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Australia (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 15, 1976, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: Then why this statement is there, lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam? If it is approved, why Bhāgavata criticizing?

Harikeśa: Was long hair a sign of beauty in those days?

Prabhupāda: It was not meant for everyone.

Harikeśa: Kṣatriyas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...stairs first?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: (break) ...you were coming to Australia, we started to put in a chair lift up the stairs.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Last year you asked us to put in one lift, so we had the company on the line, one nice lift. It goes on the side of the stairs. You sit on it and it goes right up.

Prabhupāda: It is already fixed?

Madhudviṣa: Well, it can be fixed very easily. We have the contractor lined up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's enough reason to go to Australia.

Madhudviṣa: Oh, yes, you don't have to walk up any stairs if you come to Australia.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. (chuckles)

Madhudviṣa: And your garden is all finished.

Prabhupāda: Finished?

Madhudviṣa: This much garden is all finished. It is all, I mean, complete, with flowers and grass and trees.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Madhudviṣa: We are growing our own flowers in the back now.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: They want to stop it. That is their... (break) A new temple?

Jayatīrtha: Old temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) Who was talking about casting?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That was in Australia, Adelaide. Cittahārī.

Prabhupāda: This is very nice. This mūrti should be standard.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Geneva.

Prabhupāda: Yes... No, anywhere.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, and drop it(?) like this.

Prabhupāda: They are casting. (break) ...this title.

Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta:

Hari-śauri: Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: Philadelphia, London...

Hari-śauri: Melbourne.

Prabhupāda: Melbourne, Australia...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Paris.

Prabhupāda: Paris. So the same thing, the same Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship temples and same Ratha-yātrā, in a bigger scale. But the same thing was begun as play from this quarter, this Thakurbari.

Indian man: Year 1917. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I began my.... I think from 1904 or '5, from my very childhood.

Indian man: Oh, childhood.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At that time perhaps you were not born. (laughter) What is your age now? What is the birth of date?

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When? Early in the morning?

Devotee: Yes. We're making the arrangement tomorrow to go. We're getting tickets and some books. Then Jagat-guru will follow a few days later.

Prabhupāda: Make vigorous propaganda all over the world. From South Africa, Australia, there is direct service.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Direct service.

Prabhupāda: Perth.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Perth.

Prabhupāda: From Perth to...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sydney.

Prabhupāda: No, South Africa...?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How many hours? It's about nine hours.

Prabhupāda: Not much. Nearer than India. From India to Australia takes so many hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Five hours it was, from Bombay to Mauritius.

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Five hours, again nine hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And then it was about three hours to South Africa from Mauritius.

Prabhupāda: No, from Mauritius they can go directly to Australia. No?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Direct to?

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. If the flight is broken up like that, it's a little easier, from South Africa to Mauritius to Perth, or even to Bombay. It's about the same distance from Bombay to Mauritius as to Australia from Mauritius.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda is thinking about going from India to South Africa to Australia to make the flight easier.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I don't think it makes the flight easier, because you're going like a triangle, this way and then this way. Let us arrange some nice program first, so that when you come again we'll have something nice to offer you.

Prabhupāda: I think in Mauritius there is good field. They adopted culture.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Madhudviṣa: He gave her a donation.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Akṣayānanda: How much did he give?

Madhudviṣa: I don't know how much he gave, but he gave a donation.

Akṣayānanda: Did he get a book?

Madhudviṣa: Yes, she gave him our magazine.

Devotee (1): (indistinct)

Madhudviṣa: There was no security.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Madhudviṣa: There was no security around him. He just was standing there on the sidewalk out in front of one hotel after this luncheon.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Madhudviṣa: And she just walked up to him and "Oh, this is a flower for you," pinned it on his lapel.

Prabhupāda: Mm. So he has no personal guard?

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Madhudviṣa: We can see just..., in our society that we have bought so many Catholic properties...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Madhudviṣa: ...already. For our temples. In Toronto, I think, we bought a Catholic church, and Montreal and Australia also, that was Catholic property. They are selling all their property off because they cannot afford to maintain.

Pañcadraviḍa: Still in South America the people are Catholic and pious...

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) we wanted to purchase a convent...

Madhudviṣa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: How dilapidated.

Madhudviṣa: How envious they were. We wanted to purchase the convent, and they said they would sell us only if they could tear down the church. They wouldn't sell it to us unless they could tear down the church.

Passers-by: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I think grain they would allow. So many Christian institutions from America donate butter and ghee and rice and wheat to the Christian churches here. I think they would not object. We have not tried, perhaps.

Prabhupāda: No, we are trying. In Bengal they are trying.

Dr. Patel: Not here. They allow. How we are getting that Australian ghee all the time?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: They allow from Australia.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: They should allow from States also.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...milk is cheaper than the bottle.

Dr. Patel: Just as wine is cheaper in Paris than water. I had to pay more for a glass of water. (Hindi) (break) It is not here, but...

Prabhupāda: It is in Delhi.

Dr. Patel: They should come here. So they may arrive some day.

Prabhupāda: So where is? Arrange to bring him. Otherwise they will not believe.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That is the soul, or consciousness. The same thing, the pilot. The pilot may be a small man, and the airship may be very gigantic. You can make still more. But the pilot is the same. So the body may be elephant or a small ant, but the pilot is the same. That is real understanding.

Mike Barron: Just getting off that, can I ask why you've come to Australia again?

Prabhupāda: I have already explained that, that this is my mission, to educate people to understand himself. They are under this misconception that "Every one of us, we are this body." That is misconception. You must know who is within the body. That is real education.

Mike Barron: And how long.... You'll continue this until...

Prabhupāda: Well...

Mike Barron: ...until you die.

Prabhupāda: The knowledge is already there in the Vedic literature, but there was no discussion, at least in the Western countries. So I am trying to.... We have got so many books, eighty-four books, writing on this science. (aside:) Show him our books. They are being accepted by high learned circle. (break) ...written not jokingly. It is a great science.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Just like the living force within the body, that is the most important thing, similarly, throughout this creation, cosmic manifestation, Kṛṣṇa is the most important thing.

Mike Barron: Are you happy with the way the Kṛṣṇa movement is progressing throughout the world and particularly throughout Australia?

Prabhupāda: Well, we are progressing very slow because the subject matter is so difficult that even big, big scientists, big, big professors, they are puzzled. So you cannot expect. But those who are fortunate and.... They are understanding. So this progress, we cannot expect a mass people will understand immediately, but if one person understands, he can act very tremendously to educate the people on this matter. Just like the example is that to illuminate the sky it does not require millions of stars. One moon is sufficient.

Mike Barron: What is the biggest obstacle for people to overcome?

Prabhupāda: Their dullness. They are not being educated, but they are putting into the darkness of ignorance more and more. That is going on in the name of education.

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1976, Melbourne:

Guru-kṛpā: ...were so worried, but this country is so big, and there's only twelve million people. More people live in New York City than in this whole country. And they say "overpopulation."

Prabhupāda: They would not allow.

Guru-kṛpā: Yes, they don't allow.

Devotee (3): They have the "white Australia policy." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Chinese man, Indians, they will come in large number. But they will not allow. That is the difficulty.

Guru-kṛpā: There's more cows in this country than people.

Prabhupāda: They are killing?

Guru-kṛpā: They are eating them.

Prabhupāda: And other countries, they are starving for want of milk. Therefore I say the United Nation simply barking dogs. What is the value if they cannot adjust? United Nation, all the nations should take advantage all the facilities offered, but that they will not allow. And they are named, "United." Just see. Farce.

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1976, Melbourne:

Guru-kṛpā: The rascals, they try to blame everything on Kṛṣṇa by saying, "Why is Kṛṣṇa letting people starve?"

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is giving them sufficient. They are mismanaging. Still, Kṛṣṇa is still bad. Envious. Kṛṣṇa created this earth. Did He say, "This is for the Australians. This is for the Americans"? Did He say? Why you are keeping so much land as "Australia"? That is also Kṛṣṇa's fault? Australia was never given to the Englishmen. They came and they, by force they took it. So similarly America, the land was there.

Devotee (3): They call this colonization, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Whatever you may call, there are thieves, rogues and thieves. That's all.

Devotee (3): Exploiting.

Guru-kṛpā: Now they're dividing up the booty, fighting over it.

Prabhupāda: That story, that some thieves stolen. Now, when they are dividing, they say, "Please honestly, religious divide." The things are stolen, and now it is to be divided religiously. The foundation of the thing is stealing, and they are dividing in.... Now they are making laws, morality.

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So it is a festival. There must be crowd. You have no festival? Unfortunate.

Guru-kṛpā: They have festival, and it's beer cans, not flowers.

Prabhupāda: So you must fight to the court. How they can stop? It is our religious function. (pause) (break) ...to curb down this movement. In Europe, America, Australia...

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: (in car) ...overeating.

Guru-kṛpā: Things are to stop their farms.

Prabhupāda: I think so. They have gone deliberately. We are against cow-killing, so if the movement increases, then their cow-killing may be jeopardized.

