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The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bhangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean - the bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is the Hindu culture

Expressions researched:
"The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bhangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean—the bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is the Hindu culture"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Not even you cannot see black, any black spot. Then it is clean. Otherwise not clean. If there's a single black spot, it is not clean. You can see from this poor class of men, how their utensils are cleansed. Before taking water the jug, the waterpot, you'll like to drink water from it. In our school days there were sweeper, they were a different quarter. So you like to sit down. So clean. The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bhangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean—the bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is the Hindu culture. Even the sweeper class, lowest class. And I have seen one sweeper class who were in Allahabad, regularly worshiping Deity. Very nice worship.

Prabhupāda: To live very gorgeously is not good.

Mahāṁsa: But even their houses are not so clean—shabby.

Prabhupāda: Even though they're not . . . you cannot say not . . . they are clean. I have seen in Bombay even the poorest man, his house, and a Parsi gentleman, his house. Kitchen habits. A Parsi's kitchen is so nasty. And here you see this poor man's house, they are neat. Their utensils, how much cleansed. I had been in Parsi kitchen. All the pots black. Nothing is cleansed. For eating they use this china. So clean or unclean cannot be understood. Simply washed. But so far the kitchen pots, all are . . . in our also, when it is handled by these (chuckles) European, American devotees, the black. Down, it is black. That should not be black. It must be cleansed.

Mahāṁsa: By the heat, if you use wood, it brings up a lot of soot.

Prabhupāda: But it must be cleansed daily.

Mahāṁsa: It should not come on your finger if you touch it, that black thing.

Prabhupāda: Not even you cannot see black, any black spot. Then it is clean. Otherwise not clean. If there's a single black spot, it is not clean. You can see from this poor class of men, how their utensils are cleansed. Before taking water the jug, the waterpot, you'll like to drink water from it. In our school days there were sweeper, they were a different quarter. So you like to sit down. So clean. The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bhangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean—the bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is the Hindu culture. Even the sweeper class, lowest class. And I have seen one sweeper class who were in Allahabad, regularly worshiping Deity. Very nice worship.

Mahāṁsa: So a Vaiṣṇava, then.

Prabhupāda: They take initiation from the Vṛndāvana Goswamis and they follow strictly rules and regulations. Cleanliness is very essential. In English also it is said cleanliness is next to godliness. Everything should be, especially temple. It will attract them. And we are singing daily, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau. Tat-mandira-mārjana. Mārjana means cleanliness. And want of cleanliness means laziness. If you are lazy you cannot keep clean. "Ah, let me sleep for the time being." That is mode of ignorance. Tamo-guṇa. So we have to conquer over rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Then there is question of coming to the platform śuddha, sāttvika. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam (SB 4.3.23). Where is this verse? In Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Page Title:The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bhangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean - the bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is the Hindu culture
Compiler:Nabakumar
Created:2022-09-12, 01:55:03
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1