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Monk

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 13.61, Purport:

Near the temple is a place named Āmalītalā (Imlitala), which is so named because of a big tamarind tree there. According to a party named the Neḍādi-sampradāya, Vīrabhadra Prabhu, with the assistance of twelve hundred Neḍās (Buddhist monks), dug a great lake of the name Śvetagaṅgā. Outside of the temple are tombs of the Gosvāmīs, and there is a small river known as the Mauḍeśvara, which is called the water of Yamunā. Within half a mile from this small river is the birthplace of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. It appears that there was a big kīrtana hall in front of the temple, but later it became dilapidated. It is now covered by banyan trees. Later on, a temple was constructed within which Gaura-Nityānanda Deities are existing. The temple was constructed by the late Prasannakumāra Kārapharmā. A tablet was installed in his memory in the Bengali year 1323 (A.D. 1916), in the month of Vaiśākha (April-May).

Lectures

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: I think that's the difference between the Christian emphasis and Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

Prabhupāda: Because it's simply mental speculation. There is no basis.

Śyāmasundara: The Christian monks, ascetics, they always thought that the life they were giving up, they were suffering, always that feeling...

Prabhupāda: Poor fund of knowledge, that's all.

Śyāmasundara: Anyway, to go on...

Prabhupāda: And they have developed this philosophy and this Bible, after the demise of Jesus Christ. More or less it is concoction.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: This is very important point, that we are not negating pleasure, but we are trying to bring them to the highest pleasure.

Revatīnandana: She made this observation, that this is not to stop our enjoying, but this is higher enjoyment.

Guest (2): When you come into this movement, you come in from on the outside, in the material world and so on. Do you, as some monks do in monasteries, do you give all your wealth, all your possessions, everything, as it were, to the movement?

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. Why?

Revatīnandana: Not necessarily. But generally yes. Because we're coming here to serve Kṛṣṇa and we understand that everything is Kṛṣṇa's. So whatever we come with is automatically Kṛṣṇa's, so we use it in His service.

Prabhupāda: Actually, we don't possess anything. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. What we possess, so-called possession, that is illegal. Because I cannot possess your property. I can possess your property by stealing. Not by fair dealings.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: When there is no food, so human life is more important than animal life. So the human life should be saved at the sacrifice of animals. That is another question. But where there is complete facilities to get very nice, nutritious food, why these poor animals should be killed?

Revatīnandana: But in the last week we've had a Jesuit priest, a Black Friar's monk, several other theologically inclined Christian gentlemen have been here, and not one of them has assented to that statement. They do not agree. They think that...

Prabhupāda: They do not agree that animal killing is sinful. They do not agree.

Schumacher: It's a very long question, isn't it. I mean...

Prabhupāda: No, it is a simple question. Killing, do you think killing is very good business? Then why it is forbidden, "Thou shall not kill."

Room Conversation with Cardinal Danielou -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Cardinal Danielou: Yes, in Christianity, we speak of spiritual fathers.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Cardinal Danielou: Spiritual father, spiritual father. We... He is a man who has a good experience of spiritual things and communicate his experience to others.

Prabhupāda: Yes, oh, yes. (etc.)

Cardinal Danielou: You know. We are in Christianity monks, monks. We live in monastery.

Prabhupāda: Ah, monks.

Cardinal Danielou: Monastery, yes. With contemplative life and austerity of life. And we have many, many monastery in France. Some Benedict, some Benedict and...

Prabhupāda: Where he has gone to take the water from, Arabian Sea?

Cardinal Danielou: (French)

Yogeśvara: Kṛṣṇa's mercy. I can change the tape. (break)

Cardinal Danielou: ...leader of the Kṛṣṇa community?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Dr. Inger: When I asked a group of priests at a meeting which was to celebrate the anniversary of a leading Catholic thinker, I.R. Shadder(?), I just asked him about the Sermon on the Mount, referring to similarities between the teachings of Sermon on the Mount and Hindu thought. He says, "You see, but the point is this, that the Sermon on the Mount is not meant for everybody. It is only meant for a very few. And therefore most of us, including the present company," he said, "cannot use it in everyday life." I said, "Do you mean it is only meant for monks?" He hesitated but said, "If you like, yes." But I said, "I imagined that this was meant for everyone and that anyone could follow it." And he said, "Well, it is too dangerous a teaching to give to everyone."

