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Reluctant (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:

Prabhupāda: Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone gives Me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ..." Patram means leaf. Puṣpam means flower. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ. Phalam, phalam means fruit. And toyam means water. So if anyone gives with faith and love to Kṛṣṇa patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, He eats and drinks. And if Kṛṣṇa eats and drinks our offering, then our life is successful. (Japanese)

Dai Nippon representative: Divine Grace? Meija Tajima(?) was vegetarian too. From eighteen years old up to twenty years, for two years he did eat only vegetables.

Prabhupāda: So now?

Dai Nippon representative: No. (laughter) Since Mr. Tajima lost his son, he has been reluctant to eat beef or meat. He doesn't like meat.

Prabhupāda: We have got so many nice vegetable preparations. We prepare from milk casein with nice preparations. If you want some of our assistants will teach you. So I think instead of eating meat, if you eat that preparation, it is tasting almost like meat, but it is strictly milk preparation. That is as much nutritious also, full of vitamins. (Japanese)

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, is this school for women also, or just for men?

Prabhupāda: For men. Women should automatically learn how to cook, how to cleanse home.

Satsvarūpa: So they don't attend varṇāśrama college.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Varṇāśrama college especially meant for the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya. Those who are not fit for education, they are śūdras. That's all. Or those who are reluctant to take education-śūdra means. That's all. They should assist the higher class.

Hṛdayānanda: Would the brāhmaṇas learn Sanskrit?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Not necessarily.

Hṛdayānanda: Not necessarily. Just more philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Just like I am translating all the books, similarly, any book of knowledge can be translated into different languages. Not that one has to learn Sanskrit. Why?

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All rascals. This is siddha. Api cet sudurācāraḥ. Because he's sticking to this principle, that "Kṛṣṇa is my everything," sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). That is sādhu (break) ...real things are not... And, and the next verse says, śaśvad bhavati dharmātmā. Because he has taken to this principle, other good qualities will soon come there. Don't bother. But first thing is that he has taken that "Kṛṣṇa is my life." Ananya-bhāk. Then everything will come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is wanted. That is siddhi. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ.

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

This is... One who has captured Kṛṣṇa, he has got siddhi. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. The highest perfection he has attained. That is wanted. Harāv abhaktasya kuto... If... One may be reluctant to sex life for a few days. Then again he'll do that. Because he has no shelter. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa param... Even they go to the Brahmaloka, they come down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa param. Kṛcchra, very severe austerities. They rise up to the Brāhmaṇaḥ padavī (?), and again fall down. Because they have no shelter. So all these siddhis are simply temporary. It has no meaning. It has no value. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So these siddhas will take many, many births to come to the point of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. You see? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: I was reading in the newspaper that a few days ago India exploded a nuclear bomb, an atomic bomb, underground. This was the first step. And they have declared that this was used for peaceful reasons, in order to develop...

Prabhupāda: There was a cartoon. When I... One leader is approached for food, that "We are in scarcity of food." The leader says, "Of course, it is very difficult to assure you for food grains. But from next week you will have television." (laughter) Next week you will have television. So these improvements are going on, television, but they are starving. This is going on. Advancement of knowledge and learning is going on in discovering television, but there is no food. This is the mismanagement of the leaders. Dishonest. There is enough food. Punjab still produces food grains. Bengal still produces rice, but they are stocked by government men, and they are mishandling. They are lying on the station for dispatch, but they will not be dispatched. They are rotting. Rainy season spoiled the whole stock; still, they are not dispatched. Official: "There is no dispatch order. There is no wagons available." Simply mismanagement or bribe. This is going on. And people are suffering. How it is possible to purchase? Suppose India's income, the average income, is very poor. Suppose one man earns ten rupees a day, and if he has to purchase ten rupees simply rice for the family, ten..., what for others? Then he becomes dishonest. He wants to earn money by taking bribe in his own capacity. So bribing has become a custom. Anywhere you go, unless you bribe, you cannot get release. And they say that "Whatever salary we are getting, that is not sufficient. Our extra earning is by taking bribe." And now in the Western countries also the difficulty is arising. I do not know whether you are already, I mean to say, aware that so many boys, they are becoming hippies. They are reluctant to do anything. That is a very dangerous sign. If you... If unemployment, no engagement, that is not good for the country. Everyone should be employed. Everyone should be engaged in some service. That should be the policy of the government. And everyone should be happy, without any anxiety. That is good government. So many people unemployed, doing nothing, producing nothing. Is it not a problem?

Richard Webster: Absolutely. It's the same everywhere.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everywhere.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: So he is still making propaganda? No.

Balavanta: Who, Guru Maharaj-ji? Not so much. You don't hear about them. There's not much activity.

Devotee (5): Decreasing. We are increasing, and they are decreasing.

