Kṛṣṇa says "This direction is coming from Me." Mattaḥ, "from Me." Then the Absolute Truth, it is recognized.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And the scientists are mistaking the effects for the causes? The molecules are working under Kṛṣṇa's direction.

Prabhupāda: Working under the direction, yes, under the direction of the Supersoul. That is stated, mattaḥ, "from Me."

Hari-śauri: Shall I read it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, that direction is coming from Kṛṣṇa. He is all-perfect.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The instructions are given so vividly here, that first there is called the initiation step. It has to get specific information coded in this, they are called bases, and now, then it elongates, and then finally it's called stop signal. There's some message coming that "You stop right there." And if there is some mistake or something wrong along the path, then there will be a correction signal: "You made a mistake, so correct there." This type of...

Prabhupāda: Just see how perfect. How perfect it is. (laughs) Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Because the direction is coming from the pūrṇam, complete, so correction is made and everything is done, everything nicely. Because the direction is coming from the complete perfect, there cannot be any mistake. That's it.

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

Prabhupāda: Again mistake, again mistake.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. So it cannot happen.

Prabhupāda: Just rightly. So much direction is there, perfect.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. So like that, then, when the..., once they bring these amino acids one by one, then they stick together, and that also process is done by enzymes. There are so many steps involved, and very intricate. It is actually done by a catalyst called enzymes. Enzymes are also very big molecules, actually they are also proteins, and in each step the enzymes are so specific that they do only one specific function just for the right purpose, and once this is done then slowly the protein separates at the right time and with the proper length and proper number of amino acids. In this way, actually we can prove in every case that...

Prabhupāda: Perfect direction.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, the direction of the Supersoul is a necessity. In whatever condition we look at, even in the molecules.

Prabhupāda: So nice management, there must be nice direction.

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

Prabhupāda: That is the... They will take our idea as mythology, and we shall take their idea as most imperfect.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, we can argue on scientific...

Prabhupāda: This is the position. Now you try to argue, but they will take everything we propose as mythology, and we will take, "Because you are rascal, whatever you say, it is all rascaldom," that's all. This is the position. "You are imperfect, rascals. So whatever you say it is all rascaldom." That is our position. And as soon as we say from śāstra, they will say it is all mythology. Then how you'll meet? This is the difference.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now we can argue that mythology is not so serious. I think we can argue on very sound logic, pointing out that their measurement of the ages are also based not on very scientific background, but there are many mistakes, and in fact there are several reports that... (end)

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: The meat-eaters are the most sinful. They cannot understand. Vinā paśughnāt, nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt (SB 10.1.4). They will have no access.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think there must be a fundamental mistake in their outlook.

Prabhupāda: Their life is a mistake, because they are sinful. Their life is a mistake, misguided.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This fellow is a chemist, and actually he's very intelligent and he has read all the Gītās and he has studied many thoughts on Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Prabhupāda: First of all, we have to talk with them about this, "What is life?" Then they will talk. If they are on the bodily conception of life, they are animals, which is not. First of all, you have to talk with them on this platform, "What is life." Identification.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: To me, my feeling was that they somewhat look down. They look down in their feeling.

Prabhupāda: Look down?

Hari-śauri: They think they are superior.

Prabhupāda: But you did not talk with him and argue?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I argued.

Prabhupāda: What is life.

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

Prabhupāda: ...slam the door. The door is secure or not? (break) ...trying to find out that happiness from this body, that is mistake. That happiness is there in the spirit soul, not this body. Happiness is our right. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature, we want happiness. Mistaking, where is the happiness. The living being, he is to enjoy happiness. But they are trying to give happiness to the body, which is dead. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). The body is dead from the very beginning, but they are trying to draw happiness from the dead matter.

Hari-śauri: Chewing the chewed.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and that is not being fulfilled. Therefore planning, sometimes this way, sometimes that way. Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Mental concoction. Real platform they are missing. Sometimes sitting down, sometimes... (laughter) Happiness. When tired up, then come down. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

Hari-śauri: They come out for a quiet sit-down in the countryside, and they bunch together, hundreds at a time.

Rūpānuga: They are coming to watch the fireworks. You see, from here, the fireworks are going to be very high in the sky. They can see it from this point. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...celebration, independence from our point of view?

Hari-śauri: From our point of view, it doesn't have any meaning. For a conditioned soul to think that he's independent...

Prabhupāda: It is foolishness.

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Why you are going to fight with them?

Rūpānuga: No, no. We don't fight. We're just saying that they are using all the good arguments already, but they are making that one mistake.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Fundamental mistake, there. So if we bring up this, scientist are going to believe here, more likely to believe, because this is (indistinct) in the time range that they are talking about.

Prabhupāda: So long. As soon as there is five thousand years, they will (indistinct). The Christian theory used to say that the world is flat. So what is the value of their words? There is no value. You do not try to compromise with others.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, we are not compromising with anybody.

Prabhupāda: You present your own as it is Bhāgavatam, try to explain them to your best capacity scientifically. If you bring this, bring that... All of them are imperfect. So what is the use of wasting time with something which is imperfect?

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

Prabhupāda: (Sanskrit) Serpent is dangerous, so long he has got the fangs. (indistinct) If the fang is taken away that means he's no more dangerous. So (indistinct). But if I am sure that his fangs are taken away (indistinct). Senses are dangerous, it is compared with the serpent. (Sanskrit) But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness that (Sanskrit) the fangs are no more existing therefore it is no more dangerous.

Devotee: Is it true or not true that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta said that failure is the pillar of success and (indistinct)?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I don't know exactly if Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda has used this saying....

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Failure is the pillar of success. But generally speaking, to paraphrase it, it means that we should learn from our mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is success. If we learn our failure and try to rectify it, that is (indistinct).

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (1): Yes, but my plain feeling came, sir...

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, the Brahman, there are... We are all Brahman, living entities. We are simply thinking "I am this body." So when we are... That I was speaking, liberation. When we come to the conclusion that "I am not this body," ahaṁ brahmāsmi... So you are already Brahman, but you are, forgetfully, you are thinking that you are Indian. That is māyā. We are all Brahman, but due to our ignorance, lack of knowledge, we are thinking "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that." That is māyā. So when you actually understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is the fact. Then that condition is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Now we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. We are thinking "I am individual person of this country, of this religion." That is jīva-bhūtaḥ. But when we understand that we are not jīva-bhūtaḥ, we are brahma-bhūtaḥ, that is our liberated position. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When one becomes actually in understanding that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," then my all responsibility of this bodily condition immediately ceases. I am not this body. And why I am working for this body? Why I am in ignorance? That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). That is liberated stage. So we are already Brahman, there is no question of becoming Brahman. We are mistaking something else, that "I am not Brahman." So when we come to the actual understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu... (BG 18.54). Then he see everyone on equal level, that every soul is Brahman.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So when you come to the standard of bhakti, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Unless you come to that stage, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, you will mistake. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). This siddhi means to become liberated from the bodily concept of life. So out of many millions of people, one gets the opportunity of becoming siddha, brahma-bhūtaḥ, and yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). And those who are siddhas, liberated, out of many of them, kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ. So how this Mr. Bannerji will understand Kṛṣṇa? He is not a bhakta, he cannot understand. He can talk of the honey within the bottle. He cannot taste it. If he wants to taste, somebody must be able to open the bottle and give him little. Then he'll get. Otherwise, let him lick up the bottle. (laughter) That's all. So those who are licking the bottle, they cannot say what is the taste of the honey. One must actually taste. That is possible, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55), that taste is available by the bhaktas, not by the so-called scholars. That is not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ. That is Vedic injunction. Na medhayā, na bahunā śrutena. You cannot realize self by your intelligence or by your learning or by your brain. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ na bahunā śrutena. So when the ātmā, Paramātmā, reveals Himself to somebody, he can understand. And that revelation is possible when you are a bhakta. Otherwise, it is not... It clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: He does not come in human form. He is like human being, dvi-bhuja. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. He's... In the Bible it is said that man is made after God. The human being, two hands, two legs, this body they have got, that is the original form of God. But because He comes in that form, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11), they think that He is a man. His original form is (like) that. But because we are habituated to see two hands, two legs of human being, we take Him as human being. But that is His original form. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. Find out. So if we accept Him as a human being like us, then we are mūḍhā, rascals. He says avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto (BG 9.11). They do not know what is behind this human form. God is omnipotent, almighty. He can take any form He likes. You cannot check Him. You cannot say "How Brahman can come in a human form?" Why He cannot come? If He is all-powerful, where is the difficulty? Taking your argument, if Brahman is all-powerful, then where is the difficulty for Him to come as a human being?

Guest (2): No, there cannot be no difficulty. That is reasonable.

Prabhupāda: But if we take Him... Just like here there are so many gentlemen, now here is a lawyer or here is a high-court judge, and if I take him, that he's also an ordinary man, that is my mistake. Even if he comes as ordinary visitor, still he's high-court judge. His position is not declined.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: He says "I am also." Ksetrajñaṁ ca. Ca means "also." They are two. Individual, kṣetrajñaḥ, and the collective, kṣetrajñaṁ ca. There is kṣetrajñam, I am also there. They are two, not one. Ksetrajñaṁ cāpi ca api, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. As soon as there is ca, "and," then there are two. Not one. One is subordinate and one is supreme. Therefore He is addressed, paraṁ brahma. Brahma..., jīva is also Brahman. But He is Param Brahman. Paramātmā: Jīva is also ātmā, but He is Paramātmā. Parameśvara: jīva is also īśvara, but He is Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is Vedic version. There are īśvaras, controllers, many controllers, but parama controller, Parameśvara, is Kṛṣṇa.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham adir hi devanam... (Bg 10.2).