Prabhupāda: Just see. And therefore I say, "Cheater and cheated." Yes. Similarly, scientists also. Recently in Los Angeles, California University, one professor, a big scientist came. He's a Nobel Prize owner. He described, gave lecture. He has written one book, on which he has got Nobel Prize, Evolution of Chemicals. He wants to prove by chemical, combination of chemical, life has come into existence. That is his theory, like Darwin's theory, that life is from matter or chemical. So after hearing the lecture, there is a professor also, a student, yes. He is also Doctor of Chemistry. He is my disciple. He inquired that "If I give you all these chemicals, whether you can produce life?" At that time he said, "That I cannot say." Just see. He is proposing that "From these chemicals, life has begun," and when he is questioned whether by supplying these chemicals he can produce a life, he said, "That I cannot say." This is going on. Then what is the... Then, if you cannot say, then why you are saying that from these chemicals life has come? So when they are caught up for practical purposes, they'll deny. And they are passing on as philosopher, as scientist, priest, and these things. Just see.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Richard Webster: Well. I understand. But I only think that the dietetic rules would be perhaps an obstacle to the spreading... I mean certain rules which are clean against European or American custom might constitute an obstacle to the spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I mean, in the Roman Catholic church you have the monks. Then you have the laity who observe less strict rules without being considered outside God. And you don't have that, do you? I mean, the Kṛṣṇa movement is a movement of what we should call monks or religious... There is no laity in the Roman Catholic Christian sense, people of the world who are doing messy things, I mean, trading the drugs or whatever it is because it's a job they have to do, but belong to the church without being strictly religious.

Prabhupāda: At least the church people, the priests, they must follow strictly the rules.

Richard Webster: Yes. But I mean the difference seems to be with the Christian...

Prabhupāda: Common man may not follow or cannot, but those who are teachers or the priest or the leaders or the executive head, they must follow. Otherwise they cannot remain pure and they cannot take the position of teacher or head. Head must be clean. Other parts may be unclean, but the head must be clean; otherwise the whole business will be spoiled. Therefore, the strictures, rules and regulation, must be followed by four persons. One person is the executive head like the president or the king. And the other person is the religious preacher, priest. And the other person is the public leader. So at least these three, four heads of the men's human society, they must be of ideal character. Otherwise the whole society will be spoiled. People will follow the heads.

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

Cardinal Pignedoli: Well, thank you for your explanations.

Prabhupāda: And it is being effective. It is being effective. In our group we find Africans, Americans, Indians, Europeans, Canadians, Japanese, Chinese, everyone.

Monsignor Verrozano: And what concern the Buddhist countries where God is not so, at least, the prayers or the name of God is not so well known. I am just coming from Bangkok where we had a meeting with Buddhist monks of the (indistinct), and have you also some movement, some kind of action to spread love of God to (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Well, Buddhists, they do not believe in God.

Cardinal and Monsignor Verrozano: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So according to our Vedic conception, Buddhist philosophy is atheistic philosophy.

Cardinal Pignedoli: Theoretically yes, but practically, do you think they are atheistic, practically? Because...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Our... Yes. Theoretically atheistic, but because they believe in Lord Buddha, they are theistic. Because we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of God, Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- June 20, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Therefore the order is "Thou shalt not kill." Simply their business was killing. Uncivilized persons, they kill animals and eat. So due to past habit they could not forget this killing business. This is the proof that this system of religion was preached among the crude people, not civilized. So why they introduced this beer?

Haṁsadūta: It was a kind of refreshment.

Prabhupāda: But before that, they were not drinking.

Haṁsadūta: There may have been something like wine. The monks also used to make wine.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they make wine. Uncivilized men, they know how to make wine. In India they do so by rice boiling and keep it for some days. It becomes wine, fermented. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...used to say that "I was drinking beer in barrels." He said. Forty years ago he said me like that. Here I don't see them, but Hamburg I have seen, yes, passing urine on the roadside. There are so many urine coming from the wall. 'Cause the more you drink beer, you will pass urine more. The German language is trinken, trinking. Drinking means trinking. Yes, I have seen it. Trinking or trinken?

Haṁsadūta: Trinken.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...students, they are advancing for the unflinching faith on guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is the secret. (break) ...these devotees, how nice they are. They do not appreciate?

Room Conversation with Pater Emmanuel (A Benedictine Monk) -- June 22, 1974, Germany:

Pater Emmanuel: Yes, yes, thank you very much. I am Benedictine monk in a monastery.

Prabhupāda: You are Roman Catholic?

