Hopelessness (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"hopeless" |"hopelessly" |"hopelessness"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Devotee (2) (lady): The ultimate desire of a Christian is to be with Jesus, is to go to be with him. That is their ultimate desire. Not necessarily to be with the Father, but to be with Jesus.

Devotee (3): What do they do with him?

Devotee (2): By leading the Christian life.

Devotee (3): I mean when they go to him, what do they do?

Devotee (2): (indistinct)

Devotee (3): See the idea is that you could not remember perfectly 'cause the taste is gone, the līlā is death mostly. But it isn't death, the basics are there, but they're teaching death. And so any intelligent person says, "I want to go to Jesus, but then what do I do? If it is everlasting hell, then heaven must be also everlasting, but what do we do?" And if it's void, then it will not keep the people interested, therefore people are leaving religion.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is very good reason. There is no hope, better go to hell. (laughter) At least there is something. Never mind. Yes, hopelessness is not good.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: It is the duty of the Indians to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but they are preaching very nicely. I am training these foreigners. They are doing this duty. It is the duty of the Indians. It is their culture. But they are satisfied only... If one young man gets a nice wife and a little bit of money, oh, he says, "My life is successful." Therefore I went away. I approached many gentlemen. "Please, you have got four sons. Give me one son. I shall make him a real brāhmaṇa." "Swamiji, (Hindi)." He does not know the value. Therefore I left India, hopeless. And Kṛṣṇa has given me chance, very good chance. Now they are appreciating. When I go to India they become surprised, "Swamiji, how you have done this thing?" This is the reason.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: And at the last stage they think that "I would have liked that one would have shot me down on my head." What that old lady was talking?

Pañcadraviḍa(?): Oh, yes. (laughs)

Devotee (2): She said if someone else didn't shoot her, she would. She'd just do herself in.

Prabhupāda: Hopeless life. Māyā-sukhāya. Because they waste their time simply for flickering happiness, in future everything is zero. Śūnyavādī, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādī means whose ultimate goal is zero. Pāścātya-deśa, Western countries. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. (chants japa) Every one of you should take this movement very seriously and save your country.

Interview -- July 5, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: They, although they are proud of education, but they do not discuss what is the constitutional position of the soul, how he is transferring from one body to another, how it is to be done. This science is unknown to the modern education. Is it not? They do not know. They simply speculate. That is the defect of modern educational system, and actually everyone is seeking for spiritual emancipation. Therefore in your country, in spite of so many big, big universities, you are producing hippies, hopeless population. Am I saying right or not? Your are university teacher. I have seen in so many universities

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 17, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Activity without knowing the purpose of it, that is struggle for existence. You must know why you are working so hard. What for I shall work? The aim of life is missing. Na te viduḥ. They do not know it. Therefore failure, confusion, hopelessness. All the results of this world, hopelessness. Is it not? What is one... Show one result, that it is very successful, hopeful. Just like, say, moon planet-hopelessness. What is there? They spend so much time and money, but what is this? Hopelessness. They do not know. All scientists are working, all politicians are financing, but result is hopelessness. Is it not?

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

Prabhupāda: ...first-class economist. We are trying to save the state money from being unnecessarily squandered away. The so-called scientists, politicians, they are simply wasting money. (break)

Prajāpati: ...fear this condition is hopeless.

Prabhupāda: No, not at all. You simply expose these rascals, and everything hopeful. You have to know how to expose these rascals. That's all.

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. If the constitution is that, that in the name of religion somebody cheats, the government should take action, so here it is being done. So we have to maintain so many departments to fight with these wrongdoers. Why not make a test case that "This man is declaring himself God. How he is God? Let him prove in the court." Why not institute a case?

Umāpati: Actually, the people feel helpless. They feel there is nothing they can do anyway, about anything. That's why they are engaging so much in intoxication. They feel hopeless under this government.

Prabhupāda: That is the defect, that the government itself is imperfect. How they can check?

