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Short time (Lect. & Conversations)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

There are many philosophers in the world. I, we may cite some of the authorities. Just like Lord Buddha. Then Śaṅkarācārya. Then Rāmānujācārya. Lord Caitanya. They're all big stalwart authorities, authorities. They have given different views. Lord Buddha's views is that you can be happy only when you are free from this consciousness. Lord Buddha says that consciousness is a production of this combination of matter. So therefore if, if you dismantle this material body, then there will be no consciousness and thus there will be no feeling of distress or happiness. That is called nirvāṇa, stopping, stopping the feelings of... It is just like a patient suffering from some disease, and the doctor gives him some pill so that he dies and there is no more feeling. Oh. Then he sees it is all right. If by stopping feeling like that, that a... "Doctor, my son is having hundred and seven degree temperature." "All right. I stop it. Give him some injection, poisonous." The child dies. Now there is no fever. Now the father says, "My child does not move." "Oh, whether this fever is stopped or not?" "Yes, there is no fever also." "That's all right. My business finished." That sort of foolish doctor will not do. (laughs) We should not stop consciousness. No. That is the... That is the, I mean to say, secret of philosophy. If my consciousness is stopped altogether, then what do I gain? That means my death. My whole existence finished. No. Then comes... I am shortly giving the substance of different philosophers.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya says that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, by performing this yajña, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once. The many great sages, they are going to Himalaya. They are going to the forest for meditation just to realize "what I am." Now Lord Caitanya says that this, what you are, your self-realization, your spiritual realization, will be the first installment. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. This is simply... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

This is simply... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.

That Bhagavad-gītā... I have already told you that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That portion which is spread all over your body, that you are. That is avināśi, that is immortal. Now what is that? My consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That is the symptom of my presence. I am a soul present in this body, and the consciousness is the symptom. Means as soon as this consciousness is removed, the body has no value. That we are experiencing every day. As soon as from the body the consciousness is out, oh, it is dead body. We are crying, "Oh, my son is gone," "My husband is gone," "My brother..." Why your son is gone? It is lying there in the floor. Why you are crying? "No, no." That gone means that consciousness gone. Gone means that... Therefore the consciousness is the real thing.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Kali-yuga means mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin yuge, kali-yuge, alpa āyuṣaḥ, they are living very short time. The duration of life (is) reducing. Anyone can know. His forefather, his grandfather, lived for, say, hundred years. His father lived for eighty years. And he's going to live for sixty years. In this way, the duration of life will be reduced up to twenty years. That is already foretold.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

You can make a practical test of it. But at the same time, that sugar candy is the medicine for jaundice. If a man is suffering from jaundice, if you simply give him water and sugar candy... You just moisten sugar candy at night, and just early in the morning you get a glass of sweet sugar candy water. Oh, within very short time you'll be cured from jaundice disease.

Similarly, this restriction, do-not... When we make spiritual life progressive, there are certain restriction, and they may seem at the present stage very bitter. Very bitter. But that is the way. We have to accept. Therefore it is called saṁyatendriyaḥ. And if we can make progress in that way, restrained sense gratification and following the rules and regulations, then we are sure to acquire the knowledge.

Labdhvā jñānaṁ parāṁ śāntim. And when you... When you are situated in that perfectional stage of knowledge, then you get parāṁ śānti, perfect peacefulness, perfect peacefulness of mind. Parāṁ śāntim adhigacchati. Now, these are the prescriptions laid down by Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Different interpretation. But we should accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then we can relish.

So we shall very shortly present our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It has been taken by Messrs. MacMillan and Company to publish it. Most probably in the month of October it will be published. So I shall request you to read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. Just like I'll give you some examples. The first verse of Bhagavad-gītā is stated as follows:

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya
(BG 1.1)

The first word is dharma-kṣetra. The second word is kuru-kṣetra. Now, the meaning is that Kurukṣetra is a place which is considered as the holy place of pilgrimage. Now, this dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, is still present. Even in the modern days, if you go to India, it is about hundred miles from New Delhi. There is a place, Kurukṣetra, and which is, according to Hindu rites, Vedic rites, that is a place of pilgrimage.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

Kaśyapa Muni and Diti. The wife was very sexually agitated, and she requested the husband to have sexual intercourse. The husband said, "No. This is not the proper time." I am describing the story shortly. But the wife was too much agitated. So she obliged the husband to have sex life with her, and after sex life the Kaśyapa Muni said that "Your sons will be demons." Kaśyapa Muni, yes. So as a result of untimely sex life, two demons were born.

So there is regulation of sex life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-aviruddha, sex life is sanctioned under certain conditions. That is humanity, not like... Even the cats' and dogs' life there is some limitation. They have got a period of sex life. Similarly, for gṛhastha, there is a period for sex life. After menstrual period, five days after menstrual period, one may have sex life for begetting children. And if the woman or wife is pregnant, then there is no more sex life till the child is born and six months old. These are the regulations.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Just to give opportunity to persons who have got little faith to develop that faith into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These very nice boys, they have established this temple, and very nice mūrti, Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, offering prasādam. They are offering prasādam at noon and in the evening after kīrtana and every Sunday. So what is the difficulty there? And you come here, chant and dance. We don't say that you make such exercise or press your nose or this or that. We simply say that "Come here, dance with us, chant with us and take prasāda." Is it very difficult? (laughter) It is not difficult. The most easiest process of transcendental realization. And by following this process, just see our students, how they have advanced. In very quickly, within short time. You bring any so-called followers of yoga society and try to compare with any one of our student, you'll find he is far, far advanced. We challenge. (laughter) Why? Due to the sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.54).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly giving this bhakti platform, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, in the form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is distributing Kṛṣṇa immediately, because in this age people are so fallen, mandaḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Alpayu: they're living for a short time, and mandaḥ, mandaḥ means very slow or inferior quality of human being. Not superior. Inferior quality means in this age there is practically no brāhmaṇa; all śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ, actually also it is so, because people in this age, if he gets one nice service, master, he is satisfied. One wife, one service, then his life is dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba bharaṇam. In this age if one can maintain his wife and few children, ah, he is very expert. He is to be considered dākṣa, very expert. You have no more to make any sacrifice. Simply if he is somehow or other able to maintain a wife, that is... That has also become impossible. The social system is coming to such degraded position. In Europe and America I have seen, very few men are family men, you see, because it is botheration. They think it is botheration or it is very heavy task.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

"O the best among the materialists." Now, he's not afraid. His father was very powerful, and there is a story. We shall narrate one day. Now, today is... Very shortly I am giving some instance... So he says, "My dear father, you are the greatest of the materialists, but to my opinion that is the best thing if people should give up this materialistic life and devote himself for searching out God, then he'll be free from the anxiety which is due to him due to his material connection." Just, how, see the nice, that hitvā, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. Persons who are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, due to their material connection. Asat. Asat means matter. Matter will not stay, however you may chemically try to preserve. Will... It will not stay. Therefore matter's another name is asat. And spirit's another name is sat. Sat means "which exists." Asat means "which does not exist." Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). We have already described that this body, this body is antavat, it has got end, but the consciousness, or the spirit soul, it is not... It is endless. So the endless, I mean to say, ever-existing soul, being contaminated by this body, he's full of anxiety.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

So these hogs and dogs, they're also very important. They are not ordinary thing. But this is the explanation. The tortoise, the... They have, they have got... Therefore a devotee, when he's punished in that way for the short time, they'll be liberated. Undoubtedly.

There is a statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi...
(SB 1.5.17)

Even one falls down, still, there is no loss. Because he'll get the chance. Kṛṣṇa will arrange in such a way. They'll get the chance. So actually, there is no loss. But one must be purified completely. So to get this hog's and dog's life means they are being purified. They are being purified. But without being completely purified, nobody can enter into the kingdom of God. That is not possible. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So how? First of all, there was vibration; then, from vibration there was sky, creation, beginning of creation. And then, from sky there was sound; then, from sound there was air; then, from air there was electricity, or fire; then, from electricity there was water, and from water there is land. This is shortly described. Then how this mind is created, intelligence is created, how the controller created? These are described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, in many places. So it is not that we are simply chanting and dancing. That is the ultimate goal of life. But we know how this creation has taken place, how it is being maintained, how it will be annihilated, what will happen after annihilation—everything we know by this sāṅkhya philosophy. But they do not know. The so-called scientists, they are troubled what will happen next. That is the...

