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Which way (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says, "I am everything." Why don't you accept Him? That means you want to understand Kṛṣṇa in your own way. Why you are becoming intentionally unable?

Guest (9): No, believe Him as a you are a servant and serve Him. Or you believe that you are mother to Him.

Prabhupāda: No, that is second. First of all surrender. Then what way you shall surrender, that is different thing, another stage, more confidential. First of all there is surrender. First of all you enter this house or this room. Then you ask, "How can I serve you?" That is different. First of all there is no surrender, or without surrender, full surrender, there is no entrance in Kṛṣṇa. No entry. Because those who revolted against Kṛṣṇa, those who wanted to become Kṛṣṇa by imitating Him, they are here in this material world. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). (Hindi) Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), creation, that all the living entities who have come into this created world, they have revolted. They wanted to become Kṛṣṇa, to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they have given the chance, "All right, you become Kṛṣṇa. You do whatever you like. I will give you facilities. You want to become Brahmā? All right, you become Brahmā. And you want to become the worm of stool? I will give you the facility." So these living entities are rotating. Sometimes he is becoming Brahmā, sometimes becoming the worm of stool, sometimes this, sometimes that. In this way he is changing body. This is material world. Or when he comes back again, back to Godhead, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Then you'll haven't got to come back. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: You can get.

Haṁsadūta: We can get?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? You have appealed to the king, and he is willing. Why can you not? What is the difficulty? Now it is your business how to induce, induce him. There is chance, ninety percent chance.

Haṁsadūta: In which way will it be most helpful, in giving money personally or inducing others to give money? He will give money?

Prabhupāda: Yes, otherwise...

Haṁsadūta: How much money?

Prabhupāda: Ten lakhs.

Haṁsadūta: Ten lakhs. They can give the full amount?

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So as I liked, so I have got shirt and coat. This is material. But originally, spiritual form is the same as you have got, I have got, she has got a form, everyone. That is original form.

Guest (1): Now, our question... (indistinct) We try. Now, question of earning also, the definition is not here, being...

Prabhupāda: The question of earning comes so long you have got this material form. But from the spiritual form there is no question of earning.

Guest (1): In what way we will live in that spiritual form?

Prabhupāda: That you have to know. That you have to know. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That spiritual form means complete blissfulness, complete knowledge, and eternity.

Guest (1): Turiya.

Prabhupāda: Turiya, yes.

Guest (1): In that turiya...

Prabhupāda: This is turiya life, complete blissfulness, complete knowledge, and eternity.

Guest (1): You see, because it is a creation of the world... (indistinct) And that means that matter is there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Matter is always there.

Guest (1): Ah. We want to live and enjoy, therefore this universe and all these things. Now, in what perfect form? Because everywhere, in everything, there is a best. Now how everything should take?

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: That... But there is one thing that I am experiencing. India's the spiritual asset, if that is distributed, that will increase India's (indistinct). That is my... Because everywhere I go, still people adore India's spiritual culture. They are after India. And if they are properly distributed, the treasurehouse of Indian spiritual knowledge, then at least people outside India, they'll think that "We are getting something from India."

Prof. Kotovsky: Oh, you are right in this sense to my mind that the Indian cultural heritage is to be made known everywhere. That's right. But from the..., in the same time, in what way this would benefit Indian training masters(?) themselves? Because they are sitting in India...

Prabhupāda: No, India...

Prof. Kotovsky: ...and they have nothing from spreading of Indian cultural heritage and etc. over the world. Indian villagers have to have fertilizers, tractors, etc...

Prabhupāda: We do not object to that. There is no objection.

Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, I don't think that you object.

Prabhupāda: No.

Prof. Kotovsky: But at the same time, something has to be done in India itself. In what line, if you... One may call it Westernization from this introduction of technical revolution in all spheres of Indian life, in agriculture, industry, etc...

Television Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

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.

Interviewer: But in what way, sir, may I ask, in what way did you think, and do you think right now, that the teaching of the love of God which you are doing, is different and perhaps better than the teachings of the love of God which already were being conducted in this country and have been conducted in the Western world for centuries?

Prabhupāda: That is fact. Because we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. He is considered... He's accepted by us—according to the authority of Vedic literature—He is personally Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Which Lord is that?

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya.

Interviewer: Oh yes. He is the one who came back five hundred years ago to India?

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and He is teaching how to love Kṛṣṇa. Therfore His process is most authorized. Just like you are the expert in this establishment. If somebody is doing something, if you personally teach him, "Do like this," that is very authorized. So God consciousness, God Himself is teaching. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is God. He is speaking about Himself. And at last He says, "Just surrender unto Me. I take charge of you." But people misunderstand. So Lord Caitanya—Kṛṣṇa again came as Lord Caitanya to teach people how to surrender. And because we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, the method is so sublime that even foreigners who never knew Kṛṣṇa, they are surrendering. The method is so potent. So that was my purpose. We don't say that "This religion is better than this religion," or, "My process is better." We want to see by the result. In the Sanskrit there is a word, phalena paricīyate. A thing is judged by the result.

Interview -- July 29, 1971, Gainesville:

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.

Interviewer: But in what way, sir, may I ask, in what way did you think, and do you think right now, that the teaching of the love of God which you are doing is different and perhaps better than the teachings of the love of God which already were being conducted in this country, and have been conducted in the Western world for centuries?

Prabhupāda: That is fact. Because we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. He is considered..., He's accepted by us according to the authority of Vedic literature, He is personally Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Which Lord is that?

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya.

Interviewer: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya, He is...

Interviewer: He's the one who came back five hundred years ago?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: To India.

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: That says, or... Everyone says different way. Mammon or dog is expression in the faith. That is the test. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa
cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
govinda viraheṇa me

Yugāyitaṁ, "Every moment is just like twelve years." Cakṣuṣā pravṛṣāyitam, "crying like torrents of rain." Cakṣuṣā pravṛṣāyitam, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ. "Oh, I find everything is vacant." Govinda viraheṇa me, "without God, without..." This is an ideal picture. So another test is, bhaktiḥ pareśānubhava-viraktir anyatra syāt. If one has become lover of God, naturally he will be detached to material enjoyment. Love of God and love of material world cannot go together. Either this or that. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He never advised to, for economic development, for industrial development, or this and that. So many things. He sacrificed everything for God. That is one test, that "Here is a lover of God." He was punished that "You, you stop this preaching," but he did not. So that is love of God. He sacrificed everything. That is love of God. So the ideal is Lord Jesus Christ, and the follower must be, at least to some extent, to that point. That is test. So we say that you follow any religious path. That doesn't matter. We want to see whether you are lover of God. That is our propaganda. And if one is serious about loving God, it doesn't matter in which way he'll develop that dormant love. It doesn't matter. Just like one, a person wants to be a very nice student of mathematics. It doesn't matter from which university he takes the degree. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. He can go. Just like students are coming from one country to another, one country to another. Because his aim is education. So if one is serious about loving God, then it doesn't matter in which way he learns that art. It doesn't matter. He won't discriminate, "Oh, I must learn this art from this university." No. Any university. It doesn't matter. So our principle is that we are teaching love of God. So actually, those who are after God, they are coming. It doesn't matter whether he is in America, in Russia, in Africa, or Canada. It doesn't matter. They are coming. And method is simple. Chant the holy name of God. If you have got any name, you chant. We preach this. We don't say that you chant Kṛṣṇa. If you have got any name, God's name, then chant that.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but how the energy is working in future, that science does not know.

Bob: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: How the energy is diverted, how by different manipulation the energy is working differently. Just like electric energy, by different handling it is creating heater and it is creating cooler. Just opposite. But the same electric energy. So similarly, these energies, living energy, how it is being directed, which way it is going, how it is fructifying in the next life, so they do not know. They do not know. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is very simplified. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). You are covered by this dress, by this shirt. When this shirt is not workable you change it. Similarly, this body is just like shirt and coat, when it is no longer workable, we have to change.

Bob: What is the "we" that has to change? What is constant between one life to the next?

Prabhupāda: That is soul. That is soul, "I", what you are speaking, "you", what I am speaking, identification, ātmā, or soul.

Bob: My soul is different than your soul?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are individual soul, I am individual soul.

Bob: But you have removed yourself from karmic influences. If I was to remove myself from karmic influences, would our souls be the same or different?

Prabhupāda: Soul is the same. Just like you are under certain conception of life at the present moment. Just like your these countrymen. They were under certain conception of life. But by training they have taken another conception of life. So the ultimate training is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is perfection.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Bob: The guru should be accepted as representative of God?

Prabhupāda: Yes, guru is representative. Guru is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa.

Bob: But different than, like the incarnations of Kṛṣṇa that come?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bob: In what way is the external manifestation of the guru different than the external manifestation of, let us say, Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya when They come to earth.

Prabhupāda: Guru is one, representative of Kṛṣṇa. So there are symptoms who is guru. The general symptoms are described in the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). The first symptom is śrotriyam. Guru is in disciplic succession. One who has thoroughly heard about the Vedas through his spiritual master. This is general description. So another description is in the Bhāgavatam:

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śabde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
(SB 11.3.21)

Generally, the guru's symptom is that he's a perfect devotee. That's all. And he's serving Kṛṣṇa by preaching His message.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: But Hebrew... Hebrew, Indian, there are... The aims is the same—back to home, back to Godhead. The process may be different. The process may be different. Just like everyone wants some money. Without money he cannot exist. The process may be different, how he's earning money. Similarly, every religion, the aim is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Now the process may be different according to country, time, climate, men. That is another thing. But the... The same example. Either you are businessman or in service or working, craftsman, the aim is you require some money. Without money you cannot exist. This is crude example. Similarly, the aim is we are part and parcel of God. We... Unless we go back to home, back to Godhead, there cannot be any peace. That understanding is possible to develop in this human form of life, not in the animal form of life. Therefore every human being should take advantage of this human form of life and develop this idea of going back to home, back to Godhead. Either you do it through Hebrew religion or Christian religion or Hindu religion, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. If your aim is... Just like at the present moment people want money. If he gets money it doesn't matter in which way he gets the money. Money we must have. Similarly, the aim should be fulfilled. Either you fulfill it through the Hebrew or through Hindu or Christian or Mohammedan, it doesn't matter.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Therefore this contraceptive method is sinful activity. Abortion, contraceptive method. This is against the, I mean to say, plan of the Supreme. Just like the government is making some plan, and if you spoil it, you are criminal. What is the time now?

Brahmānanda: Twenty of seven. Twenty minutes of seven.

Prabhupāda: So we can return now. Which way? (pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So their statement that life started from matter can be disproved very easily?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Any child can disprove it. And that theory is also wrong that lower type of animals were first created. No. All different varieties were, all were existing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Prabhupāda explains that in, in Bhagavad-gītā, in one of the purports.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Whatever desire the living entities had before the annihilation, that became the, the living entities enter into different bodies according to their...

Prabhupāda: Desire.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...desire.

Morning Walk -- April 25, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, it doesn't mat... Therefore they're all madmen. You can speak in your own way. I'll speak in my own way and another fool thinks that both of them are scientists. They do not agree. Still he's scientist. Just see. Cheaters and the cheated. Somebody's cheating and somebody's becoming cheated. The whole society's the combination of cheaters and cheated. That's all. I see both of them, they do not agree. Just like they have rejected religion because two religionists, they do not agree. So why not these rascal scientists? They do not agree. Just see. They are so fool. But still they are after that. Their modern people they have rejected religion because they say that one religionist does not agree with another religionist. So there is no... Skepticism. So why not about the scientists? Just see. Everywhere you will find contradiction. Therefore anyone... and we are find out this contradiction because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot find out. We are challenging scientists, philosophers, although we are teeny person, because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, who is detecting their follies? Nobody. The scientist's follies, the philosopher follies, their contradiction... A devotee can find out. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. Unless one is highly enlightened, one cannot find out these defects, contradiction. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. We have got simple formulas in the śāstras. Simply on the basis of those formulas... Whole Vedic literature is like that. Just like Āyurveda, Āyurveda or astrology. Everything is like that. Āyurveda, the medicine. They have to learn only the beating of the pulse. If one becomes expert in which way the pulse beating is going on... They have got example. Just like some birds jump over like this. Some bird goes like this. So they have got example how the pulse is beating, jumping or easily going. So the symptoms, if one can study, he becomes physician, first-class. Immediately. Because as soon as he can study the pulse, how it is beating, in which way... That is, that requires little experience. Then immediately the formula is that if the pulse is beating in this way, then these symptoms will be there. And he will ask the patient...

Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: No.

Revatīnandana: You won't get any good information about God. "God is great. God created"—finished. That's not very much information. God's son? A little more information about God's son.

Student (1): But you've got no more right to say you know who is God than they have.

Revatīnandana: Oh, well, we have a lot more information about God, you see.

Student: In which way?

Revatīnandana: In these Vedas. There's a difference between the arithmetic book you get in the first grade of school and the calculus book in terms of the amount of information. We can tell you more about God because the Vedas give more information than the Bible. But the basic principle—"God is there. God is a person"—is in both places.

Prabhupāda: Jesus Christ is son of God. Therefore God must be person. A person can beget a son.

Student (1): God exists now.

Prabhupāda: Yes, always exists.

Student (1): But therefore where is He?

Prabhupāda: Why is He?

Revatīnandana: Where is He?

Prabhupāda: Where is He? He is with you. He is here. But you have no eyes to see, that's all.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: No, then they'll want to see the soul...

Devotee: ...are limited.

Devotee: ...they want to see a soul as eternal.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Which way?

Devotee: Go to one life to another life.

Prabhupāda: Which way?

Devotee: Which way?

Devotee: This.

Hṛdayānanda: Where is...?

Yaśomatīnandana: Prabhupāda, actually this knowledge is so absolute, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. You can actually experience...

Prabhupāda: Yeah.

Yaśomatīnandana: ...just by taking bhakti you can see that your purification comes...

Prabhupāda: Ah.

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

Prabhupāda: So children's father also go there?

Guest (1): (break) She is also doing that japa. And while this mālā, doing mālā, and doing the japa, the mind doesn't remain fixed in God. You know, it wanders about. So what is the way of fixing the mind?

Prabhupāda: To hear. "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Chant and hear.

Guest (1): Speak loudly.

Guest (2) (Indian lady): Speak loudly but still the mind goes away here and there.

