We are also sanātana. But when we forget to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is our asanātana. And when we are engaged again in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is sanātana-dharma. So sanātana-dharma means eternally serving Kṛṣṇa. Another example, dharma... What is dharma? Dhṛ-dhātu. Characteristic. You cannot change it. You cannot change it. Just like sugar. Sugar characteristic means sweetness. And chili characteristic means pungent. So everything has got characteristic. Everything. That is called dharma. If sugar has become pungent and chili has become sweet... You purchase chili. If it is not very pungent, you throw it... "Oh, it is not good." Because the dharma of the chili is lacking there. Similarly, if you take sugar and if you find it salty, then you... "Oh, what is this?" So everything has got some characteristic. So we are living entities. We have got our characteristics.
Chili
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
Since the child depends completely on the assimilated foodstuff of the mother, during pregnancy there are restrictions on the food taken by the mother. Too much salt, chili, onion and similar food is forbidden for the pregnant mother because the child's body is too delicate and new for him to tolerate such pungent food. Restrictions and precautions to be taken by the pregnant mother, as enunciated in the smṛti scriptures of Vedic literature, are very useful. We can understand from the Vedic literature how much care is taken to beget a nice child in society. The garbhādhāna ceremony before sexual intercourse was compulsory for persons in the higher grades of society, and it is very scientific. Other processes recommended in the Vedic literature during pregnancy are also very important. To take care of the child is the primary duty of the parents because if such care is taken, society will be filled with good population to maintain the peace and prosperity of the society, country and human race.
SB Canto 4
For instance, sugarcane provides its juices to satisfy our taste for sweetness, and oranges provide their juices to satisfy our taste for a mixture of the sour and the sweet. Similarly, there are pineapples and other fruits. At the same time, there are chilies to satisfy our taste for pungency. Although the earth's ground is the same, different tastes arise due to different kinds of seeds. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.10), bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am the original seed of all existences." Therefore all arrangements are there. And as stated in Īśopaniṣad: pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Complete arrangements for the production of all the necessities of life are made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People should therefore learn how to satisfy the yajña-puruṣa, Lord Viṣṇu. Indeed, the living entity's prime business is to satisfy the Lord because the living entity is part and parcel of the Lord. Thus the whole system is so arranged that the living entity must do his duty as he is constitutionally made. Without doing so, all living entities must suffer. That is the law of nature.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Antya-lila
The hot chili-like taste burned the tongues of those who chewed the seeds. Thus the eating of pīlu fruits from Vṛndāvana became a pastime of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Instruction
Others are attracted by eating vegetables, creepers, spinach or milk products, but all for the satisfaction of the tongue's demands. Such eating for sense gratification—including the use of extra quantities of spices like chili and tamarind—is to be given up by Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. The use of pan, haritakī, betel nuts, various spices used in pan-making, tobacco, LSD, marijuana, opium, liquor, coffee and tea is indulged in to fulfill illicit demands. If we can practice accepting only remnants of food offered to Kṛṣṇa, it is possible to get free from māyā's victimization. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk products and water are proper foods to offer to the Lord, as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself prescribes. However, if one accepts prasāda only because of its palatable taste and thus eats too much, he also falls prey to trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
What is this? Stopped? (break)
Hinduism means a type of faith, or Muslimism is type of faith. But... As it is described in the English dictionary, religion means a kind of faith. But it is not that type of religion. It is a compulsory fact. Just like sugar is, compulsorily must become, sweet. If sugar is not sweet, that is not real sugar. Chili is not hot; that is not real chili. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our duty is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no question of faith. It is not the question of faith. You may have faith in Hinduism; tomorrow you may have faith in Christianism. Or you may have faith in Christianism, tomorrow in Mohammedan. This kind of faith is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is a compulsory. Just like laws of the state. It is not that it is meant for the Hindus, or for the Muslims, for the Christian. It is meant for everyone.
"Take here a glass of water," I know it is liquid. So as the liquidity of water cannot be changed. Now, as soon as you speak of fire, so we understand fire is hot. Now, if you, if you... Can you change that fire becomes cold and still it is fire? No. As... So long it is fire, it is hot. So long it is water, it is liquid. Similarly, everything you analyze. Take for example chili. Chili, red pepper. Oh, it is very hot. Now, when you take chili from the market you see how much, what is the degree of its hotness. If it is very hot, oh, it is very good chili. If you find a chili sweet like sugar, oh, you'll reject it. "Oh, this is not good." Because that is the religion of the chili, to become very hot. Similarly, sugar. If you take sugar, if it is very hot, "It is nonsense. I want sweet."
