Geography

Expressions researched:
"geographer" |"geographers" |"geographic" |"geographical" |"geographically" |"geographist" |"geography" |"geography's"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.16.12, Purport:

It is mentioned here that the women in both these varṣas are beautiful, and some of them are equal to the Apsarās, or heavenly women.

Uttarakuru: According to Vedic geography the northernmost portion of Jambūdvīpa is called Uttarakuru-varṣa. It is surrounded by the saltwater ocean from three sides and divided by Śṛṅgavān Mountain from the Hiraṇmaya-varṣa.

SB 1.16.12, Purport:

It is mentioned here that the women in both these varṣas are beautiful, and some of them are equal to the Apsarās, or heavenly women.

Uttarakuru: According to Vedic geography the northernmost portion of Jambūdvīpa is called Uttarakuru-varṣa. It is surrounded by the saltwater ocean from three sides and divided by Śṛṅgavān Mountain from the Hiraṇmaya-varṣa.

Kimpuruṣa-varṣa: It is stated to be situated north of the great Himalaya Mountain, which is eighty thousand miles in length and height and which covers sixteen thousand miles in width. These parts of the world were also conquered by Arjuna (Sabhā 28.1-2). The Kimpuruṣas are descendants of a daughter of Dakṣa. When Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed a horse sacrifice yajña, the inhabitants of these countries were also present to take part in the festival, and they paid tributes to the Emperor. This part of the world is called Kimpuruṣa-varṣa, or sometimes the Himalayan provinces (Himavatī). It is said that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was born in these Himalayan provinces and that he came to Bhārata-varṣa after crossing the Himalayan countries.

SB 1.19.6, Purport:

Mahārāja Parīkṣit, just after receiving the news of his death within seven days, at once retired from family life and shifted himself to the sacred bank of the Yamunā River. Generally it is said that the King took shelter on the bank of the Ganges, but according to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the King took shelter on the bank of the Yamunā. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī's statement appears to be more accurate because of the geographical situation. Mahārāja Parīkṣit resided in his capital Hastināpura, situated near present Delhi, and the River Yamunā flows down past the city. Naturally the King would take shelter of the River Yamunā because she was flowing past his palace door. And as far as sanctity is concerned, the River Yamunā is more directly connected with Lord Kṛṣṇa than the Ganges. The Lord sanctified the River Yamunā from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamunā with the baby Lord Kṛṣṇa for a safe place at Gokula on the other bank of the river from Mathurā, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified. It is especially mentioned herein that Mahārāja Parīkṣit took shelter of that particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, mixed with tulasī leaves. Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet are always besmeared with the tulasī leaves, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water of the Ganges and the Yamunā, the rivers become at once sanctified.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.16.3, Purport:

"One should not give up anything connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinking it material or enjoyable for the material senses." Even the senses, when purified, are spiritual. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was thinking of the universal form of the Lord, his mind was certainly situated on the transcendental platform. Therefore although he might not have had any reason to be concerned with detailed information of the universe, he was thinking of it in relationship with the Supreme Lord, and therefore such geographical knowledge was not material but transcendental. Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.20) Nārada Muni has said, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ: the entire universe is also the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although it appears different from Him. Therefore although Parīkṣit Mahārāja had no need for geographical knowledge of this universe, that knowledge was also spiritual and transcendental because he was thinking of the entire universe as an expansion of the energy of the Lord.

SB 5.21.2, Translation:

As a grain of wheat is divided into two parts and one can estimate the size of the upper part by knowing that of the lower, so, expert geographers instruct, one can understand the measurements of the upper part of the universe by knowing those of the lower part. The sky between the earthly sphere and heavenly sphere is called antarikṣa, or outer space. It adjoins the top of the sphere of earth and the bottom of that of heaven.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 9.14, Purport:

The Gautamī-gaṅgā is a branch of the river Godāvarī. Formerly a great sage named Gautama Ṛṣi used to live on the bank of this river opposite the city of Rajahmundry, and consequently this branch was called the Gautamī-gaṅgā.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī has recorded the names of the holy places visited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu but that there is no chronological order of the places visited. However, there is a notebook of Govinda dāsa's containing a chronological order and references to geographical positions. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura requests the readers to refer to that book. According to Govinda dāsa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Trimanda from the Gautamī-gaṅgā. From there He went to Ḍhuṇḍirāma-tīrtha, another place of pilgrimage. According to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, after visiting the Gautamī-gaṅgā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Mallikārjuna-tīrtha.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.9:

The pious and saintly Vaiṣṇavas understand the exact meaning of the Bhagavad-gītā. The simple message of the Gītā is self-illuminated like the sun. Its knowledge is not hidden under a gloomy shroud of impersonalism. There is actually no room for extracting some alternative meaning and then giving a so-called esoteric dissertation on it. The devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa alone can fully take to heart the instructions of the Gītā, and by acting accordingly they are liberated from the awesome and eternal enslavement of the cycle of karma. Such persons are not restricted to a particular country, race, or society. The Lord's devotees belong to a class of their own—they form a spiritual society unhindered by geographical conditions. God is not the monopoly of any particular group. Therefore the message of the Gītā, being universal can be followed by anyone and everyone. After all, it is in the Gītā (9.32) that Lord Kṛṣṇa has unconditionally declared,

O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas (merchants), as well as śūdras (workers)—can attain the Supreme destination.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

The mother is not agitated the child is changing body. Similarly, a dhīra, one who knows the laws of transmigration of the soul, he does not lament at the death of his father or friend. He knows that "My father has now gone to such and such place." That also he can know. How? With reference to the śāstra. Therefore, Vedānta-sūtra says that you should see everything through the śāstra, śāstra-cakṣuṣā.

Now there is one rascal, he is preaching there is no need of śāstra. Without śāstra, how you can make progress? Just like you are seeing the sun daily just like a disk. But if you through the śāstra you see geography, then you will understand the sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So how do you know? You have not gone to the sun planet, but how do you know that it is ninety million miles away from your sight and it is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth? How do you know? Through the śāstra, through the books. So, therefore, you should see through the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, books. What we are speaking about the moon planet, sun planet, or God, His abode is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world, so many things we are talking. How we are talking? We are talking through the Vedic literature. Because Vedic literature is authoritative. According to Vedic civilization, we don't accept any book written by rascal. We take, we accept the authority of the Vedas.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Oh, we are twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord. Yogis—samādhi, always in samādhi, absorbed in the thought of the Supreme. We are always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. So take any religion, any process, any well. This river, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will overflood everyone. There cannot be any comparison. What is there? How much water is there in the well? In the river, unlimited. Thousands of wells can be merged into the river. This example is given. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you know Kṛṣṇa, you know everything. You know science, you know mathematics, you know philosophy, you know geography, everything. There is no dirth of knowledge. Don't think that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person actually, he can be a foolish man. No. That is given guarantee in the Bhagavad-gītā,

