Prabhupāda: There was one clergyman lecturing in a Sheffield coal-mine that, "If you don't worship Jesus Christ, then you will go to hell." So first of all one man asked him... First of all, the clergyman inquired, "Do you know Jesus Christ?" So they were silent. So one of them inquired, "What is his number?" They thought that "Jesus Christ must be one of us," I mean to say, workers in the mine. So he must have got a number. "So what is his number?" Then the clergyman could understand that "To whom I am speaking." So then he explained, "Oh, Jesus Christ is not one of you. He is son of God. He has come to deliver you. If you don't worship Him, then you will go to hell." Then one of them said, "What is hell?" Then he described, "It is very dark, moist, and so on." So they were silent, because they work in the mine. (laughter) They were silent. "What is this hell? It is all right." Then the clergyman thought how to impress them. Then, after a few minutes, he said, "No. The hell is very dangerous." "How?" "There is no newspaper." "Oh, horrible." (Laughter) Because in your western countries everyone is fond of newspaper. So he stressed, he hit the point, that "There is no newspaper." So we have to hit to the point that there is no tax-man.
Impress (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: One who loves Kṛṣṇa without inquiry, that is nice position. To inquire about Kṛṣṇa is knowledge. And pure devotion is transcendental to knowledge. Love does not depend on the greatness. If a boy loves a girl or the girl loves a boy, even in this material field, it does not depend on the greatness of the boy. Of course, here everything is on material consideration. But actual love is without any consideration, what He is or what He isn't. That is real love. That is the perfectional stage of love, without inquiring how great He is or what He is. But for the neophytes it is necessary to know about Kṛṣṇa. Because we have no love, so if we understand that Kṛṣṇa is so great, then gradually we can love. Our position is different because when... Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that siddhānta boliya citte na kara ālasa: "Try to understand about Kṛṣṇa." Just like Kṛṣṇa is explaining in Bhagavad-gītā that "I am this amongst the trees. I am this. I am this planet. Amongst this, I am this. I am this." So just to impress upon the neophyte devotees about the greatness... And those who are advanced devotees, they do not want to see whether Kṛṣṇa is great or small. They simply love Him. That's all. That is pure love. In Vṛndāvana, at least these gopīs, they never saw Kṛṣṇa's any jugglery or any greatness. But they still love, pure love.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Miss Rose: Then you can get them out of this hippie into Christian conscience. See.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our mission.
Miss Rose: Yes. I can understand that.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right. Kṛṣṇa will see. So you just give service to Kṛṣṇa, impressing people that these Kṛṣṇa conscious people are not hippies.
Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa is making outside and inside propaganda. Inside He is Supersoul; outside He is spiritual master to reclaim these fallen souls. Similarly, we should also work outside-inside. And for making outside propaganda, I think he will be the best man. Suppose if he goes to New York, stays for some time, sees respectable foundation and presidents and just to attract their attention this side... Similarly, if he goes Los Angeles, San Francisco, all other cities, Boston, and sees important men, makes propaganda that "We are doing this. Please come and help," that will be very nice. Arrange lectures from... Our local temples may arrange lectures, and he can impress people about the importance of this movement. Not only one, I require several such preachers now. Now we are improving. We are increasing our propaganda. We require several such assistants. So those who have decided to remain brahmacārī, some of them, those who are experienced, they can accept this sannyāsa order and preach. Outside propaganda is also required. Don't you think? Outside propaganda?
Hayagrīva: Well, I don't know if it's that important. I think more important than that is that he develop the place. I mean actually I think that's good at the beginning, but there's still a degree...
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh. So... So how long you talked with the Prime Minister?
Yamunā: Maybe ten minutes.
Prabhupāda: So she took some interest?
Yamunā: She took a courteous interest. As I say, there was no doubt that at the time that she saw him she was pressed with other matters. A very personal friend of hers that Gurudāsa is now staying with told us that she was very impressed, her personal secretary was very impressed, and that she said—we have it on tape—that she would like to see us again and she was sorry that she didn't realize that we had been waiting for so long. Otherwise we could have come earlier, she would have (indistinct) In that way (indistinct) some time in the future.
Devotee (4): In (indistinct) we saw some yogi.
Prabhupāda: Pressing nose. Nose-pressing philosophy.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They like. And you have got so many ingredients. So now you realize how many things you have to speak to the world, economic development, everything. We are not simply so-called religious people. We know everything in right way. Everything, what is to be... That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all round, all included.
Revatīnandana: The people who listen, they become very impressed. At many programs, the students, after I finish speaking and I answer some questions, they realize that we know something very completely. They become very interested. They come around and bring more questions. Very nice.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And you will get all ideas from our books. That is Indian śaṅkha? That in your hand, bangle, white bangle.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Rayananda(?), can you get that paper, Hindustan?
Guest: Quite surprising. He's quite a learned scholar.
Prabhupāda: The learned scholar, they have been described in Bhagavad-gītā, māyaya apahṛta-jñānā asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken this view that God is impersonal, He has no form, this is āsurī. Then māyaya apahṛta-jñānā. Therefore, however learned they may be, māyā takes away their knowledge. Māyaya apahṛta-jñānā asurī-bhāvam āśr... That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. (Hindi) The Absolute Truth, that is subjected to be imagined by me. I am a tiny soul. And if a learned sannyāsī says like that, how many thousands of people will believe in that, will be wrongly impressed? This paper will be read by thousands and millions. (Hindi) ...hodge-podge.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: He's one of the richest men.
Devotee: Yes. I think when you go back there the next year, or next autumn...
Prabhupāda: Now we have created some impression that we are doing something nice. Even Keating is also impressed.
Devotee: Yeah. We're not wandering from village to village anymore. We're settled.
Prabhupāda: No. Even we wander from village to village, people are being impressed that we are doing something good. Actually it is so. I tell you it is so. One who cannot understand it, he is a fool. Actually we are doing the best work, God consciousness. And actually it is a fact: simply for want of God consciousness they are suffering, that's all. There is no other reason. The only reason is this. Just like this morning I said, "God is the proprietor. Why you are claiming proprietor? You may be manager, not proprietor." Actually that is our position. Just like I am head of this institution, but I am not dealing as proprietor. I am dealing as manager, head. Is it not?
Devotee: This is the only society where Kṛṣṇa is the owner of everything.
Ambassador: Oh, that's very... I'm very much impressed with the sincerity of these American...
Prabhupāda: As soon as one understands this science, he would accept immediately.
