USA (Conversations 1975 - 1976)

Bali-mardana: ...thinking when the dog has to pass stool 'cause then they have to take him outside. (break)

Prabhupāda: (break) ...the statistics, how many dogs are there in the United States?

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, there are. There are more dogs than...

Prabhupāda: Than human being?

Bali-mardana: No, no.

Siddha-svarūpa: I think there might be.

Bali-mardana: There are many millions, though.

Siddha-svarūpa: Maybe dogs and cats combined. (break)

Bali-mardana: The people, they feed their dog and cat so much food that millions of human beings could be fed from the food. Because so much grains are required... They feed them meat, but so much grains are required to produce that food.

Siddha-svarūpa: More money is spent on food for dogs in the United States than for babies.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. (break) In the recent food crisis in the United States, 18% of the people started eating dog food because there's so much... They use such high quality beef and based on so many grains and everything. And they use grains themselves. Milk products. (break) They're even learning how to eat dog food. (break)

Prabhupāda: (in car:) ...and Russian, they are different country. Chinese, Oriental; Russian, Occidental.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. Like all Occidental countries or at least in the United States, there is the philosophy that, if you have sex, that your sexual energy will not be lost. In other words, their feeling is that one doesn't lose his health or strength from having too much sex or from using his sexual energy, whereas the Chinese, they are very... Everyone in the society for centuries and centuries have accepted that even for physical strength and, mental strength it's very important not to...

Prabhupāda: Indulge in sex.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, that's why they're not allowed in the United States. They're not accepted as... (break)

Prabhupāda: It has gone to India. (break) Yogic āsana exercise is very popular. They think it is spiritual, exercising the body. (break)

Siddha-svarūpa: This way is longer. You have more room to keep walking. That way you have to stop after awhile.

Bahulāśva: Yes, he'll be coming here probably on Tuesday or Wednesday. He's just coming from Boston. They had a big library convention there for the theological schools in the United States. So he had to go to speak at that, and then he'll be coming back.

Prabhupāda: Did he speak anything about Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Bahulāśva: He's always speaking about this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. (Prabhupāda chuckles) He gave one lecture just about two weeks ago. It was very very nice. I attended, and I was also speaking something.

Prabhupāda: No, he is serious about studying this movement.

Bahulāśva: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is jumping of the monkeys. In my book, it was published in 1958. (Hindi conversation) I don't believe all these rascals. Otherwise, how could I write? Later on, in San Francisco some press reporter asked me, "What is your opinion?" And, "This is all foolish waste of time and money." It was published. (break) We are conditioned. We call ourself "conditioned soul." So whatever condition is made by nature or by God, you cannot overcome them. That is futile attempt. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot surpass the condition of material nature. Foolishly, you may declare very great independent. But completely under the grip of material nature. Everything, there is a process. Just like you have come to U.S.A. You have come through a process, immigration. Can anyone come here without going through the process?

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: Going to Venus? I think the Russians have sent some...

Indian guest: They are working on a joint venture, Russia and United States. They are going to rendezvous sometimes pretty soon.

Brahmānanda: To Venus there is some attempt now, to go to Venus?

Indian guest: The Russians have attempted to land not a manned craft but unmanned craft.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Man craft?

Indian guest: Unmanned craft.

Prabhupāda: What is that man craft?

Garden Conversation -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Dr. Judah: Right. There are two types of college programs. One is what we call the undergraduate program which is generally a four-year program leading to a bachelor's degree, and then there is the graduate program, which one finds, particularly here in the United States, if one is interested in religion, in the seminaries, which are...

Prabhupāda: If you have time some other time. We have to go over the particulars. So whenever you like. Day after tomorrow I am going?

Jayatīrtha: He is.

Dr. Judah: I'll be here tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon I have to go back.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So in the morning.

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: At least I desire so. (break) Where your preaching was going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were preaching in Berkeley, California. Our other parties are spread out all over the country. One party is in Massachusetts, another party is in the South, southern United States.

Prabhupāda: Where in Massachusetts?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Amherst area. Then another party is in Michigan, another party in Illinois, another party is in Washington, in the state of Washington. There's a couple of others.

Prabhupāda: So his parties are working more. And book selling is going on?

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Viṣṇujana: Oh yes. They are used for taking cargo up and down the coast. They don't travel in the ocean, but they travel on the coast. They used them during the Second World War all over the United States.

Prabhupāda: Such boat does not drown?

Viṣṇujana: They keep it up by huge air tanks. By holding so much air they keep the cement up. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...ficial means. Otherwise it will drown.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sink, yeah. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...officially closed. (break) ...water increases? I don't think. It does not.

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Canada, oh.

Śrī Govinda: Actually, I think it is Michigan. It is another state in the United States. Then to the north is Canada. (break)

Satsvarūpa: One temple, St. Louis temple, has come to this festival, and they brought with them their installed Deities which are Gaura-Nitāi. I wasn't sure that was right of them to do that. And They're now on the altar of the Chicago temple, but the Deities are not in the St. Louis temple. Gaura...

