My Guru Maharaja - Bhaktisiddanta (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"Guru Maharaja" |"My Guru Maharaja" |"Our Guru Maharaja"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa, there is a ceremony. Just like we have got the initiation ceremony.

Hayagrīva: Did He have a spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: So He accepted spiritual... Not spiritual master, but a sannyāsa-guru. That is also master, but he's not spiritual master. But he's also considered as sannyāsa-guru, spiritual master who offers him sannyāsa. Just like myself, I took initiation from my Guru Maharaja, but I took sannyāsa from a Godbrother who is a sannyāsī. So my original guru is that spiritual master who initiated me, but he's also a śikṣā guru. Like that. Teacher. Then His renunciation of householder. He became sannyāsa.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal:

Prabhupāda: Expert does not mean that I do not know how to drive motor car, and I will have to imitate somebody, "Oh, I shall become driver." Why? If you do not know driving, why should you attempt driving? Whatever you know, you just try it, that business, and try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. If you know driving, that's all right. But don't take... My Guru Mahārāja explained that you haven't got to learn anything extra for Kṛṣṇa's service. Whatever you know, you just apply it... Then you become successful. Because our time is very short. We do not know when I am going to die. As soon as I am out of this body, I am completely under the grip of nature, and I do not know what kind of body I am getting next. Of course, Kṛṣṇa assures that His devotee will never be vanquished. He will get good body.

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Interviewer: Would you tell me something of your own background? That is, where you were educated, how you became a disciple of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: I was born and educated in Calcutta. Calcutta is my home place. I was born in 1896, and I was my father's pet child, so my education began a little late, and still, I was educated in higher secondary, high school for eight years. In primary school four years, higher secondary school, eight years, in college, four years. Then I joined Gandhi's movement, national movement. But by good chance I met my Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, in 1922. And since then, I was attracted in this line, and gradually I gave up my household life. I was married in 1918 when I was still a third year student. And so I got my children. I was doing business. Then I retired from my family life in 1954. For four years I was alone, without any family. Then I took regularly renounced order of life in 1959.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Journalist: Did you get formal training with a...

Prabhupāda: Yes, I was initiated by my Guru Mahārāja. His, here is that, my spiritual master's photo.

Journalist: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So when your country wanted a certificate for making me permanent resident, so I got a certificate from my Godbrothers that I am initiated. That's all. But otherwise, in our country, there is no necessity of certificate.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Guest (1): May I ask one thing. How you chose this America to be your first...?

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja ordered me that "You go and preach this cult amongst the English speaking public and specially in the western countries." So first of all I thought of London, where is London, but I had no money. So I got the opportunity for going U.S.A. free on the, on a trade ship by the Scindia Steam Navigation. They gave me their first-class cabinet, the proprietor's cabinet. I was well carried. But first of all I went free on a steamship. I had no money, what to speak of aeroplane. So... What was your question?

Guest (1): My question was that how you selected America to be your...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So I got the opportunity to go to America because their ship goes to New York. So I accepted, "All right, we can see, either go to London or New York." New York is better place than London.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Prabhupāda: ...my Guru Mahārāja was in his last days, these rascal doctors injected... Our, this Kuñjabihārī, Tīrtha Mahārāja brought so many big, big doctors. And he protested, "Why are you giving me injection?" He protested. He personally said, "Why are you giving me injection?" And if you bring a doctor, the rascals will not stop. "Oh, that is our treatment. We must try our best." They will plead like that. "To give more trouble to the patient, that is our business." Inventing new medicines means inventing new means of giving trouble. That's all. As soon as you ask them whether by injection the life is guaranteed, they will say, "No. There is no guarantee. Let us try, make experiment." Yes. In hospital, as soon as you get (microphone moving)... Whatever nonsense knowledge they have got, they make experiment, at the risk of other's life.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Prabhupāda: I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Mahārāja invited him in our maṭha, Mahatma Gandhi. So Mahatma Gandhi inquired... The, my godbrothers went to invite him. "What you are doing in your maṭha?" They replied that "We are worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa." So he inquired, "Are you pulling on charka?" They said, "No sir," He said, "Charka is my God. If there is no charka, I am not going there." He said like that.

Devotee: What is charka?

Prabhupāda: Yes, spinning. Because he was spinning daily. Just like you are chanting sixteen rounds, he was spinning sixteen rounds. (laughter) And he said frankly, "Are you spinning charka?" They said, "No sir." "Oh, then I am not going there. My god is charka." That is practical. We have got experience. And actually he was refusing. Just like we are insisting, "You must chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds," he was... There were so many charkas daily selling. People took it very seriously. We also took charka and that, what is called?

Devotee: Handloom.

Prabhupāda: Handloom. And there was very good business. So many charkas and that handloom was sold in the shops because everyone was purchasing and purchasing.

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: When one is paramahaṁsa just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, three hundred thousand times, no eating unless he finishes his chanting. No eating, no sleeping. That is another thing. "I shall eat so much, I shall sleep so much, and I shall do nothing, simply chanting." No. That is not recommended by my Guru Mahārāja. He says that you are cheating people. (Bengali) There is a song written by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī: "What kind of Vaiṣṇava you are?" (Bengali) "Your chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in a secluded place," (Bengali) "is simply cheating." What do you know what you are chanting? First of all prepare yourself to come to the stage of perfect chanting. This is sevā. Always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service: how to decorate the temple, how to invite people, giving the feast, write books, distribute books and knowledge. In this way don't sit idly. Always be engaged, always.

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: But before... When you came here... Now you came here in the middle sixties, less than a decade ago. What was it? This is what I'm trying to find out from you. What was the motivating force behind your coming to the United States?

Prabhupāda: That is already explained. That is already explained. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that this propaganda should be made all over the world and they will accept. So my Guru Mahārāja said that "You go and try to do this." So I came with this purpose. And it is happening.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: You have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Mohsin Hassan: Oh, yes. Beginning to end.

Prabhupāda: So it is the book to understand Kṛṣṇa, but these people, unscrupulous people, even great scholars, they tried to explain something, taking advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā. Instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, they wanted to present something of their concoction through the Bhagavad-gītā. So this movement was already there since five thousand years. But these, I may say, the foolish scholars, they suppressed. Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived. Five hundred years ago he revived. So from Caitanya Mahāprabhu time we are trying to revive this movement in different way, different way. About two hundred years ago, hundred and fifty years ago, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura revived it, and then about fifty years ago, my Guru Maharaja, he revived it, and he also ordered me that "You go and preach this philosophy to the Western world." So under his order I came, and I presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, as you have read. So the acceptance has been very marvelous, because the things are presented in pure form, so it has acted very nice. Otherwise it is not a movement that I have manufactured something. No. The movement was already there. I am simply presenting as it is. That is my service. That's all.

Room Conversation -- August 25, 1971, London:

Devotee: Yes, I think so. Yes. I think we have enough.

Prabhupāda: They'll like. Enough ingredients to preach. Simply one has to become intelligent how to express. The, what is called, outlines of thought are already there. You read one line, you can speak half an hour. They are so full of meaning. Provided you can express the meanings. So we are not reading all the lines. We are going quickly from one śloka to another. Otherwise, if we explained each line of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Just like my Guru Mahārāja explained the first śloka for three months in Dacca. (break) ...after this verse, he explained for three months. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained ātmārāma-śloka in sixty-four ways. That is described in Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Sixty-four ways.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 4.13.48 to SB 4.14.11 -- January 18, 1972, Jaipur:

Prabhupāda: So Prahlāda Maharaja was concerned. He was living, his father was a demon, in the demonic state. So this is natural. If one saintly person do not be disturbed by people's unhappiness, he is not saintly person. He is not saintly person. If he is simply satisfied that "I have got a temple, I am getting good income, let me eat and sleep." My Guru Maharaja condemned this process. He said that to earn livelihood by showing some temple and collecting money and eat and sleep, better to become a sweeper in the street and earn his livelihood instead of earning livelihood in this so-called spiritual way.

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 1.5.11 -- January 19, 1972, Jaipur:

Prabhupāda: My Guru Maharaja used to cite one example that one's friend was sitting on the high-court judge's bench. So he was speaking to another, "Oh, that Panchu was playing with us naked. He is sitting on the high-court judge's bench. Oh, how he was playing with us naked, how he is seated in the high-court bench?" "Yes, I have seen, you have seen actually he is sitting." "Oh, then he must not be getting salary." He must not be getting salary. So this is the argument. Familiarity breeds contempt. So he cannot believe that he has become a high-court judge. He thinks that "I am a rascal fool and my friend, how he can become high-court judge? He must not be getting salary." But is that very good argument that the high-court judge is seated there without any salary? This argument is false(?). That is enviousness.

Room Conversation -- February 15, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: ...all the educated men. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If the, who is called, elite society appreciate, then ordinary people will also appreciate. Before my Guru Maharaja, I mean, Bhaktisiddhānta's..., Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Lord Caitanya's cult was considered by the higher class as it is the business of the low-class men. Even Vivekananda remarked that "It is the religion of sex," because they saw that the sahajiyās, they discussed this rāsa-līlā and have illicit connection with woman. So therefore they took it as the religion of sex. Vivekananda.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hiraṇyakaśipu gave his son poison and he drank it nectarine. So for the devotee even it is spicy to other taste, it is very palatable to the devotee. What is the question of spicy? He was offered poison, real poison. (break) ...she also offered Kṛṣṇa poison, but Kṛṣṇa's so nice that "She took Me as My mother." So He took the poison and delivered her. Kṛṣṇa does not take the bad side. Any good man, he does not take the bad side; he takes only the good side. (break) He wanted to make business with my Guru Mahārāja. But he did not take the bad side. He took the good side that "He has come forward to give me some service. So whatever he wanted he gave him."

Bob: Business with you, what was that? Business with who?

Prabhupāda: That is, I am talking about my Guru Mahārāja.

Bob: Oh, oh, I see. (break) ...question on prasādam, if I may. Let us say if some devotee has some trouble and does not eat a certain type of food. Like some devotees do not eat ghee because of liver trouble. So these devotees, should they take all the prasādam?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I say those who are not perfect devotee, they may discriminate.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Śyāmasundara: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, why does He say, "You give up all this nonsense, you surrender"? He does not approve, but he wanted to dance, "All right, you take the facility, dance." He doesn't like that you should dance like that, but he wants. "All right, you dance. You can take the facility, dance." Just like my Guru Mahārāja, Tīrtha Mahārāja wanted his property. "All right, take this property." But what he is doing?

Śyāmasundara: Sitting there in his wheelchair.

Prabhupāda: "You want this property, take property. All right." He's kind, "All right, this man gave me some service, he wants this property. All right, take this property." But what he has gained?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Devotee (1):...at least half of the energy that you have to preach.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (1): We may develop at least maybe half of your energy to continuously preach someday?

Prabhupāda: Continuously?

Śyāmasundara: He says that someday he hopes that the devotees, your disciples, may acquire half of the energy that you have for preaching.

Prabhupāda: Why not full or double? You may have doubled.

Devotee (1): It's inconceivable.

Prabhupāda: Just like my Guru Mahārāja did not travel all over the world, so I have got double energy than him. So you must triple energy, four times energy than me. Then actually disciple. My Godbrothers are envious because they could not do. They could not do even half of Guru Mahārāja's work, and I am doing ten times. So therefore they are envious. So if an ordinary man like me can do ten times, you are Americans-twenty times, then you are successful.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: So those who are sādhu, they accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The guru in the..., they accept. And śāstra, there is acceptance. So, therefore, it is confirmed. Not only He, any avatāra, he must be confirmed by these three sources: sādhu, śāstra, guru. I accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu because my Guru Mahārāja accepted. He accepted Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa; his Guru Mahārāja accepted. And the śāstra is there. When guru says that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, he quotes śāstra. The śāstra, guru, and those who are actually devotees, sādhu, they also accept. This is the evidence.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: If you don't accept this kīrtana, then it will prove that you don't accept the philosophy.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. That's the difference between Your Divine Grace and all these other bhogis. They make it according to the taste of the people. They change. That's why this movement is so solid: no compromise.

Prabhupāda: No. Why compromise? My Guru Mahārāja never made any compromise.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Compromise means you have some material attachment.

Prabhupāda: Yes, compromise means you don't want real business but you want some money by cheating and by bluffing. That's all. That is compromise.

Interview -- July 5, 1972, New York:

Guest (1): Grace is, is nonviolence, nonkilling.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Guest (1): That is part of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, isn't it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): What's the future of that in..., in India today?

Prabhupāda: That, not only in India. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not meant for India or America. Of course, I am deputed by my Guru Mahārāja to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the Western world. That is his grace. He wanted that Western people, who are intelligent, they should learn what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So my mission is for the Western country, but it is not meant for any particular country, nation. It is meant for every living entity. Now, there are many unfortunate living entities and there are many fortunate living entities. So we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in America or Western country, only the fortunate persons they are coming. But if few of them come and understand, then by their example and behavior, the whole population will be benefited.

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: The Kṛṣṇa prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, is within everyone. That love is being expressed in so many ways. Actually that is love for Kṛṣṇa. So when one invokes that love in proper condition, then he loves Kṛṣṇa and loves everyone. Here the so-called love is for some purpose. Just like we are... I have come to this country. My purpose is not to get some money from them. Because I think, "My Guru Mahārāja ordered that 'You go to the Western countries,' " so I have come to the Western countries to give them Kṛṣṇa. And because they, everyone has Kṛṣṇa prema, they are accepting it. You must be favorable. But if you don't accept, it is impossible to give you.

Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that His message should be broadcast all over the world, in every village and every town, and my Guru Mahārāja attempted. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura distributed his literature. I think, in 1896, he sent his first book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and I saw in McGill University that book. And I do not know. That was the year of my birth also, 1896. So somehow or other, later on, I came in contact with Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 1922, and he immediately asked me that "Why don't you go to the foreign countries and preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings." So I was little surprised. Especially at that time, I was very young man and I was newly married. I got one son also. So it was my mistake that I did not take up the words of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja immediately. I thought that "I am now married. Let me settle down." Perhaps if I would have joined from 1922, by the blessings of Guru Mahārāja, I could do more preaching work. Anyway, it is better late than never.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he was afraid.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: He asked you.

