Overpopulation (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"over populated" |"over population" |"over-population" |"overburdening population" |"overpopulate" |"overpopulated" |"overpopulation" |"populated countries"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They have invented nuclear weapon. What is that? To kill. But have you invented something so that no more men will die? That is credit. Man is dying every moment, so you have invented something to accelerate that death. That's all. Is that very, very good credit? So there is no solution of death. They are trying to stop the, I mean to say, overpopulation. But where is the solution? Every minute, there are three persons increasing. That is the statistics. So there is no solution for birth, there is no solution for death, there is no solution for disease and there is no solution for old age.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 1, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Just like you Americans, you have covered so many thousands of miles. And you don't allow anyone. "No, you cannot enter. Here is gun." What is this nonsense? It is God's property. Why do you disallow others. Let them come. So there is no question of over-population. There are so much land in Australia, in Africa, here in America, that ten times of the present population can be provided. God has provided. But these rascals will not allow. So there is overpopulation in India, in China and other places, and there is problem. They are trying to occupy more land but you will not allow. Therefore war, there is war. So we create problems. Otherwise God has supplied us enough. You can use it; as much as you like you can use what you have... They are creating trouble and the scientists giving them, "Yes, I am giving you this chemical composition. You drop on the enemies' camp." This is scientific research, to impel the rascals. (laughter) The rascals, rogues, they are trying to usurp other's property, and the scientists helping them. That's all.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Śyāmasundara: Would you like to wash your hands?

Lord Brockway: Yes, thank you.

Haṁsadūta: Such a simple point. If a cow is living by God's grass...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: He said only grass. It doesn't cost anything.

Prabhupāda: Grass is grown by God, and she is eating. What is your problem?

Haṁsadūta: Their argument is that there'll be over-population.

Prabhupāda: Now, you kick them on their face. Oh, what is this? This is not sweet-rice. It is some...?

Haṁsadūta: Cuddy.

Prabhupāda: Cuddy, cuddy.

Haṁsadūta: They always argue that "In India they should kill the cows and eat them, and then they would not starve" because they're so foolish.

Prabhupāda: You have got your natural teeth? Your teeth?

Lord Brockway: No, not natural.

Prabhupāda: Not natural.

Lord Brockway: No, no. I used to play rugby football.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Lord Brockway: And my teeth got kicked out of my mouth. (laughter)

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

Reporter: Have you a point of view about the demographic problem and the problem of (French)?

Yogeśvara: Do we have a viewpoint on contraception?

Prabhupāda: That is most sinful activity. Because a child is coming to live at the expense of God's property, and the rascal father is thinking of overpopulation.

Yogeśvara: Or, as Prabhupāda was saying, he's thinking there's overpopulation.

Reporter: (French)

Yogeśvara: But he says but this is a fact, this overpopulation.

Prabhupāda: That is another wrong impression. Foolish impression. The whole world has got sufficient place to produce food for ten times the population as it is now. The Americans, they throw grains in the water. So if they send the excess grain to the place where grain is not sufficient, then it is God conscious-ness. If the so-called overpopulation is spread all over the world, there is sufficient place in Africa, Australia, America. The overpopulation can grow their food in these vast uncultivated land.

Yogeśvara: He says that only resolves the problem for a few years.

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. We don't believe it.

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

Yogeśvara: You can translate that story? (French) (to Prabhupāda:) She went there to buy her foodstuffs?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Yogeśvara: (French)

Prabhupāda: So you are thinking in that way. "How I shall provide this population?" That is the old woman's crying. Without sufficient knowledge. We do not believe in this, all rascaldom. We believe in God. If God can create... just like animals. They do not cry. They're increasing. The hogs and dogs, even lower animals... This is demonic economy. A man is holding thousands of acres of land and he's thinking of overpopulation. Why not he distributes the thousands of acres of land to the people? They would produce their own food. That is the, that is the defect of so-called socialism. But here we give a right type of socialism.