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

(BG 10.11)

A devotee who is always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for him there is nothing unknown. He knows everything. Just like we can give information of the whole creation. Not only of this material world, of the spiritual world. Clear conception. Where is where, what is what, everything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

That qualification means Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇam, hearing. We have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of understanding or hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

Just like suppose I came to your country, United States of America. Oh, in my childhood I heard of it in school when I was reading geometry or something like, history or geography. I heard first of all. I did not come first of all. So hearing, hearing, when I understood, "Oh, that's a very wonderful country, and it is far away, and if I go there..." Similarly, as you think also about going to India, so first of all hearing. Not immediately seeing what is America or what is India. First of all hearing. So similarly, if we want to see God, then we have to hear. That is the process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is first with hearing. Śravaṇam. Śravaṇam means hearing.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

We have discussed. But gāyatrī-mantra is the beginning of brahminical culture because without attaining the brahminical qualification, nobody can understand Vedic literature. Therefore a brāhmaṇa, initiated, he's given the gāyatrī-mantra. So that is required. (break)

Indian: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Your Divine Grace, in order to understand Śrī Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, we have to take your help, as you said you have explained what are the words of Kṛṣṇa. And in order to understand yourself we have, or we had to take the help of so many other persons. You speak in English and Sanskrit or Hindi, and at college, and at school, so many teachers taught us Sanskrit, Hindi, and history, geography, because there are so many illustrations in your speech also. Then guru has been defined like this:

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Ajñāna timirāndhasya. About jñāna, nothing has been said whether it is spiritual jñāna or material jñāna. So in order to understanding you and, through yourself, also Kṛṣṇa, all these so-called gurus, or, I may say, teachers, they have contributed towards understanding or developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

You cannot measure even the tip of your hair, and what to speak of ten-thousandth part of it. Impossible. Therefore because you cannot find out by dissecting this body where is that spirit spark... There is, but your present eyes cannot find it out. Therefore you say nirākāra, or no form. But actually, it has form.

We get information from the śāstras. Just like we get complete information of the sun globe from geography or from authoritative sources, scientist, astrologer, astronomer, mathematician, so similarly, you can get information what is the form of individual soul, what is the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are there. But His form is not like your form or my form. The Brahma-saṁhitā says, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His form is full of bliss, and full of knowledge, and eternal. But this body, this body, our body, is neither eternal, neither full of knowledge, neither blissful. So we can distinguish what is the form of God. Sac-cid-ānanda. Sat. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of blissfulness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

He is making money. So cheating. Cheating, illusion, committing mistake. Three. And fourth: that the senses imperfect. They are gathering knowledge through senses. I see... I want to see personally. "All right, put up the light. Now see." That is your seeing power. You see under condition. Therefore your seeing power is imperfect. Your thinking power is imperfect.

So every sense... We are gathering knowledge by the imperfect senses. We are seeing every day, morning, the sun which is bigger than this earth by fourteen hundred thousand times. And we are seeing just like a plate. If he's not informed by an authority when he goes to school... The teacher of geography, when he informs, "My dear boy, the sun is very, very big," then he can understand. I am seeing that the one airplane is running very fast, flying in the sky. A child sees, "Oh, such a big thing. How it is flying?" He does not know that this machine is not flying independently. There is a pilot. Without this pilot all this mechanical arrangement is simply void. If that airplane is kept down for many thousands of years with all the machine complete, it has no power to fly unless there is the expert pilot who pushes on the button, it will fly. So therefore imperfect senses.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

First thing is that the senses with which you are studying, they are imperfect. What is the value of our eyes? Unless there is sunlight, you cannot see. So how can you say that "Our seeing is absolute"? It is relative. So whatever knowledge we are getting, they're all relative knowledge. Relative means according to my power I am studying, "This is this. This is this." But they are all wrong. You do not know what is actually the position. Therefore the conclusion is that we have to take knowledge from the perfect. Śāstra-cakṣusā. Your eyes should be... Actually we are doing that. Now, directly we are seeing the sun. We see just like the disk. But when you go through scientific books, geographic and other authorit..., astronomy, they, "No, the sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet." So actually we are understanding about the sun not by our direct eyes but through the authoritative knowledge, through the śāstra, through the books.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

And they do not take part in gambling. They regular chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, sixteen rounds. In this way we are training. Not only we are training these young boys, but we are training their sons and children. We have got a very nice school in Dallas, Texas. From the very beginning they are being taught about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to rise early in the morning, how to take part in the maṅgala ārātrika, how to take prasādam. Then teaching, they are learning Sanskrit and English especially, a little geography, mathematics. We have started a school. So do not take this movement very insignificantly. Try to understand this movement with all your intelligence. As Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says, caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Vicāra. Just put your judgment. Try to understand with logic and try to understand with philosophy. Not as a fanatic. Vicāra. Vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra. And if you rightly judge this movement, you will find it very sublime.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

There are three millions. And mānuṣāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi. And then we come to the form of the human being; there are also four hundred thousand species. In this way, altogether there are 8,400,000 species, forms of life.

Now modern botanists and medical men and there are so many people, they are scholars, interested to understand, biologists. But here we get the correct information from the Vedas. Similarly, not only of this information, all departmental knowledge, namely this science, geography, philosophy, religion, sociology, politics, whatever you want, you can learn from the Vedic information. There is perfect information. So it is compared with a tree. So that tree, and the ripened fruit is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Galitaṁ phalam idam. A fruit, if you take from the tree, if it is not ripened, you can keep in a store and it gets by temperature... That ripened fruit and the fruit actually ripened in the tree, there is difference in taste. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is compared as the ripened fruit. Nigama-kalpa taror galitaṁ phalam (SB 1.1.3). So we have translated this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is one part, here, you can see. In sixty parts. In the Bhāgavatam there are eighteen thousand verses and we are trying to place before you in English translation, and gradually, in other language also. It is being translated in German language, in French language and Spanish. Gradually. Some of our books are being published by Macmillan company, and they are being distributed. What is the name of that?

