Friendly (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"friendliness" |"friendly"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Reporter: So then because of this example are you saying that if earth people were able to land on the moon that they would be...?

Prabhupāda: First of all, my first conviction is they will never be able. But even they are able, I do not know how they will be easily received.

Reporter: You do not know how?

Prabhupāda: They will easily admitted.

Reporter: You said you don't know how they would easily be received or admitted.

Prabhupāda: Yes, by the residents there.

Reporter: The word "easily" there I don't know how that would... You don't know how they would be received, whether they would be hostile or friendly.

Prabhupāda: Naturally, when I oppose, then I must be hostile.

Reporter: Yes. And you expect that they would oppose?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter: The example of the king that wanted to enter the heavenly kingdom and was opposed, is this in this book also?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter: And he was opposed by the demigods?

Prabhupāda: Demigods, or the residents in the heavenly planet.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Not insane.

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

Prabhupāda: Poetic.

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

Prabhupāda: These are the qualities.

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

Prabhupāda: But that Aquarian Gospel said that Lord Jesus Christ lived in the temple.

Guest (1): (Bengali) Jesus Christ was there.

Prabhupāda: He was thick and thin with the priest. One priest was very friendly.

Guest (1): Vidyāpati.

Prabhupāda: And he was discussing philosophical talks with them.

Allen Ginsberg: According to the Aquarian Gospel, Christ was in Jagannātha Purī?

Prabhupāda: Yes. And he saw Ratha-yātrā, and there is, name of Kṛṣṇa is there.

Allen Ginsberg: Ratha-yātrā.

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So he fled away. Then the people began to create disturbance in his garden. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Don't do this." Then Kazi came back, and Kazi was very submissive, and he said, "My dear Nimāi, You are in relationship my nephew." Because Hindus and Muslims in those days, although they had different religions, they had no animosity. They were living very friendly. So the Muslim elderly man will be said by the Hindus as Chāchā. And the Muslims they'll call Ṭhākura Mosai. Like that. Friendly terms. They will invite. In this way they were living. So the Kazi said that "Your grandfather, I call him Chāchā. He's elderly man. So Your mother is my sister.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Journalists -- August 18, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Because... That is civilized. That is civilization. Animal civilization is that one dog, as soon as the other dog is coming: "Yow! Yow! Yow! Why you are coming? Why you have come?" Just like here. Here, everywhere. The immigration department, "Oh, how long you will stay? Oh." So many things. Why? A human being is coming... Vedic civilization is, even one is enemy, if he comes to your home, you receive him as, so friendly that he will forget that you are his enemy. Yes. That is...

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Adopted daughter, niece, we have practically seen. I knew one man, Gupta. Guru dāsa met him in Delhi. So he was old man, about four years younger than me, very rich man. So I used to visit sometimes his house. He was friendly. So one day I saw one young girl. So I enquired, "Who is this young girl?" "No, she is my adopted daughter. I have no..." He had no daughters, all sons, grown up. "So I have no daughter, so I have adopted her as my daughter." I thought, "That's all right." Some day after, one day I went there. I saw that his wife was not there. So his wife has left home on some complaint. And then I understood that that man was implicated with that daughter.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Buddhist Monk (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At night they were guests. They were talking very friendly, and there is no enmity. But in daytime they'll fight. (laughter)

Buddhist Monk (1): Yes. Gautama the Buddha, whom I follow, who is my teacher, a poor man came, and he found him panting, asked him, "Well, what's the trouble?" "Oh, I've got news that you're here. I want to see you." And the Buddha found that not only had he run... He asked him, "When did you last have a meal?" He said, "That's quite a few days ago."

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Where you are staying here? London?

Buddhist Monk (1): That has become a little difficult because... It's difficult. We didn't know these āśramas, and we came yesterday. The Guru Nanak temple people made arrangements for our transport. We were staying with them for one week, and they looked after us dearly, and they made arrangements for our transport to come here. Some people were coming on some other business. So they brought us. So it was not much time. So we met a person in the street, and we told them that we are looking after a place to stay. And that person said, "Well, it's difficult here." Then I asked about two or three, and we had some addresses and they were far away. Then we met a friendly gentleman who was just reversing his car. He was smiling. And we smiled. We said, "Well, could you tell us a small place to pitch a tent." We carry a small tent. We said, "For a day or two..." He asked me how long. I said, "Just to find some breathing space at least." So we have pitched up a small tent in a private garden. That's somewhere in Cheswick Lane.

Prabhupāda: Where it is?

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Buddhist Monk (1):Of course, I didn't organize any public talks. I didn't, made no attempt. Then Czechoslovaks, Hungarians, very warm-hearted people. There are yoga classes there. And I met quite a few Hungarians outside who referred to yoga. Then Rumanians, Yugoslavs, Bulgarians. They are friendly people. Swamiji, have you been there in eastern European countries?

Prabhupāda: I have been in Moscow.

Buddhist Monk (1): Moscow? They're friendly people. I will go back again.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I know.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Our..., this book, Nectar of Devotion, that is a study book in the Temple University, Philadelphia. Similarly, our Kṛṣṇa Book, and what other books? They are...? Especially Kṛṣṇa Book and Nectar of Devotion. Bhagavad-gītā also, As It Is. (pause) We consider Lord Buddha also as incarnation of God.

