Path (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"path" |"paths" |"pathway" |"pathways"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: path or paths or pathway or pathways not "path of" not "paths of" not "path* of liberation" not "path* of self*" not "right path*"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. (break) This is not our land?

Jayapatāka: This sugarcane is our land, but this is not our land. That's why here the top became narrow. (break) ...here the one step with the pathway coming up to here and one step over there. (break) ...know this height was all right because you requested to lower the height. Then we'll put a stairs going up and over there. Over by these steps, then going up and over the hill, there will be a stairway. So then we can make a nice sitting platform with a shade area.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to know if this height is all right.

Prabhupāda: This height?

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Different? There is different way?

Jayapatāka: There's one path this way. But that's longer.

Prabhupāda: Longer. No...

Jayapatāka: (break) ...should like to install the Deities for the program?

Prabhupāda: Hm? If I am here, I can do. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This land belonged to Śrīdhara Mahārāja?

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: Offer them to the Deity.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) It's better path here.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Jayapatāka: See the mango?

Prabhupāda: Where is that mango?

Jayapatāka: It's about ten feet high.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all. (break) How many years it will take?

Jayapatāka: Take another two, three years.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...can see tomorrow. Eh?

Jayapatāka: All right. We'll check it, make a path. See, that's the path.

Prabhupāda: (break) The road is rough.

Sudāmā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So we shall go that way. If it is like this, we can go. Now, still, it is rough. (Bengali) (break) ...filling up the road? No. You have taken earth from here. (Bengali)

Jayapatāka: They're just leveling.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...whether they are being properly utilized.

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) Chewing the chewed. This is going on. Material world means chewing the chewed.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think this narrow path is smoother.

Prabhupāda: Better.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...go ahead and get the projector do you think, new projector?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...government, Mr. Chaudhuri can do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. As soon as you stop the land purchasing anyway can do.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Ghosh wanted to give us land that side for making a path to the Ganges.

Jayapatākā: Sell us.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. So we have got a plan beginning from this gate up to the Ganges. If we get land we can do that. (break) Foundation stone in Nellore can be transferred to Madras?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's what I'm going to do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Madras is far better place than Nellore. (break) ...if we take charity from such fallen woman, then we have to share his sinful activity. Yes.

Morning Walk -- February 26, 1976, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: That's why that system where a brahmacārī is recommended for one year and then he proves himself by doing some extraordinary preaching work is a very good system. Otherwise, anyone just comes and by pressurizing and begging and pleading, then they try to take sannyāsa. Then they don't stay to the path.

Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means ultimate success, because this human life is meant for becoming disgusted with this material life: "No more." Material life means to take a body and enjoy this material āhāra-nidrā, sleeping twenty-four hours, eating like elephant, and sex life like a monkey, these animals. This is material life, eating, sleeping, mating, and always afraid of. This is material life. And human life means to take freedom from these four things: no more afraid, no more sex, no more hankering after eating or sleeping. That is success.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Guru dāsa: (break) ...should have a nice path all the way around.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)

Lokanātha: We should buy some for you, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, we can buy the whole thing. (Hindi) I'll talk with him. (Hindi—Prabhupāda bargaining with chili seller in long exchange) You have got money?

Jayatīrtha(?): Yes.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) So give him two rupees, eight annas. (Hindi)

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is.... Mahāprabhu says, tṛṇād api sunīcena.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's another path going this way if you'd like to walk some more, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...that garden.

Jayādvaita: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Where so many men come there.

Jayādvaita: And it is just near our temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very calm and quiet.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: And similarly, they will have to condemn. If they follow the wrong path, they will have the wrong result. This is not...

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Their leader, Mao Tse Tung, he was very austere, and he is very moral, and he has these purges where he takes the men who he sees are not..., or who are trying to use their position for their own power, and he takes it away from them. They are constantly going through these purges of their system to insure that no one enjoys more than others, at the expense of others.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Artificial, though.

Prabhupāda: So that is artificial way of.... Unless one is prepared to.... Just like why they are inducing persons to sacrifice their accumulated wealth for the state? Why? Communistic idea that everyone should be equal. So if somebody has more than others, they want to take it away. Just like in India this policy is now growing. So everyone should give away, but now it is being done by law, by force. But that will not stay.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That will make them failure. Tell them, then this will make them failure. "If you are so foolish that you want to go above nature, then you are fool number one." Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is not possible. That is not possible. Then you are following wrong path. If you are imagining like that, that "We have surpassed the laws of nature," then you are fool number one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In that respect they are like the Americans and Russians. They think that we can overcome the laws of nature.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Another place they quote that regulative principles are a hindrance on the path. Because there's a statement that I think Yāmunācārya says.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a statement somewhere in one of your books that when one attains the highest platform...

Prabhupāda: Then where is that highest platform?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, there's no question of it.

Rāmeśvara: One must go through stages.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: You gave the example of trying to get an M.A. degree.

Prabhupāda: Yes. One has to come to that highest stage. It is not forbidden.