Yogeśvara: He thinks he has a fairly clear idea of what our program is now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: We are not the only living entities. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. They're all being maintained by the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "As many forms are there, in all different species," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am the Father." The father maintains the sons, as we see actually. He's maintaining. So why you are so much...? Our father is rich. He's not poor. God is not poor. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Six kinds of opulence fully. So why are you talking of this over-population, scarcity of food? Why? Actually the father is God. He's maintaining. And factually we see how many human beings, civilized human beings, are there. The other living beings are many hundred thousand times bigger quantity. If they can be maintained by God, what we have done, that He'll not maintain us? He'll maintain us. He's maintaining. So many people they say, "India is starving." I am Indian. I never see any man starving and died. I've never seen. This is simply advertisement. What is your opinion?

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

Prabhupāda: That's a fact. But we must keep ourself spiritually strong. Āpani ācari prabhu jīve śikhāilā. Just Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was behaving in His life and that He was teaching. (break) ...behave like spiritual man. Then you can teach. If you don't behave, then how you can teach? (break) ...was brought here. It is more important than the Ganges. (break) One side, there is unrestricted sex life, and other side, stop population. But they cannot take this restricted sex life. Only fault! So if you restrict your sex life that "I shall not beget more than one child or two child," then where is the question of this abortion and contra...? But they, that they cannot. They will have unrestricted sex life; at the same time, they will check overpopulation.

Prajāpati: They trust the doctors, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the medical men.

Prabhupāda: Whatever... His fault is that "I can restrict. I will not have sex life unless it is needed for begetting children."

Prajāpati: The psychologists say it is unhealthy to go without sex life. The men these people trust, the psychologists, psychiatrists, say it is unhealthy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also, we know. But there is a process. Just like brahmacārī process is there, sannyāsī process is there. So if you adopt the process, you can restrict. [

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If somebody says, "My religion is to cut throat of others, to pickpocket others. That is my religion." Would it be accepted? Why sometimes you are arrested. You say, "My religion is to chant." They will say, "No, you cannot do this. It is disturbance." So "Because it is my religion, it will be accepted," that is not a fact. You must come to philosophy and reasoning: "Why don't you cut throat your... Why don't you send your... You say complain, over-population. Why don't you send the over-population to the slaughterhouse? Why? Why?"

Girirāja: Well, it would be inhuman.

Prabhupāda: Inhuman. And then cutting throat of the cows, that is not human.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If somebody says, "My religion is to cut throat of others, to pickpocket others. That is my religion." Would it be accepted? Why sometimes you are arrested. You say, "My religion is to chant." They will say, "No, you cannot do this. It is disturbance." So "Because it is my religion, it will be accepted," that is not a fact. You must come to philosophy and reasoning: "Why don't you cut throat your... Why don't you send your... You say complain, over-population. Why don't you send the over-population to the slaughterhouse? Why? Why?"

Girirāja: Well, it would be inhuman.

Prabhupāda: Inhuman. And then cutting throat of the cows, that is not human.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 15, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Let them come and live here. Produce foodstuffs, have cows, fruits, flowers, live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; but they won't allow. Americans, yes, they have got so much land. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Whatever is Kṛṣṇa's property, you can... You are Kṛṣṇa's son; you can utilize it. But one son is prohibiting, "No, no, you cannot enter here." This is the problem. The so-called nationalism is dangerous. Just see how nice flowers, fruits, plant. Everything is there, complete.

pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

(Iso Invocation)

There is no question of overpopulation at all. These rascals have created like that. Hare Kṛṣṇa. They're coming from our temple?

Morning Walk -- January 15, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Salt, salt, turned into sand. Salty water, silica. Sodium silicate. Salt is called sodium carbonate?

Bali Mardana: Yes, it is.

Prabhupāda: Eh? (break) From any earth you'll find some percentage of salt. (break) ...for increasing population, but we rascals, we have made, "No, you cannot come here. You rot there." This is our civilization. India, China is overpopulated. So if people allow, just like Australia, Africa, and many islands.

Bali Mardana: Russia.

Prabhupāda: Russia is useless.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Bhagavān: The overpopulation is in the city.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: They think that overpopulation occurs in underdeveloped countries, but actually in every city it is overpopulation, people living on top of each other like rats.

Morning Walk -- June 8, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: A girl is pregnant, suppose, then, during her pregnancy period, ten months, there is no sex, and unless the child becomes six months old, there is no sex. The thing is that in the modern world, sex life has become the only pleasure. They do not know anything else. Therefore everything is discredited. And another thing is they are afraid of keeping more than one wife for population. But if they produce sufficient food, where is the question of overpopulation?