So Kapila Muni is incarnation of God. He described the sāṅkhya philosophy and bhakti-yoga. In the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, His instructions are there. He was giving instruction to His mother, Devahūti. His father left Him under the care of the mother. He went to forest for liberation. So when He grew up, He instructed His mother. He's known..., Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, the son of Devahūti.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

"Oh, I have got such a nice wife, and she'll pray to Yamarāja, 'Please excuse my husband.' " Just like Nala-Damayantī. Not... What is that? Sāvitrī-Satyavān. The Sāvitrī saved her husband from the hands of Yamarāja. That's a long story. It will take much time. So therefore "I have got such a nice chaste wife, she will save me from the Yamarāja hands." Then I can speak shortly that Sāvitrī-Satyavān... Satyavān was to die on the marriage day. But Sāvitrī was attached to Satyavān, so her father, mother said that "You don't marry this boy. He'll die on the very day of his marriage." So love is blind. She said, "Still I shall marry him." So she married, and the husband died. So Yamarāja came. So she pleased the Yamarāja, and Yamarāja, being pleased, said, "My dear girl, you'll have a very good son"—because every girl expects some son. So Yamarāja gave her the benediction that "You will have very nice son." Then the husband was dead... No, she prayed for a good son, yes. And Yamarāja gave her benediction, "Yes, you'll have good son." First of all she pleased Yamarāja by prayers, and then Yamarāja asked, "What do you want?" "A very good son." "All right, you'll have a good son." So then the Yamarāja was taking her husband, and she was going behind.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

And if you have got some influence, strength, then in your favor everything will be decided. You are the most irreligious person, but if you can bribe the priestly order, he will certify, "Yes, you are religious." So money, not actual qualification.

So if you discuss these things... Long affairs, shortly. Then again it says, dāmpatye abhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike. Dāmpatye. Dāmpatye, husband and wife relation, will depend on abhiruciḥ. Abhiruciḥ means liking. A girl likes boy, and a boy likes girl. "That's all right. Now let the marriage take place." They do not see what will be future of this girl and the boy. Never. Therefore everyone is unhappy. Six months after marriage, divorce. Because the marriage took place on superficial liking, no deep understanding... So things are taking place like that. Formerly marriage, at least in India, at least up to our time, the marriage was taking place not on the liking of the boy and the girl. No. It was decided by the parents. So... Just like I was also married man. I was married when I was a student, and I did not know what will be the... But the parents arranged.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

The rascal class of men, they cannot understand arca-mūrti. They think that "They are worshiping idol." Even amongst the Hindus there are so-called followers of Vedas. They also say that "What is the necessity of worshiping Deity in the temple?" They made very vigorous propaganda in India to stop temple worship. For a short time it has got some reaction, but now it is finished. That rascal propaganda not to worship the Deity in the temple is finished. Nobody cares for that. They think that God is everywhere—except in the temple. (laughter) That is their view. And God is everywhere; why not in the temple? No. That is their poor fund of knowledge. They cannot accommodate. No. God is everywhere but not in the temple. This is their intelligence, rascals. So we have to follow therefore ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who has accepted ācārya... One who knows the śāstra and practically behaves according to the regulation of śāstra, he is called ācārya. Acinoti śāstrārthaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

Immediately Nanda Mahārāja agreed, "All right, let us leave this place." So immediately, they transferred the whole village with their possessions, cloth or something, everything, within one hour. And they transported by the bullock cart to Nandagrāma. That means, the idea is the whole village was transferred from one village to another within very short time. So the transport is required, the transport by bullock carts. The bulls are there. They can be used for transport. Or the asses, they can be used for transport. But... And the camels can be used for transport. There are so many animals. So advancement, and big, big kings, royal families, they have got their transport service by keeping elephants and horses. They can get on the back of the horses and get yourself there. So nature's arrangement, God's arrangement is there. Transport is required in the human society, but you can utilize so many animals for your purpose. But at the present moment, ugra-karma. The transport is there, but they have manufactured big, big buses for transport, big, big cars, and the animals, they are now killed and eat. That's all. This is civilization. This is civilization. Not to reduce the labor, but increase the labor. Therefore they are called ugra-karma, jagataḥ hita, and that will create disastrous condition of the human society. This is discussed in Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

And so Śukadeva Gosvāmī is going to give example from the history about the Ajāmila, how he was in the beginning very good boy, brāhmaṇa, and then, under the influence of a prostitute, he fell down and became most degraded, and then again, because in the past he had some good asset of spiritual life... That is described in the Bhāgavata, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Spiritual life is so nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one has executed even for a short time, it may help to deliver him from the greatest dangerous way of life, and that history will be recited by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī patir ajāmilaḥ, nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyaḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. This is the beginning of the story, that in Kānyakubja... Kānyakubja is... Still the place is there in India. Kānyakubja is a very famous place. It is near Kanpur. There is a place, Kanpur. So there... Kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid. He was a brāhmaṇa, but he became under the clutches of a prostitute. And how naṣṭā-sadācāra, how he lost his brahminical qualification, saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ, by the association of prostitute, so this history will be recited. So tomorrow we shall speak of this.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

Very nicely it is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, shortly, what is this world, manifested world. This manifested world is distribution of the energy of Brahman. Just like this whole material world, universe, is distribution of the energy of the sun. This is scientific. Everyone knows. Similarly, whatever there is, it is the distribution of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy not different. But still, energy is not Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not energy. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So every living entity who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa, trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. So these sinful activities we are doing in ignorance, in lower grade of life. Just like cats and dogs and birds and trees and the..., they do not know, there is no capacity. They are so much covered with ignorance that a tree is standing, you cut it: there is no protest because it is so dull. Similarly, you take the animal, slaughterhouse, it cannot protest. These are the symptoms of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

We have got books, we have got talks. Any way we can convince you about this philosophy of God consciousness, I hope you'll take advantage of it. Not only that, it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Just like you see all our students, they come from Europe, America. Four or five years ago they did not know what is this bhāgavata-dharma, what is this Kṛṣṇa. Now you can see the result, that all over the world, not only in Europe, but in America, Australia, in Japan, in Canada, everywhere, we have got this type of devotees, and they are understanding what is God, what is our relationship with God. It doesn't matter, God is neither Hindu, Muslim, or Christian—God is God. So it is the duty of everyone. It is not that only Christians should understand God and the Hindus should understand nobody. No. Any human being. Any living entity in the human form of life must understand. Otherwise, he's missing the opportunity. So we have got to say many things about this thing. In short time, we cannot speak so many things, but we invite you to take advantage of this movement, try to understand the science of God and be benefited.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

Atheistic people are not concerned, not a drop they are concerned for advancing in spiritual life. So because he was speaking amongst the boys who came from atheistic family, he said, "My dear friends, don't bother yourself for developing your economic condition, because that is already arranged there. You better utilize your short time, short span of life, for understanding Kṛṣṇa or be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is his version. Tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. "Because you have got limited span of life."

The other day I explained that suppose you are destined to live for fifty years. Now, you cannot make it fifty-one years or fifty years, one month, by spending any amount of money. Just like a man is dying. He's very rich man. The doctor says that "He will die at such and such time." And if somebody says, "My dear doctor, kindly increase the time little more. You say that 'He will die at 10 o'clock at night.' Now make it next day 10 o'clock. We have got some business," that is not possible. That is not possible. If you spend millions of dollars and bribe the doctor, "Please extend the life. We have to get him sign some document before he dies," oh, that is not possible. Therefore just try to understand, the duration of life, how much it is valuable.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

What do you want?" So he first of all asked that "How long my duration of life is there?" So they replied, "Oh, your life is not very long. It is for so many hours now." So he immediately took the opportunity and took to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is a very nice example. That means within very short time he realized Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this was heard by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed by a brāhmaṇa that he would die within seven days. So he simply heard this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days very seriously, and he was fully conscious of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he described also the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Mahārāja Parīkṣit for seven days only. He also became fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. So it is a thing which is not material. In material calculation one has to wait. But here, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). According to the degree of surrender, Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes revealed. The degree is in my hand. If I surrender fully, immediately, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused immediately. If the degree of surrender.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

The first proposition is sambandha. Sambandha means we have to understand our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if we want to make some relationship with a friend, then we must know about him, what he is. So we are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, so we must know what is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa he has described shortly, that He is personally like this, His incarnations are like this, and there are so many incarnations, and He is existing in this way, He manifests Himself in this material world in this way. As far as possible he has given description about Kṛṣṇa. Now, about Kṛṣṇa's abode... Kṛṣṇa means not only Kṛṣṇa. Nāma dhāma guṇa līlā parikara vaisiṣṭha. Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa Himself, His name, His place, nāma dhāma, His quality, then His entourage, then His pastime. All these things Kṛṣṇa means. Because we are not impersonalists, simply understanding Brahman we are satisfied... The impersonalists are satisfied simply understanding that He is Brahman. But the Vaiṣṇava, they are not satisfied simply by knowing Brahman. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ means he's already Brahman, but he forgot himself. He thought himself that "I am matter."

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

Those who have seen our Kṛṣṇa pictures. Have you got Back to Godhead here? You can show picture?

The story is, the hunter, a hunter was killing in the forest many animals, because hunter's business is to kill. So, I am speaking very shortly. The story and the picture you will find in Back to Godhead recently published. And Nārada, because he is Vaiṣṇava, he is lover of Kṛṣṇa, when he was passing on the path in the forest, he saw that many half-dead animals are in torture, flapping. So, he was very kind. "Oh, who has done this mischief, these poor animals?" So he searched out the hunter, and he went there. The hunter asked me, "Oh, why you are disturbing my business?" So Nārada said, "My dear hunter, I have come to beg something from you." So hunter thought that "This mendicant is a beggar, so he might have come to me to beg some skins, or deer skin or tiger skin." So he said, "All right, please, let me do my business. I shall give you skins, whatever you like." Nārada said, "No, no, I don't want anything from you. I have come to request you something." "What is that?" "How, if you are killing animals, why don't you kill them all at once?