Buddhist Monk (1): Yes, I know that. Of course, on this there's a difference of view between the orthodox Buddhists and that thinking. Because during the earlier days of Buddhist preaching there were certain differences of opinion. And the brāhmaṇa sections fell into various categories. Some of them were not very friendly, and others accepted quite a few of his, their teachings. And a third section, led by people like Sarikuta (?) and Munkali (?), Sanmukhala (?), they became followers as well. And, of course, so many things have been incorporated, kāma, krodha, lobha, kleśa, abhimāna.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1973, London:

Revatīnandana: Yes, that was his constitutional position. That's all right.

Prabhupāda: Just like sometimes mādhurya-rasa is the greatest humor...

Revatīnandana: Who?

Prabhupāda: Mādhurya-rasa, conjugal love. But still, there are devotees who prefer parental love, friendly love. That is liking. Everyone has got his own liking. But they are all the same, all the same. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa devotee and Nārāyaṇa devotee. They are all the... But it is their liking, varieties of liking.

Revatīnandana: Another related question that also arose... These come in Bhāgavata class with the devotees because they think about the questions and sometimes they come up with nice ones. When Kṛṣṇa is incarnating in His plenary incarnations like Varāha, Nṛsiṁha, like that...

Prabhupāda: That is in this material world.

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: That high education is just like the jewel.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But still fearful.

Prajāpati: But Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he had a serpent in his cave that he was not so much fearful of.

Prabhupāda: No, I said that, that sometimes, serpents are tame, friendly, everything, with jewel. But still they are fearful. Still, they are fearful. They cannot be trusted. A demon may be your friend, but you cannot trust him. Manina bhujitaḥ sarpa kim asau na bhayaṁkaraḥ. (?) Just like (laughing) your sky in the western world. However clear it may be, you cannot trust. At any moment there will be cloud. Is that all right?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 21, 1974, Hawaii:

Bali Mardana: One bookseller in New York.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Paradise. Paradise?

Bali Mardana: Yes, I think that is it. The woman was telling us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. She was very friendly. Mrs. Max Linder. Her husband is the proprietor, and she would call her husband, "Max, why don't you take these books," like this. She was friendly. And that Mr. Max was first-class businessman. He will extract as much profit as... (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. It was sold. Practically, in the beginning, they were selling. I was getting some money. There was no other income. Another bookseller, Oriental.

Bali Mardana: Yes, Oriental.

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And how lovingly they come to take little prasādam. I was thinking that...

Dr. Patel: I was noticing, myself, the same thing...

Prabhupāda: How lovingly they offer me obeisances, touch my feet, and a little fruit or little, whatever I give, they are satisfied. So they are so friendly because they are innocent. They do not know what is this Hindu, Christian. So we must take care of them.

Room Conversation with Catholic Cardinal and Secretary to the Pope -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Cardinal Pignedoli: Because they need badly. They need this spirit of friendship with God and with His supreme values. God... Well, I wouldn't say to the Moslem world because they are good believers. And God is probably, they are more faithful to. And for instance, these areas of the modern world like, also in the States sometimes, because these big cities like New York or Tokyo or Toronto, and some, these are cities, where they are areas where spiritual values have no meaning for these people. It's a pity and we have to be very open and very friendly to them. I gather this. And your method is meditation and prayer, if I understand it well.

Prabhupāda: There are two things. We recommend two things. For the mass of people, this prayer, kīrtana, a prayer. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma. So this is prayer. Hare means appealing to the energy of God, and Kṛṣṇa is God. "O the energy of God, O God, please engage me in your service." This is the sum and substance of the Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare: "O the energy of God, 'Kṛṣṇa,' O the Lord, please engage me in Your service." Because we are now engaged in the service of Satan, māyā.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Yogeśvara: Yeah, but that was exactly the situation that sparked the Communist revolution. When the workers felt themselves exploited, then they revolted.

Prabhupāda: No, workers, what is that? Exploited?

Yogeśvara: Yes, when the śūdras were seeing that, "Oh, these men, they are keeping us as slaves, and they are making us work just for our food," then they revolted.

Prabhupāda: No, no. You should keep them such nicely and friendly way, they will never think like that. They will think that you are giving him food and shelter, and you are taking care, giving them protection to their family. Then they will be happy. Then they are happy. When you give them all protection, then they will be happy. Now... Just like in Japan. The industrialists give all men. They give food. They give education. They give shelter. So they work very happily.

Bhagavān: They like to work.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Beyond the person... Just like we have got experience: when you call relation, then relation means we consider master and servant. This is also one relation.

Priest: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: So relation means two person—one master, one servant. Then relation, friendly relation, that is also person. Then relation, father and son, that is also relation. Then husband and wife, that is also relation. So relation cannot be used without person.

Priest: Yeah, but what we don't... We don't say that God is object of relation but He is the relation itself.

Prabhupāda: What is that, relation itself? Explain.

Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell, Head of Scots Church -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reverend Powell: What are some of the others?

Prabhupāda: Have you got the list?

Satsvarūpa: Friendly... Uh, it's in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Right here, Teachings of...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reverend Powell: I don't... I believe, obviously, you would have ways, methods of becoming God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. What...? Sort of a meditation? Chanting? Or...?