Tripurāri: Sometimes the Christians are distributing papers still at the airports. We invite them to come and take prasāda with us every day.

Prabhupāda: They come?

Tripurāri: They are reluctant. Some, one or two, come.

Devotee (2): Every once in awhile someone we meet when we're distributing books comes and joins us for prasādam, one time a businessman and one time a soldier. Various people sometimes join us. We take a 12 o'clock, 12:30 lunch break. Sometimes we'll be joined by one of these people we distribute books to.

Prabhupāda: When you were with Maharishi? Come here.

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

Prabhupāda: Spiritualize.

Dr. Gerson: Yes.

Prabhupāda: These are all material necessities. So if you come to the spiritual platform, the test is that you have no material necessities. So long you are diseased, you require medicine, but when you are not diseased there is no need of medicine. It is the healthy state. So so long we are materially diseased, we require all these material necessities. So when you are on the spiritual platform there is no material (indistinct). Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, then you conquer over even our prime necessities, eating, sleeping, mating, and defense, the prime necessities the primary necessities, you don't require. You will sleep less, you will eat less, there is no need of mating, (indistinct), very less. So the lesser, lesser you become, that means spiritual. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra (SB 11.2.42). Your spiritual advancement means you become reluctant, disgusted with this, no more. Just like Yamunācārya, he explains his position,

yadavadhi mama cetāḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
nava-nava-(rasa-)dhaman(y udyataṁ) rantum āsīt
tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāṇe
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"Since I have begun my Kṛṣṇa consciousness the more I advance I become very much detestful for sex life. As soon as I think of sex life I spite on it."

Dharmādhyakṣa: Spit?

Prabhupāda: This is the test. So long we have got taste for this material enjoyment, that means we are not advanced. Therefore the Vedic civilization is, voluntarily they give up this household life and become a sannyāsī, where there is no need of sex life. Then, after sannyāsa life, he becomes paramahaṁsa. That is Vedic civilization.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is a good idea. That we can do.

Jayapatākā: And some place for studying also.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Five bighās. That we can do. If they agree, then let them give us. We shall do.

Jayapatākā: Lalitā Prasāda Ṭhākura was saying that.... He was feeling that one more interview with you was necessary. However, I'm reluctant to say to go today because I haven't seen him for a month or two, and I don't want a two-three hour trip to just go. Maybe nothing may come of it. That's why I'm thinking on the way to Calcutta there would be more..., wouldn't be much expenditure of time, I mean, as far as traveling goes. And let's say, if something comes of it, then it's all right. If something doesn't come, it's not such a great loss.

Prabhupāda: All right, we can do that. Then we shall go by the nice...

Jayapatākā: Oh, yes. The nice. There's only one little bridge. Other than that, everything is all right.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayapatākā: There's one bridge like we went over yesterday. That's a little.... Otherwise, everywhere...

Prabhupāda: No, no, bridge, it is in good condition or not? Sometimes it is.... Last time we went, that injured.... It made some damage.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Similar proposal was there in Montreal. Then it will become a business. They are not devotees. They have no good place to perform the marriage, they come here.

Jagadīśa: The rest of the year they don't come.

Prabhupāda: You have got a separate place for allowing them?

Viśvakarmā: Yes, we have this other room adjacent to the temple room, which is very large.

Prabhupāda: So that can be used by them. Not the big hall.

Viśvakarmā: Not the temple room, but use this other one. The idea being that they will start to relate to the temple.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Viśvakarmā: Most of the time they're reluctant to come, but if they think there is some facility, then they'll come anyway, for that. Then they can see the Deities. And they will pay for catering. We will serve them prasāda, and they will give the money for the prasāda. In that way they can get prasāda from the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Oh, prasāda we shall arrange. And they will pay for that.

Viśvakarmā: Yes, just like the Christians. They have that kind of thing when they have a banquet.

Prabhupāda: That can be accepted.

Viśvakarmā: The type of ceremonies, they want some sort of...

Jagadīśa: Havana.

Viśvakarmā: What's that?

Jagadīśa: Havana, fire.

Viśvakarmā: Yes, they want fire sacrifice. Can we give them some other ceremony to satisfy them?

Prabhupāda: Other ceremony? Why?

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

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda? How can we give up our enviousness and reluctance to serve the spiritual master and the other devotees?

Prabhupāda: Answer.

Dhrstadyumna: One can free himself from envy by serving. You serve the devotees and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. In this way the mind becomes your best friend.

Prabhupāda: A devotee is never envious of another devotee. He is not a devotee. Tad-adhīneṣu maitrī. One who is devotee, we have to make friendship with them. How we can hate them?