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Bombay, May 5, 1974:

Today is the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. It is called Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī. So I am so pleased that within such a short time these boys have nicely learned how to play, and especially I have to thank Mr. Hiraṇyakaśipu. (applause) (laughs) Mr. Hiraṇyakaśipu has played his part very nicely.

So this is very instructive struggle between the atheist and the theist. This story of Prahlāda Mahārāja is eternally true. There is always a struggle between the atheist and the theist. If a person becomes God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, so he will find many enemies. Because the world is full of demons. What to speak of the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, even Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He had to kill so many demons. There was His maternal uncle, His mother's brother, very keenly related. Still, he wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. As soon as any son was born to Devakī, immediately he killed, because he did not know who will be Kṛṣṇa. The prediction was that the eighth child of his sister will kill Kaṁsa. So he began to kill all the children. At last, Kṛṣṇa came. But he could not kill Kṛṣṇa. He was killed by Kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

This bhakti-yoga system is so nice that one can directly understand how he is making progress, and very quickly. That's a fact. All of our students who have taken to this process, within very short time, they are realizing that actually they are making some progress. Therefore they are sticking to the principles and going on.

So my request to you all who are going to be initiated, that you keep always yourself in contact with this chanting and that will make you, I mean to say, able to be always purified, śuci. Material contamination cannot... And you avoid these four principles: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication of all descriptions. Intoxication does not mean simply liquor. Intoxication means even tea-drinking. Tea is also intoxication, in slight degree. Tea, coffee, cigarettes—everything should be avoided. In India they chew pan. So these things are to be give up, intoxication group, and meat-eating group. Then you make very quickly progress, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). After leaving this body, one hasn't got to take another material body and suffer. So long we have got this material body, we have to suffer the material pangs. There cannot be any adjustment.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

Of course, I am now very old man. I am eighty years old. My life is finished. But I want some responsible Indian and combined with other countries... Other countries, they are giving good cooperation. Otherwise, it was not possible for me to spread in so short time, only seven or eight years, to preach this cult all over the world. So I require the cooperation of the Indian, especially young men, educated men. Come forward. Stay with us. Study Bhagavad-gītā. We haven't got anything to manufacture. Nothing to manufacture. And what we can manufacture? We are all imperfect. Whatever is there, let us study it and practically apply in life and spread the message all over the world. That is our mission.

So today is very auspicious day. With great difficulty we have got now sanction. Now please cooperate with this attempt as far as possible with your prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, four things: by your life, by your words, by your money... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. This is the mission of human life. Whatever you have got... It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got... You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

So advancement in self-realization means purification from material contamination. That is real advancement. This is practical. Now, how practical it is? In your country, smoking, drinking, taking tea, and keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, liquor, meat-eating, they are common affairs. How they have avoided all these things, within very short time? None of them are associating with me more than one year, and just see their character. It is so practical. You cannot induce them even to smoke. We don't say that you go on with all nonsense, at the same time you become spiritually advanced. We don't talk all this nonsense. There must be practical exhibition that one is advanced in spiritual consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). All good qualities will develop. That is spiritual advancement. That is the test. But it may be due to my past habit I may sometimes commit mistake, I may fall down. But Kṛṣṇa says, śaśvad bhavati dharmātmā. Even if he falls down sometimes out of ignorance, still, he'll very soon become purified. The process is so nice. Just like a fan is moving and make the switch off. Still you will see the fan is moving, but rest assured it will stop because the switch is off. Similarly, a person taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his material life's switch is off immediately. And even though it is seen it is moving, it will stop very soon. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to put off the switch of material existence immediately. It is so nice. Yes.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Then this age is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means seventy-five percent or more than seventy-five percent, they are impure, and twenty-five percent, I mean to say, that is in book, but actually ninety percent or more than that are impure and maybe five percent pure. This is the situation of this age. And they are also living very short time. In this age, life, duration of life, is reduced, memory is reduced, man's compassion is also reduced. Similarly, there are so many things, they are reduced. Although we are thinking that we are advancing, but actually the most important things we are reduced. Take for example the duration of life. Every one of us knowing very well that as your father or forefather or grandfather lived for long duration of life, it is very difficult to find out a man who is over seventy years or eighty years. I have got experience. My grandmother lived for ninety-five years.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Guest (7): Swamijī, an old guest has been wandering around. He's called Fred Robinson. He's been forecasting doom to happen very shortly for the human race and says that it is far too hopeless to try and grab for the spiritual plane until one goes back to the land, back to simple living and where one just makes one's task to supply food for the children, the new children of the new age. And then yoga and the spiritual disciplines will flow much easier. What would you say to that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are also distributing food. Yes. In our Māyāpur daily we are distributing food to two thousand, three thousand. So that is one of our program, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and distributing prasādam. We are distributing... When I started this movement I was cooking myself and distributing prasāda. But we do not discriminate that "He is needy..." Everyone is needy. So actually, everyone is in need of spiritual understanding. So by distributing food, the spiritual food, simply by eating, he will be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he does not do anything. But actually, we are inviting persons to come, sit down, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and take prasādam and go home. That's all. This is our program.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

There must be engagement, proper engagement. If the engagement is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then this so-called sannyāsa will be failure. Practically in Calcutta there was a big barrister, C. R. Das, he renounced everything, but he could not live long. Very shortly he died. (break) ...was their position. (break) Sannyāsa means to renounce for the Supreme, sannyāsa. Sat-nyāsa. If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if he renounces family life and preaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he will be happy, and the persons amongst whom he will preach, they will be happy. We have seen practically, many, many big, big sannyāsīs, they gave up this world—brahma satya jagan mithyā: "This world is mithyā. Let me take sannyāsa." But unfortunately, they could not stand in that position. After few years they come down again in social work, in political work. That means they could not understand what is Brahman. That is stated, confirmed in the śāstra, that

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
(SB 10.2.32)

Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa. Ye aravindakṣa. Aravindakṣa is Kṛṣṇa. "Persons who are thinking that 'I have become liberated,' vimukta-mānina, they're actually... They're not mukta.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: President Nixon has made a promise that very shortly this cancer disease should be cured. So he has allotted a lot of money for the coming few years and he is giving to all scientists (indistinct). He is saying he is going to stop this death from cancer, but...

Prabhupāda: Suppose he stops death from cancer. Can he stop death at all?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Not at all.

Prabhupāda: Well then? What is it? He'll direct some other disease come?

Śyāmasundara: If Darwin's theory is correct, some new form of cancer will evolve which will survive...

Prabhupāda: Why? Any disease will be (indistinct). You can check the disease. Therefore our conclusion is that however scientifically you advanced you make, you cannot stop birth, death, old age and disease. That is our conclusion. So why should we waste our time for that purpose? We are utilizing our time, and after giving up this body we may go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our business. But everyone has to give up his body. Mr. Darwin and his company will give up this body like cats and dog. We shall give up this body for higher elevation of life. Therefore our philosophy is better, far better than all these things.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Hayagrīva: He spent the rest of his life writing about the material he gathered during this five-year voyage, which is a very short time. And according to his theory of natural selection, the best and the fittest survived. If this is the case, the race will necessarily steadily improve.

Prabhupāda: What does he mean by survive? What is the meaning of his dictionary, "survive"? Nobody survives.

Hayagrīva: Well, by that he means that the strong pass on their hereditary characteristics to their offspring, and that the race..., no individual survives, but that the race improves. But isn't this contradicted by the Vedas? In the present Kali... For instance, Arjuna's physical powers, prowess, was much greater, and that was, what, five thousand years ago. So isn't, instead of improving, instead of the race improving in strength and other qualities, isn't it actually...

Prabhupāda: They are degrading.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: No. That will be all right in this way, that the narration should be shortly described in poetry and that will be chanted with kīrtana. In that way, you see.

Hayagrīva: Yes. You see the first two acts there was a lot of action. Now we're in the third act and we have two scenes of description. Now they can be two short scenes of description. That will be all right, I think.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: So what is the story? A short little story?

Prabhupāda: The short story is that there was two brāhmaṇas. Two brāhmaṇas. One young brāhmaṇa, one old brāhmaṇa. They went to Vṛndāvana to see Gopāla, and the old brāhmaṇa was so obliged to the young brāhmaṇa, he promised to hand over his youngest daughter to the young brāhmaṇa. But when he came back home his eldest son objected. So he kept mum. Then when the young brāhmaṇa, I mean to say, reminded him that "You promised before Gopāla to hand over your daughter. Now you are silent. What is this?" So his eldest son said, "Well, if Gopāla comes to give witness that my father promised before Him then my sister can be married with you." So he went back to Vṛndāvana and requested Gopāla to come and give witness. So He came and the marriage ceremony was performed. This is the sum and substance of the story. And since then Gopāla did not... Gopāla means statue. So in those days there was no transport service. And when Gopāla was present everyone became struck with wonder that "Oh, such a devotee that Gopāla has come from Vṛndāvana to Orissa, more than 1,500 miles." So the king of that place constructed a very nice temple and since then that temple is known as witness Gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla means witness. So this story can be shortly described and chanted with music and the scene of the temple will be seen, Caitanya Mahāprabhu dancing. Our real purpose will be the dancing and singing and little description.

