Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given a summary of this chapter in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya: "In the Fourteenth Chapter there is a description of how Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu enjoyed His childhood pastimes—crawling, crying, eating dirt and giving intelligence to His mother, favoring a brāhmaṇa guest, riding on the shoulders of two thieves and misleading them to His own house, and, on the plea of being diseased, taking prasādam in the house of Hiraṇya and Jagadīśa on the Ekādaśī day. The chapter further describes how He displayed Himself as a naughty boy, how when His mother fainted He brought a coconut to her on His head, how He joked with girls of the same age on the banks of the Ganges, how He accepted worshipful paraphernalia from Śrīmatī Lakṣmīdevī, how He sat down in a garbage pit and instructed His mother in transcendental knowledge, how He left the pit on the order of His mother, and how He dealt with His father with full affection."
Coconut
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Signs of decoration in special festivals were also collected from the gifts of nature, such as the plantain trees, the mango trees, fruits and flowers. Mango trees, coconut palms and plantain trees are still accepted as auspicious signs. The flags mentioned above were all painted with the picture of either Garuḍa or Hanumān, the two great servitors of the Lord. For devotees, such paintings and decorations are still adored, and the servitor of the master is paid more respects for the satisfaction of the Lord.
SB Canto 4
Auspicious ceremonies with decorations of the green leaves of palms, coconut trees, betel nut trees and banana trees, and fruits, flowers and leaves are an age-old custom in India. To receive his great son Dhruva Mahārāja, King Uttānapāda arranged a good reception, and all the citizens very enthusiastically took part with great jubilation.
When a devotee completely forgets his bodily existence, he should be understood to be liberated. He is no longer encaged in the body. The example is given that when a coconut becomes completely dry, the coconut pulp within the coconut shell separates from the bondage of the shell and the outer covering. By moving the dry coconut, one can hear that the pulp within is no longer attached to the shell or to the covering. Similarly, when one is fully absorbed in devotional service, he is completely disconnected from the two material coverings, the subtle and gross bodies.
An advanced devotee, therefore, does not live within the material body but within his spiritual body, just as a dry coconut lives detached from the coconut husk, even though within the husk. The pure devotee's body is therefore called cin-maya-śarīra ("spiritualized body"). In other words, a devotee's body is not connected with material activities, and as such, a devotee is always liberated (brahma-bhūyāya kalpate), as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26).
As described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167)), one must be devoid of all material desires. When a person becomes devoid of all material desires, there is no longer need for speculative knowledge or fruitive activities. In that condition it is to be understood that one is free from the material body. The example is already given above—a coconut which is dry is loosened from its outward husk. This is the stage of liberation.
SB Canto 7
The cutting of trees is generally prohibited. In particular, trees that produce nice fruit for the maintenance of human society should not be cut. In different countries there are different types of fruit trees. In India the mango and jackfruit trees are prominent, and in other places there are mango trees, jackfruit trees, coconut trees and berry trees. Any tree that produces nice fruit for the maintenance of the people should not be cut at all. This is a śāstric injunction.
SB Canto 8
In a valley of Trikūṭa Mountain there was a garden called Ṛtumat. This garden belonged to the great devotee Varuṇa and was a sporting place for the damsels of the demigods. Flowers and fruits grew there in all seasons. Among them were mandāras, pārijātas, pāṭalas, aśokas, campakas, cūtas, piyālas, panasas, mangoes, āmrātakas, kramukas, coconut trees, date trees and pomegranates. There were madhukas, palm trees, tamālas, asanas, arjunas, ariṣṭas, uḍumbaras, plakṣas, banyan trees, kiṁśukas and sandalwood trees. There were also picumardas, kovidāras, saralas, sura-dārus, grapes, sugarcane, bananas, jambu, badarīs, akṣas, abhayas and āmalakīs.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
Within his means, the devotee should arrange to offer Me sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee, śaṣkulī (rice-flour cakes), āpūpa (various sweet cakes), modaka (steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar), saṁyāva (wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices), yogurt, vegetable soups and other palatable foods.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
The wife of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, whose name was Mālinī, accompanied by the wife of Candraśekhara (Ācāryaratna) and other ladies, came there in great happiness to worship the baby with paraphernalia such as vermilion, turmeric, oil, fused rice, bananas and coconuts.
Vermilion, kha-i (fused rice), bananas, coconuts and turmeric mixed with oil are all auspicious gifts for such a ceremony. As there is puffed rice, so there is another preparation of rice called kha-i, or fused rice, which, along with bananas, is taken as a very auspicious presentation. Also, turmeric mixed with oil and vermilion makes an auspicious ointment that is smeared over the body of a newborn baby or a person who is going to marry. These are all auspicious activities in family affairs.