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...bluff subject.

Rāmeśvara: The edge of the cliff, there may be some rockslide.

Hari-śauri: Just like the path used to go there, but it fell through.

Prabhupāda: Path may slide? That is a warning?

Hari-śauri: They put that warning there so that no one can sue the city authorities if someone is killed if the cliff falls apart.

Prabhupāda: Therefore not many people come here. (break) ...animal kingdom, by nature's arrangement, the couple, one male and one female, is fixed up, fixed up, this one female, one male. But amongst the monkeys, dogs and jackals, there is no fixed up.

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

Prabhupāda: That is not.... He's wrongly, he's going in the wrong path.

Richard: Well, if that's the best that he can do.

Prabhupāda: He can think.

Richard: He can change?

Prabhupāda: Yes, he can change. Change is possible, but if he sticks, that is his selection.

Richard: Ah, but suppose drinking to him is better than what he has to put up with...

Prabhupāda: That is not actual fact. Drinking, nobody can be happy by drinking. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Whenever you find time, please come.

Jackie Vaughn: I will.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You'll get so many inspirations. (pause) The pathways in the garden, if they are occasionally washed, as far as possible, grow.... (break)

Mādhavānanda: Today is celebration of snāna-yātrā, So.... (break)

Hari-śauri: July 18.

Mādhavānanda: Today is snāna-yātrā, disappearance of Mukunda Datta and Śrīdhara Paṇḍita and full moon. Tomorrow is disappearance of Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī. (end)

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: The problem is that we are suffering in this material world life after life, and our aim is how to again go back to home, back to Godhead. That they do not know. They are showing some mysticism. Stop death. Then I shall see your mysticism. What is this nonsense mysticism? Can you stop death? Is it possible? Then what is the meaning of this mysticism? All bogus. My problem is that I am accepting one body and suffering, because as soon as I get this material body, I have to suffer. Then I am creating another body. I die. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). And again begins another chapter. In this way, from this grass life to the demigods, I am simply changing body and dying and taking birth. This is my problem. So what mysticism will do? But that they do not know, what is the problem. That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is your problem. You are repeatedly taking birth and dying, and so long you are living there are so many troubles. Jarā-vyādhi. Especially old age and disease. So this is the problem. What mysticism will help you? Will the mysticism stop your birth, death, old age and disease? Then that is mysticism. Otherwise, what is the use of such nonsense things. (break) ...misleading from the real path.

Morning Walk Conversation -- June 20, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: There is no proper guide. They manufacture ideas, that's all. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2), that path is not there. (break) ...name? I forgot

Satsvarūpa: Gene.

Prabhupāda: Gene.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...building or something...

Viśvakarmā: Yes, it's a very big exhibit, scientific achievements. (break) ...come and see it.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Maunam, like in silence. Mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-'dhvavana?

mauna-vrata-sruta-tapo-'dhyayana-sva-dharma-

vyākhya-raho-japa-samādhaya āpavargyaḥ

prāyaḥ paraṁ puruṣa te tv ajitendriyānāṁ

vārtā bhavanty uta na vātra tu dāmbhikānām

(SB 7.9.46)

"O Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are ten prescribed methods on the path to liberation—to remain silent, not to speak to anyone, to observe vows, to amass all kinds of Vedic knowledge, to undergo austerities, to study the Vedas and other Vedic literatures, to execute the duties of varṇāśrama-dharma, to explain the śāstras, to stay in a solitary place, to chant mantras silently, and to be absorbed in trance. These different methods for liberation are generally only a professional practice and means of livelihood..."

Prabhupāda: Means of livelihood.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The same verse again in the Second Chapter."The compilers of the Upaniṣads speak very highly of the impersonal Brahman. The Upaniṣads, which are considered the most elevated portion of the Vedic literatures, are meant for persons who desire to get free from material association and who therefore approach a bona fide spiritual master for enlightenment. The prefix upa indicates that one must receive knowledge about the Absolute Truth from a spiritual master. One who has faith in his spiritual master actually receives transcendental instruction, and as his attachment for material life slackens, he is able to advance on the spiritual path. Knowledge of the transcendental science of the Upaniṣads..."

Prabhupāda: Where is that boy? You are hearing?

Devotee (2): Yes, Prabhupāda.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is question number eight for this Bhavan's Journal, Bombay. We've covered the first seven questions. The eighth question, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is "In the Kali-yuga, bhakti has been described as the most suitable and easiest of paths for God realization. Yet how is it that Vedantic teachings, with their accent on jñāna, are being given the pride of place by noted savants or knowers?

