Prabhupāda: So many ladies, like that. That scene, I shall direct how to do it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father was not very rich man. So there was a big zamindar. He was devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So he had some affection for Caitanya. So when the marriage ceremony was being settled up, he said, "Oh, His marriage shall not be just like the brāhmaṇas' marriage." Brāhmaṇa's wife, they are poor; so there is no expenditure. Some way or other, his marriage is done. But especially kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, oh, they spend lakhs of rupees in marriage. So he said that "His marriage will not take place just like the brāhmaṇas. His marriage will be royal marriage." So he spent all the money, and there was grand, everything grandeur.
Rupees (Conv. 1969 - 1975)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:
Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Yes, you require five hundred. I know that. That is not much. To maintain a family nowadays five hundred rupees is not much but where is the money? How can I pay you?
Guest (4): I would be a very good asset to your publications work.
Prabhupāda: That I know. You are qualified, educated boy. You can do it. But one thing I can do, that you can live with your family just like they are living. That I can arrange. And whatever food we can provide you have to accept. We can... We can arrange for the education of your children also, everything. But we cannot pay anything. That is not possible. We can take charge of the husband and wife. We can take charge of your children. But it is not possible to pay. And besides that, when there is question of payment the service is not good because the payment means he is serving the money. He is not serving the cause.
Room Conversation -- December 21, 1970, Surat:
Guest (3): In Bombay you can get.
Prabhupāda: No. We took quotation from Times of India press about our, this Back to Godhead magazine. They quoted, "Two rupees, twelve annas," cost price. Now at what price we shall sell?
Guest (3): This will be very costly.
Prabhupāda: Very costly here. And even if we pay, this nature, this type of book, is very difficult to be printed in India, such nice paper, printing.
Haṁsadūta: Even on U.S. standards, these books, although they retail for eight dollars each, they are worth at least twenty dollars. If you purchase a book of this quality... Generally art books come like this, with many color illustrations, and they charge twenty dollars.
Prabhupāda: Here you have seen that letter? Five?
Guest (4): Yes.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- February 14, 1971, Gorakhpur:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Or both. You might get both.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have seen, they have spoken like that. Because the patient will think, "Oh, I take injection, I'll be very quickly cured." He will canvass like that. Because if he gives a bottle of medicine, that will not be very costly. But injection in his hand, he'll (have) at least five rupees, that much. So he'll canvass like that, "What kind of treatment you want, injection or ordinary medicine." So he'll say, "Sir, best medicine I want." "Then you take injection." That's all. It is a fact that the whole human civilization is a society of cheaters and cheated. That's all. Any field. mayaiva vyavaharite. The whole world in this Kali-yuga: mayaiva vyavaharite. Vyavaharite means ordinary dealings, there will be cheating. Ordinarily, there will be cheating. Daily affairs. Not to speak of very great things. Ordinary dealings, there will be cheating. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, mayaiva vyavahari. The sooner you get out of this scene is better. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So long you live, you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and preach Kṛṣṇa's glories, and that's all. Otherwise, you should know that this is a dangerous place. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ (SB 10.14.58). In every step there is danger.
Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:
Mohsin Hassan: Could you recall the beginning of your first trip to USA and how you spread the message? I was told that you came here with six dollars, and then...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because our government, India government would not allow to take money to go outside. So somehow or other I got the P-form sanction, and one big shipping company, they allowed me free passage. So I came here with great difficulty. Of course I was very comfortably situated on the sea, but still, because I am not accustomed, I got sea sickness. So the travel was very miserable. Still I came. Then for one year, I was going here and there, there was no fixed-up position, and then in 1...9, I came here in 1965, September, then 1966, July, I incorporated the society and started my preaching in a storefront, and... Second Avenue. And then gradually the students came and it developed, one branch after. Now we have got sixty branches, and our expenditure is very heavy. According to Indian calculation it is about 700,000's of rupees. We are paying every rent, we have got in each center not less than twenty-five devotees, up to hundred, hundred and fifty. So it is going on by Kṛṣṇa's grace.
Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: Our everyone's future is Kṛṣṇa. You believe in Kṛṣṇa and nobody of our group has got any need, because we believe in Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Those who are engaged in my service, I personally attend to their needs," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Perhaps you know this. Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, Kṛṣṇa is supplying the necessities of everyone, because Kṛṣṇa is God. So God is supplying the necessities of everyone. That is one thing. But He takes special interest for those who are devotees, pure devotees. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- samo 'ham sarva-bhūteṣu
- na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ
- ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
- teṣu te mayi
- (BG 9.29)
"I am equal to everyone. Nobody is my enemy; nobody is my friend. But anyone who is engaged in my service with love and devotion, I am especially attached." So Kṛṣṇa is feeding even cats and dogs, and why He shall not feed us, we are engaged in His service? Why? It is simply a question of understanding. One should know that Kṛṣṇa is feeding the elephant, Kṛṣṇa is feeding the ant. So there are 8,400,000 species of living entities. So if one who has completely forgotten Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is feeding them, then why not we? We have no other business than Kṛṣṇa. So it is a question of confidence and surrender. And actually we have no problem. So far our children are going, these boys, they are taking prasādam, we are taking prasādam, we are traveling all over the world, spending, as I told you, over 700,000's of rupees per month, but we have no source of income fixed. We have no business. Nobody goes to the factory, nobody goes to work, but still we are maintaining our establishment.
Room Conversation -- London, August 10, 1971:
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Śyāmasundara: I'm thinking of the way Sadha Jivat Lal(?) raised so many lakhs of rupees, by selling, organizing, highly organized...
Prabhupāda: No, no. If they will, they can.
Śyāmasundara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: But he says they're not willing. That is the difference.
Mr. Arnold: I don't think they're willing at this stage, my lord, because there's been so little done for them, and I feel, and I...
Śyāmasundara: Well, we're having Jagannātha parade, Prabhupāda is speaking...
Mr. Arnold: Yes, but in their own communities, we, I suggested a long time ago that in fact there should be an appeal, start off with an appeal in the local papers.
Prabhupāda: The priestly class, they will make propaganda against us: "Oh, they are mlecchas, they are Europeans, they are Americans. What they can do? It is not good." Because India, the caste system is very strong. So I am giving the Europeans and Americans the opportunities to become brāhmaṇa, they are not satisfied.
Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:
Dr. Singh: Aśvamedhi.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore in the instruction of Viśvadeva(?), the śūdras should be given money so they can live very comfortably, not more. Then they will be spoiled. And that is being done. Śūdras get money, they do not know how to use it. Just like a child, you give hundred rupees, he will spoil it. He does know. (Bengali) The monkey is decorated with pearl necklace. Even Hanumān.
Dr. Singh: (laughs) He did it.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) "Oh, you are so nice. Come on, take it." And there is another proverb in Bengal, (Bengali). (Bengali), the cultivator, what does he know about the taste of liquor? These are very instructive(?).
Śyāmasundara: The cultivator?
Prabhupāda: Cultivator. (indistinct)
Dr. Singh: That is before the days of country liquor.
Prabhupāda: If you give one bottle of John Walker...
Dr. Singh: (laughs) Johnnie.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:
Prabhupāda: It is māyā. I give you piece of paper and you think on thousand rupees. This is māyā.
Guest: Yes. You see it depends on the credit to the man who gives the promise. Paper is mainly the document of credit. Governments have till now kept their credit, but now they have learned to disregard their promises also.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: So that is one of the main troubles.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: This is knowledge. Just like a child sometimes takes something important. He'll not spare it. So we have to flatter, "Oh, you are so nice, please take these lozenges and give me that paper. Hundred rupees, it is nothing. It is paper." (laughter) And he will, "Oh, yes, take. That's nice. That two-paise lozenges is very nice. It is sweet." So we have to do like that. Why? Because he'll go to hell taking Kṛṣṇa's money. So some way or other, take some money from him and engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Bob: And then he may not go to hell.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You save him from going to hell. Because a farthing spent for Kṛṣṇa it will be accounted, "Oh, this man has given a farthing." This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Ajñāta-sukṛti means doing pious activities without knowledge. So we give everyone chance to act very piously without his knowledge. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Mahad-vicalanaṁ nṟṇāṁ gṛhīṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Dīna-cetasām. They're very poor in their thought. Therefore the saintly persons work(?) just to enlighten him little, to give him chance to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is saintly person's study.
Room Conversation with Gaurachand Gosvami At the Radha-Damodara Temple (Mostly Bengali) -- March 11, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: To ride on a car in Vṛndāvana. (chuckles) (break) (inside a building:) Price is fixed up at five thousand, then it comes to...
Indian man: Minimum is five hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: Why five hundred? Sixty...
Indian man: Sixty-five rupees per thousand for the stamp duty, then court fees, and then other (indistinct) solicitor charges or the (indistinct) charges. So the last time... (break)
Prabhupāda: Yes. So...
Indian man: Would you like to see the draft, Prabhupāda, first?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Indian man: If you like it, then I can send that draft?
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is... I want...
Indian man: You want to see the draft first?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because if there is little to be changed, then...
Room Conversation with Gaurachand Gosvami At the Radha-Damodara Temple (Mostly Bengali) -- March 11, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Guru dāsa: That should be included.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is (indistinct) (break) Thousand rupees?
Indian man: No, eight hundred. Put it eight hundred.
Prabhupāda: Write eight hundred and sign, I will sign. (break)
Indian man (2): A place for you, for a park, nice place for the ashram, on the parikrama path.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man (2): Away from the town hustle and bustle and...
Prabhupāda: What is their demand?
Indian man (2): Which one? I showed him... I showed two places. Which one?
Guru dāsa: The very large one right next to the road. The road curves like this. It is still part of that property.
Prabhupāda: You have not given that? Then change little. Not change—we have got addition that that portion cannot be used...
Room Conversation -- March 12, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So Rādhā-kuṇḍa Mukerjee, he has supported cow slaughter. He was given a post, made a parliament member first of all. So this poor man, five hundred rupees per month, he accepted. Then he induced that "You take more money, write like this." So if you pay money... British government's whole policy was that if the Indians are kept strict Hindus, it is next to impossible to govern them. So therefore they adopted this policy. They changed the whole policy how the Hindu will think everything mentioned in the śāstra is nonsense. They have trained up, and Nehru is the first-class trainee. Everything mentioned in the śāstra, the Arya-samaj, they also wrote Saptartha (indistinct), so many. And Dr. Radhakrishnan also. All the scholars, they would never mention any śāstra more than once within one thousand years. That means...
Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:
Prabhupāda: Because the United States, they are our best customer. A businessman goes to a place... Just like you have come here. Why you have come here? Wherever there is best possibility of doing your business, there you must go. I went to United States because I know these people are not poverty-stricken. And our Indian people, they are now, they have been trained to think like that—they are poverty-stricken. Actually, they are not poverty-stricken, but the leaders have educated them that, "You are all poverty-stricken." This is India's position. So far I knew that it would not be successful in India. The government will not help. The public is educated in a different way. They are after technology. So and "familiarity breeds contempt." They say, "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement? It is known to us since a long time. What effect it will have?" Many Indian students in foreign countries, they say, "Swamiji, what will this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement benefit us? We want technology." So that is the mentality of the Indians at the present moment. They have lost everything and therefore they are beggars. They have lost their own culture and therefore they are beggars. So I thought it wise that I shall go to a country where there is no poverty. They will learn. They have enough. For material enjoyment, they have got enough. The material enjoyment means money and woman. That is, in America, it is lying on the street. As much as you like, you can take. But they are disgusted with this material enjoyment. Therefore they are coming as hippies. They are coming from very rich family. Their fathers, their grandfathers, are very rich. At least they belong to the richest nation. But they are not satisfied. They are not satisfied. That is the natural sequence. The Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one has satisfied his senses sufficiently, he is no longer interested in sense gratification. Perhaps you know C.R. Das, the name of C.R. Das in Calcutta. In those days, fifty years ago he was earning fifty thousand rupees per month, but he was not satisfied.
Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:
Prabhupāda: So there I began to write books, and then when three books were finished I started for America. And there also I wrote many books, dozens of books. You have seen our books. Our Kṛṣṇa Book is selling like anything in Europe and America. We are practically maintaining ourself by selling books. We have got our book sale all over the world, about twenty to 25,000 rupees daily and we have to spend seven to eight lakhs of rupees monthly. In Los Angeles alone we spend $20,000 per month. In New York we spend $10,000 per month.
Guest (1): Doing what? How do you spend it?
Prabhupāda: We have to maintain our establishment, the temple, the Deity, so many devotees. In each center we have got at least twenty-five devotees. At the most two hundred devotees. So their living costs, everything, by some way or other, Kṛṣṇa is giving us. But we have no fixed income; neither we have any bank balance.
Morning Walk -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Just like all the men, they are spending two thousand rupees for maintenance. They must work. And if they go with the books to any gentleman, they'll take. Māyā-sukhāya udvahato vimūḍhān. (break) Americans are giving so much service, knowledge. Arrange everything. They are giving already; simply they should be distributed through us-powdered milk, grains. People will feel so much obliged, "Oh, these American people are giving us knowledge and food." Practically they'll see how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious—by our aratika, by our kīrtana, by our behavior, by our character. Not only in India—everywhere. This is real service to the human.
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Nidrā āhāra vihāra, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau. Āhāra nidrā vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was, at that time, 500 years ago, his father's income was 12 lakhs of rupees.
Sumati Morarjee: I know Jīva Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, or Rūpa, Sanātana.
Prabhupāda: Rūpa-Sanātana was minister, minister.
Sumati Morarjee: Ah, I know. And that you know, those other two also, what is their name? They were also very high up.
Prabhupāda: Rāmānanda Rāya?
Sumati Morarjee: Ah, Rāmānanda Rāya.
Prabhupāda: He was governor.
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Los Angeles.
Sumati Morarjee: Good income?
Prabhupāda: Yes, because any ordinary room is about a hundred twenty-five dollars. So a hundred twenty-five dollars in our Indian exchange is about thousand rupees. So, thousand rupees, two rooms, who will pay in India?
Sumati Morarjee: No, nobody will pay.
Prabhupāda: (laughter) No one will pay. So then therefore I thought that to purchase one, two house, so that as Vṛndāvana property, because I am maintaining now the whole institution by begging. But when Vṛndāvana and Navadvīpa deities are there, there is no income.
Sumati Morarjee: No, there won't be any ... both places...
Prabhupāda: In Bombay we can go to you..."Mataji we have no more money, please give me some."
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Dacca? No?
Sumati Morarjee: Yes, yes, our office used to be. We had property. We have lost about twenty-six lakhs of rupees with both sides of Pakistan.
Prabhupāda: Oh, you had to close your office?
Sumati Morarjee: We had our own (indistinct), our own house in Chittagong, then our offices, then (indistinct), and our manager he was interned, and we (indistinct) in Karachi also.
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Sumati Morarjee: We had big property in Karachi.
Prabhupāda: So, so they cannot return.
Sumati Morarjee: They're not returning anything. With great difficulty. I put up a fight with the British to get back my ship with that interned one passenger.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that scrap I saw when I was going.
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: And we are, Nara-nārāyaṇa has been engaged to make it a nice garden. All vacant land, we are getting nice garden, and the owner of the land, he has given me the best facility. First of all, the land is worth minimum 30,000,000 rupees.
Devotee: Thirty lakhs?
Prabhupāda: Thirty lakhs. But he has given me for fourteen lakhs. And that's also by instrument, in three years, or four years, without any interest...
Devotee: Who is that man?
Prabhupāda: Mr. Nair. Mrs. Nair. She is, she is also very nice devotee. So every year four lakhs of rupees, in three years, or four years, fourteen lakhs, without any interest. So we have got good facility. And in Vṛndāvana, some gentleman has given us the land.
Devotee: Is the land in Vṛndāvana, is it in the city? Is it on the outside of Vṛndāvana, or is it in the city?
Prabhupāda: No, it is just in front of Bon Mahārāja's college.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Dhanañjaya: He approached me and he said... I was talking about life members to him, saying, "Why shouldn't it be one hundred pounds? This is a good price for life members." And he said, "Well, fifty-one pounds, this is the value of one hundred(?) rupees." He said, "I am prepared to give fifty-one pounds." Then he said, "Actually, I have given already more than than fifty-one pounds. I have given Kṛṣṇa's jewelry, so why you don't make me life member?" And I said, "But you have not asked." And he said, "But I have given at least..."
Devotee (2): Make him life member. He's given all the jewelry.
Prabhupāda: Is he a very influential man?
Dhanañjaya: What's the definition of influential man?
Prabhupāda: Or he's not very... He talks?
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Trivedi.
Revatīnandana: Yeah. I talked to him, but he will not become a life member. He wouldn't even give that much rupees. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: They are not very highly paid. Within thousand. In Japan also. The high salary is in your country.
Devotee: Hm.
Prabhupāda: Unexpected fabulous(?) Just like that boy who came to see me yesterday. He's in India, he's getting 900 dollars, that means our ten thousand rupees. Gopal is also not getting. I asked Gopal to continue his service and give 400 dollars per month.
Devotee (1): Hm. Each month. That's great. Very good.
Prabhupāda: So here we shall give you books, cost price only, and you sell books by profit only and spend for building.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Dhanañjaya: He's a printer, and he came in the van with you from the airport. He's a very nice man. He's doing printing for us. He says he has so many thousands of rupees in Bombay and in Madras from his printing. And he also wants to offer his services. I think he will come tomorrow to see you.