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So if you don't use your intelligence for understanding Kṛṣṇa, you are nothing but cats and dogs. Kṛpaṇa. They are called kṛpaṇas. Kṛpaṇa means miser. One has got money, but he does not know how to utilize it. He is called kṛpaṇa, miser. They are so rascal that they cannot conceive that there is something as God and He can be known. Hopeless. That is the real point. Otherwise why so many scientists are...? They know, "This is idea only. There is nothing like God. So let us put our theories." That's all.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 9, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So when there is requisition of water like seas and ocean, what this one drop will do? He admits there is little happiness, but this happiness is nothing that we want in comparison. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Taṭala saikata, vāri bindu sama, suta mitā ramaṇī samāje, tahe viṣere mana, tahe samarpala, havana yughamala na kāj. Mādhava āmāra pari nama nirasa (?): "Therefore, my Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see my future is hopeless, and therefore I surrender unto You. There is no other way." Mādhava āmāra pari nama nirasa, tuhu jagad taraṇa, dīna dayāla, ataeva tohari varosa (?), that "I have no other hope. Simply hope you are." Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...is better, the breathing air. That side is..

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: The sacrifice means the animal slaughter has to be done in the mosque, is it not?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: It has to be made under special conditions. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...later on they turned into Vaiṣṇavas. (break) Young preachers, hopeless (break) ...real thing and people follow then everything is possible.

Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: This is practical. We can stop. Just like they have become saintly person. Everyone... India they are surprised that "How you have made these Europeans, Americans like this?" They are surprised. Because in India the brāhmaṇas and others, they were under impression that "These Western people, they are hopeless. They cannot be any advanced religionist or spiritual." So when they see we have got many temples in India, that they are worshiping Deity and managing everything, chanting, dancing, they are surprised.

Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That is the defect. The people are rascals and they have elected another rascal. (laughter) That is the defect.

Director: But that's how it is.

Prabhupāda: So what can be done? Then hopeless.

Director: Well, you can work on the...

Prabhupāda: But we are going without depending on these rascals. We are going on. We are publishing our books, we are making our movement, we honestly trying. That's all. That we are doing all over the world.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: He will think, "What is next? Is it finished here?" The rascal says, "No, after finishing, everything is finished." What is this? If there is evolution—you have come to this stage —then what is the next stage? That is natural. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Now you can go to the moon planet if you try. Moon planet, sun planet, Venus and so many. If you become serious. And you can go to God's planet, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Now you select where will you will go. But there is spiritual planet. But what is their theory? That after finishing this body, everything is finished.(?) They do not believe in the next life.

Bali-mardana: Therefore their life must be hopeless.

Prabhupāda: Hopeless, yes. (break) Yes, you can send him to India.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Ambarīṣa: Prabhupāda, you said the other day that pretty soon all these lies will be exposed.

Prabhupāda: They are already exposed because they have left that expedition. That means they are hopeless. That is exposed. But foolish people will not ask them that "Why you have stopped this expedition?" They will again go on bluffing, and they will accept. That is the position. Now people should ask them, "Why you have stopped moon expedition and Venus expedition? You proposed you were going there, making arrangement. Why you have stopped?" It is failure.

Room Conversation -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So what can I do? I say that whatever I have got experience, I am explaining in my books. I have explained. So it is not possible for me to answer every individual person. It is not possible.

Devotee (2): We respect that. We understand. It is just that because they are saying these things...

Prabhupāda: I have got my advanced students. They can answer. If they are unable, answer, if you do not find answer from my books, then it is hopeless.

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Mr. Wax: There's hope for our world today?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Otherwise, why we are trying unless there is hope? We are not hopeless. If you train... If you can train a monkey to dance according to your will, why not human being? You can train even a tiger in the circus; he will act as you desire. It is the question of training. If the animal can be trained, why not a human being? You must know how to train. That knowledge is lacking, how to train. That we are giving, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Morning Walk -- September 27, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: They don't think there is need of husband. Eh? But they feel. That I know. I have seen one girl. She saw another friend, "Oh, she has got a husband," whispering. So I can understand that everyone aspires after husband, but there is no hope. Hopelessness. This is the position. Every woman wants a good husband, good home, good children, little ornaments, nice food. That is the ambition of every woman, but they are hopeless. Although they are well qualified, European, American girls, they are hopeless, not to get any husband, not to get any home. This is their position. I have studied thoroughly. Is it not?

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hopelessness. When we see in our association all these girls. They are so nicely, well qualified. Whatever they are taught, they immediately pick up.

Morning Walk -- September 27, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the nature. That is... They want to be a faithful wife, but there is no husband. Where to become faithful?