Prabhupāda: The so-called Vedantists are bluffers. They do not know what is Vedānta. But the things are going on that people want to be bluffed and the bluffers take advantage of it, and therefore... Veda means knowledge, and anta means end of knowledge. That is the combination of Vedānta. So in the Vedānta the beginning is, Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsāḥ. "Now, in the human form of life, they should inquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the Vedānta philosophy.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can I ask another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Question number nine. Is a guru essential to one to enter the spiritual path and attain the goal, and how does one recognize one's guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is explained, that guru is necessary. In the Bhagavad-gītā when Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were talking as friend, there was no conclusion. The talking was going on but no conclusion was made. Therefore Arjuna decided to accept Kṛṣṇa as his guru. Find out this verse. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is learning Bhagavad-gītā directly from Kṛṣṇa. He's mahājana. So you learn from Arjuna. And after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, as Arjuna acted, as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, you follow that. Then mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Then you are following the mahājana. You are on the real path. Just like we are. Here it is said, mahājana, Svāyambhu. Svāyambhu means Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. So our, this sampradāya, Gauḍīya sampradāya, is Brahma-sampradāya. And Svāyambhu, Nārada. Nārada is also in the brahma-sampradāya. And Śambhu, Lord Śiva, he is also mahājana. He has got his sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya. And similarly, Śrī-sampradāya. So all these sampradāya we must follow. Sampradāya vihina ye mantras te niṣphala mataḥ. If you do not belong to sampradāya, mahājana, then you are useless. You cannot concoct any religious system. So either you be Christian or Hindu it doesn't matter.

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

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

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

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

Vipina: The water is too rough for the boats to travel, so they made this artificial canal so boats could travel without getting wrecked, and they could transport their items of sense gratification in that way. They used to have mules that pulled the boats with ropes alongside here, these pathways, pulled them through the canal.

Prabhupāda: It will grow mosquitoes, mosquito plant.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Mosquitoes. When the devotees came back from India, many got malaria, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Dr. Sukla: Of course, first we were talking about Vivekananda, not Ramakrishna. They are two different personalities and two different paths.

Indian woman: Yes, but I thought Ramakrishna... Many times I get devotees who say to me, "Oh, he's a rascal." I say, "I don't know, I can't say rascal." I don't read him, but he inspired me so much. And I don't know what's wrong. Am I wrong or...?

Prabhupāda: Now what is the philosophy of Ramakrishna?

Indian woman: He does not say that Kṛṣṇa is God. (indistinct) and I was very young at that time.

Prabhupāda: If you want to discuss, there is points of discussion. (laughs) Yes. He worshiped Kali, is it not? Everyone knows it. Do you know that? And by worshiping he became God. Do you agree to that?

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

Prabhupāda: No, he was a big worshiper of Kali. And he was meat-eater also, Ma Kali's prasāda, that unless one eats that prasādam he cannot become a devotee. So this was his position, that he worshiped Kali, and later on by worshiping Kali... His picture is there, mother Kali's embracing. And he also preached yata mata tata pat: "Whatever path you take, accept, that is all right." Is it not? So do you think it is all right? He worshiped Kali and he said yata mata tata pat. You agree to this? Now, Ramakrishna says yata mata tata pat. And Kṛṣṇa says... He became Ramakrishna, identifying himself with Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa said mam ekam, and now he's becoming Kṛṣṇa, he says yata mata tata pat. Just see. When he's actual Kṛṣṇa, he says mām ekam, and when he became imitation Kṛṣṇa, he says yata mata tata pat. Kṛṣṇa has changed his views. (laughter) Just see, this foolishness is going on.

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

Prabhupāda: You can understand, just the one grain of poison, potassium cyanide. You touch on your tongue, immediately whole body becomes poisoned. How the molecules spread immediately?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: How does it react? Potassium cyanide? It blocks the oxygen path? That's what science says?

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, the poison action immediately spreads all over the body.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Otherwise, why is it happening like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is also material. Now how much powerful is spirit soul, you can just imagine. If one grain of matter has got so much potency, how much potency has got the spirit.

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

Dr. Sharma: And at the Belior Math in Belior Math Daksinesvara in Calcutta. But I find that by really chanting... I was crying to God, literally, at night, that "Find me the path again," and then I found your movement. And I find it, yes, it does make a difference. I was also amazed that evening when the first two days ago I was thinking I will ask you five ślokas of Gītā to give me. Out of that, you discussed four. And I was meditating on Hardwar, where I was born. All the time your face was appearing behind Ganges, and it was very strange phenomena. I do not know when I will be fortunate enough to have your darśana again, but in the meantime, I'm slowly... I feel that this movement you have done supernatural thing. Now, somehow...

Prabhupāda: That's a great certificate, because it is coming from you.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Why he's going there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's another lake over there. So we are checking for tomorrow's walk, if it is also a good path. That's a natural, not natural, a little more natural lake.

Prabhupāda: Well, this is good lake. People are becoming dishonest. They'll take money and do nothing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm seeing down at Dalhousie Square area that the government employees, they are constantly taking tea break. They come late to work...

Prabhupāda: I have seen in New Delhi, I was going to sell my Back to Godhead, so they were all sitting and gossiping, and files are piled up. If you want some file it will take six months. Doing nothing. Sixty percent of the employees are simply wasting time.

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

Prabhupāda: No, I say...