Śyāmasundara: The one thing that impresses us and causes us to be sincere is that we recognize Kṛṣṇa consciousness not on a sentimental level but philosophically, and because it's very practical. It's not only the philosophy is there but also the practice of the philosophy. So we realize the results of the philosophy, actually, in our lives. So this convinces us absolutely, because the philosophy works. There's no flaw.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So, we went to see Prabhupāda, offered our obeisances. So immediately he said that "You are all educated young men, why don't you preach Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message throughout the whole world?" So I replied him, "Sir, we are dependent nation, who will hear our message? We can talk all these things after we get independence," because I was politically-minded at that time. So he refuted my argument. Certainly I was defeated, and I took his words very seriously, I appreciated. Then we were offered some prasādam, we came down, and my friend Naren Mullik asked me, "How did you like this sādhu?" "Yes, here is a sādhu in whose hands Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message is there, and it will be done. I think this is very nice." That was my appreciation. Then 1923, I resigned my post as manager in Bose's laboratory, and I accepted the agency of whole U.P., beginning from Mughalsarai (?) up to Delhi, and I made my head office in Allahabad. So I was always thinking, "Oh yes, I met a very nice sādhu." From the very beginning, that was my impression, that "I have met a real sādhu." So, actually the words, lava mātra sādhu saṅge sarva siddhi haya (CC Madhya 22.54), was actually... I perceived a kind (?) for a moment, and he impressed so much, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, that it was, it continued. Then in 1928, when there was Kumbha-melā... Mahārāja, when you joined Gauḍīya Maṭha?
Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Twenty-seven.
Śyāmasundara: They said it would be coming any moment.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Śyāmasundara: They're bringing some prasāda.
Prabhupāda: Is there any other paper? No, it is a very impressive picture.
David Wynne: It's wonderful.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And they have given, "A Rival for Nelson." So this movement is a rival... Days were there in British Empire that Nelson was a hero. Now Kṛṣṇa is going to be hero in this country. (laughter) It is a good admission, "A Rival for Nelson." Actually, He should be.
David Lawrence: The churches in this land seem to have forgotten that. He never claimed to be God.
Prabhupāda: No, how he could claim? He's a devotee of God, he's servant of God. How he can claim? Of course, there is no difference between God and His servant. Yes. That we say. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata... **. Because a devotee, like Lord Jesus Christ, means confidential servant of God, there is no difference between God and himself. Just like any political representative or business representative, he's, if he's a confidential representative, there is no difference between the king or the proprietor of the firm, so long he represents rightly. Similarly, anyone who represents God or the cause of God, he's not different from God. We should offer respect to such person exactly like God. That is our instruction of the ācāryas. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. In every śāstra the spiritual master is recognized as personally the Supreme Lord. But in... Why he is recognized? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Because he's the most dear servant of the Lord. And that is natural. Suppose some representative of some firm comes, and if I know that he is the most confidential representative, I must respect him very nicely so that he may be impressed and he may report, "These people are very nice." (laughter) Oh. So this is the ordinary etiquette, what to speak of the actual representative of God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is understanding of the immortality of the soul.
Lord Brockway: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Common, common reasoning.
Lord Brockway: What you've said has impressed me.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Lord Brockway: I wouldn't say it has convinced me one has to think...
Prabhupāda: No... Yes, one has to think, one has to consider. But this is the fact, that I have changed so many bodies, I remember them, but the bodies are not existing, I am existing. This is very simple philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Just try to understand what is the bhakta's position. They can use strong word against mukti.
Reporter: Yes, yes, they can.
Prabhupāda: (laughs)
Reporter: The attachment is mukti, materialistic attachment, and bhukti... (break) I was very impressed with the account, how...
Prabhupāda: This will be New Gokula.
Reporter: New Gokula. Hm, hm, it's very good.
Prabhupāda: They've got New Vrindaban, New Navadvīpa, New Jagannātha Purī, New Dvārakā...
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Kapoor: Just that I was saying.
Prabhupāda: Simply they were binding or something else.
Dr. Kapoor: No, not only the outside, (laughter), the outside, and the people particularly in the west, you see, will not be impressed simply with the outside.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct). Our Bhagavad-gītā as it is, you have seen it?
Dr. Kapoor: Huh?
Prabhupāda: I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is.
Guest (4): (Hindi). I am very impressed to read your book which is written by Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: You have seen some of my books?
Guest (4): Mm.
Prabhupāda: So you can read.
Guest (4): I am willing to read in the (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: So, first of all giving our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is to read.... (Hindi) (break) (Hindi)
Guru dāsa: What is that śraddhā?
Prabhupāda: Śraddha means faith in spiritual master. They are praising your faith in...
Dr. Kapoor: People are impressed very much by your guru-bhakti (laughter). (Hindi)
Guru dāsa: If they associated with Śrīla Prabhupāda they would...
Dr. Patel: That gañjā should be given.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, so badly impressed. So this gañjā-smoking has spread all over the world as the hippie movement.
Dr. Patel: I thought that the hippies started from those, this (indistinct) part.
Prabhupāda: No, no. The hippie movement was started from India. You see so many gañjā-smokers, they are sādhus, bābā-sādhu.
Prabhupāda: Oh, then it is all right. Then that's all right.
Mahāṁsa: (break) ...very impressed because we have nāgara-kīrtana all over the place.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Mahāṁsa: And if they are impressed, they can, when our construction starts, they will be very willing to also give a very huge donation. They are capable of...
Prabhupāda: How many people are going altogether?
Mahāṁsa: About fifteen devotees.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. So we have to go by plane?
Mahāṁsa: No, we will go by bus.
Prabhupāda: Sahajiyā... Sahaj means easy. Easy-going. They will smoke cigarette at the same time they will play rasa-līlā. This is sahajiyā. This is sahajiyā. They will do all nonsense; still, they will become God, imitation of God.
Yadubara: "Nārada Muni wanted to impress upon people in general that Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. His activities such as His appearance..." (break)
Prabhupāda: He played also. (Hindi) We used to say chor chor kela: "Catch up the feet." (Hindi) (break) ...and wonderful things, as they are mentioned, they were all manufactured by the demons.
Yogeśvara: Well, what if they argue that "Whether we perform yajña or not, these rains will go on. They are coming now and we are not performing yajña."