Prabhupāda: They can print our books, in Bombay.
Dhanañjaya: He said he wanted to offer his services here for this temple somehow or other by getting money from advertising purposes. He's the director of some company that's just been started. It's called Golden Products. They make all kinds of consumer goods like shampoos and soap powders, so many things like that, for household use. And he wanted to use his symbol, Golden Products, with this society. This is his idea.
Prabhupāda: Golden powder?
Dhanañjaya: Golden Products.
Prabhupāda: In our society? No.
Dhanañjaya: I told him...
Prabhupāda: That is not possible.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Yes. There was a boy.
Dhanañjaya: His other idea is, he said he was working for Sai Baba, Satya Sai Baba. He said that in India he had raised so many thousands of lakhs of rupees by making posters. They are impersonal posters, so much nonsense in them, but they sold like lottery tickets. In this way he printed them and made so much money.
Prabhupāda: I mean he cannot suggest. We cannot accept anyone's suggestion.
Dhanañjaya: Yeah.
Devotee: That's proven to be too..., too horrible.
Devotee: Yes, always.
Devotee (2): I saw Mr.... Who was that? What's that man's name who made your first record in New York?
Prabhupāda: Collin.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: He's selling beads, records, on our account. (laughter)
Devotee (1): He was being cheated himself, in Bombay. He was being cheated like anything. He was paying one rupee for one strand of beads, those poor quality beads. (pause)
Prabhupāda: Now you can arrange for the car?
Devotee: Yes. Ātreya Ṛṣi is going to be working on it, too, to raise funds.
Prabhupāda: So, at least two first-class car must go to India.
Devotee: Cadillac?
Prabhupāda: Any. They must recognize, "Here the American guru is going."
Devotee: Have to get Cadillac.
Prabhupāda: (laughter) If the American guru has no car, he's walking on the street, that is disgrace for you. Is it not? (laughs) And they criticize, "Oh, what kind of guru you are, you are walking on the street? You are American guru?"
Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: There is no temple in India. As we are maintaining our temple, there is no such temple in India. There are temple, they are neglected. Just like here, the churches are neglected. (break) ...demons, and here we are manufacturing demigods.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I read in the news that in the next five-year plan, they are planning to spend about thirty-two billion rupees for education, the greatest for ten years. They said that there were so many mistakes for the last ten years in introducing the basic education that everybody said there is no success. So they are planning another thirty-two billion rupees from 1974 onwards.
Prabhupāda: What education? To eat meat and beef.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That education. And no restriction of sex even amongst the leaders.
Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes, avidyā.
Jayatīrtha: So they're spending so much, so many billions of rupees, simply to culture ignorance.
Prabhupāda: Making rogues and guṇḍās and hippies, that's all. The science is manufacturing atom bomb, and philanthropy is becoming hippies. This is the result of education. They are manufacturing compounds, strong contraceptive method, infallible contraceptive method. Suffering only. What is the time now?
Jayatīrtha: (?) minutes to seven.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So this propensity will increase in this Kali-yuga.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)
Jayatīrtha: ...so many riots by the students at the university there that the shopkeepers in the local area are suing the State because the windows have been broken so many times and so much merchandise has been stolen by the students, they think the State should pay them back.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they must. The State must be responsible.
Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So I had no money, (laughter). But one nice boy—his name is known all over the world, George Harrison—he has promised to give me loan.
Dr. Kapoor: Kṛṣṇa has all the money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So actually, we are spending not less than seven lakhs of rupees per month throughout the whole our institution. But by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are selling our books very nicely.
Dr. Kapoor: That's very encouraging. That's most encouraging.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are selling our books, average, at the rate of 25,000 rupees per day.
Dr. Kapoor: Ah. That is unbelievable, I must...
Prabhupāda: Yes. So they are selling magazines, books, and especially our Nectar of Devotion is selling like hotcakes. (laughter) Nectar of Devotion. So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging. There is no scarcity. And I am traveling throughout the world at least twice in a year. And each time we have to spend... Now we purchased $20,000 ticket for four persons. $20,000. $20,000 means how much in Indian exchange? $20,000 to ten times.
Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Ravan?
Pañca-draviḍa: Rava or something, a particular notation on the calendar, it corresponds to March or April, r—a something. I don't know the exact period of time, but by March, the government says they will completely..., they want to completely take over the control of wheat by this time. They have already taken over the control of atta and flour and now suji. They want to take over the control of wheat and the control of sugar completely. So all these things we are seeing is what they are doing, they are taking over control, they are rationing the items, but in the ration shop you can get 800 grams of the product and then you have to go out onto the market and buy at outrageous prices, because nobody can feed a family on 800 grams of sugar a month. It's very little for five people. The price of sugar has gone up over a rupee and a half since the government took over.
Prabhupāda: Ration means black market. (break)
Devotee (3): ...especially in Bengal. (break) You come to Calcutta, we will keep you forever.
Pañca-draviḍa: But in Bombay we'll make better arrangements.
Prabhupāda: We have published one brochure.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:
Śrīdhara Mahārāja: I had one house in Station Road belonging to Naren Mullik. (indistinct) very small (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, he wanted to rent us only for ninety rupees. I told him, "You just give me the concession. He, at that time he was getting 125, but because I am his friend, "All right, I'll give you, ninety rupees." So that could not happen somehow or other. So I was trying from the very beginning after the disappearance of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.
Śrīdhara Mahārāja: First appearance of Back to Godhead (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944. I think you were at that time at my house. Yes. So, somehow or other, this intention for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu increased and the other side decreased. Viraktir anyatra syāt. But I was not disinclined, but Kṛṣṇa forced me that you must give up. (chuckles) And these thing is known better to Śrīdhara Mahārāja, how it decreased, decreased, decreased, then almost it become nil, and then I left home in 1950. Whatever was there, "All right, you do whatever you like." In 1954, four years I remained as vānaprastha, (indistinct) four years, from 1950 to 1959.
Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: Bombay light, yes. Bombay light, that is during my householder life. I opened an office in Bombay for my business and... The (indistinct) Gauḍīya Maṭha was established by us. I am one of them. Śrīdhara Mahārāja also. And we made two parties for begging, collecting alms. Śrīdhara Mahārāja, myself and Gosvāmī Mahārāja. That time he was Atula, Atulacandra Gosvāmī. So I took them to some of my friends, chemist friends, doctors friends. So I collected about five hundred rupees to this. Śrīdhara Mahārāja would speak, I introduced, and Gosvāmī, at that time Gosvāmī Mahārāja would canvass (laughter). In this way three combined together, in one day or two days we... At that time five hundred rupees was (laughing) big amount.
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: It is, it is something like, giving post-dated check. I pay you one lakh of rupees, post-dated. Although I have no money,... What is the value of that check? Will anybody accept that check? "Oh, I have received the money." That is foolishness. Why future? You are talking of future, and you are talking of perfectness at present. What is this nonsense? You are claiming that your science is perfect, and, at the same time, when practical example wanted, you say; "I shall do it." The same example. I am saying I am millions, owner of millions of dollars. And you ask me: "Give me some payment." "Yes, I give you post-dated check." Will you accept? At present, if you give me five dollar, I see something tangible. And you're talking of big, big word, but you'll pay me in the future. So is it very sanguine proposal? And I am to accept it? So what kind of intelligent man I am also? You cannot produce even a grass by biological chemistry. You cannot do anything. Still you are claiming: "It is produced of chemistry, biology." What is this nonsense? Nobody questions?
Karandhara: Even it's produced by chemistry, there's laws...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Karandhara: There's laws to those chemical reactions. They never consider who makes the laws?
Prabhupāda: Then? What is this? As soon as there is law, it must be considered that somebody made the law.
Morning Walk -- May 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda, I remember an incident in Bombay. That was when I was in Calcutta about, a few years ago. There was a yogī. There was advertisement that he was going to walk on water.
Prabhupāda: No, that is possible.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I think it was about five hundred rupees per ticket.
Prabhupāda: Oh, just see. His real aim was to get some money.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Radhakrishnan was there, the president. But ultimately, he could not walk. He fell down in the water.
Prabhupāda: And what about the money?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I don't know. He was beaten or something. They said he missed something.
Prabhupāda: That's like you, chemist, just missing something, "In future we shall do it." It is the same thing. And these fools, Dr. Radhakrishnan and company, they are so fools that so many animals they are walking on the sea, "I am going to see another man." Just see, how they are fools. What is their credit? The sea lark. They call sea lark? They go very nicely. Why do they not see that? He is animal, he is, another is an animal.
Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Oh. Then that's all right. Then do it. I think you have to pay some money.
Śrutakīrti: Yes, it will cost money.
Śyāmasundara: That's all right. We tried to sell your coin today, but it's only worth three or four pounds.
Prabhupāda: Well, that's not bad. (laughter) One rupee.
Śyāmasundara: Yeah. That's not bad for one rupee.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like...
Śyāmasundara: Prabhupāda has this mint 1935, 1835 rupee piece. Show it to him.
Prabhupāda: Indian rupee.
Śyāmasundara: Indian rupee. And we thought it might be pretty valuable. So old, more than one hundred years. We went to three places, they all said three, four pounds.
Prabhupāda: So highest bid, what was?
Mukunda: The highest bid I got was one pound.
Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:
Mukunda: He said if it was in perfect condition, mint condition, then he would give me two pounds. But in this condition, only one pound. He brought out many samples of old rupees with different people on them.
Prabhupāda: You said three pounds?
Śyāmasundara: He told me. He said "Two-three, it's only worth two-three pounds."
Mukunda: One man said three pounds.
Prabhupāda: So why don't you sell to them? (laughter)
Śyāmasundara: If we tell them... If we go around the city, we could probably get four pounds for it somewhere.
Prabhupāda: So get the best price and sell it.
Śyāmasundara: All right.
Prabhupāda: I don't want any antique. (laughter)
Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Guest (9): Kurukṣetra, yes. And they have decided now that about ten crores of rupees must be spent over there.
Revatīnandana: The government of India is constructing a temple there? Is that what you said?
Guest (9): Haryana government is particularly concerned about that, you see.
Prabhupāda: Where? In Haryana?
Guest (9): Kurukṣetra.
Guest (8): Actually, that is not by the government. That is by Nanda.
Guest (7): No, not...the newspaper. That minister.
Prabhupāda: You, you can give.
Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: They actually, by destroying the Manchester millionaires, Gandhi gave opportunity to the Ahmadabad millionaires. And the consumers, instead of purchasing Manchester cloth at one rupee per pair, now they're purchasing at thirty rupees per pair.
Reporter: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: This is advantage. I know. My father had cloth business. The Manchester cloth, very nice cloth—one rupee six annas per pair, retail sale.
Reporter: Hm. Hm. Now same thing for thirty rupees.
Prabhupāda: Just see. And where the money is going? To the Ahmadabad capitalists. That's all.
Reporter: Hm. Yes.
Prabhupāda: So frying pan. From frying pan to the fire.
Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:
Prabhupāda: His name was Gopāla Banh. Gopāla Banh ...And there was a king, Kṛṣṇacandra. So the kings would relax by joking words by the jokers. That was system formerly. So Gopāla Banh was constructing a house. So the king advised another friend that: "If you go to his new house and evacuate..." Because the house is not yet opened, not yet established, "Then I'll give you one thousand rupees." So this man said: "Yes, I'll go and do it." So he was, he came to Gopāla Banh's house and began to say: "Gopāla Banh! Oh! I am called by nature. Kindly show me where is your privy. I have to pass." So he could understand that: "Why this man has come here to evacuate?" So he: "Yes, yes. Come in, come in, come in." So he opened the new lavatory and brought a big stick. So he said: "Why you have brought the stick?" So he said: "Yes, you can pass, you can pass stool, but if you urine one drop, I'll kill you." So "How it is possible?" "If it is not possible, I cannot allow." So these, these foolish scientific men, "You can speak, but if you use microphone, then I'll kill you." Yes. The Gopāla Banh's policy. They would not say: "Not allow." But in a different way. (break) For political diplomacy. Not directly: "No." But creating such position, it is not. You are chanting also? Sixteen rounds? Eh?
Girl: (indistinct)
Haṁsadūta: See says she's trying her best to do so.
Prabhupāda: All right. Something is better than nothing.
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:
Professor: Oh, in Vṛndāvana, itself.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Māyāpur. Lord Caitanya. And we have got branch in Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad. Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana. Five, six... (break) I, I brought with me forty rupees and books. That's all.
Professor: Forty rupees! That was not enough to live in Boston or in New York.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And now we are spending about eighty thousand dollars per month.
Professor: Per month.
Prabhupāda: Throughout the whole world. But we are selling our books very nicely, about... How many, how much dollars?
Yogeśvara: How many, how many lakhs of rupees of books per month, Pradyumna?
Prabhupāda: No, no, daily...
Professor: Lakhs of...
Prabhupāda: Daily we are collecting about thirty, eight hundred... In, in, in Los Angeles we collect about eight hundred dollars daily.
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: Because...
Professor: Well, I'm not in India.
Prabhupāda: India, we make members. We get more price. Because we are, our scheme, life member, they pay eleven hundred rupees, and whatever books we can supply, we supply. That's all. That is not even to the amount they pay. So we give our presentation and they contribute. This is the program.
Professor: Do you use any grammar, Sanskrit grammar, when you study Sanskrit?
Prabhupāda: Sanskrit grammar?
Professor: Yes, how do they learn when they learn Sanskrit?
Paramahaṁsa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We have given some hints.
Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: And still I find. When the rice is selling at eight rupees kilo, and when the rice was selling three rupees a mound, at that time also they were on the footpath, resident, and now also.
Guest (2): Now also.
Prabhupāda: Now also. So how you can stop this?
Guest (1): It is God's desire.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is nature's arrangement. And those who are rich... There are richer section when the rice was selling at three rupees per mound, and the richer section is still there when rice is selling, nine rupees a kilo. So they have no eyes because less intelligent. They cannot make equal. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, in the prakṛti there are three modes of material nature. They will be manifested. It is not possible to make everyone of the same standard, the standard must be different. So they are simply spoiling their time to make the whole society on the same status. The communists are trying, the others are trying. That is not possible. So one should not be disturbed with all these superficial low and high places.
Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:
Guest (2): Is he allowed to say so?
Prabhupāda: No, no. He is the Supreme, He can say. Just like a father cheats sometimes the son. The son has taken from the pocket of the father one hundred rupees' note. He's not separate. The father takes one lozenges, two paise worth. "Oh, my dear son, you can take it, very nice. You give me that." "Ah yes." It is not cheating? He's giving two paise worth lozenges, and taking hundred rupees' note. Is it not cheating? This is cheating. But father is cheating; therefore it is good. You cannot imitate father and cheat others. Father can do anything for the welfare of the son. That is another thing. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa appears as a cheater, the atheist class of men and Lord Buddha say, "No, no, there is no God. Yes, it is all right. You are right. But you hear me." "Yes, sir, we shall hear you." But he's God. This is cheating.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: The Americans say?
Banker: No, no, that is what they say here. Especially in my bank. Our clerks are the top five per cent of the nation's income earners, five thousand rupees or more a year, near the top five percent. But they still say that they're poor and happy. But then once a year they forget that when they ask us for more money. I don't understand it. Contradictory philosophy.
Prabhupāda: There are two things. One material, one spiritual. Spiritually, India is happy, those who are actually spiritualists. But materially, India is unhappy. Spiritually, even if you still go in the interior of village, poor man, living in a cottage, he is taking bath three times and doing his professional work, a cultivator, having little food, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are happy actually. They have got their family, husband, wife, some children. If one lives spiritual life, he is actually happy. Materially, nobody can be happy. In your country, although there is enough facility for material enjoyment, actually they are not happy. Otherwise why in your country the hippies are coming out? They are coming from respectable, rich parents, nation, but they have given up their home, their father's opulence, mother's opulence. That I have seen practically.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Śocati means in everything he laments. "Hai hai, I have lost so much things, I have not these things, I have not that thing." So at the present moment, all the people, they are so dissatisfied that they are all śūdras. Śūdra is always in want. So who is not, at the present moment, not in want? Everybody's in want. Therefore everybody is a śūdra now. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. And that is his qualification, always feeling in want, śocati. And his work is to serve others, master. A brāhmaṇa will not work under anybody. A kṣatriya will not work under anybody. Nowadays the industrial development has taken place because people are śūdras. They want some service. So-called technologists and laborers, and everything. Everyone is searching after good job. He cannot live independently, just like a dog. A dog cannot live independently. He must have a master. Then he is happy. Is it not? Otherwise it is street dog. So modern education is that they are creating śūdras, to become dependent on others. And therefore modern economic development is taking place because there are so many people, they are prepared to give them service. Suppose in your bank, if you withdraw from the service, the bank will stop. Industry will stop. So because there is no such division as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is śūdra. Therefore this economic development, so-called economic development, has become possible. But in spite of all this economic development, because people are śūdras, they cannot be happy. Because śocati, they will lament, strike. Even they are getting thousands of rupees, strike. Even they get five hundred thousands of rupees, still there will be strike. Because they are śūdras.
Room Conversation -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: So you see, anywhere we can approach. I sold in Bombay all libraries, my previous Bhāgavatam.
Gargamuni: About Ten or twelve books, each bill is about five hundred rupees times twenty-five. That's a lot.
Prabhupāda: No, that is a respect, if the libraries and schools, colleges, they keep our books.
