Holiness (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"holiness"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Hayagrīva: But I thought Rāmānanda Rāya was a devotee.

Prabhupāda: But he was devotee, but undoubtedly, but outwardly he was a governor. Outwardly. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not go him, but he understood that "Here is a nice sannyāsī." He came down and offered his respect and sat down before Him. And there was acquaintances, and Lord Caitanya said that "Bhaṭṭācārya has already informed Me about you. You are a great devotee. So I have come to see you." And then he replied, "Well, what devotee? I am a pound-shilling man, politician. But Bhaṭṭācārya is very kind to me that he has asked Your Holiness to see me. So if You have come, so kindly, kindly deliver me from this material māyā." So there was appointment of time with Rāmānanda Rāya and both of them met again in the evening and there was discussion about, I mean to say, spiritual advancement of life. Lord Caitanya inquired from him and Rāmānanda Rāya replied. Of course, that's a long story, how He questioned and how he replied.

Hayagrīva: Rāmānanda Rāya.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Prabhupāda: The original guru is Kṛṣṇa. And just like He taught first the Kṛṣṇa consciousness principle to Arjuna. And how Arjuna understood, that is also there. So anyone who follows the principle... Just like my great grandfather told something, "This is watch." Then my grandfather told, "This is watch." Then my father told, "This is watch." So I am also telling, "This is watch." So there is no difference of opinion between the old great grandfather and me because we are following the same principle. Similarly, whatever is spoken by Kṛṣṇa five thousand years or forty millions of years, it doesn't matter. If you are simply following the same principles, then you are spiritual master.

Interviewer: Then your teachers are called spiritual masters? You are the spiritual preceptor, your holiness. And do you use the word guru?

Prabhupāda: Our guru or spiritual master comes down from that disciplic succession. It is not that, that somebody all of a sudden becomes guru and manufactures his own philosophy. We don't accept such nonsense. We must accept somebody who is actually bona fide, coming in disciplic succession, not others.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- July 5, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes. There is nothing prohibited. Simply you have to change your consciousness, that's all. We are also eating, we are also sleeping. Many of our students are householders; they have sex. So there is..., nothing is prohibited, but regulated for higher achievement. That is our program.

Guest (2): Have you asked the government for money? President Nixon?

Prabhupāda: No. What is the use of asking? Who will give me? Why shall I be refused? If you think this, this movement is serious, good, then you come forward. I cannot approach the government and the government says no. I don't think it is good for the government.

Guest (2): Do you see yourself then as the savior of American youth?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Certainly. It is saved already. Why? It is not future, it is present, practical.

Guest (2): Thank you very much Your Holiness. Good luck.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct) to listen to him (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: He, because he's a vaikuṇṭha person who could understand that this boy is eager to hear, so he very much appreciated. So when we came back to Allahabad, so Ganeśa Babu, he introduced me, that "Here is a nice devotee." So Prabhupāda immediately replied, "Yes, I have marked him. He does not go away, he hears." This (indistinct), "Yes, I will accept him as disciple." Then I was initiated. In this way our relationship with Gauḍīya Maṭha developed, and gradually as it developed, the other side diminished. Then, there are long history, it will take time, but I had the opportunity of associating with His Holiness. For several years I had the opportunity. Kṛṣṇa and Prabhupāda liked it to prepare me.

Room Conversation with Guest -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: No, I have read his Chicago speech. In that speech, he openly says, "Why do you care for God? You work hard, and why do you give credit to God?" Like that. Rather, one Christian priest protested...

Guest: But many times Swami Vivekananda himself went to temples and bowed down before Kālī, before Śrī Kṛṣṇa, before Śrī Bhavānī, and many other temples. He went to Kanyā-kumārī and prayed before Mother.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Distribute the prasāda. Bhagavān ka prasāda. Hm. That's all. So it is a great pleasure for us. Your Holiness visits us voluntarily. Although I could not invite you, but still, you are so kind, you came. So I am doing my bit, following in the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That's all.

Guest: It is a great service to Hindu dharma and Hindu society and humanity as well.