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

He is Param Brahma, He is the supreme great. You study and then you will understand. But without understanding, if we take that He is also a human being, that is mistake. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhuta-maheśvaram (BG 9.11). "He does not know what is My background, he's a mūḍha." Therefore mūḍha, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. We should not remain a mūḍha; we should be intelligent to understand Kṛṣṇa. And that is possible only through bhakti. Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That we have to test, whether I can surrender to him. That we have to behave with him. Therefore according to system, one has to study that "Whether I can surrender to him?" If you think that "No, I know better than him," don't accept a formal guru. That is mistake. And guru also will see, "He's appealing to me, he is going to accept my discipleship, let me see whether he is qualified." Then there should be guru and śiṣya, not that as a fashion. Like Arjuna, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru after talking with Him. Find out that verse, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam.

Guest (3): Pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ.

Prabhupāda: When he was convinced that "I do not find anyone else to give me instruction," then he surrendered.

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

Prabhupāda: To some extent is, everyone accepts.

Hari-śauri: Just amplifies the cheating.

Prabhupāda: Yes. To some extent they are correct, that's all. So far they say, "I can see 2 feet or 10 feet." That's all. So how can I say I can see the whole sky? That is cheating.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually that is also the fundamental mistake.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In our attempt to gain knowledge, that we try to expand our own limited experience to something which is beyond my...

Prabhupāda: Beyond my...

Yadubara: Doctor Frog.

Prabhupāda: Doctor Frog, yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Then they're finished. As soon as they "Somehow," it is not science. It is rascaldom. Then it is useless. "Somehow," "Maybe," "Perhaps." (indistinct).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Somehow there is a mistake in the... (laughs)

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Everything is mistake.

Hari-śauri: Who is making the mistake?

Prabhupāda: We have to hear this thing: "Somehow they have made a mistake."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually it is very controversial. This... I read an article from the university of Berkeley, Berkeley and some other western campuses, saying that now the theory of this mutation by which the different species are formed is very controversial at this time. Because of the knowledge in our molecular biology, now what they have thought that this mutation is the cause of this variegatedness is a misnomer, being complete mistaken.

Prabhupāda: All mistaken. Where is the difference, then how do you experiment in the biological class by dissecting animal body? What is the difference in the composition of social construction, I er, bodily construction. You have to suffer. That's why I have said, there must be (indistinct). The same principle is there. Otherwise how the mosquito fly like this and...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They can make a mosquito but they...

Prabhupāda: No, they cannot make mosquito. They can make 747.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: You have done nothing good, I say. You have simply wasted time and taken public money, that's all.

Rūpānuga: "We have made some mistakes, but we have produced some good things in medicine and, anyway, you should accept our authority because we have done so many good things."

Prabhupāda: No, because you have done something, that I accept. Just like you have done very good, 747 airplane, but just make a mosquito, with pilot and everything. Can you do it? Then why do you take all the credit. Take credit for 747, that's all. But when I ask you create another plane like a fly or mosquito, you are unable to do it. Then why do you take, "There is no God; science is everything." Why do you say like that?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's why we want to bring up this point that "Scientists, we are not claiming that you are all nonsense, but you are all good men, but you should know your limits."

Prabhupāda: You should not be so proud falsely. That is our point. And mislead others that there is no God. Because you are accepted as authority, scientist, if you say that there is no God, they will accept it. Then our back to Godhead movement is stopped. Then we must stop your also nonsense. It is a fight. Because you say there is no God, and we say you are all nonsense. We must say it. You are challenging, we must challenge. But you accept God, then we have nothing... I think Sir Isaac Newton said like that: "The vast knowledge, we have simply gathered a few grains of sand on the beach of knowledge," something like that. That is good.

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

Prabhupāda: Surrender to God, there is no fault. That is the highest faultless action. And so long you do not surrender, anything we do there is fault. Anything you eat... That is stated:

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo

mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ

bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā

ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

(BG 3.13)

Even if you prepare vegetable, not meat, still you are sinful. It is not that those who are meat-eaters, they are only sinful, and you are eating vegetable, you are not sinful, no. Anything you cook for yourself without being offered to the Deity or Kṛṣṇa, you are sinful. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. Now, pacanti, you may do whatever you like to eat, but if it is not prasādam, then you are sinful. It is not the question of... Sometimes they mistake the vegetable is good, meat is not good. May be, comparative. But either vegetable or meat, if you simply cook it for your tongue's satisfaction, then it is sinful. And if you offer to Kṛṣṇa, maybe only little patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), not very gorgeous, palatable dishes, and if you eat that, then bhuñjate, again. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ, he becomes free from all sinful actions. As there is sin in cutting the throat of an animal, similarly, there is sin in destroying a vegetable. Maybe more or less sinful. But it is sinful.

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

Prabhupāda: How they collected?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, it has kept very nicely. Paper was... Quality was very good, printing and everything, from India, thinking... (laughs)

Prabhupāda: There are some mistakes also.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, printing mistakes.

Prabhupāda: That is India's special...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: (laughs) Quality.

Prabhupāda: ...qualification. It was printed in the best place of Calcutta; still, they committed mistake. Sarasvati Press. That is the best publisher in Bengal.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is called Tapke?

Prabhupāda: Tata Spingh(?) was the agent for selling.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, the paper quality was good.

Prabhupāda: So it was first published in 1944.

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

Prabhupāda: He has got some international name. So he says that "It's great fortune I have met you." He's now realizing his mistakes. He has still some respect for Vivekananda; that I did not disturb; he might misunderstand. Actually this Vivekananda rascal, what he has done? What is his contribution?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You always add on "rascal" whenever you mention his name.

Prabhupāda: No, no, what he has done? He has ruined the Vedic culture.

Hari-śauri: Completely misrepresented it.

Prabhupāda: And the Bon Mahārāja is his follower. He's in name a disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, but he's a servant of Vivekananda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's very similar to him.

Prabhupāda: He's a great appreciator of Vivekananda. He has put in his curriculum Vivekananda philosophy, Gandhi philosophy. Rascal, what philosophy they have got?

Hari-śauri: He mentioned all the nonsense people. He put a circular out, he mentioned Rama Tirtha, Vivekananda, all these nonsense.

Prabhupāda: Now I am convinced he's a rascal. He's nothing but a great rascal. My Guru Mahārāja rejected him. Therefore he was called back, rascal, he used to say like that, banamānuṣa. Banamānuṣa.

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

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: Yes, not from beginning.

Harikeśa: Oh, I made a mistake.

Prabhupāda: If you cover from the beginning, the water which is already there will be coming out. And the idea is the water should be taken away. Then it will be tasteful. Still, it was good.

Harikeśa: Should I cook if I still have this fever tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Harikeśa: Right now I have a fever.

Prabhupāda: No, don't cook.

Harikeśa: So if I have a fever I shouldn't cook for you? It's unhealthy for you? It won't bother me so much, but if it's unhealthy for you...

Prabhupāda: No, no, I have no objection. But if you have got fever, why shall you? There are so many others. They can...

Harikeśa: I cannot tolerate being sick any more.

Prabhupāda: The body means sickness. The body itself is sickness.

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

Prabhupāda: That, here is the society. You train them. You have got all children. You train them in that way, so that... Whatever is done is done. Now you can make very good society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society. Not that one mistake has been done, you should continue. Rectify it. The difficulty is the modern society, the leaders, they do not know the aim of life. They are blindly doing everything like animals. Their philosophy is like the animals. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that's all. This is the philosophy of the animals. And human philosophy is to understand first of all what I am. I am this body or something else? That is human life. But nobody questions this, there is no institution to teach this science, therefore the whole human society is misguided. Just like if I want to train my boy to become a medical man, then I teach him biology, botany, similar... So if... Because I know I shall make my boy a medical man. Similarly, we should know what is the aim of human life. Then we have to construct the social political, everything, favorable to that end. But they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the whole mistake. I think that in Bible there is a story, prodigal son? So we are prodigal son. We are all sons of God, now we have become prodigal sons. What is the meaning of prodigal? "Without any responsibility," is it not? Do whatever you like.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Pradyumna: "Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction."

Prabhupāda: Yes, the body's destructible, but the spirit soul is not destructible. When you understand this point, then we understand what is spirit, and then spiritual culture begins. Without being convinced of this spirit soul, there is no question of spiritual culture. So the spirit soul is described as eternal. And the proof is given, eternity. Just like there are so many children. They'll grow up from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood. The body is changing. This is very practical. But the spirit soul is there, the same spirit soul which was within the womb of the mother in a small body. Then coming out of the mother's womb, the same spirit soul is there, but the body is different. In this way, the body is being situated in different status, but we know that the proprietor of the body is the same. Is there any difficulty to understand? Anyone? The body is changing, that's a fact. You are young man. You'll have to become an old man like me. That means body will change. But so far you are concerned, you are the same. So, the body changes and the spirit soul remains the same. This is to be understood first of all. What is the difficulty? First of all, you must distinguish what is spirit, what is matter. Material culture means this body is there, it requires some necessities. The body must be given something to eat. Is it not? Eating? Then the body must be given some rest, sleeping, for which we require some apartment, some place. Not we, but also even the animals, birds, they have got their nest, or the animal has got some hole or something. So eating, sleeping, and some sense gratification, sex. These are bodily necessities. But when you understand what is spirit, then we must try to find out what the spiritual necessity is. That is spiritual culture. You cannot go on with the bodily culture as spiritual culture. That is a mistake.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So there is no question of blind faith. If we follow the mahājana, example of the authorities, then our life is success. And guru means he is mahājana or follower of mahājana. So we have to select the mahājana process. According to our process, we follow the Brahma-sampradāya. And Brahmā is one of the mahājanas. So Brahmā has his disciplic succession, paramparā. Brahmā's disciple is Nārada, Nārada's disciple is Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva's disciple is Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In this way, we come to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciples, the six Gosvāmīs. Then others, then our Guru Mahārāja. But the same thing we are speaking. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We are not manufacturing anything. That is the guru-paramparā system. And if we follow strictly the line of mahājana, then there is no question of mistake. It is not blind faith. The superiors are following, and we are also following. Of course, there are books, there are everything. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi (Brs. 1.2.101). Everything is there. So there is no question of being mistaken. The guide is there, the spiritual master is there. So there is no difficulty. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That is the best way, follow the mahājana. Unfortunately, the mahājanas, without following mahājana, everyone is becoming mahājana in his own way. And that is being supported, that you manufacture your own way of spiritual progress, that is all right. That is dangerous. That is dangerous.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: French Bhāgavatam. No, Dutch Bhāgavatam? Dutch also. No, they have printed, I have seen it.

