So all kinds of theories are existent since the beginning of this creation. But sometimes some theory is very prominent, sometimes some theory is not prominent. That's all. So this atheistic theory, that combination of matter... Just like you combine some chemicals and you get some product, similarly the modern scientist says that carbon dioxide, soda bicarb—they name so many chemicals—is the combination of this body. That is chemical analysis of this body. But can you produce? You have got all the chemicals. Can you produce even the body of an ant by combination of carbon dioxide, soda bicarb and so many chemicals? Just produce, not human being, just produce even a small ant which is moving. Combine. That you cannot. So such theories, at least we cannot accept. But Kṛṣṇa is giving argument to Arjuna, "If you think that this is an accidental combination of several chemicals, then where there is cause of lamentation?" Suppose in a bottle you have got certain combination of chemicals. If that bottle is broken, is there any cause of lamentation?
Carbon
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
The immense demon resembled a mass of black carbon. His topknot and beard were like molten copper, and his face had horrible fangs and furrowed eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Lord Balarāma thought of His club, which tears to pieces His enemies' armies, and His plow weapon, which punishes the demons. Thus summoned, His two weapons appeared before Him at once.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself in the plenary forms of the viṣṇu-tattva, and although they are equally powerful, the original powerful Personality of Godhead is considered the source. This example also explains the appearance of qualitative incarnations like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, śambhos tu tamo-’dhiṣṭhānatvāt kajjalamaya-sūkṣma-dīpa-śikhā-sthānīyasya na tathā sāmyam: "The śambhu-tattva, or the principle of Lord Śiva, is like a lamp covered with carbon because of his being in charge of the mode of ignorance. The illumination from such a lamp is very minute. Therefore the power of Lord Śiva cannot compare to that of the Viṣṇu principle."
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
You take fifty lemons today, again take fifty lemons, and if you extract the lemons, you'll find extensive quantity of citric acid. So wherefrom the citric acid chemical comes? Because the living entity's there in the tree. Therefore the conclusion should be the chemicals come from life; life does not come from chemical. If life comes from chemical, then you produce. I give you the chemical, whatever chemicals you want. So chemical is produced. Just like you have got experience when there is perspiration. You taste the perspiration; there is salt. Wherefrom the salt comes? Salt is... what is the chemical name? Sodium carbonate, no?
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
You see sometimes, the sparks; it looks very beautiful. The same spark, as soon as falls down from the fire, extinguished. The fiery quality immediately extinguished. So our material condition is like that. We have given up the company of Kṛṣṇa, and we wanted to be happy in this material world; therefore we are suffering. So same spark, particle of carbon, if you put again to the fire, it will again become red hot and fire. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying the sparks, which by chance has fallen down from the fire, to pick it up again and put it in the fire. That is real happiness.
That you are not. This is our philosophy. And that is very genuine. How can I be God? If I am God, then why I have lost my godly qualities? Or why my godly qualities are now covered? This is very common sense. The godly qualities are there. Just like a small particle of the spark, it is carbon. When it comes out of the fire, then it is extinguished. But if you put again to the fire, it is carbon, again bright, brightened. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, but if we fall down from the association of God, then we become..., appearing like material. But we are not material. It appears that extinguished. This is simultaneously... Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. We are simultaneously one and different. As part and parcel in quality, we are one; but in quantity God is great, we are small particle.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
It is fire. A spark from the fire falls on your body. As soon as it falls it will burn that small pointlike place. So it has got the same quality. But as soon as it comes out of the fire, it becomes extinguished—no more fire. It is carbon. Again take it and put it in the fire, then again it is fire. So our position is like that. We are factually of the same quality, sac-cid-ānanda. So our falling down in this material world from Kṛṣṇa means we lose our identity of eternity. It becomes covered. Just like the same small spark. It is fire, but it is now extinguished, cinder, just like coal, cinder. So long it is with the original fire, it is also burning, but if you take it and keep it aside, then it becomes ashes. So this is our position. And we are struggling here. We have lost the fiery quality, and still, we are trying to be fire. This is called māyā existence.