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

Prabhupāda: In that house, Caitanya, Lord Caitanya was lying unconscious in ecstasy, the same unconsciousness which He got from the temple. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was trying to treat Him with some water so that He may come to consciousness. Now when His other friends, Nityānanda, Gadādhara and others arrived there, they told, "Oh, Lord Caitanya, He becomes unconscious while chanting. So He cannot be revived to His consciousness by any other means. We have to chant." So in the Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's house that chanting and dancing began with all the members, and gradually Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to consciousness. Then there was introduction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu through Gopīnātha Ācārya and Gadādhara. And Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya told that "You become my guest, you, all of you." And he gave them places. Then... Caitanya Mahāprabhu was only twenty-four years old, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he was old man, about sixty years old. So by acquaintance it was disclosed that Sārvabhauma's father and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grandfather were class friends. So Jagannātha Miśra in that sense... Jagannātha Miśra means Caitanya's father, was a relative, brother-in-law of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. So he took Him affectionately and told Him, "My dear boy, You have taken sannyāsa at a very early age. So You should be very careful to study Vedānta-sūtra from me. Otherwise it will be very much difficult for You, young man." So He agreed, "Yes, you are just like My father. So you will kindly give Me instruction on Vedānta-sūtra." So there was discussion of the Vedānta-sūtra between Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That discussion is shortly mentioned in the introduction of my Srimad-Bhāgavatam. You will see.

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

Prabhupāda: The outcome is that Sārvabhauma was impersonalist and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vaisnava. Then by argument, logic, and everything, that is shortly described here, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became a disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he became a great devotee. That is the outcome. And it was a great victory on the part of Caitanya Mahāprabhu because Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was known as the most stubborn scholar of logic of that time and he became a devotee. By Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's becoming a devotee of Lord Caitanya, practically He became victorious in His missionary activities because Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was the learned scholar in the assembly of the King of Orissa. So the King of Orissa also became a devotee. And many other scholars and big men.

Hayagrīva: Of Caitanya's. They all became devo...the King of Orissa?

Prabhupāda: Yes, he became a great devotee.

Hayagrīva: That might even be mentioned in this scene. I don't know if you can mention it here.

Prabhupāda: It is not mentioned, but...

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: What is that? We loudly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So even if your mind is diverted to some other subject, you will be forced to hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have to apply your mind. You see? Either you take it, "Oh, somebody is disturbing," or you are enjoying, you have to, you are forced to turn your mind to this side. And if we go on chanting for a short time, the meditation is always there. And with the dancing, the breathing is also there, but it is a shortcut policy. That policy, the yogic meditation or breathing exercise, samādhi, it is already there in our process. But we don't take in that prescribed way of meditation because that is not possible in this age. It is very difficult. So meditation and breathing exercise is not a part of our program, but it is automatically performed by this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... That is automatically done. It is so nice process. Then your next question is, "Is diet an important segment of the word?" Yes. Diet is very important thing. Just like when a patient goes to a physician, he prescribes a certain type of diet. Why? That's a practical fact. Why you accept a physician prescription of diet? Suppose a man is suffering from diabetes; his diet is different. A man is suffering from tuberculosis; his diet is different. A man is suffering from typhoid fever; his diet is different. Therefore diet shall not be extravagant or whimsical. They must be selected. First of all we have to see what is the diet of the human being. Actually I read in some scientific magazine, a medical magazine, that our teeth is not meant for eating meats. These teeth are meant for eating fruits. Actually the shape of the teeth is like that, just like sharp knife. You can, apple you can take immediately. But if you take one piece of meat, you cannot eat so easily with these teeth.

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Prabhupāda: It is not exactly the hierarchy, but in the Christian method, Roman Catholic method, the process of the Pope, Archbishop, and..., that is very nice. There is no objection of us. But our point is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is lacking. In spite of all arrangement, if people lost faith in God, so simply by hierarchy, what is the benefit there? There is no benefit. You see? Bambarambhe laghu-kriya, in the Sanskrit word, that you can make a very high-grade arrangement, but the result is zero. So that hierarchical arrangement is exactly not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But our method is very simple. If one is fortunate enough to meet a bona fide spiritual master and if he acts strictly under his discipline, he also becomes within a very short time another spiritual master.

Interviewer: How does one feel called toward Kṛṣṇa conscious? That is, does he begin by having faith or does...? What demands are made upon him? How does he come into the frame of mind where he can accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Of course, faith is the basic principle of everything. If you have no faith, then you cannot make progress in any line of action. So in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also... Faith is the basic principle. Just like I have come here. I started my classes in New York. So I was alone chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Somebody came. Naturally, out of inquisitiveness, somebody comes. Somebody came and, "Oh, what this Indian swami is doing? Let me see." So he sat down. Some other came. He sat down. Then some of them took it, "Oh, Swamiji speaks very nice. Let me come again."

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: The first thing is that according to our knowledge from the Vedic literature they cannot go there.

Reporter: But you admitted that it may be possible for them to go there for a short time and leave.

Prabhupāda: That I am taking this example just like we go for a short time on the sea but we cannot make any permanent settlement there.

Reporter: Yeah. But according to the Vedic literature they cannot go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In this body we cannot go there. With this body we cannot go there. We shall have to change this body. Either you do it scientifically or spiritually or by any other method. With this body you cannot go there. You have to prepare a similar body which is suitable for living condition there.

Reporter: Would a spacesuit substitute for that?

Prabhupāda: Space?

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Reporter: For instance, the jehovah's Witnesses have all but predicted that Armageddon or the end of the world will come in 1975, and obviously, if nothing happens in 1975 or shortly thereafter, their sect will suffer in some relation because they have said this and if it doesn't happen...

Prabhupāda: But they said so many things.

Reporter: Right.

Prabhupāda: But does...? As the Russian said that in 1965 we are going to...

Reporter: So that when Dan Donnelley told me that...

Prabhupāda: So we never believed in such statement. We never believed.

Reporter: Right. What I mean is that when Dan Donnelley told me that in some of your lectures you had said that it would be impossible for man to land on the moon and that they would be opposed by beings on the moon, those sounded like very definite statements that if those things did not happen, then there would be a similar potential for a crisis within the Kṛṣṇa movement of people hearing one thing said and it doesn't happen in the future. Then if those things are said that definitely, then there's always a danger that...

Prabhupāda: No. Danger... When the scientists said that 1965 they would go. Did not happen. What danger has happened?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Because I may require in the.... So, we don't want to enter into arguments, but we must know, but if somebody comes to argument, we have to say. What can be done? We say that "You follow Christianity in perfect order, you'll be benefited." That we say. Our test is whether you're advancing in God consciousness. That is our test. You follow Christianity or Muhammadanism, anything you follow, we don't mind. Whether you are developing your God consciousness, love for God, that is our test. But if your process has failed, then you can try this. And you'll see, in our process within so short time, how they are becoming God conscious. You have to admit. And they admit also.

Viṣṇujana: They're not getting any young priests.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Viṣṇujana: They're not getting young priests. Only this movement is getting young priests.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very young. Just from the womb of the mother. (laughter) Yes?

Devotee: (indistinct) go Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I'm ready. (break—conversation in car) That building is Empire Building?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: Prasādam means little. The others may come, what will be such and such, again you have to bring, till somebody comes.

Devotee: We'll be going shortly.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but if somebody comes, again you have to go, bring back. People are not come here to fill up their bellies. (laughs) Little prasāda, that will satisfy. Only one piece.

Scholar: This movement started all over the world now.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Scholar: How many countries for instance?

Prabhupāda: Whole world. Especially in America. America, Europe. From here we are going New Zealand, Australia.

Scholar: Are they in Arabic countries also?

Prabhupāda: Arabic countries also, our men from (indistinct) that is an Arabic country. We send to Pakistan also, but due to this war, the American Embassy, they asked us to (indistinct). We are going again, Bangladesh. We have got Russia and we are negotiating with China also. So because you are here, you have taken the importance of Bhagavad-gītā, why not do it rightly and propagate nicely. That is our proposition.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: No. Śyāmasundara has tried his utmost to convince him about Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: He said, "Other religions... (break) ...come for a short time." (Breaks in tape)

Prabhupāda: Give him little, some more purīs.

David Wynne: No, I'm all right, really. I'm doing very well.

Śyāmasundara: ...and something to wash hands in. (door closes)

Prabhupāda: No, he's bringing. You can take.

Śyāmasundara: David has said that he would like to spend some time, a day or something, making also your form into stone. Is that...? Or into some metal. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: Well, what I am? I am insignificant. I have no objection. Our, some of our artists may paint this picture. I liked it very much. (Probably speaking of picture of Ratha cart in the Guardian newspaper)

Śyāmasundara: It's a very good photo.

Mukunda: It was taken in such a way so that the cart looks like it is almost as tall as Nelson's Column. Fish-eye lens.

Śyāmasundara: Very clever person who has thought up this idea.

Prabhupāda: No other publication?