The neighboring ladies told Him, "Dear child, please bring a coconut from somewhere, and then Your mother will be cured."
He then went outside the house and immediately brought two coconuts. All the ladies were astonished to see such wonderful activities.
CC Madhya-lila
The preparation made with coconut pulp mixed with curd and rock candy was very sweet. There was a curry made of banana flowers and squash boiled in milk, all in great quantity.
There were soft cakes made with mung dhal, soft cakes made with ripe bananas, and soft cakes made with urad dhal. There were various kinds of sweetmeats, condensed milk mixed with rice cakes, a coconut preparation and every kind of cake desirable.
On the left side, Lord Jagannātha saw a neighborhood of brāhmaṇas and a coconut-tree grove. On the right side, He saw nice flower gardens resembling those in the holy place Vṛndāvana.
There were curd, fruit juice, coconut, mango, dried coconut, jackfruit, various kinds of bananas and palm-fruit seeds.
This is the first list of prasādam offered to Lord Jagannātha.
"Apart from other commodities, just hear about his offering of coconuts. A coconut is sold at the rate of five gaṇḍās each."
"Although he already has hundreds of trees and millions of fruits, he is still very eager to hear about the place where sweet coconuts are available."
"He collects coconuts with great endeavor from a place twenty miles away, and he pays four paṇas each for them."
"Every day five to seven coconuts are clipped and put into water to keep cool."
"At the time of offering bhoga, the coconuts are again clipped and cleansed. After holes are made in them at the top, they are offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa."
"Lord Kṛṣṇa drinks the juice from these coconuts, and sometimes the coconuts are left drained of juice. At other times the coconuts remain filled with juice."
"When Rāghava Paṇḍita sees that the juice has been drunk from the coconuts, he is very pleased. He then breaks the coconuts, takes out the pulp and puts it on another plate."
"One day it so happened that about ten coconuts were properly clipped and brought by a servant to offer to the Deity."
"When the coconuts were brought, there was little time to offer them because it was already late. The servant, holding the container of coconuts, remained standing at the door."
"Rāghava Paṇḍita then saw that the servant touched the ceiling above the door and then touched the coconuts with the same hand."
"'After touching the ceiling above the door, you have touched the coconuts. Now they are no longer fit to be offered to Kṛṣṇa because they are contaminated.'"
"Such is the service of Rāghava Paṇḍita. He did not accept the coconuts but threw them over the wall. His service is purely based on unalloyed love, and it conquers the whole world."
"Thereafter, Rāghava Paṇḍita had other coconuts gathered, cleansed and clipped, and with great attention he offered them to the Deity to eat."
There were baḍās made of mung dhal, of urad dhal and of sweet bananas, and there were sweet-rice cakes, coconut cakes and various other cakes.
CC Antya-lila
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Jagannātha Purī from Vṛndāvana, all His devotees from other parts of India, upon receiving the auspicious news, came to Puruṣottama-kṣetra, or Jagannātha Purī. Śivānanda Sena took a dog with him and even paid fees for it to cross the river. One night, however, the dog could not get any food and therefore went directly to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Jagannātha Purī. The next day, when Śivānanda and his party reached Jagannātha Purī, Śivānanda saw the dog eating some coconut pulp offered to it by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. After this incident, the dog was liberated and went back home, back to Godhead.
Furthermore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was throwing remnants of green coconut pulp to the dog. Smiling in His own way, He was saying to the dog, "Chant the holy names 'Rāma,' 'Kṛṣṇa' and 'Hari.'"
Seeing the dog eating the green coconut pulp and chanting "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa" again and again, all the devotees present were very surprised.
She made many sweetmeats in the shape of balls. Some were made with powdered coconut, and others looked as white as the water of the Ganges. In this way she made many varieties of long-lasting sugar confections.
Some brought paiḍa (a coconut preparation), some brought sweetballs, and some brought cakes and sweet rice. The prasādam was of different varieties, all very costly.
The hard sweets made of coconut, mukuta nārikela, the sweetballs, the many kinds of sweet drinks and all the other preparations were at least a month old, but although they were old, they had not become tasteless or stale. Indeed, they had all stayed fresh. That is the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
"Among the fruits were many varieties of coconuts and mangoes, bananas, berries, jackfruits, dates, tangerines, oranges, blackberries, santarās, grapes, almonds and all kinds of dried fruit."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Light of the Bhagavata
Cultivation of the human spirit is not, therefore, mere adjustment of materialistic anomalies. It is the process for preparing oneself to be promoted to the spiritual kingdom. No one can adjust the sufferings of material existence, but by spiritual culture one can elevate himself from the effects of such miserable life. As an example one may cite the condition of a dry coconut. The dry coconut pulp automatically becomes separated from its outer skin. Similarly, the outer skin, or the gross and subtle material coverings of the soul, automatically separates from the spirit soul, and the spirit soul can then exist in spiritual existence, even though apparently within the dry skin. This freedom from the false sense of ego is called the liberation of the soul.