Prabhupāda: "Because I will order. You are already performing yajña, worshiping Me, loving Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's purpose. Tasmiṁs tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa. If you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Indra's father will be satisfied. Just like if you water on the root of the tree, all the Indras, as branches and leaves and foliage, they will be satisfied. That is the purpose. Kṛṣṇa wanted to impress this that "You simply love Me, and everything will be supplied."
Young man: How well the devotees know the scriptures, in fact, because when you go to...
Yogeśvara: He says one thing, one thing is very impressive, to see how well your disciples know the scriptures.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they have been educated in that way. For education we have so many books. If from child up to the age of eighty years, if one is educated, we have got sufficient stock to give him education.
Prabhupāda: Now, sometimes he is going this side, sometimes goes that side. Sometimes he says, "Mass of people," and again he says, "Not the number of people." What is mass of people? That is the number of people. (French)
Pṛthu Putra: He says, for example, he can see the mass of people in Italy, they are Catholic. But that doesn't mean he's going to be impressed by the Catholic philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Now, now, we have to... He was comparing that the mass of people, they take to Ramakrishna. That I have proved. They're not, the mass of people, not at all interested... That I have proved. That is my answer. (French)
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No. No there. Here, here I impress...
Guest: He has bestowed all His love to a given people. And my third point is that if we believe God as a life force or who must be discovered by a human being and the human being who has to proceed toward this truth, then also we have no reason to confine this into one people.
Indian man: Swamiji, I may take your leave.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Why you are going soon?
Indian man: I have to go still far off.
Prabhupāda: Oh, all right. Jaya. Jaya.
Prabhupāda: Ah. In India especially, people like. Sannyāsī may preach. Otherwise, the formula of sannyāsa is given-karyam: "But this is my only duty. That's all. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be pushed. This is my only duty." He's sannyāsī. Because Kṛṣṇa personally comes, He demands... Sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa, He says, yei kṛṣṇa tattva vettha sei guru haya: "Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he's guru." And what is the guru's business? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you just try to impress upon him about the instruction of Kṛṣṇa." Sarva-dharmān parityaja... So in this way, if we take it up, very seriously—"This is my duty"—then you are a sannyāsī. That's all. Sa sannyāsī. Kṛṣṇa certifies, sa sannyāsī. People are not taking seriously about Kṛṣṇa's teaching. That is India's misfortune. They're bringing in so many competition of Kṛṣṇa. Is Kṛṣṇa... And "Kṛṣṇa... Rāmakrishna is as good as Kṛṣṇa." This rascaldom has killed. They have done the greatest disservice. Instead of Kṛṣṇa, they have brought one rascal, Ramakrishna.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The idea is the Book Fund, if the book is sold, it's sold at a profit. So although you may be getting only twenty or thirty lakhs, much more is being collected. That is the point.
Prabhupāda: So why did you not correct me in the meeting? (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I didn't... (laughter) Even ten lakhs is a very impressive figure.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Ten lakhs expenditure but twenty lakhs collection.
Prabhupāda: How they liked?
Paramahaṁsa: Um, the younger ones liked better. The nurse was asking where she could..., if she could refer people to visit us here, and I told her we don't know if this will be the permanent address, but as soon as we have a permanent address here I'll notify her. But she was wondering if she could send people, if the people would be welcome to come and visit and see the place here. And the Buddhist boy, he bought an incense from us. He said, "Where is that nice smell coming from?" I said, "Incense." He said, "I want some." The other gentlemen I don't... They're more set in their ways kind of men. I couldn't tell whether they were impressed or not. They don't express very well.
Prabhupāda: But all their questions were answered.
Prabhupāda: No, they have got, sent me the copy of the standing order.
Satsvarūpa: Oh, that's wonderful. They're getting letters from big professors at Cambridge and Oxford in praise of the books. They'll be very, very useful.
Bahulāśva: (break) ...professors are very impressed with your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Bahulāśva: All the professors are very impressed with your books.
Prabhupāda: Impressed?
Bahulāśva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That is nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...in America from India. They are so much impressed, Śrīla Prabhupāda. But the most impressive thing for these life members is to come to America and see our institutions. They have letters of introduction. They don't want to live in the temple generally, but they come to see.
Prabhupāda: The other, that member, the same?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Different men. I know. I made these men life members in Bombay, and I happened to be in Washington D.C. when they came there. And they attend the āratis, you know. It's very nice. They are very, very impressed.
Nitāi: I have heard many people in Vṛndāvana say that our temple is the best in Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.
Nitāi: There's no more beautiful temple.
Devotee: Especially the Deities. They are most impressed by the beautiful Deities.
Prabhupāda: They are dressing nicely?
Nitāi: Yes, very nicely.
Prabhupāda: Now big, big scholars, they have taken the trouble to write on Bhagavad-gītā. But nobody has taken the trouble to write on other scriptures like Bible or Koran. Nobody has taken. No scholar, no philosopher have tried to comment or study because they know it is not very important. Here is important. This is the proof, wisest. And that is only ABCD of God's knowledge. So people should take advantage. It is accepted indirectly. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā, in your country, English. Why they take trouble to read Bhagavad-gītā so carefully? Big, big scholars, philosophers, why? (break) It is the impersonal, cloth. So Śaṅkarācārya has tried to impress this fact, but the rascals followed in a different way. Just like a cloth, big cloth, that is impersonal. Now, you cut it into coat. It becomes like person. So similarly this whole material world is impersonal, but because we have taken a certain portion of it and make my body, it looks like person. And God is not like that. He is spiritual person. He has nothing to do with material. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). What Śaṅkarācārya impressed, that they are after demigods, so "The demigods, they are not actual person. Real person is Nārāyaṇa." That is Śaṅkarācārya's version. Nārāyaṇa... You will find in his comment on the Bhagavad-gītā. First word he writes, nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktād: "Nārāyaṇa has nothing to do with this material world." And he accepts in his comment, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ: "That Nārāyaṇa has appeared as Kṛṣṇa." And he has given specific name of His father as "the son of Devakī and Vasudeva" so that nobody can misidentify. If you have got Śaṅkara's bhāṣya, commentary on Bhagavad-gītā, you bring it I shall show you.
Prabhupāda: That is the only. That is the only. There is no other second way. (break) ...conquer over lust, one has to take shelter of Madana-mohana. Madana means lust, Cupid, and Kṛṣṇa is Madana-mohana. He can enchant the Cupid also. (break) ...Ṭhākura, young man. At dead of night the prostitute came. How he restrained? That is... One who has realized Madana-mohana, for him these things are nothing, no enchantment. (break)
Dharmadyaksa: ...impressed with Your Divine Grace's energy and ability to work so much.