Prabhupāda: That is closed?

Room Conversation with the Mayor of Evanston -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Mayor: No. I know about the article on the crime and I have it at home, but I have not read it as yet. But we certainly know that it's a tremendous problem in the United States, perhaps throughout the world and certainly here.

Prabhupāda: It is not a problem. Just like there is disease, and there is remedy also. And as much as the disease is chronic, the remedy is also costly. So in the western countries—do not mind—they are not trying to educate first-class men, and that is the difficulty. This advancement, technical knowledge, to have nice motor cars or big, big buildings, highways, this is very good, but this is not the aim of life.

Mayor: No, material things should not be.

Room Conversation with the Mayor of Evanston -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Mayor: Would you use the facility, then, as sort of a center for all over the United States?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We invite. As soon as they have got a leisure hour, let them come and live with us for one week and see the result. They can remain forever. It doesn't matter. But for experimental sake they can come, live with us and associate with us. It is not difficult. And we invite everyone. We have no such discrimination that black, white, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, no. Anyone. It is universal. Because we consider every living entity is part and parcel of God. That is a fact. We are teeny gods, part and parcel. The same quality we have got—in minute quantity. Quality is the same, quantity is less. So God is good, so we are also good. But we have become bad under circumstances. Just like under infection, one becomes diseased. So if we cure that infection, again he becomes good. So it is the curing process. It is not an external artificial thing, imposed upon somebody, no. His goodness is there. Just like generally a man is healthy, but by infecting some disease he becomes diseased. So this material way of life is a kind of infection.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: Do you have any feeling about the crime here in the United States as opposed to the crime in your own land?

Prabhupāda: Crime, what is your definition of crime?

Lt. Mozee: Any infraction against one person by another person. Any trampling on the rights of one person by another person can be a crime or should be a crime.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our definition is the same in the Upaniṣad, that everything belongs to God. As you think everything belongs to the state, we think everything belongs to God. So you can utilize your possession, what is allotted to you. Don't encroach upon others.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: Do you feel, sir, that it is lacking only here in the United States?

Prabhupāda: Everywhere.

Lt. Mozee: Everywhere.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everywhere. This is the age of forgetting God. We say it is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means the age of misunderstanding. And that is, I said, dirty things within the heart. So God is so powerful that if we chant the holy name of God, then we become purified. So our movement is based on this principle, chant the holy name of God.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: Sir, do you think that the wealth of the United States and some certain other countries would be a block to spiritual faith? In Christianity there is a parable that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to come before the throne of God." Would wealth in itself be a block toward spiritual awareness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Too much wealthy condition is a block. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām. If one is very materially opulent, he forgets God. Therefore, to be too much materially rich is a disqualification for understanding God.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: There are countless numbers in the United States of large facilities of the Christian faith, and, like you, they give the refreshment of the holy communion. Why does this not work? Why is this not cleansing the heart?

Prabhupāda: The answer is... Then we come to the details. So you say, "Christian," and I find to find out a Christian. I find difficulty to find out one Christian. I must frankly say, because the so-called Christians, they do not abide by the Bible's order that in the Christian's Bible it is said, "Thou shall not kill." and where is a Christian who does not kill? So this can be effective only persons who are practicing religion. So these persons, they are trained to practice.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Give the devotees.

Lt. Mozee: Just a personal question, how long has your group been in the United States?

Prabhupāda: I came here in 1965. But for one year there was no program; I was loitering only. And then, in 1966, July, I registered this society in New York, and gradually these students... I rented one storefront in New York, Second Avenue, and in this way practically it was started in 1966. Then in 1967 I was attacked with heart attack. Then I returned India. Then again I came back in 1968. So practically the movement is going on regularly from 1968. Yes.

Morning Walk -- July 6, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: ...any bird called thunderbird?

Bahulāśva: Thunderbird? A big bird, big eagle, in the United States.

Prabhupāda: No, big eagle, thunderbird. You have seen in this car?

Brahmānanda: Automobile is called.

Prabhupāda: But actually is there any bird called thunderbird?

Jagadīśa: It's a legendary bird from Indian legend. American Indian.

Prabhupāda: Indian legend?

Television Interview -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: It is not my advice, but it is the advice of the Vedic knowledge that woman should be chaste and faithful to man.

Woman reporter: What should we do in the United States? We're trying to make women equal with men.

Prabhupāda: I am not trying. You are already not equal with the man because in so many respects, your functions are different and man's functions are different. Why do you say artificially they are equal? As I told you that the husband and wife—the wife has to become pregnant, not the husband. How you can change this, both the husband and wife will be pregnant? Is it possible? Is it possible?

Television Interview -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Woman reporter: Is Philadelphia your last stop in...

