Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Now, in Christian world also, that the water of the Jordan River is sacred is considered. Similarly, Hindus also, when they go to some pilgrimage, they take bath on the sacred river. But one should know that going to the sacred place does not mean simply to take bath in that water. Real meaning of going to a sacred place—to find out some intelligent scholar in spiritual knowledge. They are living there. To make association with them, to take knowledge from them—that is the purpose of going to pilgrimage. Because in pilgrimage, holy places... Just like I, my residence is at Vṛndāvana. So at Vṛndāvana there are many great scholars and saintly persons living. So one should go to such holy places not simply to take bath in the water, but he must be intelligent enough to find out some spiritually advanced man living there and take instruction from him and (be) benefited by that. But he does not go. He takes simply bath and purchases some goods and advertises, "Oh, I have been to such and such pilgrimage." Well... yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13) and yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu: "He has the attachment for pilgrimage, for taking bath only, but he has no attraction for the learned people there." You see?
My home (Lectures and Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"My personal room"
|"My sleeping room"
|"my Deity room"
|"my Los Angeles room"
|"my Vrindaban house"
|"my altar room"
|"my closet room"
|"my downstairs quarters into 3 rooms"
|"my home"
|"my house"
|"my quarter"
|"my quarters"
|"my real home"
|"my residence"
|"my room"
|"my rooms"
|"my sitting room"
|"my spiritual home"
|"my two rooms"
|"my working room"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Especially in Vṛndāvana there are, where I have my headquarters, there are five thousand temples. Out of that, about seven or eight temples are very prominent and they're very old. And one of the temples is my residence, Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. Now, in, in all these temples the Deity, They are so nicely decorated. Twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours, engagement is, there is. In the early in the morning, early, there will be maṅgala-ārātrika, at four o'clock. The Lord... It is understood that Lord gets, gets up from His sleeping. So the first there is offering of worship which is called maṅgala-ārātrika. Now, then there is bhoga-ārātrika. Then there is dress, dressing of the Lord, decorating the Lord. Then offering foodstuff. Then... And so on, so on. There are so many programs that all the devotees, they are engaged fully.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving information to the people in general how to make life successful. What is that successful life? To go back to home, back to Godhead. This is not our home. This material world, this is foreign country. We are... Just like I am travelling all over the world. My home is in India, but I am going to so many countries, Europe, America, Canada, Australia, Africa... But my home is in India. This is a crude example. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says. "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel."
Kṛṣṇa is not alone. He is always existing with His different incarnations, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma—so many. So either you worship Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma, anyone you can worship. We don't say that don't worship Rāma. We never say, because Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the same. We shall... In future we have got a hope we shall start an Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa mūrti, yes, in some temple. That is our worshipable Deity. We have got in my room Lord Rāmacandra's mūrti, Sītā-Rāma. So it is not that we are neglecting worship of Rāmacandra.
Nitya-yukta means continuously in trance. He's the highest yogi, continuously thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For him, ananya-cetāḥ... He does not divert his attention to this sort of process or that sort of yoga system or the jñāna system or dhyāna system. No. Ananya-cetāḥ. Simply the only one system, Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ. Ananya-cetāḥ, "without any deviation." He's not disturbed by anything. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ satatam. Satatam means anywhere and any time. Just like my residence is at Vṛndāvana. That is the place of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa advented Himself, He was there. So now I am in America, in your country, but that does not mean that out of Vṛndāvana. Because if I think of Kṛṣṇa always, so it is as good I am in India. In Vṛndāvana, I am as good as in New York, in this apartment. The consciousness is there. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you already live with Kṛṣṇa in that spiritual planet. Simply you have to wait for giving up this body.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
One gentleman was talking with me in my room how there can be perfect peace of mind. That we discussed yesterday. Yayā ātmā suprasīdati. Prasīdati means satisfied, fully satisfied. And suprasīdati. Farther, specifically prasīdati. How?
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
This is the process, to develop our love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So we do not know. We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be done or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me. So as soon as there is question of love, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love. Prema. Premā pum-artho mahān. So we have got this loving propensity, to love somebody, to love my family.
