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Charitable (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: . Formerly the kings and governors, they used to take bath in the Ganges with their paraphernalia, band party and many brāhmaṇas and all kinds of charitable things. In this way they used to come to take bath. So Lord Caitanya saw that somebody is coming in that great procession, and He was told about Rāmānanda Rāya, the governor of Madras province. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya requested Him that "You are going to South India. You must meet Rāmānanda Rāya. He's a great devotee." So when He was sitting on the bank of the Kaveri and Rāmānanda Rāya was coming in procession, He understood that he is Rāmānanda Rāya. But because He was sannyāsī, He did not address him. But Rāmānanda Rāya, he was a great devotee, and saw a nice sannyāsī, young sannyāsī was sitting and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Generally, the sannyāsīs they do not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They, "Oṁ, oṁ..." Simply sound oṁ. Not Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa, you can read loudly. We'll hear.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "Qualifications of devotee: 1) kind to everyone, 2) does not quarrel with anyone, 3) fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4) equal to everyone, 5) faultless, 6) charitable, 7) mild, 8) clean, 9) simple, 10) benevolent, 11) peaceful, 12) completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, 13) no material hankering, 14) meek, 15) steady, 16) self-controlled, 17) does not eat more than required, 18) sane, 19) respectful..." (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Not insane.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "...20) humble, 21) grave, 22) compassionate, 23) friendly, 24) poetic, 25) expert..."

Prabhupāda: Poetic.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "...25) expert, and 26) silent."

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 21, 1970, Surat:

Prabhupāda: These are the words, yasmin sthite: "Situated in such a position that although he is facing greatest danger, he is not agitated." There is one instance. Not very long ago, say, about two hundred years ago there was a big zamindar. He was known as king in Krishnanagar. So he was charitably disposed. He went to a brāhmaṇa and asked him—he was a great learned scholar—"Can I help you any way?" And the pandit replied, "No. I don't require your help. I am quite satisfied." "How you are satisfied?" "Oh, my, these students, they bring some rice. So my wife boils that, and I have got this tamarind tree. I take some leaves and prepare some juice out of it. That is sufficient." So he was satisfied. That's all. But he was a learned scholar. Similarly, Canakya Pandit... You have perhaps heard. He was the greatest politician. He was prime minister of India. He was living in a cottage and just giving instruction.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Kṣatriyas, to become king, to fight for the protection of the citizens, to become charitably disposed. Everything is described there. These are the kṣatriya's karma. These the brāhmaṇa's karma. These are the, eh, vaiśya's karma. These are the śūdra's karma. So sva-dharma means to execute the prescribed karma. That is sva-dharma. Dharma karma. Dharma means karma, but prescribed. You are brāhmaṇa, you have to act as a brāhmaṇa.

Reporter: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: You are kṣatriya, you have to act as a kṣatriya. So acting means karma. How you can avoid karma? Bhakti is also karma. Bhakti is also karma. Bhakti, what is this bhakti? Just like we are engaged in devotional service. That service means karma. So they're also rising early in the morning at four 'o clock offering maṅgala-ārati, and then reading books, then chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then taking the class and taking prasādam, then going to outside for performing saṅkīrtana, to distributing books.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And those who have accepted to become the servant of the Lord, for them here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa. Mūḍha. Māyāśritānām. They are thinking, "Oh, He is Kṛṣṇa, ordinary boy. What is this?" But they are playing. These boys are playing with Him. Why? Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Of many lives pious activities, they have come to this position, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...to understand Kṛṣṇa and to engage himself in the service of the Lord, it requires a qualification, that completely... Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām (BG 7.28). Janānāṁ puṇya-ka... Those who are simply... This is the highest puṇya-karma, to engage one life's activities only for the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is the greatest puṇya-karma. And material puṇya-karma, a little discrepancy... Just like Nṛga. Nṛga. What is that? He was very charitable, distributing cows, and little mistake, he had to become an alligator.

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: "Generally it is seen that one who has risen from a poverty-stricken life and becomes wealthy creates some charitable institution at the end of his life..." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...goes to market and gets some of this... What is called, bhūta bhūta?

Yaśomatīnandana: Corns.

Prabhupāda: Corns. (break)

Dr. Patel: That is why I say that rasanā (tongue) is not so strong as śiṣṇa (genital).

Prabhupāda: No, if you do not allow rasanā to enjoy much, śiṣṇa will be subdued.

Morning Walk -- May 9, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, no, this is not.

Bhāgavata: We do all the work, and he gets advertised as a great charitable doctor.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Bhāgavata: That he has opened the clinic.

Prabhupāda: Daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. We are not all these false things. Doctor Ghosh is also after daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. (break) We will collect medicine. Our... We shall pay for the expenditure. Our men will be engaged for bandaging. (laughs) Nonsense.

