Sons and daughters (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"son and daughter" |"son and daughters" |"sons and daughter" |"sons and daughters"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation -- April 1, 1969, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: So spiritual master is necessary and his direction is necessary. That is the system of disciple succession. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Arjuna is surrendering. He was Kṛṣṇa's friend. Why he surrendered himself, "I am your disciple." You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. He had no necessity. He was personal friend, talking, sitting, eating together. Still, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master. So that is the way. There is a system to understand. It is specifically mentioned, śiṣyas te 'ham. "I am your disciple now." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "You kindly instruct me." And then He began teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Unless one becomes a śiṣya, or disciple, it is prohibited, not to instruct. Not to inst... That instruction is useless. That is the system. We are instructing in the class because there are few disciples who have taken vow to learn from me. Otherwise, I have no business to teach the public. The public may come. But actual interest is to teach my disciples. But that is secondary. For the public, secondary. But real business is to teach the disciples. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was meant for Parīkṣit Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī's disciple. But there were many others present. They also heard. Yes?

Gargamuni: Well, how can we begin to serve you so that you'll be pleased?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That I shall tell you later on. (laughter) Do you think I am not pleased?

Gargamuni: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you must know it. How can you say that I am not pleased? How you know it that I am not pleased?

Gargamuni: Well, we cause you so much anxiety and everything.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Gargamuni: We cause you so much anxiety due to our faults.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I am pleased with you. Why I have given up all my anxieties of the sons and daughters who is born from my body, and why I am taking and transferring... (end)

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: The children here also, Prabhupāda. They love that book so... (break)

Girirāja: Yes, I know him.

Prabhupāda: What is his name?

Girirāja: Surajman.

Prabhupāda: Surajman. He is your family?

Guest (1): No, Birla's family. They are relatives... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...son and daughter-in-law.

Guest (1): Surajman's son?

Prabhupāda: Not here. In London. (break) ...nephew of Vamana(?).

Guest (1): Didi Birla's sister's son. That is Candra (indistinct). He is related to (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Is that the man who gave us a car? He is Candrakant?

Guest (1): Candrakant. You were taking their house?

Girirāja: Yes. Near Mahatma Gandhi Road.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they like to work hard and they want good protection. That is their happiness. Even still in Africa, the servants, domestic servants, Africans, I have seen in Indian family, they are very happy. They are very happy, and the master also takes care of them. They want to eat sumptuously, and that's all. They have no other ambition. They don't want any motorcar or like this, no. And they work very nicely, domestic work, very clean. But sometimes they steal. That is their habit. My father used to say, "If you do not allow the servants to steal, so don't keep." Don't keep servants. "A servant who does not steal, he is not a gentleman. He must steal."

Bhagavān: He must steal.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their satisfaction. So you must allow them. In old zamindar family, they will pay the manager five rupees per month, salary, and allow them to steal. That was simply a token salary that "You are servant." And the manager was so clever, he would steal, but he would not spoil the property of the master. He will manage very nicely that he will extra, make extra income and steal. The master will not be touched. Master will be happy. Master knows that "I am paying him five rupees. That is nothing." And he is constructing big building, getting his sons and daughters married very luxuriantly. Master is... Even fifty years before, there was a zamindar, Raja Manindra Candranandi. He was very magnanimous man, making various charities. So if somebody will complain, "Sir, your this servant is stealing like this," he would be very angry. The man who complains, he will be angry upon him, "Why do you come and complain?" He will not accept any complaint. Rather, he will be angry with the man who complains.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 7, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here material life means as soon as you violate the rules and regulation, you suffer. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma is the beginning of perfection in material life. It is the beginning. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). God has created this. If you adopt this institution of varṇāśrama-dharma, then your perfection of life begins. (break)

Jayapatāka: Everyone is sending their sons and daughters to the university and colleges, and they are getting degree, but they are not getting any jobs.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa never says that, that "You send your children to the universities and make them fools and rascals." So one who is depending on job, he's a śūdra. That is not education. Education is not meant for the śūdra but for the dvijas, twice-born, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya. Śūdras are never for education. So their education, so-called education, means creating so many śūdras. Unless he gets a job his education is useless. Therefore he's a śūdra. And brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they will create their own means of livelihood. That is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. Therefore they are unhappy. They don't get job, neither they are able to work independently.

