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Notice (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Hayagrīva: And Advaita is introduced there and he's very joyful on this occasion because he had requested that this incarnation...

Prabhupāda: Yes. He prayed. He prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "You come."

Hayagrīva: He's aware at this time that this is the occurrence of Lord Caitanya's incarnation.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. So this scene should be entered like that.

Hayagrīva: Now I noticed in the list of characters we have up here, Rādhārāṇī. She doesn't appear at this point.

Prabhupāda: No. Rādhārāṇī will be in the rāsa dance?

Hayagrīva: Oh. In the rāsa dance.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: You have seen many ghāṭas, bathing places.

Hayagrīva: Oh yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, there are ghāṭas in Benares, Prayag, and all, I mean to say, Vṛndāvana. That is the specific significance of Indian places of pilgrimage.

Hayagrīva: Yes. They bathe there every day I noticed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So similarly, there is a ghāṭa which is called Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭa at Prayag. He instructed about the science of devotional service to Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Hayagrīva: Now how old is Rūpa Goswami? Is he an old man?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was old enough. He was not less than fifty years at that time.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: I notice that most of your followers, at least in this temple, are young, like in the college age or in the teenage. Is it because Kṛṣṇa doesn't attract the older generation, I mean, yourself excluded?

Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone. Just like magnetic stone attracts iron. But the iron is covered with too much muddy things—the magnetic force does not work. This younger generation, they are not too much dirty; therefore they are very easily attracted. You see? It is like a magnetic force. The same example, that magnetic force attracts iron. That is natural. But if the iron is too much rusty and covered with muddy things, then it does not act. So older generation means they are convinced in some way. They cannot accept any new thing. You see? They are in the last stage of life.

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: I was talking to one the other day, and he said his name was Tamul.

Prabhupāda: Tamāla, yes. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Tamāla? And he was from Manhattan. Now, I assume when you join, do you assume a name? Do you change your name?

Prabhupāda: Yes, when one is initiated, I give him a name which means remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Is it necessary to know of the Indian language when you join? Because I noticed that when your...

Prabhupāda: This is not Indian name. This is Sanskrit name.

Interviewer: It's what?

Prabhupāda: Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a language which is mother of all languages. Sanskrit, S-a-n-s-k-r-i-t, Sanskrit language. So this is the original language of this..., not only of this planet. In other planets also, this language is spoken. So the names are in Sanskrit. They do not belong to any community or any section. It is universal. We have no information. Just like this word, Kṛṣṇa. It is universally known: "all-attractive." The exact English translation is "all-attractive." So there cannot be any proper nomenclature for God than this "all-attractive." Unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? This is the perfect nomenclature.

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Interviewer: But I notice you have many, you seem to have a lot of young men who are part of your organization. These young men must face the material problems of today like the draft and Vietnam and everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: Isn't it difficult to belong to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and exist in this world we must exist in?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the thing is that persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere, even they are put into a very uncomfortable position, they are not suffering in the same way as ordinary man.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation -- March 28, 1969, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Govinda dāsī: I was going to turn it on without you knowing it, but you noticed.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Govinda dāsī: I was going to turn it on so I could tape what you were saying without you noticing, but you noticed.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Oh. Now you can stop.

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I noticed that someone in the temple was reading a book, The Divine Name.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And it talks about this. Should I look at that book or not at all?

Prabhupāda: Which book?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's called The Divine Name. It is by one of your Godbrothers.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it all right to read it?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. There are some discrepancies, but it is, on the whole, it is nice. Yes. There is... Haridāsa Ṭhākura's niryāna is stated there? Yes. Rāghava Caitanya. Yes, he was my Godbrother. You have secured that book?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Upendra dāsa has it.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Haṁsadūta: "Life member can send any member of his family for being trained up as a qualified brāhmaṇa who can preach Bhagavad-gītā as it is all over the world." You're going to put this in the newspaper?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Oh, that will be nice. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yamunā: Oh, that's a wonderful notice, Prabhupāda. It's so wonderful.

Prabhupāda: We have to preach all over the world. We require so many men, so many boys, girls, men we want.

Haṁsadūta: I should send this to the GBC members...

Haṁsadūta: ...in the West, and they should put ads in the paper.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let us have application.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Śyāmasundara: And the Russians and the Chinese, they are training to take over. They are marching, practicing war.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Śyāmasundara: In Russia we noticed every day they're practicing for war, young people, marching.

Prabhupāda: Mechanical.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. In China too, marching, ready to take over.

Kulaśekhara: When we were in New York, one boy...

Prabhupāda: No, there will be fight. That is the prediction of great politician. There will be war between these Communist and anti-Communist. There are two parties now. The anti-Communist will be defeated. The Communists will come out victorious.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: Then they are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Somehow or other, this is the goal. In fighting also there is Kṛṣṇa. Somebody may become a demon, Kṛṣṇa is fighting, carrying Him away. These are described in the Kṛṣṇa book.

Devotee (5): I noticed that, that everything is in there, even blind man's bluff, and hide and seek. These things originated in the spiritual world.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (5): That everything is in the Kṛṣṇa book to engage the children.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That is nothing. That period of time is relative. As human beings, we live for some time-say for a hundred years—but there are demigods who can live for millions of years. And an ant will live for only a few hours. So this is relative. But time is eternal, and what is happening in so-called human history has no consideration from the viewpoint of eternal time. That is all relative. If there is some catastrophe in ant society, the ants may be very much concerned, but human society does not take any notice of it. Similarly, if a catastrophe occurs in human society, the demigods, who are higher than us, do not consider it. Some birds or cats or dogs may be fighting, and for them it may be a catastrophe, but for us it is nothing. This is the relative world, and we should know that what has happened in this world is not worthy of consideration in terms of universal affairs.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That property is very valuable property, Bharatpur place. So they are thinking of giving it over to us because it is not being managed. (indistinct) position is here. So up to now we are strong. But if our, what is called, cooperation becomes slack, then our temple also the same thing will be. That, the (indistinct) that I am staying here for the last ten or twelve years and paying, but the property belongs to the Deity. And there are (indistinct) sevaites. Sometimes somebody starts noting that you neglect sometimes somebody takes money in advance. So what is my position? (indistinct) the rentor may decide what is my position. Actually, in terms of the rentor, I am tenant for these two rooms, and that also. (indistinct) Of course, I have got many (indistinct). But it is sentiment. We (indistinct) these things. This is criminal arrangement(?). Suppose when you the management of all these, how we shall manage?