Prabhupāda: Then that is called... abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). That you have to practice. (Hindi) We have got a sāṅkhya, that "You must perform so many times." It doesn't matter what is... Then gradually, (Hindi). This is the only...

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

(Hindi) So we have to follow, and actually it is becoming effective.

Guest (2): I think it takes many births to have the effect.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: They're going separate.

Karandhara: Oh.

Gurukṛpā: If we go the other way it's cheaper.

Prabhupāda: Which way?

Karandhara: Through New York.

Prabhupāda: (break) I cannot go there. You see? As if three hundred miles away.

Gurukṛpā: (break) We saw from the plane.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: Forty-five minutes on the plane from Miami we saw the comet.

Yaśodānandana: It was there for forty-five minutes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, a bad sign...

Yaśodānandana: As big as the sky.

Prabhupāda: How big?

Yaśodānandana: Big as the sky. It was flashing for forty-five minutes, this big...

Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...who has got (indistinct).

Devotee: The Rose Bowl.

Satsvarūpa: Rāmeśvara said he had the figures, but I have to get them from him. (break)

Prabhupāda: That is human life. Your choice, make your choice, which way. Again death or deathlessness. Stop death from you. This is human life. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they're trying for death. There will be death. But for the bhaktas, devotees, there is deathlessness. Punar janma jayāya. For conquering over next birth. Rascal civilized man does not know what is next life, how death can be stopped. Nothing else. Big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, they do not understand. The so-called scholars, they do not understand. These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). They do not understand. They say, "What is this?" They do not understand. (break)

Bali Mardana: ...people could not enjoy so much in this life, they worry more about the next life.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bali Mardana: When people realize they cannot enjoy so much in this life, they worry more about what is going to happen to them in the next life.

Prabhupāda: No, how does... They do not know what is next life?

Bali Mardana: They don't know.

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, that is also... There is law. You cannot have sexual intercourse with wife as you like, no. That is also illicit sex. Then... When the woman is in menstrual period, after five days, you can have once. As soon as she is pregnant, no more sexual intercourse. This is human being. Not that like animal. Animals also, they have got restrictions. You see? The lions, they have sexual intercourse once in life. Once in life. Brahmacārī. You see? So as soon as you violate the laws, then you are animal. Because law is meant for man. Just like "Keep to the right" and "left" in the road. It is meant for human being, not for the dogs. Dog, if he keeps right or left, it is not under law. But if you keep your car instead of left to the right, then you are criminal. (pause) So which way we have to go?... Human life begins when he understands what is dharma. That is human life, beginning. Aushikha (?) (Hindi) Jaiye aur Hindu religion hai, Muslim religion hai, Christian religion hai, Buddhist religion hai, Jewish religion hai. The religion must be there. But when we give up this religious process, then there is no more human life; it is animal life. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Girirāja: So by that, there's a emblem of the theosophical colony.

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayapatākā: So what is the benefit of such worship of Viṣṇu? Jarāsandha worship?

Prabhupāda: They will get material opulence. Asuras, they want material opulence. They, they do not understand what is spiritual life or spiritual happiness, what is devotional service. Neither they'd like to understand. Which way?

Jayapatākā: Left here. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...we heard from...?

Gurukṛpā: From the Ganges?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: From the Ganges?

Jayapatākā: What is this land? (?) (break)

Prabhupāda: "...near the brahma-jyotir, I don't want. Now I have merged." This is Māyāvāda theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all that silt from the Ganges River, Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā: This man, he wants to sell this land, seventeen bighās, for seven hundred rupees. (break)

Madhudviṣa: How is that possible?

Morning Walk -- March 4, 1974, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: This, from this... This is the land that we want to get. It starts from here. And that's our land there. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...immediately appreciates Kṛṣṇa's intelligence. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svā-bhāvikī... (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). It is being done as if automatically, but no, there is brain. That brain, these rascals, they cannot find out. Machine, nature only. What is this nature? Nonsense. So which way we shall go? This way? Up to the river?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Each and every grain...

Jayapatākā: Here's our mango tree.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Viṣṇujana: Mango.

Prabhupāda: Mango tree?

Bhavānanda: Yes, we planted, uh... (end)

Morning Walk -- March 5, 1974, Mayapura:

Indian devotee: Very nice side, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I lived in that house for seven years. And then I came to Rādhā-Dāmodara temple.

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Which way? (break) ...stayed in that Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, Malliks. And still I am living in temple. So Kṛṣṇa has arranged nicely, from the beginning of my life, temple. Which way? This way? (break) Medhi, this is called medhi, this rod, center. So the, the bull is bound up with it and he goes round, goes around. All day. So gṛhamedhī means center is home, and he goes round. Throughout the whole life. They are called gṛhamedhīs.

Hṛdayānanda: This is called medhi.

Prabhupāda: Medhi, yes. Another medhi means killing. So one who keeps himself in household life, he kills himself. Killing, Gṛhamedhī. And that is little long term meaning. But this is the direct meaning. The medhi rod is there, and he simply... He's very busy. Busy means within few feet. But he's thinking he's very busy. Anyone got, he has got home, and he's simply rounding about. Anywhere you go. The center is that. And what is that gṛha? Where? Which way?

Bhavānanda: This way, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Na gṛhaṁ gṛham ity āhur gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate. The gṛham, house, is not actually gṛha. Gṛha means the wife. Gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate na gṛhaṁ gṛham ity āhuḥ. Gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate. So to become householder means one must have a wife. So actually round the wife. Gṛhamedhī. Round the wife. And what is wife means, everyone knows. It means round that thing. Is that good analysis?

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. But your habit is as soon as we begin talks, immediately you talk.

Dr. Patel: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Without hearing. And therefore you do not understand.

Dr. Patel: I think, uh... No, I think... What way I will make you talk? You tell me the way. I will make you talk...

Prabhupāda: And you'll hear first of all.

Dr. Patel: Ācchā. Let us hear.

Prabhupāda: Then I... You are simply patient. Then if you cannot understand, you'll inquire. Not that you will think, "I know better than him. Therefore I shall talk." It will never help you to understand.

Dr. Patel: Well, if you run away with the idea that I am thinking that, it is wrong.

Prabhupāda: No, no. You are, you are habituated to think like that.

Dr. Patel: I am habituated.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is your...

Dr. Patel: Habit is... Habit is habit. But I have got all respect for you. Don't say that I am thinking that.

Prabhupāda: No, no. I know that. I know that.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And therefore I am pointing out your defects.

Dr. Patel: That's all right. I am prepared to correct it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: But you, you keep mum. If I don't excite, you don't speak. So which way I shall excite you? (laughter throughout)

Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of excitement. When you put a question, I shall answer it from the śāstras. Just like it is, it is any child can understand. If I ask a child, "What is this?" "Hand." "What is this?" "Head." "What is this?" "Leg." Does he say, "Body"? So you are speaking less than a child. (laughter)

Dr. Patel: Hm. That is what I am. That is what I am. That is what I am.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Any child, if you ask him, "My dear child, what is this?" He'll say, "It is hand." "What is this?" "It is head." "What is this?" "Leg." Does he say, "All body"? You are speaking like that.

Dr. Patel: Like... How shall I speak? Shall I beat your body?

Prabhupāda: No, no. (laughter) Don't speak.

Dr. Patel: Where is the right way?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Any gentleman says... It is right? If I ask a child, "What is this?" What he'll say? "It is hand." Will he say, "It is head"? Then? You are speaking like less than a child.

Morning Walk -- March 29, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why not yourself?

Dr. Patel: ...on that point I'm going to (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: These rascals, asuras, they do not know what is the goal of life. But in which way we should direct? These rascals, they do not know. Still, they become public leaders, asuras. Na viduḥ. How to dissuade people to stop this? Just like we are doing: no illicit sex. Nivṛtti. Nivṛtti. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. This is nivṛtti. And pravṛtti, take to Kṛṣṇa. This is pravṛtti, nivṛtti. But the rascal demons, leaders, they do not know these things. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ asura-jana (BG 16.7). They do not know it. Still, they become leaders. They do not know in which way people should be directed, and still they claim to be public leaders.

Indian man: Na ācāro na satyaṁ te śuddha vidyate.

Prabhupāda: Na ācāraḥ. Personally they also do not do anything, ah? They're addict, they addict to drinking, addict to prostitution, and they, by votes, they become leaders. So how people will be happy? Asura-jana. They live by asura-jana. This is the whole chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. They, they are making their plan. What is their plan-making? Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye manoratham. This is the only plan. "Now I have got this bank balance, and tomorrow further increase, and tomorrow increase." Increase, increase, his life decreased, and kicked out of this...

Indian man (2): That plan becomes out of date next year.

Morning Walk -- March 29, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is Buddhism.

Indian man (2): But he's not Buddhist, he's Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: But he's taking the Buddhist philosophy.

Indian man (2): He's not taking the Buddhist philosophy. In what way he has?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, because in the śāstra, in the Vedas, it is stated that, sometimes it is recommended animal sacrifice.

Indian man (2): He did not want to...

Prabhupāda: No, no, he says, even if he stated...

Indian man (2): Should not take it.

Prabhupāda: No, that means he's denying the authority of Vedas.

Indian man (2): He's denying the authority of Vaiṣṇava...

Prabhupāda: No, no, Vaiṣṇava does not say...

Indian man (2): He denied the authority of Buddhist, and not Vedas, see what he says...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, you read it.

Indian man (2): Na vaksyam sarva-tamasaṁ yajña-śiṣṭam abhipacchet.(?)

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes! That is your... Now, you see, understand.

Dr. Patel: I understand...

Prabhupāda: He has performed the annakūṭa ceremony. Either you eat or I eat, where is the difference?

Dr. Patel: Great difference. (break) ...what way?

Prabhupāda: Because you do not take prasādam, therefore you are not devotee.

Dr. Patel: You... I take this much prasādam. They need that much prasāda. That is what I mean to say otherwise.

Prabhupāda: No, no, you cannot dictate. Prasāda, prasāda, prasāda will be distributed without discrimination.

Dr. Patel: Say you are hungry...

Dr. Shah: No, he's saying the same thing. He says without discrimination it is... (break) ...prasādam is...

Prabhupāda: Everyone is poor!

Dr. Patel: Everyone is poor before God...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: ...but those people who are hungry...

Prabhupāda: But why you dictate?

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Mūrkhasya latoṣadhiḥ. It is very... (break) ...from this movement.

Dr. Patel: I have not read that letter.

Prabhupāda: No.

Dr. Patel: Which way it has come?

Prabhupāda: (break) ...barking, what is the use of arguing with him?

Dr. Patel: No, we have not read. I don't know how it came to our...

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...talking of this letter of commissioner.

Dr. Patel: Oh, commissioner. (break)

Prabhupāda: They, because today's Rāma Naumi, they're taking bath?

Dr. Patel: Yes, they are taking bath. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...says that "Why don't you go to the forest?"

Dr. Patel: But that somebody must have told you.

Prabhupāda: No, no. One of the important men. What is the name of that...?

Girirāja: Yogendrabhai.

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: So the workers are giving to the devotees and the devotees are giving to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They become devotee, they will give to Kṛṣṇa. You also become devotees. Not that they become devotee and you exploit them very nicely. That is not.

Satsvarūpa: It is getting a little late. We should...

Prabhupāda: Which way we shall go?

Dhanañjaya: Just up here. (break)

Satsvarūpa: ...their nuts and bolts.

Prabhupāda: No, nuts, if there is demand, let this go on. Why shall I shut down. But we cannot run on this slaughterhouse... (end)

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. And mother is the only evidence. That's all. Similarly, acintyaḥ khalu ye bhava na tas tarkeṇa yojayet (?). Śāstra says that "What is beyond your experience, you don't argue on that point." You go to the authority and take it. Why you should you argue? It is beyond your experience. Therefore you must find out who can give you the experience. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). But don't stop there, that "It is beyond my experience; therefore I should not have experience." This is foolishness. If it is beyond your experience, then go to a person who has got experience and take from him. Suppose if I am in this park. I do not know which way to go. It is beyond my experience. Then I ask one gentleman, "Where shall I go?" He'll say, "Please go this way." This is the way. Why should you stop and think others also, that God is beyond his experience also? Why? It may be beyond your experience, but unless you go to a person who has got actually experience, how can you get the experience? (pause)

Bhagavān: He seemed frustrated that he says he's tried, but he hasn't found. He was in India for twenty-five years.

Prabhupāda: Well, the thing is that this, actually, to understand Kṛṣṇa is not easy job. Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of millions." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, we are trying to understand little, little. Otherwise, it is very difficult to understand it. And if there is any understanding of God, that is in this Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, especially in this Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. Others, they do not know. They cannot know. Kṛṣṇa will never reveal to them. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage your tongue in His service, then God reveals to you. You cannot understand God.

Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, how can one remain humble?

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: For knowledge. So take knowledge from me.

Yogeśvara: That's what you tell them.

Prabhupāda: "Otherwise, why you are asking, wasting your time and my time? If you are asking, you take knowledge from me." Is that all right?

Paramahaṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If... The same example. Suppose I do not know which way to go. If I ask somebody, it is supposed that he knows. Is it not?

Paramahaṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, why I shall ask somebody? It is supposed that he knows. Now, when you ask him, then you must take his word. He says, "You go this way." You shall go there. And again, you say, "Why shall I go this way?" And why, rascal, you come to ask me? Is it not? You asked me, "Which way I shall go to go to that place?" I say, "You go this way." And if you again say, "Why shall I go this way?" "Then why, rascal, you come to waste my time and your time?" This is the answer. If you ask me, then you take my word. Eh?

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: That's it. And if you think that I do not know, then why do you ask me, and waste your time and my time? Therefore śāstra says that "Ask from guru." If you accept somebody as guru, then ask from him. As soon as you ask, the man to whom you ask, he is your guru.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Mesman, Chief of Law House of Paris -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: The same thing: to induce people to become lawful to the laws of God. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks what are we doing for that?

Nitāi: What ways are we doing that?

Pṛthu-putra: In which way, what way, how?

Prabhupāda: This, we are chanting the holy name of Lord so that people may hear and their hearts be cleansed to understand what is God. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: This gentleman asks if the disciples have to give up their religion, if, for example, they are Christian, they have to give up Christianity to be devotee.

Prabhupāda: Well, Christianity also, they are trying to understand God, and we are also trying to understand, not only understand, but we, we are trying others to understand what is God. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks if we have temple in France or if we do in apartment or if we do in conference, private conferences. How we are doing it?

Prabhupāda: Anyway. We welcome all, all learned men, or leading men, to understand this philosophy. And the book is... You show Bhagavad-gītā. And all other books also show him. (French)

Yogeśvara: He says, unfortunately, he doesn't read English.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But everyone is not advanced in knowledge. (French)

Yogeśvara: He says the question remains because there are other, very spiritually advanced men who don't accept that idea.

Prabhupāda: No, somebody may be known as spiritually advanced according to the society, but he may not be. So another thing is that what is the way of understanding the Absolute Truth. Let him explain. What is the standard way of understanding Absolute Truth? (French)

Yogeśvara: He says he doesn't have an answer in that kind of a context.

Church Representative: No context, problematic.

Prabhupāda: It may be problematic to some, but Absolute Truth can be understood by śruti, authoritative hearing.

Karandhara: When the Absolute reveals Himself, then... Śruti means the absolute knowledge from the Absolute, from God.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the Absolute Truth is known by the absolute method which is called śruti, hearing from the Absolute. Absolute cannot be imagined or speculated. (French)

Yogeśvara: He says that is a fundamental point.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore we accept Absolute Truth from the Absolute.

Karandhara: And according to the Vedic system, in different times and different places, according to the mentality and the culture of the people, the Absolute has made Himself known on different levels, higher and lower levels.

Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So narādhama, means lowest of the mankind. In the human form of life one could understand that as there is a pilot in the aeroplane, there is a pilot on this big cosmic manifestation.

Yogeśvara: Yes, but his last reaction to that was that he always finds Indian analogies amusing.

Prabhupāda: But he has no other knowledge. Without analogy he cannot understand. Then it will be dogmatic. So if you go this way you are dogmatic, and if you this way, analogy. Then what way he will take? (French)

Prabhupāda: But you are a fool. In your own way means foolish way. You do not know. (French)

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: The example is that this body, there is a living force within the body which is causing it to move and to work, and that living force is the soul. And when the soul leaves this body, then the body is no longer moving and eating and talking and hearing and seeing. So in the same way in this universe there is a greater spiritual person, and His body, in a sense, is this whole universe, and it is moving on the same principle because He is the supreme consciousness.

Deshimaru: But what do you know about the soul leaving the body? Maybe when the body leaves the soul, the soul also dies.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: The point is that body and soul are two things.

Deshimaru: I think it is same thing.

Prabhupāda: You think, but how you can prove?

Deshimaru: How you can prove that the body...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you cannot prove. When the soul is gone...

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: No, no. The thing is that you are not perfect. Therefore the idea should be how to become perfect. (German)

Vedavyāsa: (Vedavyāsa is translating from here on) So he asks, "How to become perfect, as human being or as spirit?" Because he sees now only human beings. So this is the problem how to become perfect as human being, not as spirit.

Prabhupāda: Why you are sticking to human being although it is imperfect? Why you are sticking to human being? (German) You are accepting this human being is not perfect, and still, why you are sticking to this imperfect life? Now, in what way you like this human form of body? What is the purpose? (German)

Vedavyāsa: So he says his body is just an instrument of communication, and through this body he can communicate with other people.

Prabhupāda: So this is also possible by the birds and beasts. They also talk: "Kichu, kichu, kichu, kichu." (German)

Vedavyāsa: He thinks there's a great difference between the talking of birds and bees and our talking.

Prabhupāda: Why difference? They are talking in their community, you are talking in your community. (German)

Haṁsadūta: No, he has said a very good point. He said there is a difference because an animal has no self-consciousness. He does not understand what he is in essence.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, namasyantaś ca mām... (BG 9.14).

Prof. Pater Porsch: In what way can he support, or cooperate with your movement? In what way can he offer optimal benefit to your movement?

Prabhupāda: That is a simple thing. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Prof. Pater Porsch: No. I mean in a further, in an extended way. For example...

Haṁsadūta: Yes. We have got a life membership program which can be (indistinct) can participate in that way.

Prabhupāda: You can become a life member and read all these books and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no loss. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa there is no material loss on your part, but if there is any gain, why don't you take it?

Prof. Pater Porsch: No, my question was perhaps a little, not quite clear. Many of us here, myself felt, represent not only our personal selves but are here on behalf of certain institutions and we are active in some form or other of public service, these gentlemen probably also. And in what way, for example, would we serve your movement by giving a clear explanation about the aims of your activity, for example, removing prejudices and supporting Sanskrit studies and the better distribution of the Bhagavad-gītā in this form, in such ways, perhaps?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are writing these books for distribution.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: Then they are controlled by the laws of material nature, and they want to be happy independently. This is rascaldom. If I am controlling you and you want to become happy independently, how it is possible? You must get out of the control first of all. Your eyes should be open. Then you can do something independently. But you are under my control fully, and I have wrapped up your eyes with very thick layer of cloth, and then how you can become independent, work. That they do not know. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This māyā, this energy, is very, very strong. You cannot get out of it. Then what is the way? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then immediately he gets out of the control of māyā. That is the sign. Otherwise, if I remain a blind man, how can I lead others? Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, janma sārthaka kari kāra para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). You are very busy doing good to others, but first of all make your life perfect. And otherwise, you rascal, fool, blind, what you will do? So where is the training? Where the politicians are going to take training how to become free from the wrapping, illusion? So they are in illusion, in darkness. What they can do? Futile attempt. Therefore all plans are failure. So many Hitler, so many Gandhi, so many Churchill, they came and...

Guest: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone is blind. Yes, everyone is blind.

Guest: Without being...?

Prabhupāda: Being Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone is blind. And they are trying to lead other blind men. So what will be the result? All of them will fall down on the ditch.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone is in darkness. If you can make propaganda, the people will be misled. That is not very difficult. Just like from Russia, nobody is communist. But it is going on—the Russia is communist country. I have studied thoroughly. Nobody is communist. Maybe a few only. But it is going on by propaganda that Russia is a communist country. The people in general, they are forced to accept it. That book was written by some man, terrorism. It is terrorism. That's it. By force. Nobody accepts this communist philosophy, I have studied. (everyone gets out of car) They were very, very unhappy. The young man cannot go out of the country. Just see. Restricted. How much uncomfortable he is feeling. Especially in European countries, the young men, they want to go. But they will not allow. They will not allow anything to read except Lenin's literature. What is this? Simply suppressing. Everyone is unhappy. Which way? This way? This is their position. I have seen it directly. And as soon as one is suspected that he is doing otherwise, he will be sent to some unknown camp. Nobody knows where he has gone.

Paramahaṁsa: Just like they had some people who came to Russia to start some Buddhist thing, and then they were sent away to some camp, concentration camp.

Prabhupāda: Never seen again.

Paramahaṁsa: No one has seen them.

Prabhupāda: Just see. This is their... It is the most fallen country. No freedom. No freedom at all. Horrible country.

Gaṇeśa: Why don't the people revolt if they're so unhappy?

Room Conversation with Carol Cameron -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda:? Yes, so if you simply in illusion you live, then where is your education? If you remain in darkness, then where is your education? Illusion means darkness. So if you are in darkness, now what is your education? And where is your philosophy?

Carol: The only way to remove this darkness is through love. Is this what you are saying?

Prabhupāda: Love is far away. First of all you be educated.

Carol: How? In what way?

Prabhupāda: Education means right knowledge. Right knowledge. Just like, everyone wants to live. Nobody wants to die. So, the enquiry should be that "I do not wish to die. Why death is forced upon me?" What is that force? What is the nature of that force? If I submit, "Yes, the force is there," then where is my knowledge? I do not wish to die. So why death is forced upon me? Nobody wants miserable condition of life, but miserable condition of life is enforced upon me. So this should be first of all enquired, that I do not want these things, and who is enforcing upon me these things? This is the first enquiry, philosophical.

Carol: I tend to approach from the other side and ask "Who am I?" and "What is this thing that I call myself?"

Prabhupāda: It is everyone's problem. I don't want something, but something is enforced upon me. Just like you are now a young girl. You do not like to be old woman. But you will have to become old woman.

Carol: Become?

Amogha: Old woman.

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But one who does not know, why is he saying that Bhagavad-gītā was written five thousand years ago? He does not know. That is my point. If you had known then you would not have said like that, foolishly, that Bhagavad-gītā was spoken five thousand years ago. It is avyayam, it is eternally there. It is eternally there. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Avyayam means which is never under deterioration. It is eternally existing. That is avyayam. Just like ātmā, soul, avyayam. There is no deterioration. It is there. So forty millions of years ago once it was spoken, but in due course of time it is now lost; therefore I am speaking it again to you. You did not read Bhagavad-gītā it is said there? How do you say it was written five thousand years ago? It is already there. It was first spoken forty millions of years ago, now it is lost. The material world is like that. One thing is lost sometimes. Therefore I am speaking to you. And why are you speaking to me? Because you are my devotee. This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. That means only the devotees can understand Bhagavad-gītā, and it is always existing, and because it is now lost... Just like we are putting Bhagavad-gītā, why am I stressing so much? It is lost. By the so-called Gandhis and Dr. Radhakrishnan, they have made it lost. Therefore we are stressing. The thing is there. We are simply trying to revive it again. It is not that it is the beginning. No. It is already there. But these rascals have made it lost. People do not understand it, do not follow it, that is the difficulty. So we are trying to revive it again. It is revival of the whole teaching. Permanent teaching. Permanent beneficial instruction. Now it is lost. Which way shall we go?

Gaṇeśa: Straight ahead, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is another path.

Prabhupāda: There is another path?

Paramahaṁsa: Another footpath, yes.

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: There is another path?

Paramahaṁsa: Another footpath, yes.

Prabhupāda: This road is nice.

Amogha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Which way? This way or that way?

Amogha: This way is all right.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Amogha: The sun is this way.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is not that, five thousand years ago, not like that. Just like you cannot say the sun is now coming. It is there. It is there always. You are seeing now. They used to think like that—at night the sun is dead. These rascals. And they are advanced. They used to think that this earth is square. (laughing) And they are advanced. They are changing their opinion daily. That is their scientific knowledge. Why should they change?

Amogha: They say this means they are discovering the truth, step by step.

Prabhupāda: That means you do not know the truth. That is a fact. You do not know—simply speculating. You are accepting some spot—this is truth. And after some days, "No, no, this is not truth, this is truth." This is your position.

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Justin Murphy: Hm, no.

Prabhupāda: So if a human being does not become inquisitive to understand what he is, in which way his progress should me made, then he remains a dog. The dog cannot do it. And we have got the capacity. If we neglect this facility and remain like a dog, simply engaged in eating, sleeping, sex, and defense, then we remain dog. Then again we become dog. The opportunity was given to us to understand the problems of life, how to solve. If you don't take this opportunity, facility, if you simply remain like dog, then we are next life... That also they do not understand, that there is next life. Do you believe in the next life? You, a person, do you believe in a next life?

Justin Murphy: No, I don't.

Prabhupāda: You do not.

Justin Murphy: No.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Now...

Justin Murphy: So therefore I'm bad material.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...believe it.

Room Conversation with Ganesa dasa's Mother and Sister -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: What you are doing for your benefit?

Sister: For my benefit? It develops me because it helps me to learn to give to others rather than, you know, for myself.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Everyone is doing for others, but what he is doing for himself?

Sister: Well, I feel it has developed me as a person. You know? I can look more into myself by helping others.

Prabhupāda: So what is the way of helping?

Sister: Well, in the society it's full of problems and people are just sort of lost, and I can't solve their problems, but I can help them to cope with them more adequately. That's what I hope to be able to do when I'm qualified.

Prabhupāda: But do you know what is the problem?

Sister: The problems? No. That's why they come to you, really. You know? They're expecting an answer. You can't really give them one, but...

Prabhupāda: The real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease. So we are dealing with that problem. Now... Does anybody like to die?

Sister: No, I don't think so.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But the death is there.

Sister: Yeah, death is there. It's inevitable.

Mother: It's inevitable, isn't it?

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: ...to solve the problem of drug and alcohol addiction and, of course, they're concerned with the causes of it and things like that.

Prabhupāda: So you can send all these alcohol and drug patients here and they will be cured. These boys, American and European boys, they were all addicted to alcohol, drugs. Now they have given up. Practical.

Guest (1): In what way would they cure?

Prabhupāda: Simply I say that "If you want to be my student, then you must give up four things: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling." This is my condition. So they give up, and they become my student.

Guest (2): Do they suffer withdrawal symptoms?

Paramahaṁsa: He says, "Do they suffer withdrawal symptoms?" Sometimes when a patient is giving up alcohol or drugs, he goes through various symptoms which are painful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. That should be... But unless... Find out this, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59).

Devotee (2): "The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Morning Walk -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, karma-mīmāṁsā. (break) Now, if you do good, good result will come. So sometimes it so happens that a person doing very good, still, good result will not come. Is it not?

Devotee (1): That's true.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Which way? (break)

Hari-śauri: Their argument is, then, if God is there and He is actually the ultimate controller, and He is motivating everything to happen, then I can just sit back and do nothing and things will happen.

Prabhupāda: No, you should work for the result. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. But do not think that because you working very nicely, the result will come. That is the... Because it is not in your hand. Therefore, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana: "Your duty is to go on working, but don't expect the result as you desire." That will never happen unless it is sanctioned. Just like a man is suffering. Your duty is to appoint nice physician, nice medicine. But is there any guarantee that he will live? Why does he die? You can say that "I have given the best medicine and best medical treatment." Still, he dies. What is the cause? What do they say? What is the cause?

Amogha: Perhaps they didn't know the right...

Prabhupāda: (break) Wherefrom the force comes? Why don't you inquire? Why do you say that sometimes you are forced to commit mistake. So why don't you inquire wherefrom the force coming? Did you inquire that?

Devotee (2): I tried to, Prabhupāda.

Radio Interview -- May 25, 1975, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: You are thinking this is Oriental civilization, but that is not the fact. The fact is this is human civilization. There is no question of east and west. Every living being, not only human being, even other beings—there are 8,400,000's forms of life—and Kṛṣṇa claims that

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
haṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
(BG 14.4)

So Kṛṣṇa is for the aquatics, the animals in the water. The vast sea, there are so many animals. Then, from the water, the trees are coming out. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. In this way evolutionary process is going on. But all of them, living entities, and part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. So by the evolutionary process they come to the human form of life. Now there is developed consciousness. Now, the human being has to decide which way he has to go, again to the lower species of life or higher forms of life. The higher forms of life are there in the upper planetary system.

Radio Interview -- May 25, 1975, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: And they are big, big educationist. Anyway, there is no such department which deals with the transmigration of the soul. That is the defect of the modern civilization. So there is transmigration of the soul. By evolution, by transmigration of the soul, we have come to this human form of life. Now here we have to decide again. Because we are part and parcel of God, a small particle of the same quality... So God is fully independent. We have got also a little independence. So God does not interfere with our independence. Now here we have to decide which way again we shall go. We have come by the evolution, by nature's way. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Nature has brought us and given us a chance, whether we shall go to our original spiritual life or we shall remain in this material world by changing body one after another. That is to be decided. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating people that "Stop your so-called material advancement. You come again, back to home, back to Godhead."

Therefore our paper's name is Back to Godhead. Don't make any false advancement. You will never be happy. This is our propaganda. It is called nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga means stop material way of life; begin spiritual way of life and come to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you cultivate spiritual life, then, after giving up this body... We have to give up. This is material body. And after giving up this body, we can accept..., we can continue our spiritual body or we can accept again material body. That will require our sense how to cultivate.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Maybe.

Devotee (1): (break) ...small trees in here or grass, we can walk in there.

Prabhupāda: Yes, which way?

Devotee (1): Oh, this way. We can walk this way. (break)

Śrutakīrti: It's an acknowledgement of the first director of this botanical garden. (break)

Devotee (1): ...poison, Prabhupāda. This one is poison. It's called aki (a key?) apple. I think, I don't know, but I'm not sure.

Prabhupāda: Without tasting, you say poison? First of all taste. (laughter) If you die, then you say it is poison.

Devotee (1): This is a candlenut tree, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They take these nuts and in old Hawaii they string it through a coconut frond, and then they light it, and it used to burn for a few minutes. It's full of oil. Candlenut.

Prabhupāda: What it is written there?

Paramahaṁsa: "Sir Betare (?) tree."

Devotee (1): They told me most of the fruits here are poisonous except for one mango.

Indian man: That yellow kind of campaka?

Prabhupāda: No, it is not campaka. It is called kaiku(?). (break) ...Melbourne?

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Now they are still here or they have left?

Siddha-svarūpa: They are here, but they've mixed up with other races. There's many mixture in races. And most of the local people who live here, they're a mixture of Hawaiian, Japanese... (break)

Prabhupāda: Then everything will go on nice.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, the people will have someone to look up to at least. They'll know which way to go. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...rogues.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, and so then they become, the people become very frustrated because the leaders they're trying to look up to, they find out they're crooks, and it ruins their... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the animals. Take, for example, the cows. If the master is Kṛṣṇa conscious they are not killed. And if the master is a rogue, they are killed. They have no knowledge how to protect themself. They take shelter of a master. So if the master is good, then their life is safe. And if the master is rogue, then they are killed. So it requires the leader. Formerly the kings were saintly, rājarṣi. Therefore there was peace. You cannot expect the mass of people very intelligent. That is not possible. They are generally in darkness. They believe that "Somebody, this man, will give us protection." But the man is treacherous. He sits down on the post of giving protection, but he kills. This is going on. Therefore if the leaders become nice, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be all right. (break) These rogues, by force, by device, they all occupy the government post. Formerly, Vedic, the king was trained up very nicely by the brāhmaṇas, guided by the brāhmaṇas, and they would do nicely. (break) ...now thousands of kings. The president, the secretary, the minister, this senator, everyone is king. Because everyone is in the business of exploitation. That's all. Formerly there was one king. Now, in the name of democracy, there are thousands of kings. And the poor citizens, they have to satisfy all of them.

Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. This is the whole population. They do not know... There are big, big nation, big, big philosopher, big, big scientists and all very big, but what kind of life they should live, they do not know. What is the accurate destination of our life, that they do not know. And all humbug, big, big scientist, philosopher, theologist, and so on, so on, politician, sociologist, welfare. But real thing, they are rascal. They do not know which way we have to go. So what is the use of these big, big words? They do not know which way to go. Suppose we are walking. If we go to the this side without knowing that "This is water; we should not go," then what is the use? That is their defect. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurāḥ janā. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro (BG 16.7). (chuckles) Śaucam, cleanliness, they do not know, neither behavior. Nāpi cācāro. Jagad āhur anīśvaram; (BG 16.8) "Oh, there is no God. It has come out out of the sand." This is the whole population. Jagad ahur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). Which way we shall go? (break) Therefore we require vigorous propaganda to make these fools to understand what is the real aim of life. That should be our propaganda. Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. They have simply calculated, "Now today the bank balance is now three millions dollars, and tomorrow it will be four million." Simply, they say. Idaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. And everyone is proud, "Who is greater than me? Who can understand more than me? I am very great man." Āḍhyo mām abhi... What is that? Āḍhyo mām, hmm? "I am the richest man. I am the most aristocratic. I have killed so many enemies. Now I shall kill that enemy." Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is their position. The rascal does not know whether he is going to be a dog next life, and if he is going to, he says, "Oh, what is the wrong? I can become dog." This is the position. (break) ...āhur anīśvaram. (break) ...trying to go to the planet, this planet, that planet. Rascal, say... They did not recognize, "Who has made this planet, where I am going?" They are taking credit by going there, but he is not giving any credit to the person or the agent who has made it. Just see. What do you think? That, "I am going there, but who has made it? Who is that person?" "No, it has come out... There was a chunk, and it became plant and then so on." This is their knowledge. And people are accepting, "Oh, great scientist. There was a chunk." Just see. Why don't you get yourself a chunk and it burst into big, big planet? (laughter) Such rascals are governing the whole human society.

Morning Walk -- June 29, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Well, at least he will not take, and the economy will go on. There will be a class of men like him. They will never take. So there is no problem. Your economy will go on. (laughter) (break) ...the prisoners become free, how the prison house will go on? Is that very nice question? What is the use of prison house? For the criminals? (break) ...thinking in that way, that "We are giving up meat, and the slaughterhouse proprietors, they are sorry. Then how our business will go on?" As if that is a very nice business. The sooner you close that business, it is good for you. But he is thinking "How my business will go on? If all these people give up meat-eating, then how this slaughterhouse will go on?" That is the logic. And our logic is the sooner you close this slaughterhouse, the better for you. This is our logic. (to devotee:) Which way? (break) ...liquor shop, the breweries, they are worried, "How business will go on. They are giving up." Cigarette factory. They will be sorry.

Kuruśreṣṭha: In this state of Colorado, the main industry is slaughter.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Kuruśreṣṭha: The main industry in this state of Colorado is the slaughter of cows. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...jīva mā mara. The slaughterhouse maintainer is advised that "You don't die, don't live." Mā jīva mā mara. "Your position... Now you are... If you live, just see how horrible business you are doing. And if you die, you will be slaughtered. So better you don't die, don't live." Mā jīva mā mara. (break) ...nice park, nobody is coming. We Kṛṣṇa conscious people, we are taking advantage. (laughter) They have worked so hard, they are sleeping. We are taking advantage. So they are escaping or we are escaping? Just see how foolish they are. They have worked so hard, and they are not taking advantage. We are taking. So our policy is that "You work hard, and we go and take from you." This is not escaping. This is intelligence, that "You work hard, rascal. You are foolish asses. And we take advantage." Our George Harrison, he is working hard, in England (?). And he worked hard, and he gives a house, Bhaktivedanta Manor. We are not going to construct. Is that escaping or it is intelligence, that "You work hard and give it to me.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: How?

Satsvarūpa: It was an interreligion meeting, and there were representatives from different Christian..., and he was there for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he didn't give any strong argument; he just presented it as if it were another way.

Prabhupāda: What is that way?

Satsvarūpa: Well, he said, he described it very... About Rādhā... That Lord Caitanya is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined.

Prabhupāda: That we say also.

Satsvarūpa: Yes, but the boys who were there, they said it wasn't at all the way you speak. He wasn't saying that ours was the best.

Prabhupāda: No, ours is the best, neither he is best nor it is as it is.

Satsvarūpa: One of our men spoke up and said that, the president of Toronto temple, Uttamaśloka, he said, "So far we've just discussed different religions from a relative point of view. Why don't we discuss what is the Absolute Truth?" And they all became... They didn't like that. They said, "We feel defensive when you speak like this."

Brahmānanda: And Swami Bon said that "You don't know so much."

Satsvarūpa: Yeah, he criticized our Uttamaśloka. And then he said, "Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, they don't engage in argumentation and debate." So Uttamaśloka said, "Yes, Lord Caitanya argued with Prakāśānanda."

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

Ladies and gentlemen, regarding Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... (about microphone:) It is working? We are talking about the spiritual existence of the living being. By evolutionary process we come to the human form of life, and here we have got developed consciousness. We can decide now which way to go forward. There are different planetary system. That we can experience. We can see innumerable planets, upwards and downwards. So the upper planetary system is called Svargaloka, or the heavenly planets, and the middle planetary system is called Martyaloka or Bhurloka, in which we are staying at the present moment, and the down planetary system is called Pātālaloka or downwards. Downwards means fall down, upwards means getting promotion, and middle means we remain where we are now. That is... Indication is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā: (BG 14.18) "Those who are cultivating the modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system." And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. "Those who are passionate or under the modes of passion, they remain in the middle planetary system." And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: "And those (whose) character is very abominable, they go down." And beyond this, there is another nature.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes, trust. Without trust, without faith, you cannot advance even an inch. So therefore it is required.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. Prabhupāda, what are the symptoms of purity?

Prabhupāda: Just like I do not know where this pathway goes. But you show me, "This way." So without faith, how can I go? If I have no faith, then I cannot move even an inch. I believe, "Yes, he is all right. Let me go." This is faith. I do not know whether it is going, which way it is going. So without faith, you cannot move an inch. So faith must be there, either it is true or blind.

Yadubara: So everyone has faith.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone has. Therefore the direction should be taken from the perfect, and with faith you will make progress.

Nārāyaṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, but Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that wherever one puts their faith, He gives them the steadiness to worship in that way. So how come so many people, they put their faith in all these false gurus or people that impose themself as ones who are in knowledge and then they become fooled? Is this previous activities? Sinful activities?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Jayādvaita: You explained that in your lecture yesterday, that Kṛṣṇa is in the heart and He is giving direction to remember or to forget, that sometimes He is directing to remember Him, sometimes to forget Him.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because if you have no faith, then Kṛṣṇa will not give you instruction. When he is faithless, he will not make progress. Stops.

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: We have some growing at the house.

Prabhupāda: Vegetables you are growing?

Nityānanda: Yes. We have a garden across the street. All these big trees are pecan trees. We have twenty. All this land across the road here that is cleared is ours, all the way up to the trees.

Prabhupāda: (reading sign?) "Cow protection and God consciousness. Visitors welcome." That's nice. So, which way we shall go now? Cow protection, they are surprised: "What is this nonsense, cow protection?" Huh? Do they say? "Cow is for eating, and you are protecting?" There are falls?(?)

Nityānanda: Falls?(?) No. This is our small garden.

Prabhupāda: Fruits and flowers. No, only fruits. What you are doing, flowers?

Nityānanda: This is okra.

Prabhupāda: Oh, okra.

Nityānanda: And sweet potatoes. And we have eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers here.

Prabhupāda: They give daily some fruits?

Nityānanda: Yes. And then we grow potatoes too.

Prabhupāda: Oh, where? Which side?

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What you have said?

Brahmānanda: "It can be continued if I get encouragement by the government."

Prabhupāda: "By allowing these foreign assistant as missionary men." That's all.

Brahmānanda: "As missionaries."

Prabhupāda: "As missionary men." Or "missionaries."

Lalitā: "Missionaries..." (Bengali). So they will see in what way they can best.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Jaya. (end)

Morning Walk -- August 25, 1975, Vrndavana:

Dhanañjaya: Twenty rupees. All this land between Chattikara Road and Pagala Baba's āśrama, mandir, is very good for cultivation.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Who does it belong to? Different farms?

Dhanañjaya: Yes. And government.

Prabhupāda: Which way we shall go?

Gurṇārṇava: Where shall we go?

Prabhupāda: This way or that? Which way? Nobody can say?

Dhanañjaya: This is the parikrama. This path is here, better.

Prabhupāda: Let us go this way. (break) ...Bon Mahārāja's land? No.

Dhanañjaya: Not all. This fence...

Brahmānanda: That's his building there?

Dhanañjaya: Yes. He has 28 acres of land.

Prabhupāda: Where? He has altogether 83 acres, so far I know. What is this? (break) ...this way, this way, from back side. Then? (break)

Morning Walk -- August 28, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, little paste. I can take.

Harikeśa: Mash it in like a nim chutney.

Dhanañjaya: Mortar and pestle.

Harikeśa: Put anything else in it?

Prabhupāda: No. A small pill. It increases appetite. Which way? This way?

Harikeśa: This way. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...know how to make kichri?

Harikeśa: Yes. I made for you in Hawaii.

Prabhupāda: Ah. So do it today. Kichri and eggplant, fried, and some vegetables. That's all. I'll take between one, half past one. So begin about...

Harikeśa: Twelve-thirty?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I shall go this way or that way? Whose, this garden? Where is our temple?

Dhanañjaya: Our temple is behind the trees. (break) Two trees in one. One tree is growing out of the other tree.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Why they have become two? Not from sentiment, but scientific?

Dhanañjaya: The seed must have been deposited in the bark and then taken root.

Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why the mike was stopped?

Indian: "...like it and you should go on." So if your kind permission is there, she will continue in whatever way...

Guṇārṇava: In what way was the microphone stopped? What do you mean?

Praṇava: Yes, it was stopped for some time.

Prabhupāda: That mike stops sometimes. That is another thing, not that purposely...

Praṇava: It stopped purposely. And especially at the time of that tulasī ārati also because somebody may not have liked that she should come or....

Guṇārṇava: Who stopped your wife from singing?

Praṇava: That I don't know.

Brahmānanda: You have to say.

Guṇārṇava: You have to tell.

Brahmānanda: You have to say.

Praṇava: I'll find out.

Morning Walk -- September 27, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Devotee (2): It's very wet.

Prabhupāda: Let us walk little more. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Oh, yes, it is very wet. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything will come out very good. But the rascals will not do that. That is the difficulty. They will make plan. (aside:) Which way? Kṛṣṇa's plan they will not take. That is the difficulty.

Kartikeya: Is it because the leaders are not following? Therefore the population is not following?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kartikeya: The wrong example is given.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). The leaders are rascals, therefore they are rascals. The father is rascal; the son is rascal. Therefore Bhāgavata says that "If you are a rascal, don't become a father." Pit na sa syāt, na mocayed ya samupeta-mṛtyum. "If you are a rascal, don't become a mother." Stop population. They have therefore invented, "Yes, we shall become 'bachelor father,' 'bachelor daddy,' " not actual father but "bachelor father." Here woman at least think nowadays that she must have a husband. In Western countries they don't think. "No, there is no need of husband." Am I right?

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They don't think there is need of husband. Eh? But they feel. That I know. I have seen one girl. She saw another friend, "Oh, she has got a husband," whispering. So I can understand that everyone aspires after husband, but there is no hope. Hopelessness. This is the position. Every woman wants a good husband, good home, good children, little ornaments, nice food. That is the ambition of every woman, but they are hopeless. Although they are well qualified, European, American girls, they are hopeless, not to get any husband, not to get any home. This is their position. I have studied thoroughly. Is it not?

Morning Walk -- September 29, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has written it.

Indian man (1): It is, after all, only...

Prabhupāda: No, no. After, he became a great sage. That is all right. But in the beginning everyone is subjected. Which way we shall...

Kartikeya: We can go straight.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Brahmānanda, you just take an idea. We shall construct Gurukula in this pattern.

Brahmānanda: This building here, double story.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Exactly. Double or three-storied.

Kartikeya: Most simple type.

Prabhupāda: Very simple type, very nice. Just get a sketch with your work. This will be done like that.

Brahmānanda: I'll ask Bhārgava. He has his camera. He can take photographs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And downstairs, all shops. Only the roadside. Other side...

Brahmānanda: Oh, no. That's the courtyard, and then other side, a building. (break)

Bhavānanda: ...at the Gurukula best thing is outdoors classes. As soon as they're in rooms it gets too hot.

Prabhupāda: As far as possible, outdoors.

Morning Walk -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Huh? Where is comfort? If you have to die—"Oh, I am dying comfortably"—what is this nonsense? "I am dying comfortably."

Indian devotee man (1): Like yesterday night, that man. I asked him, (Hindi) So he said that "I am all right." But he was unable to sit on the chair.

Prabhupāda: So which way?

Cyavana: To the park, straight.

Prabhupāda: Comfort, where is your comfort? Why you have so many medical men if you are comfortable? Why there are so many drugs, medicine, if you are comfortable? This is māyā. He is not in comfort; still, he will say that "I am in comfort." This is called māyā, illusion.

Brahmānanda: So these drugs, even though one may be feeling pain, he can take the drugs and he won't feel pain.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He will take injection. It is comfort. Daily he will take injection, and it is comfort. (laughter) Just see the fools and rascals. Mūḍha. (break) ...met so many medical men, doctors and quack. "Die comfortably." What is the use of this medical man, medicine? What is the use? If your comfort and death is comfortable, then why spend so much money? Die comfortably. Because you cannot check death, then why you are trying to check death? "Let me live some years more. Let me take this medicine." Why? Why this struggle? Die comfortably. Suffer disease comfortably.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: (pause) You have to spend or waste gallons of blood before you can convert a person to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so difficult task.

Cyavana: You have to spend?

Prabhupāda: Gallons of blood, waste.

Cyavana: In what way?

Prabhupāda: By talking with him, with the rascal and foolish. You tax your brain and spoil your energy, blood.

Harikeśa: Spend so much food.

Cyavana: So we should do that.

Prabhupāda: Unless you are not a preacher. You should be prepared. Yes. They cuts, sacrifices life, what to speak of wasting blood. Wasting life. This is preacher. Then he is recognized by Kṛṣṇa: "He has done so much for Me."

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa will give more and more energy.

Prabhupāda: He is going to die for Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he is recognized. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). You become immediately very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Your business is how to become very intimate to Kṛṣṇa. That will be served by preaching.

Cyavana: Would you like to hear this verse?

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: If he says that he is expert more than the fish, then he's a madman. So? Why he cannot become more expert than the fish?

Indian man: Because he's not meant to swim all the...

Prabhupāda: Then in which way he should be expert? He must show his expertness in a different way which the fish cannot.

Indian man: I suppose, in the mind.

Prabhupāda: Mind is working of the fish. He knows where is his enemy, where to go. They have got better mind. They can understand from two miles that some enemy is coming. They take care.

Devotee (4): Fish.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The mind is so strong. Every fish in the water, although they are expert, they are always in danger. They are always afraid of being eaten by bigger fish. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. The world is that the stronger is exploiting the weaker. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Still, they are expert.

Indian man: Is it possible to visit other planets?

Prabhupāda: You have to be expert. Not by this machine.

Indian man: No. Astral traveling.

Prabhupāda: You have to prepare yourself.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Any ceremony. If you know the constable is constable and the president is president, then it is all right. But if you think constable is president, then you are misguided.

Woman: (Hindi exchange with Prabhupāda and other Indians)

Indian man (3): (break) ...this country, what do you think is the best way of establishing the āśrama, or the centers, and which way we can help in this matter?

Prabhupāda: We have got so many āśramas. You can see how we are doing. We have got hundred and two temples all over the world. You come to India?

Indian man (3): Yes, I have been to India.

Prabhupāda: So this time you come and see our temple in Vṛndāvana. We have got, India, four, five temples. We have got in London, New York. In London we have got two temples, big, big. One is very big. In New York we have got, Los Angeles. Everywhere we have got. Here also, yesterday's paper, there was some advertisement, one Mr. Desai.

Indian man (3): Jayanti Desai, yes. Yes, he wants to give some charities.

Prabhupāda: So why not give us? Then we can make a nice...

Indian man (3): I think we could... (break) ...him and see what they are asking for applications from various charitable organizations.

Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Nonsense. (break)

Harikeśa: Well, they have a saying that "Laws are for being broken."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: "Laws are for being broken."

Prabhupāda: That is intelligence. If you can break laws, that is intelligence. So many laws. So which way we shall go?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (break) We can go this way, straight. It goes around the park, around the lake. Usually the mother and the father, or at least the mother, they stay pretty close by.

Prabhupāda: It is double zero?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's a z missing. Actually "Zoo Lake" it is called.

Prabhupāda: There are many zoos. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see. They do not check their population. How many? About one dozen? No.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ten. Eleven. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...He used to collect all these things for guru's cooking. Kṛṣṇa went to collect with Sudāmā Vipra, and all of a sudden, there was cloud and rain, and there was too much water, and they lived upon a tree for the whole night. Then Sāndīpani Muni, other students, came and rescued them.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Now we have to collect to pay the electricity bill.

Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Yolk. You color it. Some chemical and color it. What is difficulty? Sometimes they say a man is dead because the color of the blood has changed. From red to..., it has become white. So where is the difficulty to make it red again? Do it. Change the color again. Make it red. And if you say, "No, that natural redness is required," so there are so many flowers, natural red. Why there is no life? If redness, natural redness, is the cause of life, so there are so many flowers, red flowers. Why they do not walk? If you say that the... "Besides that, the life substance is missing," that is also not correct. Life substance is there in the dead body; otherwise how worms are coming out? Life is coming out. Not one, but hundreds are coming out. How you can say the life substance is missing? The worms are coming automatically, but you take the portion of the dead body and produce worm. That you cannot do. So which way you are going to take credit as scientist? Now which way?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We can walk through there.

Prabhupāda: These arguments are not sufficient to defeat the atheists?

Harikeśa: People in general might accept it, but the scientists could always come up with...

Prabhupāda: No, why the scientists will not accept?

Harikeśa: Well, they don't want to accept.

Prabhupāda: But that is another thing, obstinacy.

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

Prabhupāda: The Communists may say, but we don't say. They are hungry people, they may say. We are not hungry. Our food is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). He brings food. So why should the Communists? So we shall go further or return? Hm?

Haṁsadūta: Which way?

Devotee (2): Do you want to go further, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I can go. What is time?

Harikeśa: Almost seven. (break)

Prabhupāda: (break) ...road?

Devotee (2): This is Curzon Road.

Prabhupāda: Curzon Road. (break) ...religion, we say "cheating religion." We don't accept sentimentally.

Harikeśa: Well, the sentiment is the faith. The dictionary definition, sentimentalism is the faith.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Faith is good, provided you have faith on the superior. That is good.

Harikeśa: So faith in knowledge.

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How did you find that out?

Tejās: He told me. I don't know why. This Dr. Lokescandra? He told me that "Ācārya Prabhakara has many criminal cases against him."

Prabhupāda: (break) Which way we have to go?

Tejās: This way, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Devotee (1): There was a poster on the wall, said they are opening a big exhibition of Russian books in Punjab, and the chief minister, he is going to open that.

Prabhupāda: Many books?

Devotee (1): Big exhibition of Russian books. They are teaching the Russian (indistinct) all over India. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: So why don't you exhibit our books? Let them come to competition. What books we have got, compare with our books.

Devotee (1): What they say is that this philosophy is very old. They say that this philosophy is very old.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we are giving old wine in new bottle. If it is old, why the up-to-date Western boys are taking? It may be old for you rascals, but those who are intelligent...

Devotee (1): They think that they are frustrated. They have nothing more to do except this.

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Therefore naturally they are condemned.

Harikeśa: So when you put the communistic system somewhere where you can grow these things, it will be very nice.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Harikeśa: You take that system and put it in a place where you can grow all these things. Then it will be nice.

Prabhupāda: But if you bring communism, you will not be able to grow. You are condemned immediately. Nature will restrict supply. Which way?

Tejās: Left, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Harikeśa: China is doing very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Why not Russia?

Harikeśa: Well, China has more facility to grow.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of Russian philosophy if he has no facility?

Harikeśa: Well, actually it's not Russian philosophy. Chinese philosophy. I just read a report from French reporters that went into China. They say China is growing...

Prabhupāda: Then it is not accident. There must be some cause. Why do you say accident? Can you say "Accidentally Chinese are better situated"? Why don't you accidentally you become better situated? Then there must be controller.

Harikeśa: Mao Tse Tung.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Indian man (1): Even they can't worship as we are worshiping.

Prabhupāda: How they can worship? The worship is done by devotee. Unless you create devotee, where is the question of worshiping? Without devotee it is idol worship. There is no life. And without life, how can you pull on artificially? Aprāṇasya hi dehasya mandanam loka-rañjanam. Which way I shall go?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Go to the left or... Left. (break)

Harikeśa: In the back of that Awake magazine there was one little article that said that this one teacher in one college was doing yoga. He locked himself up in his room and went into a yogic trance, and they finally broke into his room two days later and found him in the same position but dead. So then they say that because he was in yogic trance that his heart was going too slow to give sufficient blood to the body, so he died.

Prabhupāda: So by yoga practice he died.

Harikeśa: Yes, that's what they're saying.

Prabhupāda: The result is he's died.

Ambarīṣa: My father, he read that article, and that's what he says to me. He says, "You do yoga and you'll end up like this man."

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1975, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: The sixteenth chapter describes it very nicely...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca, na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). In which way we have direct out activities, in which way we shall have to stop our activities: they do not know. Āsurāḥ janā. Because they don't take direction from God. They make their own way of speculation. So therefore, they are animals, or demons. Because they do not take direction during life, therefore at the end Kṛṣṇa comes, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). All mental speculation, creation, is taken away at death. (to passerby:) Hare Kṛṣṇa! It is said, kṛṣṇa nama koro vai ar sabe miche palaiba patha nāi yama āche piche: take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, don't try to escape. Because behind you there is Yamaraja! (laughs) He will finish your all concoction. Hare Kṛṣṇa! (end)

Morning Walk -- December 23, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, not necessary. But if you don't worship unflinchingly Kṛṣṇa, then you remain in the saguṇa platform.

Indian man (3): Hm, I see.

Prabhupāda: Here it is clearly said, sa gunān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). So you have to adopt the means; then you become nirguṇa. And if you don't adopt, then you remain saguṇa.

Indian man (3): Yes, and I can come to you and just, you explain me what is the way...

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Saguṇ.. saguṇa...

Indian man (3): Which śloka from Gītā, it is from Gītā? Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is ninth chapter.

Indian man (3): Then I'll read it again and see if whether I can follow something. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa clearly says, sa guṇān, sa guṇān samatītya, sama upena titya, perfectly transcending, this is the process.

Indian man (3): I see. We cannot do with the closed eyes.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Indian man (3): With open eyes, why we cannot do the prayers and the bhakti-yoga? What is the...

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: I think somebody has left.

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Yes, there is lock and chain.

Mahāmṣa: This way, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Which way? This is natural lake or...?

Mahāmṣa: Yes, Prabhupāda. It never dries up. It stays full all year round.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gigantic. Like the Hyderabad lake.

Mahāmṣa: It looks bigger than the Hyderabad lake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bigger.

Prabhupāda: (break) So if you are not independent, what is the value of your thinking independently?

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Absolutely none. None.

Prabhupāda: But everyone is thinking independently.

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Yes. That is māyā. That is the māyā, that which is not.

Prabhupāda: They are making plans, theories, "ism." What is the value of this?

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Absolutely none.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Very punctual, 7:30. Not waiting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're chanting japa.

Prabhupāda: Who is japping? Please be careful that this idle class in the name of japa...

Jayapatāka: There's no way here.

Prabhupāda: So which way we shall go?

Jayapatāka: Back on the road again. (break) Beet vegetable.

Prabhupāda: That's all. (break) ...made. This is not washed? (Bengali) (break) This growth stopped?

Jayapatāka: Here is the handloom production.

Prabhupāda: What service they do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does that man do?

Bhavānanda: He weeds all of the hedges under Tapomaya.

Prabhupāda: So why they are drying? They should water it. (break) (Bengali) They are doing rightly. There are so many men. Why this should be not taken care of? (break) ...not indulge to give shelter persons—in the name of so-called japa they take advantage of free boarding and lodging. You should be very careful. Everyone should be, according to capacity, must be engaged to some work. Don't allow this stupidity. (break) ...plants are grown properly you get so many fruits. They are drying. There is so much space. You can get the sak and the fruit also.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So where is the maji? He went?

Bhavānanda: It was another man in Diamond Harbor who said they would go to Indonesia. Maji... They have been to Purī.

Jayapatāka: He went to Orissa.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Jayapatāka: His father owned the boat. We bought from him. His son was the maji, so we kept him as the maji.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) So let us go. Which way? This way or that way? The same way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Same way.

Jayapatāka: This will take about two, three more days to finish painting. Then it will be ready. The Deities will be going just here on one platform.

Prabhupāda: And up?

Jayapatāka: Up? People can also sit up. So it will be very nice to sit up on the top. We're making one special stair for all that. (break) ...cart.

Prabhupāda: ...men you are going.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That boat?

Jayapatāka: Twelve, fifteen men.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These are the two oxen.

Prabhupāda: Whenever somebody wants to give, you don't accept immediately. Tell them first of all, "Let us see."

Jayapatāka: (break) ...room for cutting the grass and for weld. Pump room and grass-cutting room.

Prabhupāda: Which way we shall go now?

Sudāmā: This way, Prabhupāda.

Jayapatāka: Previously the cows... Now, since before, the cows have become more healthy.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayapatāka: Since before, cows have become more healthy, and now people are appreciating very much.

Prabhupāda: What is the cause?

Jayapatāka: The cost?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The cause for the...

Jayapatāka: Oh, because of Pīppalāi's very careful service.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is Pīppalāi?

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Pīppalāi: Yes, very much so.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Jayapatāka: And also John prabhu... Both of them, they are staying here even though there's no electricity.

Prabhupāda: Electricity is not very important thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which way, Jayapatāka?

Prabhupāda: So?

Jayapatāka: They wanted to show their land.

Prabhupāda: Where it is? So? What that land will be utilized for?

Jayapatāka: That's only good for cultivation.

Prabhupāda: You have got sufficient arrangement for cultivation?

Jayapatāka: We need... We don't have enough cultivation land for the amount of devotees we have.

Prabhupāda: So how many bīghās (5/8 of one acre) there are?

Jayapatāka: But that land...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is it?

Jayapatāka: Even from here you can just see without going all that way there. The thing... This is the lake.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not two foot. One, one-half foot will do.

Jayapatāka: I was thinking that this morning, Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I woke up.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatāka: You must have been thinking.... I woke up thinking that the paintings needed a sunscreen because rain will fall on them.

Prabhupāda: Which way? (break) All the members, they should water in front. Hm? Just like if somebody remains in this room, he must water. Then there will be no difficulty. Here is water. So you have to engage them. Why it will dry? (break)

Jayapatāka: You suggested prasādam, books, cloth...

Prabhupāda: Cloth you are not going to sell. Cloth are you going to sell?

Jayapatāka: We can take donations for cloth. We won't sell. We'll take donations for cloth.

Prabhupāda: That, for that purpose...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the harm of selling cloth, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, then you will require extra energy.

Jayapatāka: No, I mean our own production, not outside.

Prabhupāda: No, no, your production.... You should make production for your necessity.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The American devotees, when they come, they want to purchase the cloth.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: For painting. And for writing that should be...

Jayapatāka: Writing, maybe one twenty-five.

Prabhupāda: No. One. One. Make it one.

Jayapatāka: One rupee.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Which way we shall go?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This way. We haven't gone walking this way.

Prabhupāda: So where you are going to give that shade upon?

Jayapatāka: So what we'd have to do is we'd have to break the top.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jayapatāka: We'd have to break the top and then...

Prabhupāda: Break? Why break? Another expenditure. Simply you make two brackets, wooden brackets, like that, and have a tin. That's all.

Jayapatāka: Tin.

Prabhupāda: Tin or steel. Why breaking, again another?

Jayapatāka: There's already a.... I was thinking about the rain, if it's falling straight down, that will be somewhat protected by this arch. Only if the rain is coming from this side, and even then it won't protect...

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It looks just like the ocean.

Prabhupāda: Frozen. Frozen ocean. Means they are defeated; they are coming down. By the sun they are defeated. They were high. "Now go down." Now it will be finished.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Burnt off. (break) What is the way to draw the line between the following three things: blasphemy, fault-finding, and calling a spade a spade?

Prabhupāda: A spade a spade... Just like I am saying that "What you are? You are small fig only." That is reality. And what is the other?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The other is fault-finding and...

Prabhupāda: Fault-finding, that is another fault, that... vraṇam icchanti, makṣikā vraṇam icchanti, madhum icchanti(?) Just like the flies, they are finding out where is sore, and the bees, they are finding out where there is honey. So two animals, they have got two business: fault-finding and collecting the good things. These are two... Just like creature. They are two classes. Similarly, there are many rascals who are simply fault-finding.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And blasphemy?

Prabhupāda: Blasphemy means you have good qualities, but still, I am defaming you.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the saintly person tends to overlook the bad qualities and see the good ones.

Morning Walk -- March 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, disagreement in the matter of process. You are thinking this way; he is thinking that way. That is the difference. Otherwise he is also eager to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness; you are also. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is, both of them are claiming that you are thinking their way.

Siddha-svarūpa: No, I can't...

Prabhupāda: Now that should be adjusted now. I shall give my verdict which is my way. Then you have to accept.

Siddha-svarūpa: My method is...

Prabhupāda: Not your way, not his way. Let me understand what is the way you are trying to follow, what is the way he is trying to follow. Now I shall give my verdict, that "This is the right way."

Yaśodānandana: Jaya Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's it. That is the best thing.

Siddha-svarūpa: So I am offensive, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You are agreeable to that?

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then thank you, no more talk now. We shall talk later. (break)

Brahmānanda: He should... He should cook?

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were just talking about that last night, that generally someone in Indian would think, "Let me go to London," but you thought, "Let me go to..."

Prabhupāda: No. I was simply dreaming, "How to go to New York?" Actually I thought.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The biggest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I was scheming, "Whether I shall go this way, through Tokyo, Japan, or that way? Which way is cheaper?" That was my plan. And I was targeting to New York always. Sometimes I was dreaming that I have come to New York. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Bengali ) (aside:) We cannot accept food from the demons. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...supplied at least nice food. (break) You are the first time here?

Indian man (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: How do you like?

Indian man (1): Very nice.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...purify the whole atmosphere. (break) ...world we are all condemned. Still, Kṛṣṇa has given so many facilities. There is a Bengali proverb. Bondhīr astekur bhaga.(?) Ast kur(?) means the place of garbage. If a aristocrat asks that "You have to live in my garbage place," "Oh, that is also better." Similarly, Kṛṣṇa.... This is garbage. This material world is garbage. Still, we live so comfortably. Now just imagine what is His dhāma. It is the garbage tank. Still so nice. And just think what is His real place, Goloka Vṛndāvana. (break)

Jayapatāka: ...gave us a very good record, very clean.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Gurukṛpā: Which way was that?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He said that when he...

Devotee: He went to the moon.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: When he went up in the space capsule to the moon, he had no religious experience, so he thought that there was no God.

Prabhupāda: So space traveling induces a man to accept God?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think it's a material conception, that God is in the heavens, above the clouds.

Pañca-draviḍa: According to Bhāgavatam, these...

Prabhupāda: That is a fact. Beyond this material universe, very, very far away.

Hrdayananda: But another astronaut who went, he had religious experience, and after coming back he became missionary.

Prabhupāda: That is natural.

Sudāmā: Another astronaut went insane.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Sudāmā: And another astronaut went insane, like a madman.

Prabhupāda: Hm. What was the reason?

Sudāmā: For his insanity? He could not explain.

Jayatīrtha: Insanity is also a result of sinful activities.

Pañca-draviḍa: Too much passion.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Eh? No. That was the.... Last talk was like that. I wanted that "You have to consider that whatever portion you can spare, give us on lease. We develop." That's all. Ninety-nine-year lease.

Jayapatākā: I don't think he clearly understood. (break) Hm?

Pañca-draviḍa: In what way would we develop it?

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's birthplace? Make some nice building with some devotees, one to take care. That's all. Means making interested the local inhabitants.

Pañca-draviḍa: Start programs.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes. They should come and hear. The preachers, wanted.

Jayapatākā: They showed me that one flat of five bighās that.... They were considering giving this to us if we would develop one guesthouse and one institute.

Prabhupāda: No, they cannot make any condition. Whatever we shall like we shall do. There is no condition. If they give us on lease, they are concerned with the rent. That's all. Yes.

Jayapatākā: But they were willing to give outright.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: No, no. We are pure constitutionally.

Reporter (1): Then from where does this impurity come?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is.... Just like your are healthy, but wherefrom the disease comes? You are not diseased now, but sometimes disease comes. Wherefrom it comes? So at the present moment we are in diseased condition. This has to be cured. Otherwise we are pure, as pure as God.

Reporter (1): Then what is the way to purity?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is Bhagavad-gītā.

Reporter (1): You mean the mere recital of Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: Not recite, to understand and to act.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Prescription.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is the prescription.

Prabhupāda: The whole thing is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Reporter (1): Which particular teachings do you find so uplifting and ennobling for a man?

Prabhupāda: You have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Reporter (1): Yes, I have..., I mean, not so thoroughly, but I have in parts.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Reporter (8): One lakh daily.

Prabhupāda: That is minimum. Sometimes we collect five lakhs daily.

Reporter (5): What is the way you go about collecting money?

Prabhupāda: That book-selling.

Reporter (8): Only, books are the only source of your...

Prabhupāda: That's it. This question was raised in the Parliament, that "Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they are fabulously rich. Where they get their money?" And the Parliament answer was "They get their money by selling literature."

Reporter (8): That means the devotees do not contribute to the...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Not the devotees purchase. They publish. Those who are intelligent public, they purchase.

Reporter (8): But do the devotees contribute in any way?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are contributing their life. We don't get any such life-sacrificing Indians. These educated boys, rich men's son, they have sacrificed everything for me. And where is Indian?

Reporter (8): Swamiji, do you have certain farms also in America, gośālā?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not only one, many.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

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?

Devotee (2): This way, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Lokanātha: Last time there was a big crowd to hear you, Prabhupāda—the Christians.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lokanātha: And you mentioned they were clapping for a long, long time after hearing you speak.

Prabhupāda: Not long, long time, but... Madhudviṣa, you remember that Catholic...

Madhudviṣa: Yes, they asked you about St. Francis, about him chanting to the dogs and the trees and the birds. And you said, "That is actually God-realization. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu."

Prabhupāda: And when they asked about Christ, and "He's our guru."

Madhudviṣa: You started your main lecture off there, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." And then you went on to explain about the holy name.

Prabhupāda: Hm, (indistinct) are here. Why is it? Some wood. (break) ...grow foodgrains, simple living.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So the Communists, they are thinking, "By changing the hand, things will improve." But they do not know that very industry is the cause of falldown. They're simply trying to change the hand. The principle should go on, industry, only the proposal is that the capitalists should give up and the workers should take it.

Devotee (2): Which way is India headed towards? The capitalists or the Communists?

Prabhupāda: India has no, had no such ideas. They are borrowing ideas. India's idea is self-realization. Live very simple life—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The brāhmaṇas, they are living simple life, becoming very learned scholar, pure character, advanced in spiritual life—one class, ideal. And kṣatriyas, they are supposed to be the king. They distribute the land on nominal taxation, and the vaiśyas utilize the land for cultivation and cow-keeping, and the śūdras, they are engaged as weaver, blacksmith, goldsmith, mean other necessities of life. In this way the whole society is simplified, and the central point is how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by cooperation. This is India's civilization. There is no question of industry. Ugra-karma. It has been condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā as ugra-karma, laboring very hard for livelihood. This industry means engage the poor worker class to work very hard, and there is huge profit, and some directors of the capitalists, they take it. And they have one dozen motorcars, palatial building, no work, simply wine and woman, that's all. This is going on. And the others, they are seeing: "There is no classification, neither real brāhmaṇa nor kṣatriya nor vaiśya. So he is enjoying like that. He has got so many cars. He has got such a nice apartment. Why not me?" There is struggle. This is actual picture. Our Vedic advice is that make life very simple. You must have some means of livelihood. Keep your body and soul together. So according to quality, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), there must be division and then simple life. The real aim is tam abhyarcya, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Everyone is.... Brāhmaṇa is guiding, kṣatriya is ruling, and vaiśya is producing food, and śūdra, they have no brain; they are helping. In this way the society is very peaceful, and everyone is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is India's civilization. Now, due to this association of the rākṣasas... Even up to Mohammedan time this civilization was being continued.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: No. He chanted for some time and, of course, there was chanting of "Nitāi-Gaura." He introduced new system of chanting: nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. So the Nitāi-Gaura chanting will have some effect, Kali-yuga. Although he was presenting pervertedly, the beginning was Nitāi-Gaura, so it would have some effect. He did not know actually Nitāi-Gaura. From his words it appears. He used to preach that Nitāi is Rādhārāṇī, and Gaura is Kṛṣṇa. That is siddhānta-viruddha. But some way or other, he was chanting Nitāi-Gaura. So some effect were there. Just like sandalwood. You do not know which way better pulp comes out, but if you rub any way, some pulp will come because it is sandalwood. So he had some effect of chanting Nitāi-Gaura, but later on they deteriorated because they did not know actually, neither they were taught. Siddhānta-viruddha. The siddhānta-viruddha means it will deteriorate. It will not endure.

Guru-kṛpā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what about, say, many of your Godbrothers? They also have disciples, and they also are properly initiated by a proper spiritual master, and they give the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Prabhupāda: The thing is the spirit, real service of preaching, stopped. Formality is going on, but the real business.... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement means āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That is stopped. Do you follow? The formalities is there, but the real life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is preaching. Otherwise why Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa. Tāra means preaching. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa' (CC Madhya 7.128). And that is stopped. They are satisfied if they could construct one temple and beg some rice from the neighborhood: "Sir, we have got some temple," that's all. They are satisfied. The spirit of preaching forward-pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo—that is stopped. So by hari-nāma, by chanting, by this way, to live little peacefully in the temple and eat and sleep, that much they have got. If that is the success, that success they have got.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: No, that is the foolishness. Mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). So long they will have this impression that they can overcome the laws of nature they will continue to become mūḍha.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, another problem...

Prabhupāda: In which way you have surpassed nature? First of all, if you are thinking like that, in which way you have surpassed the nature?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say, "For example, before we began our agricultural development, there was very poor agricultural produce all over the country due to lack of proper water. Now we have laid huge irrigation systems, and there is no more drought."

Prabhupāda: Therefore that is nature's way. Nature supplies you water. That is nature's way. That means you are making perfect according to the nature's way. But nature give you water; you produce profusely. But if you want to go above the nature, you produce without water.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) It can't be done.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they'll still die.

Prabhupāda: Then? Then what is this? The rascals will not become old men? So what they have surpassed, laws of nature? What way? Simply making the teachers student and student teacher. Simply wasting time. Better you utilize your father's position, but for introducing our books to these high class men. Just you are trying to introduce books in the university libraries, similarly, you try to introduce these books to the high class. And that is not difficult. These men, they have got enough money. If they spend one thousand dollar for our books, that is nothing for them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of your disciples, Praghoṣa, he's the biggest book distributor, practically. Tripurāri trained him up. He is now starting a program of meeting with these executives and doing just this. He is working in New York, and he's developing a program like this.

Prabhupāda: Now in India also they are trying. Yaśomatī.... Yaśodānandana's report is that he approached one head librarian in Andhra Pradesh and...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Karnataka.

Prabhupāda: Karnataka. Karnataka province, educated province, Karnataka, South India, Karnataka, very educated. So he has immediately ordered thirty sets of books in different libraries. He has appreciated so much.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: No, they'll be.... Nature's law is so strong that they are also trying to knock their head in the wall. They will themselves break their head. The laws of nature is the same. If you try to break the walls from this side and if they try to break the walls from that side, both of them will lose their head. So if they are so foolish.... They are foolish. Everywhere such foolish men are there. They are trying to overcome the laws of nature. That is the greatest foolishness. That is the greatest foolishness. Just like government has got police force, military force, and if somebody tries to become, violate the laws of government by defying police force and military force—that is futile. Is it possible, that "I shall defy the government laws"? No, there is police force. There is military. "I don't care for that." It is foolishness. It is simply foolishness. Similarly, these laws of nature means the force of the Supreme. So if you want to defy, you may waste your time. It is not possible. And practically, Kṛṣṇa says, "Here I have enforced this miserable condition of material life." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu (BG 13.9). First of all surpass this, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Then talk of surpassing the laws of nature. Can the Communists overcome, stopping old age? No Communist will be old man? Then what way you have surpassed the laws of nature? No Communist will die? Then where is your surpassing laws of nature? Ultimately you are under the grip of laws of nature. So what is the meaning of this foolish talking, that "I am going to surpass the laws of nature"? Show us first of all.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Their goal is not so broad. They just want to control the...

Morning Walk -- May 25, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Diameter of the universe. Sun is almost in the middle.

Hari-śauri: So what is that distance that is given in the Bhāgavatam, then? It says 100,000 yojanas.

Prabhupāda: I don't think that is.... Moon that is far away from the sun, 1,600,000. (indistinct) fire in the sea, varuṇāgni. (indistinct) You know there is sometimes fire in the sea?

Devotee: In what way? Volcano? Like that?

Prabhupāda: Volcano eruption. Is there any technical term? Varuṇāgni. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hari-śauri: You mean like when there's an eruption from below? Say when an island's formed, or...

Prabhupāda: It is called varuṇāgni, fire in the water.

Hari-śauri: Would you say some eruptions from below the earth's crust comes up, and then, er, all the gases underneath push the land up above the water?

Prabhupāda: There is fire within the earth, just as there is fire within the stomach-fire. That helps digestion. In the Ayurvedic śāstra, when one does not feel an appetite, it is called agni-māṁdya (indistinct), rest and (indistinct) of the fire.

Devotee: How can the fire within the stomach be increased?

Prabhupāda: You know everything?

Devotee: No.

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

Prabhupāda: Who has introduced this peculiar dancing?

Hari-śauri: It just evolved. (laughs)

Rūpānuga: We were speaking about that the other day. It's changed from the original dancing that you showed us to something else. Too much like the modern dancing.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. I think this is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shall I read on? "The service has become..." What way should we dance, Śrīla Prabhupāda? With our hands outstretched? Sometimes the devotees like to jump around. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: In ecstasy one can do anything, that is another... But artificially to do something is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But if one feels like jumping, it is all right?

Prabhupāda: Anything artificial is not required.

Rūpānuga: So running back and forth is not...

Prabhupāda: No, no, that should not be an artificial.

Hari-śauri: We don't dance for show, we dance for the pleasure of the Deities.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we're not professional dancers. "The service has become so frenetic that the almost folksy, matter of fact preaching of the Swami makes a stark contrast. 'Some people are against us because they say we teach children to smile. Well isn't that too bad. We make children smile—we are bad. We try to teach them that life should be a joyful thing, we're evil. Well that's too bad, isn't it? ' "

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotee: If it's nonsense...

Bali-mardana: He's a crazy boy.

Prabhupāda: (break) Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. One who is to come from India, he should come for para-upakāra, for doing welfare to others, not to cheat them. But these people, they come. In the name of para-upakāra, they cheat. Which way we have to go?

Devotees: This way.

Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, you are the only Indian who has taken up this mission, out of six hundred and eighty million.

Woman: Don't touch that dog. He's wearing a muzzle. Just leave him alone, he won't trouble you. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: What she said?

Hari-śauri: She said don't touch the dog, it's wearing a muzzle.

Rādhāvallabha: She should wear a muzzle.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...come with dog. Dog is not allowed.

Rādhāvallabha: That's her family.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rādhāvallabha: That's her family.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: Still they are not utilizing it.

Ādi-keśava: No, it's still bent, it cracked open.

Bali-mardana: It cost them over sixty, seventy million dollars and they cannot use it.

Ādi-keśava: It cracked all the concrete in the sidewalk because it was bending back and forth.

Prabhupāda: Which way?

Devotee (1): Left.

Prabhupāda: They have no estimation, that "So far we can come, then we'll fall"?

Bali-mardana: It all depends upon the foundation.

Rādhāvallabha: In New York they can build them so high because the entire island of Manhattan is made out of rock, and there's never any earthquakes.

Bali-mardana: Not yet, anyway.

Jayādvaita: As far as I know, they think that they can make them bigger and bigger without any limit.

Devotee: Four hundred stories (break)

Prabhupāda: And fell down later on.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: I do not know, but our principle is that I vote for this man or that man, so what is spiritual benefit, that is our point.

Bali-mardana: If he was Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he might vote. If the politician is God conscious, then we'll support him.

Interviewer: Vote for this man or that, what spiritual difference would it make, is that the way you put that?

Bali-mardana: Yes, as long as the candidate is not God conscious it wouldn't make any difference which way we vote, but if he's God conscious, then we'll vote.

Interviewer: Well, would he have to be in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement to be God conscious?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bali-mardana: Would the candidate, in order for a candidate to be God conscious, would he have to be part of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement?

Prabhupāda: He must know the science, this science, this spiritual science.

Interviewer: To be God conscious, you must...

Prabhupāda: That's a great science.

Bali-mardana: Great science.

Interviewer: How's that?

Bali-mardana: In order to understand God it is a great science.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Unnatural, yes. What for smoking? What for drinking? How nicely they sit down on the ground and take prasādam. Why there is need of table, chair and these dishes and fork and knife and so on, so on? Why?

Harikeśa: It's hard to cut the meat. You need a good surface. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Our Bon Mahārāja, once I was eating in his festival and... He's a bara-sahib. So he has given fork and knife. (laughs) So I did not know, I do not remember even which way I took fork. So Bon Mahārāja began to criticize "You are going to foreign country you do not know which hand to take this fork and knife." So I told him, "I am not going to learn all these things. I am going to teach them something else, to forget it. (laughter) You went to learn all these things. But I am not going to learn anything."

Harikeśa: What did he say to that? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: It was our...

Hari-śauri: He's following the line of Vivekananda.

Prabhupāda: Just see how rascal they are. My Guru Mahārāja every step condemned this Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. He said frankly that if there are any impediments for our movement, that is this Gandhi and Vivekananda. He said frankly. Hodge-podge. Gandhi's also hodge-podge. He was a politician, and in politics he mixed some spiritual ideas, hodge-podge. And this Vivekananda was also politician. His name was recorded in the government as "sannyāsī-politician." Because after returning from America, he began to preach to make the poor man rich, and these weak, fatty, and so on, exercise. So the government took it that he's, under the dress of a sannyāsī, he's preaching social and political upliftment. So his name was recorded as "sannyāsī-politician." And his name was also recorded, "political saint," Gandhi. After all, the British government, they were very intelligent.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, no, you don't talk of film. You are very much in favor of film. You better stop that idea.

Jñānagamya: It is very potent, though, for preaching. No?

Prabhupāda: Some of them may be preaching. In North America.(?) What favorable film will do? You can show our activities, that film may be for our advertisement. Otherwise, in which way, by showing film, film, and film. There are so many films. They see, they see.

Jñānagamya: Devotees are interested.

Prabhupāda: Devotees are devotees. If you want to preach to the public, what impression they'll have? Some of our documentary film, just like we are feeding the poor, or we are working, making such things, that may be favorable. Say we're doing something in America, the Indians may appreciate, or we are doing something in India. That's all right. There is little effect of course, but not very much.

Jñānagamya: But if we make a film to go in the movie houses all over the world, the big movie houses, not just for little schools or little groups, not just for the temple.

Prabhupāda: What kind of film?

Jñānagamya: A film that would show activities of devotees. And have some story...

Prabhupāda: But you said they do not like it.

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Miseries of life, real miseries of life that you are soul, eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. There is no birth, there is no death. So therefore the birth and death is real misery. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is knowledge. But they have no brain. It is clearly said that na jāyate na mriyate vā. But these rascals never think "Why I am getting birth? Why I am dying?" So rascal. It is clearly said na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Where is that education? They do not know what is miseries. And they are trying, struggling to get out of misery. But they have no knowledge what is the actual misery. And therefore Kṛṣṇa pointing out, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. This is knowledge. Simply wasting time. They do not know what is the problem of life and how to solve it. They have no education. So which way? Which way?

Mahāṁsa: Either we can go a little longer and come back, or we can go this way.

Harikeśa: The car is here if you want to go.

Prabhupāda: So, come on. Let us talk. (break) ...problem of life. But they do not care for it. Nobody is serious about this point, that we learn that I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am spirit soul, and na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), I am not finished after finishing this body. Who is caring? Then what is my position? Any gentleman, suppose we have given notice that you have to vacate this house, this apartment. Your term is finished. So he finds out another house. But what these rascals are doing? They are so foolish. The notice is there, that any moment you'll be kicked out. And where you are going? Where to stay? And they are intelligent. And they're intelligent. They are struggling for existence, but who will allow you to exist? That the small brain cannot think. Who will allow you to exist? But they foolishly say struggle for existence. Survival of the fittest. Who is fit? He does not know.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So if an Indian brings from foreign country by his labor eight lakhs of rupees per month, how much credit he should be given? He should be recognized. But instead of recognizing they are criticizing.

Krishna Modi: This is their way, sir. They have to. They must do it. Because...

Prabhupāda: So you kindly speak to the Parliament that "This is the position, that he is working day and night..."

Krishna Modi: Oh no, I will speak very high about this. Let them, let the matter come. And if not come then we will take this matter. I will give the question. You please reply how much money is coming and in what way they are doing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Krishna Modi: I will ask the question.

Prabhupāda: Prove that the American government is supplying some way. No. We are selling our books.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually when you go abroad you can even see how our income's coming. How our temples live. We are all over the world.

Prabhupāda: That is our books are being printed.

Krishna Modi: A very big thing it is. It is marvelous that you have done such a thing. It is proud of India that...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York devotees just got a twelve story building right in the center and I know the local Hindus they are trying to build a small temple since twenty years and they're not succeeding. And right in the center of New York we have a twelve story building. Now all the Hindus are coming to us.

Prabhupāda: You have got that picture New York temple?

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. Therefore people are coming out like cats and dogs. But here is Bhagavad-gītā. If you are guided by Bhagavad-gītā, then it is all right. But this question, next question you'll say that "How I can save?" That is answered in Bhagavad-gītā. How you can save? Now you say. You tell me what is that verse. How you can save your child from death?

Indian man: By realizing, by giving an education.

Prabhupāda: No, you try to quote the verse, what is the way.

Indian man: (laughing) I am a small fly before yourself. You are the ocean. I am a drop.

Prabhupāda: No. You are not fly, you are experienced. Therefore I am trying to explain. Find out this verse. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Punar janma naiti. That is continuation of life. Tyaktvā, everyone has to give up this body. And one who gives up this body but does not accept another material body, he has no more birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). You have to find out this. Read it.

Room Conversation -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is authorized, and it is taught by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others are unauthorized. This is authorized. And that's a fact. This is authorized. And others, those, they are manufactured. Just like they have manufa...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It is authorized in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: In every... Bhagavad... This is Vedic. Bhagavad-gītā means the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And which other way can be authorized way? You have to impress that upon.

Jagadīśa: That's two hours.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Another one hour...

Prabhupāda: Chanting, dancing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually...

Prabhupāda: They haven't got to attend other classes. Let them chant and dance, kīrtana, other one hour. Because here is the class. They'll simply sit down in that yogic posture and hear. That's all. You explain.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These people are... I understand this...

Jagadīśa: No, they have a misconception what yoga is.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, I know. But if we want to get repeat business...

Prabhupāda: No no, we are not after business. This is our...

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is real culture, Bhagavad-gītā. I'm preaching that, Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Indian lady (5): When Swamiji says, "The Supreme Personality says," where is the doubt and where is the questioning also?

Prabhupāda: I represent as it is, and it is being accepted. (Indians talking at once)

Guest (1): Swamiji, what is the way out now? We have understood the present position, and you have also realized. You have seen the... And I don't want to take... I know that this ten-minutes' talk will not bring any satisfaction on either side. Now that has put me into a new thinking, that she's presently more worried about...

Prabhupāda: That is a politics. You must be worried. You must be worried. That is material world. So so long you are in the material platform, you must be worried. There is no exception. And I have seen in that time, how much worried she was at that time. Yes. So it does not mean because she is Prime Minister, there is no worry. It is not possible.

Guest (1): She's very worried.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is very worried.

D. D. Desai: More worried. (laughs)

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So do you mean to say God cannot come as man? And Jehovah came as God?

Rāmeśvara: "But in the Bible God revealed a certain aspect of Himself, and the personality of Kṛṣṇa seems to be very different from this."

Prabhupāda: In which way different?

Rāmeśvara: "Because He had all these affairs with the gopīs. He was very different."

Prabhupāda: God will be just like...

Rāmeśvara: "And He was a king with sixteen thousand wives. That seems to be very different from the God that is described in the Bible."

Prabhupāda: So if God... What is described in the Bible, God symptom, that he has no power to enjoy sixteen thousand wives? He's limited?

Rāmeśvara: No. He's unlimited.

Prabhupāda: Then, sixteen thousand, sixteen millions He can have. Why, if He's unlimited? What is wrong there? If He's unlimited, why sixteen thousand? If He marries sixteen million, sixteen billion, still, it is not sufficient. Otherwise there is no meaning of unlimited. Why you restrict God to sixteen or one? God is under your restriction, and He's still unlimited? That means you do not know what is God. You do not know what is God. You are mistaken.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So everyone in servant.

Guest (1): No, sir, servant is always serving in the government...

Prabhupāda: So they are servant. So every one of us is a servant. But this service has not pleased us. Therefore we are seeking other service, the service of the Supreme.

Guest (1): Sir, what is the way to serve the Supreme?

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. Just like a servant, when he is not pleased, somehow or other, with the master, he seeks another service. Is it not? Similarly, the service in this material world will never please us, neither the master. Take for example Gandhi. He gave so much service to his country, to his countrymen, but what was the result? He was shot dead. So who can please more than Gandhi? So we should take lesson from this, that if you are engaged in rendering service to the material world, neither you'll be happy nor the master will be happy. It is simply waste of time.

Guest (3): Waste of time.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): No, those who are fighting for the country...

Prabhupāda: Eh! Any way, any way, material service is simply waste of time.

Guest (1): Sir, actually what is spiritual service?

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, we shall go. The, what is called, evolution theory... Darwin said they take from monkey. But they do not know wherefrom the monkey comes. Does he give it chronologically?

Satsvarūpa: No. They say that both humans and monkeys come from a common ancestor. But they don't know what that is.

Prabhupāda: Who was your ancestor? (laughter) Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-vimśati. There is chronological order followed: first of all aquatics, then trees and plants, then insects, then reptiles, and in this way, then birds, then beasts, then human being. Which way? This? No.

Bhāgavata: If you want to go out, this way. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...it from Padma Purāṇa, and he has explained in his own imagination. The idea has been taken from Padma Purāṇa because the Padma Purāṇa, it is already there, evolution. Asatiṁ caturaṁś caiva. Eighty-four lakṣa means hundred thousand, 8,400,000. That is also given. Where is that, that Darwin's theory?

Bhāgavata: They have no number of species.

Prabhupāda: Imperfect idea. He wanted to credit himself. He has stolen the idea from Padma Purāṇa and wanted to explain in his own way, imagination, speculation.

Bhāgavata: The actual evolution is that the soul goes...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhāgavata: ...from the species, from one species to another in chronological order.

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That means he does not understand us.

Satsvarūpa: Is it a fact that if Kṛṣṇa consciousness was the main power, would people be allowed to...?

Prabhupāda: Which way? Which way? This way?

Satsvarūpa: In the Vedic culture, are people allowed to follow any other belief? In a society where there is Kṛṣṇa conscious king or president, say someone doesn't want to be a devotee. What happens to him?

Prabhupāda: Devotee... Unless one is devotee, he cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Imaṁ rājarṣayo... Means at king, the same time...

Satsvarūpa: No. The king, if the king is a devotee, but one of the subjects says, "I still don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, but I want to live here also."

Prabhupāda: So king has the power to chastise him. Just like if this child says, "I don't believe in education," shall I have to accept? He must be punished. He's a child. He can say, "Father, I don't believe in education. Let me play." Will the father allow? Chastise him. That is king's duty.

Devotee (1): So if someone wanted to be, say, a Christian in the Kṛṣṇa conscious..., a society led by a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if someone wanted to be a Christian, would he be chastised?

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This is their first qualification. They do not know what is the aim of life. Ask anyone what is the aim of life. They cannot say, like animal. Animal does not know. Eat, sleep, sex. They do not know. This is the demon's first quality. In which way life should be directed, they do not know. They are missing that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When I preach in the colleges, that's the first question I ask them. Not one person can answer. Never.

Prabhupāda: Aimless life. Aimless life, what they will not do? Everything they'll do for sense gratification, because there is no aim.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the college never gives the answer, the teachers. 'Cause they themselves...

Prabhupāda: They do not know. The whole Western civilization they do not know what is the aim of life. Naturally the aim of life becomes like animals-eat, drink, have sex and defend. That's all. That is the Western civilization. They are busy for defense and sex arrangement and eating voraciously and sleeping.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The religions should be giving us answer. (break)

Prabhupāda: The religion is only this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Hari-śauri: The Christians know that if our movement spreads, they are finished.

Prabhupāda: They are already finished. You showed me that... Already finished.

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

Prabhupāda: You deposit in the Māyāpur.

Rāmeśvara: In Los Angeles, that check.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That's the check. And also the Tehran yātrā is making an additional two thousand dollar donation to Your Divine Grace. Shall I give him a check or shall I put it in your account? Which way you like?

Prabhupāda: No, no. You can directly put in my account.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Put it in which account? In Māyāpur account? Or shall I put it in my account and give you interest?

Prabhupāda: That's all right

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Whichever you like. I am giving...

Prabhupāda: He gives eighteen percent interest.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Eighteen percent interest.

Rāmeśvara: That's the best in the world.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So you can do that.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: You want this two thousand added to your account.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And inform me just like this account...

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Initiation means seriously take up the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vow.

Prabhupāda: And if you make it a fun business, then I become implicated, you become implicated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In what way does the spiritual master become...?

Prabhupāda: Well, this is then something.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has to work very hard on behalf of the disciple...

Prabhupāda: No. To accept his sinful reaction.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He does that?

Prabhupāda: It is not easy job to become a spiritual master. Yes. Then when it is overloaded, you'll suffer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa transfers the sinful reaction unto the spiritual master from the disciple.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why? Is it because there will be such a heavy...?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says... That is the principle. This is, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). "You have to take all the sinful reactions." This is the principle, that Kṛṣṇa is God. He can nullify everything. But I am not God. When it is overloaded, I have to suffer. This is the principle that the Christian idea that Christ takes.

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: This is going on. Today you are European. Tomorrow you become Indian. And today you are man; tomorrow you become a dog. If you have got love for your country, but your work is doggish, then you become a dog. And who cares for the "national" dog? The street dog and the... At night he takes charge of the street. Nobody has appointed him, but he takes charge, and whole night: "Gow! Gow!" If somebody, new man, enters the neighborhood, "I am in charge." You see? "Why you have entered?" So this is going on. "I am leader of this country." So what is this civilization? Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the leader." He says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (BG 5.29) "I am the leader. I am the friend, well-wisher of everyone." And if a dog says, "I am the leader. I am the well-wisher," so which way we shall go? I shall accept the dog as leader and well-wisher or Kṛṣṇa? Boliye. A barking dog or Kṛṣṇa?

Indian man (2): Naturally Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And He says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I can adjust things." So we are not taking. (Hindi) From all angles of vision, if you study Bhagavad-gītā, everything is perfectly there. And if you take it seriously, you become happy in this life and dehāntare. If you simply take, accept Kṛṣṇa as He says, then what is result? Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Punar janma, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), but one who has understood Kṛṣṇa perfectly—it is not possible to understand Him, but as far as possible, as far as our knowledge is concerned—if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediate result is that we are freed from the bondage of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). So that is the real problem. We are solving problems, this problem, that problem, that... They are not problems. That is natural in this material world. Just like this fly is disturbing. This is not a problem because the fly is made for that purpose. How... You cannot stop him. You can protect yourself. It is not possible to stop him. This is not problem, how to drive away the fly. The real problem, Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam, that you are in the cycle of birth, death... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Evening Darsana -- May 14, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: One who has understood Kṛṣṇa—"Vāsudeva is everything"—he is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā. So that is recommended. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you get the chance of getting such mahātmā, then try to give him service. Become his servant. Then your path of liberation will be open. And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are after sense gratification, if you associate with them, then you are going to the darkness. Two ways are open: āhur vimukteḥ and dvāram, tamo-dvāram. Now make your choice, "In which way we shall go, in this way or that way?" Everything is given, information, in the Bhagavad-gītā and all other śāstras. Bhagavad-gītā is the gist of all Vedas and Upaniṣads, Vedānta. Vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vit. Kṛṣṇa is vedānta-vit and vedānta-kṛt. Kṛṣṇa, in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva, He has compiled the Vedānta-sūtra. He has recommended also in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ, everything is established very reasonably. So Kṛṣṇa is speaking Vedānta-sūtra. Veda means knowledge. Anta means the end of knowledge. The end of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Man of knowledge is jñānavān. So ordinary jñānavān, little knowledge, they cannot understand. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). But a person cultivating knowledge for many lives, he can understand. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So Vāsudeva personally explaining Himself, "I am like this; I am like that." Why should we not understand? What is the objection? Boliye.

Guest (1) (Indian man): There should be no objection.

Prabhupāda: But people are not following Vāsudeva. They are creating new Vāsudeva. And somebody told that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary man? Trivikrama Mahārāja or somebody told me. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, the people who are coming in at night are saying that.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: In Madras we have got very particular people. This is ho-kalam(?). One and a half hour every day, nobody does any work. Monday, 7:30 to nine. It's some time every day they say very bad. People don't start anything new, not going... In the afternoon there is rama-dandana.(?) So it always means a way of postponing things, so, as Guru was saying the other day, somebody said, "It's not auspicious to sleep on the north side." So then he said, "I don't have a head, so it doesn't matter which way the..." Quite true, that is.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if tomorrow we could have this... Or day after tomorrow, perhaps. It will take a day to get the ingredients. Day after tomorrow is all right with you?

Mr. Myer: No, that's very good, yeah.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, today's Friday, so day after tomorrow will be Sunday. Sunday morning. Is that all right? Actually Mr. Myer came here to get initiated. He had no idea to come here to become a manager here. Originally, before he went back to Madras to get his wife, he just came here for this thing, because he heard that you were very ill, and he didn't know what your position would be, so he wanted... So he rushed here, stopping all his work, simply to take initiation.

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's inspiration.

Mr. Myer: So one year I was reading books on..., listening to the tapes, and I...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is your first name?

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Lifetime. You can live, every one of you. So long you live, you can live.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "I beg to assure you, that during lifetime..." (Bengali )

Prabhupāda: You are doing business. (Bengali conversation) Why you should remain in that flat with two, three rooms? That ambition is not there. That endeavor is not there. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda started with forty rupees.

Prabhupāda: I went to... You know. So in what way I went? With a tin box and some literature. And how I have come back? You rascal, you have no eyes to see. You have seen how I went and how I came back. This is practical. I worked for this. I labored for it. It all depends on one's capacity. Otherwise immediately I'll give you charge. You cannot do here anything. So you'll get this letter. That's assurance. (Bengali) Keep it as document. That's all. I'll stamp it. All right, I shall meet again with you. Give him that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda takes his massage now. (break)

Prabhupāda: I have heard that still he is keeping, "I am devotee of Kṛṣṇa," still, in this fallen condition. How (indistinct). Take this. (break) Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. It is great ocean of such glory. Tad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) Dr. Kovoor. He cannot be called as "doctor." How could he be a doctor?

Haṁsadūta: Quack. Quack doctor.

Prabhupāda: There is a story. A bridegroom was selected. So, the other party, bride's party, they inquired how the bridegroom was quite qualified. So they said, "He's a doctor." Then they inquired, "What kind of doctor? Doctor of philosophy, doctor of medicine or...?"

Purī Mahārāja: Doctor which way?

Prabhupāda: So he said, "No, no, no. He's not all these nonsense. He's a big doctor." "What is that?" "Conductor." (laughter)

Purī Mahārāja: He's a big superior doctor, con-doctor. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...con-ductor. Bhakti-caru?

Brahmānanda: Just calling him. He's in the kitchen, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here he is, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break)

Purī Mahārāja: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Maybe Purī Mahārāja would like to see the pictures from the Los Angeles Ratha-yātrā. Remember those pictures I showed you in London?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, too much sleeping means weakness.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Bhavānanda felt it was due to not sleeping at night that you were sleeping during the day. But you slept an awful lot today. But yet...

Prabhupāda: No, today avoid.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today avoid. Yet you say that... When I asked you, "Are you feeling more vitality?" you said, "I think so." In what way are you feeling like that?

Prabhupāda: So tonight don't give me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's all right. But what about that question I asked, Śrīla Prabhupāda? When I asked you, "Are you feeling more vitality?" you said, "I think so." In what sense are you feeling more vitality?

Prabhupāda: Anyway, tonight don't try to give me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Does it give any appetite, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Feeling of appetite?

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I cooked some boiled rice, boiled it for a long time, and some plantain. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good for stopping diarrhea. I think you should take some, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Instead of taking the medicine, take a little of this prasādam. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: All right, I'll try to take.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Society cannot loan money for a business like this. This is not our Society's business at all. You're not... Of the one lakh of rupees' worth of books, only six thousand rupees is from ISKCON's books. So how can we loan one lakh of rupees? We can't start loaning money for these kind of businesses. It's against the Society's memorandum and rules that money can be given to individuals for their personal businesses. This is a charitable society. It's bounded by the Society's charity laws. So, Prabhupāda, whatever money he has, he has got as a binamida of the Society. He may donate the money in the sense of giving a stipend to family members. That's different. But as far as giving loans for business purposes to an individual private business... I mean we would lose our charitable status, because the accounts are audited every year. So it will look very... In fact, if we do that, then they may raise objection to the stipend also. Now they can't raise objection, because it's given as a stipend to the family, former family of this ācārya. They won't say anything. But if we start taking Society money and loaning it to a private business, which is the way they'll see it, then they'll raise objection. Furthermore, then we'll have to charge interest, and if we charge interest, that gets us into a lot of trouble also. As a Society, we're not supposed to be doing business, profit-making business.

Prabhupāda: So when the certificates matures, what is the amount?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The amount, I believe, is about 43,200 rupees.

Prabhupāda: So this much can be given to him. You can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That amount can be given to him, and he may pay back the loan.

Page Title:Which way (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:23 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=118, Let=0
No. of Quotes:118