Prabhupāda: No, it is practical. What is it?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So, but they're already in power. So how to throw them out of power? So he negotiated in India, that: "You help us to separate from..." And India's interest is that Pakistan becomes weak by separation, that is India's interest. So India agreed to help them. How to help? They organized a false, er, soldiers. You know? What is called? Bahini. Mean a freedom soldier. They organized freedom soldier. And India consulted Russia. Russia was friendly, that: "We want to help Bangladesh." So they said: "Yes, you help. If there is fight, then we shall help you." This was the... So these bahini, sanan bahini, sandana bahini, or something like that, they organized, "freedom soldiers." The freedom soldier means Indian soldiers. They entered Bangladesh because East Bengal, West Bengal.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No. Yes, when there is politics, that is necessary. I am speaking of politics, not of love. You cannot create love by violence. That is another thing. But if you want kingdom, there must be violence. By violence you cannot force a woman, agree to love you. That is not possible. Then there must be love. The business must be done accordingly. But when there is politics, there must be violence. Otherwise you cannot come out victorious. (break) ...in a friendly way. "Might is right." So Gandhi did this foolishness and he died of violence. (laughs) He praised the philosophy of nonviolence, but he was himself killed by violence. That was his foolishness.

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No, maybe there. There were... All the kings of the world, they joined, either this party or that party. Friends, friendly countries, they joined. Just like Kṛṣṇa. He personally joined Arjuna, but He gave His soldiers to Duryodhana. It was family war. So the friends divided, "I will join you." It was sporting. For the kṣatriya fighting is sporting. They have football match. They did not take it as enmities. Just in the evening they are friends. This party goes to that party, that party goes to... It is a decision, who will be king, that's all. Test of strength. Actually it was not enmity. "Let us fight, and who is strong he will be king, that's all."

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Ambarīṣa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is the idea?

Ambarīṣa: It's a diplomatic move. They feel it will make friendly relationships between the two countries.

Indian man: They cannot meet on the earth and they are going to meet on the... (laughter) (break)

Prabhupāda: So I am the only man in the world challenging that "You have not gone to the moon planet." Eh?

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Because he carries the message of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is friend, and he is carrying the friendly message. Therefore he is friend. If there is a nice friend and if somebody gives information of that nice friend, he is also friend. Therefore nobody can become friend except Kṛṣṇa's representative. The material world is: "I am your enemy, and you are my enemy." This is the whole construction of the material world. So how the enemy can become friend? It is pretension, cheating.

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: They don't have to work. They simply put some cows in their field, and when the price is high, they sell them. In this way they live.

Brahmānanda: What is the attitude of the neighbors to us here? They like us?

Nityānanda: Pretty friendly.

Brahmānanda: There's a papaya.

Prabhupāda: They grow nicely here?

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: Er, we're trying. I don't know yet.

Devotee (3): Would you like to be fanned, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Harikeśa: Just keep the flies away.

Prabhupāda: He is very friendly to the small calves, this child?

Nityānanda: Yes. That's my boy.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Nityānanda: His name is Vimala.

Jagadīśa: He chases them all over.

Car Conversation -- August 3, 1975, Detroit:

Satsvarūpa: His fault is that he spoke out against the whole Russian...

Brahmānanda: He speaks very strongly, condemns the Russian system.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Russian, it is terrorism.

Brahmānanda: Yes. And he says that America should not become, try to become friendly, but should try to defeat them.

Prabhupāda: So Russian government did not take any step against him?

Brahmānanda: They exiled him. He was too famous to... If they persecuted him, he was too famous. It would have brought a lot of criticism against them, so they exiled.

Prabhupāda: Asked him to go out.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- August 6, 1975, Detroit:

Brahmānanda: In Dr. Judah's book he gives interviews with the devotees, and they tell so many instances of how our devotees were so depressed and hopeless, and then they became Kṛṣṇa conscious, and oh, their whole lives have been transformed, and how happy and... Why don't they see that? They somehow discount it as being not very substantial, being fanatical or something religious. But it's a fact. He took a survey of "What was the thing that attracted you to the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement?" So the majority, about 53%, they said it was the sound of the mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And another, about 48%, they said it was the friendliness of the devotees.

Prabhupāda: And that one, what is called? Draft? Draft man came to inquire that "What is the allurement here in this society that they try to avoid that..." What do you call? Draft? "...draftboard and come to this society? What is the facility?" So when he studied he said that "There is no facility; still harder. They have to give up so many things." He remarked like that, "Still harder."

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Full of foreign embassies. So nobody came.

Brahmānanda: They came the first night, and that was it.

Prabhupāda: Nobody came.

Brahmānanda: Neither were they very friendly.

Prabhupāda: They thought that "We are living so nicely, embassy and ambassador, and living in such a nice house, comfortably. What is this nonsense, God?" All these embassies and the ambassadors, they are prized post. It has no use.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They're what, Prabhupāda?

Morning Walk -- October 6, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: English, economics, philosophy or..., mostly Scottish... I was educated in Scottish Churches College. The philosophy professor, Dr. W. S. Urquhart, he was very friendly to me, very kind, just like father. (break) ...he became vice chancellor. He was a very learned man, and very nice man, W. S. Urquhart.

Morning Walk -- October 17, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. He must agree, "Yes." Therefore guru is required. Guru means, accept guru means, "Whatever you say, I will accept." That is guru. Otherwise friendly talk. Friendly talk will not do. To accept guru means "Now I accept you, guru, my instructor, without any argument," and that is acceptance. "Whatever you say, I shall do." That is agreement. Then he can be reformed. Śiṣyas te 'ha śādhi mā prapannam: "I surrender unto you. I become your disciple. Now you train me." Then he can be reformed. Otherwise not possible.