Room Conversation with Sir Alistair Hardy -- July 21, 1973, London:

Sir Alistair Hardy: (break) ...through India, going out to the Far East. I've been out advising on the setting up of a fishery, biological research, at Hong Kong. But I never believe in going straight out and I've always stopped in India, various places, very little, short time. (eating) I had a great friend, Professor Bower, who was professor of zoology at Lucknow. He then became the vice-chancellor of Patna. But he overworked very badly, and he had a breakdown, and then... But he was an awfully nice man. I stayed with him in Lucknow.

Prabhupāda: This zoology is another subject matter, whether life began from matter or matter began from life.

Sir Alistair Hardy: That's a great problem in biology, how did life arise from the inorganic matter.

Revatīnandana: Quite a problem. We don't agree. We think that it didn't.

Sir Alistair Hardy: No? I say, that's...

Prabhupāda: Life came from life; matter also came from matter, er, life. That is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādyasya yataḥ. And it is explained in Bhagavad-gītā: Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So there is no difficulty.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Bhāgavata verse, janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1), asya janmādi (indistinct) concise word but volumes of meanings. Volumes. Each word is like that. Vidyā bhāgavata-vali(?). Therefore one's learning is complete when he reads Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Otherwise he remains imperfect, in spite of all learning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), from where? Now the creation of this cosmic world, from where? But you do not know from where. This is explained in Bhāgavatam. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. That is actually true. In this way simply if you analyze one verse, you'll find each word is full of volumes of meaning. Janmādy asya yataḥ, anvayāt (SB 1.1.1). Like the creation, anvayāt, directly and indirectly, itarataś cārtheṣu, in the matter of understanding, abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means completely cognizant. That is the Absolute Truth. He knows everything—how this universe is created, how it is maintained, how it annihilated, directly and indirectly. Just like, I always, regular, everyday thing, when I am massaged by my student, I see so many veins so I think that I claim, "This is my leg," but I do not know what are these veins. Directly I know this is my leg, but indirectly I do not know how this leg is working with these veins and nerves and muscles. I do not know. But so far God is concerned, He has created. He knows every veins and everything. That is called abhijñaḥ. In this way you analyze every word, you'll find volumes of meaning. The next question, "Where you got this experience?" You say He's abhijñaḥ, He knows everything. To get experience one must have teacher. But the next word is svarāṭ, He's experienced and self-sufficiency, svarāṭ, independent. He hasn't got to go anywhere for experiencing. In this way each word is full of meaning. Janmādy asya yataḥ, anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). We have very shortly described this one verse. I think five, six pages. You've got that verse?

Room Conversation with Latin Professor -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: And that acts. Now, so far our Society is concerned, we accept Kṛṣṇa as God. We're preaching Kṛṣṇa as God. So we have no difficulty. It is acting practically. So we... I may be Indian, Hindu, I may accept Kṛṣṇa as God. Maybe superstition, you may say. But why these European, Americans, Africans, they are accepting? And within very short time. Even Christian priests, they are astonished that "These boys, our boys, they did not care for God, never came to church, never inquired about God. Now they are mad after God?" They have not become mad. They are quite sane, educated. But why they are accepting Kṛṣṇa as God? Ask any one of them, they'll give explanation. And how it has become possible? Because they have accepted the method. So our guru's business is to teach him the method. Then he will understand everything. So far vegetable-eating is concerned, it is actually very scientific to eat vegetables. I think some German doctor proved it, that our teeth are meant for eating vegetables. So as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we are not after accepting a vegetarian and rejecting a nonvegetarian. That is not our criterion. God is open for vegetarian and nonvegetarian, both. But once he becomes, I mean, a devotee of God, automatically he becomes vegetarian.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: If you can wait just two minutes. One tradition is that we always offer our guests prasādam, foodstuffs that we prepared.

C. Hennis: Thank you very much. But I have to go very shortly. I have to...

Yogeśvara: Well perhaps I should give him downstairs.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Give him.

C. Hennis: May I, may I? Thank you very much. That's very kind of you. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (Mr. Hennis goes out)

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: It's true what you say Prabhupāda. They come and they put forward their idea and if you don't like it, well, "Oh!" but if you like, "Oh, very good man." They have their own ideas.

Prabhupāda: What, his nonsense idea. From the result we see nobody is happy. What is this idea? They have big, big scientists, big, big politicians, big, big..., but where is it people are happy? They are simply fighting. Now, recently in Rome, Italy, the Communists and the Fascists fought, and six innocent person died. So where is the benefit of this United Nations? They do not have really brain. Manufacturing something, concocting something. That's all. Where is the brain? They have no discrimination between sinful activities and pious activities.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, during that time of the Naxalites you had mentioned that after that program, you said due to the effects of our program, it stopped all that Naxalite movement. Because very shortly after we had that pandal in the Maidan, the whole Naxalite movement was finished. You said due to that, because we purified the atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: That's a fact.

Devotee: ...with chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. The government could do nothing. The police were helpless.

Professor La Combe: And the festival in Sydney will take a long time?

Yogeśvara: Sydney festival is for how many days?

Prabhupāda: On the 29th.

Yogeśvara: One day, 29th of June. Ratha-yātrā festival like in Jagannātha Purī.

Professor La Combe: Today it is better here, little warmer. (indistinct) unusually cool for this time.

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom, another rascaldom. He's a first-class rascal. That was the support by Vivekananda. He was eating everything. All the Ramakrishna Mission, they say like that, "Oh, without meat-eating, without drinking, you cannot stay." All rascals. Therefore, the conclusion is, all rascals, the religious, social, all rascal. If they want to be saved from their rascal position, this is the only, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If they don't want to be saved, if they want to go to hell, who can check? Ātma-han. Ātma-han means "self-suicide." Suicide, yes. If you cut your throat yourself, who can save you? So they are all these like, all, all these Buddhists, Christian. We may not speak very strongly. They will be our enemies.

Bhagavān: There's other guests here.

Prabhupāda: Shortly. But this is the position. They're all rascals. But we don't hate anyone. We want to raise them. Actually they're all rascals. Do you accept this philosophy...

Yogeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: ...that they are all rascals? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let them come forward. Jaya.

Bhagavān: Please come. Sit. Please come sit.

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

Prof. Pater Porsch: Very constructive and very... So much success in a relative very short time, if you began in 1966.

Prabhupāda: '67.

Prof. Pater Porsch: And during the Bangladesh crisis you also...

Prabhupāda: Yes, anyone came; we feed. That much... There were many refugees, so we fed them.

Prof. Pater Porsch: But that automatically answers the question of this gentlemen also, the body in the service of other people, you see...

Prabhupāda: No, we give food. Anyone come and take food. Here also. There is no question of Bangladesh. Let anyone come and take food. In our Māyāpura center we especially give food distribution on Saturday and Sunday. At least five thousand people come. So all humanitarian work is included.

Lady: Thank you very much.

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

Dr. Muncing: Well, I'm not sure that I could call it the social theme of science. I'm concerned with building research. We came to realize three or four years ago that whilst we had got a long way in understanding the material things that go to make up houses and cities, we were a long way from knowing what people wanted the thing that gets called quality of life. We have been beginning to look at this subject, commencing in the first place in northwestern Australia where there are a lot of mining activity, and there people go for a short time. They go to fairly small settlements, and we were interested in how important the housing was in the total. We've got a long way to go, and this looks to be a fairly interesting area. Unless you want to ask about that, I think I'd be interested in what further things Australia should be helping Asia with. We've spoken about milk things already, and I hope before we finish you can tell us what things we should be learning of Asia that we haven't learned in the past.

Madhudviṣa: He wants... He would like to know what you think that Australia should help Asia with as far as making people more comfortable to live in this world and what Australia can imbibe from Asia as far as teaching in science as well as general living.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So far I have studied, not only Australia, but also America and Africa, there are immense land uncultivated. So I think all these countries... The population increased in India, China, and similar other places. They should allow to come them, come here and produce food grains. If you cannot manage the over-populated countries, they should come. If the government allows, they would immediately come and utilize the vast land for producing food grains. And in the Bhagavad-gītā we have the statement-find out, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Find out this verse. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Tripurāri: No other group, no other societies of philosophy distributes literatures. Guru Maharaj-ji, they published one magazine for some time, and his devotees, they went out and distributed short time. But they had no taste for continuing the distribution. So they have stopped now.

Prabhupāda: Artificial.

Tripurāri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So he is still making propaganda? No.

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

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

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

Prabhupāda: They come?

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Devotee (1): So this war... You mentioned a couple of minutes ago that this war almost broke out once before when America aimed all of its weapons at India. So it could happen at any time. It could happen very shortly then.

Prabhupāda: That war was also Russian instigated. This war, last war between Pakistan and India, was practically between India and Pakistan, uh, yes...

Devotee (1): Russia.