So in everything, if you analyze, you'll find some particular quality. That is his religion. That is his religion. So we are living entities. Forget yourself.
First of all you have to understand. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ (BG 4.7). What is dharma? First of all you have to understand. Dharma means occupational duty. Or natural characteristic. That is called dharma. Just like sugar. Sugar is sweet. The sweetness is dharma of sugar. Chili is very hot. The hotness is the dharma of chili. If the chili becomes sweet and sugar becomes hot, that is adharma. Try to understand this. So first of all, who can give us dharma? That is stated in the śāstras, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the orders, given by the Supreme Lord, or Supreme Being, God. That is dharma. This is the shortest definition of dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
"Religion is a kind of faith." Faith may be wrong or right, but religion cannot be wrong or right. Religion must be correct. That is the meaning of religion. the example is that the sugar is sweet. It is not the question of wrong or right. Sugar must be always sweet. You cannot change it. That is religion. Chili is hot. That is correct. Chili cannot be sweet, and sugar cannot be hot. So religion means that. Religion described in the Vedic śāstras is said, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19) "Dharma means..." The plain description of religion is "the code, or the laws, given by God." Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
He does not say that "You give me anything and everything." No. He specifically mentions, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. These things are the foodstuffs in goodness: rice, ḍāl, wheat, that means grains. Then sugar, fruits, vegetables, milk products. These foods are in the goodness. Similarly there are foods, very chili, very hot, these are in the passion. And similarly in ignorance also, there are many foods, stale food, meat, these are in the ignorance.
So our business is, this human form of life, to get out of this cycle of birth and death and wandering in different species of life. This is the mission of human life. Human life, advanced consciousness, it is meant for getting out of the cycle of birth and death. And wandering in different species of life.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nobody can say... In this meeting there are so many ladies and gentlemen. Nobody can say that "I do not serve anyone. I am free." That is not possible. You must have to serve. And that service is called dharma. Just like salt is salty taste, sugar is sweet taste. The sweet taste is the dharma of sugar. The pungent taste of chili, that is the dharma. It cannot change. If sugar is salty, you do not accept. "Oh, this is not sugar." Similarly, living entity has got a permanent occupational duty. That is service. That service is being carried on in different names: "service of the family," "service of the country," "service of the community," "service of the nation," "service of the humanity," so many names. But there is service. But this service cannot be complete unless the service goes up to the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of service. And that is called dharma. Try to understand what is dharma.
Here the word is used, dharma. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). So dharma, we generally understand that I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am Christian, I am Arya-samaji, I am this, I am that. That is generally taken as dharma. But according to Vedic principle dharma means characteristic. Just like chili—to become hot—the characteristic of chili. We test in the market when we go to purchase chili, we test how strong it is hot. If it is not very strong in its hottiness, then we reject. "No, no, it is not good chili." Chili must be very hot. That is characteristic, that is dharma. Sugar must be very sweet. That is characteristic, that is dharma. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). So at the present moment, being entrapped by the material nature, we have accepted different types of dharmas. That is artificial. That is artificial. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist," "I am this," "I am that." These are all in relationship with this body.
That is not. That is not the meaning of dharma. The meaning of dharma, in English, it is called "religion." And religion is a kind of faith. So faith may be wrong or right. That is not dharma. Dharma means your constitutional position and duty. That is called dharma. Just like the other day I explained. Just like chili should be pungent, sugar must be sweet, this is the idea. Water must be liquid. A stone must be solid. This is the dharma. You cannot say "liquid stone." No. That is not dharma. As soon as you say "stone," it must be solid. As soon as you say "water," it must be liquid. So this liquidity and water, the liquidity is the dharma of water. The solidity, or dharma... Similarly, we have got a dharma. We are forgotten now what is our dharma. The dharma is... Here it is stated, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣ... (SB 1.2.8). How to awaken our consciousness to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is the description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Similarly, dharma is also a "must be." It cannot be option or a kind of faith which you can change at your whims. That is not dharma. Dharma means "must be." The same example: A particular thing has a particular characteristic. The sugar characteristic is sweetness. Chili is hot. Similarly, everything has got its characteristic. Just like microphone. I am speaking; it must resound. That is the characteristic. That is dharma, which cannot be separated. If sweetness is separated from sugar, it is no longer sugar. Similarly, dharma means that. Dharma means, real meaning is, characteristic. The characteristic of the living being is to serve. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this instruction. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is the characteristic of all living entities, to become servant, to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. But when we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, then, because my constitutional position is to serve, I have to serve māyā.
