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My challenge (Prabhupada)

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 24:

Apparently these statements are contradictory, but because cow dung and conch shells are considered pure by the Vedas, they are accepted as pure by the followers of the Vedas, without argument. If we try to understand the statements by indirect interpretation, creating some hypothesis, then we challenge the evidential authority of the Vedic statements. In other words, Vedic statements cannot be accepted according to our imperfect interpretations; they must be accepted as they are. If they are not accepted in this way, there is no authority in the Vedic statements.

According to Lord Caitanya, those who try to give some personal interpretation to Vedic statements are not at all intelligent. They mislead their followers by inventing their own interpretations. In India there is a class of men known as Ārya-samājists, who say that they accept the original Vedas only and reject all other Vedic literature. The motive of these people, however, is to give their own interpretation. According to Lord Caitanya, such interpretations are not to be accepted. They are simply not Vedic. Lord Caitanya said that the Vedic statements of the Upaniṣads are like sunlight. Everything is clear and very distinct when it is seen in the sunlight; the statements of the Vedas are similarly clear and distinct. The Māyāvādī philosophers simply cover the sunlight with the cloud of their misinterpretation.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

This body... Antavanta ime dehāḥ. The body must be finished. Therefore there is no question of sat.

And cit. Cit means knowledge. Knowledge, we have no knowledge. Our... We have got senses, but these are all imperfect senses. We are very much proud that everything we say... Somebody... If somebody preaches about the Lord, we challenge, "Can you show me the Lord? Have you seen the Lord?" or "Can you show me the Lord?" But we do not know that our senses are so imperfect that we cannot see even what we are daily seeing. We cannot... If the light is put off, then we cannot see each other, even in this room. So our seeing person is conditional. It is not perfect. Similarly, all our senses, they are imperfect. So by imperfect senses, by speculation of the imperfect mind, we, we cannot reach to the Absolute Truth. It is not possible. Not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

"Everything is Vāsudeva." So Vāsudeva will give him all knowledge about science, about politics, about philosophy, about astrology, astronomy. Everything will come out. You haven't got to go to some other expert in some particular type of knowledge. But if a devotee, Kṛṣṇa devotee... He knows everything, all department of knowledge. Just like we are challenging that "You cannot make any life by combination of chemicals." Why? Because we know from Kṛṣṇa what is what. Therefore we can challenge. We are not fools. We are challenging that "If you can prepare one egg only..." It is very easy. You can take any egg and analyze what are the chemicals. Then bring that chemical, put together and give it to the incubator and produce a chicken. Then I shall know that chemical combination can produce life. Eh? What is your opinion, doctor?

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

So because we are learning knowledge from śruti, from the perfect person, we will never be convinced. We shall challenge, "You create, rascal, create first of all. Then talk. Otherwise I shall kick." (laughter) This is our challenge because I know. We know very well that it will not be possible to create living being by combination of chemicals. He is talking nonsense. That is not possible. So we have to study from śruti. Then we become learned. Then we can know what is our constitutional position. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati (BG 18.54). Then he does not lament and neither he aspires everything, because he knows everything is complete there, conducted by the Supreme Being. And the Supreme Being said, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

If he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we must accept him as rascal number one. (indistinct) He may be a very big man in the society, but we take him as rascal number one. That is our challenge. Anyone, he may be a ordinary man, he may be so-called swami or maybe so-called yogi or so-called leader, but our test is whether he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. One test. If he's not, then he's a rascal. That is our challenge. How we are challenging? Because we have got the test. Just like in the chemical laboratory, this test paper. Perhaps most of us will know, that urine test paper. If there is sugar, immediately the color of the paper will be different. If there is no sugar, it will remain neutral. Similarly, there is test paper. What is that test? That test is, Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme authority says, that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So anyone who is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he must be duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ means he has got brain, but his brain is being utilized for sinful activities. So duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, and rascal who does not know anything—what is God, what I am, what is this world—he's a rascal. He's animal. Mūḍhāḥ means ass.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

Actually, that is not the fact. If the scientist says that life begins from chemicals, wherefrom the chemicals came? The next question will be. You cannot get chemicals without being supplied by somebody else. So we are presenting this theory. People are being misled. It is a great question at the present moment, that the scientists says that from matter life begins. We are challenging: "No. From life, matter comes." Just the opposite.

So we are confident because we have got our Kṛṣṇa's statement in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10), "Under My superintendence". Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ. Prakṛti is matter. Jaḍa-prakṛti. We have got many confirmation from the Vedic literature. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Imāni bhūtāni yataḥ jāyante. In the Vedānta-sūtra the same thing is confirmed: janmādy asya yataḥ, anvayāt (SB 1.1.1). The Bhāgavata explains, begins from this Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). So we have got our sufficient background to challenge this theory that life comes from matter. No.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These very nice boys, they have established this temple, and very nice mūrti, Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, offering prasādam. They are offering prasādam at noon and in the evening after kīrtana and every Sunday. So what is the difficulty there? And you come here, chant and dance. We don't say that you make such exercise or press your nose or this or that. We simply say that "Come here, dance with us, chant with us and take prasāda." Is it very difficult? (laughter) It is not difficult. The most easiest process of transcendental realization. And by following this process, just see our students, how they have advanced. In very quickly, within short time. You bring any so-called followers of yoga society and try to compare with any one of our student, you'll find he is far, far advanced. We challenge. (laughter) Why? Due to the sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.54).

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So as the sunshine is the cause of all material variegatedness, similarly, the sunshine is also due to the brahma-jyotir. The sunshine, yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. The sun is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as the eyes of all the planets. Yac cakṣur eṣa, eṣa sakala-grahāṇāṁ cakṣuḥ. The sun is the actual eyes for all the planets because unless there is sunshine you cannot see. We are very much proud of our eyes. Sometimes we challenge, "Can you show me God?" But he does not think that what power his eyes have got. It is simply completely dependant on the sunshine. If there is no sunshine his so called eyes are useless. Still, with that useless eyes he wants to see God. Just see. "Can you show me God? I am not seeing God, Therefore God cannot be seen. Therefore I don't believe in God." But he does not think that what power he has got to see. It is only dependant on sunshine. Not only this planet, all the planets, unless there is sunshine... Because it is darkness. This material world is simply darkness.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

And their theory of creation is the chemical composition. One gentleman has written one book, "Chemical Evolution." They think that chemical combination is the cause of life. So the asuras' theory of creation is aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam. It is a chance theory, but we don't accept. We are preaching against them, writing books against them. We are challenging this atheistic theory of creation. So this asuric... The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is against the asuras. Every time, always, Kṛṣṇa also comes down to kill the asuras. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). (break) Asuras cannot flourish by their atheistic theory. Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has to be put into the different types of asuric yoni to suffer in this material world.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy. And by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required. That much intelligence we must have.

So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. (break) ...you say like that, 'Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent and others are not intelligent?' " that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal. This is my challenge. This is a fact. As I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janārdana will reply.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

This is our challenge, that the, there are millions and trillions of men and women all over the world, but they're not at all intelligent. This is our challenge. So, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement may be taken by others as crazy, or we challenge that "You are all crazy men." Therefore we have got a little book, "Who is Crazy?" Because they're thinking that "These shaven-headed boys and girls are crazy," but actually they are crazy. Because they have no intelligence. Why? They do not know what is spirit soul. This is the animal consciousness. Dogs, cats, they think that the body, they are the body.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
(SB 10.84.13)

Go-khara. Go means cow, and khara means ass. A person who is in bodily conscious, "I am this body." So 99.9% of the whole population of the world, they're like this, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African," "I am this..."

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

And they're fighting just like cats and dogs, they fight, "I am cat, you are dog. You are dog, I am cat." That's all. So this challenge, that "You are all rascals," it is a very strong word, but actually that is the fact. That is the fact. It is a revolutionary movement. We are challenging everyone that "You are all set of asses and cows and animals, because you have no knowledge beyond this body." Therefore it is said... In this purport, I have especially mentioned. "Because they have little knowledge of spirit soul, all of them are not intelligent." I have spoken with big, big professors. In Moscow, that gentleman, Professor Kotovsky, he said, "Swamiji, after death, there is nothing. Everything is finished." And he's one of the big professors in the country. So this is the defect of modern civilization, that the whole society is being governed by cats and dogs, actually. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? It is not possible. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

You cannot make any permanent settlement. That is not possible. And That is also your fault. Because... Suppose you are posted now in a high post, Mr. Nixon, but you cannot keep the standard. You'll commit some sins. Next life, you'll have to become something else. This is going on. Kabhu svarge kabhu naya. Therefore the karmīs, they are all non-intelligence. Their intelligence is not... The only intelligent person is he who has completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engaged in his service. He's the only intelligent. And all are rascals. That's all. This is our conclusion. Anyone, let come. We shall prove it. Let anyone come, either the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, anyone. We shall prove that "You are rascal #1." This is our challenge. If he's a sane man, he'll understand that he's a rascal. Otherwise, he will fight, unnecessarily. Therefore we do not say directly such harsh words, that "You are rascal." But we should know at least that they are all rascals.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

Na etān. Generally, people, they are suffering. There is nobody in the world, those who are materially engaged, can say boldly that "I am not suffering." Is there anybody? I challenge anyone. Can anyone say that "I am not suffering"? So everyone must be suffering. Now, why these Anacin tablets are advertised, "pain-killer"? Because they are suffering. And not in this country, but in the Western countries, America, one takes at least one dozen tablet daily for mitigating suffering—tranquilizer, this, that, so many. They are advertised, and they take. At last, for sleeping. Because they are more advanced. We are less advanced; therefore we are satisfied only one tablet, Anacin. (laughter) But they are not satisfied with one tablet. They have dozens of tablet. I have seen it. It is advertised in the subway trains. So many tablets are advertised. Suffering must be there. Anyone who has got this material body has accepted suffering. That's a fact. But foolish people, they cannot understand. He thinks, "I am got very fatty and beautiful body." He is satisfied. The dog is also satisfied. He does not know that this dog's body is greater suffering than human body. The hog's body is greater suffering than the human body. But everyone is thinking, "I am happy." This is called māyā, illusion. You go to a hospital, a man is lying down on the bed, and if you ask, "How are you?" "Yes, I am well today." What is "well"?