The Parameśvara, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, that is Kṛṣṇa. Not we are. We are very fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Very, very small, spiritual spark. So as the sparks from the fire falls down, it loses its original sparking capacity or fire elements. We have seen it. When the spark falls down from the big fire, then it is extinguished. No more fire. It is carbon. Similarly, when we are detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are jīva-bhūta. Then, gradually, if by good association, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master, we gradually come to the spiritual position, then we become brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20).
So as soon as we are separated, that is our conditional state. How we are separated? Just like the sparks of the fire, as soon as he's come out of the fire and falls down on the ground, it loses its illumination immediately. Immediately. That illuminating spark which was dancing with the fire, as soon as falls down, it becomes black, charcoal. It is just like carbon. So, so long with the fire, it is just like, as good as fire, illuminating. So our position is like that. We are sparks, energy. As from the energy of the fire, there are so many sparks dancing, similarly, we are all sparks of the Supreme Lord. But as soon aw we come out of the fire, as soon as we want to become independent of the Supreme Absolute Truth, our that spiritual energy becomes almost extinguished. It is never to be extinguished, but it appears, it appears. Just like fire covered with ashes. So again, when ashes are removed, the fire comes.
General Lectures
The Kali-yuga concept is one that you can, in a sense, interpret ecologically. If you've been following the scientifical pronouncements of doom possibility coming over television, radio, and slick magazines, as well as from the underground press, you will notice that there's increasing attention to the fact that our own fecal material, the waste products of our robots, have now so polluted Lake Erie that it's a great lake of green goo slime, biologically dead; that our atmosphere, the planetary atmosphere, is increasingly polluted with carbon wastes; and that we are so sunk in our attachment to automobile exhaust fumes, to sulphur wastes from great steel factories producing metals that can be sent flying to explode on the other side of the planet with the collaboration of the science faculties in such universities as this, (applause) so that we find ourselves increasingly sunk into what is called a materialistic habit, like a junky stuck on his junk.
Philosophy Discussions
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually modern scientists try to prove that life itself started from four basic chemical elements. They are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen. These four basic elements are necessary for making all the by-processes. Somehow they say that it is made and they don't know who made it.
Prabhupāda: Therefore their knowledge is imperfect. As soon as you say chemical, chemical we have got experience, it is manufactured. Some by big company, they manufacture chemicals, so basic principle is chemicals, who made the chemicals? That question must be there.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. The, normally, what they call the age determination, or how old a species is, they normally find out from this so-called (indistinct). They find some bone or something which contains normally carbonate. And normally they get this age of the elements or age of these findings by so-called Carbon 14 method. Carbon 14 is an isotope of normal carbon, it is called Carbon 12. Carbon 14 is radioactive. It's one in which they put in the radioactive testing, and they find out because it follows the normal chemical laws or physical laws. This is governed by the Lord Himself, by Kṛṣṇa Himself. They're finding the chemical lowest form, and from that chemical lowest they normally try to reduce the, how old the sample is, and that method is very limited, it is not applicable to all findings also, and a test, a very reliable test (indistinct) to about five thousand, six thousand years old but beyond that it is very doubtful whether the findings are really true or not. (break) It is empiric so we cannot fully convince that such-and-such species lives such-and-such long just from that finding. You need more evidence to prove it (indistinct) was existing and it disappeared from such-and-such time but it gives a relative value from so-called modern scientific point of view.
Prabhupāda: But evolution we accept. Evolution we accept but it is not that there was no existence of human being. That we do not accept. Evolution we accept. Just like my childhood manifestation is extinct but there are many other child. Same time. So our point is all the species of life, they are existing simultaneously. Evolution there is, we accept that but it is not that one is missing, one has gone away, and another is come, ten million, thirty millions there was no human being. This is all nonsense. He cannot find in the layer, that is not evidence.
Prabhupāda: No. But he said that that is not possible.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, they find that just like I said already, the basic elements of life—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen...