Morning Walk -- April 23, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: The scientists have been able to artificially take the salt out of the ocean water to make it fresh for irrigation, but it is very, very costly. It requires a great deal of energy.

Prabhupāda: That is their defect. They theorize, but when it is practically going to be done, "No money. Get taxes." They will levy tax, and the tax will be divided amongst themselves, that's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially now all the governments all over the world are broke. They have no money.

Prabhupāda: There will be very, very big chaos, this godless civilization. And it is distinctly said, "There will be no grain, no sugar, no milk." These things will be stopped. Eat your sons and daughter. You are very much fond of eating meat. Eat your son. They will do that. I think they are doing now. You know that?

Guest: In Africa, yes.

Prabhupāda: Not Africa.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In Vietnam, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I heard that the North Vietnamese and Vietcong were killing...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Now they are killing child in the womb. That killed child is taken in the hotel.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They may be rascals. Therefore, therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu... (break) ...told me it is full. But people coming and going, it looks very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Like a house when it has no occupants, it's not so nice as when there are people moving about.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Canakya Paṇḍita says, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "In a home where there is no children, sons and daughters, it is zero."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like a body without a soul.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitya-guru... (Bengali) (break) You are not going to China?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we not so impressed by roṭī here, but it is really a...

Prabhupāda: Very nice, a good news. You are eating nicely. That gives me pleasure.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhogilal Patel had twenty-three cars. Just for him and his wife and father. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are spending money to save income tax. They have got enough income. So instead of giving to the income tax, they are thinking that "Why not provide some serfers(?), some drivers, some servants, and repair the house every year." In this way, spend money (laughing). It is good policy. Money's distributed to the poor instead of going to the government pocket.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's got at least thirty-five servants, and it is only father and son and daughter-in-law.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) That's all. No children even.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Prabhupāda stayed there. They gave us much, er, attention.

Prabhupāda: They are very favorable to us. Especially the father.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Daughter is also son. Son and daughter are the same position. If they are not educated, they become burden. Apaṇḍita, means not educated. Then they become burden, simply eyesore. That is another place he states: varam eko guṇī putro na ca mūrkha-śatair api. Ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena yo na vidvān na bhaktimān. What is the use of such children, of son, who is neither a devotee nor a learned man? So, kāṇena cakṣuṣā kiṁ vā cakṣuḥ pīḍaiva kevalam. Just like blind eyes. What is the use of it? It is simply pains giving. You have got eyes, but if it is diseased, cataract or something, so what is the use of possessing these eyes? Sometimes it becomes so painful that the doctors, they pluck out. You know that? They get out the eyes completely, and decorate with a false eye. This is very delicate place. Even a small grain enters, it gives so much trouble. So if the eye itself is diseased, it is very, very painful. Therefore sometimes he plucks out. Kāṇena cakṣuṣā kiṁ vā cakṣuḥ pīḍaiva kevalam.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Mr. Sahani: Now, you know, people are taking the advantage. One who is selling now, he's going to America. He said "Let me collect this two lakhs of dollars, go and buy in America."

Prabhupāda: They, in America, they immigration?

Mr. Sahani: He must have taken immigration. His family is going to America. His son and daughter must be there. All Iranians have sons or daughters in America or Europe. So...

Prabhupāda: What is the reason?

Mr. Sahani: Reason is because from the last fifty years the education was a big problem here. And the government needed people to get educated. So they gave lot of facilities that people should send their children out to get educated.

Prabhupāda: Foreign education.

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: They can, the children can also, those who are our children they can form an association.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: But they cannot control us, our independence.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They should form. How the...?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But of course we want to defeat them...

Prabhupāda: The parents, the parents cannot control their sons and daughters who is above eighteen.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We want to defeat these people legally because now it's a very big case and every paper in America is covering it. Every paper.

Prabhupāda: That means they're feeling pressure. They're feeling pressure. Now we should take proper steps, that's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They had a big press conference in which Prof. Sukla spoke up...

Prabhupāda: Hm. He has written very nicely.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Rāmeśvara said he got up and he said "How can... You are insulting our religion..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, better that the Indians should combine and they should bring a case against these people.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Guru dāsa: Just like 99% of us become lazy when we come to India.