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

So one should be inquisitive to know "How this physical body has come into existence, covering myself, the spiritual body?" Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So to understand this science, Kapiladeva is explaining the physical Sāṅkhya philosophy, how things are developing. To understand that... The same thing: to understand the simple thing, that "I am not this body. The body has developed from the soul." Therefore we challenge the material scientists. They say that the soul has developed from the body. No. Soul has not developed from the body, but the body has developed from the soul. Just the opposite. The material scientists, they think that combination of these physical elements creates a situation where is..., when there is living, life symptoms. No. That is not. The real is that, fact is, that the spirit soul is there. They are wandering all over the universe. Brahmāṇḍa brahman. Brahmāṇḍa means all over the universe. The spirit soul is sometimes in one species of life; sometimes he's another species of life. Sometimes he is in this planet; sometimes another planet. In this way, according to his karma, he is wandering. That is his material life. So ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite (CC Madhya 19.151). He is loitering, wandering without any aim.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

"Give me a body like this," oh, that will not be heard. You will get a type of body according to your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to your karma, you will get a type of body. This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmani sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are completely under the grip of nature's law. We cannot change it. If we challenge that "There is no death," no, death will come. That is nature's law. And if you want to stop death, then that is another process. That is described here. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: (SB 5.5.1) You have to accept this process of austerity by which you will purify your existence. Then you will get deathless life, eternal. Yat gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Tyakvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya. This is the science. This Bhāgavata literature, this Vedic literature, is giving you information how you can revive your original, eternal life. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is the business of human life, not to become mad like hogs and dogs and simply work very hard—"Where is stool?"—and eat it and get some strength, and then enjoy senses. This is not life. This is not civilization.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Don't keep yourself in doubt. So long you are in doubt you go on searching.

Guest: No, no, I... (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. One difficulty is that we go to some saintly person, we hear and we challenge whether the saintly person corroborated my idea. If he does not, then he's not good.

Guest: That is not...

Prabhupāda: If it is against my conviction, "Oh, he is not good."

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No, I am speaking not of you. I know what you are doing. But we should corroborate. But as a preacher we should simply speak the real truth. There is no question of corresponding with your ideas and another idea, no. We... Whatever we know, whatever we have heard from our authorities we'll speak. That's all. It may be somebody may know better than me. That is another thing. But I have to present what I have learned from the authority. That's all. And our authority is Kṛṣṇa, mainly. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upa... That is the spiritual master. Who does not add or subtract from the talks of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. One who adds and subtracts according to his whims, he is not spiritual master. He is not bona fide spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

As soon as he asked, "Sir, if I give you the chemicals, can you manufacture life?" at that time he said, "That I cannot say." "Why you cannot say? You are speaking that 'Combination of chemical brings in life.' " We are writing one book that life is from life, not from matter. That is not possible. These rascals are simply bluffing that "From chemicals life can be manufactured." No. We challenge.

So these things are going on. We want to be cheated, and there are so many cheaters. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. The Bhāgavata has discussed everything. These rascals are andhā, blind, and one blind man is promising to lead other blind men. So what will be the result? If one man is not blind, he can lead hundreds of blind men. That is fact. But if the leader is also blind, then what is the use of leading such blind men? So that is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:

A child, suppose his father is a big actor. He is playing on the stage. So another family member says to the child, "You see your father." But he says, "Where is my father? Where is?" Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. Everything Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but because we are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we cannot see Him. We are challenging, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" You are seeing, but on account of material covering, you cannot see. Kṛṣṇa is there. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. He is everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He is everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are sitting here, but we are not in our apartment. Limited. But Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. That is the difference. By foolishness we claim to become Kṛṣṇa, but that is foolishness. Kṛṣṇa is not like that, although He is present before us.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

So do you think this lump of matter is giving life? But they are not dhīra. All rascals, they cannot understand. The word is very important. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. How the rascals will understand? Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate the rascals, that's all. Simple thing. We challenge everyone that "You are rascal number one. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa." This is our challenge. Come forward. We say, we challenge, "You are rascal number one. You take education in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life perfect." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody is dhīra.

So here those who are dhīra actually, those who have understood his identity... Ke āmi kena āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This was the question by Sanātana Gosvāmī to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You asked me to join Your movement. I was minster in Nawab Hussain Shah's government, chief minister. Now I have... On Your word I have given up. So You have kindly brought me from this hellish condition, simply politics and pounds, shilling, pence. So it is a great mercy for me of Your Lordship.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

These classes of men, yasya, whose life is bodily conception, "I am body." "I am a Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am..." The whole world is fighting on this, because they are all crazy, not dhīra. This is the modern civilization. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This is a bag of bones and flesh and blood, and they are thinking that they are, they are this body. So wherefrom the living force coming if you are this body? Because as soon as the living force is gone, the body is useless, a lump of matter. So do you think this lump of matter is giving life? But they are not dhīra. All rascals; they cannot understand. The word is very important. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. How the rascals will understand? Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate the rascals, that's all. Simple thing. We challenge everyone that "You are rascal number one. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa." This is our challenge. Come forward. We say, we challenge, "You are rascal number one. You take education in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life perfect." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody is dhīra.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.2 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1974:

We are simply dancing in this material world. We are trying to be master of the material world. Everyone is trying. Everyone wants to exploit the resources of the material nature. He wants to become master. That is the struggle for existence. I am trying to become master, you are trying to become master, so there is clash, there is collision. I am challenging you, "Why you should become master?" He's challenging why I should be master. This is going on. This is material world. But if we accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we accept this principle that none of us is a prabhu, everyone is a servant... Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). If we accept this principle, that we are eternal servant, we are not master—master is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu—then our problems are solved. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has sung a song, jīv kṛṣṇa dāsa ei viśvās korle to ār duḥkha nāi. This is the solution. Everyone is thinking to become the master, prabhu. Prabhu you can become. That is not, I mean to say, extraordinary. Someway or other we are prabhus. Suppose I am a family man. I am managing my family, my wife, my children, my servants, my subordinates, so I may be prabhu. In that sense I am a small prabhu.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976:

Not that I am talking something nonsense. It is because... Śruti-pramāṇam. Whatever we talk, it must be supported by Vedic injunction. Then it is right. Just like we sometimes challenge these big, big scientists and others, and what is our strength? I am not a scientist, but how I can challenge? The Veda gāya. We have got evidence from the Vedas. Just like so many people are thinking that the moon planet is first. We are challenging, "No, moon planet is second." What is the strength? The strength is Vedic knowledge. We cannot accept it. So vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can challenge so many scientists. Yes. If it is not in accordance to the Vedic knowledge, then it is... We do not accept. If it is not to the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, we reject immediately. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). As soon as we see that one man is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we immediately group him in four classes: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Finished, that's all. "No, I am learned, and you are nothing. You have not... You have no degrees of university.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand everything very nicely. Just like we sometimes challenge the big, big scientists, philosophers, psychologists, but we are not psychologist or scientist. Ten years before, in my Easy Journey to Other Planet, I have written that "This moon-going attempt is childish and waste of time." And still we are challenging that "Mars-going, so-called, it will also fail." Write it: It will fail. Not that process. So how we are saying? How we are challenging these big, big scientists? Because we know from the Vedic literature that it is not possible to go to the moon planet or Mars in that way. It is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. Just like to come to America one has to qualify himself for the proper visa, passport, and so many other things, bank balance, this, that. How you can go to the other? They are higher planetary system. So this is all childish. But if you want to go at all, then it is possible if you follow the proper process. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, vedeṣu durlabha. You go on studying all Vedic literature by your literary capacity or scholarship—durlabha. It is not possible. Vedeṣu durlabha. Therefore there are so many persons, they are trying to interpret Bhagavad-gītā by their so-called scholarship, but nobody cares for them. They cannot turn even one person, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is a challenge. In your Bombay there are so many persons, they are explaining Bhagavad-gītā for so many years, but they could not turn even a single person a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is our challenge. But this Bhagavad-gītā, now it is being explained as it is, and thousands and thousands of Europeans and Americans, whose forefathers or family never knew the name of Kṛṣṇa, they are becoming devotees. This is the secret of success. But these foolish people, they do not know. They think that by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā by their so-called rascaldom knowledge, they can reveal Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to these foolish and rascals. Kṛṣṇa is never exposed. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya (BG 7.25). He's not so cheap thing that He'll be understood by these fools and rascals. It is not possible.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- New York, April 5, 1973:

So this life is not very congenial to the human society. The chaotic situation of the present human society is due to that there is no intelligent class of men. This is our challenge. The so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, they have no intelligence. Therefore the whole society (is) in the chaotic condition. So these boys and girls, American boys and girls, they're being taught, instructed to become first-class, intelligent man. This is the movement. But without intelligence... Just like your brain, if he, if brain is crazy, your body may be very strong, but that is useless because there is no brain. So at the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, there is lack of intelligent class of men, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating some intelligent class of men. And if other class of men follow their instruction, then the whole society (will be) peaceful, and they'll be happy in this life and they'll be happy in the next life. This is the sum and substance of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who are interested will kindly come to our temple here in... We have got so many temples, and we have got our temple here also, New York. And there are preachers also. We have got good preachers. And educated boys and girls. We have got books. So my only request is that you take some interest, active interest in this movement, try to understand it, and if you cooperate, the whole human society will be happy.

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give the greatest benefit to the human society to clear their brain, the rascal brain. We call, declare, they are all rascals. Let any scientist, philosopher come here, I shall prove that he is nothing but a rascal. I shall prove that. I challenge them. What they are doing? Nonsense. So you do not become rascals. By the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you are trying to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, and there is no difficulty, everything is there in our Bhagavad-gītā. You simply try to understand, and make your life successful. That is our request. Don't be rascals, mūḍhas, narādhamas, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This education has no value, because the real knowledge, there is nothing. Real knowledge is to understand God. There is no education throughout the whole world, there is no university. So they are simply producing rascals. So my only request is that don't become rascals. You just worship here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, just try to understand Kṛṣṇa and then your life will be successful.

General Lectures

Speech at Olympia Theater -- Paris, June 26, 1971, (with translator):

So it is the duty of every human being to understand his constitutional position, his relation with God, and understanding the relation, to act accordingly, and then our life becomes successful. This human form of life is meant for that purpose. We are missing the point. So long we are living, sometimes we challenge that "There is no God," "I am God," or somebody says, "I don't care for God." But actually this challenge will not save us. God is there. We can see God in every moment. But if we deny to see God, then God will be present before us as the cruel death. There are different features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is the original root cause of all cosmic manifestation. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is nice description how you can gradually understand and see God personally, face to face. Just like the Personality of Godhead says therein that "I am the taste in water. I am the sunlight. I am the moonlight. I am the sound vibration in the sky and I am the supreme character of a great personality." So if we (are) actually serious to understand the science of God, if we try to follow the injunction given in the Bhagavad-gītā... Just like God is the taste of the water.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Therefore to understand God, you have to surrender; otherwise it is not possible. You cannot defy and at the same time understand God. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). You cannot understand God by challenging. Why God? Suppose we, we go to the president of our country. If I challenge, "Mr. President, what is your value? Can you tell me what you are?" you cannot know him. No. You have to surrender. You have to become friendly and serve him, please him. Then he'll understand. Sevonmukhe hi jivhādau svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. You cannot challenge. Just like the sun is not visible at night. If you challenge, "O sun, can you show me where you are?" No. You have to wait for his mercy. In the morning, you'll see. This is the process.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Have you produced any life?

Indian man (4): A protein can be made...

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all say...

Indian man (4): Yes.

Prabhupāda: ...have you produced any life?

Indian man (4): They claim that a protein...

Prabhupāda: They claim. They claim.

Indian man (4): No, my question is...