Prabhupāda: They are strictly following Vaiṣṇava principles. They... Whenever one comes to become my disciple, the first condition is that no illicit sex; no meat-eating, eggs, fish, nothing of the sort; no intoxication up to smoking cigarette, drinking tea and coffee; and no gambling. So they strictly follow these things. In our society, there is no tea-drinking even. We don't drink tea. So... Intoxication, pāna, chāi pāna, pāna... Pāna is intoxication.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: And that is spiritual energy. That is spiritual energy. When we find out the source of these two energies, that the beginning of spiritual life, or spiritual understanding.

Dr. Sallaz: And, Your Holiness, you know, some of our members know this perfectly, Bhagavad-gītā and all the holy scriptures, ancient holy scriptures, and all the others too, and have studied them for years, trying to look for truth. I am not in this stage and I'm...

Prabhupāda: But truth is there, explained. Truth is there, Kṛṣṇa. From Him, the energies are coming. He is the Absolute Truth. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, satyam. Then Bhāgavata explains, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So the Supreme Truth is there within our understanding. But people do not know it. Therefore spiritual revolution means the people should understand what is the Supreme Truth, and then mold their character and activities according to that relationship. Then that is success of human life.

Room Conversation with Bishop Kelly -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Bishop Kelly: That is true. That is true... Do you wish me to take this away or should I look at it here?

Satsvarūpa: May he keep the book or...

Prabhupāda: No, this is the only one sample I have got. But as soon as we get more copies, we shall be very glad.

Bishop Kelly: I will return your glasses. (laughter) I hope mine are outside.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bishop Kelly: So I am very pleased to have had the opportunity of meeting with you, your grace.

Prabhupāda: So I am also that your holiness has come.

Bishop Kelly: I hope that in some real way that the cause of God will be served the better for this meeting. I do wish you Godspeed in your work, and in that, of course...

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- September 26, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Indian man (2): I say, in foreign countries, Swamijī, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you cannot see?

Indian man (2): Yes, we want to know from Your Holiness...

Prabhupāda: You cannot see? Who are they if they are not...

Indian man (2): Yes, yes, yes. We are very much... We take a pride. Actually we take a pride that Your Holiness like you had gone for America and the world and spread our message of our Indian philosophy. We are very much proud about it. Though we do not give much response to your mission here or in India because it's our home. Home is for the neighbor only(?). That is the difficulty. Tulsi das has written (Hindi). Swami Vivekananda went there, and he was honored there, and thereafter our people honored him because other people honored him.

Prabhupāda: All right. Let us go. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just... (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Break) (Hindi conversation)

Kartikeya: We have not seen father.

Prabhupāda: You have not seen.

Kartikeya: The body is not father, and what is father, what is in the father, we have never seen.

Prabhupāda: That you have not seen. You have no eyes to see.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: "So you are so fortunate that you could suffer the loss of fifty thousand, but I have nothing to lose."

Indian man: But that is for a discriminating man. Here it is an ignorance, asuya, envy. When Acyutānanda Swami was addressing one man (he) said, "Why always have Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa? We can have Hare Christ also." Same answer as Your Holiness gave, he said, "Yes, yes, you can have it. Whoever says.... We don't say no. It is also possible, but degree, matter of degree," as Your Holiness the other day put it. And some chapters and words were read out to the people. They were convinced that same saṅkīrtana is also sanctioned in the Bible.

Prabhupāda: We have to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu or you? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). So we have to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What is this building?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a tuberculosis hospital.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So we're continuing with this questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal in Bombay. This is question number ten. Question number ten, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is "Will mantras lose their sanctity if they are not in Sanskrit?"

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Will mantras lose their sanctity or holiness if they are not in the Sanskrit language?

Prabhupāda: Mantra in Sanskrit language, it may... The letters may be different, but it is a transcendental sound. The sound must be vibrated. You cannot translate it. The sound as it is... Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the sound must be produced. You cannot translate. Then it will be artha, arthavad. That is prohibited. You cannot interpret or do other way... The sound vibration must be there. Then it will continue in sanctity.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is that to say the mantras can be written in Devanāgarī script or in Roman letters, but...

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So God is unlimited and you are limited. So how you can think of God?

Guest (4): You see I'll just quote one of his stanzas which reveal...