Prabhupāda: Why you do not say, "This is spiritual energy"? Yes. (break) ...got so many dogs nonsense. And it is solved. Just see. And he has brought dozens of... (break)
Jayatīrtha: ...life will be empty.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually that is a fact. No family, no children, so they must have some. The dog is their children, family. That is the attraction for..., because mostly they do not have family.
Prabhupāda: If the child says to another man, "Father said, 'This is this,' " then he is perfect. He has learned from the father, and the father is perfect, then whatever he says, it is perfect. Why should he take so much botheration? So our, process is that, that we become guru not like that rascal Guruji, no. We speak whatever Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. Of course, we try to impress upon you with your reason, logic, but we shall speak the same thing, not anything else. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am supreme;" We say, "Kṛṣṇa is supreme." That's all. Where is the botheration? I haven't got to find out by my logic and induction whether Kṛṣṇa is supreme. That I have already done. So Kṛṣṇa is supreme. There is no doubt about it. Now, whatever Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right. That's all.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...Kartik Bose... (Bengali) ...Kartik Bose's laboratory... (Bengali) ...Gauḍīya Maṭha... (Bengali)
Lalitā: (Bengali) ...Māyāpur... (Bengali) ...Vṛndāvana... (Bengali) ...Hare Kṛṣṇa mandir... (Bengali) ...Guru Mahārāja... (Bengali) They are so impressed, the way they are putting the śaṇkha and then, you know, ārati... (Bengali) The same time the door opens and the same time the śaṇkha. (Bengali) Sincere, sincere devotee.
Prabhupāda: Sincere devotee. (Bengali) At least... (Bengali) ...hundred men come... (Bengali) They have nothing to do with the
politics. (Bengali) Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). (Bengali) Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅksati (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. (Bengali) ...India government... (Bengali)
Lalitā: The project will be failure. (Bengali)
Harikeśa: Yes. Leary was his associate. And then this other man, he took up this meditation and started to become...
Prabhupāda: That is also bogus. That is also bogus.
Faill: I didn't like the idea of that. The book was very impressive, but I just thought, "This isn't right." You shouldn't have to lean on drugs.
Prabhupāda: No. That is... Anything... If drugs can help God realization, the drug is better, I mean to say, more powerful than God.
Faill: Which isn't...
Prabhupāda: Then how we can accept that? Drug is a material thing, chemical composition, and how it can help one, God realization? That is not possible. This is a kind of intoxication and hallucination, but it is not God realization.
Prabhupāda: You cannot prove. You are contradictory. So why shall I accept you or he? We accept our own proof. That's all. First of all you agree amongst yourselves; then question us. You cannot agree. Why shall I believe you? One says that "He is wrong" and the other says "He is wrong." Now we say "You are both wrong. We reject you." Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Yaśomatīnandana: But how can we impress the masses that we are right, the innocent people?
Prabhupāda: They are not historians, rascals. They will believe Mahābhārata. They are not so-called historians, scientists. They still believe in the Vedic standard.
Yaśomatīnandana: People in general.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They're actually doing that. They may believe or not believe; our belief is going on all over the world. Is it not?
Yaśomatīnandana: Yes.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They had arrangement like this. At least a hundred people were taking, respectable people.
Prabhupāda: Acchā.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a very big temple, that temple. Of course, I don't know how bona fide the persons who speak at night are, but every night there are speakers, and many people coming. It's a very good temple. I was very impressed by it. Nice rooms for people to stay upstairs, very active, always being cleansed by people.
Prabhupāda: That is temple.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And first-class prasādam.
Prabhupāda: So we have got so many examples. Introduce this.
Jayapatāka: Many Manipuri people are coming to Māyāpur now. Many. They wear a special type of uniform, the women, one pinkish dress.
Prabhupāda: For seeing our temple?
Jayapatāka: They are going everywhere. The Bengalis are going mainly to our temple. But they've come so far, they see everywhere, naturally. But also our temple without fail. (break) The Nabadwip Commissioner came and he was so impressed. Now he is thinking.... He is trying to.... He is a little bit greedy that so many things are going in Māyāpur. He is trying to think how he can include Māyāpur within Nabadwip municipality.
Prabhupāda: How it can be done?
Jayapatāka: That he is failing to do, but he is thinking, anyway. He told me. So many taxes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He was inviting so many saintly persons. That is the old system, to receive saintly person.
Hṛdayānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that you were not so much impressed by the saintly persons that were coming.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hṛdayānanda: Why was that?
Prabhupāda: Not all of them were real Vaiṣṇava. That was my discrimination from the beginning of my life. I never liked these bogus swamis and yogis. I never liked. But my father had no discrimination. "Never mind whatever he is. He is a saintly person. Receive him." He was giving fortnightly...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Canakya Paṇḍita says, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "In a home where there is no children, sons and daughters, it is zero."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like a body without a soul.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitya-guru... (Bengali) (break) You are not going to China?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we not so impressed by roṭī here, but it is really a...
Prabhupāda: Very nice, a good news. You are eating nicely. That gives me pleasure.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everybody is so satisfied. This... What is it? Shantilal is just a wonderful cook.
Prabhupāda: So just give him the leadership of cooking everywhere. When the prasāda is supplied?
Prabhupāda: Hot. That is wanted. That I had asked. Therefore it is so filling.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, everything is hot. (break) ...so...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Prasādam, when it is supplied from the temple, in any condition it is prasādam. So communists should be impressed that "You are trying to establish a perfect society. That is your philosophy. So unless there is perfect leader, how you can establish?" This is the way.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we know what the qualities of a perfect leader are. "We don't find that you have any such persons."
Prabhupāda: No, phalena paricīyate, by result. (kīrtana as they approach temple)
Prabhupāda: This is my answer. Thousands of them are working here on my behalf. Just see their character and behavior.
Reporter (4): Swamiji, may I say something? A magician can create many charismas. But God also create charismas. Who will you compare? The magician charismas or the God's charisma? This is the difference. A magician can also sometimes impress upon people that he has godly powers, but are they the real godly powers as against real godly powers? This is the difference. I have been at least thirty times to America, talked to lot of people. They say if you want to go really for attainment of your soul, you go to ISKCON.
Prabhupāda: Even Mahesh Yogi says. Yes.