Prabhupāda: My challenge is you cannot produce life. My challenge, you cannot produce life. That is false. You first of all produce life. Then come to me.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

All of us, we have got our individuality. That is our characteristic. That we cannot change. We have got our individuality. We cannot change it. This is our characteristic. And that individuality also meant for giving service. Just like you are all sitting here. Every one of us, we are giving service. Nobody can say... I challenge anybody in this meeting if he can say that he's not serving anybody. No. Everyone is serving. Somebody is serving his family, somebody is serving his boss, somebody is serving his country, his community, his nation—must be serving, must render some service. This is explained by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that the characteristic of individual living entity is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Kṛṣṇa dāsa. We do not become Kṛṣṇa. This is a false theory. We never become Kṛṣṇa. We cannot become even equal to Kṛṣṇa. Asama. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that God is not only great but nobody is equal to Him. Asama. Asama means not equal. Everybody is below.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: So these rascals, foolish, they are thinking material nature is for our enjoyment. That is the materialistic view. There is a flower. "Nature has produced this flower for me. Everything is for me." Just like in the Bible, Jesus Christ says the animals are given under the protection of man. So they are thinking, "They are given to us for eating. God has given." Suppose I entrust Brahmānanda Swami that you give him protection, but if you think, "He's in my protection. I can eat him..." How intelligent! How magnanimous! They are giving protection by eating. And the Māyāvādī philosophers support them, that when they eat animals, Vivekananda's philosophy, "So what is there? I am Brahman, he is Brahman, so we become united." What is that? And I ask him, "Why don't you go to the tiger Brahman?" Because they are thinking that he is Brahman, the goat is Brahman, so when the man Brahman eats the goat Brahman, they unite. So why don't you unite with the tiger Brahman? This is rascaldom. They are all rascals. Anyone who has no trace of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is a rascal. There is our challenge. (indistinct) He may be great philosopher, religionist—he is a rascal, degree only. Cent percent rascal, or maybe ninety percent rascal, or seventy percent rascal, but they're all rascals. The same example: stool, this side and that side. Because the upside of stool is dried up, you cannot say, "It is very nice." And they're all stool. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who does not know the science of Kṛṣṇa, he's useless.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Practical we can see from the verse of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, that anyone who has got a slight merciful glance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he thinks that Brahman liberation is as good as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And the heavenly planets, they are phantasmagoria, and yoga-siddhi, that is not a very important thing. And people are suffering on this material condition. (But) for a devotee it is simply pleasing. Everywhere he goes he feels pleased, while others seeing full of anxiety. Devotees, they are seeing everything pleasing. So these things happen simply by a fragment of the merciful glance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon His devotees. Viśvaṁ pūrṇam, they do not care for any big scholar or many exalted personalities, just like we challenge anyone, even we don't care for Dr. Radhakrishnan, who is so much exalted. So this is practical. Because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, therefore these things happen. (to guest:) Please sit down. (Bengali)

Śyāmasundara: His idea of truth is that truth means experience.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: They are not interested because they say that...

Prabhupāda: They are not interested, that is not a fact. If I challenge you... Just like here is Mr. (indistinct), a lawyer He's... In the law court he is asking one question. If the other party says, "I am not interested," that will not be sufficient. Do you think? (laughs) You must be interested. You are in the law court.

Śyāmasundara: He says the only criterion for truth is its practical application in society.

Prabhupāda: The practical... First of all, you prove practically that you are independent.

Śyāmasundara: It wouldn't make any difference because...

Prabhupāda: Why not difference? My point is if your basic principle is wrong, then how you can make a perfect proposal?

Śyāmasundara: Well, I'm not concerned with questions about my origin or about the nature of matter except that...

Prabhupāda: Then you are interested in the superficial things.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, sometimes after, he will not be accepted. That is my proposition. As Russia is not accepted now, some days after, he will not be accepted. Similarly, your also theory will fail. That is my proposition. Because I challenge that your theory is not perfect. Because Russia's theory was not perfect, it has failed. Similarly, I say your theory is also imperfect, therefore it will fail. Anything imperfect will fail. That is my proposition.

Revatīnandana: His propaganda is that it is perfect because it has made the Chinese people...

Prabhupāda: Propaganda, by propaganda you can do anything. That is different thing. But fact is fact. If you theory is not perfect, you make however propaganda, it will fail.

Śyāmasundara: But our people are all employed, they are all clothed nicely...

Prabhupāda: Temporarily it may be very glittering. Just like a polished thing, temporarily it looks very brilliant, shine. But in course of time it will become black. That's all. Because it is not actually shining. Gold shining and artificial shining, there is difference.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: They are so fools and rascal, still they are passing on as scientists, big men, learned men. No. None of them. This is our challenge. None of them. And who is learned? Learned is Vyāsadeva. Learned is Kṛṣṇa.

So we have to take knowledge from Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva. How? Vyāsadeva is the learned, most learned than others. How? That is explained in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bhakti-yogena manasi. Because he has adopted bhakti-yoga, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale (SB 1.7.4). Bhakti-yogena, by practice of bhakti-yoga one's mind and intelligence become cleansed, dirtiless, dirt..., without any dirt. Just like the mirror, if it is without any dirt, it is cleansed, clear, you can see everything rightly, your face, or even in the spot in the face, everything, corner to corner, very nicely reflected. So bhakti-yogena, by practicing this bhakti-yoga, one becomes cleared in consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything comes. Now suppose personally, myself, we are challenging, we are calling them by names, "rascal," but I am not a scientist. I never studied astronomy, astrology, or anything. But why I am telling? What power I have got? But I am challenging on the words of a superior answer. I am confident that the words spoken by Vyāsadeva or Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. So long you are in the material world, what is physical laws, you cannot neglect that. Just like if you go to a jungle, there is tiger. It is known that it will attack you. Why should you voluntarily go and be attacked? It is not that a devotee should take physical risk so long he has got some physical body. It is not a challenge to the physical laws: "Oh, I have become a devotee. I challenge everything." That is foolishness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Viṣaya, these physical necessities, the devotee is advised to accept the necessities of life without any attachment. Physical law is take the boiled water, but if boiled water is not available, does it mean he'll not drink water? If it is not available, you drink ordinary water. (break) We take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. But while in touring, in hotels sometimes we have to take some food in the hotel. Does it mean, "Oh, I do not take any foodstuff from the hotel, I shall starve"? If I starve, then I'll be weak, I cannot preach. (break)

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

Guest (2): No, that's not what I mean. What I meant is that during the past two thousand years, whoever was very powerful was who was doing all these four things which we are, which you are suggesting that we should give up, you see.

Prabhupāda: But I say that my challenge is nobody's powerful. That is my challenge.

Guest (2): I mean...

Prabhupāda: You mean, but that is not the fact.

Guest (2): It's a fact, I mean, when they are powerful they rule the whole earth.

Prabhupāda: Where is your Hitler? Where is your Mussolini? Where is Napoleon?

Guest (2): Yes, Hitler is gone, but then we have that U.S., you see. If tomorrow U.S. goes, maybe there will be Soviet Union.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 25, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, it doesn't mat... Therefore they're all madmen. You can speak in your own way. I'll speak in my own way and another fool thinks that both of them are scientists. They do not agree. Still he's scientist. Just see. Cheaters and the cheated. Somebody's cheating and somebody's becoming cheated. The whole society's the combination of cheaters and cheated. That's all. I see both of them, they do not agree. Just like they have rejected religion because two religionists, they do not agree. So why not these rascal scientists? They do not agree. Just see. They are so fool. But still they are after that. Their modern people they have rejected religion because they say that one religionist does not agree with another religionist. So there is no... Skepticism. So why not about the scientists? Just see. Everywhere you will find contradiction. Therefore anyone... and we are find out this contradiction because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot find out. We are challenging scientists, philosophers, although we are teeny person, because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, who is detecting their follies? Nobody. The scientist's follies, the philosopher follies, their contradiction... A devotee can find out. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā.

Morning Walk -- April 28, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, what they can do? Because they're rascal, foolish, just like children, they'll simply make their body dirty. That's all. He does not know anything. If you bring a small children, what they will do? They'll take this... You see. he does not know anything. He's a rascal. Similarly you scientists, you are all rascals. You do not know anything. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed, making research. What research you can do? You do not know anything. What research you can do? And Vedic injunction is: yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). If you know the Absolute Truth, then all other things become known. But you do not know what is Absolute Truth. Therefore you are in ignorance. If you know one thing, then you... Just like you are talking. We are not official scientists or philosopher or anything. But why you are challenging, you are talking so boldly? Because we know one thing, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we can say so boldly and challenge anyone. I'm not a D.A.C. like you. How I can challenge you? I'm challenging you. How? Because I know Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the statement of Veda. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you know Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, then all other things will be known automatically. It is such a thing. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, challenging all kinds of men in the society, so many scientists are coming, so many psychologists coming. So how we are confident to talk with him? Because we have learned little about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Is it not? You are a qualified scientist. Why I challenge you? Not that because you are my disciple, you are accepting all my challenges. You have got your reasons. You are not a fool.

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

Prabhupāda: No. (pause, japa) You and Dr. Rao just make a combination, world-touring. I shall give you all expenditure. And go to the universities, scientists, and talk with them. Our kīrtana party also will go. We challenge all scientists, "Come on." We shall pay all expenditure. Ask Dr. Rao to come and join. Just like in Calcutta University, all the students... No, one leader student, he came. He talked about economic development, and he said that "Our students did not derive any faith by your theological statement." So I told them that "Because you are all rascals, therefore you could not." I told them freely. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā... Because they are student of Sanskrit. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). "So you are amongst these. You are duṣkṛtinas, sinful, lowest of the mankind, and the university is responsible for creating such rascals." So professors clapped and later on they said, "Swamiji, you have rightly said." All the professors said. And so far economic question is concerned, the birds, beasts, animals, they have no economic concern. Why you have got? You are less than bird and beast, you have created this economic problem. Harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Where is the economic question?