Prabhupāda: No. The Bangladesh, they were Bengalis. Although the whole Pakistan, including Bangladesh and the other part, West Pakistan, East Pakistan, Bangladesh... So actually, Bangladesh is bigger than West Pakistan. They should have taken the government, majority. But the West Pakistan, by force they were ruling. They are not majority. So after all, they are Bengalis, maybe Muslim. They're intelligent than these Punjabis. Punjabis, they have got bodily strength, not brain. So these Bengalis, in Mujjhamat Raman, that was his demands, that: "We are majority. Why they should govern us? We should govern over them." This is the movement. So, but they're already in power. So how to throw them out of power? So he negotiated in India, that: "You help us to separate from..." And India's interest is that Pakistan becomes weak by separation, that is India's interest. So India agreed to help them. How to help? They organized a false, er, soldiers. You know? What is called? Bahini. Mean a freedom soldier. They organized freedom soldier. And India consulted Russia. Russia was friendly, that: "We want to help Bangladesh."

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

Prabhupāda: Why? Who is allowing to live long? If you trying to live longer, already trees are living longer than you. Then a tree is better than you? By living longer you want to take some credit, then trees should be given that credit. That is the point. Many big, big men, they lived for short time. Just like Śaṅkarācārya lived for thirty-two years, Caitanya Mahāprabhu lived for forty-eight years. They're still living! There are so many followers of Śaṅkarācārya, so many followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa, told that He lived for 125 years and Kṛṣṇa is still living.

Yaśodānandana: Jesus Christ only lived for 36 years.

Prabhupāda: Who's caring for any tree who lives for five thousand years? If that is your point, to live long is a great credit, there are already so many living entities who live long, longer than you.

Devotee: Well they don't... they may be living a long time but they don't have the same intelligence how to use their life span...

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: This war will not prolong. That is not possible.

Harikeśa: So this is not the big one.

Prabhupāda: No, it is big war, but it will be finished within short time.

Bali-mardana: Drop their bombs, everything's finished.

Upendra: But the argument is that these bombs will create more disturbance than just the blowing up. They create what's called radio-active fallout.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that will do. But the war will stop because the party which will be able to drop the bomb first, he will be victorious.

Harikeśa: They've got these fancy...

Prabhupāda: Then after effects, what will happen, that is another thing. But the war will not continue for ten years or five years, like that.

Bali-mardana: Many Communist countries now, they are not making any more big cities. They are keeping the population very spread out so that after the war they will be able to take over. Because if one has a big city, then the people can be killed very easily in one bomb, finished. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they are afraid of death?

Room Conversation with the Rector, Professor Olivier and Professors of the University of Durban, Westville -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prof. Olivier: Might I just explain. I don't know whether we will have an audience. May I first of all say thank you very much for coming to the university. We are very honored also, sir, that you have been able to come, also that your guests have come, and that you have been able to come. Thank you very much for visiting the university. I unfortunately have a committee of my council meeting this afternoon, and the chairman is coming over shortly. So I will unfortunately not be able to attend your lecture. Thank you very much for coming. Some of you have been here before. We have this week a student break for a week before they start their examinations, so I do not know whether Professor Oosthuizen will have an audience at all. Maybe a few members of staff.

Professor: I told Mr. Bhoola when he asked me about the lecture, I told him that this would be a problem.

Prof. Olivier: Thank you very much for coming.

Prabhupāda: If there is no audience, what is the use of holding class?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Stansky: May I pose a question, Your Grace? It's less than two weeks that I'm asking you for the second time to instruct me. You gave me some very general instructions in my last audience, and I'm very grateful. Many things have transpired since then. I'm now here in Detroit; we'll be going on to Toronto very shortly. From Toronto to Chicago, and then I'm not sure what the agenda is. I'm tremendously pleased because it's giving me an opportunity to work in the area that you said I should be working in. In addition to which I have ample time to study. And I have the assistance of Satsvarūpa with my studies. Now I have a question. I would like to keep a log of my daily activities and start preparing an outline of a book. Now the book very basically won't.... I won't be starting on the book for at least a year, but I would like to start keeping a log.

Prabhupāda: You can keep record.

Stansky: Yes. Now the reason I would like to keep a log and prepare an outline and start a book, say a year from now, it would show a transition from Roman priesthood to Hare Kṛṣṇa devotee. I think this would open up the door to all of the colleges and universities across the country.

Prabhupāda: Very good idea, yes. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). The nature is if we get better engagement, we give up inferior engagement. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. So this will be an example. You are a Roman priest. You are educated, learned scholar also. So when you come to this movement, you do not come here by sentiment or by whims. You consider, then you have come.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Scheverman: We have a building that will be available shortly (laughs) if you want to start a school.

Prabhupāda: So let us cooperate.

Scheverman: (laughs) Let us cooperate. And your teachers. There's no question about the kind of thing you're talking about here is needed.

Prabhupāda: "Father" means responsibility. According to our Vedic literature, one should not become a father unless he can deliver his son from the cycle of birth and death. Pitā na sa syāj na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. At the present moment we are in the cycle of birth and death in the conditioned stage. So it is the duty of the father how to save the son from the cycle of birth and death. This is responsibility.

Scheverman: The last word I didn't..., the cycle of?

Prabhupāda: Birth and death.

Scheverman: Birth and death, right, right.

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That is nice, so many. Tomato.

Kīrtanānanda: But most things are not yet fructified. This is early in our season. Peas will be ready just shortly. Lettuce is ready.

Prabhupāda: Vegetables, ghee, milk, wheat, then what do you want more?

Kīrtanānanda: The wheat is just about ready for harvest.

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say we can grow all these things and eat very nicely. Where is economic problem? Yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. (break)

Kīrtanānanda: It's full of cow stool and urine.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā, for fertilizer?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, fertilizer. Nothing is wasted.

Prabhupāda: You can make gas also.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. That was originally an oil tank.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Rūpānuga: I don't know. Have you made some...? Well, basically we've been just getting them used to us. We have not approached them so much, because we've only been here a short time. How long have we been here altogether?

Vṛṣākapi: Four months.

Rūpānuga: In four months, they have transformed this.

Prabhupāda: That's good. This wooden wall was there?

Vipina: Yes. We refinished them.

Vṛṣākapi: It was all dirty.

Prabhupāda: It was not used.

Rūpānuga: It was simply for office, like that. And the temple building was a gymnasium. It used to be a gymnasium, and we have converted the whole thing.

Vipina: That was one reason that we were very much attracted to the property. The property itself was not very beautiful when we came, but the gym was built, and we saw it as an immediate temple where we could hold kīrtana and preach. So we then made a contract and the fish bit.

Prabhupāda: Nobody was taking.

Morning Walk -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vṛṣākapi: Some do. One man does. We've been here a short time, only four months. So we have to advertise more so people will come on the Sunday feast. But I think we will have thousands.

Prabhupāda: That is nice. (break) ...trees very long?

Vṛṣākapi: Just pine trees and oak trees. No fruit trees. (break) He was run over by a car, he was intoxicated.

Prabhupāda: Then? What happened, he was not identified?

Vṛṣākapi: They said that he lived in these woods back here, way back in the woods.

Prabhupāda: Oh, drunkard.

Vṛṣākapi: Yes. They had many cars here all day for two days. All the police, ambulance, TV.

Prabhupāda: To take photograph?

Vṛṣākapi: To take photograph of the place. It became a monument. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Just to see a dead body.

Room Conversation -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vipina: Jaya. That happened just about less than a month ago. Some gentleman who was a Seventh Day Adventist, he became interested and started to call and come by and listened to the philosophy and even listened to your tapes. And then shortly after that he gave a donation of five thousand dollars. We bought with it some chandeliers for Kṛṣṇa's temple for you to see tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: Five thousand dollars?

Vipina: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't misspend.

Vipina: Not all on chandeliers. Just part of it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You have a bell system?

Rūpānuga: Yes, it rings, but you can't hear it in here. It rings in the back quarters.

Prabhupāda: The doors you have purchased?

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is costly?

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You stayed in the guesthouse there too?

Mr. Boyd: No, I was just there a short time, I had to come back. We were only down there about four days. We had to bring back Barbara, she was in pretty rough shape. She had gotten malaria, only she wasn't doing too well.

Prabhupāda: What is this picture?

Mr. Boyd: That's just down the street from Mr. Dubhai, that's a big tree, it's an Indian tree, I don't know what it is, it grows up and down both. It happened to be in his yard. (laughter) Another highlight of the day.

Hari-śauri: Banyan tree.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have banyan trees in America. In Florida.

Mr. Boyd: Oh, is that banyan tree? You see, they are not particular to this area.

Hari-śauri: Hawaii's full of them.

Mr. Boyd: That's not what I find in the backyard. That was the first time I'd seen one. They indicated that the day before, they'd walked by there and was startled, there was an elephant standing under it. First time they'd seen one. Of course, you know, it's out of environment, if all of a sudden you see one, you don't realize it. I didn't realize it either, but in India elephants are commonplace. But it's not common for me to be in India. (laughter) I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the country, though, in that area.

Prabhupāda: Hm, very nice pictures.

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes, in 1965. Then in 1966 I established this institution in a storefront on the Second Avenue. That is the beginning. I never thought we shall be able to possess such a big building.

Guest (1): You've done so much in that short time.

Prabhupāda: I have not done, Kṛṣṇa has done.

Guest (1): Kṛṣṇa has helped you to do it.

Prabhupāda: That I was speaking, that if we become sincere to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can give us all opportunities. He's all-powerful; He can do that. (aside:) Those who are going, give them. Those who are going, you can give one. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Do you read all these verses, those who are reading Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest (1): Just in progress.

