This cosmic manifestation is called "nature," but there is another nature, which is superior. The cosmic manifestation is inferior nature, but beyond this nature, which is manifested and unmanifested, there is another nature, which is called sanātana, eternal. It is easy to understand that everything manifested here is temporary. The obvious example is our body. If one is thirty years old, thirty years ago his body was not manifested, and in another fifty years it will again be unmanifested. That is a factual law of nature. It is manifested and again annihilated, just as waves in the sea rise frequently and then recede. The materialist, however, is simply concerned with this mortal life, which can be finished at any moment. Furthermore, as this body will die, so the entire universe, this gigantic material body, will be annihilated, and whether we are fortunate or unfortunate, on this planet or another planet, everything will be finished.
Thirty years
Expressions researched:
"20 to 30 years"
|"30 or 40 years"
|"30 years"
|"thirty year"
|"thirty years"
|"twenty to thirty years"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 7
Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one wastes twenty years in childhood and boyhood and another twenty years in old age, when one cannot perform any material activities and is full of anxiety about what is to be done by his sons and grandsons and how one's estate should be protected. Half of these years are spent in sleep. Furthermore, one wastes another thirty years sleeping at night during the rest of his life. Thus seventy out of one hundred years are wasted by a person who does not know the aim of life and how to utilize this human form.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
After studying for eleven years at Vārāṇasī, Vallabhācārya returned home. On his return, he heard that his father had departed from the material world. Keeping his brother and mother at home, he went to the banks of the river Tuṅgabhadrā, to a village called Vidyānagara, where he enlightened Kṛṣṇadeva, the grandson of King Bukkarāja. After that, he traveled throughout India thrice on trips lasting six years each. Thus he passed eighteen years and became victorious in his discussions of revealed scripture. When he was thirty years old, he married Mahālakṣmī, who belonged to the same brāhmaṇa community as his. Near Govardhana Hill he established a Deity in the valley. Finally he came to Āḍāila, which is on the other side of the Yamunā from Prayāga.
CC Antya-lila
One paṇa is eighty kaḍis, or small conchshells. Formerly, even fifty or sixty years ago, there was no paper currency in India. Coins were generally made not of base metal but of gold, silver and copper. In other words, the medium of exchange was really something valuable. Four pieces of kaḍi made one gaṇḍā, and twenty such gaṇḍās equaled one paṇa. This kaḍi was also used as a medium of exchange; therefore Śivānanda Sena paid for the dog with daśa paṇa, or eighty times ten pieces of kaḍi. In those days one paisa was also subdivided into small conchshells, but at the present moment the prices for commodities have gone so high that there is nothing one can get in exchange for only one paisa. With one paisa in those days, however, one could purchase sufficient vegetables to provide for a whole family. Even thirty years ago, vegetables were occasionally so inexpensive that one paisa's worth could provide for a whole family for a day.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Easy Journey to Other Planets
Sri Isopanisad
There are innumerable suns and innumerable planetary systems also. As infinitesimal parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, we small creatures are trying to dominate these unlimited planets. Thus we take repeated birth and death and are generally frustrated by old age and disease. The span of human life is scheduled for about a hundred years, although it is gradually decreasing to twenty or thirty years. Thanks to the culture of nescience, befooled men have created their own nations within these planets in order to grasp sense enjoyment more effectively for these few years. Such foolish people draw up various plans to render national demarcations perfectly, a task that is totally impossible. Yet for this purpose each and every nation has become a source of anxiety for others. More than fifty percent of a nation's energy is devoted to defense measures and thus spoiled. No one cares for the cultivation of real knowledge, yet people are falsely proud of being advanced in both material and spiritual knowledge.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They were individuals in the past, they are now individuals, and they will continue to be individual even after annihilation of this body." Now, how you'll adjust? There are two theories, that after liberation all these souls, they become one. Just like all drops of water, if you put into the sea, they become one entity. There is no distinction. And the Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "No, they keep their individuality. They do not mix." Now we are supposed... We are all laymen. We are ignorant, what is actually position, what is the actual position. But we have got our discretion also. Just like every one of you has some knowledge in the history. Now, in the history in the past... Suppose you are now thirty years old or thirty-five years old, and suppose two hundred years before, the history which you read, you find that all people were individuals. And at the present you are experiencing that all individual, they are. All living entities—either human being, or animals or birds, or anywhere—you can see that they are individual.
You'll understand what is God. Therefore in this age especially, Kali-yuga, because people cannot perform any other austerities... They're unable. They're so dull. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is the position of the people of this age. Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ. Generally, their span of life is very short. It is decreasing, day by day. As our forefathers lived ninety years, hundred years, now we are not living up to such extent of ages. Generally, people are dying... In India, the average age is thirty-five years. In other countries, maybe little more. But gradually it is decreasing, and it will decrease to such a point that even a, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, then he'll be considered as grand old man. That, that day will come.
The symptoms of the people of this age is also described, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Prāyeṇa, in this age people are generally short living. They are not living for more than sixty or seventy years. Formerly they were living more than hundred years. Gradually their duration of life is decreasing. And it is stated also that it will decrease to such an extent that any man who is living from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a very old man. That is also stated in the Bhāgavata. Of course, that has not yet come, but it will come in this age. So the symptoms of the people of this age are described, that people are of very short life.
So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Vālmīki Muni. Vālmīki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes. In the Satya-yuga, it is stated, that people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And then, in the Tretā-yuga, they used to live for one thousands of years. No. In the Dvāpara-yuga for one thousand. And in the Tretā-yuga, ten thousand years. In the Dvāpara-yuga one thousand years. And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.
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. If a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered very old man. That day is coming. Because how they will live? There is no eating, there is no sleeping. There is no fixture of this program. These are required. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Simply by dry lecture, how they will feel happy? There must be sufficient food grains so that people may live happily, the animal may live happily. Especially in India you will see. No animal is fatty, either cat, dog or cow. They have no eating. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni. They must be given sufficient food, annād. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You fast and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He does not say. Kṛṣṇa is not so impractical. He says, "Eat very nicely, keep very nicely, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Make your life successful." That is Hare Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not one-sided. It is all-embracing. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement wants to see everyone happy. Without being happy, how you can remain peaceful? That is not possible.
There are eight kinds of decreasing process in this age. Out of that, this memory will be decreased more and more, and the duration of life also will be decreased. Now, you can take history of the past years. Your forefathers were living eighty years, ninety years, hundred years. Now, generally, they live sixty years, seventy years. And gradually it will decrease so much that—these are all statement of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a grand old man. You see? That time also will come very soon. So we are not improving actually. We are not improving. We are decreasing in every respect, and we are proud of advancement of civilization.
That day I was reading from the Twelfth Chapter, er, Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—perhaps some of you who were present—that in this age the life will be reduced from twenty to thirty years. We have to wait for that time. So gradually, things will deteriorate. Therefore in the Kali-yuga, the yoga practice or the sacrifice or, I mean to say, very pompous worship of God, oh, that is not possible. People are, have got short life, they are always disturbed, they are disturbed with material disturbances, diseases, and they are unfortunate also. They are not very fortunate. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Mandāḥ. They are very slow, and also unfortunate. This very word is used in the Bhāgavata. So therefore, in the Kali-yuga, if we want to get all this advantage of knowledge, then the only way is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will help us.
Sometimes you might have experienced that you are doing some work. All of a sudden you remember. Some forty years before or thirty years before, some years before, some incident took place, and you at once remember. Although there is no cause, but it comes. There is... A subconscious state is there, and we are getting. That means the mind is always being agitated. Due to agitation the things which are stored in the subconscious state, they come out. Just like if you agitate a lake or a pond, all the mud from within, it comes. But we have to settle down. Then the mud will settle down.
Oh, there is no solution for birth. There is so much attempt for birth control all over the world, but still, in every minute or in every second some percentage of population is increasing. Janma, mṛtyu. Similarly, there are so many attempts to discover scientific measures to stop death, but it is not possible. Death is taking place. Rather, in the present age, death is taking place earlier than in years before. Formerly people were living, say, hundred years, eighty years, ninety years, and nowadays a man is living, utmost, seventy years, sixty years. If a man lives for eighty years, then he is considered to be very... But time will come, as we get information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that at the end of this age, Kali-yuga, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years he'll be considered as the grand old man. So practically we are not making any progress. And materially it is not possible to make progress. It is... That is called māyā, illusion. We are actually not making any progress, but we are thinking that we are making progress. This is called spell of māyā.
Just like in our society you will find people from all parts of the world. There are Americans and Indians and Africans, Canadians, Japanese. But we don't feel like that, "I am Japanese," "I am Indian" "I am American." We all feel servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. This is United Nation, not that, going to the United Nation and barking like the dog, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this and that." What is the benefit? Therefore they are barking for the last twenty, thirty years. What benefit has come? You cannot make the dogs... You bring some dogs from America and from Australia and from India and put them together and ask them, "Please live very peacefully." (laughter) If you keep them as dogs they will simply bark. There will be no more peace. Just try to understand practically. You have to make them a human being. If you keep them dogs and cats, there cannot be any peace.
In this age people are short-living. Their duration of life is very, very short, so much so that at the end of this age the duration of life will come down to twenty years to thirty years. A man of twenty-five years will be considered as very old man. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And there will be scarcity of food. On account of this scarcity of food, people will not grow very healthy.
At the present moment, in the human society, without these they are not civilized. They must have a club. What is this club? I have seen in Germany. Just like we have got, after few steps, a (Sanskrit?), similarly, in Hamburg I have seen, a few steps after there is a small club. What is the business of the club? The business of club that a young woman should be there, and there should be wine and cards for playing gambling. And whenever they get holiday, they, you won't find him at home. He has immediately gone to the club. You see? So these things... Not only in Germany. About, say, thirty years ago, one of my Godbrothers went to England, and Lord Zetland, he said that "Whether, Swamiji, you can make us brāhmaṇa?" So he proposed these four things: "Yes. We can make you brāhmaṇa, provided you give up these bad habits." "What is that?" "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible. This is our life!" You see.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
In the Satya-yuga they used to live for one hundred thousands of years; in Tretā-yuga, ten thousands of years; and in the Dvāpara-yuga, one thousands of years. And now in this Kali-yuga, one hundred years. That also not complete. Nobody can complete one hundred years, and it is reducing. Maybe our forefathers or grandfathers might have lived for hundred years, but we are not living so much. And gradually, our children, our grandchildren, they will gradually reduce that span of life so much so that at the end of Kali-yuga, if a man would live for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. Yes. We are reducing. But formerly, they were living so many years. Alpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇa. Almost everyone is short span of life. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Kalau. In this age, kalau. It is not for a particular nation or party or religion. Everyone is subjected to the laws of nature.
This is the condition. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. The first qualification is short span of life, short span of life. As I repeatedly say, now in our India the average age, span of life, is thirty years. The vitality is so reduced. In this country also the vitality is being reduced, strength is being reduced. The more the Kali-yuga will advance the vitality will be reduced, the strength of the.... Therefore the span of life will be reduced. So much so that at the end, almost end, people will live not more than thirty years. Now we are seeing they are living seventy years, eighty years, or sometimes up to ninety years but gradually.... (tape is severely garbled with another recording) ...to thirty years he will be considered as a very old man. You see? Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin kalau. Their first qualification is their life is very short, short span of life. Then the next, mandāḥ, lazy. They do not know, ill-educated.
So when I came to your kind country, I saw these young people are keeping long hairs. So it was immediately corroborated. Similarly, everything is described there. The dām-patye ratim eva hi: husband and wife relationship means sex. This is the age. As soon as the husband will be unable to satisfy his wife by sex, he will find out another husband and file divorce. These are stated already in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And these are happening. And a man, when he lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered grand old man. These are all stated. So why research? You consult Vedic literature, you have got all information, everything. How the world is created, how it will be annihilated, how it is being maintained, who is the Supreme in this management—everything is there. That is called Sāṅkhya philosophy. Everything is there.
You cannot throw away. I'll give you one practical example in my life. In Calcutta... My birthplace is in Calcutta. So my friend, he had one European gentleman tenant. I am speaking of, say, about thirty years before story. So that gentleman, he was a very respectable man, manager of a big firm, and he was tenant of my friend. So he was going to take possession of the house. He was vacating. So I also went with him. That European gentleman... I forgot his name now. It is... There was a Bhagavad-gītā in his almirah. So my friend, Mr. Mullik, he, out of inquisitiveness, he was touching that book. He thought that "He is European Christian. Why he has kept this Bhagavad-gītā?" So he was seeing that Bhagavad-gītā. And that European gentleman, he thought that "I'm going, and this landlord may ask this book, because the Bhagavad-gītā belongs to the Hindus." He immediately said, "Dear Mr. Mullik, I can give any book you like, but I cannot give that Bhagavad-gītā. This is my life." Just see. I heard it in my own ear. So he replied, "No, Mr. such and such, I don't want your book. I was just seeing that how, why you have kept Bhagavad-gītā in your almirah?" "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is my life."
Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So the symptom of the human being in this age is that prāyeṇālpāyuṣa: people will become very short duration of life. It is said that time, at the end of Kali-yuga, the, if somebody lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So gradually the food grains like rice, wheat, milk, and sugar will disappear. In this way, in the Kali-yuga, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age, people will be of short duration of life; manda, very slow; sumanda-matayaḥ, accepting some rubbish theology. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), almost all of them are unfortunate. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ: over and above that, they will be disturbed, especially by lack of rain, lack of..., scarcity of food grains, and overtaxed by the government, so much so that people will give up their hearth and home and go to the forest and hills in disappointment and confusion. So these are the symptoms of Kali-yuga, gradually degrading.
So after giving up this body, if I get the body of a cat and dog, then what is the meaning of this comfortable position? Because death is sure, and janmāntaṁ tataḥ dehāntaram. Dehāntaram means you have to accept another body. If you do not know what kind of body you are going to get... You can know it. That is stated in the śāstra, that if you have got such and such mentality, you get such and such body. So in a comfortable position, if I keep myself in the dog's mentality, then I am going to get my next life as dog. Then what is the value of this comfortable position? I may be in comfortable position for twenty years, thirty years, fifty years, or utmost, one hundred years. And after that comfortable position, when I give up this body, if, due to my mentality, I become a cat and dog and mouse, then what is the benefit of this comfortable position?
Just like Satya-yuga, the duration of Satya-yuga was eighteen hundred thousands of years. And the human being was living in that age for one hundred thousands of years. One hundred thousands of years. The next age, the duration of that age, twelve hundred thousands of years, and the people used to live for one thousand years, not over ten thousand years. Ten times reduced. The next age, Dvāpara-yuga, again ten times reduced. Still, they used to live for one thousand years, and the duration of the age was eight hundred thousands of years. Now, the next age, this Kali-yuga, the limit is one hundred years. We can live utmost up to one hundred years. We are not living one hundred years, but still, the limit is one hundred years. So just see. Now, from one hundred years... Now in India the average age is about thirty-five years. In your country they say seventy years? So it is reducing. And it will so reduce that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered grand old man, in this age, Kali-yuga. So āyuḥ, duration of life, will reduce.
Ah, just see. So that is predicted, that the moral or religious principle will gradually diminish. With the progress of this age Kali, four things particularly, namely duration of life, duration of life. Everyone knows. The actually standard of duration of life in this age is hundred years. But no. Who is living hundred years? Gradually decreasing. And it will decrease so much, as I have several times said, that when at the end of Kali-yuga or in the middle of Kali-yuga, the duration of life will be twenty to thirty years. Now it is sixty, seventy or fifty or... It is going on. But gradually, it will diminish. That is stated here.
So just imagine, if we waste our time, how much loss we are suffering. We calculate loss and gain. So don't waste time. Kāla, kāla is very... Yoga system means to save time. The whole process, mechanical process, of yoga, mystic power, means to save time. We have got a limited duration of life. Suppose one is destined to live for... Utmost they will live, anyone, but nobody goes to live for hundred years-say, seventy, eighty, sixty or something like that. Gradually it is reducing, and it will reduce twenty to thirty years. That will be duration of life. Because people are becoming more and more sinful. So that is fixed up. A body is given to us by the superior power, and the duration of life is also fixed up. Even the greatest scientist, he cannot increase a moment's time for his life. That is not possible.
This is the most wonderful thing. And the same thing is repeated here: teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, the closing the eyes. They cannot give you any protection. Suppose you are now very happily situated, say, for some years, utmost hundred years. Not that, more than that. Because your this body in this material world, especially in this age, cannot live more than hundred years or (all?) within. And people are dying nowadays sixty, seventy. Oh, eighty years old? Very old. But time will come in this age... That is stated in the Śrīmad-SB.. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very grand old man. Yes. That time is coming very soon. Of course, it will take time. Because as the Kali-yuga is increasing, people are becoming more and more pramatta, more and more animal-like. So their duration of life naturally will reduce. They are not human being. They will be mlecchas and yavanas.
You see? So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians, the so-called yogis, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṇa. So if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "Give up all other occupation, duties. Simply just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't hesitate. Do it." Kṛṣṇa is personally canvassing. He's so kind. He comes personally. He speaks the whole truth in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Just like we are instructing our students, "My dear boys, do not have illicit sex life; do not eat meat, fish, eggs; do not indulge in intoxication, up to drinking tea and smoking; and do not indulge in gambling." Of course, it is very difficult, especially in the Western countries. Not now, some, about thirty years ago, in this city of London, one of my Godbrothers came to preach, and he met Lord Zetland. So Lord Zetland asked this Swamiji whether he can be turned into a brāhmaṇa. The Swamiji replied, "Yes, you can become a brāhmaṇa." "How?" "Now, you have to give up these four things: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, fish-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible." He replied, "Impossible." So actually, in the Western countries, these things are ordinary things, so they do not take it as any bad thing or any sinful, but according to Vedic śāstra, these four principles are the basic principles or the four pillars of sinful life. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38).
By practice of yoga system we can avoid the forcible nature's law, but we can leave this body according to our sweet will, not being forced by the nature's law. Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva, he knew this yoga practice. Therefore he was not to be killed. Unless he desired to die, nobody could kill him. So yogis... Still there are many yogis in India, they are living for seven hundred years, or three hundred years, four hundred years. They consider not yet perfect. Not yet perfect. They are trying to make perfection of the yoga practice, and they look like young men, say, twenty-five years, thirty years old. But they are seven hundred years old, three hundred years old. There are still yogis. They are yogis. They have practiced yoga. Still they consider they are not perfect. The perfection will be when a yogi at his sweet will can leave this body and can go any planet he likes. Not only within this material universe, but also even, if he likes, he can go to the spiritual planet also. That is yoga.
This planet, the whole planet, was formerly known as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. After the reign of Bharata Mahārāja it was named Bhāratavarṣa. So the emperor of Bhāratavarṣa, of this, ruling all over the world, even up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit... And this New Delhi, Hastināpura, was the capital of the world, and there was only one flag, united. There was no need of hundreds of flags, United Nation. We have seen in New York the United Nation organization. The flags are increasing, not under one flag. The culture is lost. In India also the division. Everywhere the division is increasing. In Europe there is only one city. That is also another state. Luxembourg or...? So without the central point, certainly, gradually the division will increase, and in the name of nationalism, the strife and quarrel and fight will increase. Just like in India twenty years before or thirty years before, there was no Pakistan. Now they are divided, and already two big fights have been fought.
So that is śuddha-sattva. Śamo damo satyaṁ anugraha. The brāhmaṇa's business is anugraha, to be just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is unhappy for others. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "I am thinking of these rascals. They are making so many gorgeous arrangements, big, big skyscraper, big, big roads, and thousands of motorcars." Māyā-sukhāya. "They will enjoy this life for fifty years, sixty years, thirty years, and making big, big arrangement." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "I am thinking of these rascals, that they forget the real business, what is the problem of life. They are busy in erecting, constructing big, big skyscrapers." Not only now, formerly also the vimūḍhān, the rascals... Viśeṣa mūḍha. Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍha. And Prahlāda Mahārāja stresses more, vimūḍhān, first-class mūḍhas. Yes. Vimūḍhān. So anyone who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is busy in other business, he's a vimūḍhān. Don't remain a vimūḍhān. Become intelligent. Kṛṣṇa ye bhaje sei baḍa catur. Be the first-class intelligent man and be Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Prabhupāda: Two years?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It would take between twenty-five and thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not seven years. (laughter) If we regularly read two verses. That will be also not possible. Anyway, we can read. Not once reading you can understand. Repeatedly. Punaḥ punaḥ (indistinct) the stock which we have already got, you can study and take lessons from the Vedic literature. Make your life perfect. What kind of residential quarters are there throughout the whole universe, how many universes are there, what is the special features of different residents. But don't take this nonsense instruction that "Except on this planet there is no life other planet." This is simply nonsense. Every planet is congested with living entities. This is the description of the śāstra. Jana, jana means "congested with," but different types. Just like they have come from Vaikuṇṭha, their bodily feature is different. We have got experience here on this planet in some portion there are black people, some portion there are white people, some portion there are yellow people.
So ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ. "And very well behaved, properly situated in his position," dhṛta-vrata, "and avowedly following the regulative principles." So he was learned, he was well-behaved, and he was avowedly, strictly following the regulative principles. Mṛduḥ. Mṛdu means very gentle. Dāntaḥ: he had control over his senses. Satya-vāṅ: he was very truthful. Mantra vit śuciḥ: and he knew all the Vedic mantras and he was very clean. Then gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānām. Guru, spiritual master; agni, sacrificial fire; vṛddhā, aged person; and atithi... Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place. And old men, they should be respectful. Not very long ago, when we were young men, say thirty years old, that time we have seen that a young man would not smoke before an old man. This was the etiquette. Now they have all forgotten this cultural civilization. They have no respect for old men. And the time is coming when old men will be killed as mercy?
We have passed only five thousand years. Since the Battle of Kurukṣetra, or since the demise of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Kali-yuga has begun, and that is five thousand years. And the total duration of life of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. That means there is a balance of 427,000's of years to finish this Kali-yuga. And gradually, with the advancement of Kali-yuga, people's duration of life, memory, mercifulness, religious propensities, in this way eight items—they are described in the Śrīmad Bhagavatam—will reduce. We can see practically at the present moment. People are not very strong in body. They are lean and thin. And not only in India—we are poverty-stricken—but in Europe, America, also I see. The Europeans and Americans are no more as tall men or very stout men, very... So reducing their bodily strength and memory. That is also fact. We cannot memorize very sharply. People are becoming more and more dull. No more very brilliant scholars are coming out, philosophers, mathematicians. And duration of life, everyone knows it is reducing. In India the average duration of life is thirty years. So this will reduce. And dharma, sense of religiosity, that will also reduce and become more and more punishable by the Yamarāja. Yamarāja is there.
It is the defect of material world, but especially in this Kali-yuga, it is the most abominable, fallen age. There are Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga, just like there are different seasons in the year—summer, rainy season, then winter season, autumn, spring, like that. So formerly, in the Satya-yuga people used to live for 100,000's of years. Then, in the Tretā-yuga, they used to live for 10,000 years. And in the Dvāpara-yuga they used to live for 1,000 years. That is the maximum. And in the Kali-yuga they can live up to one hundred years. That is also not completed. With the advancement of Kali-yuga the duration of life, bodily strength, memory, mercifulness, religious sense—in this way everything will be reduced. And the duration of life will be reduced so much so that it is stated in the Bhāgavata that "If a man lives for twenty to thirty years he will be considered as a grand old man." And there will be not available especially rice, wheat, milk, sugar. These are stated. This is Kali-yuga.
This is modern civilization. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age, first of all, the duration of life is very small. Although in Kali-yuga one is destined to live up to hundred years, but they, with the progress of Kali-yuga, the duration of age will be decreased. Nowadays, nobody lives for hundred years. If one is eighty years old he is supposed to be very old man. But time will come when one is twenty years old he will be considered a very old man. That time is coming gradually. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a very old man. So alpa-āyuṣaḥ. This is the effect of Kali-yuga. Duration of life, mercifulness, bodily strength, memory, these things will be reduced gradually. You won't find nowadays very fertile brain. It will reduce. Not very strong man, bodily very strong, and mercy, there is no question. On the street, in your front, if somebody's being killed, nobody will take care; he'll go on. There is no mercifulness.
The calculation of life is already given account. Maximum years, hundred years. Fifty years by sleeping, minus. Then fifty years remains. Then twenty years childhood and playing. Then, remaining thirty years, and twenty years in old age, invalidity, not fulfillment of desires, what to do. In this way twenty years, and balance ten years, because all along one is directed by lusty desires, what he'll do? Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to establish his submission. It is not theory, but submission that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very childhood this bhāgavata-dharma should be taught and learned. Just like here, these boys, they are very fortunate because from the very beginning of their life they are being taught in bhāgavata-dharma.