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: They do not understand even the sample of spirit soul, as we are. Simply they are trying to cover it. "There is no soul. There is no soul. Life is generated from matter." Although they cannot prove it. A fool's paradise. The fools, rascals, they are explaining the living force in some way, and other fools are accepting. This is the position of western countries, Europe and America. It is a fool's paradise. It is paradise, certainly. Very, very, big, big building and advancement, but all rascals and fools. Fool's paradise. (pause) And if you call a fool a fool, he'll be angry. Mūrkhāyopadeśo hi prakopayati na śamyati (?). (pause) (break) ...so many, so much production, but if nature's law can stop this production, then the question of over-population. If the nature likes, it can produce three times, four times this production. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). After all, nature is producing. We do not know how to deal with nature. Therefore there is scarcity, and we say, "over-population." There is no question of over-population. There are so many hundreds and thousands of birds within this forest, other animals. They have no problems of over-population. Eh? (pause) All these men, who are living in these villages, so what is their means of livelihood? Agriculture or industry? Or service?

Haṁsadūta: I think mostly they work at some... Well, some service, yes.

Prabhupāda: Factory.

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1974, Germany:

Devotee: In England and America now, more and more there is a big movement for birth control and contraceptives...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: ...as their means to conquer over the so-called over-population problem.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not over-population. They don't want to take care of children. This is their problem. It is not the question of over-population. They want to remain free and enjoy life, that's all. No responsibility. That is the hippies. That is the hippy movement.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So far I have studied, not only Australia, but also America and Africa, there are immense land uncultivated. So I think all these countries... The population increased in India, China, and similar other places. They should allow to come them, come here and produce food grains. If you cannot manage the over-populated countries, they should come. If the government allows, they would immediately come and utilize the vast land for producing food grains. And in the Bhagavad-gītā we have the statement-find out, annād bhavanti bhūtāni.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Hṛdayānanda: ...policy towards the problem of overpopulation and food shortage in the world now when the world leaders are not willing to do anything? What is our policy towards these problems?

Prabhupāda: Produce food. But you are producing bolts and nuts. You eat them. Motor tire, you are producing motor tire, bolts and nuts. You eat it. (Hṛdayānanda translates into Spanish) (laughter) The energy is spoiled, creating problem. Everyone is engaged in manufacturing motor parts.

Guest: (Hṛdayānanda translates) He's saying that he himself is involved with political leaders, and he said he's found that they're completely unwilling. They don't want to hear anything about the solution, and they're completely stuck to their own way. So what can ISKCON do...

Prabhupāda: They will suffer, that's all.

Morning Walk -- May 11, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Rahu planet orbit is in between moon and sun. So when it comes in between moon and sun there is eclipse. At night it is eclipse in the moon, and daytime it is eclipse in the sun.

Amogha: They used to think that because there is overpopulation we will go to another planet and then begin living there.

Prabhupāda: No question of overpopulation. There are so many land. You do not know how to live. There is no question of overpopulation. You want to live like cats and dogs. Therefore you fight; there is scarcity. If you live properly, there is no question of scarcity. (break) Otherwise it is perfect. Everything is perfect. There is no question of inconvenience. You live according to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā; there is no question of scarcity, inconvenience, overpopulation. Everything is made.

Amogha: People just take it for granted that...

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Amogha: Due to the propaganda, people take it for granted, "Yes, there is overpopulation. Yes, there is lack of food. There is starvation, this and that."