Devotee (1): Yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, four or five people stopped me while I was in a bus during the day, and they would stop me and look at me with tilaka and etcetera, and say, "Why have you given up your Western life and taken to this life?" (Prabhupāda laughs) They were amazed. And then I had a Bhāgavatam, and I'd show them your picture, and I'd show them the Bhāgavatam and say, "Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59), a higher taste." And then they would appreciate. They would.... They were so impressed by your Bhāgavatam. They looked at your picture, and they'd go, "Yes, yes, you are right."
Prabhupāda: Yes, in my Preface I have written that: "What is the necessity of the human society?" This is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is required. It is a mistake to understand that we are trying to push on Hindu culture. Where is the Hindu culture? To become a gentleman is Hindu culture? It is for everyone.
Prabhupāda: First of all, I started the book. That is, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, it is becoming successful. Then diorama. Then I shall give next idea.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This diorama is a major idea.
Prabhupāda: (laughs)
Rāmeśvara: I brought the Time magazine people to see it. They were so impressed they wanted to come when the museum is open, to make a story.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Rāmeśvara: They never saw anything like it.
Prabhupāda: Deal with them very nicely. We get publicity.
Lekhaśravantī (Walter Reuther's daughter): This is Jackie Vaughn. He's a member of the House of Representatives of Michigan. He's come to speak to you.
Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.
Lekhaśravantī: He came also last year. He's very impressed by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is black and we worship Him. (laughter) You have seen our Deity? Yes. Kṛṣṇa is from your community. (Prabhupāda laughs) There is no question of black and white. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above the skin—the soul which is there. Either he's black or white or yellow, it doesn't matter. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). This is the first education, that do not take the body, but the living force within the body. That is important; we have to understand that. We are talking from that platform. Therefore sometimes it is little difficult, because people are very much absorbed with bodily concept of life. But our philosophy begins from that platform where there is no more bodily concept of life. Therefore it is little difficult.
Hari-śauri: Hmm. Like that congressman the other day.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: He was very impressed.
Prabhupāda: Very much impressed. He's friendly, you can invite him again. He can introduce a law; he's a law officer. (break) ...charges. They may not think they will charge. And some pictures from our books. Signboard, book and pictures. There are some painters here? No painters? Well, there are so many painters. You can bring from Los Angeles.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) These boys who are working for this movement?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How do you like our men, the devotees?
Stansky: Oh, I'm very, very impressed. This impressed me to begin with, their enthusiasm, their joy, and their complete surrender. This is what...
Prabhupāda: This is the qualification.
Stansky: This is the qualification.
Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). That is the secret of success. If one has got unflinching faith in his spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, then he's successful. Two things. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. So if the guru is false, then how they can keep their faith? That will be broken. Our process is very simple. There is no difficulty. You have seen our Los Angeles temple? When we purchased, it was a church, perhaps you know. Nobody was coming, so that they were obliged to sell. They started this Sunday class, this, that, so many things.
Prabhupāda: When he came to India, he was my intimate friend. So he was telling me that "In our country, when some Indian student comes, especially while returning home after their education, they stop for some time in Germany, we used to inquire from him how much he is aware of his Indian original culture." Because they have got very good respect. All over the world they have got. Even Russia. They have got good respect for Indian culture. They have liked our books only on account of the..., because the Sanskrit verses are there. They took it, "Oh, it is original." Scholarly people like our book on that account, because we explain original Sanskrit verse. That they have got very good regard, that there is knowledge. They're impressed. And Britishers made propaganda only that India had no culture, almost uncivilized: They push women forcibly in the fire after the death of her husband, and in the temple, the priests, they make all nonsense with women, and so on. This was their.... Just to prove that "India was uncivilized, and we are making them civilized. By our compassion for the uncivilized persons, we are occupying."
Kīrtanānanda: They say the atmosphere is not suitable.
Prabhupāda: Then why rascal, you go there? (laughter) And spend so much money, rascal? You could not understand the atmosphere is not good for us, go there and spend so much money?
Brahmatīrtha: They impress the people.
Prabhupāda: That means they are bluffer and they bluffing the all fools and rascals. That's all. He could not understand before going there, before spending so much money the atmosphere is not good?
Prabhupāda: They come on the Love Feast?
Rūpānuga: They come to the Sunday feast.
Vipina: They are starting to come more now. With the changes we made in the temple, and they are being very much impressed that we are doing nicely, and they want to become a part.
Prabhupāda: I heard that Ambassador, you have made some engagement?
Vipina: Prabhupāda, he, I got a call from his secretary, and I've been working on it and I've been to his house once. He has a very nice stately house. He had requested that maybe you could come there to his home, and your servant and Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa were thinking it might be hard for you to travel there. So we're trying to convince him to come here.
Prabhupāda: Ah. There is no question of insisting. They cannot help us in any way.
Mr. Boyd: You know him, and Himāvatī. I told them I'd see you pretty soon. I thought maybe you might be interested in seeing a few pictures? She said she was your friend, and you were her very good friend, and sent her regards to you. (laughter) That's quite a temple in Vṛndāvana. Very impressive.
Prabhupāda: Oh, you liked it?
Mr. Boyd: Yes, it was quite startling to come up the roadway there, and things looked pretty desolate, and all of a sudden here's this beautiful temple sitting here, and it was a real experience.
Prabhupāda: Oh, here is Mr. Dubhai's picture.
Mr. Boyd: Barbara's been in the movement for two and half years and it's been..., we've heard a lot about you and a lot about the movement, and we've kept pretty close, you know, track of what's going on, and we've visited the different temples and talked to the different devotees, and we're quite impressed with the action.
Prabhupāda: We are having the difficulties of this immigration department.
Mr. Boyd: I guess, if it's like India, you've got troubles. We almost went to jail rather than get out of the country.
Prabhupāda: The whole basic principle is this, that people should understand, as I was explaining this morning, the sat and asat. So at the present moment we are living in the way that is asat. But there is another life, sat. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an educational movement to raise a person from the asat platform to the sat. Under illusion they are, what is called, amock? They (laughs) have gone amock. So it is a humble attempt to stop their, this suicidal policy. They are practically committing suicide. They do not know what is the value of life and how they are spoiling it, this valuable life. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to adjust things by the arrangement of external energy. That is not possible. Whatever adjustment they are making, so many big, big leaders, politicians, they came. Napoleon, Hitler, Gandhi, this, that, by the waves of material nature everything is driven away. In that way there is no possibility of adjustment. It is not... Kathacaturamanam mali mali javanam(?) How many, caturānana. Caturānana means Brahmā. They come and go, come and go. And there is no permanent life, it is all asat. So they should come to the sat platform, that is perfect. The more you remain strong in your spiritual life, then more it will be impressed, it will act. And if it actually is not spiritual life but theatrical performance, then it will not help.