Just like in our country the great leader Mahatma Gandhi, he had to work very, very hard. Twenty years in Durban he spoiled his time, and thirty years in India. I shall say spoiled his time. What for? For some political purpose. What is his political purpose? "Now we are a group called by the name Indian. We must drive away the Englishmen and take the supreme authority." This is the purpose. So this is anyābhilāṣitā. What is this purpose? Today you are Indian; tomorrow you may be something else. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. So what is the next body? Are you going to be again Indian? No guarantee. Even if you have got very much affection for India, all right, according to your karma you'll get body. Even if you get the Indian body of a tree, then you will stand up for five thousand years. What is the benefit? Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He does not say that a human being is going to be again a human being. There is no guarantee. Some rascals they say that once getting this human body, he does not degrade. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that out of 8,400,000's of different species of life, according to your karma you'll get a body. That's all. No guarantee that you have And even if you get Indian body, who cares for you?
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me, and you'll be free from māyā." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ sara..., ahaṁ tvām: (BG 18.66) "I'll give you protection." Mām eva ye prapadyante. The same thing, whole instruction, is there. Simply if we want to be happy... Happiness you cannot have in this way, by concocting plans. That is not possible. You have seen the whole world, especially in the modern days. So many big, big nations, they are assembled together in the United Nations. Nonsense, where is unity? Simply disunity. For the last twenty or thirty years they are struggling. Before that, they convened another, League of Nation. So they are making simply plans. And it continues for some time. Then, after fifteen or twenty years, again conflagration of war, especially in the Europe. They're all demons. How the demons can bring in peace by so-called United Nation or League of Nation? That is not possible. They have to give up the demonic activities. They have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will be saved.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years. And where is unity of the nation? It is not possible. And here we are talking about Kṛṣṇa, say, for seven, eight years. Just see the sample, how these young men are becoming united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says this stoppage of talking is better than to talk nonsense. If you cannot talk of Kṛṣṇa, better don't talk. Therefore this maunam is recommended for the persons less intelligent who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop. This is called mauna. Otherwise Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "I have got only one tongue and two ears. So how can I enjoy or serve Hare Kṛṣṇa only with one tongue and two ears? If I had millions of ears and trillions of tongues, then it would have been possible." It is meaning... Tuṇḍe tanda... I forget that verse now. He is feeling like that, that "How shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by one tongue only and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtana, by two ears?" So he is expecting so many ears and so many tongues to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
In the Satya-yuga the duration of life was 100,000's years. A man used to live for 100,000's of years. Then in the Tretā-yuga it reduced ten times. They used to live for 10,000 years. Then in Dvāpara-yuga it reduced again ten times. They used to live for 1,000 years. And now, in the Kali-yuga, the duration of life is prescribed as 100 years. But you see that it is reducing. Everyone may note it. Perhaps your grandfather lived for 100 years. Your father lived for 80 years. And nowadays, 60 or 70 years. Gradually, it will so reduce, we shall come to that statement, that if a man lives for 20 to 30 years he will be considered a very grand old man. If he lives for 20 to 30 years he'll be considered, "Oh, you have got very good life." That will come, gradually. This is the progressive age. Progressive age for material civilization. We are proud of making advancement of our civilization, but these nice thing are being reduced. That means... We are advancing means reducing the nice things. This is advanced. Āyuḥ and smṛtiḥ. Smṛtiḥ means memory. So these eight items will reduce gradually. You can keep it noted, and you'll see how they are being reduced. And we have already experienced.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya." No. This is the only platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united—simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopādhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa. That is real unity. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam... (CC Madhya 19.170). That is Vaikuṇṭha platform. Just like in Vaikuṇṭha, the Vaikuṇṭheśvara, Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, He's the central point of service.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
This is the condition at the present moment. This is called Kali-yuga. The first symptom is: our span of life is very short, decreasing. With the advancement of Kali-yuga, our duration of life is decreasing. Everyone knows that. My father lived so many years, my grandfather lived so many years, but it is certain I am not going to live so many years. And then my son is not... Gradually, it is reduced. Reducing, reducing, reducing. By the end of Kali-yuga, the duration of life from twenty years to thirty years will be considered very, very old age, very, very old. If a man is living for twenty-five years, he will be considered a very grand old man. Yes. That is coming gradually. So therefore it is said, manda, manda. Manda means everything bad or everything slow. Duration of life is bad, then their activities also very bad, always sinful activities. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). And if somebody is little anxious to take shelter of somebody for spiritual advancement, then he will accept some bogus thing, sumanda-matayo, some bogus incarnation of God, some bogus yogi, some bogus... They will take sumanda-matayo, will not come to the real.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So thank you very much for your kind reception. The press reporters, they were asking me that we make distinction between man, woman, and black, white. We make distinction not in that way. We say that so long you are on the material platform, artificially, however you may try to keep everyone on the equal level, it will be failure. Just like the United Nation is trying to be united nationally, internationally for the last more than thirty years, but they have not been able to do so. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is one verse,
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
Paṇḍita means spiritually advanced. A person who is spiritually advanced, he sees on equal level a very learned man, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa, the first-class man; vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi, an animal like cow; hasti, animal like elephant; vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni, means dog; śva-pāka, means the dog-eater; caṇḍāla—all of them, they see equal. So what is that seeing? If I invite one learned scholar, and if I ask him, "Please sit down with the dog," will he be pleased? He will feel insulted.
The whole world is under the bodily concept of life, even big, big nations. Just like your prime minister has gone to the United Nations. There are many big, big men in the United Nations. They will speak, and they are speaking for the last thirty years. The United Nations is formed, but they could not find any solution of the problems of life because the basic principle they are losing; they do not know. Every one of them is thinking on the bodily platform: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am German," and "I am Englishman," like that. Therefore there is no solution because the basic principle is wrong. Unless we understand what is the wrong on the active principle of the body, the problems cannot be solved, just like if you cannot diagnose the disease, simply by symptomatic treatment you cannot make the man healthy. That is not possible.
Initiation Lectures
So we shall invite every one of you. We have opened this temple in this country. So we invite all Japanese boys and girls, young men. Especially we invite them because they can understand. Old men, they are sophisticated. They, whatever they have understood, it will take hundred years to forget. (laughter) But young men, they are inquisitive, they are receptive. They can easily... Practically all over the world, all our followers, disciples, students, they are all young men, or teenagers, or some of them, about twenty-five years or thirty years, but no old men. That is the special feature of this movement. In all countries we have got branches, all over America, all over Europe, all over Canada, Australia, and in your country we are now making progress gradually. We have got center here. We are thinking of opening one center in Quoto. What is that?
Wedding Ceremonies
So this is one side. Another side, that some way or other, since I have begun this movement in this country, generally, the youngsters, they come to me. Maybe to some other reasons. But my disciples up to date, they're all from twenty to thirty years old. Those who are thirty, thirty-two years, they're old. They're amongst the elder generation. But I see the boys and girls, they come to me as friends. But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow. We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage. So there are many instances of marriage like this.
General Lectures
So I do not know how long I shall live. Still I am living. So in this way the age, duration of life, will reduce in this age. And it is also said that at the ultimate stage, at the end of this age, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. So because our human assets are reducing... Practically there is no mercifulness now, dayā. Formerly a man was very charitable, but here, at the present moment, where is the question of charity? He cannot maintain oneself. So these things are reducing. Therefore Vyāsadeva thought it wise to give the Vedic knowledge in writings so that we can read, we can hear, and we can utilize, we can take benefit out of it. So Vyāsadeva gave us this Vedic literature. His father, Parāśara Muni, gave us the definition, the understanding of God, what we mean by God. So he gave us this definition, that "God is He who is full with six kinds of opulences, of which there is nobody greater or nobody is equal. Then he is God." You try to understand the six kinds of, I mean to say, opulences, and you try to find out a person who has no competitor, neither greater than him. Then you accept him as God. Otherwise reject. Don't accept.
Actually, although officially the age is calculated that we can live for one hundred years, but nobody goes up to that limit. Most utterly, very old man means eighty years or eighty-five years. That's all. But gradually, the duration of age in this period will decrease so much so that it is stated that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a very old man. That is also predicted. So we are gradually declining in our strength, in our duration of life, in our memory, in our merciful activities, so many things. So in this age there is no time for meditation, there is no money for offering great sacrifices, neither people are very much interested in temple worship or church worship. Therefore, wherever you remain, you can simply chant this mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That is the recommendation of Vedic literature. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Simply by chanting these sixteen names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare... There are actually three words only—Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma—but they are set up very nicely.
I am now seventy-three—maybe a few years more; but actually the duration of life gradually decreases. This is the symptom of this age, practically. And it is said that at the end of this millennium, that if somebody lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So, memory is decreasing also. People's sentiment for doing good to others, or to become merciful, that is also decreasing. Strength is decreasing, stature is decreasing. So this is one side. Another side, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). One side they're decreasing so many nice things, another side they're very slow for self-realization. Practically, they have no interest. This human form of life is meant for self-realization. This life is not meant for working hard like cats and dogs and hogs for sense gratification. No. This life is not meant for that purpose. We have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We should ask, "What is this life?" The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are ignorant, we are born ignorant, and we are doing so many things, activities, we are engaged. But we should see whether we are gaining or losing, whether we are conquering or being defeated. That should be our business to see.
They have given up drinking habit or any kind of intoxications. They do not accept even tea, coffee and cigarette, and they do not take part in gambling, neither they have any illicit sex life. And they are observing ekādaśī days and other Vaiṣṇava festivals like Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, and every temple, they are following the same principles. And gradually we are increasing the number. The Western boys and girls, my students, are all between twenty and thirty years old. You will find none of them more than twenty-five, twenty-six years old. So they are... In Japan also... Here is a Japanese boy also. So the world is taking very serious situation. All over the world they are appreciating. Your Highnesses will be pleased to see how many books we have published. Perhaps you have seen one of them, Kṛṣṇa. That is published in two parts. We have got our magazine, Back to Godhead, in five languages: English, French, German, and Japanese, Hindi, and Bengali. Of course Bengali is going to be out. Hindi is already out. So we are doing these activities, and we have a mind that we may open a center in a nice city like Indore under your patronization. Although I know that at the present moment the time is different, still, if you like, you can help us in so many ways. In our Indian parable it is said that "A dead elephant is also one lakh of rupees." Elephant, living or dead, still, it is valuable. Mara hati laksa (?).
So that, these are the symptoms. Strītve puṁstve ca hi ratir vipratve sūtram eva hi. So man and woman should be united in marriage relationship simply on sex urge, not on the religious principle. That we have seen. And sūtram, vipratve sūtram eva hi. And if anyone, somehow or other, gathers a sacred thread—not sacred, even not sacred; thread—he becomes a vipra. Liṅgam eva āśrama-khyātāv anyonya āpatti-kāraṇam, avṛttyā nyāya-daurbhalyam. If you go to the court, court of justice, if you have no money, then you cannot get. Suppose you have to claim from somebody, say, some few thousands of rupees, first of all you have to deposit the stamp fee, five percent, and the pleader's fee. So you have to push good money after bad money. So these are the symptoms. There are many symptoms. In this way, the conclusion is... This is the description given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. There are many other symptoms. Our time is short. The king, the government, that is also stated. Government will be simply taxing. And people, being harassed in famine and taxation, they'll give up their hearth and home, will go to the forest and hills. And gradually, time will come when the ages will be reduced so much that a person twenty to thirty years old will be considered as great, grand old man. These are the symptoms of Kali-yuga.
He said that all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, the name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be known. So His prediction was never to be foiled. So by His grace it is now becoming fulfilled. This is the real platform of United Nations. They are trying for United Nations, working for the last thirty years, but they have not been successful, neither they will ever be successful. That is our prediction. Yes. They'll never be successful. Because you cannot be united on the material platform. That is not possible. Because on the material platform... Material platform means on the bodily concept of life: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra." All... So many, "I am." All designation. So on the platform of designation there is not possibility of unity. That is not possible. Unity's possible on the spiritual platform. Those who are under the concept of this body, "I am this body," they have been described in the śāstra as go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. Sa eva go-kharaḥ.
We collect some day one thousand dollars, and we are collecting all over the world about thirty thousand dollars. Yes. But not a single paisa for personal use. Everything is utilized for propagating God consciousness. So in this way everything can be utilized. After all, it is God's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Sarvam, whatever you see, that property belongs to God. We are falsely claiming, "It is my property." And that is māyā, illusion. Just like some portion of land, I am saying, "That is India," you are saying, "This is Australia," and they are saying, "It is England," but it is neither England nor Australia. It is all property of God. We have created man-made designation. So we have to give up this idea. The United Nations is there for the last twenty or thirty years. Before that, there was League of Nation. To unite. But how unity? "This portion is, sir, mine. This portion is mine." Why do they not agree that every part of this universe or this planet belongs to God? What is the difficulty? Actually it belongs to God, but they will not agree. They will fight, 'No, it is mine."