Guru-kṛpā: Then they'd have to close many farms. On the grounds that milk causes hepatitis...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The child can understand, "Now, two finger and two finger, it becomes four finger." In this way we have to learn it. Therefore there are so many books. It is for the human being to learn. But if we simply remain civilized like cats and dog, then what is your advancement of civilization? There is no advancement. If you sit on this chair, and the others, they are sitting on the floor, sitting purpose is served. But if you say, "Sitting on the chair is civilized, and that is uncivilized," that is mental concoction. You have to serve your purpose. If by sitting on the floor you can understand what you are, that is civilization. And without understanding yourself, if you waste your time for manufacturing a chair, that is cats' and dogs' civilization. So that is going on. They are busy in manufacturing chairs, how to sit comfortably, without any knowledge that what is the value of life and what is life. This is going on. They are thinking that constructing big, big skyscraper building and motorcars and high roads and so many, so many, unnecessary things, that is advancement of civilization. No. Advancement of civilization is there when you know what you are. That is advancement of.... You can.... There is no prohibition. The materialistic way of civilization, constructing big, big house, there is no.... You don't stop it, but if you forget yourself—you do not know what you are—then it is wasting time because the human life is specially meant for understanding "What I am?" The cats and dogs, they cannot do. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to enlighten people actually what he is, what is the aim of life and how his life will be successful, how at the present moment he is living, how he is spoiling his valuable life. These are the subject matter dealt in these books.

Brian Singer: How do you treat.... In Australia mostly people are brought up in Christian religion. Do you treat...

Prabhupāda: Well, Christian religion.... We are not talking of religion. We are talking of science, fact. When I say that "You are young man. You'll become old man," either you are Christian or Hindu, Muslim, this is a fact. So don't bring in "The Christian believe this" or "Hindu believe this." Fact is fact. A child becomes a boy—a Christian believes; a Hindu believes; a Muslim believes. Everyone believes. So we are talking of the science. The child becomes a boy, a boy becomes a young man, young man becomes old man, and the old man, when this body becomes rotten, he accepts another body. So this is applicable for Bible or Christian or this or that, everyone.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: First of all you try to understand yourself. Then talk of God. If you do not understand yourself, how you'll understand God? That is a big thing. Try to understand the small thing, that you are not this body. Talk on this subject matter, that as.... When you understand that "I, the proprietor of the body, I am different from this body," then you will understand God also, very easily. Because you are the proprietor of this body and you are given the controlling power of the body by thinking, feeling, willing, by acting.... You have got this body. You are sitting here. You can say, "Now I am going away." The body is under your control. You can do that. Similarly, when you understand this fully, then you'll understand that in this huge, gigantic body, material cosmic manifestation, there is a controller, easily. But if you do not understand yourself, how you can understand God? God is not different in quality than from you. God means like you in huge, unlimited quantity. As you have got little intelligence—you can create a wonderful thing, 747 airplane flying in the air—so God has got unlimited brain. Millions and trillions of universes are floating in the air. The process is the same. You are tiny. You are very much proud that "I am so advanced that I have manufactured 747." And just why not compare the intelligence of God? Such a huge lump of matter, the sun, is floating also there. That is the difference between you and God. You have got brain, He has got brain, but your the brain is very tiny, little, and his brain very big. That is difference between God and you. So if you understand yourself, sample of God, then you understand the Supreme God. But first of all you do not understand yourself. I am misidentifying, "I am this body." And that is doing.... The cats and dogs, they are doing that. Then where is your human intelligence? Then how you can understand God if you have no human intelligence? These books are meant for the human being. If I give to the dogs that "Read this book; you'll understand God," who cares for it? All these school, college, institution, university, they are meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. So if we do not take advantage of this human form of life and try to understand ourself and God, then we are simply cats and dogs. That is going on. We are fighting like cats and dogs. And before the Englishman came in Australia, Australia was property of somebody else. And now you have captured Australia, you are barking, "Why you have come, Indian, here?" What is this civilization? Hm? You have taken illegally from others, and now you have become proprietor. You are barking like dog, "Why you have come here?" What is this civilization? The civilization is.... All land belongs to God. We are sons of God. We can go anywhere, everywhere. It is father's property. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Mr. Dixon: Well, I am very pleased to have the opportunity of meeting you.

Prabhupāda: Sit down.

Mr. Dixon: How long have you been in Australia?

Prabhupāda: Just up to Sunday. Monday we are going?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we were here on the twentieth of July. We'll be here until Monday.

Mr. Dixon: What's the main reason for your visit?

Prabhupāda: Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, about Kṛṣṇa. You have seen our books, our.... Show him.

Devotee (1): Have you seen Prabhupāda's books? The books I was just showing you?

Mr. Dixon: I am not very familiar with the books.

Prabhupāda: We have got very good response for accepting our books all over the world, Kṛṣṇa books.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: Reason is that Hare Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the name of God, Kṛṣṇa. So if you... Kṛṣṇa is absolute, God is absolute. God's name and God, there is no difference. That is absolute idea. So if you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, that means you associate with Kṛṣṇa directly, God. And by associating with God, you become purified. Then the dirty things within your mind... You are thinking, "I am this body," as the dog is also thinking, "I belong to America," "I belong to Australia," "I belong to New Zealand," "I... India," and... These wrong conception will go away. Then we'll understand that "I am not this or that; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God." Then real knowledge begins, and if we act accordingly, our life becomes successful. So this movement is not meant for you and me—for everyone who is intelligent human being.

Interviewer: Thank you, Swami. That wraps it up for me unless anybody's got any more questions? Thank you, thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. (end)

Room Conversation -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: Now it will be tested how much money we have got. (Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa laughs)

Guru-kṛpā: Ghee is cheaper in New Zealand than in Australia.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, first of all arrange for selling.

Guru-kṛpā: I've already sent off the letter.

Prabhupāda: And you can disvertise(?) it from New Zealand or from Australia. There can be very peaceful condition of the whole world. Simply mismanaged by the rascal leaders. Otherwise, people can live very peacefully, eat sumptuously, save time, and there is no necessity of stopping the bare necessities of life. There is arrangement for eating, sleeping, sex life also. But not like fools and rascals. Like sane man. But this modern civilization, it is insane, crazy civilization. There is a little pleasure in sex life—simply sex life, increase sex life, spoiling everything. That is crazy. Eating-eat anything, any nonsense thing, and become a hog. Sleeping-oḥ, there is no limit, twenty-four hours sleeping if it is possible. Go on, this is going on. Eating, sleeping, mating. And defense—and discover atomic weapon, this weapon, that weapon, and kill innocent persons, unnecessarily, defense. This is going on. But everything can be used properly for peaceful condition, and when you become peaceful, no disturbance, then you can very happily chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and your life becomes successful. This is our program. We don't want to stop anything. How it can be stopped? Whatever is the bare neces.... Just like we have taken sannyāsa. What is that? "Oh, we have no sex life only. Otherwise, we are also eating, we are also sleeping." So that is also stopped in good old age. In old age, if a person like me, at the age of eighty years, if I would have shopped for sex life, does it look very good? Young men, they are allowed. That's all right. But a young..., old man is going to the club and spending for sex life so much money. Therefore younger generation, they're allowed gṛhastha life from twenty-five years to fifty years. That's all.

Room Conversation -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Devotee (2): So concerning the temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I talked to some boys, and the one boy, Dhūmra(?), he used to be in Australia, he made a fifteen-foot-high Lord Caitanya. Do you remember at the Ratha-yātrā?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Hmm.

Devotee (2): And we're going to build a temple with nice domes, Indian style, and with sculpture like the elephant heads...

Prabhupāda: Make in Vṛndāvana style.

Devotee (2): Yes. I'll get pictures of the different...

Prabhupāda: There is that big dome and.... You have seen Vṛndāvana?

Devotee (2): I have seen it just before it was finished, not since it was completed.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Devotee (2): But I've seen pictures.

Prabhupāda: I think we have got pictures.

Devotee (2): And the place where we're going to put it, you'll be able to see it for miles. It'll be a landmark.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:

Hari-śauri: One of the differences that first sprung up between the two groups was that one group was going out when you were saying "Go out and distribute books profusely," so they were going and distributing. And they had various means of doing it. Some were not so good, but still the books were going out. Then the group that split away, they were saying, "Ah, you're disturbing the public by these methods of book distribution. We don't want..." This is what happened in Australia, the one temple in Brisbane. They became very much against the saṅkīrtana methods, and as a result they gave up the saṅkīrtana program altogether and then went to live on farms like this, and they left the temple and the temple was finished. So like this, they were saying that "We're still following Prabhupāda's instructions, but we..." But they were saying that the devotees who were distributing the books, they were not following instructions. Like that.

Prabhupāda: His Divine Grace has said that "You distribute book," and why do you say that?

Hari-śauri: Well, their idea was that because sometimes the public is becoming disturbed by the book distribution, then therefore it's not being done correctly. So it should be stopped.

Prabhupāda: Public may disturb, but we are following our own course of action. It is not obligatory. We are requesting you, "Take this book." That is not obligatory. "If you like, you can take. If you don't like, don't take."

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: He said that "We hate Kṛṣṇa"?

Bhūrijana: No no. He said that, "Your members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa, they're making people in Australia hate Kṛṣṇa. They make people inimical." Making people inimical to Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They feel threatened simply that we're preaching something that will discourage their sinful way of life. Simply they feel threatened. Not they're hating. Their argument is that because of our strong emphasis on preaching and book distrubtion, they say therefore that the mass of people they have a bad impression of Kṛṣṇa.