Pater Emmanuel: Yes, Roman Catholic. But I follow the eastern rite of the Greek Orthodox church. In our monastery you get the two rites, the Roman Catholic and also the customs of life... It's like the Greek Orthodox monks. We also have the rosary.

Prabhupāda: Like us.

Pater Emmanuel: Yes. And continue also, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me." Also I repeat, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me."

Prabhupāda: Very good. You know Greek language?

Pater Emmanuel: Yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: So you know the word Christo.

Pater Emmanuel: Yes, Christ.

Prabhupāda: Christo means Christ.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (3): This tradition of the names was a tradition that was developed for two thousand years, beginning with the monks, and which most Christians are really not aware of, that through this japa a man can come to consciousness of God.

Prabhupāda: Yes, when one comes to God consciousness. And the relationship is "God is great; we are subordinate." Just like the father is the maintainer, and the son is maintained. Although the father and the son of the same quality, still, the relationship is the father is the maintainer, and the son is maintained.

Guest (5): That's, of course, not the orthodox Christian interpretation, that's supposed to be. It's very clear by the time the decrees were worked out that Jesus is not a creature. He's incarnate God.

Guest (6): You say that we are creatures, and we are subordinate to God, and I can understand that. Christ was not created.

Prabhupāda: Yes, none of us are created. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā...

Room Conversation with Reporter -- March 9, 1975, London:

Prabhupāda: Now, the mistake is... You are talking with me; I am talking with you. Your body is there, my body. But which is important? Your body is important, or the force which is talking, that is important? Which is important?

Reporter: The force.

Prabhupāda: Just see. So who is giving? Where is the educational institution to give lesson about this living force? Is there any education all over the world?

Reporter: But you don't find that the fact that your monks are wearing robes or shaving their heads is a difficulty in the West, where not many people...

Prabhupāda: It is not the question of East and West. It is the question of human life. There is no question... The Western people also have this living force, and Eastern people also have this living force. So where is the difference, West and East? There is no question of West and East. It is the problem for the whole human society.

Morning Walk -- May 7, 1975, Perth:

Amogha: They like that story. What about in the Buddhist philosophy; we understand that...

Prabhupāda: No killing.

Paramahaṁsa: ...in the higher stage...

Prabhupāda: No killing.

Amogha: Yes, but the Buddhist monks, when they beg, they simply accept whatever alms they receive, and if they receive meat then they'll eat that, and if they receive some raw grains then they eat that. Actually that is a higher state of renunciation.

Paramahaṁsa: And if they receive some cigarettes they'll smoke them.

Amogha: Yes, and if they receive-they'll take anything, they are so renounced. So isn't that more spiritual?

Prabhupāda: They have no idea what is spiritual. Buddhist religion is not a spiritual. It is material. If you kill me then I feel pain; therefore I shall not kill you. This is.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Siddha-svarūpa: ...experiments that these... I know of the experiments that these men are doing. They're connected... They have gone to the Buddhists. They've gone to Buddhist monks and various people that are into voidism, and they've made these tests, and it comes out that there's no activity. So they're seeing this as being the goal. They're trying to see if the same perfection, result of perfection, is achieved by the chanting. They already have a preconceived notion of what perfection is, and if they're testing to see if...

Prabhupāda: To that standard.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yeah, if we're up to that standard of perfection of the Buddhist monks or the Zen monks or transcendental meditators or whatever. So I think it's a very bad thing to take part in that thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Siddha-svarūpa: Because they'll simply try to... Anyway, it's... (break) Sometimes because these people have big titles like psychologist or professor and they have many machines and authoritative looking instruments, we become deceived into thinking that they are authorities of some sort, and we let them dictate to us. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...do not study that why these devotees have given up intoxication, which the government failed to stop?

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is practical.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: And he said, "Yes, you are right. There is no God."

Siddha-svarūpa: "Worship me." (laughs) Yes, I'm pretty sure I mentioned that. (break)

Prabhupāda: They were satisfied, "Yes, we shall worship you." (break)

Siddha-svarūpa: The so-called more advanced ones, the teachers, the leaders, the monks, they have a more difficult time because they are, have actually further studied the impersonalist philosophies, so they are more contaminated, whereas the congregation in general, they just, they don't take very seriously the philosophy. They don't get too deeply into it, I don't think. They just like to go to the temple and offer some incense to Lord Buddha and... (break) ...Govinda Restaurant, hungry... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...chanting, dancing. So this will rectify his philosophy. Chanting is so strong, it will send all philosophy to hell. (laughter) Vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. (break) You will come out triumphant of all others. (break) ...that is happening. What we are doing? We are not playing any magic. How this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is increasing?