Without understanding these things as spoken in the... Bhagavad-gītā is the summarized Vedānta or Vedic philosophy. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, we are not very advanced. About us, it is described in the śāstra, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā upadrutāḥ, prāyeṇālpayuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age, Kali-yuga, we are living not very long time. In Kali-yuga, the duration of life will be reduced so much, gradually, that if a person lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. That day is coming. Now we have got practical experience. Our grandfather or father lived for so many years, but we are not living for so many years. Our sons will not live so many years. In this way the duration of life, the memory, the mercifulness, the bodily strength—everything will be reduced. This is already foretold in the śāstras. So therefore in this age we are all short-living, mandāḥ, very slow or bad, and sumanda-matayo. Everyone has got a obnoxious opinion about philosophy, about the goal of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo, and manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate also.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: They are, difficulty, that is missing, that what is their ideal life, what is the aim of life. So he is prescribing so many things. That will not help the human society. And women, about women, this idea that (s)he should be married at sixteen years old, that is good, but it is not that women stops child breeding by the twenty-two years age. No. There are many women and they can beget children in, in advanced age. I, so far personally I know, my mother was the youngest daughter, and she was born when my grandmother was fifty years old. So it is not that the woman stops child begetting at the age of twenty-two years age. Nowadays up to thirty years, twenty-five years, woman, woman is married, so how he, she can stop?
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Interviewer: You spoke of initiation. What is that initiation?
Prabhupāda: Initiation means formally acceptance of the line of activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before that, before initiation, we invite everyone to come and sit down with us, chant, dance, take prasādam, hear philosophy. And if he understands, "Oh, this is very nice," then he offers himself to be initiated. Then we accept. Then we impose this restriction that "If you want to be initiated..." We get hundreds of letters by everyone who has attended our classes. Daily we are getting some married couples or boys and girls, but most of them are younger. My students are within thirties. The oldest student I have got at the present moment, he is twenty-eight years. No, Kirtanananda is about thirty years old. That's all. So, of course, I do not get any older people. That is nice, hopeful, because younger section, if they take it very seriously, then I have hopes that they will preach in future, even in my absence. And old people, if a man becomes too much accustomed to a certain limited habits, in old age it is very difficult to give it up unless one is extraordinarily intelligent.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. I travel... Just like now I am this side, and from here I'll go to New York. Then I shall go to Boston. Then I shall go to Buffalo. Then I shall go to Montreal. In this way I travel.
Interviewer: And in the main, are the people who have gathered around you, younger people?
Prabhupāda: Yes. My disciples are all between twenty to thirty years. Generally they are between twenty to twenty-five, utmost, thirty years old.
Interviewer: Is that deliberate on your part...
Prabhupāda: No.
Interviewer: ...or is it simply that that is the age group that has been attracted to your teaching?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, yes. That is the fact. I invite everyone, old and young, but generally the youngsters, they are attracted.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the introduction to the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, up until the age of 31 there is description, but then there is very little description from the age of 31 to Lord Caitanya's disappearance. Maybe you can tell me as much as you can of what happened...
Prabhupāda: He left His home at the age of 24 years. Then He made His headquarter in Jagannātha Purī. For six years He traveled all over India. That means up to thirty years. And after that He remained in Jagannātha Purī for 18 years. He was chanting in the evening in the Jagannātha temple, and taking bath. And during this car festival all devotees, especially from Bengal, would go there and live there for four months. And after seeing the Rathayātrā ceremony, they will remain there for four months. Then they will come back. This was going on year after year.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Svarūpa Dāmodara: A few weeks ago, there was a supplement in the Times, the London Times. So they were describing about the very relationship between British and India, in the early British period and after the British period. There they talked only about very good points, whereas they never say anything about... All good points.
Prabhupāda: No, that... When they discuss, they must describe the good points only. But some of the British rulers were very, very unkind. And the last was that Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, created by Lord Chelmsford. Then the British rule finished. In 1917, and immediately Gandhi started non-cooperation movement. So after thirty years, the Britishers were obliged to leave.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The Scottish Church College in Calcutta...
Prabhupāda: Yes. I was student there.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, Śrīla Prabhupāda was in Scottish Church?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they know that there is definitely a blissful world, spiritual world, they would not work this hard.
Prabhupāda: Yes, why? Just like Lomaśa Muni. Lomaśa Muni, his duration of life is that when one Brahmā dies, one hair from the body falls. So in this way, when all the hairs of his body will fall down, he will die. He has such a great length of... So he was standing on the side of a sea and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Nārada Muni approached him, "Why don't you make a small cottage here?" He said, "How long I shall live? (laughter) Ah, standing will do. Let me finish my bead...(?)" Just see. And here they'll live for twenty years and making skyscraper building, (makes sound:) "Doc, dong, doc, dong, doc, dong." (laughter) Does not calculate that "I shall live for twenty or thirty years."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is not guaranteed also.
Prabhupāda: That is also not guaranteed. Why I am taking so much trouble? They are so foolish persons. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā jīvake karaye gādhā. This so-called scientific education means people become more attracted with this temporary world and he works very hard, just like an ass. Ass, the example of ass is because the ass does not know what is his interest, but works very hard. Therefore ass example is given. Ass, he carries the washerman's cloth, tons, but not a single cloth belongs to him. He is naked. And still he is working. He does not know, "Why I am working for the washerman, carrying so much load?" That sense he hasn't got. He thinks that "Washerman gives me to eat some grasses." Although grasses are all over. That is ass. That is ass. So these scientific research workers, they are asses. He does not know that "I shall live for thirty years. So what is the use of my research work?" But intelligent man will say, "Let me utilize this thirty years to prepare for my next life." That is intelligence. But they. But they have no idea of the next life. (pause) Again, Switzerland.
Prabhupāda: Due to medical science, death is...?
Brahmānanda: Decreasing. People are living longer.
Prabhupāda: It is all nonsense. Who lives now hundred years. Thirty, forty, fifty, finished. It is another nonsense. At the present age, does anybody live like his grandfather? No. No. That's not a fact. At the present moment the maximum years-eighty years. Formerly they were living a hundred years. My grandmother lived for ninety-six years.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They take a statistical average, they call. That means the average number of people living now, they have longer lives, on the average.
Prabhupāda: Average duration of life in India is thirty years. Thirty years. It has decreased. (end)
Prabhupāda: They've kicked out all these things. Practically you can see.
Reporter: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Or if you ask them, "Let us go to cinema," they'll never go, even at your expense. (everyone laughs) This is vairāgya. They do not want anything except Kṛṣṇa. They do not want anything except Kṛṣṇa. These boys, young boys, from twenty to thirty years old, they've got to enjoy so many things, especially in this country, the Western countries. How they have given up? Jñāna-vairāgya. Janayaty āśu.
Reporter: Vairāgya, yes.
Prabhupāda: Āśu, "very immediate."
Reporter: Hm. Instant.
Prabhupāda: Instant.
Reporter: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So bhakti-yoga is so powerful. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... (SB 1.2.7).
Prabhupāda: Well, in politics, unless there is violence, you cannot take. Simply by sweet words, not possible. That was the difference between our political leaders, Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose. So Subhash Chandra Bose was of opinion that—and that is a fact—that "You are agitating non-violence. These people will never care for your non-violence. Unless there is violence, so these Britishers will never go away." So Gandhi would say, "No, I am not going to accept this violence theory. I shall continue." So for thirty years... He started from 1917 and up to '47, the Britishers did not go. But when Subhash Chandra Bose, he saw... He took the political power. He became the president. But Gandhi was angry. So because he was old leader, out of respect, he resigned the presidentship. Then he though that "So long this man will live, there will be no independence." So he went out of India and joined with Hitler, and Tojo, Japanese.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. So study this institution.
Viṣṇujana: Thirty years now.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Thirty years they are struggling for United Nations, big, big expenditure, so many humbug, bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, humbug program, and no result. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "I am thinking, I am, only for these rascals. They're making humbug program, but there is no action. And for temporary, so-called happiness, without God consciousness. I am simply thinking of them. Otherwise, personally, I have no problem." This was spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja to Nṛsiṁha-deva. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). (break) ...business has become like Prahlāda Mahārāja. We can chant anywhere. That's all right. Kṛṣṇa will provide everything. We have no business to do. But we have to take them because we are sympathizer, that so many people are being killed by this modern civilization. They had the opportunity to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, but by the set-up of this rascal civilization, they are being killed spiritually.
Yogeśvara: There was a report in the New York Times that last year alone in the United States there were over 300,000 abortions, and more than two-thirds were performed on girls under twenty years of age.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is civilization. Poor girls, they are victims. These rascals are enjoying without any responsibility of marriage. And sex impulse is very strong between thirteen years up to thirty years. So people take advantage of it, and the poor girls become victim. So many anomalies. This is a doggish, demonic civilization. This is not civilization at all. They are not interested. They do not know what is the aim of life. First mistake is that "I am this body." This is doggish. Just like the dog is barking. He is thinking, "I am a big dog here. Don't come." Similarly, if a man thinks, "I am a big American, I am great Englishman," then what is the difference? The dog is also thinking like that. And Vedic civilization says, "No, you are neither dog nor human being." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." This is Vedic civilization. One is being trained up to understand this philosophy, that "I do not belong to this, any material condition. I am Brahman part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." Where is that conception?
Prabhupāda: No, it is energy, exactly the name. Because we say prakṛti. Prakṛti means energy, nature, nature. Just like it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. You find out this verse. (Yogeśvara translates.)
Dr. Sallaz: Our aim. We are looking about. The state of the world is going down since thirty years, I said. With pollution, with strengths, with power, with everything, the world is going down, going to the catastrophe. And there is only one possibility to save it. It is a question of spiritual revolution. Without a spiritual revolution, between twenty, twenty-five years, the world is finished, all the world of which people are so proud.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Dr. Sallaz: And this we are doing everything in our power to prepare and to do what we can to prepare this spiritual revolution. It is the thing we have to do today to save the world. Without spiritual revolution, there is no possibility to save the world. It is going down definitely. For this earth, yes.
Prabhupāda: So we have started this movement, spiritual revolution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So why don't you cooperate with us?
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Professor Durckheim: Absolutely, that's it. But I realize that since about twenty, thirty years there is a big awakening in the western part of the world. Science and the technique coming out of science, which was invented to liberate the human being, right do exactly the contrary. People become more and more slaves of that organization which they created for their freedom.
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Yes.
Professor Durckheim: You see? And today we realize the only thing, the only possibility not to be crushed, is to adapt themselves to the technical world, and in adapting themselves to the technical world, they become themselves little wheels of the big machine and stop to be human beings.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Professor Durckheim: Now this is going so far today that now suddenly something is awakening. They have said no. And this kind of rebellion in our western, as you know better than I do, in our western kind... And they say, "Well, after all..." You see, science, they say, "Whatever you are feeling here, it is only subjective. The only thing which counts are the objects." Now, today, mankind has awakened and said, "No, I am not subjected. I am a subject. I am a person. So you are quite right to eliminate me if you want to make an atomic bomb or I don't know what, a technical thing. But you want to guide me? You have to do away with scientist's spectacles and look at me with the eyes of the real self. Otherwise you won't see me." So this is the turning point today where we are.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But this is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam five thousand years ago. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) "These rascals, they do not know what is the aim of life."
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Thank you. This is the plan. If this plan is not executed, then there is suffering. So this human life is given to the living entity for understanding this plan and do the needful. If they do not understand, then they are punished. (break)
Guru-kṛpa: ...today is that because the people have never been given any information what Kṛṣṇa's plan is, either they're too old or too... They're attached. They can't understand anything. That's the majority of the people. Once they get past thirty years old, it's very difficult for them to accept something.
Prabhupāda: No, that is not. Thirty, forty, fifty or one year, that doesn't matter. One can understand if he wants to understand. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is not limited by any age. Otherwise how Prahlāda Mahārāja was great devotee, Dhruva Mahārāja was great devotee?
Yaśodānandana: I think he just wants to mention that it is more difficult for people who are elderly to understand, those who are more set up in their ways.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. That is the difficulty. They are trained up in such a way that it's very difficult to forget what they have learned. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumāra acaret prajñaḥ, from the very beginning of life one should learn this art of understanding Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's plan.
Prabhupāda: ...There is no possible (?) Tell them, this United Nations Organization, that "You are all bogus. You cannot do it. Come to this platform, and you'll be able." They have proved themselves bogus for the last 25 years, I think. They started in 1947? Huh?