Bhūrijana: And also because...

Prabhupāda: Because we are selling books.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Because we're selling books.

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Bhūrijana: How about just collecting without giving any literature? Just collecting. Three months ago I saw it in Australia, with a lying line too. Not telling the truth. And that wasn't very long ago.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (indistinct)

Hari-sauri: Sometimes the devotees are just distributing incense.

Bhūrijana: Nothing.

Hari-sauri: They collect and distribute incense. Sometimes they don't distribute books.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Maybe they have to pay off a loan on the temple. All the devotees are well aware that Prabhupāda's books have first priority. Everyone knows it. The consciousness is very (indistinct) It's not a consciousness of giving.

Hari-sauri: Prabhupāda's point is that if you see fault with the method of implementing the spiritual master's instructions, you'll fail to follow the instructions.

Prabhupāda: No the point is not that they have not done any wrong. Don't think like that. But my point, that is, my instruction is sell books.

Morning Walk -- May 26, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Ha?

Hari-śauri: They don't know how to manage nicely.

Prabhupāda: There's so many, so much land vacant all over the world—Australia, Africa, South America.

Devotee (3): Why would someone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious have a hundred children?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (3): Why would someone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious have one hundred children? For example, why would someone like Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is not particularly Kṛṣṇa conscious...?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. In those days everyone was Kṛṣṇa conscious. (break)

Devotee (2): There's only a certain amount of grain. There's only a certain amount of water. So...

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (2): There's some theories, where they think that there's only a certain amount of grains...

Prabhupāda: Their theories we don't accept. There's so much water.

Devotee (2): But, therefore, if they don't, if you don't work to conserve it, then everyone will starve.

Prabhupāda: After all, you produce it, then conserve. These rascals, do they produce water?

Devotee (2): No.

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

Prabhupāda: Bronze, but it will not be polished. We want polished.

Bharadvāja: I have to investigate it.

Prabhupāda: Bright face.

Hari-śauri: There's a boy that was in New York who cast some brass Gaura-Nitāi Deities in Australia. They came out very nice. You could talk to him. He might give you some good information. His name is Bhāskara.

Prabhupāda: Brass is best, next to gold or silver.

Bharadvāja: But I think the other Deities we shall just do in concrete, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Lalitā, Viśākhā. Either concrete or hard plaster.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bharadvāja: Hard plaster, tempered plaster, hydrostone.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Rāmeśvara: That's what you wrote in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that communism is a movement of śūdras.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they're śūdras.

Hari-śauri: There's a very popular slogan now in Australia.

Prabhupāda: Equality.

Hari-śauri: No, "Make the rich pay."

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: They are so much envious of those persons with more money.

Prabhupāda: India also, that.... "Make the rich pay."

Hari-śauri: In England also that's the prevalent theme now. That has accounted for the demolishing of the aristocracy in England more than anything, the government heavily taxing them so that anyone with money now is...

Prabhupāda: It is finished. In England aristocracy is finished.

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: That means they cannot improve the condition of the people. Just like at the airport, everyone is checked. There is no gentlemen. Why everyone is checked? That means the whole mass of people, they're all rogues and thieves. Therefore it is necessary to keep an ideal, an ideal class of men brāhmaṇas. Then people will follow. But there is no such.... Everyone is coolie. That's all. Everyone is. They are making everyone coolie. Coolie civilization. One officer came to see me in Perth, Australia. So I told him, this is a civilization of fourth-class men. You remember?

Devotee (2): We heard the tape.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs)

Devotee (2): You said there must be an ideal class of men.

Prabhupāda: There is no ideal class of men. All fourth class, fifth class, tenth class.

Śrutakīrti: He accepted it also.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you were present.

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

Prabhupāda: So food problem can be solved simply by accepting.... That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). How everyone can.... Find out.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of prescribed duties."

Prabhupāda: So if you produce enough food grains, both the man and the animal will live very peacefully. Food grains. And I've seen in your country, in America, in Africa, in Australia, so much vacant land without producing food grains. So men are not engaged to produce food grains, but they are brought in Detroit to manufacture of wheels of motorcar.

Kern: For ambulances to bring the sick to the doctor.

Prabhupāda: So we have to correct this. First of all, produce food.

Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: At least you have got already experience. (laughs) Don't be misled. Stay for sometimes. Will be give you sannyāsa. And now Mr. Punja, has he written any letter?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Punjasai? He wrote a letter recently. He mentioned the business about the books, that Guru-kṛpā said he was supposed to some give books from Australia, and he wasn't getting them.

Prabhupāda: So you can write him—note down—that "We are managing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by GBC. We have got about twenty GBC's for looking after the whole world affair, and above the GBC, I am there, and under the GBC's there are presidents, treasurers, secretaries in each and every center. So the president is responsible to the GBC. GBC is responsible to me. In this way we are managing. But why you are proposing a separate trustee for Fiji? We have no separate trustee till now, but if for security, if it is required, you can adopt it. So this is our management going on. Now, if you have got some new idea, so please explain to me how you want to manage. But I think Fiji temple cannot be managed in a separate idea. But still, I shall entertain if you have got some idea to manage. The deed should be given to the founder-ācārya, in the name of founder-ācārya like 'A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Founder-Ācārya International Society.'

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Mr. Boyd: I guess, if it's like India, you've got troubles. We almost went to jail rather than get out of the country.

Prabhupāda: We think, according to our philosophy, everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, and we are all sons. So everyone has the right to use the property of the father. So that consciousness should be spread. This barrier of nationalism is against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why there should be? Actually everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). The sky, the land, the water, they are all creation of God, God's property. But we should not take more than what is allotted to us. That is real life. Otherwise, I have practically studied that there is enough land. Just like in your country, in America, there is enough land, not utilized. They can be properly utilized, and if food grains are produced, there is no question of scarcity of food all over the world. Not only in America—in Africa, in Australia. (break) If we get nourishing food, every one of us, so there is no economic problem.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty foot high. These are the ones that Jayānanda and the men have built from scratch here in New York. You can see the powerful wheels. He heard what you had said, and then he decided to make it.

Prabhupāda: As powerful as the other wheels?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More powerful. Look at them, Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is steel. This is steel. He built the carts in Australia. What is your opinion?

Hari-śauri: These are fantastic.

Jayānanda: See, these are like this, flat plate on the outside, then there's a piece of chain that goes around the inside.

Hari-śauri: Amazing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Think this is strong enough, Hari-śauri?

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he's covered it with canvas. This has rubber tire, and then it's covered by canvas.

Devotee: ...steel.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pretty big carts. These carts have the same mechanism, they go up and down, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: It is good proposal.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed various difficulties that have been happening in Australia, and that Tamāla Kṛṣṇa should go there and help for..., just for visit, just to help. And then they will report to you.

Prabhupāda: What is Iran's business going on? I got some good report from Nandarāṇī that she is in contact with the Shah's daughter, princess. Is that a fact?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, Nandarāṇī Prabhu is doing very well. She's got a Gurukula, a school for the Indian children, they are being well attended. Also Mahārāja, Parivrājakācārya Svāmī, he has been in touch with the Shah's daughter and he's been preaching to them.

Prabhupāda: Shah's son-in-law is interested, I have heard.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, he is interested.

Prabhupāda: That's good. They are enlightened, the daughter and the son-in-law both?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, they are both interested, but they are also very much...

Prabhupāda: Biased. They are also biased.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Hari-śauri: If you like, we can set up for the film now.

Prabhupāda: Now I have given the ideas, the philosophy, in the books. So it is your business to develop all over the world. You are very intelligent, Europeans and Americans. Give it a shape, for the world prosperity. Give it a practical.... It is practical. There is no difficulty. So much land. Very good fertile land in Africa, Australia, in America. All of them can be utilized for the happiness of the whole world. The portal(?) has come or not?

Yogeśvara: I haven't seen any new devotees come from London, so probably not.

Harikeśa: No, it was air-freighted, it's sitting in the Paris airport.

Yogeśvara: It is? How do you know?

Harikeśa: Portal's in Paris airport, no?

Hari-śauri: Well, it was there at ten o'clock this morning. Did they pick it up?

Prabhupāda: That don't mind labor. You try to grow portal here. You have got greenhouse.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: There we have spent more than fifty lakhs.

Mr. Sahani: Is New Vrindaban temple the main center of the society where everybody should...

Prabhupāda: No. New Vrindaban is one of the centers. We have got 103 centers. In Australia also we have got, Melbourne.

Hari-śauri: Shouldn't we all eat downstairs? Should we have everyone take prasāda downstairs?

Prabhupāda: No, here. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa practically showing how to live Vṛndāvana life. In Vṛndāvana nobody knows Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody knows. But their love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is intense. That is wanted. Premā pumartho mahān. That is required. You simply become an intense lover of Kṛṣṇa, bas. Your life is successful. It doesn't require any education or... That is the Vṛndāvana residents' life. They did not know what Kṛṣṇa is. But it is, very loving center, all the residents of Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities are discussed, Nanda Mahārāja's friend would suggest, "Nanda Mahārāja, your son is wonderful. He must be some demigod. He has come to live with us." They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. (long pause) How far it is, Afghanistan from here?