Gargamuni: Some of them are shocked. We went to the National Library in Calcutta. That's the largest library. They saw your books and they said, "Oh, he is doing this work?" They were so impressed. They had never seen Sanskrit or Bengali printed in foreign countries the way you have done in your books. They said, "This is fan..." There's no one else who is doing this in India, no one. Very impressed. And these men themselves are Sanskrit scholars. He immediately started to read. He said, "Oh, very nice." He said, "It is just right." So he was very enthusiastic. There are two boys. They spend the whole day just going to libraries.
Prabhupāda: That has been written by Professor Dayal, Dimock, that "Sanskrit scholars should get good opportunity, and nobody, I think, will deny Swamiji's scholarship." He has said that.
Conversation at Airport -- October 26, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: These rascals, lowest of the mankind and always engaged in sinful activities, such persons do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "No. There are so many educated MA, PhD's." Kṛṣṇa says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. "Apparently they are very educated, but their real knowledge is taken away by māyā." Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. This atheistic civilization is very dangerous. People are suffering for this reason. But they are not very serious. Therefore they have been addressed by Kṛṣṇa as mūḍhāḥ, rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. So we are trying a little bit to make these mūḍhas, mūḍha civilization, to come into light of spiritual life. That is our humble attempt. But it is already said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of persons, they can take to it." Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. But that does not mean we shall stop. Just like in our school, college days, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee started some higher study, post-graduate study classes in the university. The student was one or two, but still, the class was maintained at the cost of many thousands of rupees, not considering that there are only one student or two students. Similarly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must go on. It doesn't matter, the foolish people, they do not understand it or do not come to it. We have to make our propaganda. Thank you very much.
Conversation at Airport -- October 26, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: It must be difficult. It must be difficult, because the so-called advancement has not helped the people. In our childhood we purchased ghee one rupee, first-class. Now it is not available. And this is advancement of civilization.
Guest (1): The population has increased so much.
Prabhupāda: No, no, this is not the question, population. Population was... Formerly one man used to beget one hundred children. From Mahābhārata we understand that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his name is mentioned because he was king. That means at that time people were able to beget one hundred children. And who is begetting one hundred children now? One, two, three, four, that's all. How the population can be increased now? It is all bogus propaganda.
Guest (1): What do you think is the solution of these difficulties?
Prabhupāda: Solution of difficulty is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Why not here? Why go to Babar Road, spend twenty rupees?
Guru dāsa: According to them, that sometimes they have to go in the center of town.
Prabhupāda: Nobody has intelligence. It will not, it will not stay. It will be spoiled. Joint mess organization. In Los Angeles, they're also doing business. They're going to sell books. But regulative principle is observed. Huge expenditure they have got. No center is so improved as Los Angeles. We have purchased six houses. And I wanted immediately two lakhs, immediately sent. You cannot pay. You simply want to take. In India, nobody can pay. If I want two lakhs, nobody can pay. But all this money have been taken from U.S.A. I asked Bali Mardana, I asked Karandhara. They paid me for this Bombay affair, sixteen, eighteen lakhs. (break) ...and breathing also does not stop. It goes very slow. Therefore he cannot be immortal. And Bhagavad-gītā proposes, that is wonderful thing, if you can stop death.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: That intelligence gives me, Kṛṣṇa, "You do this." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Yes. And in my materialistic life, He was taking away my intelligence. Just like this Bose, Bengal Chemical agency, I should have accepted immediately. Such a big concern. Simply by sitting, I would have brought ten thousand rupees per month in those days. But there was no good intelligence. I thought, "No, I cannot accept your terms. You must accept..." Because I was at that time young man, puffed-up, no brain, no sober brain. They were so attracted with me. They would have given later on all facilities, but I did not accept. Similarly, Smith Stanstreet, they were also very good company.
Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi:
Prabhupāda: So high for these poor people.
Guest: Such a vicious circle. Higher the prices, higher the wages, higher the wages, higher the prices with less production. If there are five loaves and people have 10 rupees they'll buy five loaves. And if they have 20 rupees also they'll buy five loaves because there are not 10 loaves.
Prabhupāda: No, no this high price is due to (indistinct). They are holding stock.
Guest: That is not sufficient for all these people, population.
Prabhupāda: No, if you pay them sufficient.
Guest: As it is the stock is so limited.
Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi:
Guest: You see what happens.... Suppose you see in a house there are four liters of milk, you see, and each one is given 100 rupees, you see, then they will buy each one, let's say one liter. And if they are given 200 rupees the one who has got 200 rupees, they get one for also 200 rupees, you see? So what is happening is people who have got black money, they want the things for themselves, there is a price there.
Prabhupāda: How they get black market?
Guest: No, because stock being limited. Suppose a medicine is being wanted, a man is willing to give anything for that medicine.
Prabhupāda: So far I have got experience the stock is available if you pay for it.
Guest: Look at last year's drought over there. (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Guest: Greater productions is one of the keys to lower prices.
Prabhupāda: This is one of the businessman's tricks. When there is new harvest they purchase and keep it and they keep the stock.
Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: He's put separately so that he may not poison others. He may not poison others. So that is the position of the self-sufficient authority.
Yaśomatīnandana: In Gujarati we call it: bhanji moti laksmim.(?) When the palm is closed it is worth lakh rupees, but when it is open, it doesn't mean anything. A foolish person, when he talks, he reveals everything.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Foolish person means busy rascal. There are four kinds of division: lazy intelligent and busy intelligent and lazy rascal and busy rascal. The first-class man is lazy intelligent, and second class, busy intelligent, and third class, lazy rascal, and fourth class, busy rascal. A rascal, if he's busy, then what he will do? He'll simply do harm. That's all.
Karandhara: Create havoc.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Karandhara: Create havoc.
Prabhupāda: Havoc, create havoc. Just as they are doing now. All rascals, they are very busy.
Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: But they do not go. In Bombay also, municipality has constructed big buildings, but they do not go. They hire it, yes, they get, to some gentleman. They get some fifty rupees and "All right, you take." And he lives in a hut. Yes. This is practical. They don't like. Just like a worm in the stool. You take it away. He will again, again go. (laughter) Again go there. You are very philanthropist: "Oh, my dear friend, why you are in the stool? Come on, here." "No, no, sir, I will go there again." How can you check it? Nature's law.
Karandhara: Well, they say it can be checked by time and education.
Prabhupāda: Oh, that time, you wait for time. By that time you will die.
Karandhara: Well, just like a hundred years ago in the United States...
Prabhupāda: No. These discrepancies will go on because this whole material world is being conducted by three qualities. You will have three qualitative persons.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Twenty thousand. That was... Not two lakhs, nowadays. Eight rupees. About one lakh sixty thousand. Then we had about three lakhs. In this way, somehow or other, we paid seven, more than sixteen lakhs. Black, white, everything.
Gurukṛpā: For Kṛṣṇa anything can be done.
Prabhupāda: She was to be paid fourteen lakhs fifty thousand, then stamp duty two lakhs... Sixty thousand or six thousand? Then registration fee... Oh, it was very expensive. (break)
Devotee (2): ...that at the end of this month the United States will be destroyed by the comet, the Kahutek comet.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Their demonic principles will be destroyed. They'll take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: So wherefrom the money came?
Devotees: Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: And not one rupee, two rupees. Eighteen lakhs of rupees. And when I signed the contract, I had no eighteen hundred. (laughter)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: You have to make... We have to add one zero...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: On the right side. You have to add one zero, so that 18 hundred.
Gurukṛpā: And the time when you signed the contract is the time when Madhudviṣa Swami went to Australia. He did not want to stay in Bombay.
Prabhupāda: No, I asked him that "Whether you can take charge?" He refused, "No, I cannot take charge." You know that?
Gurukṛpā: Yes, I heard.
Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Then Brahmānanda give me assurance. "I can take charge." Therefore I signed. But factually, he was as good as Madhudviṣa. (laughs) He made a contract with a, that camp, forty thousand rupees. I settled up for ten thousand rupees. So our work is going on in India and money's spent. Fifty percent is spoiled by this American brain. What can be done? There is no... They'll loot. They cheat. Like anything. Just like this camp. It was, it was Brahmānanda and Madhudviṣa combined together made a contract-forty thousand rupees. Then I said that "Then I am not going to pay you. You go." In Kumbha Melā also, the contract was ten thousand. So five thousand already paid. So I said, "I have no money. You have to become satisfied with the ten thousand." So they began some trouble, but after all, accepted. Because they make five hundred percent profit.
Room Conversation -- February 6, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: (Hindi with guest) Oh, I see that are (indistinct).
Guest (1): No, I am not leaving. Whether Kṛṣṇa gives me fifty rupees or five million rupees, it does not make much difference, because I am in the line, because I am in the line.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Guest (1): I may leave any time.
Prabhupāda: No, no that's all right.
Guest (1): I may leave any time also.
Prabhupāda: That is our purpose to (indistinct).
Guest (1): Unfortunately some things happened, and some court matters are going on.
Prabhupāda: Court?
Guest (1): Court matters, some, some law suits, etc. which I have filed which aggregate to the extent of about crore rupees or so.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Room Conversation -- February 9, 1974, Vrndavana:
Guru dāsa: And now this man, Nārāyaṇa Das, says that yesterday they said that it did..., the rates did not include people to put the marble in. It did not include laborers to install.
Prabhupāda: No, no. They have, they have to order this, because (indistinct) include everything.
Guru dāsa: If it includes, it is a good rate.
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Guru dāsa: But in, in Makrana I got the rate seven-fifty, eight rupees. Seven, seven-fifty, eight for dangri(?), that kind. And about two-fifty to three extra for labor. So if they charge eight or seven, including labor and delivery and polishing, it is good rate, but if it is just delivery it is not a good rate.
Prabhupāda: So, Mr. (indistinct) said that he'll send the contract form. So we have to see.
Guru dāsa: If it does not include the delivery and the polishing...
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) include delivery, polishing, everything.
Room Conversation -- February 9, 1974, Vrndavana:
Guru dāsa: If it does, it's good rate. Also this black marble, I've gotten the price in Makrana four, four rupees and fifty paise.
Prabhupāda: That is excluding labor.
Guru dāsa: Yes. So if they can do it for five, it is good rate.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guru dāsa: But if they do it five for just the marble, it is not good rate.
Prabhupāda: No, no. That is not good. It is included everything, that I was informed by...
Guru dāsa: Then it's, then it is good. It is very good for us.
Prabhupāda: Then we shall accept.
Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (break) ... Kalau nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyathā. (Hindi). ...on this principle(?) I went, with determination. (Hindi) Yasya prasādad bhagavat prasādo **. (break) (Bengali) ...seventy dollars per month. Seventy dollars means seven hundred rupees. So expenditure was over 2,000 rupees according to our Indian calculation.
Dr. Kapoor: And uh...
Prabhupāda: The income was nil.
Dr. Kapoor: Nil. How much money did you carry with you?
Prabhupāda: Forty rupees.
Dr. Kapoor: Forty rupees?
Prabhupāda: Yes. But I could not spend because there was no exchange for Indian currency, no (laughter). So it was kept as it is. When I came back in 1967, that was spent as my taxi fare (laughter). At that time it was spent. From Palam airport to Delhi, that Chippiwada. So they charged me thirty-five rupees or forty rupees. So at that time it was spent, and 1967 there was heart attack.
Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: But their income is more than one lakh of rupees daily.
Guest (1): Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Keno āpnāra?
Guest (3): (Hindi) (break)
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. (break) ...that is our slogan. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Janmādyasya yataḥ. We explain this truth. the truth is that from whom everything comes. Janmādyasya yataḥ. So He's a person or imperson? No, abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ.
Devotee: Kṛṣṇa says, "There's no truth superior to Me."
Prabhupāda: Yes, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). The truth is there. They do not know. Half-educated. This is very good, "Truth is the..." We also say, but they do not know what is that truth.
Satsvarūpa: They leave the question hanging, that "No man may actually know what it is." (end)
Morning Walk -- February 19, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Anapekṣaḥ, just see. When I went to Europe, America, I went with forty rupees. The Sumati Morarji gave me a ticket, and I had only forty rupees. That forty rupees could not be spent there. Then, when I was getting down, I asked the captain, "Captain Pandia," that "I have not a single dollar with me. So you purchase one set of my books." "So what is... Swami, what is your price?" "Sixteen dollar." He paid me twenty dollars. With that twenty dollars, I dropped.
Mr. Sar: This is anapekṣaḥ.
Dr. Patel: Anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa.
Prabhupāda: Now I think we have got money.
Dr. Patel: Two million dollars.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) So that is not a problem. That is not a problem because I knew that Kṛṣṇa is there.
Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: "...near the brahma-jyotir, I don't want. Now I have merged." This is Māyāvāda theory.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all that silt from the Ganges River, Prabhupāda.
Jayapatākā: This man, he wants to sell this land, seventeen bighās, for seven hundred rupees. (break)
Madhudviṣa: How is that possible?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Madhudviṣa: How is the Ganges flowing through the planetary systems?
Prabhupāda: So? It is not possible?
Madhudviṣa: I don't know. It is possible, but it is incomprehensible.
Prabhupāda: Everything is incomprehensible. How the planets are floating in this air?
Madhudviṣa: Because Kṛṣṇa is in them.
Prabhupāda: Then, similarly, Kṛṣṇa desires; everything is possible.
Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: You cannot eat machine. You produce. You produce rice, wheat in the machine. What you have done? You have simply misled the people that instead of tilling the ground, they have come to machine, and there is no food.
Siddha-svarūpānanda: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: You have done this. You have, on the false plea that "We'll give you five hundred rupees salary. You come in the city and be engaged." Oh, he saw, "Oh, I am simply producing my food. If I get five hundred rupees, then I'll go to cinema, I'll have a good dress." Now there is no food even. You have done this. That's all. What is the benefit of this machine. Machine benefit is that we were purchasing, when there was no so much machine, in our childhood, three rupees, four annas per mound, first-class rice. Now we are purchasing one Kg.
Devotee: Ten rupees Kg. For one rupee (indistinct) first-class wheat.
Prabhupāda: Just see. So if one is rascal, they will be misled by this. Otherwise, any sane man will not accept. They say that, "We have done so much." What you have done? You have done this. At least in India, the effect of machine and factories: that there is no rice, no food.
Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: That's it. That's it, that you cannot get. Oh, you have done so much. But India is not meant for machine. These rascals, they do not know. India is, India's culture is plain living, high thinking. You require some food. Produce food, and take it, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But they'll not accept, "Oh, this is primitive. Nowadays we have got... We must have the motor car, motor tire."
Devotee: Farmer sees that a job of three hundred rupees and runs away to city. He will not work in the field. Then there will be no food.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they require. They require. The cow is being killed, and that's all. That is sufficient food for them." And let the farmers work for me, for bolts and nuts and motor tire. We make huge profit." You see. You are making profit, but other...
Devotee: What is the use of that profit, Prabhupāda Mahārāja, when don't get even for eating, no clothing, no eating? Only profit... What profit will be beneficial?
Prabhupāda: No, but they don't care for others. But they're having wine and women with their black market money. That's all. They're satisfied. They do not know... (end)
Morning Walk -- March 9, 1974, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Āpani ācari prabhu jīve śikhāilā. If you show example how to keep the temple neat and clean, then these foreigners also will learn from you. (break) ...those who are earning money, they should... But we are giving them books. So our books are worth about three thousand rupees. But we are simply collecting eleven hundred.
Guest (4): All that they wanted, I understood from the talk, informatory, informations I mean, in their own dialect.
Prabhupāda: Well, one thing is that at least in Bengal they do not require much information because this Caitanya Movement is their movement. It is simply a plea. Everyone know that Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to distribute the Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This is the essence, and let them help, prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, by life, by money, by words. This is the movement. Why they are anxious to get information more? That is a plea. Everyone knows what is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least in Bengal.
Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:
Bhagavān: Fifteen hundred.
Prabhupāda: No. According to our present calculated, about 180 mounds. So there should be 120 mounds excess of grain. Instead of excess, they want ten thousand rupees for maintenance. This is... This management is going on. These things were not discussed in GBC? So what kind of discussion was there? Simply talking? No practical? And the estimate of budget was presented for ten thousand rupees per month. And... And when it was scrutinizingly studied, immediately it came down to six thousand. So what kind of budget? So management should be in that way, that nobody is sitting idly. Automatically he'll fall sick. Sickness means idleness. Or excess eating, sleeping. No excess, no less. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā. Yukta. Yukta means actually what you need. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So everywhere, in each center, this system should be introduced, and there must be practical application of the varṇāśrama. At the same time, this program of devotional service. Then it will go on very nicely.
Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are not prepared.
Prabhupāda: Then? You have to engage laborer and spend two hundred rupees per head at least, including salary and food, and the production is nil. In this way, there must be ten thousand, twenty thousand expenditure. Am I right or not, that "You bring money some way from anywhere, and let us spend lavishly?" What kind of management this is? We should consider the money, after all, is earned with hard labor. So somebody will bring money with hard labor, and another body will spend like irresponsible prince; that should be stopped. That is management. (break) ...especially is that the religion means to make a class of men, simply idle... What is? Opiate...? What is called?
Devotees: Opiate of the people.
Morning Walk -- March 18, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say... I spoke with one hotel man, and he says the price of petrol is now three rupees, twenty-five paise per liter.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Petrol now costs three rupees twenty-five per liter. That means about three or four times what it was previously. So people are not so much inclined; since they have their business in the city, if they stay in Juhu...