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: For children-kill them. This is Kali-yuga. They are killing their own children and patting a dog. Just see how much fallen they are, and they're passing as civilized. Fourth class. Complaining of overpopulation, and the dog gives birth at a time half a dozen—there is no overpopulation, welcome; we shall maintain them. Huh? They're giving twice in a year, or once in a, even once in a year, that is no overpopulation. A man gives one or two birth, it is overpopulation. Formerly they are begetting hundred children. At that time there was no complaint of overpopulation. At that time, the description in the history is kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). On account of good rains, the earth used to produce immense necessities of life. Just like this portion is maintained with sufficient water, there is green everywhere. So if there is sufficient rain, everywhere you can do. Where is the question of overpopulation? (break) ...population you work for growing food. No. Some of them are becoming hippies, no work. And some of them are working for manufacturing tire tube, tools, that's all. Where is food? Still there is food, but they'll not work for this, for growing food.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (break) ...and the water. (Hindi). (break) ...and one fourth land and we are puzzled with the increase of population. But there is no puzzle, three-fourths water population. Wherever you go, you get immediately many thousand fishes. So just imagine how many fishes are there. These rascals say "Overpopulation." Why not overpopulation there? Huh? The fishes, for want of food, they are dying and floating? Why overpopulation? All their calculation are simply bogus. There is no question of overpopulation. Even... Just like people simply can live on mango and coconut. Where is the question of over-population? It is chastisement. When one cannot get proper food, that is not due to overpopulation. It is due to godlessness. As soon as people will become godless, nature will chastise them—no food, no rain, suffer. This is law.

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Kuruśreṣṭha: In Dvaraka, when Kṛṣṇa was here, they would have such parks?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Kuruśreṣṭha: Nice walkways?

Prabhupāda: Mmm. Better than this.

Kuruśreṣṭha: Mangoes growing?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. In a time the swan gives birth, dozen children, and there is no overpopulation. And men are killing so many children, and still, they say overpopulation? Why overpopulation? In the animal society, bird society, they do not say it is overpopulated, neither they kill. Rather, those who are bird eaters, they will be glad, overpopulation. "We shall be able to eat them." You see. How many there are?

Brahmānanda: Nine.

Prabhupāda: The mother is not concerned how to feed them. (break) ...safe under the protection... They are learning from the mother how to pick up food.

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

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find first-class eating, first-class life, second-class eating, second-class life, third-class... Everything is there. So people should be trained up. Economic question? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce food grain, anna, sufficiently. So there is immense land still. Say, in America, so much land is without any utilization, in Africa, in Australia. They are not being properly utilized. People are complaining, "Overpopulation." Now countries which are overpopulated, they are not allowed to utilize the vacant land, neither people are being trained how to produce food grain. They are being trained up, technology, to produce motor tire. And nobody is interested to produce food grain. So without taking food grains, they are killing animals, and they are eating, short cut. They do not know killing of animals is sinful activity. This is the... Man is advanced; we can grow food. This killing of animals is for the non-civilized society.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Both sides forest. (break) Now in America there is no sufficient men to live in all these places, to cut, clear it and make cottages and utilize the land for producing. There is no sufficient men, I think. And where there is overpopulation, why not invite them to come here? That they will not do. (break) ...has given sufficient land for all the people, but we have made artificial national area, will not allow.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Guru dāsa: In India this would all be utilized for living.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These places also should be allowed to the people who are overpopulated. No visa, no immigration. The whole world is simply mismanaged for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Pramattaḥ, the word used, pramattaḥ, mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma: (SB 5.5.4) "All people mad and engaged in misdeeds only for sense gratification." (break) ...this room?

Ravīndra-svarūpa: I don't know, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Now it is just used for garbage.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1975, Mauritius:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Some Catholic priest said that better to let her die, because this is God's way.

Prabhupāda: Then he has to accept the God's way and give up the machine.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But in a situation like that, isn't it more valuable to preserve human life because there's the chance...

Prabhupāda: What is the use?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's a chance that somehow or another, they might be...

Prabhupāda: Why should you take the chance? You are perplexed with overpopulation. And why you want to stay? One side, you are perplexed with overpopulation. Let him die.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But they can use the argument that you're saying that human life is simply for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No, from his argument, why should you try to keep it? Let him die.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Whatever you produce, twenty-five percent give to God or king, and balance, you enjoy. If there is no production—no tax. This is peaceful life. You work. You take land, God's land. You cannot... Why you have occupied so much land? Others, they are not allowed to enter; where there is overpopulation? How you can expect peace? Just like in China and India and other places they're overpopulation. Why don't you allow them, that "In Africa there is no sufficient population. Please come and toil and grow your food and live peacefully"? Where is that formula? Rascals, they are wanting peace. All rascal, rogues. And why they have become rascal, rogues? For want of God consciousness. They do not know that it is God's property, falsely thinking, "My property." And today I am thinking, "My property," and next day I become a dog on the same property. Hm? This dog loitering, who can say he was not formerly a Mr. Smuts? Who can say? Maybe he was Smuts; now he is dog. How can you take him? This is nature's process. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: Just like they... In Australia they created those enzymes which were moving and were the basic components of life. So then they say, "Well, we've gone so far and created these first enzymes, the initial component of life. So we'll put them together in the future." And people... That may be an argument. It's not a very good one, but they will accept. All the scientists will accept it, that they've gone so far and done that.