Harikeśa: So then they want to become liberated.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Being hopeless repeatedly, now they want liberation. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) Jaya. (break) ...samājīs?

Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: So in the face of so many odds and uncertainty, I went there, simply depending on my spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, with this hope only, that "If they desire, everything can be done. But otherwise there is no hope. I am going there, hopeless, just to make an experiment. My other Godbrothers, they failed. All right, Guru Mahārāja asked me. In the beginning I did not do. Let me do it in this old age." So it became surprisingly success. Business started with forty rupees, and now we have got four crores.

Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Intimate servant?

Devotee: Yes. In one purport in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: Is there, "servant," this word is used?

Devotee: Becomes his friend.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. (break) ...stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, that there are gṛhasthas, they are not attached to gṛhastha. They actually, they are attached to Kṛṣṇa, but maybe for convenience sake he remains a gṛhastha. Gṛhastha, there are two words: gṛhastha and gṛhamedhī. One who is gṛhamedhī, he is hopeless. One who is gṛhastha, that is all right.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Generally devotee dies remembering Kṛṣṇa, generally. But even if for material condition he cannot, then Kṛṣṇa is taken charge.

Pañca-draviḍa: What was the arrangement with Bharata Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: And there is no question of hopelessness, no. We have to do our duty very seriously. Then everything is all right.

Pañca-draviḍa: So with Bharata Mahārāja, that was special arrangement?

Prabhupāda: No. It was.... It was punishment. He became so much, I mean, attached with the animal that he forgot his duty in devotional service.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Kīrtanānanda: I think it was just ten years ago when I first met you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I never said that "You have to give up this, you have to do this." Never said. Then gradually ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). When the heart becomes cleansed, then little. There is no hopelessness. So many people have come, and they are coming. Both black, white, everyone is coming.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Kīrtanānanda: He never lost his sentiment for you.

Prabhupāda: No, that I know. Therefore I like.

Kīrtanānanda: But he's addicted to his bad habits.

Prabhupāda: He'll be corrected. There is no hopelessness.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: There was no preaching. There was no education on this subject. The Christian priests, they are unable to...

Kīrtanānanda: They have no knowledge themselves. How they can teach?

Hari-śauri: They are all giving up out of hopelessness themselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are now asking... In Melbourne the priest asked me, "Swamiji, why Christian religion is dwindling? What we have done?" I told them, "What you have not done?" (laughs) They were little insulted.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: They'll understand. I'm just pointing out the difficulties of your preaching. You'll have to face all these difficulties. They're like cats and dogs. They are not even human beings. Therefore the business is little hard job. You have to deal with cats and dogs. But still there is hope, because they have got this human form of life. There is hope. It is not hopeless. Don't be disappointed, but this is the job. You have to meet with cats and dogs. That is my point.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Where they have gone? (laughter)

Hari-śauri: Well, they gave up going to church at least.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Hopeless life.

Prabhupāda: No, why hopeless? There is hope—Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Hopeless for them.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Better avoid the rascals. Just like in hospital, emergency cases, the doctor, when they see that this patient hopeless, he does not take care anymore. But when there is hope, they give medicine and try to... So hopeless condition, better not. Don't talk with them. That's all. That is vaiṣṇava-ācāra. Then he'll remain safe. Hopeless person, don't waste your time talking with them. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca. Four observations. Bhagavān-īśvara; prema-love. And, prema-maitrī, friendship with devotees. And kṛpa, mercy to the innocent person. And upekṣā, no more talking.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: If you think this is a statue of Kṛṣṇa, it is different from Kṛṣṇa, then you are not worshiping properly. He is Kṛṣṇa. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-mati, these are instructions. So anyway, we may be in the imperfect stage of devotional service, but if you follow the instruction, then gradually you come to the perfectional stage. There is no hopelessness. Continue. It is not that immediately one becomes perfect. But if you continue with the process, then you'll become perfect.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: You have to approach such person, then he will show you, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." But if you don't follow the instruction in Bhagavad-gītā directly or indirectly.... Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), if you do not do that and because you may not understand Kṛṣṇa.... But Kṛṣṇa also says tad viddhi praṇipātena... You do not go to a seer, then how you'll understand Kṛṣṇa? You do not understand directly or indirectly. Then you are hopeless.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Godless civilization, that is punishment, that your own government will snatch, by force, take away your hard labor accumulation, by taxes. That is written in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You cannot fight. You will be harassed in so many ways you will become mad. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Hopelessly you will leave hearth and home and go to the forest. This godless civilization will be punished like that. That day is coming like that. Nobody will be peaceful.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They come back again. But here (chuckles) Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement, one who comes, he'll be lost. (laughs)

Haṁsadūta: Brainwashed.