Prabhupāda: This verse is very important.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Kīrtanānanda: In so short time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't know how to control their senses. This is inspirational...

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda told us yesterday that one Sanskritist was appreciating the Harvard classics very much as being very important in educating people about Indian culture, but Prabhupāda's books are even better.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He said "insurpassable." "Prabhupāda's books are insurpassable."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That man was the chief of the Benares school?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Sanskrit department.

Prabhupāda: Very learned scholar in Sanskrit. Titles in Sanskrit.

Hṛdayānanda: (break) ...Ratha-yātrā, "No Parking. Sunday Parade."

Prabhupāda: You convince the authorities of America that my logic, andha-paṅgor nyāya. Who will explain this? Andha-paṅgor nyāya, lame and blind logic.

Hari-śauri: Ah, lame and blind.

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes, I told a reporter that just a few days ago.

Prabhupāda: America is blind by money. Dhana-madāndha, when one gets too much money he becomes blind. Dhana-durmadāndha. Tasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndha. To get too much riches means he becomes fool and blind. He doesn't care. So this blindness of America... And we Indians, we have no money, but we have got culture.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Atreya Ṛṣi: Friday Śrīla Prabhupāda is traveling. And Thursday at 11:30 you're going to see that building.

Prabhupāda: I think within so short time it will (not) be possible for holding a meeting.

Atreya Ṛṣi: For a short time?

Prabhupāda: No, because there are two days only. On Thursday we have got already engagement.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes, we have an engagement for Thursday.

Prabhupāda: Then tomorrow only. So I don't think it will be possible.

Mr. Sharma: Thursday evening it is not possible?

Prabhupāda: No.

Atreya Ṛṣi: We're going to travel already into town once Thursday. We got some Persian puffed rice. They make puffed rice.

Prabhupāda: I'll take. You first of all give them.

Atreya Ṛṣi: We'll go downstairs and have prasādam.

Prabhupāda: All right. Thank you very much for your coming. Jaya.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: At least from the human standpoint, it is not humanly possible to have so many books in such a short time. There is no other author, at least that we know.

Jayapatākā: I showed your "As Brilliant as the Sun" to Tarun Kanti Gosh and one other minister, and when they saw that, then after, for ten minutes, all they could say was how Prabhupāda, how he is empowered by Lord Gaurāṅga.

Prabhupāda: They said like that.

Jayapatākā: Yes. That's a good movie because it simply shows how you are doing so many books.

Gargamuni: We also showed that to that Atul Krishna Goswami. He came to Māyāpura. When he saw that he was so..., that movie, they had never seen such a thing, the process of printing the books.

Prabhupāda: He has good idea about...

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: That is not so much for the amount of books that they have been able to produce in such a short time.

Prabhupāda: We can produce one book daily, the machines are so expert.

Jayapatākā: They do outside work as well?

Gargamuni: What for? We have unlimited...

Prabhupāda: Why? Botheration. You have to satisfy your customer, waste time. We keep our machine for our own work.

Gargamuni: We have so many books. As soon as we print a new book, the previous book is out of print. We have to print again.

Prabhupāda: The first machine introduced by you, yes.

Gargamuni: Oh, the mimeograph. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Then other machines came. I did not know, but I was thinking that if some typist would hear my tapes and type, I was thinking like that. Expert typist. Formerly, it was being done like that. Here, tape recorder. You hear something and then type. Like that. And this machine, you shall, it is, automatically, you hear and type, hear and type.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Communists. That is our success. Everyone is now feeling the pressure. (Bengali) and they are talking (Bengali). In such a short time, so much money, so much expansion, so many devotees, what is this? That is Kṛṣṇa.

Haṁsadūta: Like Vāmanadeva expanded His foot and He covered the...

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes.

Haṁsadūta: First people thought, "Oh these are crazy fellows," and now suddenly they are everywhere.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Almost all of them, doctor, who have spoken. You have read that?

Haṁsadūta: Yes, I have read. All respectable.

Prabhupāda: Indian and American, all learned scholars, they have spoken. Where is that statement? And Doctor Saligram, he has spoken very nice. Where is that? Doctor Saligram, Indian Professor, anthropology or something like that. So now better to see the movement from behind, who is that man behind it? (laughter)

Haṁsadūta: Now they're looking for you.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: Such a short time and so many changes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Kneupper: The growth, the temple here, beautiful. On my next trip to India...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can come and stay here or in Bombay, we have got...

Dr. Kneupper: But I want to see the one, the city when it's constructed. That would be really...

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is... Yes.

Dr. Kneupper: I hope that is... Calcutta will be a success story.

Prabhupāda: You have got the contemplative man with you. (indistinct)

Indian man: Yes sir.

Dr. Kneupper: This will be over 300 acres if it's...

Prabhupāda: Three hundred fifty acres.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (reads Sanskrit) ...Aniya mahat-pado smariya gurave namaḥ.(?) In a short time he has learned very nicely.

sahasra-pa-parābdamnam
ācāryaṁ te māyāṁ sadā
kintu tvamsudaya śilā

tasmād tubhyāṁ namo namaḥ(?)

namaste prabhupādāya
śreṣṭha vedyaṁ dadāsi te
tasya padāśraya-kośaṁ

namaste gurave namaḥ(?)

oṁ śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ gītā
caitanya-caritāmṛta ca
sundara-bhāgavatam cami

bhaktiko manyave bhavān(?)

I am surprised that he has learned so quickly. Very nice.

Rādhā-vallabha: Very intelligent boy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He should be given letter.(?)

Rādhā-vallabha: Anyway, he made one arrangement with another devotee to marry this devotee's daughter.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Rādhā-vallabha: He is nineteen years old, and he made arrangement with...

Prabhupāda: This boy?

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now this Janata party headed by Morarji may take to this Indian culture, that will be the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that after a short time we should have a committee approach Mr. Desai, some of our devotees and prominent life members, for getting citizenship for at least fifty to a hundred of our men. He would be favorable.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1) (Indian man): He is pro-American, Desai.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Guest (1): He is not pro-Russian.

Prabhupāda: So you have taken your prasādam?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what other news?

Girirāja: Well, the pandal is very nice. We have nice prasādam distribution.

Prabhupāda: In the pandal?

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Devotee: I don't know.

Hari-śauri: We had a center there for a short time.

Prabhupāda: Very good place.

Hari-śauri: Yeah. Generally now we just send our book distributors, and actually it is one of the best places for distribution.

Prabhupāda: Amogha. Amogha goes?

Hari-śauri: No, he is doing college programs mainly in Melbourne now. But the BBT distribution party, sometimes they collect three or four hundred dollars a day, each man.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: It's very rich. Because in the northwestern Australia, there is lots of mining towns, and Perth is the only place that they can come to spend their money. So we can collect lots of money. It's very good.

Indian man: Śrīla Prabhupāda (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: Nei. Develop farms.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: So we wanted to invite the newspaper men to Juhu, and usually they are more inclined to come for these meetings if we give them a nice meal. So that would be..., what I was thinking is that if you are taking your meal at 12 o'clock, then if you could meet them for a short time after that, say, at about 12:30, and then, after that, then they can take their prasādam. Otherwise we could have it in the afternoon, but I don't think we'll get as good response, because they are after that; they like that meal to be served.

Prabhupāda: Well, whatever time, you decide. But after taking my meals, I require a little rest.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much rest, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: One hour.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So by one-thirty or two.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that time would be better.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Actually, a short time ago, everyone knew that these things were wrong, but now they are trying to pretend that it is not wrong. They are trying to forget.

Prabhupāda: They can do, all their political divisions. These rascals, they can do. Anything. They have no principles, no morality, no standard of morality, nothing. Simply all rogues and thieves. It will more and more. All rogues and thieves will take part in politics. That is stated. Dasyu dharmeṇa. Just like dasyu, the burglar, the thieves, they have got organization how to get money. So they, the government, they'll be rogues and thieves. And whenever there is necessity of money, then tax. You work hard; they will tax. Organized burglars, organized guṇḍās. And Indira was doing that. Indira and company. Take the power and club(?) them and do whatever you like. She is a prostitute; her son is a guṇḍā. This is the sample of the... But it will be done all round the world. This is a sample of that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She seems to have been one of the worst leaders so far.

Prabhupāda: She is not leader, she is a prostitute. Woman given freedom means prostitute. Free woman means prostitute. What is this prostitute? She has no fixed-up husband. And free woman means this, daily, new friend.

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

Prabhupāda: Have you got that, made any list...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I called for the names, so within a short time.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Name is there. So this is the...

Indian (1): First progress thing.

Mr. Rajda: No, no, we'll do this immediately, and even if necessary, I will fight with the government. They have got to do it. Only thing is if you can give me some note, what are the hurdles...

Prabhupāda: Bring some paper. Write it. Immediately begin to do this. They are coming from very rich, respectable family. They have not come here to earn money for exploit India. They have no business to do this. I can guarantee that they will bring money from America and live here—not touch a single paisa of India. Now, suppose there are one hundred Americans, and if I am bringing ten lakhs of rupees per month, then what is the per capita?

