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USA (Conversations 1968 - 1972)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: About how many followers would you say there are in the United States?

Prabhupāda: Initiated members, there are about one hundred or little more, but sympathizers, admirers, there are many. Those who come, those who contribute, take sympathy, they help, and in that way there are many followers. But actually initiated members, there are about a little more than one hundred.

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

Reporter: Now Dan not only said that you said that if people try to land on the moon they would not be able to. Can you explain what you meant by that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very common sense. Suppose if somebody wants to land on your country, America. You do not allow. There are so many restrictions, visas, passport, and immigration. And how do you expect to land there, all of a sudden there? They are so intelligent and their duration of life so long. They are far advanced in knowledge. Everything they're advanced. So you cannot expect in that way to land there. This is common sense affair. Besides that, the scientists also agree that the temperature there is two hundred degrees below zero, so how you can expect to land there and live there?

Reporter: In other words, you don't... How do you yourself feel? Do you feel that if the United States or the Soviet Union were to attempt a landing and their spacecraft went down, what do you yourself expect...

Prabhupāda: No, so far our calculation goes, from the books, nobody can do so. That is impossible.

Reporter: Well, does the book say that it would be impossible for anyone to even approach it? At what point would it be impossible...

Prabhupāda: Impossible means the process by which you are trying to reach there.

Reporter: To live there.

Prabhupāda: No, to reach there.

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

Reporter: Considering that the people, say, the space program in the United States, was able to achieve its goals for this current flight they just finished and do what they wanted to do...

Prabhupāda: No, can you inform me... Recently you told me that they're within sixty miles from the moon planet? Is that a fact?

Reporter: I'm afraid I don't know. I don't know what the mileage was.

Hayagrīva: They circled it. They circled the moon at sixty miles.

Prabhupāda: So if they're, I mean to say, circumambulating within sixty miles, how they could not land? They could not go further sixty miles?

Reporter: Well, they didn't want to land at this time.

Prabhupāda: Why this?

Reporter: That was to test their ability.

Prabhupāda: Why didn't?

Hayagrīva: They didn't have the mechanism ready.

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

Reporter: If the space program, either the Russian or the American program, which have plans to try to land on the moon and return safely, if this is successful, do you think this accomplishment would hurt the Kṛṣṇa movement in the United States? It would contradict Vedic...

Prabhupāda: Why? First thing is even they are successful, according to our principle, it is simply waste of time. Because we are not concerned even with the moon planet. We are trying to go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa from where nobody returns back to this wretched condition of life. So the wretched condition of life is as good in moon planet as it is in this earth planet. And do you know what is the wretched condition of life? Yes. The birth, death, old age and disease. This is the wretched condition of life. So you cannot avoid this wretched condition of life in the moon planet also. There is birth, death, old age and disease. But where we are trying to go by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no birth, death, old age and disease. So even there are, people are successful to go to the moon planet, what connection we have got there? We are not at all concerned with any planet where there is birth, death and old age and disease. Even in the highest planet of this universe.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Journalist: He does an article for us next month. But I spoke to Dan and I told him that one of the things I would like to ask you, and I think that an awful lot of our readers, and an awful lot of people in the United States are terribly confused with the many people who claim to be avatāras and who come from India to this country, one after the other, after the other, and they say...

Prabhupāda: I can declare, they are all nonsense.

Journalist: That's what... I wanted to... If you could elaborate on that a little more.

Prabhupāda: And I can say furthermore, they're all rascals.

Journalist: The Maharishi for example...

Prabhupāda: He was rascal number one. I say publicly.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: But the question I'm posing still is this. You accept the possibility of a series of Kṛṣṇa consciousness centers in the United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Provided a man is not adversely inclined. Otherwise it is very simple.