Prabhupāda: They have got two daughters.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. They are there, they also attend Gurukula. They have it regularly now.
Bali-mardana: So that reporter was very impressed. He's a very big reporter. He works for the API, the Associated Press. They give their news to papers all over the world, the news.
Prabhupāda: So let him represent properly.
Bali-mardana: Yes. You have given him a very unique interview, I think, with your analogies.
Prabhupāda: ...in the procession?
Rāmeśvara: This bus is for carrying prasādam.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. Maybe they should go in the procession though. That would look impressive, wouldn't it?
Prabhupāda: All our cars behind.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We could have had our twenty-five vans and eight buses.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Decorated, no?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādi-keśava Mahārāja, did you hear that? The three buses should go in the procession.
Prabhupāda: Full opulence.
Bhagavān: They are impressed with how much we have done.
Prabhupāda: They will be more and more impressed. What is this city life? In Paris, simply to fulfill the necessities of life, a professional prostitute, so many. And people from all over the world, they come here for indulge in prostitute. From our childhood we know. What a civilization they have made. Spoiling the life. Then, after finish this life, you just become a cat, a dog, or a tree and stand up. And all other planets are vacant. Simply this planet is filled up, overpopulation. Kill them. Why not send there? So vacant land. (laughter) "That we cannot do." Then what is your scientific research? "Yes, we are trying. Wait millions of years." (laughter) These bluffing rascals. Don't be misled. Live peacefully here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Bhagavān: Our restrictions? Yes, they are impressed. They sometimes write about the Gurukula that we are treating roughly the children by making them so austere. But every time they show the picture, the children are always happy.
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."
Jñānagamya: So it is very good. On the abridged Bhagavad-gītā we have Americans, Emerson and Thoreau saying this is a wonderful book. That is very good, that is very impressive to Americans. They will accept if some great Americans have said.
Prabhupāda: That was my policy from the very beginning, that if the Americans accept, then my mission will be successful. And that is being done gradually, and I am insisting that, preach in America vigorously. If America accepts, then whole world will accept. That's a fact. Anywhere, although America may be fallen, the ideal is American, everywhere. Because they have got money. Kali-yuga means money. If you have got money, then you have got culture, you have got education, you have got everything. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Prabhā Viṣṇu: Yes. All these people... Practically every college will take something at least. If they don't have enough money for the whole standing order, at least they take some books out of respect. Everywhere they are very respectful, and everyone has heard of you and the work that you've done.
Prabhupāda: They like.
Prabhā Viṣṇu: Oh, very much. People are very impressed. In the Western world people are so much unfavorable towards us. But here in India they treat us like kings. Sometimes when I come to colleges they practically touch my feet and give me all kinds of foodstuffs and drinks. Very nice.
Prabhupāda: So he was, "Here is a book of cow protection, cow protection." He has written one book to take care of the cows. So one old man called him, "What you are selling?" Now, "I am selling this book." "What is that book?" "Maintaining the cow." So, "Why you are selling? First of all give this book to your mother because you are no better than cow, so she will learn how to give you protection." That means he wanted to impress upon him that "Cow protection doesn't require any education. You have written a book? So you are such a rascal, cow intelligence. Better give this book to your mother. She will maintain you. Don't sell it. Everyone knows how to give cow protection." So similarly, this sex literature, there is no need of sex literature. Sex literature is there in Sanskrit also. That is how to restrict sex. For what purpose one should indulge in sex, that is called Kāma-śāstra.
Prabhupāda: And that is being supported, "Oh, they are CIA."
Guest (1): So I talked at great length with Girirāja, and I cross-examined him thoroughly with all these Indians who would be thinking about this Hare Kṛṣṇa because when I said that I have become a life member of yours, then he also might have been bit surprised, but mainly I wanted to impress upon my children—they're young boys—that "It's all right. You also go there."
Prabhupāda: Once spoiled, it is very difficult.
Guest (1): Very difficult.
Prabhupāda: To reform.
Guest (1): He's supposed to be one of the biggest propagator of Gītā. He had Gītāra jñāna yajña in Bombay. There were thousands of people there.
Prabhupāda: False, everything false. Misled. He does not recognize Kṛṣṇa, he does not recognize religion, and he is religious.
Guest (1): One of the best religious leaders. That's what people think.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that may be, falsely representation, but where he is recommending that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him"? Has he done that? That means misleading. He can become a very good orator, and he can get claps, but what is the benefit? He's a good orator, there is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You become a orator and cheat others." He does not say. He says, "Surrender unto Me." So if actually one is preaching, he should teach the audience that "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." And that is reading of Bhagavad-gītā. If I take Bhagavad-gītā and speak something of my opinion, that means I am cheating. I am taking advantage of Bhagavad-gītā, and I am impressing people with my nonsense ideas.
Prabhupāda: It is authorized, and it is taught by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others are unauthorized. This is authorized. And that's a fact. This is authorized. And others, those, they are manufactured. Just like they have manufa...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It is authorized in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: In every... Bhagavad... This is Vedic. Bhagavad-gītā means the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And which other way can be authorized way? You have to impress that upon.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) All-pervading. It is very, very good improvement, encouraging. People will enjoy this.
Rāmeśvara: And He is lying on Śeṣa. This exhibit is so spectacular, this Universal Form. It is more impressive than anything, I think, in America, because at a certain point there is even a machine which makes different fragrances in the air.
Prabhupāda: So you can invite this opposition cult to see what we are doing. "Why you are after us," ask, "like the barking dog? There is good use. It is the highest culture." Make some compromise: "Why you are after simply spoiling? Don't you want advancement in culture and knowledge? Why you are so envious?"
Prabhupāda: Bhagavān is your servant. Whatever you like, you can do, and He'll serve you. You'll not serve Him. He will serve you. Is that viśvāsa? "Whatever nonsense I do, Kṛṣṇa will support." Is that viśvāsa? Viśvāsa means "What Kṛṣṇa says, I shall do." That is viśvāsa. That has been impressed at the modern age, that "Whatever I do, Kṛṣṇa will accept it." Is it not? Do you mean viśvāsa means this, that "Whatever nonsense you do, Kṛṣṇa will accept"? Do you mean viśvāsa means this? Then what is viśvāsa? Explain. "Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, I will do," that is viśvāsa. Or "Whatever nonsense I do, Kṛṣṇa will favor"? Which one viśvāsa? What do you mean...? Huh?