Devotee: 1945.
Prabhupāda: Forty-five. (To passerby:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So how many years they have...
Devotees: Thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years. Uselessly. Wasting money and time... (break) ...that this movement is very good. He goes step forward, simply by saying this, that "These people are doing very nice." Ajñāta sukṛti. Kṛta-puṇya-puñja. So, both say (Hindi) (end)
Devotee: No.
Prabhupāda: So, this is foolishness. You become very bold enough, "Now I shall cook without fire." You are a rascal number one. Gandhi did it. Actually he could not drive away the Britishers by nonviolence, for thirty years, thirty-five years he struggled. When Subash Bose introduced violence, they were forced out. This is politics. Politics and nonviolence (incompatible). There is no history in the world that politics has been successful without violence, and he introduced this. So how much foolish he was, you can understand. It is same thing like that, if somebody says, "I'll cook without any. I shall scientifically do that a man can give birth to a child." There is no history, and if I say, "Now I shall do it. I shall see that equal rights. As a woman is giving birth to a child, the man will also will give child." These things are foolishness. This is not intelligence. The women are claiming equal rights. So, stop giving birth to a child? Then equal rights. Can it be possible? The man and woman unite, but the woman becomes pregnant, not the man. And if somebody says, now the man will become pregnant, is it not foolishness?
Justin Murphy: Do you think you'll make it?
Paramahaṁsa: I'm making progress.
Prabhupāda: They are young men. They are all within thirty years.
Justin Murphy: And your aim, all of you, is to become first-class men?
Devotee: Yes.
Justin Murphy: Does it matter how long it might take you? Can you become first-class men soon, within five years?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, sufficient, sufficient. We can make in one year.
Justin Murphy: Really. I wish you all well. Well, I hope I won't give you offense if I look at my watch and say that...
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is a very important matter. If you do not spare time, that is your business, but... (laughs)
Devotee (1): But you say, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the four classes are necessary.
Prabhupāda: They already there, four classes of men, but they should be properly trained up. Then the society will be in order. Just like this man, he is considered to be first-class man in the society. He is in charge of some department. But actually, he is fourth class. So as he is little trained up by a moment's instruction, if he agrees to be trained up, he can become. He's young man, within thirty years.
Amogha: Hmm. A very high position also. CSIRM. Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization. He's commissioned by the government. They have to be very top intellectual researcher.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Amogha: And he is in a good position materially.
Devotee (1): You spoke to three of those men in Melbourne last time.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Amogha: Those scientists who came to see you last year in Melbourne were also from that organization.
Devotee (1): The same place.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Prabhupāda: The thing is everyone is trying to be united. That United Nation is for the last twenty years. They started in 1947, United Nations? Eh?
Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, '47.
Prabhupāda: And it is seventy...
Paramahaṁsa: Almost thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years. What they have done? All the best men of the whole world, they are there, but no united, simply disunited. Common platform, they are not agreeable. They do not accept God.
Yogi Bhajan: Um hm.
Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty, no central point. You have got your own philosophy. I have got my own philosophy. He has got his own philosophy. Now, how we will agree?
Yogi Bhajan: No, I may not agree with your philosophy, and you may not agree with my philosophy, but one thing we both have agreed that you are you, and I am I, and both can have respect and love for each other. And there has to be a place where everybody should be given that opportunity.
Prabhupāda: That is going on. When I meet you I say, "Yes sir." You say, "Yes sir." That is all right. That is social etiquette. But real unity is on the platform of spirit soul. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Paṇḍita, he is sama-darśina.
Prabhupāda: So that is in our hands; that is not in their hands.
Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda!
Revatīnandana: Some time back I was reading an article on an airplane, one of those airline news magazines, about the science of gerontology, the science of putting off death or stopping death. They say, "Within twenty-thirty years we will have stopped it. We will even reverse the process of old age. We'll become younger." That was their claim.
Prabhupāda: They can do it—that is credit. But what is this credit, that people are dying and you discover atom bomb to accelerate death very quickly? If they are thinking like that, then sanity is coming. At least, they are thinking like that, that "Why death should not be stopped?" That will be credit if they can do so, but at least this question, it comes. Then they become human being, not dogs. And so long this question does not come, they are cats and dogs. This is athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the inquiry. Sanātana Gosvāmī when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu he first questioned this, ke āmi, keno more jape tāpa-traya: "I was minister. That's all right. But I do not know why I shall accept death. Therefore I have come to You." This is minister, intelligence, that "People praise me, I am minister, I am very learned scholar, but I do not know why I am under the tribulations of three-fold miseries, and what is my position." Ke āmi, keno more jape tapa-traya: "Who I am? I don't want all these things, why they are troubling me?" Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tai satya kori mani: "These fools and rascals, they call me, I am very learned scholar, and I also accept it, but I do not know why I am suffering." This is Sanātana Gosvāmī's question. So what they are doing? They are making research?
Revatīnandana: Yes.
Revatīnandana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Who are they? Very important men?
Revatīnandana: Well, it just said... The magazine was not terribly detailed. It just said that many scientists involved in this are claiming that within twenty-thirty years they will reverse the aging processes. I think it is a bogus claim actually. They dream all kinds of things like that.
Satsvarūpa: They say when a person is born, there is a kind of clock inside them that runs so long. If they can change that clock, then they'll make it stretch out.
Prabhupāda: Another foolishness.
Bahulāśva: Most of these big philosophers don't ever think of that question, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Bahulāśva: These big philosophers never think of that question.
Prabhupāda: Because they have no answer.
Bahulāśva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: The thing is that any system you take, without God consciousness it is zero. Just like hundreds and thousands of zeros, if you put together, the value is zero. But if you put one, the value increases immediately. That one is God. So either in politics or in sociology or philosophy, religion, everywhere, if there is no God sense, it is all zero. That is going on. Therefore, despite all advancement of education, economic development, people are in chaotic condition, they are not satisfied, and everything is being tried to make it very nice. The United Nation is there, working for the last thirty years, but there is no solution because it is all zero without God. Bring God and everything will be nice. Take any question, just like economic question. There is now very acute, especially in our country. Now, the God says that "Your economic problem will be solved like this." What is that? Annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "You produce sufficient quantity of food grains." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "Then both the animals and man will sufficiently eat, and they will be satisfied." What is the wrong there? You must have sufficient food. Then annād bhavanti bhūtāni. And anna, producing anna, you require cloud in the sky. And that is produced by yajña. So one after another. So people must be satisfied first of all by eating sumptuously. So instead of producing food grains, you are very much busy for producing motor tires. So motor tire will not make the hungry people satisfied. So everything is there, practical, whatever is advised in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Sudāmā: Not only that, but your mercy is spread everywhere, and if we take advantage, you told us once, then we will feel the result.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayādvaita: And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we'll do that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.
Sudāmā: So there's no question of ever separation as long as the disciple follows the instruction of guru.
Prabhupāda: No. Cakhu-dān dilo jei... What is that, next one?
Sudāmā: Cakhu-dān dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei.
Prabhupāda: Janme janme prabhu sei. So where there is separation? Who has opened your eyes, he is birth after birth your prabhu.
Paramahaṁsa: You never feel any intense separation from your spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: That you do not require to question. (end)
Indian man (1): They make everybody un-united.
Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. Disunited.
Pṛthu-putra: You have written in one of your books that they are just becoming more flags instead of less.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. They are increasing flags. Instead of one flag, they increasing flags. And they are trying for the last how many years? Thirty years?
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: To stop wars. But they haven't stopped a single war.
Dhṛṣṭaketu: But if Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme and I should surrender unto Him, then why is it so hard to find out this knowledge? Why is it that only in the human form of life... Why is it so difficult to come to this knowledge if...
Prabhupāda: Because you are rascal. For rascal everything is difficult. Easy thing is made difficult by rascals. That is the proof that you are rascal. By nature one is supposed to surrender to the parents. This is easy. Why do you do not do this? This is natural. Just like you have surrendered to me. Why? Because you think I am superior, you have to take knowledge from me. So if you have to accept some superior for your guidance, how you can deny surrendering? You see, brahmacārī, he is being taught daṇḍavat śīraṣi, by touching the head. Yesterday we were talking of that brahmacārī? That is the instruction. Who is this boy?
Harikeśa: He's Kuṇḍali. He just came from New York.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Prabhupāda: That is also another side. But practically you see.
Vāsughoṣa: Hm. But by this smoking cigarettes, meat-eating... I mean, we explain to them that doctors have found that meat-eating...
Prabhupāda: I have seen about some thirty years ago, one man was sitting... I was traveling in the railway apartment, and all of a sudden he jumped through the window.
Devotees: Whew!
Prabhupāda: All of a sudden. He was sitting nicely. What he was thinking I do not know. But he took the opportunity of open window and jumped. I have seen.
Indian man (1): A kind of insanity overpowered him.
Prabhupāda: Insanity... everyone is overpowered by insanity, anyone in this material world and who is trying to be happy. Everyone is in insanity. They are trying to different way. They do not know the only solution is, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇa... (BG 18.66). That they do not, neither they'll accept.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They finish him off completely. They ruin him. (laughing)
Cyavana: But death is very far away from me. I am only thirty years old. I don't have to worry about death.
Prabhupāda: What is the guarantee that you will live thirty-one years? What is the guarantee that you will live thirty-one years? There is no guarantee.
Cyavana: But everyone else around me appears to be having fun and enjoying.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They can use this argument though, Prabhupāda. I've heard it before, that "So God has placed us in this world. Okay, there is God, and He has placed us in this world, and He has created the world also, and He has made these things very, very enjoyable, sex life, and this and that. So why not enjoy if God has created it?"
Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness. It is not enjoyable. That is... If a criminal says, "The prisonhouse is very enjoyable," it is like that.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Unless there is a very complex...
Prabhupāda: Therefore we say change the society. Society means you and me. If we agree that this kind of civilization is wrong, then society, what does it mean? They have made the United Nations. What is that? For this purpose, that "Why we are fighting unnecessarily?" So make their settlement, how to live. What is the standard of civilization? What is the aim of life? What they are doing in the United Nation for the last thirty years? What they have done? They simply fighting, the same cats and dogs. What is the value?
Harikeśa: Whenever there is some war they send some observers.
Prabhupāda: That is cats and watchdog. That's all, watchdog. (laughter) That's all, civilization of cats and dogs.
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, the 1975 Nobel Peace Award was awarded to a leading scientist who helped the nuclear weapon, who created the H-bomb. Just recently it was awarded to him.
Harikeśa: Peace prize? (laughing)
Devotee (1): Yes. Nobel Peace Prize in Russia, Oslo.
Prabhupāda: The Indians are driven away.
Indian man (1): But there is a change at the moment. We are getting indirect representation in Parliament, and most probably in a matter of twenty, thirty years... (laughter) Promises.
Devotee (4): Sounds like the scientists.
Indian man (1): Live on a promise.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If you're still alive then.
Indian man (1): Is that also effected through karma maybe, Swamiji?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Indian man (1): Is that also effected through karma maybe?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...the whole, you are getting sufficient food to eat.
Saurabha: There is some disease now that people enter in some coma, and with the machine they keep them alive for thirty years. There's some lady. She is already thirty and the machine since thirty years...
Prabhupāda: So it's still limited, thirty years, not permanently.
Saurabha: No, no.
Prabhupāda: Then where is the solution? What is the solution? If after thirty years it is going to be collapsed, then what is the use?
Devotee (1): But it's the moral problem that they're having, isn't it? Not the sickness, but the moral problem of either killing off one person or letting him continue to survive.
Prabhupāda: Well, they have no moral. They are killing so many persons. That is killing. That is not... They are expert in killing.
Saurabha: But they're afraid to take decision. They're very much confused.
Harikeśa: They're afraid to take a decision whether to kill them or not by pulling out the plug.
Prabhupāda: You take decision or not, he will be killed. That you cannot say. You are becoming very much moralist, whether to kill, but it will be killed. You cannot save him. That is not possible.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Pañca-draviḍa: Eight years. But the thing is, it's difficult for them to assume or take part in Hong Kong because it represents something like several million capitalists, which they have no use for in their country. For thirty years they've been training people in Communism. Their whole culture is centered around that Chinese language. Our books are in English, but their whole culture is...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Our Chinese Gītā is coming out. It should be ready in two weeks.
Prabhupāda: It is not our policy that the whole country will be on our side. That is not.... At least some of them may be interested. That's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yaśodānandana Mahārāja says that the Chinese Bhagavad-gītā is ready for publication.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's at the printer. It will be ready in two weeks.