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

The children are under your control. Just like we are teaching these boys. They are simply chanting, dancing. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that useless education—after some years they will learn how to smoke bidi. It is not like that. They'll never touch bidi. This is education. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. Even they are not literary person, they will have character and they'll become Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is real education. Don't think that "These boys are brought here. They're not giving any education, academic. They do not know what is history, what is geography." They know little, little, not very much. We don't require to know very much, neither we are very much concerned, learning A-B-C-D. Even without A-B-C-D, they will be advanced in education. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. One who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, he is actually advanced in education. What is this education? This education has no value. Even from mundane point of view, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968:

Actually, it is darkness, but when we come in front of light, it is day. So there, in the spiritual planet, all planets are illuminating. This is an example, a sample, the sun. Sun is the only planet within this universe which is illuminating. All other planets are reflection of the sun. The moon, the stars, they are simply glittering, reflected by the sun. They are dark, just like this planet is dark. So similarly, in the spiritual sky all the planets are illuminating. None of the planets are dark. Therefore the whole sky is illuminating. There is no darkness. Just get an idea. Of course, it is not possible to explain what is the spiritual world from the material world, but from the śāstra... Just like you read geography. If you want to go to India, you get some idea that "India is like this. The shape is like this, the climate is like this, the people are like that." So you simply get an idea. But actual experience you'll get when you go to India. Similarly, the, we have got all these explanation in the śāstras what is that spiritual world, but we cannot conceive at the present moment the spiritual world. But you can conceive it. When you are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll be able. Because everything will be revealed.

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Śrīmad-Bhavagatam, First Canto, Part One. There you'll find this preface. But for general information as to the need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it.

"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits..." Just like we are traveling all over the world—not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically, while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world, every morning. There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: James, after analyzing all of these religions, different religious experiences, he gives his own conclusions, and he concludes his book in this way. He gives five basic conclusions. The first-one—"That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance." (break)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means it is existing in the spiritual effulgence of the Lord. Just like all the planets they are resting, living within the sunshine, but by geographical position, when it is back side, the sun is not in the front but in the back, then it becomes dark. Similarly, everything is existing in the spiritual effulgence, rays of the Lord, and when you forget, this is called material world. So the material world is in that piece of spiritual world, but forgetfulness of God is material. So when we..., our revival of consciousness, God consciousness, then there is no more material world. For such person who is advanced in spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, there is nothing material; everything is spiritual.

Hayagrīva: Well that's his second conclusion. His second is that "Union or harmonious relation with that higher universe is our true end."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual realization.

Hayagrīva: Three...

Prabhupāda: There is no material realization. No more material realization means no more forgetfulness of our eternal relationship with God. Then it is spiritual.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Prabhupāda: He must know all the Vedic conclusions, śrotriyam, not that he has to read, but he must hear from the authoritative sources. Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the most authoritative personality. So similarly, everyone has to hear either from Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative. That is śrotriyam. And the result will be that after becoming student of such bona fide guru, one will be firmly fixed up in God consciousness. That is the result, firmly fixed up. Now, these boys from foreign countries, according to our geographical arrangement, they are foreigners. But we don't see anything foreign. We see every land belongs to Kṛṣṇa and everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we have no such distinction. But still, from materialistic point of view, these boys and girls, they, three or four years ago they did not know what is this word Kṛṣṇa. But now they are so perfectly devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and nobody can deviate them. If somebody says that "You give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take..." Now here is Śyāmasundara. His father is very, very rich man, young man. He is always canvassing him that—he is only son—that "You come, do business. You take millions of dollars, whatever you like." He is not going. There are many like that. They cannot give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: No, wife also involved. Everyone is involved. The child is also involved. You'll find in our class a small child dancing to the tune. Yes. We have opened one school for children in Dallas. All the gṛhastha-bhaktas, those who have got children, we send there. Have you got pictures of Dallas? So there we have got very nice building, and, about, for the present, about near about hundred students. They're simply taught Sanskrit and English.

Professor: Nothing else.

Prabhupāda: Nothing else. Later on, little geometry, geography, mathematics. They're not meant for outside work. They're meant for as soon as they learn Sanskrit and English, they'll read these books.

Professor: I see. But to get the initiation, you have to be how many years old?

Prabhupāda: At least ten years.

Professor: Ten years.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ten to twelve years. That is the Vedic system. Twelve years old. He can be initiated.

Professor: Yes, yes. It is the same as the upanayana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Upa means "near," nayanam, "to bring." Upanayana-saṁskāra. And the sacred thread means that he has been accepted by the spiritual master by bringing him near to spiritual consciousness.

Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: "The scientist speaking against religion; therefore he should be hanged," so that is not good government. Government must see that whether the scientist is speaking the truth. That sense must be there. Yes, world is round. That is fact. Goloka. In Vedic literature it is bhū-gola, jagad-aṇḍa. These words are there. We can see also it is round, jagad-aṇḍa. The universe is round. And Goloka. Or Bhū-gola. Bhū-gola, the earth is round. So in the Vedic literatures... Therefore their knowledge is also imperfect because they do not refer to the Vedic literatures. It is already there. Bhū-gola. Bhū means the earth; gola means round. It is already there. And the geography's called, according to Sanskrit, it is called Bhū-gola. Long, long ago, before Galileo. So if the state is blind, he does not see whether he's talking right or wrong, then havi candra raja gobi candra mantri (?). What can be done. That is going on. Because the government means a set of fools, so all foolish people are flourishing. Government is a set of fools because sinful men. They cannot be intelligent. A sinful man cannot be intelligent. Yes. That's a fact. If he's intelligent, then his intelligence is used for wrong things. Duṣkṛtina. Kṛtina. Kṛtina means intelligent, but duṣkṛtina, badly intelligent, for doing wrong things. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Hṛdayānanda: Another question, Prabhupāda. He said that you have stated that Kali-yuga will last for around 400,000 more years and then it will be finished and that the culture will gradually degrade, people will become very short and so on and so forth. So he's wondering if there will be geographical changes in the world or if the culture as we know it now will simply disappear and how the people will be... More or less, he's wondering what will become of the earth.

Prabhupāda: Because they will not get sufficient food, shelter, bodily necessities. Just like it is already declining, already declining. Just formerly in our childhood we saw the Western people very tall. Now they are not tall. They are decreasing already. (break) In the Western countries, still there are some but in other countries they are very lean, thin and drawn. Stature of the body will decrease. Memory will decrease. It is already taking place. So in this way, you just imagine, in 400,000 years after, what will be the condition. You take mathematical calculation. (laughter) (break)

Hṛdayānanda: He's asking again about geographically, what will it be like as far as temperatures and the different continents. That's what he's interested in.

Prabhupāda: Yes, gradually everything will be barren. At the end of annihilation everything will be barren and by scorching the sunlight will be twelve times higher. So everything will be barren and burned into ashes.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: No, just like if you want to understand sun, say... what is called? Geography? Then you have to learn from the person who knows geography. You cannot learn from a person who has superficially studied. Then you have to go to the person who knows scientifically, astronomically, that sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. You have to go to the astronomer. How far the sun is situated from us? So you have to go to the particular person who knows it. You cannot say that his knowledge and the child's knowledge, who is seeing the sun as a disc is the same. That you cannot say. If you want to know further enlightenment of the sun then you have to go to the person who is studying sun scientifically. So one who has studied the sun scientifically, his knowledge and a casual person seeing the sun, his knowledge is not the same. That you cannot say. Although everyone is seeing the sun, that's all right, but the knowledge of the sun, there are different.