Gurudāsa: Not only how, but who.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now if they do not offer, obey the orders of the sannyāsī, then naturally... But that thing should be brought to the notice of higher or some official, president. Then steps should be taken, that if you cannot follow the rules and regulations, then you must leave. It is plain thing. There is no question of fighting. First thing is that a sannyāsī, leader, they should behave themselves according to the rules and regulations. And then ask others to follow. The others who do not follow, once, twice excused, three times please... Like that.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I've noticed that there is a misunderstanding in the definition of living and the non-living among the scientific communities.

Prabhupāda: What is their definition?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are saying that living beings can reproduce and can grow and can make...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that we say. That we also say.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But there are also non-living matters like crystals. They can grow. We can divide them, and it will reproduce like...

Prabhupāda: No, without living entity within, nothing can grow.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Just like one man is working somewhere. Now, notice is given that "From such and such date, your work will not be required." Then you become anxious to know: "Then what shall I do next." I have to work. So similarly, if a person understands that he's going to change this body... Just like I'm an old man. I'll have to change in, say, immediately, or say five years, ten years. But the notice is already there because I am old man. So it is my duty to think: "Then what body I'm going to take next?" That is intelligence. And we have to prepare for that. So that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). You can prepare yourself to go the higher planetary system, where demigods live. Pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. You can go to the Pitṛloka. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā. If you want to remain within this planetary system,... yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām. "And anyone who is engaged in devotional service, he comes to Me," Kṛṣṇa says. So why not go back to Kṛṣṇa? Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "If one comes to My place, he never comes back again in the material world." That is intelligence.

Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Mother: Yes. It seems to worry you, this sex life. I mean, we, we don't take...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I'm not worried.

Mother: ...any notice if... It fits into its place.

Prabhupāda: This is also necessary. This is also necessary.

Mother: It fits into the place in my life or our life.

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is also necessary.

Mother: Yes. It doesn't worry us at all.

Prabhupāda: But these four type of branches of education is not sufficient for human being. A human being, above all this education, must have the knowledge how to love God. And that is perfection of life.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: So our, our point is that you may express your own op... Everyone has got right to... Especially Mahatma Gandhi, he was actually a great personality. There is no doubt about it. But so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, he did not know anything. But from his behavior, it was seen that at heart he was a devotee. Yes. At heart he was a devotee. Yes. Because he was chanting...

Ambassador: Yes, of course, he, of course, shares with you this belief in chants. That we noticed, yes, very much in...

Prabhupāda: That raghupati rāghava rājā rāma.

Ambassador: Vaiṣṇavism.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Our catholic Kṛṣṇa consciousness—Kṛṣṇa says sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "Any form of life, that is, I am the seed-giving father."

Dr. Patel: That's right, sir.

Prabhupāda: And how lovingly they come to take little prasādam. I was thinking that...

Dr. Patel: I was noticing, myself, the same thing...

Prabhupāda: How lovingly they offer me obeisances, touch my feet, and a little fruit or little, whatever I give, they are satisfied. So they are so friendly because they are innocent. They do not know what is this Hindu, Christian. So we must take care of them.

Guest (1): Some of those childrens are Christians.

Prabhupāda: Never mind Christian, Hindu, Muslim. A Christian or a..., if we offer them nice food and nice dress, nobody will deny.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You have not digested your food. (break) Any carpenter working in... (break) The government was pleased to reply that they're maintaining themselves by selling literature. Similarly, if it comes to the notice of the government that they're maintaining ourselves by production of food, they'll like very much. (break) In your temple.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Then do it. Do it. Set example perfectly. This is nice park. Yes. You can have your park locally. Where is the difficulty? Garden. Fruits, flowers, garden. There is park. Also you can have a pond like this. People are doing that locally. In Bengal especially. Whole Bengal was a garden. It was so nice. Whole Bengal was a garden.

Dhanañjaya: I noticed this when I took the train from Calcutta to Krishnanagar. Once you get further out, it's so nice, the villages. There is the pond there.

Prabhupāda: And... Why Calcutta? You go to the airport. You will find so nice gardens, still existing. Now it is spoiled also. Because people have changed locally to the city. Nobody has to take care now. Otherwise, in Bengal especially, throughout the whole India, Bengal was so beautiful. The Europeans became attracted by the beauty of Bengal. Therefore they made Calcutta their capital, the Britishers. Yes. Every European liked Bengal.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Japanese also. And Hindi.

Devotee: Italian, French. Hindi also we have. Bengali, Gujarati.

Prof. Pater Porsch: But I also noticed on the faces of the devotees downstairs that many or several faces were, we would say in the West, sublimated, that the facial features showed that a certain form of sublimation had taken place. (German)

Prabhupāda: Even children are learning how to dance, how to offer obeisances, how to chant, how to clap. They are also learning, small children.

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

Dr. Muncing: With respect, sir, I notice you wear a watch. This must be obviously a product of science, and this is what it's about. But you are stressing time and again in your writings the need to concentrate on the laws that you set out in order to achieve some standing in the future, in the life hereafter. Isn't this at the risk of neglecting the people who are sharing this life with us here and now?

Prabhupāda: No, it is not the question of neglecting. Just like formerly there was no watch, but still they used to keep time by the movement of the sun on a dial, just making some marks on the stone. Do you know this?

Guests: Yes, yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So their work was going on. Their work was not suffering for want of this watch.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): Why should the knowledge be so limited?

Prabhupāda: No, it is not limited; it is unlimited. But to come to the unlimited, you have to cut down your limited knowledge.

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said he noticed that there are only men here. Does that mean that women cannot become transcendental?

Prabhupāda: Why not? There are so many women. Knowledge is not restricted to men. It is open for everyone. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
(BG 9.32)

(break) Everyone is open. Just like university. University is not restricted to a certain class. It is open for everyone. Everyone can go, take the knowledge. And similarly, prison house is open for everyone. (laughter) Now you make your choice whether you go to university or prison house.

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Hṛdayānanda: He wants to know who give us our mantra, if the spiritual master gives us our mantra.

Prabhupāda: Yes, spiritual master.

Professor: Hay una ceremonia?

Prabhupāda: No, you can chant without ceremony. There is no loss. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the effect.

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said he has seen us in New York and London, and one thing he has noticed that wherever he sees us, our faces are very satisfied, content.

Prabhupāda: You are intelligent. (laughter)

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): That even though it's outside, it shows that there's something special inside.

Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Where is Gargamuni?

Srutakirti: He's outside.

Prabhupāda: Call him, call him. (Bengali) So? Nobody came?

Gargamuni: No, we sent three notices. But five of them are coming to Māyāpur. They called up.