Śyāmasundara: You know the theory, not theory but practical proof, that the genes can be mutated by bombarding with cosmic rays.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. That they prove by so-called... That's why the cancer... The example of that mutation is the cancer cell. They try to find out how cancer is caused in the body. They say that somehow the cell has been changed, and they say that it has been done by mutation, so they try to prove it in the laboratory by changing the structure of the cell, and that is called mutation. So they say why the cancer is formed because cancer is an abnormal cell, this is a normal cell. In answering why these elements are formed from these basic four chemicals-carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen—they try, they say that somehow this nitrogen and hydrogen, they combine forming ammonia. That is called ammonia, from nitrogen and hydrogen. They say somehow this has formed, and somehow, by combination of hydrogen and oxygen, water is formed. And somehow by combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, these so-called carbohydrates, or these are formed. But they say somehow these are formed, but they do not know how it is formed.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Thousands of places is not this finishing, the whole planet.
Karandhara: They're always coming up with something new. They're having to revise their theory. Just like that pamphlet. They had to revise the whole theory about Carbon 14 because they found a new factor in the deterioration in the element which they never before considered...
Prabhupāda: This experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Because they are experimenting with imperfect senses, therefore they must be imperfect. Our source of knowledge is different. We do not depend on experimental knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: Let us say that the remains of every animal, every living entity that has ever been found in the ground...
Prabhupāda: Complex or simple, it doesn't matter. There were trees.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually, the coal doesn't say whether the tree was complex or not.
Śyāmasundara: No, but they find impressions from leaves and the carboniferous age, they find that the remains of trees, plants, twigs, all very simple forms like our (indistinct). Today they're more...
Prabhupāda: Our evidence is intelligence, not with tools and (indistinct). Our evidence is intelligence. We find, we get Vedic information by disciplic succession-highly intelligent. So that is our evidence. Not the tools.
Śyāmasundara: The Scripture. The evidence which is written and spoken in...
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmasundara: We're not going. I was thinking, though, if you have a carbon copy, we could send it to my Godbrothers who are going to (indistinct).
Dr. Singh: Today is already the 26th..., 25th..., 26th. What is it today?
Gurudāsa: Tomorrow's the 26th.
Dr. Singh: It will never get there. It will take (indistinct)
English woman: Sometimes the letters only take three days. Sometimes they take a week.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) takes three days by air (indistinct).
Dr. Singh: There must be a good temple in London.
Prabhupāda: I am inviting everyone, all Europeans.
Śyāmasundara: The temple we have now is packed day and night.
Dr. Singh: You have a temple?
Śyāmasundara: Oh, a very big temple.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. That is conservation of energy. Pūrṇam idam, pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation).
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The understanding in science is that if I burn a piece of wood, that wood contains originally cellulose. So it has certain amount carbons, and a certain amount hydrogens. So if I burn it, that carbon will be converted to smaller molecules like carbon dioxide and water. So if I balance it, starting from the original cellulose, so I'll get a certain number of carbon atoms and hydrogens. So the matter is conserved. In other words, it is not lost. That is the understanding of the science.
Prabhupāda: No, we also, we also say. The energy, we take the sum total, material energy, that is conserved. It is displayed again. When there is annihilation, the whole energy goes back to Kṛṣṇa. Yānti māmikām, prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām.
Prabhupāda: You can try in that Indian's... They call amaut. Amaut or amsattva. (?)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: (Bengali) From Ceylon they get some mangos, but they come in, in cans, with some juice. That's not very good. From Ceylon. (pause)
Prabhupāda: Mango is tropical fruit?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Huh, tropical fruit. Therefore it's very good in Hawaii and in India and all tropical countries. Because nature makes the sugar inside. Forms sugar, carbohydrate, in the reaction of carbon dioxide and the water...
Prabhupāda: But we take it without analysis.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are studying how the banana is making sugar inside by nature. (end)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is a compound that is called silicon carbide. That is, I think, it is very hard, as hard as diamond They make silicon carbide. I'm not sure but silicon carbide or tungsten carbide. They are used for cutting diamond. They are harder than diamond. Very strong, very hard. They combine this with carbon. It requires tremendous amounts of force to do this, high temperature, high pressure. (pause)
Prabhupāda: Anything eatables?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: (Laughs) No, not so far.