Morning Walk -- November 7, 1975, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: He will display only one Brahma-saṁhitā, that also by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.

Bhāgavata: So we will make a very nice book display. I will see that there is a very nice book display made with the Caitanya-caritamṛtas and the Bhāgavatams displayed. (break) ...the governor of Bengal, and he was quite congenial. He was friendly. And he agreed that if we contact him and make the proper arrangements he might come and see you there when you come to Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Girirāja: Bajaj.

Prabhupāda: Bajaj, yes.

Mahāṁsa: (break) They are quite friendly with us. There is one (indistinct) Swami, he likes our movement very much. And they have written in their book... There was a picture with devotees doing kīrtana in the Dharma-prakash.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. I sometimes wrote article. That Dr....

Mahāṁsa: Nagar. Nagar and Rao.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1975, Sandau:

Haṁsadūta: Two years ago.

Prabhupāda: He is keeping Jagannātha within his beadbag and chanting.

Haṁsadūta: Just before I came to India, Mukunda met him for about two hours. He said he was very friendly, and he would arrange a ninety-nine-year lease for us, give us the right to the Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Prabhupāda: No, he's our well-wisher, good boy. What is the time now?

Devotee (1): A quarter to eight.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1975, Sandau:

Prabhupāda: No, last year.

Haṁsadūta: Two years ago.

Prabhupāda: He is keeping Jagannātha within his beadbag and chanting.

Haṁsadūta: Just before I came to India, Mukunda met him for about two hours. He said he was very friendly, and he would arrange a ninety-nine-year lease for us, give us the right to the Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Prabhupāda: No, he's our well-wisher, good boy. What is the time now?

Devotee (1): A quarter to eight.

Devotee (2): Sun shines very late, the sun rises.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Hṛdayānanda: So Kṛṣṇa is also like that if we...

Prabhupāda: He was offering him something, "Whatever he likes." That was his theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Friendly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "It doesn't matter." He did not know the gāñjā smoking was bad for sādhu. That is impression in India. We criticize, but in India, in every sādhu samāj they smoke gāñjā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Still?

Morning Walk -- February 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, tactfully.

Acyutānanda: By preaching your books.

Prabhupāda: Keep him as friend. He's friendly. So don't irritate him.

Acyutānanda: All right.

Yaśodānandana: I think the best way would be to out-preach him.

Prabhupāda: Out-preach him. Yes.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Then, how it will be possible?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were discussing this. The way to do it, is that you get some person... There are many persons all over the country who are knowledgeable, who can do the work, but who are friendly. Just like in many temples that I visited, they have people, professionals who are working, but they are young men and because they are friendly towards our society, they'll do the work for less money. I'm sure that there are people who can be found like that here.

Prabhupāda: American devotee, Asian, and Australian devotee.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what we should say, two million, like that. American, five hundred thousand. Why should we say five thousand?

Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Before you were mentioning that we should start to try to get on friendly terms with some of these governmental people. Would that be done in the same way as they do in India? Just like we have so many government ministers that have become life members and things like that. Is that possible to do in America?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are many government men. Why not? Human psychology is the same. How many lines in...?

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

Kīrtanānanda: Nepotism.

Prabhupāda: Nepotism. That is human nature.

Hari-śauri: They said he was becoming too friendly with the West, getting too many Western ideas.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Hari-śauri: Kruschev. So they kicked him out. (knock at the door)

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Duṣṭā bhāryā. If wife is polluted, duṣṭā bhāryā, and śaṭhaṁ mitram, and friend is a hypocrite.... Duṣṭa bhāryā ṣaṭhaṁ mitram. What is that? Bhṛtyaś cottara-dāyakaḥ, and servant does not obey, gives answer or, yes, if your master asks, "Give me this," if he says, "Why are you asking?" Such kind of bhṛtya, servant, and polluted wife and hypocrite friend, three, and a snake within the bedroom.... (break) Family means father, mother, wife, children. Generally this is family. So family members are supposed to be all friendly, in one accord, so that family life is peaceful. But sometimes the family members become enemies.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: All, they are living in the same tree?

Mādhavānanda: Yes. Seven of them.

Pālikā: These peacocks are very friendly here. They stay together. They lay here altogether in the sun.

Prabhupāda: Birds of the same feather flock together. (laughter)

Jayādvaita: By Ann Arbor temple there is one squirrel who comes to take prasāda from the devotees. He comes right up to them and takes some laḍḍu or something like that. Very fat squirrel.

Prabhupāda: He knows that they'll not harm.

Jayādvaita: Yes.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: He was very impressed.

Prabhupāda: Very much impressed. He's friendly, you can invite him again. He can introduce a law; he's a law officer. (break) ...charges. They may not think they will charge. And some pictures from our books. Signboard, book and pictures. There are some painters here? No painters? Well, there are so many painters. You can bring from Los Angeles.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: France, they are always enemy of Englishmen. There is is old history-Hundred Years' War, Seven Years' War. Napoleon also wanted to cut down the Britishers. France is dead enemy of England, and there is always competition.

Hari-śauri: Even just with De Gaulle also.

Prabhupāda: France is not friendly to India, uh, England.