Prabhupāda: That is one of the reasons.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...they have to go all the way from Juhu into the city. It costs twenty-five rupees by taxi.
Guru dāsa: This is happening all over the world to the hotel business.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guru dāsa: All over the world. All over the world.
Prabhupāda: Hotel business declining?
Guru dāsa: All over. Because of the petrol shortage.
Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: ...whether he's a kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra whether he's a sannyāsī or a gṛhastha. That karma. And that karma when he does without any expectation of any fruits, that karma is as good as bhakti according to this line, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Without... The result should be there, but tam, unto Kṛṣṇa. Give the result to Kṛṣṇa. Tam abhyarcya. Not self. You earn lakhs of rupees, but tam abhyarcya, give to Kṛṣṇa. Not take it yourself or distribute amongst your children. That is service. Tam abhyarcya. Tam abhyarcya. First of all understand this word, tam. Tam abhyarcya.
Dr. Patel: Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya, karmaṇā.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Dr. Patel: How can you (indistinct) this is a karma? That is why I want to know.
Prabhupāda: No, karma.
Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Karma, karmaṇā, by your work. Just like you are working as a medical practitioner. So you earn lakhs of rupees. Give to Kṛṣṇa. That is tam abhyarcya. Then you become perfect. That is also confirmed in Bhāgavata. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (SB 1.2.13). We have already explained that our karma, according to varṇa and āśrama... Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Everyone is working according to varṇa and āśrama. So svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Anyone who is serving according to his dharma, an engineer, a doctor, or somebody else, according to his occupational duty he is serving. But he has to see, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate. It is Gītā. And it is said, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiḥ, perfection. What is that? Hari-toṣaṇam. We have to see whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. So you earn lakhs of rupees and give it to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said yat karoṣi, "Never mind what you are doing," kuruṣva tad mad arpaṇam, "give Me it." (laughter) And "No, no, no, sir. I'm serving You, but the money is in my pocket."
Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: Girirāja, how you are earning fifty thousand rupees a month?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Fifty-thousand. Because fifty members. Fifty members, eleven hundred rupees. He makes at least two, three members. If some day absent, average fifty. Fifty thousand. Not a single fifty n.p. he keeps. There are many. All, all of them. Not that everyone is earning fifty thousand, but even fifty hundred or fifty payasā, everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is tam abhyarcya. And if you divide partially, "Some percentage for Kṛṣṇa, some percentage for my sense gratification," then Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Proportionately. If you have spent cent percent of your energy for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is cent percent for you. And if you have spent one percent for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is one percent for you. Responsive cooperation. (laughter) Yes. This institution has advanced so much all over the world because we have got these boys who have dedicated everything for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it has so quickly advanced all over the world. They do not think of anything of personal. Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Kṛṣṇa is also... Huh?
Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Every, every few steps there is a wine shop.
Dr. Patel: Now, every few steps, now you can have that in your own home. Here. You give the minister ten thousand rupees of bribes for a license to... (break) ...have in your home. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...these four things which we are prohibiting: illicit sex...
Dr. Patel: And drinking, meat-eating.
Prabhupāda: Yes, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. So these four things are encouraged by the government. Gambling, that, what is that? Lottery.
Devotees: Lottery.
Prabhupāda: And meat-eating: beef shop.
Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: You were all the time in Allahabad. You must be knowing them from very close part.
Prabhupāda: No, he was my customer. I used to go to his home. And he was coming to my shop. Yes. He was my customer. When 1928 congress was there, I sent him one letter that "I want to become a delegate and go there." So immediately, "Yes, you come." So I went to Calcutta and I told his secretary that "Panditji has told me like this." "Yes, take this ticket." Yes. I became... So I was criticizing my friend because the delegate fee is one rupee and the reception committee fee at that time was twenty-five rupees. And still, they were in the last seat. And because at that time Motilal Nehru became president, the president, the province in which the president becomes, that provincial member occupies the first seat. So we occupied the first seat from Allahabad. So I...
Dr. Patel: Front seats.
Prabhupāda: Front seat, yes. So I was criticizing my friends in Calcutta that you have paid twenty-five rupees, you have got last seat. I have paid one rupee, I have first seat. We were very thickly... Not very thickly, but as customer... Do you know? I shall tell one incident. One day Jawaharlal Nehru came and he asked me, "Give me prophylactic hair brush." So I told, "Panditji, we are selling prophylactic tube brush and we do not know that there is prophylactic hair brush." "No, you do not know. You get it for me. I want it." So I got it from Bombay, here, and supplied him.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Anna-vastra, anna-vastra-dhana. Charity means to give in charity anna and vastra and cows. (break) ...give in charity some paper, one hundred rupees. (laughs) Another cheating. And he is also satisfied, "One hundred rupees." What is this one hundred? It is a paper, a piece of paper. (break) ...earned, black market, white market. Because when one does business, he has to do it, but it should be purified. I have seen the Marwaris, they do that. Although when earning money, they don't care, they do anything, but they give in charity. (break) ...purify the body by taking bath, similarly, the wealth is purified by the charity process, giving it to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. He accumulated much wealth. He brought in a big boat, all gold coins. So... So he distributed fifty percent to the brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava and twenty-five percent he gave to the relatives, and twenty-five percent he kept for his personal emergency. This is example shown by Rūpa Gosvāmī. (break) Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So where is that vaiśya, giving protection to the cows? Although they were village men, they were very rich. That is the old Vedic civilization. Now you go to the village—all poor.
Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:
Indian man (1): I know.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And he was earning fifty-thousand rupees at that time, fifty years ago. What is the value, just see. He was earning and spending like anything, lavishly, and he was so bad associated that wine and woman was his paraphernalia. That's all. As soon as there will be case engaged the first order is that "You have to supply so many cases of wine and so many batches of prostitute." That was C.R. Dasa's condition, first condition. In the Mopaceel(?) court when he would be invited to plead, the first condition is this. Then his fees. So in this way he was living. But he gave up. On Congress Movement he gave up everything practiced, but he died within one year. Because he was living so luxuriously, all of a sudden he became a renouncer, he could not tolerate that. He died. Within one year he died. So therefore these ministers, they gave up all this luxurious life, became a mendicant. The question is how they lived? Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna kan... Then gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtādhi-laharī-kallola-magnau sadā: They were fully absorbed in the thought of how Kṛṣṇa, and His pastimes with His gopīs. He was always absorbed. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. This is exhibition. When one becomes ecstatic, "Oh, now I have to do something for Kṛṣṇa," then he renounces everything. Only Kṛṣṇa. Only Kṛṣṇa's business. That is the test.
Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: They have seen it, that "It is better than our so-called material life." Therefore they have been able to give up. Just like this boy Girirāja, he is very rich man's son. His father gave him a special car. His father is a big lawyer in Chicago. So he gave up everything. Now he is begging daily, although he is earning at least fifty-thousand rupees per month. But he has no... He is just like beggar. He doesn't care for his father. There are many like this. Bhaktiḥ pareṣānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). These are the test. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) (break) ...devotee. Then all the good qualities will be manifested in his person. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ mano-rathena asato dhavato bahiḥ. And if one is not a perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa, of Hari, then he cannot possess any mahad-guṇa. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Why? Mano-rathena: "He is simply hovering in the mental plane." He is not fixed up. Therefore asato dhavato bahiḥ. Then he will have to do something which is asat. Asato maṁ sad gama. That is the Vedic... "Don't remain in the asat; just make progress to the sat." That is wanted. That cannot be done unless one is fully situated in unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. That is not possible. One must go to the asat, because he is hovering on the mental plane. Mental plane is not secure. Anyone who is in mental plane, he may fall down at any moment. So we have to transcend the mental plane. Intellectual plane. Jñana-karmady-anavṛtam.
Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Ah. Advanced in knowledge, who can teach other people nicely. And they can guide. There must be. That brāhmaṇa means spiritual guidance, kṣatriya means material guidance. So these things are necessity. But where are those brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas? They are training everyone śūdra. Work hard like hogs and dogs and fill up your hungry belly. That's all. This is the modern civilization. (break) ...Kali-yuga's symptoms: dakṣyam udaraṁ bharitaḥ. One man is supposed to be very expert who has learned how to fill up his belly. That's all. No other knowledge is required. Whether you have sumptuously put foodstuff within your belly. And then it is... You are very expert person. (break) ...saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). That is mentioned in the śāstra, that those who have got good brain, in this age they will perform this yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. Sumedhasaḥ. Others they will bother with so many things, but this yajña should be introduced, and people should be engaged in performing this yajña. Then everything will be all right. (break) Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. This is the process. If you don't perform yajña, there will be no sufficient rain, and if there is no sufficient rain, there is no sufficient food products. And if there is no food products, then how you will...? Simply by political agitation you will be happy? And that has happened. There is no food. Simply talks, in the assembly, in the conference, in the meeting. But there is no food. Food is selling at four rupees a kilo. Where is yajña? (break) "...need of brāhmaṇa, there is no need of yajña," or "Kick aside all these things. Simply make śūdras." Now, how you will be happy? There is no food, there is no cloth, there is no shelter. That's all.
Morning Walk -- April 16, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Anyway, I have got this Mahābhārata.
Dr. Patel: That is costing about three thousand rupees. (everyone talking) (break) But is it not animal food?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: That's it.
Prabhupāda: No, no, animal, mother's milk also animal food.
Dr. Patel: That's right.
Prabhupāda: Everything is animal...
Dr. Patel: But that does not mean it is not animal. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...tendency.
Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:
Girirāja: I read the... Shall I read it now?
Prabhupāda: Yes, so that others may hear. (break) ...you simply present the card anywhere—you get things. You don't require to pay. Then your bills will be paid by the bank. This is the system. (break) ...Bank of American card, in any American, bank of America, I can get one hundred to five hundred dollars immediately. I have got that card. (break) ...the respectable customers... Yes. (break) ...money, then you can squander it, and that is the idea. And you more spend money; then they manufacture consumer goods. That is the policy. (break) ...ṣad says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: (ISO 1) "Don't use anything more than what is allotted to you." That's all. But they are creating artificial demand, and the demand is being paid for by artificial paper. The government is issuing: "This is five hundred pounds or five hundred rupees," but it is paper only. Actually it is cheating. But we are satisfied. (break) ...said, "In God we trust." That's all. "In God we trust." What is that?
Devotee: Oh, yes.
Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Why king should be under any criticism? (breaks) There is a jalebi seller. He is the medium of bribing police. He has got ten lakhs of rupees, ordinary jalebi seller.
Girirāja: "Yet even in places where the police get good scores for solving crime and apprehending law-breakers, the crime rate remains high."
Prabhupāda: When we were children, there was a respectable gentleman, Mullick's family. He was agent of taking bribe on behalf of... (break) ...Los Angeles. The same thing I am talking.
Dr. Patel: So you will have them, all the photos from here also. (break)
Prabhupāda: Anardhena nyāya-rahitam: "If you have no money, then you'll never get justice." Dalmia, he was imprisoned for two years.
Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Oh. Bus is going every day?
Mahāṁsa: Yes, there is two very special buses. It costs forty-two rupees per ticket to go there.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...wood is the strongest of all wood, this. (taps wood with cane or something) Very strong.
Pañcadraviḍa: What kind of wood is that?
Prabhupāda: It is guava tree.
Mahāṁsa: Guava, oh.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You know what is that lattu, we used to play? What is the English?
Mahāṁsa: Spinning?
Prabhupāda: Like a small, and we used to...
Mahāṁsa: Oh, top, a top. Like that. It's top.
Prabhupāda: Top. What is called, top?
Mahāṁsa: That is made of this, Prabhupāda? Oh. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Very strong.
Morning Walk -- April 29, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Everyone... Even government... In the parliament the question was raised, "Wherefrom they get money fabulously?" These men, in our country, they may be fools. In your country also, Los Angeles, I mean, neighboring storekeepers, they are wonderful, that "These people do not work and they have got so many cars and live so nicely?" (laughing) They inquire that "How do we get all these things?" They actually see that they are not ordinary working. They have no working or bank balance or business. Still, they have got so many cars and they eat nicely and they maintain such a nice house. And six, seven house they have purchasing. The realtors, they also know in America that we are very rich men. As soon as there is some property, they offer, because they know that we are very rich men. Because we have purchased some properties, so all the realtors, they have taken it for granted that we have got immense money. Here also, the members are thinking like that, that "Swamiji has got immense money."
Mahāṁsa: Yes. And he will send when we want.
Prabhupāda: He will pay. You can tell them that "Not a single farthing here. He can spend elsewhere. If you don't pay for the temple, then we shall go on like this. But as he has promised one lakh of rupees, that he will pay. That's all." Others, you have to collect here. That one lakh is promised. That will be paid.
Morning Walk -- April 29, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Well, first of all supply the English then, we... (break) ...tried to sell her place for fifty lakhs of rupees. She thinks that I am so rich man.
Mahāṁsa: Which press?
Devotee: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan?
Prabhupāda: Associated Press, something like that. Bombay's first-class press. (break) ...They are not coming to us.
Satsvarūpa: (break) ...but they would rather be non-devotees than work all day. They can say they are free.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I offered that, that "What is this two thousand, 2,500 per month? Oh we can earn at any moment two thousand. So you become devotee; I excuse you of rent." They are not agreeing. (break) ...like an ass simply for sense gratification. Therefore it is warned in the Bhāgavatam, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kāṣṭān kāmān arhati (SB 5.5.1). (break) ...to respect the Vaiṣṇava, to water tulasī, and this aśvattha tree. These are bhakti items.
Morning Walk -- May 9, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense. He will turn one cup of seawater into sweet water and it will cost some hundreds of rupees.
Dr. Patel: That is right, but these fellows, they have found some natural way.
Prabhupāda: Well.
Dr. Patel: He is passing it through this banana leaf, some very rational method.
Prabhupāda: Banana leaf. So that also required by God's mercy.
Dr. Patel: Nobody says that he does himself. If he says, he's a fool. But what I mean to say is from that way... And the government of Ceylon has (indistinct) the world over, this method. There was a big row about it. This boy approached the Bombay Municipal Corporation (indistinct) they say... (break)
Prabhupāda: ...scientist.
Dr. Patel: Scientist, that you say. Einstein never claimed that he is... Einstein was a great bhakta. Einstein is the grandfather...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- May 20, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Anyway, we have to utilize the land; otherwise what is the use?
Gurudāsa: Of course.
Prabhupāda: Suppose we invest one lakh of rupees. One lakh rupees means 10,000 rupees per annum, almost 800, 900 rupees per month in interest. So we must utilize it. From this monetary point of view, because they get bank interest, people are not very interested in land.
Gurudāsa: But you can't eat money.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Gurudāsa: You can't eat money.
Prabhupāda: Ultimately that is the... (break) ...somehow or other, but it must be properly utilized. Who will give me massage?
Devotee (2): Oh, Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: So ask him. (break) ...money.
Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:
Richard Webster: Well, I don't think they are restricted now.
Prabhupāda: No, it is going on. In India I know. They are selling sugar at two annas, four annas a pound, or seer, outside, and India, it is four rupees. What is this nonsense? This is going on. They want to import some war materials or something else, therefore they want export exchange. So they are sacrificing the convenience of the local people for export exchange. These things are going on. These politicians, they create an atmo... Therefore I say the head of the state, they must be clean. But they are all motivated. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. Generally politician has got a particular motive behind him. And when he cannot pull on they declare war. That Pakistan. Pakistan, since the beginning of Pakistan they could not make any economic condition very sound. But when the people are too much agitated, they declare war with India. The whole attention is... And they have been educated in such a way that India is their strongest enemy. Anything Indian, they dislike in Pakistan. So this is going on by the politicians.
Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: Similarly, Germany is divided. Ireland is divided. This is going on. People are fighting, fighting, fighting. Leaders should be so sober and honest that the people should live peacefully, without any anxiety, without any want. That is the duty of the leaders to see. Perpetually they are in want, in scarcity, not in peace of mind, full of anxieties. In India especially, we see, the economy is so unsteady. The money value is decreasing every day. Nobody knows what will be tomorrow. Rice is selling today at two rupees kilo, tomorrow, three rupees, next day, four rupees. Where is the income is coming? Therefore there is strike, railway strike. So this is the mismanagement. They cannot guarantee. At least in England I have seen that... Or why the England? In America also, the people are happy in this: they have got enough foodstuff, no scarcity. You see? India is in always scarcity. Goods are there. It is hoarded by somebody else. He will not let loose. He will not... Many goods are there, sufficient. The government stock. The government stock because the black marketeer, they have got some arrangement. So many things are going I don't wish to discuss. It is due to unclean politicians, unclean head of the department. Things are so mismanaged, and people are suffering.
Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:
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.
Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 25, 1974, Rome:
Bhagavān: Now with paper money, any country can print any other country's money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is going on. Therefore inflation. Suppose I am an enemy. I print dollars like that, and distribute. So the inflation is there. And the price is increased. If you get money for nothing, you will be prepared to pay anything. Suppose there is one mound of rice. I have got these printed notes. You are offering ten rupees. I will say twenty rupees.