Mr. Rajda: Per capita will show...

Girirāja: Ten thousand.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādi-keśava Mahārāja, he speaks Russian also. So he can go with them if they go for a short time. He was there in Moscow for some time.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So you keep Mr. Sharma's address, and you suggest some letters. Try to do something with these Communists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right.

Prabhupāda: So some prasādam. (Hindi) (Tamāla Kṛṣṇa gives prasādam) (break) (Hindi conversation) Chief Minister, Mr. Chawan, he has highly recommended our movement.(Hindi) It is bona fide religion. So we are trying to distribute the sublime knowledge of India—Kṛṣṇa knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But it's too short. And in a short time...

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is made by layman, so it is not valuable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara is coming to see you at the end of the massage today, so maybe you could give him some further direction.

Prabhupāda: What I can do? He'll do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just if you tell him that he should start this movie over again.

Prabhupāda: He should not produce such thing without consulting the scientific men.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually I suggest that we make another movie.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The article that we are writing right now is very appropriate, that, the difference between spirit and matter. That is what he's trying to show there, but here we have many scientific evidence, and we can make it... So it will be very nice when we finish this monograph.

Prabhupāda: So make it improved, and another film you can make. It doesn't matter.

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Big, big chicken within very short time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Big business. And unfortunately with beef also.

Prabhupāda: That is their staple food, chicken and beef and wine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think in Vṛndāvana there's so much of this meat-eating.

Prabhupāda: No. Here they eat meat very secretive, some.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very secretive?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Openly they'll never.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's hard to even find a butcher shop here.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. In Mathurā there is slaughterhouse.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow! Government allowed. The government.

Prabhupāda: I do not know whether it is stopped or not, but formerly. In Bangladesh, fish you can get very cheap. It is... It is water. You can... Rivers.

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

Mr. Myer: She has got very bad time now. She has already paid for that. So she will be in jail very shortly, her son and both, her son and... Even her chief minister in Madras, all her people are going to go in jail now, all of them. All the... Everybody involved in her ministry.

Prabhupāda: His son should be hanged.

Mr. Myer: So many (indistinct). Morarji Desai was in jail for nineteen months.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Mr. Myer: Every day he was reading the Gītā, and he was doing the spinning wheel. Nineteen months he was doing. He's also eighty years old.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is of my age, my...

Mr. Myer: Yes. He is guru's age.

Prabhupāda: Eighty, eighty-two.

Mr. Myer: Now is a very good time for ISKCON because this new government, all their policies is what ISKCON is already doing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let us see actually if it is good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "I have sent out an advertisement to all centers to encourage them to order Guru and Gaurāṅga Deities from us. We can deliver these to them in very short time and at a lower cost than the Jaipur craftsmen."

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I hope that this meets with your approval."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not made of marble.

Prabhupāda: But as good as marble. They... Are they?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know. I hope so.

Prabhupāda: They are being made from marble powder?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're very strong. It says, "We have maintained, through your never-ending kindness, for two years or more financially in terms of our daily operational requirements and household support. Now I'm looking for ways of relieving Bhaktivedanta Book Trust of the burden at once. Deity making, the saṁsāra trailer, and other such enterprises will provide means for our maintenance and research expenditures..."

Prabhupāda: Oh, very good.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Right now he's asking... Actually right now he's more eager than ever to sell his land. The sādhu next to us, Praphulla Brahmacari, both of us, we met together, and we made a verbal agreement that we wouldn't give him any hope for purchasing his land at a high price. And as the result, now because of this incident... Before he had some hope that some outside person would come and buy land. But now the outside people, they don't want to purchase land at Māyāpura. So now he has no other hope than to sell either to us or to that brahmacārī. So now he's still asking four thousand. He's come from six to four. But it's even appearing that within a short time he may come down to three thousand.

Prabhupāda: So if he comes three thousand... How much land there is?

Jayapatākā: There's four bighās.

Prabhupāda: So purchase it. Do you follow?

Jayapatākā: Yes. That brahmacārī, he would purchase it also. If you wanted to have him purchase, he would purchase and give us a piece. He said he would give us a piece alongside the building as big as we want, and he would purchase the rest.

Prabhupāda: My idea is it is a land where we shall dig another pond. No building.

Jayapatākā: Build another pond.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think massage is good. It will keep your body a little bit loosened and...

Prabhupāda: So where they have gone?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's supposed to be coming back. I do not know if he's gone with Bhagatji, but he said that he'd be coming back in a short time. I think that this program of massaging and also using your brain for translating little bit...

Prabhupāda: Ah.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think that is also very important.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (end)

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, actually it's a great pleasure to take you to different places, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we certainly never find any difficulty in transporting you. I was wondering that... As Vṛndāvana gets quite cold in the winter, I was just wondering how you would be able to pass the winter here, and I was thinking that Māyāpura was a very natural place to go. Now, just now, it is very nice here in Vṛndāvana. Probably for two or three more weeks it's the topmost time. But shortly it will be getting cold.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: November.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And at that time it might be the ideal opportunity.

Prabhupāda: Why not do that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think you're finding any difficulty here, are you?

Prabhupāda: No. Māyāpura is still more open.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Fresh air.

Prabhupāda: Fresh air.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I'll do that.

Vrindavan De: But I may not come back in a very short time, if I have to come within a month. For this work I may not find out any time to come over here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, you won't have to come back for this business. This business will be done properly.

Vrindavan De: But I must see my father, after all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That you may come every day. But from this business, this will work. We'll give a letter to the bank...

Vrindavan De: For the little later the work should not be hampered. I want that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it won't be hampered.

Prabhupāda: You give me. He'll go.(?)

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not so far, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śatadhanya Mahārāja got information that they have left for Delhi on the plane at about noontime, which means they would have arrived about three o'clock in Delhi. So it's now 6:30, 6:25, which would mean that they should be here very shortly.

Prabhupāda: So they have arrived?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, if they got on the plane they should have arrived.

Prabhupāda: What is time now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the time now? About 6:25. Do you think you passed stool again, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I do not know. Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Upendra is checking.

Prabhupāda: What is going on outside?

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let us wait, Śrīla Prabhupāda, because he should be here very shortly. I mean it's actually miraculous how quickly everything was done, how we were able to call Calcutta in the middle of the night, how Adri-dhāraṇa was able to get the man and bring him on a train..., plane by noontime, how we again were able to reach Calcutta on the telephone and get this information. So far, it appears that everything is very quickly being done. So we just have to be a little... You know. We have to be a little bit patient.

Prabhupāda: Do you think I shall die very quickly?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Do you think I shall die very quick?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I don't think you shall die.

Prabhupāda: I wanted that kavirāja last night, so he was not possible?(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which one?

Prabhupāda: That kavirāja from Calcutta.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The reason I don't want you to talk so much now, because I suspect they're all going to want to come and see you, and then you'll definitely talk too much. If they're all here, they're all going to want to see you. (indistinct) It's very prestigious that it's being held in our temple. In such a short time this temple has become (indistinct) for very important meetings.

Brahmānanda: Bon Mahārāja, he had this idea for making this center in Vṛndāvana, and now, after so many years, it's practically closed. Everything's shut down. Ghost town. Just in two-three, three years our temple is now the most popular.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Jaya Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we will pay them our (indistinct) but we will go on watching. That we want. As long as you're watching them, we will (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: They haven't got (indistinct).

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (indistinct)

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So we'll be back in a little while, Śrīla Prabhupāda, after you get bathed. And we will not ask you to do anything exerting. Sometimes only Bhavānanda and I will personally sit you up for a minute only to drink something. And then kavirāja will be here very shortly. Then he can give the advice what to do. We simply want to give one try with this kavirāja. If it doesn't succeed, then we simply... I'll lock my office and we'll simply chant hari-nāma. But as we are a little hopeful... That is our... We can't stop being hopeful, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I was seeing a picture of Your Divine Grace sitting in a vyāsāsana in New York, handing the initiation beads to some devotee. You had a very big smile as if you were joking with him. So I was just thinking how nice it was, that you could again be able to sit and talk nicely with all the devotees. So like that, hope is there in our hearts.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In any case, we'll make sure that you're not made uncomfortable, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and not disturbed in any way. And we won't be the cause of any disturbance. So we'll come after a short time, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) (harmonium playing) (break)

Bhagatji: Sometimes when I used to come you were sleeping. I'll sit for one hour and then went out.

Prabhupāda: Things are going on.

Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: We heard that Your Divine Grace had a dream that a kavirāja of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya would treat you and bring you back to strength, and this kavirāja says that in a very short time, following the treatment, you would regain your strength. Although he hasn't got all of the medicines yet, but within a day or two they'll all be prepared, and he says within fifteen days you should be quite improved in strength. So far, he seems to have been quite sincere.

Prabhupāda: No, no, he's sincere. I'll drink milk. Whatever strength is obtainable, there will be.

Jayapatākā: Like to follow the same treatment, only while traveling.

Haṁsadūta: So we should meet and make a program for going around Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: You want to begin tomorrow morning?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Page Title:Short time (Lect. & Conversations)
Compiler:Sahadeva, RupaManjari
Created:13 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=32, Con=57, Let=0
No. of Quotes:89