Brahmānanda: Future.
Prabhupāda: "In future." But God creates so many eatables from sand. Do you know?
Prabhupāda: Yes, London, yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The smell we are getting now from burning the gas or coal is also one of the causes of cancer. The hydro-carbons.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the artificial life is the cause of all diseases. And they won't accept our natural life. That they think primitive, "We must advance." What is your advancement? Primitive life was also subjected to death. You are also subjected to death. So where is your advancement?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Advancement in decorating the dead body.
Prabhupāda: Aśoṣyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam. Adāhyaḥ.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But by putting proper chemicals, then they can see again. The ingredients necessary for the survival of the living entities, the necessary amounts, like source of protein, source of carbon, then the life is again started.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Wherefrom the life came?
Karandhara: It's not started. It becomes suitable again for the spirit soul. So they come.
Kṛṣṇa-Kāntī: They're just changing the living conditions.
Karandhara: Like if you put honey, ants will come.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the chemists or the scientists, what they're thinking is, there are chemical elements, which are the materials necessary for staying the spirit soul within the..., so long as he is within the material world. So they're saying that these material elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen—the main elements, somehow they combine together forming the living units, but our point is the chemicals are there, but in order to start the real nice house, the spirit soul has to enter within these chemical elements.
Prabhupāda: Yes. These chemical elements will already help him, by nature's way. Just like you put a seed on the earth. So other things necessary for fructifying that seed, that is already there. They will come to help it. That is already there. Just like the living entity in seed form is impregnated within the womb of the mother. The mother has got within the womb all ingredients. Body will develop. On account of the presence of the living entity, by the laws of nature, everything is there. A dog is forming dog's body, man is forming man's body. Why? Because everything is there. A cat is forming cat's body in the womb of the... Yathā yonir yathā bījam. You haven't got to search out. It is already there.
Śyāmasundara: Your knowledge is always changing, just like the Carbon 14 test. You say... You might has said a few months back, "Yes, I believe the earth is this old," and now you have to say, "No, I believe now the earth is half that old." So your knowledge is constantly changing.
Krishna Tiwari: Because that's better and better.
Śyāmasundara: Better and better. Have you improved the world? Do you think you've made one improvement in the world?
Krishna Tiwari: Nobody else has. We have made better than what others, everybody else combined, Christ and everybody else combined did, and Lord Kṛṣṇa included.
Śyāmasundara: How do you measure that improvement?
Prabhupāda: Now, this is another point. First of all you must settle up this. (laughter). First of all we must settle up this fact, that we are all under the laws of nature.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The seminar was, the title was "The Atmosphere of Mars." The atmosphere in the Mars they are studying now very carefully.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they're saying it is carbon dioxide and water.
Prabhupāda: So the same "carbon dioxide" and big, big words, jugglery of words, that's all.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they are hopeful that there may be some life there.
Prabhupāda: That, they are hopeful of doing everything but never successful, never. That they'll never become. Unless they are hopeful, how... Just like a physician. The man is going to die, still, he's thinking, "Yes, I am hopeful." I have seen in Allahabad high-court. One man was condemned to death, and his lawyer solacing him. "Don't be sorry. I'll appeal, I'll appeal. I'll get you out." You see? This is their business.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Satsvarūpa: ...the word...
Prabhupāda: Salt, salt, turned into sand. Salty water, silica. Sodium silicate. Salt is called sodium carbonate?
Bali Mardana: Yes, it is.
Prabhupāda: Eh? (break) From any earth you'll find some percentage of salt. (break) ...for increasing population, but we rascals, we have made, "No, you cannot come here. You rot there." This is our civilization. India, China is overpopulated. So if people allow, just like Australia, Africa, and many islands.