Interviewer: To the ability to speak. Now, how is your path or your way different from (or) better than others?

Prabhupāda: No, but there is no question of "better than others." It is the only thing.

Interviewer: It is the only way?

Prabhupāda: Only thing. It is not the question of better or superior. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. So either you are Chinese or English or American, there is consciousness. When that consciousness is purified, that is God consciousness.

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

Prabhupāda: If you come to God consciousness, either through the Christian process or Chinese process or Indian process, it doesn't matter. But if you do not come to God consciousness, then it is all bogus.

Interviewer: But you can come to God consciousness through a variety of paths.

Bali-mardana: He's saying that. He's saying "if."

Rāmeśvara: He says, "But you can come to God consciousness by different processes."

Prabhupāda: No, different processes... Our...

Bali-mardana: Can do.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not that. The aim is to come to the God consciousness. And the means may be different. So that means is justified by the end. If at the end, you do not come to God consciousness, then whatever process you have, that is bogus. That is not bona fide.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Well, are there other paths to awareness of spirit consciousness other than the Kṛṣṇa consciousness path?

Prabhupāda: That, how can I say? That is your subject matter. You study both of them and see and give your judgement.

Interviewer: What is your view? Are there other paths to spirit consciousness?

Prabhupāda: There is, but not very elaborate.

Interviewer: There are but not very what?

Bali-mardana: Elaborate, scientific.

Prabhupāda: Not very elaborate.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Indian man: Now there are some people in our community there at Poughkeepsie, they are all followers of Satya Sai Baba, and they were telling me that "Anyone you pray, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Viṣṇu, it comes to Satya Sai Baba." I said, "Don't tell me that nonsense," I said. (laughter) "Satya Sai Baba is not Kṛṣṇa, and don't tell me that." In fact for Guru Pūrṇimā they invited me to Satya Sai Baba's bhajana. I said, "No, I have my guru. I'm very happy. Don't disturb me. I have Kṛṣṇa, I have my guru, and I have my path. I don't have to go to anybody's gurus, and I don't have to take anyone's teachings." I say, "My Gītā is here, written by Prabhupāda. I follow it, and that's it. I don't have to have extraordinary brains to follow everyone's Gītā or everything else. Here is my path."

Prabhupāda: In South America there was a great criticism?

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Will these parents like that the children may have liberty to follow a dark path? Will the father like?

Rāmeśvara: No.

Prabhupāda: Then why the government doesn't...?

Hari-śauri: They're making too much revenue to stop selling it.

Prabhupāda: That is not good government.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The parents are bad also.

Rāmeśvara: They put an age limit on it. They say you can only buy liquor when you have reached a certain age.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They want the children to be good, but the parents are bad.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: "At that time I may be not able to utter 'Kṛṣṇa' or think of You, and now I am healthy, let me finish this business." That means "Let me die immediately. Now I'm healthy, I'm quite fit." This is the ideal. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, if one remembers Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful. Immediately he goes to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Ajamila. He chanted "Narayana," and immediately his path to Vaikuntha become clear. So this practice means, whatever we practice all through life, there is chance of coming that remembrance at the time of death, and then it is successful, life is success. If at the time of death one can remember Kṛṣṇa, then his whole life is successful. Our one student, Kārttikeya, his mother was very fortunate. So his mother had nothing to do with this Society, but the boy was attached, and she heard several times "Kṛṣṇa," that this boy is attached to Kṛṣṇa. At the time of her death, she asked her son, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died. Just see how fortunate she is. She simply uttered this word, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" then she died. Very fortunate.

Morning Walk Around Farm -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Hari-śauri: These are nice paths for walking, very open.

Bhagavān: This way we have to go.

Prabhupāda: Why they congesting the city in this, such light? (break) ...very nicely, people may seek out. Thank you. All right. (laughter)

Hari-śauri: He was going to give him a flower, and then just as Prabhupāda reached out he took it back.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break).... to capture him. (cow bells) He's very young?

Devotee (1): One year.

Prabhupāda: Bull

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: This is one of the items, there are so many others.

Translator: So he's pointing out that when one acts in complete freedom, he follows a path, a definite path to attain a certain truth.

Prabhupāda: You get a spiritual body, that means freedom, no condition.

Translator: But he's asking where we're finding that truth. Can we find it only in the scriptures, in following all the regulative principles we're following day after day, or can we find also that truth by following our own path, by keeping our own freedom to do whatever we like?

Prabhupāda: No, you have no freedom. You have to accept some way for freedom.

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Faith means that you are meant for giving some service to Kṛṣṇa. You should stick to that service, that path, in spite of all impediments. That is the passing of test. Generally, just like we are meant for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there may be severe test, but still we shall remain determined. That is wanted. There may be so many impediments, punishment, still you should do that. That is wanted. That is test. Not that as soon as there is some difficulty I give it up. There may be severe test, but still we shall not give it up. We must go on. That is determination.

Nava-yauvana: Passing the test means executing the order of the spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is spiritual life. One has to take order from the spiritual master and execute it, despite all impediments. That is determination. What are these pictures dancing?

