After visiting the temple of Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha of Remuṇā at Balasore in Orissa, the Lord proceeded towards Purī and on the way visited the temple of Sākṣi-gopāla, who appeared as a witness in the matter of two brāhmaṇa devotees' family quarrel. The Lord heard the story of Sākṣi-gopāla with great pleasure because He wanted to impress upon the atheists that the worshipable Deities in the temples approved by the great ācāryas are not idols, as alleged by men with a poor fund of knowledge. The Deity in the temple is the arcā incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, and thus the Deity is identical with the Lord in all respects. He responds to the proportion of the devotee's affection for Him. In the story of Sākṣi-gopāla, in which there was a family misunderstanding by two devotees of the Lord, the Lord, in order to mitigate the turmoil as well as to show specific favor to His servitors, traveled from Vṛndāvana to Vidyānagara, a village in Orissa, in the form of His arcā incarnation. From there the Deity was brought to Cuttack, and thus the temple of Sākṣi-gopāla is even today visited by thousands of pilgrims on the way to Jagannātha Purī. The Lord stayed overnight there and began to proceed toward Purī. On the way, His sannyāsa rod was broken by Nityānanda Prabhu (CC Madhya 1.97). The Lord became apparently angry with Him about this and went alone to Purī, leaving His companions behind (CC Madhya 1.98).
Overnight
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Preface and Introduction
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
From then on, the fortunate prince was one of the most intimate devotees of the Lord.
In this regard, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes, yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām. If Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply glanced at someone for a moment, that person immediately turned into one of the most confidential devotees of the Lord. The prince came to see the Lord for the first time, but by the Lord's mercy the boy immediately became a topmost devotee. This was not in theory but in practice. We cannot apply the nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya formula. This states that if one's mother was naked in her childhood, she should continue to remain naked, even though she has become the mother of so many children. If a person is actually blessed by the mercy of the Lord, he can immediately become a topmost devotee of the Lord. The logic of nagna-mātṛkā states that if a person is not elevated on such and such a date, he cannot become an exalted devotee overnight, as it were. This particular instance offers evidence to contradict that theory. On the previous day, the boy was simply an ordinary prince, and the next day he was counted as one of the topmost devotees of the Lord. This was all made possible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. The Lord is omnipotent—all-powerful or almighty—and He can act as He likes.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Downtown he was... He is all right, but he was hit by a car. He crossed the street and a car went through the red light and hit him. So they took him to the hospital and he has to remain there overnight for X-rays. But Viṣṇujana is with him, and I think he's all right. It was just his body... He was scraped. The car hit him and he was pushed along the street. He got bounced on the street so his skin was rubbed and burned a little from the burning.
Devotee: At most a fractured rib or two.
Devotee: They can sue the person and get some money.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're going to sue the man who was driving the car.
Prabhupāda: So you have taken the number?
A brahmacārī, from the very beginning of his life, he is trained to act only for guru. That is brahmacārī. It is enjoined that a brahmacārī live at the shelter, at the care of guru just like a menial servant. Kṛṣṇa also, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He was living as brahmacārī at His guru's house, Sāndīpani Muni, He was collecting wood, fuel, from the jungle. He was going daily. It is not that because He was Personality of Godhead, therefore He should not go. No. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa Book, that when Sudāmā Vipra met him, he was talking with Him about His childhood stories. Kṛṣṇa reminded him, "Sudāmā, do you remember that one day we went to collect fuel for our Guru Mahārāja, and there was storm and rain, and we could not get out of the forest. We had to live overnight there. Then on the morning Guru Mahārāja came with other disciples and they recovered us from the jungle. Do you remember?" So Kṛṣṇa had to do this. This is training.
He was Personality of Godhead, therefore He should not go. No. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa Book, that when Sudāmā Vipra met him, he was talking with Him about His childhood stories. Kṛṣṇa reminded him, "Sudāmā, do you remember that one day we went to collect fuel for our Guru Mahārāja, and there was storm and rain, and we could not get out of the forest. We had to live overnight there. Then on the morning Guru Mahārāja came with other disciples and they recovered us from the jungle. Do you remember?" So Kṛṣṇa had to do this. This is training.