Bali Mardana: Russia.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Origin of everything.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Matter, crude matter, origin of the chemicals, the, this carbon, hydrogen, these elements, these also, there is a brain behind it who made these chemicals.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we have to find out who is that brain, who is that scientist. That is real research. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is brahma-jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means enquiry, that "Who is that brain?" Because things are already going on. It is not depending on your so-called research. It is already going on nicely. So your business should be: "Who is that brain behind it?" That should be your research, not that how chemical combination can be... It is already being produced without your so-called scientific knowledge. It is already going on. So as you are taxing your brain that "How this chemical combination produces life?" So that brain is already there. Otherwise how life is coming? What do you think? So why you are trying to find out the chemicals? You find out the brain. As you are taxing your brain to find out the chemicals, the original brain has already done it. Now you find out who is that person who has got such a nice brain.
Prabhupāda: That's all. All these medical men, psychiatrists, they are simply painting the body of the car. That's all. What is that?
Vīra-lakṣmaṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the scientists, they've reported in one journal of theirs that by taking some chemicals of methane, ammonia and carbon and injecting it with electricity, that equation or that formula equates them to an energy that is called amino acid in due course of time. That is, they say, the building blocks of life, of protein.
Prabhupāda: So why do they not do that?
Vīra-lakṣmaṇa: They've made an experiment...
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa: They have a scientific, not scientific, but they have a process how they date the bones. It's called the carbon 14 dating process, and it's been proved defective. (break)
Jayatīrtha: ...so many bones, they should draw the conclusion that the big problem is death.
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is impossible, sir. You lick up your bones, but you have to die. You have to lay down your bone now. (break)
Devotee: If the Vedic culture was a superior culture, how come man gave up the Vedic culture to take to the materialistic life?
Prabhupāda: Oh. Further progress.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jaya. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...900,000 forms of life in the water. How many they have seen? They are giving pictures. (break) Calcium carbonate, oil wintergreen, and soap powder, powder hard soap, and I will make toothpaste.
Harikeśa: What is this soap powder?
Prabhupāda: It is called powdered hard soap. (end)
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are the basic elements.
Prabhupāda: Yes, "always there," but there must have been creation of these elements. Just like in the laboratory, you... Soda bicarb. Carbonate mixed with soda makes soda bicarb. Sulfuric acid. You take sulphur and turn into acid by mixing with something else. That is going on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the original elements were there. There's no need of any creator.
Prabhupāda: You are already... That you know, do not know, but the original elements also produced. That is not automatic. Anything you are taking...
Devotee (2): Spirograph.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the word begins with s. Spirograph or like that. You do not know? They smear with black, what is called, carbon, and the fine...
Devotee 2: Cardiograph.
Prabhupāda: Cardiograph, like that.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Cardiograph.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sensation.
Prabhupāda: No, no, the machine is called some special name.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But in the..., from our experience, it is quite clear though that matter, as such... For example, let's take a crystal of diamond or, that will be shown later in the slide, that there are... Actually crystal of diamond is built in very simple structures. It's a hexagon, six carbon atoms, one after another, forms a very simple structure. But on the other hand, now when life is in association with matter, if we take a simple cell, the cell is composed of so many big, big molecules like proteins and DNA's and all these giant molecules. And they are wonderfully complex.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So what this studying of a dead man, the molecules? When a man is dead, what is the condition of the molecules?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now understanding these basic differences, to study the origin of life has some meaning. But scientists studying the origin of life, they have no idea about these fundamental differences. So they claim that life actually is a manifestation of matter. In other words, life comes from molecules. They call it "molecule to man" theory. That we will see in the next slide. Now in this slide the molecules is called primordial chemical soup. Now these chemicals are supposed to be formed from simple, reduced substances like water and ammonia and carbon and hydrogen compounds. They are called hydro-carbons. Now these somehow, under the action of ultra-violet radiation or cosmic force, they combine together and form these amino acids. Now these amino acids, in due course of time, form the polymers called proteins. And similarly, several polymeric compounds develop and, given a long period of time, we've shown there chance and given a long period of time, then it's going to bring life, it's going to give life. That is the fundamental background of the scientific study of origin of life. This is what they have proposed. These molecules, somehow they combine, given enough length of time, billions of years as the time period, and then it's bound to happen. They say, given enough length of time...