Hari-śauri: England has always been inimical with the rest of Europe. With Germany, France, Spain, everyone.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they thought, "This is a third-class nation, a small island, fishermen, and they have wealthy (indistinct)?" That is natural. Whole world. In our childhood, we used to see map, almost whole world red-red means British. (laughter) They said that there was no sunset in the British Empire.

Morning Walk -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Satsvarūpa: And their discussion is very blasphemous. This Dr. Dimmock, he's made much investigation on the Six Gosvāmīs, and he's read all manuscripts, and he's always going to India and studying Rūpa Gosvāmī and Lord Caitanya, but everything is extremely blasphemous that he writes. So in both ways, in their habits and whatever they write. The Library Party men, they become friendly to these professors, but only to use them more or less, that they'll accept our books, despite themselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that we must do. (break) ...policy is when we go to a, what is called, a bad character, we don't go to associate with him, but to give him our association. Therefore we must be strong and very pure, so that your association, they will be benefited. For the preachers, īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu, the four behavior. Īśvara, tad-adhīneṣu, devotees, bāliśeṣu, innocent, and dviṣatsu, those who are envious. So a devotee, those who are preachers, they, prema, loving God, making friendship with devotee, and those who are innocent, to deliver. And those who are envious, reject.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So I'm desiring that if I get such body, I can eat even stool. So God gives you, "All right, you take this body. Become a pig and eat stool." This is going on. Why? Your desiring. You eat, actually. So īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He's friendly, He's sitting in everyone's heart, and the living entity is desiring. So bhrāmayan. Desiring means he wants to go here and there. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni (BG 18.61). He gives a particular type of yantra, machine. This body is machine. Body is machine, everyone accepts.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sixty-fourth Street, and just off Central Park.

Prabhupāda: I was coming there sometimes, talking with the officers. One Mr. Malotra was there, he was showing me very friendly. He arranged some meeting in consulate office. They had some organization, Tagore Organization. Second Avenue we'll come?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is First Avenue, then comes Second.

Prabhupāda: Yes, sometimes walking on the Second Avenue.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're going to go up to Central Park and then go along the Park.

Prabhupāda: This is Ninety-sixth?

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: In Pittsburgh... I was living in Butler, and a girl took me to Pittsburgh. So I saw at that time that she had to pay two dollars for parking.

Hari-śauri: This is why we get so much noise. Every time there's a call, when they come from here, and we're only just on the next block.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's good for us also. If there's any trouble in the temple, they come right away, and they are friendly.

Prabhupāda: Give them prasādam?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Jayānanda brings them.

Prabhupāda: Prasādam will conquer everyone.

Rāmeśvara: That is how we get all our men to join.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone speaks French.

Bhagavān: Did you see the color printing inside? It's also very nice. They have done the same.... This was last year in Paris, when you received Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: It's a nice picture. Everyone who sees it says how friendly Prabhupāda is.

Hari-śauri: This one is downstairs. George Harrison immediately pointed to it and said, "Oh, that's a wonderful picture."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Vaiṣṇava picture. Vaiṣṇava is always humble. (looking at picture) Jagannātha Purī.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: On the whole, during British time, people were happy, that I can... The thing is that Britishers were little afraid that "If the government is not good, it will go against our credit, that we may agitate." So they were careful to see that people are happy. But here nobody's careful. Everyone thinks "I'm in my own country. Whatever I do, it is all right." They were conscious, that "We are foreigners. If the management is not good, then it will go against our credit and it will be difficult working such a big England empire." So they were little careful. But these rascals are not... Just like the governor, he was friendly, but what is the report? Did he say? Did not behave very nicely?

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, the first beginning of the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā you have to take. (aside:) No children. Otherwise it will be disturbed. When Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). First of all, he was talking like friends. When he saw "The friendly talking will not help us," so Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. Then as spiritual master He said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting on the subject matter which is not the subject matter of lamentation, and you are talking like a very learned man." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Even the chief minister.

Gargamuni: He said praises ISKCON.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually Asnani's office is in the same building as Blitz. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Make a strong case immediately, without delay.

Pradyumna: Get a friendly lawyer.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Go ahead. Next...

Pradyumna: "In point, in Bombay, a huge plot was acquired in Juhu for rupees fourteen lakhs. They have put up a temple there with a barbed wire fence around it."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is the barbed wire?

Morning Walk Conversation About Bombay -- August 29, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: I cannot digest. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Because you have to walk. (laughs) (break) ...can stay here. Jaya.

Hari-śauri: Hut!

Children: Hut! Hut! Hut!

Hari-śauri: Don't annoy it. Otherwise, it might not be so friendly.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have to walk, why you are getting?

Hari-śauri: There's no room. Prabhupāda said you have to walk. You have to stay in the park.

Children: No!

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Caraṇāravindam: It was similar in old England in the knights' time.

Prabhupāda: That is the whole world history. Now they have made encumbrance. Naturally, a class of men, they became soldiers. They were trained up, and...

Caraṇāravindam: Whenever I visited a village in India, people were always very friendly. "Sit down, take some meal." Or if I walk through a field they will pick something from a tree, some tomatoes, or some vegetables and give it to me.

Prabhupāda: You can grow some tomatoes here. That is a very easy thing.

Caraṇāravindam: I have also some and some different seeds to plant.

Prabhupāda: Tomato, squash.

Room Conversation -- September 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is sādhu. Not the dress. Now what is the...