The result of self-realization is cessation of the storms of desire and lust, which are products of the modes of ignorance and passion. This cessation of the storm does not mean that the sea becomes inactive. When the storm subsides, the work of navigation can take place smoothly. According to the Indian system of navigation, there is a ceremony on the seashore known as the coconut day. On the coconut day the sea is offered a coconut because she has become peaceful, and from that day on the seagoing vessels sail to foreign countries.
Sri Isopanisad
Śrī Īśopaniṣad points out that one who worships the demigods and attains to their material planets still remains in the darkest region of the universe. The whole universe is covered by the gigantic material elements; it is just like a coconut covered by a shell and half-filled with water. Since its covering is airtight, the darkness within is dense, and therefore the sun and the moon are required for illumination.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
It is stated, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama. Nigama means Vedic literature. Kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means desire tree. Desire tree... We have got experience; from the mango tree we get mango, and from coconut tree we get coconut. But desire tree means whatever you want, you can get. Even you can get purīs and halavā from the tree. that is called desire tree. So the Vedic literature is called nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama, Vedic literature, desire tree, kalpa-taru, taru, kalpa-taru. In the Vedic literature every knowledge is there. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge, either material or spiritual. The Vedas are there for the benefit of the human society.
Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. There is another nature. This nature, what you see, the sky, a round dome, that, above that, there are layers of five elements again. This is the covering. Just like you have seen the coconut. There is hard covering, and within the covering there is water. Similarly, within this covering... And outside the covering there are five layers, thousand times bigger than the one another: Water layer, air layer, fire layer. So you have to penetrate all these layers. Then you will get the spiritual world.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So this materialistic way of life, without any knowledge of the outside world, or without any knowledge... Outside world means just like we are within this universe. It is covered. The round thing which we see in the sky, that is the covering. Just like a coconut shell. A coconut shell, within and without. Within the coconut shell it is darkness, and without it is light. Similarly, this universe is just like the coconut. We are within. As in within coconut there is water, half water, similarly, within this universe there is half water. On that water, Lord Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is lying. And from His navel, a lotus stem is sprouted. Just imagine within the coconut there is water, and somebody's lying, and there is some stem out of the navel. Exactly this universe is like that. But outside the universe there is light.
Nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama means Vedic knowledge and kalpa-taru means the tree from where you can get anything you desire. Whatever you desire. Generally we have got experience that a mango tree, if you desire mango, you can get from the mango tree. If you desire coconut, then you can get from the coconut tree. But you cannot get coconut from the mango tree, and mango from the coconut tree. But there are trees where you go, you can get both mango, and banana, and coconut, and everything you like. That is called kalpa-vṛkṣa.
So in the spiritual world, the houses are made of touchstone cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu, cintāmaṇi, the touchstone. Sanskrit name is cintāmaṇi. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29), and the trees, there are trees. But not like this, that you get coconut from coconut tree, and mango from mango tree. But cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There any fruit you require, or even kacaurī, you can get. (laughter) That is called kalpa-vṛkṣa. There are trees like that.
That spiritual and material, what is the difference? The material is dull, and spiritual is consciousness. That is the difference. How the tree gives you, a mango tree there gives you a coconut? Because it is conscious. Suppose if I ask from you, because you are a conscious being, that "Give me some coconut." You can give me. "Give me some mango." You can give. But when you are out of this body, then I ask the body, "Give me some milk or cow or...," no response. This is material and spiritual.
Everything described about God, Kṛṣṇa, at the present moment is inconceivable. We cannot imagine. Long, long ago I was talking with one Ārya-samajī friend. So he did not believe that a lotus stem can grow on the navel of Viṣṇu and there is Brahmā born. Everyone says like that, "mythology." It is not mythology; it is fact. So I asked him that "Here we see one coconut tree, and about sixty feet above, there is coconut and there is water, there is pulp, and it is being carried from the ground. Where is the pipe? Where is the pump? How the water is there within the coconut? Can you explain?" So he could not explain. And I said that "Even in material things which is front of you, you cannot explain. How you will explain the spiritual position? How the lotus grown from the navel of...?" Therefore it should be accepted as inconceivable.
Prabhupāda: Universe is a covering just like a football, and within that, there are planetary system. And these football-like universes, they are floating in the Virajā water, where Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying. So each universe is covered.
Revatīnandana: Like a coconut?
Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes.
Revatīnandana: Like a coconut half filled with water?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40).