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Prof. Olivier: Then basically they and myself and others want to know how do we get this spirit into our own hearts and how does this then issue out into everyday living.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, how to live peacefully in this world and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the whole thing is explained very nicely.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's not that everyone will become a monk.

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Not everyone will become a jeweler or a teacher. But all different occupations must be there in society. Simply they have to somehow or another become God-centered.

Prof. Olivier: Yeah. Well, this is the point, you see. Man only lives because God allows him to live. God has given him breath to live, and he's got to breathe God and speak God and live God now.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Harikeśa: So many others have preached Hinduism but have no result.

Prabhupāda: No result. Why they should become Hindu?

Acyutānanda: That sign is there, "Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu monk."

Prabhupāda: But who cares for Rāmakrishna Mission? Hindu monk, but who cares for the Rāmakrishna Mission? For the last eighty-five years they are working. How many Hindus they have made? Simply bogus propaganda. They advertise that "We have made all Americans..." But where the Americans? They picked up two American ladies, that's all. Where is the Hindu sādhus eating meat?

Acyutānanda: Here it says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Babu nagar."

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Acyutānanda: Who is Hare Kṛṣṇa Babu?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It says "Hare Kṛṣṇa nagar atar(?)" in the front also.

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Indian man (1): That is Hare Kṛṣṇa land. This is Hare Kṛṣṇa Babu.

Prabhupāda: Babu? Babu means?

Indian man (1): It's a name of the...

Prabhupāda: Foreign devotees, they are joining this movement not because it is a Hindu culture. They take it as a real spiritual culture. Otherwise why, for the last hundred, two hundred years, the Hindu sannyāsīs, yogis, were going there? Who did accept it? Did anybody? The Rāmakrishna Mission, Hindu monk, within the eighty-five years, how many Hindus they have made? You can count maybe a dozen only. Huh? Did they make any Hindus, European, American young boys? And it is the Hindu custom that sannyāsīs eat meat?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Drink wine.

Prabhupāda: Drink wine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And have women.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...drinking wine and eating meat, the next stage is illicit sex. Is that the business of the Hindu monk? There are sampradāyas, Rāmānuja sampradāya, Śaṅkara sampradāya. But where the Hindu monk drinks and eats meat? They have introduced it. Is that Hinduism?

Acyutānanda: (break) Satajit.

Prabhupāda: Nowadays everyone has become impersonal.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Leaders means as soon as you make the public in your favor, you are leader.

Rāmeśvara: But they'll actually manage the government?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. The Kurukṣetra battle was for this purpose. The Pāṇḍavas should be on the throne, not the Duryodhana. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All round, not that we're simply chanting. We're fighting also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Arjuna monks.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We had a nice experience...

Prabhupāda: All-round.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...in Berkeley, when we started to fight...

Prabhupāda: They may not misunderstand us that we are...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pacifists.

Prabhupāda: Pacifists, or a sect of religious faith. We want to remold, remodel everything.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Satsvarūpa: Detroit Yacht Club. Boat owners. (break) ...by some Catholic monks who were keeping some drug rehabilitation. They were leasing it from us. We still have a lease to the owner. So they are subleasing it. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to stop drug habit?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. They have.... People who are addicted, they come and live there voluntarily and say "I'd like to try to stop." They call it "half-way house," because they are half still addicted, but they're trying to stop. So maybe six of such addicts are living...

Prabhupāda: Only six.

Satsvarūpa: Yes, not many. Here's the place, right here. And some monks live there, and somehow or other they try to get them to stop.

Prabhupāda: Which year I came first? Bhagavān was in charge.

Ambarīṣa: I think it was six years ago from last year. So that would be '69.

Prabhupāda: At that time I'll see, here is the signboard "For Sale."

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

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.

Hari-śauri: That first time you visited that monastery, the man that was in charge, the head monk there, after you had visited, a short while later he left and he went to India looking for enlightenment.

Prabhupāda: Perhaps it was some shock when I said that "What you have not done?" They received me very well.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: India, everywhere they'll be received very nice.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prasādam distribution has now been started as a regular part of the program. And they did one program in a town called Dalialama. Immediately two monks and one British hippie joined the party.