Revatīnandana: Another interesting thing about China is because they have such a huge population, in order to feed the population they've had to turn to production of agricultural products rather than meat.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the only way. That is the only way. If you want to make them happy.... That we are preaching in the Bhagavad-gītā. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Produce grains. Everyone will eat nicely, and they will be happy.
Dr. Patel: That's right. So now they have started reading all these, our books. They will now make amendment on it. As you said, they will thesis, synthesis. The present practice of communism in Russia is much more diluted than what it was twenty, thirty years back.
Prabhupāda: It should be.
Dr. Patel: And it will be like India after twenty years.
Guru dāsa: The result is that the biggest problem in Russia is that no one comes to work-absenteeism.
Dr. Patel: That will be here also. I have been to Ceylon, sir. And in Colombo they are giving free ration to the people. I mean, the rice.
Prabhupāda: There is a story in Bengal. (Bengali) The woman had seven sons. The mother requested first son, "My dear boy, now I am going to die. Take me to the Ganges side." He said, "Why? You have got so many other sons, why you are requesting me?"
Mahendra: Thirty or forty years also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, one man made a little plaster body of a human being, and he planted it in his back yard in England. And then he dug it up and said, "Oh, look, I've found the oldest man in history!" And all the scientists came and said, "Oh, yes, this is the oldest man in history." And for twenty or thirty years many men got their Ph.D.s by writing about how this plaster was the oldest man in history.
Prabhupāda: Yes, such fools are leaders.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the business of dogs, digging up bones. (laughter)
Rādhāvallabha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, by calculating the movements of the moon, scientists can predict years in advance when the solar eclipse will be.
Prabhupāda: That is not their invention. That is already there. (pause) (walking) We shall go further? No? (japa)
Hari-śauri: One thing is, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if they've wrongly calculated the distance of the moon, then how is it that they're able to calculate these eclipses and whatever?
Prabhupāda: That I do not know. First of all, answer this. Yes. Yes. They say the moon planet first. I say, no, sun planet.
Prabhupāda: Hitler one side, fought with the Britishers, smashed them. This is one cause. Another cause: Hitler helped Subhas Chandra Bose to organize I.N.A. Two causes, the Britishers to go away. Otherwise, Gandhi's noncooperation movement was started in 1917, and we got our independence in 1947.
Indian Man: Thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years he could not do anything. And Subhas Chandra Bose in 1940 or '42, he went out of India and organized this I.N.A with the help of Hitler, and the Britishers were obliged to leave India. What do you think? That is my estimation.
Indian Man: Yes, I think so too. Yes, and he is also...
Prabhupāda: And Hitler not only helped Subhas Chandra Bose to organize this I.N.A. organization, but by fighting with the Britishers, he smashed... The British lion was bandaged. There was a cartoon picture. I've seen in that way. The lion is lying down and bandaged, (makes some gestures) here and here and here, there, patched: British lion. (laughter) That's a fact.
Hṛdayānanda: (Purport) "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one wastes twenty years in childhood and boyhood and another twenty years in old age, when one cannot perform any material activities and is full of anxiety about what is to be done by his sons and grandsons and how one's estate should be protected. Half of these years are spent in sleep. Furthermore, one wastes another thirty years sleeping at night during the rest of his life. Thus seventy out of one hundred years are wasted by a person who does not know the aim of life and how to utilize this human form."
- durāpūreṇa kāmena
- mohena ca balīyasā
- śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya
- pramattasyāpayāti hi
- (SB 7.6.8)
"One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman's life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service." Purport. "This is the account of one hundred years of life. Although in this age a lifetime of one hundred years is generally not possible, even if one has one hundred years, the calculation is that fifty years are wasted in sleeping, twenty years in childhood and boyhood, and twenty years in invalidity (jarā-vyādhi). This leaves only a few more years, but because of too much attachment to household life, those years are also spent with no purpose, without God consciousness. Therefore, one should be trained to be a perfect brahmacārī in the beginning of life, and then to be perfect in sense control, following the regulative principles, if one becomes a householder. From household life one is ordered to accept vānaprastha life and go to the forest and then accept sannyāsa. That is the perfection of life. From the very beginning of life, those who are ajitendriya, who cannot control their senses, are educated only for sense gratification, as we have seen in the Western countries. Thus the entire duration of a life of even one hundred years is wasted and misused, and at the time of death one transmigrates to another body, which may not be human. At the end of one hundred years, one who has not acted as a human being in a life of tapasya (austerity and penance) must certainly be embodied again in a body like those of cats, dogs and hogs. Therefore this life of lusty desires and sense gratification is extremely risky."
Prabhupāda: Now discuss on this point. If anyone has objection.
Hṛdayānanda: Objections?
Prabhupāda: Yes, Dr. Wolfe.
Rāmeśvara: Many modern sociologists, they are predicting that in twenty or thirty years the population will increase so much on this planet that the cities will be very, very crowded, and there will be many, many new problems: no room for so many cars and not enough food, not enough housing. They predict very, very.... And then the result will be rioting. So many people will not have enough food and good places to live that they will...
Prabhupāda: So why don't you go back to home, back to Godhead? (laughs) We are trying to save them. Why you are rotting in this problem? (out of car) That reporter?
Rāmeśvara: "No obstacle."
Hari-śauri: "Death is not a problem."
Prabhupāda: They are predicting so many problems, and still the rascals will say there is no problem. Padaṁ yad vipadām. The material world is so made that in every step there is problems. (break) ...na teṣām.
Rāmeśvara: They say that as the population increases in the cities, there must be rioting and fighting. There will be so many people without the minimum necessities of life, so much exploitation of the rich upper class.
Prabhupāda: Why not go to New Vrindaban? That they will not do.
Prabhupāda: But that is good for you, because you are harassed by overpopulation. You cannot feed them even. Why you object? Let them go and live somewhere else peacefully. Just like the Europeans came here. Originally, in America, Europeans came. Because it was overcongested and they got..., Columbus found this land, enough, and they migrated. So still there is so much land. The Indians are hard workers, they will develop very nicely. Just like this quarter; if Indians would be allowed, they'll come and make it very nice. In South America, they have done. Many Indian cultivators, they have come in remote villages. This cooperation should be. Everything belongs to God. Why a class or community should be congested? Just like China, Japan, India, so much congested. What is this nonsense United Nations doing? What they have done for the last thirty years? No liberal-minded. Let them propose that wherever there is enough land and wherever there is overpopulation, let them go and the government give them simply land and let them work and be happy. Why not arrange, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, arrange between these two, United Nations. Why a section of people is rotting in a place and devising some means how to fight with the others and get land? Why? There is no meaning. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). This is our philosophy, everything belongs to God, and everyone is a son of God; therefore the son of God has the right. Why they should be thrown together and live compulsorily in that rotten place, that in China they are living on the sea? You know that?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Taiwan.
Kīrtanānanda: Thailand, yes.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere. They have no place to live on the land.
Kīrtanānanda: Barking for the last thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody has criticized them. They have taken it seriously; otherwise, why they have published? Yes, that's right. What they have done except barking? "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am this," "I am that," that's all. If you keep them dogs and hogs and, nicely dressed, they go to United Nations and talk of unity, is it possible? Can the dogs and hogs can unite? Common sense. You bring all the dogs of this neighborhood and ask them "Don't bark now. Live peacefully," (laughter) will they be able? (laughs) The United Nation is like that. They're kept as dogs and they're advised, "Now keep peacefully." Is it possible? They have no common sense even. First of all, let them become human beings. Conference is going on, big conference, and Jawaharlal Nehru has imitated, that in the conference there are different languages, different..., but if somebody is speaking in any language you'll hear it in your own language. Remember? In New Delhi he has done that. This rascal thought, "Now I am finished, I have done my duty." All rascals. (japa) Thus our definition, that anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's either in these four groups, bas, final. You just try to prove it. Hm? Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja? You have any doubt about it?
Kīrtanānanda: No.
Prabhupāda: Āyur, duration of life. The maximum duration of life in Kali-yuga is hundred years, but who is living hundred years? It is being reduced, and it will be so reduced that if a man would live twenty years, he is an old man. It will come to that stage. Now it reducing, from hundred years to ninety years to eighty years.
Hari-śauri: The average is seventy-three years now.
Prabhupāda: Seventy, then sixty then fifty. In this way, if a man lives from twenty to thirty years he will be considered grand old man. These are the symptoms, āyur. Then?
Pradyumna: Balam.
Prabhupāda: And bodily strength. Bodily strength... In India we, in our childhood, I have seen when British rule was there, all the Europeans were coming, very tall and stout and strong. Now such Europeans are not coming. Even bodily strength reduced. Then?
Pradyumna: Smṛtiḥ.
Prabhupāda: And memory. It will reduce. Just see, compare everything, religiosity and the power of mercifulness, pardoning, truthfulness, cleanliness, bodily strength, duration of life—they're all reduced. Now who can say it is not reduced? Can you say? This is called tri-kala-jñā. Tatas, what is that? Cānu-dinaṁ rājan?
Prabhupāda: What is that? (laughs)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they believe that (indistinct) is the chairman of religion at Emery University, he told me that in about thirty years or so this, our movement...
Prabhupāda: They're giving back toward meaning.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: You can learn so many... Sanskrit...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. Our students to pick up some Sanskrit words. Ātmā, jīva, like that. He was telling me that in about thirty or forty years our ISKCON, our movement will have a great impact in the social life there.
Prabhupāda: We are giving all, all round enlightenment. Bhagavad-gītā is full of information from all standpoint. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). We are now in such a downtrodden position, the whole human... He must accept. There is... The civilization is doomed. (pause) What do they explain about so many varieties of life? How do they come?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Prabhupāda, ācārya-founder, born Abhay Caran De in India in 1895, the founder, future founder-ācārya, spiritual leader of ISKCON, came under the spiritual direction of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, ascetic scholar and preacher who had devoted his life to the spread of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Three years later, shortly before he died, Bhaktisiddhānta ordered Abhay to spread the Kṛṣṇa faith in the English language. One of the ways that Abhay, now known as Prabhupāda-'one at whose feet masters sit'-did that was to begin to translate the classic Vedic literature, but it was not until thirty years after he was charged by his spiritual mentor that he was able to make a trip to the United States. He arrived in Boston in September, 1965, a spry but grim-faced passenger of seventy years on the steamer Jaladuta. He had forty rupees in his pocket and a metal suitcase full of his books and translations. Finding his way to New York City, he set up a storefront temple at 26 Second Avenue in the East Village section. Gradually he drew a small coterie of students around him, mostly through his preaching in Tompkinson Park. As his movement grew, he found backers among his converts. Hare Kṛṣṇa centers were established in Boston, Buffalo and San Francisco, and an appreciation of Prabhupāda's Vedic translations by American university authorities, Columbia, Princeton, Yale professors among others, permitted the establishment of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in Los Angeles. The Trust launched a promotion of Prabhupāda's translations and original works under the logo of the Living Library of Transcendental Knowledge. Remarkably, in the face of a worldwide economic recession, the Trust's book and magazine sales reached nine million in 1975, up 34.5 percent over 1974. Some of this was due to the determined promotion of groups such as the hundred-man Rādhā-Dāmodara group which criss-crosses the country in six Greyhound-type buses and ten vans giving lectures and kīrtanas at college university campuses. Now eighty-one years old, Prabhupāda still works at his writings and the spiritual direction of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. His translation of Bhagavad-gītā, the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, the most widely used in the Western world, is in great demand by professors of Indology and Vedic literature."
Prabhupāda: He has given advertisement for our books.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, very favorable.
Rādhāvallabha: The amazing thing is that he's an impersonalist.
Prabhupāda: Impersonalist?
Rādhāvallabha: The man who wrote all of these articles, he's an impersonalist.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's a picture of him.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he's American?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man says "Norbell, for over thirty years his unrelenting thirst for spiritual fulfillment has taken him to the most remote corners of the globe to finally become one of the few Westerners in our time who has ever gained acceptance as an equal among the holy masters of both India and Tibet. He has also mastered the scientific secrets of Western knowledge in America's most highly regarded universities. In America alone over the past decade, tens of thousands have come to Carnegie Hall in New York and dozens of other centers of public hearing all to hear him." He says, "Meditation can make this claim alone, and it's yours to keep. Your own mantra free, even if you return the report itself. Mail this coupon at no risk today. 'Gentlemen, please rush me a copy of Norbell's five minute de-mystified transcendental meditation.' " (laughter) De-mystified, taking the mystery out. "Confidential report. 'I enclose nine dollars and ninety-eight cents in full payment. I understand that I may examine this confidential report for thirty days at your risk or money back. Also send me my own private mantra, specially selected for me by Master Norbell and mine absolutely free, even if I return the report with every cent of my money back.' " It says here—these are the benefits of the mantra—one of the benefits is, it says here, one of the benefits, "and as an extra benefit of such heightened personal magnetism, a simple shift in the focus of your daily meditations can give you great new sexual and romantic powers, new joys in love."