Prabhupāda: Provided he lives billions of years. But he's finished within fifty years. (laughter) And his theory remains. The rascal cannot remain more than fifty years, and he's talking of billions of years. This is the defect. Who will see after billions of years? He is finished within hundred years. These are theories only. We see practically. Egg appears like chemical combination, but if you give, proper fermentation will come, fermentation?
Prabhupāda: Ah, that Sadajivitlal you know.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, very well.
Prabhupāda: He says about me that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has smeared the black carbon of all other swamis." (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Black carbon. You know Sadajivitlal from Bombay.
Devotee: Oh, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He used to get very angry. He said, "I like your Prabhupāda very much, but why does he have to criticize all of our gurus?"
Prabhupāda: Now he is realizing.
Hari-śauri: They like to pull the ropes. It's a big experience for them.
Prabhupāda: (belches loudly) What is this gas, oxygen? No. They put some gas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Carbon dioxide. CO2. You should have seen it. It was literally completely filled. We put on a play. First we did a big kīrtana, after you left, very big, and many, at least a thousand to two thousand people were dancing. Then there was a play, and the people crowded to see that play of Kali, Sudāmā. Oh, they were amazed to see. Sudāmā was moving around, dancing, watching. They like that very much.
Prabhupāda: Sudāmā plays nice.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Mustard seeds and instead of chalk powder we mix nim powder. Mustard seed, nim powder.
Harikeśa: Calcium carbonate.
Prabhupāda: And salt. Calcium carbonate means...? Oh, calcium, instead of calcium carbonate, let it be nim. It will be very effective.
Harikeśa: I think the taste will be horrible.
Prabhupāda: Yes, taste will be... (laughter)
Harikeśa: No one will use it.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is...
Prabhupāda: No, it is it (indistinct), we shouldn't do it. Only simple three things, that's all. That is good. That has come out.
Harikeśa: Menthol, pine oil, camphor, oil of wintergreen, glycerin, mustard powder, powdered salt and calcium carbonate.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Good memory, yes, these are the things.
Hari-śauri: You put all that in the last batch?
Harikeśa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: In Durban, I think.
Hari-śauri: In Bombay we made the last one.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They do not take it that Kṛṣṇa is God and He's speaking. They do not believe. "God is imperson."
Bhāgavata: His only proof was carbon dating, and that carbon dating has already been proven wrong so many times.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Bhāgavata: Can prajāpatis give birth to different species of animal life from their own bodies?
Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.
Satsvarūpa: Prajāpatis, humans, they give birth to animals in the beginning.
Prabhupāda: ...with this lantern? Electricity was introduced when we were boy, and that also not every house could provide electricity. Formerly they used to utilize gas, coal gas. If one man has got gaslight in his house, he is considered to be rich man. And gas... Mantle... Formerly electricity was... What is that? Carbon? Two carbon? In the morning it has to be changed. That Mahatma Gandhi Road was Harrison Road. So in our childhood, when the carbon would be changed, they would throw. We shall collect it.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would you do with it?
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, no, play. "We have collected something." So electricity was introduced in our life when we were ten, twelve years old. Before that, there was no electricity.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I am very glad to receive your first letter to me in India. So far Gita is concerned, please get it completed as soon as possible; it must be published now, either by a publisher or by ourselves. There is a bag in my apartment in which all the old mss. are there, and besides that there is in my closet (the key is with Brahmananda) a cloth bundle in which you will find carbon copies; and I think also there are some carbon copies with Rayarama. Please find the missing verses there, and if not, I shall do it again.
Regarding separation, you may know that I am also feeling ____ it is all Krishna's design that we can not separate ________ transcendental field, the feeling of separation is more __ feeling of meeting. Physically I am trying to go back to your states as soon as possible. I have got a fancy for your country, and being inspired by that, I first went to your country, and still I feel that way.