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Near Orleans.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: I am thinking of going again on a world tour for my business, because we want to start some export business. So I'll start with Iran, then some other countries in Middle East, then Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mauritius, and Seychelles. I've got friends all over the places, so they will come here, and we have some export business, cloth...

Prabhupāda: Mauritius is not developed. Fiji is good. Mauritius a poor country. Fiji well-to-do, more business, many Gujaratis. Mostly Gujaratis.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: I've got somebody in New Zealand also. They are...

Prabhupāda: Fiji and New Zealand...

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Are very prosperous.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have got good dealings, purchase and sell.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: After her death.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Lord Kurgeon's plan... Lord Kurgeon wanted that let there be asking of India from the family of Victoria. He gave this plan. But this Parliament did not want that Englishman shall make India home. Then his interest will be in India. Just like America. Englishmen, as they made America their home, they declared independence. Australia. As soon as you make a home, then the more interest will be in India. Washington was Englishman. Was he not? Washington.

Jayapatākā: Yes. Well, everyone came from England.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not from England. But ordinary... So Englishman, why he declared war against the English?

Jayapatākā: Their interest was in America more than England.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Naturally. So as soon as you make home, your interest will be at home. So that was their policy. In those days no Englishman was allowed to purchase property in India. All his income, money, should go to England. So the Mohammedan Moguls, they made their home in India. Therefore they stayed for eight hundred years. They would not have gone. Indians did not like to finish the Mohammedan kingdom. No, never. It is the Englishmen. They penetrated and finished them, not the Indians. Indians were not against the Mohammedans.

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

Prabhupāda: You take this paper. Make a list of important cities. Now suppose if you go from Delhi. So you can go first to Paris, Geneva, Rome, then London, Amsterdam, Stockholm. Then from London I think New York, Boston, Montreal, Canada. Then you go to the western side, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver. Go further, Honolulu.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Then you could go to the Pacific, Australia.

Prabhupāda: Ah yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New Zealand, Sydney.

Prabhupāda: Australia, Melbourne.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You can stop in Japan on the way.

Krishna Modi: Let us have a program, make a program so that some...

Prabhupāda: In every big city...

Krishna Modi: Five or ten, they should go with all their expenses.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Akṣayānanda: Like that. Consciousness is like that.

Haṁsadūta: Yesterday two girls came. One came from Paris and one came from Australia. When I asked them, "Did anyone send you for a particular engagement?" They said, "No, I just left." "How did you get your money?" "From my family." "Why did you come?" "We just wanted to see Vṛndāvana," and like that. And in this way, every day someone is coming and as soon as I want to... They will say, "I didn't come for this. I came..."

Prabhupāda: But that's all right. If they then remain in the paying guest.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. I don't want to discourage them, but at the same time I can't have people just sitting around.

Prabhupāda: No, those who are coming for excursion, they can remain in the paying guest room. Pay for food, pay for... Otherwise, one has to be engaged. Devotee must voluntarily engage. Why one has to be requested? They should be very glad.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Founder of the Gauḍīya Math.

Prabhupāda: He is the founder of Gauḍīya Math. He advised me to take up this movement when I was twenty-five years old, young man. But at that time I thought that "I am a married man; let me wait." So waiting, waiting. When I retired at the... I was born in 1896. So I retired in 1954. That means I retired at the age of fifty-eight years. At fifty-eight years. Then I remained as a vānaprastha in Vṛndāvana up to seventieth year of my age. Then I thought that "Guru Mahārāja asked me to do this at the age of, when I was twenty-five years old. I could not do it. So let me try." So by his grace and Kṛṣṇa's grace, it became little successful. That's all. In 1965 I went to New York without any help. But gradually, in 1966 I registered this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in New York. And then gradually, it spread whole America, Europe, Australia, Canada. Like that.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: So that is your interpretation. But we are trying to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is our mission. That you produce food grains sufficiently and give protection to the cows so that food grains and milk will give you all benefits of economic question. You'll be satisfied. That's all. Not only that, I have practically seen that by God's arrangement there are so much land on this planet that you can produce ten times food stuff of the whole population. But they are not doing that. They are utilizing land... Just like in Africa I have seen, enough land is there, but what they are doing? They are keeping some cows and bulls, and when they are grown up... They are not given anything to eat. There is enough grass. And as soon as they are fatty, they are taken to the slaughterhouse. Not for their own eating, but exporting. This business is going on. Similar business is going on in Australia and New Zealand. Unnecessarily they are killing these cows, and this shortage of foodstuff and shortage of milk, this is not good arrangement. The recommended process in the Bhagavad-gītā, that annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). If you have sufficient foodstuff, then everyone is satisfied. And it is the duty of the vaiśya class, kṛṣi go-rakṣya vāṇijyam (BG 18.44); go-rakṣya vāṇijyam vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. The, according to Bhagavad-gītā, this is the business of the vaiśyas. The brāhmaṇas, they should be very much highly educated, enligthened in spiritual knowledge. The kṣatriyas, they should govern, give protection. The vaiśyas, they should produce enough food. And those who are neither brāhmaṇa nor kṣatriya, śūdras, they can help. That's all. This is their.... Then everyone will be satisfied.

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They were covering this court case. They had a nice prominent...

Prabhupāda: No, no. They have taken it. Now, they are after intelligent person. They are... That has been expressed by this gentleman that it is going like epidemic. They must (indistinct). That is their feeling. That Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading so fast, like epidemic, we must take some steps. That is already, they have expressed their feeling. And you said that in Australia, there one man said...

Hari-śauri: Yes, psychiatrist...

Prabhupāda: ...that if the people take to this movement, then where you stand? (about Hari-śauri:) He has also expressed. What is that?

Hari-śauri: There's a psychiatrist (indistinct). Sydney city council are trying to have us banned from the city altogether and they took us to court and we didn't contest the case and they lost. And then afterwards they, they worked out they spent $10,000 and so much manpower to try and get rid of us and it didn't work. And one newspaper man went to a psychiatrist and he asked him, "Can you explain why this huge reaction against just a few people singing and dancing in the street? So he said, "Basically it's because the city-dwellers feel very threatened by our simple lifestyle.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just see. So this whole western civilization is threatened.

Room Conversation -- November 18, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have beaten even our book sellers in airports.

Hari-śauri: Chicago.

Jagadīśa: And the police mistreat the devotees. But still, the devotees continue and now in Montreal there's no trouble.

Prabhupāda: They crucified Jesus, what to speak of devotees. Prahlāda Mahārāja was persecuted, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. I think I shall not go to Europe, America, for some time. (laughter)

Hari-śauri: Not unless this gets cleared up.

Prabhupāda: Because it is being discussed about me. They say, "Old man is behind this movement."

Hari-śauri: Even in Australia now they're having the same thing, kidnapping and everything. It's everywhere.

Prabhupāda: That means they are feeling the weight. It is spreading.

Hari-śauri: Yeah. (end)

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest (5): So anyone can come and live here.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Guest (5): Irrespective of religion...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Actually that is happening. Somebody has come from Germany, somebody from (indistinct), somebody Australia, somebody...

Guest (6): And even if he doesn't subscribe the śikṣā to which you want them to. Even those who don't subscribe to...

Prabhupāda: Then how he can live? If he does not live like us, then how he can live?

Guest (6): That is his question. Supposing he doesn't subscribe, still will he be allowed to come and live?

Prabhupāda: No, no, if he lives, then he will subscribe. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you associate with good men you become a good man. If you associate with drunkard, you become drunkard. So we are giving the chance. Associate with us and you'll be devotee. That is becoming. So we are giving that chance. Come and live with us.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: Purpose is the same.

Prabhupāda: Language does not make united. This Bangladesh, they speak Bengali. They write Bengali. But why they are separate? America and England, they speak the same language. Why Washington declared independence? Australia, they have also declared independence from England just a piece of land. So there cannot be unity on any platform unless there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is impossible.

Hari-śauri: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only thing that encompasses everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is false idea that by language, linguistic unity there will be... There are so many different examples. Pakistan, they speak Hindi also. Yes, they speak Hindi. And why there is separation? Bangladesh, they speak Bengali. Why they are separated from West Bengal? The linguistic unity is not... Any material platform, there cannot be unity. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). (break)

Hari-śauri: It's the white one. It's on my bed. (break)

Devotee: Hari-śauri is asking if you can take... (break)

Jagadīśa: Well, that doesn't mean I can. (break)

Indian lady: In our schools and college...

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) She'll understand Bengali. (Bengali) That explains.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Camels have long legs, you know. They go faster than... Don't get tired as the horses do.

Gurudāsa: In the West they are called "ships of the desert."

Hari-śauri: They have wild camels in Australia even. They used to use them in the desert.

Prabhupāda: Wherever there is desert, there is thorn twig and camels.

Dr. Patel: Both. I think Australian desert is bigger than Indian desert, much bigger, as big as Sahara perhaps.

Gurudāsa: Desert means deserted.

Devotee (1): I went to Makrana, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and I saw they had them hitched for plowing.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Dr. Patel: Camels are used for plowing even in Gujarat.

Trivikrama: And they eat the thorny twigs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their food. Karmis, they are compared with the camels. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ samstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19).