Devotee: Spanish also.

Prabhupāda: They may read and translate. And why in India where there is Bhagavad-gītā? Apart from all other Vedic literatures, set aside, the gist of all Vedic knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā, there is. And still, people are kept into darkness. How much lamentable. Still, big, big leaders, at least, they want to preach Bhagavad-gītā—without Kṛṣṇa. They have set aside lakhs of rupees for preaching Bhagavad-gītā, but condition is if you preach without Kṛṣṇa. Just see. Bhagavad-gītā in every page it is written "śrī-bhagavān uvāca." Not even it is said "kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca." Because some rascal may take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, therefore Vyāsadeva has specifically said... People know it, "kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca," but he says "śrī-bhagavān uvāca." The bhagavān word. People may not mistake that Kṛṣṇa is somebody else. And they want to banish Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā. Even Gandhi did it. So you explain Bhagavad-gītā as it is there in Ahmedabad?

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They like it?

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. Many young people are very attracted.

Prabhupāda: Yes, when real thing will be presented, it will act.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It cannot go more than one thousand.

Akṣayānanda: I can't quite grasp it, Prabhupāda. But you say it can't go above five hundred, so that'll be it.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Five hundred, that is rough calculation. But we add another five hundred, if there is any mistake or any error and omission. Therefore I have added another five hundred.

Akṣayānanda: That means a thousand.

Prabhupāda: Thousand. That is sufficient.

Akṣayānanda: Maximum.

Prabhupāda: Maximum. And you were speaking 9,000.

Akṣayānanda: This is for food. Food only.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It is for Deity messing.

Akṣayānanda: Deity food only. Yes.

Prabhupāda: So I am speaking of the Deity, not for all. For all others hundred rupees per head, five thousand rupees. Here puri, kacuris, and other things, all the best things. But general is not for puri, kacuri, and... They are general food. We are not going to supply puri, kacuri, halavā to everyone.

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

Prabhupāda: The difficulty is that we consider Kṛṣṇa is different from oṁkāra.

Doctor: That is a mistake.

Prabhupāda: That is a mistake.

Doctor: But then Kṛṣṇa is not different from Brahman.

Prabhupāda: If you take this oṁkāra as Kṛṣṇa's sound representation, then it is all right.

Doctor: Then it is as good as chanting Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Doctor: But it does not give...

Prabhupāda: But because Kṛṣṇa is remembered, if you take oṁkāra as Kṛṣṇa's sound representation then Kṛṣṇa is remembered.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So what is the symptom?

Hari-śauri: Well, they... 'Cause he, man, has reason and logic.

Prabhupāda: That means reason and logic is soul. That is their idea. That is not soul. Intelligence, when I say, "You have got intelligence," it does not mean you are intelligence. "You have got intelligence," we say like that. We never say, "You are intelligence." So intelligence is not soul. The rascals, they do not know. Mistake. Nobody says, "You are intelligence." They say, "You are intelligent."

Hari-śauri: Intelligence is something you possess.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So? (break)

Hari-śauri: "Brainwashing: clearing the mind of established ideas by persistent suggestion and indoctrination."

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is... We are doing that. They are under the impression, "Work hard, earn money, and enjoy life." We say, "No. Don't work hard for sense gratification but work hard for self-realization." Indoctrine.

Room Conversation -- November 25, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jagadīśa: Apparently in a new BBT newsletter which just came yesterday afternoon there's a statement by Rāmeśvara that you were asked whether this record should be played in the temples and you said, "Why not in the temples?" Hari-śauri thought that you said "not in the temples," Rāmeśvara said...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Not in the temple. I... I want... If the wordings are all right, so there is no... If there is no mistake in the set-up of the wording, the change of musical tune, that is not harmful.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This one tape that Alex has made, he gave me a copy in Bombay to listen. I just played it...

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration, you can make in different tune. We are already doing that.

Hari-śauri: We're talking about these songs that they are writing.

Jagadīśa: Philosophy songs.

Prabhupāda: And therefore we have to see the words.

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Oh, here he is. So, why don't you do that?

Tejas: Yes. I'll make up the scheme today. It should be that you have continuous crop. You plant seeds one week... But again they have made the same mistake with these cauliflower and cabbage.

Prabhupāda: Well, they mistake... You say, "They mistake." Who are "they"? You say you do mistake. Don't say, "they." This is bureaucracy, "they." You are all "they." Anyway, whatever is done, immediately make arrangement. And this is one thing. And the other thing, I came here that there will be festival and prasādam distribution. Why this is not begun?

Mahāṁśa: Till yesterday there was being marriages in the city. Now, from today, the pandals are free.

Prabhupāda: Because there are marriages our program will be cancelled?

Mahāṁśa: No, but the person who gives us the pandal... It's supposed to start today, Prabhupāda, their program. They have been advertising in the villages about the prasādam distribution this evening, so the stage and the śāmiyānā will be coming today and the pots are coming today. So we have all the grains and everything. We can start the prasādam distribution this evening.

Prabhupāda: So you'll keep, come in charge. So do this also immediately. And the next is that Bhogilal wants to come here. So bring him immediately. What is the difficulty of that house?

Mahāṁśa: All the plastering inside is finished now.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jagadīśa: I have a question, whether we should always give them khicuṛi or whether we should...

Prabhupāda: Give them nice prasādam by which they are attracted. It doesn't matter khicuṛi, puri, kacuri, lāḍu. Whatever they are attracted, we must give. Whatever that will attract them. That I want. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Don't waste, give them nice palatable foodstuff. Give them one finest kacuri, one nice samosā, two puris, they will be very glad. Make very, very, nice prasādam. What is this rubbish, the dog cannot eat even? They have done a great mistake, all rascals. I am very angry. I say that if you have got no money, I'll spend, I will give you money. Why should you make such tenth class, and no food at all. It is to be thrown away. Simply waste of grains and energy. Engage nice professional cook, prepare nice foodstuff. I shall spend for that if you have no money. Gentlemen who are coming immediately should be offered some prasādam. "Please come here, take: puri, kacuri, samosā." Arrangement should be like that. The doctors came, he comes out of love, but there is no prasādam. Huh? What is this? The doctor comes, but we couldn't supply him prasādam at 12 o'clock.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Take Sanskrit. Take Sanskrit. Dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre. do not interpret to any other language. Take Sanskrit. Kurukṣetra is clear, dharmakṣetra is clear, Pāṇḍava is clear. Then why should we interpret? Why not take the particular verse. Everything, when there is a (indistinct), then please do not try to cut, or (indistinct) your (indistinct). If there is... (indistinct) ...but by translating the whole thing you mistake then what is the use of such translation? (indistinct)

Guest: (indistinct)

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

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is already liberated. When one understands Kṛṣṇa properly. Then.

Girirāja: "And therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting this present material body."

Prabhupāda: That return to God is eternal. Suppose I am your guest here, so you may provide me for some days, but I cannot expect that you can provide me for all the days. That is my mistake. But if you go to your father's house, there is no question of. He takes. That is the required. Go to your father. Mām eti. Therefore this is the way of eternity, that you understand who is your father and you go back to Him. Then his life is successful. And who is the father?

Indian man: (laughing) Not the body.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Not body. It is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out this verse. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ, tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. He is the father.

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

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.

Morning Walk -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You can describe like this. Just like if a man is diseased, so the physician imposes upon him some restriction, do and do not. So if by mistake we give up the do not's, then it is useless. He should observe the do not's. Then he'll be cured. And if he does not observe the do not's—whatever he likes, he does—that means his disease is increasing. Therefore it is useless. The real aim of life is how to get out of the clutches of māyā which is forcing me to accept the cycle of birth and death. That is my disease. Therefore tapasya. Tapasya means restricted life, not unrestricted life. So if we do not follow the restricted life, that means I shall continue my disease or increase my disease. The modern civilization, we are teaching how to enjoy this material world to the fullest extent, bhogaiśvarya, sense gratification and for sense gratification, material opulence. But he does not know that he is killing himself. He is aggravating the disease. He has to accept another body. But that he does not know, that he'll have to take birth and die, again the same business. That he does not know. Therefore this civilization is misguided. Yesterday we were reading, tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have to purify our existence. So this aim is missing—how to purify it. Sattva, I am eternal. Now I am existing in a condition, birth and death. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). He does not know his interest. He's thinking, "This is life. Let me enjoy and there is no life after death, and even there is, who cares for it?" This is going on.

Morning Walk -- December 28, 1976, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: They have no (indistinct) because they even refute one other in the śāstra. They would criticize that Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja made mistakes when he wrote the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: They say like that?