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: For collecting few dry leaves, three, four servants are engaged.

Hari-śauri: More than that. They have about, they must have about twenty men around here sweeping the path.

Prabhupāda: Twenty?

Hari-śauri: When we were here the other morning at least a dozen or so walked past, and there were others working elsewhere, and they were all sweeping.

Prabhupāda: So there are many servants. What is their general payment?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: About eight hundred rupees per month.

Prabhupāda: Hundred dollars. What is the average expenditure here?

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: We shall go this way or this way?

Mahāṁsa: If you like you can go... This will be moist.

Harikeśa: There's no real path there.

Mahāṁsa: There's a path over here. Why don't you go around here. This is an archaeological museum, Prabhupāda.

Indian devotee: Before it was an archaeological museum. Old carvings of various temple deities, but they just keep it like that, so.

Devotee: It's not open now, though.

Prabhupāda: Even it is open what we have to do there? (pause)

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Realization of God, (Hindi), bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). So if you want to know me, then bhaktyā, bhakti. (Hindi) Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. If you want to know God really, then you have to take this path, bhakti. If you want something else, that is a different thing.

yānti-deva vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

(BG 9.25)

(Hindi conversation for some time)

Prabhupāda: Find out this verse. (Hindi) Somebody, you can read? (rings bell) (more Hindi) Somebody... Why don't you send? What they are doing? All these rascals, that they cannot read.

Devotee: Someone should come in?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But they do not know that somebody should remain here. Why are there? What they are doing there?

Morning Walk -- September 2, 1976, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: You can climb on the tree? No. Let me see. (children laughing) It is better than that path.

Hari-śauri: This one?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not so crowded. That path is very crowded. (break)

Lokanātha: ...five thousand years back, until now, there's only thirty ācāryas...

Prabhupāda: Chain is broken when there are false spiritual masters. Otherwise it is not broken. Chain is broken if a so-called spiritual master speaks something manufactured. Then the chain is broken. Otherwise chain is not broken.

Evening Darsana -- December 3, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest: These are... all paths lead to the Supreme.

Prabhupāda: How? Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). How, you nonsense, straightly say that everyone goes to God? This is nonsense. You can go to Śiva, you can go to Indra, you can go... There are so many planets and you'll go there. And that is reasonable. And how do you say that "Whatever ticket I purchase, I go to this, Delhi?"

Vāsughoṣa: They say that all, they're all the same.

Prabhupāda: "They say." Therefore they are nonsense, mūḍha, rascals. They do not know what is God, what is demigod, what is Lord Śiva, what is Lord Viṣṇu or Brahmā. They do not know. If a woman says, "Oh, everyone is my husband," then she is a prostitute. That's all. A chaste woman will say, "No, there is one, my husband. That's all." That is chaste woman. And if she is liberal, if she says, "No, no, everyone is my husband," that means she is prostitute. She does not know what is value of husband. In Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya devatāḥ: (BG 7.20)

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But first thing is that why do you want immediately effect? That is foolishness. The effect will be there. Therefore it is called dhairya. Utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience. You act God acting with patience. The result will be niścaya. The result will be there. These things are required. Utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. So why you should have a foolish person—"Now I come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have become immediately everything. Give up everything?" Why do you think like this? The same example: The girl is married, now it is sure that she'll have child. Wait. Niścaya. When there is husband and wife there will be child. There is no doubt about it, but wait. Why do you expect immediately child on the day of marriage. This is foolishness. So you should answer these rascals like that. "You cannot expect immediately. But we are on the path. We have just entered."

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

Prabhupāda: To attract them to really nice prasādam, palatable food, we shall spend. And we shall argue (?) also by literature produced, and they're learning. Where is the difficulty? We shall take contribution from rich persons. We shall earn ourself, and spend it, to give them very nice prasādam. Gradually when they come, when you engage them in producing their own food, own shelter, own cloth... This should be organized. And they'll be glad. As soon as they understand, they will be glad to do. And they will stop all this nonsense: illicit sex, and meat eating. Then their life will be purified. And they'll make more and more advancement in this path. That is perfection. That you want. Is it clear or not?

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

Prabhupāda: He is ignorant. So his question is what I am, but he is ignorant. He cannot give the answer. The master. The master will give one answer.

Indian man: His answer will be one, but to how the student understands, for making student understand, he will have to show in different ways. Suppose a person is coming from Himalayas to the Bombay, his path will be different. Greenery will be there, flowing rivulets will be there, mountain peaks scattered with snow will be there....

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. If you have to go to the Himalaya, you must go to the path which leads to Himalaya. You cannot accept a path which leads to Delhi. There is no different answer, the answer is one. Just like Himalaya is in the northern side. The answer would be, "The Himalaya is on the northern side." Nobody will say, "No, Himalaya may be in the eastern side or the western side or southern side." That is not the answer.

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

Prabhupāda: But you do not know what is bad deeds is your disobedience to Kṛṣṇa is the most dangerous path.