Allen Ginsberg: But what I'm wondering is how far beyond exclusive centers, how far beyond that can it go in the United States? How far beyond a special study cult centers can a Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or any religious movement grow? 'Cause the need is for a large single unifying religious movement in America.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So here is Kṛṣṇa. All-attractive. You now find out... You can say, "Why I shall accept Kṛṣṇa?" You can say like that. Your first question is the unifying agent. I say here is Kṛṣṇa. Now we can analyze, "Why you shall accept Kṛṣṇa?" Then I shall reply, "Why you shall not?" What do you want, expect from the Supreme or the unifying, what do you expect? Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa. Opulence-Kṛṣṇa. Beauty-Kṛṣṇa. Wisdom-Kṛṣṇa. Renunciation-Kṛṣṇa. Strength-Kṛṣṇa. Everything in Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you want you'll find in Kṛṣṇa. That is the unifying center. That I will convince you. He is the unifying center actually. And Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ partha sarvaśaḥ. "Everyone is trying to come to Me. Everyone is trying to come to Me." Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). "But he's realizing Me in My different phases. But everyone is trying." So so far unifying religion is concerned there are three groups: impersonalists, personalists, and localized. Some are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal way. Some are... The yogis, the mental speculators, they are trying to understand the Absolute in impersonal, without any personal form. And the yogis, they are trying to find out Kṛṣṇa within their heart, meditation. And some are trying to find out the Absolute Truth in person by reciprocating love. So all these things are in Kṛṣṇa. And Bhāgavata says after explanation of that verse that it is the only business of human being to find out the Absolute Truth.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1970, Bombay:

Haṁsadūta: So... "The sādhus will have to live on alms given by others and will have to forego many of their luxurious personal needs. The coming years are therefore going to create for Uncle Sam a national problem of magnitude..."

Prabhupāda: You, already problem.

Haṁsadūta: "...the like of which he has not seen before."

Prabhupāda: What...? What they are doing for the hippies? In U.S.A. they have thousands of hippies. They are doing nothing. That problem is already there. Go on.

Haṁsadūta: "It will create a national problem of a magnitude the like of which he has not seen before. In fact, Western society is in for a great jolt. A. Karim Saikh.(?)" Then two more letters.

Prabhupāda: But the old woman's crying.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: These are also done within these five years.

Guest (1): And that too, in the foreign countries, to establish that, it is...

Guest (2): Yes, it's a wonderful thing. I was all the while imagining, imagining...

Prabhupāda: So I went in U.S.A. without any sponsor. No, I... That is the... One gentleman sponsored for one month, one month only. Not even one month. I remained there only three weeks, and then I chalked out my plan. He was my friend's son, and my friend wrote him that "You sponsor Swamiji for one month."

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Guest (1): May I ask one thing. How you chose this America to be your first...?

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja ordered me that "You go and preach this cult amongst the English speaking public and specially in the western countries." So first of all I thought of London, where is London, but I had no money. So I got the opportunity for going U.S.A. free on the, on a trade ship by the Scindia Steam Navigation. They gave me their first-class cabinet, the proprietor's cabinet. I was well carried. But first of all I went free on a steamship. I had no money, what to speak of aeroplane. So... What was your question?

Guest (1): My question was that how you selected America to be your...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So I got the opportunity to go to America because their ship goes to New York. So I accepted, "All right, we can see, either go to London or New York." New York is better place than London.

Guest (1): There are number of Indians in New York. In New York, Indians are...

Prabhupāda: No. In London there are many Indians.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: So you are at this particular time then the head in the world of this movement? Would that be correct?

Prabhupāda: I have got many other Godbrothers, but I was particularly ordered to do this from the very beginning. So I am trying to please my spiritual master. That's all.

Interviewer: Now you were sent to this country, to the United States of America. This is your territory. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Hm. No. My territory, what he said, that "You go and speak this philosophy to the English knowing public."

Interviewer: To the English speaking world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And especially the Western world. Yes. He told me like that.

Interviewer: When you came, sir, to this country about 15, 16 years ago and started...

Prabhupāda: No, no, not 15, 16 years.

