Vice (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"vice" |"vices"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Allen Ginsberg: Your plan here in America, then, is to set up centers so that those who are that concerned can pursue their studies and practice a ritual?

Prabhupāda: My... Personally, I have no, I mean to say, ideal or ambition.

Allen Ginsberg: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: But it is the mission of human life to come to that point. So at least there must be some center or institution who may give them this idea. It is not that everyone will come. Just like there are many educational department. I know in Calcutta in our boyhood age, at that time Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was vice-president. So he opened some classes in the university. In each class there were four or five professors, and at that time the professors' salary was 1300 dollar, 1400 dollar. And the fees were collected, at most thirty-six dollar per month. You see? But still the classes were to be maintained because the ideal must be there. So our mission is the intelligent persons of the world may know that this is not, simply seeking after sense gratification is not the aim of human life.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: So you want him to be president?

Prabhupāda: I think he should be, like that. You become secretary, and Śyāma dāsī become assistant secretary. Of course, everything should be decided in a meeting, and president may be have as a casting vote, but the decision of the meeting will be actually the decision. Not that president autocracy, no. Or he may be president, you may be vice president and others, Śyāma dāsī, secretary, and treasurer he is. From sampradāya point of view, sannyāsī has to be given the top post. Do you think he will overrule you?

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: Well, factually he's in charge. Actually we very seldom have any disagreements on things.

Prabhupāda: All right. That's all right. Then you remain president. And let him become vice president. That will be all right? In case of your absence he will preside in the meeting. Will that be all right?

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: What about... Why can't two people be in charge? Why can't we both...?

Prabhupāda: No. Then he will work as vice president? Or what do you want? Temple command?

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: He could be also vice president or temple... Well, there has to be a second charge, another person in charge.

Prabhupāda: That you select, who should be vice president.

Hayagrīva: Temple commander.

Prabhupāda: No. Because you president, you can select out of all the workers...

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:

Guest (2): So we have to tear all these vices that are connected with our body. That is our purpose of getting into either bhakti, or nāma, bhāgavata or whatever it may be.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): But in that way, if you talk from that, another way of ahaṅkāra and pride, then things cannot go far. Things cannot go far.

Prabhupāda: So shall I answer now? Now you stop; I answer. Now Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So even though you have got so many sinful life, Kṛṣṇa assures that "If you surrender unto Me I shall give you protection from the reaction."

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: I wrote one letter to Mahatma Gandhi that "You have got influence all over the world, and you are acknowledged a man of spiritual understanding. Now you have got svarāṭ, you better retire and take up this preaching of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world."

Guest: He was doing if from the beginning, not exclusively that, but applying the Bhagavad-gītā to everything that he was doing. He was doing it really, but you are referring to concentrated, exclusive...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: ...teaching of the doctrines and way life described in...

Prabhupāda: Sometimes I requested Dr. Radhakrishnan also...

Guest: Huh?

Prabhupāda: ...when he was vice-president.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: We respected our professors like our fathers. The relationship between the student and the professors was very good. I had one Scottish professor, Dr. W.S. Urquhart. He was my nice friend. He was professor of philosophy, psychology. Later on he became vice-chancellor.

Room Conversation with Anna Conan Doyle, daughter-in-law of famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Very nice.

Anna Conan Doyle: Yes, yes. That is a very complicated book. To read many, many, many times.

Prabhupāda: That is the elementary ABCD. Yes. Here is a statement of my interview with the Vice-president.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: ...big gold letters over the whole front of the building where they were having inauguration of vice-president, "In God we Trust," big letters. So they are advertising for us already. For Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Who is the vice-president?