Therefore bhakta life is the summum bonum of life.
So Kṛṣṇa comes here, sa eva jīva-lokasya māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ vidhatse svena vīryeṇa. Kṛṣṇa comes down. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā also, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). The dharma is, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is my position." Dharma means characteristic. Just like sugar has to become sweet. That is dharma. A chili has to be hot. Sugar, if it is chili taste-useless. A chili's sweet taste—it is useless. So this taste of a particular thing is called dharma. So this dharma according to the body is developed in this material world. But the original dharma... Original is the spirit soul. That spirit soul is the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and his duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is original dharma. So in order to teach that original dharma, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Glāni means discrepancies. When the conditioned soul is, by the influence of māyā, is engaged in sense gratification, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Yadā yadā hi... Just like nowadays nobody's interested.
The whole world. At the present moment, especially, mostly ignorance, and some of them are passionate. That passionate tendency is engaging them for so many industries and very, very strong work, ugra-karma. Ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means very strong...? What is, should be the English word? Ugra... Ugra, just like chili, pungent. There are many things. They are very strong in taste. So ugra-karma, these... Just like they are building hundred-and-fifty-story building. People can live comfortably in a small cottage or one-storied house or little more. But no, they're increasing. Their passionate activities are increasing. Just like in your country, in New York, now there is hundred-and-four-storied building, or more than that. Some building?
When the society forgets Kṛṣṇa and stops Kṛṣṇa's service, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Real dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and regulations. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it is diseased. If the fingers and hands cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve Kṛṣṇa, or we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, we serve... Serving we are. That is a fact. We cannot become master. Nobody... Can anyone say that he is master? He's not serving anyone?
So that is going on. Now, by Kṛṣṇa's energy... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energy is working in such subtle way, mysterious way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is known as Yogeśvara. The same earth, same water, but the seed different. So one tree is coming to produce chili, another tree is coming out to produce tomato, another tree is coming out to produce mango. Different taste. Mango is sweet, tomato is sour, chili is pungent. But these things are required, varieties. Although the source is one. Source is one—the earth—but the earth contains all other five elements. Kṣitir āp tejo vāri mṛd vyoma. Everything is there in the earth. Everything is there, and by the expert handling of the prakṛti and behind the prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa, varieties of things are coming. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how things are coming by the handling, expert handling of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
His energy is working—the same earth, the same seed, ingredient of the seed. There is variety of the seed also. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (Bg 7.10) "I am the seed, seedling." The same process: there is a seed of rose tree, you put into the earth and pour water—a rose tree will come out. And similarly, looking another, chili seed, but it will come chili. The earth is the same; water is the same. Just like on the riverside there are many trees. Their eatable is the same water, standing in the same earth, but different trees are coming out. Different taste fruit, different flower, different, all different. So therefore, the difference is there in the seed. So you cannot understand. You cannot chemically analyze the seed, small seed, but the potency is so strong, so you cannot study by your so-called physical or chemical science.
That is the taste. If sugar is salty, although both of them looks the same, white powder, but if I give you sugar and if it is actually salt, then immediately you will say, "Oh, this is not sugar. This is not sugar." How? By taste. Similarly, everything has got his constitutional position. The sugar is sweet, and the chili is pungent. If sugar is pungent and chili is sweet, then you throw it away. It is not real. It is not real. Similarly, what is the constitutional position of human being, dharma? To serve. This is the constitutional position. Every one of us, we are serving. Without service we have no other business. So this is our constitutional position. But we are serving wrongly; therefore we are not satisfied. This is the position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore begins His philosophy from this point, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109) "The real constitutional position of all living entities is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is constitutional position.