Guest (6): There is one pervading Supreme Soul.
Prabhupāda: What is that pervading? What do you mean by that? Plain explain. What do you mean by viśvāsa? Explain.
Guest (6): Faith in God.
Prabhupāda: People come to see even what is going on now.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Many big people come to see. When I was there a very big life member came with his wife. Girirāja is constantly giving tours of the construction, showing, "This will be like this; this will be like this." People are very impressed. There is no such place in all of Bombay.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In all of India there's no such place.
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they recognize it. Especially the fact that it is so...
Prabhupāda: This is Saurabha's credit. He has designed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is very good, putting the quantity on the cover. It's very impressive. (devotees talking among themselves about books) It's like McDonald's. They advertise...
Prabhupāda: This is the combination of American money and Indian culture. This is the result. In every field of our activities, this will prove wonderful, American money and Indian culture. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa sent me to America. "Go America." Generally people come to Western country means London. But I never thought of that. I thought, "I shall go to New York," from the very beginning.
Gargamuni: Rangoon is a Communist state, but still, they say, "We must have these books, and we will make arrangement for payment." No one has refused that they will not pay.
Prabhupāda: Through this Communist country, other Communist countries also...
Gargamuni: Oh, yes. They were very impressed by the Russian reviews in Rangoon. They said, "Oh, in Russia also." I said, "Yes, our Guru Mahārāja, he went there in '71 and gave lectures at the University of Moscow." They were highly impressed with that.
Prabhupāda: This is very improved.
Hṛdayānanda: Your Bombay project is very impressive. We've just taken a tour.
Prabhupāda: Therefore I persistently took that place. Nobody encouraged me. He is all. (laughter) Nobody helped me. I hesitated little, that "If I am persistent to take it, they will not cooperate. It may be failure." So still I took it. And only fifty thousand and one lakh of rupees I gave this thief Nyer: "All right, take it. Come on. Whatever I have got, you take it." Still he thought, "Oh. I'll get money."
Prabhupāda: The real scientific method is that the life which is in contact with this matter, he's suffering. And the real, I mean to say, enjoyment or peaceful life is to get him out of this condition of material contact. That is the best benefit. But these rascals, they are trying to adjust material things to give him happiness. "You are walking, all right, you take this car." That is not happiness. He does not know that in the car there are so many problems—more danger than walking. This is the mistake going on. Car is good, but that is not the solution. Solution is different. That we must... Na te viduḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Let us go back to home, back to Godhead. (pause) So that Sharma is more impressed.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Sharma just came here from the United States. He studied for a few years. So he is also a cardiologist.
Prabhupāda: With his associates, invite him, give him prasādam.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That will be more impressive then. You should not have to go. The administrator comes to the guru. And if he won't come to you, then there is no question of his helping, anyway.
Girirāja: Right.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If he comes we shall speak on this.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. Very strongly. Everybody is afraid except Śrīla Prabhupāda. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Frankly speaking, I never knew that the problem is this serious before I met Śrīla Prabhupāda. I never thought about this.
Prabhupāda: Therefore I took it so seriously. Every morning walk, I was, "Where is the scientist?" I thought "Here I have got an opportunity to impress that will fructify in fruition." That was my aim. Therefore I was bothering you in so ways.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is your incredible mercy, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Because I cannot use the technical words, and he can do that. So he should be trained up. What is the news of Dr. Rao?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Dr. Rao died.
Prabhupāda: (surprised:) Died?
Prabhupāda: People will give more, because he will take to the family.
Indian: Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's very impressive. He has a very charming personality.
Prabhupāda: And he can talk very nicely.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On any subject.
Prabhupāda: And always smiling. Even if you irritate him, he will smile.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a fact.
Prabhupāda: Sometimes I have said so many strong words. That is my habit. But he is still very humble and meek. I never expected that he would all, reply me.
Girirāja: At Mr. Rajda's office the ex-mayor was there. One of the ex-mayors of Bombay was there. He was the chief guest here on Vyāsa-pūjā day two years ago. So he had recently visited our New York center, and he liked it very much, New York and Washington, D.C.
Prabhupāda: He's impressed. He told Mr. Rajda? He informed Mr. Rajda?
Girirāja: Um, not... No, he didn't, not when I was there. But I am sure they had talked. I mean, people are very aware of our movement, at least superficially, that we are building something, we're doing some... One weekly newspaper editor...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we don't have a copy of it here.
Prabhupāda: How is that you don't have copy? Find out...
Yadubara: To show that on the film? At the end?
Prabhupāda: It is best to impress them: "You read this book; you get all information."
Yadubara: It's a little bit difficult to change the film.
Prabhupāda: No. That I am suggesting. If it is difficult, that is another thing. But this should be.
Yadubara: It should be there.
Prabhupāda: And actually, there is evidence.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm going to request him to become a member of Bhaktivedanta Institute and put his name and degrees...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That will be little impressive.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So he agreed or not?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm going to request him today. I made a little preaching in Manipur. I took a Fairchild, our movies, all the Hare Kṛṣṇa movies, from Calcutta. I borrowed for a week.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He took that little Fairchild projector.
Prabhupāda: They can do nothing, they have no use, but simply harassment, these people.
Girirāja: Yeah. That's the only reason.
Prabhupāda: So impress this point to Mr. Rajda.
Girirāja: Mr. Rajda himself in his letter wrote that this ten feet will be of no benefit either to the Municipality, either to the public, but it will only disturb us.
Prabhupāda: Cheating. Cheating. Yes, everyone with common sense can understand that "What philosophy?" Here they see practically character, philosophy, devotion, faith, strict discipline. Any gentleman will appreciate.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, the gentlemen are very much impressed, especially, Mr. Mokta(?), people like that. They can see.
Prabhupāda: And Indians are appreciating that "Foreigners, they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not Indians."
Prabhupāda: ...said that "This is our mission. Now whether you'll cooperate?" We cannot make any compromise. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's going to have to hold regular kīrtanas and ārati.
Prabhupāda: You have to teach them. But so far the young boys who were there, they were very much impressed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But they won't change their lives, I'm sure. They...
Prabhupāda: Why not?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're impressed to the point of hearing, let's say, yes.
Prabhupāda: If they hear more, they'll change.