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But keep your credit.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I have very good credit, even with the paper manufacturers. They just give us the paper right away. We have very good credit at the moment because...

Prabhupāda: What is that? You were asking something?

Rāmeśvara: No, I was just taking notes. Bali-mardana has ordered forty thousand Bhagavad-gītās for Australia.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: From India.

Rāmeśvara: From India, forty thousand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I got an order from Jayatīrtha for sixty thousand. (Prabhupāda chuckles) And this is just...

Prabhupāda: His wife is good businesswoman.

Rāmeśvara: Bali-mardana's.

Prabhupāda: Bali-mardana.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: She can do very good business. Is it not?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. First they were hesitating, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So what I did is I told Jayatīrtha that Australia has already ordered, so he said, "Okay, I'll order sixty thousand." I told Australia that "England's already ordered," so he said, "I'll order forty thousand." (chuckling) We had to get the thing started at once.

Prabhupāda: No, Australia, from India it is nearer, half-day(?).

Rāmeśvara: What is your printing cost on Bhagavad-gītā?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: About 11.50, eleven rupees, fifty paisa. But the export edition is going to be cheaper because when you export, you get a lot of duties, so...

Prabhupāda: Now, in export and exchange with paper, good paper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can import paper. The government will let us import paper for exporting without any problem. But I'm just saying that the export edition of Gītā is going to cost us about two rupees less than the Indian edition for Indian market because...

Prabhupāda: So why not import paper? It will be very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because on paper now there's high duty, but if it is for export, the government...

Prabhupāda: Then America can order from you also.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Bhāgavatams... Also the freight from here is less. That's another feeling that we have. Prabhupāda told me England, Australia, Africa should get books from India, and America, Canada, from America.

Prabhupāda: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy. So less perfect or..., try to see how many numbers of books.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Rāmeśvara: This problem practically ruined Australia's economy. Five years ago Australia was a very wealthy country, and then they elected a new government, socialist government, and they began increasing all sorts of benefits, pensions, welfare benefits. And millions of people... Not millions, but many working people stopped working because it was easier just to get the free money. In this way...

Prabhupāda: So you should be very careful. Because you are giving free prasādam, similarly all lazy fellow may not come and take free prasāda. Therefore engagement must be there. Otherwise this lazy fellow will come, sleep and take prasāda.

Gargamuni: In Māyāpur we feed free on Saturday, Sunday. And during the week we feed those who work, those who work, them we feed, those who do service.

Prabhupāda: No, one day, two days, we give prasādam. But regularly we give prasāda and they'll remain lazy.

Rāmeśvara: So in Australia they kicked out the government, completely kicked them out.

Prabhupāda: Acchā?

Rāmeśvara: And had a new government formed, because they had created a huge debt, federal debt. They were spending much more money than they had, and they were simply increasing the taxes more and more, and the people just kicked them out.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Oh. So much.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. They had to do that because their economy was ruined. He had taken away... This man was crazy. He had taken away all the tariffs, so that foreign countries were supplying their products in Australia, and the local businessmen..., local manufacturers were going out of business. So many problems. And they're so proud of their modern culture, modern education and advancement, but they're being blackmailed by the Arabs. The Arab countries are considered very undeveloped, and the Western world is so proud how advanced they are, yet they are now being blackmailed by the Arabs for oil. So what is the use of their advancement? And now whatever the Arabs want, they have to do.

Prabhupāda: I think he is not returning. He's gone forever. Gargamuni: Who?

Hari-śauri: Devi-dhāma. Oh, no. He's back. He's back.

Gargamuni: Just now.

Prabhupāda: So what did he bring?

Rāmeśvara: So they have become completely dependent on oil.

Prabhupāda: Anything artificial, it will break. You cannot make a scheme of mental concoction. That will not endure. You take standard it will be beneficial. The whole world is in chaotic condition because they have so many artificial way of living.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Yes. In one... I think is was in Germany they had something only one percent increase of population.

Hari-śauri: Some places they're actually trying to increase, in some places.

Gargamuni: Yes. In Australia.

Hari-śauri: In Australia they've only got thirteen million people in the whole country, and it's bigger than America. And in Canada also, they only have a few million. And in Russia they don't have such a big population for the size of the land. But because they've set up these national divisions, then in one place they're killing the population...

Prabhupāda: No... Vedic process is that unless you create nice children or you can give them protection from death, don't create children. Brahmacārī. Remain brahmacārī. That is sensible, that "Why shall I beget children like cats and dogs if I cannot take care of them properly?" That is very gentlemanly. What is this? I create and kill? Most uncivilized. Don't create. That is civilized man. "If I cannot take care of them properly, I'll not create children."

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So madman they are.

Rāmeśvara: It was in Reader's Digest. They had that idea. And they described one man who invested fifty thousand dollars and imported crabs from, where? Australia, Indonesia. And he put them in a pond. He was thinking they will reproduce and I'll have huge family of crabs.

Prabhupāda: That you can have. That is material...

Rāmeśvara: And the crabs, in such close quarters, they began eating each other.

Prabhupāda: Acchā?

Rāmeśvara: And at the end he had one crab left for his fifty thousand dollars. (chuckling)

Prabhupāda: A madman working... Chāgale nā khāya, pāgale ki bale. "A madman, what does he not say, and a goat, what does he not eat?" There is a system like that amongst the Muhammadan aristocracy. They keep one hundred chickens. Each day they kill one chicken, and that flesh, chopped up and given to the ninety-nine. Then, next day another. In this way, when one is left, that the master eats. Concentrating from hundred to one, and then he eats it. This is Muhammadan process.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: I remember in school seeing films of India, and they would say, "This is very backward. They're living as they used to live hundreds of years ago by using the ox and the plow."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now we have, hundred years after, we have learned how to kill ox and bulls. That is your advancement. And kill your own children also. Rascal civilization. They say "primitive." I was talking with a priest in Australia. So he said, "This civilization you are suggesting, this is primitive." Do they call it primitive?

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And what is the wrong with the primitive?

Satsvarūpa: They think it's shocking that the way they used to live hundreds of years ago, they're still living. But in America...

Prabhupāda: So what improvement you have done, rascal?

Satsvarūpa: Motorcars, roads, buildings.

Prabhupāda: So what is benefit of motorcar?

Satsvarūpa: No benefit.

Prabhupāda: Motorcar benefit means you have to start big, big industries and neglect farming.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gurukṛpa: That is like Australia. That is Australia.

Prabhupāda: Australia?

Gurukṛpa: Yes, the whole country is...

Prabhupāda: Wooden bridge.

Gurukṛpa: Roads like this. Just in Melbourne and Sydney, nice roads. I think I saw better roads in India. I was very surprised.

Prabhupāda: Thing is they do not know engineering. They have no business. (break)

Satsvarūpa: The modern young person thinks, "I don't want someone to tell me the truth. I don't want someone to pick out who my husband or wife is. I want to be free to experiment and find out for myself. Then I'll know."

Prabhupāda: But where is your freedom?

Satsvarūpa: That I don't have someone to tell me what to do. I will learn by my own experience.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you go to school? Huh?

Satsvarūpa: Well, nowadays school also, they don't think that the professor is like their guru.

Prabhupāda: After all, the parents send the children to school to learn. Why not freedom?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. That's a good argument.

Prabhupāda: When you go in your childhood on the street, why the father does not give you freedom? You'll... You get freedom to die, and the parents takes your freedom to save. So which is better, to die or to be saved?

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Which is better, eh? Jagannātha?

Hari-śauri: (laughs) I don't know. Whatever you like. At least, if we cook here, you'll get hot prasāda.

Prabhupāda: A little Jagannātha prasāda also.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They can bring some. I traveled for a month myself on a boat. I went from England to Australia on ship.

Prabhupāda: One month? Only?

Hari-śauri: Twenty-eight days.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Through Atlantic.

Hari-śauri: Yes. We had to go Atlantic and right 'round the tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean, because the Suez Canal was finished then. It was blocked by the war.

Prabhupāda: Suez Canal still not open?

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: What they have done, these...? They were getting, minimum, fifty thousand rupees daily.

Hari-śauri: Oh, at least.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: When they are coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're coming on the 24th morning.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's three hundred devotees from America, England and South America. And then, of course, there's still Australia devotees and some devotees from Africa. There are more. So I think at least between three and four hundred devotees.

Prabhupāda: And here we can accommodate. How many rooms?

Satsvarūpa: 165 on one floor and 135 on another.

Prabhupāda: Two persons very comfortably can live in one room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's nice.