Indian man: He interpreted more what sort of deeds you cannot go back to the...

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. That means he does not know what is good or bad. He does not know. Therefore he cannot become master. He cannot become master. The Bhagavad-gītā is there and he is refuting Bhagavad-gītā. He is not master.

Indian man: So he took the wrong interpretation of others, Kṛṣṇa has never said like this.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says that dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Find out this verse.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: His ambition was nonviolent—he was killed by violence. So what to speak of others? A person so dedicated, so nice, but he followed the wrong path. Recently I had been to his Sevasram in Wardha. So there was no Kṛṣṇa worship and he said that he is very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. But he understood Bhagavad-gītā in his own way.

Guest (1): (laughing) In a different way, I would say.

Prabhupāda: And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, as soon as you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, it is finished. It is finished. Naṣṭa. Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So naṣṭa cheese, what is naṣṭa, what is the use of...?

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct). (break) This is the fact that yato mata tato patha? Whatever path you accept, that is all right? He said that. Do you think it is bona fide? Kṛṣṇa says mām ekam, and he approves anything.

Dr. Patel: He was a partial political leader also.

Prabhupāda: That's all. He's a political leader.

Dr. Patel: But then he had a great burning desire to see that India be free of British purpose. He was a real nationalist...

Prabhupāda: That even cats and dogs, they also want that my cats be well fed and strong. That is not a very good position. And Bhagavad-gītā says aratiḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. This is philosophy. And if one is attached to his homely happiness he's not even a man of knowledge.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Yogi Amrit Desai: Bhakti. No matter what path you follow, without bhakti it is incomplete.

Prabhupāda: So you cannot go to God...

Yogi Amrit Desai: No, without bhakti, no.

Prabhupāda: No. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never says, "By karma, jñāna, yoga one can achieve Me." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. So unless you take to bhakti, a little advancement it may be, but that is material.

Yogi Amrit Desai: It's not of the highest nature.

Prabhupāda: So you can take... You have taken to bhakti-yoga, but take it seriously, pure bhakti-yoga. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). (break) ...favorable, according to bhakti-yoga, then he is successful.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. That is first. After crossing the road, the corner.

Hari-śauri: Where the parikrama path is.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is available for...?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually that would be good if we get that. It's right next to our temple.

Prabhupāda: So why not try for that? You can get it, I am sure.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The body is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (1): Yes. And through you we get inspirations. If we go to wrong path we remember you.

Prabhupāda: The similar question was Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, after leaving his..., resigning his post, he was living as a mendicant, and there was no bodily comfort. Naturally there was eczema, and it is wet eczema. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as will meet him, immediately embrace him. So he would say, "Don't touch me! This is not for Your..., touch me. This is the disease..." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu... "I'm touching just to purify Myself." Then he consulted some friends, that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu will not hear me and He'll touch forcibly. Better I give up this body." He desired to commit suicide. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Do you think it is your body? You already dedicated to Me for My service. How you are thinking in that way? It is not your body." Then his body became release from all this eczema. He was thinking like that, that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu forcibly embraces me and my body is so unclean. Better I shall give up." So He said, "It is no longer your body. You have dedicated the body to Me. You have no right to think like that."

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (1): We are, Śrīla Prabhupāda, small children. You take us with your fingers to the path.

Prabhupāda: The path is open.

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

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

Guest (1): We make mistakes.

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

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

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Spiritual service—to render service to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Then you'll be happy.

Guest (3): No, but those who are freedom fighters, they are actually on the wrong path?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Everyone who is not serving Kṛṣṇa, he is in the wrong path.

Guest (3): But Kṛṣṇa means... Who is He? Is He a personal or impersonal?

Prabhupāda: Person. Service means person.

Guest (3): Person?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you are person, I am person, how I can serve you or how you can accept service?

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) "That is not your business. You better ask because you have taken him as authority. You have already taken him as authority, the excommunicated member. So you ask him." These things will happen. In preaching, you cannot expect very smooth path going. Otherwise what is the use of preaching?

Hari-śauri: That's been going on for a long time.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Hari-śauri: Even their own religion started like that. Jesus's..., one of his best disciples turned him in.

Gurukṛpā: Actually they are helping us to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by giving us an opportunity to preach about Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Why will that be favorable for us? You said that will be...

Prabhupāda: Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, that we are meeting so many obstacles for these rascal demons, and when they will be killed, then our path will be easier. And they will also understand that "This demonic way of life is not good. Let us take to Kṛṣṇa." (break) ...that unnecessarily they fight occasionally between themselves. There is no question of fight. There is a Malthus's theory in economics that when the population is increased, there is... (end)

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: But everything... We should be satisfied.

Prabhupāda: That means he is trying to deviate from the path chalked out by their spiritual master.

Pṛthu-putra: No. On the opposite way, they try to learn more about the books because they feel they have to be spiritual teacher of the future. That is the opposite way.

Prabhupāda: That's all right...