1968 Correspondence
Krishna can be known by His Mercy only as you will find in the text of the Kumaras. One thing you will mark that the Kumaras considered themselves sinful after cursing the 2 doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, and this was realized when they are fully conscious of the Supreme Lord. I have sent you one tape today. You will find the explanation there, and enjoy it. Yes, if it is possible to send carbon copies of Srimad-Bhagavatam tapes to other centers; please do so. Also, please send a copy to Gaurasundara of Bhagavatam tapes, and also lectures if possible, c/o of this address. Hope you are well.
Swamiji has already requested you to collect some letters with diacritic marks and we wish you will kindly do the needful. Hope you are well. Thanking you in anticipation."
One carbon copy of the transliteration may be sent to me with a carbon copy of the covering letter to Hitsaran Sharma. The composition of the Second Canto is already begun. Therefore, the more quickly you send the transliteration to the above press is better.
1969 Correspondence
1 carbon copy of letter sent to your draft board.
I thank you very much for your kind letter dated February 1, 1969, and, in the meantime, my letters to you dated January 30, 1969 and February 1, 1969 respectively might have crossed. Most of the answers of your letter under reply will be found in these two letters. Please let me know if you have received them by now. If not, I will send you the carbon copies. So far as your letters are concerned, each and every one of them will be particularly answered, so there is no question of passing over your inquiries. Feelings of love are reciprocal, especially on the spiritual platform. I know what is your feelings about me, and in the same way I am always dependent on your kind affection.
Regarding the seed which you have sent, yes, they are genuine tulsi seeds. I understand from your letter that Kanupriya has not yet received his initiation beads for chanting upon, but they were sent over two weeks ago. I am enclosing a carbon of the letter which I had sent along with his beads, and if he has still not received them, please request him to send another pair of beads, and I will send these back to him duly chanted upon.
You will be pleased to know that one devotee, Karatieya, has already received his 4-D ministerial status from the draft, and I am enclosing herewith carbon copy of the letter I have sent to your draft board. So we shall save you from the draft. If you stick to the study of our books and continue as a preacher, there will be no difficulty for you to get 4-D classification.
I am very much perturbed in mind that you are living scattered with the others. The letter which I have written to Gurudasa is sent herewith in a carbon copy. As you will find in that letter, I am prepared to give a letter of guarantee of the Bank of America to the authorities of the mortuary building up to the extent of $15,000. So you must occupy that house at any rate. If George Harrison's letter of guarantee is not sufficient, then I am also prepared to guarantee for $15,000. Let them know that we are not paupers. If need be, you can show the authorities my latest bank balance in Bank of America. Enclosed is the latest note, dated 21, April 1969. This can be increased to $15,000 without any difficulty. So complete the transaction, and the house may be occupied immediately.
I thank you very much for the contribution you have made of 300 dollars to my book fund, and the Sankirtana table is also very encouraging. Regarding the order of 12 mrdangas that you have suggested I discontinue, I have already done this, and the letter to Indo Crafter is enclosed herewith in carbon copy along with a copy of the invoice. Regarding United Shipping Corporation's shipment of Srimad-Bhagavatam, I have advised the bank in Vrindaban, and it will be all right. So far as one half of this shipment going to Los Angeles, I will speak to Brahmananda about this. But one thing is you must stop this fighting between brothers. Otherwise the whole program will be spoiled. Yourself, Tamala Krishna, Brahmananda, Satsvarupa—you should do everything combinedly. That is my request. Gradually, by Krishna's Grace, we are expanding. So if amongst ourselves there is friction, it will be very dangerous.
Then we shall see how to pick up further men. For editing the Sanskrit words you can send me a list of the words, and I shall send you the correct diacritic marks. You write that you shall send me your changes for the Krsna manuscript pages here with me, and upon receipt of them I shall do the needful. Please also send carbon copies of the tapes you have edited in the past few months. By separate post a new tape is being sent to you.
I have shown the new BTG to Mukunda, and he has very much appreciated the nice lay-out work of Candanacarya.
enclosures: one carbon of letter to Hayagriva
Please let me know if all the books "True Conception of Religion" sent by Syamasundara Brahmacari are all sold and if we owe some money still due to him?