Prabhupāda: No, no, I travel all over United States. Then I will go to Europe. Then I will go to Africa. I have got my touring program for 4 months. (break)

Woman reporter: There's one more question I'm going to ask. Is that tea? Is that tea that you're drinking?

Prabhupāda: No, we don't drink tea. We don't drink tea, don't drink liquor. We don't smoke. This is our process, no illicit sex, no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Unless one is married, there is no sex. And unless one is going to beget child, there is no sex. Not for pleasure. This is our regulative principle.

Prabhupāda: These are all manufactured things.

Reporter (2): Could you tell me how much you do derive from the airport solicitations in the United States?

Prabhupāda: That I do not know, but we sell, on the whole, about $300,000 worth, books, every month.

Reporter (2): At airports alone?

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Devotees: That's everywhere, all over the world.

Bahulāśva: Here in San Francisco we distribute 1,000 of these magazines per day.

Reporter (2): What is the budget of the movement in the United States annually? How much do you need to operate?

Prabhupāda: Our program is whatever collection is there, half is spent for our establishment—we have got about more than one hundred centers all over the world—and half we spend for reprinting the books. That's all.

Reporter (2): How many members in the United States? I'm told two thousand. Is that correct approximately?

Prabhupāda: That they can say.

Prabhupāda: That they can say.

Jayatīrtha: Well, our published figure is that worldwide membership is ten thousand. How much of that is in the United States isn't exactly broken down.

Reporter (2): I did a story on this movement five years ago and the figure at that time was two thousand in the United States also.

Prabhupāda: It is increasing.

Reporter (2): It is increasing?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Definitely.

Jayatīrtha: I said that the worldwide figure is ten thousand.

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Eighty years old.

Reporter (2): What will happen...

Prabhupāda: I was born in 1896, now you can calculate.

Reporter (2): What will happen to the movement in the United States when you die?

Prabhupāda: I will never die.

Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! (laughter)

Prabhupāda: I shall live for my books, and you will utilize.

Reporter (2): Are you training a successor?

Paramahaṁsa: The theory nowadays is that by the proliferation of atomic weapons, that Russia has so many weapons, China has so many weapons, the United States has so much...

Prabhupāda: Everyone now. India has also.

Paramahaṁsa: They're all afraid of using them.

Prabhupāda: They must use it. That is nature's arrangement.

Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, right. History.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is nature's arrangement (chuckles) that you all die. That is nature's arrangement.

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Nara-nārāyaṇa: There is so much mismanagement in different parts of the world that there are so many revolutions now in all parts of the world including India, Africa and even the United States. There are so many problems based on the fact that their food grains and milk supply are not being supplied nicely or distributed nicely. Now, supposing that there is a demand that there should be good management for it, how these things should be distributed properly, by what system, so that people can get these things in a way that they can become God conscious and at the same time have their...?

Prabhupāda: God consciousness does not depend on distribution of food. It requires cultural education. It does not mean that one who has got enough food, he is God conscious. The food distribution is not one of the conditions for becoming God conscious.

Morning Walk -- August 7, 1975, Toronto:

Jagadīśa: Yesterday I saw a statistic saying that in the United States, 21% of the population is in poverty.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So?

Brahmānanda: But that poverty means that they earn five thousand dollars or less. Less than five thousand is the line.

Prabhupāda: Well, it is all proportionate, that... You are paying rent for this room where I am staying, $175 per month?

Uttamaśloka: It has just been changed to 175 from 150.

Morning Walk -- September 1, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Brahmānanda: Now he is wearing kuntī beads.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Because he was criticized by our students in U.S.A. (sound of bell) See? The bell is ringing nice. There was no such ringing in this quarter. (break) ...fixed up so that thieves may not take it away? Not so securely.

Dhanañjaya: Well, they have... I'll make sure it is done today.

Prabhupāda: Oh. When I say? That means no brain. I am asking without seeing, and you are seeing for the last one week. You do not know it, that what is secure, what is not secure. That is the defect. Here thieves are very expert.

Morning Walk -- September 9, 1975, Vrndavana:

Indian man (2): When Bon Mahārāja came I asked him many things, many questions. He was praising, and he said that more than 50% people are liking our organization in U.S.A. Only due to that, their children got saved from intoxication. And they are happy that their lives are also... That's what he told me. I told him, "What is your impression about our organization?" Then he told me everything. He also told me that one or two places (indistinct) (break)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...official said, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." When we went to...

Prabhupāda: They have been forced to forget Hare Kṛṣṇa by the so-called rascal leaders. Otherwise India is meant for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the whole India. (break) ...scandalous these Māyāvādīs and next the politicians, killing the spirit of India.

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: So this movement is to make the people Aryan.

Guest (2): Telling... (microphone moving) Let's say, people who fight for their rights, the blacks in the United States or...