Prabhupāda: You'll advise, but you'll never do it. That is going on. (break) ...elephants dance, and we see. This is Indian policy. These white elephants, they'll come and dance, and you'll see. And you are busy with your daughter's marriage. That's all. (break) ...means vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga (CC Madhya 6.254). Nobody can become a bhakta unless he has disgusted with material life. "I shall do this, I shall do that." And he'll never do bhakti-yoga. That's all. This is not possible. (break) Before leaving my family life I wanted to get my all sons and daughters married, but some of them disagreed, some of them... My wife disagreed. Let them go to hell, I don't care. Time is up. Never mind you are married or not married. Then see your own business. (break) I or you, then who will take care of the marriage of your daughter? Suppose you die immediately? Then who will take care?

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all varieties of work can be utilized. (Hindi) Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). He got perfection, Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, simply narrated. Narration is also kīrtana. Recitation of Bhāgavatam. By reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he became perfect. Abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. Śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja simply listened. There are navadhā-bhakti, nine kinds of bhakti process. Any one of them, you be expert and you'll be perfect. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So, where his family?

Indian man: He has got one son and daughter. His family is in Bombay. One son is expired earlier. And he has got good talent of teaching Hindi, music, and tape recording. He's such work. And she knows cooking, very good cooking.

Prabhupāda: Yes, if she gives cooking direction.

Indian man: She is also quite expert in cooking. (Hindi) He plays very good harmonium.

Indian man (2): All musical instruments.

Prabhupāda: No, we don't want to introduce harmonium.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Devotee: So now you are sixty-five...

Dr. Patel: No, that is not sex. I am prepared to oppose you for hear.

Prabhupāda: No, I don't hear you. I hear the śāstra.

Dr. Patel: No, but this is also śāstra. Please let me...

Prabhupāda: Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham (SB 7.9.45). No, maithuna, but maithuna products. You are attached to your sons and daughters. That is maithuna product.

Dr. Patel: That way we are attached to our bodies.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is... Either maithuna... Just like Gandhi. The same thing, a bigger scale. Bigger scale. Maithuna product.

Dr. Patel: Our body is also maithuna product.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but that is the first instruction: "Don't be attached to this body." So if we remain attached up to the point of death to the maithuna or maithuna product, then the same illusion. That is said.

Dr. Patel: So you have to leave the body consciousness and become soul conscious perpetually. It is...

Prabhupāda: And that soul consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes. So... But in the soul consciousness..

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Gurukṛpā: Yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were speaking about a man who becomes very educated but he can't get a job. He becomes like a dog. Well, I was reading in the paper that this one man in Sydney, he put an ad in the newspaper saying, "I will become your house dog, because I think a dog's life is better than my life because I cannot get a job. So now I want to have a job as a human dog. Anybody want to hire me?"

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) If these people are making against our movement, so we should not be surprised. The parents who are leaving their children, dropping their children—"Yes, go and have homosex dancing"—if such parents protest against our movement it is not at all astonishing. But we should not stop it for that reason. This is apparent. So this thing should be brought in the court, that "This is the parent. The parent also requires this brainwash. Why the sons and daughters only? The father, mother..."

Gargamuni: In the court they also have no standard. They don't know what moral life is. They think this is normal.

Prabhupāda: At least you should take our books, that "This is our statement. Defense is. You first of all read this; then give your judgment."

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We lost an airport in court, book distribution. That was just before I left. So people are trying to be very critical, especially in these different circles, with the New York problem and all these symptoms, becoming very critical.

Prabhupāda: Critical means they are taking this movement now seriously.

Gargamuni: Yes. It is coming up because their sons and daughters are joining.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Critical means our triumph.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They know we have some substance now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But I think we can pretty much convince the academic circles rather easily. Our philosophy is so strong and powerful that I think we can make a good presentation in the educated circles, especially colleges and universities.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That is nice. So that we are trying. We have got already books in the educated circles.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is your magic touch, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Anyone who contacts you becomes a devotee. You're just like the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whoever saw them...

Prabhupāda: She's already a good lady. Otherwise how she can have such nice son? (laughter)

Citsukhānanda: I asked her if she had met you, Prabhupāda. I asked Jayapatākā's mother if she had met you, and she said, "Yes..."

Prabhupāda: A fortunate lady. All your mothers, they are all fortu...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I remember some parents used to come, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Los Angeles while you were sitting in the garden in the evening. Once in a while, some parents would come and appreciate you so much that you've trained their sons and daughters to become a human being.

Prabhupāda: Tenants?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The parents used to come in Los Angeles in the evening while you were sitting in the garden.

Prabhupāda: Which garden?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Oh.