Prabhupāda: No, then who is the scientist who is producing so many lives? You have not met him, but actually we see what you are trying to become successful in future, it is already there. Now, who is that big scientist? Why don't you find him out? Why don't you call him and give him Nobel Prize? Why you are taking? You are rascal. What is their answer? Already things are coming. There are so many lives, so that you are killing lives, being afraid of overpopulation. So he is creating so many lives that you think of it as overpopulation, overproduction. So what is your credit if you suppose in future you create one life? What credit you are going to give him? (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...experimentation, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 12, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes, machine, inventing machine means one machine can work for fifty men. The banks are using this, what is that, computer?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes, everyone is using computers.

Prabhupāda: To save money. Machine means unemployment for many. Tractor, they're using, they're unemployment for bulls and plowmen and then they, bulls have to be killed. This is going on. Unemployment, then kill them. Vietnam, send all the men to fight and kill them. As soon as there is overpopulation, they declare war so that people may be killed.

Hṛdayānanda: Sometimes the soldiers became so disgusted that they would shoot their own officers.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is many suitable place.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The reason was that because whenever you come back to India, you always come back to Bombay first of all, so as soon as you come back to India, you'll have facility to use your car. Otherwise we should make arrangements for another car for Bombay also?

Prabhupāda: No. Another Mercedes?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (laughter) Yes.

Hari-śauri: A Rolls Royce next time.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) No. (break) ...land you can utilize. Where is.... They say overpopulation. Where is man? Overpopulation in the city. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa has His own plan. Even overpopulation Kṛṣṇa provides. Why you are worried, "overpopulation"? You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you are worried about overpopulation?

Yaśodānandana: "We are less worried now with the family planning program."

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the knowledge, real knowledge. Eight million, four hundred thousand forms of life, and the supreme father is supplying food to everyone. And each form millions, millions. You'll find millions of one type of fish within the water. And there are nine hundred thousand different forms of fishes. They are eating within this water. Who is supplying them food? We cannot imagine even what is the food there within the water. But there is. Otherwise, how they are living? They have no scarcity.

Hari-śauri: Neither there's any overpopulation either.

Prabhupāda: Neither. Overpopulation, the fish, they lay eggs hundreds and thousands at a time. You know that? There is not..., unlimited number of eggs they lay down. (break) ...say, "Your food is ready. Just little work." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Just produce food grain. Everyone will be happy. But why they are producing motorcars only?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So they can go to the market and get the food. So they can drive to the market.

Prabhupāda: Why market? You can produce your food at home.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...in the age of Kali-yuga, difficulties will increase. That's a fact. Very, very difficult. We have passed only five thousand years, and there is balance of 427,000, hundreds of years, thousands. (break) ...only go back to home, back to Godhead. (break) ...has therefore advised that "Don't be engaged in all this nonsense activities, economic development. Simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious." (break) ...promises that "For such persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I'll take charge for their maintenance directly." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). (break) ...envious of one another. They see that "These people, they do not do anything, and living so comfortably."

Rāmeśvara: They say that in the future, because of the overpopulation problem, there will not be sufficient foodstuffs, so they will have to develop eating simply by taking pills.

Prabhupāda: Scientists will do that, but we shall take milk preparations.

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: But it is a little dirty. Unless you change it to charcoal, there was always some smoke. This is not ours. Our property comes down this way, but not on this corner. (break) ...land, Prabhupāda, and they say overpopulation.

