My credit (Prabhupada)

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Preface and Introduction

BG Preface:

In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda.

BG Preface:

If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gītā were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Our business is to present the will of Kṛṣṇa, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, despite all their other knowledge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya Concluding Words:

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates. It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

You are searching after God. You cannot understand what is God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. His name, His activities, everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You accept and surrender unto Him. And as Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So we are speaking the same thing. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We don't misinterpret. We don't spoil the whole Bhagavad-gītā. We don't do this mischief. Sometimes people, they say, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." But what wonderful? I am not a magician. My only credit is I have not spoiled the Bhagavad-gītā. I have presented as it is. Therefore it is successful.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

People say so much about me, that I have done some wonderful thing. But I say that I am not a magician. I'm not a magician. My only credit is that I am presenting Kṛṣṇa as He is. That's all. I am not diluting Kṛṣṇa. That is not my business. And therefore, because it is pure, pure ghee, therefore everyone accepts. And if you place dalda, mixing with ghee some rascal thing, then nobody will accept. Therefore, so many swamis went before me in the Western countries, and they presented adulterated, and there was not a single person became a kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Now, by thousands they are becoming. Why? Because it is presented pure thing.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

So, so many people, sometimes they come forward to give me some credit that I have done very wonderful thing. So I reply that "I do not know how to do something wonderful. I cannot manufacture gold, I cannot show any jugglery, but if there is any credit, then the only credit is I don't adulterate. That's all. The pure milk, I don't show my expert service by adding water in it. That I do not do. So we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Before me, many swamis went to the Western countries to preach this Bhagavad-gītā. Not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Not a single person. There is not in the history. And now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, thousands are becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the secret. People give me credit that "Swamiji, you have done wonderful. Nobody could do it." I am not a wonderful man. Neither I do know anything magic. I have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That's all. This is the secret. Anyone can do that. You present the thing as it is. Don't adulterate it. Then it will be accepted. Just like paramānna, kṣīra. Kṣīra is very nice food, but if you adulterate it with some grains of sand, it is spoiled. It is spoiled.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Who can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing. He has said already that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So it not very easy. But it is very easy if you take the process, easiest process. What is that easiest process? That easiest process: you don't talk nonsense; you simply talk what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I. Any of you, you can do this. Simply speak what is..., what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:

Now these foreigners, they are neither Hindus nor Indian nor brāhmaṇas. How they are taking? They are not fools and rascals. They are coming from respectable family, educated. So we have got our centers in Iran also. In Tehran, I am just coming from there. We have got so many Mohammedan students, and they have also taken to it. In Africa they have taken to it. In Australia they have taken to it. All over the world. So that is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

This is the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As many towns and villages are there all over the world, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will be spread. So there is no credit for me, but it is only a teeny attempt, and humble attempt. So if one man could do, if you say, some success, why not all of us? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given power of attorney to all Indians.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

When Arjuna was hesitating to fight, Arjuna was at last informed that "Why you are hesitating? It is all My plan. You fight or don't fight, it doesn't matter. These people are not going back home. They will die here." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "You just become only a nimitta, an immediate cause. Everything is arranged. But if you fight, you get the credit. I want to see My devotee gets the credit. Everything I am doing." Everything actually. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is quickly spreading all over the world within four, five years. Is it my credit? No. It is credit of Kṛṣṇa. But because I tried to do this business, people automatically giving me the credit. They say, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." I have done nothing wonderful. It is Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma-pravartana. Without Kṛṣṇa's strength, nobody can spread. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

If I hear from my spiritual master or from any learned man that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," so if I say by hearing that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead," so I haven't got to search out whether Kṛṣṇa is Personality of Godhead or not, but if I accept the authority, then I speak the real truth. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." And yes, I do not know. I'm not a magician. But, so far I am confident that I did not adulterate the words of Kṛṣṇa.

That's all. That's my credit. I did not like to take the position of Kṛṣṇa. I remained a servant of Kṛṣṇa, and I spoke what Kṛṣṇa said. That's all. This is my secret. So everyone can do that. There is nothing magic. The magic will act as soon as you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The magic will be done by Kṛṣṇa, not by me or you. He will do it. Just like a small child. Nobody can hurt him. The father will take care. He does not know. He's simply depending on father. "My father, mother." That's all. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me, I give you protection." He's not a liar. He's not inefficient. He's strong. He's sufficiently opulent. He can do that. So believe in Kṛṣṇa's word and surrender unto Him, and don't spoil this human form of life. Death is sure. Before death, we must prepare to go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

And those are directly father and mother, oh, they come to congratulate me in any way because they understand that "Here Swamijī is giving our sons and daughters spiritual life." They hope. They were hopeless. They were confused. So that is not my credit. I am simply presenting the right thing without..., Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without malinterpretation, spoiling time and energy. Everywhere I say like that, that "I have no credit, but...," because the only credit is that I do not adulterate.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

The whole world is praising this movement because they see practically that how these European-American boys and girls are so much absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne (CC Madhya 19.53). So very simple thing. Don't think I have played something wonder. No, it is not my wonder. The process is wonderful, the process itself. You have to simply accept; then your life will be successful. It is not that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has brought this." They say. They give me the credit. That is my good fortune also. But actually I am just like a peon. I have brought, but I am delivering it without any adulteration. That may be my credit. And if you take it without any adulteration and practice it, then your life is successful. This is the secret of success. Chant, dance, take prasādam, live very happily, and look very brilliant, and next life go to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. Bhakta bhagavān, bhagavān bhakta. Vaiṣṇava, he is equally good like God. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. But he's so power... He's more than. Sometimes he's more powerful than Bhagavān. Just like materially, if somebody sees that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is now spread all over the world. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not do it," that does not mean that I am great than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This does not mean. We are servant. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Bhagavān keeps some work to be done by His devotee to give the credit to the devotee. This is Bhagavān. But the bhakta never takes the foolishness that he is Bhagavān or greater than Bhagavān. Nobody can be equal to Bhagavān; nobody can be greater than Bhagavān. This is all foolishness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:

So that is a kind of vrata, vow. But our process is different: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). We do not stop talking, but we talk for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. So there are many, you'll find, they take credit by not talking. Sometimes you go to them and ask some question, they'll write in pencil on the paper, "We will not talk." And what is the meaning of his silence? If I put some questions and you write in paper, what is the difference between talking and writing? I am using the senses. For talking I am using the senses, tongue. Instead of using the sense, tongue, active senses, I am using my hand. So this is also sense gratification. The real fact is that you cannot stop the tongue working. Engage the tongue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Don't talk material subject matters.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

In Vṛndāvana you'll find many devotees, they are in a very secluded place. But my Guru Mahārāja did not like this process, secluded. We have discussed many times. Sometimes if you sit down in a secluded place, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, then you'll complain, "I am being disturbed in this way." One, that African boy, came? So he became disturbed. You must be disturbed. Because your mind is not controlled, if you sit down to get some extra credit, that "I have become so great devotee. I can remain in a secluded place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa like Haridāsa Ṭhākura," it is cheating. It is cheating. You cannot do that. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

As soon as the living soul departs from the heart there is no more palpitating. It is simply a lump of matter. That requires intelligence, that this matter is never the living soul.

Therefore anyone who is accepting this body as self, they have been described in the śāstra no better than... Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cows, and khara means asses. These are asses. They are taking so much credit, advancement of scientific knowledge, but so long they do not understand there is the soul-dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)—they are all asses, that's all, simply asses. This is our challenge, that "You are all asses. If you do not accept the existence of the soul, if you cannot find out where it is, then you are all asses. We don't give him any credit." This is our challenge. Let anyone come. We shall prove that he's an ass. We shall prove. How? It is very easy. Any intelligent man can analyze this body. Take this breathing. What is this breathing? It is air.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: "That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas."

Prabhupāda: Yes, we should not be very much proud that "I have created wonderful." Why? What wonderful? What? I am not a magician that I can create wonderful. Sometimes people, they give me so much honor. "Swamijī, you have created wonderful." I do not feel that I have created wonderful. What I have done? I say that I, I do, I'm not a magician. I do not know how to create wonderful. I have simply Bhagavad-gītā, presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. If there is any credit, this is only credit. Anyone can do it. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and anyone can present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So it will act wonderful. I am not a magician. I do not know the tricks of magics and the yoga-siddhi, I am creating (visual expression) like this. (laughter) I have no such power. Neither I do it. So I, my only credit is, I do not want to mix with this pure Bhagavad-gītā teaching, any rascaldom, that's all. That is my credit. And whatever little miracle has been done, only on this principle. That's all.

Festival Lectures

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

The message was there when I was twenty-five years old, but I began at the age of seventy years. But I did not forget the message. Otherwise, how could I do? That was, that is a fact. I was simply finding out the opportunity, how to do it. So anyway, although I began very late, at the age of seventy years, so by the help of my disciples this movement is gaining ground and is spreading all over the world. So therefore I have to thank you. It is all due to you. It is not my credit, but it is your credit that you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Mahārāja.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

You become guru. Very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You say that "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you offer obeisances. Here is a temple; here is Kṛṣṇa. Please come here. You offer your obeisances, and if you can you offer patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26). You don't offer... But it is very simple thing. Anyone can secure a little flower, a little fruit, a little water. It is not at all difficult."

So this is the guru's qualification. Guru does not show any magic or produce some wonderful things then he becomes guru. So practically I have done this. People are giving me credit that I have done miracles, but my miracle is that I carried the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So this is the secrecy. So anyone of you, you can become guru. It is not that I am an extraordinary man, an extraordinary god coming from some mysterious place.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

So sometimes people give me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. But I know one thing, that I am speaking what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This credit I can take, that I don't making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful. I have not bribed so many Europeans and Americans. I am poor Indian. I came to America with forty rupees with me, and now I possess forty crores. So there is no magic.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are not presenting Kṛṣṇa in a different way. Our only method is to present Kṛṣṇa as He is. That is our... If there is any credit for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or for us, now, our credit is that we are not adulterating Bhagavad-gītā. We are simply presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. And by Kṛṣṇa's grace it is being understood very easily all over the world, and they are accepting it, that one God, Kṛṣṇa; one philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā; and one hymn, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra; and one nation, Kṛṣṇa conscious people. Just push this movement and the world will be happy. Don't create God: "Here is a incarnation of Kṛṣṇa." Sometimes we accept somebody as God because he says that "I am the same Kṛṣṇa. I am the same Rāma," believing on his word.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

So, "This fight of interpretation will not save you. Better from the very beginning you worship Govinda. That will save you." This is his instruction. Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate. And so far we are concerned, Vaiṣṇavas, we all accept govinda, ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, Govinda, the Supreme Person, the original Personality Godhead, govindam.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

The summum..., the cause of all causes, the supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. And that Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are presenting all over the world. And this Hanumān Gosvāmī has given me the credit that I am representing Kṛṣṇa.

So it is not very ordinary job, neither ordinary position, but it is not difficult also. The difficulty is when I adulterate and misinterpret Kṛṣṇa's words. Then it is difficult.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Indian woman: Excuse me, what do you or the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have to say to me that is different from the essence of any of the major religions of the world, say, Christianity?

Prabhupāda: Every religion will say that you surrender unto God, either Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Christianity, or Muhammadan... The word is the same, but we are teaching the same thing, but in a very easiest process. That is our credit.

Indian man: But how long we have to surrender?

Prabhupāda: So long you do not die.

(laughter)

Speech to Devotees -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

Simple thing. We don't require to be very learned scholar, M.A., Ph.D. If you simply follow what Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā... If you do not go very deep into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam especially, and if you simply read the Bhagavad-gītā... We are presenting, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any adulteration. They give me so much credit that "You have done wonderful, miracle," and I do not know how to play any miracle. Our Dipa Mahārāja knows me from the very beginning. I do not know how to play magic. I do not know. But only magic is that I don't adulterate. That's all. I don't adulterate. I say simple thing. Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth, that's all. What difficulty you have?

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: Like hypnotism.