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 17, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why shall I give you? You are a rascal, you are against Kṛṣṇa, why Kṛṣṇa will give you facility? If you are against Kṛṣṇa and you want the credit without Kṛṣṇa, that's not possible. You must be submissive first of all. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. Just like we dare to face any chemist, any scientist, any philosopher. Why? On the strength of Kṛṣṇa, we believe that "There is Kṛṣṇa. When I shall talk with him, Kṛṣṇa will give give me intelligence." This is the basics. Otherwise, from qualification, standard, they are very much qualified. We are common laymen before them. But how do we challenge them? Because we know. Just like a small child He can challenge a very big man because he knows, "My father is there." He is catching the hand of the father, and he's sure that "Nobody can do anything to me."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I want to make sure the meaning of Tad apy aphalatāṁ jātaṁ. Teṣām ātmābhimāninām.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: "You just surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa said that "Surrender unto Me," and we are speaking, "Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa;" same thing. Kṛṣṇa said that "I am the origin of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). We are speaking the same thing, that the original source of everything is Kṛṣṇa. We are challenging the scientists also. They are of opinion that "Life has come from matter," and we are challenging, "No, life and matter, both have come from life." This is our challenge. So originally life, originally Kṛṣṇa, life. Not matter. Matter has come subsequently. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is the old movement. At least, historically, five thousand years old. And we have got so many books. We have... Out of sixty volumes, we have published only about twelve volumes. So it's a great literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So everything is there; nothing new. We haven't got to make a new system of religion. It is already there. Simply people may kindly understand it. That is our proposition.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the Vedic injunction. "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." And when He was present, He proved it, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have not introduced any new system of religion. That is not a fact. We have simply placed, administered, the same thing which was spoken five thousand years ago. That's all. Five thousand years ago, Kṛṣṇa said that "There is nothing, no more superior authority than Me." We are preaching the same thing. The same old thing. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You just surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa said that "Surrender unto Me," and we are speaking, "Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa;" same thing. Kṛṣṇa said that "I am the origin of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). We are speaking the same thing, that the original source of everything is Kṛṣṇa. We are challenging the scientists also. They are of opinion that "Life has come from matter," and we are challenging, "No, life and matter, both have come from life." This is our challenge. So originally life, originally Kṛṣṇa, life. Not matter. Matter has come subsequently. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is the old movement. At least, historically, five thousand years old. And we have got so many books. We have... Out of sixty volumes, we have published only about twelve volumes. So it's a great literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So everything is there; nothing new. We haven't got to make a new system of religion. It is already there. Simply people may kindly understand it. That is our proposition.

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

Yaśomatīnandana: One stupid guy was saying that there is some quotation in the Bhagavad-gītā from Book of John.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is another rascaldom. Tava cārjuna.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what about the heart transplant? The spirit soul is within the heart, but when the... in the medical science nowadays, the old heart can be replaced by a new one. So what happens with the spirit soul with the old one?

Prabhupāda: But that does not mean that new ones will increase their duration of life. That is our challenge.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But the personality is changed?

Prabhupāda: No.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Why not?

Prabhupāda: Why changed? Suppose if I sit from this chair to this chair, why I am changed? I can change my seat. It does not mean that I am changed.

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

Prabhupāda: No, why comparison? Then everyone is God. I want to see that you have got the opulence of God. You are the richest. You are smuggling, and you are richest? You rascal, you smuggle, and you are the richest? I kick on your face. (laughter) Now I challenge you. I shall kick on your face. You save yourself. You save if yourself.

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. Pauṇḍraka tried to imitate Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa killed him.

Prabhupāda: They applied that pea,

Satsvarūpa: Pie in his face.

Prabhupāda: Pie. That rascal could not save himself. And he's God.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I have no objection...

Prabhupāda: I know! I know certainly. I challenge you. In Karachi, there was Oṁ-sampradāya. And they were calling for young girls and your...

Dr. Patel: That is wrong.

Prabhupāda: Yes! That, the Māyāvādī! That Māyāvādī. Because he thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."

Dr. Patel: That is where we differ, Vaiṣṇavas. Because we take Kṛṣṇa's līlā...

Prabhupāda: Just you hear me! He thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."

Dr. Patel: That is wrong. Nobody is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So I am talking that. So he was a pākā Māyāvādī. And gentlemen were offering their daughters and their wives to dance.

Guest (2): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Shall I go further, sir?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: (reads next verse in Sanskrit, 11.19)

Girirāja: (reads synonyms to:) "netram-eyes..."

Prabhupāda: Now, one question may be raised, that after reading all the details of Bhagavad-gītā, if somebody said, "There was no Kṛṣṇa," what kind of inter...

Dr. Patel: He is a fool.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So see. And these fools and rascals are going on as big men. You see? What kind of Bhagavad-gītā he has read, that he says that "There was no Kṛṣṇa, there was no Battlefield of Kurukṣetra"? And that is our challenge, "Why do you say like that?"

Mr. Sar: Why do they say like that?

Indian man (2): They are ignorant people.

Dr. Patel: They are śūṣka Vedāntists.

Prabhupāda: No. They are rascals, simply rascals, not śūṣka Vedāntists. Vedāntist is... His father is also not Vedāntist. They do not know what is Vedānta. Simply rascals. That is our propaganda, that why you accept these rascals as leader?

Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Now in spite of this fact, if you try to do it, (it's) your business. But I say you cannot heal. If you want to go on, in spite of your inability to heal, that is your business, but I say I challenge that you cannot heal. That is my proposition. Now you go on with your business, that in spite of being unable to heal, if you go on healing activities, you go on. Who takes you? But I say you cannot heal. You are other (indistinct). Nobody can heal. What is that? Is that all right?

Yogeśvara: It's very strong.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is a fact.

Robert Gouiran: Do you mean that nobody could be cured?

Prabhupāda: Where is the cure? Show me that this man is cured from disease.

Robert Gouiran: To be better, if he suffers.

Prabhupāda: Better, that is everyone is trying, that is... But there is no cure. If you think that temporary cure is better, that's nice, but there is no cure.

Robert Gouiran: So do you mean that healing is an illusion? Because healing is a fact.

Prabhupāda: But if you cannot cure, then where is that healing? First of all answer this. If you cannot cure, then where is that healing?

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Then what... You have done the work of a laborer. That's all. You have taken ingredients from God and worked hard and transformed into a step. That's all. Your creation means just like carpenter creates a furniture. That's all. That is his creation. Then that is... The economic law says that man cannot create anything. He can simply transform. These trees, has man created these trees? Why do they claim man has created everything?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: But they will say that they made the garden.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: They will say that they made a very nice garden.

Prabhupāda: That's all. That is the business of gardener, servant, not creator. That is the business of the servant. Just like I keep a gardener servant, and "Do like this. Do like that." That is not he is creator. It is my money which has created. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa's, everything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you have not created anything. You are servant. You are working, and Kṛṣṇa is giving you your subsistence. That's all. So why don't you accept that you are servant of God instead of claiming that you have created. What you have created? This is our challenge. Am I right or wrong?

Paramahaṁsa: Right.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Paramahaṁsa: Right.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What you have created?

Paramahaṁsa: Life becomes so artificial. In the big city, people don't see that they depend on God.

Prabhupāda: No, no. City or country, that I don't say that Mr. Cowper is perfect in his statement. City is also created by God. City is also created by God. God has given you the ingredients, He has given you the intelligence, and you create. Eh? Wherefrom you get the intelligence? Eh? Who will answer this? Wherefrom the man gets his intelligence?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: That is... This foolishness is going on throughout the whole world, and scientist and people are after the so-called scientist, Darwin. So we want to stop this misleading. That is our duty.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually, the way they study the origin of life is nothing but the origin of molecules. It's not actually of life, the way they are studying. So there is a misunderstanding what is life and what is matter.

Prabhupāda: No, no, whatever they are studying, this rascal cannot make life even with combination of those original molecules. Where is that proof? Our challenge is that because they cannot do it, therefore they are rascals. And that vṛścika taṇdūla nyāya, that a scorpion is coming out of rice, that's it.

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: We made some, um, um...

Prabhupāda: No, no, first of all this is my challenge: that here is a dead body, so bring some chemicals. Just like a motorcar stopped for want of chemical, petrol. So you bring petrol and it will be started. Similarly, you bring some chemical and start it again.

Paramahaṁsa: Well, that will require some time to find the chemicals.

Prabhupāda: That means you fool. You are talking nonsenses. You do not know what is that chemical. You prove yourself a rascal.

Paramahaṁsa: Well, we accept that we don't know, but we are trying to learn.

Prabhupāda: Then if you don't know, why do you talk nonsense? First of all you know, then talk. That is science.

Amogha: But the way we built this civilization and technology...

Garden Conversation with Dr. Gerson and devotees -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But we don't follow that process. We follow one standard knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is our distinction between the ordinary scholars and our... And we are on the safe side because we don't manufacture, speculate. That is troublesome. If I have to defeat you, then I will have to speak so many things. I will have to find out the device how can I defeat you. But we have got one standard knowledge. I may be fool, rascal, but we repeat Kṛṣṇa. So our method is very easy. We are challenging everyone. Just like there are many scientific disciples. So I am not a science man. I have never studied science. But scientists, they are becoming my disciple. From material point of view, I have no education in science, but why the scientist is becoming my disciple? Is he becoming fool? After taking his doctorate title, he is becoming fool so that he is accepting me as spiritual master?

Garden Conversation with Dr. Gerson and devotees -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you will turn your America as Vaikuṇṭha. And that is your duty, to save your countrymen. I think the America is... The people were pious in their past life. They have got this opulent position. Now they should use this opulent position. They have no poverty. They haven't got to work so hard, and they take advantage of this knowledge. Other countries, they are poor. They are busy how to earn their livelihood. But your country, because you are favored on account of your previous pious activities, you should utilize this position. People are embarrassed for improving their economic condition in other countries. Of course, if one is cultured, he is not embarrassed in any condition of life. But without Kṛṣṇa culture, poverty-stricken people, they are very much hampered. So you have no such problem. Therefore you can utilize your position, this opulent position, for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As a learned scholar you should advocate this cause. Why should you waste your time in sense gratification? That is being done by the cats and dogs and hogs. Why this life? That is also... We have described in the Fifth Canto, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). For simply to satisfy the senses, why you should make such a gorgeous program for working? The sense gratification is enjoyed even by the hogs, the stool-eater. This particular animal is mentioned because they are gratifying senses without any discrimination. You will find the hogs eating stool, and they are with mothers and sister and have sex life, that's all. They have no discrimination. So this kind of sense gratification is there in the hog's life. So are the human beings to imitate the hog's life? This is the question. So they are imitating the hog's life, all the human being. This is the defect. Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Working so hard day and night, and only sex, that's all. This is life's enjoyment? This is a hog's life. And what else they have got happiness? We challenge them, "Except this happiness of sex, what other happiness you have got?" There is no answer.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, it is not possible that he has seen all the bones. That is not possible. So taking it that he has studied by seeing the bones, but I can say very easily that it is not possible for a person like you to see all the bones. That is my challenge. How you can say that you have seen all the bones? You say, "Millions and millions of years ago..." You live for fifty years. How you have seen all the bones? That is imperfect. You are a limited person. How it is possible that you have seen all the bones? What is the answer?

Satsvarūpa: They say they haven't found all the bones, but what they've found is conclusive evidence.

Prabhupāda: But then you cannot do that. If you have seen all the bones, then you can conclude. You say, "Some of the missing." So how it is fact? You did not see it.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1975, Philadelphia:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But how so many things are working under the laws...?

Prabhupāda: Working, that's all right. You have seen that so many people are dying. That's all right. But I am challenging that you have not seen the next man who does not die. That you cannot answer.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: For example, they find the laws of motion, Newton's laws of motion. They utilize that concept in shooting rockets. And they use exactly some mathematical formula and apply it.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but sometimes the shooting of the rocket missing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, what we are saying is that the law that they find out by their own effort is working...