Pṛthu-putra: They don't go away from Śrīla Prabhupāda's teaching. On the opposite, we try to learn more and to be more qualified in order to teach spiritually on the case...

Prabhupāda: But no, no..., that, that... They're overintelligent. Just like Nitāi has become overintelligent. "Please bless me I may find out a bona fide guru." He has written me.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So we have to discuss so many things, immense field. Go out... (break) At least you have to accept that "I am blind." So how you can show others the path? You are blind.

Jayapatākā: By distributing your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, then the people begin to realize that the scientists are blind. Once they begin to disbelieve and doubt the scientists, then the scientists themselves will also...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...be able to come out with the truth.

Prabhupāda: When a common man will challenge them that "You are rascal. You are blind. You are showing us road?" Then it will be. I refuse to accept it.

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

Bhavānanda:

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante

tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

mama vartmānuvartante

manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

(BG 4.11)

"Everyone follows My path in all respects." So even if I worship the demigods, I am worshiping ultimately Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇa says, "Everyone follows my path in all respects."

Prabhupāda: That is not the meaning. The meaning is: "Everyone is searching after Me, but they, unless they come to Me, they will search one after another position." What is the purport?

Bhavānanda: "Everyone is searching for Kṛṣṇa in different aspects of His manifestations. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is partially realized in His impersonal brahma-jyotir effulgence and as the all-pervading Supersoul dwelling within everything including the particles of atoms. But Kṛṣṇa is only fully realized by His pure devotees. Consequently Kṛṣṇa is the object of everyone's realization and thus anyone and everyone is satisfied according to one's desire to have him. In the transcendental..."

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

Prabhupāda: This is rascal. Therefore we say they are rascal. Path is one: mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and they have manufactured this, yato mata tato patha. Mata is one. Food has to be given to the mouth, not to the eyes. You can say, "Here is a hole, here is a hole. Here is a..." Anybody... No. This hole. There are nine holes all over the body. You cannot put food in either of them, only this one. You cannot water every part of the tree. Put water on the root, and everything is satisfied.

Bhavānanda: "I am not qualified to worship Kṛṣṇa, so let me just worship the Mother. She is part of Kṛṣṇa, so let me just worship her..."

Prabhupāda: You'll get the path of yānti deva. You go to Mother and become a goat and be sacrificed. You cut throat of a goat now by satisfying Mother, and next life the goat will cut throat, yours. Go to mother. That's all. If you like, you can go. And if you think that is good—by worshiping Mother, "I am getting daily nice goat flesh. Why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa?" That's all right, but be prepared, that so many times you'll be also cut, your head, and this goat will get chance to cut your head. Mother is witness. Mother is for the goat and for you also.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere, all over the world. It will be a revolution from godlessness to understanding of God. That is wanted. Otherwise the whole human society is suffering. Harāv abhaktasya kuto. This advancement of so-called education has no value. It is very risky. They do not know how the nature's law is working. Rascals. They are taking this short duration of life, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43), making big, big plans, forgetting they're completely under the control of nature. A very risky civilization. A living being gets the opportunity to understand all the secrets of nature's path, but he's denied the opportunity. Very dangerous He's thinking like animal. Eating, sleeping, that's all. And big, big educationist and in... Like Professor Kotofsky, he said, "Swamijī, after this body is finished, everything (is finished.)" Just see.

Room Conversation -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: (reads) "In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear."

Prabhupāda: The most dangerous type of fear is if my next life I become an animal. That is the most dangerous. But those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, given some service, for them there is no such fear. He gets another chance. Hmm.

Hari-śauri: (reads) Purport. "Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed. Otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading newspaper) "Distressed Nanda could come... Mr. Gujarilal Nanda, former home minister and acting prime minister, has resigned from the Congress after his close association with the party for fifty-six years. But he has let it be known that he is not joining any other party. His resignation is a protest against the failure of the Congress leaders to learn the bitter lesson of the recent chain of events. 'The growing dissensions and acute hostilities among warring factions have given me a severe jolt,' he says in a statement. 'I can see no prospect of abatement of these unseemly encounters and any effective role for myself.' Mr. Nanda, who is seventy-six, says that 'The Gandhian modes and principles are as relevant and valid for the future of the country as they were in the past, and this is the path for me.' Mr. Nanda released the text of three letters he wrote to Mrs. Indira Gandhi on June 27th, July 19th, 1975, and January 21, 1976. In his first letter Mr. Nanda said, 'I have been greatly troubled by the developments during recent weeks. What is happening now must cause deep concern to everyone in the country. I do not comprehend the full import of the measures that have been taken during the last two days, and the consequences they may bring in their train.' On January 21st, 1976, he wrote to Mrs. Gandhi, 'The present circumstances call for some new initiative. The people would expect this to come again from you, considering the position of vantage and eminence which you have occupied. It is your responsibility to guard the vital interests of the nation. On this account, there is room for necessary precautions and exercise of special powers in certain specific fields.' "

Prabhupāda: What is that picture?