Prabhupāda: Prabhupāda gave me some money, that he is afraid, "You keep this money. When they need you can..." So, by guru Vaiṣṇava, and whatever position I have got it is by guru's mercy and the Vaiṣṇavas' blessings, otherwise I am insignificant. So I wish that Śrīdhara Mahārāja may bestow his blessings as he was doing always, and my Guru Mahārāja may help me. I can give some service (?).

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: We are simply your puppets, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You're giving us the books.

Prabhupāda: No. We are all set of puppets of Kṛṣṇa. I am also puppet. Puppet. This is disciplic succession. We, we have to become puppet. That's all. As I am puppet of my Guru Mahārāja, if you become my puppet, then that is success. Our success is there when we become puppet of the predecessor. Tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta sane vāsa. To live in the society of devotees and to become puppet of the predecessor ācārya. This is success. So we are trying to do that. Kṛṣṇa consciousness society and serve the predecessor. That's all. Harer nāma harer nāma... (CC Adi 17.21). (pause) People will come. People will appreciate our propaganda. It will take some time.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If by the dress of sannyāsī, you take some money and eat and sleep, then it is transcendental fraud. (SP laughs) (Hindi) Just like others are toiling, and we are getting money by some dress. That's all. They are getting money by laboring hard, and we are getting money... In India, mostly the sannyāsīs, they do that. The priests also, they do that. This is our profession, just... My Guru Mahārāja said that ṭhākura dekhiye pāya rasta karache, rastaye 'yandiya jīvika badram karam bhari (?). Instead of earning livelihood by showing the Deity in the temple, it is better to take the profession of a sweeper in the street and live honestly. He said like that. The sweeper is working hard toiling and getting some money and living. This is honest living. But just like in Vṛndāvana, all the Goswamis. They have got their Deity. People are coming, contributing.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:

Śyāmasundara: Like that man Patrick. Three businesses failed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That was my case also. Since my Guru Mahārāja ordered me that "You do this." But I thought that "Let me become first of all rich man. Then I shall do," so He... Every business was...

Śyāmasundara: Maybe that is my case also.

Prabhupāda: That is special favor. In the beginning I was thinking, "Now my godbrothers, they have taken sannyāsa. They are begging from door to door. Why shall I beg? Let me earn money and start Kṛṣṇa consciousness." But that never happened. So I had to... I was obliged to take the dress of my godbrothers and preach, instead of earning money. Yes. Some astrologer told me that I should have been a man like a Birla. And I got all those chances in the chemical line, to become... Now I am bigger than Birla. That's all right. But even in business field, there were signs that in money things... I got so many good chances. But everything... Dr. Karttika Candra Bose he appreciated my activities, "Very intelligent boy." He certified to my father-in-law. This is the way of becoming rich man.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:

Śyāmasundara: In Bombay, you were having your own business then?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Manufacturing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, that is small manufacturing. So I got very, very good chance. But Kṛṣṇa did not allow it. He wanted me to come to this point. That is my practical experience. And now I'm seeing that it is Kṛṣṇa's so much favor. You see? Yasyāham, anugṛhnāmi... It is, it is, actually it is His grace. "What he'll do by becoming Birla, rich man like Birla?" That was Kṛṣṇa's plan. "Come here. Do this work." You see. My Guru Mahārāja ordered. Kṛṣṇa wanted. I was resisting Him. That's all. I was actually very expert businessman in chemical line. I did it very creditably in Bose's laboratory as manager and my own business. And everyone knows... Even in manufacturing also.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: I was simply planning in different way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's favor. I never deviated from this plan. Since I heard it from my Guru Mahārāja, I've simply planning how to do it successfully. But I thought at that time, that "I'll be able to do it if I get some money. Let me do some business for the time." That I was thinking. But Kṛṣṇa said, "Even if you are pauper, you try; you'll get everything." But I thought, "Without money, how this can be done?" That was difference of opinion with Kṛṣṇa, argument. And I was dreaming also, Guru Mahārāja, asking me, "Come on." So I was going. So I was, "Oh, I have to go? I have to take sannyāsa?"

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

Prabhupāda: We are giving the topmost knowledge. We don't hanker after Nobel Prize. But they give false knowledge and hanker after Nobel Prize. Just see. Their real aim is how to get the Nobel Prize by cheating. That is their real aim. How an educated man, learned man will cheat? So therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This modern human society, or always, it is a society of the cheaters and the cheated." Somebody is cheating and somebody's cheated, and they have combined together to make a so-called civilization.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: Is Vallabhācārya, Prabhupāda, in accordance with our philosophy?

Prabhupāda: Yes, he's Vaiṣṇava, ācārya. But that very deviation, that "I have done something better than Śrīdhara," that is not our paramparā system. Then he was thinking himself better than Śrīdhara. That is not allowed. We should always remain servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Never we shall think that "I am better than my Guru Mahārāja." That is fall down. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare... Our Juhu Beach is very nice.

Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: All the best men go there for becoming united, but forever they will remain disunited. Just see the practical. Because they're all imperfect, rascals, motivated. How they can be united? They cannot be united. Simply spoiling their time and public money. That's all. Simply spoiling. But public have no eyes to see them. They're also rascal. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that the whole society's now combination of cheaters and cheated. That's all. The cheated want cheaters, and cheaters take the opportunity of the cheated. And that is the combination of the present day society. Somebody, they want to be cheated. And there are some cheaters. So the whole society is combination of cheater and cheated.

Morning Walk -- December 8, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: ...daiva-varṇāśrama. My Guru Mahārāja wanted this that there be regular varṇāśrama, qualified. It is not the monopoly of India that brāhmaṇas are born there. No. No, you are all brāhmaṇas. Otherwise how can I allow you to worship Deity? Hmm.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa never says that "You live like wretched urchins." Kṛṣṇa never says that. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā. And this was practically introduced by my Guru Mahārāja, that living in palatial building and riding on first-class cars, one can become the best devotee. Not that one has to live underneath a tree, imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī. That is not possible in this age. That is the continuation of my Guru Mahārāja, that if one is sincere he can remain a first-class devotee even in this material opulence. And if he would not have introduced, then it was not possible to come here and preach this gospel. That because the principle was to live underneath a tree, go to Vṛndāvana, and have loincloth, just like the bābājīs are imitating. No. Even in full material opulence we can become a perfect devotee, provided you follow the principles. It doesn't matter.

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa said that "I am the Supreme." So Arjuna accepted, the Supreme. All the ācāryas accepted the Supreme. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted, Supreme. My Guru Mahārāja accepted, Supreme. I am accepting, Supreme. I am teaching the same thing. So there is no change. Not that after a few years it will be changed. That never be. That is our position. (break) Changing means material. Anything material is susceptible to change. Like this material body. I am changing my body, but I am the spirit soul. I am not changing. That is the difference. So all these so-called theologicians, they have no idea what is spiritual knowledge. All rascals. They cannot understand what is God. That I have explained. Simply speculating. It will not help.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Why you should be so much working hard to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious? Unless you love Kṛṣṇa? This is the sign of love." I love Kṛṣṇa, but I do nothing for Kṛṣṇa." That is nonsense. That is nonsense. Therefore I said that our Guru Mahārāja's brother, he criticizes Guru Mahārāja. But what he has done for Kṛṣṇa? And what my Guru Mahārāja has done? Unless my Guru Mahārāja had produced me, how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going all over the world? And what he has done? Simply criticizing is no use. We want to see practical. Do you understand or not?

Candanācārya: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You were also given the equal chance. Prabhupāda, my Guru Mahārāja, sat down at Māyāpura. But you were given the place of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's birth place. What, what you have done? It is still jungle. And what is Māyāpura there? All Americans are building a palatial building. So simply by criticizing, one does not become a very confidential devotee.

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just like Jīva Gosvāmī. Jīva Gosvāmī, there is no comparison of learned scholarship with him throughout the whole world. He's such a jñānī. Even great, great paṇḍitas said that "There will be no more such learned philosopher, neither there was, like Jīva Gosvāmī." Yes. We are also referring to Jīva Gosvāmī.

Dr. Patel: I, I, I... I also refer. I want to read, I want to read his books.

Prabhupāda: So in our Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya there are so many learned scholars. Just like my Guru Mahārāja.

Dr. Patel: But a Sanskrit... I tell you, the Bengalis are the great scholars all round, in all respects.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: They would put this bitter sauce on it. Then only they would take.

Prabhupāda: And in Burma, my Guru Mahārāja opened a branch. So when they were frying puri, the, nice ghee, all the tenants, "Oh! What you are...!?" (laughter) They cannot tolerate. But in Burma, there is a preparation which is called nafi. The nafi means that a, a big jar will be kept on the door, and whatever animals, insect, cockroaches will die, they'll put in that. And during rainy season, it will be filled with water. And it will be kept for years. Then... And the bad smell was so terrible that if somebody would open the lid, it will immediately create very bad smell. So after some years, they will strain the water and keep in bottle. And when there is festival, they'll supply it in small... That is called nafi. And they'll take it very pleasantly. And when they were frying ghee, "Oh! What you are doing, this?!"

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So how Caitanya Mahāprabhu treated them equally or gave better position to Rāmānanda Rāya than Rūpa Gosvāmī? This question was raised—not only now—when our Guru Mahārāja started Gauḍīya Maṭha. So he was allowing the sannyāsīs to live in palatial building and go in car for preaching work. So many such persons questioned, "How is that, sannyāsīs are going in car, living in palatial building?" So our Guru Mahārāja replied that "A devotee should be offered the best comfort of life. And if he would not have introduced this comfortable life, at the same time, to become pure devotee, then these devotees from Western countries will, would never come. They would never agree to sit down under the tree and, imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī... That is not possible." Do you understand or not?

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). You'll take a practical... My Guru Mahārāja gave me hint that book publication is more pleasing to me than Maṭha-mandira. So I took it and I began to publish books and that has come successful. Kāryaṁ karma. I took it, "Oh, Guru Mahārāja wants that books should be published. So let me concentrate on this instead of..." My creating so many centers, big, big temples, that is not my primary duty. My primary duty is to write books. Therefore I am going on still. These are coming automatically. Maybe this is the secret of my success.

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

Prabhupāda: . Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up his service, everything, and became no possessions voluntarily. Big, big kings, Bharata Mahārāja... To practice that "I have no more interest in anything material." (break) ...introduction of my Guru Mahārāja that sannyāsīs and preachers may use big, big buildings, motorcars and..., just to give the information to the western world. Because they, if you ask them, that "You become a mendicant, possessionless," still, they are not very much interested. Because they see our dress, our living condition is not very equal to their standard, they do not like. Is it not? Yes. So just to give these Westerners facilities at least to understand this philosophy, this method was accepted by Guru Mahārāja, to live in nice building, to have cars, to use everything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, nobody would take.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Professor La Combe: What is the paramparā from Caitanya?

Prabhupāda: From Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yes. The Six Gosvāmīs: Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, Dāsa Raghunātha. The Six Gosvāmīs. Then from the Gosvāmīs there is Śrīnivāsācārya. Then from him, I think, this Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and then Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Then Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, then Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, then Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, then my Guru Mahārāja. Next we are. I am the tenth or eleventh, eleventh from Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Navadvīpa, the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Professor La Combe: I have been in Navadvīpa.

Prabhupāda: I see.

Professor La Combe: Long ago in 1936.

Prabhupāda: 1936. Did you see my Guru Mahārāja?

Professor La Combe: No.

Prabhupāda: No. He passed away in 1936 in December, in December.

Professor La Combe: No, I have not seen him. Probably he was already ill or... He was ill.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktisiddhānta Saras... That is the photograph of my guru. His Guru Mahārāja and his Guru Mahārāja...

Professor La Combe: And so on.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Who will not respect Jesus Christ? He sacrificed everything for God, even his life. So who is that rascal that he'll not respect to Jesus Christ. What did he do wrong to the human society? He did everything for the good of the human society. Oh, I have got very, very, great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. Not only... Every, I mean to say, God conscious man, he must have respect for Jesus Christ. There is no doubt about it. My Guru Mahārāja had very great respect for Muhammad, Jesus Christ... We pray Lord Buddha. Although he preached atheistic philosophy, but we know that he's incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So a Vaiṣṇava is godly. He is qualified with all good qualities. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. He knows the value of each and everything. Therefore he's godly. And therefore to offer respect to Vaiṣṇava is also a great qualification. Even to offer respect to the Vaiṣṇavas is greater qualification than one who simply offers respect to God.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Dr. Harrap: Your knowledge of Sanskrit, this is one of your basic interests.

Prabhupāda: No, not Sanskrit, but knowledge we have received by disciplic succession from my Guru Mahārāja, from my spiritual master. Sanskrit is the language but mostly we derive knowledge from Vedic revealed scriptures. And this is also one of them, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1975, Hawaii:

Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn't matter. You are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It doesn't matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Mahārāja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha, I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical. So many Godbrothers recommended that "He should be in charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that..." Guru Mahārāja said, "Yes, better he lives outside. That is good, and he will do what is needed in due course of time."

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1975, Hawaii:

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.

Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.

Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Yes, done grand style because I strictly follow the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that's all. Otherwise I have no strength. I have not played any magic. Did I? Any gold manufacturing? (laughter) Still, I have got better disciples than the gold-manufacturing guru.

Yaśodānandana: Before you came, many gurus came, but they did not make any pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: How they can? He is not pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. How he can do? Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nāhe nāma pracāra: "Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa nobody can turn a person to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." It is not... Artificially, you cannot make. He may make show of gold manufacturing, but he cannot make a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico:

Hanumān: When you have come to United States, you had nothing...

Prabhupāda: I came to give you. Some of you have taken, and some have not taken, so what can I do? I came to give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja ordered and I came. And... But some of you, you have taken, and most of, they have not taken. So that is another thing. But I came to deliver you the genuine thing. That's all.

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Professor: But you are of the same line of Puruṣottama Sarasvatī, the great philosopher, no?

Prabhupāda: Puruṣottama Sarasvatī? No, my Guru Mahārāja was Sarasvatī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: So this chanting is proving efficient. That is Vedic knowledge. It is not theory. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not theory or mental speculation. It is a fact. So therefore it is said,

guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya,

ār nā koriho mane āśā **

So whatever little success I have got, it is only for this reason. My Guru Mahārāja said that "You go and preach whatever you learned in English language." That's all. So I came here with this faith, that "My Guru Mahārāja said. I must be successful." I did not show any jugglery to you, gold-making jugglery. Where is my gold? I came with forty rupees first. (chuckles) So these are Vedic instruction, guru-mukha-padma-vākya **, and:

śrī-guru-caraṇe rati, ei se uttama-gati

That is real progress. So this is Vedic instruction. We have to follow the Vedic injunction. Then you will be successful. Not these rascals' theory. It is useless.

