Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Spend (Conversations 1976)

Expressions researched:
"mispent" |"misspend" |"misspending" |"misspent" |"spend" |"spended" |"spending" |"spends" |"spent"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: spending or spends or spended or spent or spend or misspent or mispent or misspend or misspending not "spen* time"@10 not money

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Acyutānanda: It is called Mahāprabhu sādhana. It is on record that that is the house where Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent catur-masya. (break) Yes, he arranged to have these programs for us. There were almost ten thousand people there.

Prabhupāda: There is good potency in South India.

Acyutānanda: Oh, yes, it is very promising.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Jaya.

Mahāmṣa: He is secretary of our committee here and president of the Rotary Club in Nelore.

Prabhupāda: So your arrangement was very nice. Thank you. Hm. Where is that wrapper? These cottages are very nice.

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: So what kind of committee?

Mahāṁsa: But that also is a farce, because they spent thirteen lakhs of rupees for construction of a temple in New York.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York.

Mahāṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So New York, we have got so many temples. Let them here.

Mahāṁsa: They know. Anna(?) Rao, who is chairman.... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...temples (indistinct) foreign countries, then let them (indistinct) We shall.... How?

Mahāṁsa: They are very political. They want to take charge of everything that they give money for.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Mahāṁsa: They want to take charge of everything that they give money for. Just like these temples which they have in New York, they will be in charge of them. They are the pūjārīs and things...

Prabhupāda: That means they are constructing their own temple.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, you've been saying this a number of times.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That side. (break) ...unnecessary expenditure to have some cottage and again spoil it. Don't spend. It is better spend for rooms like that, that side, wall and rooms, and this should be used for only trees.

Jayapatāka: Walkway.

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes. Within the trees, walkway. That will be very nice. Don't spend unnecessarily for cottage.

Jayapatāka: For this year there is no time to make those.

Prabhupāda: Then as much as possible you can do. What is there? Engage hundred workers and it will be done.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we don't have the money to do.

Prabhupāda: I will give you money. If money is the only question, I will give you money. You can immediately begin.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So why not do? (break)...ing in their health?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (Gurukula kīrtana party, chanting, meets Prabhupāda)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...like they are doing in so many other places?

Prabhupāda: You spend it.

Jayapatāka: Just like the Tirupati temple. They have got crores and crores of rupees in the bank, so government has borrowed twenty crores of rupees for improving the worship (?) If we spend the money as soon as it's made, then they won't take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the point.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The reason the government...

Prabhupāda: That is... That was the purpose of my Trust making: fifty percent immediately spent for printing, fifty percent building—no money.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bank balance, zero.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is my program. You get money: you spend money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make one million and the next day be with nil.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Brahminical qualification. Whatever he gets, he spends. That's all.

Jayapatāka: Those in ISKCON who (?) haven't spent money, they got in trouble. Like, in Germany they stored money.

Prabhupāda: No, storing is not good. Some money may be, few lakhs, stored for emergency. Otherwise the principle should be to get money and spend money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually in Tirupati, one of the reasons the government took over is that the trustees themselves were squandering the money.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is everywhere.

Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: In Sydney they spent ten thousand dollars, the council, compiling a case against us. Every day they used to come and film us and take names. And we didn't contest the case but just carried on saṅkīrtana, and the judge threw them out of court. They spent ten thousand dollars—it was a big scandal—and lost the case. The judge said, "Why not let them go on the streets? They add a lot of color to the city."

Hṛdayānanda: (break) People are always asking about you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (break) No, I shall go now. Is it direct flight? No.

Hṛdayānanda: It is very far away. Everyone is... Even the guests, everyone is always asking about Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was wondering whether—I was speaking with Sudāmā Mahārāja—whether it would be possible for him to come and be in the boat program with Sudāmā Mahārāja. (end)

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Finished.

Dayānanda: Just five hundred pounds spent in two years, and then nothing.

Prabhupāda: Then nothing.

Dayānanda: In 1933-34. But you have, you have done so much. Even, even though you just had some low-class persons, you have transformed them all. And now it is a very wonderful...