Bhāgavata: And the preaching stops.

Prabhupāda: Ah. They cannot understand what is the meaning of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are such dull headed men. They have no brain to understand. They are coming down again. Just like the dog's tail. Know, dog's tail. You may, however grease it... (laughs) They are hearing about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The aim is the body, the dog's tail.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Other classes... The second-class, they are supposed to be administrator. They are very... They are also very strong. They do not go away when there is fighting. They have got a ruling capacity, and they are charitable. They have got seven qualifications. So... But he rules according to the advice of the first-class men.

Reporter (5): Then... Well, how about the third and fourth-classes?

Prabhupāda: Third-class means they should engage themselves, how to produce food and give protection to the cow. It is said...

Reporter (5): The cow?

Prabhupāda: Cow, yes.

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Prabhupāda: And if I go, ask some money, that "I am going to open some hospital for the poor suffering humanity," he will give immediately. Is it not the general tendency? If I say a moneyed man, "Please give me some money. I will spend it for Kṛṣṇa," he will not give. (chuckles) But if I approach him that "I am going to open a charitable institution for the poor," he will give me. So these Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha has said like that just to try to this, make this man dispossess. But he will not be inclined to pay for Kṛṣṇa; he will be inclined for the poor. The real purpose is to make him dispossess. Unless he is penniless, he will not take to God. So the real purpose is to make him dispossess. But he will not be inclined to pay his money for God. So let him pay to the poor, that's all. Otherwise, if anyone has got money, he should return it to God because it is God's money. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat (ISO 1). Find out this, Īśopaniṣad. Everything belongs to God. That I was speaking, that we don't possess anything.

Morning Walk -- August 27, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: "So you are so poor?"—(aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa—"that you cannot help the second man? Then how you are charitable? You must be open to give charity to everyone." No use talking.

French devotee (1): They are very rich, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are very rich.

Prabhupāda: Richer than us? (laughter) Do you think?

French devotee (1): No.

Prabhupāda: How many branches he has got of his business?

Akṣayānanda: So I usually tell them, "It is not for us that we want help, but so that we can help others." They like that. They can appreciate humanitarian viewpoint, material benefit. That's all.

Prabhupāda: So we are giving the best humanitarian service—to stop his repetition of birth and death.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

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

Prabhupāda: So I have come temporarily. Why don't you approach?

Indian man (3): Yes, we will...

Prabhupāda: If he is known to you, you can approach, that "Here is a good cause, International..."

Indian man (3): I will send a message to him to come and see you this evening.

Prabhupāda: Ah, that will be very nice. Then I can talk. Yes. When you will bring him?

Indian man (3): I think you are meeting the officials of various organizations this evening?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They've been invited.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

Indian man (3): Yes. Dr. Desai has been very helpful in establishing societies and schools and charitable organizations. Yes, I will also send a message to Dr. Desai to come and see you. Dr. Desai sacrificed all his medical practice and all for the people.

Prabhupāda: Ah.

Indian man (3): Yes.

Prabhupāda: (wind blowing) Pranair arthair dhiya vacaḥ śreya acaraṇam... (break) ...by words, by intelligence, everyone should serve Kṛṣṇa, then life is successful. Pranair arthair dhiya vacaḥ.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: That means they do not like Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (2): I don't know. Somehow or other, I myself am totally confused about Indian community in this country. I have no comments to make, but I found out that they are the least charitable community among all communities. I lived in Canada almost ten years, and I found out other communities are very charitable. Even if you go to other community, at least they will give something, but Indians...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Every Indian should come to the temple and become a devotee.

Indian man (1): I think more and more people are really coming to the temple and becoming part of it, as I think most of the devotees around here know, in the last few years.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Which is? About the constitution, exemption? Ah, no. No, it's not a notice as such, but they're questioning whether we deserve the tax exemption as a charitable trust. They're saying that we are not charitable; we are religious. And religious is not exempt from income tax. So the question is whether we have to change our constitution to fit their idea or whether to establish a separate trust or whether to defend that our present...

Prabhupāda: First thing is that we have not received any official notice.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering about that?

Girirāja: That's what I say. We have stood...

Prabhupāda: Gopāla is bothering too much about.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise I'll not give to Govinda. Income tax officer will take: "Govindāya namaḥ." If you distribute prasādam of Govinda among the poor men... We have got already in Māyāpur. Increase that. There is... They are drum-beating, that "Anyone who is hungry, please come and take prasāda."

Girirāja: That they accept as charitable. They want charitable.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: So what could be more charitable than feeding?