Interviewer: Five, six years ago. I beg your pardon. To this part of the world, you did not come to a part of the world where religion was lacking as such, you know. In the United States of America we have many religions, and I think people in this country like to believe, in great majority, that they are religious people, people who believe in God, who devote themselves to some form of religious expression. And I wonder what your thinking was. What do you think that you could add to the already living religious expression in this country by coming here and adding your own philosophy to it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When I first came to your country I was guest of an Indian friend at Butler.

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: But before... When you came here... Now you came here in the middle sixties, less than a decade ago. What was it? This is what I'm trying to find out from you. What was the motivating force behind your coming to the United States?

Prabhupāda: That is already explained. That is already explained. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that this propaganda should be made all over the world and they will accept. So my Guru Mahārāja said that "You go and try to do this." So I came with this purpose. And it is happening.

Interviewer: There must have been an element, though, of dissatisfaction then on your part, with the way God was being... Godhead was being professed in this part of the world before you came. Otherwise there would have been no sense in you coming here.

Prabhupāda: Not this part. Every part. Every part of the world, practically everyone... There is very little interest in God. They have more interest in dog.

Interviewer: You are in general, then, trying to increase the interest in God. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the only interest we must have in human life.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Mohsin Hassan: There is another question many people like to know about. They visit the temples in Chicago and many temples all over the United States. They are fascinated in the ritual things, the ara..., during the offering pūjā to the Deities and especially this initiation service. I would like to record the meaning of these ritual things because it's very important to explain in great detail about it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is, this is essential for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Just like kindergarten system, the children are given some wooden, I mean, some plans to form some A, B and C like that, (indistinct). So this not like, exactly like the (indistinct) system. This system is introduced by great ācāryas, authorities. So we have to follow. In the beginning we have no love for Kṛṣṇa, so this process will help how to invoke his love for Kṛṣṇa. This is standard process.

Mohsin Hassan: This is the Vedic philosophy of the ritual.

Prabhupāda: And they are introduced by great ācāryas. You'll find, if you go in India, there are many thousands of temples, the same things are being followed from, since thousands and thousands of years, not only since the time of Kṛṣṇa; before the time of Kṛṣṇa. This is called arcana vidhi, the regulative principles for worshiping the Lord. They are followed. So they, actually Pañca..., this is called Pañcarātrika-vidhi, the regulative principle on the authority of Nārada-pañcarātra. So they must be followed. Otherwise one cannot be purified. This is purificatory process.

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: So you are authorized.

Prabhupāda: I or anyone that follows Kṛṣṇa's instruction.

Interviewer: Well maybe, sir, (indistinct) followed Kṛṣṇa. I don't know him.

Prabhupāda: That I do not know.

Interviewer: Well, maybe you ought to find out, because, you know, this is widely distributed in the United States.

Prabhupāda: My book is authority.

Interviewer: Yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: Macmillan's publishes every year fifty thousand. (stage directions going on in background) You can inquire from your side any reading matter from Bhagavad-gītā original. That will be nice. Then I can explain.

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: ...to this part of the world, you did not come to a part of the world where religion was lacking as such. In the United States of America we have many religions, and I think people in this country like to believe in great majority that they are religious people, people who believe in God, you know, who devote themselves to some form of religious expression. And I wonder what your thinking was. What do you think that you could add to the already living religious expression in this country by coming here and adding your own philosophy to it?

Prabhupāda: When I first came to your country, I was guest of an Indian friend at Butler.

Interviewer: In Pennsylvania?

Prabhupāda: Pennsylvania. So although it was a small county, I was very much engladdened there were so many churches.

Interviewer: So many churches? Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so many churches. And I spoke in many of the churches there. My host arranged for that. So it was not with that purpose that I came here, to defeat some religious process. That was not my purpose. Our mission is, Lord Caitanya's mission is, to teach everyone how to love God. That's all.

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

Interviewer: Now I would like to ask you one more question, and I would like to ask you to end the program by chanting your mantra of Hare Kṛṣṇa. One more question though. In the six years that you have been in this country, in the United States, have you been encouraged or discouraged?

Prabhupāda: I am encouraged.

Interviewer: Encouraged? Why?

Prabhupāda: Because so many devotees are coming daily.