Hari-śauri: Yeah, he said that he didn't know he wrote the wrong version in the section about Vallabhācārya and that the real version is somewhere else.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Hari-śauri: Yeah, well they don't accept the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) They don't accept, we don't accept you. The whole world is accepting Caitanya-caritāmṛta (indistinct) all over the world, not just (indistinct). All over the world. (indistinct-fragmentary for some time)

Girirāja: They're having a ceremony of bringing the flag.

Devotee: Again?

Girirāja: Yes. From the Nathadwar, Bombay, at some place. They invited us to do kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: You may go. You have no...? You can go.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is very nicely selected. Both pictures are very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All the three books, I think, the pictures have come out quite nice.

Prabhupāda: There are others also?

Indian: I went to the printing press, and I asked him "Why don't you print like the other books you have, Easy Journey to Other Planets?" So he said that "We have done little mistake, and the next printing it will be better."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not a mistake. We perfectly agreed. You told me so, that (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: What will be price for one lakh?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Of this? I think it will go around a velo(?), because the real book cost seventy-eight paisa; paper is about forty paisa. So paper, whether you buy one or one lakh, it's the same. Printing is about thirty-eight paisa. And out of thirty-eight paisa, plate-making and all will come to about ten paisa.

Prabhupāda: Plate is already made.

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

CID Chief: No, no, no. The man who would say it is a fault, either he is mad or it would be mistake.

Prabhupāda: In this old age-eighty-one years I am—I am working day and night just to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and...

CID Chief: This is absolutely a service to God and humanity. Whatever tendency you have... Whatever comes out of your mouth, word, becomes a religious... It is written, out of which you write books. Out of the produce... From the proceeds of that book, you constructed a... It is wholeheartedly towards the God. Whole life is devoted to God.

Prabhupāda: And for these books, as author, if I would have taken royalty, my daily income would have been one lakh, fifty thousand. I don't take a single farthing. Whatever two cāpāṭis they give, that's all.

CID Chief: Then if that had been the objective, so much of this (indistinct) not would have come in reality.

Prabhupāda: I have no appetite also. (laughs) I do not eat too much. Whatever, one or two cāpāṭis, they give, I take. That's all. This is my royalty.

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So if you think that Mrs. Gandhi is religious and is for Indian culture, why not ask her to take the guidance of Kṛṣṇa? Who can give better guidance than Kṛṣṇa?

Indian lady (2): Mahatma Gandhi took guidance... Of course, he also made lots of mistakes, but he did take guidance...

Prabhupāda: Everyone must make mistake because a conditioned soul are liable to four defects. One of them is to commit mistake. One of them is to become illusioned. One of them, he is a cheater. And one of them, his senses are imperfect. So every conditioned soul who has got this material body, he is defective in these four things. Therefore he has to take knowledge from a person who has no defects. Then his knowledge will be perfect. Just like a small child, he is defective, but he receives the knowledge from the father: "This is called pencil." A child does not know what it is, but the father says, "My dear child, it is pencil." And if he says, "It is pencil," then it is correct, although he's a child, because he has received the knowledge from the person who knows it. Similarly, our principle is—that is Vedic principle-evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The knowledge has to be taken from the superior, liberated person.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The path is open.

Guest (1): Yes. But sometimes we falter in the path.

Prabhupāda: Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66), ahaṁ tvāṁ sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. It is open for you. It is open secret.

Guest (1): We make mistakes.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But path... Mahat sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Everything is there. That is the difficulty. Although everything is there...

Guest (1): But I'm sure that with your protection, Prabhupāda, I'll reach the goal which I have contemplated.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is giving protection. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. But still we are not agreeable. Kṛṣṇa says that "I shall give you protection from all reaction of sinful life." But we are not taking that protection. You simply surrender. It is only process.

Guest (1): I am taking your shelter, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, I am not talking of me. I mean to say generally everything is declared. We have to take advantage of this. Then it is everything.

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

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gurudāsa: Because he sent them first in one man's name who didn't cash them, or was instructed that he shouldn't do that, and he did by mistake. Then he sent them in my name and he sent them "account payee," and they wouldn't open an account without permission from the Reserve Bank of India. So that would have taken too long. So I've come... First I went to Calcutta, and I thought... I have the drafts. I thought maybe Gargamuni Swami could give me the lakṣmī, the money. But he didn't want to do it. So now I'm here. I'm going to get it this morning and go back. I wrote a complete report for you, but I'll tell it to you. As far as the location goes, the location is a little bit off. I'm not that satisfied with it, but...

Prabhupāda: Where is the location?

Gurudāsa: It's on what's called Gangadwip. But that's new place. It's an island that just appeared this year, splitting the Ganges in two. You know, Jushi is here, and Gangadwip is here. And the place where we were last year is here. We were here last year, Gangadwip is here, and Jushi is here. And... But I've been sending out and going out on saṅkīrtana, so that will make up for our location. It's not so bad, but I want to paint a true picture. It's not so good, nor is it so bad. And there's thirteen tents. We have three bigas of land, sand. And we've made a tin enclosure all the way around. And we had a Swiss cottage tent for yourself. Swiss cottage means a room about this large from the end of the almirah to the wall and about this wide. And then a middle room about from here to the wall, and then another small room. But I was not satisfied with that, so I took that tent down, and when I left a day and a half ago I told Bhāgavata dāsa and Jagat-guru Mahārāja, who are there, to erect a straw house for you, bigger. So they are, I hope, doing that. The difficulty was that we had no money, and therefore I've come and am going back. I had a few hundred dollars in traveler's checks which I cashed and gave it to them to keep going.

Prabhupāda: Straw house is not good.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Competition.

Rāmeśvara: Very competitive. And it's overall much more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's a fine paper. Therefore we decided.

Prabhupāda: Please see that there is no printing mistake.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we won't.

Prabhupāda: That is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I'm giving Bombay address; Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay; Bhaktivedanta Book Trust; and the Delhi address. Delhi temple also.

Prabhupāda: No. Why Delhi temple? They are not executing?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Because we have a good stock of books over there also.

Prabhupāda: No, that is another thing. But they have no department for executing. They will be embarrassed when they receive order.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. And open center village to village, town to town. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) See first printing is very first class and it is distributed very widely. Not shabby thing. No. Just like our Godbrothers, they printed... They have no printing; still, whatever they print, all shabby.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Full of mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Full of mistakes. Full of mistakes, the get-up is not good, but they'll sell. And they print only in Bengali.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Rāmeśvara: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But they could not argue. I stopped them arguing. One man, one boy, he asked me, "Why God has created this world?" And "Why don't you ask your father why he has created you? Then you'll understand." I told him like that. "Go and ask your father why he has created you."

Rāmeśvara: Of course, nowadays that is an accident, not planned. If you ask a father, "Why you have made your son?" he will say, "By mistake. I did not want him. I was simply wanting sex."

Prabhupāda: But God cannot make mistake. Then He becomes imper... He cannot be good. And not all fathers... According to Vedic civilization, the father creates the son purposefully with some ceremony, garbhādāna ceremony. It is not secret job. Putrethi kriyate bharyā: "One is married to create a good son." That is the purpose. And Bhagavad-gītā says, dharmāviruddha. "Aviruddha, which is not against religion, that kind of lust I am." So how it can be accident? If there is garbhādāna ceremony and son is essential, then how it can be accident?

Gargamuni: Even in the big, rich families, when they want son they perform some pūjā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, no. According to Vedic system, everything is so... When the woman is pregnant there are so many ceremonies. When we were children, and I was in the middle, I saw my other, two, three brothers and sisters born. So there was some ceremony. We were eating with mother in that ceremony. That ceremony was because my mother was pregnant. Sad-bhakṣā. Sad-bhakṣā. There are ten kinds of ceremonies, before the birth and after the birth, daśa-vidha-saṁskāra. So many religious ceremonies my mother was observing, and all the expenditure my father was giving. Every month, two, three ceremonies, very nice ceremonies. We were children; we were eating.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They have got respect for prasādam. So you are distributing prasādam?

Brahmānanda: Yes, twice a day, at noon and at evening. We've built a special pavilion on the side of the temple. See, we were making the mistake all along of trying to mix the Africans and the Asians together.

Prabhupāda: That is not good.

Brahmānanda: That was a bad policy. Now we have separate, the Asians on one side and the Africans on the other side, and both are happy.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Brahmānanda: Before they were both unhappy. Now they're both happy.

Prabhupāda: No, the Indians, they do not like to sit down...

Gargamuni: No. Indians don't like to mix, and Africans also, they like to be with their own. The instruments we use... They make their own instruments out of different materials. They have these pieces of metal and wooden blocks. They love it. They can make much noise. Actually the Asians like it very much when they see the Africans doing that. So both are very happy.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. All right.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And why not?

Gargamuni: I'd have to inquire, but I'm pretty sure it's managed by the government, because they're allowing us to enter the temple. There's also a place being offered in West Bengal. I personally went there and took photographs. It's in Kharampur.

Prabhupāda: Kharampur.

Gargamuni: Yes. It's near the Bangladesh border. It's about 80 kilometers north of Krishnanagar...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Gargamuni: ...near the Bangladesh border. It's five miles... In fact, we took the wrong road and we almost went over the Bangladesh border.

Prabhupāda: Acchā?

Gargamuni: We went through the border almost by mistake, and the guards came with their guns. Our driver took the wrong road. But it's five miles from the Bangladesh border. And the property... There's a temple there of Gaura-Nitāi. (end)

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Hari-śauri: Yes. They have the highest suicide rate in the world.

Prabhupāda: One becomes mad. I was... I experienced this in Bombay, that due to Śyāmasundara's mistake I was detained for three days?

Gurukṛpā: The yellow fever. Hospital.

Hari-śauri: Quarantine.