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: But according to academic order, logic is the preliminary study of philosophy. Our, our professor, Dr. Watt (?), he defined like that. In 1917...-(Aside:) Come on.-There was the governor in Bengal, Lord Ronaldsey (?), Marquis of Zetland. He was a Scottish man. And our college was Scottish Churches College-(aside:) Get the light. So... don't lean. You'll feel sleep. Just like sit my Guru Mahārāja. Show the picture. Be... Become my Guru Mahārāja. Yes. That sitting is the yogāsana. I am gone to hell. (laughter) You are young men. You learn from my Guru Mahārāja.

Morning Walk -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: And we should do our duty as prescribed by the spiritual master. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya (CC Madhya 19.151). Then both sides, you will be favored, from the spiritual master and from Kṛṣṇa. And that is the success. My Guru Mahārāja was publishing one paper, Dayinika (?) Nadiya Prakash. It was worth two paisa or one paisa. So if a brahmacārī could sell a few copies, he would have been so glad. You see? The collection was not even four annas. Still, he was so glad that "Oh, you have distributed so much." Our business is to carry out the order, not to see success. Success is not so easy. That is not so easy.

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: ...Mahārāja and his father, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. They wanted to preach. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also wanted to preach. (break) ...book to many Western universities. MacGill University. He had a very strong desire to preach. Then he attempted little. Then his son, my Guru Mahārāja, he was entrusted. He also attempted. He sent his disciple to London. And he wanted me also. Therefore at the last stage of my life, at the age of seventy years (chuckles) I made an attempt that... Our predecessors, they wanted, and they wanted me also to do that. So my other Godbrothers they could not do very well. So let me try.

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Young men, everyone likes politics. (Dr. Copeland laughs) Actually, later on, I did not like. When I was mature, when I met my Guru Mahārāja, then I thought all these things bogus. It has nothing, no value. Social movement, political movement, they are simply wasting time. Real movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So our proposition is that if you do not know God and here is God, Kṛṣṇa, why don't you accept Him? You do not know first of all. And if I present, "Here is God," then why don't you accept? What is the answer? We are presenting God, "Here is God." And big, big ācāryas have accepted. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, in our disciplic succession my Guru Mahārāja, and I am preaching, "This is God." I am not presenting a God whimsically. I am presenting a God who is recognized. So why don't you accept? What is the difficulty?

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: He is a rascal, rascal.

Satsvarūpa: He told one professor that our devotees in general, they're not tolerant when someone speaks something.

Prabhupāda: (To Bon:) "You are also not tolerant. Why you have come here? Because you are envious. You are the most intolerant. You are blaspheming."

Satsvarūpa: Yes. He also said that on the altar in Toronto... It's an altar just like in all our temples. He said, "Lord Caitanya should not be there with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." They have them separated like...

Prabhupāda: Why? My Guru Mahārāja have so many Māyāpur temples, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Brahmānanda: All the Gauḍīya temples, they all have...

Bhāvānanda: Yogapīṭha has.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: ...men should be very strong to protest. They must know he has come purposely, purposefully. Of course, he will not be able to do anything. Simply ask him, "You, sir, what you have done for the last forty years? And who asked you to start this institute? And why you were called back by Guru Mahārāja?" You ask these things. "And you performed some ceremony for neutralizing your guru-aparādha." He did it. Some astrologer... He admitted that "I have offended my Guru Mahārāja. So I am not improving. So can you suggest anything?" He said that "You offer 108 bilva patra to Lord Śiva." And he did it for so many...

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No preaching work? Should they go out for preaching?

Prabhupāda: No, those who are preaching, not for them. Those who are sitting idle, or they... (laughter) (break) ...has no other regulation, simply preaching. A preacher is so exalted. He hasn't got to follow any regulation. But don't take it. (laughter) And actually if one is busy in preaching work, that is first-class. (break) ...not my manufactured word, my Guru Mahārāja, that the... That Mādhava Mahārāja, when he was a brahmacārī, his name was Hayagrīva. So he was to go somewhere. So but he was sick. Guru Mahārāja was informed that he was sick and "Today is ekādaśī. He cannot take his regular meals." So Guru Mahārāja said, "No. Let him take immediately meals and go."

Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:

Sudāmā: New York is worse than jungle.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is called an asphalt jungle.

Prabhupāda: After all, they are human being. Therefore we have collected some nice souls. (break) If you can go to the jungle, that is no hindrance, but let us take the opportunity of the civilized nations, preach them. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). They are leading the whole civilization. If they are convinced, it will be great benefit to the human race. (break) Also my Guru Mahārāja said that "You go to the western country." If he had said that "You go to the jungle," I would have gone. (break) ...preacher, either the jungle or the city is the same. Nārāyaṇa-paraḥ na kutaścana bibhayati. One who is devotee of the Lord, he does not make any discrimination that "This is jungle and this is city." Svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ (SB 6.17.28). For them, everywhere, Kṛṣṇa's property. So where Kṛṣṇa asks him to go and serve, he will go. That's all.

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

Anne Jackson: May I ask you a few questions? Could you please tell me a little bit about your life and how you knew that you were the spiritual master for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?

Prabhupāda: My life is simple. I was householder. I have still my wife, my children, my grandsons. So my Guru Mahārāja ordered me that "Go and preach this cult in the western countries." So I left everything on the order of my Guru Mahārāja, and I am trying to execute the order. That's all.

Woman: And is this picture here the man...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is my Guru Mahārāja.

Woman: And he is no longer living.

Prabhupāda: No.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: I will never die.

Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! (laughter)

Prabhupāda: I shall live for my books, and you will utilize.

Reporter (2): Are you training a successor?

Prabhupāda: Yes, my Guru Mahārāja is there. Where is my photo of Guru Mahārāja? I think... Here is.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Jayādvaita: And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we'll do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Now where Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will go now? What was... What was your guru mahārāja's plan for where he...? I don't understand. I mean, did your guru mahārāja want a...

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's statue was there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So why was...

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivinoda... Because it was their... My guru mahārāja never tried to bring him here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So what happened?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So they did it?

Prabhupāda: No. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's picture was there, not that on the gateway.

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So my father used to say, "When Kṛṣṇa takes your money or possession in ten hands, how you can protect it with two hands? And when He give you in ten hands, how much you can take in two hands?" (laughs) So in my case it has become practical. Everything He has taken in ten hands, and now He is giving in ten hands. (laughter) I am practically experiencing. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me, "You do this." I was trying to save my business, my family, with two hands, and Kṛṣṇa took it in ten hands. And now, after making me beggar, He is giving me, ten hands: "You take as much as you like." Now I am thinking of my father's instruction. (break) ...ambition was that I become a great de... bhāgavata. That was his... He used to invite so many saintly persons, and he would pray, "Please bless my son"—I was very pet son—"that he may become a devotee of Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī may bless him." That was his only prayer.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: So we shouldn't be so angry at him. Some people are serving coffee because people want coffee. Some people are selling bīḍīs because people want bīḍīs. So if some people want to be cheated, so he is simply performing a function of society.

Prabhupāda: That is the world. Therefore the whole world is the society of cheater and cheated. That is the version of my Guru Mahārāja. The whole so-called human society means a bunch of cheaters and cheated. That's all.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: He admits that many times he has told some of them to leave their family life and take up some preaching, but they don't do it.

Prabhupāda: How they'll do it? They do not know how to preach, neither they are trained up. That means it is his disqualification. He could not train them how to preach. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was training Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda, "Go there. Preach there. Do that." My Guru Mahārāja was doing that. But he has no power. He cannot do it. He simply talks that he is a very confidential devotee. That's all. He cannot preach. Otherwise Prabhupāda developed this Māyāpura, and he could not do anything. That means he has no power.

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

Carol Jarvis: Your Divine Grace, what prompted you to start the Kṛṣṇa movement? (From here on follow excerpts of Interview, Melbourne, 4/20/76, combined with short, loud recordings of kīrtanas)

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

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Carol Jarvis: Your Divine Grace, what prompted you to start the Kṛṣṇa movement?

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

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Interviewer: You're the leader of how many disciples or devotees throughout the world?

Prabhupāda: Personally, I have got not less than ten thousand. But I was deputed by my Guru Mahārāja to make propaganda in the Western countries. So this movement... Of course, I have started in the Western countries, but in India it is very common movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone knows.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: Ten years. I began this movement when I was seventy years old.

Interviewer: What were you before that?

Prabhupāda: I was householder. And I retired, and I was living in Vṛndāvana, a holy place in India. My Guru Mahārāja asked me to do this. So I could not begin earlier. So I thought it wise to begin at seventy years. So somehow or other, Kṛṣṇa has given us some opportunity to get cooperation of these young boys, and they're helping me.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: So by hari-nāma, by chanting, by this way, to live little peacefully in the temple and eat and sleep, that much they have got. If that is the success, that success they have got. And this was condemned by my Guru Mahārāja, that "To earn some money by showing Deity in the temple and eat and sleep—better you become a sweeper in the street and earn your honest livelihood and live." This is cheating. This was condemned. To construct a temple.... Just like the Vṛndāvana Gosvāmīs are doing. They thought that "This is our business. Some innocent people will come here and offer some.... Bas, that's our good income."

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

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, some devotees, sometimes they feel that in ISKCON we're talking so much about the business of how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but we're not talking enough about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, kṛṣṇa-kathā, they say. So that's another reason why they want to read all these pastimes.

Prabhupāda: Then let them read. What kind of kṛṣṇa-kathā? The kṛṣṇa-kathā test is as soon as he'll get the taste, he'll lose this taste. That is the.... What is this nonsense?

Rāmeśvara: Won't it purify them? That's what they say, "It will purify me."

Prabhupāda: What you are purified? You have become a, what is called, putrefied, not purified.

Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda.

Rāmeśvara: You can become purified, and sometimes you can increase your...

Prabhupāda: No, no. You can read. Be purified. You can read. But where is your purification?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Putrefaction.

Prabhupāda: The books are there for reading. By reading, you become purified. (break) In 1935, our Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he went to Rādhā-kuṇḍa for kārttika-vrata. So at that time he was reading Upaniṣads. So first of all, these bābājīs they were coming. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī had come at Rādhā-kuṇḍa. He's giving some class. So they used to come. But as soon as they saw that he was reading Upaniṣads, they stopped coming. They saw: "They are jñānīs, they are not bhaktas."

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

Prabhupāda: There is one, my Godbrothers also, you perhaps know, Sadānanda. He came to India in 1935, Gauḍīya Maṭha. And my Guru Mahārāja first initiated him with hari-nāma. Two gentlemen came: one Ernst Schulze, another Von something. But later on they left. This Schulze was my intimate friend.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's saying that by Kṛṣṇa's mercy we're here, we've taken.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. No. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is the duty to distribute it. It is his duty. You may... When I came here, I never came here because American boys or people wanted me. They did not feel any need of my presence. But I came here, because it is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me. So one may think there is need or no need—it is the duty of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons to spread it. Just like the example I have already given. The cloud..., the mountain does not want rain, the sea does not want, but the cloud throws water everywhere.

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

Kīrtanānanda: We are about to install your mūrti in that temple.

Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). The Vedic secret(?) is that, parā bhaktir, yasya deve, unto the Lord, similarly, to the guru, they, to them, the whole thing becomes revealed automatically. Vedic knowledge is grasped not by erudite scholarship. Mundane scholarship has nothing to do. The secret is yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. My Guru Mahārāja wanted that some books should be published. So I tried my best, and he's giving success more than expectation. In the history nobody has sold religion, philosophical books in such large quantity.

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

Prabhupāda: And when you fry luci, all the other tenants will come "What you are cooking?" This is practical because we opened..., my Guru Mahārāja opened a branch in Burma in an apartment. So that Gaurāṅga who was my servant in family life, he was there. He said like this, that "When I fry puri, the ghee smell is there, so many people will come from other apartments, (whispers) "Oh, what you are cooking? What you are cooking?" And the naphi, they relish it in feast. So it is a question of taste.

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

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda, is that example also given in the Bhāgavatam? Frog in the well? Sometimes you use all these different examples, and they are all there in the Bhāgavatam. I was just wondering if this frog in the well was also there.

Prabhupāda: No.

Hari-śauri: You use very graphic examples; they're very perfect.

Prabhupāda: No, my Guru Mahārāja used to use to place so many examples, (laughs) I do not know all of them. No, there is a book, Nyāya-śāstra, logic. You'll find all these things.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is that the Nīti-śāstra?

Prabhupāda: Nīti-śāstra is different. This is Nyāya-śāstra.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Logic. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a student.

Prabhupāda: Yes, logician.

Room Conversation -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: There will not be any noise here either, because this is the eleventh floor.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So it's very peaceful for translating work.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. (pause) My Guru Mahārāja left alone, so he has sent so many gurus to take care of me. You are all my Guru Mahārāja's representatives.

Bali-mardana: We are guru dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So you are taking care. I am very much obliged to you. I sometimes think in my childhood I was very, very pet son of my father. I have admitted that in that book I told. My father was not very rich man, but still, whatever I wanted, he would give me. He never chastised me, but full love. Then of course I got friends and I was married, so by Kṛṣṇa's grace everyone loved me. (laughs) And I came to this foreign country without any acquaintance. So Kṛṣṇa has sent so many fathers to love me. In that way I am fortunate. At the last stage if I live very peacefully, that is a great mercy of Kṛṣṇa. By Kṛṣṇa's mercy everything is possible. So we shall stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and everything is possible. What is that book? After Kṛṣṇa book? No, after Kṛṣṇa book, that yellow...?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: :So distribute this prasādam. So Eighth Canto is also?

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

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.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bon?

Prabhupāda: His name is Bon Mahārāja, and my Guru Mahārāja used to say banamānuṣa. Banamānuṣa means the gorilla. (laughter) He is black also like gorilla. He has given so much trouble to Guru Mahārāja.