Prabhupāda: All right. (Bengali) You have got any written statement of our mission?

Guest: Mission activities?

Gargamuni: I gave him a Back to Godhead and the BBT about your books.

Prabhupāda: So you have already supplied.

Interview with a German Girl and Assorted Devotees -- March 30, 1975, Mayapur:

Haṁsadūta: She says she has noticed here that if a new person comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can understand what he can actually do. For example, she was very impressed by the dance troupe last night, and on the night before, the devotees. She's realized that they are dancing. She did not realize before that one can do just about anything for Kṛṣṇa. And she says this place immediately gives that impression, that anyone, in any station, he can be engaged.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are very intelligent.

Girl: Oh. (Laughs)

Prabhupāda: We can engage anyone to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It does not depend on particular education, status of life. It doesn't matter. Ahaitukī. The exact Sanskrit word is ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaitukī means without any cause and without being checked. If anyone wants to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no impediment in the whole world which can check him.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not they. They understand, the people understand. But this, this rascal government. That I have studied. Russian people are not bad. They're as good as others. But this is... Just like in India, still the mass of people, they're very good. And too mu... Yesterday we saw, all rascals, all these politicians canvassing, all big, big fat rascals.

Devotee: We were noting that when they were giving their lectures at that opening of the train station they seemed very demonic.

Prabhupāda: All demonic.

Brahmānanda: Their faces were very shifty.

Devotee: So much anxiety and so much political dealings.

Prabhupāda: All demon.

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1975, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was noticing that yesterday on the parade, everyone was offering respects.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Vṛndāvana after all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think that is a benefit spiritually.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To offer you respects.

Bhagavān: In Bombay, even those poor fisherwomen...

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are offering respects. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we have to create divine because the world is full of devils.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: That's all. Uneducated, half-educated, poor, poverty-stricken. They could not do anything. Some of our Godbrothers I have beat them. (Like Tīrtha) (indistinct). In his previous life he had a big, big business organization. So therefore he has been able to organize. They will admit. They are coming from some third-class status of life. This is not tripe, this is fact.

Paramahaṁsa: Actually, I noticed that myself so many times in the way you handle money and the managerial affairs, very expert.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale, svayaṁ rūpa gosvāmī. Who established the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was minister. He was not a cultivator, plow department.

Paramahaṁsa: It's very difficult in Kali-yuga to get the advanced materialists such as ministers and big businessmen...

Prabhupāda: You can convert. It is not difficulty. How the Rūpa Gosvāmī was converted? Because the expert man... That person was Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So if you become expert, you can convert. How this governor was coming, how these politicians were coming?

Discussion -- May 15, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: In the modern society there is no idea of first-class man, what is first-class man. They take it, a minister is first-class man. A first-class man is by these qualities: śamo damas titikṣā. It is not by the fat salary. By the first-class qualities.

Amogha: Some people, like this man, they notice that qualities are degrading and natural resources are degrading, so many problems are coming. But they don't know what to do. They're simply reporting that "There we go down."

Prabhupāda: They cannot counteract. The counteraction is here in our society. They should accept it. Then it will be all right. So become first-class man. Everyone will hear you. And you can face any so-called first-class man and talk with him straightforward that "You are fourth class." (laughter)

Conversation in car -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: And therefore let us try. And success, no success, depend on Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (1): Already I have noticed a difference with the new temple which has opened in Melbourne, with the group of adults that are coming around to become interested now because we have a permanent place here.

Prabhupāda: On the whole, we have got very nice house. (Prabhupāda gets out of car and is greeted by devotees) Thank you.

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah, it's very... And the devotees love it. Every day, Prabhupāda, we...

Prabhupāda: No, every temple give them example, invite them in your prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's what I'm going to do today.

Harikeśa: I noticed the devotees would wait for prasādam with great...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is nice. It requires good leader, that's all. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa we must prepare very first-class foodstuff, and where is the complaint if it is first class?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's all a concoction. Certain devotees have concocted. They have taken advice from other masters, food masters, what to eat, what not to eat, all concoction. It's clearly written in Bhagavad-gītā, those foods which are sattvic-juicy, fatty. Everything is mentioned there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Guide them. (break) ...here the main business is slaughterhouse.

Room Conversation with the Mayor of Evanston -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: That is the idea. We are not going to stop for anything. We are going on with our movement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. So the point is we need a larger scale...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: And we need help from the government.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, right.

Prabhupāda: And if there is good result, then government will... Just like they have thought Maharishi's movement is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they are supporting, the government is supporting that movement.

Prabhupāda: We are not being supported, why? We have not come to the notice of the government.

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: This is the difficulty.

Mrs. Wax: I've noticed that there are different dates given to when the Vedas began, the beginnings of the Vedas. Some historians and authorities say one thing and I've seen many different figures. What is the accurate time they were spoken.

Prabhupāda: If you can find out what is the accurate time of this cosmic creation, then you will find the date of Vedas. Can you find out when it was created? Have you got any statistics?

Mrs. Wax: No, none. I was hoping you did. (laughs)

Mr. Wax: How old is the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant.

Prabhupāda: As old as this creation.

Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi:

Devotee (6): Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was noticing your Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams the other day and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So I would like to take my time this time and offer my obeisances for such perfected, exalted work from such an exalted personality. All glories to you.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) Thank you very much.

Devotee (6): I haven't seen anything so beautiful, so transcendental.

Prabhupāda: Try to understand. Make your life successful.

Devotee (6): I will with your mercy, with your grace. I need help.

Prabhupāda: That is my endeavor. I am trying to put things how people will understand and they become perfect. That is my endeavor, humble endeavor. That's all.

Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi:

Devotee (8): Prabhupāda? Some of the people I've met... Like in the later volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, some of the information is so much against what the living entities are experiencing and being educated in, that I've noticed that some people have turned away from Kṛṣṇa who already had some attraction when they hear these different topics, like the situation of the universe.

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that?

Brahmānanda: That because in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the knowledge there contradicts the mundane scientific knowledge, people who had some faith in Kṛṣṇa become discouraged and turn away from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Let him go away. Don't care for him. Let all the fools go away. There is Bengali proverb, "Instead of maintaining some bad cows, let the cowshed be vacant." We shall prefer the cowshed vacant, no cow, than keeping all bad cows who does not give any milk, create disturbance.

Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: They... Whatever they say, you forget that. You do your own duty. You follow the rules and regulation and do the needful. Why you...?

Indian man (4): But we have to make them understand very clearly.

Prabhupāda: But they will never understand. You don't waste your time. Go on with your duty. When they will see that you are actually acting as brāhmaṇa, they will appreciate.