Harikeśa: "The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

Prabhupāda: This is sādhu. The first qualification is titikṣava. very tolerant. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinām. Those who are tapasvīs, their first duty is how much he is forgiving. How much he has learned to forgive. Kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinām. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena (SB 6.1.13). So what is the explanation?

Room Conversation -- September 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa:What is the difference between an enemy and a friend? It is a difference in behavior. A sādhu behaves with all conditioned souls for their ultimate relief from material entanglement. Therefore, no one can be more friendly than a sādhu in relieving a conditioned soul. A sādhu is calm, and he quietly and peacefully follows the principles of scripture. A sādhu means one who follows the principles of scripture and at the same time is a devotee of the Lord. One who actually follows the principles of scripture must be a devotee of God because all the śāstras instruct us to obey the orders of the Personality of Godhead. Sādhu, therefore, means a follower of the scriptural injunctions and a devotee of the Lord. All these characteristics are prominent in a devotee. A devotee develops all the good qualities of the demigods, whereas a nondevotee, even though academically qualified, has no actual good qualifications or good characteristics according to the standard of transcendental realization.

Prabhupāda: Where is this going on? (asking about banging sound)

Hari-śauri: That's just the old reception room.

Prabhupāda: What is it?

Morning Walk -- December 28, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is no question of accept. He was plainly defeated. Because he said that (indistinct). Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted his invitation after this. He also invited and he also (indistinct) ...talk like that. Not only that, Caitanya Mahāprabhu criticized, but as soon as Vallabhācārya invited, He accepted. There was no enviousness. Rather friendly, sometimes they call others are (indistinct). Otherwise why Caitanya Mahāprabhu would accept invitation from Vallabhācārya. But they are habituated to criticize (indistinct). That Caitanya Mahāprabhu chastised him: "Why should you think like that?" In a friendly way. (indistinct) They are still criticizing Śrīdhara Swami, and if others criticize them, "Why you are criticizing Śrīdhara Swami?" There is no answer. This is the position. (indistinct—only fragments of conversation audible for some time)

Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, why these boys are attracted ? They have not come here to see your industry for materialism. They have come here for spiritual. They have not come to see your cycle and sewing machine. Actually, they have come, Vṛndāvana, Māyāpur. And they are not poverty stricken. We go to Europe being poverty stricken. That Lady Wellington, he (she) challenged one of my Godbrothers, Bhakti Tīrtha Mahārāja, that "You Indian people..." She was very proud, Lady Wellington. Wellington was Iceland. She said that "You Indian people..." Of course, it was friendly talk. "You come to our country, we give you some stamp, degree, and you earn your livelihood in India. What you have come here to teach?" This was the challenge. Actually, that was happening. We were sending our men to England to become bar-at-law, to become MS, CP, to become this and that, and they became here big men.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. He was very friendly. Actually, he is the organizer, main person. He showed that, "Here Swamiji was cooking." (laughs) Yes. I was guest for fifteen days, that Dalmia. Not this Jayadal, his big brother, Ram-Krishna. He asked me that his family... He wanted to construct a little cottage in his house, "You can live here. I'll give you a nice cottage." I thought, "No, it is not good to be patronized by a viṣayī." This is not good. Fully dependent on a materialistic... And he's first-class materialist.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Billiard-playing or some exhibition of singing, and hundreds of men will gather. And they were feasting, first-class food. In this way spending, spending, spending... And then prostitute, aristocracy. In this way one property and one property lost, everything. At last I saw him going by rickshaw. One day it was raining, and I saw that he was sitting in a rickshaw, and no friend asked him that, "Haren Babu, why you are...? You come to my car," so many. And he was friendly to so many zamindars, kings, and very intimate with... But they lost of everything, and nobody cares. His sons, they are of our age. I do not know whether living or not. But most probably they are not living.

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is the highest

Prabhupāda: So He became very dissatisfied. He... Because friendly, He said that "If you don't accept svāmī, then you are a veśya." These words He recited, svāmī nā māne yei jana veśyāra. These are there, these words.

Dr. Patel: Vallabhācārya's establishment of his own family members as the paramparā is wrong. That is why the whole system has degraded.

Room Conversation -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, New Vrindaban, whole thing. That is called Bahulaban or something like that? So the cows are free moving. They're very happy. You have seen it?

Jagadīśa: The original farm I haven't seen for some time.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Last time you were not... I had been there. The cows are moving freely. They're very friendly, even to the children, just like family members. Yes. Kṛṣṇa... You'll find in India one boy taking care of twenty-five cows.

Jagadīśa: With just a stick.

Prabhupāda: Yes, with a stick. (chuckles) They are so submissive. The cow is going this side, "Raa-raa!"—immediately. (Jagadīśa laughs) When in Bible they say, "The animal is given to the care of man," like that... There is. This is care of, not that "Because we care of, we shall kill them." What is this interpretation? How demonic this Western civilization.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I have no objection. After all, young man, fallen down—that's all right. It is by nature's way. But marry that girl. That I am insisting from the very beginning, that no friendly liaison. If you want, get one nice... They are, all of them qualified. Get one wife and live like a gentleman. Similarly woman. Live with one husband fastidiously, with children. What is the wrong there? We have so many gṛhastha devotees. You have got children. Pradyumna has got child. Gopāla has... Live with husband, wife.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: First class. And they have got enough milk. When I went there, all nice milk preparation. Ghee, sweet rice, these sweets. Ample. All variety. And they have ghee. Then prepare kachori, samosa. Such nice thing. And how friendly the cows. Just like family members. And they're giving more economically. That's practical. More milk. Then?