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

Prabhupāda: No, no, why one should not call a wife a mother? Is that very great advancement? But this rascal was impotent, he had no other alternative, so he manufactured some idea and people thought, "Oh, he's so devotee of goddess of Kālī that he sees even his wife as mother." This story he told me by Guru Mahārāja personally. He was talking with me privately somewhere, although I was a bad householder. (laughs) He was very kind upon me. And whatever is being done by his blessing, that's all.

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

Prabhupāda: Very nice. They should be trained up properly. Special care should be taken. That is the idea of my Guru Mahārāja, a Gurukula. Gurukula, we are not going to make some big, big scholars. We don't require scholars. We require ideal men by character, by behavior, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not by studying grammar. There are many grammarians. Let them study our books nicely, English, little Sanskrit, that's all. Gurukula organize like that. We don't want big, big scholars. Unnecessarily. There are so many scholars in the universities, drinking and woman-hunting, that's all. In the universities, I know, to get the degree, pass the examination, the girls have to adopt prostitution with the teachers, I know that.

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

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

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

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

Rāmeśvara: I think the public always likes to know about the person behind the movement.

Lady Guest: Yes, it helps. People are interested. People are interested in development of a man like you because they relate. And that way they decide to read what you write.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: What had you been doing previously?

Prabhupāda: Previously? I was family man. I retired in 1954. My Guru Mahārāja asked me to take this task seriously when I was twenty-five years old.

Interviewer: Who asked you?

Prabhupāda: Twenty-five years old.

Rāmeśvara: His spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: So I was at that time family man, so I thought, "Let me adjust my family affairs. Then I shall take it." So by doing the adjustment it took me long years. So I retired at the age of fifty-eight. Then I took up seriously. And when I was seventy years old, then I came here.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So long you become a materialistic person, that means you are under condition of material nature. So you have to get your freedom from the laws of material nature. That is your perfect life. But people in the Western countries, they do not know much of this freedom. India knew it, or some of Indians, they know it. But at the present moment they, being conquered or influenced by the Western culture, they are also losing their identity. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to do something about the spiritual life in the Western countries. On account of this I came here.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Money is not our aim. Our aim is how people will understand Kṛṣṇa.

Bali-mardana: He is just using that as an analogy for preaching.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That if you have a good place, many people can be attracted, as many as moving around to many places.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja was in favor of preaching in the city because you can get many men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But do you think I should travel a lot, or what is the best thing?

Prabhupāda: Both things should be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Both. So if you... We were hoping that you could give us another chance by coming back next year.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, I'll come.

Interview with Religion Editor of The Observer -- July 23, 1976, London:

Cline Cross: What impelled you personally, when you, at a fairly late stage in life, to come to the West to teach?

Prabhupāda: I must be prepared to teach. Teaching is not so easy thing. I was ordered to teach at the age of twenty-five years by my Guru Mahārāja. But I was finding out the opportunity how to take up the work. So it took me so many years, so that at seventy years I came out for teaching.

Cline Cross: Why particularly in the West?

Prabhupāda: Because my Guru Mahārāja ordered that "You go and teach this gospel in the Western world."

Jayatīrtha: His teacher instructed him to do this.

Cline Cross: Yes. And are you surprised at the great success you've had?

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Let us not be discouraged. Let us go on with our studies, activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bhagavān: Seeing their foolishness makes one more convinced; it does not discourage.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This failure was assured ten years ago by me.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, you predicted it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but still, I am saying, "This will be all failure." And still, they are hopeful. My Guru Maharaja is very pleased. As soon as a book comes out, he is pleased.

Jayatīrtha: Especially one so beautiful.

Prabhupāda: He was lamenting that "These men, they did not make, publish any number of books. They are simply after this stone and bricks." He condemned. He was very, very sorry. So I thought that I must take a risk. And he's pleased.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: Do you have that in English? I gave you in English.

Hari-śauri: Yes, he got that one. It's in the files.

Prabhupāda: Apramana.(?) Actually, what is this? My Guru Maharaja: "He's a bokāloka." My Guru Maharaja used to say all these men, "All rascals." I was at that time coming him(?). But he said, all, "Everyone rascals." He told me, "Rabindranath Tagore and..., bokāloka."

Hari-śauri: What's the exact meaning of that word?

Prabhupāda: Bokāloka means just like a foolish boy. Bokāloka.

Bhagavān: Childish.

Prabhupāda: Childish, with no sense. Actually that is the fact. All these rascals, they have no sense. Simply they bluff because they have no real knowledge.

Arrival at Farm -- July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Immediately, there is no stock?

Bhagavān: No.

Prabhupāda:

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

This desire to serve guru is the qualification. Yasya deve para bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. In the spiritual life, this is the secret of success. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā... In many places. Our Gauḍīya Matha people, those who were leaders, they wanted to supersede the order of Guru Mahārāja. Therefore it was failure. Very, very nice.

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

Hari-śauri: He's following the line of Vivekananda.

Prabhupāda: Just see how rascal they are. My Guru Mahārāja every step condemned this Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. He said frankly that if there are any impediments for our movement, that is this Gandhi and Vivekananda. He said frankly. Hodge-podge. Gandhi's also hodge-podge. He was a politician, and in politics he mixed some spiritual ideas, hodge-podge. And this Vivekananda was also politician. His name was recorded in the government as "sannyāsī-politician." Because after returning from America, he began to preach to make the poor man rich, and these weak, fatty, and so on, exercise. So the government took it that he's, under the dress of a sannyāsī, he's preaching social and political upliftment. So his name was recorded as "sannyāsī-politician." And his name was also recorded, "political saint," Gandhi.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: 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.

Room Conversation -- August 16, 1976, Bombay:

Guest: Vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ, pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. Etān vegān yo viṣa... You are manipulated by the udara-vegam, upastha-vegam. First there is test: etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ (NOI 1). Then for him Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). He has got three dozen sevā-dāsī, and living in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. My Guru Mahārāja wanted to publish Govinda-līlāmṛta. He asked permission of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So first of all Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, "I'll tell you some day." And when he reminded, he said, "Yes you can print one copy. If you are so much anxious to print it, print one copy. You'll read and you will see that you have printed. Not for distribution." So we are printing all these books for understanding properly. Not that "Here is Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Let us go." Jump over like monkey. "Here is rāsa-līlā. Immediately..."

Room Conversation -- August 16, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why this Gauḍīya Maṭha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that "This man should be the next ācārya." But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be ācārya. That is the failure. They never thought, "Why Guru Mahārāja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be ācārya?" They wanted to create artificially somebody ācārya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Mahārāja wanted to appoint somebody as ācārya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become ācārya. Then another man came, then another, ācārya, another ācārya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Mahārāja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Mahārāja is dead, "Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru." Then he's finished.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: I think they cannot believe that a sādhu could have so much money from selling books.

Prabhupāda: That may be beyond their dream, but I am not so-called sādhu. I am trying to execute the orders of my Guru Mahārāja, predecessor. I am not a so-called sādhu, taking a saffron robe, begging for fulfilling the belly.

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

Vāsughoṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This gentleman is the head of the Marwari community, Mr. Dinami (?). They only speak Hindi. They would like to speak to you but they don't understand English.

Prabhupāda: No, I can, (Hindi) (break) (Unless) one is enthused, he cannot preach. It is not possible. I went there when I was seventy years old. I was sitting in Vṛndāvana. So I thought that my Guru Mahārāja wanted me, Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted me... So in this old age let me try. (indistinct). But by Kṛṣṇa's grace it is becoming successful.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...Sannyāsī should go on preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching. Practically, I was sitting here in Vṛndāvana, in Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. So at the age of seventy years, nobody goes out. At least from Vṛndāvana nobody goes at the age of seventy years. But Kṛṣṇa asked me. I thought that I must go, Guru Mahārāja wanted it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Let me try. So if I had not gone then this institution would not have developed. So this is practical.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That should be our prayer. When Rūpa Gosvāmī, who has established the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when I shall get shelter of his lotus feet. And that is... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi. Tāṅdera means the six Gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi yāṅr tāṅr mui dās. I'm servant of that person who is engaged in the service of the six Gosvāmīs. And we pray to our Guru Mahārāja, rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe. Anyone who is going against the decision of Rūpa Gosvāmī, reject him. Rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta. This is our process.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: Your Bhāgavata. There are no others actually.

Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva, the words of Vyāsadeva. I am simply trying to explain, that's all.

Akṣayānanda: No one else is trying. No one else has done it.

Prabhupāda: It is due to the blessing of my Guru Mahārāja. He directly told me that "If you get some money, publish some books." I took it seriously, so he's helping me. All our Godbrothers, they didn't take it. Did not know it, neither... Even they... They know it. Because from the very beginning, Guru Mahārāja was serious about publication. He started press and published these books. This Bhāgavata was published by him. And the journal, six journals, he was very much fond of publishing, publication. Very, very. He told me directly that if it was possible to get the marbles from this Gauḍīya Maṭha and sell it and convert it into books, I would have done it. Because I know there will be blazing fire in this place. (break) And by Kṛṣṇa's grace, by selling books we are getting. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace. Otherwise... This Bon Mahārāja is so proud of his institution. He could not do this. He could have done it. For the last forty years.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Interviewer: Sir, who initiated you into this movement?

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja. You show my Guru Mahārāja's picture here. Here is a picture.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Here here. Haṁsadūta has it right here.

Prabhupāda: He asked me to do this.

Haṁsadūta: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.

Interviewer: Has he a seat here in India?

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Founder of the Gauḍīya Math.

Prabhupāda: He is the founder of Gauḍīya Math. He advised me to take up this movement when I was twenty-five years old, young man. But at that time I thought that "I am a married man; let me wait." So waiting, waiting. When I retired at the... I was born in 1896. So I retired in 1954. That means I retired at the age of fifty-eight years. At fifty-eight years. Then I remained as a vānaprastha in Vṛndāvana up to seventieth year of my age. Then I thought that "Guru Mahārāja asked me to do this at the age of, when I was twenty-five years old. I could not do it. So let me try." So by his grace and Kṛṣṇa's grace, it became little successful. That's all. In 1965 I went to New York without any help. But gradually, in 1966 I registered this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in New York. And then gradually, it spread whole America, Europe, Australia, Canada. Like that.

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

Jagadisa: If there is any trouble in getting Indians...

Prabhupāda: No, we don't care for Indians and Europeans. We care for Kṛṣṇa, that's all. I didn't care for anyone. I simply care for Kṛṣṇa, that's all. And my Guru Mahārāja, that's all. I went to your country, not supported by Indians and Europeans. I went on the order of my Guru Mahārāja and under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's protection, that's all. That is wanted. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). We want two favours. One from guru, one from Kṛṣṇa. That's all. We don't want anyone's favour. So you have to fight. You cannot fight (sic:) immaterious. Kṛṣṇa never said, "Arjuna, oh you are my devotee, you sit down and sleep, I shall take care of..." He never said that. (laughs) So if you take that position, we are devotees, non-violent, and let us sleep, that is not... Fight! With all the resources that we have got. That is wanted. (voices in background of Indian people) That you cannot stop. They are coming, going, how you can stop? People, public, they are coming, going.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, our whole family. We have our family Deity, Dāmodara. In my childhood I was worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities. And then, fortunately, I got my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. So this was a good fortune, from the very beginning we were trained up. So in the beginning of our life, I was worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and playing with (indistinct). The same thing is being done now. In a larger scale. (laughter) Nitya yukta upāsate. There is no change.

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

Prabhupāda: I do not claim that I am Sanskrit scholar, I am this big man, that man, no. Whatever books I have written, only about this-Kṛṣṇa. In our book in every page you will find Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. My Guru Mahārāja, if we used to write some article, so we wanted to show him how it is written. So he was very busy. So somebody would read and Guru Mahārāja would say, "How many times he has said 'Kṛṣṇa'?" (laughter) If he finds that in every page there is Kṛṣṇa, it is all right. That's all. (laughter) So we are making Vedāntist, "How many times he chants Kṛṣṇa?" If he chants always Kṛṣṇa, yes, he's Vedāntist. That's all. Bas.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Service is so important. So in the Western country the woman can give very good service. Api cet sudarācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). This, our book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Mahārāja. And by his grace it is to some extent successful. And I took it seriously. I take it seriously still now. That is my life and soul. I never tried in India to construct big temples or even in your country we didn't. I never tried. But I was selling personally books. That is the history. Sometimes they are criticizing, "What kind of sannyāsī? He is doing book business." (laughs) The other day that, what is his name? Bachu Hai came. Bachu Hai Dresswalla. You know him?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: The avatāras shall behave like common men. Otherwise they will not be... All avatāras behave like common men.

Prabhupāda: Our Guru Mahārāja, so strict... A little discrepancy, he would chastise like anything. But we liked it very much.

Indian (3): Guru's chastise is the mercy.

Prabhupāda: Śiṣyaṁ ca putraṁ ca tāḍayen na tu lālayet. That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instruction. "The sons and disciples should always be chastised. Never pat them."

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No more this showbottle, cheating. It is very ludicrous. Even there is a promise that "We shall not fall down again," that is also not believable. What is the use? Better go and speak philosophy in your gṛhastha dress, not this dress, but you have nice coat, pants, gentleman. Who says no? I never said. Rather I shall be glad to see that up-to-date gentlemen with tilaka and śikhā are speaking. That is very prestigious everywhere. Why this false dress? What is the wrong to become gṛhastha? I was gṛhastha, pākā caliber gṛhastha. My Guru Mahārāja was brahmacārī, This is ever... Just see his character. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was gṛhastha, but when He took sannyāsa: "Oh, I am now..." For sober person. That is wanted. That is ideal. He married twice. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura married twice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu married twice. What is the wrong there? One has to become pure devotee, that's all.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Unnecessarily they are envious, offensive, unnecessary. They cannot tolerate others' opulence. Just like our Godbrothers. They are envious. What I have done to them? I am doing my business, trying to serve my Guru Mahārāja. But they are envious because I am so opulent. I have got so much fame, so many influence, so much influence all over the world. Everyone is praising me about... That is ignorance. And this is regrettable because they are posing themselves as Vaiṣṇava. Ordinary man can do that, but they are dressing like Vaiṣṇava, and they are so envious. That Tīrtha Mahārāja, unnecessarily he was envious, whole life fighting, fighting, fighting in the court and died. Simply planning.

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

Prabhupāda: When there was no car, elephant had some importance. And now they have got so many cars. (break)

Dr. Patel: Camels were used as they are now, for ...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Gurudāsa: They still do.