He, therefore, says that kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ, "I am born of ugra, strong, strong qualities." Not strong quality, what do you call? Pungent. These rāja-guṇa and tama-guṇa is called pungent. Just like you take chili. Chili is tama-guṇa, that is the symptom of tama-guṇa. As soon as you chew, it becomes hot everything. You see? So ugra, ugra. And sattva-guṇa is sweetness. (indistinct) Therefore, ordinarily in India it is stated that a brāhmaṇa is known who can eat more sweets. (laughter) Yes.
It is said that there was a king, he was giving shelter to all the brāhmaṇas. He had a guest house. Guest house, so any brāhmaṇa can stay there. So many non-brāhmaṇas also were coming. So the order was that the brāhmaṇa can stay there and there was a store, he can take his supplies from the store and eat and live there peacefully.
So the order was that the brāhmaṇa can stay there and there was a store, he can take his supplies from the store and eat and live there peacefully. And the storekeeper was submitting bill to the king that your guest has taken so many things, kindly pay. So he was paying. So he was testing by the bill. If he would see the bill contains more spices and chilis, he will ask immediately, "Drag this man, he is not a brāhmaṇa." (laughter) "Drag this, he is not a brāhmaṇa." So be careful, don't take much. I know you don't take much. But if you take too much chilis and spices, then you will be considered amongst the non-brāhmaṇas. You can take more sweets. (laughter) So if the bill was submitted containing more sugar, then he would accept, "Yes, that man is brāhmaṇa." (laughter) So these three guṇas means sweet, salt, and chili. Sattva-guṇa is sweet, and rāja-guṇa is salt, and tama-guṇa is chili.
So here it is said that "All the siddhas, all these demigods, they are on the sattvaikatāna-gatayo, they are all situated in the modes of goodness and they have offered their prayers but could not pacify the Lord, then what I can do? I am born of a person, ugra-jāteḥ, born of chili father." (laughter) "What I can do? Because I am born of a chili father." (laughter) Then he considers that gunair api, jam nārādhituṁ na pipruḥ tat purna saktai tyaktva sa harir me katham toṣṭum praptam arhati (?). Sa hareḥ, "That Supreme Personality of Godhead, how He can be pacified by me?" Toṣṭum arhati. In other words, that God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by persons who are polluted by the chili quality and salt quality, or tama-guṇa and raja-guṇa, rajas tamaḥ. Rajas tamo bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19).
General Lectures
Sugar's characteristic is sweetness. If you are given some sugar, if you find it, it is not sweet, you at once reject it: "Oh, it is not sugar. It is something else." So that sweetness is the characteristic of sugar. Similarly, sour taste is the characteristic of salt, pungency is the characteristic of chili. Similarly, what is your characteristic, living entity? That you have to study. That is your religion. Not that Christian religion, Hindu religion, or this religion, that religion. Your eternal characteristic, what is that eternal characteristic? You want to love somebody, and therefore you want to serve. That is your characteristic. You want your society... You love your society, you love your family, you love your country, you love your community. Because you love, therefore you serve. That is your characteristic. Either you are Christian or either you are Muhammadan, either you are Hindu, this characteristic will go on.
Religion means a kind of faith: "I believe in such and such faith." "I believe in the Muhammadan faith," "I believe in Christian faith," "I believe in Buddha faith." But actually, dharma does not mean faith. Dharma means characteristic. What is that characteristic? Just like everything, every little item, has got his characteristic. Just like take for example chili: it is very hot. The more the chili is hot, it is good. But if the sugar becomes hot like chili, immediately rejected. But if the chili is hot, you accept: "It is good chili." Similarly, dharma means characteristic of the living entity. That is dharma. The living entity is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana means eternal. God is eternal, sanātana. We are eternal, sanātana. And there is an eternal place also. This material world is not eternal. The characteristics of this material world is that it appears at a certain date, it continues to stay for a certain period, it develops, then it dwindles and then vanishes. Just like our body, your body, my body: It has got a date of appearance.