A brahmacārī is trained up from the very beginning how to become a sannyāsī at the end of life. How he is trained up? He is trained up to collect for guru alms. Everywhere the brahmacārī would go to householder, and they ask, "Mother, give us some alms for my Guru Mahārāja." And the ladies would give him. Because everyone's son goes to the gurukula. So there was no hesitation.
Practically we are seeing what we are. Our efforts are very tiny to conquer over the laws of the material nature. It is simply waste of time. You cannot become happy by conquering over the material nature. Now science have discovered so many things. Just (as) the airplane from India. It would have taken months together to reach your country, but by airplane we can come here overnight. These advantage are there. But along with these advantages, there are so many disadvantages. When you are on the plane on the sky, you know you are in the midst of desert..., of danger. At any moment there can be crash. You may fall down on the sea, you may fall down anywhere. So it is not very safe. So similarly, any method we manufacture, we discover, to conquer over the laws of material nature, it is backed by another set of dangerous things. That is the law of nature. That is not the way to get out of this material pangs of life.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
They are instructing, If you want economic development, why you are going to church and temple? Just start industry. You'll get money. That is, propaganda is going on. At least, in our country, in India, it is going on. "Forget now God and temples. Just try to imitate America. Overnight become industrialist." But they are not teaching them that America or Western countries, after industrialization, now they are producing hippies. That they do not see. They are seeing one side, that "America and Western countries, they have become so prosperous by industrialization. Let us imitate them. We must have." Actually, India, after independence, should have distributed this spiritual knowledge. Why we should compete with industrialization? They have got also demand for the spiritual knowledge. So India should have given the spiritual knowledge to the Western countries instead of competing with industry. And that is a fact.
So the professor could not answer, but he was impressed, that actually what is this meaning of Communism? You simply change of, change of master. That's all. And this is going on. All political leaders, they are going from one political leader to another. And he's exploiting. That's all. He, he is giving some manifesto that "If you give me vote, then I shall make you overnight a king." All false propaganda. And these rascals gives him vote and he again remains the same servant. That's all. There is a Bengali song:
tabe kali tomāra baḍa saba bala ke kare āpanāra karma phala yadi phalebi āmāra(?). So if I remain the same servant, then why shall I vote to you? You cannot make me master. But my desire is that I shall become master. That is called illusion. Because I'm not master. I cannot become master. I have to remain servant. I am flattering some men: "Please make me master. Please make me master." That is my position. This political party, that political party.
"Why there is description how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life?" It is for decreasing. Just like... In your country it is different. At least in our country it was... Just like drinking. Drinking, you can manufacture wine, liquor at home. Anyone can do it. It is not very difficult. In India, the lower class of men, the sāṅotālas, so they make... They simply moist some rice overnight and boil it, and then ferment it for few days. Then it becomes nice wine. So it is not very difficult. Everyone can manufacture. But why the government restricts, "You cannot manufacture at home. You must purchase from the licensed shop"? The meaning is to restrict. Otherwise everyone will do that.
So when there is śāstra sanctioning for this eating, sleeping, mating, that means to restrict. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalā. This inclination is natural, but when there is regulative principle, that means to restrict.
So Mādhavendra Purī was very old man at that time, and it is order of Gopālajī, so he started for Jagannātha Purī. On the way there is a Gopīnātha temple in Orissa, on the border of Orissa and Bengal in the district of Dantarn(?), that is called Danta(?). So he stayed there overnight and he saw that the Gopāla..., Gopīnāthajī was offered kṣīra, seven pots of kṣīra. So Mādhavendra Purī thought within himself, "If I could taste a little kṣīra, then I would also make such kṣīra to offer my Gopāla in Vṛndāvana." Then again he thought that "Oh, I am so stupid that before offering to the Deity I am thinking of eating it." He thought himself to be very much culprit, and he immediately left the temple, "No, I shall not. I am committing offense." It is an offense. Therefore, when you bring bhoga for the Deity, it should be covered so that we greedy men may not see it and try to taste it. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs, they sometimes do that. Sometimes they take away something before offering to the Deity.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
That is the Ṛg-mantra. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). They are thinking by these bodily comforts they will be happy. No. That is not possible. The real happiness is different. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. And anyone who will give him false hope that "If you get independence, then overnight you will become like this, like this, like that," that leader is very nice. If there is some political meeting giving only bluff, lots of bluffs only, and people gather there by thousands and millions to hear the bluff... Because... My Guru Mahārāja therefore used to say that this present human society is a society of the cheaters and the cheated. Somebody is being cheated and somebody is cheater, a combination of two things, cheater and the cheated, because they do not know the real interest of life. And anyone who will speak all nonsense and bluff, he will be very much adored. This is going on.