Devotees: Gerald Ford.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They are rascal. They are rascal. Maybe some of them are innocent also. But mostly they are rascal because without being first-class rascal, one cannot go into politics. Just like if somebody says... Now, election. Somebody says that "You become vice-president." So why shall I become vice-president? Because I know I shall not be able to do anything. So why shall I waste my time? So another rascal, he will be ready. "Oh, offering vice-president?" But I know that if I want to manage the state, I have to make the people sinless. So if I propose that "Stop this slaughterhouse," so who will accept me? So why shall I go there? Nobody will accept me.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere we are making life members but why do they accept these English books? They could have refused, "No, no, no, I cannot accept English book." Why they are accepting? I know one boy. He is about forty-two years. But he was practically my first student. He is a very big scholar in Sanskrit. But because he does not know English, he is useless. He could not make any, prosper in any way. He is taken as half-educated. He was appointed as vice-chancellor of the Darbhana(?) Sanskrit University. Maybe it is only name. Anyway, now his teaching period is over. Now he is useless. He does not get any service. Although he is a very big Sanskrit scholar. The only defect, that he does not know English—he does not get any responsible position.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: I was also student of philosophy in 1916 to 20 under professor Dr. W.S. Urquhart in Calcutta, Scottish Churches' College. He was my professor. Later on, he became vice chancellor, very big philosopher. We read Dr. Stephens Metaphysics.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, did you speak about Kant's philosophy in that book also? Yes? He is very popular.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kant is very popular. I was also a student of philosophy. In my student life my professors were all Europeans. I was student of Scottish Church's College in Calcutta. So one professor, Dr. W.S. Urquhart, he was our professor for psychology, metaphysics. Later on, he became the vice-chancellor of Calcutta University. A very nice gentleman.

Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: The president could not protect his own wife.

Jayādvaita: The vice-president's also.

Prabhupāda: Vice-president?

Jayādvaita: His wife also.

Morning Walk -- October 6, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: I was educated in Scottish Churches College. The philosophy professor, Dr. W. S. Urquhart, he was very friendly to me, very kind, just like father. (break) ...he became vice chancellor. He was a very learned man, and very nice man, W. S. Urquhart.

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So when there was fierce fighting was going on between the Germans and the Allies, so during their relaxed hours, the judges were sitting. So one, the Chief Justice of Calcutta, he asked one Justice Mukherjee. So Justice Mukherjee was very... He was vice-chancellor. So he asked him, "Mr. Mukherjee, now the Germans are coming. What you will do when they come?" He said, "Yes, as soon as they come, we shall: 'Come on sir, come on sir, come on sir.' We shall receive them." "Why?" "Now, you have taught us like that. You British people, you have taught us. (laughter) Our business is to receive. Anyone comes, we shall receive him. That's all."

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Our education is first of all to become brahmacārī, and the modern education is how to become vyabhicārī, this rascal education. And for this purpose there are big, big universities, vice chancellor, and so on, so on.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Devotee (1): In the newspapers, I also read that there was some talk before. Like they're actually friends. So they just feel, "Well, he got caught. We'll give him another try."

Hṛdayānanda: That "If you'll go away and let me be the president, then I'll get you out of jail."

Devotee (1): "We'll make some arrangement."

Hṛdayānanda: "I'll give you pardon."

Devotee (1): They don't con... (Break)

Prabhupāda: ...an agreement that "Ford, if you want to become president immediately, you accept this, that you'll excuse me. Then I resign. You become immediately. Otherwise, I'll continue. Let me see. So you'll be delayed." So he thought, "I am going to be immediately president. All right, agree. That's all."

Devotee (1): He made him his vice-president.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hṛdayānanda: No, no. That was before.

Prabhupāda: Vice-president?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That was another...

Hṛdayānanda: Nixon had made Ford vice-president.

Prabhupāda: He was vice-president. Ford?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: My professor of philosophy was Dr. W. S. Urquhart. He was a very famous man in India. He became vice chancellor.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You cannot become a devotee unless you are completely sinless. So to become completely sinless you have to begin with these four prohibitory injunctions, or avoid sinful activities like illicit sex, meat-eating, smoking, intoxication and gambling. Then you'll be gradually completely sinless. One side, to practice things, and another side, to engage yourself in devotional service. To engage oneself devotional service under the order of spiritual master and the śāstra means to remain on the transcendental platform. Transcendental platform means there is no sinful activity. It is above. Sinful.... Pious and sinful activities are there so long you are on the material platform. Good and bad. Piety and sinful. But when you are on the transcendental platform, then you are automatically without sin.

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicārena

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

Sin, life of vice and life of piety, they are within this material world. But when one is spiritually engaged, he is above the spiritual plane.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Amongst the same persons, one may get chance by selection, by majority vote. That is the way.

Hari-śauri: Democratic.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The persons are the same, twenty men. Now, by this selection of the majority persons, one becomes chairman for one year. Then everyone has the chance. That is the way. So that is... So secretaries and vice chairman also should be for one year.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda? It seems like your voice has become a little congested tonight. Are you feeling congested? Your voice seems a little...

Prabhupāda: Congested, my vice?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Voice. In the nose. Congestion.

Prabhupāda: My nose? Not very much.