Atreya Ṛṣi: That's inflation.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Because I did not earn this money, I have printed. I am prepared to twenty rupees. So he says, "Why shall I pay ten rupees? I must wait for the customer, for twenty rupees, and hoard it." Even there is sufficient stock, he will not sell. Therefore the other man, who is honest, he is suffering. This is going on. So to stop this inflation, the government must stop this paper currency. Then the inflation... There will be no more inflation. But that they will not do. They want to cheat people. "In God I trust. Take this paper and you be satisfied that you have got thousand dollars." That's all. This cheating is going on. Why should you pay me paper? Give me real dollar, in gold. That they have none. They haven't got. That's all.
Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:
Bhagavān: He must steal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their satisfaction. So you must allow them. In old zamindar family, they will pay the manager five rupees per month, salary, and allow them to steal. That was simply a token salary that "You are servant." And the manager was so clever, he would steal, but he would not spoil the property of the master. He will manage very nicely that he will extra, make extra income and steal. The master will not be touched. Master will be happy. Master knows that "I am paying him five rupees. That is nothing." And he is constructing big building, getting his sons and daughters married very luxuriantly. Master is... Even fifty years before, there was a zamindar, Raja Manindra Candranandi. He was very magnanimous man, making various charities. So if somebody will complain, "Sir, your this servant is stealing like this," he would be very angry. The man who complains, he will be angry upon him, "Why do you come and complain?" He will not accept any complaint. Rather, he will be angry with the man who complains.
Morning Walk -- June 6, 1974, Geneva:
Prabhupāda: In Delhi? He said that a man who has learned the art to, what is called, barking like dog, and people will go to see, purchasing ticket, ten rupees, twenty rupees, how the man is barking like a dog. And there are so many dogs barking. They won't see. This is our advancement. If a man has artificially learned how to bark, they'll go to see by paying fees. And the natural barking, they don't care. So these rascals are like that. They're trying to manufacture life. And so many life is coming by nature's process, millions and millions, that is no credit. And he's trying, utopian, he'll create life by chemical combination, he's given all credit, Nobel Prize: "Oh, here is a man." This is rascaldom. So what credit you'll get. Suppose if you can manufacture a man or an animal in the laboratory, where is your credit? There are many millions and millions are coming automatically. We are trying to give credit to Kṛṣṇa who is making all this creation.
Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: Basin, basin. So one basin full rice he will keep in the middle of the shop. And there are rats. So the rats will take the rice, and not cut even a single cloth. It is practical. Yes. They are also animals. Give them food. They'll not create any disturbance. Give them food. Yes. Because cloth are very costly. And there are rats. If one cloth is cut by the rat, then it is great loss. So to save from this loss, he'll put in a basin... Rice was nothing. Rice... In our childhood, we have seen, two ānās per seer. That is with profit. You see. So one basin full rice, it doesn't cost even one ānā. So by giving one ānā worth food, he saves so many, hundreds of rupees cloth. Otherwise, if they're hungry, they'll cut it. Everyone has got obligation. Even the tiger. Even the tiger... One saintly person was in the jungle. His disciples said the tigers will never come and disturb in the āśrama because the āśrama head, they'll keep some milk little far away from the āśrama, and the tigers will come and drink and go away. He'll call, "You tiger, come and take your milk here!" Just like we call the dogs. They'll come and take the milk and go away. And they'll never attack any inmates of the āśrama. He'll say, āmāra ajni hana isko bolo naya (?): "They are my men; don't harm them." Yes. Tigers can be trained up.
Morning Walk -- June 17, 1974, Germany:
Devotee: Now they've found out, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that India has been, over the past few years, spending crores of rupees to develop the...
Prabhupāda: Hm. And people are starving for want of. There was a cartoon that some public came to some minister: "Sir, we are starving. Give us our food." So the reply was: "Of course, that's a problem, food problem. But I can assure you that from next week you'll have television." (laughter) These rascals are like that. "Next, from next week, you'll have television, atom bomb. Never mind. Starve." (laughter) So that is also becoming fool's paradise. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. In this way, the more we increase sense, sense gratification by advancement of material..., the more we forget Kṛṣṇa. And more we forget Kṛṣṇa, we are more fools. (aside:) Don't come so near.
Room Conversation -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: Formerly we were paying two rupees. Two rupees, and if it is this name, at most, three rupees. Now the things have increased twice. Forty years ago that black Bhāgavata was bound only for two rupees. This is very nice one. In the U.S.A the binding cost is very, very... Just like Macmillan Company. Bhagavad-gītā, hardbound, they charge ten dollars, ninety-five. And softbound, softbound, they charge four dollars. Six dollar difference on account of binding. So they have charged one dollar, seventy-five cents, and in America they charge six dollars. So all the fathers clapped for long.
Morning Walk -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:
Madhudviṣa: Sometimes a question is arisen that devotees are working hard to serve Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes they don't feel that they are working in love and devotion. They are doing the work, but sometimes...
Prabhupāda: Yes, in the beginning there is no love. Let him work on the direction of God's representative. (break) Therefore it has been warned, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. The Deity of Viṣṇu, if one thinks, "This is made of stone; this is made of wood; this is made of metal," and spiritual master as ordinary human being, these are hellish considerations. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guruṣu means the spiritual master. Nara-matiḥ, a ordinary human being. And vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. And Vaiṣṇava, a devotee—"Oh, he is brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. He is European Vaiṣṇava. He is this Vaiṣṇava, that..." No. These are forbidden. Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. Spiritual master... They are all transcendental. In... of course, in this country you are introducing new, but in India... Just like we had been at Tirupati, Tirumala. Many thousands of people were coming, and their daily collection is not less than 100,000 rupees. And do you think these people are coming to offer these 100,000 rupees daily to a stone? And the ācāryas established this temple for bluffing these people? Does it mean, their collecting? They do not know the science, rascals. And therefore simply... Sinful life cannot help. Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4).
Morning Walk at Marina del Rey -- July 12, 1974, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, in India also, about ten years ago, there was one... India. In Bombay. But he didn't, he couldn't walk. But it was sold. The tickets was about five hundred rupees or so.
Prabhupāda: Only?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But a... Big, big people were invited and actually he didn't walk. He fell down in the water.
Bali Mardana: Maybe Kṛṣṇa took his power away.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: He was almost beaten. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: The same thing...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: He said he missed something.
Prabhupāda: So many birds are floating on the sea. Nobody's interested. But one rascal will advertise that "I can walk." They purchase five hundred rupees ticket. (laughter) (pause) People want to see magic.
Jayatīrtha: Yes.
Room Conversations -- September 10, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: The yogis, they want to show some magic power and gain. Just like this rascal is doing, (indistinct) Baba. He has some yogic siddhi, so he has some (indistinct). Otherwise what is the attraction? He is a most wretched man, always he's smoking, and he sleeps too long, no regulation of life. But people are attracted because they have been captivated that "If I pay him one lakh, I shall get two lakhs." This is the propaganda. It is a..., what is called, gambling. You put one rupee, and if you are successful you will get four rupees. Siddhi. Because material world, they think "If I get more money, then it is perfection." Everywhere, the whole world is thinking-nationwise, individual—how to become. You will find in Europe the same propensity. Napoleon is trying to make Paris the most opulent city in Europe. Or Englishmen, Gladstone and others, they are trying to make England, London, most opulent city in the world. Similarly, czar was very accomplished. (indistinct) it is burst out into war. So we see the propensity. In Paris, the Place Concorde, so many beautiful buildings are there for museum, how they have conquered. In Rome, how they have conquered over Egypt, that pyramid they have brought. You have been in Rome?
Room Conversations -- September 10, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Bhaumāsura, something like that. They all of them became Kṛṣṇa's wife. They prayed to Kṛṣṇa to be rescued from the hands of... Then Kṛṣṇa rescued them, killed that Bhaumāsura, and excused them, then they were set free. Then their plea that "We are set free, that's all right, but we cannot go home because we were kidnapped. So we shall not be married. Nobody will accept us." "Then what do you want?" "You become our husband." "All right." Kṛṣṇa becomes (indistinct). This is going on. Somebody is thinking of money, somebody is thinking of woman. These two things, money and woman, and whole struggle (indistinct). The Musselman nawabs, they used to keep... That one nawab, they have got his quarters in Lucknow, he had 160 wives. Even in recent, you know this (name withheld)? His elder brother, (name withheld), practically he is the origin of the (name withheld) concern. So I was a guest of the (indistinct). So he has got three wives—one Bengali wife, one (indistinct) wife, and his original wife being Jain. He had three, four wives. And each wife's establishment, ten thousand rupees per month. So he is earning money and he is spending it. Earning money by black market, this way, that way, and his whole day's business is that go to some wife's house, remain there for some hours, then next wife, remain there for some hours, and he thinks, "I am a king." Still he is living. He is of my age, old man. And each wife has got dozens of children. They're not his.
Room Conversations -- September 10, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: How it is possible? He's an old man and the wives are young. But they have got dozens of children, and he is trying to give each child five lakhs of rupees. That is to keep the wife. Everyone is trying that. Natural affection, beget children as many as you like, and then bring money and give them. That is (indistinct). This is that heart disease. How you can stop it? The rascals, they do not know it cannot be done. The lower class, still they are maintaining. Manager class, the worker class. That is going on. That higher and lower level must continue in the material world. You cannot stop it. Individually, nationally, communally.
Devotee (1): They have simply taken the sides of the low class against the upper class.
Prabhupāda: That is a sympathy. But you cannot change it. That is not possible. It is very good sympathy.
Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) So Akbar (indistinct) asked Birbal, "What is your idea of sex life? How long it continues?" He answered, "Up to the point of death." "No, no. I don't believe it." "All right." So one day all of a sudden Birbal came to Akbar (indistinct) house, "Sir, you have to go with me immediately with your youngest daughter." So Akbar (indistinct)'s daughter, king's daughter, very (indistinct). So the father and the daughter and Birbal went to see one dying man. The man was dying, and he asked, Birbal (indistinct) that "You simply see his face." So when he was entering, that man was looking to that young girl, not the Akbar (indistinct). He was looking over that young girl. Both of them were intelligent. Then Akbar (indistinct) said, "Yes." And our śāstra says yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). What is the happiness of the gṛhastha life? Gṛhastha is different, gṛhamedhi. There are two words. Gṛhastha means living husband and wife together, but the aim is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And gṛhamedhi means he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore his life is sex. That is the difference. Therefore, this word is used, gṛhamedhi. Yan maithunādi. What is the standard of happiness? Maithu, sex, that's all. Yan maithunādi. All these gṛhasthas, you will find they are accumulating money, they are enjoying sex life, then daughter's sex life, son's sex life, grandson's sex life. They are busy. Especially in India you will find, they spend thousands lakhs of rupees for son's and daughter's and grandson's sex life.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That's it. Yes, businessman never invests his own money. He does business with others' money. That is business. Just like I am doing. (laughter) I brought only forty rupees. That was also not spent. (laughter)
Rāmeśvara: This is our Golden Avatar studio where they record... They change your lectures into master tapes which can then be duplicated at high speed, and this is a complete library of all of your lectures.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Rāmeśvara: We keep it very carefully. It's very important. They are cataloging it according to title of book, so if someone wants to see what your Divine Grace has lectured on Bhagavad-gītā, they have one section on Bhagavad-gītā, and on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto...
Prabhupāda: They have got index book.
Rāmeśvara: Yes, they have index system.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Morning Walk -- February 23, 1975, Caracas:
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) In India also. They, "Poverty, poverty, poverty." Have you seen anyone dying?
Śrutakīrti: No.
Prabhupāda: They are purchasing eight rupees kilo rice.
Śrutakīrti: Even the poorest person seems to be maintaining somehow. Even the poorest people seem to be maintained. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...of knowledge, not starvation of food.
Vīrabāhu: The modern scientists, they even admit that the body, a human body, is the most perfect machine. They admit this in college. But the same teacher, I heard him saying this, though he says this, he says, "There is no God. This is an invention of the necessity of man."
Prabhupāda: Then why do you die? Why do you die?
Hṛdayānanda: If it's a perfect machine?
Vīrabāhu: No, he says is the most perfect. No one can make something better.
Prabhupāda: Where is perfection? Why do you die? You don't like to die. Where is perfection? Nobody wants to die, but it is sure that he will die. Where is perfection?
Vīrabāhu: He says because of the fear of dying, one invents God.
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:
Prabhupāda: He asked him, that rascal chemist, that "If I give you the chemicals, can you manufacture life?" That time he said, "No, that I cannot say." Why do you say like that? In the beginning, in New York, that store front, the Satsvarūpa is with..., and Hayagrīva and... And you chant simply. You were also there. So this chanting is proving efficient. That is Vedic knowledge. It is not theory. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not theory or mental speculation. It is a fact. So therefore it is said,
guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya,
- ār nā koriho mane āśā **
So whatever little success I have got, it is only for this reason. My Guru Mahārāja said that "You go and preach whatever you learned in English language." That's all. So I came here with this faith, that "My Guru Mahārāja said. I must be successful." I did not show any jugglery to you, gold-making jugglery. Where is my gold? I came with forty rupees first.
Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:
Prabhupāda: That was second stage. The first stage I used to publish and distribute as gṛhastha, I did not mind whether one page or not. I was distributing. So spending about four hundred, five hundred rupees, I did not care if one page or not, but I'll distribute. Then, when I retired, left home, I was publishing and distributing myself to get subscription. The subscription was very cheap, two rupees, four annas, I think, for the year. Two copies per month. Just like you published The Harmonist? Like that. Then I published Bhāgavatam. So I was going to libraries, school, colleges, and everyone was purchasing. My Bhāgavata was being purchased by your Congress Library. In Delhi they have got office. So there was standing order, eighteen copies of my book as soon as they are published. The head librarian in India, New Delhi, he gave me standing order. Dallas is very cold? No. Like this.
Room Conversation with Reporter -- March 9, 1975, London:
Prabhupāda: ...by high-class professors, universities, libraries. They are all accepting. You will be surprised to know that we are selling books, according to our Indian currency, twenty lakhs of rupees per month. Out of that, we are spending eight to ten lakhs for all our centers.
Reporter: You have centers all over the world?
Prabhupāda: Yes, all over the world. In Europe we have got so many centers. Here in London we have got two centers. Similarly, Paris, Germany, four centers. Then Sweden, one?
Haṁsadūta: Sweden and Denmark.
Prabhupāda: Denmark, Holland, and Rome, then Switzerland, Geneva. So we have got several branches here.
Reporter: Are many people joining you?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Just see, many people here. Each center we have got not less than fifty men, up to 250. Similarly, we have got in Australia and New Zealand, all over the world. In India we have got six. In India I have got six. In Vṛndāvana, Calcutta, Bombay, Navadvīpa, Hyderabad—in so many places.
Morning Walk -- March 11, 1975, London:
Prabhupāda: Ivory, yes. There is a current proverb, "Dead elephant, one lakh rupees." Mara hati lakṣa na:(?) "Elephant, alive or dead, one lakh of rupees." On account of ivory. When the elephant is dead, it is put into a hole and covered. And after sometimes you find all the ivory. The bones and the teeth are very, very valuable. Formerly big, big kings, they used to manufacture their furniture of ivory and gold and silk pad. This is luxury. And the rooms bedecked with jewel. No electricity, no lamp. This is description of Kṛṣṇa's sixteen thousand palace. Who has got now? Sixteen thousand wives and sixteen thousand palace of marble and furniture ivory and gold. Where is there now? Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the richest. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya.
Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: In India, Tirupati, I that Deity is richer than many kings in the world. Daily, 100,000 rupees, not (indistinct), daily. (break) Which king who has got so much money? If you organize, you can take the whole income for cause of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you are really organized. That is possible.
Devotee: Where is this temple?
Prabhupāda: In South India.
Devotee: South India.
Devotee: (indistinct) (barely audible) ...industrialists they are making life very difficult.
Prabhupāda: Where, where?
Devotee: In India.
Prabhupāda: In India. Oh.
Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: In India. Oh.
Devotee: One industrialist friend, (indistinct), who has come to Tehran, I visited him. Very, very rich industrialist, he built a temple, very nice temple, (indistinct), and the government was not pleased that he has built a temple and they came in and searched his house and they gave him 20,000,000 rupees penalty.
Prabhupāda: For constructing a temple?
Devotee: No, for taxes and but their real reason was they were not happy that he was spending his money constructing a temple. (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee: Juhu Beach temple?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Don't mind. All the work is going on. It doesn't matter. (break) ...prayer, five times?
Guest: Well, it's the Islamic prayer five times a day but she is compressing it to three times.
Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:
Guest: Our aim of life should be the realization of God?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because at the present moment we are part and parcel. Just like a son, he has got the symptoms of his father, but he does not know who is his father. He does not know who is his father. There is a Hindi proverb, bap ka beta sipaika gora kusnaita tora tola: "The son inherits the quality of the father, but if he does not know who is his father, then what is his position?" That is going on. The scientist, he is trying to create something, but he does not know the supreme creator. Do you follow? Now the scientists are trying to create living being in the laboratory. But he does not enquire that who has already created so many millions of living entities? He is trying to create a living entity in laboratory. Suppose he creates one living entity. Then what credit is there for him? But he is spending lakhs and crores of rupees.
Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:
Prabhupāda: Scientists' role, not only scientists, scientists, philosopher, politician—everyone should endeavor that "Wherefrom we got these propensities? Where is the origin?" That is described in the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. I am a scientist. I am thinking of myself very great man, but I do not think that "Who is that great scientist under whose order the sun, moon, the sea, ocean, everything is working very properly?" I am thinking of that water is created by hydrogen, oxygen, but I do not inquire, "Wherefrom such hugh quantity of hydrogen, oxygen came, so that there is big oceans and seas, water?" That I don't enquire. So I am so foolish scientist. I am theorizing. I am theorizing that life has come from matter, chemical composition, but as soon as I ask that "I give you the chemical. You create," he says, "That I cannot do." This is going on. But our business is, we Kṛṣṇa conscious, that we see that you scientists, you are trying to create a living being, but I glorify the Supreme who has already created millions and millions of living beings. I give you credit that... I cannot give you credit unless you create. But still, as you are thinking that you will be able in future, that's good... But what credit you will have? If I have got millions of rupees, and if you create ten rupees, then what is your credit? Even if you create? You cannot do it. You will never be able to create life. That's a fact. That we know. But even if you are able to create, then what credit you, do you get. This is... Already there are millions and trillions of life.
Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: You consider, and then you decide.
Jayatīrtha: So that's one thing to discuss. Another thing to discuss is Spiritual Sky.
Madhudviṣa: Don't you think that there should be some representatives from the Press at that meeting too?
Jayatīrtha: Yes, they'll be there.
Prabhupāda: Now, the Spiritual Sky... I have heard that you are paying two thousand rupees, er, two thousand dollars, per month to the accountant, and one thousand dollars to Karandhara.
Morning Walk -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: We don't beg money from them. We take their money in the way that they'll use it for bad purposes, so we take it for Kṛṣṇa. They'll drink. They'll smoke. They'll have illicit sex and go to hell. Therefore, out of our humbleness, we have become beggar, just like a father asking the child... He has taken one hundred rupees note and spoiling. "My dear child, you are so nice. Why you are taking this? Give this. Take a lozenges." Like that. We are not for their money. That's a wrong theory.
Pañcadraviḍa: But they say this drinking and smoking, it's all right, but you are parasites because you're taking our money.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Pañcadraviḍa: They say that smo...
Prabhupāda: I'm not after... I kick on your face. I don't want your money. (laughter.) You are taking books from us, and you are paying. Therefore I have adopted this means. They may not say... I knew that they would say in the Western countries. Therefore I thought that without books it is not possible.
Conversation with Governor -- April 20, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Vānaprastha college, yes. That is the very essential thing at the present moment, that a class of men... Just like the same example: If one wants to become an engineer he must be properly trained up. If he wants to become a medical man he must be properly trained up. Similarly, if one wants to become a brāhmaṇa, then he must be properly trained up, or even if one does not want, the state should maintain a college where a real brāhmaṇa is trained up. Just like Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, when he opened some higher studies of academic qualification, so there was one or two students, and there were three professors drawing at least twelve hundred rupees per month. So twelve hundred rupees per month, that means thirty-six hundred, expenditure, and the income is thirty-six rupees. It is not the question of money, but it is the question of culture. So even though at the present moment people are not inclined to become a brāhmaṇa, I tried it. I tried it before starting this movement. I tried to some friends that "You have got four sons. Give me one son. I shall train him how to become a perfect brāhmaṇa." Nobody agreed. They said, "Swamiji, (Hindi)," But if there is not a ideal class of brāhmaṇa, then how you can say that you become moralist? If there is no example of moralist, how you can ask people, "Become moralist"?
Conversation with Governor -- April 20, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Just like we are getting charity, crores of rupees, but we are spending for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, not for drinking. And if charity is given to a drunkard, what he will do? He will drink only. Therefore charity is recommended to be given to the brāhmaṇa and the sannyāsī, no other else. Then?
Governor: The apatra-dana.
Prabhupāda: Ah? Apatra-dana, that is third-class. Go on.
Brahmānanda: "This is called charity in goodness. In the śāstras there is no recommendation for giving charity to the unqualified men. In this connection I am enclosing a copy of one chart reproduced in our Back to Godhead, 'Charity in ignorance.' "
Prabhupāda: She has written one article in our Back to Godhead. I am quoting from that.
Morning Walk -- April 23, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Guest: One restaurant near Metro was serving that type. And one man suffering from leprosy was given only about one month to live, and "If you want to enjoy, you enjoy. But if you want to get cured, you have to eat human flesh." "I don't eat human flesh." So he started eating anywhere. And he liked one place very much, and he started eating for one month at that particular place. And eventually he was cured. Then a police report was found out that they were serving human flesh by inviting very poor people from the South India for washing the dishes at night, giving five rupees. When they come, they kill him and serve in the morning.
Prabhupāda: That was being done long, long ago in a Chinese house in Calcutta. They'd call hawker.
Guest: Hawker. And kill him up.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: That is possible. Everything is possible.
Amogha: Because he is so rich he can pay the judge a few million rupees, and the judge will say, "Yes, yes, he is God." By court's rule.
Prabhupāda: Then the other party will go to appeal. Where he is being judged, in the Supreme Court or lower court?
Amogha: I'm not sure. Actually, the judgment is whether or not he put a false picture in the newspaper of his brother with a girl. The older brother is claiming that... First he put a picture in the paper showing the younger Guru Maharaj-ji kissing an American girl. So Guru Maharaj-ji put another counter-photo showing his older brother with an American girl. So the suit is over whether this second picture is a real picture or is it artificially made. That's what the court will decide.
Prabhupāda: Oh. That is the suit.
Morning Walk -- May 14, 1975, Perth:
Amogha: They call them brahmacārīṇi?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because nowadays almost every girl is unmarried. So they have devised this āśrama that "Come here." And women can be sold at any cost. People are lusty. So one woman supplied, he pays hundred rupees, two hundred rupees. Business is going on.
Amogha: They come for pilgrimage?
Prabhupāda: No, no. They will be sent to your house. Pay for it. Hotel. In the Kali-yuga the sex impulse is so strong, but it is utilized in so many ways. The yogis, swamis, school, college, philosophy—at the end sex, that's all. That example, dog's tail. Whatever you do, greasing, the tail will be like this. (break) I think it is sooner. It takes time less than for going there.
Devotee (1): Oh, I came the short way.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he came by the short way.
Devotee (1):. Yes.
Prabhupāda: (break) This man is unemployed... (end)
Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: This is brāhmaṇa. We do not serve anyone, any merchant, officer, any... No. We chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If Kṛṣṇa wants, He will give us food, or we shall starve. We are not going to serve. This is the proof. We are spending not less than twenty lakhs of rupees for maintaining our establishment throughout the whole world, but we do not know what is our next moment's income. We do not know... We have eaten today. We do not know whether we shall have any eatable next day. This is our position. If it is available, we shall eat; otherwise we shall starve. This is our position. Still, I don't seek any employment, "Give us some service to maintain our..." No, we don't do that. We never do that. When I was alone, I was not doing that. I was living alone. I had no income, no friend, no shelter. Since I left my home, since 1954, I never cared for anyone maintaining me. And there was no resource, fixed income, nothing of the sort. I depended on Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, in the whole society we are feeding daily ten thousand men.
Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: And above that, there is intelligent class of men, practicing some yoga. And spiritual platform means above that. First bodily concept, gross, then mental, then intellectual, then spiritual. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is on the spiritual platform, above body, mind and intelligence. But actually, we should come to that platform. Because we are spirit soul, we are neither this body nor this mind nor this intelligence. So one who is on the platform of spiritual consciousness, they have got everything, intelligence, proper use of mind, proper use of the body. Just like a millionaire, he has got all the lower grade possession. Ten rupees or hundred rupees or hundred pounds—he has got all, everything. Similarly, if we try to make an attempt to bring people on the platform of God consciousness, then he is possessing all other qualities: how to take care of the body, how to use the mind, how to use intelligence, everything. But it is not possible that everyone should become God conscious.
Morning Walk -- May 31, 1975, Honolulu:
Gurukṛpa: Juhu Beach is a big beach.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes. (break) ...I told you, in my childhood I was consulting the time table, "What is the fare of Jagannātha Purī and Vṛndāvana?" (chuckles)
Gurukṛpa: You said it was two rupees.
Prabhupāda: No, not two rupees. Jagannātha Purī at that time was four rupees, four annas or one anna. And Vṛndāvana was six rupees.
Gurukṛpa: Six.
Prabhupāda: Six rupees from Calcutta. So I was dreaming "When I get this four rupees or six rupees, I shall go." (break)
Gurukṛpa: That is not material.
Bali-mardana: You were desiring to worship... You were worshiping Jagannātha, weren't you?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Rathayātrā.
Morning Walk -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: How many visitors come?
Nitāi: Well, daily three families will be there.
Devotee: Every evening āratika there are almost one hundred visitors at evening āratika.
Nitāi: To see the temple, whole buses come. Over a hundred rupees a day are collected just by...
Prabhupāda: Visitors?
Nitāi: Visitors or are giving for prasādam, contributions to the Deities. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...is neat and clean?
Nitāi: Yes. It's very nice, very nicely kept.
Prabhupāda: ...Pradyumna? (break)
Nitāi: I have heard many people in Vṛndāvana say that our temple is the best in Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.
Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayatīrtha: When I was there once, I was in the market and I had a Kṛṣṇa trilogy with me and the man who was selling the fruits he started to look at it, and he was so impressed that he immediately offered me ten rupees. And then a big crowd of people came around, and they were looking at the pictures and everything, and they were all bidding, they all wanted that, for ten rupees, they were demanding that I sell it to them. A big crowd of people, they were all willing to pay ten rupees because they'd never seen anything like this book before.
Prabhupāda: What is the position of Bhagavad-gītā? Macmillan, you are not taking supply, so they have stopped?
Jayatīrtha: We've informed them that the..., we want to make the..., because they no longer have it in print, that the abridged edition, we want to break the contract.
Prabhupāda: No, that is already, they have permitted. Anyway, you can...
Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:
Prabhupāda: (break) ...you meet Bon Mahārāja, and if he talks again time, say, "You were sent in London for establishing a temple, why you could not do it? You remained there for three, four years. And why you were called back by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī? What did you do for the three, four years in spite of full support from Gauḍīya Maṭha?" We were sending seven hundred rupees. In those days seven hundred rupees means nowadays seven thousand. He was squandering the money. "Authority, authority, scholarly, how many books you have published from your institution for the last forty years?" He was in London. In the 1930's he came back. Came back means Guru Mahārāja called him back. Then he separated from Gauḍīya Maṭha, and he tried to start this institution. Sometimes in the 1945, '47..., not '40, '30. And it is '75, clear forty years. So what books you have published? Authority, scholarly, what books you have published? And how many scholars you have produced? Why it is closed now?
Satsvarūpa: He's bluffing.
Morning Walk -- July 6, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: ...was seeing in that paper, the meeting, a photograph of Jaya Prakash Narayana and Mrs. Gandhi. Both of the meetings were overcrowded. So who is right and who is wrong? People were hearings in throngs both of them. So? Who is wrong, who is right? (break)
Brahmānanda: ...newspaper report here was that the crowds who came to cheer Indira Gandhi that they were paid, paid crowds. They would pay them one rupee each.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā? (laughter) Yes. That is for car or...?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Car, yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...any bird called thunderbird?
Bahulāśva: Thunderbird? A big bird, big eagle, in the United States.
Prabhupāda: No, big eagle, thunderbird. You have seen in this car?
Brahmānanda: Automobile is called.
Prabhupāda: But actually is there any bird called thunderbird?
Jagadīśa: It's a legendary bird from Indian legend. American Indian.
Prabhupāda: Indian legend?
Brahmānanda: Of the American Indians, the red Indians. Sometimes their chiefs are called Chief Thunderbird. It's a popular name for their chiefs.
Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:
Brahmānanda: Rich man doesn't have to work, and everything comes.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is rich man. That is the explanation given by Marshall, a great economist. He says that unless one is obliged to work, nobody will work. That is his economic impetus. So the family affection gives impetus to work. He has to maintain the family. That is, he says, that is the beginning of economic development. Marshall theory. (break) ...kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. When there is attachment on account of Kṛṣṇa, that is detachment. Yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. He is attached to everything but not for his personal self. We are spending lakhs of rupees for constructing a temple, but we are not interested to construct a house or a skyscraper building. We are not interested. That is detachment. (break) We give up. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhe-vastunaḥ: "No, no, we don't touch money." Why? If the money can be utilized for constructing a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, why we shall say, "We don't touch money"? Yes, give me as much money as you have got. Therefore you will find in India very, very big, big, costly temple, not skyscraper building. That is the sign. If any man had any money, he would spend it for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal self. Personally he would be satisfied with a cottage. That is India's civilization. You will find in South India one temple is more than a fort, bigger. It is impossible to construct such temple nowadays. Still you will find in Vṛndāvana that broken Govindaji's temple. If you construct such temple, even crores and crores of rupees will not be sufficient. That was done by Mahārāja Mansingha, but you don't find any palace of Mansingha. He could have construct a palace there.
Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:
Mr. Surface: Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So he is dependent on the family affection. Then economic impetus go on. And I think he has given another proposition that if man can easily live, then he will not work. That is the nature of man. Therefore a rich man's son, he does not work. Because he has father's money, he can spend. In America the boys are rich man's son, and therefore so many boys are not working. They have got easy income, and they are not working. And because there is no proper work, they are becoming hippies. They are manufacturing independence. "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." This human psychology is the same everywhere. In India many rich men's son, until he has spoiled his father's whole money, he is restless. And when he is turned to a beggar, then he is satisfied. I have seen many, spoiling father's money like anything, and the same man, when he is beggar in the street, he feels happy. I shall quote one statement of a very big man, politician, Mr. C.R. Das. So he died in 1925. He was about our father's age. So he was earning in those days fifty thousand rupees per month. Fifty thousand... our rupee or dollar is the same. Although exchange value is different, but the... Locally, the purchasing capacity is the same.
Morning Walk -- August 6, 1975, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: My Godbrother says-Tīrtha Mahārāja—that American government has given me two crores of rupees. They are supposed to be spiritually advanced, and they are so rascal. And he is the head of Caitanya Matha. Kṛṣṇa said, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "I take the responsibility of his expenditure." Kṛṣṇa says, and they are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they are thinking, "American government is doing, not Kṛṣṇa." Such fools and rascals, they are head of..., a spiritual head. Karmīs, jñānīs—everyone is envious of our... And they are trying to speculate how to admit: "Where he gets money? Where he gets money?"
Harikeśa: That man in San Francisco? The photographer? He was always trying to take pictures of your rings and always trying to take pictures of all the rich things on the altar. He was trying to make a story like that. They try to show that you are enjoying.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Harikeśa: They are trying to show that you are enjoying.
Morning Walk -- August 24, 1975, Delhi:
Jayapatāka: ...Śrīla Prabhupāda, the deputy director of tourism of the government of West Bengal came out to visit Māyāpur. He said that many people have been wanting to see Māyāpur and Navadvipa. And the nearest guesthouse they have is Berhampur. They have a guest house at Berhampur. So they wanted to know the possibility if a bus of twenty-four people could use our guesthouse. They offered thirty rupees a night per room and said that normally they pay six rupees per meal. They wouldn't smoke or break any rules while they go in the building.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Let them come. So in one room, one person?
Jayapatāka: Two people. Double room.
Prabhupāda: Thirty-two rupees?
Jayapatāka: Thirty rupees.
Prabhupāda: Thirty rupees. And meals?
Jayapatāka: Six rupees a meal they are accustomed to pay.
Prabhupāda: That's very nice.
Morning Walk -- August 25, 1975, Vrndavana:
Dhanañjaya: Twenty rupees. All this land between Chattikara Road and Pagala Baba's āśrama, mandir, is very good for cultivation.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Who does it belong to? Different farms?
Dhanañjaya: Yes. And government.
Prabhupāda: Which way we shall go?
Gurṇārṇava: Where shall we go?
Prabhupāda: This way or that? Which way? Nobody can say?
Dhanañjaya: This is the parikrama. This path is here, better.
Prabhupāda: Let us go this way. (break) ...Bon Mahārāja's land? No.
Dhanañjaya: Not all.
Morning Walk -- August 25, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Dhanañjaya: That we must find out.
Jayapatāka: You go to the settlement office and you ask for information sheet. Then you can find all this. Get a map and then for each plot ask for information sheet. One rupee for five names. (kīrtana in background) (break)
Prabhupāda: Oh, Sītā-Rāma.
Dhanañjaya: They've been chanting for sixty years.
Prabhupāda: Sixty years? Continually?
Dhanañjaya: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: We have no worker. That is the... So even if we secure land, if there is no worker, what is the use? All this land is not being worked on. No work prepared. (break) ...Bon Mahārāja's tomb? (break) ...maṭha.
Gurṇārṇava: What are the inscriptions?
Prabhupāda: Dvaitādvaita, I think. Nimbārka philosophy.
Morning Walk -- August 26, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Neither of you saw this? (break) ...in Delhi?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Hindi books. Hindi books are selling very well.
Prabhupāda: So what to do with this unfinished part? It will never be finished. That is the difficulty. We supplied three lakhs rupees monthly. Still, when I come, it is unfinished. Unfinished. I do not know when it will be finished. And whenever money is given, the report is "Money is finished, but thing is not finished. Money is finished, but things are not finished."
Guṇārṇava: Well, there's some ninety-four thousand rupees in the Punjab Bank, but that's for finalizing all the contracts. Saurab said that...
Prabhupāda: Your explanation there. I want to see that it is not (now?) finished. That's all.