Interviewer: So many? You say so many. You know, we have maybe, what, two dozen people sitting here. But of course there are...

Prabhupāda: We have got sixty centers.

Interviewer: ...205 or 210 million Americans.

Prabhupāda: But you cannot, when you sell diamonds, you cannot expect everyone will purchase. There must be bona fide customer for diamond. You cannot expect diamond is sold among mass of people. You cannot expect it.

Room Conversation with Mayor -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Devotee (1): We can show that one copy of that letter, and what can they do to us?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (1): If they try to stop us from printing, we can show them the copy of that letter that says they do not publish, and then what can they do? We have a copy of...

Prabhupāda: I think we can publish all books here, because the agreement is made in USA. They have nothing to do within India. Indian law is different.

Śyāmasundara: I think it's a world copyright, or else we could publish in Japan also.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śyāmasundara: I think this is a world copyright, or else we would be able to publish in Japan, in...

Prabhupāda: So Japan is out of world?

Śyāmasundara: It's out of U.S.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śyāmasundara: It's out of the U.S.A.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...program he, I shall return to the USA by the month of March. So, December, January, February. (Hindi conversation) Thank you very much. (Hindi) We are dealing with facts. (Hindi) The..., already everything is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have to simply explain them. That's all. Explanation (Hindi). You cannot stop sunshine. That is not possible. But you close yourself in the dark room. It is not possible to cover Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. But by jugglery of words you close yourself in a dark room. (Hindi conversation) Oh, thank you. All right, thank you very much. Come on. No. (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Hindi conversation) (break)

Guest: (indistinct) Any worship we first worship Lord Ganeśa, India.

Prabhupāda: That is not necessary. That is not necessary. If we worship other demigods to fulfill our, some particular desire... (Hindi) There are different demigods they worship, but one who knows that "If I approach Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, then everything is obtained..."

Guest: You say a true devotee of Kṛṣṇa, such a person need not go after the demigods?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Guest: Secondly...

Prabhupāda: There is no need.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Guest (1): The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has started in the United States. Why did it start in the United States, rather than India?

Prabhupāda: Because the United States, they are our best customer. A businessman goes to a place... Just like you have come here. Why you have come here? Wherever there is best possibility of doing your business, there you must go. I went to United States because I know these people are not poverty-stricken. And our Indian people, they are now, they have been trained to think like that—they are poverty-stricken. Actually, they are not poverty-stricken, but the leaders have educated them that, "You are all poverty-stricken." This is India's position. So far I knew that it would not be successful in India. The government will not help. The public is educated in a different way. They are after technology. So and "familiarity breeds contempt." They say, "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement? It is known to us since a long time. What effect it will have?" Many Indian students in foreign countries, they say, "Swamiji, what will this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement benefit us? We want technology." So that is the mentality of the Indians at the present moment.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: (laughter) If the American guru has no car, he's walking on the street, that is disgrace for you. Is it not? (laughs) And they criticize, "Oh, what kind of guru you are, you are walking on the street? You are American guru?"

Devotee: I was thinking if each devotee in the United States went out...

Prabhupāda: You write on the car, "The Spiritual Master of USA." (laughter) And people will see, "Oh, here is the spiritual..." (laughs)

Devotee: Should we do that? "Spiritual Master of USA"?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? (laughter)

Devotee: If each of your devotees collected five dollars one day, that's $5,000, more, more than $5,000.

Prabhupāda: That you... And soon as you issue letter, that will come. It is not my (indistinct) And she will carry. Make arrangement with government so that next time when I go to India, I sit on the car. That's all.

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Devotee: You will take this car with you wherever you go?

Prabhupāda: As far as possible. People will see, "The spiritual master of USA is going there."

Devotee: Supposing you want to go to Bombay. You can fly to Bombay and someone can drive the car there. And then when you're in Bombay, you can drive it in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: No, you can go from Calcutta to Agra, nice road. And from Agra to Bombay.