Prabhupāda: I am talking...

Guest (4): I understand your point of view, but I'm just, to your holiness, in the last stanza of his advaita philosophy, he says, ahaṁ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpa vibhur apya sarvatra sarvendriyāṇi sadame sama...(?)

Prabhupāda: Who says "aham"?

Guest (4): Śaṅkarācārya.

Prabhupāda: That means a person is thinking of God. So that is my point, whether an individual person can think of God and ascertain that "Here is God."

Guest (4): He comes to that particular conclusion though, your holiness, he says that ahaṁ nirvikalpa nirākāra rūpa...

Prabhupāda: So nirākāra... If you are speaking, then how he can become nirākāra?

Guest (4): He actually defines what prevails in the universe, what is that element which governs us.

Prabhupāda: Let us just discuss from the point. As you say, that I think and I speak, so when you speak, when you think, whether you are nirākāra or ākāra.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Real Punjabi. (laughter)

Guest (5): And the color of his skin was as pink as the petal of the rose. He was a dynamic personality also. And the command over the language was superb. Just Your Holiness is quoting the Sanskrit quotations, just like Swami Gangesvarananda, though he's a blind man. But you, he can quote from any chapter, any stanza, any couplet. He's also here at present. He's coming over there.

Prabhupāda: No, he's my good friend.

Guest (5): Yes. We had a word about you with him long back. Before Your Holiness came to India.

Prabhupāda: He likes me. (laughter)

Guest (5): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: One Indian, a very learned scholar in Chandigarh, he has given very good certificate. What is that?

Satsvarūpa: He said that "There have been many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā including Rāmānuja, Madhva and Śaṅkara, and then," he said, "Tilak and Gandhi, but of all of them the commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the greatest commentary." Punjab University. Then he said later that "In this suffering mankind, God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said greater than the other ācāryas.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. Greater than Rāmānuja and Madhva.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he's a big man.

Prabhupāda: He is very big man. Very good scholar also. He goes outside for lecturing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Practically all the devotees feel your presence through these books.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere there is founder-ācārya's name, but not a single line...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right.

Prabhupāda: So they have purposefully avoided and given "His Holiness"?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: I all the time insisted on this, that it has to be written down...

Prabhupāda: Your photograph and your name and nothing else.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, one point is this: When you hold a press conference you don't give them a fifty-page booklet and expect that they're going to read any of it. They're not going to read any of it. When you hold a press conference you give one sheet, and on that sheet everything is there in order of importance. Nobody ever gives this in a press conference. This is a book.

Prabhupāda: No, no...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't have the time to read. I mean, that's why they won't publish any of this. This is good, but it...

Prabhupāda: No, no, where is mentioned that Surabhī Swami was...? His name? How they have picked up your name and your photograph as everything?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Well, I usually have to go these places. And the man, he wanted to see me the night before, so I went to Times of India, and I was...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why would he want to see you?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: I don't know. So I came on invitation, and then I just sat down to explain all the things that were written in the book.

Prabhupāda: I don't think there is any name mentioned, presented, in these articles.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Building is there.

Mr. Dwivedi: Yes, Swamiji, not one buildings. Lot of buildings.

Prabhupāda: So many. So why not think over it? Let us go there for some time and organize.

Mr. Dwivedi: You wanted me first of all to bring some workers to Your Holiness.

Prabhupāda: No, they may come or not come. There should be kavel(?).

Mr. Dwivedi: No... Or if Your Holiness likes, they may come, as many as Your Holiness..., ten, twenty, fifty, to be gotten with us. And Your Holiness can further talk with those boys, and then at any time, either now or two months later...

Prabhupāda: No... Just like you have come. You can hold meeting amongst yourself. If you are agreeable, then we take immediately. There is no doubt.

Mr. Dwivedi: We have... If... There is no what is it that I can think of disagreeing. Your Holiness has said nothing in which I do not already believe, in which I do not try to live myself.

Prabhupāda: Then we can go immediately and stay there for some time and organize. Immediately. I...

Mr. Dwivedi: And it will be fine, the line Your Holiness has suggested, a temple, although we do not have a temple in our colony itself, but we have a temple roundabout or the temple atmosphere where we are having our own...