Prabhupāda: So you effort is limited. How you can conclude?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So inductive knowledge is true to a certain limit.

Prabhupāda: Certain extent, that's all. It is not conclusion.

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: So how can you deny it? First of all tell me. You have not gone there.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I haven't gone, but the argument...

Prabhupāda: No, no. The scientists. I challenge that he has not gone there.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (to someone:) Pay your obeisances.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. I have not gone, you have not gone, but I have got this authentic literature; you have nothing. So my position is better than yours. You are fool. You are befooled because you are simply contemplating. But I have got a definite literature, information. So my position is better than yours. Whose car is it? Oh, some of them are chanting? Jaya. (end)

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Harikeśa: Well, they’re the best we have. They’re the best we have. We have nobody. Who else is going to take care of us?

Prabhupāda: No, at least… We … just like we challenge, they cannot give answer. This should be proved. Then they will be proved that they are rascals.

Harikeśa: The whole scientific craze seems to be settling down anyway. It seems to be dying down.

Prabhupāda: It must die. The scientists, they admit now, "What we shall do? We have bluffed in so many ways. Now what is the next bluffing?" Their bluff, last bluffing, was going to the moon planet, and everything is failed. Then what is next bluffing? That is their problem, how to keep their big, big post?

Harikeśa: There's nothing left to do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have finished all their theories. Still, they could not do anything. This is their position. (break) Margarine is also another bluff. It is oil; it is taken as ghee, er, butter.

Morning Walk -- October 18, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Our verdict is final: "All rascals and fools." Therefore, when I ask these rascals, "Any question?" Stopped. (laughter) "Come on, any question?" What they will question? I challenge them, "Any question?" They know that "We have been proved as rascals." Yesterday, last night, I told that the aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś: (BG 2.11) "This is the position of everyone. Everyone is fool, rascal. He does not know what is the real problem of life." Nobody said that "Why you are calling everyone rascals?" In Montreal some Bengali gentleman said, "Swamiji, you are using very strong word, 'fools and rascals.' Can it be explained otherwise?" And "No, this is the only word, that you are all rascals and fools. This is the only word to be used." (laughter)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You once said that anyone who has a material body is a rascal.

Morning Walk -- October 25, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: So therefore it is, everything, in God's hand. Their difficulty is that they'll not accept God. That is the... Therefore we are very much angry with them. We want to kick on their face. The atheist number one, all these so-called scientists.

Brahmānanda: As soon as they were able to create some oxygen and hydrogen in the laboratory, then "Oh, there's no God."

Prabhupāda: "There is no God." So you bring hydrogen, oxygen; create another ocean. Simply talking nonsense. Now, our challenge is "You just get one egg." Can they? Ask any scientist. Can he make one seed which will bring such a big tree? And where is that science? They're all nonsense.

Indian man: They were trying to...

Prabhupāda: "Trying." That's it. And therefore they should be kicked on their face. They are trying like foolish man and it will never be successful; therefore they should be kicked. This is our proposition. "Trying," "in future," this is their bluff. We don't accept this. (break) ...one check, million dollars, postdated. Then, if you ask me, "Why you have postdated?" "No, I have no money now. In future it will be deposited." Will you accept that check? This is their bluff.

Morning Walk -- November 4, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So Ambarisa Mahārāja, is our argument all right?

Ambarisa: Yes. Yes, it's good argument. It's very sound.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) What others' argument? This is my challenge.

Yaśomatīnandana: Mr. Dhrug was pointing out...

Prabhupāda: Where is that materialistic leader? Here is. What is your argument? Huh? (laughter)

Yaśomatīnandana: He says that you cannot bring life, but you can bring death immediately. Why is that?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Death? He's already dead. What you can bring? Rascal, don't you see that he is already dead? If you have to bring something you have to bring life. Death is already there. (dog barking, woman yelling) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) Bhāgavata has analyzed, yasyātmā-buddhi kunape tri-dhātuke. And this is the beginning of mistake, taking this body as everything and then bodily issues, bodily... Sva-dhiḥ kalātrādiṣu. And because I have got relation with some woman... There are thousands and millions of women, but because I have got bodily relation with some woman, I am so much attracted.

Morning Walk -- November 4, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is what the Russians say.

Prabhupāda: Russians say that the...

Dr. Patel: That the consciousness comes after the combination of...

Prabhupāda: We are talking of this verse, that if this is the composition of the body, these things are available anywhere. Why don't you create life? Therefore he is no better than the dogs. He has no intelligence that "How this combination of blood, urine, stool, and bone, and muscle can create life?" They are thinking that a combination of matter can bring life force. That is the so-called scientists' theory. So these things are available in large quantity, so why don't you create life? Therefore go-kharaḥ. Their intelligence is not better than the cows and the asses from the very beginning. If they are not cows and asses, how they can think of that combination of these material things can bring in life? When a man dies, find out if there is scarcity of stool or scarcity of urine or scarcity of blood. Bring it and inject it. These rascals, they cannot do it, and still they are calculating urine examination, blood examination and this examination. (laughter) No, I am not saying. It is śāstra. (laughter) Take this dead man's body, and whatever urine and stool is there, examine, and then inject, and come him, let him back, come to life. Then I will understand that your examination of the stool, urine is perfect. This is common question. So long the soul was there, you are very expert to examine stool, urine and this and that. But when the soul is gone... Now the stool is there; urine is there. Why don't you examine and give life? This is our challenge.

Morning Walk -- November 13, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All unfortunate, now they are. They have been so much trained badly. They say frankly, "Oh, this Hare Kṛṣṇa we have seen." In America when they chant... The Americans are chanting on the street, and the Indian students, "Oh, this we have done much. We have nothing to..." Here also they are thinking like that: "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement? Eh? A beggars' movement." śāstra says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), and these rascals are thinking, "Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa we have seen." You see? They have become so greatly intelligent, these rascals. They do not believe in śāstra, in sādhu, in God. All these "incarnations" and big, big men, they say, "Oh, what is the use of śāstra?" Even this Ānandamāyā says that "In higher advancement there is no need of śāstra." He is above śāstra. He, she says like that. And Kṛṣṇa said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23), immediately condemned: "If you don't believe in śāstra, you are rascal." Kṛṣṇa said. And they say, "Oh, there is no need of..." And he's an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. This Bal-yogi rascal is doing that: "There is no need of śāstra." This is going on. Now he's finished, of course. His activity is finished. (break)...strength of śāstra we are challenging that "You have never gone to the moon planet." Who can do so? The whole world is accepting they have gone to moon planet, and we are challenging, "You have never gone to moon." Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, how do we support our challenge that they have not gone to the moon?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (3): How do we support our challenge to the scientists that they have not actually gone to the moon?

Prabhupāda: First proof is that they say that there is no life. That is foolishness. There is life. Because we find everywhere life, why not in the moon planet? And there are many others. The first challenge is this.

Devotee (3): They say that they have not seen the life, though.

Prabhupāda: But what you can see, rascal? Therefore we say you are rascals. Why do you believe your eyes? You cannot see so many things. We don't find any living entity in the ocean. Does it mean there is no living entity? So what is the value of your seeing? That is the defect. They believe in too much their eyes. Although eyes are... Every sense is imperfect. You can see here: "Oh, we don't find anything. It is all zero." Does it mean the sky is zero? There are millions of planets and millions of living entities. So that is their rascaldom. They think that they are perfect. Whatever they see, that is perfect. That is their mistake. If I say, "No, there is no life. I cannot see," is that very good statement? And in the..., externally you don't find any living entity, but is it void of living entities? Then why shall I assert that "There is no living... I cannot see"? Is that very good proposal? Therefore they are rascals. There cannot be any place within this universe which is without life. There cannot be. We see there is life even within sand. How you can say there is no life? "Because I cannot see." What is this argument? What you are? You are a rascal. Because you cannot see, therefore we have to accept? First of all we say you are rascal. And if he says that "I cannot see," is it to be accepted? And the example is there. "I cannot see any life. It is simply water." But there are millions and trillions of life, big, big fish. Where is your perfection of seeing?

Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: "Why he is not silent?" Kṛṣṇa is not silent. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Why you should be silent when I challenge you like this. He said, he could not answer. This is going on. So many things they are doing, if they are challenged, they cannot answer. You were present? I told him, "Why silent? Kṛṣṇa is not silent. He says continually, Bhagavān uvāca; page after page, and he's saying "Why he should silent?" He gave me the information that Brahman was silent and anyone who would go to him, he would remain silent and the message would be transferred.

Bhāgavata: Rajneesh says the same thing. He says that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna did not speak, Kṛṣṇa simply looked at Arjuna and Arjuna understood. But in order for Dhṛtarāṣṭra to understand, because he was blind, Sañjaya is speaking and he is explaining everything and Vyāsa has written down what Sañjaya has explained. This is, that is what Rajneesh says like that. So why does Sañjaya say Bhagavān uvāca?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Sañjaya heard, then he said?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Go means cows, and khara means asses. These are asses. They are taking so much credit, advancement of scientific knowledge, but so long they do not understand there is soul—dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)—they are all asses, that's all, simply asses. This is our challenge, that "You are all asses. If you do not accept the existence of the soul, if you cannot find out where it is, then you are all asses. We don't give you any credit." This is our challenge. Let anyone come. We shall prove that he's an ass. We shall prove. How? It is very easy. Any intelligent man can analyze this body. Take this breathing. What is this breathing? It is air. Now, you are very much anxious to keep the breathing going on by oxygen gas and injection. What is the use of oxygen gas? If breathing is lost, you can put some air within, just like the bellow, and by machine, by some electric arrangement, the bellow can go on and the breathing will come out. Why don't you do that? It is very easy. Anyone can do it. And not anyone; at least one who has got some mechanical idea. So do you think that the breathing will bring the life? Do you think? It is not possible, sir. It is air only. That is not possible. Then you take the blood. What is this blood? The blood is nothing but red water. You cannot say that injecting some red water, you can bring life. Analyze it very intelligently. Then what is the composition of this body? The air or the water, the same. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). It is said here, mahad-ādayo. Mahat-tattva and its expansion. Even in the subtle mind, manaḥ prabhṛtayo, mind, intelligence, egotism, you analyze everything, but you won't find there the life. No. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We know real scientist because we know the biggest scientist, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are scientists. Without Him we don't claim to be scientists-fools, rascals. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. He is everything. He doesn't require to. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become scientist, philosopher. And I was never a scientist, so we challenge the scientists, and I have produced this scientist to challenge them. But I was never a scientist. That book is actually revolutionary amongst the scientists. Scientific Basis, you have read that?

Indian man: Yes, I have read.

Prabhupāda: Very nicely he has written, very, very nicely, from all scientific... He has challenged the scientists. He has clearly declared, "Darwin is wrong, and scientists, they do not know."

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Gurukṛpā: They don't have artificial blood. I don't think they can make artificial blood.