Prabhupāda: He's our great friend.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man is very big man in Christian church. He's a very good friend of ours.
Prabhupāda: He's very big man.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He came with us to the court.
Prabhupāda: Impressed.
Bhavānanda: Would you like to have kīrtana now?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...come directly, brāhmaṇas sometimes brahmacārī, gṛhastha. That will impress. (break) ...hodgepodge. Respect is no. Ideals become a leader. He'll do. He'll do. There must be some strong men. Tilaka always must be there. That is our great standard. Kaṇṭhī-mālā. Every fifteen days you should be cleansed. (break) (indistinct) Don't be in all this (indistinct). Go on very nicely. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsa...
Upendra: The reason the original faith was placed in the scientists was because radio, airplanes, tape recorders have been manufactured, and people are impressed by these originally.
Prabhupāda: So what is the benefit? Without radio, people were dying, or with radio they are not living?
Upendra: They say they are living more comfortably.
Prabhupāda: Nonsense comfortably... They have changed the season? Is it comfortable? We have to take this cooling machine. What is the practical benefit? You can say that it is comfortable. That's all right. But that does not mean that you have moved the uncomfortable situation. You are struggling against. That much you can take credit. Real benefit is not there. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Real unhappiness is this, that you are: "Why I am struggling? I don't want death."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we have three hundred rooms. It would fetch... If it was divided up as an all-apartment building, it would make very..., lot of money. To run a building like that... It's very prestigious. Even though it's not a new building, still, it is prestigious. People are impressed. Many Indian people come there from India at night. A number of officials came, and they were all very... They said, "Oh, we didn't know you had such a building like this." They said like that. They were very impressed. And they liked the... They were very much impressed with the temple room and the restaurant and the general size of the building. Those three features are impressive. The restaurant they're very impressed by, pure vegetarian prasādam served with a restaurant atmosphere.
Prabhupāda: And so palatable.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very palatable. They're quite impressed. Puris, samosās, kacuris... They couldn't dream to come to New York and get these things. Therefore they eat meat. They think it's not available. There's only one other pure vegetarian restaurant in New York.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our New York building we have two elevators. And that impresses people when they come there to see. If you own a building with two elevators in it, it's a big thing.
Prabhupāda: It goes up to the roof.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And the roof is quite nice. When the viewers see...
Prabhupāda: Very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were sitting on it. Prabhupāda would sit up there in the evening, and he even took massage sometimes. The most... Excuse me, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Very nice roof.
Indian man (4): The other day two parents have come, and they have said, "We will give our two boys and let them be first class, for the school here."
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) That is... (Hindi) This is the defect of modern civilization. And Kṛṣṇa wants to impress in the beginning, na jāyate na mriyate vā. (Hindi) Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). (Hindi) This darkness is going on. People are kept in darkness in the name of so-called university education. This is... (Hindi) It will be successful. It may take time. That's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "By your mercy, now there is a very concentrated effort on behalf of Rāmeśvara Swami, Ambarīṣa dāsa and myself to plan and build an impressive theistic exhibition in Washington, D.C...."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...which would attract the attention of some of the world's greatest leaders and dignitaries. The scope and implications of this task are breathtaking, and I am feeling very small and insignificant in confrontation with it, just like a dwarf trying to touch the moon. However, if you want me to perform this task, then kindly give me your mercy and bless me..."
Prabhupāda: Yes. You train up assistants and this will be recognized by government and everyone. You'll do more than Columbus. (laughter) In the Washington, in different compartments, a different explanation of Bhāgavata śloka by dolls will attract millions of people to see. Will it not?
Prabhupāda: You can send one copy to Dr. Kapoor by post.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll tell Gargamuni. It will be more impressive coming from Bombay.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And one to Bon Mahārāja at Vaṁśī-vaṭa(?).
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "Śrīla Prabhupāda has taken on the monumental task of translating the essence of all Vedic..." I want to get to the... Here it comes. "All in all, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge includes at least one hundred published volumes. Scholars from all over the world have described Śrīla Prabhupāda as a literary genius after reading his treasure chest of Vedic knowledge. And now for the first time this treasure chest of transcendental knowledge is unlocked for everyone to dive deep into the ocean of transcendental bliss upon reading these classics." These words are nectar.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's really devotional.
Prabhupāda: They are so gentle.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what we're feeling with this community also, that actually people will become so much impressed with this wonderful way of life that they'll want to take part voluntarily. If something is done very nicely, if Kṛṣṇa consciousness is presented very nicely, then any gentleman will want to take part.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That is good. That's all.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Our chief guest for tomorrow has already arrived. And he's very impressed. I took a tour of our temples, also the Gurukula. And they're very impressed with the whole building and the whole program that we have here. Very nice. He brought also an architect. He's a retired engineer, Chowdury from..., together. Also we already have a mathematician from Delhi University for tomorrow. So I took three of them tour of our temple and gave them nice prasādam. They were very impressed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This has never happened before, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You are the real ācārya for this age, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You perfectly know how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You're making people who would ordinarily never take interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness become devotees.
Prabhupāda: In the beginning, when I was selling Back to Godhead alone, I wrote one practical businessman, Mr. Bande(?) I think. He said, "Swamiji, why you have made Vṛndāvana headquarter? (laughs) It is not a place for..."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Vṛndāvana there are so many smārta-brāhmaṇas, but Bombay is a very materialistic, modern, Western city. Some of our devotees have already been invited, Acyutānanda and one other, for themselves opening a temple. So it was the common opinion of most of the devotees, "What is the need of hiring these fourteen, fifteen brāhmaṇas? The people don't care in Bombay for this."
Prabhupāda: No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rather, they may be more impressed to have the Western devotees doing it, and we save so much...
Prabhupāda: Western brāhmaṇas.
Hari-śauri: Western brāhmaṇas, yes.
Girirāja: Imported. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: That was my prediction. As they're importing ghee, milk, similarly, brāhmaṇa also. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya. That's nice proposal.
Akṣayānanda: Well, last night they didn't speak anything. They just heard our film and lecture. That's all. They didn't speak anything last night. Actually they are very impressed.
Prabhupāda: Who was impressed?
Akṣayānanda: All the people. They all...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's asking about the Vṛndāvana gosvāmīs, Puruṣottama Gosvāmī, Viśvambhara Gosvāmī...
Akṣayānanda: Oh, I see. No, they were not there.
| Page Title: | Impress (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 08 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=92, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 92 |