General Lectures
When Sudāmā Vipra met Him when He was king in Dvārakā, so friendly talks, Kṛṣṇa reminded Sudāmā Vipra, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that one day we went to the forest to collect fuels, and there was heavy rain and we could not come out. And then we stayed the overnight on the top of the tree. Then next day Guru Mahārāja came and he took our..., rescued us. Do you remember that?" Sudāmā Vipra said, "Yes, I remember." So even Lord Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of others. This was the system, to teach from the very beginning of life this Bhāgavatam.
Nature means a working instrument, that's all, an energy. That is nature. There is energy or śakti, energy, power. There is power. Without power, how the rose flower is coming to beautiful shape from the bud? There is power. That power is Kṛṣṇa's power. But that is so subtle and working so nicely that overnight we see that a beautiful flower has come out. But there is working, there is brain. But they are working so swiftly and subtly, we cannot see how it is being worked. Just like when you paint one picture, I can see, everyone can see that you are working. But this painting or this working of the actual rose flower, that is also being worked out by several energies. Don't think that is has coming out automatically. No. Nothing comes out automatically. It is coming out of the energy of the Supreme Lord, but the energies are so subtle, nice and artistic that all of a sudden you see a nice flower.
Purports to Songs
So the spiritual master is not self-made. It is not that if anyone comes before you and bluffs you that "I have attained spiritual perfection, and I have realized something by some method." No. The spiritual master, bona fide spiritual, means he has to receive the power from authority. Otherwise it is useless. No It is not that one can become spiritual master overnight. He has to take the power from his spiritual master. Therefore it is called prāptasya. Prāptasya means one who has obtained, one who has got the merciful blessings of his spiritual master.
We should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He blesses his next disciple, just like Brahmā. Brahmā blesses his next disciple, just like Nārada. Nārada blesses his next disciple, just like Vyāsa.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That, that... Gandhi wanted to solve it, but you rejected. Gandhi wanted it to... Village organization. He started that Wardha Ashram. But you have rejected. What Gandhi can do? That was good proposal—to remain satisfied in one's own place. That was Gandhi's proposal. That "Don't go to the city, town, for so-called better advantage of life. Remain in your own home, produce your food, and be satisfied there." That was Gandhi's policy. The economic problem he wanted to solve by keeping cows, by agriculture, by spinning thread. "You want food, shelter and cloth? Produce here, and remain here. Don't be allured by the capitalists and go to cities and engage in industries." But Jawaharlal Nehru wanted, overnight, to Americanize the whole India. That is the folly.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But if you want to read overnight, then you can take. You can return tomorrow.
Professor: Of course, if I don't take...
Paramahaṁsa: Hm? No, I can return. I can.
Professor: That's all right. I can wait. But then I get a copy of... That will be all right.
Prabhupāda: So give him some prasādam.
Umāpati: That probably won't happen overnight, though.