Prabhupāda: In the beginning, I protest against this assertion, there is overpopulation. I never admitted. Perhaps you know.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There is no overpopulation. If the Americans allow the Chinese and the Indians to come, they can develop all these un.... "No, this is our land, you cannot come," immigration, gow gow. (break) ...creek is pure water?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, the water around here is very nice. We can dam it and have big lake.

Prabhupāda: If there is no foam that means it is nice water. Foam means sinful water.

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Mistri or anyone, to develop this Kṛṣṇa culture, so the Society will give guarantee. Why not take permission? And they may not come back. They may reside.

Kīrtanānanda: I don't understand. That seems to be the government's, the Indian government's objection was that they wouldn't come back.

Prabhupāda: So they are disturbed with overpopulation.

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: It doesn't make any sense. But their objection was that they might not come back.

Prabhupāda: But that is good for you, because you are harassed by overpopulation. You cannot feed them even. Why you object? Let them go and live somewhere else peacefully. Just like the Europeans came here. Originally, in America, Europeans came. Because it was overcongested and they got..., Columbus found this land, enough, and they migrated. So still there is so much land. The Indians are hard workers, they will develop very nicely. Just like this quarter; if Indians would be allowed, they'll come and make it very nice. In South America, they have done. Many Indian cultivators, they have come in remote villages. This cooperation should be. Everything belongs to God. Why a class or community should be congested? Just like China, Japan, India, so much congested. What is this nonsense United Nations doing? What they have done for the last thirty years? No liberal-minded. Let them propose that wherever there is enough land and wherever there is overpopulation, let them go and the government give them simply land and let them work and be happy. Why not arrange, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, arrange between these two, United Nations. Why a section of people is rotting in a place and devising some means how to fight with the others and get land? Why? There is no meaning. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). This is our philosophy, everything belongs to God, and everyone is a son of God; therefore the son of God has the right.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Minimum. And maximum one pound. Not more than that. But "Because there is enough, let us eat," no. That is not good. But children must get at least one pound, milk. If they drink more milk they become stout and strong.

Kīrtanānanda: They get more than one pound. They get at least two pounds.

Prabhupāda: Then their life is built up strong, and nice brain to understand. Do they not see the benefit of the society, that we are not killing children, we are maintaining them with sufficient milk. Is it not better civilization? And they are, for fear of overpopulation, they are killing. The mother is killing the child. Is that civilization?

Kīrtanānanda: But in Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says that those in the mode of ignorance, they take irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Some of the materialists may argue that these activities are not all that unbeneficial. For example, they have made a tractor, and in America they can produce so many grains, so much so that practically they could feed the world.

Prabhupāda: Why do they not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Because their mentality is very abominable.

Prabhupāda: Do that. There are so many overpopulation, and you can do it in America. So much land lying vacant here.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Better to put the people in factories in the fields. If they are going to work, let them work growing grain and milking the cows.

Prabhupāda: Yes, then they will live very happily. That will not do. Jagato 'hitāḥ.

Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: If you simply boil little milk and little grain, whole day, so much sweet rice, you take-bas. You don't require any more. And if you add little apples and fruits, oh, it is heavenly. Your whole day free from any food anxiety, and you can work. And you can work. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Make this ideal life here. America has got good potency. We have got so much land here. We can have hundreds of New Vrindabans or farms like that. And people will be happy. And invite all the world, "Please come and live with us. Why you are suffering congestion, overpopulation? Welcome here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Make that. Indian culture and American strength make the whole world happy. That logic even I have given? Andha-paṅgu?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Blind and lame.

Prabhupāda: India could not improve on account of poverty, lame. And America? Blind for want of culture. So let the blind man carry the lame man on the head, and the lame man give direction that "Go this way," and he walks. So both men's work is done. There is no hampering because one is blind and one is lame. Combined together, they get the benefit. Andha-paṅgor nyāya.

Room Conversation With Scientists -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: No, no, just to cheat people that they are very big scientists, give them fat salary. That's all. But what people will benefit by this?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They want to study whether there is life there or not.

Prabhupāda: There is life, you do not know.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are not sure yet.