Morning Walk -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No. Nobody can see. Therefore Vedas say your seeing should be through the book of knowledge. That is seeing. Not with your these rascal eyes. What is the value of these rascal eyes? We know that there is, through books, through geography, we know that the other side is India. Not by seeing with these eyes, by touching it or by smelling it. These senses are useless. But these rascals depend on the senses-sense perception. Therefore they are rascals. Imperfect sense perception they believe too much. Therefore they are rascals. They do not know the value of the senses. Mūḍhā. Paśyati jñāna-cakṣuṣā. That is seeing, jñāna cakṣuṣa, by the eyes of knowledge, not by these imperfect senses. Paśyati jñāna cakṣuṣa. Everyone is anxious for the future. Why do they keep bank balance? Thinking of the future. Why they make insurance? Why they make hospital insurance? Everyone is thinking of the future. But because he is rascal, he is thinking simply for this span of life. Tathā dehāntara prāptir. Again you have to accept another body. That they do not know. So rascal. Simply calculating for this span of life.

Paramahaṁsa: We accept that, but in the next life we have a new future. This life we have this future, and in the next life we have...

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Then where is the scarcity? Why you are complaining, "There is scarcity of water." Why? You are complaining, "scarcity." If there is enough food, then why you are complaining about scarcity?

Justin Murphy: Well, I complain because I am a geographer, because I am working with an eye to the future, with an eye to a long-term situation where I can see that...

Prabhupāda: But I... Your problem and my problem is not different. You are thinking... I am not thinking. It may be. But you require food grain, I require food grain, the animals require food grain, and everyone requires food grain. So if there is sufficient food grain, then everyone will be happy.

Justin Murphy: Yes, now perhaps. How about in fifty years' time though?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Justin Murphy: How about in fifty or a hundred years' time?

Prabhupāda: But you were complaining about scarcity of water.

Justin Murphy: Yes, sure.

Prabhupāda: Gradually...

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is yajña. Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Karma means your activities. Whatever you are doing, that is karma. You are working as geologist? What is?

Justin Murphy: Geographer.

Prabhupāda: Geographer. And another man is working in the factory or somewhere else. Everyone is working. So by working the aim should be how to perform yajña. That is... That should the... Suppose you are geographer, and I am a religious preacher, and he is a cultivator, he is a factory man, he is a motorcar driver. So that is all right. But if we sit down together and perform yajña simply by glorifying the Lord, where is the loss in your part or my part or his part? Where is the loss? Suppose as a geographer, you sit down; as a religious preacher, I sit down; as a motorcar driver, he sits down; as a factory worker, he sits down and perform yajña. Yajña means we chant the holy name of the Lord. Where is the difficulty?

Justin Murphy: I wish it were as simple as that for the majority of people.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone. Even the child can take part. Even the child, woman, educated, noneducated, rich man, poor man, worker—everyone can sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So why don't you accept this formula?

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: So why not begin this? There is no loss. You are not losing anything. Suppose if you chant the holy name of God as a geographer. Your salary is not decreased. So there is no...

Justin Murphy: Certainly not, no. But why is there...? If people are, in their own way, then, chanting to their God, why...

Prabhupāda: No, no... Ultimately, you require sufficient supply of water to grow your food, vegetables. Or even if you are animal-eater, to maintain your animals you require sufficient water. And that is recommended, that yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And the yajña is very simple: chanting the holy name of the Lord. So why not introduce, that every home, every factory, every community, every place, they should sit down at least for half an hour and chant the holy name of the Lord?

Justin Murphy: Could I ask you very simply? You suggest this. If we all do this, will that, for example, remove the problems that we do, that our society, at any rate, at any guess, generates for ourself? We have more and more pollution. Depending on the way the wind blows, for example, we get at times choking pollution from the industrial complexes down to the south of this city. Are these problems going to be...

Prabhupāda: No, no, the next question will be, "If you get sufficient grain for eating, why should you take to industry?"

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No, just see...

Justin Murphy: ...the men of sobriety and gentleness, the Bertrand Russells for example.

Prabhupāda: They have to be trained. Just like you have been trained up as geographer; similarly, a certain man can be trained up as first-class man by education.

Justin Murphy: But trained by others or trained by themselves?

Prabhupāda: No, there must be institution.

Justin Murphy: But surely training by oneself. But training by oneself, such as for example an Albert Einstein or a Bertrand Russell...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, no, no, no. By teacher. You have become geographer not by yourself.

Justin Murphy: Oh, yes, but we also have many... I'm nowhere near what you're saying is a first-class. I'm talking about some of our latter-day philosophers, and Bertrand Russell is a person, for example, who, for gentleness, sobriety, and thought, whom I admire very much. And he has attained that himself. He hasn't been... He was certainly, as we all must be, surely, trained to begin with. But then it's a process of individual thought.

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. No, no, no. But that's all right. Just like we have got different institution—this is for educating engineers, this is for educating medical man, this is for educating geographer—as there are different departments.

Justin Murphy: Oh, sure, to begin with, and so there must be.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, there must be a department to train first-class men. That is required.

Justin Murphy: We don't have them in our universities.

Prabhupāda: So therefore it is chaotic, no first-class men, all third class, fourth class.

Justin Murphy: What are the specifications for your first-class man?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Find out. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā.

Paramahaṁsa: Satyam?

Prabhupāda: Śamo damas titikṣā, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Eighteenth Chapter.

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: So that we have to tolerate. Therefore it is called titikṣā. Śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣā ārjavam. Ārjavam means simple life, simplicity, that "If I can live in this way, why shall I acquire so many things for artificial life?" That is called ārjavam. Śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣā ārjavam, then jñānam. Jñānam means knowledge that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. My..." Actually that is the fact. This body is not important. The living force within the body is important. As soon as the living force goes out of the body, what is this value? You may be a great geographer or scientist or Professor Einstein or whatever. As soon as the living force is gone, you are useless, this body is useless. You have to throw it. That is jñānam, that "I am taking so much care of this material body, which will not exist, which I shall, become... 'Dust thou art; dust thou beist.' Again it will mix up with these dirty things. I am taking so much care of this body. What about that living force, which is important?"