Indian woman: Time will come. They will notice.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they will appreciate. But if you don't follow strictly, then it is useless to criticize them also. You are also victim; they are also victim.

Devotee (8): When chanting our sixteen rounds, we are not sure if these rounds are sincere...

Prabhupāda: You should be sure.

Morning Walk -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: You are going to have that, next life! (laughter) Because you are desiring, you will get this life. Kṛṣṇa will fulfill your desire. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante māyā... (BG 4.11). Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Kṛṣṇa is within you. You are thinking that I will be very much happy if I enjoy sex like the dog. Kṛṣṇa notes, and next life, "My dear friend here is the body. You enter and enjoy." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe... (BG 18.61). He is noting down your desire. Hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. Māyayā brāhmayan sarva-bhūtāni, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. This is clearly explained. Alright, you want the enjoyment like dog, here is. Remembrance is also there. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). You wanted to enjoy sex like a dog. Now I have given you this body, now you enjoy. Everything is there, arranged.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. Doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. Makṣikā bhramarā icchanti...(?) Maksikā, these ordinary flies, they find out where is sore, and the bhramarā, he finds out where is honey. Similarly, doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ. And the Bhaktivedanta Swami is doing preaching all over the world—that has not come to his eyes. He has come to the Japanese incident. He has come.

Indian man: Yes, I told him there might be some, in a big organization, such a...

Prabhupāda: No, why did you not say, "You are such a pamara that this thing has come to your notice and not other thing"?

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1976, Nellore:

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

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, there's another thing I noticed, that in the pictures very often of Ramakrishna and his mother, his wife, whichever one she is, they show...

Prabhupāda: No, they show that "This is husband and wife. Ramakrishna was so advanced that even his wife, he left her, considering, 'She is my mother.' By worshiping mother Kālī he has become so perfect that sees all women as mother." He does not require to become Bhagavān. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dāreṣu, not your own wife. Huh? Others' wife should be treated as mother. That is our Indian system. But he wanted to overcome that, that "I call even my wife mother."

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The question I've had is that in the pictures they always show her head. She is bareheaded. She doesn't cover her head. And I noticed the thing that when we're sometimes passing in a car in Bengal I notice that the women, very often, they don't... It's more in this state than anywhere else, they don't cover their head. Is that due to her influence?

Prabhupāda: No, no. The system is when the woman is at the care of father she does not cover. But when she is under the care of husband she must cover. By dress you can understand what she is, whether she is widow, whether she has got husband, whether she is prostitute. Everything by dress you'll understand. Nowadays the fashion is the woman has the bakan(?) sīmanta here, not here.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: She may be angry. She is woman and man. Actually this is physiological. If a man is too much addicted to sex life, he'll become impotent, and if he begets child, it will be a girl. With no potency to give birth to a male child.... That requires potency.

Haṁsadūta: When we were going around in London making life members, I noticed that in so many families, all the children are girls.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole world is full of girls, girl children. Why? There is no potency. Potency finished. Or impotent. And if you keep one boy brahmacārī, no sex life, and get him married, the first child must be a boy, must be, without any doubt.

Lokanātha: That means, then, woman is more potent than...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes. The Āyur-vedic formula is that when there is discharge, woman's discharge, more, means girl, and man's discharge, more, means boy. This is physiological.

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Ah, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. Immediately inform them.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I noticed that also. I thought it was strange, some time back. (break)

Prabhupāda: Hayagrīva edited. He thought, "cattle-raising." Not "cattle-raising," but the word.... There.... It is mistranslation. It is go-rakṣya, "giving protection to the cows." Especially mentioned, go-rakṣya, not otherwise. The animal-eaters may take other animals, but not cow. They can take the pig, goats, lambs, rabbits, so many others, if they at all want to eat meat, birds, these so many. There is no such mention that "Animals should be protected," no. "Cows should be protected." That is Kṛṣṇa's order. (break) They have decided to kill the cow. They have decided, "No brain. Eat." And our prayer is go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, "to do good to the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Actually it is revolutionary to the modern age. But how it is possible we say otherwise? That Bon Mahārāja came and said, "Right? Am I right?" (?) When Bon Mahārāja here.... When our students said something, "Oh, that you cannot say. That you cannot say." He said like that.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No. If you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction, you'll always be happy. And if you create your own plans, then you'll be unhappy. This is the whole instruction. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up your own plans, nonsense plan. You take My plan. You'll be happy." This is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. You take Kṛṣṇa's plan and you'll be happy.

Brian Singer: And you avoid disappointment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There will be no disappointment. And as, if you make your plan, it will be baffled and you'll be disappointed. That is going on.

Brian Singer: But sometimes in the past, I have noticed from very bad disappointment that I have learnt very much.

Prabhupāda: Well, you were lucky. You are sometimes not disappointed. But generally you are disappointed. So we are teaching that "You take Kṛṣṇa's plan. You'll be happy. Don't make your own plan. You'll never be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So you criticize the person who is keeping the statue within a temple, "the heathen worship, idol worship," and you keep your father's statue exposed for passing stool on his head.

Guest (4): You know, if you're going to liken it unto that, I can also liken it unto your statues down here in your temple...

Prabhupāda: No, take it as statue, but where is good sense, to keep a statue within a temple or to keep it open field for passing stool by the birds?

Guest (4): Okay, here is some of my good sense. You've got your statues in your temple, and I notice there were a lot of flies in there the other night crawling all over it and doing their, whatever they do.

Prabhupāda: So do you mean a fly coming and crow passing stool is the same thing? Very good sense.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So all these big, big men, let them have one set of books and study. It is not any expenditure for them, but if at their leisure hour they read some of the line—they are all intelligent men-they'll get ideas, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So through the influence of father, just try to introduce our books to these big men. It is not.... They may keep them in library, and at leisure hour, if they simply glance over the line, oh, it will be great success.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: And their sons will also read it.

Prabhupāda: Their sons also will read.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Already my father has noticed in his travels that some of his friends, their sons have joined our movement now too.

Prabhupāda: Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ, lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If these big men of the world, they take it, "Oh, yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine," then naturally it will be followed by the others. So here is a good opportunity to contact big men of the world. So utilize it properly. You.... Both of you are intelligent. Very cautiously deal with them. They will understand that "Oh, these people are very honest men of character and high knowledge and God conscious." That will make our movement success.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: In the material world, whatever you do, the central point is sex. That's all. This is the verdict of the śāstras. Whatever big, big things you do, the central point is sex.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, that's a point which I've noticed. Sometimes when I'm talking to someone, I tell them that "Practically speaking, all that you're doing is eating, sleeping, mating and defending." But they say, "I don't agree with you because," they say, "we're doing so many things. Just like our school work; it is not eating, sleeping, mating and defending. It is philosophy, appreciation of literature."