Dr. Patel: They're better than the horses, don't get tired earlier. From Vṛndāvana to Delhi the camels were running. They used (Hindi). I don't know what they call it in Bengali.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja purchased two camels. I did not... I do not know what happened, but he purchased.

Gurudāsa: I think Tīrtha Mahārāja was fighting with someone else over them.

Prabhupāda: No, it is long ago.

Dr. Patel: We have a story in Mahābhārata that all Ataravart, he can do. The Hastināpura in just when Abhimanyu was going for fight. In those days they were using camels.

Gurudāsa: In Rajastan they use widely.

Dr. Patel: Rajastan is a desert.

Prabhupāda: No, Vṛndāvana quarter there are many camels.

Dr. Patel: Everywhere there is camel.

Gurudāsa: They're using camels at the Mela. For carrying things they're using camels now.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy. So less perfect or..., try to see how many numbers of books.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy. So less perfect or..., try to see how many numbers of books.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Rāmeśvara: Even by your example they have not learned anything.

Prabhupāda: No, my... Of course, I did not attempt in the beginning. I started my activities when I was seventy years old. So they thought, "This man is gṛhastha. He is embarassed with family life. What he'll do?" (laughs) That was their impression. But I never neglected. Guru Mahārāja told me. I was simply thinking, "How to do it? How to do it?" I thought, "Let me become a rich businessman. The money will be required." That was my thought. But Guru Mahārāja was asking me, "You give up this. I'll give you money." That I could not understand. I was planning. My plan was not wrong. But I was thinking "The money required, so let me earn some money. Then I shall begin." And Guru Mahārāja said, "You give up this money-earning endeavor. You come completely. I'll give you money." I can understand now. But my desire was there. Therefore he guided me. So I was... In 1936 or '35 in Bombay, after installation of Deity, so—I was gṛhastha—I helped them to collect some money. All my Godbrothers applauded and recommended to Guru Mahārāja that "Abhay Babu is so influential. Why he lives outside the temple? He can become the temple commander and manage this Bombay temple. Why he is living outside?" Mean "Guru Mahārāja may ask him." So I was... From this Allahabad I was going to Bombay. I had one small office there. So after hearing, he said, "It is better that he is living little away from your Matha. And when time will rise, he'll do everything. He hasn't got to be advised." I could not understand why he said like that. That means he was so kind that he expected that I shall do something. That was my asset, his blessing. And I was thinking that "His, this mission must be done very nicely." Although I was not capable to do anything, I was thinking like that. So desire was there and maybe blessing was there. Yes. There was no question of qualification.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Rāmeśvara: But still, after ten years the Gauḍīya Math still has not learned.

Prabhupāda: Hm? They cannot. They... Those who are intelligent, they are making something, Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others. But this man was envious, this Tīrtha Mahārāja, because... He advertised that he is the only favorite student of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. (laughs) But spiritually he was empty. Materially he was capable, how to manage things. But spiritually he was zero. That Prabhupāda also knew and everyone knows. He had no spiritual understanding. Materially he helped Guru Mahārāja how to organize. Therefore he liked him, that "This man is expert manager."

Rāmeśvara: We have devotees like that. We also have devotees who spiritually have trouble coming to the programs and even chanting, but still, they like to give them service, so we engage them anyway.

Prabhupāda: That is also qualification. That is also qualification. Some way or other, if there is some service, it goes to the credit. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. The foolish person may not know that "I am imperceptibly advancing even during my, this material life," but Kṛṣṇa takes.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Tīrtha Mahārāja. But they never gave him anything. They never gave him men; they never gave him money, nothing.

Rāmeśvara: Not even letters.

Gargamuni: No. They never even wrote him. They didn't care. And there's still a foundation. From 1948 there is a foundation there of a building which was started in 1947 or '48, and I was very surprised because the building has a frame of steel girders, not cement but steel, big steel girder. It has a frame. I think it's about a two-story building, say half the size of Māyāpur building, half the size. And the frame is still there. I asked Pañcaratna who went there if it was still there or whether it was blown away by the war. He said, "No, it is still there." So there's already a building. There's a stone wall around the property. I think it's around, maybe, about three-quarters to an acre. But it's in the heart of the city. It's in a good area, a very populated area but very nice area also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: So I thought I would go there and see and then come back, get a new visa and then return and give a report.

Prabhupāda: So it will be nice. That was started by my Guru Mahārāja. We have to take.

Gargamuni: Yes. Because after he goes there's nothing.

Prabhupāda: Tīrtha Mahārāja was planning to exchange that property with a Calcutta Muhammadan, that he would give him that property, and this Muhammadan would give him this property, his property. I checked it. I approached the donor, the Bali-hatti(?) zamindar, that "You donated this temple and it is going to be in the hands of Muhammadan. Do you like it?" So he said, "No, I don't like it." I said, "Make it inquiry." He inquired, and he immediately wrote Tīrtha Mahārāja that "You are contemplating. This we do not approve. We are the donor." So Tīrtha Mahārāja replied him that "It is no more in the hands of the donor. I am the trustee. Whatever I like, I can do."

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād.

Rāmeśvara: It's like you say. It's a new culture. Our art paintings one day will be seen all over the world. Just like now they hang art paintings in all government buildings.

Prabhupāda: It was written for this purpose. People are suffering by their concocted culture, suffering. And Guru Mahārāja wanted this. Actually it is his mission, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. But I am... I have tried sincerely. I am not qualified, but only qualification is that I tried to do the best. That's all, that much qualification. I had faith in their program, and I thought, "I shall try my best, whatever capacity I have got." That's all. Yasya deve parā bhaktir tathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Little confident that "Why? If Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants it, my Guru Mahārāja wants it, why it will not be successful? Let me try." That's all. Mukhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ panguṁ laṅghayate girim: "A dumb man can become orator." (laughs) It is like that. I never thought that they will praise so much. What it is possible? Mukhaṁ karoti vācālam. (laughs) "A dumb man can become orator, and a lame man can cross over the mountain." Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam. By the mercy of guru it is possible. So these are not stories. They are fact. That is spiritual life. All right.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So you take this Dacca responsibility. Take that temple. It will be very nice, a great triumph for us.

Gargamuni: Yes. I will go. In a Muslim country to establish Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: The temple is nice, and let us renovate it and establish our center, and gradually, if Americans preach there, the Muhammadans will come. If Hindu preach, they'll take otherwise. But when they see the Americans have come, they'll take it little seriously. And now we have got philosophy. At least the educated class will understand. You take that, and it will be a great triumph. My Guru Mahārāja will be pleased. He established that temple, and Tīrtha Mahārāja was selling it. But he has no power to go there. He was exchanging. I told you that that I went to the donor and asked him that "Your temple is being exchanged with a Muhammadan." So they took it seriously, and they stopped it. This temple was donated by one big zamindar. They live in Sababazar.(?) They have got enough property in Dacca, big zamindar, Balihet. How he dared to exchange the temple established by Guru Mahārāja for a house in Calcutta? Just what kind of person he was, just imagine.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2).

Rāmeśvara: It's clear that for the first time these scholars are understanding the difference between the Bhagavad-gītā and the Māyāvādī conception. It's clear that now you have saved them. Previous to this, all they knew about is this impersonal concept.

Prabhupāda: That is the business of ācārya, sampradāya-rakṣana, to save the sampradāya from falling down. Sampradāya. Sampradāya rakṣana.

Rāmeśvara: After centuries of rascaldom you are giving them the first clear choice.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That was the desire of my Guru Mahārāja. I am just trying.

Satsvarūpa: Another professor that was met is going to with ten students... I have his name, a Professor Kalewart from the University of Loeben in Belgium. He's supposed to go to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir on February lst with ten people.

Prabhupāda: He has gone?

Satsvarūpa: No, on February 1st.

Gargamuni: He should stay in our guesthouse.

Prabhupāda: So inform them, "You come."

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Without your activities this man could not have written that... He could not have had that understanding. If you had not started this movement, there would be no difference, no contrast. There would just be Māyāvādī in the Western world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. People heard that Indian philosophy is Māyāvāda. Māyāvādam asac chāstraṁ pracchanaṁ bauddhaṁ ucyate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu repeatedly said, māyāvāda bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa: "He is doomed." Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. These are the direct charges against the Māyāvāda. My Guru Mahārāja also, a staunch enemy of the Māyāvāda philosophy. And you are also singing, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. The śūnyavādī are the Buddhist, and nirviśeṣavādī are the Māyāvādīs. Paścatya-deśa, they are embarassed with this śūnyavādī and nirviśeṣavādī. Now we are trying to give them solid personification of the Absolute Truth. Here also, India, they are spoiled by these Māyāvādī. Now it is in your hand, able hands. You are resourceful, intelligent. Spread this Vaiṣṇava philosophy and challenge this Māyāvāda and śūnyavāda. Thank you. Jaya. (devotees offer obeisances) Here is a would-be Vaiṣṇava. (laughs) Very nice. He is a very nice child.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Vyāghra mane śārdula. One student asked teacher, "What is the meaning of vyāghra?" He said "Śārdula." Means vyāghra is already a difficult word, and he presented another difficult word.

Nanda-kumāra: They don't actually know anything, so they have to speak with so much...

Prabhupāda: All rascals. Therefore I call them as... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, bokaloka. Bokaloka. So I was thinking, "Why he's..." Even Rabindranath Tagore, he's a Bokaloka. So I was thinking that "Everyone is bokaloka?" Now I can understand that everyone is a bokaloka, mūḍha. So enthusiastically do everything. You are the beginner of this movement, one of the pioneers. So you should be more vigorous. You should not lag behind anyone. You voluntarily joined. You first joined in Tompkinson Square. So keep that spirit.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: There was another letter that Yogānanda, an accomplice of his, wrote to another person in California saying that he should also come to Vṛndāvana. Nitai had found all this new secrets.

Prabhupāda: That will happen. Sahajiyā.

Hari-śauri: Posing himself as a big, learned man.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "When our men will be sahajiyā, he will be more dangerous."

Satsvarūpa: Our own men.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said that "When our men will be sahajiyā, oh, they'll be more dangerous." So our men are becoming, some of them, sahajiyās. This very word he said, that "When our men will be sahajiyās he'll be more dangerous."

Hari-śauri: Without any proper realization, on the basis of being able to read Sanskrit, they delve into all kinds of books, and then they pick fault—"Oh, this rule is not being followed. This is wrong. This is wrong."

Satsvarūpa: "We don't chant sixty-four rounds, so that is very bad. We'll never make any progress."

Prabhupāda: Sahajiyā.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was such a rascal. He was actually impotent, and he could not have sex with his wife, and he addressed, "Oh, you are my mother." And these rascals took: "Oh, he is so advanced that he could see his wife as mother. Oh, self-realized. By worshiping Kali he has become so perfect, he sees everyone as mother." Such a rascal he was, and he is God. These things are going on. But I am speaking not my manufacture. I heard it from my Guru Mahārāja. He told me that these are these, like that. Not unauthorized. I don't speak anything which I have not heard from my Guru Mahārāja.

Hari-śauri: It's just so difficult to believe how these rascals could do it, I mean, pose themselves like that.

Prabhupāda: And when we were meeting, we had so many talks. One of these talks were that, (laughing) this. He told me that, Guru Mahārāja.

Hari-śauri: Complete loss of intelligence.

Prabhupāda: It is stated clearly, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). Rascals are hṛta-jñānāḥ. They have no knowledge even.

Hari-śauri: Lusty desires within their heart.

Prabhupāda: Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. For kāma... Just like one is lusty for sex, they are for false name. "I shall become God. People will adore me." This is their.... "And we shall bluff like this, by magic, word jugglery." This is the aim.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Satsvarūpa: Oh. All debauches.

Prabhupāda: All debauch. Because they're getting fat salary. What they'll do? They do not know how to use it. Wine, woman, restaurant, dance-finish. So we have got very pessimistic view of this modern world. You may like or not. Simply spoiling time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply work without any profit of the human form of life. And nobody is interested to correct the procedure. If we try to correct them, they will accuse us that "These people are brainwashed. They deviating these young men from the general procedure of human civilization." Hm? What is this? Illicit sex stopped? Then where is life? This is life, if young boys and young girls mix freely and have sex, and as soon as she is pregnant, you go away, let her suffer, no responsibility. The poor girl, long before, father, mother divorce—no protector. And as soon as she selects somebody husband, and as soon as pregnancy, he goes away. And old age—there is no family, no son. Ninety-nine percent the woman class live like that. How hopelessly the old ladies are sitting down—only one cat, one dog, one television. The old men also like that, hopelessness. Or drinking or seeing the television. And a dog friend. Is that life? And we want to correct it—"brainwash."

Gurukṛpā: They are so... They have no brain to even understand this. You cannot talk to them.

Prabhupāda: No, no, we have to do. Otherwise there is no meaning of preacher. Most thankless task. We want to save them, and they accuse us. My Guru Mahārāja used to give that example: A boy is flying kite, and he's going like this. He's just come on the edge of the roof. He is going to fall down. And somebody says, "Hey! What are you doing this for?" (shouts:) "Why you are checking me? Oh, my kite is gone, gone. I have gone back." This is going on. If you want to save them, they will accuse you that "My kite-flying is disturbed. Don't do this." "And why you are. Why...? You'll fall down." "Never mind. That is my business. Why you are checking me?" This example was given by my Guru Mahārāja. You want to save him. Who is a gentleman who will not save him? He is falling down next moment. That is natural. But he is angry. "Why you have checked my kite-flying?" So it is a different type of civilization, a different style of life. If you want to introduce they will accuse you, so many, like madmen. And still we have to do. That is preaching. You cannot expect very smooth life in preaching.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: One boy in Paris, he had a visit...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, this is the position. Those who are neophyte, they are always in danger. Therefore their duty is to be guided by sādhu-śāstra-guru. That's all. That is our... Now, I'll say from my practical life... It is not pride. Actually everyone knows that my Guru Mahārāja had thousands of disciples. So out of thousands of disciples, practically I am little successful. That everyone knows. Why? Because I firmly believed in the words of my guru. That's all. This is the... There may be many other Godbrother, maybe very learned and very advanced, whatever it may be, favored, and... Everyone claims that "I am the most favorite." And practical point of view... So I think sometimes that "Why this wonderful thing has happened to me?" So I search out. I search out only that I cent percent believe in the words of my spiritual... That's all, nothing else. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, āra nā koriho mane āśā **. Don't think of any nonsense. Simply execute what your guru has said. That is success. You are daily singing, guru-mukha-padma-vākya **. You know the meaning?