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

Prabhupāda: He has cooked very nice.

Gurudāsa: Anyway, I have three men cooking now and... So that will be all right. Now, the officials are cooperating with us nicely, of the Mela. The other day Kamalapati Tripati was there, and we saw him, and all the officials were there, and he said, "Oh, hello! How are you? Everything all right?" And we said, "Yes." And it was a very nice conversation. And all the other officials saw that we were on friendly basis with the minister, so they were also more friendly. One unfortunate thing happened, a small unfortunate thing, a sukhi-duḥkhi. We went to the saṅgam with our kīrtana party during the time of the big..., the fifth bath. It's not the biggest one, but many pilgrims came.

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That means cowardice. They have no conviction that Communism is dangerous, godlessness.

Rāmeśvara: They are forgetting how dangerous it is.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Now they have a policy called detente, where... It means that they try to become friendly with the Russians and do exchanges.

Prabhupāda: All economic.

Rāmeśvara: To ease the tension.

Prabhupāda: Pound, shilling, pence: "Money, bring money."

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That dangerous in every item. This Gandhi was also dangerous, although superficially nonviolent. Everyone is dangerous. Until one is devotee, he's dangerous in any position. He's dangerous. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. It is mental concoction that "This is good; this is bad." Everything is bad.

Hari-śauri: Part of their policy for that, though, was because they supported the Israelis, and then the Arabs started to squeeze them on the oil, so they had to get friendly with the Arabs again. So they started to supply them arms.

Prabhupāda: They'll have to change because it is mano-dharma, mental concoction.

Rāmeśvara: Mano-dharma.

Prabhupāda: Mano-dharma means once you accept, "Good," and next moment you reject it, "Bad." This is mano-dharma. So that is going on. And therefore we have taken this vow that "Whatever Kṛṣṇa said, that is good, and everything bad. Bas." Our confusion is finished.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: If I require, I'll take. So Gandhi discovered, and the discovery was there Surendranath Ban... That they're exploiting us, so noncooperate. They are ruling over us by our cooperation, so let us noncooperate." But that is a foolish policy. Poverty-stricken country, how they can noncooperate? That was not successful, but this program, Subhash Bose's tit-for-tat, military, that was successful. They're keeping our men as soldiers and police, and by their strength they're ruling over India. And Subhash Bose made a plan—the soldiers and police will noncooperate. They'll join his INA. And when they began to join Indian National Army, these intelligent Britishers could understand, "Now it is no more possible. With whose cooperation, we shall kick?" Then they made a friendly settlement. Friendly means "Divide it so that they'll perpetually fight, and let us go."

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's just near the present temple of Govinda that I was talking. It is a small forest full of monkeys, and they are so friendly.

Prabhupāda: Monkeys are very friendly.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. They're much more friendly than monkeys in Vṛndāvana. (laughing) I have seen that many, very healthy. There's some sort of welcome people coming. There are many. That place is some sort of a central place of Imphala. It's a very..., spiritually, a very conducive area. Many kinds of birds, and it's very natural surroundings. So I went with two of our life members, and they are thinking that maybe we can approach the government so that we can get the land from Manipur government, and then we can construct a temple.

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

Harikeśa: But they never made it on the shelves.

Gargamuni: He's Indian, so they are not so... He is an American, so there's nothing much he can do. But as an Indian, there's great friendship between Russian... They came to our stall in Calcutta and bought books. And they bought one poster of rāsa-līlā. So with India they are very friendly.

Harikeśa: It's simply meant that there's a certain amount of prerequisite knowledge one has to know before he goes into a communist country.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, he refused to take charge, Madhudviṣa. I was little hopeless. And Brahmānanda encouraged me. "I will do." And then silent. "Give him fifty dollars. Give him fifty dollars." And his policy was that where he will get this money? He is beggar. Fourteen lakhs? Whatever one, two lakhs he gives, that's all. I told him friendly that "I have no so much money. Immediately I can collect four lakhs. I shall give you two lakhs against your money, and two lakhs I shall spend for construction. Of course, within three years I shall fill up." He thought that whatever two lakh, one lakh comes, he will not be able to... That was his... I knew that I had no money, but I never thought that "I shall not be able to do." That I was confident. So it's a great history. So many things happened. It is all Rādhā-Rāsavihārī's līlā. Otherwise it is... Now next program, your: make a strong party and you travel extensively all over the world, amongst the scientists, and whatever amount is required, I shall spend. What do you expect monthly expenditure will be without any difficulty, a whole party? How many you want to travel?

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He knows about our movement?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I asked him first thing if he has heard, he said yes. And we gave him a copy of that Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is Genuine Indian Culture, which shows all our cultural activities, your Gītā. He said this booklet is very expensive, but we said we shall like you to read it. And we mentioned that your desire is that the leaders of this country become God conscious and then everybody else will become God conscious. And I gave an example of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He looked very spiritual to us. He was very friendly. I was amazed that a man who has such....

Prabhupāda: He is practical also indoubtedly. He has no selfish motives.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: America gave a lot of money to the Congress Party because Sanjay Gandhi was very friendly with America, with agent of many American companies.

Prabhupāda: America was against Indira?

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I can take advantage, but no medicine.