Devotee (1): They're all cheaters.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's another group called Arika.(?) This Arika(?) costs three thousand dollars, this process. They charge three thousand dollars for a ninety-day course.
Ādi-keśava: Part of their whole meditation is they have cocktail parties. They drink liquor and they have these therapy, and they charge him money to go to a cocktail party, they call it yoga.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, it's got a good article about us. You want to keep it to show guests who come the article?
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Hari-śauri: Anyone who reads that magazine will immediately become attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there's no comparison.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's got the best article I've ever seen though, about us, in great detail. It really reports the details.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. This is also good article. (break) Hm! Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa, where is the key? Key? Distribute this prasādam.
Prabhupāda: Both of them got sva-rāja, Pakistan and India. That means after getting sva-rāja..., Karachi was one of the first-class city, yes. They cannot manage. Unfit persons, they are on the top of government.
Hari-śauri: Seems everything is devolving at a phenomenal rate. Every decade that passes, everything breaks down twice as fast. Just in the last twenty years or thirty years everything has become so much degraded and...
Prabhupāda: No, I have got experience. I am Calcutta born. What Calcutta was in our childhood days and what is now, I know everything. How we were happy during British days and what is now position, I can speak from my personal experience. We do not belong to the richest class nor to the poor class-middle class. So we have got practical experience. My father's income was not more than 250 rupees. How opulent we were. At least, there was no question of need. We were receiving daily four, five guests, and my father was functioning so many festivals and he was asking... My father gave in marriage four daughters. There was no difficulty. The income was not more than 250 rupees. Of course, that 250 rupees at least ten times now. But still, there was no needy. Not very opulent, but there was no need. The first necessity is to feed and to clothe. So there was no such scarcity. May not be very luxurious life, but there was no scarcity for food and shelter or cloth. There was no scarcity. Happy. That is wanted. Happiness in whatever circumstance. Not that because we did not possess a motorcar, therefore unhappy. I purchased one motor car in 1925, Buick car. Not for personal use, but for using it as a taxi. My one nephew, he was a good driver, so my father, "Why don't you give him? He can do that, we can use it our own car also taxi." So I took it, Buick car, I think I paid eight thousand rupees.
Prabhupāda: That's it. This is the... We are all recklessly wasteful sons of God. We are sons of God, there is no doubt, but at the present moment, recklessly wasteful. We are wasting our valuable life even, we are so reckless. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to check their recklessness and bring them into senses of responsibility, going back home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But people are so reckless, as soon as you say something of God, immediately they laugh, "Oh, what is nonsense, God." This is the supreme recklessness. India was very serious about God. Still, India is serious. Now, the present leaders, they are thinking that Indians are spoiled, simply thinking of God—they're not thinking like the Americans and Europeans for economic development. So this is the position, and it is very difficult, but still we can do something this to the humanity, by preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And those who are fortunate, they'll come, take up seriously. These reckless prodigal sons, we have got so many examples. For example, just like there is some stock of petroleum and they got information that from petroleum they can run on cars without horse. So, manufacture millions of cars and spoil the whole oil. This is recklessness. And when it is finished, then they'll cry. And it will be finished. This is going on. Recklessness. Just as reckless boy, father has left some property, use it, use it. As soon as you get. The sooner it is finished, that's all. That is recklessness. There is some strength in the body, and as soon as he gets a little taste of sex life, "Oh, spend it, spend it," whole energy spent. The brain becomes vacant. This is recklessness. Beginning from twelfth year, by the thirty year, everything finished. Then he's impotent.
Indian man (2): In today's Times there is a news item. Very light, but it can be giving different sense.(?)
Prabhupāda: What is that news?
Indian man (2): Somebody has given the prediction, I forget his name, but he says that in the next thirty years or so the human beings will discover some things on which gravity does not act.
Prabhupāda: Something?
Yaśomatīnandana: Human beings will discover some things on which the law of gravity does not work.
Prabhupāda: Law of gravity does not work now also. There is no question of this discovery. You take one small needle and you take one big log. The log will float and the needle will go down. The needle is so less weight, but it goes down. And the log is so heavy, it floats. Where is law of gravity?
Indian man (2): But that is, that is only relative. Both are being acted upon...
Prabhupāda: Therefore relative, it is not absolute, law of gravity.
Prabhupāda: Begin when one who is Kṛṣṇa bhakta. Begin there.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva...
- (BG 4.34)
Who has seen actually Kṛṣṇa, go to him. But you are going to somebody who can manufacture gold. Because you are not concerned with Kṛṣṇa. You are concerned with gold. That is your motive. So you must be cheated. You want to be cheated. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Life's mission is how to achieve the platform where I can talk with Kṛṣṇa, I can talk with Lord. Where is that? Nobody knows that. They do not believe there is Kṛṣṇa, there is Lord, there is God and you can see Him, you can talk with Him. They do not believe. Mostly impersonalists. And impersonalists, they're all mostly atheists. So what they'll do by jugglery and this magic? This magic will be finished within twenty or thirty years. That will be finished. Show this magic that "No! No more death." That is real magic. What is this magic? In a moment you'll be slapped and go. Then tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You do not know where you are going. Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But you do not know what kind of body you are going to get. So what this magic will do? So these are for less intelligent persons. They are not for sane persons.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is great, fortunate that you are trying to understand. So if you try to understand this philosophy, you understand it is not the so-called religion, it is a culture for benefit of the whole human society, para-upakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. Because people are in the darkness of knowledge, to enlighten them, to come to the light, that is Vedic injunction, tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. Do not remain in darkness, come to the light. So our attempt is to bring these people who are kept in different types of, or different standards of darkness, to bring them to light. This is our position. It is not sectarian. Not for the Hindus, not for the Indians, but it is meant for the whole human society. Kṛṣṇa never said that He's Hindu or He's Indian. He says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). He never says that "I am for the Hindu or for the Indians." Sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of different types of life. That is the fact, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). Wherefrom the life is coming? These rascals, they do not understand what is actual science, how things are going on, how the laws of nature is working. Simply superficially, "We have got some ideas." Fundamentally they have no knowledge. So we are trying to enlighten them with our teeny effort. Although it is single-handed, still it is genuine. If you kindly try to understand the whole philosophy—the first thing is, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā, the whole world is now being conducted by blind leaders. And they're keeping people in darkness because they are themselves in darkness. They do not know what is light. So they do not know what is the object of life, what is the destination of life. Simply in blind faith they have created so many isms. It is simply misleading. It is little difficult to understand that we are simply leading others... That's a fact, that's a fact. If you impersonally try to understand this philosophy that every man is kept in the darkness of a different stamp, different ism. That is the first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir, after death you have to change your body. Then where is your ism? Whole ism changed. That they do not understand. They're so much in darkness, mūḍha. "Today I am very great national leader, my country, my..." So on, so on. And tomorrow by the laws of nature if I become a dog in Europe, then where is my nationalism? And it is possible. What is called? Because you are under nature's law, you are not independent. Therefore they have given up this idea that there is life after death. This is their first ignorance. Everyone is thinking that this life is everything for twenty years or thirty years or hundred years-eat, drink, be merry, enjoy then everything is finished. The whole Russian people, they think like that. Not whole, I don't, I cannot say but the learned, their learned professors, they think like that. The life is ended after this body.
Prabhupāda: ...in Western countries, fifty years. Twenty years in Durban and thirty years in England.
Gurudāsa: Twenty years in...?
Prabhupāda: In Durban. South Africa. Fighting with General Smuts to give Indians equal rights. They are very conservative. At heart they want "Indians may go away." They don't want Indians. And if they want, it is for their own benefit. The Indians have given some place to develop as marketplace, and as soon as they develop, they ask, "Go there. Leave this place. Go away, other place." This is going on. And they know very well, politicians. The Indians have been given a place where nearby there is a slaughterhouse. They know Indians are sentimental, at least for cow slaughtering. Whole night slaughtering is going on, and there are screaming of the animals. Whole night. Even those who are meat-eaters, they will be disturbed. So the purpose is that "Let them live near the slaughterhouse, so by sentiment they are disgusted, leave this country." They don't want the Asians, especially Indians, and especially due to Gandhi, because they know, due to Gandhi... At least Gandhi organized the public opinion against the Britishers by this noncooperation movement. They were not affected by the... Affected in this way, that public opinion was against them. That is also organization. Otherwise Gandhi's method was not harmful to the..., this noncooperation, nonviolent. That did not help. But he influenced the public opinion against them.
Prabhupāda: Therefore this reinforced concrete is not good.
Gargamuni: No. Unless it is, we put marble over it. Then it's all right.
Prabhupāda: Even bricks.
Gargamuni: Yes, bricks also fade away. I have seen. The bricks have become so small on those buildings, the ones, the buildings that are broken down. Those buildings can't be more than twenty or thirty years old.
Prabhupāda: Only?
Gargamuni: Yes. I saw one... In Gopalpur I saw one built in 1938 called Blue Haven, and there was nothing left of it. The whole thing just corroded away. There was just a few things left. And the sign, the marble sign said 1938.
Prabhupāda: 1930 is very recent.
Gargamuni: So that's a matter of thirty, fourty years. There was nothing left of the cement, and the bricks were finished. So we'd have to take careful advice of making it out of stone.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Only fault that he was making some...
Gargamuni: No, his fault was that he had some education. Anyone who was doing anything... This one boy who was translating your books, he was a very educated person. He was about thirty years old.
Prabhupāda: Hindu.
Gargamuni: Hindu. Yes. He was brahmacārī there at the āśrama. He was the chief pūjārī. But he joined us. We toured a few areas, and he came with us and arranged for everything. And he joined us, and he was translating.
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Now take this.
Gargamuni: And we printed the book. I saw it. But then the war broke out a few days after it was ready, so I had to leave all the copies there. When I go there I will try and find it. Maybe it is still there. We spent about five hundred rupees. Five, six hundred rupees.
Prabhupāda: What Pakistan has gained by this separation? Actually they have not gained.
Rāmeśvara: "To estimate the average church attendance in 1976, surveys..." Oh, this just tells you how they took the survey. "So analysis of these figures shows that church attendance is up among all major population groups. The Catholics are better attendees than the Protestants. Women go more often than men." Women go more often than men in America. "Southerners and the Mid-Western"—from the South and the Mid-West—"they attend more frequently than they do in the East, and far more than those living in the West." So this says that people in the West, like California, they're the least religious. People in the East, like New York and Pennsylvania, they're a little more religious, and people in the Mid-West and the South, they're the most religious according to this survey. "Those who are under thirty years of age are less likely to go to church than those who are thirty and over." Younger people... Same trend, giving up...
Prabhupāda: They come to us.
Rāmeśvara: Yes. They come to us. "Whites and nonwhites attend with equal frequency." Not that the white people are more religious; black people are less. "People with a college background are more likely to go to church regularly than those who never went to college, but people who never went..." In other words, they're saying if you went to high school but you did not go to college, the chances are you will not go to church as much as if you went to college. But if people went to grade school and then they left without going to high school or without going to college... That means they left at, say, fifteen years old. Then they have the best chance for going to church. That means the less education you are given in America, the more religious.
Prabhupāda: That is everywhere.
Prabhupāda: So you reply this, that "You come. I shall train you. You will guide. We are prepared to guide you, but it is not possible to, bring men outside to guide you. You come to us. I shall train you how to guide." This is the reply. And that is wanted. This Bon Mahārāja failed. Why? He wanted... Guru Mahārāja wanted that you start one temple in London. But he was thinking of bringing, taking men from India. Actually he had no.... (break) That is the fact. Therefore he failed. Instead of serving Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, he wanted to serve Vivekananda. To become like Vivekananda and "I shall be very much eulogized in my country, second Vivekananda." That was his ambition. He never wished to defy Vivekananda and elevate Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has introduced in his Oriental Institute, Gandhi philosophy, Vivekananda philosophy. Just see his position. He's appreciating... We are simply condemning Gandhi philosophy, and he's appreciating Gandhi. We are simply depreciating Vivekananda, and he's introducing Vivekananda. This is his position. He cannot understand even that where is philosophy in Vivekananda and Gandhi? Gandhi is nationalist. Again problem with your finger. Twenty-four hours, finger problem or nose problem. That I am observing. No attention. So where is philosophy in Vivekananda or Gandhi? He was nationalist. Nationalist means dehātma-buddhi. Dehātma-buddhi means sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), cows and asses. He worked throughout his whole life for Indian people. In Africa also, he wasted twenty years, and India, thirty years. Fifty years. He lived for seventy-eight years. So twenty-seven years was for his education or something like that and fifty years wasted. This is his position. And he's a big man. Actually he wasted fifty years. Twenty years in Durban and thirty years in... He started in 1917, and svarāja was, independence was given to India in '47. He had nothing... It is not due to him. It is that Subash Bose's INA. So twenty years there, thirty years-fifty years he wasted of his life. And balance, twenty-seven, education, sex with wife and so on, so on. He was so sexually inclined, he has written in his biography that when his father was dying he was enjoying sex life with his wife. Just see how he was sexually inclined. He could not take the serious illness of his father. He's going to die. He was enjoying his wife. We can... Just from one point we can understand. Everyone is sexual in young days. That is generally. But just see his position, that his father was going to die and he was enjoying sex.