So brahmacārī is taught. From the very beginning he is taught to shortcut the necessities of life. Shortcut. Yes. Mekhalājina-vāsāṁsi jatā-daṇḍa-kamaṇḍalūn. Jaṭā. Jaṭā means the bunch of hair. Means you should not take care of the hair. Then automatically it will become jaṭā. If you apply very nice coconut oil and with comb you dress very nicely, then there will be no jaṭā. The jaṭā means don't (take) care of your hair. If you want to keep hair at all... First of all, there is no question of caretaking if you become clean-shaved. There are two processes. A brahmacārī, either he is clean-shaved or he keeps his hair without any taking care. That is two processes. Jaṭā-kamaṇḍalūn. Not that "I shall keep my hair."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Just as The newspaper is published early in the morning, and just in the afternoon it is useless, it is heap of paper only, because there is no substance. Nobody can take any interest. But see Bhagavad-gītā, it is, five thousand years before it was published, and a few pages only, and how much care is being taken after Bhagavad-gītā. Because there is substance. Similarly, if you don't accept the substance, simply if you are busy with the skin... In Bengali it is called cavara nie tanake (?). Cavara means skin. You have seen coconut. The coconut is covered by heavy, what is called, fibers. So if you give up the coconut and simply quarrel with the fibers, what profit is there? There is no profit. Similarly, if you give up God, or Kṛṣṇa, who is the essence of everything, and you make your advancement in scientific knowledge, in physics and chemistry and so many departments of knowledge, so according to Bhāgavata this is simply waste of time. Simply waste of time.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Devotee: We've got a great desire to distribute Back to Godhead magazines. We've got such a great desire. We want to distribute a lot of Back to Godheads more and more Back to Godheads.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotee: We wonder, perhaps you could advise us.
Prabhupāda: So, so what do you want? That desire is nice, that's all. Either you distribute or not distribute, keep that desire, that's all. (laughter) (sound of package being opened) What is this, coconut? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ.
General Lectures
Prabhupāda: There are so many descriptions which is not within our experience—we take it as legend. Now, I gave some gentleman the example that the coconut tree, on the tree there are coconut and there are one-kilo water. Now, how the water is transported there? Where is the pipe? Where is the pumping? Because you have got experience if you want to get water high, you have to pump and you must have pipe. So where is the pipe and where is the pumping machine?
Indian man (1): In the tree.
Prabhupāda: So as you see, actually it is packed up nice, two pounds of water, very nice... And so nicely packed. How it has happened? What is the explanation of the scientists? According to their calculation, there must be pipe. There must be pumping. Somebody must be pumping. Where are all these? Then is it legend? It is fact. Now you explain how it is happening. If you are scientist, you explain how it is happening. Or you do that. Simply observation will not do. You must make experiment.
Prabhupāda: So you have no full knowledge of nature. That's it. Then you cannot claim that you are perfect, your knowledge is perfect.
Indian man (1): This example is very interesting, coconut tree.
Prabhupāda: Yes. There are so many things. So many things. But there is explanation in the Vedas, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The energy of Kṛṣṇa is working so wonderfully that it appears that exactly it is done by expert person.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Hawaii has five islands' stretch, and this is called Oahu. Oahu island, one side, Honolulu, and one side... This island means hill. And the valley of the hills are utilized for residential purposes. So all sides, Pacific Ocean. And there is ample production of sugar cane and pineapple. I was chewing sugar cane as it is. Yes. And there is so many coconut trees, palm trees, and mango. In mango season they throw away mangos. So I have asked Govinda dāsī that "You make mango pulp and dry it and send it." So they are doing nice, husband and wife, Gaurasundara, yes, trying their best. I do not know whether they are working now.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Give her some position, and she's very influential, rich. But everyone wants some post, that is natural. Therefore I told, offered her the presidency of Bombay Trust. To raise the fund. In Bombay we have got very nice place. The best place of anywhere. And it is so nice in summertime, you'll find in paradise. So many coconut trees. You have seen?
Devotee: No.
Prabhupāda: And we are, Nara-nārāyaṇa has been engaged to make it a nice garden. All vacant land, we are getting nice garden, and the owner of the land, he has given me the best facility. First of all, the land is worth minimum 30,000,000 rupees.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Sudāmā: They make, they can make a whole at... Just like this island, they can make out of plastic. Plastic coconut trees...
Prabhupāda: How many they can make?
Bali Mardana: They do not reproduce.
Sudāmā: They don't reproduce, though.
Prabhupāda: Simply they're rascals and who are bewildered by rascals, they are also rascals. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). He's an animal, and their work is appreciated by another animal. The so-called scientists' advancement of knowledge is appreciated by another rascal, not any intelligent man.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...grow fruit, eh? (break) And if the fruit is green, it will never fall. Therefore when the fruits are grown, green, take it down. But that they do not know.
Bali Mardana: I don't know if they do.