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

John Nordheimer: What about the United States government?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it should come forward. My students here are all United States citizens. I have not imported them from India. They are Americans, and they are in difficulty. So why shouldn't the government come forward? Their character is being formed, and they are becoming God conscious by participating in this movement. The government is spending millions of dollars to stop LSD and other drug intoxication, but my students are giving up everything simply by following my word. So why isn't the government coming forward to help me?

John Nordheimer: They don't care about the people, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: But don't they want good for their own men? I am stopping American boys and girls from taking LSD and other drugs, and the government is spending millions of dollars to do this. It is only practical that they come forward to support this movement.

Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When there is Kṛṣṇa, there will be success everywhere.

Prabhupāda: That is the real success. (indistinct) There are so many places I see the sign for.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, they are one of the biggest corporations in the United States.

Prabhupāda: Accha?

Jayatīrtha: They're one of the biggest corporations in the United States. They have a..., at least one or two thousand of those, I think more than two thousand.

Devotee (1): They're all across the country. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders.

Prabhupāda: Many thousands of chickens are being killed.

Jayatīrtha: Oh, millions of chickens.

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Another definition is God, God is all-attractive. Now, if you try to understand what is this attractiveness, just like your American country is very opulent, very attractive. If a man is very rich in the society, he is attractive. Then if a man is very strong, then he is attractive. If a man is very famous, he is attractive. If a man-man or woman—if a man is very beautiful, he is attractive. If a man is in the renounced order, he is attractive. If a man is very wise, he is attractive. These six features are attractive features. Now, these attractive features, every one of us have to some extent. Just like you are ambassador, representative of USA, so you are attractive. So this attractiveness you have got. Sometimes I have also got. Somebody comes to me, "Let me see this Swami speak," you see. So this attractiveness everyone possesses. But God means who has got all the attractiveness in full. That is God. You may be very rich, but you cannot say that "I am the richest person in the world." That is not possible. But God can say "I am the richest person in the whole creation." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He says, "I am the proprietor of everything."

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Ambassador: Uh, Your Divine Grace, I'm sorry, but I have an Ambassador waiting, and I have to move from the sublime to the mundane. I'd like to continue this, but he has this appointment and I have to... But I appreciate very much your coming in and...

Prabhupāda: Now, I am also coming to the mundane point of view. The next time I want, when I go and come back to USA, I wish to see the President, if you can help me?

Ambassador: Well I, I can write a letter, but uh, I've had, let me, don't let me discourage you, but let me tell you that I've had at least a dozen religious leaders from India request the same thing, and none of them have gotten to see the President.

Prabhupāda: But one thing is...

Ambassador: But I'll be glad to try to help.

Prabhupāda: So, the things are, such an important philosophy, important movement is going unnoticed. You are busy to help the whole world so that peace will come, people may be happy, but instead of being happy, your country are becoming hippie.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I don't think there is any vegetarian, because in the store you will get only meat. There is no vegetable, no fruit. Śyāmasundara had to spend two hours for collecting food. There is no rice, (indistinct), nothing. For vegetarians it is very, very difficult to live in Moscow.

Devotee (2): Just recently the Russians went to the United States and bought huge quantities of grains for Russia.

Prabhupāda: There are no grains.

Devotee (2): They bought some wheat.

Prabhupāda: It is a barren land, icy land, that's all. Huge land icy.

Devotee (3): They are being punished.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, you have done nice. No, one thing is that if you come to foreign countries, because you have got qualification, you can speak in educational institution. They will welcome you.

Indian man: I was once offered an exchange (indistinct) by the United States government.

Prabhupāda: When?

Indian man: That was in 1950. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: When you were in service? (break) They come to see me. The one psychologist and psychiatrist came to see me in Los Angeles. And many scientists come. Some of them are my disciples.

Gurudāsa: Did you ever...

Prabhupāda: Dr. Rao you know?

Indian man: I know Dr. Rao.

Prabhupāda: He is a...

Indian man: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is a scientist.

Page Title:USA (Conversations 1968 - 1972)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:17 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=26, Let=0
No. of Quotes:26