Guest (1): No, we can have discussion with him. We can have only consultation, and he is doing out of friendly relation. He does not want money out of you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Keath, Mr. Keath?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Keating, Kenneth Keating.

Prabhupāda: So he was very friendly with him. And he used to talk in his personal room. He made friends with him, his girl-friend. And she offered herself. "Please come in, in our park."

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So I am also. So all these ministers, they invited me. They are in Hyderabad. I was in the house of Mr. Raju, the Endowment Minister. So they were very friendly. In Hyderabad, all the big, big government commissioners, the chief minister, they came in the opening ceremony of our temple. So it is fortunate that you were in Russia. So our humble attempt is to distribute the sublime knowledge of India. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Actually, outside India, there is no knowledge.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Scenery's just beautiful. It's all on the foothills, and it's very charming, with the banyan trees and the monkeys, four classes of monkeys.

Prabhupāda: They are receptive.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. Very friendly. They're not like monkeys in... (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vṛndāvana.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: These monkeys are very friendly. They wait until they are given. They don't just steal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Vṛndāvana they're a problem now.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So he was coming daily to see me in my pharmacy. We talked sometimes little intimately, friendly, with his son. So one day we were talking. Dr. Jīva also was attending. So one Muhammadan woman... They're very dirty. So she was passing to go to see doctor, and that... His name was Ser Khan. He belonged to the royal family of Afghanistan. So he was doing like this. So I said, "You hate Muhammadans? She is Muhammadan woman." "Oh, we don't accept Muhammadan. They are (indistinct)." That means Indian Muhammadans are not even accepted by the Muhammadans in other countries.

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: So this material nature is also one of the agents. And He knows what I desire. He's very friendly, that "This living entity wants this, so give him a body like this." So we get a body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So we have to change the body according to our desire. If we want to go to the higher planetary system, we can go. God will give us the facility. If you want to go to the lower planetary system, He'll give you. And if you want to go to Him, He'll give you. What is that verse? Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ... (BG 9.25).

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I therefore say America is my fatherland. India is my motherland.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in the normal dealing also...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...the Americans are very friendly, very nice actually, in general. When I studied in California, I was a stranger, but everybody looked like a friend, very different from England. England is very conservative. They don't say hello, and different.

Prabhupāda: England, nonsense number one. Worst false prestige, England. In that respect, other countries are better. They had a British Empire. They are still puffed up. And they will stay there to continue British Empire. Now they are earning money for eating, showing British Parliament House. Now there is no business.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Because they are fed by the visitors.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They like them. The visitors like the monkeys.

Prabhupāda: Here you'll find many of...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember in the Rādhā-Govinda Temple in Jaipur, oh, the monkeys, they lived there as regular citizens practically. And they're very friendly there. They come up and they hold their hand out.

Prabhupāda: That Kṛṣṇa was giving the monkeys. Monkeys were pet, not as enemy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa treated the monkeys as a pet?

Prabhupāda: Friends.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He was giving butter. In the forest playing with them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Imitating also.

Prabhupāda: Playing. If you give them to eat something, they become friendly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're intelligent.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Muhammadans.

Prabhupāda: Low-class Muhammadans.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He didn't mind that?

Prabhupāda: No, at that time they were so friendly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? They were respectful.

Prabhupāda: Muhammadans were also religious.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhagatji: From Ceylon.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's an amazing coincidence. This woman prime minister of Śrī Lanka, she follows everything Indira does. When Indira Gandhi held elections, she also held elections. She lost; she lost. She's coming back; she's coming back. They're very friendly, two ladies running these two countries. Sometimes when preaching I tell the public, "What kind of country is this? The land of the rājarṣis and some lady is running the government."

Prabhupāda: Hm, don't touch politics.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: This is the best time in Tehran, the fall, autumn season. Parivrājakācārya Mahārāja told me that the Indian ambassador to Iran spoke with him and told him, "You are the real ambassador of India."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Why?

Rāmeśvara: Because he is becoming friendly with the royal family. Actually he goes every day to the palace. They send a chauffeured Mercedes to pick him up every day. He spends four or five hours every day talking to the royal family.

Prabhupāda: It is great opportunity.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gupta was present? No.

Girirāja: Mostly he wasn't present. A little bit later he came for one or two minutes, but he didn't say anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing I noticed though is that Mr. Goswami, the accountant, the cashier, and Mr. Dugal, when they were leaving, they seemed to be much more..., I don't know if you could say friendly, but they were far more respectful now. I think that they have been a little bit humbled by this incident. They always used to tell us that "We don't care for your money. You must follow the rules. Even if we lose your money, we don't care, but you must stick to the rules." But they seemed a little humbled today, a little changed in their view. I don't think that they ever suspected that they would lose our deposits like this. I think now they'll make much more of an effort. I would expect so. Right?

Girirāja: Oh, yes. Now they're going to make every effort not to annoy us in any way.

Prabhupāda: Very carefully deal, and as far as possible, don't keep money in the bank. Invest in books and expansion. That is my request. If you keep money, there will be so much trouble. So the current account and savings account, ten days' notice, these things are to be done.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: The head pūjārī at Śrī Raṅgam temple in South India. He is coming in the family of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. He is very friendly with our society, and Acyutānanda and Yaśodā-nandana Swamis, they stayed with him at his house...

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Bhavānanda: ...in Śrī Raṅganātha temple for five days he was their host.

Prabhupāda: Where? Śrī Raṅgam.