Morning Walk -- August 26, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Then why do you say all right? Money is not there; then how it is all right? Why do you say all right? Say not all right. Money is not there. So this is the position. Guesthouse, if it is organized, yesterday we calculated we can get five hundred, six hundred rupees daily. So why it should not be done? That is also incomplete. Everything is incomplete. Source of income incomplete, and whole thing is incomplete.
Dhanañjaya: Guṇārṇava Prabhu has estimated that it will cost at least another five thousand rupees...
Guṇārṇava: 75,000.
Prabhupāda: So I know that even if it is given, 75,000, you'll never finish it. That I know.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What we are doing is...
Prabhupāda: Then you will say, "Our estimate was wrong. We were mistaken." This is going on. Several times, "This is estimate," money paid—"No, it was wrong. Pay more." This is going on. What is the estimate, what is the right estimate, nobody knows.
Morning Walk -- August 26, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: That is "to be." I am speaking what is done. That I am speaking. That is "to be." The "to be" is going on for the last so many years. Now you utilize... You are getting money, but still "to be." You are getting so much money, daily income, two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. Still "to be." You do not know what will be the actual solution. So many big, big heads, and there is no solution. I do not know what to do. So many things unfinished.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So far, there wasn't any surplus. Now there's a surplus...
Prabhupāda: Where is the surplus?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it will start coming. Now it is... From Jhulan-yātrā our income has picked up.
Prabhupāda: But you have got money?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we will have a surplus.
Prabhupāda: You'll... Again "to be."
Morning Walk -- August 26, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: And that is also gone to the belly.
Brahmānanda: Out of the 21,000, five checks were returned, so 5,550 rupees...
Prabhupāda: They have gone to belly?
Dhanañjaya: No. They have to be deducted because...
Brahmānanda: So then what was the collection?
Dhanañjaya: Collection was sixteen thousand. And eight thousand went to the BBT.
Prabhupāda: So why that eight thousand was not utilized to finish this business? BBT might be delayed, but what is this? Everything is unfinished. Huh? The doors are neither colored, neither painted, neither polished. As you have no money. And you are getting money and all going to the belly. So do rightly. You are so big, big heads. Baro baro badare baro baro pet laṅka dingake mata kare het: "Big, big monkey, big, big belly-Ceylon jumping, melancholy." Huh? With big belly a monkey comes forward, and if you ask him, "Jump over like Hanumānji," finished, belly finished. These are Bengali words. Baro baro badare baro baro pet laṅka dingake mata kare het. "I cannot do it." And why you have got so much belly? So this is not good. Make plan. You'll go on plan-making. Oh, you'll never be done.
Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: That is preaching. Our process is anuśṛṇuyāt. We hear from the superior and reproduce it. That is śravaṇaṁ-kīrtanam. Then perfect. If I add something, my own imagination, then it will spoil. No addition-alteration; as it is. As it is you hear from your spiritual master, reproduce. That's all. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa is coming by paramparā, so you reproduce. That's all. Even a child can reproduce what he has heard from his father. It is not at all difficult. (break) ...cheap rate.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What we can also do is... I think we should have some publication for one rupee twenty-five paisa. We can just print a small ten-page or ten or fifteen-page.
Prabhupāda: What you'll explain in ten or fifteen page?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Otherwise all these books, they cost us about 1.40 for printing.
Brahmānanda: That Hanuman Prasad Poddar, he was producing big books at cheap rates.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They were all subsidized by Rama..., all his books. And he had no profit.
Harikeśa: Also the paper is given free by Samani.
Prabhupāda: No... Yes. They were receiving contribution. Besides that, he possessed agency of Titagara paper mill. So mill rate—immediately 33% less.
Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana:
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And I heard all his books were heavily subsidized by Dalmia.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Dalmia and many big, big Marwaris.
Harikeśa: Maybe they can produce your Hindi lectures in pamphlets.
Prabhupāda: So if... You can make it cheaper. Instead of three rupees, you can make it two rupees.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Like we can have four or five of your lectures for one small book for one rupees, fifty paisa, or one rupee and... If somebody can't afford two rupees... At the present moment we are selling your Back to Godhead for two rupees. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...educated, he appreciate it.
Morning Walk -- September 15, 1975, Vrndavana:
Vāsughoṣa: If we just engage them in devotional service will they ultimately become purified?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our mission. Somehow or other go on repeatedly saying.
Vāsughoṣa: Because even that atheist hippie, when he was... after he was talking to me about the cigarettes, then the next morning I sold him a book, so he gave twenty rupees.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the way. Some way or other, induce. (break) Obstinacy. What is that, "dog obstinacy"?
Dhṛṣṭaketu: They say, "Stubborn as an ass."
Prabhupāda: Hm. (break) ...selling different types of religious system so that one may not have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is going on.
Vāsughoṣa: Many people were... On the way to... Even on the way to here...
Prabhupāda: And big, big swamis are saying, "Yes, whatever you manufacture, it is all right." Yathā mat tathā path: "Whatever ways you manufacture by concoction, that is all right." So they are satisfied. If somebody says that "You surrender unto me," that is not very palatable. If somebody says, "No, you can surrender anywhere," that is very palatable.
Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So how much it is?
Dhanañjaya: Pūrṇa-candra, how much was collected?
Pūrṇa-candra: 120 rupees.
Prabhupāda: So you write separately.
Pūrṇa-candra: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: And it is sent to the bank. And foodstuff selling? Prasāda?
Pūrṇa-candra: It is... Collected sixty rupees.
Prabhupāda: Book?
Pūrṇa-candra: Ninety rupees.
Prabhupāda: So they are all differently?
Pūrṇa-candra: Yes.
Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:
Dhanañjaya: During the week it's about sixty to eighty rupees, and at the weekends, over a hundred rupees. At weekends there are far more people coming to the temple from Delhi.
Prabhupāda: So average, eighty rupees. So you are purchasing ghee, four kilos or more.
Dhanañjaya: Now we have stopped that.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Dhanañjaya: Now we have stopped. We've reduced the quantity.
Prabhupāda: Why you were purchasing more?
Dhanañjaya: We were purchasing because the ghee was being used in all the preparations, in all the vegetable preparations...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. So what is the price of four kilos?
Devotee (2): Eighty-eight rupees.
Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Dhanañjaya: Eighty-eight rupees.
Prabhupāda: So you collect only the ghee price. And what about others? Other, attar and sugar and so many things? That means you are spending hundred rupees, and the kitchen department, you are is collecting eighty rupees. So twenty rupees lost. Hm? So what is this business? What you are spending, you must collect also. Or balance you are eating?
Dhanañjaya: A few days ago a devotee donated three hundred rupees to the Deities.
Prabhupāda: Donated, that is all right. I am talking of the business.
Dhanañjaya: I see.
Prabhupāda: Donate, I may donate three thousand. But that is a different thing. But from practical point of view, you are spending hundred rupees per day, and you are collecting eighty rupees.
Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Devotees or... Daily they were purchasing 125. But you said, "No, it must be more," and the banana is rotting. Why do you purchase more?
Dhanañjaya: No, I allotted five rupees per person.
Prabhupāda: Therefore it must be spent.
Dhanañjaya: No, not it must be spent.
Prabhupāda: Then? Because five rupees allotted, then it must be spent. Never mind the fruits are rotten. What is this intelligence? To save money or to squander it, that is your policy.
Dhanañjaya: So when you told Smara-hari to purchase in quantity, the first thing he purchased was bananas.
Prabhupāda: Because he is monkey, he wants banana, very nice.
Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:
Dhanañjaya: One hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Dhanañjaya: One hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: For advertising?
Dhanañjaya: Yes.
Prabhupāda: What is the subject matter?
Dhanañjaya: Well, he made a design of the front of the temple, and he put underneath, "Come and stay at the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma āśrama for..."
Prabhupāda: "Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple," not "āśrama."
Morning Walk -- September 19, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So similarly, the happiness which is destined to you, that will also happen, even though you do not want it. (break) ...rupees. Now I have got forty crores. Who has given me?
Indian man: Yes. Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has given me. So depend on Kṛṣṇa. He says, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemam: "One who is engaged in My service, all that he wants, I supply." He says. See practically. Whatever we wanted, it is coming. It is coming not for my credit or another, anyone credit. It is all Kṛṣṇa's credit. He is giving. As soon as He sees that "They are working for Me," He'll supply everything, whatever you need. Simply we must be sincere and spend it very cautiously, not squandering the money. Then He will give us everything. There is no need of surma(?)-making. I say it is nonsense that by surma-making I will be happy. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Only for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness we should work. Then everything will come, whatever we want. That is called anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), without desiring for anything else. (break) "...in a rented house, there was no trouble. And as soon as this Devidatta gave us this marble palace, then there was competition who will occupy which room. In this way dissension began. So I am desiring that this dissension will increase and there will be fire. So to save this fire, I wish to get out all the marbles from this house and sell it and publish some books.
Morning Walk -- September 29, 1975, Ahmedabad:
Prabhupāda: Emperor of British Empire, and he was a thief. Just see.
Brahmānanda: You've said that a fly sitting on a throne is still a fly.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...one gentleman, young man, he was very rich man's son. He would come in the evening in the Howrah station nicely dressed and would approach any gentleman, "Sir, I am very sorry. I have lost my purse. Can you give me? Otherwise I cannot return." So he will collect five, ten rupees and go to a restaurant and eat and go home. (break) It is the second nature. Now the door is open? We can go?
Kartikeya: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...enter. Not the cows.
Indian man (4): Physical world, this earth is there. Are there any other earthly planets of this type where human beings or other beings are staying other than spiritual beings?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Morning Walk -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:
Cyavana: Here it is very prominent. The workers in the fields, they are barely making enough to live from day to day. But the planters who live in France, they are taking millions of rupees and living very comfortably.
Prabhupāda: Therefore Communism is coming. Go this way?
Cyavana: Is it this way? We can go this way. This way. Or better this way. Now he's coming the other way.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...create another danger. Just like airplane. It is comfortable. You can quickly go from one place to another. But as soon as on the plane, immediately your life is at risk. There is no certainty. So this is the way of material world. You create some comfort and you create some greater danger also. Side by side. It cannot be unhampered comfort. That is not possible. You create a motorcar—the same thing—you drive very speedy and you meet accident. Railway, the accident. There was no need. You produce your food locally and produce your milk. Then eat, drink, and live comfortably. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Make your life successful. Yad uttama-śloka-guṇānuvarṇanam (SB 1.5.22). And if you have got education, then describe the glories of the Lord by your scientific and educational qualification. (break) The rain is coming.
Morning Walk -- October 7, 1975, Durban:
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but if... Sex urge... But as soon as you become old, you have got the sex urge, but you cannot enjoy. Why? You have got the instrument, you have got the body, and still, if you go to a young woman, then she will kick on your face: "Rascal, you have come to enjoy?" (laughter) Why? Why the young man kicks on your face? And you pay. Although you pay, still she kicks. So where is your sex enjoyment? Ayur gatiḥ kiṁ yuvatī nārī: "When your age is finished, what is the use of keeping one young woman?" You cannot enjoy. She will enjoy with others, and you will have to pay for that. This is going on. There is one Mr. (name withheld) in... You have heard the name of (name withheld)? That is (name withheld), his elder brother. He has got three, four wives, and for each wife he has got a big, big establishment. And the wife is enjoying with the secretaries and having dozens of children. And he knows that, but still he is keeping that establishment. Everyone knows that. He's old man. He is of my age, and four, five wives, and he is going to one wife's house in the morning, another wife's house in the noon, another wife's house... In this way he is paying for that, ten thousand, fifteen thousand rupees per establishment, and the wife is enjoying with others. And he is accumulating money to give to the children. He is anxious that "After all, they are my children. They must get at least five lakhs of rupees." This is his business. But it is not his children. This is going on, a practical, that rascal still working his brain how to get money to provide so many wives with comfort of life. That's all. There are many. (name withheld) is only one.
Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:
Prabhupāda: (break) You have done good because you are waiting for somebody's decision. So the decision-maker can change. Otherwise so many people are working so hard day and night; he is not getting even sufficient food. And another man, without working, he is getting so much money. How it is possible? Hm? So God is not an instrument of your whims. He is fully independent. That is God. Agatan gatan patiyase.(?) By His different energy He can..., does something which is impossible to be done. Take for example myself. I went to United States, unknown country, without any friend, without any hope, simply on theory (chuckles) that "I shall go and preach there," and with this expectation also, that "As soon as I shall ask them to give up all these habits, they will ask me to go away." (laughs) So in the face of so many odds and uncertainty, I went there, simply depending on my spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, with this hope only, that "If they desire, everything can be done. But otherwise there is no hope. I am going there, hopeless, just to make an experiment. My other Godbrothers, they failed. All right, Guru Mahārāja asked me. In the beginning I did not do. Let me do it in this old age." So it became surprisingly success. Business started with forty rupees, and now we have got four crores. Where is that business in the material world, that a man started business with forty rupees and he has got four crores within ten years? Not only money, but also fame, respect. What do these kings and president or minister get respect?
Harikeśa: It takes them fifty years.
Morning Walk -- October 18, 1975, Johannesburg:
Prabhupāda: You have no position. You cannot take the Western culture properly, and you have lost your own culture. This is India's bad luck. They never taught Indians how to become actually Westernized. No. They were not giving them sufficient education. They were very much against higher education in the beginning. They wanted some clerks to conduct their activities, mercantile and government, some third-class, fourth-class men. Educated means ABCD, that's all. "They may know ABCD and take fifty, sixty rupees salary, and go home outside the town and come in daily passenger train, and work hard here and simply get your money so that you can maintain yourself." Nothing more. No education, no money, no industry. They were not taught properly. Here I see the factories, and the arrangement is so nice. But Indian factories, go—it is hell. Hell, simply hell. The Britishers exploited the Indians, and the capitalist class of India, they have learned how to exploit only.
Morning Walk -- October 19, 1975, Johannesburg:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Not sleep. Not sleep.
Prabhupāda: No. This is the term used, "lazy," but real term is dhīra. The Sanskrit word is dhīra. And everything... Just like high-court judge, he is dhīra. He is... Before giving judgment, he thinks three days, silently. That is your... That is not laziness. His brain is working how to give nice judgment. That is required. But because we do not understand what is dhīra, we think that "This man is sitting idly and drawing four thousand rupees." Because we know, "Unless one is active like dog, running there, running there, he is not a busy man." And he cannot appreciate the work of the author, the work of the high-court judge. They think they are lazy. Therefore he's using the lazy, but lazy and intelligent. Otherwise he is not lazy; he is dhīra. The word is dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Unless one is dhīra, one cannot understand that there is soul within the body. (break) Kṛṣṇa uses this word, dhīras tatra na muhyati. One has to become dhīra, sober, silent. Then he can understand. Not these busy dogs.
Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: In presentation, clarify. Yes. That is our business. Just like what I am doing. I am following the Ācāryas, but I am presenting, writing in such a way the modern man can understand. This is our point.
Dr. Patel: Modern man. Modernizing? (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Yes. You know him, this boy? He's a great-grandson of Henry Ford. He has contributed to our society not less than two crores of rupees.
Dr. Patel: He has got money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)
Dr. Patel: And Chapkhanna(?) cannot be very not good. Not very good. Your printing is wonderful. From where... Where is that place? From Japan?
Prabhupāda: America and Japan. We want wonderful books.
Morning Walk -- November 8, 1975, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: You rate me very badly.
Prabhupāda: No, because you are saying like that. You do not know that I started this business without nothing, you see, with practical nothing. I offered Mr. Nair that "I will give you two lakhs, and the balance I'll give you in three years." So who will believe? "He is a beggar, and he promises to give me fifteen lakhs of rupees within three years." Who will believe that? He knew that "He will not be able to pay. So whatever two lakhs, three lakhs he gives, that will be mine. That's all. Bas." And I was thinking, "He is such a nice gentleman that he will take money, little, little, and I will collect and pay. He is a nice gentleman," I was thinking. And he was thinking, "He's a great fool, (laughter) that he is offering me two lakhs, three lakhs, and he will never be able to pay me balance." So this was the transaction beginning.
Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Otherwise it is bogus.
Indian man (5): It is very good.
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. Formerly these goldsmith boys, their father simply taught how to test gold. And as soon as he learns, he opens a shop and he earns thousands and thousands of rupees. No education. Simply by...
Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. Even today the jewelers' sons, they are expert in knowing diamonds and they make millions of rupees.
Indian man (6): (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: This is Indian old fashion. They simply know how to test jewels and gold. That's all. One knowledge makes him rich.
Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: This is Indian old fashion. They simply know how to test jewels and gold. That's all. One knowledge makes him rich.
- vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
- ekeha kuru-nandana
- bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
- buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām
- (BG 2.41)
Avyavasāyinām bahu-śākha. And vyavasāyayinām-one. From practical point of view, from business point of view also, I started this Kṛṣṇa conscious business with forty rupees. Now we have forty crores. Who has got such business success? (laughter) Bring anyone. Within ten years. And here is Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He is ready to give us any money, any amount of money, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, yes, whole Ford Company. (laughter) So who has got this business? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. I think there is no such history in the world, to begin business with forty rupees, and within ten years it becomes forty crores. One cannot imagine even.
Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) "You are servant, and wherefrom you will get twelve lakhs of rupees within three years? You cannot get it." (Hindi) Busy. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Learn from dog one lesson. They are very faithful to the master, very faithful. (break) ...do not see anything now in the sky. Does it mean it is vacant? So what is the value of your seeing?