Prabhupāda: Then what is the end? The end is sex.

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

Rādhāvallabha: The leaders of the Communists are all rich, and the people don't notice.

Hari-śauri: Andha, blind.

Prabhupāda: Russia, that, what is that, Communist leader?

Devotees: Nikolien? Lenin? Breshnev? Kruschev?

Prabhupāda: Kruschev. Kruschev. He was making money, therefore he was driven out. His son-in-law, his sons were being employed, neopolism, what is called?

Kīrtanānanda: Nepotism.

Prabhupāda: Nepotism. That is human nature.

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

Kathy Kerr: I notice all your followers obviously dress similarly and so forth.

Prabhupāda: We cannot get many followers. Because everyone is under this impression, "I am this body." And to get him released from this conception is not so easy job. So we cannot expect many thousands and millions. Only selected fortunate people will understand it. But everyone can understand it. It is very simple thing. But the modern education has made them so dull brain, they cannot understand, neither do they try to understand. That is the difficulty. Matter, subject matter, is very simple thing. I am changing bodies, but in spite of my change of body, I am the spirit soul existing. This is the first understanding. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), that I am not dead on account of my body being finished.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kulādri: Then they say then we needn't play Kṛṣṇa conscious music. We might as well play rock and roll if it is going back to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is māyā. This is meant for Kṛṣṇa's service. As soon as you do anything else, then it is māyā. Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's. But under māyā we suffer; under Kṛṣṇa we enjoy.

Kulādri: So if we engage everything here in Kṛṣṇa's service, then the atmosphere will change.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kulādri: They can notice the change in the atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: That is real atmosphere. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti means to stay in the original form.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kulaśekhara: At John Lennon's estate, remember? In London. You said to me, the tractor, you said, this is the cause of all the trouble. That it took all the work from the young men and they went to the city and became entangled in the sense gratification in the cities. So I've noticed in the city there's much more passion, but living in the country is simpler.

Prabhupāda: Yes, passion, there must be. When you have got the facility, naturally we are lusty, and when we have got the facility, then we take to it.

Kulaśekhara: The country is more peaceful. It's easier to think of spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Less disease. Less brain taxing. Everything is less. So balance time, utilize for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you have got temple, it is very happy life. Just for your food work little, and balance time engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is ideal life. Just see minute fibers on the flower. Can anyone manufacture this? So small fibers. And how brilliant it is. If you study only one flower, you become God conscious. There is a machine which we call nature. From that machine, everything is coming. But how machine is perfect? And who has discovered this machine?

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Devotee (1): These are publicity for the Ratha-yātrā. This is the article about the building, how it's the most attractive real estate in Cleveland. It's in the paint and flowers and gardens.

Prabhupāda: This year's?

Devotee (1): Yes. People would drive by the temple, Prabhupāda, and just look. They would drive by and look once, drive a little further and look twice and three times.

Prabhupāda: But San Francisco we haven't got our temple. We haven't got any temple?

Devotee (1): No. We used the photograph. We made a publicity notice, a news release, and they printed it directly. It was easier for them. The picture is of San Francisco, but the festival was in Cleveland.

Prabhupāda: There is no date? Hmm?

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: You should call him, let us.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, he's coming this evening.

Prabhupāda: All right, very good.

Pradyumna: In India, there are many Ph.D.'s and scientists who are Vaiṣṇavas, and they write articles. But in India it doesn't go noticed. In the South, there are many.

Prabhupāda: In South, eh?

Pradyumna: In Bangalore and many places.

Prabhupāda: They are all Vaiṣṇavas. So recruit them. You know? Then let them write articles in this. Yes, it will be very nice.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because of this rain the atmosphere is actually very clean now. You notice that. It's not very much smog, compared to usual. This is the FDR Drive.

Prabhupāda: These are cooperative buildings?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda. These are lower middle class cooperative buildings. This is the East Side.

Prabhupāda: I selected one cooperative apartment, they wanted five thousand dollars. (laughs) I had no money. Very nice apartment, near city office.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're going to go up to Central Park and then go along the Park.

Prabhupāda: This is Ninety-sixth?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is Ninety-sixth Street.

Prabhupāda: There was fire in this building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are many fires in this city, I notice.

Prabhupāda: It is due to the warm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, due to the warm, and also the buildings, some of them are old and they are not built properly.

Prabhupāda: Not taken care of.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Mike Robinson: I see. What are the big differences that you seem to be...

Prabhupāda: The difference is they are not following the original literature. They are manufacturing their own literature. That is the difference. Not authorized.

Mike Robinson: I mean of the big differences I'm noticing is that you are stressing very much science and rational thinking, and they very often stress feeling, which doesn't seem to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. When there is something wrong, you just consult the original literature, not any literature issued by a bogus man.

Mike Robinson: Can you explain to me, then, the place of feeling in your religion. The place of emotions.

Prabhupāda: Our feeling is that we are dealing with the genuine thing, that's all.

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

Harikeśa: I notice these four things, they are very unnatural, these four sinful things, very unnatural.

Prabhupāda: Unnatural, yes. What for smoking? What for drinking? How nicely they sit down on the ground and take prasādam. Why there is need of table, chair and these dishes and fork and knife and so on, so on? Why?

Harikeśa: It's hard to cut the meat. You need a good surface. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Our Bon Mahārāja, once I was eating in his festival and... He's a bara-sahib. So he has given fork and knife. (laughs) So I did not know, I do not remember even which way I took fork. So Bon Mahārāja began to criticize "You are going to foreign country you do not know which hand to take this fork and knife." So I told him, "I am not going to learn all these things. I am going to teach them something else, to forget it. (laughter) You went to learn all these things. But I am not going to learn anything."

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Formerly, from Kashmir to central Asia, it was known as Bhū-svarga, especially Kashmir, Bhū-svarga.

Dayānanda: Heaven on earth.

Prabhupāda: Yes, heaven on the earthly planet.

Parivrājakācārya: We noticed that in one of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams you mentioned that Kardama Muni had his āśrama, Kaśyapa Muni I mean, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which is just an hour from here by plane-it's ninety kilometers.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, Caspian Sea. This is made from a kind of fruit.

Nava-yauvana: Yes, a kind of melon.

Prabhupāda: They are saying that the moon is full of dust. And dust is so brilliant? We have to believe this? The rascals they are making this proposal. So what do you think?