Prabhupāda: Nothing. Artificial blood... Superficially it is red water. So if red water is the life, then why you are spoiling so much blood? Keep it scientifically and push it into the dead body. I say it is, that way, it is the red water, nothing but red water. Urine is white water. I am coming to the five elements: air, water. Then what is this bone? Earth. You can manufacture bone, hard bone, with earth or wood or something plastic. So we are analyzing the combination of the body, so everything you can manufacture. But where is the life you can manufacture? Why do you say? That is our challenge. All the ingredients of the body you can manufacture exactly like that. Ultimately you can give the beauty also of the woman or the man. But where is life? Bring life by all these things. Then I will say that you are scientist. Otherwise cheater, simply bluffing people. This thing should be stopped. Where you get the information that this, from matter life is possible. "In future." But in future... In inceptive condition you show something. Just like formerly they were flying balloons. So because they were flying, they could say that "Future we shall fly a big city." And in the history we can see that that is not impossible, because in the inceptive condition or initiative condition we see that big things can be flown. But here you cannot even prepare a ant. You have not been able to prepare even a small ant, germ. Show me. So why do you say, "In future I shall do it"?

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Who can deny? Who can contradict this? That is my challenge. The contradiction is not valid. Who can contradict it? That is my challenge.

Rāmeśvara: Well, say in some philosophy...

Prabhupāda: Just like a father, a real father can say, "I am the father." Who can challenge? Father is one. Who can? Nobody can say "No, you are not father, he's father." No. The real father is father. Father cannot be replaced.

Rāmeśvara: No.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose real father says, "I am the father of this boy." Who will challenge it?

Rāmeśvara: Someone who does not believe my father.

Prabhupāda: That means he's a rascal. But father cannot be changed. He does not know; he challenges, that's all. How the father can be changed? Father is one.

Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Dānavīra: Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes when we're preaching to people that we don't eat meat, fish or egg, they say,"Why not eggs? They're not actually living. It's just a..., it hasn't been fertilized."

Prabhupāda: Then that's a rascal. You explain it, explain to him that why they cannot make an egg by chemical composition and give it for fermentation and a chicken may come. Why do they not do that? Why they are taking eggs from the hens? Why do they not chemically manufacture egg?

Baradrāj: Must have life.

Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom. If that is a fact, that there is no life, then you prepare egg. What is there? Some white chemicals, a little yellow. You can do it.

Rāmeśvara: Just like abortion. They have a process to take the egg from the hen, and they make sure that the egg will not grow into a chicken. It is like an abortion.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The life is there. You make some arrangement that it will not take part, that is another thing. If it is a fact that the egg is not life, then why you rascal do not manufacture a chemical egg and get a chicken? Why you rascal talking nonsense? That is our challenge. We say "rascals" not without consideration. Because actually they talk like nonsense. Rascals. They cannot do, and still they'll insist they will do. That is rascal. Is it all right? (laughs) South..., South America, er, South Africa, there are so many factories of begetting chicken.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Richard: Have you studied other religions?

Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore I'm saying. Without studying, how can I say? I am challenging, not saying. We are challenging. We are not saying only.

Richard: Um hm.

Prabhupāda: If you want to overcome all obstacles of life, this is the only education. That's all. Or if you have different aims of life, there are different departments of knowledge. But if you want this knowledge, then this is the education.

Richard: According to you, this is the only spiritual knowledge.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: The qualification.

Jayādvaita: When we present the real idea, then they're just sitting there, they have no argument. And then we challenge their system, that "What is the purpose of your society? What is the goal of it?" and they can't say anything.

Prabhupāda: Unless there is division of activity, nothing can be done perfectly well. The natural division is there in the body—the head, the arms, the belly and the legs. Similarly, in the social body also there must be the heads, the intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. Then everything will go on smoothly. And, at the present moment, there is no intelligent class of men. All laborer, worker class of men, fourth class. No first class, second class. Therefore society is in chaotic condition. There is no brain.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Thing is that if the leaders of the society, they come to their consciousness, that this way the society cannot be peaceful, the way they are now conducting.... If they have brain.... Just like the other day, the Christian priest. He was speaking of disabled men. You were present? I challenge you: what do you mean by disabled man? If one man has lost his arm, can you supply it? Then he stopped.

Hari-śauri: He was finished when you told him it was all imaginary.

Prabhupāda: Yes, actually. What you can do?

Jagadīśa: Other than yourself, Śrīla Prabhupāda, no one in the world has a vision how to save the world.

Prabhupāda: Because I honestly think of it. Maybe others are also honest, but they do not know the right way. How they can be honest? Just like this Communist movement. They are favoring the labor class and rejecting the capitalist class altogether. They cannot make any adjustment.

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

Prabhupāda: If the world is false, why you are coming down again on this platform? That means they could not get any substance by their so-called renouncement of this world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, for going to that platform of siddhi, liberation, they had to undergo so much difficulties and austerities, but still, even going there... Just like these people are going to the moon planet and... Actually whether they have gone or not, that is a doubtful thing. But the thing is, why they are coming down again? That is our challenge. If you have gone to the moon planet, then colonize there. But why you have come down again and do not talk anything about? What do you think?

Brahmatīrtha: Well, I couldn't say. They've been there, they say.

Prabhupāda: They say; you believe. But we are common man, layman, we say that if you have gone there, why you do not live there?

Brahmatīrtha: Yes, they just bring back rocks to show us, "We have rocks here."

Prabhupāda: If there is rock, if there is sand, then why don't you colonize there? What is their answer? If there is same sand, same rock there, then why not... (break) ...some money and can bring some sand and bluff people that "We have gone to moon planet." And people are satisfied. They're paying for another excursion, to the Mars. This is going on.

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

Prabhupāda: That is complacence. What is called? "Yes, in future we shall do." That's all. Then at present you cannot do. Then you are imperfect. Why you are declaring yourself as scientist? Scientist means who is in full knowledge. That is scientist. And if you are not in full knowledge, how you are scientist? "Big, big scientist, big, big belly, Ceylon jumping, melancholy." Rascals say that chemical, combination of chemical, makes life. So we challenge that you begin from an egg. Everyone sees the egg—some white substance, some yellow substance, covered with some shells. So just manufacture it and give it to the incubator, and let the chicken come. Why you take the egg from another living chicken? What is the answer? You rascal, you make one small egg. We can see there are some white substance, yellow substance, so you combine some chemicals, white and yellow, and cover it with celluloid shell and put it under the incubator. You get. Why the rascals cannot do it? And still, the rascals will say that life can be..., is combination of chemicals.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Your Back to Godhead article in this last magazine, "They can make a 747 jet, but not a tiny mosquito." Very thought-provoking.

Prabhupāda: With pilot. 747, you have to pay expert pilot, but here with pilot. Make this. Simply talking. Not only mosquito: at night we see so many, just like full stop, the same mechanical, flying from here, there, from here moving. Aeroplane, exactly in the form of... Similarly standing and... That is our challenge. Challenge this. Go in public meeting. Bring these so-called scientists, "Why don't you make any...? Why do you talk all this nonsense and cheat people?" Simple. Why first of all Sunday? There is no Monday first. I think never this question's raised, anybody. Fool's paradise. The Western world is fool's paradise. Actually this is the time they are getting enlightenment. Otherwise they are all fool's paradise. No social life, no religious life, simply get money somehow or other and enjoy wine, women, meat. That's all. This is their civilization. Do live comfortably; there is no harm. But why misconception?

Hari-śauri: At least be honest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How can you deny God? All the scientists, they deny God. This simple fact that there is... (break) ...is mother, and beginning from grass to the highest form of human being there are children. The mother is there; the children are there. Who is the father? How you can say there is no father? If the mother is there, then child is there, there must be father. I do not know how they can deny a supreme father. Anyway, this New Vrindavan life will attract people gradually, this peaceful life. They are searching after alternative.

Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia:

Prabhupāda: Not only Christians, the whole world is now like that. Religion has become a subject matter of laughing. If one is God conscious, religious, he is considered fool number one, not very much advanced. Especially the scientists, the rascal scientists. And they'll bluff you in so many ways, that life is produced from chemicals. When we challenge them that "You make a little egg with chemicals and put it in the incubator and let life come," what will be the answer? The so-called scientist who says that life is made by combination of chemicals? Anyone can see the composition of egg, a little white and yellow substance. There are many chemicals, they are all white, and there are many chemicals yellow also. Combine together and put it in the incubator and see whether chicken is coming or not. And still they will assert, write big, big books, that life is coming out of chemicals. And people are accepting this bluff. So it is very precarious condition of present world. People want to be bluffed and there are many bluffers. And they are satisfied that "I am bluffed by a big bluffer." That's all. This is going on.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. We raise the question, we challenge these rascals because we are following the path of devotion. We are not scientists. And we could not challenge unless we were convinced. How it is possible? Suppose I am layman, how I am challenging these big, big scientists? It is not... Because we have known it through devotional service, so this is science. That is the difference.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So these are some of the axiomatic truths that are necessary steps in order to study this problem between life and...

Prabhupāda: In Bhagavad-gītā it is said bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "One can understand Me through bhakti." And the Vedic injunction is that "If one knows Me, or knows the Absolute Truth, God, then he knows everything." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If somehow or other one knows the Absolute Truth, then he knows everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is the benefit of knowing the Absolute Truth. So a devotee knows everything. How it is possible?

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

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They can make a sample like mosquito.

Prabhupāda: No... They cannot, they cannot. That is my challenge. That first of all you bring life from the egg. You prepare a egg composition, and put it in the incubator and let some living entity come out. So can they do it? So why they will speak all nonsense?

Yadubara: They admit they can't do it.

Prabhupāda: Then they are rascal. What they cannot do, they're speaking lots of and getting Nobel prize.

Yadubara: They say how in the future they can.

Prabhupāda: How cheating.

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

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They can make a sample like mosquito.

Prabhupāda: No... They cannot, they cannot. That is my challenge. That first of all you bring life from the egg. You prepare a egg composition, and put it in the incubator and let some living entity come out. So can they do it? So why they will speak all nonsense?

Yadubara: They admit they can't do it.

Prabhupāda: Then they are rascal. What they cannot do, they're speaking lots of and getting Nobel prize.

Yadubara: They say how in the future they can.

Prabhupāda: How cheating.

Devotee (2): You said the chicken can do it.

Prabhupāda: Yeah.

Devotee (2): But they cannot.

Prabhupāda: No.

Devotee (2): Therefore a chicken, he is greater than you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Chicken can do. What do you think?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. The very best way to... I want to use that as an example next time when we preach.

Prabhupāda: But a chicken is better than you. Don't talk nonsense. (laughter) Chicken is already doing in his way. You'll see he's laying down, chemical egg, and fermenting, and within week come. So he's better than you.

Yadubara: They'll say that we can also do that, we can also produce child.

Prabhupāda: Hm? You can, but you, rascal, you've never done it, simply speak.

Yadubara: No, I mean, they can produce children also by sex life.