Prabhupāda: So we have got about three hundred rooms. We can accommodate six hundred men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More than sufficient.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now arrange for big festival. There is a program, Manipur. I want to start in that small state varṇāśrama idea. That is my dream. Small state it can be done, brāhmaṇa, kṣatri... So when you arrived in the airport?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we first... The airplane that we came on landed in Delhi, and we went down to Bombay yesterday morning. So we stayed the day in Bombay.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: London, France, Australia, South America.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Canada, Australia. The problem is that... Actually it's a fact that many of these groups are bad. They're cheating. Of course, ours is not, but because they're not very intelligent, they cannot see the distinction. Probably as a result of this court case, we will make them aware that now the other groups are bogus but we are not. That they'll have to admit. That will be the effect. But at least up until now we are being lumped in with these other bad groups. Cults, they call them. But it's a very dangerous thing. Therefore the lawyers and all of the scholars and intelligentsia of the United States is very alarmed that this is a great treading on human rights. This is a great danger to human rights because the Fifth Amendment of the... The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion. But according to these laws that they want to pass, a parent can say, "It is not a question of religion. My son has become abnormal." So who is to say what is religion and what is abnormal? They are saying, "This is not religion." So we have to prove, "No, this is... Hare Kṛṣṇa is a religion." Otherwise they are saying this is abnormal. Now, just... Our lawyer has pointed out that if you say that the devotees' preaching is brainwash, then you must say that every single Christian priest who preaches, he is also brainwashing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: They're doing that everywhere, too. In Australia they're doing the same thing there, too.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they know all of the devotees' parents' names. Because the few devotees who do become deprogrammed, they give them all the names they know. And they have some informers within our temple also. All of our parents have told us that the deprogrammers contacted them.

Prabhupāda: They're organized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, they're highly organized. They have regular newsletters.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Yes, one spoon more. Take. (break) Very strong opposition. (chuckling) This combination in your country is costly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Peas, puffed rice and cucumber.

Prabhupāda: Puffed rice is costly!

Hari-śauri: I don't think... Not so...

Satsvarūpa: But you can't buy it nice and fresh. They buy it in a bag, like you say, three hundred years old. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Puffed rice is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not like here.

Satsvarūpa: Stale.

Hari-śauri: They've never seen it like this, in this form, anyway.

Prabhupāda: You can learn how to make puffed rice. It's not difficult.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Why we appoint lawyer?

Ādi-keśava: Well, in the court there are certain things that only the lawyer may argue. We're not allowed to argue ourselves. Now, one thing is that Hari-śauri has just told me that Guru-kṛpā Mahārāja has one man on his party who was a lawyer, a member of the bar in Australia. So I'm thinking to ask Guru-kṛpā Mahārāja if he can come with us to New York and get admitted to the bar in New York and become our attorney.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. It will be very nice.

Ādi-keśava: Because otherwise it is costing so much money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Immediately.

Ādi-keśava: One other thing that is sometimes arising is that when we are arguing the case in the court...

Prabhupāda: Why not get help from some Indian lawyer?

Ādi-keśava: Some are willing to help us. This one man Din Agnihotri from Southern University Law School, he helped us make the basis of the case. But most of the Indian lawyers, they will not help us.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Ādi-keśava: They are afraid of their own status.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Third World? We have no place there? We want Fourth World? Or what is that? (laughter)

Tripurāri: I think there is more animal slaughter in Argentina than anywhere in the world.

Prabhupāda: Most sinful.

Ādi-keśava: That is the national industry there, cattle slaughter.

Prabhupāda: It has become national industry in Africa also.

Hari-śauri: And Australia...

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Hari-śauri: ...New Zealand.

Prabhupāda: Therefore the world is suffering, so much sinful activities. The greatest sinful activity is cow slaughter, and they are committing. They do not know what will be the result. Such brain, stool, stool-bound brain. Thorough overhaul is required. That we are doing. Otherwise the stool cannot be cleansed. (Bengali) (end)

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The ocean is on the southern side? Ocean?

Bali-mardana: It is east.

Prabhupāda: East.

Bali-mardana: Eastern coast of Australia. And it is twenty-five minutes from the airport. So it is very easy to get to. It is right near all of the resorts where the Australians go for going to the beach and vacation during the winter months.

Prabhupāda: One can get good appetite?

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes. Tonight very nice fruits.

Prabhupāda: Nowadays I cannot eat.

Bali-mardana: Mango is growing on the property.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you maintain cows and get ghee.

Bali-mardana: When we were flying over Australia when you first came there, you pointed down and you said...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete by the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa. Simply we mismanage. That's all. I do not know why people are engaged with politics, fighting, and so on, so on. By Kṛṣṇa's grace everything is complete. You eat sufficiently, you be strong and keep your health good and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the arrangement. These rascals, they have created civilization, simply animosity-fighting, politics. This is Kali-yuga. Kali means simply unnecessarily fights. There is no need of fighting, but they'll create a situation, fighting. That's all. This is Kali-yuga, unnecessarily. Why politics? Why so much discussion, barking in the United Nations? Kṛṣṇa has given the formula. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). In America, Australia, Africa, they can produce so much grain that ten times of the population as it is now can be maintained. Similarly, Australia can produce ghee. So by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement everything is all right, the economic problem. Why they create this situation and occasionally fight and finish the whole...? Such a rubbish civilization, rākṣasa, unnecessarily increasing military power and spending all the revenues. Russia spends sixty-five percent-unnecessarily. And still starving. So this is mūḍha, duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina, only engaged in sinful activities, duṣkṛtina, and rascals, mūḍha, narādhama. He got the opportunity of this human life, and it misusing unnecessarily-narādhama. And their university education-māyayāpahṛta, useless knowledge, useless. Apahṛta-jñāna. Actually they have no knowledge. Why? The only fault is there is no God. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). So one... That is the basic fault. Everyone is trying: "There is no God. Science." This is the basic principle.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's brought you some gift from Hong Kong.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: I think all the Australian devotees brought some ghee for you.

Bali-mardana: Australia, all the devotees have brought you ghee. They are engaged in distributing your books all day long.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Bali-mardana: And this is powdered milk. Full-cream powdered milk.

Devotee (1): And honey with the hive in it.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has given so much nice thing in Australia, and they are doing killing business? Just see how much fallen.

Bhāgavata: The hive of the bee is still inside. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: They can eat so many nice things.

Trivikrama: Now you must get appetite, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: This is their civilization. They have got so nice thing to eat, but they are making business by killing. How much insane. Killing is done by the uncivilized men when they are hungry. But when there are so many things to eat, why they should kill? And that is not for themselves. For others.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This is their civilization. They have got so nice thing to eat, but they are making business by killing. How much insane. Killing is done by the uncivilized men when they are hungry. But when there are so many things to eat, why they should kill? And that is not for themselves. For others.

Hari-śauri: More ghee.

Prabhupāda: Huh? No, no, Australia can produce huge quantity of ghee. What is the price generally?

Bali-mardana: This is $3.90 for five pounds, no, two kgs.

Brahmānanda: Two pounds.

Bali-mardana: No, no, it's four pounds six ounces. Four and a half pounds. Less than one dollar per pound, little bit less.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Same as in America.

Prabhupāda: Per pound. What is the price here?

Devotee (4): About eighteen rupees.

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees a kg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same price in America also, about a dollar a pound.

Prabhupāda: No, in India?

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees, one kg.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Pure ghee is not available. So at least we can import pure ghee for our own use. If possible, we can sell also. At least for our own centers, food distribution.

Pañcadraviḍa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we first got to Argentina it used to be for three dollars you'd get five kilos of butter, or for a dollar you got, like, twenty-four quarts of milk.

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Bali-mardana: No, Argentina.

Prabhupāda: Argentina, oh.

Bali-mardana: There is also many cows... They produce many cows there.

Rāmeśvara: They have the reputation in Argentina of killing more cows than any country in the world.

Prabhupāda: No, because they do not know what they will do except killing.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: But this... The export... The Australian ghee in Australia is cheaper. This is export quality, is much higher quality. Higher...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Bali-mardana: ...price.

Prabhupāda: Higher.

Bali-mardana: But now they are going to cut down the amount of ghee they make, because not many countries are buying ghee.

Prabhupāda: India is not buying?

Bali-mardana: Not so much.

Prabhupāda: They have learned to eat meat. Meat-eaters, they don't like ghee. Meat-eaters, they say (Hindi). (laughter) "A dog cannot digest ghee." Because they are meat-eaters.

Bhāgavata: Here's some more ghee.

Bali-mardana: These are all the book distributors. They have all come for your darśana with ghee. (laughter)

Bhāgavata: Soon I will not be able to see you.

Jayatīrtha: Also meat-eaters can't stand the smell of ghee cooking. No?

Prabhupāda: This ghee should be distributed in all our Indian centers.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This ghee should be distributed in all our Indian centers.

Devotee (5): There is a nice picture of our Deities we have in Australia in our bus.

Bali-mardana: This is our traveling bus. They distribute prasādam all over Australia, with Gaura-Nitāi. They have cast...

Devotee (5): They were made in Australia.

Bali-mardana: The Deities were cast in Australia.

Prabhupāda: Hm. The face is not very good.

Bali-mardana: Not very good.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, it is nice.

Bali-mardana: I think you saw Them when you went there. They were there last time, you went. Right?

Prabhupāda: The face is inproportionate.

Bali-mardana: Proportion is not correct.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, this is an attempt. It will improve by doing more work. Why there is no light in the veranda? (break)

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: ...because I want to make sure they are maintained nicely.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Maintain means fodder. Grow fodder. They will eat that leaf.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Got a good cow man there?

Bali-mardana: Yes. A boy's had experience. There is no problem. New Zealand also. We can either export from Australia or New Zealand. New Zealand is also very..., maybe even a little cheaper, but the shipping might be...

Hari-śauri: New Zealand milk products are...

Prabhupāda: Oh, very cheap.

