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United States government

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

So I have come to your country. So if I claim that "This country is mine," then there is trouble. But if I know that I have come as a visitor or as a foreigner I have come here, so there is not trouble. I can freely move. I can get all the facilities of the United States government. There is no trouble. Similarly, we come here as traveler, as visitor, within this material world, and if we claim that "This material world belongs to me," or a group of men, or group of nation, that is called ignorance.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to move this ignorance, to make people intelligent, that "Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God."

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Just like you, you have been given good engagement, Deity worship and so many other things. You are engaged. Therefore you have no time to divert your attention for nonsense things. Simply artificially, if you want to stop, no. The U.S. government, they tried to stop this intoxication habit, LSD, millions of dollars. Not a single man was stopped. Not a single man. And here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as soon as they come, immediately... Why? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When he understands that he is better intoxication, "Why shall I go to LSD?" That is required.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: "We trust in God." I am speaking that American currency notes bears the slogan, "In God we trust."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I am talking on that matter. So if the American nation trusts in God... If not... They say, they have declared. Now, the difficulty is they do not know actually what is God, how to trust. That we are teaching. So the government must come forward to cooperate with us. This should be... There should be an agitation. Now this "In God we trust," it is, it is something like vague idea. There is a need of... (aside:) You can make copy from there. If you bring one dozen like this, then it is difficult to walk. (about tape recorders) So our propaganda should be to the United, I mean to say, United States government and public. And you are theologicians. You should make program that simply saying that "In God we trust," and we do all nonsense, which exhibits that we do not trust in God, this thing should be stopped. You have placed in your Constitution, there is, you trust in God. Now you should understand what is God and how to trust. That we are teaching. This should be taken very seriously. Because you cannot change your Constitution. Already there is that. But you must know it perfectly well what is God and how to trust Him. That science we are teaching, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The government should cooperate fully. There should be school, college, to understand what is God, how to trust. This movement should be started. What do you think?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 8, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Many of these boys must have taking tea in past. How they could stop it?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Dr. Patel: Many of them must be taking...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Dr. Patel: Not now, before.

Prabhupāda: Oh, before they are taking anything. (laughter)

Dr. Patel: How could they stop it? By virtue of the strength of the mind. That man, if he has got no strength of mind, he should not...

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. The government spent millions of dollars to stop LSD habit. But when they come to me, I say, "You cannot do it." They immediately stopped. Therefore U.S. government is sympathetic to this movement. They are surprised how these drug-addicted men are becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa. One Dr. Judah, he has written a book about us, that the "wonderful..."

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

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.

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.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Honolulu 2 February, 1975:

Regarding the idea of suing the U.S. Government, it is better not to make such a move. Try to solve all problems with the local scale. The GBC men who are here now have considered this point and decided that it would not be wise to sue the Govt. at this point.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Mayapur 20 January, 1976:

The atmosphere in Vrindaban is beyond compare and the teachers are far more experienced as we have many men willing to work there who are retired and qualified professors, what to speak of our own scholars who are living in Vrindaban and starting this gurukula project. Many people will contribute to expand this program and the Krishna-Balarama Mandir is the finest in the world. All the devotees in Vrindaban, especially the children are in fine health and their needs are being guaranteed by the members. They can even beg from door to door and collect enough to feed themselves nicely. This is the system. This is the required training. But if this is done in America, they will accuse us of child cruelty although this is actually the saving grace of the child and he becomes very blissful. Therefore in all ways it is obvious that the best place to have this gurukula is in Vrindaban and this should be done before the US Government starts to cause a disturbance which will harm us, and before we have to waste large sums of money on a risky endeavor which may turn out to be a complete failure.

Letter to Vidyabadhu -- Vrindaban 6 September, 1976:

You and your son should come immediately to Vrndavana and stay under the direction of Gurukula. You may engage as a teacher of young children and your son will be a student. You will be supported by a pension that your husband has now received from the US government.

There are three enemies. One of them is the mother with child who marries again. The child should be raised in Krsna consciousness movement where both of you will advance in developing love of God.

Page Title:United States government
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:26 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=5, Let=3
No. of Quotes:10