Prabhupāda: ...for the kṣatriya? Kṣatriya means one who gives protection from being hurt, kṣat. Kṣat means hurting. So suppose if I unnecessarily hurt you, then it is the duty of the government to give you protection. So unless I am also punished by violence, I cannot..., He cannot give you protection. So this is also necessary. Therefore in the society there must be kṣatriya. The brāhmaṇas should be learned; they should give instruction, advice. The kṣatriyas should give protection; the vaiśyas should produce, economic development; and rest, they should assist-śūdras, that's all. This is the program of Aryan society.

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: The total number of books will be about eighty. Out of that, we have published about fifty. So the balance they are giving standing order, "As soon as published, you give..."

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the United States... These are many letters we have, just some of them, from different professors who are actually using Prabhupāda's books, professors from respectable universities such as Harvard, Yale, Duke. Professor Dimmock, who is the leading scholar of southeastern languages at the University of Chicago, he very much appreciates Prabhupāda's books.

Prabhupāda: He has written one foreword.

Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: (break) You have done good because you are waiting for somebody's decision. So the decision-maker can change. Otherwise so many people are working so hard day and night; he is not getting even sufficient food. And another man, without working, he is getting so much money. How it is possible? Hm? So God is not an instrument of your whims. He is fully independent. That is God. Agatan gatan patiyase.(?) By His different energy He can..., does something which is impossible to be done. Take for example myself. I went to United States, unknown country, without any friend, without any hope, simply on theory (chuckles) that "I shall go and preach there," and with this expectation also, that "As soon as I shall ask them to give up all these habits, they will ask me to go away."

Morning Walk -- November 19, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ācchā? And before him, I got some money. He gave me five hundred rupees long ago, means before going to United States.

Devotee (2): Girirāja made him a life member.

Prabhupāda: No, he appears to be good man. Yes. One day he met me at Hanging Garden, and he requested me that "One day you have to come to my house."

Girirāja: I remember. When we were at Akash Ganga, it was almost fixed up with Madhudviṣa Swami, but something...

Prabhupāda: So when you go to the bank, I have got some money you can take. (break) What is called?

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So why don't you become in power? You are strong. And what they have done, those who are already in the power? There is no food. One has to give line for two hours to get foodstuff. I have seen in Moscow.

Ambarīṣa: They don't have any food. They have to buy from the United States.

Kṛṣṇa-caitanya: Importing from India.

Prabhupāda: Yes, importing India, America.

Kṛṣṇa-caitanya: They don't have any bananas, mangoes, nothing.

Prabhupāda: So this rascaldom is going on.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ gatim. They do not take instruction from the śāstra; therefore everything is failure.

Harikeśa: Nobody seems very happy in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Neither in U.S.A. (laughter)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No one is happy in the material world.

Ambarīṣa: In America there is much more violence than there is here.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I read in the papers yesterday that the crime rate has gone up in United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That must. If everyone is a criminal, so how the crime rate can decrease?

Harikeśa: Everybody cheats as much as possible, on income tax and everything.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even President Nixon had cheated on his income tax return, but they caught him later on.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not cheating. It is... The income tax department is a cheating department, so everyone tries to avoid this cheating department. That's it.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: And you cannot hold gold also. That is illegal. Somehow or other, even if you secure gold, you cannot keep it.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There's that restriction in India, I think.

Ambarīṣa: Now in the United States you can buy gold. They made it legal.

Harikeśa: But limited quantity.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: They do not believe in the transmigration of the soul and they are "Awake." Just see these rascals. They have no preliminary knowledge even, and they are writing books, Awake.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1976, Madras:

Prabhupāda: ...how you can accept their radio machine are perfect? Because it is made by imperfect person, so how it can be perfect? If the manufacturer is imperfect, how he can make perfect machine? Nothing is perfect.

Acyutānanda: Actually the United States government has a whole agency for unidentified flying objects that people have seen that they keep secret so as not to frighten the whole America thinking that visitors from other planets will come. But there are many incidents of pilots who fly around in airplanes, who see other strange-looking objects coming at them, flying at them, or people from the ground have seen many.

Devotee: One guy testified that he was picked up and taken away for four days.

Acyutānanda: Well, that was...

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Gāthā. They have got a.... These Zoroastins read Gāthā just like Bhagavad-gītā. I have read it. I could understand very easily because it's Sanskrit dialect language. One professor has come from United States. He is staying here in a school of Parsis, and I am the doctor of that school. He said that this is completely Vedic religion. He has studied the Vedic philosophy also. He is teaching theology in some university of United States. He stays here in this.... (break) ...worse than, I think, most...

Prabhupāda: But it is democracy. Because we are sinful, we have made a sinful government. It is democracy. Formerly the personal monarchy.... There is no monarchy. It is democracy.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So why explain? If he is great personality, everyone should know. Why he is trying to explain? What is the use of explanation? If a great personality is unknown, and he has to be known by explanatory notes, then how he is great personality?