Prabhupāda: Because they do not use coconut.
Sudāmā: No, they throw them away.
Kṛṣṇa-caitanya: The day before yesterday we were driving down the road and we came across all of these coconut trees, and they were trimming them, and all the coconuts were up on the trees, but they were cutting them down, just letting them fall to the ground. And the the coconuts were cracking and just being wasted completely. And then they'd throw them in the garbage. And there's so much energy that Kṛṣṇa has provided here that they're just wasting.
Prabhupāda: As they are wasting, they will be punished. Kṛṣṇa's supply is being wasted. That will be punished (break) ...those coconuts...
Kṛṣṇa-caitanya: Excuse me?
Prabhupāda: Coconut, you collect, and each one of you use at least two coconuts daily, drinking water and the pulp. It is very digestive and nutritious. The pulp is very nutritious and digestive. If you simply take the pulp from two sides and drink that water, you don't require to eat anything. It is so nutritious. So better collect, and so long you can get them, use two coconuts daily yourself.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Why encroach upon others' pleasure? Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). Īśopaniṣad says, "Don't encroach upon others' pleasure."
Bhagavān: Because they have no spiritual idea or spiritual pleasure, they can never be satisfied. So they're always envious.
Prabhupāda: So there is no coconut tree, mango tree, banana tree. Huh? These are all useless tree, simply for becoming fuel. That's all. They're also condemned. Yes. Sinful trees. There are pious trees and sinful trees.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: All the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they have written big, big comment on Bhagavad-gītā, even Śaṅkarācārya. He does not believe anyone. He believes himself. And that kind of belief is not help. And our process is: because Kṛṣṇa has been accepted by all the ācāryas, all the great sages, Arjuna has accepted—we accept, that's all. We have no difficulty. If I am child, I ask my father, "What is this, my father?" The father says, "My dear child, it is called coconut." Then, if I distribute this knowledge, "This is coconut," then my knowledge is perfect. I may not be perfect, but because I have heard it from my father, who is perfect about the knowledge of this fruit, so I have taken that word from my father, and I am preaching, "This is coconut," and this is perfect. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like that. We are simply repeating the perfect statement of our predecessor. That's all. So there is no difficulty. We haven't got to write thesis on Kṛṣṇa. The perfect knowledge is already there.
Prabhupāda: You are being controlled by the Supreme Being. You cannot say that you are independent. Therefore you are not Supreme. You are dependent on Him. Eko hi yasya vidadhāti kāmān, bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He maintains. Just like this coconut. God has given us this coconut fruit to enjoy or to live upon it. But I cannot create this coconut. It is not possible. Therefore, for my maintenance He has sent this coconut. So He is maintainer; I am maintained, although He is being; I am also being. He is maintainer being; I am maintained being. This is the right conclusion. No scientist... He can talk so many things about this coconut, but unfortunately he cannot manufacture this coconut. That is not possible. He can manufacture something subordinate-chairs, table—but not this coconut. Not possible.
Guest: They... some scientists they manufactures this coconut.
Prabhupāda: Where is that foolish scientist?
Guest: No, let us see. Someday some scientist manufactures this.
Prabhupāda: "Someday"? Where? Where? Where?
Guest: No, I am assuming.
Prabhupāda: Assuming.
Guest: One day he manufactures that. Then what? All this theory is gone?
Prabhupāda: No, we say he cannot.
Guest: No, that is now, today. But you also said we can't...
Prabhupāda: That you can say, today or tomorrow, but we know in the history nobody has manufactured in the past, and nobody is manufacturing in the present. How can I believe in the future?
Prabhupāda: These rascals say "Overpopulation." Why not overpopulation there? Huh? The fishes, for want of food, they are dying and floating? Why overpopulation? All their calculation are simply bogus. There is no question of overpopulation. Even... Just like people simply can live on mango and coconut. Where is the question of over-population? It is chastisement. When one cannot get proper food, that is not due to overpopulation. It is due to godlessness. As soon as people will become godless, nature will chastise them—no food, no rain, suffer. This is law.
Prabhupāda: They produce fruit so big, these palm... They are palm trees, they are not coconut.
Jayatīrtha: No, they're not coconut palms. Just regular palm trees. They have some kernel or something, palm kernel.
Prabhupāda: Variety is enjoyment. Variety is not disturbing. Just like Kṛṣṇa gave, all of them fruits, but variety. They are coming from the same source, earth, but Kṛṣṇa is so intelligent—varieties of fruit, varieties of flowers, varieties of grain, varieties of brain. That is enjoyment. So, take instruction from Kṛṣṇa. Why He is sending so many varieties? He could have given one fruit, the coconut. With great difficulty to chop it you can get out the water, no? There are so many nice fruits. Just see Kṛṣṇa's intelligence.
