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That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal

Expressions researched:
"That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal. First of all, you have to educate them. That is the difficulty.

Jñānagamya: In America the Negro situation was very bad, and they made many films showing heroic Negroes, and now the situation is much better. The people are not so much agitated by seeing Negroes. They think, "Oh, now a Negro has some good qualities." Because of these films they have come to appreciate. So like that, if a devotee is a hero they will also appreciate.

Prabhupāda: You judge. I don't appreciate. I don't think the Negro question is solved.

Jñānagamya: No, it's not, but it is making steps to that end.

Prabhupāda: The whites, they do not like the Negroes still. Wherever there are Negroes, in that quarter the whites do not go in. Is it not? They do not go. Although they have been given equal right, but at heart the whites, they do not like it. Is there any improvement? I don't think. So officially, "Yes, yes, you are good, I am good."

Nava-yauvana: Because people are still on the bodily conception of life, so they are threatened.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal. First of all, you have to educate them. That is the difficulty.

Jñānagamya: But we are not Negroes. We are actually devotees, and we are very attractive, and we have all good qualities. And people do not have to be afraid to come into our section of town; we will not kill them. That is why they are afraid of the Negroes. So we actually have good things to offer.

Prabhupāda: That is by your behavior, not by showing the film.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: One of the points, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you're making, if I understand correctly, is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is like gold, like diamond. If someone is sincere, they will come. When they are selling cigarettes or Negroes or cars, they make films. But with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have the books, which are paramparā. And we have ourselves as example. If we can be paramparā and we can be good example . . .

Prabhupāda: That is my opinion, that instead of spending so much money for films, if you spend some money for propagation of book distribution . . . any advertisement is good, it never goes in vain, but the film advertisement is very expensive. Very, very expensive.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya. It is very true. Very expensive and very much endeavor.

Prabhupāda: Advertisement never goes in vain, that's a fact. But if it is too much expensive, it touches our financial position.

Hari-śauri: And then there's no certainty that it will be a success anyway.

Jñānagamya: There is a method. There is a method . . .

Prabhupāda: Suppose there is little success, but in comparison to the money expended, that success is little. Just like I, in the beginning, I advertised my books in the Times of New York Times. They charged me sixty-three dollars, a small space. So there was inquiry, not order. Three inquiries, not even order. I have got this experience. For me, at that time, sixty-three dollars were too much. So I did not get any response. That is my practical experience. I got three inquiries, not even order. But the Times, New York Times, they have got millions of customers and millions of readers, but I got three inquiries only.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: To find those few potential devotees that are in . . . let us assume, in New York, big city, there were a few potential devotees, and materially speaking, it may be very difficult to find them. But when the devotee is sincere, Kṛṣṇa will give opportunity that those people will be found, even if they are one in that big city. Kṛṣṇa will arrange that they will find a pure devotee if they are sincere. So no material advertising will accomplish the task.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that it is only for the fortunate persons. But we must present. Only the fortunate will come forward. We cannot expect that everyone will come. That is not possible.

Jñānagamya: But you said to make everyone fortunate.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is by your preaching. That we have to do. We are doing that. That I have given the example, Nityānanda Prabhu. He faced rebellion, and by His power converted the Jagāi-Mādhāi, by chanting. They injured, Jagāi-Mādhāi injured, and Nityānanda Prabhu said: "Never mind you have injured Me, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is not advertisement, that is personal behavior.

Jñānagamya: In Dallas where I was there's a town next door, there are many rich Baptists, Fort Worth. They have big studio for producing many different films, television shows about Christian . . .

Prabhupāda: These Christian people, they have got money, and still the churches are being closed. What is the effect?

Jñānagamya: They have no potency to their message. It's not the medium, it's their message.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, by their advertisement, the effect is the churches are being closed. Eh? Is it not?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is correct.

Jñānagamya: But there is also a movement in America, in Christianity, but they do not want to go to church. They want to be Christians, but not go to church.

Prabhupāda: That means it has no effect.

Page Title:That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-08, 11:50:26
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1