Prabhupāda: But that is not your laboratory children. That is God's children. That is another thing. That is not your laboratory children. You want to produce children in laboratory? Then do that. That is our challenge.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Common sense. And we are practically experiencing. When the child has grown to become a young man, the mother does not cry, "Oh, my child is gone." She knows, she knows that "Here is my child. Simply he has changed his body." So this is a fact, that we are changing bodies but we are eternal. This is the conclusion. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So unless one is properly educated, where is the talk of advancing? So this is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand that the living entity is eternal and the body is changing. And then next question will be that if the body is changing, then this body will be changed, so after my death what kind of body I am going to accept? That is education. That is education. And if I remain blind, I do not care, and next life I become a dog, then what is the value of my present education? In spite of all education, next life I am going to become a dog or tree, then what is the value of my education? That education is not. Throughout the whole world perhaps we are giving this education. Throughout the whole world, find out any institution or university where this education is given. No. Simply big, big talks. And you talk something nonsense and take laureate, Nobel Laureate. That's all. It is going on. Somebody is talking nonsense that life is produced from matter, from chemicals, and if we challenge, "All right, combine some matter in egg form and bring life," that rascal will say, "No, it will take millions of years." And if the bird is giving life in five days, why you are taking doctorate title? Give the chicken doctorate title. The rascals are simply bluffing the people. This is going on in the name of education. Can anyone produce life by a combination of chemicals? And these rascals are advertising. We challenge, "All right, not very big thing.

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

Guest (2): If and when Kṛṣṇa wants the scientists to come up with the answer, then is when..., only when they'll have the answer. When Kṛṣṇa wants them to have the answer.

Prabhupāda: But Kṛṣṇa has already given to the chicken. (laughter) He's so unfortunate that Kṛṣṇa is not giving him the intelligence. He's so unfortunate. But the fortunate chicken has already got the intelligence. So at least the chicken is fortunate than these so-called scientists. That is our conclusion. He's so unfortunate that he doesn't get the fortune of the chicken. Mūḍho nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam (BG 7.25). He's a mūḍha, rascal. That's all. He's claiming something which is impossible. That is mūḍha. If somebody, if a child, sometimes childish nature, "Mother, give me that moon," it is possible mother can give the moon to the child? So mother cheats him. She gives him a mirror, "You see, here is a mirror, moon here." That's all. But is that moon? So a child may be satisfied with this class of moon, but one who is sane man, his father, will not be satisfied. It is impossible. We give this challenge to any scientist, that "You are unnecessarily, uselessly working to produce life from chemicals." That is our challenge. "You cannot do it." (Hindi with Dr. Sharma)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's almost nine o'clock, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So we challenge the so-called scientists that "You rascal, you cannot do it." It is not possible.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Rūpānuga: You once said that because people are becoming more educated and scientific-minded, they are rejecting these religions. So similarly, because they are becoming more educated and scientific minded...

Prabhupāda: So-called educated, they are becoming fools.

Rūpānuga: But still, they are challenging. But they, for the same reason, will challenge the scientists in due time. Because they become..., if they become more scientific-minded, then they will challenge these statements that the scientists never verify. Constantly they are saying, but they never do anything.

Prabhupāda: Our challenge should be, "Do it." If you cannot do it, then you give up your title, let it go to the chicken. Huh? What is the wrong there, if we say "Dr. Chicken," "Dr. Frog"?

Sadāpūta: Actually these theories of theirs are taught in high schools and colleges as fact, practically. Like the student in Gainesville was telling us that he was taking zoology, and they were teaching evolution, and they were saying that it wasn't a theory anymore but it was a proven fact, and that he was quite dissatisfied with that.

Prabhupāda: Proven fact?

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That also I have already explained, you depend on another chicken's egg. You cannot manufacture the egg. That is my challenge, that you manufacture the egg by chemical combination and put into the machine. That you cannot do. Another living chicken must lay down the egg, then you can reclaim. You're dependent. Where is your independence? Everywhere you are dependent. How you declare independence? Where is your independence?

Dayānanda: They think that the countries that have the materialistic advancement or scientific advancements, that they are very well situated.

Prabhupāda: Well, scientific advancement, all this nonsense you can say. Just like Iran. God has given the oil underneath the ground, you are so proud. But if God would not give you the oil, then you starve in the desert. Then talk of improvement, nonsense. You're dependent on the oil. That is given by God. By God's grace, you have got some stock of oil, and there is good demand of oil. Then you are proud of making advancement. You are depending on the oil. The oil is supplied by God. You're dependent.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not make any interpretation, that "Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means this, Pāṇḍavas means this." No. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You have seen our Bhagavad-gītā?

Mr. Sahani: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. (break) Before this, before this movement I started ten years ago, so many svāmīs, philosophers came in the Western country. Not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is our challenge. And now you'll find thousands and thousands. Because, what is secret? "As it is," that's all. No change.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They did not take. You are not taking. That's the same thing.

Dr. Patel: Presently the whole world is...

Prabhupāda: That's all. That is our concern, how the world is misdirected. That we are challenging, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that "East," "West," "you," "I." Everyone is a victim. Bhāgavata says, prāyena kalau asmin yuga-jana: "In this age everyone is condemned." It doesn't say that "These Eastern, Western..." Everyone is condemned. Kalau asmin yuga-jana. That is impartial. (to Mahāṁsa:) How are you? Everything is all right?

Mahāṁsa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So Badruka is the same?

Mahāṁsa: He came yesterday in the evening. I could not see him.

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

Prabhupāda: We have arranged for your prasāda. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. This is machine. This body is machine made by the material energy, as all other machine are made by the kṣitir-āp-tejo marud-vyoma, earth, water, air, fire. These are the ingredients, any machine. Suppose it is made of iron. So iron is another form of earth. So as all other machines are made with these material elements, similarly, this body is also made with the material elements, and it is yantra. It is particularly mentioned. But this yantra is not ordinary yantra. You cannot make it. But it is yantra. It is made by somebody, and the ingredients are the material elements. So where is that technology? It is made of matter, and it is made by somebody as other machines are made with the material... (break) ...and made by somebody. So where is that advancement of technology? A motorcar, when stops, technology department can repair it and again it runs. So where is that advancement of technology that when this machine stops you run on, again repair it? This was my challenge in your institution. Can you answer this? You have got so many advancement, the nuclear energy and everything. But why you cannot give life to the machine stopped? Why?

Guest (1) (Indian man): There's no soul in it.

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

Prabhupāda: That is the fact, we know. We know that is a fact, that... My point is that the modern age, they are very much proud of advanced technology. So where is that knowledge? And why people do not tax their brains to get this knowledge? This is very important subject matter. But where is that knowledge? And why they do not try to do it? We get information from the Supreme Personality of Godhead that this jīva, the driver... Not driver. The passenger. We are passenger, and driver is God, and machine made by material energy, māyā... Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. The similarity is there. Just like motorcar is manufactured by somebody and the passenger is there and the driver is there, similarly, this is a machine made by māyā. I am the passenger, and God is driver. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmāyan (BG 18.61). Bhrāmāyan, the driver, the passenger of the owner, he is asking, "Mr. Driver, you go this way." So He's driving. Just like the same—Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta: (BG 1.21) "Just between these two parties of soldiers, please keep my chariot." The same thing. The chariot driver, He is the Supersoul. In this body there are two souls. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. That he's also kṣetrajñā. Kṣetra is this body, and kṣetrajñā one knows, this body.... Just like I know it is my finger. I never say, "I finger." It is my finger. So similarly, the driver also can say, "It is my car," and the proprietor also can say. So two persons, one driver and one passenger, or the proprietor.... And the body is machine. The subjects are there. Why you do not try to understand the subject matter? Then where is your advancement? That is my challenge.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Yes. God will play. That is God. God is not dead. Your God is dead. Our God is alive. That is the difference. God must be alive. Why God should be dead? (break) So you are under God's control. Then you say whether Jehovah is God or Kṛṣṇa is God. First of all you must know. You must let us know what do you mean by God. If you describe, "I mean God... by the word God, I mean this," then see whether it is applicable to Jehovah or to Kṛṣṇa. It is not the name. It is the person and the symptom. Just like water is liquid. So you say water, I say jal. But the liquidity of water is the same. So first of all you know what is the nature of God. Then you may say "Jehovah," I may say "Kṛṣṇa," another may say something else. It doesn't matter. Water is water. That is liquid. That's all. So first of all ascertain what is the symptom of God. Can we challenge them that "What is the symptom? How do you know that here is God?" Just like we understand here is water.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Jagadīśa: Everyone acts in such a way to please his friends, anyway. How come you can't...

Rāmeśvara: Their argument is that this girl who was kidnapped, she still likes her family, but now we have told her, "You must sue them." So therefore she is doing it. So therefore she is not free. She is... We are controlling her.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you want to control her. We are controlling, but you want to control her. So if you can control, why shall I not control? Why you are poking your nose? We shall cut your nose. (laughter)

Jagadīśa: That's what we're going to do, too. (Hari-śauri returns with candy)

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Rāmeśvara: I think we've used up all their arguments. They say...

Prabhupāda: First of all, our challenge is "What is your definition of God?"

Rāmeśvara: They will answer, "Let us first discuss the definition of brainwashing." They will say, "Do not talk of God. We are not trying to talk of God. We want to talk about brainwashing."

Prabhupāda: So first of all you define.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nanda-kumāra, as a sannyāsī, he should better preach. I have no objection. It is up to you to decide. I don't give much credit to the scientists. I give them credit as far as they deserve. It is not that I don't give them credit. Why shall I not? But they deny the existence and they say "We shall conquer over nature, and we shall make according to our necessity." These rascals I challenge.

Satsvarūpa: Just like you give credit to your cook.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: But that does not mean that the cook is...

Prabhupāda: Everything.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Take credit as much as you deserve.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Practically everything. But these two we challenge. We can challenge. They know. Therefore they want to bluff. They know that it is not possible for them to know. They know it perfectly well. It is not possible for their so-called science to understand what is the situation of this planetary system and what is the origin of life. They do not know. They admit. Two things unknown. Everything is unknown, but especially these two things. Simply speculate and bluff and... Mūḍha. And we consider them as rascals. That's all. By taking information from Kṛṣṇa, we understand these are rascals. Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), bas.

Gurukṛpā: Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say that... We say, "They are rascals," and they say, "These are rascals, brainwashing." This is the position.

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

Prabhupāda: We are challenging scientists that "Life cannot be produced by chemicals only. Life comes from life." They're all big, big chemists. There is another Ph.D. Another M.A.C., M.A.C., this Oriya, Faree(?). He can also join.

Gargamuni: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I would like to see Tarun Kanti Gosh. He once told me any time you wanted to go to Manipur he would give an official letter.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Gargamuni: So if I can show him this letter I can make arrangements now so that after Māyāpur we can go.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Gargamuni: I can give them the names and our passport numbers.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I have the forms I brought from Manipur.

Prabhupāda: So you arrange it.