Prabhupāda: Quarantine. Simply by thinking that "I shall not be allowed to go out of this room..." It is not a room; it is a big house, but still, I was feeling uncomfortable: "How is that? I shall not be free to go out." And that three days was actually suffering to me, "I cannot go out of the door." Simply by feeling this. I do not do practically. I sit down. But if I feel, "No, I cannot go out of this room," that's a great suffering. Whole day, I am sitting here. That's a fact. But I have got this intelligence that "I can go out as I like." But if you say that "You cannot go out," then it is a great suffering, psychologically. So creation or no creation, there is suffering. Rather, when there is creation it is less suffering, because he's mad, so he's engaged in some way. (laughs) He's thinking, "It is happiness." Eating, sleeping, sex is there. That is going on. That is māyā. Therefore this creation is another mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That I was reading this night.

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. He wanted to maintain himself in the position, and anyone going against him, he would kill. That was not for the citizens' benefit. For his own benefit. Therefore he's a criminal. Just like soldier is killing hundreds of thousands of other soldiers. He is being awarded, "Oh, you are brave." And as soon as he kills one man for his own—he is hanged. So we have to see what is the cause that Arjuna fought for Kṛṣṇa, he became a devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3). Very dear friend. What is the business? To kill. There are different.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, dīkṣā-guru is one. But śikṣā-guru can be many.

Guest (1): But suppose dīkṣā gurus or people take one mantra from one guru and other one...

Prabhupāda: Then you have not selected guru. You have selected some rascal. Guru can be..., cannot be different. Guru means one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Anyone who knows the science... So suppose if you want to become medical man, you must go to a qualified medical man to learn. And if you go to a pānwālā, what he'll teach you? That is your mistake. Guru cannot be different. Guru is one, one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. If he does not know, then he is not guru. Why should you go there?

Guest (1): How should we know that he knows about Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: That requires your fortune. Little intelligence. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). That intelligence is for the most fortunate person. That is not ordinary thing. But guru means who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. If you go to a bogus man, that is your misfortune. So this is the description of guru, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's statement.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). Sādhur... Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk (BG 9.30). He's mahātmā. He's sādhu. We shall go to him. Why shall we go to a rascal? Simple directions. So if you are misled, if you are cheated, whose fault it is? But if you want to be cheated, who can check? Even though somebody by mistake has gone to a rascal, the book is there. As soon as you find out, "Here is a rascal who does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, and I have come to him," reject him. That is stated in the śāstra. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānantaḥ parityāgo vidhīyate.(?) Even by mistake you have come to a rascal who does not know how to become guru, you can reject him. Why should you stick to him? Reject him. And by mistake I have come to rascal. Why shall I continue to accept him as guru? Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "Give up all rascals. Associate with sādhus." If you do not do that, that is your fault. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. We have to mix with sādhu. Sādhu means who are twenty-four-hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Things are there. Why should you mix with asādhu? Then how can you understand? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got little faith, then next business is to associate with sādhus.

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

Prabhupāda: Temporary but it is miserable also. But you are eternal. Why you should be satisfied with temporary happiness? If you be satisfied, be satisfied. That is your business. But that is not real happiness. Why you should take repeated birth and death? If there is another life where there is no birth and death, why should you not take that? You are eternal. But because you are a fool, you think that "If I get ten thousand years of life and very comfortable life, that is happiness." That is mistake. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). That is also said. Why don't you refer to that...? "Such persons have lost that intelligence."

Satsvarūpa: I've heard that Ramakrishna said that even if by mistake one worships the wrong Deity, God won't hold that mistake against him. Even though he's worshiping a demigod and he thinks that's God, so that's a mistake, but God is not so...

Prabhupāda: But the Ramakrishna rascal saying. Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you worship demigod, you go to the demigod. You can say...

Satsvarūpa: God Himself says.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. We have not to take the instruction of a man-made God. We have to take instruction of the real God.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Yes. Multi-varieties, all spiritual. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ... (Bs. 5.37). (Bengali) There is nothing material. Everything ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. Just like Brahmā took away—again He expanded. For one year nobody could understand that it is all expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has become calf, Kṛṣṇa has become cow, Kṛṣṇa has become a cowherd boy—everything. Then Brahmā saw, "Oh, I have done mistake." He can immediately expand into many thousands forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam... (Bs. 5.33). What is that clipping? Go on reading.

Satsvarūpa: A number of clippings. This is a headline, that a new president, Carter, pardons draft evaders.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Carter?

Satsvarūpa: Previously there were so many young men in America who evaded the draft during the Vietnam war, and the government was looking for them. But now the new President is saying, "Let us forget the past. I forgive all these draft evaders. Let them come out and be good citizens."

Acyutānanda: Because if they have another war, nobody will go and fight that war again. They will all leave America. So they want America to be very good now, so that everyone will love America and come back. Because if there's another war nobody will join the army. They'll just leave.

Prabhupāda: So why there is war? They cannot stop war?

Acyutānanda: They start wars. (Prabhupāda chuckles) And in the chaos they make profit.

Prabhupāda: That means there are many like you.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Present this in the court.

Rāmeśvara: "It publishes it in eighteen languages..." But now we see it's twenty-three languages. Made a mistake. "...including Russian. The books are predominantly translations of Indian classics by the movement's founder and director, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: But why "director" and not "ācārya"?

Rāmeśvara: Why director?

Devotees: Why not ācārya?

Rāmeśvara: Oh, that's the wording they used. We told them you are directing the whole movement, so probably they used that word...

Prabhupāda: That's all.

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

Brahmānanda: The scientist is pouring chemicals, and from this chemical come all these colorful varieties. That wasn't clear.

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)

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They can divide the synonyms. That's all.

Rādhā-vallabha: Synonyms. So even...

Prabhupāda: That is his tendency, to correct. That's very bad. He should not do that.

Rādhā-vallabha: So I'll just forget this, then.

Prabhupāda: The system is: whatever authority has done, even there is mistake, it should be accepted.

Rādhā-vallabha: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Asa-prāya(?) That is ha... He should not become more learned than the authority. That is very bad habit.

Rādhā-vallabha: He was always wondering how he should think. So I'll tell him that. He thinks, "If I think I see a mistake, what should I think?" I'll tell him what you just said.

Prabhupāda: He cannot see mistake. He is mistake. (laughter) He should... That is being done by this rascal. I don't want. And the Hayagrīva has..., the Easy Journey, he has changed so many things. That... He is now bad character. You should not maintain him.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hm. What is that?

Woman devotee (1): Medicine, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Rādhā-vallabha: So, also in the songbook... We will have to reprint that soon. The way it is now, I remember you also once told me that Acyutānanda makes mistakes in the Bengali. And the Sanskrit department, Jagannātha and the others, say that there are a lot of mistakes that they would like to correct. Is that all right? Do you want synonyms? Do you want synonyms in the songbook? No? Okay. We are also doing a very nice cookbook. Yamunā is doing it. I passed on the instruction that you left in Madhya-līlā that the recipes at Advaitācārya's house should be included. She's gotten practically all of those. She's going to put the cookbook together in such a way that it will be an example for Deity worship for all the temples, and we hope to have that finished this year sometime. That's all right?

Prabhupāda: Last time Acyutānanda was given some money. Still the same arrangement is there?

Rādhā-vallabha: I'm not giving him any money.

Prabhupāda: No.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Jagannātha? He is Jagannātha-sūta or where he is?

Rādhā-vallabha: Jagannātha-sūta is Back to Godhead. Jagannātha dāsa is Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's it. He should not be very learned.

Rādhā-vallabha: I think that instruction you gave will help him very much about even if he thinks there is some mistake, just forget about it.

Prabhupāda: He is mistake. He should not think his authority mistake.

Rādhā-vallabha: He didn't know what he should do. He didn't know...

Prabhupāda: So why he should be given this business? He's such irresponsible man. He should not be given any responsible work. Our first business should see how he is advanced in devotion. We don't want so-called scholars.

Rādhā-vallabha: They just leave us.

Prabhupāda: Leave, I don't mind. Just like he became a big scholar.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Individual. Where there is question of mixing? Śaṅkarācārya's mistake is that the spirit is a mixture, and in māyā state, they're divided. Is it not? So when the division is finished, then it is spirit. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that. He says in the past we are individual, at present we are individual, and in future we shall continue to be individual.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Seems that we have a good field in medicine, speaking with doctors. It's very interesting. And because they deal with life, so my first question is "What is life?" I just ask them, "What is your concept of life?" And they become very...

Prabhupāda: Concept of life is clear in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is also one of the elements, but superior element. The gross earth, water, air, fire, ether, even mind, intelligence, ego, they are inferior. And there is another superior item. That is living entity. It is clearly said. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). And that is important because that living entity is handling this inferior. Very clear. Just like a good machine. That machine as it is, it is not important. A living entity has handled it. By handling, the machine is prepared, and by handling it is important.

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. My lecture was very nice.

Hṛdayānanda: It seemed that you were answering all the points that man had made.

Prabhupāda: Ha.

Hṛdayānanda: All his mistakes.

Gargamuni: Who spoke? What man?

Hṛdayānanda: The education minister.

Hari-śauri: Mr. Bannerjee. He was talking about Vivekananda and how our movement is spreading because of our moral strength.

Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda answered each of his points.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda said afterwards that he smashed him. (laughter)

Yaśomatī-nandana(?): One is Vivekananda. Another is Gandhi.

Prabhupāda: They have spoiled India's culture. All these... Rabindranath Tagore. All misleaders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the real leader, and Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: With great force, preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So your prasādam time is now. Go and take. So you find it all right, this Hindi?

Indian devotee (1): Yes.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda found one or two mistakes in it.

Prabhupāda: No, that is...

Hari-śauri: Small.