Prabhupāda: Two monks means Buddhist monks?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Possibly. And he mentions in the last two weeks after we left Vṛndāvana we picked eight devotees, so they must have more devotees by now. The emphasis on their program he mentions is to make devotees and responsible preachers to carry on the Indian mission. And then he says that we've been advertising.

Prabhupāda: Advertising?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like this. He says "I want to make one banner and poster: 'Now you can join the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Travel all over the world preaching Bhagavad-gītā. All expenses paid. Free food, lodging, etc. No qualification necessary. Apply ISKCON.' " It's like army recruiting.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No qualification.

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Pradyumna: One time we went to a church in Boston to speak. They had only a pulpit for the preacher, and behind, no altar, no crucifix, nothing, just big map of outer space with planets on the wall. Not even any Christian church, but no cross, nothing. Only universe. Universalist Church, it's called. The Universalists.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, but give some information of the universe.

Hari-śauri: Says, "Religion: 1. monastic condition, being a monk or a nun, enter into a monastic order; 2. practice of sacred rites; 3. one of the prevalent systems of faith and worship, i.e. Christian, Muhammadan, etc.; 4. human recognition of superhuman controlling power and especially of a personal God entitled to obedience, effect of such recognition on conduct and mental attitude."

Prabhupāda: This is religion. Personal conception of God.

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: One is bound to do. Dharmena hina paśubhiḥ samana. If he does not do, then he's animal. It must be done. There is no question of optional. If you are human being, you must be religious, you must recognize the supreme controller. Otherwise, you are animal. What is the other interpretations? Beginning one?

Hari-śauri: "Monastic condition, being a monk or a nun."

Prabhupāda: Just like every religion has got some condition, monastic, is it not?

Hari-śauri: Yes, every religion has a system of priests.

Prabhupāda: (Coughs severely for a few minutes) Monastic condition?

Hari-śauri: "Practice of sacred rites."

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jagadīśa: A problem may come if they say, "But you invite people to come."

Prabhupāda: Friends I must invite. For feast. This is our community project.

Hari-śauri: Once you're in there, then it's... In Melbourne we told them that it's just strictly private, it was going to be like a monastery, there was just going to be a few monks who were going to do our worship, like that. And then when we were in we just had the Sunday feast and everything and everything was fine.

Devotee: Well actually, the way...

Prabhupāda: Śaṭhe śāthyaṁ samācaret. That is that if the other is cheat, you become cheat. Why you should be honest? Śaṭhe śāthyaṁ samācaret.

Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then Brahmā began to kill his sewerni (?) and his pigs and others, and then he began to cry and took him by force. There is a (indistinct). Even Indra, when he comes under the influence of this tamo-guṇa, he became happy in the high life of sewer.

Dr. Patel: Māyā duratyayā. Mama māyā duratyayā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

Devotees: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Śrutaśrava: The governor there, he was making a statement that most institutions in California like hospitals and places like this, they are simply torture chambers. So he made one request that people like priests and monks and Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, if they could go to these places and try to help people.

Prabhupāda: We are prepared. If they give us in charge, we are prepared.

Śrutaśrava: So in Christmas day Rāmeśvara Mahārāja was planning that many devotees could go there and distribute prasāda and some literatures.

Prabhupāda: We can cure them from material and spiritual diseases. They are now trying to cure them from material ailments. We can cure them from spiritual ailments. Actually, the ailment is spiritual. Material is symptom.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But we are famous as shaven-headed. That is already advertised. Shaven-headed means Kṛṣṇas. So why should we relinquish this...

Haṁsadūta: Trademark.

Rāmeśvara: It has made us famous. That's a fact.

Trivikrama: Yes, it means a monk. In the Far East at least, shaven head means monk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Shaven-headed. These Buddhist monks, they are shaven-headed.

Hari-śauri: Even in the West they shave their heads. And they look something like that.

Prabhupāda: Well, there was some income tax office pleader. So I have given the idea that "The fifty percent, that is promotion expenditure." So he accept..., "Yes, it can be done." Where is the profit? Whatever is profit is promotion expenditure. We give to ISKCON commission, or some way or other, it is spent. So he admitted, "Yes, it can be done." And last night I was suggesting, "For promotion spend." Even if we open a temple, that is promotion.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So by propaganda, it is happened. Although he is not ghost, he began to think that "Maybe I have become ghost."