Dayānanda: I don't think they know actually what they are talking about, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is... Die means spiritual death. No spiritual idea. Otherwise, we have no death, nitya. But spiritual death is there. So your friends are satisfied or not?

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes. Śrīla Prabhupāda. They said they were. I have noticed that people who are materially contaminated, when they hear spiritual preaching, they can always look at it from material point of view. For example, when you speak of designation, one boy was asking how come we are also having shaved heads and dressing like devotees. In other words, the emphasis on their minds is more on what is everybody else thinking, while the emphasis in your teaching is how you yourself can become free, not what everybody else is thinking. While our shaving of our head and dressing as devotee is a means to become free from all designation, he may be seeing other designations.

Prabhupāda: No, it does not depend on shaving head. But this is in the process.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Parivrājakācārya: This is Ali. He has helped me translate one article on vegetarianism. He's very qualified in that area.

Prabhupāda: Our...He'll understand English?

Parivrājakācārya: Very well.

Prabhupāda: Our mission is not to make the nonvegetarian as vegetarian. That will automatically be done. Our mission is to teach people how to love God.

Ali: That's right. I've noticed that. I had that conversation with Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: And to love God we must have definite idea of God, our exchange. Just like materially also, if somebody loves somebody, one must know each other. Otherwise where there is question of love? Love means direct contact. So they speak of love of Godhead. Just like the Christian people, they say "Love of Godhead." But they have no idea who is God. So where is the question of love? It is an impractical proposition, love of Godhead. First of all, you must know who is God. If I love somebody, I must know him, what he is. So this is going on.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: Who can eat two leaves of nim? (laughing)

Prabhupāda: No, if you practice, it is not impossible.

Pradyumna: I ate them one time. Remember in Bombay I thought I had worms? You told me to eat nim?

Prabhupāda: Effective? What happened?

Pradyumna: Well, I didn't notice anything happened, but it was very, very bitter, so bitter.

Prabhupāda: So that worms cured or not?

Pradyumna: I don't know. Sometimes I think I have worms.

Prabhupāda: You should not eat sweet.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Pradyumna: "In mid 1975 the Union Home Ministry took, however, a lenient view and allowed the immigrants to stay for long periods on the specious plea that the mastering of Vaiṣṇava literature, the spiritual diet of the cultists, was not like learning shorthand." Then heading: "Contrary Pulls in Government." "Lately, of course, the center has become wise, though contrary pulls in the thinking process still persist. This was quite evident at the Raj..."

Prabhupāda: This article no sane man will take notice of it. No sane man will like. It is not very important article.

Hari-śauri: Trouble is, we're in a land of insane people.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the largest circulating newspaper in India.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So bring him into court. But what will be your charges?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, slander, it was trying to slander our character, our whole movement.

Gargamuni: Defamation of our religious cult. Because we're recognized by scholars as being bona fide. It says here, "Ungodly face of Kṛṣṇa cult." How is that ungodly?

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is the charge. They are trying to minimize our...

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So, come on. Let us talk. (break) ...problem of life. But they do not care for it. Nobody is serious about this point, that we learn that I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am spirit soul, and na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), I am not finished after finishing this body. Who is caring? Then what is my position? Any gentleman, suppose we have given notice that you have to vacate this house, this apartment. Your term is finished. So he finds out another house. But what these rascals are doing? They are so foolish. The notice is there, that any moment you'll be kicked out. And where you are going? Where to stay? And they are intelligent. And they're intelligent. They are struggling for existence, but who will allow you to exist? That the small brain cannot think. Who will allow you to exist? But they foolishly say struggle for existence. Survival of the fittest. Who is fit? He does not know.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where they get flower?

Akṣayānanda: Wherefrom? The actual flower men? I don't know.

Prabhupāda: In the market the flowers are not sold?

Akṣayānanda: I don't know. Viśvambhara said that this was the best. Viśvambhara is very expert. He's supremely expert at catching these cheaters. But even he gets cheated sometimes. Even things go by and he doesn't notice. He's very, very expert. If I ever get to be as expert as him, then maybe something good will happen. But even he is also being cheated sometimes.

Prabhupāda: Cheating is one of the qualification of the conditioned soul.

Garden Conversation -- October 14, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa also says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). Ācārya and Kṛṣṇa-identical. Who is ācārya? Who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he is ācārya. Ācārya means one who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. That is ācārya.

Indian man (4): Because Kṛṣṇa never wrote any book...

Prabhupāda: He spoke.

Indian man (4): ...therefore we have to depend upon His...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Kṛṣṇa did not write, but Kṛṣṇa spoke. If you speak and if I note down and write, what is the difference? Because you did not see, therefore it is not good? He spoke and I note down, er, you note down. Then it is as good. Kṛṣṇa was speaking, and Sañjaya was noting, and that was written by Vyāsadeva in the Mahābhārata. So what is the difference?

Indian man (4): That is one disclosure. That is one only Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: That is sufficient. First of all, you understand few lines of Bhagavad-gītā; then jump over other. About this only, one line, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13), if you simply understand this one line, your life will be successful.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: Only one room. Because there is no, economically they're...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Not making progress. The situation is very bad. And all the buildings if you noticed, they were very old.

Prabhupāda: Yes I have already told...

Haṁsadūta: Did you notice? They were built in the time of Stalin.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Not Stalin.

Haṁsadūta: Or in the years before, sorry.

Prabhupāda: That is during the Czar. They could not build any.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:

Haṁsadūta: One question I have, Prabhupāda. Yesterday, day before yesterday, we were discussing the prasādam cooking.

Prabhupāda: So if they bring one nice cook...

Haṁsadūta: Yes, well, this evening I was just over there, and I noticed some of the carpenters are cooking and I don't know who the other people are.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Mahāṁśa: They're not cooking for the feast. They're cooking their own thing.

Haṁsadūta: No, no, no. They were cutting up our vegetables which are going to be cooked and served to the public.

Mahāṁśa: No.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, right over there by the fire.

Prabhupāda: No uninitiated person should cook. Brāhmaṇa cook.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The point is that some income tax affair.

Mr. Asnani: No problem. Is it at (indistinct). Have you seen notice?

Girirāja: Which is? About the constitution, exemption? Ah, no. No, it's not a notice as such, but they're questioning whether we deserve the tax exemption as a charitable trust. They're saying that we are not charitable; we are religious. And religious is not exempt from income tax. So the question is whether we have to change our constitution to fit their idea or whether to establish a separate trust or whether to defend that our present...

Prabhupāda: First thing is that we have not received any official notice.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering about that?