Prabhupāda: That is composing mistake.

Yaśomatī-nandana: Otherwise it's nice.

Hari-śauri: It's a big breakthrough for our book distribution. Once the Hindi Bhagavad-gītā comes out then there'll be no stopping.

Prabhupāda: And you are having Gujarati?

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's possible. (discussion about the slide show between devotees) (break)

Prabhupāda: So if you combine together and go to any scientist, you challenge and prove scientifically. And still he sees it mistake. You do not know what is life's position, but we shall. Life is different. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Without life, this matter has no value. This room is well decorated, well furnished. Why? Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Because the life is there. If there was no life, then who cares for Bombay? Heaps of stone, that's all. Who cares for it? So you do not know that particular item and try to convince them according to the modern scientific... Then we shall be triumphant. Everything. Everything. Challenge these rascals, that "You have got power and you will get more power by serving Kṛṣṇa." Your presentation was very nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda's mercy.

Prabhupāda: What Dr. Dattrey says, after hearing your lecture?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Many..., some engineers came, and some doctors also came. They wanted us speak in Bombay Hospital. And just now also I got a letter from England from Jagadguru Swami. He said that on our way to the United States we should stop in England. He says that he talked something about Bhaktivedanta Institute in England. He said we should speak in Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He said there is a very good preaching background there. So he invited us to...

Prabhupāda: You will be invited. You stick to your position and train up your assistants and recruit more and more. We shall come out successful. Write books. You can take. Now yesterday Dr. Dattrey, did he say anything?

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The real scientific method is that the life which is in contact with this matter, he's suffering. And the real, I mean to say, enjoyment or peaceful life is to get him out of this condition of material contact. That is the best benefit. But these rascals, they are trying to adjust material things to give him happiness. "You are walking, all right, you take this car." That is not happiness. He does not know that in the car there are so many problems—more danger than walking. This is the mistake going on. Car is good, but that is not the solution. Solution is different. That we must... Na te viduḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Let us go back to home, back to Godhead. (pause) So that Sharma is more impressed.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Sharma just came here from the United States. He studied for a few years. So he is also a cardiologist.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And he had some friends there in Bombay Hospital, and he is going to definitely make arrangement so we can give a seminar in the hospital.

Prabhupāda: Important man. Recognize him. Make him member.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It should be recorded.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I didn't have my cassette with me.

Prabhupāda: You keep one assistant, to record you.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But I pointed out the mistakes, the defects that we have in scientific studies, and he thought very carefully and he agreed to the point.

Prabhupāda: Yes, any intelligent man should agree to the right point.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We knew what he was doing, but he didn't know what we were doing. That was the...

Prabhupāda: That is ignorance. Childish. A child does not know what he is doing. That is the difference between a child and elderly man. Yesterday there was sufficient crowd, I think.

Śrīdhara: There was nice crowd, all respectable men also. Tonight it will be bigger.

Gargamuni: Sunday is always the biggest.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I find Bombay people are a little bit more open-minded.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Bombay is the best city in India, undoubtedly. From the very beginning, and the richest city. The government revenue is collected from Bombay sixty-three percent. Bombay is so rich. Sixty-three percent from Bombay and thirty-seven percent from whole of India. That is the position.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyone can be Bhaktivedanta.

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

Indian man: Swami is omitted.

Prabhupāda: Swami is omitted. That is a mistake on your part.

Dhanañjaya: Everyone, too, is remarking how beautiful the painting is inside. These Rajasthani artists, they are going on with the painting on the upper portion of the temple, the darśana-maṇḍapa. And everyone is remarking how gorgeous the arrangement is.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is gorgeous.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even the vyāsāsana is very beautiful. The most beautiful I have ever seen anywhere in the movement.

Prabhupāda: They come to see the painting.

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

Indian (1): No, he has come to pay respect to you.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But wait. Let him come in. The point is that if you keep yourself in ignorance, then what is the use of advancing further? If your basic principle is calculated wrong, then whatever you construct on that wrong background, everything is wrong. One mistake done in the beginning, then plus minus, plus minus, ultimately it is wrong. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that unless you take seriously what Kṛṣṇa says, you are simply jumping like animals. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. First of all, you understand your position, what Kṛṣṇa says. Then go ahead. You do not understand the basic principle what Kṛṣṇa says and you are declaring yourself, "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā and Bhagavad-gītā is my life," and so on.

Mr. Koshi: Would you say that this is a return to this Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This culture is purely Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we have given the name "Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What Kṛṣṇa said, take it.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, by Prabhupāda. Even though we were not five years old, he treats us just like as if we were five. Because spiritually we are still like that. So he is very strict with us.

Prabhupāda: All these boys I chastise vehemently. Even a little mistake.

Mr. Koshi: You...?

Prabhupāda: They tolerate. They know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are afraid.

Mr. Koshi: What is your message to the world?

Prabhupāda: Again you ask me. (laughter) (Hindi)

Mr. Koshi: Yes, I know. but...

Prabhupāda: After reading Rāmāyaṇa you are asking whose father is Sītā. (laughter) I have explained already.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: ...so even if they do everything else correct in terms of the body. They go farther and farther from the real solution.

Prabhupāda: Everyone has done this mistake. "I am God." What is the use of the advancement of so-called civilization?

Girirāja: We have to show that this is scientific fact. Otherwise the demons will make propaganda that this is sectarian.

Prabhupāda: "Brainwashed." They say "brainwashed."

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So if he has already talked with Morarji, and he has agreed, then it is great advance.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Good advance.

Girirāja: He said he would be pleased to meet you. He gave a speech on the television last night.

Prabhupāda: Morarji?

Girirāja: Yes. In Hindi. I couldn't follow all of it, but there was a lot of reference to Gandhi and Gandhi's principles and the..., molding the character of youth. So I told Mr. Rajda—I was watching with Mr. Rajda in his house—that this is the real way to fulfill all of these goals, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Mr. Rajda said yes.

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

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

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Rajda: Rejected... The impediment was that all those rulers, most of them gave up believing in religion.

Prabhupāda: Why you are bringing religion? It is science. Why you are mistaking again? Is that religion, a child is growing to become a young man? Is that religion? It is science.

Mr. Rajda: But they do not look at from that perspective.

Prabhupāda: That means rascals. They do not accept "Two plus two equal to four."

Mr. Rajda: Yeah, correct. Intelligent...

Prabhupāda: If we do not take mathematics as it is, and if we interpret "Two plus two equal to three," that is rascaldom. "Two plus two equal to four," that is everywhere.

Mr. Rajda: Quite right. Everything is right. Now only put some concrete proposals, how do we want to proceed in this...

Prabhupāda: The proposal is there. Here it is already done. The same principle, the four things, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). These four principles, what is the difficulty? But if you are determined, "No, we shall not follow," then who can educate you? There is no loss. And if there is some gain, why not take it? We have to educate so many young men. So I think that harijana movement... You can bring that... That one gentleman, Dr. Parmar(?), you know him?

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Didn't they know who Kṛṣṇa was?

Prabhupāda: Who Kṛṣṇa was, they knew it. But "This cowherd boy is Kṛṣṇa?" Just like we are also despising these so-called avatāras. That does not mean we do not know Kṛṣṇa. We know actually Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we despise all these rascals, "avatāra." Their master is Kṛṣṇa they know. They're servants. Otherwise how they are devatā? But the mistake was that "My master has come, has become a cowherd boy and playing with insignificant and boys and girls, and He is my master?" That is going on. Sūrayaḥ. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. You know this, the Bhāgavata? Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Great, great stalwart demigods, they also become bewildered to understand. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like such a big lawyer, he is asking, "Whether Kṛṣṇa is fictitious or fact?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People are so...

Prabhupāda: Everyone takes this Kṛṣṇa, Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā is a story.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Patita-pāvana: We went down together. We were interviewed by the reporter there.

Prabhupāda: So what kind of interview, that Saurabha is everything? Architect? Architect is everything?

Patita-pāvana: This is a great mistake. Surabhī Mahārāja did not want that. He specifically said, and we also told him, "You must put this, 'Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.' " He said it definitely, I said it, and I wrote it down. And I wrote it down, I think, two places for him. And then it was also written down on our release, "disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: So how is that, nobody's name is there, only Saurabha's? And they have mentioned, "his city."

Patita-pāvana: Oh, no. That is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They mentioned that "Will his city be like Auroville?" And the answer's given, "No, it won't."

Patita-pāvana: The answer's good, but the question's not.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, the answer's not good either 'cause it's not his city. If you answer that question at all, it means that you accept that it's your city.

Patita-pāvana: Yeah, but they never asked him like that. This is simply this man's journalism.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But Prabhupāda's point is that everything has been printed. Whether they asked you or didn't ask you, now it's there in print and it can't be retracted.

Patita-pāvana: We could also have them write some article. I know the chief reporter there.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say you have done independently, whimsically. This is... This is to be stopped. You are acting too independent.

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But they are foreigners.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But for Manipur business...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, for Manipur? Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: For Manipur business don't mistake. Don't use them. We form this five-man subcommittee and take the donation. Then you develop. (looking at newspaper) Whose photo is there?

Bhakti-caru: Mr. J. C. Shah, an agent... "Former Chief Justice, Mr. J. C. Shah, who is going to assist (indistinct) during the emergency. The former Supreme Court Judge is an agent into the affairs of..."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Bhakti-caru: Enquiry...

Prabhupāda: Now...

Bhakti-caru: But it depends on... Everything depends on how much honest they will be.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhakti-caru: How honest they will be.

Prabhupāda: Kānā-māmā (?). If there is no māmā, blind māmā is all right. And who is that, this photograph?

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And what about municipality?