Prabhupāda: There is no hope of their coming. And Gargamuni's father tried so much to get him back. Then he became hopeless.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: Age of...?

Prabhupāda: Quarrel and disagreement. Because there is no standard idea, so I'll disagree with you, you'll disagree with me, and on slight provocation there will be fight. This is the age called Kali-yuga.

Dr. Kneupper: Do you see that nations will fight too? That there will be wars, things like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, so many difficulties. Even there is no war, the natural disturbance and foolish government will create such situation that people will become mad in hopelessness.

Room Conversation -- November 20, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And for money they are doing everything. Black money, white money, yellow money, this money. (laughs) "Bring money and enjoy. Bas. This is life. Why this nonsense Kṛṣṇa consciousness? No this, no this, no this. Ninety-nine per cent no and one per cent yes. What is the value of this movement?" Is it not? Our life is ninety-nine per cent no. No air even. (laughter) So what to speak of other thing. It is very difficult. Therefore in the beginning I was hopeless, that "Who will hear this movement? Simply no." And especially in this country, in Europe. So dull brain.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Why do you expect immediately child on the day of marriage. This is foolishness. So you should answer these rascals like that. "You cannot expect immediately. But we are on the path. We have just entered." One enters into the school. Does it mean in one year or six months he becomes MA? He has to wait. But he has entered the school. There is expectation of his passing MA examination. But one who has not entered school, loitering in the street, he has no... He's hopeless. But this man has hope. Wait.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Yogi Amrit Desai: Oh, I see. He looked upon a woman with a lusty desire, and he allowed it...

Prabhupāda: He immediately rejected him from His association.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Really?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. And He was so strict... This man, being hopeless that he'll not be able to associate with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he committed suicide.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If I say (to) somebody, "You are rascal." There is maybe, partially he may be intelligent. But when we say andhā, andhā, then his life is... He cannot see anything. So that is the description given by Bhāgavatam, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). They are durāśayā, hopelessly hopeful, trying to adjust things—bahir-artha-māninaḥ—by external energy. Simply wasting time, it cannot be. This is the position. So we are trying little bit and if you help us, it is very kind of you.

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

Rāmeśvara: It's called Angola. And the Americans were trying to support the opposing side. But the public in America has got such a bad taste from Vietnam that they became what they call isolationists.

Prabhupāda: They have become hopelessly, what is called, unsuccessful in Vietnam.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: He's just like dog—"Give me job"—and unemployed and eating at the cost of father or welfare activities, welfare department, and moving like dog. Just see practically. The uneducated, he's earning because he knows that "If I go with application, what education I have got? Nobody will like me." He's hopeless in that way. "So let me try in my own way." He's earning ten rupees. And the other man, he's starving and taking help from the government, eating at the cost of father. This is education. Otherwise he is becoming hippie. Is that education?

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: And as soon as she selects somebody husband, and as soon as pregnancy, he goes away. And old age—there is no family, no son. Ninety-nine percent the woman class live like that. How hopelessly the old ladies are sitting down—only one cat, one dog, one television. The old men also like that, hopelessness. Or drinking or seeing the television. And a dog friend. Is that life? And we want to correct it—"brainwash."

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They are thinking that "Material adjustment, we shall be happy." That is durāśaya. It will never be fulfilled. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Unless we go back home, back to Godhead, there is no solution. This is not solution. This is durāśaya. Everything is described. Durāśaya means the hope which will never be successful. So these rascals, they are trying to be happy by so-called scientific advancement. That is durāśaya. That's not possible, hopeless.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is viśvāsa. That viśvāsa wanted, not that I manufacture something. It is useless. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ (BG 9.12). That is hopeless. What Kṛṣṇa says, if you believe firmly, then it is viśvāsa. Dṛḍha-vrata. And execute, determination. Then you get the result. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Such mahātmā is very rare. And nowadays mahātmā means one who does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, speaks all nonsense. He is mahātmā. "Because we stamp somebody, mahātmā, therefore he is mahātmā."