Bali-mardana: Where should we send? To one center?

Prabhupāda: Send in Bombay.

Bali-mardana: Send to Bombay, and they can stock and then supply everywhere.

Hari-śauri: Balarāma already knows about sending ghee.

Bali-mardana: Yes. I was just investigating it. They wanted some ghee in Hawaii.

Hari-śauri: They've already done two or three shipments to India before, so that's already established.

Bali-mardana: No problem.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: International cooperation.

Prabhupāda: For making devotees. It is not for business.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Bali-mardana: Five thousand they can print.

Prabhupāda: And in Hyderabad let us produce grains. The grains, milk, ghee—then we can maintain hundreds and thousands of devotees in any place. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take nice food.

Bali-mardana: I know that Australia has been shipping some cows to India for increasing milk production, so we can also investigate that. If we have a farm in Hyderabad...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Bali-mardana: ...that might be productive.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They can eat all the grains. There's so much grains produced there.

Prabhupāda: Arrange all this. Our philosophy is "Eat nicely, live nicely, and advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." First problem is eating. That we shall supply, no problem. Eating and clothing we shall give. And shelter. Make this propaganda. They put this logic, "If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, who shall earn? Who will earn for us?" The Indians, they do that. Rascals, they do that. They do not know Kṛṣṇa provides. So we give them that "You... I give you shelter, food, cloth. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Bali-mardana: Full program.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: Flowers. Everything is there. Fruits and buildings.

Prabhupāda: You can develop similar places. Land is so cheap.

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes. Australia...

Hari-śauri: There's so much land in Australia.

Bali-mardana: Soon as we have our center...

Prabhupāda: In Africa also, land is cheap. Give this civilization. Then our mission will be... The African people are nice. Everywhere they are nice. These rascal leaders make them bad. In Russia also they have nice people. These, a few rascals, they are controlling the government.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Leaders are bad all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: America also.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere the mass people is good. We know it.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It will capture the masses.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So do this.

Bali-mardana: In Australia, Prabhupāda, the people, they love prasāda. We had a program. They did one alternative life-style festival, and the people lined up for three hours, waiting for the prasāda.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Bali-mardana: Over a thousand people. And then when they ate they came back for seconds and thirds.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Give them.

Bali-mardana: Everything. Puri, sabji, sweet rice. They ate the whole plate. It was amazing.

Prabhupāda: Please do that. Give them prasādam and ask them to chant. Bas.

Bali-mardana: And then there were many articles written in the paper that the Hare Kṛṣṇas, they have supplied very nice food freely for everyone and they said, "Oh, they are very good."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is when they take prasāda, then it's very easy to get them to chant.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Instead of keeping in the bank, keep books stock. It will save. That principles let us follow. Simply keep the book that it may not be spoiled, it may not be stolen. Otherwise it is our..., as good as government currency notes. Take that. As soon as there is money, convert it into books.

Harikeśa: I was thinking also that Gopāla Kṛṣṇa could buy the milk powder from Bali-mardana by printing books for him. He could print the books in India for Australia...

Prabhupāda: I have suggested already, already suggested that "Take milk powder and ghee from Australia, and every center distribute prasādam like anything." And in India at least, if you give them nice puri and chānā preparation and sweet preparation from milk, oh, they'll be so glad, both poor man and rich man. Yesterday I was eating kacuris. What is this kacuri? Made of ghee. Samosā, made of ghee; rasagullā, made of... Cow is so important. She can deliver so many nice preparations, sweet and salty. The whole world does not know how to eat. Like rākṣasas they are killing the poor animals. So we have to teach. This is an introduction of new type of civilization for making life successful.

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: He is science department.

Hṛdayānanda: Harikeśa Swami and Pañcadraviḍa Swami were accepted as GBC members, and Bali-mardana, since he had gone only recently to Australia, was made for one more year acting GBC, so his activities could be observed. So he accepted that.

Gargamuni: Who else? Pañcadraviḍa and who else?

Hṛdayānanda: And Harikeśa.

Prabhupāda: With great force, preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So your prasādam time is now. Go and take. So you find it all right, this Hindi?

Indian devotee (1): Yes.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda found one or two mistakes in it.

Prabhupāda: No, that is...

Hari-śauri: Small.

Prabhupāda: That is composing mistake.

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

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Satsvarūpa: Then Gurukṛpā Mahārāja retained responsibility in Hawaii and Japan and Hong Kong; Bali-mardana, responsibility for Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the South Sea islands, and for book distribution in Southeast Asia.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was the first to go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He invented Australia.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He invented Australia. (laughter)

Bali-mardana: It was only when your lotus feet touched Australia that it became worthwhile.

Prabhupāda: I was insisting, South Pacific organization.

Pañcadraviḍa: Even when I went through Bangkok, they knew of Bali-mardana and also Amogha and some of the other devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And our Sudāmā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a very expansive area, Bali-mardana, just like his namesake.

Prabhupāda: Bali. Bali means very powerful.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: ...for myself? That boy who was with me from Australia, I've sent him back this morning. He's gone back this morning. There is actually two or three major things going on there, so I have to try to get back as soon as possible. There is a purchase of the farm, eight hundred acre farm, which comes up in about seven or eight days, and then we have to consider whether to buy that building in Sydney. You've seen that picture already. And also there's a big court case coming up in Melbourne. The deprogramming thing is going on there also. But this time the court case is being pressed by... It's a civil case. The police wouldn't take it up. So the girl who was kidnapped, we are pressing charges, but through her against the parents. So this is going to be a big case also. So that's coming up in the end of April. So I have to see what the presentation is like and get more information from Ādi-keśava and make sure that we will press it very strongly, the whole issue. Someone just sent a newspaper clipping about the whole thing. I expect to be going to Delhi in about two days, to try to speed up the process of getting a re-entry permit. Then once I do that, I can go on. (long pause) (break)

Girirāja: This evening, the chief guest is going to arrive at about a quarter to seven.

Prabhupāda: Who is the chief guest?

Girirāja: His name is Dr. Dattrey.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: He's an (indistinct).

Girirāja: Yeah. He is supposed to be one of the leading doctors in India. Especially of heart, cardiology. So I also thought this would be a good night for Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu to make his presentation, so that this leading doctor can also attend that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Orphan means doesn't know.

Prabhupāda: We are not orphans. We are taken care of by our rich father, very wise father, very rich father, able father. We are not forlorn orphans. We have got respectability. And we offer our respect to father. We depend on father. We are safe. Everyone can become safe. The opportunity is offered. If you don't take, that is your misfortune. We are offering, "Every one of you can become safe, safely protected by the father, Kṛṣṇa." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣa... (BG 18.66). Why don't you take advantage? That is your misfortune. If you want to remain unfortunate, don't (indistinct). These rascals, they want to remain. We have got knowledge for understanding whole philosophy. So try to convince this philosophy in Australia. And Kṛṣṇa will help you more and more. The more you try to convince others about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more you become enlightened.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So Perth is nearer.

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: I have been in Perth.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, you were there for ten days about two years ago. (aside:) Prabhupāda is thinking of going to Australia?

Devotee: I don't know.

Hari-śauri: We had a center there for a short time.

Prabhupāda: Very good place.

Hari-śauri: Yeah. Generally now we just send our book distributors, and actually it is one of the best places for distribution.

Prabhupāda: Amogha. Amogha goes?

Hari-śauri: No, he is doing college programs mainly in Melbourne now. But the BBT distribution party, sometimes they collect three or four hundred dollars a day, each man.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: It's very rich. Because in the northwestern Australia, there is lots of mining towns, and Perth is the only place that they can come to spend their money. So we can collect lots of money. It's very good.

Indian man: Śrīla Prabhupāda (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: Nei. Develop farms.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: There's an eight-hundred-acre farm we are getting in Australia. The devotees are very enthusiastic for it, because in the past we haven't been able to make so many new devotees. They are not very much attracted to living in the cities in Australia. But they think that the farm... Then that will expand a lot. Probably this region we can grow everything, fruits, all kinds of tropical fruits, and cows.

Prabhupāda: Fruit, grains and milk. Vegetables. Finished everything.(?)

Hari-śauri: Flowers... Svarūpa Dāmodara was also suggesting that in a little while I might like to arrange a tour of the universities there, for he and Mādhava and Sadāpūta. Then it will be very good. Because there is a man that Svarūpa Dāmodara used to study under who is in Metrope(?) University in Melbourne. So I can arrange something there. (end)

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:
Prabhupāda: So we have no difficulty. Anyone can say. If you study Bhagavad-gītā nicely, assimilate and repeat it, it will act. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We are teaching that "You always think of Kṛṣṇa. You become a devotee. You worship Him and offer your obeisances." It doesn't require that you become very learned scholar. Anyone can do. A child can do. That's it. We are teaching. Where is the difficulty? Hm? Is there any difficulty? Why don't you do that? Why you are making so big, big program without any effect? Take the simple thing, program, and preach everywhere. That is being done. We are preaching this philosophy all over the world, and they are accepting. You know that. In Europe, America, Australia, in everywhere, in all parts of the world they are preaching. Even the Africans, they are chanting name. So if I have manufactured some theory and with a limited circle I am satisfied, that is good? Or Kṛṣṇa's program, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's program, it is being accepted all over the world—that is good or this is good? Which one is good? So everyone is manufacturing some concoction, and he's satisfied with few followers. But we have got Kṛṣṇa's program, and it is being followed all over the world. So which one is good, with some limited circle or all over the world? That is the proof that we have enough (indistinct). (remainder of recording too faint to transcribe) (end)
Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Indian man (3): Prabhupāda's judgment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So (laughs) Kṛṣṇa has given him sense that from the ordinary statement he has understood the whole thing, and he has given judgment immediately. I never... This is all Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is everyone's heart, so He has dictated that "You give judgment like this." So he... Otherwise it was impossible. And that is... In many courts... We have been harassed in Australia, many, many, because they are afraid of... Now Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is advancing. The some... One politician has said that "This movement is increasing like epidemic. If we do not check it, within ten years they'll take our government." (laughter) Yes, in America one politician... So actually that is happening. In spite of so much obstacles, we are increasing. Our books are selling. They are advancing. We are getting more devotees. Our movement is not checked. It is... (break) But you do not know. We are dropping from the sky? Our main movement is Europe, America.