Prabhupāda: There is life everywhere. We can say from the śāstra. There cannot be any place vacant. It is not possible. Must be life there. All planets are vacant, simply this planet is congested, overpopulation. What is this nonsense? What is the difference between this planet and other planets, chemically or physiologically?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say there are differences.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Differences, that may be little, the difference between cat's body, dog's body, man's body, little difference must be there. But the elements are the same. At least, I'll not believe. No, I am not blind, but in the śāstra, every planet is congested. That is in the Bhāgavatam.

Morning Walk -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: There is no really purpose, Śrīla Prabhupāda, no valid purpose.

Rādhāvallabha: They consider it advancement of knowledge.

Prabhupāda: This is not advancement of...

Gurudāsa: They want to colonize because there is overpopulation on this planet.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Another rascal. (laughter)

Gurudāsa: They want to put the American flag on the moon and say, "It is ours."

Prabhupāda: And then lick up. "Here is American flag." (laughter) And then doglike urine(?) (within?) (laughter) So lick up, then doglike urine(?) (women?). It is useless. (laughter) Dog's business.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhagavān: They are impressed with how much we have done.

Prabhupāda: They will be more and more impressed. What is this city life? In Paris, simply to fulfill the necessities of life, a professional prostitute, so many. And people from all over the world, they come here for indulge in prostitute. From our childhood we know. What a civilization they have made. Spoiling the life. Then, after finish this life, you just become a cat, a dog, or a tree and stand up. And all other planets are vacant. Simply this planet is filled up, overpopulation. Kill them. Why not send there? So vacant land. (laughter) "That we cannot do." Then what is your scientific research? "Yes, we are trying. Wait millions of years." (laughter) These bluffing rascals. Don't be misled. Live peacefully here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Preparation for Gita Pratisthana -- December 9, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, whenever there is scarcity of supply or scarcity of food, it is not due to overpopulation. It is due to overcriminality or over-sinful activities, due to over-sinful activities, not overpopulation. It is a bogus theory. That is stated, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān (BG 16.19). Those who are devils, who are demons...

Jagadīśa: What was that verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Tān aham.

Jagadīśa: Tān.

Prabhupāda: For the demons. Demons and godless people must be (indistinct), you cannot make a solution. You cannot surpass the law of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). There is enough water in the ocean, but still you are suffering for scarcity of water. Why?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: So Lord Caitanya's movement will actually reach that level.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa." We are all children. The America is protecting for Americans "No! No American. Let the Chinese. They are so well congested. The Indians, come on!" You came here. It is not your father's property. Why do you check others, rascal? You stolen this property from the Red Indians, and now you have become proprietor.

Rāmeśvara: And they're paying the farmers not to grow food in America.

Prabhupāda: Just see. There is pūrṇam idam (Īśo Invocation). By God's arrangement everything is full. There is no question of overpopulation. Just see. So much land is lying vacant. There is no utilization.

Rāmeśvara: No, they should use their science for developing the resources for the benefit of all people.

Prabhupāda: There is no needs of science. This is the science: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; there will be sufficient rain, and you till the ground and grow food.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: Even if we have no facility, if we are sincere, everything comes.

Prabhupāda: Facility will be given. He has everything. Our father is not impotent. He is potent. The overpopulation theory, it is wrong. If the father has given birth to so many children, He knows how to provide them.

Hari-śauri: It is just an excuse to cover up their mismanagement.

Prabhupāda: That's it. Our philosophy is clear.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Government cannot... This government cannot guarantee anything. They have no power.

Prabhupāda: So why they are so much anxious, "You should not overpopulate"? Even in these days in India, in the interior villages they invite you that "Please come. We have got enough grain, enough milk. You eat with us. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And they are going forcibly there to give this sterilization. They have no problem.

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So much land is lying vacant because there is no worker, and all the rascals have gone to New Delhi or big cities. And overpopulation? "Give them sterilization." Here there is no men to work and they're sterilization... How the leaders... And who is leader? Another debauch number one, Gandhi, Mrs.... And she has produced a Sanjay Gandhi. Very precarious si... So there will be no scarcity of simple living and eating. We shall give nice food, milk, and place. So bring student and teach them. Then gradually increase. They will preach throughout the whole world. The defect of the society, modern—the rascals are worshiped. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has given all in his moral instructions. He said, mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante: "Where rascals are not worshiped..." But at the present moment rascals are worshiped. And he says. He was experienced politician.