Prabhupāda: So they trim the coconuts?
Cyavana: They pull them down, yes.
Indian man 3: They don't know how to cut. They cut with sticks.
Harikeśa: Do they cut them down before they're grown?
Cyavana: No, they let them ripen.
Harikeśa: Then they eat them.
Prabhupāda: Hawaii, on the beach side, there are many, many coconut, eh?
Harikeśa: Hm.
Cyavana: Many of them have been ripped up by the cyclone, pine trees and coconut trees.
Prabhupāda: In Hawaii there is no cyclone, I think. Hm?
Harikeśa: No.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Harikeśa: They have a volcano on one island. There is one volcano that goes every twelve years.
Prabhupāda: Here there is any volcano, on this island?
Cyavana: Nothing left.
Prabhupāda: When we go from Calcutta to Māyāpur, simply garden. All banana trees, all coconut trees, mango trees, nice green field. But they cannot maintain. Formerly they were maintaining. All gentlemen used to live within the village, they used to take care. Now all gentlemen, they have left. They have gone to the city. Only poor men are there. They cannot maintain.
Prabhupāda: In Bengal, it is a proverb, said, that: Sobraniye tanatan.(?) In the.... I think I was talking on this. In the coconut. The coconut sweet pulp and water is within. And they are struggling with the fibers above the coconut. Coconut.... They have got some information coconut is enjoyable, but where is the enjoyable article is there, that they do not know. They have simply information this body, and the coconut's body is covered with fibers. And they are fighting with the fibers. None of these so-called capitalists or, what is called, Communists, they do not know where is the real substance is. Superficially, they are fighting on the platform of fiber covering. That's all. Sobraniye tanatan,(?) this Bengali word exactly.
Prabhupāda: They're fighting just like dogs. Actually they do not know how to become happy, but one dog is barking upon another dog, and they're fighting, attacking, barking-useless. The dogs and cats, they do not know what is the value of life, and they fight on the covering, same fiber, fight. But here is a chance, human being. Therefore dialectic. Dialectic materialism. You should be materialist; you should not condemn anything, both the inside and outside. The inside pulp of coconut requires the covering outside. Otherwise, it will be spoiled. Crude example. But the real substance is inside, not outside. But these rascals, they have no information of the inside substance. They think that "Here is coconut. Let us try to find out happiness." And they are simply struggling to adjust the fibers. Therefore they have been described as mūḍhaḥ, rascals.
Prabhupāda: So you have to do this, to fight all these rascals.
Harikeśa: 'Cause all philosophy is based on the proposition that "I am this body."
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Harikeśa: Or "I am this..."
Prabhupāda: Then he remains the same animal, cats and dogs. There is no advancement. Therefore you see despite so many rascal philosophers in the Western countries, they simply fight and bomb and cheat and politics, diplomacy. The same—on the surface of the coconut, not inside. So you have to prove that "All of you are rascals. You do not know where to get pleasure." They're missing that point.
Prabhupāda: The so-called materialistic scientists, they have not been able, neither they do know, who is the sufferer or enjoyer. They take this body. The same fiber platform. So actually they are rascals. What is the value of the thesis, antithesis?
Harikeśa: So actually everything.... All the arguments they bring up is simply the material thesis. There is no antithesis 'cause.... Just like hot and cold. Hot is...
Prabhupāda: No. They're seeking—the same example—the enjoyable thing, on the platform of shell of the coconut, fibers of the coconut. They do not know that within the shell, within the fiber, there is coconut. That they do not know. You said two sides. But they do not know the other side. They only know the one side, the body. There will be synthesis when there are two. But they have no two. They simply one subject matter, the body, and that is useless struggle.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You see the tree, coconut tree, the hard nut and the water. Now, according to scientific idea, there must be pipe, there must be pumping and there must be water. Then you can raise the water. But where is such, such things? How the water is coming?
Pañca-draviḍa: To the tree?
Prabhupāda: Yes, on the top, so high. There is no pipe. There is no pump, nothing. You do it. Instead of calling a plumber, you do something that the water will come in this tank.
Devotee (2): Well, they will say that the roots of the tree is bringing the water up.
Prabhupāda: That is a nonsense. You make such root and bring water here. Then your scientific knowledge will be proved.
Dr. Patel: No, sir, He desired and said, "Let Me be many," and He became many. So by desire the whole cosmos has come into existence. So by desire the colors change.
Prabhupāda: Even there.... Coconut trees, there are varieties. One tree is standing like this; one is standing like this. Varieties.
Dr. Patel: But then one thing, eko bahū... Everything that is..., the Vaiṣṇava fulfillment.
Prabhupāda: No, Vaiṣṇava accepts the varieties.
Dr. Patel: He accept the variety but he sees in Him everywhere.