Evening Darsana -- May 14, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All we had was this Melbourne photo. We don't have the Sydney... We have the Melbourne Deities. Still, it's nice.

Prabhupāda: Melbourne and Sydney, white.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I knew it was Australia.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's about 6:30 now, Śrīla Prabhupāda

Prabhupāda: Have saṅkīrtana.

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Guest (1): You have got a copy?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have the original, not a copy.

Prabhupāda: You can give him.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So keep it on Sunday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's a letter from Vāsudeva, Deoji Punja. Would you like to hear?

Prabhupāda: Hm. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "I met Hari-śauri in Australia last week." He went to Australia. "He and I have agreed upon August 28th for the date of opening the Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya Temple." It says, "People here are very anxious for this event to take place. The Deities are to arrive on July 18th according to Rāmeśvara Swami, who also will be coming to the opening ceremonies. Rāmeśvara Swami has also told us that he will send money to Dhanañjaya to make clothes, crowns and jewels for the Deities. Hari-śauri will be sending money to Yaśodānandana Swami to come."

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversations -- July 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just see. For cutting the throat of cow, he's going thousands of miles. This is the civilization. He's an expert butcher, and he has got service in Australia, and he'll go. This is livelihood, personal duty. What a nonsense business, and he's going to... Mā jīva vā māra. A butcher is advised, "Don't die; don't live. If you live, it is a horrible business, and if you die, you'll go to hell. So don't die; don't live."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a question to ask. He says, "Is it permitted to use shells for making jewelry, crowns, etc., for Deities? Or is it to be considered as the bone of an animal?"

Prabhupāda: No, you can do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause they're very beautiful.

Prabhupāda: The bone of animal is the conchshell, and that is used in Deity room. It is... The conchshell is nothing but bone of an animal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. He says that he has a plan. "We want to inlay the thrones for the new temple with beautiful shells if it is permitted."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's says he's trying to increase the book distribution by arranging a big door-to-door program.

Prabhupāda: That is my earnest desire. Fulfill it.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Devotee (1): ...from Australia. So I'm thinking that this might be good to do with any money that we have.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What we have decided is that food relief money which Australia has to give, it's going to send it in the form of ghee.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We had a meeting, Jayapatāka Swami, myself, and Bali-mardana...

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...that we'd sell to the temples, and then the temples would pay for it and that money would then go back into Food Relief.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And the books I don't want to touch, because it is for the government of India.

Prabhupāda: No. That's nice. We have got so many avenues. So print books as soon as possible. This gives me life. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you have sent the export books?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I shipped 26,000 books this month. That's why I got delayed. We shipped 21,000 books to Australia and 11,000 to England.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They've all gone. Plus, we shipped a big order to Africa, to Fiji...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Africa said they never got theirs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They got it, and I have a bill of lading. That was a completely bogus letter. I have all the evidence with me. Yes, I've got a bill of lading to show you. Fiji, Mauritius, they've all gone. Plus, I also wrote up a small catalog. This is a very cheap catalog, not like the American. A lot of people write to BBT for brochure or catalog. So this is costing us only about twenty-five paisa but advertises all your books.

Prabhupāda: Hindi?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in English. Yes. Because a lot of people write to BBT to "Send us your catalog," and if we do a big one, American one, that's very expensive. We can't give it out free. So I wrote a small sixteen... This is for free distribution.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bengali's price.(?) Still, they are purchasing. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's been raining very, very heavily in Bombay. Because of this, all the ships, everything, have been getting delayed. It's very heavy rainfall. Last seven days it's raining continuously, day and night.

Prabhupāda: That is Bombay. Three days, four days raining continually, that is not unusual in Bombay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are now printing the small books for Australia also. Hari-śauri just sent me an order for twenty thousand Rāja-vidyās...

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...which I'm going to ship by third week of August. August we'll ship thirty thousand small books to Australia.

Prabhupāda: No, give first attention to the question, printing.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Just like in our temples. Everyone is engaged in some service. We don't reject anyone.

Prabhupāda: No. The system should be made in such a way that everyone is engaged.

Hari-śauri: With these farms that is very easy to do. No unemployment. Everybody can work. Next to our farm in Australia there is one man. He has five hundred acres of land, but he sends his wife out to work because he's so lazy, he does not work the land. Simply they put some cows there to become fat and then kill them. He has five hundred acres of land. (break)

Prabhupāda: Husband does not do.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...for printing. In Australia there is good field. So why you are not printing more books and send there?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll print more. Now we are printing more books for them. We are printing as many books as they order. So as they increase their order, we increase our print.

Hari-śauri: He's just sending... When is that ship leaving?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's leaving on the 10th.

Hari-śauri: There's a ship leaving on the 10th with fifteen thousand Gītās.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And fifteen thousand Rāja-vidyās.

Hari-śauri: That's for our Christmas distribution. That will arrive just in time for the month of December.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: As he orders, we print.

Prabhupāda: And you can send to Europe, America also.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So send him back telegram: "Thank you. Excuse my offenses—all Godbrothers." What you have written?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Thank you. Excuse my offenses, all Godbrothers."

Prabhupāda: What is the other say here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The other telegram is from Australia.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, please do not leave us, for without your lotus feet we have no shelter. We are trying to distribute more books. Your eternal servants at Sydney Mandir."

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am willing to stay. After all, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hindi books can be distributed all over the world.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Similarly Gujarati, and English to Australia. Why money should be kept in the bank?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think it will be any more, now that we have your direction. You actually gave us directions about a week ago, and I think they're going to carry through on it.

Prabhupāda: Don't depend on one printer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Actually Jayapatākā is very enthusiastic for printing also. It's pretty easy to print at two different places, because once you have the plates, they can simply be... You know, the photos, offset machines. Once you have the negatives, you can simply send them, and they can be printed anywhere.

Hṛdayānanda: Anywhere in the world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And especially you can send them from Bombay to Calcutta. There's no hindrance. (Girirāja whispering)

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Girirāja: Well, I wrote a prayer to Lord Kṛṣṇa for your health. So I was... It's in the next room. I was thinking of bringing it and reading it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Doctor Visit and Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who is good? (laughs) Everyone is good; I am bad.

Hari-śauri: Actually you're the best doctor, Śrīla Prabhupāda, because you're the only one who can cure our material diseases all in one. They can make some adjustment, but you can bring complete finish for all material disease.

Prabhupāda: Why they stop kīrtana? (kīrtana starts again)

Hari-śauri: Upendra's brought some ice cream.

Kīrtanānanda: Very cold. We sprinkled a little cardamom on it. Nice?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kīrtanānanda: Jaya. I have water. Can you drink? (Prabhupāda swallows) More water? Little more.

Hari-śauri: I was in Delhi yesterday, and I spoke to one of the temple presidents in Australia, and he gave me a very encouraging report. He said that all the Indian Gītās that we got just recently from Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, now they've almost completely finished. Over eleven thousand they've distributed in just a few weeks.

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) This... It has to be developed. Transcendental qualities are already there. Only when we are designationless it manifests. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Sevonmukhe jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When we are sincerely in service mood, this is manifest. It is already there. By māyā's veil it is now covered, but when we become prone to give service to Kṛṣṇa, it becomes revealed. It is already there. Nothing is imported. Now print book and distribute. In Australia they have sold all the Gītās. They will require more. Jaya Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarot... (Bs. 5.39). That's all right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: Bharadvāja, you are helping the Society in so many ways. So we are indebted to you. So Los Angeles, what is going on there?

Bharadvāja: Now they are...

Prabhupāda: You gave me the other day a plan, very nice. If you put into shape it will be wonderful.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He was there?

Hari-śauri: Yes. He was working with Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: He is... He was coming from Australia.

Hari-śauri: Yes. He was from Melbourne. He gave up his family when he was fifty-one and joined the temple, and then he came here to work with Saurabha.

Prabhupāda: Haṁsadūta?

Hari-śauri: Haṁsadūta Mahārāja?

Haṁsadūta: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: From tomorrow, you sit me down in that palanquin, and, with devotees, let me have parikrama, temple.

Page Title:Australia (Conversations 1976 - 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:17 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=92, Let=0
No. of Quotes:92