Bhavānanda: Just like the President of the United States. He doesn't have to say, "I am the President." Everyone knows.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on reading.

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Jagadīśa: (break) In Toronto, Śrīla Prabhupāda... When we purchased the new church in Toronto we sold all the church pews. And Billy Graham... Do you know who Billy Graham is? He's an Evangelist preacher in the United States. He sometimes went to that church to preach. So when we sold the pews we would tell people that "Billy Graham sat in this pew," and they would become excited to purchase.

Prabhupāda: So it was sold in good price?

Jagadīśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That's nice.

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Ghanaśyāma: At this school, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they ordered two orders. They were so favorable, for their Theology Department Library and also for the main library, because there were so many professors like this one who were favorable, they wanted your books to be very easily accessible.

Devotee (1): This is the largest professor in Sanskrit in the whole United States, from Harvard University.

Satsvarūpa: Most distinguished of all men.

Ghanaśyāma: He never writes reviews for anyone, Śrīla Prabhupāda, but he wrote for you. He just refuses. He hides himself, you know.

Prabhupāda: What? Tell me. What does he say?

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Madhudviṣa: It would have been a big defeat if they had sold us that church and we moved in.

Devotee (1): (indistinct) ...United States, they have taken eight million Catholics in Philadelphia. Just before the time of our Rathayātrā I think...

Pañcadraviḍa: When they took Rādhā-Dāmodara down to Mexico, all the Catholics thought it was Virgin Mary and Jesus, and they all came to offer their obeisances. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Which way I shall go? This way?

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is job visa. They gave indiscriminately job visa, so that India will be vacant of all intelligent persons and they cannot make... That was the policy.

Dr. Patel: United States are giving also what we call job visa.

Prabhupāda: No, not only. Everywhere I have seen. One who is qualified, he gets very easily job in Europe or America, high salary. They get cheaper. Yes. What the Americans will accept for two thousand dollars, Indians will accept at seven hundred dollars.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: When Indians were asked to leave Uganda, the Canadian government offered free passage, but only to persons who had the material qualifications they wanted.

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They suffer. They live in the huts and very nasty place, still expecting.

Dr. Patel: But the highly advanced countries like the States, United States, the agricultural.... I mean, this industry is completely contracted. A percentage the population is getting less and less in agriculture than before. Now hardly ten percent, people are...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa advises...

Dr. Patel: Yes, because agriculture, however...

Prabhupāda: Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14).

Room Conversation -- May 1, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: That's all. This is transaction of animal kingdom. A lion is the king of some asses, pigs, dogs, and hogs. What business you can expect there? This is their real picture. One who is a human being, he's seeing that how the animals are enjoying by voting and electing president. But they are thinking, "We are busy in a very great business. We are electing president." (laughter) This is going on. (break) ...you say that these rascal pigs, hogs, they elected president, and this president will eat them, and they will understand what kind of president they have elected. This thing is happening in the most advanced country of USA. And what to speak of other animal kingdom. Even the topmost state at the present moment, there also is happening the same thing. And what to speak of other small states.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His father has been giving us.... Of course, it was.... We have been approaching him through the aspect of doing business in China. His father is encouraging us in the sense that he is seeing Dhṛṣṭadyumna.... Like whenever we visit him, we come in our suits, and his father is seeing that.... He is encouraging him also because he's taking some, what he calls a very, what would you say, a responsible position, attempting to do some business. So he's been giving us letters on his company's letterhead. Just like this is a letter to the director of the Department of Commerce of the United States. We've seen a number of people. We've been visiting different directors. First thing we did when we went back is after meeting him, we got many books on China. Some of the examples are, just like this.... We read about twenty-five books. We've studied up very thoroughly and researched everything about China. Here is a book, The Religious Policy and Practice in Communist China. It describes everything about religion there. So we thoroughly read this book. Then there's other books, books on education, we read books on history...

Prabhupāda: Chinese people, they are trying to raise their standard of civilization. Do they?

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many.... Their philosophy is called dialectic materialism. They want to advance materially and they.... We have prepared one report of an interview with the president of a committee on United States and China relations. He's one of the leading experts in China. So after researching and studying all the educational, the libraries, all the different functions in China, we went and spoke with this gentleman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First we got a lot of information ourselves, so we'd be knowledgeable. We read for one month. We got.... We wrote away to all the councils, we got hundreds of books like this, special reports about China, we read them, and then we went to meet this man, because he is the most knowledgeable expert person on China in the United States. And we made up a report which we wanted to read to you, because it gives everything very nicely. It tells what China is doing now, and what our program can be for book distribution.

Prabhupāda: No, what is their aim? After studying all these books, what do you think? What is the aim of China? What is the objective they are making progress towards?

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: I think American working class are paid more than any country.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The average income in the United States now...

Guru-kṛpā: You know a man who lays bricks, a brick layer, in India he gets paid 10 rupees a day...