Devotees: Jaya, all glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: They get a bit confused because God has to... Like that man last night was saying not even a blade of grass can move without God's sanction. So they think because God sanctions...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is so many times explained. Just like a child wants to do something. The father says, "Don't do it," I have said several times. Reluctantly, "All right, do it." I have given this example of my practical experience in 1925 or '26 when my son was two years old. There was a table fan, "I would like to touch it." And I said, "No, no, don't touch." This is child. So but it's a child. He again tried to touch it. So there was a friend, he said, "Just slow the speed and let him touch." So I did it, slowed the speed and he touched-tung! Then he would not touch. You see. So this sanction was given, "Touch it," reluctantly. Now when he gets experience and I ask him, "Touch again?" "No." So this sanction. All of us who have come to this material world, it is like that. Reluctantly. Therefore God comes again to inform these rascals that "Now you have tried so much, better give up this, come to Me again." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Sanction was given, certainly, and he has experience, very bitter, but still he won't... This is obstinacy. Dog's mentality. The father has come personally. Now we have experimented everything—karma, jñāna, yoga, this, that, all nonsense. "Now I say..." It is said most confidential. Sarva-guhyatamam. "Better give up this job. Surrender to Me, come back to Me." So sanction was there, certainly. Without sanction they cannot do it. God created this. That is sanction. You wanted material world to enjoy. "All right, do it, here is material world. Take as much petrol as you like and drive motorcar and create accident, do, go on. But now I am giving you good advice, that give up this business, come back to Me." This is sanction. Reluctant, the same example. I did not like that child to touch the fan, but he would insist. "All right, make an experiment." And when he got the experience, next time, ask him, "Now do it?" "No." This is going on. The sanction, without sanction there is no possibility. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanam—that is mattaḥ, "from Me." But he's insisting, so therefore sanction—"All right, let him experiment." That independence God never touches. So he has got independence.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: They are paying, yes. So it will have to be dealt with very, very tactfully because for a long time there's been so many devotees here who have just not been engaged. And now someone is coming and he's trying to capture them...

Prabhupāda: Reluctant to work.

Haṁsadūta: ...trying to take account of their time and they become upset. They think, "Oh, now this man is going to take my time."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Haṁsadūta: Just for example... (break) ...chanting from nine to twelve, could you please chant then? She became furious. She said, "I am already making garlands for four hours. I have no time."

Prabhupāda: No, no, if she is making garlands that is another thing.

Haṁsadūta: I know, but it's only four hours and I said there are twenty four hours, so that leaves twenty hours left over. It will take a little time to account their time and convince them that they have to accept more and more engagement.

Prabhupāda: No, if somebody is engaged in some business, so he may not chant. That concession may be given. But chanting...

Haṁsadūta: But, actually...

Prabhupāda: It is not very compulsory. Take it.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. He was implicated. This is māyā, that although he got svarāja, he was not free. He was full of anxiety, and he he was not at all... (aside:) Ayi. Jaya. So long one is absorbed in material thoughts, he'll be full of anxieties.

Guest (1): That's true. He was full of anxieties.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That means he could not get any spiritual idea. Asad grahāt. Material existence means accepting something which will not exist, asat. Asato mā sad gamaya. The Vedic instruction is: "Do not remain in this material world, and make your progress..." Asato mā sad gamaya. But people are so accustomed to materialistic way of life that they are reluctant. That is māyā, very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is very, very difficult. Māyā tries to punish every conditioned soul, and as soon as there is some attempt to get out of the clutches of māyā, she becomes still strong: "Where you shall go my dear son? You remain with me." Yaḥ devī sarva-bhūteṣu nidra-rūpiṇa sam...(?) In the Caṇḍī, yaḥ devī, he is situated, keeping the conditioned souls in dream. He is simply dreaming, "I'll be happy in this way; I'll be happy in that way." And that is mental concoction. He'll never be happy. Kṛṣṇa said moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ, āsurīṁ bhāvam āśri... (BG 9.12). Because he has not recognized the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all his hopes and endeavors will be baffled. So even a person like Mahatma Gandhi, he became baffled.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: What he...? He's not qualified man.

Rāmeśvara: This past year Russia sponsored a war in Africa, Angola. Is it Africa or South America? It's Africa, Angola? The Russians sponsored one war. They supplied all the money, all the weapons, and they were victorious. They conquered a country through their local Communist party.

Prabhupāda: Which is?

Rāmeśvara: It's called Angola. And the Americans were trying to support the opposing side. But the public in America has got such a bad taste from Vietnam that they became what they call isolationists.

Prabhupāda: They have become hopelessly, what is called, unsuccessful in Vietnam.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. So they're very, very reluctant. So they withdrew public support, and the government had to withdraw, and the country was lost.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: America, it seems, is becoming very weak.