Prabhupāda: No, you keep always kitchen, and by drum beating, that, "Anyone hungry within this area, or anywhere, come here. Take capatis, roti," and distribute prasādam. That is in our program.

Mr. Asnani: I shall go what Prabhupāda says, nearest to our village, within ten miles, five miles, two miles.

Prabhupāda: That I ask you. Do that. Why it is stopped, I cannot understand.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hindi, yes. And this is English. In this way I have given the idea. We'll make the space contract and ask them the concession, because it is charitable...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That we will get.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In this way immediately arrange.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I can put one for next Wednesday's paper.

Prabhupāda: First of all take the rate. Then when we shall begin, that we shall decide. So Rāmeśvara is there. He has got very good experience in everything. How do you like this idea?

Rāmeśvara: It's excellent.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then it is final. (laughter) Do it.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is a charitable institution, so you'll... Why not give weekly?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That Kun... If he says no for any reason ... (break) Here they come. (guests enter)

Prabhupāda: Aiye. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very ... Aiye.

Mr. Rajda: I have brought my Phalis, Mohendralal Phalis(?)

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Mr. Rajda: Here is Mr. Raj(?) also.

Prabhupāda: Betiye.

Mr. Rajda: My wife, Mrs. Rajda, my daughter, Mitsu. This is my nephew, younger brother's son.

Conversation about Old Days in Calcutta -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One Muhammadan gentleman, Dinuniya, he was formerly Hindu, but when there was some famine... (break) He also made so many charitable institutions. He had a majheev(?), one etimakhānā. Etimakhānā means orphan house.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Means?

Prabhupāda: Orphan house. He was cutting throat of the chicken on the street.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's not a very nice business.

Prabhupāda: We were accustomed. His servant, they would do. But we have seen it.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. She will (indistinct).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So if we have... If M. L. Jalan also says he has no one, then we're sending someone immediately from here. Otherwise, if Mr. Jalan says that there is someone...

Prabhupāda: Jalan, they have got a charitable...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. A dispensary. Of course, we don't know if it's Ayurvedic dispensary. It might be allopathic.

Prabhupāda: No, Ayurvedic.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So how can we loan one lakh of rupees? We can't start loaning money for these kind of businesses. It's against the Society's memorandum and rules that money can be given to individuals for their personal businesses. This is a charitable society. It's bounded by the Society's charity laws. So, Prabhupāda, whatever money he has, he has got as a binamida of the Society. He may donate the money in the sense of giving a stipend to family members. That's different. But as far as giving loans for business purposes to an individual private business... I mean we would lose our charitable status, because the accounts are audited every year. So it will look very... In fact, if we do that, then they may raise objection to the stipend also. Now they can't raise objection, because it's given as a stipend to the family, former family of this ācārya. They won't say anything.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He said, "That I know." And we explained that... He was quoting from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we explained how Your Divine Grace was the representative and incarnation of Vyāsadeva, and he accepted that. He has very high respect for Vyāsadeva and for you because he's seen your books. He knows that you're not ordinary. Then he described what was wrong with you and how he's going to be treating it. Then I was asking him what is his native place. So he's a Marwari. Then he was telling us the native town. And I asked him if he had any charitable dispensary. He said he wouldn't take any money. We were trying to think of different ways to... Anyway, he wouldn't take any money. Then he said... He talked about his father. His father was a very big devotee of Nṛsiṁha-deva. So one day his father plus eleven other Vaiṣṇavas went to Badarikāśrama for darśana of the Deities. They were walking, and on the way they were attacked by these baels.(?) They're called baels?

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And then all of the Vaiṣṇavas, they bowed down at the feet of the lion and they were offering prayers, and the lion went away. So his father... He said that if one has a pure heart, if he's a pure Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa can appear. He said in the form of the lion Kṛṣṇa actually protected them. So he wants to make some charitable dispensary in his home town on behalf of his father. I'm thinking if he cures you we will give him a nice donation towards that charitable dispensary. Then we told him that... We asked him what kind of food does he like. So he told us, so that now we'll make arrangement. We gave him very good food this morning, and we will cook him ruṭis. Bhakti-caru and another devotee are cooking. So they will cook him fresh vegetables as he likes, according to his taste. And Adri-dhāraṇa serves him personally. And then I said also, "While you're here, there's much time. We can take you to the different temples."

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, or Charitable Trust? Which do you prefer, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That I do not know. You...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda said... (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He stays in the governor's room. Room number 31. We gave him nice prasādam. Is the kavirāja here right now, Śatadhanya Mahārāja? Is he?

Śatadhanya: He was mixing medicines a little while ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to see him, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, not necessary.

Page Title:Charitable (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur
Created:17 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=23, Let=0
No. of Quotes:23