Prabhupāda: No. Variety is everywhere.
Prabhupāda: For us there is no such distinction as "material" and "spiritual." Because this material, so-called material, that is God's creation. When it is used for God, that is spiritual. Who has created this tree? You have created? Man has created this tree? Who has created?
Hari-śauri: Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: So when it is used for Kṛṣṇa.... Just like these rascals, they do not know. They wanted to use it for themselves. It is ugly, no fruit. We see near Bombay, they have got so many coconuts. How beautiful it is with fruits and leaves. Because we use it for Kṛṣṇa. (indistinct) "Oh, they have got fear(?). The coconuts will fall down on your head." (everyone laughs) And they make it ugly. They kill children, but we, we're training children how they're offering obeisances. We do not kill. We beg them Kṛṣṇa conscious. So our activity all spiritual.
Prabhupāda: Just like you may move in your car, but you are perfectly aware that you are not the car. When you drive on your car, do you not know that you are not the car, car is different from you? Huh? Don't you know that? Similarly, by cultivation of knowledge one can remain in the car and still he can know that he is not the car. The example is given, just like coconut. Coconut, within the shell, green shell, there is coconut. And when it is dry, if you move you'll understand that the coconut is now separate-(makes sound:) cut-cut-cut-cut—at that time it is taken away for extracting oil. So this is practical. In the beginning, green coconut. And when you can perceive that there is coconut within the shell and it can be separated, but at a time it can be known that the coconut is separated from the shell. And if you move it, it will make-cut-cut-cut. That is the process. It is by action. When after hearing theoretical, that you are separate from this body, if you cultivate that knowledge, then time will come when you'll perceive practically that we are not this body. That means in higher stage of spiritual consciousness the bodily activities, material bodily activities will stop. Only Kṛṣṇa activities will go on. So that, just like the coconut fruit is separate from the shell, similarly, even living within this body, he will be separated from the body. Jīvan mukta sa ucyate. The Sanskrit word is he's liberated even in this life while living in this body. That requires cultivation of the knowledge and practical activities. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: And he said, "These are all...," what is called? Mythology. Why mythology? Why do you think God like you? God is all-powerful; He can do anything. That is real faith. That means you have no faith. "If God can do which tallies with my activities, then I shall believe." What you are? Nonsense. This is their general argument. How we can believe this? And why not believe this? You are seeing so many wonderful things. I gave this example to another man, that there is a coconut tree. Now find out where is the pipe and pumping so that the water is pushed. Show me. You have no idea that such a high height, how water is going there. And full of water. How the water is transferred there? Show me the pipe and pump.
Prabhupāda: Miami climate is like this.
Hari-śauri: Oh, very nice. They have a mango orchard.
Prabhupāda: Oh, also coconut.
Indian man (2): The thing is, till now we are thinking that light (indistinct) things, and all our thinking was conditioned by that. At least in the scientific context.
Prabhupāda: Scientific context... In Hawaii they cut all the coconuts because they are very scientist-law of gravity. But we don't care for this. We don't care. We are keeping the coconut on our head. We never think of law of gravity, that it will fall down. And those who are very much advanced in law of gravity, they have lost all the beauty of the trees, they have thrown the... They are afraid they will...
Indian man (2): Fall on the head.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They will fall down. This is their gain of life. We have discussed this point. Why the green apple does not fall down? So this is their concoction. And why the other planets do not fall down? With so many rocks. Millions. They do not fall down. Where is the law of gravity acting? That means, law means it is made by somebody. And the maker, if He likes, it will act. If He does not like, it will not act.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Should I bring that coconut chutney also?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is essential.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I'll bring about six or eight.
Prabhupāda: You can bring. I'll take, utmost, one or two.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I'll go and bring it now.
Prabhupāda: The coconut trees makes the place paradise, palm trees.
Dr. Patel: I've got the place, sir. When you came to my house my wife immediately planted twenty-two coconuts all round. Now we get coconut, they'd be more than two thousand rupees per year.
Prabhupāda: We are getting eight thousand.
Dr. Patel: Yes, you are very good. Mine is hardly half an acre.
Prabhupāda: The other day Girirāja told me we have got eight thousand.
Hari-śauri: A year.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: But these coconuts, there would be more coconuts if they are looked after, all these, putting fertilizer on and watering them. All these houses behind here, they should be very planned out. This is all filthy. Behind it is very filthy. All these tenants will be segregated on one side, this side. And those living, they will be taking possession and...
Prabhupāda: No, instead of taking one building, we are in possession of the all the buildings. Then that is my policy, that we must remain on the head of every building. Therefore I constructed. They cannot say absolutely it is tenant, no. Mixed. We are therefore occupying the head of every building, fixed building.