It is essential for me to know this because the friend who wants to publish this book should be informed about the cost of production within a week. Also, I have not received any edited versions of the tapes which I have sent you from Europe. So please send them to me as soon as possible, keeping carbon copies with you in Boston. If there are discrepancies in your editing techniques between the beginning and later chapters, please inform me what they are so we can make the corrections here.
1970 Correspondence
Please, therefore, continue the standard of understanding. Read regularly our books and try to expand and preach the philosophy as far as possible.
I am glad that you have a nice dictaphone. I am sending, herewith, one tape, number 6. Please try to work on it, edit it nicely and make two carbon copies and one original. The original may be sent to me and the carbon copies may be kept with you for the present and we shall call for them when needed.
Regarding your question—What is meant by an object regaining spiritual quality?—the answer is that Krishna is pure knowledge and, therefore, He is the Supreme Person. In other words, He is the Supreme Power, and His Power is manifested throughout by different energies as much as the power of fireplace is expanded by light and heat. When we perceive heat and light, it means that we perceive the original fireplace.
So you please keep me informed about your activities at least once a fortnight.
In the meantime I have received some quotations of Japanese printers, sent by you. One of them is replied as per carbon copy enclosed, and if possible try to see them if they are agreeable.
Please enlighten me by return mail how you are making progress in our movement, how the Japanese people are responding. Naturally I am very much anxious to know that.
1972 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 9, 1972, along with two copies of the MacMillan Co. contract. As per your instructions, I have initialled same, wherever your own initials have appeared. I noticed that on the carbon-copy contract you neglected to initial the last clause (b) of Section XX Special Provisions, although you had done so on the original copy. In addition, I have added the phrase to XII. Competitive Material as follows: "as well as the 48 pages of illustrations for which the Author reserves the right to publish for any purpose he may determine," as per your instructions in the letter to Syamasundara dated February 15, 1972. Also, because I received advanced royalties from MacMillan Co. for my first edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is of $1,000.00, and that was before they were convinced of our ability to sell books.
So if we work sincerely without any material aspirations, Krishna will help in all respects, be assured. So far the donation of roses, utilize them nicely. There will be flowers for the deity, it will be a great service. Nara Narayana is enthusiastic so let him do this work. One thing: why you and Cyavana are sending carbon-copies of your letters to Brahmananda? What is the use, he is not returning, he has to manage African affairs. You have to manage there with your assistants. I have received the Hindi article sent by you written by Mangalananda Goutam, and this gentleman is known to me, and it is written nicely. So I am enclosing herewith one letter for him, you can forward.
In Delhi my books were printed by one Mr. Kanshiram and his son Omkar at the New O.K. Press in Churiwalla, Delhi. So you may approach them and as soon as they hear about my books they will print them very cheaply. Enclosed find the carbon copy of one letter to Sriman Omkar and also one letter to Mr. Isho Kumar Puri of Atmaram & Son Book Publishers, so kindly note their contents carefully. I am now interested to print our books in India and distribute them very widely. So our Ksirodakasayi is finding difficulty by himself, so they are thinking to form one committee of Ksirodakasayi, Ramananda and Niranjana, yourself and others, and I want that all of you conjointly chalk out some plan for translating, composing, laying out and printing our books in Hindi language and also in English language and distributing them very profusely.
1973 Correspondence
I have requested our Delhi Temple President Sriman Tejyas das Adhikari to find out the best way how these men can come to India and not be bothered by visa difficulties after coming. He has written me as follows:
"1. Entry visas for one year should be applied for and triplicate carbon copies sent to me and I will follow up here in pushing it through.
2. The occupation should be listed as student-trainee or some such thing but not minister or preacher.
3. I should get a complete list of the devotees by Karmi name, spiritual name, and all details such as Passport number and issue date, previous visits to India, etc.
| Page Title: | Carbon |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 22 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=13, Con=24, Let=18 |
| No. of Quotes: | 57 |