Girirāja: I met Mr. Rajda, and he had written a very nice letter to the Commissioner, and, the thing is, the typist made many mistakes, so in his office I personally retyped it, but by that time it was too late to meet the Commissioner, so he said to ring up today. But I also met the architect yesterday, and he says that the permission for the Gurukula is ready. It's signed and everything, and he's going to pick it up, I think, tomorrow morning. So in retyping the letter I minimized that. He said that actually those people were helping us, but they just had to, you know, dispose of Matrey's objections first. So the main things we're approaching for is this ten-foot piece of land, which is going to be a constant trouble.

Prabhupāda: They have no use to ask for this ten feet.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: Neither they have paid for it.

Girirāja: No, they haven't.

Prabhupāda: Then why they are trying to occupy it unnecessarily?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would they want to do with that ten feet?

Prabhupāda: No aim.

Girirāja: It only has harassment value.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Because you say that nobody knows. You say. And whatever meaning, that is in your mind, but you said nobody knows.

Indian man (5): No, that is quite mistaken talk.

Prabhupāda: That mistake... Then what can I talk? It is mistake.

Indian man (3): I said nobody knows until he knows.

Prabhupāda: So if one does not want to know, how he'll know?

Indian man (5): Whatever Swamiji says, that...

Prabhupāda: Yeah. And Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). Why don't you do that? Who has got the...?

Indian man (5): We want to be student. Sarva-dharmān is word.

Prabhupāda: That... That means you become student; hear me and you'll learn it. It is not the one minute's business.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Most unclean.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you think that they'll reunite.

Prabhupāda: If they want good. Separation on the religious consideration, that was the mistake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was...?

Prabhupāda: Great mistake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, there are Muslims and Hindus here, no problem, in India.

Prabhupāda: And that sentiment was fanned by the Britishers.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. (pause) Last night you translated only a little bit?

Prabhupāda: Not feeling at all well.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not feeling well at all.

Prabhupāda: It is being continued. It is being continued now and then.

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

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Girirāja: I was just going to phone, and I mentioned to Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu that I was going to make this call. So I said that, you know, the Prime Minister was going to be coming here, so he... And I said that I also, in the call I wanted to make that very clear so there was no mistake. And he said that, well, he might be too busy to come here and that he...

Prabhupāda: Gopāla said.

Girirāja: Yeah. So I thought it would be better just to...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of.

Girirāja: Yeah. No, I agree completely. I mean, you're millions and billions of times greater than anyone, so there's no question...

Prabhupāda: No, apart from that, if one has no proper respect for a saintly person, he's useless man. You cannot have any benefit. Or neither he can derive any benefit.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They should be taught how to sweep, how to stitch...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Clean.

Prabhupāda: ...clean, cook, to be faithful to the husband.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't require a big school.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is mistake. They should be taught how to become obedient to the husband.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you won't learn that in school.

Prabhupāda: Little education, they can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. That they can get at home also.

Prabhupāda: They should be stopped, this practice of prostitution. This is a very bad system in Europe and America. The boys and girls, they are educated-coeducation. From the very beginning of their life they become prostitutes. And they encourage.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah.

Prabhupāda: They distribute pills. I have seen the boys and girls dancing together, embracing, in the school film. That ruins the career. Both of them are ruined. That is very regrettable. Then you shall require this sterilization, pills, another big program. They are creating animal civilization, and when the animals are disturbing, they are trying to find out some other means. This is their program. First of all create animals. Then, when the animals behave like animals, then another program. Why do you create animal? Woman brahmacāriṇī, this is artificial.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, in the article in the current news weekly they quoted Prabhupāda as saying that nobody even understands one line of Bhagavad...

Prabhupāda: No, you also understand now that charge, how it is a fact. The fact is, as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. Then, if you have to change your body, then where is the question of nationalism? The first thing is mistake. And the nationalist leader, they are taking Bhagavad-gītā and jumping like dog on nationalism. Where is the question of nationalism? Answer me. Hm?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no real question because...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no real question because...

Prabhupāda: So why they are so much busy in solving the problems of nationalism?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because they are identifying themselves with their bodies.

Prabhupāda: That means ignorance, rascals. They are busy with something which is not his business. Then next question will be: then what is his business? If they actually read Bhagavad-gītā, his business is that to find out: "If I am going to change my body, what I am going to be?" Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The body, after being finished, this body, I am not dead. I am going to change another body. So is it not my duty? Just like if I go somewhere, you see how that place, how it will be suitable for me, how I shall live there. Is it not duty? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I am not going to die. That, if I leave this compartment, I'm not going to die. I'll accept another compartment. But shall I not see what kind of compartment will be, whether it is better than this or inferior than this? Is it not my duty? That is my real problem. Or the actual problem is that if I am eternal, why I shall change body now and then? This is my problem.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, what is use?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he... I mean, he's not interested. That's fact. Even if I call him on the telephone, I can insult him, but that's about all. So what's the purpose?

Prabhupāda: To make another enemy. Just see. Even Shriman Narayan and other, I repeatedly indirectly said that Gandhi made a great mistake. So who hears me?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. If he was to hear that, it means his whole..., he himself has to admit that half of his life he's spoiled, 'cause he's been following Gandhi, praising Gandhi his whole lifetime. They are afraid to admit...

Prabhupāda: Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They remain blind, yes. They like to remain blind. Their leaders are blind, and the followers want to remain blind. This is māyā. Unless there is training... This is instruction, ādau gurvāśrayam. If he doesn't understand the aim of life... It is meant for the most fortunate. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhram..., kona bhāgyavān jīva. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). But still, as far as possible, we shall take opportunity to try to convince him. Just see. This man is with us for the last six months. He is not ready to sacrifice his hair.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the spelling?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: S-a-r-d-a-r.

Prabhupāda: Sardar.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Singh, S-i-n-g-h. He says, "I will come to Śrī Vṛndāvana by the 20th of June, and then I will be able to correct the mistakes and use proper words after seeing the dictionary. Lastly it is prayed that my name not be associated with the translation." Do we have to abide by his desire?

Prabhupāda: If there is some official objection...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he says in it that "so that the people may not make adverse comments," because it's not, you know, it's not verbatim. He's done it quite lengthy, though.

Prabhupāda: You can write, "Translated by a qualified judge."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a wonderful court decision. He sent the original back also.

Prabhupāda: So do the needful.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, after initiation. And here is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He already had gāyatrī.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he has got?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (Bengali) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Help them, all senior sannyāsīs. If there is some mistake, correct them. Cooperation and... (Bengali) Everyone... That's all. There is mālā? Give them mālā each. Yes. That's all. Give them.

Indian devotee (3): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi conversation) He has already gone?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he... Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhakti-prema Swami wants to know if he can get the gāyatrī now, if you want to give him gāyatrī...

Prabhupāda: No, first of all attend.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But I dared to approach them because I am confident that what I am presenting, it is solid. There is no mistake. It is solid. I never said, "May be, may not be." No. Life cannot come from matter. Never. And the knowledge distribution takes some time. They have distributed ignorance by taking time. We have to distribute knowledge by taking time. False knowledge... Simply promise, future hope... Durāśayā. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānā... (SB 7.5.31). The society remains in darkness, misled by blind men. We want to save the human society from this catastrophe. This is our noble mission. Why they should remain in darkness? Karmīs, jñānīs, yogis.... That should be. Just like some professor in Bangalore, they are trying to expose this Sai Baba. Why? Because they are scientific men, they are protesting, "Why this rascal should keep so many men in darkness? The same rascal. By false propaganda he is appearing mukta, God. What about Sai Baba? We don't see anything.

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

Prabhupāda: No? What is that? Sādhu? What is that? Munayaḥ?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "sādhu—this is relevant."

Prabhupāda: Relevant?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what it's translated as, "this is relevant." May be a mistake.

Devotee (1): It's a mistake.

Prabhupāda: Munayaḥ?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Munayaḥ—of the sages; sādhu—this is relevant..."

Prabhupāda: The nonsense, they are... They are correcting my trans... Rascal. Who has done this? Munayaḥ is addressing all these munis.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's addressing the munis?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: No, they cannot be reliable. They can do more harm. Just see here the fun(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. We're finding out in the Fifth Canto that there're words that are so off, the meaning is completely changed, completely changed. I mean, in the three chapters that we read, Bhakti-prema Mahārāja made at least half a dozen corrections of serious corrections. They had changed the meaning.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some of the mistakes in the numbers, the figures.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah, they're all...

Prabhupāda: So how they can be reliable, so-called, this way...? (background whispering) Hm?

Yaśodā-nandana: In the Gurukula we were teaching Īśopaniṣad class to the children. So we took... (break) ...Prabhupāda and the words which the recent edition of the Press is wrong. Many changes were brought. They were trying to make better English, but sometimes, to make better English, I think they were making philosophical mistakes also. There is no so much need of making so much better English. Your English is sufficient. It is very clear, very simple. We have caught over 125 changes. They're changing so many things. We are wondering if this is necessary. I will show you today. I have kept the book.

Prabhupāda: I know that these rascals are doing. What can be done? How they can be relied on?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's not the responsibility of the BBT trustee, to see these things don't change without Prabhupāda's sanction?

Prabhupāda: And Rāmeśvara is indulging this. The great rascal is that Jagannātha? He's there in Los Angeles.

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

Prabhupāda: So how to check this? How to stop this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They should not make any changes without consulting Jayādvaita.

Prabhupāda: But they are doing without any authority.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think we should make whole survey, all books already printed, before printing the next batch and check any mistakes so that it should be all corrected. Otherwise, if the scholars find out that there are so many mistakes in the books, then the quality and the appreciation will be reduced.

Girirāja(?): (indistinct)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. We find so far that they are appreciating so much within the scholarly circle, and we want to maintain that actually.