Prabhupāda: The Ramakrishna Mission man came to see me. He said that "You dress like American. Otherwise, nobody will take you as important."

Acyutānanda: Nikhilananda...

Prabhupāda: "And I don't want to be important. I have no dress. If you pay for it, I can dress. I have no money. I know how to dress as a European. As business man, I was doing that. But not this shabby dress. You must give me four set of nice dress, (laughter) changing every alternate day. I know how to do it, but have no money." (end)

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1976, Mayapur:

Guru-kṛpā: The brahmacārīs are supporting the householders.

Prabhupāda: How?

Guru-kṛpā: Well, they are doing the saṅkīrtana and collecting the funds, and the householders are spending.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...nature. Uparvata pani. (?) (break)

Jayapatāka: About five brahmacārīs went down there, and they were lifting the karāi on the head, and they were encouraging the men, and the people became... And Guru-kṛpā was coming and Gargamuni... The people were so happy that the devotees were there. They were working much harder.

Prabhupāda: When a man takes his work in his own hand, it is sure to be done. So all of you encourage them.

Jayapatāka : Maheśvara commented that although all day we're yelling at the men, when the work is over, they are laughing and saying, "Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is association, a mass movement. (break) ...our boy, especially boy, in solitary place, then spoiled. Then the māyā is there immediately. That is very dangerous. (end)

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This is the punishment, yes. Punishment there is always. But they are so stubborn fools still.

Dharmādhyakṣa: Prabhupāda, the one great brain researcher, he spent nineteen years searching for the memory in the brain.

Prabhupāda: There is a story that two friends talking that, on the point that "How this was cut, separated?" So one friend said, "It is by knife." And the other friend said, "No, it was by scissor." So they went on.... One said, "No! It is knife." He said, "No! It is scissor." So the knife man was very strong. So he took him to the water, that "You say it is knife. Otherwise I shall drown you." (laughter) So he said, "I'll never say." Then he said.... When he was drowning, he was doing like this, (Prabhupāda gesticulates) (laughter) "Scissor, scissor." When he was actually drowned and he had no other means to say, then he was doing like this: "It is scissor. It is scissor." This is their argument. However punished they may be, they'll do this. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Abhirāma: I have seen in Miami Beach that one man was found dead in his apartment, and he was living poverty-stricken. His whole place was full of rats and cockroaches. When they investigated his file they found that he had eight million dollars in the bank and in stocks. But all of his friends said he couldn't spend one penny his whole life, because he was too cheap. So even though he was a rich man, actually he was a poor man.

Dr. Patel: But, sir, there are some beggars here in Bombay who have got one and two lakh rupees. You have read the railway(?) story about couple of beggars. They rounded up, and they had money.

Prabhupāda: No, I am also a beggar. I am also beggar.

Dr. Patel: That is not.... You are a rich beggar.

Prabhupāda: Millions of dollars.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: We are increasing our movement. We are opening centers. We are printing more books. This is my books. I have made a Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. That is my will, and I have given my will that fifty percent of the collection should be spent for reprinting the books and fifty percent should be spent for spreading the movement. So there is no question of material profit.

Carol Jarvis: I wonder if I could ask you just finally, then, if you have a message.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is the message, that people are under the impression that one is this body, but that is not the fact. The soul, or the man, he is within the body. Just like you are not your, this shirt and coat. You are within the shirt and coat. Similarly, the living entity, the living being, is within this body, the gross body and the subtle body. The subtle body is composed of mind, intelligence and ego, and the gross body is a composition of these material things, earth, water, air, fire, like that, five elements. Altogether, eight elements. This is inferior energy. And the superior energy is within these eight elements, five gross and three subtle. So we have to study about that thing. Just like I asked that boy that "You can manufacture a huge machine, flying in the sky, 747, but why don't you manufacture the pilot?"