Pṛthu-putra: Yes. Cittete koriyā aikya, āra nā koriho mane āśā.

Prabhupāda: This is the instruction. And the child decides it that "Whatever my parent says, that's all I shall do. I shall do nothing," then he's safe.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is bogus. Not only he, there are many. They'll simply repeat that. There are many. They come... Many devotees, our life members, big, big men, they come: "Swamiji, I experienced like this. Some man came. Some boy came." Means real purpose is that he wants to prove that he is already connected with higher planetary system. I have got many experiences. They say like that.

Pṛthu-putra: Yes. I have met also life members saying things like this recently here.

Prabhupāda: So simply hear them. That's all. One big barrister, he was my friend. He is dead, M. C. Chatterji. He's a very big barrister. He used to charge sixteen thousand rupees for one appearance. So he was stating about when..., that he came to Vṛndāvana, and he met one boy, and "He asked me some sweets, I gave him sweet. Later on, when I was coming back to Delhi, I saw that boy was running on the train." He said. Such a big barrister, he said like that. "Oh, he was so..." Posturing like this. What can I say? "Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy was running after you in the train?" This is going on. Another friend's wife, she came to Jagannātha Purī. So Jagannātha Purī, those who are rich men, they are allowed to go near the Jagannātha. So that lady said that "While I was circumambulating, Jagannātha was snatching my cloth." Jagannātha became so much attached with that blackish woman that He began to snatch his (her) cloth. So many stories I know. So what can be said? "Why did you not remain with Jagannātha? Why you came back?" This is going on. So I have got experience of many such stories. Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy was running with his train. I have to take. And Jagannātha was snatching her cloth. They are very poisonous things. I was never fortunate with such incidences. I am simply trying to carry out the order of my Guru Mahārāja. That's all.

Pṛthu-putra: It was never such story as people having contact with Kṛṣṇa, anything like this. That never went on. That was never going on.

Satsvarūpa: I asked why these visitations are not mentioned in your books, people from the subtle plane. And one answer I was given is that if you wrote this in your books, then too many devotees would try to contact these persons, but that you do approve of it, but you don't want to put it in your books. But I thought, no, you put everything in your books.

Pṛthu-putra: Yes. Everything is in the books.

Satsvarūpa: These are the things I heard.

Prabhupāda: Tell them this, that "Whatever it may be, you do your duty. That's all."

Pṛthu-putra: That's clear, very clear.

Prabhupāda: These sahajiyās will come out of so many devotees. What can be done? From my Guru Mahārāja's disciples, so many sahajiyās came. These are called sahajiyās. Very easily they capture thing. So my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "When my disciples will be sahajiyā, it will be more dangerous." He used to say like that. Take things very easily. You know that Puruṣottama, supposed to be my Godbrother?

Pṛthu-putra: No.

Prabhupāda: You don't know?

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

Prabhupāda: Ah! Mohinī Śāstrī. Mohinī Śāstrī. He was his disciple.

Pradyumna: I went to try... He's dead now.

Prabhupāda: He is also. He's passed away.

Pradyumna: And I saw his son. I saw his son. I asked if he had any of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books on jyotir, but he did not... He is practicing jyotir, but not...

Prabhupāda: Mohinī Śāstrī's son?

Pradyumna: His son. Sāmba...

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja was a great astronomer.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think that would be our proper research, to look into it.

Prabhupāda: From Sūrya-siddhānta he got the "Bhaktisiddhānta." He got this title Sūrya-siddhānta. So when he became Vaiṣṇava... A Vaiṣṇava he was as a Bhaktisiddhānta.

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Everything is analytically spoken. Why all these things? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because godless, no intelligence. Anyone who is godless, he has no intelligence. This is the conclusion. They are intelligent amongst the similar rascals. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (SB 2.3.19). He's intelligentsia among the dogs, among the camels, among the hogs, and the asses. They will praise them, "Oh, you are so intelligent. You are so educated." Not human being. Just like dog receives his master, "Gow, gow, gow, gow." (makes growling sounds) So what is that reception, dog's reception? Similarly, these intelligent men are intelligent amongst a class of men who are compared with dogs, hogs, camel and ass. They are not human being. If some man praises them that "You are so big. You are so big leader," he's also amongst this group. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. This is grave thing. Let understand it, that anyone who is godless, who has no idea what is God, he is a rascal. Immediately take him that he's a rascal. He may be prime minister, he may be president, he may be scientist, but we shall take him as rascal number one. This is our first understanding. Bokā. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, bokā. So at that time I was thinking, "Everyone is bokā?" (laughing) Guru Mahārāja says, "Everyone..." "Even Rabindranath Tagore, he is also bokā?" Later on I could under..., "Yes. Everyone is bokā."

Satsvarūpa: You were surprised that he was saying at first, "Everyone is rascal."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Nanda-kumāra: The outcome of the battle is already decided. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā, we've already won. We just have to keep, keep fighting.

Prabhupāda: They are now feeling the pressure of the opposite party. So fight is fight. When there is fight, my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Some of our soldiers will die. It doesn't matter." You don't expect that not a single soldier of your party will not die. No, some of them will die. Still fight must go on. Fight cannot be stopped. So fight like brave soldiers, Kṛṣṇa will help you. Don't make any compromise. No truce with these demons. Fight must be. Our fighting weapon is Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. That's all. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra. That astra is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana, this saṅkīrtana, this astra weapon. They're now afraid of this astra more than atomic weapon. Is it not?

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Everybody knows. At least, everybody knows about Hare Kṛṣṇa, about this saṅkīrtana.

Prabhupāda: No it is more dangerous than the atomic weapon. They have accepted it.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No it is more dangerous than the atomic weapon. They have accepted it.

Gargamuni: Yes. In many countries we are known to be very dangerous, this Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are afraid.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They even write, the psychiatrists, that "These people are very dangerous." (Prabhupāda chuckles)

Bhāgavata: We are threatening their sense gratification.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So go on with fighting. We are not the Vṛndāvana bābājīs: "No, we are so perfect we do not go out of Vṛndāvana, and chant... Chant or not chant, we have got three dozen widows." This is going on. Sahajiyā. Still they are better because they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, than these demons. Our Guru Mahārāja said that although we condemn these sahajiyās, but they are better than the Māyāvādīs because they accept Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Lord. Their character is not good. But still, because they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord somehow or other, they are better than these Māyāvādīs.

Bhāgavata: Sahajiyā.

Prabhupāda: Sahajiyā means they have taken everything very easy. That's all.

Room Conversation -- February 10, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They should be trained up. And dviṣatsu, envious. Four division. So four divisions you have to treat in different ways. Prema, Lord, prema, love. Maitrī, friendship with devotees. Kṛpā bāliśu, those who are innocent, the kṛpā. Let them learn. And upekṣā. As soon as come to the dviṣat, no cooperation. Keep aloof. So when we try to keep aloof from the envious, that is not our enviousness. That is just to avoid trouble for preaching work. Not that we hate them. But because... When you avoid a snake, it does not mean I hate the snake, but because he is harmful we have to take precaution. This is the statement of Bhāgavatam. And when you are in the mahā-bhāgavata stage, first-grade, that time, paramahaṁsa, nobody's enemy, nobody's friend. Everyone... That we cannot imitate. It is not... Preacher, even if he's mahā-bhāgavata, he comes to the second stage. Just like Guru Mahārāja. He's mahā-bhāgavata, but still he had to come to the second stage. He had to take precaution. That is natural. There are so many enemies of...

Jayapatākā: We were remembering how Nitāi had been poisoned, Nitāi and Yogānanda are your disciples. They were recently poisoned.

Prabhupāda: Hm. By whom?

Hari-śauri: Nitāi.

Jayapatākā: By bad association. Nitāi?

Prabhupāda: Ah hah, ah, yes.

Jayapatākā: That... So many devotees are very innocent. They'll fall prey. They'll be impressed by some fancy talking and then can be misled.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: But Your Divine Grace is very expert in very carefully training them up stage by stage.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Now here is a very nice institution for the benefit of the whole society human.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in our preaching in Bengal, many times we come to villages and the people are very sincere. They say that "We have our village, but we need someone here to guide us."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: "If you could make one small little temple with Gaura-Nitāi and have someone here to tell us what to do..." They want to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Bhavānanda: But there's no one there to guide them.

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

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: There is no activity throughout the whole world, er, whole year. Only they come during the festival.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They use this festival as a means of collecting money...

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...for the rest of the year.

Prabhupāda: That's it. That they actually do. With this festival, they collect. Whatever they collect, they spend twenty-five percent for the festival, and seventy-five percent they keep it for eating whole year. This is their business. That's a fact, they admit it. And they have no other source.

Hari-śauri: They're not very well supported now either.

Prabhupāda: Who knows them? Why they will be support it? My Guru Mahārāja used to, (Bengali): "A pandemonium of eating and sleeping. Joint mess." Joint mess, just without any Deity, nobody will pay. Therefore... Not for preaching. So make this program immediately. Bring huge quantity of books and distribute. And see that books are not wasted, not stolen, neglected. This is our life and soul property. Jaya. (end)

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we're the only... I think that what you are telling us is perfect in that now what we have to do is we have to vigorously explain our philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the only way. We have to educate them. If we remain silent now, then we will become squashed. We have to speak positively. "Yes, this is why... We are like this because of the following reasons."

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that is good for human being. That you have to convince. And actually that is fact. They are in ignorance. And they are advertising as scientist, philosopher-false propaganda. That is my view from the very beginning. They are nothing, all bokās. My Guru Mahārāja used to say. In the beginning I could not understand, that "Why he says everyone is bokā?" (laughs) Actually that is fact. They do not know the value of life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are criticizing us because we say every one of them is demons. They don't like that.

Prabhupāda: Prahlāda Mahārāja said his father, demon. Asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya: "Best of the demons. My dear best of the demons." (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean that's why... Just like in that Back to Godhead. The thing is that some of our devotees are becoming a little bit...

Prabhupāda: Influenced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Influenced, and they're a little scared, you know. They're fearful.

Hari-śauri: They don't want to upset people.

Prabhupāda: That you should not be.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Three, four men liked me very, very much. One is my father, one is Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra, one my Guru Mahārāja, and..., who else? One, my maternal uncle. Rakal Chandrardha. He was very rich man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was his name?

Prabhupāda: Rakal Chandrardha(?). He has got a street. He liked me. He's known to(?) take care of his son very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your mother's brother.

Prabhupāda: Not real, but cousin.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your mother's...

Prabhupāda: My mother is the brother's daughter, and he was the sister daughter. Just like our this nephew, first cousin.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a close relationship.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he treated... Although my mother was first cousin, he treated my mother as younger sister. In that way he liked my father also, myself. That gentleman and one Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose, and two-one, my own father and my Guru Mahārāja. I knew that. He liked me. He liked me from the very heart. Guru Mahārāja liked me. I know. By his blessing it is, everything has happened. I was not worth. What did I...? I do not know why he liked. I was not worth. There were so many disciples. And still, he liked me.

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

Rāmeśvara: We have a big display of this for the Māyāpur exhibit. We made this up as a...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rādhā-vallabha: In the exhibit there is a framed picture, each language and the books, each title, and then there is one big frame, one showing international.

Prabhupāda: This is the blessing of my Guru Mahārāja. He wanted it. And because we are trying to do this, he is giving us all blessings. He told me personally, "I wanted to sell this marble and publish some books." Calcutta, that Gauḍīya Maṭha is also marble floor. Now, he said that "Since this temple has been given by Mr. Datta, our men are fighting, 'Which room I shall occupy?' So I know there will be blazing fire here. So before that, I wanted to get out this marble and sell it and turn into some books." He told me, like that. So I noted down that, that he wants books. So I tried to do that. That's all.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: You always said because you had faith in the words of your Guru Mahārāja, therefore...

Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Similar surrender to guru. Yathā deve, as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa—similar to guru—then your life is perfect. Yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante. Then this meaning of the scripture will be revealed automatically. And you are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Nothing more. Then your life is perfect. This is secret. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Don't manufacture ideas, rascal. Then it is finished. In material world everyone is a demon-crazy. Everyone is manufacturing ideas. And they are suffering. All rascals, are manufacturing ideas. Kartāham iti manyate. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He's fully under control of the laws of nature and he's thinking, "I am independent. I can manufacture ideas." Āḍhyo 'bhijanavān... That is... Find out this. Āḍhyo 'bhijanavān asmi ko 'nyo 'sti, some like that, in the Sixteenth Chapter. "Demon-crazy." Crazy demons are thinking like that. (chuckles) "I can manufacture something. I am very intelligent.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: Actually you're very well known for criticizing everybody else.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Uncompromising.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja was also alone. And why not? All these rascals, why shall I call him intelligent?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You give them no credit.

Prabhupāda: How can I give them? Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Anyone who has not fully surrendered to..., he is this, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ." That's a fact. Just see. This man has got some intelligence. He's simply cheating. This is duṣkṛtina. He should have preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has got intelligence. He has created a position, means this is intelligent. But that intelligence he's applying for declaring himself as God. Therefore duṣkṛtina. Intelligence being used for some bad purpose. He's not God. Cheating purpose. He knows it. Everyone knows that he does not know. But he is using his intelligence for some bad purpose for making some temporary position. How rascal he is. He's not God. Suppose he is accepted as God. But he is imitation or cheating God. How long it will go on? But he's such a rascal he does not know that. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Therefore mūḍha. For few years, suppose he remains so-called God. What is the benefit? Next life he may become a dog. What is the benefit? Therefore mūḍha. Māyā-sukhāya, indriyārtham. Indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Hm? For sense gratification for a few years and make such gorgeous cheating process. Therefore he's rascal. He does not know the value of his eternal life, how he is going to become a dog next life. He knows, but he doesn't care. He's such a rascal. For temporary happiness, men and woman, er, woman and money.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Prahlāda Mahārāja, so much obstacles by his father at home. Still, he is speaking to his father:

tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt

hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ

vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

(SB 7.5.5)

The father was astonished that "After so much chastising, still the boy is speaking the same way. He has not changed?" Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta. "Incorrigible. Kill him." "All right, kill me. I don't care." They have got so exalted character like Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, all great personalities. Apart from big, big devatās... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). We have got small boys also as good as Brahmā, more than Brahmā. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ prahlādaḥ kapilo manu, prahlāda. Immediately comes Prahlāda also. Amongst svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ.... janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakiḥ. Read Bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam. Read yourself, let them read. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. There is no question of cheating or getting some some material profit out of this movement. We have no such thing. Material profit will automatically... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "You are thinking of material things so. We should come and fall down at your feet, 'Why you are worrying? You go and speak the real truth.' " (Bengali:) " 'Go and speak the truth.' " No compromise. So I never had scarcity of money. He is from the very beginning.