Prabhupāda: Very serious feature. It is not possible for me to check, and they are doing all nonsense, freedom.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, artificially you can do for a while. Unless it is sound footing, it cannot stay. You can cheat some people for some time..., no, all time. You can cheat some people for all time, and all people for some time, not all people for all time. This is the... That was their business, to cheat some people for all time and cheat all people for some time. But not all people for all time. That is not possible.

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation) Britishers made a mistake. They made a empire, very good, but they did not rule for the people. They wanted to rule over the world for their own sake, London. Their policy was all big, big brain from England should go outside, earn money and bring in London, exploit. Therefore it is... Otherwise it was a very grand plan. They were very nice. This was suggested by one of their viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, that "India is a vast country, very cultured country. Don't try to exploit them. Better send one royal family member to become king here and rule as one empire. Don't discriminate." The others did not like the idea. "Make England's men king in India. The people in general, they like king. And rule over them and have good relationship." These rascals, they did not like.

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

Prabhupāda: No, no. From Calcutta to here. Ticket, what is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Something like about... The ticket's about fifty-six...

Prabhupāda: (break) ...the modern kīrtana. Kīrtanāt... (break) "We shall improve our economic condition for more and more sense gratification." And that is the mistake. People are trying for that. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā (SB 1.2.10). Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Whatever money is required for maintaining, that's all. And as soon as we increase the so-called standard of happiness by sense gratification, then there is trouble. That is going on all over the world. They want money. They're not satis... "More money. More money. More money." Why more money? If you can live comfortably with certain amount of money, be satisfied in that way. Why more?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Unnecessary.

Prabhupāda: Unnecessary, and increase anxiety.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The worries increase.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why more? Live very comfortably and be advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is required.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Or sex life.

Prabhupāda: That's all. They have no other information. So just try. You are comfortably situated. There is no economic shortage. Now you become devotee. Then you'll be happy. Otherwise it is not possible. Don't think by getting large sum money one becomes happy. That is not the fact. That is mistake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We've all given our..., that position up. We were all coming from money, but now we don't have any personal money, but we're millions of times happier.

Śatadhanya: And we don't lack any material benefit. We have spiritual and material.

Prabhupāda: Who can live in such house? Royal. Royal palace. We have 102 royal palaces. More than that. So even from economic point of view nobody is happier than us. Nobody is happier.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That New York building cost over one million dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you go I shall give you chance to see how my devotees are living happy in big, big houses. Big, big house. Do you think to possess a twelve-story house in New York is joke?

Vrindavan De: Even I cannot think of.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So your life, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is the most favorable thing in this whole world for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You should not give it up.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, Kṛṣṇa has given us so many innocent boys. Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja, teach them...

Yaśodā-nandana: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: ...like you so far as chanting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are also your innocent boys, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Let there be struggle for existence for this purpose.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: When I left Māyāpur, everything was in order. Nitāicānd and Sarva-bhāvana Prabhu, as well as Pañca-ratna, are there. Actually one of our workers, he is filing his own case against thirteen Māyāpur villagers, because they had attacked him while he was riding on his bicycle. So that was the only disturbance that had happened in the past month. But he's doing a case against them, and the police said that they would prosecute against them for what they did. So because the people are of such a bad nature, they are continually making such mistakes. This is even getting the authorities against them.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are guṇḍās. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Because we are foreigners, so when they first came and said that "The foreigners, they are firing upon us Indians although we did no wrong," so rather than take what is the actual situation, they immediately said, "Oh, yes, foreigners are firing upon our Indians." They took a national stand, influenced by different reasons. That is why that matter initially was against us. But now the fact that they are such type of guṇḍā and anti-social, they are just showing by their own mistakes. They can't hide their nature. They've already been summoned by the SDO on what's called śabdara,(?) that they are undesirable elements, twenty of them, on another account, because they had done something else wrong, and they're all on a type of bail, even apart from our case. So day by day, it's becoming more and more apparent, their nature. You gave me the name Jayapatākā, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and I hope that by your mercy this name can become true. Then there will be victory in all these efforts.

Prabhupāda: It has become true.

Jayapatākā: Even after the incident, when Gopāla Kṛṣṇa went and saw the chief secretary of West Bengal, he requested him that "Please do not be discouraged by these incidents. Do not shift your plan from West Bengal. These things will all be settled up, and I'll see that there will be an impartial investigation and trial." The chief minister wrote a letter that his party... (break)

Prabhupāda: He wants to sell it.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: More.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that all right? You said to the devotees who came to came to see you from the Gauḍīya Maṭha, you said you were mahā-patita. But they said, "Mahā-patita-pāvana." We all appreciated that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I don't think that your Godbrothers really have any bad feelings. If, as you describe, because you had to preach amongst such fallen persons as us, the offense is really on our part, not on yours. I think actually they know that. Of course, they're a little sorry that they could not do what you did, but actually the offense is ours. We are not very trained up. It is not your fault. It is just that we are so fallen that we are only now beginning to learn a little etiquette. So sometimes, not purposely, but because we're very fallen, we sometimes make mistakes and offenses. And because we've taken shelter of Your Divine Grace, you are always giving us protection. (Yaśodā-nandana chants Brahma-saṁhitā) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they will appreciate tomorrow.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. But where (whether?) the conference is going on or Bhagatji's feast is going on? This is perplexing me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why it is? Because some of the devotees may leave by next week. So Bhagatji wanted to have a feast when everyone was here. And I told him to arrange then for Thursday, which was yesterday. But he said that that was not sufficient time. Therefore then I told him, "Then if you can't arrange for Thursday, then the best day is Friday, because Saturday and Sunday are the more important days of the conference." I advised him that the feast should not be held simultaneously with the conference, but he said that there was no... (break) In other words, I attended the lecture and the program, but I came out on account of Bhagatji's invitation. The lecture should have been over by one according to their program that they published. But on account of the scientists' arriving late, they did not want to push anyone. This was the whole point, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think it's just a, what would you call it, a circumstantial mistake. It was not planned that the two would..., one would interfere with the other. And the conference is in no way being interfered with. It's going on.

Prabhupāda: That I want.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But the defect is that here the head manager does not know English.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, this man, we'll have a little bit more freedom to act. Generally they're going to now rectify all of their mistakes. They feel very sorry. The senior people in the bank feel very sorry for the way in which business has been dealt with towards us, and they're going to transfer... The receipts have already been transferred. We're just finishing up all the formalities. Girirāja was right. The thing which he wanted to do now has been done. It's... The head men in Punjab Bank had no idea of how we were being dealt with locally. And when they were informed, they became very much desirous of rectifying everything, because they feel that we're a very worthy accountant holders with them, and they don't want anything to jeopardize. And we told them, "We have every intention of expanding our facilities here. Simply we want to be dealt with in a proper, normal way." So I think I should return there to finish the discussions. Everything was quite in order, though. It's nothing to worry about.

Prabhupāda: And the manager is not there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, everybody's there.

Prabhupāda: Gupta.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So Dugal is very unhappy, eh?

Girirāja: Well, I mean he feels that he's losing everything. But the man from the head office tried to explain that, you know, "This is the reaction to your activities," and that "If you change your activities in the future, we may bring in more money." Actually we're going to expand and develop our activities more and more. So if they win our confidence, we don't mind giving them any amount of money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He also said that the chairman has taken a personal interest in our Society's accounts and has sent him as an emissary. And he also said that he's coming back in about ten days again. He said, "This time when I come back you will not have any complaints." In other words, he's going to rectify whatever mistakes have been made. (whispering)

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that "pish pish?" (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him that... I told Girirāja, (laughing) I told Girirāja to explain to you about Mr. Gupta's departure.

Girirāja: He said he's going to send some nice younger person from New Delhi who will be very easy for us to work with.

Prabhupāda: Gupta was present? No.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So his case was transferred to another.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) Oh, boy.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One after another.

Bhavānanda: Mixed up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mixed up. His diagnosis was given to someone else. They made a mistake, and then they treated the other person.

Prabhupāda: And he was being treated as tuberculosis.

Ādi-keśava: Sometimes they make the operations, and they leave the knife in, and they sew the knife up inside after they make an operation. Or the scissors. They take some clamps and they sew them inside the wound. And then the man says, "Oh, I have a pain in my side." And they say, "Oh, new disease," and they make another operation and take out the clamps or the knife.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sometimes they only depend on machines, these medical doctors. That's why he's mentioning about x-ray. Through these machines you cannot tell the correct diagnosis.

Prabhupāda: I have got many experiences in my family life. One servant, Kashiram.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever little blood is there.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Whatever little blood is there.

Bhavānanda: I think it's a mistake, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to take this strong medicine without having the kavirāja actually come and diagnose himself and...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śatadhanya: Actually the kavirāja said to me that he never prescribes medicine without first seeing the patient.

Prabhupāda: So bring him. And stop medicine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I think that's the right idea. This is not right, passing stool like this. This passing stool so many times is not right. It means that the medicine is not taking properly.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some reaction is happening.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Definitely it's a reaction.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Five times. That's a lot.

Prabhupāda: Local kavirāja also said it will be very strong now.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Adri-dhāraṇa: He's going to go and sit and watch it being prepared, six hours, so no mistake is made.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Adri-dhāraṇa Prabhu says that today the kavirāja is going to Mathurā, and he will sit six hours watching the medicine being distilled. He's personally going to watch to see so that there's absolutely no mistake made. This is required.

Bhavānanda: This man is competent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I may not be an expert judge, but I have never seen, in my opinion, anyone who seemed to be this good.

Prabhupāda: No, if we have program to go to Māyāpur, he has got that distilled medicine in his dispensary.