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

Prabhupāda: So he's a mathematician and another (sic:) physist, and you are chemist. So complete science. The pure science is mathematics, physics, and chemistry. So our three Ph.D.s, they are combination of pure science. Nobody can defeat. Mathematics is there, physics is there, chemistry is there. And my sentiment is this, (laughs) I challenge them, "No. Life from life, not matter." So perhaps I challenged first. Or anybody? Then life from life, not from matter?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda did it.

Gargamuni: I think we should make maybe a few plates just like they have shown the scientists, but a few plates of yourself with some quotations challenging these men.

Prabhupāda: Our another challenge is they have never gone to moon planet. (laughs)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, that's a problem now, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter) See, sometimes when we give lectures... Some time ago we gave in Gainesville. We were talking about life and matter. Then some people came, and they asked that question about the moon thing. So we said we were working on it. And...

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

Prabhupāda: Another my challenge is that moon is beyond the sun. First planet is sun, and then moon. So if the sun is 93,000,000 miles and moon is above the sun 1,600,000, then how they can go to the moon planet in four days? It requires seven and a half months. That is my challenge.

Gargamuni: You mention also that "Sunday, Monday."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Sunday is first. It is the sun. Then Moonday, Moon.

Prabhupāda: That is all over the world, Sunday first, Monday second. Ravi, Soma.

Pradyumna: Vahni-maṅgala, Sūrya-maṅgala, Soma-maṅgala in arcanā.

Prabhupāda: In arcanā also the...

Pradyumna: Oṁ anvahni-maṅgalaya dāsa-kalātmānenava om an arka-maangalaya dvadāsa-kalātmānena va om an soma-maṅgalaya sodāsa-kalātmānenava.(?)

Prabhupāda: Sūrya-maṅgala above.

Pradyumna: Before, below. Then comes Soma-maṅgala. Soma-maṅgala, last.

Prabhupāda: That's...

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Pradyumna: Hanumān.

Prabhupāda: Oh. If we challenge them that "You have no brain. You cannot answer this," then what will be their answer?

Ādi-keśava: They will say to us, "Well, we have brain, and it is functioning. Otherwise how could I be speaking to you now? How could I even answer you?"

Prabhupāda: But that, speaking and barking, is the same thing. The dog is also barking. Where is the difference? He is speaking in a different language, that's all. So does it mean the dog has got brain? The dog is barking, and you are speaking. What is the difference?

Ādi-keśava: They say, "We have art. We have science."

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The different scriptures like the Bible say that there is a soul.

Prabhupāda: Don't bring now scripture. We are talking in common sense, common sense, that within... You cannot understand it. Therefore where is your brain? The dog also cannot understand. He's simply identifying with this body, and you also are doing that. So where is your brain? Man is rational animal. Where is your rationality? If you avoid rationality, you are as good as dog. Where is your brain? Argue on this point. Dog... If one big dog thinking, "I am greyhound " or "This big body I am..." The lion also thinking, "I am so powerful. I am this body." So I am also thinking like that: "I am American, very rich." But both of them—no understanding that how you are powerful, why you are powerful, what is that active principle. Then where is your brain? Why man is important than the animal? It is common sense. So it is not brainwashing, but it is giving brain, this movement. They have no brain at all. So argue on this point. Our challenge is that "You have no brain. Where is the question of brainwash? You cannot understand the simple thing, which is important."

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hellish? Hele, hele, hele (Bengali), hele snake.

Jayapatākā: Hele snake. It doesn't have any poison.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So one snake charmer, he cannot capture that hele snake, and he is expecting to capture cobra. (Bengali) I challenge them that "First of all make one egg, a small egg. (laughter) Make some chemicals and give it to the incubator and let the chicken come." The rascals, they cannot do that.

Ādi-keśava: So they were saying, "I will not make an egg now. In twenty years I will make you a chicken." They say, "I can't make an egg now, but in twenty years I'll make you a chicken."

Prabhupāda: Without egg where is chicken? Where is that example? Why you are talking again? Where (laughter) is that chicken made? Rascal. Without egg where is the chicken? So challenge them like that. Prove them that they have no brain. So there is immediately, automatically... "You have no brain. Where is the question of brainwash?"

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You talk with them again. They're intelligent. You can talk, yes. It is recorded again, again.

Hari-śauri: Yes. I'm making spares of all these tapes, so they can take them back with them and listen to them.

Prabhupāda: All tell, "You have no brain. So where is the question of brainwash?" That you have to prove, that "You have no brain. You are all dull-headed, animals." This is our challenge. "And animals cannot... Their brain cannot be washed. But washed, I have brain, yes... Because a human being, we have tried. At the present you have no brain. All useless."

Hari-śauri: But, you say, by presenting this to the court, then they'll have to prove, or they'll have to try and disprove or establish that they have a brain, and then the whole thing come out, what is actual intelligence and what is simply cat-and-dog intelligence.

Pradyumna: Then we say also ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). We say "washing."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is brainwashing, yes. It is required. But at the present moment you have no brain. You have got stool in your head. So it has to be washed. What is the wrong there? If you give "machine," you say "machine," we say it, "machine," this body. This body is a machine. You also accept; I also accept. But you, can you produce a machine like that? If the person who has made the machine, He has got brain, you have no brain. And that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). This is cara, moving machine, and there is standing machine. Just like tree, that is also a machine.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They were very thankful for the lecture. They actually made comment, saying that this is the strongest statement that they ever heard in the department, that such a scientific comparative study. 'Cause I showed these charts that we have.

Prabhupāda: That is very encouraging. So pursue this method with your assistants. That is our challenge. That will enhance the importance of our movement.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They even suggested that in the future, if we had any plan like that, we should just let them know for about two or three weeks ahead so they can arrange others also in the other departments.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Do immediately. Your business is that. You take these scientists and other intelligent... Everyone is intelligent, but especially to convince them. "Birds of the same feather." Otherwise they'll not mix. We are already haṁsas, but to mix with the crow, we shall dress ourself like a crow. (laughter)

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. That should be propagated now. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you know simply Kṛṣṇa, then everything. Why I am challenging, from the very beginning, all these rascal scientists? Because I believe in Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Otherwise I am not a scientist. I cannot challenge the scientists. But yes, I can challenge. Because I know my knowledge is perfect.

Dr. Sharma: You sound like... You know when at the time of Yudhiṣṭhira rājasūya-yajña, there was Śiśupāla and the other people who objected. And then Sahadeva, who was to do agra-pūjā of Kṛṣṇa, he said,

keśavaṁ keśī-hantāraṁ
bhajireda purakramam
pūjyamānaṁ mayāyoga
kṛṣṇa na sahata vipra
sarveṣāṁ balinam modye
mayedaṁ niyataṁ padam
keśavaṁ keśī-hantāraṁ
bhajireda purakramam
pūjyamānaṁ mayāyoga
kṛṣṇa na sahata vipra

"You kings who does not tolerate Kṛṣṇa, who is killer of Keśī, and Keśava, if you don't honor, I am putting my foot over your head."

Prabhupāda: That's it. "I kick you on your face with my boot."

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That teaching I also remember from the Bible. There's a statement that "Everyone is being supplied, so don't you think that God will also supply for you?" That's there in the Bible, I think, also. But the Christians, so-called, they don't heed it.

Prabhupāda: And therefore we challenge them, "Who is a Christian?" It is not a single one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, if one studies the life of Jesus, we live more like that than any so-called Christian.

Prabhupāda: So we have got very nice diamond. Try to sell. But if there is a purchaser, he will purchase. Otherwise not. It is our duty to canvass. But we cannot sell iron instead of diamond.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just wondering about this, that we may be traveling around, and even here Your Divine Grace is not so fit for going to all of the ceremonies. Maybe you would like it if we were to keep a little Deity here.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In your apartment.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: And big, big leaders, they are utilizing Bhagavad-gītā for so-called nationalism. Why? There is not a single word as "nationalism." As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Where is nationalism? There is no question of nationalism. So the difficulty is they do not understand even a line of Bhagavad-gītā, and still, the so-called scholars, philosophers, politicians, they are advertising that "I am student." They do not understand even a line of... This is my challenge. What do you think? They do not understand. Even Gandhi did not understand, not a single line.

Indian man (1): Gandhi did believe in trusteeship theory.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man (1): Gandhiji believed in trusteeship theory of Īśopaniṣad.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Kovoor has responded, and now Haṁsadūta has booked a hall and challenged him in all the newspapers to produce a mosquito. Free admission. They're serving halavā prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Actually, in mosquito you'll find the same arrangement like a big airplane—that wings, the body... But see the wonderful thing that not only there is mechanism, but there is a pilot. But your, this 747, it is big, there is mechanism, but pilot you have to bring outside. This is our challenge. And millions of such planes are born without your scientific knowledge. You produce one...

Satsvarūpa: Just one.

Prabhupāda: ...then come to combat with God. This is our challenge. Simply jugglery of words, "We have manufactured this element, that element. Now, in future, we are going to..." This nonsense we shall not allow. Do it now. Hmm? What do you think?

Satsvarūpa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Śrutakīrti: Also, flying over here, that 747 I was flying on was three hours late because of some mechanical difficulty. So even they make it, they don't make it very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Imperfect.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The importance of Bhaktivedanta Institute is there, not that theory molecule. Come on. We are challenging. Discuss like scientist, not like sentimentalists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It seems like we should... Next time we have a conference here, it should be done in the proper hall.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got enough place.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some people were thinking that Vṛndāvana is not a good place for building that hall, but...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no immediate necessity. We have got already nice building.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we have no hall in that building. There's no... The place where they held the meeting last time is now going to become the restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Let it become.

Correspondence

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Prabhavisnu -- Bombay 3 January, 1973:

That is advanced stage of spiritual life, never attained by even the greatest yogis and so-called jyanis. But let any man see our devotees working so hard for Krishna, then let anyone say that they are not better than any millions of so-called yogis and transcendentalists, that is my challenge! Because you are rightly understanding through your personal realization this philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, therefore in such a short time you have surpassed all the stages of yoga processes to come to the highest point of surrendering to Krishna. That I can very much appreciate, thank you very much for helping me in this way.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Mayapur 14 June, 1973:

The deities may be immediately repaired and worshiped. Now we must take precaution as you have suggested. You may get some guns and some of the boys may be trained as ksatriyas. Such gun shots could have taken place long ago since we are challenging everybody. So we must be prepared to fight. We cannot stop this movement. It is actually a fight against Maya. So Maya may also sometimes cause casualties in our camp. So, we must only thank Krsna and seriously dedicate everything for Him. So, you are Kirtanananda Maharaja, take pleasure in performing kirtana. That is our real weapon against Maya.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 12 November, 1974:

The report that the newly published books are all selling like mad is very, very encouraging. Now publish more books. Make more translations. You have not yet published Bhagavatam and also Krsna Book Second Part. Is this translated or not? And what about "Leben Kommt Von Leben?" Are they also selling? I have never studied science, but I am challenging them. They may take me as crazy, but I am not crazy. I am right.

Page Title:My challenge (Prabhupada)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:08 of Jun, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=34, Con=70, Let=3
No. of Quotes:108