Prabhupāda: By hypnotism, yes. I think I have discussed in The Nectar of Devotion. So this is possible even by ordinary yogis, and what to speak of Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Yogeśvara. He is the master of all mystic power. So one who does not know these things, they say, "Oh, these are all stories." It is not story. It is no miracle. They are all possible. So there is no such thing as miracle. It is a process of doing. One must know how to do it. There is no miracle. We don't say anything miracle. But for appreciating, you can say it is. You see Kṛṣṇa is said as Yogeśvara, master of all mystic yoga processes: yatra yogeśvara hari. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. So our yogic power is, our yoga process is to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. He'll act, and you'll get the credits. (laughter) Just like our movement: Kṛṣṇa is doing and I am getting the credit. (laughter) Yes. Why should we bother about acquiring all this mystic power? Just depend on Kṛṣṇa. He is Yogeśvara. He'll do everything, and you'll get the credit. And Kṛṣṇa wants that. Just like his advice to Arjuna, "This is already planned. You don't think that if you do not fight they'll go back. That is not possible. But you simply take the credit, that's all."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prof. Kotovsky: Yes. And haven't you come across some hostile attitude to your teaching from orthodox Hindu, from orthodox brāhmaṇas in India itself.

Prabhupāda: But rather, we have subdued them.

Prof. Kotovsky: Ah, yes.

Prabhupāda: Because we are... Any orthodox Hindu may come, but we have got our weapons, Vedic evidences. So nobody has come. But even Christian priest... Even Christian priests in America, they love me. They say that "These boys..., our boys... They are Americans. They are Christians. They are Jews. And these boys are so much after God, and we could not deliver them?" They're admitting. Their fathers, their parents, come to me. They also flatly offer their obeisances and say, "Swamiji, it is our great fortune that you have come. You are teaching God consciousness." So on the contrary, I have got reception from other countries. And India also, as you inquired of India, all other sects, they're admitting that before me many hundreds of swamis went there, but they could not convert to Kṛṣṇa consciousness a single person. They are admiring that. And so far I am concerned, I don't take any credit, but I am confident that because I am presenting the Vedic knowledge as it is, without any adulteration, it is being effective. That is my contribution. Just like if you have got a right medicine and if you administer to a patient, you must be sure that he'll cure.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 12, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If you have got any colored photo, you can give him. So we have now increased eighty-seven.

Śyāmasundara: More, ninety-two.

Prabhupāda: Ninety-two?

Dr. Kapoor: Ah, you don't know yourself. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Yes, actually Kapoorji, I do not know how things are going like this. I tell you frankly. I have no credit. But things are going on like this. It is something like—of course, I am not comparing exactly—just like Kṛṣṇa could not understand about His potency and, therefore He became Rādhārāṇī's feature to understand Himself. So... Of course, I... This is a comparison. Things are taking very wonderfully. Very wonderfully. Just see these boys and girls, how seriously they have taken.

Room Conversation -- June 30, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Or you can remain here also, anywhere. We have got temple in Los Angeles. Have you been in Los Angeles?

Guest: No.

Prabhupāda: So come to Los Angeles and stay there for some time. I am going to Los Angeles tomorrow, so you can come. Live with us and you will be happy. We can guarantee you will be happy. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Our Vedic mission is sarve sukhino bhavantu: everyone be happy. This is our mission. And we know how to become happy. That is our credit. We know. How to become happy we know. Therefore, you can inform others also how to become happy. Happiness is our birthright. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Living entity is ānandamaya, full of happiness, but they have fallen in a different condition. Therefore unhappy. Different condition. Just like fish taken out of the water and put into the land, a different condition, and it is throbbing, flapping, unhappy. Take it, put it in the water again, and it will be happy. That's it.

Guest: I don't want to take too much of your time up.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. (end)

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct) collecting sufficient funds to come back (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Yes, he was afraid.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: He asked you.

Prabhupāda: Prabhupāda gave me some money, that he is afraid, "You keep this money. When they need you can..." So, by guru Vaiṣṇava, and whatever position I have got it is by guru's mercy and the Vaiṣṇavas' blessings, otherwise I am insignificant. So I wish that Śrīdhara Mahārāja may bestow his blessings as he was doing always, and my Guru Mahārāja may help me. I can give some service (?).

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes, I thought that (indistinct) Guru Mahārāja wanted and these Gauḍīya Math people did not do anything, so let me try in this old age. The inspiration came, and I went. By his grace it has become little successful, that's all. I have no credit. It is all the blessings of guru and Vaiṣṇava, that's all. I have no credit. I do not know how things are happening, because I am not at all bona fide position. But it is truly chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Are you going (indistinct) kindly talk with your men (?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Then why you are talking nonsense? (laughter) Then? People did not laugh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. No, everybody was silent. Everybody was silent because everybody believes that life started from matter, all the, in the audience. So I said that "Your basis means life started from matter. That means..." He was saying that when the earth, before the life started, there was no living entities on earth. Then I said, "How do you know there is no living entities on earth?" Then he could not answer.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Very good. Yes. You have to go and lecture all the universities, calling these rascals fools. That will be our mission. They do not know anything and talking all nonsense. That's it. There was nobody to challenge till now. Now we are creating persons to challenge these rascals. That is our credit. Till now whatever nonsense they are talking, people thought, "Oh he is a big scientist." Now our scientist will protest against them, stop them talking all nonsense. That is what we want. If a lay man like me goes and protesting, he may say that "First of all you come to my level, then I shall talk with you." Now, he cannot talk with you like that. Because you are on the level. So challenge all this nonsense. Why they talk nonsense? So later on, other persons, they did not talk with you?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, the chairman of the department, he was telling later on that "About theology let us talk later on." So he dispersed the meeting after that. Theology, they thought, that I was talking on theology.

Prabhupāda: It is not theology, it is science.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh, then what kind of scientist he is? So they know that you are theologist?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In the department everybody knows. (laughter) There is one theoretical chemist. His name is Max Muster (?). He is from Germany. He is a theoretical chemist. Once I invited him to come to Los Angeles to talk with Prabhupāda. He agreed, and but then he told me that he will think for one day whether he will come or not. Then next day he told me that he is afraid. "I cannot come because I am afraid that I will be put on the walls." (laughter) But he is very philosophical. He believes in God. He has some... That's why if you talk with him, very nice.

Prabhupāda: So that is also nice. We are not afraid of meeting any philosopher or scientist, but they are afraid. That is our credit. All scientists know that they are on the wrong basis, but because they are scientists, they say like that. That is their position. They do not believe in their own statement. Therefore he said, "I do not know."