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Nobody is taking care. Therefore they are not in jñānam, knowledge. They are in ignorance just like cats and dogs. This is called jñānam. And the vijñānam. Vijñānam means practical application of the knowledge. That is called vijñānam, science. Scientific knowledge there is. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to believe in the authority. That is called āstikyam. Just like we are speaking about this Bhagavad-gītā because it is spoken by the most supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. To believe in the authority. You also believe in authority. But ultimately, in this way, if we acquire this qualification, then we become first-class man. So anyone can be trained up. Just like these boys. They were fourth class, fifth class. And now they are trained up to become first-class men. Just like anyone can become geographer, anyone can become engineer by proper training.

Justin Murphy: Do you think you'll make it?

Paramahaṁsa: I'm making progress.

Prabhupāda: They are young men. They are all within thirty years.

Justin Murphy: And your aim, all of you, is to become first-class men?

Devotee: Yes.

Justin Murphy: Does it matter how long it might take you? Can you become first-class men soon, within five years?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, sufficient, sufficient. We can make in one year.

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a fact. Why they will think? It is a fact. There is English proverb, "There is many dangers between the cups and the lips." You are going to drink tea. The distance is: here is cup and here is lip. There may be many dangers. So suppose in drinking tea there is some choking within the throat, and coughing, you may die immediately. You are so much under the control of nature. Little mistake will cause your death, little mistake. And conditioned life means we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our knowledge is imperfect. This is conditioned life.

Amogha: I telephoned that geographer yesterday to talk to him, and he said that "What Swamiji said was true, but how can...?" He said, "It will be very difficult to apply because most people, they are not interested." But he says it was very... He could understand that was true, what you were saying. He may also come again to talk more.

Prabhupāda: Yes, let him come. Let him come. People may take or not take, but he is inquisitive gentleman. Let him understand. People... We are preaching. Who is taking? Mass of people, they are not taking it. But still, we are doing that. That is our duty. People may take or not take, but a God's servant must speak the truth. Just like Jesus Christ. He was crucified. Nobody took his words. But he did it. If people would have accepted his philosophy, then why he was crucified by the judges? It was done by the judges, Roman judges. So this is the position of the world. Socrates was killed because he said that there is soul. This is the defect of Western civilization. They want vox populi. What is that vox populi? Huh?

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: And they inquired, "Then God has father?" No, God without father. That is God. That is the distinction between ordinary living entity and God.

Paramahaṁsa: So I will try to arrange someone for tonight and tomorrow morning; that geographer, I hope. And the people from the radio conversation. They're very well known, actually. Because I asked the geographer man, I said, "Do you know this man, Tim Downs?" And he said, "Oh, yes. I have heard him many times."

Prabhupāda: Tim Down?

Paramahaṁsa: Tim Downs. He is the man who may come from radio to make a conversation. Then they will play it on radio. But I have to find out if he's coming. And in the case that there may be three people who want to come, so would it be possible for tonight to having two, maybe five o'clock and seven o'clock or something like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: Yes. I will keep in touch with those people and let them know. I will send them some literature too. Should I go and telephone those people?

Prabhupāda: Um hm. (end)

Talk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: When we are starting?

Amogha: We are starting not... The plane flies at two o'clock. So in the morning there would be time, I think. But if they come they will broadcast it on radio, the conversation. And perhaps that man, the geographer, will come again. He told me to check back today because he has to see if he can make it in the schedule.

Prabhupāda: So when he will be given time, five?

Amogha: Well, I can give him time tonight if he can come. Otherwise I can tell the radio people to come tonight. I have to telephone them and arrange it.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...if people do not like, that is another thing. What is the wrong if I say, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."? If you don't chant, that is your choice. There is no difficulty. If you agree that "Swamiji asking me. We'll chant," you can chant. But if you don't do it, that is your business. The task it not difficult. Task is very easy. Even a child can do it. But if you are stubborn, "No, no, I will not do it," then what can be done? (?) Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro... You know this song, huh? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... You have got this cassette? Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole.

Morning Walk -- May 17, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Then? What is the use of this telescope? (pause) Nothing will be finished. God's resources are unlimited, but they will be finished. Making research, research, they will be finished. God's resources will not be finished, but they will be finished. Unnecessarily they have created necessities of life. In this way, in blind capacity, they... After fifty years where this big geographist is going? He does not know. And he is thinking what will happen hundred years.

Śrutakīrti: He's thinking that in a few hundred years the resources will be used up. He doesn't... He's thinking the resources will be used up.

Prabhupāda: But before that, you will be finished, so why you are anxious?

Paramahaṁsa: He's worrying about the civilization.

Prabhupāda: Civilization, but you will be finished. You will not take part in the civilization. You have no belief in the next birth. So why you are thinking like that? You will be finished, that's all. Why you are worried? Suppose I have come here for three weeks. If I simply think, "What will happen hundred years after I am in Australia?" What is my business? I will go away by three weeks. Why shall I bring so much thoughts about "What will happen, Australia, hundred years after"? You are going to be cats and dogs or something, or grass or anything else. But you will be finished. Then why you are anxious for Australia?

Morning Walk -- May 17, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. The whole world is rascal. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal. Take it for granted. This is the test. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). These rascals, they do not know what is his self-interest. He is simply enamored by the external energy and trying to make adjustment of things. Andhā yathāndhair upanīya... He is a rascal, and his leader is also rascal. Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. These rascals do not know they are bound up, hands and legs, by the laws of nature, and they are making solution, problem. Just like this geographer is making solution and all of a sudden will die. And then another rascal will come into that place to make solution. The problem will remain, and they will come and go. They will come and go. Napoleon came for solution, Hitler came for solution, Gandhi came for solution, but when Napoleon was offered a horse's urine instead of water, he could not make any solution.

When Gandhi was fired to death, he could not make a solution. And they were leaders for solution. What they can do? Every one of them is under strict laws of nature. As nature will do, they will have to submit. And what they will make? They are not independent. Nobody knows where is Hitler. Such a big man, he hid or he killed himself, something done, but nobody knows. And one day he become the master of the whole universe. This is going on.

Amogha: But maybe by our study... We are all imperfect, but if we keep compiling the information, then after so many years they will have all the information...

Morning Walk -- August 25, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So this building for the board of...

Devotee (1): These are for studying science, politics, geography, economics, and so on. It's just like any other college. There is no oriental philosophy being studied. There is only one student who is actually studying philosophy in the whole college, Vaiṣṇava philosophy. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Fogel āśrama?

Gurṇārṇava: Fogel āśrama is further down, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What is this āśrama?

Dhanañjaya: This is no āśrama, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's just houses.

Gurṇārṇava: Just houses.

Prabhupāda: Just house? Oh. Nobody is living?

Gurṇārṇava: Yes, they're living.

Prabhupāda: (to a passerby:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Bengali)

Jayapatāka: It seems that when the schools allow the outside teachers in, then it falls down.