Rāmeśvara: The thing is if we start off, gradually, as the construction is going on, if there's a group of people that are working there, maybe some local people will join us too.
Gargamuni: Oh, yes. We'll get local men to join.
Rāmeśvara: So who will make that their...? That's the real question. Who will sit there?
Gargamuni: I'll stay. I'll stay. Important project.
Prabhupāda: Coconut tree can grow.
Gargamuni: Yes. And I think cashew. These cashews they also grow.
Prabhupāda: Cashew. And jao.
Gargamuni: What is Jao?
Prabhupāda: What is called, jao? This fiberlike bricks. That is grown very...
Hari-śauri: Some kind of a fruit?
Prabhupāda: No fruit. Evergreen. It is called evergreen.
Gargamuni: Oh, yes. I have seen them growing on the beach there.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gargamuni: Yes. These pine trees like evergreen tree.
Prabhupāda: Yes, evergreen.
Prabhupāda: A little family, a little community, that is your world. We do not think in that way. We include even the animals, trees, plants-brothers. That is our philosophy. We feel. When you cut a tree unnecessarily, we feel. This is our feeling. Unless there is absolute necessity, we do not wish to kill even a tree, what to speak of animals. When in our Bombay the coconut trees were being cut, I was feeling actually: "Why unnecessarily the coconut trees...?" You cannot give anyone life, so how, what is living, you can kill? It may be tree or animal or plant. You cannot give him life. So you have to suffer for this.
Prabhupāda: This body is a machine. You also accept; I also accept. But you, can you produce a machine like that? If the person who has made the machine, He has got brain, you have no brain. And that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). This is cara, moving machine, and there is standing machine. Just like tree, that is also a machine.
Pradyumna: Like?
Prabhupāda: Tree. It is standing machine. It is collecting water from the root of the tree throughout the tree. Can you make machine, coconut tree, collecting water and supplying the top fruit? Where is that machine? It is a machine. So what brain you have got?
Prabhupāda: ...is a Bengali common word. It is said, ksoprai kanana(?). Ksopra(?), that is like a coconut. Coconut pulp is within, and it is covered with a hard... What is called?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shell.
Prabhupāda: ...shell, and again covered with fiber.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Husk.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So these people are interested with the fiber, not with the pulp. So all discoveries of the modern education, they are ksoprai kanana(?).
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And, of course, there's lots of coconut trees. Coconuts. That is a special feature of Florida especially. Many people... The thing is... Like mangoes, for example. The people, they don't want the mangoes or the coconuts or the avocados. In fact, you can go to people's home and say, "Sir, can I have these?" They say, "Yes, please take them away. They're creating a mess." They want you to take these things.
Prabhupāda: Hawaii also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Same thing. And now in Florida they have developed a tree. It is a coconut tree without the coconuts.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
The example of Naradaji, that when he realized Krishna in his previous life, that life and next life, there is no difference. The example is given sometimes in the coconut skin when it is dried up, the fruit within the covering of coconut is hard. And if the coconut is shaken, it is found that the coconut fruit is moving within. Because it has dried up and broken away from the inner walls of the coconut skin. So it has nothing to do with the outer skin, even though it appears that it is within that skin. Similarly, when one is purely in Krishna Consciousness, it may appear that he is within the material existence, but actually he has nothing to do with it. He is dried up, like the coconut fruit; and that process of drying-up is forgetting all sense gratification, and executing Krishna Consciousness full time. So, when one is purely in Krishna Consciousness, his present life and in future life are identical.
1969 Correspondence
You have inquired about how we leave our body and enter into the Spiritual Sky. This information is very nicely explained in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Chapter. The idea is that this universe is just like a coconut fruit, and exactly like the coconut fruit there is covering of several layers. Each layer is said to be ten times more than the other. So when a living entity is eligible and fully prepared to enter into the Spiritual Sky, he merges his different bodily elements which are called earth, fire, water, air, and ether. In those covering layers these bodily elements return, and the living entity goes back to the Spiritual Sky.
Regarding your question about your sleep, you should sleep after noon prasadam, and when you are tired. You may take whatever foodstuffs you can digest easily. I do not think coconut will be easy for you to digest, but green vegetables you can take.
There is a proverb in Bengali sabure mawaphale. This means that all valuable nuts like almonds, macadamias, walnuts, coconuts, etc. all take a long time to fructify. Anything valuable takes a little time to come into existence. Therefore there is no harm in waiting for the best thing. But everything is well that ends well: That should be the principle.
1976 Correspondence
In Miami there are so many mangos and coconuts. I am enjoying the dobs from Florida. The orange ones especially are very nice. I am taking one each day. From the green mangos you can make pickles. 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: | Coconut |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 07 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=8, CC=29, OB=3, Lec=13, Con=33, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 91 |