Morning Talk -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jesus said "Thou shalt not kill." This applies to all human beings. So if they say that about Jesus's teachings, why not about dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)? They should say.

Prabhupāda: The whole human society is being put into ignorance. How we can tolerate? We know the things. How we can hide it? Jñāna-khala. One who knows the thing, how he can hide it? He is called jñāna-khala. He has got the knowledge but he will not give it to anyone else.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is miserly.

Prabhupāda: That is very dangerous. Jñāna-khala. Khala means envious, "I know it..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.

Prabhupāda: How we can stop spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is not possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You told me that unless one is compassionate...

Prabhupāda: He cannot become Vaiṣṇava.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He cannot preach.

Prabhupāda: Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī, kṛpāmbudhi. My Guru Mahārāja used to say prāṇa āche yāṅra se'retu(?) pracāra. One who is living being, he can preach. Dead body cannot. One who is actually a living being, he can preach. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). One who is a man, he will be interested in this. Cats and dogs, it is not possible. Bhārata-bhūmite haila kukkura-janma yāra, eka... Manuṣya. To give knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, this is India's prerogative. And India can distribute this knowledge. And the government has to consent. And they are misinterpreting this. I wanted to fight them, but...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It will be a very interesting meeting, to see if he is actually willing to take some action. He'll hear and he may agree, but whether he will act, that we will see.

Prabhupāda: He may not act. That will be (indistinct).

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

Prabhupāda: Our Dr. Stillson... "Charismatics..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who? Dr. Stillson Judah?

Girirāja: Yeah, he said that.

Prabhupāda: "Whatever he says, everyone believes."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a fact. But Girirāja's point is well taken, that these other gurus, they may say that they have disciples, but their disciples are all independent.

Prabhupāda: Not disciples. They are masters.

Girirāja: Right. that's right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Guru is a pet, you always say.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "They keep a pet dog. Their guru is keeping a pet dog."

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

Prabhupāda: One chance, that "You have accepted me, I take your all sinful reactions." But these rascals continue.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His point was that "Now you must continue to follow my instructions."

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

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

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

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

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Simply by putting some wounds.

Prabhupāda: He made a show that "I am killed." That is resurrection. And when you finished your business, then he will go (indistinct).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they say that when he got down they rubbed his body with oils.

Prabhupāda: He was a great yogi and so on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You remember in that book you were reading, The Aquarian Gospel. It mentioned how he learned yoga when he came to India.

Prabhupāda: We admit. Guru Mahārāja said śaktyāveśa-avatāra, powerful incarnation. Therefore whenever there was question of Jesus, I never disrespected Jesus. Never criticized him, because I know that he is powerful representative of God. We took it from Guru Mahārāja.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your Guru Mahārāja would sometimes...

Prabhupāda: He said that Christ is śaktyāveśa-avatāra, as Buddha. How he can be otherwise? He sacrificed everything for God. He cannot be ordinary man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Hm. That Melbourne meeting, it was... You were present?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I heard about it. With the monks, I think.

Prabhupāda: They very much appreciated. Because they saw that I have got full respect for Christ and his real disciples. And actually we have. Why not? He said, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are interpreting killing. This is going on. And they are Christians. Just see how much cheating. It is clearly written, "Thou shalt not kill." And their only business is killing, and still, they are Christians. How much cheating it is. Whatever little success is in our movement, the cause is I have not tried to cheat. Honestly, what I knew, I heard it from Guru Mahārāja and scripture, I took it. There was no cheating.

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

Prabhupāda: Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). Caitanya Mahāprabhu also presented Himself as idiot number one. He said to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "You are a sannyāsī. You do not read Vedānta and You chant and dance. What is this?" So He answered, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. "My guru found Me a fool number one, so he has chastised Me, 'You rascal, You are fool, You cannot read Vedānta. You Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " So it is good that we remain as fools and idiot. Then we can make progress. And if we think, "Oh, I know everything," then finished. It is a good attitude. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana.

Dr. Sharma: Śāsana means punishment, to check.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We get very much happy when our Guru Mahārāja chastises us. So you are already reading our books. So let us cooperate, and I think if you will preach systematically, the Russian people, they are intelligent, they will appreciate it.

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

Prabhupāda: He is recommending, they are very good scholar. We have to simply present Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is. That's all. Whether it is right, wrong, we are not concerned. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). This is our position. You know this verse?

Patita-pāvana: This verse I don't know. I don't know this verse. Sarva...?

Prabhupāda: Find out. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). Find out. Bhagavad-gītā.

Girirāja: "Whatever You say, I accept in toto."

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Patita-pāvana: Oh, that's from Arjuna speaking.

Prabhupāda: This is our position. That is very easy for us. We haven't got to manufacture. To manufacture idea is troublesome. Why should we take trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my..., that is dangerous. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. This is... You are singing every day, "What our guru has said, that is our life and soul. We do not want..." āra nā kariha mane āśā **. And your guru's article, you have given. Do you think is all right? We are reading every day, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. As soon as this poison will come—"Suppress guru and I become Brahman"—everything finished. Spiritual life is finished. Gauḍīya Maṭha finished, that..., violated the orders of Guru Mahārāja.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Spiritual master is a revelation of Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Guru-kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was mentioning how the initiator spiritual master is the representative of Śrī-Śrī-Madana-mohana, and the instructing spiritual master is a representative of Śrī-Govindadeva. Very nice explanation you gave in the purport.

Prabhupāda: As far as possible, I have tried to present. In one place I have criticized my Godbrothers.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Last night?

Prabhupāda: No, no, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah, at the end in one line. We were... When we read that, it was actually relishable, very personal.

Prabhupāda: Śrīdhara Mahārāja is little...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He read it?

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did he make any comment?

Prabhupāda: He cannot make any comment. These are facts. Two parties there were. One party, to use guru as their instrument for self-aggrandizement, and another party left guru. So both of them are offenders. This Kunja Babu, this Tīrtha Mahārāja's party, he wanted to enjoy senses through guru. And the Bagh Bazaar party, they left.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva.

Prabhupāda: So both of them are severe offenders.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about Śrīdhara Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: Śrīdhara Mahārāja belonged to the Bagh Bazaar party. And I was living aloof. My Guru Mahārāja approved. He said, "It is better that he is aloof from them."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He could understand that his disciples were not...

Prabhupāda: No, he was very sorry. At the last stage he was disgusted.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the use of producing some rascal guru?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I have studied myself and all of your disciples, and it's clear fact that we are all conditioned souls, so we cannot be guru. Maybe one day it may be possible...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...but not now.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I shall choose some guru. I shall say, "Now you become ācārya. You become authorized." I am waiting for that. You become all ācārya. I retire completely. But the training must be complete.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The process of purification must be there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, must be there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants that. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128). "You become guru." (laughs) But be qualified. Little thing, strictly follower...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not rubber stamp.

Prabhupāda: Then you'll not be effective. You can cheat, but it will not be effective. Just see our Gauḍīya Maṭha. Everyone wanted to become guru, and a small temple and "guru." What kind of guru? No publication, no preaching, simply bring some foodstuff... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Joint mess," a place for eating and sleeping. Amar amar ara takana (?)(Bengali): "Joint mess." He said this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That word "mess," by that word he meant eating, messing, eating?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Messing, there is a system. Some clerks, they make a small cooperative hotel. In India there are many.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: In this Hrishikesh, tīrtha-kṣetra, everyone comes to get some spiritual enlightenment, but who is talking of Kṛṣṇa? Am I right? And there is Gītā-bhavan, Gītā this, Gītā that. What is that "Gītā"? Gītā commentation. Nobody's interested. They don't like to hear even about Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. So mat-para is not seldom. (laughs) The followers are seldom. But Kṛṣṇa says, mat-para. "If you want to practice this yoga..." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam... This is yoga. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This is real yoga. So nobody's interested. Then what can be done? My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "If one is selling langlam(?), and he's canvassing, 'Please come here. Take langlam. There is no price for it,' then people will not take. 'Why langlam he's distributing free?' " So that is the position. We are going to door to door: "Take Kṛṣṇa." They think, "It is very cheap thing. What is the use? Let us practice some other yoga." Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣām (BG 6.47). We don't take. So langlam is not seldom, but the person who take langlam is seldom. This is the difficulty.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Indian man (1): We are still attached to material side.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, but we are denying. Is it not? When... Suppose a big man. You do not know what he is. But if the man says, "You want to know me? All right, I shall disclose all my secrets to you. Try to understand." So why don't you..., do not take it? If you want to know the person, and the person is explaining himself, why don't you take it? Why theorize that "God is like this. God is like this"? What is the meaning? When the person has come to explain about himself... Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu: (BG 7.1) "Hear." Hearing is the process of knowledge. Therefore our Vedas are called śruti. The knowledge has to be acquired through ear. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't try to see a sādhu by your eyes. You try to see a sādhu by ears." Karṇe sādhu dekhi. (Hindi) Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkhaḥ yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. (Hindi) For real perfect knowledge, one has to hear. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. That is guru. One who has heard perfectly from the authority, he is guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). And who is guru? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Everything direction is there.

Discussions -- May 20-22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...in that paper he wrote, "In case I die, these three men will be trustees, and the majority will be effective." So that scrap of paper, Tīrtha Mahārāja kept it. And later on, Guru Mahārāja wanted to make a constitution, but he avoided. But actually after his demise, that scrap of paper was presented in the high-court, and property was given. That is the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's... It was considered as a will.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No need of big, formal document.

Prabhupāda: He is the original founder. Automatically he wins. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He recovered from that hernia operation.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, and later on, he did not undergo sur... He thought then doctor... After all, everyone has got sentiment. He thought it that "The doctor has been called to kill me." So he did not undergo the hernia operation.

Discussions -- May 20-22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually you and your Guru Mahārāja are the greatest enemies of modern civilization in this century, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So many people, materialists...

Prabhupāda: This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

This is India's culture. The whole world is in darkness, and they are risking their life in the transmigration of one body to another, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-var... The rascals do not know what they are doing. They are simply taking account of few years. He does not know that he's eternal. A few years, a fragment, a pass, passing way, that's all. A passing flash. And bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. This rascal... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). This is Vaiṣṇava's concern that "These, what, rascals, they are doing?" That is Vaishnavism. "What these rascals are doing, jumping like monkey, wasting time?" That is Vaishnavism. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. These rascals do not know, driving motorcar, "ghata-ghata-ghata-ghata-ghata-ghata-ghata." He's going to fall down in the sea, but rascal does not know. He's racing with a dog. Dog is also running with full speed, and he's showing, "Oh, I have got this car. This much proud I am."

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

Prabhupāda: But the disease is not ordinary. It is always fatal. But by His especial mercy anything can be done. That is another thing. Lost appetite means life finished. (pause) Tāvad tanu-bhṛtāṁ yad upekṣitānām. If Kṛṣṇa neglects, then nobody can live, but if He likes that "He must live," anything can happen. That is possible. Anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām. Anityam asukhaṁ lokaṁ bhajasva mām. Otherwise failing. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. (pause) (break) (Hindi) (break) ...London. Guru Mahārāja sending him regularly seven hundred rupees per month. In those days seven hundred means at least...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty times?

Prabhupāda: That was in 1936. Rice has increased after 1940.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least it was twenty thousand rupees' value now.

Prabhupāda: All of a sudden rice has increased in 1942 by Churchill's artificial increasing his bribe to recruit soldiers. I have seen. Within two hours the price of rice, from six rupees it came to fifty rupees.

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

Prabhupāda: Per mound. Very first class rice. So he was not going to sell. A few hours after, I went to purchase-fifty rupees. From six rupees. Government appointed agents to purchase it and stock it. So people, being harassed, they'll come to military. This was Churchill's...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Those British were very clever.

Prabhupāda: Artificially created a famine in India. I have seen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Bon Mahārāja was getting seven hundred rupees monthly. That's amazing. Your Guru Mahārāja had to send the money from India to the West. We... You're bringing the money, but for Bon Mahārāja he had to send the money the other way.

Prabhupāda: Every month, regularly. He was playing harmonium. And the report: "Swamiji is playing on harmonium." Therefore Guru Mahārāja became very much disgusted: "Call him back."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said they had to serve meat.

Prabhupāda: I do not know that. But he was a waste of money, that. Still wasting money. What he has done? Has he published any books like that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he has a big degree now.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Nonsense degree. Who cares for his degree?

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Yayāti. King Yayāti traded his old age.

Kīrtanānanda: With his son. You can do that.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Who did?

Rāmeśvara: King Yayāti.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Yayāti. No, why? You are my body. So you live on. There is no difference. Just like I am working, so my Guru Mahārāja is there, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Physically he may not be, but in every action he is there. I think actually I have written that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it's in the Bhāgavatam, that "He who lives with him, he lives eternally. He who remembers his words lives eternally."

Prabhupāda: So I am not going to die. Kīrtir yasya sa jīvati: "One who has done something substantial, he lives forever." He doesn't die. Even in our practical life... Of course, this is material, karma-phala. One has to accept another body according to his karma. But for devotee there is no such thing. He always accepts a body for serving Kṛṣṇa. So there is no karma-phala. (pause)

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Before leaving home I was loitering here and there, "If there is any shelter, this?" But that time in Harigrama(?), I stayed there for two, three days. Nice temple. He has construction of the workers also. I'll try some of that... That is next.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your Guru Mahārāja had many disciples. Like you, he was very merciful. You have so many disciples, we have lost count.

Prabhupāda: I, I have disciples all over the world. They have got specially in Bengal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Special?

Śatadhanya: In Bengal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bengal, local. Your Guru Mahārāja knew that you would do this, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. He foretold.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Time will come he will do."