But svābhāvikī, as if coming automatically, automatically. A creeper is coming, is trying to find out a shelter. As soon as it finds out shelter, immediately captures. We have seen in our Los Angeles. Behind my house, the electric post and the wire, the creeper is taking shelter and giving flower and fruits and everything. Svābhāvikī. Now, you can say it has no eyes. How it is seeing, how it is coming here and is, what is called, squirreling? No. The energy's so perfect that svābhāvikī, it is working like nature. Automatically. Svābhāvikī. There is knowledge. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā. Everything is done by knowledge, by power, and by action.
Because as soon as I deposited forty dollars... Forty dollars? The next day the telephone was in my room. So I was very glad. But after getting my telephone, I was disturbed always. (laughter) Some of my students asking, phoning me, (telephone sound) cling, cling, and "Swamiji, how you are feeling?" At twelve o'clock at night. (laughter). Yes. So I asked him, it is the time to inquire? I am very sorry. Not only one, I become so much disturbed. Then I asked them, get out this telephone. Yes.
So this is the description of Kṛṣṇa's becoming Dāmodara. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Dāmodara. The Dāmodara Temple, Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple, is there in Vṛndāvana, and I was staying there. Still I have my two rooms. So this Dāmodara description... The Dāmodara month is coming, and it will begin on the 18th of this October. So from that day, we'll observe Dāmodara-vrata for one month. From 18th to 17th November. The duty will be that in the evening you'll offer candle, a small candle, all of you, just before the Deity, not within the room, outside the room, and chant the Dāmodarāṣṭaka, namāmīśvaram.
This is sneha. Everyone is thinking. Even the lower animals, they are also thinking of giving protection to the children. I have got personal experience in Kanpur, I was sitting in my room, and one monkey was outside the door with his (her) kitty to take something out of my eating. But by chance the small kitty entered through the bars of the window within the room, and I saw the mother became almost mad immediately: "Oh, my son has gone inside, and it will not be allowed to come again."
You'll find many old men, almost going to die, but still, there is family attachment. It is very difficult to get out of family attachment. Although the other members, his wife, his son, disgusted with the old man, and all of them want that "This old man may die very soon. He is simply bothering us," but the old man tries to live: "Oh, let me live for some time. Don't drive me away." I understand that in Russia they intentionally try to kill these old men (laughter). And in Africa, I have heard, there are still cannibals. They make a feast by killing the grandfather. (laughter) So old man is always neglected in the society, and therefore I have come out of my home. I have taken your shelter. You see? (laughter) It is actually a fact. You see? So in this way we are wasting our time. Śaṅkarācārya, he was walking on the street and he was lamenting because he has got the eyes to see.
Festival Lectures
I wanted to remain as a gṛhastha and preach, but Guru Mahārāja did not like this idea. I could understand. Sometime I was dreaming that he was calling me, and I was horrified that "I'll have to go away from home." (laughter) So at last it happened so that I left my home in 1950 and became a vānaprastha. I was living sometimes here and there. In 1959 I took sannyāsa. But that Back to Godhead was going on. Then there was some inner dictation that "This paper, Back to Godhead, I am publishing, people are taking." Some friend advised me that "Why don't you write some books? That will be nice." So then I began to translate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Initiation Lectures
So I was dreaming sometimes that my Guru Mahārāja is calling me and I am leaving my home and going behind him. I was dreaming like that, and I was thinking, "Oh, I have to give up my home? My Guru Mahārāja wants me to give up my home life and take sannyāsa?" So I was thinking, "It is horrible. How can I leave my home?" This is called māyā. Of course, it's a long story, but incidentally I am speaking to you because you are my dear children. So I was thinking that "How can I take sannyāsa and leave my home, my children?" So that was a horrible thought for me, I tell you. I was thinking seriously, "Oh, I will have to take this course. Guru Mahārāja wants me." But actually I did not like to give up my home life. But Guru Mahārāja made me obliged to give up my home life. So now, by his order, or by his plan, I gave up my home life, I gave up a few children, but Guru Mahārāja is so kind that has given me so many nice children.
So by serving Kṛṣṇa, nobody becomes loser. This is my practical ex..., I mean, practical experience, nobody. So I am citing this example of my personal experience because... Just try to understand that before leaving my home was thinking that "I may be in great trouble." Especially when I left my home for your country in 1965 alone, the government would not allow me to take any money.