Prabhupāda: No, so many buildings... If there is any hall, if there is any big hall for tem...?

Mr. Dwivedi: Yes, sir, very big hall. We have a hall to accommodate at least four hundred people.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is quite good.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: So my people need not come here now.

Prabhupāda: No. We are going.

Mr. Dwivedi: My... Their good luck in taking Your Holiness over there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Instead of the mouse going to the hill, let the hill go.

Mr. Dwivedi: (laughing) Hill go to the mouse.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Prasādam?

Upendra: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Kārttikeya... He's your son? No.

Mr. Dwivedi: No, he's my nephew.

Prabhupāda: Nephew. Good boy.

Mr. Dwivedi: And he's his brother-in-law. I came with one request and also a suggestion, if that is appealable to Your Holiness. When I had been there in the night at home I has pondered a little, and I thought I am on very good terms with Mr. Jetthi, easily approachable for me. Even in spite of the ministerial crisis on the 22nd, he met me. On the 2lst evening I went to Vṛndāvana. So I saw the, our Mr. President, Akṣaya Mahārāja. He wanted me to stay. I said, "No, I am going away. I'm going with Mr. Jetthi for tomorrow." And I think if he is just a little free from government engagements, he would like to preside or inaugurate this function, and I would call it the inauguration of the Krishna Consciousness Society branch in the state of Madhya Pradesh and at this place. And therefore, as soon as I'll get permission from Your Holiness, I shall try to contact him tonight on telephone.

Prabhupāda: It is... I think it is a good proposal. If President comes, it must be very successful. It is very good chance.

Mr. Dwivedi: So if I have your permission, I'll do this.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. I... For mine, that... You told that "You gain your weight, increase your weight." That induced me.

Mr. Dwivedi: The very fact that Your Holiness will be going there, that has manifold increased our... We are not worried about that.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Then accept. Then accept.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Very good atmosphere.

Mr. Dwivedi: This is just a mile or even less than a mile from our colony itself. River there... First of all there is river. Your Holiness may not be... Your Holiness will be able to see it from the riverside. But other people, my friend Gosvāmī, will be able to go up over the mountain. It's not a very...

Prabhupāda: And river, river, how far it is, river?

Mr. Dwivedi: Pardon? River, there are two rivers. One river is a small nada, but it flows throughout the year, where we have a scheme for starting dairy. So that is actually shaving our school boundary. Then there is another river, where I am talking of the Kedāreśvara temple. This is about a mile or about three-fourth of a mile...

Prabhupāda: Good river.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. I am little weak.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes. All weak.

Prabhupāda: So Surabhī, come. You can come.

Indian Astronomer: And I am very glad to meet Your Holiness.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Indian Astronomer: Till now I saw only in the papers, newspapers and magazines and pamphlets and books. I am so fortunate to gain darśana directly at your...

Prabhupāda: It is very kind of you.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So we want a diagram.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: So kindly help us.

Indian Astronomer: With your Your Holiness permission, he told all these things to me. I use some Bhāgavata śloka before. (quotes Sanskrit ślokas from Bhāgavata, Tenth Canto)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now find out that Fifth Canto. So this planetary system is hanging.

Indian Astronomer: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham (BG 15.1). Same thing is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now, how it is hanging and where are different situation of the planets and plateaus and hills and..., so as far as the book is concerned, kindly make a diagram so that we shall execute.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam. That means, this, about the life.

Prabhupāda: Not life. This planetary system is like that.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the difficulty? The śāstra is there. You have to make drawing according to śāstra. That's all.

Indian Astronomer: You see, everything is separate author. Preparing diagram is separate author.

Prabhupāda: Why separate au...? If you understand clearly, you can make it.

Indian Astronomer: No, no, not like Your Holiness... We'll be able to... We all will go, deeply penetrate in the ideas of scriptures, and find out the facts.

Prabhupāda: At least you make some attempt. Let us see.

Indian Astronomer: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: You make some attempt. Go to the offices.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Please just try.

Indian Astronomer: Yes. I will explain again to you later.

Patita Uddhāraṇa: You must try.