Harikeśa: In Austria something very, very nice has happened. We were never able before to sell books because whenever Germans went there the Austrian government caught them and charged us thousands of dollars' fine and threw us out of the country. But now I've sent one devotee who was blooped for one year. His name is Cakravartī. He used to be the most important person in Germany.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: And so by your mercy I managed to drag him back by his hair one day, and I sent him and his wife to Austria, and now they are doing something amazing. They never spend even one penny. Everywhere they go, they beg as monks that someone should please give them a place to stay and something to eat, and they're begging gasoline and they're selling so many books, it's inconceivable. The bookstores...

Prabhupāda: German language. German language.

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

Prabhupāda: He said that Christ is śaktyāveśa-avatāra, as Buddha. How he can be otherwise? He sacrificed everything for God. He cannot be ordinary man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Hm. That Melbourne meeting, it was... You were present?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I heard about it. With the monks, I think.

Prabhupāda: They very much appreciated. Because they saw that I have got full respect for Christ and his real disciples. And actually we have. Why not? He said, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are interpreting killing. This is going on. And they are Christians. Just see how much cheating. It is clearly written, "Thou shalt not kill." And their only business is killing, and still, they are Christians. How much cheating it is. Whatever little success is in our movement, the cause is I have not tried to cheat. Honestly, what I knew, I heard it from Guru Mahārāja and scripture, I took it. There was no cheating.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Pope Paul VI -- Montreal 3 August, 1968:

Please accept my respectful humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. I beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life, and at the present, I am in the renounced order of Sannyas (aged 72 years) and preaching God consciousness all over the world. I came to America in 1965, and since then I have many followers belonging to both Christian and Jewish faiths. And I have established 8 centers of Krishna consciousness temples in the USA and Canada. In the month of September, 1968, I am scheduled to go to London on this mission, and maybe I can visit other cities of European countries.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Archbishop of Canterbury -- Los Angeles 1969:

Please accept my respectful and humble obeisances. I beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life. At present, I am in the renounced order of sannyasa (age 73) and preaching God Consciousness all over the world. I came to America in 1965, and since then, I have many followers belonging to both Christian and Jewish faiths. Thus far I have established 17 centers for Krishna Conscious temples throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, London, and France.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 4 February, 1969:

You are right when you say that setting a good example for the boys is the best precept. There is a saying that an example is better than a precept. Our exemplary character depends on strictly following the four principles, and this will conquer the whole world. Our boys and girls in London, by there exemplary character have drawn the attention of many respectable persons and even some public papers. Our movement is not only for some theoretical teaching, but it is for developing practical character and definite understanding. I will be glad to know what is your future program. Do you think you will be continuing as brahmacari, or in the future will you wish to become householder? The idea is that when we open our educational institute, we will require some dedicated monks, just like Christian Fathers, who have no connection with women. In that case, we can start a theological school also, along with a boys primary school. Our theological school will regularly teach our published books, such as Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion, Brahma Samhita, and Krishna.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Sydney 8 April, 1972:

You will be happy to know that our centers in Australia are expanding very rapidly, and many many young boys and girls are surrendering their lives in rich country to Lord Krishna. Now I think I have got about 100 disciples in Melbourne, and Sydney, exactly like those you have observed with me in India. So there is very good scope here because we have opened up our preaching here less than two years back. The other day I was invited by some Christian monks to come to their very large monastery in the countryside near Melbourne, and they were so much appreciating our Krishna Consciousness philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and they read our Bhagavad Gita every night, and they are all very nice persons and have stopped eating meat. So practically they have become our allies, and with their co-operation there is immense work to be done. Then last night we had a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall in the central part of the city, and there was very ecstatic kirtan with more than one thousand persons and many of them joined us by dancing on the stage. So in every respect these western countries are the best field for our Vaisnava culture to spread and take effect, that has been demonstrated.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Pancadravida, Aksayananda -- Melbourne 28 June, 1974:

Your report that a Christian gentleman became a life member being attracted to our books is also our experience. Just today we spoke at a seminary in Melbourne, Australia, and the young Franciscan monks listened very respectfully. When speaking to Christians we never say our religious system is better than theirs but we speak on the principles of love of God, Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). They become convinced and pleased to hear our explanations of God consciousness based on the Vedic conclusion—if they are at all sincere. So whenever you come upon such gentlemen or institutions try to place our books there and make them life members also.

Page Title:Monk
Compiler:Rishab, Serene
Created:27 of Jun, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=27, Let=5
No. of Quotes:34