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

Prabhupāda: That's all. And that God consciousness cannot be achieved without being pure. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). God is the supreme pure. You cannot approach God, you cannot understand God, in impure condition. And without God consciousness, there cannot be any purification. You try to understand this simple fact, that without God consciousness, you may prescribe so many things—they will be all failure, all failure. And God consciousness cannot be achieved without being pure. This is the problem. Now you can think over it.

Schumacher: I agree with that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can defend your theory but that will not help purification of the society. That will not help. Take it for granted. You can make so many theories but if you remain impure, if you are not God conscious, all these theories will be useless. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathe... (SB 5.18.12). This is simply mental speculation. Mano-rathena, hovering on the mental plane, you can jump from this to that, but that will not solve the problem. Mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. So we do not act on mental speculation. It may be our credit or discredit. That is different thing. We simply follow the standard policy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, how to become a brāhmaṇa, how to become a kṣatriya, how to become a vaiśya, how to become a śūdra, or how to remain less important than the śūdras. The societies must be divided in different divisions. They should work conjointly... (end)

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If you know your mistakes and you're preaching, why this nonsense preaching?

Harikeśa: Preaching must be perfect.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. (indistinct) We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect. You should not think that "I have become perfect." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, guru more mūrkha dekhi (CC Adi 7.71). He presented Himself as fool number one. So we should always keep ourself as fool number one, that "I am not perfect. I am fool number one." But whatever I am doing I am carrying the orders of the perfect. That is my credit. I am not perfect. Suppose I give you, (indistinct), five thousand dollars. That is not my money. I am not rich man. But the money is paid by somebody else and I deliver, that's all. That is my perfection. If I don't touch it, I do not take from five hundred dollars a paise even, and I deliver it, that is my perfection. I may not be rich man, but if I deliver this amount to you, in perfect order, that is my perfection.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...hesitating to kill Droṇa or Bhīṣma. They are teachers. But it is duty. Kṛṣṇa wanted. Because they were on the wrong side, they must be killed. That was Kṛṣṇa's desire. So he should execute. Jaya. (break)

Girirāja: "The Blessed Lord said: All the great warriors—Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa—are already destroyed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies."

Prabhupāda: So this is our duty. Just like in this particular case, about our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that so many people are giving me the credit. Actually, I have no credit. It is already desired or it is already planned that "This time in Western countries, this saṅkīrtana movement..." So it is our duty. Similarly, our only duty is to carry out the order of the Supreme. Other things is already done by Him. So if we abide by the orders of the Supreme, then we get the credit. We should know that. So our only thing is to abide by the... That is... Another place, Bhagavad-gītā, is explained

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

(BG 2.41)

So those who are vyavasāya, niścayātmika-buddhi, their duty is to carry out the orders of the Supreme. And the Supreme is giving order in two ways: as caittya-guru from within and as spiritual master. Inside and outside.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Amsterdam is a place simply for prostitutes.

Devotee: It is the center.

Prabhupāda: This is very prominent in the western country, which we are asking, that no meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex. These things are only thing enjoyable.

Satsvarūpa: They think if you eliminate those, there is nothing left to live for.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Rāyarāma's statement. Yes. I am denying the bare necessities of life. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Who will try for becoming perfect in this way? Very disappointing. But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that helping so many. They are doing actually. All right, keep it.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Lord Caitanya's program is so attractive that even...

Prabhupāda: That is the astonishment. In India, they give me credit this, that "How it has become possible that these European boys, American boys and girls, they have taken to this path?" That they are surprised.

Yogeśvara: We don't have a very good reputation in India?

Prabhupāda: Very good reputation that you have become perfectly Vaiṣṇava.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The people want, but the authorities don't want.

Prabhupāda: You have found out?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, I.... The index is not there, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: There is no index?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No index. First chapter?

Prabhupāda: No, how you'll find it? Give me. Unless you have an index, list.... The purport of the verse is that even Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu—He is God himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself—He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise alone what could I do? Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya bolo. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that "I have got so great ability. I can do." No. It is simply by cooperation we can do very big thing. "United we stand; divided we fall." This is our.... So be strong in pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa will help. He is the strongest. Still, we must be combined together. Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means many men combined together chanting. That is saṅkīrtana. Otherwise kīrtana. Saṅkīrtana. Bahubhir militvā kīrtayeti saṅkīrtana.(?) Bahu. Bahu means many, many combined together. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, combined together. All nations, all persons they should combine together. There is hope in our society, combination. There are Hindus; there are Muslims; there are Christians; there are black, white. Combine them. That looks very beautiful, just like combination of many flowers. There is black flower also. It looks nice, very nice. Each and every flower take alone; it is not beautiful, but when they are combined together, it looks very beautiful. It is attractive. And that is wanted. Because from the spiritual platform we are all working. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Spiritual platform, every one of us, we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. So where is the competition between one servant with another? There is.... Even there is competition, the center is Kṛṣṇa—"Who can serve more?" Therefore that competition is very welcome, because there is no personal interest. Everyone is trying how to serve Kṛṣṇa more. That is wanted. The competition is there in his real form and perverted form. In the real form Kṛṣṇa is the center, and the perverted form, I am the center. I compete with you to satisfy my senses more. What is called? Heliocentric or...?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Egocentric.

Prabhupāda: Egocentric, yes. This is egocentric.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vairāgya means that there must be another engagement. Then life is successful, with another spiritual engagement.

Akṣayānanda: That you have supplied.

Prabhupāda: That I have studied.

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: You must have known that before you went to the West.

Prabhupāda: No, it was Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. Kṛṣṇa wanted to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western countries, so He gave me the chance to take the credit, that's all. It is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. But He liked that one of His devotee may take the credit. That's all. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "I have already killed them. They are not returning, either you fight or not fight, but you can take the credit." So it was arrangement of Kṛṣṇa that Western countries should now have this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And He wanted to give the credit to His poor servant. That's all. Kṛṣṇa likes that. He does everything, but He gives credit to His (chuckling) poor servant. That is my..., vairāgya. The whole process is how to achieve vairāgya. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... (SB 1.2.7).

Car Conversation -- July 21, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: ...people of New York are appreciating, Prabhupāda, how you came here alone and now you have a big building with many followers. Actually the people are aware, very much aware of how you started this movement in New York.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And were struggling personally. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...life there is struggle. Without struggling there is no...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We should not be, try to avoid struggle.