Prabhupāda: Means if they have got strength, if they have got strength they can attack Russia. I've said that. But they have no moral strength. Drunkard, illicit sex, they have no mental determination, cannot.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. Actually even in Los Angeles, where there is a small settlement, the entire Indian population is supporting us. They have their own societies, Gujarat, Maharastran, but all of them have voted to endorse our Ratha-yātrā and to support it with all their facilities.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they'll do. Indians and Americans, they are well-to-do. In foreign countries, everywhere, I see, Indians, their position is better than in India. In your country also. Indians in foreign countries, they get more facilities. Personally also, I could not do here in India in spite of twenty-three years. And as soon as I went to America, all facilities came to me. Of course, it took some time. That takes some... Indian, the worst government and everything is crippled, crippled. People are hampered. And the government servant, they're simply wasting time and drawing big, big salary. This is India. Very precarious condition. Fighting, party, that party, that party. Because India's original culture is very, very strong, despite all these disadvantages, they are still standing, mass of people. Otherwise India's government is worthless. Hm? What do you think?

Rāmeśvara: It's obvious.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Rāmeśvara: It is obvious, what you are saying.

Prabhupāda: When I left India, I promised "I'll never come here." I was reluctant to do anything here. You know that? No action do there. But still, I thought that "At least in Māyāpur let me have my..." (laughs) At least Māyāpur, that "There is Vaiṣṇava, so many resident, in Māyāpur, Vṛndāvana." I was... I promised that "I'll never come again, back again here." That was my promise. But Kṛṣṇa wanted. That's all right. I was quite disgusted. Still I am disgusted. America giving permanent resident, these rascals will not give. What is wrong? In your country they also get permanent resident, outsiders?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: In my country there is also a reaction towards Indians. I had to come twice. Once I came the night before, and they would not give me visa at the entry.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The Indian government.

Prabhupāda: Indian. Indian?

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: These are the symptoms of affection, to embrace son and smell head.

Pradyumna: Tad anusmṛty udaśravaḥ (teṣāṁ sutānām anusmṛtyā anusmaraṇe udgacchanti aśrūṇi netra-jalāni yeṣāṁ te tādṛśāḥ jātāḥ). By the... Teṣāṁ sutānām anusmṛtyā anusmaraṇe.

Prabhupāda: So translate.

Pradyumna: "By remembering their sons." Anantara vayaska gopa-gaṇa putrāliṅgane paramānanda lābha kariyā. Ati-kaṣṭe kramaśaḥ...

Prabhupāda: You can translate into English?

Pradyumna: "Thereafter, the elderly cowherdsmen," putrāliṅgane paramānanda lābha kariyā, "obtaining great bliss from embracing their sons..."

Prabhupāda: Feeling.

Pradyumna: "Attained great feeling." Ati-kaṣṭe kramaśaḥ āliṅganādi vyāpāra haite nivṛta hailena. "They ceased from the embracing of their sons gradually with..." Ati-kaṣṭe?

Prabhupāda: With great difficulty.

Pradyumna: "...with great difficulty. With reluctance." Takhana putra-smṛti-vaśataḥ tāṅhādera netra-jala udgata haite lāgila. "And from remembering... On account of remembering their sons," putra-smṛti-vaśataḥ tāṅhādera netra-jala udgata, "tears began to..."

Prabhupāda: Roll down.

Pradyumna: "...roll down from their eyes."

Prabhupāda: In this way it can be done, and it will require a very good editing. Then it will be all right. And at the same time discussion of Bhāgavata will go on. Is that correct? What the editor said?

Pradyumna: What does the editor say? Is this all right?

Jayādvaita: Sure it's all right. This is good. This plan is good.

Prabhupāda: So let us do that. So each word you read very distinctly. It doesn't matter it takes time.

Jayādvaita: And Pradyumna, you can work ahead on this translation, so that it can be read...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Room Conversation With Dr. Ghosh -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Lokanātha: Dr. Ghosh likes you very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lokanātha: And there's practical liking. Not just words, but he wants to render services unto you. That is better.

Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa has made him happy in all respect.

Lokanātha: Yes. He was mentioning to me that.

Prabhupāda: From monetary point of view, from family life, position. He is the biggest medical practitioner in Allahabad. Everyone knows. Even in the street, Dr. Ghosh they know. So take care of him very carefully.

Lokanātha: Yes, we'll take care of him. I'll promise. Actually his daughter was very much reluctant that he should not go or should not go immediately. But he did not hear her. He just decided to go. But I had to promise his daughter that I would take care of him. She was saying that he should not also become patient along with Śrīla Prabhupāda, as he is old and like that. We'll give him good room and nice accommodation.

Prabhupāda: Attendant, whatever he wants.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda. Right now we're arranging a good room. He'll have his bath, meals. He asked for some fruits, so we're arranging. Don't worry. We'll give him everything nicely as your dear old friend. I think you should begin now, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think we should begin to give you this enema now.

Prabhupāda: Begin.

Page Title:Reluctant (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:27 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=16, Let=0
No. of Quotes:16