Prabhupāda: Utmost.

Guru-kṛpā: And here he gets paid twelve dollars an hour.

Prabhupāda: Bricklayer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, twelve dollars an hour.

Guru-kṛpā: So one hundred dollars a day.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: USA.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: USA.

Prabhupāda: In this way if possible print in Russian language, in black market.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's possible and they'll be eager.

Devotee: The young people are dissatisfied, young student.

Prabhupāda: Small books print first of all, see. How the black market takes it, and then big books.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Yes, that's nice.

Rāmeśvara: (Maharishi Mahesh) Yogi, he tried to file a trademark on the words "Transcendental Meditation" with the United States government. So we protested that actually he cannot claim that he is teaching transcendental meditation, what to speak of prohibiting anyone else from using those words. So they accepted our claim and kicked out his application.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They were writing, their lawyers were writing our Society letters that "You cannot use the words 'Transcendental Meditation.' Maharishi has made up this process and you are stealing from him."

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Reporter: I'd like to ask one.... Is your role in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the United States particularly or worldwide? Ten years ago, when you first came to the United States, did you take a very active role in the organization, and I'm wondering whether you do much of that now?

Prabhupāda: No, although the volume of work has.... (break) ...a hundred times, but these American disciples, they are helping me, so I haven't got to work personally so much. I simply give the instruction and they carry out, but the work has increased voluminously, there's no doubt it. I came here alone in 1965 without any help practically. Where to live, where to sleep, there was no destination. Sometimes some friend's house, sometimes some friend's house, practically loitering on the street. And in this way were passed more than one year. I arrived here in 1965 in September, end of September, 17th of September, in Boston. Hm. Is it Boston?

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole society is going on under my direction. Whatever they do, they take my permission and they put into (indistinct). Nothing is allowed without my permission.

Reporter: I wonder if you might have any opinions on some of the leaders of cults and groups in the United States, such as the Divine Light Mission, or the T.M. and so forth. I'm wondering if you have any opinions on Guru Maharaj-ji or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Candanācārya: Today is the day of scandals. These days, there are so many scandals in the United States.

Prabhupāda: Ask them. If they say moon planet is first, why not Monday first? Why Sunday first? That's a fact. Sun planet first, then moon, then Mars. Ravi, Soma, Maṅgala, Bhū. That is the calculation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means that all the countries are cooperating together to cheat the people, because they're all...

Prabhupāda: No, no. They have taken from the Vedic literature.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Hari-śauri: One of the reasons why they did not want John Lennon to be allowed to stay in the United States is because they said that he had too much influence with the young people.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he spoiled these. They are already spoiled, and (static) that the government has done nice thing. What is his value? But because he has got money (static) popularity, he has become big man.

Rāmeśvara: So there is this theory that there is a conspiracy all over the world that the rich men to control.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: New York.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's why, I think your Guru Mahārāja was in favor like that.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, he said that potthor katha ke usa cane gauri ber katha sundari(?) If you remain poor, then nobody will be...

Rāmeśvara: And this diorama project will also give us a lot of respect.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We have got many things, stock. We shall exhibit gradually. We have got many things in stock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many new ideas.

Prabhupāda: First of all, I started the book. That is, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, it is becoming successful. Then diorama. Then I shall give next idea.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Everything is there, but there is no necessity. (pause) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to the USA, many sahajiyās, they requested me, "Sir, why you are going? You are in Vṛndāvana. Continue your bhajana. What is the use of preaching?"

Rāmeśvara: What is the use of preaching?

Prabhupāda: Preaching. They advised me like that.

Rāmeśvara: They don't believe in Lord Caitanya, these sahajiyās in Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Mostly. They have no knowledge. Material. Prākṛta-sahajiyā. Their real name is prākṛta. Their thoughts are on this material platform. Just as they are preferring this conjugal love because here the sex is prominent.

Room Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No. He did not know me. So somebody saw him in Bombay, so he reminded that "I know Swamiji when he went to USA." Somebody was telling me.

Hari-śauri: He remembered.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. The name is there, he remembered. After all, he is officer. He knows so many things. So it is a great history. (laughs) There was two days I was attacked in heart on the ship. So hardship.

Trivikrama: Then you had a dream?

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Hari-śauri: What was that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Three? And down, motor garage.

Hari-śauri: Right.

Rāmeśvara: That is the biggest, but I discussed with Karandhara, and he said they will not give permission for more than two stories. He has already inquired.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Rāmeśvara: They have some crazy reason. They make very strict laws regarding housing. It is a problem everywhere in the United States, so many things you have to comply with. Just like in Dallas there were so many things they wanted us to do for housing. (end)

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rādhāvallabha: Now in South America it has been fashionable.... There are many, many wealthy businessmen living there. So terrorists will kidnap a businessman, and then send a letter to the company in the United States or in that country, stating that "If you do not give us such and such million dollars, we will kill him." So in this way the terrorists are getting millions of dollars by kidnapping big men.