Prabhupāda: No. Because we have got preaching point of view. Preaching means struggling. If it was simply bhajana, you can sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa like Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) "There's one credit that I have. I was never a lazy fellow."

Prabhupāda: Yes, throughout my life. (end)

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Mrs. Sahani: You first have to surrender to God.

Prabhupāda: Eh? No difficulty. If you chant Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty? That is mana-manā. Apply your mind to Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? The difficulty is that we'll not do it. That is our determination. We shall do everything, but not this. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. Everyone will teach about Bhagavad-gītā, so many things they will speak, but nobody speaks that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they will say Kṛṣṇa is fictitious, there was no Kṛṣṇa, there was no... They mislead, that's all. And he becomes a big scholar. The more he deviates you, misguides you, he become a big scholar. This is going on. Is it not? There are so many scholars, politicians, philosophers, they are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody is talking that Kṛṣṇa, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Am I right or wrong? They'll say "We have got different meaning of Kṛṣṇa" All the sages, all the saintly persons, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he immediately accepted Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "Keśava, whatever You have spoken, I take it altogether as it is." Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). All fact. And they are manufacturing some meaning. How they'll understand Kṛṣṇa? This is going on. And our, this movement has become little successful.... People give me such credit, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." But I do not know what wonderful. I do not know any magic. I simply say that you accept Kṛṣṇa or Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That's all. That is my magic. And they are accepting it. They are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They do not make any interpretation, that "Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means this, Pāṇḍavas means this." No. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You have seen our Bhagavad-gītā? That's all. (break) Before this, before this movement I started ten years ago, so many swamis, philosophers came in the Western country. Not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is our challenge. And now you'll find thousands and thousands. Because, what is secret? "As it is," that's all. No change.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (2): You are going to Kumbha Mela tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Day after. So our movement is genuine. Now it is up to you to help this movement. And there is no concoction. From... Sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ (BG 4.3). As Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ, so we are also presenting that purātanaḥ. This philosophy is not new. Purātanaḥ. So we have nothing to tax our brain to manufacture something new. So people give me credit: "Swamiji, you have done wonderful, wonderful." I do not know magic. But I am presenting purātanaḥ, that's all, no adulteration. If there is any credit, the credit is this-yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: What is that? Disease... Does it mean there is no disease? You die by this disease or that disease. What is the improvement?

Gurukṛpā: They say that people used to live much longer, that they live longer now.

Prabhupāda: So what is the use of living longer, a tree is living longer, five thousand years. Does it mean that it is important life? A tree is standing for seven thousand years. There is a tree in San Francisco.

Gurukṛpā: Yes, I saw that.

Prabhupāda: You have.

Hari-śauri: Redwood forest.

Prabhupāda: And from the stoutness and strongness it will live another seven thousand years. Does it...? Is it living, worth living, to stand up very stout and strong in a place for fourteen thousands of years? Is that life? Hm? I have spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness within ten years, and he is standing eight thousand years. So credit goes to him or to me? Better to live for ten years than to live for ten thousand years in that condition. And therefore they are ass, mūḍha. They do not know what is life. What improvement they have made?

Gurukṛpā: Their only improvement now is abortion and homosex. That is the most popular thing.

Prabhupāda: Tch tch. Just see.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You show. You show these quotes from the śāstra. "This is our training, guror hitam, for the benefit of guru. So this is our śāstra." (break) ...he comes, he should stay here. His name is Gopāla.

Indian: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (break)...two years ago. (break) ...eighty-one. (break) Oh, very nice. (Bengali) (break) Very nice. (break)...quired, but I remember this movement, the Godbrothers.(?) (Bengali) (break)

Hṛdayānanda: This is from Professor K. D. Vajpay, Tagore Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archeology, Director, Excavation and Exploration, Chairman, the Numismatic Body of India... (break) "The poetic excellence of the Bhāgavata has been recognized throughout the ages by eminent critics. It is gratifying to see that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has brought out an exquisite edition of this great work in several volumes. He has given the English rendering of the entire Purāṇa and has very ably interpreted its contents. The lucid style of his writing is discernable on every page of the volumes, which have been illustrated suitably. The printing and get-up of the volumes are superb indeed. Swami Prabhupāda has been known to me since his sojourn in Vṛndāvana when I was in charge of the Archaeological Museum, Mathurā. He has been propagating kṛṣṇa-bhakti movement in this country, in USA and Europe. It is to his credit that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been made a worldwide discipline. He has been following the path of the ancient sages in serving the cause of Indian culture. The philosophy of humanity and all pervasive love of Indian culture has been effectively advanced by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, of which Swami Prabhupāda is the very soul."

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!

Hṛdayānanda: "Besides his commentary on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Swamiji has written on the Upaniṣads, the Gītā and on several other works of ancient bhakti lore. K. D. Vajpay."

Prabhupāda: So when I went to Vṛndāvana, he made friendship with me. The Mathurā Museum. He liked me very much. He remembered me.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This was practically the only criticism I ever heard against us was that "Why your books they are all in English? We don't speak English." Just like Bajaj. Whenever I used to see him, he always used to say, "Oh, it is very nice, but..." And he would only speak to me in Hindi. He knew I could not properly understand, but he's such a Hindu, pro-Hindu, that he would speak to me in Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Then...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he wanted our books in Hindi, so now they are coming. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...so much money, is it possible?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. No ordinary man could have ever done it.

Prabhupāda: In the history it is unique. Crores of rupees' property, and all over the world, buildings, temples. It is all Kṛṣṇa's. Nobody can harm them. It is not for me. There is no history. In one, ten years only, books like this, which are being received with so much adoration. They are simply Kṛṣṇa. If I want to take credit personally, this is wrong, sir. So money does not come in that way unless Kṛṣṇa gives. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). If Kṛṣṇa wants, He can give the whole world. My father used to say, "God has got ten hands. If He wants to take away from you, with two hands how much you will protest? And when He wants to give you with ten hands, with two hands how much you will take it?" That's a common... But people are after money.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The human society requires this knowledge and we are trying to give this knowledge alone with our humble attempt, and these foreigners are helping with their prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, by their life, by their money, by their intelligence, by their words. (aside:) Give them pad. They cannot sit comfortably. There is pad. Give him. Pads. Yes. No, no. Oh. (Hindi) Sukham asinaḥ.(?) First of all one must... Give her. So we have got, at least in Bombay, the most important place in India, this institution. So come here. Try to understand the philosophy. There is no difficulty. But we neglect it. We are simply ne..., and distorting. Everyone is giving his own interpretation. Eh? Then when, where is the importance of Kṛṣṇa? If Bhagavad-gītā is a book who is authority, and if you interpret and give your own interpretation, then where is the authority? Suppose Parliament passes one law, and if I interpret in my own way, then where is the authority of the law? This is the idea. If you want to give some idea of your own, give it separately. Why do you take Bhagavad-gītā and distort it? This is not gentlemanly, this. We are presenting, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and it is being accepted. And before me so many swamis, yogis went there. They also tried to explain Bhagavad-gītā, but nobody accepted. There was... In the history there was not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa before my going. Now there are thousands. Why? The secret is that I am presenting as it is.