Or today you are Christian; you can become a Muhammadan next day. So political field also, changing faiths. So dharma does not exactly mean a kind of faith. It is characteristic. Just like sugar is sweet. That is the characteristic of sugar. If sugar becomes pungent, then that is not sugar. That is something else. It may be some other chemical. When you go to purchase chili, you must test it, whether it is very strongly pungent. You do not expect chili should be sweet; then it is not very first quality chili. Similarly, we have got characteristic, we living entities... We are individual living entities. We have got characteristics. That characteristic is service. Our, the all the ladies and gentlemen who are sitting here, if we ask you what is your characteristic, you'll come to the conclusion that "My characteristic is to serve." Somebody is serving in the office. Somebody's serving in the government office. Somebody's serving as minister.
Religion means a kind of faith, "I believe in such and such faith"—"I believe in the Muhammadan faith," "I believe in Christian faith," "I believe in Buddha faith." But actually, dharma does not mean faith. Dharma means characteristic. What is that characteristic? Just like every thing, every little item has got its characteristic. Just like take for example chili, it is very hot. The more the chili is hot, it is good. But if the sugar becomes hot like chili, immediately rejected. But if the chili is hot, you accept, "It is good chili." Similarly, dharma means characteristics of the living entity. That is dharma. The living entity is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana means eternal. God is eternal sanātana, we are eternal sanātana, and there is an eternal place also. This material world is not eternal. The characteristics of this material world is that it appears at a certain date, it continues to stay for a certain period, it develops, then it dwindles and then vanishes. Just like our body, your body, my body. It has got a date of appearance.
The service is there. So actually the service is his dharma, not this rubberstamp, "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian." No. That is designation. Actual dharma means the characteristic. If you take sugar, if you taste sugar, it is sweet. The sweetness is the characteristic of sugar. That is dharma. If you take chili, it is very hot. If you take a chili and if it is sweet, you immediately say, "Eh, this is not good chili," because there is no dharma. So dharma means characteristic.
Eating, this is essential. Try to understand what is dharma. Dharma means which you cannot give up. Dharma does not mean you accept this dharma today and tomorrow another dharma. That is not dharma. Dharma means the natural characteristic. Just like sugar is sweet. That is its dharma. And chili is hot. That is its dharma. A snake bites. That is his dharma. Water is liquid. That is its dharma. Stone is solid. That is its dharma. You cannot change. So what is the dharma of the living entities, or the human being? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has enunciated the dharma of the human being: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is dharma, that every living entity is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot give it up. If he does not serve Kṛṣṇa, then he will have to serve māyā. Service is there. Nobody can say that "I don't serve anyone." Is there anybody who can say boldly that "I do not serve anyone?" You must serve.
Philosophy Discussions
This is innate truth: as three angles of a triangle are equal to 180 degrees, similarly snow is white. Snow is white, water is liquid, stone is hard, chili is hot, sugar is sweet. These are eternal truths, fundamental truths. Similarly, a living entity is eternal servant of God. This is eternal truth. It cannot be changed. Water is liquid. That is the natural position, but when water becomes hard, it is due to temperature, under certain conditions, but as soon as the temperature reduces, the water becomes liquid. So liquidity of water is truth. Similarly, whiteness of snow is truth. Similarly, servitude of the living entity is truth. But he is serving māyā. That is untruth. If we take that there are two types of truth, there cannot be two kinds of truth. Truth is one. What we take as truth, that is māyā.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Religion, as it is passing on at the present moment, "a kind of faith," this is not religion. This is not religion. According to... Religion means dharma, the characteristic. Just like you are eating something salty, something sweet. So the sugar, the characteristic, it is sweet. That is religion. And the salt is salty. The chili is pungent. So these characteristic is religion. So you'll have to find out religion, what is your real characteristic. That is religion. Now, religion is going, "I believe in this way." That is another thing, sentiment. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion, mental speculation. Those two things must be combined, philosophy and sentiment. Then it is religion.