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why not spend some money for advertisement? It will be noticed.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can advertise them in prestigious papers like Reader's Digest or printer's...

Prabhupāda: Nice advertisement. Spend some money.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That will increase our prestige.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Sunday New York Times has a big section just on books, and that's the most respected in the world, their books section and their book reviews. That is very prestigious. All the leading people read it.

Prabhupāda: But wherever you advertise, it must be prominent. It must immediately come to the notice. You can spend little more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, this advertising will also increase our college orders, because even college professors and librarians read papers. So when our salesmen go there, they'll say, "Oh, I saw your advertisement in the papers."

Prabhupāda: On nice pages(?) you just give your... Another proposal was that, some New York or somewhere somebody is proposing to sell individually. Who was that?

Jagadīśa: Encyclopedia?

Prabhupāda: Like that.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: In Europe when men go to the libraries, sometimes they don't speak English. So they're already taking standing orders for the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in French and other languages.

Prabhupāda: So make this immediately.

Rāmeśvara: This is the notice of the money we just sent to Bombay from Los Angeles, seventy thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: So now do the needful about this. And the invoice? You have sent the books?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So these books are there?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Now I have everything in stock. We have everything.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Jayapatākā: If you ask them who is Vivekananda, no one knows. But everyone knows Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: We are known as "Hare Kṛṣṇas," and sometimes "Kṛṣṇas."

Hari-śauri: They call us the "Harries."

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Acchā?

Rāmeśvara: In the deprogrammer newsletter that we intercepted, they did not like to chant so much, so after awhile they just started saying "The HKs." They didn't want to say the whole name of God. You noticed that?

Prabhupāda: Now, "H," to pronounce it, and "Hare," Hare is shorter. "H." It is a long.

Rāmeśvara: But for writing, "HK."

Prabhupāda: Writing, you can, but if you say, "HK," it is not shorter than Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is longer than Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Hari-śauri: They're just envious of Kṛṣṇa, anyway. They're envious because they want to enjoy.

Prabhupāda: That is the cause, that they're criticizing. They're envious.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. The envious man can say anything.

Gargamuni: That I notice when they say that. I can notice their envy.

Prabhupāda: But still Kṛṣṇa is being worshiped. Here is Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa. Millions of people have come to worship. You are rascal. You may criticize. It doesn't affect Kṛṣṇa's respectful position.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gurukṛpā: Yes. So many people coming, all respectable people.

Prabhupāda: Our gateways, you mean to say.

Gargamuni: This year we've noticed that more respectable people are coming, well dressed, from the areas.

Prabhupāda: That, er... Behind our new house, that Muhammadan wanted to sell that land. But if he wants to sell at our price, not his price, we can take it.

Gargamuni: Yes, at our price. He knows that. But he wants his price.

Prabhupāda: No.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just like here it happened, Hindi and English. That enviousness is always there. I have seen in Montreal. All the officers, they are speaking in French. They won't talk in English. Airport. Purposefully. And there was fight, regular fight between these French speaking and English speaking, riot. People are so foolish. So it is bilingual. In everything, English and French. If you put one notice, it must be in English and French, as here (chuckling) they in the provincial language, Oriya, and Hindi, state language, and English for outsiders-three languages. You'll see in the railway station the local language and the Hindi language and English. Actually people take advantage of the English language and little more from the Hindi. Local language nobody knows. Just like we do not know what is Oriya.

Room Conversation -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So, there will be good community. How the Egyptian people are?

Pṛthu-putra: They're really a nationalistic type of persons.

Prabhupāda: That is everywhere.

Pṛthu-putra: But I never noticed like this anywhere else. And they're really attached to family life, even more than in India.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Pṛthu-putra: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: They have got nice family?

Pṛthu-putra: Oh, yes. They have nice family, and they have many children. And the man is working, and the woman stay home and prepare food, taking care...

Prabhupāda: That is Indian culture.

Room Conversation -- February 4, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: You are trying also. Now they are also trying mind control, our men kidnapping by force. This is another mind control. They have already given up their mind to us, and you are trying to control his mind by force-deprogramming, kidnapping. Is it not mind control? Here his mind is already in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and by force you are trying to deviate him. Is it not mind control? "And your mind control is good. My mind control is bad." That is your philosophy. So anyone, any rascal, will say, "My activities are good, and your activities are bad."

Satsvarūpa: Anyway, on the whole, this report, it's a little more in our favor than not, I noticed. The good things are...

Prabhupāda: No these things should be protested. They must publish. Answer.

Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How to draw on the condition longer and longer to make more money.

Prabhupāda: And if the client is rich, draw.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have noticed that in the West now they have..., they know that there are certain cures for serious illnesses, and they have outlawed these cures, because they will lose so much money.

Prabhupāda: Everything business. "Bring money. Bring money." Because money is the medium of sense gratification. They have been accustomed to sense gratification. Money is required. So bring money some way or other. And here, the civilization was plain living, simple living. Minimize the expenditure and develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be happy.

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

Prabhupāda: Jñāna-khala. Sarasvatī jñāna-khale yathā satī. There is a verse like this in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Jñāna-khale. If you have got some knowledge, you should distribute it. That will glorify you, not that "I have got some knowledge. I'll keep it secret." So India has got such exalted vast knowledge of spiritual life, and that is locked up. We are imitating the Western dog-dancing. This I wanted to bring to your notice. This will not do any good. So some arrangement should be made that this exalted knowledge of India must be distributed. That I have begun with my humble...

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In all of our temples here? All of our temples here. Yeah, actually people like the Samanis, they don't... They come to see you, but they don't... Even the Deity may be superbeautiful, superexcellent, but they won't go near Him.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I wanted these harijana. Harijana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause they don't distinguish like that.

Prabhupāda: No. They are searching after some guide.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've notice in Bengal, the aristocratic Bengalis, they come to our temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, Bengalis, they're more intelligent.

Prabhupāda: They are educated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not smārta, not like that.

Prabhupāda: And these other countries, they are smārta.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just inquiring whether you were drinking fruit juice.

Prabhupāda: Fruit juice is very good.

Bhavānanda: I noticed, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your complexion is yellowish. Liver is...

Prabhupāda: There is no hope of life. Therefore we have called you. This condition is hopeless. We have given our will. Now we can... If I die in Vṛndāvana, there is no harm. But Kṛṣṇa can play anything wonderful. But from physical condition there is no hope.