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you become nice devotee, everything will be improved. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). The more you increase your devotional service, everything will be increased. Who expected such temple here? You wanted from me fourteen lakhs. I had no fourteen hundred even. With so much difficulty we collected the money. Bali-mardana sent from New York, ten lakhs. Girirāja, you were from the very beginning, no? At that time you were in Calcutta.

Girirāja: I came after about two weeks.

Prabhupāda: Our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, he refused to take charge, Madhudviṣa. I was little hopeless. And Brahmānanda encouraged me. "I will do." And then silent. "Give him fifty dollars. Give him fifty dollars." And his policy was that where he will get this money? He is beggar.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why ten commandments? And these rascals took it that "I shall not follow any of you. You take our sinful reaction. It is very good religion."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And therefore they say no one is more merciful than Jesus.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if... We are doing anything, but he still forgives us.

Prabhupāda: This is going on. Therefore according to history, he retired. That is resurrection. He went to Kashmir. "It is hopeless."

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just inquiring whether you were drinking fruit juice.

Prabhupāda: Fruit juice is very good.

Bhavānanda: I noticed, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your complexion is yellowish. Liver is...

Prabhupāda: There is no hope of life. Therefore we have called you. This condition is hopeless. We have given our will. Now we can... If I die in Vṛndāvana, there is no harm. But Kṛṣṇa can play anything wonderful. But from physical condition there is no hope.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, when you intended to go to America, everyone was advising, "Better not go. It is too dangerous for someone of your age. Do not go." Someone even said that you may not come back.

Prabhupāda: I thought all this. I went to USA not to come back. I left here hopeless. I did not want to come back. I went with determination that "If I do this job, I will survive." So Kṛṣṇa helped me. I never desired to come back. It was 197... Er, no, 1968. You all helped, so I called you: "I want to return back. There are so many secretaries."

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is blind.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially we are the most blind. Your vision is the most keen.

Śatadhanya: That is the feature of your particular mercy. You have taken the most blind, the most fallen, hopeless, and you are succeeding in guiding them.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya...

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bribe is very bad word. "Under table." (chuckling)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Under the table. Unofficial.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mean I am paying on the table hundred rupees and under table two hundred rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think you know everything spiritual and material.

Prabhupāda: Hm? So my fear is that after training our men so much, if he's lost, that's a great loss. Then future of society becomes very hopeless.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's really attractive. Gurukṛpā Mahārāja was telling me that the people, not just young people, but people of all ages are attracted to buying such a nice-looking thing. Even an old grandmother would be proud to have such a candle, not just young people. All ages, all types.

Prabhupāda: Get a new life all around. No depression, no hopelessness. Is it not? American boys and girls, they became so much depressed out of hopelessness. Now here is a life, future. Your latest Back to Godhead is very nice.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bombay you appeared to be very hopeless for living. Now that you're in Vṛndāvana, I think you will become more hopeful.

Prabhupāda: That kavirāja was also hopeless.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which one?

Prabhupāda: Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) That Bombay kavirāja was also hopeless.

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was asking us, "Does your Guruji have any...? Will he take an injection?" So we said, "No." He was hopeless. He was guessing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, he didn't know the real cause.

Prabhupāda: They do not know. They use machine. Their means of knowing-machine. They do not know.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You are not bringing the kavirāja?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he hasn't come yet, no, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think that if he comes any moment, it will have been very, very quick that he came. I mean actually...

Prabhupāda: If not, so that means hopeless.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Each... Right now I am... I am thinking it may not improve.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know you are thinking that there will be no improvement, but we are a little hopeful.

Prabhupāda: Hopeful, hope against hope—that is natural. But I am becoming hopeless.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we are not yet hopeless.

Prabhupāda: What is the value of your hope? I am the practical man. Then, if it is failure, what you will do? That I am asking.

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We know that you are hopeless, Śrīla Prabhupāda, but as your disciples, it is our duty to remain hopeful, at least to the point where we should try this last kavirāja. We also accept that if this kavirāja is not successful, then finish with all kavirājas and medicines. (pause) Would you like to have some kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (break) The kavirāja is here now. Kavirāja is here.

Prabhupāda: How? The young kavirāja, oh.