Prabhupāda: That time I could not understand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he knew.

Prabhupāda: And in my horoscope there was written there, "After seventieth year this man will go outside India and establish so many temples."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really?

Prabhupāda: I could not understand. "What is this, that I have to go outside India? That is not..." And Guru Mahārāja foretold. He told my Godbrothers, Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others, that "He'll do the needful when time comes. Nobody requires to help him." He told in 1935. And after all, this was true(?). Guru Mahārāja told. And in the beginning, first sight, he told, "You have to do this."

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And in my horoscope there was written there, "After seventieth year this man will go outside India and establish so many temples."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really?

Prabhupāda: I could not understand. "What is this, that I have to go outside India? That is not..." And Guru Mahārāja foretold. He told my Godbrothers, Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others, that "He'll do the needful when time comes. Nobody requires to help him." He told in 1935. And after all, this was true(?). Guru Mahārāja told. And in the beginning, first sight, he told, "You have to do this."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No one helped you. That's a fact. You asked that...

Prabhupāda: Who?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Tīrtha Mahārāja for some help, he didn't help at all. He wouldn't even give a little place.

Prabhupāda: Nobody. Everyone admits.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, when you intended to go to America, everyone was advising, "Better not go. It is too dangerous for someone of your age. Do not go." Someone even said that you may not come back.

Prabhupāda: I thought all this. I went to USA not to come back. I left here hopeless. I did not want to come back. I went with determination that "If I do this job, I will survive." So Kṛṣṇa helped me. I never desired to come back. It was 197... Er, no, 1968. You all helped, so I called you: "I want to return back. There are so many secretaries."

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śatadhanya: And in Switzerland, in the schools, they teach small children, "You should have sex at early age." They teach in school.

Prabhupāda: Switzerland.

Śatadhanya: Switzerland, yeah. They say they are the most liberal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore it's easy to see why your Guru Mahārāja said that this world is not a fit place for a gentleman.

Prabhupāda: As I told you last time, in the Western countries, so long I am in the temple, I am safe. And as soon as I go out of the temple, it is hell. And implica..., as they are attached. How they are doing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's one thing I noticed when I came to India. I felt, only in India, it's the only place that I could go out of the temple, and still I felt it wasn't so hellish. I actually felt like that. You know, just like when we were living in Kamal Nagar in Delhi. There were many karmīs around, but still... Most of them... Many were vegetarians. Many, I could hear pūjā.

Prabhupāda: No, there is some practical life.

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many devotees like to come to India to serve here in our movement because of that. The general culture still...

Śatadhanya: The atmosphere is conducive for spiritual life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And here in Vṛndāvana it is fully transcendental.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially this Raman Reti. Every place here is an aśrama.

Prabhupāda: So just try to help them, help them, introduce them, and give everything. That is my request. As far as possible, I have such a big plan. Who'll merit the ideas? We never...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura uses the word "revive," that if Kṛṣṇa consciousness is revived, then one pure soul can learn.

Prabhupāda: That is paramparā. Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma is there. Guru Mahārāja is present. (too faint)

Upendra: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) (long pause) You'll take in your room, massage?

Prabhupāda: (too faint)

Upendra: You want to go?

Prabhupāda: All right. What is the time?

Upendra: Oh, half past ten.

Prabhupāda: (too faint)

Upendra: You came in from your garden at nine o'clock. (end)

Conversation -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Guru Mahārāja, he saw this. Now I remember those days, when he was instructing, "Do like this. Do like this." At that time, I could not understand. "Oh, why he's talking to me?" He wanted. "Jaya Svāmī! Jaya Svāmī.(indistinct)" More stress required. But many men and may not...(indistinct) So just attempt. Ask him. Bring some books when you leave. Then construct a... No, He is giving. Kṛṣṇa is giving money. Within few days you have collected fifty thousand. Where is the scarcity of money?

Gargamuni: Nowhere in the world. Everyone has money.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Money is coming there. Guru Mahārāja said that "You do the right work, money will come. Money will fall down on your feet." There is no question of flattering. Do. Work sincerely. Everything will come, whatever you want. I wish I could go there. I would have told(?). Even in this state I can go. There is no difficulty. But little difficulty... And carried in this chair, I can go anywhere. And what is this? No, where is the difficulty?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, yeah, as long as you're sitting...

Prabhupāda: Even I require four men to take care of me, that's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whether you're sitting in here or sitting in Colombo, it's the same.

Prabhupāda: It is same thing. And I am taken from one place to another by chair. So where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. It is difficulty by imagination.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, that was the training in the childhood. This Ratha-yātrā, Rādhā-Govinda sevā, prasāda distribution. Only the new thing I am doing-writing of books by the order of Guru Mahārāja. Otherwise, whatever I have introduced, I was trained up in childhood. I simply imitated. I am simply surprised. Now nowadays, even a low class... Formerly all our maidservant and neighborhood maidservant, they had two business, one prostitute and one maidservant. Otherwise they could not maintain. Simply by becoming maidservant, no sufficient income. We were paying them for not whole time three rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow!

Prabhupāda: Per month. So one house, three rupees, another house, three rupees, another house... In this way their income was ten to twelve rupees. Well that was not sufficient.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not much.

Prabhupāda: So they had to allow the prostitution. But they were happy. But in that income in those men, they had a guru. The guru would come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They had a guru.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Why poor children? Bring hundred children, I shall maintain. (break) There are many fathers. They cannot maintain even one child, what to speak of four children.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They can't maintain any, because they don't have Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: They do not marry for being... Or they kill children. They are doing that. Where is the question of "four," "two"? These are all nonsense program. They do not know how to do things. We welcome. Four, nei. Four hundred. Come on. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I am a brahmacārī-sannyāsī, but if I can bring Kṛṣṇa conscious child, I can beget hundred children. I have no objection." And that is... There is no question of four or two. Four hundred—if you can make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the criterion. That is required. But that, they do not know. They'll not be able to maintain properly even one children, one child. That's not possible. But that is the difficulty in In... They do not know the laws of nature, the laws of God, how things are going on, although they are being explained. They'll... There are so many things. They are jumping like monkey. That's all. They... They take photograph for "Gītā student," and they do not understand one line, even one line. In the beginning, the Bhagavad-gītā is tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "This body will change." Do they take it seriously? So what is the use of their reading Bhagavad-gītā? Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara, na hanyate hanyamāne (BG 2.20). Do they take seriously, that "I am eternal. I do not die after the annihilation of the body. And the body will change. What I am going to do?" So this is going on, and still, they are... Gandhi is... "He is great student of Bhagavad-gītā." He is... "Tilak is a great student." "Dr. Radhakrishnan..." All rascals. All rascals. They do not understand even one line. If they study only one line, they'll be able to bring a great transforming to the... Do you think they do understand this line?

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This next one is also from Gargamuni. It includes a letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. We fervently pray that Your Divine Grace continue to remain in this world because we need your personal guidance. Even when Lord Kṛṣṇa disappeared, Arjuna lost all strength temporarily."

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

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

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

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Mango is such a fruit, when it is not ripe, the green from that, up to the full ripe you can have.

Indian man (1): (Hindi conversation about mangoes) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...known as a religious man so that they can do business very exploitively. They were called by Guru Mahārāja, dharma-dhvaji.(?) Exploit (Bengali). Guru Mahārāja used to say dharma-dhvaji. "Daṇḍavat class." Yes. He knows simply to offer daṇḍavats. (laughs) Even so nice word: "Oh, he's a daṇḍavat class." My Guru Mahārāja was very humorous. He was a Calcutta bhap.(?) Therefore he liked me. All others, they came from East Bengal. I was the only disciple, Calcutta. All others...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Last night I heard on the radio—they were having news-yesterday in the Raja Sabha (Senate of the Indian Government) the Communist leader Bhupesh Gupta, he said that the government should close the Māyāpur center.

Prabhupāda: That is their business. Now you have to take the opposite, that "Why these people are so anxious about this unrest? Let there be further inquiry by the Janata party. And suspend..." No. Yes. "And suspend the Communist government for the time being."

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How many things we have to do for preaching, for teaching. And live hundreds of years. That is jijīviṣo śataṁ yaḥ?

Yaśodā-nandana: Jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ.

Prabhupāda: We are receiving very good report from Iran.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The royal family is taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I think even your Guru Mahārāja would have been surprised to hear that.

Prabhupāda: Everyone, if one is actually gentleman. So we have this Gurukula, good chance for teaching future preacher. Here is Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja and others. You can do. Prepare, send. Prepare and send.

Brahmānanda: "Prepare and send," Prabhupāda said. Prepare them and send them.

Prabhupāda: How much tremendous work we have to do.

Brahmānanda: The whole world, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: It's unlimited.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Unlimited.

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

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

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

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

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

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.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: Right now we are laying out the Arabic Bhagavad-gītā. We're laying out the work. It's all composed.

Rāmeśvara: Haribol.

Harikeśa: And the Polish Easy Journey...

Prabhupāda: He was rotting here, typewriting. I said, "You go." I had ten servants. You feel.(?) They are heavy.(?) He thought that I am degrading him. No. Now you understand?

Harikeśa: Yes, I understand, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So here is a intelligent boy. Why he should rot here, typewriting? (break) Whatever deficiency are there, that is excused by Guru Mahārāja. Go on printing, go on printing. Deficiency will be corrected, next, next, next. I printed Bhāgavata in that way, many defects. "All right. Whatever is printed, that's all." But these are first class. There is no defect. German printing is very pure. They have got the first-class machine. So we have got so many centers. Wherever cheaper and better printing can be gotten, we may take from there. That's all right. Thank you.

Harikeśa: (choked voice) Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good. And then our sannyāsīs look so nice. There's Akṣayānanda Mahārāja and Bhakti-prema Swami. They were both there, very nicely dressed, with daṇḍas. It's really... The whole thing is complete. They get to stay in a nice guesthouse. Then there will be building of Bhaktivedanta Institute Hall. All of these things are a complete arrangement. I think these men are surprised to see that how such a thing has sprung up, and they have not been aware of it before. And when they see these books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the scientists have written, I think that will floor these men. They will be completely amazed to see it. Normally, if anyone else dared to do such a thing as this, to prove by science that life comes from life, it would be a very immature attempt by some religious person, and it would not have very much weight. But here they are coming face to face with people who are actually scientists, and they will not be able to deny our arguments. I think that your Guru Mahārāja is very pleased with this program, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I have given the ideas. Now you give the shape.

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Imported. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: That was my prediction. As they're importing ghee, milk, similarly, brāhmaṇa also. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya. That's nice proposal.

Hari-śauri: Jaya. Yaśodānandana can do it very nicely. He did it very expertly in Fiji.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: And the Indians there were very, very appreciative that the Western, white brāhmaṇas had done the installation. They were telling Vāsudeva that "Now we must take instructions from these men. They know the pūjā."

Prabhupāda: That is good proposal.

Hari-śauri: Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Would you like it to be opened on your Guru Mahārāja's disappearance...

Prabhupāda: Any... Early as possible. That would be nice, Guru Mahārāja appearance day. It is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's his disappearance day.

Girirāja: The disappearance day is on December 29th, which is just the correct time when we want to open.

Prabhupāda: Ah, that's nice.

Girirāja: So we could begin...

Prabhupāda: We have no such difference, disappearance and appearance.

Girirāja: Except in your case. We don't want disappearance.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Jīvo vā māro vā. Because we are going to accept eternity, so appearance and disappearance of this body is no a very important thing. Nitya-līlā, eternal life—that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, as early as possible. Take as far as possible our men. We can keep some assistant, local brāhmaṇa. If we keep one or two South Indian brāhmaṇas, they may take it that we are doing with cooperation. One or two can be kept.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would your Guru Mahārāja tell a lot of Bengali proverbs, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm. I learned from him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You once said that he liked you very much, 'cause you were also a Calcutta boy, Calcutta born. (break)

Prabhupāda: Sohar(?) has money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually I started to have a talk with him about the...

Prabhupāda: You write. You are intelligent. I cannot do anything. I only want...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that point.

Prabhupāda: (crying) I am very poor man, and somehow or other, I built up. And still in my...

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: ...over there. We drink fresh gaṅgā-jala every day. Sweetest. When I was on the boat preaching, I never drank anything but gaṅgā-jala. I took my bath in the Gaṅgā three times a day. So spiritually enlivening.

Prabhupāda: Three times you were taking?

Bhavānanda: My bath.

Prabhupāda: Oh. When is your date for appearing in the court?

Bhavānanda: Twenty-ninth of December, which is the appearance day of your Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. We have to appear that day.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-ninth December.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You know, the fact that he turned to Communism... Probably he's intelligent but frustrated. That's why they turn to this Communism. And he has a very good upbringing, so much association. I mean Vrindavan had no association, but M.M. had a lot of association, not only with Your Divine Grace but with your Guru Mahārāja and Godbrothers. So perhaps with proper, little cultivation, he might...

Prabhupāda: You give him the scheme and ask him if he wants to discuss this with me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. But I won't have the amendment to the scheme until tomorrow night.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Amendment you can give later on. You can give the scheme.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatāka Mahārāja was telling that one ācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, of the Śaṅkarācārya line—this was a while ago—he was poisoned to death. Since that time, none of the ācāryas or the gurus of the Śaṅkarācārya line will ever take any food cooked except by their own men.

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. You, of course, have been so merciful that sometimes you would take prasāda cooked by so many different people.

Prabhupāda: That should be stopped. (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are you feeling any pain, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No. (pause) Urine bottle.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Devotee (1): If Prabhupāda travels in a van it would be very bumpy. He should have a big bus.

Haṁsadūta: Let's discuss it.

Prabhupāda: Bus?

Devotee (1): A big bus.

Prabhupāda: No, no, bus will be not good. Bullock cart.

Bhavānanda: Bullock cart.

Jayapatākā: That is very bumpy.

Bhavānanda: Your Guru Mahārāja used to have bullock cart travel from Hulorghat (on the bank of the Ganges in Māyāpur) up to the Caitanya Maṭha. You told me you put a nice mattress down in the back and a cover, and you lay down there. You even told me once to go to Calcutta that way. You lay down, at night; you go little bit, little bit; and in the morning, when you wake up, you're in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: Bullock, you get the cow dung.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cook with it.

Jayapatākā: In this part of India it's very cold now for Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Underneath the tree it is not cold.