Prabhupāda: Ah, in Durban. That was failure. The Indians haven't got any position still.
Jayatīrtha: None.
Prabhupāda: None. So that twenty years, failure, and here also he started that nonviolence-thirty years. In 1917 he came here from Africa, and the nonviolent, noncooperation... Actually the Hitler's war in 1947 helped India to become independent, the Hitler's cooperation with Subash Bose, INA. When he organized the soldiers, then Britishers thought, "No more chance." Then they left India. Not for the nonviolence. These are artificial things, in politics nonviolence.
Mahāṁśa: You two were working together?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Mahāṁśa: Yourself and Gandhi were together for some time?
Prabhupāda: In the beginning I was, 1920. No, everyone, every young man joined. (someone yelling in background) What is that? So ārati you can join, yes.
Dr. Sharma: They were always, even in a small village, there were five or ten good people were to do the kīrtana. You know, they had a knack of one particular instrument, they could get up and all on the Janmāṣṭamī and so many festivals they used to have kīrtana. And all, you know, small village, even nook and corner of the country, bubbling with life, religious life. This is only twenty-five years ago, even thirty years ago it was there. And look now...
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is better late than never. (Hindi) We are sending our men from village to village. Not only here, also in the European countries.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, one of our basic points is that we are not this body but we are actually soul. So I would wonder how Dr. Sharma, he is a specialist in, I think, cardiology...
Dr. Sharma: Cardiac surgery.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we say that the soul is in the heart. So how can we convince the other doctors, for example, of the presence of the soul within the body and especially within the heart?
Prabhupāda: They do not know that the soul is there. Because they have misunderstood. So when the soul goes away, they think their heart has pain. Material cause. They do not know because the soul has left, the heart is not working. They take it on the other way, that because the heart is not working, therefore he's lying down.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Wonderful Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. If simply they appreciate that Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, their life will be successful. This very simple thing. A child can do it. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, there is no doubt. Let them admit only. They will be pushed forward in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I'll request only these big, big men that maintain this institution to attract intelligent persons from all over the world. And you do all nonsense, whatever you like, but maintain this. And if possible, after retirement come and do practical something. What is this nonsense? Andhā yathāndhair upa... What he will do? They are promising so many rascal things. What you will do? What you have got? Indira promised so many things. Bluffed. What she can do? Now she is, herself, Indira Gandhi. Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Īśa-trantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They want to do something. What happens? Gandhi, when he started nonviolence, "Within one year" And he dragged for fifty years. Twenty years in Durban and thirty years in India. Could not do anything. If you say that Gandhi could not do anything, people will be angry. But see, study the whole history. What did he do? Did the Britishers care for Gandhi's nonviolent movement? Pat him. "Let this rascal go on with his movement. We'll go on." That was the disagreement with Subhash Bose. Subhash Bose said, "Mahatmaji, they will never go by this nonviolence. You have to take to violence." He said that "I will never have independence, but I will not take it." Therefore he left India. When he organized that INA and when the Britishers felt the (indistinct), "Now the soldiers have joined," all hopes lost. They did not give up India for Gandhi's nonviolence.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Guest (1): He had done translation of Suśruta-saṁhitā from Sanskrit to English in six volumes, and he has established one Ayurvedic college and other things in Jahmnedabad about thirty years ago. He is a very personal friend of our life member Sanat Bhatai or (indistinct), who are expert in income tax. They are handling our income tax matters. He's a senior partner, about eighty-four years old. So I talked to him today, and he has thought whether you would like to take his advantage of the knowledge of the...
Prabhupāda: Yes, I can take advantage, but no medicine.
Guest (1): No, we can have discussion with him. We can have only consultation, and he is doing out of friendly relation. He does not want money out of you.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right.
Guest (1): He is of your own age. So if you tell me then I can bring him tomorrow, because I am going out on seventh.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Now you have to do so many things. (laughs) Yes. Another burden. You have to do all these things. So how your preaching?
Girirāja: Very good. Haridāsa had gone to Poona, and in two days he made four life members, and he was getting a chance to meet some big people, so he asked me to come. It was very nice. I met one young man, about thirty years old. He's one of the nicest men I've met in a long time. He really agreed with everything we were saying, and he's...
Prabhupāda: Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (SB 2.3.19).
Girirāja: Well, he agreed that the modern civilization is a failure and that people are not happy, that people were more happy before.
Prabhupāda: It is a dangerous civilization. You... You should... (pause) Dangerous civilization that labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many millions of years one gets the chance of becoming a human being, especially civilized and especially in India. They will bring the same. And Kṛṣṇa personally says that if this chance is missed and a person does not become God realized, then he again returns back to the..., to the... Today I am a prime minister. Tomorrow, if I become a dog... What is this civilization? And they will have to become. Nature's law we cannot avoid. And there is no question, "Why you are touching me? I am prime minister." Who cares for you? You have to take account of your activities, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).
Prabhupāda: Have suktā-nim also. Pick the nim. So this Karachi, he has given correct report. Very nice report. You have seen?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: And he is very intelligent boy. Open this. This is the real United Nations. These rascals, they are barking simply for the last thirty years, and "United." Simply barking.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Simply more flags.
Prabhupāda: Simply barking. So I told it frankly that these are association of barking dogs.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was a little surprised to hear such a strong statement.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And actually it is a fact. Some dogs barking. "I am bulldog." "I am this dog," "I am that dog." And they waste so much energy, money and time, simply for barking. The result is nothing, no United Nations. Every day a flag is coming. Bambharambhe laghu-kriya.(?) Bharam Prahlāda Mahārāja says, bharam udvahate vimūḍhān. These rascals, they are making simply big, big arrangement. The result is nothing. Bharam udvahate vimūḍhān. And they remain rascal. But attempt is very gorgeous. "Oh, United Nations. Three hundred thousand flags in the..." Just see! Honorable flags. They offer obeisances to the flag, not to God. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ namaskuru. "No. Flag namaskuru." Just see how rascal they are. What he will gain by offering obeisances to the flag?
Prabhupāda: ...make the whole land, people, very happy. You show this example all over the world, this example, in America. Don't spoil money. Show by example. Enough science and enough motorcar, that's all. No more wanted. This is wanted. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Bring water from the sky. Keep always land moist and green. This is wanted. It is not my desire. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Here Vyāsadeva says, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). These rascals, they do not know. They do not consult śāstra, therefore manufacture. In Chandigarh so much land lying vacant. Thirty years already passed. And they are developing the cities. And another four hundred years will be required. The land is lying vacant. And they are making two governors, five commissioners, six ministers and..., drawing fat salary. This is government. Government means to draw fat salary at the expense of poor people. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Rājanya dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Just like the rogues and thieves, they by force take money from us, these rascal, under some law, they'll take, this government. They will live at any cost. Never mind forty rupees (indistinct) a week. They have got cheap money. Print note and give him forty rupees. What is that? "You want forty rupees? Eh, take forty rupees." This is artificial inflation. They have got power to print notes. "Pay gold forty rupees." "No, that is illegal. Take paper." Means a cheating business from the government. He's giving him piece of paper, and the rascal is thinking, "I am making one thousand rupees." Formerly, in our childhood, we have seen a currency. They will offer, "What you want, gold, silver, or currency?" These three things were offered. If you want gold coins, take gold coins. If you want silver coins, take silver. And if you want currency, you take. We have seen it.
Prabhupāda: Gandhi tried twenty years to get little equal rights. The General Smuts refused. He was failure in South Africa. And then he decided that "I shall drive these Europeans, Englishmen, from India." He came. That also he could not do. Here also, for thirty years he struggled. He was failure, nonviolent. It is Subhash Bose's INA which drove away these Englishmen. You know that? That Indian Army, what is that, INA, Indian National Army? When he organized this National Army, then the Englishmen came to sense that "Now we cannot rule over." This rascal was going on, nonviolence... (laughter) While... "We shall pat them: 'Oh, yes, you are so powerful. Oh, why you are trying to drive away?' " And he'll be... "Oh..." The Baitland(?) Colony in a loincloth, and engaged in the sun chair.(?) He had no practical knowledge. He started the movement from 1917, and actually it was... Independence was given, 1947. Thirty years he failed. Twenty years he failed there. He spoils fifty years for nothing, and distorting Bhagavad-gītā, that in Bhagavad-gītā there is nonviolence. Such a rascal. Bhagavad-gītā begins with, with this word, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre yuyutsavaḥ: (BG 1.1) "Two parties desiring to fight." That is the beginning. Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). And Kṛṣṇa's whole life is yuddha, fighting. Before His birth, plan was being made how to kill Him. This is yuddha. Kaṁsa was planning. And after His birth He had to go away, just to make a show, from His father's house to another house incognito to avoid yuddha. And when yuddha began, three months old, He killed Pūtanā.
Prabhupāda: Very good news. Now can see. This material body may remain or not remain. This movement will push on.(?) That is wanted. Where is such thing throughout the whole world? Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There aren't, except in our temples. He says, "By Kṛṣṇa's grace the most wonderful Janmāṣṭamī celebration was held at the big farm āśrama in South Africa. The celebration included the opening of a new temple and prasādam facility, two new life membership cottages and three overnight guest rooms, initiation of four new devotees and two brāhmaṇa initiations, a play, a massive prasādam distribution, go-pūjā, a transcendental treasure hunt for the children, ecstatic chanting by all, and distribution of books, records, posters and tapes. We enclose pictures of the various events, as well as newspaper articles. The newspapers were all one-hundred-percent favorable, and one even had a four-page article on ISKCON. The Gujarati ladies from Durban and Pietermaritzburg all came early to help cook puris and halavā. They cooked about one quarter ton of halavā (Prabhupāda chuckles) and over eight thousand puris, all of which were distributed. At least fifteen thousand people attended the two-day festival, and all of the most important big Indian businessmen and millionaires attended. Two days before the event, a large marquee, able to hold twenty-five hundred people, was erected, and the initiations and the play were held inside. The play especially was most successful, as the top Indian stage and lighting men in South Africa were giving us technical assistance. It was so nice that even some of the ladies were in tears during the performance. The go-pūjā was also a massively popular event, as none of the local people had ever seen such a thing before. In fact, many people came up to the devotees and were saying things like, 'We left India thirty years ago, and I never saw anything like this before.' So far, the Indian community..." (break)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1. People in the present age are generally shortliving. The average duration of life being 30 years or so.
2. They are generally not very simple. Almost everyman is designing and crooked.
3. They have no scope for high thinking because they are perplexed with different relative truths.
4. Unfortunate as they are in this age their problems remain unsolved for the whole life even though they are tackled by their leaders. They make the best effort to solve a problem but unfortunately the same becomes more acute and stringent.
5. And above all, people in this age are always distressed by famine, scarcity, grieves and diseases in an increasing ratio.
1974 Correspondence
When Prthu and Archi appeared they looked about 30 or 40 years old.
They were dressed opulently like King and Queen with crowns.
So I am glad that you are fully absorbed in your work and very concerned that it be executed just to my satisfaction in parampara standard. This is your perfection. I am hopeful we will continue our cooperation as I have many many more books to write if you can only keep up with me in publishing and painting.
1976 Correspondence
Concerning the deposit slips which you are holding for me, where were these deposits made? And how many deposits were made? What is the amounts? You can hold these deposit slips for me until I ask for them.
So you are using that newsclipping from Melbourne. Actually it is a fact. The United Nations is barking like dogs, what have they done? Any sane man can understand that after 30 years they are simply barking.
| Page Title: | Thirty years |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 21 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=2, OB=2, Lec=52, Con=60, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 120 |