Morning Walk -- September 15, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let them say what is there. Then you can talk with them.

Brahmānanda: They say, "I love God. I go to church every... Once a week I go, Sunday morning. I make my prayer. So what more? I have my family. I have my job."

Vāsughoṣa: But I was reading in this National Geographic Magazine, there is one sect of people in New York City, very orthodox following. They don't even go to cinema. When they have free time they are studying the śāstras, their śāstras. They are very strict. They don't even shave their faces because it says, "Do not round the corner of your face." So they have these big beards like this, and their whole life is dedicated like this to reading and... They also sing and dance.

Prabhupāda: That is something good.

Brahmānanda: When I was a teacher in New York I taught in one of their schools. I taught the little children... (break)

Prabhupāda: After that, he is fit down(?). Then, if life member comes, he can simply stay in the guest room without any charges for three days. (break)

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, you have no money. You have not money. Therefore you are working on my order. You have no money. You have no money.

Madhudviṣa: I know.

Prabhupāda: I know it.

Rādhāvallabha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, there was one story in the magazine National Geographic of a valuable diamond, the Hope Diamond, the most valuable in the world, that was stolen from a deity of Sītā-devī. So every single person that has ever gotten the diamond has been killed.

Prabhupāda: Sītā-devī?

Rādhāvallabha: Yes, a deity of Sītā-devī. They stole the diamond from this deity in India.

Prabhupāda: When?

Rādhāvallabha: Many years ago.

Guru-kṛpā: This diamond is in the Washington...

Rādhāvallabha: Yes. Smithsonian.

Guru-kṛpā: ...Institute. Washington, D.C. The biggest diamond in the world.

Rādhāvallabha: Anyone that's ever stole it's been killed. Everyone is very much afraid now. They can't understand why everyone is dying that has taken the diamond.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: They have standardized their happiness on these principles—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling. That is the standard. And if you deny that, they say, "Oh, it is impossible. These are the primary principles of life." Yes. Such a big man like Rolan(?) said, he said, "Oh, it is impossible." He was a big man, philosopher, very nice gentleman; still, he said "Oh, it is impossible."

Jyotirmāyī: You were saying that the children should learn these three, geography and these things, and I wanted to know if they should also learn what they call biology, that is how the body is working, what are the bones and blood and...

Prabhupāda: What is the use?

Jyotirmāyī: Just to have some general knowledge...

Prabhupāda: Simply waste of time, simply waste of time.

Jyotirmāyī: Even the basic of this?

Prabhupāda: What is the basic? What you will know by that? Biology is going on, whether you study or not study. You are eating, it is transforming into blood, everyone knows. And how he's transforming into blood? What is the use?

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Jyotirmāyī: You were saying they should learn geography and history, just for general knowledge.

Prabhupāda: That is because you have to go from America to India. You must know. (laughter) You have to calculate two plus two equal to four, a little mathematics. But this biology and this "logy," they are useless. There is no necessity. What you'll gain by understanding biology? Even one who knows biology, the medical man, he gives a tablet, "Perhaps it may help you." "Perhaps." He's not sure. So what is the use? First of all, he'll take one ounce of blood from you, and they send, this station, that station, now making a chart, then he'll give you a tablet, "Perhaps it may help." This is going on. Even the biggest pathologist, medical man, cannot guarantee that whatever medicine... (break)

Yogeśvara: ...some group doctors? Some portion of the devotees medical knowledge?

Prabhupāda: There is no harm, but when medical men are available by paying something, why should you waste your time? There are so many things we purchase, you pay for them. Not that we have to learn everything. So many things we have to do. Does it mean that you have to learn everything?

Hari-śauri: There's lots of doctors, but there's no brāhmaṇas, devotees.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Maṇihāra: "ISKCON has generated many community farms like New Vrindaban, providing the ideal atmosphere of a busy, yet peaceful village, fully devoted to spiritual progress. Swami Prabhupāda has also established the first Kṛṣṇa conscious gurukula in the West, a primary school in Dallas, Texas, for one hundred boys and girls between the ages of five and fifteen. Soon after its success, many such gurukulas have sprung up all over the world. Aside from teaching reading, writing, mathematics, geography, etc., the gurukula teaches the child how to cultivate God consciousness. Once a year members of ISKCON journey to the Society's international headquarters at Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, ninety miles north of Calcutta, and the birthplace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is the site of a ten crore rupees international Vedic village comprised of community farming projects, high-class gurukula school, free medicinal facilities, and handloom weaving center. An institute of Vedic studies is proposed to be established at this site. Other major ISKCON centers in India are in Vṛndāvana, Bombay, and Kurukṣetra, the site of a three-crore rupee international Sanskrit university. This project will be sponsored by Alfred Ford, a nephew of Henry Ford. This will be the cultural..."

Prabhupāda: Nephew, nephew of Ford, that's a fact. Alfred is from the daughter's side. So the present Mr. Ford, his nephew, certainly, because daughter's side. His mother is the daughter, granddaughter of Henry Ford. Alfred's mother is the granddaughter of Henry Ford. Therefore the present Ford is the maternal uncle of Alfred.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Lage laghu.(?) Very good.

Satsvarūpa: In the US, all that territory where there are no temples was assigned into geographic zones so that all territory in Canada and the United States fits into the zone of one GBC or another.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I'd just like to point out to Your Divine Grace that preaching center means no Deities. It just means Pañca-tattva worship.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if we find that there's good...

Prabhupāda: The devotees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And if there's good reaction from the people in the city, then later on we can propose to install Deities.

Satsvarūpa: Then we switched onto other topics. There was a resolution that there will be no marriages of girls until they are sixteen years old, not before.

Pañcadraviḍa: What about the schools?

Gargamuni: That's for America.

Rāmeśvara: In America.

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi conversation)

Dr. Sharma: Actually, we never had the geographical conception of the nation. Only conception was the religious conception. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, that is India. That has been the concept through all the centuries, until 1947, you know, and then we had these boundaries. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa is worshiped in north, He is worshiped in south, He is worshiped in east, He is worshiped in west, and there are temples marking that plain. And that's what we call India. And that has been throughout the centuries. Not the geographical boundaries they have given now to India. Really you can make out the definition of India, where Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, that is India. And that can be anywhere now, including worship in the United States or in Canada. Because He was the man, He was our Lord, He came here. He gave us the religion, He gave us the life, He gave us this... So now these politicians are taking that concept away, and they are changing the consciousness of the whole nation now. They want to change the consciousness. They want to make them materialistic. They want to make them greedy. They want to...

Prabhupāda: And what materialistic advancement they have done?

Dr. Sharma: No thing.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Thousand yojanas.