Prabhupāda: The Deity worship program is meant for us to keep us safe. If we neglect Deity worship, we shall also fall. But that is not the all duty finished. Arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate. Arcā means Deity. If anyone is worshiping the Deity very nicely, but na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, but he does not know anything more, who is devotee, who is nondevotee, what is the duty to the world, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, he is material devotee. He is material devotee. So we have to take the responsibility to understand who is actually a pure devotee and what is our duty to the people in general, and then you make advancement.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. So pure devotional service is flame. All other things are smoke. You must get the flame. Otherwise, your business will not get done. So naturally we fan when there is smoke, "Phat, phat, phat." As soon as flame comes, there is no smoke. So again fan it. Let the flame come. Then everything will be all right. Otherwise be satisfied with the smoke. You are cooking with smoke for three hundred years. (laughter) There is a very humorous story that one man... He was a yogi. So he approached. It is not story, it is fact. Approached one big man that... As people are very inquisitive to see some yogic magic, so the rich man asked the yogi, "What you have learned about yogic perfection?" "No, I can in the severe winter season, I can dip myself in the water up to this and practice yoga." "So, how long can you remain? At night?" "Yes. No, I can remain the whole night or as long as you..." "All right, if you remain within severe cold, within water, overnight, then I shall give you such and such presentation."
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. They swallow mercury overnight, and they pass urine on the copper, and then the copper is put into the fire. It becomes gold. There is same combination, mercury, copper.
Paramahaṁsa: The only difficulty is that mercury is certain death if you eat it.
Prabhupāda: So therefore you must know how to eat. (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But why don't they... I'm sure the scientists could figure out an easier way than having to swallow it.
Prabhupāda: But in Kaviraji, they make some medicine which is gold added by this process, makaradhvaja. Makaradhvaja, the medicine which is combination of tin and mercury, and it looks like gold.
Prabhupāda: So we... we are bringing them from which status? Yes. You cannot expect that they will be perfect all of a sudden, overnight. It is not possible. But their mind being fixed up on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the first qualification. They do not know anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Dr. Patel: In our Vaiṣṇava religions this vidhi-niṣedha is a must right from the beginning.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is must. It is must. But you cannot force in the beginning. That is not possible.
Prabhupāda: In America, when he went, somebody requested, "You explain something of Gītā." He said, "I do not know much about Gītā." He explained. He frankly admitted that "I do not know." His excuse was like that. And he did not know anything. He thought, "Overnight, if I make my country like America, that is success." And he constructed a few skyscraper building, or big, big building in New Delhi, and he thought, "My country is like that." Therefore, when President Eisenhower came, he wanted to see the village. And as soon as he saw the village, the secret was out.
Dr. Patel: No, that man was a dreamer rather than a practical man. Practical man was only Sadar Patel.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. (break) Those who are intelligent Indians, they should combine together and present Indian culture as it is. Then the country is glorified. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...kari karo paropakara. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. The whole world is in darkness. Give them some light. First of all you yourself take light; then you distribute. (break) ...letter, that "Now you have got svarājya, you give up this nonsense. Preach Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise you will meet the fate of Mussolini." And actually it was done.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can do that experiment. Then our poverty will be... (laughter) It is fact. There are many yogis, they prepare gold by drinking mercury. They drink mercury, overnight, next morning they pass urine and dip copper coins in it. And then after some time the copper coins put into the fire, it becomes gold.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's alchemist.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, they do that. But it is a fact that copper and tin and mercury proportionately mixed will produce gold.
Prabhupāda: You can live here comfortably, yes.
Jayatīrtha: If you like, you can spend the whole day with us, you can stay overnight, we have a guest room, very comfortable.
Prabhupāda: Yesterday George Harrison came, he stayed with me for whole day.
Mike Robinson: Sorry?
Devotees: George Harrison came.
Mike Robinson: Yes, I know, I'd like to have met the two of you together. It should have been very nice.
Prabhupāda: He came yesterday and lived with us the whole day. He has given us this house, George Harrison, yes.
here.
Mahāṁśa: Yes. Yes, that can be done. But family attachment... You see, these people, they have also family attachment, just like karmīs. So they are not so willing to... Because their whole family... The whole village is like one family. It's like one family. They are all related to each other. And they can stay. They stay. Many of them stay here overnight.
Prabhupāda: Naturally everyone wants to stay at his own place. "Home sweet home." "There is no place like home." That's a fact. That is psychology. They will like to stay there. But if they have got facility to live here with family they may come.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there, and Nityānanda Prabhu stayed. Mādhavendra Purī stayed. It is very important place.
Gargamuni: On our way down here we also stayed overnight. On my way down here.
Prabhupāda: Very good. So what do you pay?