Freedom, animal has got all freedom. So that freedom is not allowed to the human beings. That is civilization. The same example. The animal has got freedom and you'll see in Indian market, vegetable market, some cow comes and eats, takes so many vegetables and eats, but he's not going to the court. But if you take one small piece of chili without, then you'll go to the court. So therefore, law is meant for human beings, not for the animals. Those who want to be free, they are animals. So-called freedom means animalism. That is not humanism. Humanism means to follow the rules and regulations and the laws, and then he is human being. Because law is meant for the human being, not for the animals. And when you come out from your home, immediately the law is keep to the right. And if you violate, immediately you go to the law. But a dog, he doesn't care. If you say, "A dog does not obey this law," that is no excuse. You are human being.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Yaśodānandana: Nava-dhānya. Rice with yogurt, rice with chilies, rice with dahl, rice with everything.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is system in South India, with rice, everything. Just like in North India we make purī, kachorī, balusai, sṛṅgāra. There is ghee, wheat, and sugar and salt, varieties, hundreds of variety.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe it has something to do with the weather. The colder weather?
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, in northern India, when there is some festival they will purchase, I mean to say, grains, means wheat and chānnā, and ghee and sugar. Then they will make hundreds of preparation out of it.
Prabhupāda: Then why you are, you are bluffing and taking money from us? You do not know. (break) I'll have to go to you, and both of them, I'll have to... The Marwari this... Gujaratis, they use too much oil. Similarly Bengalis, too much oil. Imli, imli water?
Indian devotee (1): Yes, and chili.
Prabhupāda: And chili. That's all.
Indian devotee (1): Actually, Prabhupāda, in Jaipuriya, when they invited us, when we were in Kanpur, all the devotees, for three days we were eating very simple food, but the devotees liked so much. They were eating lots.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Jaipuriya invite them?
Prabhupāda: I'll have to go to you. And both of them I like, Marwari (indistinct). That is the first point. Similarly Bengalis, too much oil. Imli, imli water, and chili.
Devotee (1): Actually Prabhupāda (indistinct) all the devotees.
Prabhupāda: Ha.
Devotee (1): Three days you are eating reasonable food, that the devotees like so much, they are eating lots.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Jaipuria invited.
Devotee (1): Yes, Jaipuria, when we were in Kanpur.
Prabhupāda: Jaipuria is that old man?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)
Lokanātha: We should buy some for you, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No, we can buy the whole thing. (Hindi) I'll talk with him. (Hindi—Prabhupāda bargaining with chili seller in long exchange) You have got money?
Jayatīrtha(?): Yes.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) So give him two rupees, eight annas. (Hindi)
Guru dāsa: Bargain.
Prabhupāda: There is no such word as Hindu religion. You do not know. There is no such word as Hindu religion, at least in the Vedas. The religion is translated into Sanskrit as "characteristic." Religion is not a kind of faith. Just like chemical composition. Sugar is sweet—that is religion. Sugar must be sweet. Sugar cannot be pungent. Or chili must be pungent. If chili is sweet, we reject it, and sugar is pungent, you reject it. Similarly, our Vedic system is to train the human being to the ultimate goal of his life. That system is called varṇāśrama-dharma, gradually training the person how to become perfect human being and understand the goal of his life. That is our activity. It is not meant for any particular sect or particular nation. No. It is meant for the whole human society, how to make them perfect in the goal of his life.
Prabhupāda: I'll teach you. You have got mango?
Kīrtanānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: I'll teach you. Chili?
Kīrtanānanda: They are not ripe yet. The plants are still too small.
Prabhupāda: They are not giving chili?
Kīrtanānanda: Not yet, it is too early. In August. But I can get. I can get green chili. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...something to drink?
Prabhupāda: He... Seventy-eighth. The Riverside corner. Yes, I was purchasing my goods from this store.
Devotee (1): Westend Superette.
Prabhupāda: They were charging, a little chili powder, twenty-five cents. In India it may be one anna.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were purchasing here.
Prabhupāda: Yes, because I was going to cook my food there, so whatever I needed, I used to...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How come you didn't cook your food where you were living?
Prabhupāda: Huh? There was no place.
Prabhupāda: You are not aware? Why not?
Devotee (1): I was not aware.
Hari-śauri: He's our supplier.
Prabhupāda: At least one cucumber, and this chili, you can make a nice salad. You say that there's no peas?
Devotee (1): They are just ready actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They're just ready for picking now.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Devotee (1): Beans you have had every day from the garden.
Hari-śauri: Beans are very stringy.
Prabhupāda: Oh, so many fresh things.
Prabhupāda: So many things are growing. Puffed rice, you simply make it hot, dry, take it away, and then take some of the peas, put very little ghee and masalā and some peas, fry it nicely. Then put little water and cover it. When it is soft, you can add with it little the green chilis.