Bhakti-prema: ...square. Thirty-four thousand yojanas in..., in this. This is Kimpuruṣa-varṣa. That is between Himalaya and Hemakūṭa mountain. And again Hari-varṣa is between Hemakūṭa Mountain and Niṣadha Mountain. And this Ramyaka...

Prabhupāda: Where is geographical description of this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't even know they exist.

Prabhupāda: Little description of the Himalayas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's all.

Prabhupāda: That is also not sufficient. In Europe, when we go over the mountain, huge mountainous tract, who knows about it? We are passing just like on a roof, aeroplane. You have seen? Huge. They have no information of what is there. And Switzerland...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Switzerland.

Prabhupāda: I have seen mountain goat. Where it has gone, nobody knows. Still.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There are other islands.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Andaman, Nicobar, like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. But we're not... Bhakti-prema Mahārāja said that yesterday he was going to look through the commentaries to try and understand which these referred to in present-day geography. He wasn't certain about. He only knew that one was...

Prabhupāda: There are nearby islands. I don't know whether it is... Andaman, Nicobar Islands. So those islands similarly from India were sent. Now it is inhabited. (break) ...work is stopped on account of your (indistinct)?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. (break) No, I mean in terms of our drawings and things, will we be... Will you be staying here for a little while still, in Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, you have no... I'm just trying to think in terms of pacing ourselves, what the schedule...

Prabhupāda: No, we can stay here unless business is finished. There is no other engagement.

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-prema: Another book has to be written. Its name should be Easy-to-Read Geography or Advanced Geography. And also about history we have to write. Your Divine Grace will write Advanced History, and there the complete lifetime of Manus and Indras should be given.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: According to the modern thinkers, any further back than about three or four thousand years ago, everyone was living in the caves. So they think that all of our books are mythology, some dreamt-up stories by some people...

Prabhupāda: So how they are writing of millions of years ago?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all according to their mythology.

Prabhupāda: No, they are suggesting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And, of course, they say that there were no humans around, just dust and water and earth. There were no brains at that time.

Prabhupāda: Only brains are developed now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, especially now, this century. Before this, everybody was unintelligent, and now man's brain is developing to a higher and higher degree, and he can finally understand what is what. I don't think that... Your descriptions, especially this planetarium, will at first meet with a lot of heavy reaction. It is not going to be embraced immediately very favorably. It means that everyone who calls himself a Ph.D. is a fool, that students will laugh at their teachers, if what we say is correct. There will be chaos in educational circles. (Prabhupāda chuckles)

Prabhupāda: All right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And first of all she became surprised. And next moment, "Whatever it is, my dear Kṛṣṇa, You come on my lap." So it is not for all.

Bhakti-prema: Therefore we should name it Esoteric Geography.

Prabhupāda: Journal?

Bhakti-prema: Esoteric.

Prabhupāda: Yes, esoteric I know. Journal?

Bhakti-prema: Geography.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Esoteric and exoteric. But one thing is that it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. If you think that ignorance is bliss, then why should we waste our time and money?

Yaśodā-nandana: Prabhupāda, what is the shape of this tiny portion of earth or whatever place we are on? What is the shape of this, whatever you call...

Prabhupāda: Ask them. Why don't you ask them? Sometimes they say flat, sometimes they say it is round. Why don't you ask them, the scientists?

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Unless something is important, why shall I try to understand it? It is all useless. Actually that is. Our criterion is, as soon as we see one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is rejected. He is nothing. He has no value. That is our criterion. Just like the other day he was opening that book of geography.

Śatadhanya: Oh, yes. When you opened the book of maps.

Upendra: World Atlas.

Prabhupāda: I rejected immediately. What is this nonsense? Why shall I refer to it? "Probably." Finished, one word. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate:(?) "A mūrkha, a rascal, is beautiful so long he does not speak. As soon as he speaks, we understand where he is." Bas. Just like you're cooking rice. You take one rice and press it. If it is not soft, oh, whole rice is not. If it is not soft, it is not yet cooked. Similarly, one word will give his identity. As soon as he says "Probably," finished. Why shall I take trouble?

Upendra: In all of your books there's not that word.

Śatadhanya: That way we avoid wasting time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Probably," "maybe," "in millions of years."

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, boy. He says, "The highly developed forebrain and the deeply convoluted cortex have helped him to think creatively. Scientists, as a general rule, are objective thinkers because they base their thoughts on empirical knowledge. Mystics and visionaries, the so-called spiritual scientists of Dāsa and Swami, on the other hand, build up their thoughts on their subjective perceptions. Books on chemistry, physics, mathematics, geography, history, geology, anthropology, paleontology, engineering, medical science, astronomy, etc., are the products of objective thinkers."

Prabhupāda: Big, big words, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "On the other hand, books like Arabian Nights, Gulliver's Travels..."

Prabhupāda: Whose Arabian Night?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Fairy stories like the Mahā..."

Prabhupāda: Who's talking Arabian Night?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Fairy stories like Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Bible, Koran, Pilgrim's..." Oh, this man... "Pilgrim's Progress, Jataka stories, astrology, palmistry, numerology, theology, demonology, etc., are the products of subjective thinkers. While the former are factual, the latter are all fictitious. Some of the marvelous achievements of mankind in recent years are the liberation of atomic energy, radio telescopy..."

Prabhupāda: What is value of atomic energy? A man is dying; you have accelerated his death. That's all.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Live comfortably. We have got nice place, and whatever comfort you want, you'll get. These Americans, Europeans... When I was in London, I was thinking of getting you there. Anyway, by Kṛṣṇa's grace you have come. Good for us, good for you.

Bhakti-prema: Gone down(?) over the subject matter about esoteric geography and esoteric history, and I have gotten many good points more.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Perhaps Kṛṣṇa wanted it.

Bhakti-prema: We can put it in very nice way now.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, thank you very much. (break)

Kulādri: ...dakṣiṇā, eight thousand dollars in dakṣiṇā, for... Before... With the new system of initiation that you've initiated, he asked them to write you a check for $111 for each devotee he's initiating for you. So he has a check for eight thousand dollars for you. One of the girls has taken silver thread and crocheted this silver bead bag with silver thread. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Silver thread on satin.

Prabhupāda: Silver thread.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- Columbus, Ohio 15 May, 1969:

Regarding the IBM Composer, please have the IBM Company send me one letter stating that $660.00 should be transferred to their account, such and such account number, on the completion of the negotiations. Then I shall advise my bank to transfer the money to the IBM's account upon completion of your talks with them. Regarding your proposed program of editing, the Bhagavatam First Canto is already edited, so when making final typing, you shall simply see it for proofreading. I do not think that you need take too much burden because you may fall ill with too much work. Now you are editing Back To Godhead, and when we get the Composer there will be so much proofreading for you. So I think this will be sufficient work for you.