Hṛdayānanda: Businessmen.

Rādhāvallabha: It's happening quite often in South America now.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's going on everywhere. There was a, John Paul Getty's nephew in Italy, he was taken by kidnappers, and they petitioned Getty, "Give us so many millions of dollars, otherwise we'll kill your nephew." So he refused. So after a long, long time the nephew was returned somehow or other, and one of the times when they demanded a ransom, they chopped off his right ear and put it in an envelope and sent it through the post: "This is proof that we have your nephew, now give us money." And still he refused. And then eventually the boy was returned minus his ear.

Hṛdayānanda: And you were saying, Prabhupāda, that even when they have so much money they want more. This man is one of the richest men in the world, and for his own family member he would not pay some money to save him.

Prabhupāda: Who was that man?

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Richard: You were widely respected in India before you came to the United States?

Prabhupāda: Why bring that question? First of all, let us finish this question.

Richard: No, no, I'm getting to it. Ah, if you had died before you had come to the United States, would that have been a tragedy?

Rāmeśvara: Yes, that would have been a big tragedy for all of us. That is premature. That's the example Prabhupāda is giving. If a man wants to educate his sons, but he dies before they can be educated, then, to him, that is a premature death. So therefore he does not want that. In fact he's afraid: "Please, I don't want to die before I see my sons educated." So that is a fear of death.

Prabhupāda: Therefore death is an obstacle. That is the point.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: This is nearby. (break) Today, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the biggest magazine in the West United States is coming to try to get your interview at 10 o'clock, 10:30 this morning, something like that. It's called Los Angeles Magazine. It's for the West United States.

Prabhupāda: (break) And if we don't believe that they have gone to moon planet, they will reject us. They will immediately take as "Oh, these people are crazy." Even if you give sufficient reason or argument, they will not take it. That is their obstinacy.

Rāmeśvara: They're convinced by the photographs.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: There is no monkey?

Ambarīṣa: (laughter) No. (break)

Satsvarūpa: No monkey in the United States. (break) "Nature Center" it says.

Prabhupāda: Nature?

Satsvarūpa: You know what that is, Ambarīṣa?

Ambarīṣa: No, I don't know. I have no idea. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...monkey.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Boston is nice place for the Institute.

Śrutikīrti: Best place for it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's the educational center of America.

Ambarīṣa: Academic center of the United States. So now we are fixing up the temple very nicely. We've spent about fifty thousand dollars putting in all new tile floor and a beautiful new onyx altar. Very, very gorgeous.

Prabhupāda: So it is framework or solid building?

Ambarīṣa: The building? It's stone, brownstone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then it's nice.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say culture, not training.

Stansky: As a matter of fact, even among the educated classes in the United States, there is no culture. There are no cultural roots.

Prabhupāda: No, no culture. There is no culture. There is no standard social life. Simply hodgepodge. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only hope to bring everything in proper order. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. So America is the leading nation of the world. If you work on the principle of Bhagavad-gītā and train up your people, it will be ideal state and example for the whole world. At least a certain section of the American population should be ideal. That will also do.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And so they went to the Department of Intelligence, (laughter) and they went to the United States Army, because this was an army project, and when the Army got hold of it they said, "Oh, you people are all nonsense. Disband this project."

Prabhupāda: That is.... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung: golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not the mundane sound. It is coming from there. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. It is not material. Had it been material, then how it is so effective? That's a fact. The sound is, beam is coming from there. So this professor liked our conversation?

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Bhakta Gene: I think that the term mysticism, so many people have been playing with, particularly here in the United States.

Prabhupāda: So many people, we have nothing to do with so many people. If you are actually servant of God, so God is there, you are servant. So your transaction is there. Just to carry out the orders of God. That's all. Why do you want mysticism? Just to show some jugglery to the people? You serve God. That's all. And it is very simple thing, what God orders. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Where is the question of mysticism? There is no question of mysticism. God says "Just always think of Me. Offer your obeisances and worship Me." That's all. Where is the need of mysticism? It is all jugglery.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: The beginning is to understand this transmigration. But actually people do not understand. Cycle of birth and death, if one does not understand what is birth and death, what he'll understand of cycle of birth and death? Mostly because they do not understand what is birth and what is death, they are mostly going on on the bodily concept of life. That is animal life. Ask anybody. Bodily concept. And everything is going on. We pass through Canada to USA. Why Canada? Why USA? This bodily concept. It is meant for the Canadians, it is meant for USA, Americans. Immigration, customs, the same mentality as a dog coming from other neighborhood. The other dogs, they all come together, "Yow, yow, why you have come, why you have come?" In civilized dress only.

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Reporter: "In the United States there has traditionally been the separation of church and state."