Wedding Ceremonies
In the early age the father is to take care, in the younger age the husband, a good husband has to take care, and when she is old, the elderly son, he has to take care. But a woman is never allowed to remain independent. That is Vedic principle of life. Actually, the woman is the weaker sex. They require protection by good father, good husband, and good child also. In my case also... There are many cases. I've left my home. I have got my wife, my elderly children, my grandchildren. So they are taking care of my wife. She has no concern.
General Lectures
So that I had to come to your country with only seven dollars. So they are criticizing, "The swami came here with no money. Now he's so opulent." (chuckles) So they are taking the back side, black side, you see? But the thing is... Of course, I have become profited, profitable, or I have acquired profit. I left my home, my children and everything. I came here as a pauper, with seven dollars. That is no money. But I have got now big properties, hundreds of children. (laughter) And I haven't got to think for their provision. They are thinking of me. So that is Kṛṣṇa's favor. In the beginning, it appears to be very bitter.
They do not mind it. Just like animals. Animals, they are always in suffering, but they do not mind it. Recently I was in Hawaii. So in front of my house there was a man who was keeping some animals and birds for slaughtering. Not there, but he was dragging for selling the animals and birds for slaughtering. Now, I was giving example to my students. Now, these animals are standing here, and tell them, "Oh, my dear animals, why you are standing here? You go away. You are meant for being slaughtered." But he has no intelligence.
Prabhupāda: Therefore you take it truth because we accept the truth from Kṛṣṇa.
Indian man (1): You have accepted it. Have you ever found out?
Prabhupāda: What is that "found out"?
Indian man (1): That being Kṛṣṇa conscious, you're the most happiest person?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man (1): You are?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter) Don't you see practical happiness? I left my home, sannyāsī. I have got my wife. I have got my children... (end)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: I was born and educated in Calcutta. Calcutta is my home place. I was born in 1896, and I was my father's pet child, so my education began a little late, and still, I was educated in higher secondary, high school for eight years. In primary school four years, higher secondary school, eight years, in college, four years. Then I joined Gandhi's movement, national movement.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So 1928 there was a Kumbha-melā, I think. And during that Kumbha-melā, Tīrtha Mahārāja with a party came to my shop, Prayāg pharmacy, all of a sudden, and I thought, "Oh, these are the people I saw, Gauḍīya Maṭha. Yes." So, I was so glad. So Tīrtha Mahārāja asked me that "We are come new here. We are going to establish a temple in Allahabad. We have heard your name, so we have come to you. Please help us." "Yes, I will help you." So in this way I contributed, my attending physician contributed, and some other friends. In this way we became friends, and Tīrtha Mahārāja, old Tīrtha Mahārāja had first meeting in my house at Allahabad, with I think the Sarvesva (?) brahmacārī and Dhīra Kṛṣṇa brahmacārī...
Prabhupāda: Then immediately after the meeting, he came down on his feet. "I misunderstood you sir, that you are the Ramakrishna Mission sādhu. I am so glad to meet you. So that is the beginning of my intimate relationship with Gauḍīya Maṭha. And they are coming, and whenever somebody would come, I would invite them to lecture in my house. In that way Śrīdhara Mahārāja, at that time Ravendra-sundara (?) Bhaṭṭācārya, he was also invited at my house, and before (indistinct)... No, I think I invited Bhāratī Mahārāja, and you were with Bhāratī Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) ...in my house, some may say, a few years, so naturally we had very intimate talks and he was my good adviser. I took his advice, his instruction very seriously, because from the very beginning I know he's a pure Vaiṣṇava and devotee, and I wanted to associate with him, and try to help him also in so many ways. He also tried to help me, so our relationship is very intimate.
Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944. I think you were at that time at my house. Yes. So, somehow or other, this intention for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu increased and the other side decreased. Viraktir anyatra syāt. But I was not disinclined, but Kṛṣṇa forced me that you must give up. (chuckles) And these thing is known better to Śrīdhara Mahārāja, how it decreased, decreased, decreased, then almost it become nil, and then I left home in 1950. Whatever was there, "All right, you do whatever you like." In 1954, four years I remained as vānaprastha, (indistinct) four years, from 1950 to 1959.
Prabhupāda: My wife was taking tea. So I asked her not to take tea, not to take tea. But she didn't care husband. Then I gave her final, that "Either you have to give up your tea or your husband." (laughter) So she agreed to give up husband, not tea. (laughter) So I left my home. That's all. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Now, in each of our centers we have got minimum fifty heads, maximum two hundred, 250. In Los Angeles, you see... Just we have got recent photograph. Bring the photograph from my room. You can bring. So we are giving them place, we are giving them food, we are giving them education.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The small cubs, they're loitering on the, on the body of the lion, and he is feeling very nice. Even monkeys, I have seen. One monkey came in window, and she had one small child, and somehow or other the child came inside my room. She, that outside monkey, became mad after it. So I had to take... (laughs) The affection is there. The ant, they're affectionate, the snake affectionate, tiger affectionate, man is affectionate.
Prabhupāda: ...no woman can... (break) So I took it very a cheap price. There was no question of woman. I kept my office there. And the address was Multani temple. It is a temple. Multani temple, Grant Road. And in my retired life my office was there, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple and Delhi, Chippiwada. And my residence was Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. And before that, that Keśī Ghāṭa. Who has seen that? You have...?
Devotee: Oh yes.
Prabhupāda: That was also temple. Yes.
Indian devotee: Kṛṣṇa has arranged.
Indian devotee: Very nice side, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: I lived in that house for seven years. And then I came to Rādhā-Dāmodara temple.
Prabhupāda: Just like I have got hundred branches. Each branch I have got a set of my sitting room, of my books and everything. And wherever I go I see the same place. If it is possible for an ordinary man to have a hundred sets of the same thing, why not for Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: So these rascals, both ways they will not follow anything. And still, they will credit... Not only Christians, everywhere these people want to banish God. Simply we are canvassing "God, God, God." Otherwise nobody cares. Say about 1945, so in front of my house there was an old man. So as neighbor, we had very good talks always. So as soon as I say, "Bhagavān," he will be angry. "God." So one day he said, "Why you always say Bhagavān, God?" Just see, an old man and still he is such a rascal. He did not like. That is called demonism.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: If it is available, we shall eat; otherwise we shall starve. This is our position. Still, I don't seek any employment, "Give us some service to maintain our..." No, we don't do that. We never do that. When I was alone, I was not doing that. I was living alone. I had no income, no friend, no shelter. Since I left my home, since 1954, I never cared for anyone maintaining me. And there was no resource, fixed income, nothing of the sort. I depended on Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, in the whole society we are feeding daily ten thousand men.
Prabhupāda: Identification. So that identification is there in the animal life also. The animal, dog, also tries to protect his cub. So that sense is not sufficient to be human being. That sense is visible amongst the lower animals. In Kanpur I was sitting within the room, and one monkey came outside the window, and she had her child. So somehow or other, playing, that child entered into my room through the railings, and the mother remained outside. The mother became mad how to get the child. Then I pushed the child out of the room and she immediately embraced, and... The affection is there.
Jagadīśa: Why are you here, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He asked why are you here?
Prabhupāda: Why?
Jagadīśa: Why are you here? (laughter)
Prabhupāda: This is my home. (laughter) I have got so many children, grandchildren. So I have come to see them. (break)
Prabhupāda: Some time back when I was a young boy, I went to see a football match in Calcutta. So after finishing, I came walking through the Bentink Street. So I saw one time in the beginning, and I came to my house, some watch, and clock is giving the same time. (pause) We are giving very simple formula: just become Kṛṣṇa conscious and all problems will be solved. All problems.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: I therefore planned four buildings like that. You know. And that was my plan, four buildings like that besides temple and my house. That was the original plan.
Prabhupāda: And that is the inspiration of my devotional life. Then I asked my father that "Give me Rādhā-Govinda Deity; I shall worship." So my father was also Vaiṣṇava. He gave me small Rādhā-Govinda Deity. I was worshiping in my house. Whatever I was eating, I was offering, and I was following the ceremonies of this Rādhā-Govinda with my small Deity. That Deity is still existing. I have given to my sister. So then I introduced Ratha-yātrā.
Prabhupāda: The soul, being put into that body, immediately remembers all the activities of the body. Just like in Los Angeles. When I am in tour in other places I forget about Los Angeles, but as soon as I come here, I know where is my bedroom, where is my sitting room, where is my garden, immediately. I haven't got to be taught that "Here is your sitting room, here is your sleeping room." Immediately, I remember. Similarly, this living entity is transmigrating from time immemorial in different types of body. So as soon as he comes to a particular type of body he remembers the activities immediately. They are interpreting as intuition—that is not intuition. It is old remembrance. This is the explanation.
Prabhupāda: That is his blessing. He wanted; I tried. That's all. Whatever is being done, it is by his desire. Vaiṣṇava sata saṅkalpa.(?) Whatever he desires, that is to be fulfilled. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Therefore, full faith in guru, that is the prime factor of success. Not any other things, no qualifications, no education, only strong faith in guru. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the secret. So whatever little success is there, that was only this qualification, that I wanted to serve him. That's all. Otherwise, there was no business of coming here at the age of seventy years.
Hṛdayānanda: No one could imagine that.
Prabhupāda: You have seen all my room in the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple?
Rādhā-vallabha: We looked through the cracks. They're usually not open. Very inspiring.
Prabhupāda: My home is back to home, back to Godhead.
Interviewer: Is where?
Hari-śauri: Back to Godhead.
Bali-mardana: With God.
Prabhupāda: That is my real home. That means every temple is my home.
Interviewer: Did you work out the spiritual disciplines for the group yourself? I mean about the morning chanting and the recital of the two thousand Hare Kṛṣṇas a day and... Did you work those out yourself?
Prabhupāda: Still I am working.
Prabhupāda: Vichy water. But I don't like. Bottled water I don't like.
Bhagavān: No, we have fresh water all the time. And you have hot water in bathroom.
Jayatīrtha: I knew Bhagavān would come, and this would happen.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Jayatīrtha: I never thought that you would go to India. I knew that Bhagavān would come and you would go to Paris. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: No, if I improve my health, I shall stay there for some time.
Jayatīrtha: Actually, it's a fact that you...
Prabhupāda: Everywhere is my home. Not that India.... If I am attached to India, then how I am sannyāsī? (laughter)
Prabhupāda: When I first came in Vṛndāvana I stayed in the Keśī-ghāṭa. That is very palatial building. My room was as big as this. Yes, as big. Plus one side room, plus one entrance room. I was paying fifteen rupees. And I could see whole Vṛndāvana, Yamunā, from the top my house. It is very nice, very palatial.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is different. That was...
Gurukṛpa: They're in Calcutta.
Prabhupāda: In my Los Angeles room there is Deity room?
Hari-śauri: Gaura-Nitāi.
Prabhupāda: No. There is siṁhāsana, now there is a picture, London Deity. Formerly the small Deity was there.
Hari-śauri: In Los Angeles.
Prabhupāda: My personal room.
Prabhupāda: What about my house?
Bhavānanda: That money has just been received, and the plans have arrived from Delhi, but we are wanting an architect in Calcutta, competent architect to... Because we don't want to have anything go wrong in the middle. Ram Nrisinghatar(?) was saying that Mistri is interested in doing Prabhupāda's house. The house and gorgeous garden we have, with fountains and terraces and walkways, all around, before and behind the house, on either side, all enclosed and private.
Prabhupāda: That is dangerous portion of New York City. Just after my house they were regularly drinking and... Negroes. I didn't care. Never they did any harm to me. Bowery Street. And still, I was there.
Prabhupāda: When I entered the toilet bathroom I was surprised. (laughs)
Vrindavan De: In USA or Detroit?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Detroit, Michigan, USA. Prabhupāda's bathroom is nearly the size of this room, and it's all gold-covered on the ceiling, and the sink is a piece of marble this thick.
Prabhupāda: In London my sitting room is bigger than this, double. My sleeping room is like this. And my toilet room is half this. This is my quarters.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have so many places that you cannot visit them all in a year.
Prabhupāda: In everywhere. I have got now 120 places, palaces.
Prabhupāda: There is ample space.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think change is good also sometimes. So we should make that program?
Prabhupāda: I think so.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, traveling with you is a great pleasure for us, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's always very exciting to travel with you.
Prabhupāda: And in Māyāpura, if you keep me in my quarters, and take little care, that's all. Take little care, that's all.
| Page Title: | My home (Lectures and Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Matea, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 13 of Jan, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=18, Con=27, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 45 |