Hari-śauri: These big ones?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not very much, but little.
Hari-śauri: These are not very hot, the big ones. The small ones are the hot ones, but we don't have any of those left.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Prabhupāda: Oh, can I see? (break)
Bhagavān: Carnations, these are gladiolus vases, those long flowers. This is the chili peppers over here, green peppers. What's the best way to go, over here?
Devotee: ...wants to see over there? The flowers and everything? (break)
Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda kīrtana in background) ...that this voice does not belong to this universe.
Devotees: Haribol!
Prabhupāda: And mix with mustard oil and this, what is called, eggplant. Eggplant roasted in the fire and put with little mustard oil, salt and chilis, it becomes very tasteful. So puffed rice and that, they take in Bengal. That is tiffin, for breakfast. Formerly they were happy simply by eating palatable dishes according to...
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Today they have become so rich they cannot eat.
Prabhupāda: That's it. Simply they can eat meat.
(Morning Walk)
Prabhupāda: Drinking is prohibited.
Haṁsadūta: Yes, everything, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Anything fresh. Any cultivator, he has got little land surrounding his house and he's growing vegetables like squash, chilis, and some spinage, spinach?
Haṁsadūta: Spinach, śāka.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And...
Haṁsadūta: Eggplant.
Prabhupāda: Eggplant. And this banana. So whatever he's grown he takes in a basket, goes to the market, immediately sold. And they're all fresh. Collected in the morning, and it is sold by eight o'clock. All fresh vegetables. There was no export, there was no facility of transport. These rascals introduced transport.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: ...Mr. McPherson. He became my friend in Allahabad. He was coming and talking with me. He spoke of one restaurant in London that "It was so nice, and full of chili. I was crying; still, I could not leave it." (Prabhupāda's chewing)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow.
Prabhupāda: Chili in mild quality, it is digestive.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every day with the lunch that we are getting...
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...we have chili, and we have nimbu ācār. That is also digestive a little. And then at the end we have popper, dry popper.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Prabhupāda: In Bengal a first eating hot rice with little ghee, salt and this lime flavor, it becomes so palatable, with smashed potato.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Smashed?
Prabhupāda: Potato. With little chili. Oh, you can eat half the quantity of rice immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sounds very nice.
Prabhupāda: They do that, especially in villages. (pause) (break) If I would have possessed the lands, money, I would have developed.
Devotee (1): Did you want honey with it?
Prabhupāda: Who told you?
Prabhupāda: Without spices, Indians should not cook.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they won't digest it either.
Prabhupāda: You'll be surprised how what quantity of spices toward(?) Indians. There is a Calcutta wholesale market of spices. They... Everywhere, not Calcutta... Chili, they are sold in big, big bag. We have seen in Hyderabad a spice shop, chili, large shop. And amongst the spices, the chili is most favorable.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they like it very much. You also use it.
Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone. And there are so many spices.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The spice merchants are usually pious men who become members, I have found. In any city...
Prabhupāda: They have got money.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
So far chaunce is concerned, I think you have been wrongly advised to burn the cumin seeds and chilis until they are very black. The chili should be added to the hot ghee just after the cumin seed begins to darken in color, and both of them should become brown, but not black or burnt. I think this adjustment with a little trial will improve the dahl for offering to the Deities.
But I see that you have many such questions about our philosophy. Under the circumstances it would be very good if you come to Los Angeles for some time to learn these questions and answers in the daily classes here. This is a good opportunity to clear up any doubts or misunderstandings, and the best program is if you come here for study. I am personally lecturing here weekly especially for our devotees.
1976 Correspondence
Cut them into pieces with skin intact, and sprinkle with salt and turmeric. Dry them well in the sunshine and put into mustard oil. They will keep for years, and you can enjoy with eating. They are nice and soft and good for digestion. If no vegetable is available, you can eat them with puris, similarly with pickled chilis. When mango pickles and chili pickles are combined, it is very tasteful. The Miami temple sounds to be very nice with bathing place and peacocks, just like Vrindaban. Krishna will supply you everything, don't worry. Just work sincerely.
| Page Title: | Chili |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 29 of Jan, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=26, Con=17, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 49 |