Brahmānanda: ...conservation. He studied in London. He met you... You had invited him to come and stay in the temple. Sometimes he comes and stays overnight.
Prabhupāda: I don't remember. He stays in New York? Oh, yes, yes. I remember. Hm.
Brahmānanda: Our devotee stayed with him, this one girl who was kidnapped. The police were looking for her. So they arranged... He lives out on Long Island, he made arrangement for them to stay. The police were looking all over, but they couldn't find.
Prabhupāda: She gave shelter, he gave?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, and, you know, if your health improves a little, what we may be able to do is to arrange a program in our center in Delhi simply for the selected persons like cabinet ministers, or maybe at one of their homes, and have them invite just the cabinet members and Mr. Desai, and that would be very nice, very high-level meeting. That could be... You know, just like supposing when you go to Bombay, you'll have to stay in Delhi overnight. So on that evening we can make an arrangement like that.
Prabhupāda: Or we can stay in Delhi. No fault.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Via Fiji? No. Hong Kong, like that. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hawaii. We have... In Hong Kong and Tokyo we have both places a house if you should desire to go and stop overnight. Both places we have a house in the countryside. It might be easier to stay overnight in a hotel, because it's more centrally located. Because we don't want to take a flight for very long. Hong Kong flight is not bad, I think maybe six, seven hours. Stay overnight. Then again to Tokyo is a short trip. And then Hawaii, another six hours. We can do like that. And Gurukṛpā knows the way very well there. Śrutakīrti will be coming here. I heard that Madhudviṣa is coming. Someone told me. Rāmeśvara sent him a ticket, and he's expected to come here any day. His wife had a child, a son. So he was saying after this child was born he was going to come to see you, and now that has happened. I don't know what his plan is.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a fact. From the point of view of health, Hawaii is the best place in the world. It's paradise. There's nothing that can compare with it. And you'll get juices there. You can live on the fruit juices.
Prabhupāda: And wherever there are my established Deities, that is Vṛndāvana. Anywhere I have got temple, that is Vṛndāvana. So wherever the health will remain very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a gradual recovery, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We can't expect suddenly that overnight there will be recovery. I feel finally that we've understood a little bit what has been the difficulty. I really think this kavirāja has had a little understanding like that. And I think that this Ayurvedic medicine can effect a gradual change for the better. Let us try. We're trying now. We're patient, and if you'll be patient also, then I think we'll see a good change. Is that all right?
Prabhupāda: What can be done?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we take the Taj Express, which is nonstop to Delhi, then stay in the Delhi temple, which is also nice, overnight, and then we proceed on to Calcutta. The next morning we leave on the plane at six-thirty in the morning and we arrive in Calcutta by about eight-thirty, and we should arrive in Māyāpura by noon. Does it sound like a good plan? Now you simply should gain more and more strength, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This time, until the kavirāja comes, from now until then, you should rest as much as possible, take these medicines. I think it's having a positive effect. You mentioned this morning that when you sit up you feel a little stronger now. I think it's good that you're not taxing yourself in any way. That's important. Would you like to do something specific right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: What shall I do?
Pañca-draviḍa: Maybe we could stay overnight.
Lokanātha: When we are there, out, we'll decide.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He can't come back tomorrow night.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's helpful for the devotees to know, just so they can bring something to wrap around when it gets to be nighttime. It's not the middle of the summer, you know. It is...
Lokanātha: We have two, three vehicles here.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm saying it's something that should be considered now, and not when we get there. You said when we get there we'll see.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We should make all the plans complete.
Prabhupāda: That you consider.
Haṁsadūta: We'll bring the van, and Prabhupāda can stay in the van overnight, or we'll find some place.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All the āśramas will be overcrowded.
Pañca-draviḍa: We can sleep around the van. Prabhupāda is like a desire tree. He satisfies everybody.
Lokanātha: That cart could be turned into house. Have bamboo sticks, cover it with...
Prabhupāda: So begin to plan.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll take you by car. You can get your mālā. You'll stay overnight here.
Haṁsadūta: Someone could pick it up for him in a rickshaw.
Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī: I can go.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll bring him by car. He can get his things and bring him back. He'll get his bedding.
Prabhupāda: His bedding and beading.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Regarding your letter asking me permission for taking prasadam comprising fruits, nuts, milk product and green leaf vegetables,—if the __ to your health for rendering service to Krishna with more energy, then you must take such Prasdam instead of cooked food. If required you can take raw cereals soaked in water overnight that is also good. The thing is you must accept such food as will keep you fit. Not more nor less that is the injunction of Lord Krishna in the B.G. Hope you are well.
In my opinion, India is going down by giving up this original cultural life which is its own. The government is enamored by the glittering civilization of the West, and it was a definite policy of our late prime minister, Mr. Nehru, who wanted to see India overnight as rich and materially advanced as America. It was, of course, Gandhi's policy to concentrate his organization in village life, taking to simple life and cow protection. But just after Mahatma Gandhi's disappearance, his chief disciple, Pandit Nehru, planned for up-to-date organized cow-slaughter house. So this is our position. If you have understood Krishna Consciousness science, then you will try to revive this cultural life in India. Of course so long I shall live I shall give you all assistance.
I could not clearly understand what is the reason that you have left the temple to live in a country house 40 miles away from London. I understand that by October 1st everything should be settled, and you may invite me to visit at that time. This morning I had been in the Hamburg Port and Krishna das informed me there is a passenger ship which carries people overnight to London. So I have asked him to inquire what is the real situation. I think we can go to London by that shipping carrier. In October I have no program here, so there will be no difficulty to visit your place at that time.
1971 Correspondence
I have not heard for many days about Kuala Lumpur activities and also Hong Kong. I hope you might have received news from them. So I wish that you may stay for some time in Delhi to recoup your health. Delhi climate is now very good. So you take in the morning sugar candy juice. Just soak some sugar candy overnight in water and take early in the morning and that will help you. Don't take any fatty vegetables (too much ghee and spices). Take green vegetables in salad with lime juice. Green papaya boiled is also nice.
1972 Correspondence
My desire is that you be in charge of East Africa and he may be in charge of South Africa, and this way you both organize the African program very nicely.
Just now I am on the plane towards Hong Kong (Apr. 19th), where I shall stay overnight, and tomorrow I shall go to Japan. Our preaching in Australia and New Zealand was very successful, and in New Zealand we shall very soon have our own temple, as our new disciple there, Gaura Krishna das, has already given 3 acres of land in Auckland.
1973 Correspondence
So to say they are not loving, that maybe true from the materialists point of view—they have given up affection for family, friends, wife, country, race, like that, all based upon the bodily concept of life or flickering sense-gratification—they have become little detached from Maya's love, or lust, and they want Krishna's love, or endless, full, rewarding love, but they have not yet developed to that point, that's all and we cannot expect that all of a sudden, being addicted to so many bad habits, your countrymen, will give up eating flesh, taking intoxication, sex-life, and so many other nasty things, and become overnight great self-realized souls. That is not possible. That is utopian. Just becoming initiated as Krishna's devotee puts him in the topmost category of human society: sa buddhiman manusyesu, sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt: (BG 4.18) "he is intelligent among human society, he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in sorts of activities".
1976 Correspondence
I have received on report from Brahmananda Swami in Nairobi about an incident that took place that took place when you were there. One Mr. Amarshi B. Shretta, P.O. Box 53, Kisumu, Kenya, had lent his automobile to you that you might use it for me when I came to Kenya. However, it was reported that you disappeared with the car overnight. Mr. Shretta is very much upset at this and he demands an explanation and an apology. There have been many complaints at the mismanagement in the past and now Brahmananda Swami has worked very hard to regain the respect and support of the Indian community in Kenya. Needless to say they are supporting our movement in Kenya and we must be straightforward in our dealings with them. I want you to write a letter of explanation and apology to Mr. Shretta and also you can send one copy of your letter to Brahmananda Swami at the Nairobi Temple address, P.O. Box 28946, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. Kindly do this immediately.
| Page Title: | Overnight |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Mar, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=12, Con=19, Let=7 |
| No. of Quotes: | 40 |