Mr. Rajda: As it is, quite.

Prabhupāda: No distortion, no cheating. This is the secret. They give me credit, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful. You have done..." I say the secret of wonderful is this, that I have not distorted it. I have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is open secret.

Mr. Rajda: That creates... It has created... Your attempts have created a good impact on the Western world.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is doing(?). But we have rejected. Our misfortune is that our property, we have rejected.

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So it is easy for us. What Kṛṣṇa says and Vyāsadeva says, that's all. We haven't got to manufacture. And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayaḥ... (BG 4.2). This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. Whatever little success is there for me, I did not manufacture any idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Neither you take any credit.

Prabhupāda: No. Why shall I take?

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevī-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame haya ei abhilāṣa

Our mission is to serve bhakta-viśeṣa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru-guruṣu nara-matiḥ. That is the material disease. The article clearly says that it is everything, "your city," "his city." That is clearly intimated that "You have dropped from the sky to give this city to the world." That is the sum and substance. Is it not? What is this nonsense? So do the needful.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

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."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For the first time they can see that the foreigners are appreciating India's culture, not trying to squash it.

Prabhupāda: And practically applying their life, not that simply...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Official.

Prabhupāda: ...official.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no doubt. And it is all due to your credit. Single-handedly, Śrīla Prabhupāda... Even now everything is being done strictly by your instruction and guidance.

Prabhupāda: Now I am getting old, old age, not good health, so try to give me relief. Otherwise it is too much. Brain has to be taxed. But if my foreign(?) business is there, if you tax my brain in this way, that will be suffer. So try to give me relief from this managerial... (pause) Still I can hint like this. But where is the work going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you have to just point it out to me like that.

Prabhupāda: There is no work. So dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually I told some people to meet me, so maybe I should... Regarding this. They may be waiting for me outside.

Prabhupāda: Go.

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: The thing is that we have to... Shall I speak in Hindi or in English? There are others...

Indian man (1): Most of us, we can follow in English.

Prabhupāda: So we are trying to imitate the Western way of life, but it is not possible for us to do that. Our constitution is different, spiritual, and their is material. Now they should be combined. Our government, our people, they want Western way of life, say motorcar. So they can purchase motorcar from foreign countries. What is the wrong there? Why we should waste our energy for manufacturing? Similarly, India should produce agricultural products. They want... Just like England. There is no food, food grain. They have... Everything they have to import. Even vegetables, daily vegetables, they have to import. So United Nation on the basis of spiritual understanding... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Actually everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God, and we are His sons. Kṛṣṇa never claimed that "Indians are My sons." Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "In every form of life the living entity, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father." So on that basis the civilization should be established, and the instruction of Kṛṣṇa should be followed by everyone, and they will be happy. That is the only way. Otherwise they'll suffer continually. They are suffering, and they will continue. (aside:) They have come to disturb. So that philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are trying to distribute all over the world, and they are accepting. This is the first time in the history of the world that foreigners, they are becoming devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Now, in the history of the world there was no temple outside India, neither devotee also.

Indian man (1): The entire credit goes to you, sir.

Prabhupāda: Yes. From historical reference it is so, but it can go still farther, and in that way India's glories will be magnified. But unfortunately our leaders and government are callous. They do not know what is India's glory and how India's glory can be distributed. They are trying that India's glory will be magnified by imitating Western way of life. This is the defect. They can understand that the Western way of life has not given them actual happiness. Otherwise why these boys, they are coming to India? They are young boys, and they are coming from very respectable family, rich family, rich nation. They have no economic problem. They have not come here to earn their livelihood, as we go to England to learn something, technology, and earn our livelihood. They have not come here for that purpose. They have enough food, enough everything, material. They are hankering after some spiritual... So there are two sides. (aside:) Why you are reducing? So our leaders, rather, they are misinterpreting śāstra, our leaders, and trying to mold it to the material way of life. This is the pity of the thing. Now you should reform them in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and real United Nations will be formed. There will be no question of nationalism. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Big, big leaders, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but is there any word as "nationalism"?

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Allston, Mass 1 June, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated May 25, 1968, and I am very pleased that although you are the youngest of my disciples, amongst the boys, your sentiments are very highly developed. Please continue to feel Krishna in the same way, and chant regularly, without fail, you will improve more and more. By your gracious connection with your family, all the members of your family, namely, your sister, your two younger brothers, as well as your mother, are coming in contact with Krishna Consciousness. As you are the eldest son of your mother, it is your duty to guide them properly so that they can also become advanced in Krishna Consciousness. Certainly it is a fact that all of you are combined together in a family way by the Grace of Krishna. And by His Grace only you have come in contact with me. Personally I have no credit for myself, but I am trying to act as faithful servant of my predecessors and just presenting without any adulteration the message which I have received from my Spiritual Master. Similarly, if this message is presented by you all who have accepted me as the Spiritual Master, then all the people of the world may be benefited by receiving this transcendent message of Krishna Consciousness. Try to execute this mission wholeheartedly and faithfully, and all of you try to broadcast the message to your best capacity. I am so glad to learn that your two brothers are growing very nicely, and I hope in future they will be great help to this missionary activities, and so I think also of your nice sister, Saradia. Please try to guide them properly.

Letter to Mukunda -- Seattle 27 September, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Sept. 20, 1968, and it is very encouraging to note all the informations. I think Krishna will help you in all respects. And the credit of opening our London branch will go to the San Francisco boys, headed by you. Of course, the girls also share the credit undoubtedly. And I am always ready for going there as soon as you shall call me.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 28 September, 1968:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1968, and I am so pleased that Devananda is doing marvelous work in propagating our Krishna Consciousness movement by lecturing in the Boston University, and he is being paid $25 per lecture. It is a great credit for me also. And I feel proud that Devananda is so nicely representing my views. By Krishna's Grace, everything is gradually coming to the fulfillment of my dream. The Sankirtana party is walking in the streets and is getting good response, from the public. They are selling Back To Godhead nicely, and getting good sympathy from the public by considerable collections. We are not after collecting money, but when people offer something out of love and sympathy for our mission, it becomes a great asset. I am sure if you all my beloved disciples combined together try to preach Krishna Consciousness in this spirit, Krishna will give the necessary strength. By the Grace of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, the dumb man can speak like a great orator, and a lame man can cross over a great mountain. So we must have the necessary unflinching faith in Krishna and Spiritual Master, and the strength will be supplied by Krishna. After all, anything which we experience is but a fraction of the unlimited energy of Krishna. And even by fragmental touch of such spiritual energy of the Lord, we can make our life successful.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Seattle 16 October, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Oct. 10, 1968, and I am so much grateful to you for your kind sentiments for me. It is all Krishna's Grace that He has sent such a nice assistants to me, for executing the mission of my Spiritual Master. Personally, I am nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Dayananda -- Hawaii 26 March, 1969:

I am very much thankful for your nice appreciative letter of my activities in this country and my Krishna bless you for all the fine sentiments that you have by the grace of the Lord. Practically there is no credit for me, if there is any credit it goes to my Spiritual Master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, Who is helping me by sending so many good souls like you in this movement. Whatever is being done, it is due to His Divine Grace only. So my business is just to carry out His order. That is the way of disciplic succession; and as you have all come to help me, if you also follow the same principles then our combined effort to serve Lord Krishna will be surely successful. So far L.A. temple is concerned, both you and your good wife Nandarani, desired to see the temple affairs improve, which I understood from your past letters. And you took the risk of 400 or 500 dollars by renting the storefront in Hollywood Blvd. It was certainly very nice, and you were paying $350, but because you very sincerely desired to have a very very nice place, Krishna arranged in a different way. In the beginning we thought that we are losing a nice place, when the landlord wanted to kick out us, but now I can understand Krishna's desire was to give us a still better place, and so we have now got it. So it is not the place alone which is responsible for beautifying the temple; it is the devotees who are actually beautifying the temple. And as president you are in charge of the whole branch, so kindly try to maintain the present atmosphere, and try to improve it more and more, that is my request.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 14 January, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated January 5 and 8 1970 respectively, and I am so much moved from your kind sentiments that you have expressed for my humble activities. Actually I am not worthy of any one of the words spoken by you but all of them are due to my Spiritual Master Who was so kind to me. In fact I am a worthless person because my Spiritual Master ordered me to take up this work in 1922 but I did not carry his order until 1958, when I was obliged to carry out His order by His arrangement only. This means although I was not very enthusiastic to carry out His order He forced me circumstantially to accept it. So this is His special mercy upon me and I always think about this with gratitude to this exalted personality coming directly from Vaikuntha World and we had the great fortune to meet Him. I think that is the only credit on our part that we happened to meet Him by some "ajnata sukriti" or unknown auspicious activities. He is so kind upon me that when I came to your country, where I was completely unknown, He sent to me some good souls like you unsolicited. So I accept you all as assistants or representatives of my Guru Maharaja Who is still helping me because I am so feeble and unworthy. Anyway, the business which we have taken to work together is neither your business nor my business as far we are personally concerned, but it is the business of Lord Caitanya and His bona fide servants like my Guru Maharaja. Therefore it is the duty of all of us to execute it as nicely as far as possible within our capacity. In other words, we shall just try to discharge our responsible duties faithfully and seriously, then all facilities will come for our help.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 24 March, 1970:

It is a good addition to my missionary activities, and I thank you very much. In the London streets, introduction of Rathayatra procession, as well as Lord Caitanya's Birthday ceremony procession, and in the most important part of the city, a Radha Krsna Temple—all these things are great achievement of your London Yatra party, and personally I feel a great credit for me because by such activities my Guru Maharaja is certainly very pleased upon us. So whatever progress we are making by the grace of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, we must stick to them and make further progress. I am enclosing herewith two pictures of our new church buildings, which we are going to purchase at the cost of $225,000; down payment, $50,000. The whole debt has to be cleared off by twelve years. So the management here has taken a great burden upon themselves, and similarly I am awaiting the days when London Yatra party, headed by you, will have a similar achievement in London.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 1 May, 1970:

In England your suggestion to open a few other Temples in big cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool, is very much welcome. For constructing Temples in England, especially in London, I have got very good support from a very rich man in India. Not only he, but also many others will be ready to pay for our construction such Temples, but I want the Temples should be constructed by the local natives—that is our success. If I bring money from India and construct a Temple here in a Western country, that is not very creditable. Now this Temple of Los Angeles is completely undertaken by your countrymen and that is a good credit for me.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 6 May, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3rd May, 1970, and beg to thank you very much for your kind sentiments. Yes, if it is any credit for me, that is what you have written that I tried to give aural reception to the words of my Spiritual Master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, and thus I tried to engage my tongue in repeating the same words without any change. Actually I am the most unworthy servant of His Divine Grace because I delayed to execute His order by so many years. But it was better I began late than never, and therefore He has kindly sent to me so many young hearts to cooperate with me in this great Movement. Please therefore continue your good cooperation, and I am sure great things will happen without delay.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 8 May, 1970:

I am so pleased to see how you are carrying our Sankirtana program amidst the demonstrations of the people. This newspaper clipping which you have sent is just portraying the point of our business, and I have made xeroxes and am distributing them to various parties as example of our work. This Sankirtana Movement of Lord Caitanya is most practical and authorized, so such incidents are to be expected, but this is a great credit for our propaganda efforts.