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Duty, profit, so on, so on. And all these big, big millionaires, they are exacting money from the poor like that, and when they have got money, they spend little for daridra-nārāyaṇa. "Oh, very big man." And our program? Why you making daridra? Daridra? Our policy is this, that "Why should you make him daridra?" First of all make him daridra, and then take credit—"daridra-nārāyaṇa"? Just see how cheating is going on. But we are projecting this path for them: let them remain in their home, produce their own food only and cloth and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our policy. Our policy means Kṛṣṇa's policy. Let them have sufficiently to eat, and they'll be all satisfied. If the mind is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then they don't want anything, either liquor or meat or anything. No. This is the advantage. And this is not social... What is that? That first of all drag him from the innocent life of village and engage him in the factory in the hope of getting more money, and then he's habituated to liquor. When he cannot pay, they purchase this poison and die.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Mind's business is...

Young man (4): In seeking to bring order to this chaos, won't his natural path open before him? Won't he naturally come to spiritual sādhana?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the question?

Young man (4): I say, if a man sits down and admits to himself that his mind is chaotic, in trying to bring order to this chaos, won't his natural spiritual path open before him, when he sets about purifying his mind?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said, if someone is sitting down and the mind is very chaotic, and, he says, is there not something inherent within the living being that automatically that chaos will go away of its own accord?

Young man (4): No, no, no, that's not what I said.

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: So we are preaching that "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa." Our preaching is simple. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme." We say, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme." That's all. We repeat. We don't manufacture. What is the use of manufacturing? I am imperfect. Whatever I manufacture, that is imperfect. So better to repeat the words of the perfect. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He said, "Every one of you become guru and deliver your surrounding persons, either you are in family or in neighborhood or in society or in nation, as much as you can." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So whatever limited circle, you just become guru and deliver them. Deliver means deliver from the ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance, dehātma-buddhiḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So we have to teach them that "You are not this body. You are pure soul. Your business is different." And that is enlightenment. That is the business of guru. So we can do that business. And how to do it? That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You haven't got to manufacture anything. What Kṛṣṇa has already said, you repeat. Finish. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become guru. Very simple thing. If I say that "My father said, 'This is a bell,' " I am correct because I have learned it from my father, authority. I may be fool, rascal. It doesn't matter. But because I have learned it from the authority and presenting it that "This is a bell," this is perfect. Similarly, I cannot become guru because I am imperfect. My senses are imperfect. I cannot see even what is beyond this wall, although I am very much proud of my eyes. I want to see. What you can see? Imperfect, all senses. But if some authority says that "Beyond this wall this is the..., like this," it is all right. So we have to follow this path, that you become guru, deliver your neighborhood men, associates, but speak the authoritative words of Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Those who have no faith, even after hearing about Kṛṣṇa and the excellence of devotional service, who think that it is simply eulogy, find the path very difficult even if they are suppose..." (break)

Prabhupāda: So without this faith, nobody can achieve the association of Kṛṣṇa. There are two things. You become associate of Kṛṣṇa, or you become associate of this material world. So if you do not become associate of Kṛṣṇa, then the next step is this association of material world. And association of material world means accepting one type of body and enjoy or suffer for some time; then you get another body. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Now we have to make our choice, whether you want to stop this material way of life and attain the eternal spiritual life...

Gurukula Inspection -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fountain in the middle, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Garden must be there. And all around, pathway. Very good.

Indian man (2): But Swamiji, the fountain or the garden should be in the center or in one corner?

Prabhupāda: No, center.

Indian man (2): The center of this...

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That I do not know. (break) If I can continue this parikrama, that is spiritual cure. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then we can enlarge the parikrama path. Can we take you some time all around Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about to Govardhana?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: This is very, very nice weather now.

Brahmānanda: Yes, it's beautiful weather, fantastic weather.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So why is she talking? Why talk? Everything is illusion. Then why talk?

Brahmānanda: She said there are two paths. I said, "Yes, but your path is most difficult. So why are you promoting the most difficult path to follow?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But who cares for her path?

Akṣayānanda: (indistinct) a different path.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. You remain strong. Don't be intimidated by this... That is my request.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where he'll go?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Where will we go? We thought tomorrow to go around the parikrama path.

Prabhupāda: Which parikrama path?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vṛndāvana parikrama.

Lokanātha: Does a cart go?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've never tried it with a cart. Smara-hari, you say a cart couldn't go?

Lokanātha: No, he says it cannot go.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Smara-hari, who is familiar with the parikrama path, says that a bullock cart would not be able to pass in many of the places.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, then that means we can't do a Vṛndāvana parikrama.

Smara-hari: For example in Keśī-ghāṭa there's no...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's experienced. He says...

Lokanātha: This Vṛndāvana parikrama is mainly for walking and circumambulating. It's not meant for going in a vehicle, motor vehicle or bullock cart.

Haṁsadūta: Suppose we would go to Keśī-ghāṭa or one of the important temples like Govindajī.