Regarding Birbhadra, when I go to New Vrindaban soon I shall see if the situation is all right for him to go there. For the present, he need not go out, and you should simply teach him history, geography and mathematics. His history lessons will take care of his reading and spelling instruction. So far as your question about how to think of Radha-Krishna, your present process of visualizing the Deities is nice. You have written for me to press the temples, namely London and San Francisco, to send their $750 for the printing of Back To Godhead, but this project should be referred to Brahmananda because he is in charge of dealing with Dai Nippon Company in this connection.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Mayapur 28 February, 1972:

Krsna Consciousness is not limited. Persons like all of the Gosvamis wrote so many books, Visvanatha Cakravarti, and all the acaryas wrote books, and still I am writing books. Similarly, also my disciples will write. So any self-realized soul can write unlimited books without deviating from the original ideas.

Sanskrit should be compulsory for all our children to learn, and anyone who has elementary knowledge of alphabet and grammar can begin to teach it. In addition, English reading and writing, a little mathematics, history and geography or we shall be thought fools if we do not know—that's all. Main thing is that by attendance of our routine programme, that is, rising early, cleansing, chanting, eating Krsna prasada, street Sankirtana, looking at books, etc., in this way, if the children associate with their elders in the regular schedule of devotional practices, that is best way to train. Otherwise, hygienic principles must be very much practiced. The future preachers of KC Movement must learn to be suci, absolutely pure in all respects, & for this, practical cleansing is the basic teaching, e.g., not touching anything dirty to mouth. Mouth is dirtiest part, and infection can spread very easily by the mouth. There is word visa-kanya, or the policy of gradually poisoning a beautiful girl so she will adapt and not be affected, then she will have the potency to assassinate by passing infection by mouth to some enemy.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Calcutta 7 March, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I am very glad to learn that you are enthusiastic to teach the children. Most of your questions I have answered as above to Satsvarupa. Simply follow the program of the elders, let the children associate as much as possible with the routine KC program, and when the others go out for working and business matters, the children can be given classes as you describe. They can learn our method of Krishna Consciousness by rising early, cleansing, plus knowledge of Sanskrit, English, a little Mathematics, history, geography, that's all. We haven't got to take any help from the government by getting so-called accreditation. If outsiders want to send their children to us, it will not be for their accreditation, but because they will get the best education for relieving them of all anxieties of material life and for this education the government has no idea. Where is such thing as transmigration of the soul being taught in classroom? If they simply learn to rise early, cleanse, all hygienic principles, their study will be greater than any government program. Whatever the elder members are doing, the children should do if possible. But for teaching the teachers themselves should be fixed up initiated devotees, otherwise how the children can get the right information and example?

Letter to Giriraja -- Sydney 12 April, 1972:

According to our Vedic system prasada distribution should not be on the line of hotel or canteen business. Whatever prasadam we can distribute, that should be done free of charges. So to summarize, you should distribute free prasadam, and try to introduce immediately KC instruction to the students through English medium. I know many parents are eager to educate their wards through English medium. If we can introduce this system, our girl disciples may be engaged for teaching them: a little English grammar, reading and writing, geography, arithmetic, history, sanskrit,, but all of them should be Krishna Conscious—that is Bhagavata program:

kaumaram acarer prajno

dharman bhagavatan iha

Madhudvisa has written one letter to Syamasundara expressing his desire to come to this side. So if you think that you can manage without his help, then he is welcome to come this side. There is very good scope this side for Sankirtana Party. The Sydney and Melbourne people are doing especially nice.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Paris 25 July, 1972:

Regarding your questions about children at Gurukula, above ten years old they can be initiated first time, and after one year of perfectly chanting 16 rounds and observing the other regulative principles, they may receive second initiation. The Bhagavata class should go on, just as I have shown you, with everyone attending, including the children. Read the Sanskrit sloka all together, word meanings, translation, purport and give elucidation on all points. The children should be doing the same thing we are doing, plus giving them the playing facility, a little ABC, history, mathematics, geography, like that. They should not help in cooking, nor should they take part in any hard work, they must study. After initiation, then they can learn cooking. They should not be utilized for giving service to the elderly members, they should be given chance for reading and writing. So far marriage is concerned, they must be legally married.

Letter to Giriraja -- Amsterdam 30 July, 1972:

So far the school of Sumati Morarji, make the children into Vaisnavas through English medium of learning. We are not going to abide by the government schedule. They should be taught our books as soon as they can read and write. The idea is that those who will later on accept service, they cannot be accepted by us for schooling, we cannot help them. They must be the sons of rich and important men who will not be taking education simply to use it for eating and sleeping. They should be taught just to do like the elders, that is, rise early, cleanse, attend mangal arati, read our literatures, chant, go for sankirtana, like that, and besides that, a little ABC, mathematics, geography, history, that's all. And teach the small children to play Krishna games: one child is a cow, another is cowherd boy, they go to the forest, there are demons there, Krishna kills the demons, like that; in this way, let the children play Krishna games, then attend arati, then learn some ABC, then play some more, have kirtana, little ABC, and by keeping them always diversified they shall not lose interest and will keep their attention always focused around Krishna.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Dinatarini -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Dallas School dated December 26, 1972, along with examples of the children's classwork. Thank you very much for allowing me to see the nice progress being made by our future preachers. I think everything is going on there nicely, and the children are learning in the proper line. So far geography and history are concerned, you may teach geography as it is, there is no harm to getting knowledge about our material earth planet, even up to learning all of the countries and places, names, landscape, production, natural resources, climates, oceans, deserts, everything should be there. Krsna Consciousness devotees shall not be known as fools. All of you nice boys and girls have had that kind of education, and you are preaching now Krsna consciousness in its pure form, so there is no hindrance for learning such things, just as you have also learned them as child. So teach them in this way, exactly as you have also been taught geography, history and other things. So far history is concerned, we shall not teach the history as Darwin has given, but there is no harm to learn what is the history of your country, just like Washington was the first president, and after him came so-and-so, like that. If the modern historians have altered the story of history to fit their own view of things, that can be avoided, anything like opinion and speculation, but the bare facts as much as we know them may be learned by the young children, there is no harm.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Tripurari -- Vrindaban 28 October, 1976:

I am in receipt of your letter dated 14/10/76 along with a copy of National Geographic magazine.*

Please go on with your program, preaching and distributing my books, encouraging others to remain pure by following our simple program of chanting, reading, Deity worship, etc. Krsna will certainly help you. Keep yourself always engaged in the service of Gaura-Nitai and that will keep you liberated from material contamination.