Letter to Makhanlal -- Los Angeles 3 June, 1970:

So Lord Caitanya is combined form of Radha Krsna. If Caitanya is pleased, Radha and Krsna automatically become pleased. Now our mission, Krsna consciousness mission, is to execute the will of Lord Caitanya. In this old age whatever I am trying to do it is just to give a little service according to my capacity to Lord Caitanya's mission. I have not come here for some personal credit in this old age. I have also come here under the order of my Spiritual Master who is non-different from Lord Nityananda.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- London 1 August, 1972:

I am very, very much pleased to hear about the progress in Mayapur, and this working with one hundred men both day and night is the American style. If you do something wonderful at Mayapur that will be my credit and I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. But if you do not do anything there, then that will be a great discredit for me and I will not defeat my Godbrothers as I desire. So practically I am depending completely upon you in both these cases to finish up the Mayapur business in grand style and to get a good start in Vrindaban. That will be very much to your credit.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Patita Uddharana -- Bombay 14 October, 1973:

The purport is that for transcendental writing one must be an authorized Vaisnava and should write to purify oneself, not for credit. It may or may not be published, but one who is actually sincere in writing, all his ambitions will be fulfilled.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Bhima, Krsna dasa, Sanat Kumara, Nityananda, Samba, Joseph -- Bombay 16 May, 1974:

I thank you very much for your letters which were sent to me by Paramesvari Das Brahmacari on the 15th of April. All of the sentiments expressed in all of your letters are just according to the Vaisnava parampara. This means that you are understanding the Krishna Consciousness philosophy rightly and I am very pleased. It is a fact that by serving the spiritual master one becomes free from material life and makes spiritual advancement. I have not done anything personally, very wonderful. I am simply serving my spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja and all the acaryas in the disciplic succession. If I have done anything of credit it is that I have not changed their teachings. I have not added anything of my own interpretation. So I am very happy that you are finding Krishna Consciousness very blissful in the Nairobi temple and this will be the key to your success. That you also follow exactly as I have instructed in my books to my disciples such as Brahmananda Swami. That means to rise early, clean the body and clean the clothes. I have seen films of the Deity worship in Nairobi and it is very gorgeous. Proper Deity worship means to be clean, punctually and nice offerings of foodstuffs. Brahmananda Swami can teach you these things.

Letter to Daughters -- Bombay 26 July, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your notes, and I thank you very much for your daksine. It was a very nice visit to the Bury Place temple. It is from there that we started our London activities, and I am so glad to see that the Deities are being decorated there the best. You are all working very hard, and this will not go in vain. Whatever we do for Krishna, that is to our eternal credit. Thank you very much.

Letter to S. K. Roy -- Bombay 16 December, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 7, 1974. Thank you for your kind sentiments and I am very glad that you have appreciated our International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Our actual credit is that we are simply repeating Bhagavad-gita As It Is without changing it, altering it or adding any mundane opinion. We simply repeat what previous acarya have said and that is our merit. Therefore it is being accepted all over the world. Thank you for appreciating our books. Please continue to read them. In regards to you becoming one of our life members I wish to refer you to Gargamuni Swami who is at our Calcutta Mandir at 3 Albert Rd. You can go and see him there and he will make some arrangement for you to become a member of our society. We have many different membership programs and he can discuss them all with you, and show you all the books we have been publishing, etc.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Honolulu 4 June, 1975:

Regarding, Bon Maharaja, I am actually authority accepted by authority. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said, krsna sakti vina nahe nama pracar. So, now the Hare Krishna movement is world known, and learned scholars, etc. give plaudits to me as Professor Judah has. So, then why I am not authority? Nobody says Bon Swami has done it, or Vivekananda, or any other swami. There are so many yogis and swamis coming, but nobody is giving credit to them, they are giving the credit to me. So, why I am not an authority? If Krishna accepts me as authority, then who can deny it? Besides that, in 1933, Bon was given the first chance to preach Lord Caitanya's movement in London. He remained there about four years and not a single person could be converted to become a Vaisnava and he was receiving regularly 700rs. per month for his expenditure, being supported by the whole Gaudiya Math institution, and still, as he could not do anything appreciable, he was called back by Guru Maharaja. Then where is his authority? Our authority comes from Parampara system. If the Guru was not satisfied with him and called him back, and since then, he gave up connection with Gaudiya Math and started his own institution, then how he becomes authority? And in spite of all these things, if he is still authority by his own imagination, then people should ask him what he has been doing for the last 40 years, about the objective of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Even if he thinks that he has done, certainly he has not done better than me. Under the circumstances, accepting him as an authority, I am greater and better authority than him. So, all Vaisnavas are authorities to preach Krishna Consciousness, but still, there are degrees of authorities. On the whole, if his motive is to supress me and that is why he has come here, how we can receive him? He has already given one Professor a wrong impression. He may be treated as a guest, if he comes to our center, give him prasadam, honor him as an elder Vaisnava, but he cannot speak or lecture. If he wants to lecture, you can tell him that there is already another speaker scheduled. That's all.

Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 26 August, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22/8/75 and your telegram reading as follows: COMMISSIONER AGREES WRITTEN IOD TEMPLE WITHIN 24 HOURS—GIRIRAJA DASA. So this is very good news. Actually Krishna is doing everything. Only we are taking the credit.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 18 December, 1975:

My only credit is that I have presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any speculation, or interpretation, therefore for the first time in the history of the world people are accepting it and living practically according to the principles of Bhagavad-gita.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Syama Sundarji -- Vrindaban 15 November, 1976:

You have given me the credit of being the best disciple of Prabhupada. That is very kind of you, but I am just trying to serve him. Whatever success there is is due to his mercy. In my last meeting with him in Radha Kunda he advised me to print some books if I get money. I took it very seriously and by His grace we have now published my translations of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrta, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Upadesamrta, etc. to the extent of 84 books. You'll be surprised to know that these books and my magazine Back To Godhead are selling daily 5-6 lakhs of rupees in the foreign countries. Out of such proceeds I am bringing foreign exchange of not less than 10 lakhs per month for construction work in Bombay, Mayapur, Vrndavana, etc. So, this is all due to the blessings of Srila Prabhupada. I have no credit in this connection. These American boys are helping me in this endeavor, therefore, until they are admitted to the Jagannatha Puri temple I'm not inclined to go there.

Page Title:	My credit (Prabhupada)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti
Created:	25 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:	BG=2, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=23, Con=22, Let=20
No. of Quotes:	68