Brahmānanda: There's a philosophy that says that if a tree falls down in a forest and I am not there to see it, then it hasn't happened.
Prabhupāda: There is philosophy?
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So what is their logic? Hm?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Want to see everything with their own eyes.
Girirāja: They think the existence of the tree is dependent on their sense perception.
Prabhupāda: Gladstone or what, that poet? "Full many flowers' gloss unseen." Therefore there is no flower? "Full many flowers' gloss unseen." This is foolish philosophy. Now this plane is going. After half an hour it will not be seen. Does it mean it is finished? (laughter) There is no more?
Indian man (7): But also in the sky we can see something. I can see many things. I can see something. It is not vacant space. Only thing I don't know what it is.
Morning Walk -- November 15, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: But we have got sufficient S of I.
Saurabha: Yes, but we need... We require a certain area for garden, and that is not there yet. Minimum garden has to be, and we have about three-quarter of that. So unless you make another garden first, we cannot make, according to the architects. But maybe with, er, by paying some money in advance, that we promise them that, say, after so much time we will break these houses down, then they may agree, like they agreed on the old house that we had to pay six hundred rupees, and as soon as we break the house down we get six hundred rupees back. Then they know that we will break it down.
Prabhupāda: Which one?
Saurabha: The old house.
Prabhupāda: Oh, old house.
Morning Walk -- November 15, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Do that. Do.
Saurabha: And then we make five like this, six, five or six. Then put... For those buildings one can get about 150. I think here at least 150 rupees per square foot minimum. I think it will... By the time we are having it built there'll be more.
Prabhupāda: So try for that.
Saurabha: Some buildings, it's already 175. Build a parlor so that each...
Prabhupāda: The tenants will advance money. If you open office they will pay advance. You can go on constructing. If not, we shall take money from Bank of America.
Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: Now they are keeping dogs in their kitchens.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Doggish mentality is there.
Dr. Patel: You see, the people are spending more than thirty, forty rupees on a dog every day. But they won't pay two rupees to a servant, domestic servant in their home.
Prabhupāda: They are keeping servants also. But educated dogs. After passing so many examinations, they are seeking after master. And without master they will starve. This is doggish mentality. A big technologist, unless he gets a good job, he is nothing but dog.
Dr. Patel: He has got no means to further his technology. He must have some means to further his own technology in the modern times, sir. It is very difficult to further your technology without proper means, instruments.
Prabhupāda: On the principle it is dog's business. Unless you get a master, you are useless. So that is dog's business. Just like these dogs here on the beach. Because they have no master, they are forlorn, only barking and going here, there. Sanatha jivitaḥ. So we are, every one of us, we are now dogs of the material nature, or just like street dogs. So therefore... Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we should take shelter of the big master, Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be all right. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...eva caran nirantaram. This is Yamunacārya's prayer. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaraṁ praśānta-nihśeṣa-gato... Prasanta-nihsesa-gato-manantaram. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) ...all right? No. Not yet. You are feeling all right?
Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: In our time we had so much respect for our teachers and what love teachers had for us. One of my teachers in the school retired some time back and then... (break) They wanted to give him 65,000 rupees because he was a seventy-five years. And when we collected from the old students it came to more than six lakhs of rupees. That was the love of the old students for the teacher in those days. Now it is this.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...infection and disinfection also, but you don't take to disinfection. That is our... Here is disinfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Who is going to take it? They will prefer to be infected. (break) ...respectable person will send their children to gurukula. They don't want. I tried in the beginning. It was a failure. They don't want. Just like Prahlāda and Hiraṇyakaśipu. What is the trouble? The Prahlāda was devotee, and his father did not like him, that "Why you should be devotee? You become politician, diplomat." That is the difficulty, that nowadays everyone is Hiraṇyakaśipu, and he wants that his son should be diplomat, politician, black market and... What is the use of this Prahlāda? That is going on, especially in India. (break) Hiraṇyakaśipu, he'll never like to see his son Prahlāda. And our system is to make Prahlāda. So nobody will like it.
Morning Walk -- November 19, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: ...going to the West, and I was collecting some money, this gentleman gave me five hundred rupees.
Devotee (2): Tarachand Gupta. Really? He makes trains, train cars.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā? He has got factory?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: A good business.
Devotee (2): Yes.
Brahmānanda: Where is the factory?
Devotee (2): It's outside of Bombay.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...at his home, Deity.
Morning Walk -- November 19, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Ācchā? And before him, I got some money. He gave me five hundred rupees long ago, means before going to United States.
Devotee (2): Girirāja made him a life member.
Prabhupāda: No, he appears to be good man. Yes. One day he met me at Hanging Garden, and he requested me that "One day you have to come to my house."
Girirāja: I remember. When we were at Akash Ganga, it was almost fixed up with Madhudviṣa Swami, but something...
Prabhupāda: So when you go to the bank, I have got some money you can take. (break) What is called?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Wagons.
Prabhupāda: Wagons he makes?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: What do you charge when you go outside?
Dr. Patel: I charge, by night, hundred rupees, and day, sixty, fifty, sixty rupees, not much. I don't charge much here. Bombay people charge double than me. You mean you want to charge me? (laughter)
Prabhupāda: No, no. Hare Kṛṣṇa. No, I mean to say, you are a professional man, you charge, but why do you come here free unless you have in mind?
Dr. Patel: I don't understand why I am attracted to you specially. I don't understand. I very much thinking, I have been thinking about it. There must be some pūrva-janma. We may be relatives. I don't know. No sādhu has been able to attract me as much as you have. Not even temples have attracted me, to tell the truth.
Yaśomatīnandana: There is no sādhu except Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Dr. Karttika Chandra Bose, he was a very big man. I was, under him, manager of Bose's laboratory. So from the very beginning my father was paying him two rupees fees. But when he became very big, still my father was paying two rupees. He was friend. So he refused to take. "No, no, no, you must be paid something." So he used to accept that two rupees.
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:
Yaśomatīnandana: Two rupees in those days were lot of money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Two rupees, nowadays forty rupees at least. Twenty times. Just like ghee. You can... Ghee or gold. Gold standard. So in our childhood, I have seen our mother used to purchase gold for ornaments-twenty rupees.
Dr. Patel: Eighteen, twenty rupees.
Yaśomatīnandana: Now it is six hundred. Six?
Dr. Patel: Seven hundred.
Yaśomatīnandana: Thirty-five times.
Dr. Patel: When I was married, gold was at nineteen rupees and fifty paisa.
Prabhupāda: No. No, no.
Dr. Patel: In 1930.
Prabhupāda: Nineteen rupees?
Dr. Patel: Nineteen rupees and a half.
Prabhupāda: Per tola?
Dr. Patel: Per tola.
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:
Indian man (1): Sovereign cost eighteen rupees.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because...
Dr. Patel: Sovereign was fourteen rupees.
Prabhupāda: In our marriage in 1918...
Dr. Patel: It was more because the First World War. Then it slumped down.
Prabhupāda: It dropped.
Dr. Patel: And the lowest was in 1930. Then it rose. Then in 1935 it was thirty rupees and in 1940 it was thirty-eight, and 1950 it was fifty rupees. And 1956 we bought at the rate of fifty-six rupees. I still remember that because we have been buying gold every year.
Indian man (2): 1959 or '60 the price was ninety-six rupees.
Dr. Patel: Then suddenly it rose. Now, because Americans are buying gold, the gold standard has been left out. They have taken, cornered the gold of the whole world. But I have heard that the Russians have got some gold mountains on the surface. They can take out gold very easily from there. Here you have to dig up deep down.
Prabhupāda: No, in South Africa there is gold. In the city there are so many gold mines in South Africa.
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: We have in Mahābhārata, that, I mean, Bhima threw away those elephants and rowing in the sky. And when Parīkṣit thought "How could it be?" then that elephants came down in the story. That means they were rowing about just like sputniks of today, perhaps. I don't know how they might have...
Prabhupāda: No, three books they have taken. They paid some eight lakhs of rupees. That Mr. Badhuri told me. (aside) Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Dr. Patel: That means this civilization must have felt the pangs of the modern sciences and then they must have lost it. No?
Prabhupāda: Not lost. It is there. You don't take it. That's it. What is there? One who can read... Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Good boy.
Harikesa: They couldn't chant those mantras though, could they? If they tried... Even if they tried, they wouldn't be able to chant the mantras.
Prabhupāda: Why? Nobody taught them. You are chanting. How you are chanting? Nobody taught them. That is the difficulty.
Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Akṣayānanda wrote to me. Governor of Karnataka State.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is a good response, that after seeing our temple he decided to attend our conference. That is very good.
Mahāṁsa: The boys are selling more than fifteen hundred rupees' worth of books, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: In Bangalore?
Mahāṁsa: Yes. And the most popular book there now is that Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Everyone, everyone is buying. (Prabhupāda laughs)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They wanted us to print lakhs of copies of that book.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can get it printed in India now.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And in that book we have mentioned that Darwin's theory is completely bogus. In Europe and America also we are getting good response, very.
Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:
Mahāṁsa: Most of the land at the farm is black cotton soil, very favorable for growing cotton. So a piece of that we can take, ten acres or so for growing cotton, and spin our own cloth.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is required. Why purchasing cloth, twenty-two rupees per pair? No? What is the charge nowadays?
Mahāṁsa: It's about three, four rupees per meter.
Girirāja: For two dhotīs you'd need fifteen rupees.
Prabhupāda: Fifty?
Girirāja: Fifteen.
Prabhupāda: Fifteen. Yes.
Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Cooking, of course, you can get pots, brass pots. (break) ...temple. Huh?
Mahāṁsa: The structure is over, Prabhupāda. Now the ornamental work is started since last fifteen days. They said they could finish it by March, but I don't know if we'll be able to push it before that. Since last one month the collections have also increased. So if the collections go on in the same speed as we are going now, it may be finished by March. But otherwise definitely by August it will be complete. (break) ...fifteenth of this month Indira Gandhi was in Hyderabad. I got a letter from Praghoṣa that there were lakhs of people there to see her, and we have printed up coupons which we go shop to shop and tell everyone that "You buy one brick for the temple. So eleven rupees is the cost of one brick. So in your name one brick must be put." So we have these coupons, and they distributed six thousand rupees' worth of coupons in that program. Six hundred coupons they distributed in that meeting.
Prabhupāda: "Sell well." You know he is "sell well" man. (laughter)
Morning Walk -- November 24, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: That is the sign that in very near future there will be no food grains. That is the sign. There will be no rice, no wheat, main food grain.
Yaśomatīnandana: Already in Bombay it's about six, seven rupees per kilo, rice.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Dr. Patel: No, no. Now rice will be very much down. In Gujarat it is two rupees. I bought some land here and sown the rice. We are going to get about eight hundred or a thousand mounds of rice. And when we sown the field it was sixty rupees, rice. Today it is thirty-two rupees. It is coming down. The crop is very good everywhere, all over India this year.
Prabhupāda: Because there was sufficient rain.
Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Old and creating sound so much.
Tejās: They are losing several crores of rupees every year. One man told me that he rents buses to them, one of the men who came two, three days ago. So, he was telling before, he rents buses to the D.T.C., to the Delhi Transportation Corporation. He rents it to them for a rupee a kilometer and he makes about forty paisa. And even though they are getting it for a rupee a kilometer, they are still losing money on it. He is making profit and they are losing it. Because they sell the spare parts. They're so corrupt.
Prabhupāda: Take away the...
Tejās: Yes, the workers there... There's about sixty percent of their buses only, running. Forty percent are disabled because they are always losing the parts somehow.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:
Prabhupāda: For presidentship?
Haṁsadūta: For presidentship. And he stands a very good chance of winning.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He's governor of California. (break) The movie stars are entering into politics now. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...the government will be incompetent, the more the citizens will be exploited. Ultimately the citizens will suffer. Because they will want money and plunder the citizens, they will be disgusted. Āchinna-dāra-draviṇ gacchanti giri-kānanam. (break)
Tejās: ...tax division, the clerks will come to the various businessmen after they make their first application, and they will tell them... First they will come to them. And immediately a businessman knows, so he gives him 500,000 rupees. And he will say, "Oh, thank you very much. I just came to see you. I wanted to tell you that if you say like this, you will save ten thousand, twenty thousand rupees. But don't say when you are there that I told you." (end)
Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:
Akṣayānanda: I never heard this before.
Prabhupāda: No, no. No. Is she is staying there as a paying guest or what?
Indian man: No, she want... She paid us eleven hundred rupees in Kanpur and, I don't know... The devotees, they promised her she can come and she can stay in our temple but they never told her the four regulative principles and to accept the guru.
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Akṣayānanda: No, that is not true.
Indian man: So she wants the money back.
Prabhupāda: So give. Give her back.
Akṣayānanda: She can have it back. That's no problem.
Indian man: So she should go.
Prabhupāda: Give her back. So why don't you give and immediately?
Akṣayānanda: Yes, I will give her. She never asked me. I didn't know this.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Bicycle was available, forty-five rupees.
Akṣayānanda Swami: Accha. Now they're 250 almost three hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: And very first class bicycle like Triumph BA. BA? What is that, BS?
Akṣayānanda Swami: BSA.
Prabhupāda: Ha, BSA. Eighty rupees, eighty-five.
Harikeśa: Viśvambhara's cost 500.
Prabhupāda: Now that must be. Everything has risen.
Smarahari: ....material is not so good also, the material.
Prabhupāda: Ha?
Smarahari: The steel is not so good.
Morning Walk -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:
Haṁsadūta: Their idea of dancing is different to...
Prabhupāda: No, you, you sell tickets for ten rupees, then they'll (indistinct). If you make free then they'll...
Caitya-guru: International dance.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Why don't you try? Just see. I think they allow dancing by renting the halls, no? What is that?
Tejas: Which one? That Kamani Hall?
Prabhupāda: Any one. This one.
Tejas: They have performances.
Prabhupāda: But they sell tickets. So similar way, why not ours? (break) Enquire from the authority that we want to hold festival, dance and chant. And singing, don't say chant. See if you can dance, for one week. So what will be the terms. Enquire.
Morning Walk -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:
Tejas: The Supra House, I enquired before, so they want about five or six hundred rupees per day.
Prabhupāda: So that's alright! Five, six hundred, suppose if we continue for one week, they may reduce. Hm? Even five hundred, then we pay one week about 3,500, so why that LA... What is that?
Tejas: LIC grounds.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That is 50,000, 60,000.
Tejas: There is one big Vijñāna Bhavan. Three thousand people can sit there. Should I organize like that?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Tejas: For when the devotees come.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: As soon as he finds a female dog, he wants to make friendship with her and have sex. On the street, never mind. And similarly the demigods they are also engaged in the same business. In a different standard only. The business is the same. Āhāra-nidr-bhayam etam. So if one wants to continue this business then he'll continue this material body and if he wants to stop this business, come to his original position, then he makes real progress. But nobody is interested in advancement of spiritual life. Generally they take to religion, religiosity, for material happiness. Artho 'rhati. I am distressed, I have no money, or I am suffering from some disease; you'll find all these. So all of them go to the sādhus only for this purpose. Sir, I am suffering from some disease, so without going to the doctor, and saving so much money, let me pay hundred rupees to the sādhu and he'll give me his blessings. So I will save thousands of rupees, for curing the disease. For this purpose they go to sādhu. Nobody goes to sādhu for going back to home back to godhead. It is only (material) proposition. Otherwise the so-called yogis, sādhus, swamis, they are making good luck business simply by promising that you'll get this material power. This Mahesh Yogi he says that, what is his philosophy?
Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Hm, we have come to this stage, we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You do it, now. Why you are delaying? If after many, many births I have come to this conclusion, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, why don't you do it now? That is intelligence. (Hindi about rupees) How rascal he is! (Hindi joke) (laughter) Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up all your duties and just come to Me. Immediately." (Hindi) These boys, they did it! That's all.
Dr. Patel: We are grateful, sir.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa! Yes... (Hindi) No, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the nicest movement. Only intelligent man can take it. It is a fact. It is a fact.
Dr. Patel: Maybe (Hindi).
Prabhupāda: Fools, there are all fools; otherwise why the movement is there? The movement is there for correcting the fools. Otherwise there is no need of...
Dr. Patel: So many fools are corrected... (laughing)
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Morning Walk -- December 18, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: First rate is rupees ninety-five. And the second one?
Girirāja: The second one is seventy, but he thinks that he can get it down to sixty-five.
Dr. Patel: (Hindi comment about dirt)
Prabhupāda: New York is the dirtiest. New York. There you'll find so many of these papers scattered. In New York. Even the park, the most celebrated park, Central Park, they are all full of dirt.
Girirāja: The city is going bankrupt.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Conversation on Roof -- December 26, 1975, Sanand:
Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom. Mental satisfaction. Just like a child. You can cheat him by mental satisfaction, giving him one lozenges and take from him hundred rupees note.
Harikeśa: But he's satis...
Prabhupāda: That is also mental satisfaction.
Harikeśa: But happiness is a state of mind. So the child is happy...
Prabhupāda: Such mind is imperfect. What is this satisfaction? If mind is imperfect, so mental satisfaction is never complete satisfaction. That is also another illusion. It will be changed again. Again revolution. This is going on. So in the dialectic process, try to bring this thesis, that within this body there is the real enjoyer, and try to convince them in that way. That will be great service.
| Page Title: | Rupees (Conv. 1969 - 1975) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 29 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=181, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 181 |