Bhavānanda: But Kṛṣṇa is Parameśvara.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. That is another thing.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And whatever you manufacture, you can show back. Suppose this tape recorder. If it is working, it has value. What is the use of it? Who cares for you? If it is in working order, it has value. Otherwise, (taps microphone) who cares for it? But if you have got gold, silver, metal... There was a small banker's. You require... I am poor man. I require only two rupees, but I have no money. You take one utensil and go to a small banker. He will keep this pot. "Give me two rupees." The pot is only five rupees' worth, so he'll keep it. He'll give you two rupees. So your immediate necessity is... This way, Indian economics.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've noticed that the people in the villages, when they come to fetch water, they have very nice pots. The ladies are wearing some bracelets. Gold, I think, it must be.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even the village.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You'll find description in Bhāgavata. They were coming to congratulate Kṛṣṇa—so nice dress, so nice ornament, so nice foodstuff made of ghee, grains in our...

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said in two weeks he'd be returning to his committee, so I'm thinking about four or five days, around five.

Prabhupāda: Mention this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that'll be a good...

Prabhupāda: In the meantime, your notice to you can be submitted by him, that "This is..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is a good example. Yeah, I mean, I'm your personal secretary.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "So give me an entry visa(?)." Ridiculous.

Prabhupāda: This should be done very carefully. "He's acting as a secretary, so important, and he's serving."

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just looking today, and I noticed, every month, at least ten thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore I say... It is practical. To earn money is not difficult, at least for me. But to save money is difficult thing, because that is not in my hand. So let us see how much money we save. Increase the income, that we can do. And there is no problem. I think this is a maxim that "To earn money is not difficult. To save money is difficult." Whatever property we have now made, Kṛṣṇa has given us. But now, to maintain this, to save this prestigious position, that is difficult. Little mismanagement, there may be so many difficulties. You are a businessman, so he knows very well.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. I started this movement with forty rupees. You know that Scindia Steam Navigation Company?

Mr. Myer: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So they gave me a free ticket, and the government allowed me to take with me, forty rupees. In this state, condition, I started for New York. You see? No friend, no secre..., no hotel, nothing, arrangement. This was the beginning. Then I went there. So I do not know how it happened. Now we have got forty crores. It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy. I never expected that my books will be sold and appreciated all over the world. So that is being done. People are appreciating the whole movement. Even in our country our government, it has come to their notice, cabinet ministers. So my point of view was that in Delhi there is a confectioner's shop. You had been in Delhi?

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: With Trivikrama Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Very short places. Park, (laughs) a nonsense park. A rough hill is a park. You remember?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Um hm.

Prabhupāda: All ordinary huts, general people.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. But one thing we noticed, that... I remember we had a discussion that there was less fighting amongst the people.

Prabhupāda: They are peaceful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because they're peaceful, you said.

Prabhupāda: Indian culture.

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

Prabhupāda: Jackfruit, this banana. Then banana fruit... Banana, what is called? Flour.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Banana flour.

Prabhupāda: If it is made properly, you can taste lobster.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I noticed that some of these different things... Just like jackfruit.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Jackfruit, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Similarly, if it's cooked in a particular way...

Prabhupāda: Jackfruit is also called "vegetable meat."

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One man is kneading flour, five sers, and he's getting two hundred rupees' salary, and paratha and halavā. This is management, going on. Now today it has been checked. They are eating paratha and our men are starving. He is getting two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. This is management. What can be done? And he has... Three dozen manager, four dozen cook. This is... That's all. I am giving you report which he has given to me. Money is squandered like anything, and live blindly, and "Still, I want everything for myself." Everything is in my notice. I can feel now actually (indistinct) is coming. Anyway, we want... In India, the affairs are most mismanaged. That we see. In foreign countries they are doing very nice. In New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago. Now there is Toronto report. This Toronto report... I do not know how things are managed there very nicely, and here..., three dozen cook. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You see how things are mismanaged. There is no place for accommodating the cooks. What is the question of cooking? Have you seen it? They have no place where to accommodate the cooks, so many cooks. Similar thing I noticed in Bombay also, so many laborers. What can I do? Anyway, don't be discouraged. But things are going actually. I am discouraged. At the same time, let things go on like that. Therefore I say do not mind for little more charges. If things are coming quickly, good work, pay. You are already squandering money in this way, in the kitchen. Why not for your own?(?) Hm? Unnecessarily you're feeding some rascal paratha, halavā, and paying him. Who is going to see?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now, with this new arrangement, they can't do that.

Prabhupāda: You cannot eat more than dahl, roti. That's all. Halavā...

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Swelling is reducing.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not very much reducing. Why you're not drinking anything, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I noticed yesterday you did not drink much.

Prabhupāda: First of all there is no inclination to drink anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't feel thirsty at all?

Prabhupāda: And secondly, if I drink, then there is cough.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even when you drink fruit juice there is cough?

Prabhupāda: Um, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a lot of coughing today again?

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Oh, yes. Now they're going to make every effort not to annoy us in any way.

Prabhupāda: Very carefully deal, and as far as possible, don't keep money in the bank. Invest in books and expansion. That is my request. If you keep money, there will be so much trouble. So the current account and savings account, ten days' notice, these things are to be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did Prabhupāda ask?

Girirāja: Whether on the savings account we have to give ten-day notice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We didn't discuss that yet. We don't have any current accounts any longer. We changed them all to savings accounts.

Prabhupāda: So when you have to withdraw, you have to give ten days' notice?

Girirāja: What we did in Bombay is we made arrangement that if we could not give ten-day notice, we could predate a letter ten days before, and they would accept that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the Bombay accept, but these people?

Girirāja: Well, we didn't discuss this, but the next time we meet the man from the head office I'm sure we can arrange it, because he wants to satisfy us.

Prabhupāda: The Central Bank, they do not mind.

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I do find that you have more difficulty sitting up now. I notice that when you sit up you always slump over to one side, either as if you have no sufficient strength or as if you lost your balance. I can't tell which it is. You're always leaning. You're not able to sit up straight. Of course, that was there also even a week ago, but it seems a little more noticeable now. Do you think you are weaker now than you were a week ago?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You do? That's not a good sign. I mean I wouldn't expect that you should be that much stronger, but I don't see why you should be weaker now. Do you think it may be psychologically that you're weaker? I mean, how would you know if you were weaker now?

Prabhupāda: Because I cannot sit down.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's very nicely done. People who go there bank with confidence.

Prabhupāda: And they are getting benefit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It was the proper bank to have there. And because it's right on the ground floor and just near the entrance of the gate, people don't mind coming from the outside. And I've noticed people, after they come and do their banking business, they go for darśana.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Page Title:Notice (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:23 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=94, Let=0
No. of Quotes:94