Prabhupāda: "I am not talking about the church. Church or no church, that is not the point. The main thing is that the leaders have to accept that there is a supreme controller. How can they deny it? Everything in nature is going on under the Supreme Lord's control. The leaders cannot control nature, so why don't they accept a supreme controller? That is the defect in society. In every respect the leaders are feeling that there must be a supreme controller, and yet they are still denying Him."

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Now discuss any points.

Kulādri: One of the richest men in the United States, Howard Hughes, he just recently died, and he had sores all over his body. With all of his money, he died in a very miserable condition. He had so many millions and millions of dollars.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He said at the time of death, "I think I've made a mistake."

Prabhupāda: What he was?

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: A very common occurrence in the Western countries, they say that anyone can be guru. In fact, one Westerner who went to India and came back-he's very popular in the United States today—he says that everyone is guru and everyone is God.

Prabhupāda: And people accept that?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now you discuss this point. Discuss this point.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: First of all, you discuss this point, everyone is God and everyone is guru.

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The American government would say, "How can you say that there's no freedom when the First Amendment of the United States Constitution says that there is freedom of religion? One can make any religion he likes and follow."

Prabhupāda: Now they can amend. By simply by writing by the government men, that's all, it becomes a law. There is no question of its validity, but because it is spoken by government, therefore the... In other words, the government men should be so honest and so elevated that actually their words should be law. But this is democracy. Any nonsense can take vote and go to the government, and then whatever he will say, that will be law. Who cares that he's a rascal? Somehow or other he has gotten vote and he's in a position.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: This is black area?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Puerto Rican and black. This city has as many people Puerto Ricans as Puerto Rico does. So many Puerto Rican people come here, because part of it's a possession of the United States. So the East Side is Puerto Ricans and the West Side...

Prabhupāda: Generally they are worker class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. This is Park Avenue.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: Some of the billboard signs are even Portuguese also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Spanish.

Prabhupāda: They speak Spanish?

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: The city of New York is the most mismanaged city in the United States. The city government has a big debt. They borrow money from the banks and they cannot pay it back. So they..., the banks were closing the debt, the loans, calling for the loan, and they had no money, so they were firing everyone and there was great unemployment, and finally the United States government had to give them a free gift of money to bail them out. It is the worst management of any city in America. One of the big reasons is because of welfare. They give away free money to so many people in New York who don't want to work.

Prabhupāda: Yes, welfare is actually waste of money. But social construction is so bad they have to give welfare. If they take our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we can stop this welfare money, let them pay.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Hari-śauri: This opening comment in this magazine is very good, it says, "What is surprising about the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is not its conquest of the West, the USA in particular. The cultural impact of this institution, borne on the shoulders of Westerners in the main, has already reached amazing proportions in India."

Prabhupāda: That is my policy.

Devotee (1): That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whew. That's why they are afraid of you in India, Prabhupāda. The government is very much afraid.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, government is alarmed.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: What is that favor?

Rāmeśvara: They get special contracts, concession rates, and they are able to get their men appointed to important government positions. Also, in the national government, the government of the United States has to always borrow money from banks. There is something called National Debt. Hundreds of billions of dollars they owe the banks, the United States government, to support all their different programs.

Prabhupāda: National Debt.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Veterans. What does it say?

Hari-śauri: One hundred and seventh United States Infantry.

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...came here, Bhāradvāja and myself went to Salt Lake City to visit the church of the Mormons. The Mormon religion is a branch of Christianity, and they own the whole city of Salt Lake City. It's the capital of Utaḥ, one of the United States states. So they control the whole city, and it is planned with the temple in the center of the city. Like our Māyāpur plan. And all around the streets are named after the temple. It is well planned. And in the temple square they have a visitor center, and it costs hundreds of millions of dollars, with dioramas and movies. They even have a little planetarium. It's all for recruiting people to join their religion. So we went there to study how they did it. Actually, it's all based on a crazy philosophy. They say that after Jesus Christ was crucified in Israel, he rose, and then the next stop he came to America.

Prabhupāda: Next...?

Prabhupāda: No, by hearing this transcendental vibration they will benefited.

Devotee (2): The actual presidential candidates will be there.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (2): Presidential candidates, the candidates for the president of the United States, they'll be there.

Satsvarūpa: They'll all be there tonight.

Prabhupāda: All right, go ahead chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Do.

Satsvarūpa: Not... So far we've had our scope, the United States, we wanted to make it the whole world.

Prabhupāda: Why not? Books are being appreciated even by rascal.

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so the scope is everywhere. What is your experience?

Devotee (4): India Prabhupāda, it was very, very large and I wrote him some letters, but the experience is even greater...

Prabhupāda: You have got that store?

Mr. Kallman: Well, we're doing well wholesaling now, Prabhupāda. We sell to stores, department stores across the United States. We had to give up the store because we couldn't have, you know, timewise.

Prabhupāda: Hm. You are now making wholesaling.

Mr. Kallman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes!