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Ahmedabad (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Guest (6): I want to join...

Prabhupāda: Generally they join. Generally they join.

Guest (6): My brother also agrees to stay with you.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice.

Guest (6): From today I am ready to join you.

Prabhupāda: No, you finish your education. That will be a good qualification.

Guest (6): Why not you are paying a visit in Lakhpur(?). There is a very big Gītā Mandir.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere there is Gītā Mandir. Here there is also big Gītā Mandir.

Guest (6): No, there... Here they have mixture of many gods. Not like that. There is only one Gītā, and all, the whole temple, belongs to Gītā and nothing else.

Prabhupāda: So if they invite, I can go. Why don't you ask them to invite us? Then we can go immediately.

Guest (6): Whole temple there is a pracāra(?) Gītā.

Prabhupāda: But how many preachers they have produced?

Guest (6): You must be knowing that Vidyananda, Swami Vidyananda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he's a great nonsense.

Guest (6): Oh, no.

Prabhupāda: I know.

Guest (6): He has constructed that from Gujarat. He's a Gujārati.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (6): He constructed a temple there.

Prabhupāda: I have seen in Ahmedabad his temple. He established one deity, a woman shape, and there is no Kṛṣṇa. "Gītā." "Gītā" means a woman. So I don't think he has full understanding of Gītā. He has money; he has spent. That's all. But he does not understand Gītā.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 27, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Seaweed. The Chinese, China, China grass? What is called? China grass? Some foodstuff is sold in the stores, China grass?

Brahmānanda: Oh, yeah, I think they dry it...

Prabhupāda: No, they go under some chemical process. That gentleman, Mr. Patel, in Ahmedabad, whose guest I was, he's doing this business.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, this can be taken as food?

Prabhupāda: Yes. under some chemical process. No, as it is can be taken. The Japanese take it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is one of the targets of scientific research. They're going to find food from the ocean now.

Prabhupāda: There is already food. What is this? You are You have labor (indistinct). There is already food.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They're going to find more.

Prabhupāda: Why more? Let them eat all the fishes first of all. Rascal, what more? They would take all the fishes and eat first, finish it. Then, then search for another. Simply rascaldom. Simply to take money from the government: "I'm making some research."

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Cheating, simply. And the rascal government will supply money: "Yes." There is already food, sir. First of all you eat. Finish it. Then you make research for others. He cannot eat all the fishes even.

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Rūpānuga: Just because a man goes in the prisonhouse doesn't mean his thieving is cured. He will come out a thief unless he is actually rectified.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Yes. Otherwise again he will commit the same thing and again he will come. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Therefore he requires instruction, good instruction. Sometimes government invites. We were invited that Ahmedabad jail. You remember?

Śrutakīrti: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, there was big meeting of the prisoners. Kīrtana, everything, yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So by lacking the understanding, they say that God is not merciful. The sufferers. People, who are suffering, but by not knowing that it is the mercy of the Lord, we complain that God is not merciful. But he is impartial.

Prabhupāda: No, God is merciful, but this fool does not know because he is ignorant. The same thing, mother says. One child, she is feeding very sumptuously. Other one, "Oh, don't take it. You go away." Does it mean the mother is merciful to one child and not to the other? The child does not know it, he cries, "Why shall I not...? Why I shall not eat? Why I shall not eat?" So these foolish questions will be stopped as soon as one becomes God conscious.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Marina del Rey -- July 14, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the śāstra. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. Because a pure devotee carries Kṛṣṇa within his heart, therefore wherever he goes he makes a holy place. It is said in the śāstra. So not me, but every one of you, if you are pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then wherever you'll go, that is a holy place. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ... To become sannyāsī means that, that he'll be pure devotee, and wherever he will go, he will purify. That is sannyāsa means. Mahad-vicalaṁ nṛnāṁ gṛhināṁ dīna-cetasām. Mahātmās, they'll travel so that the householders, who are cripple-minded and full of sinful activities, they'll go there and make them purified. This is the idea of sannyāsa. And in the Vedic civilization a brahmacārī and a sannyāsī has open door. There is no restriction. No "Beware of dog." (laughter) But now they are prohibited. I have got practical experience. After my sannyāsa, when I was touring India, so in Ahmedabad, or Baroda, I was entering one man's house. So he was standing on the balcony. (laughter)

Morning Walk at Marina del Rey -- July 14, 1974, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: They consider it a delicacy in the restaurants for the macrobiotic people, the young people who are into health foods. It's a health food. It's a delicacy.

Prabhupāda: This is also eaten. (laughter) Yes. This is eaten by the Japanese. They eat it.

Bali Mardana: They say it contains much iodine, certain minerals.

Prabhupāda: They make some food and it is sold. What is called, that? They make some cakes by soaking in the water.

Devotee: Soybean?

Prabhupāda: Not soybean. They make some foodstuff. In India also they are making now. When I was in Ahmedabad, guest of one Mr. Patel, his business is to collect this. And he's a chemist also. And prepare some food. And he's got good business.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One of the plans for science in the future is the food from the ocean.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Food from the ocean is already there—fishes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, not only fishes. They're trying to investigate more.

Prabhupāda: Fish is not sufficient?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, fish is not enough.

Kṛṣṇa-kānti: They're never satisfied with the foods they take.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 23, 1975, Vrndavana:

Guest: If some definite example is there, then they will immediately copy. See, they are copy-minded. If suppose we open up a temple here and the conditions here improve, automatically everybody'll take up. So we will see next year. Automatically when things are done by copying, they would like to go by the copy method, not by experimentation. So if our temples are successful in Māyāpur and Hyderabad and everywhere, farms are attained, and if they are able to produce better things, they will understand, "Oh, because of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people are becoming more prosperous." Automatically they will come therefore.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, that is also nice. (break) We have no factory; we have no business.

Guest: People are wondering now. They are asking me.

Prabhupāda: So why they do not imitate this?

Guest: No, they will imitate. Because that's why we are going to Ahmedabad to that we can give the...

Prabhupāda: Yes, if that is, they want to see practically, so practically we have got 102 branches and maintaining so many men, but we have no business.

Guest: No, ISKCON has done better than any government. In ten years what ISKCON has done, no other government has done.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even in America they are surprised. In our Los Angeles temple our devotees are inquired by the store men that "How you are maintaining? You do not work. You have got so many cars. You are eating nicely. You live in very nice building. How you are provided?" They are surprised.

Morning Walk -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Brahmānanda: ...shortage that they will make processes for eating the seaweed.

Prabhupāda: They are already doing that.

Rāmeśvara: It is considered a health food in many vegetarian restaurants, they import it as a health food.

Prabhupāda: That Ahmedabad, that gentleman in his house, you were guest, you were in Ahmedabad?

Jayatīrtha: Ahmedabad, that...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: ...homeopathic doctor?

Prabhupāda: No, no, that gentleman, his name I forget now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Patel?

Prabhupāda: Patel, yes. Not the doctor, the young man in whose house we became guest. He's doing this business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eating it.

Prabhupāda: He's mixing with something, making like that Chinese grass and what you call? His business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The Chinese eat this.

Prabhupāda: Chinese, Japanese.

Rāmeśvara: In Japan, it is very popular.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- September 26, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Park and lake. (break) ...if Upendra comes, he will do?

Yaśomatīnandana: I was just thinking that he might only change his visa.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He could get an extension. For every American, for three-month visa, then you apply for an extension. You can stay for maximum of six months. But then we can replace as more devotees come. Rūpānuga wrote that ten devotees are on the way from America. As more devotees come, then we can replace.

Yaśomatīnandana: In India...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Yaśomatīnandana: Upendra has come to India only for a few months, so it might take a little while to get used to situation here. And some boys are here who are already two, three years in India. They know how to do it. And again, if he has to go in a few months...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very difficult at the moment, Śrīla Prabhupāda. If we have that choice, then I humbly say we not open the Ahmedabad temple now because... At other temples, like Calcutta, which have (unclear) and which are in a very critical situation because I haven't given them any men...

Prabhupāda: (break) You require one man to your selection. So nobody will stay. Everyone has to go. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... (break) The Ahmedabad people cannot maintain this park. How they will maintain their center? And you are not making good life members? Then?

Yaśomatīnandana: These are only few days that they have started making... Last time we came they made eight members in five weeks.

Prabhupāda: Members are made after the festival.

Morning Walk -- October 18, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: That's all. Formerly the Manchester people were exploiting Indians. Now the Ahmedabad people, they have learned how to exploit. That's all. And government is satisfied because they pay tax. "Never mind. The workers may suffer, go on suffering." This is going on. And they have lost their own culture, and they have been taught how to drink, how to eat meat. This is... (break) ...fact is that Indians cannot work so hard as the Western people can work. The climate does not allow. India's climate is good for peaceful living, less work, and brain engaged in spiritual advancement. That is India's gift. They are not meant for hard work. Hard work is not required for anyone. This is animal civilization, to work very hard. Then what is the difference between animal and man? A man has to work so hard like animal; then what is the difference? Here in the Western countries their climate is also suitable, and they are taught to work very hard like animals. And they do that. Therefore materially they become so-called prosperous for committing suicide.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Birlas, they have become so big, they have so much credit in the market that by telephone they will ask any gold merchant, that you purchase one thousand tolās of gold for me. He'll immediately purchase, because he has a credit.

Mr. Kallman: Sure, many years.

Prabhupāda: And next moment he phones another gold merchant, "What is the price," he says. Say one anna less... I'll sell one hundred tolās. So he'll purchase without any investment and sells immediately and makes one hundred tolās, one anna profit, some (indistinct).

Mr. Kallman: Sure.

Prabhupāda: By telephone.

Mr. Kallman: Very quick.

Prabhupāda: In this way, they become very, very big. They know how to use this art, these Marwaris. If you are going in India, you'll see Marwaris are very quickly, they will come. They know how to do business.

Mr. Kallman: Volume.

Prabhupāda: Volume. Volume of the... Of course, volume of business can be done which is easily seller.

Mr. Kallman: A very good market, the United States for clothing.

Prabhupāda: Clothing.

Mr. Kallman: Yes, constantly growing.

Prabhupāda: You are purchasing from Ahmedabad?

Mr. Kallman: We purchase from Bombay, out of Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Aḥ, Bombay. Bombay is the center. So now we are having our temple, whenever you go, you can stay with us.

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

Bali-mardana: He's educating them.

Interviewer: What's he doing?

Prabhupāda: He's educating.

Interviewer: He's trying to show them a different way?

Prabhupāda: Not different way, he's educating differently.

Bali-mardana: So they can understand what they're doing, what they're supposed to be doing.

Interviewer: He's educating them to what? That this jail life is no good?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: That the jail life is no good?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interviewer: But then is that man that's hammering the bricks, isn't he going to quit hammering the bricks, too?

Prabhupāda: He may not hammer, he's giving instruction. Just like I was invited in Ahmedabad jail to give some instruction. So I'm not hammering on the bricks because I was in the jail.

Interviewer: No, you're giving instruction.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I'm meant for giving instruction, I am not meant for hammering on the bricks.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They may read and translate. And why in India where there is Bhagavad-gītā? Apart from all other Vedic literatures, set aside, the gist of all Vedic knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā, there is. And still, people are kept into darkness. How much lamentable. Still, big, big leaders, at least, they want to preach Bhagavad-gītā—without Kṛṣṇa. They have set aside lakhs of rupees for preaching Bhagavad-gītā, but condition is if you preach without Kṛṣṇa. Just see. Bhagavad-gītā in every page it is written "śrī-bhagavān uvāca." Not even it is said "kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca." Because some rascal may take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, therefore Vyāsadeva has specifically said... People know it, "kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca," but he says "śrī-bhagavān uvāca." The bhagavān word. People may not mistake that Kṛṣṇa is somebody else. And they want to banish Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā. Even Gandhi did it. So you explain Bhagavad-gītā as it is there in Ahmedabad?

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They like it?

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. Many young people are very attracted.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, the enquiry is finished. Now government is considering to give that land. (indistinct) that land. There were many others, land offers in Hyderabad, but I wanted to start this institution in the, on the birth site of Lord Caitanya. Otherwise we have got better land. We have asked government for 350 acres but we have already bought in Hyderabad, 600 acres. Here also we can get immediately 500, 600 acres, like that. We have already got another plot of land, 100 acres in Ahmedabad. So there are so many lands available but I wanted to start this project in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Therefore we are (indistinct). If they say no, then we shall attempt it somewhere else.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...saintly person. Such men should understand. Rājarṣi. Not ordinary king. Ṛṣi. Ṛṣi tulya. So if one is religious, then he will institute. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If the big, big leaders, politicians, they accept Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, then others will follow. Unfortunately, the leaders, they have their own interpretation. They won't accept Bhagavad-gītā. That is the difficulty.

Indian man: Prabhupāda, how about opening one temple in Ahmedabad?

Prabhupāda: Why not? We are opening everywhere, why not in Ahmedabad? Good idea. I want to open centers in every village, in every town.

Indian man: That is very good, but to begin with, if such centers... I was discussing with Girirāja...

Prabhupāda: Is there any chance of opening?

Indian man: Yes. In Ahmedabad? Why not? There is no obstruction. The Christians have now opened up two centers. Arya-samaj has opened one. So there is no restriction. And these areas, like Ahmedabad or in some of the African countries where people have still no inclination or no knowledge of one particular kind of religion or particular thing, they are open to anything which is given to them.

Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. English civilization is not good. What was the wrong? I say repeatedly again and again, he ruined the Manchester cloth business, he developed Ahmedabad cloth. The result is we poor men, we were paying one rupee six annas per pair, now we are paying thirty rupees. Money is going... Instead of going to the pocket of the Englishmen it is going to the pocket of Mahadevia. (laughter)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Guru dāsa: Yes, yes. Some of those also are being distributed. Now also while I was in Delhi, on the way here, one ex-king approached a devotee about wanting to sell a place to us. He wanted to sell a house to our institution.

Prabhupāda: Where is it?

Guru dāsa: It is in Mount Abu. So they referred it to me. I went with the president of Delhi and I saw the house. And...

Prabhupāda: Mount Abu between Jaipur and Delhi?

Guru dāsa: Between Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

Prabhupāda: Ahmedabad. Yes, yes.

Guru dāsa: It is a very high hill station, very clean air. And the house is sixty-three rooms. It's a mansion. And one hundred acres.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Guru dāsa: And full of trees and jasmine flowers.

Prabhupāda: It will make nice scenery.

Guru dāsa: Beautiful. Heavenly scenery.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: If they want to live without any payment, let them go to Māyāpur. There is enough place. We don't deny that. But here, in the guestroom, they will occupy without any payment.

Akṣayānanda: No, there's only one big room. It's right at the back, and it's not a very nice room. The guests do not like that room. And they have... I sent two or three to Ahmedabad also. They have a little room, Ahmedabad, especially now.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Akṣayānanda: Yaśomatī-nandana, he has also facility, so often I send them there.

Prabhupāda: Yaśomatī-nandana? Ahmedabad?

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: Especially single women.

Prabhupāda: They can go to Hyderabad, Ahmedabad. And why here? This should be stopped and independence given(?).

Akṣayānanda: Today's a special Govardhana-parikrama, so we're sending out women and men both, for book distribution. Tamāla had a suggestion. We made a competition between the men and women, who will distribute the most books.

Page Title:Ahmedabad (Conversations)
Compiler:Jahnu
Created:27 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=17, Let=0
No. of Quotes:17