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So if you spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And if you spend for your benefit, that is material. Where is the difficulty to understand? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām (BG 5.29). Repeatedly says. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor. So when everything is used for the fulfillment of the will of the proprietor, that is proper use. Otherwise improper use. Just like we have given several times this example, "Keep to the right," "Keep to the left." So you are driving your car. The will is, government will is, "Keep to the right." As soon as you keep to the left, immediately you are criminal. You cannot put this argument, "What is the wrong? I am driving." "No, because you have violated my will, therefore you are..." The government will see. That is criminal. So everything.... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasā... He is the proprietor. He is the enjoyer. So because you have enjoyed without His permission, therefore you become criminal. You are punishable. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpam. You'll see this verse.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So we are telling this is the aim. You take. And therefore more response from the younger section. All our devotees, they are just like my grandchildren. Their fathers may be like my children. But they are responsive.

Mr. Dixon: How do you spend a day?

Prabhupāda: Day?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How do we.... What do we do during the day? What are our activities?

Prabhupāda: We have got activities day and night, but because the body is there, we have to eat, but we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And naturally we go to sleep, to take some rest. Otherwise we are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business. We have no other business. So I go in the morning for little morning walk because the body, whole day if I sit down, it may be jammed. Therefore, for body's sake, I go for little walking. And then, whole day and night, I am sitting here, either chanting or writing books or talking with you, giving them direction. That's all. We have no other business than Kṛṣṇa's business. That is the peculiarity of this movement. Even if you take it is a religious movement, there is no religious movement in the whole world which has got twenty-four hours' engagement. You'll never find. The Christians go to the church once in a week for one hour, then closed. That is also not very regularly. Even if you take.... Our engagement. Twenty-four hours.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: This is the important men.

Guru-kṛpā: That one Marwari spent eighteen lakhs of rupees.

Prabhupāda: I do not know eighteen lakhs, but I know he went to Germany for medical operation and changing the gland with monkey's gland. Yes. He was eighty years old at that time.

Devotee (2): The leaders are so infected. There was an article recently...

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). That is already dictated by Bhāgavata. These leaders, rascals who are blind, and they are trying to lead other blind men. All of them are falling in the ditch.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the case of Mahārāja Veṇa there was some recourse for the brāhmaṇas. What can we do?

Prabhupāda: Yes, brāhmaṇas were controlling the kṣatriyas. They were obeying the instruction of brāhmaṇas. That is social function. The first-class man will give instruction to the government, and the government will carry the order, "Whether people are actually doing this?" Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. And vaiśya will produce food grain and milk sufficiently. And the śūdras, they will help these three higher classes. That's all. This is social system. (break) The brāhmaṇas, they will be always engaged to make plan how people will be successful in the aim of life. And that will be executed through the kṣatriyas. And the vaiśyas will supply foodstuff. Food is also required. And good government is required, and nice direction is required.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:

Guru-kṛpā: Māyāpur is the best farm.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And it will be still better when our plan is made.

Guru-kṛpā: We want to set the example this year by also giving a big donation to Māyāpur and also building here.

Prabhupāda: At the same time you see that it is not misspent. That is another defect, that our spending is not very frugal and spend like anything. There must be.... But in India they want to cheat you, and you are very expert, being cheated.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It is our karma. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Not karma. You are working sincerely, that's all.

Guru-kṛpā: We are expert cheaters also. That's how we get the money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are big cheaters. You don't cheat two rupees, three rupees. Two millions. (laughs) That is accusation, Alexander and the thief. The thief accused Alexander the Great that "What is the difference between you and me? I am a small thief; you are a big thief. That's all. Why you are punishing me? You are a big thief. You are doing same thing." Then he was let loose. "Yes, what is difference? (laughs) I am a big thief." (break) ...means Alexander the Great, actually he was great. Otherwise he is the emperor, and ordinary thief is accusing him and he said, "Yes, I am thief." He admitted. That is greatness. That is greatness. If he was not great, then he would have hanged him or punished him: "Oh, you are so.... You are accusing me?" But no, he accepted. That is greatness. Mistake is one fault, but to accept that "I have done mistake," that is greatness.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Interviewer: So would it be true to say that perhaps without George Harrison of the Beatles the religion wouldn't be as well known as it is today?

Prabhupāda: No, not like that. That is not that. But in the Western countries nobody comes forward to give us some contribution. But this boy is very nice, he gives us sometimes some thing. He gives, and another boy, who is the great-grandson of Mr. Henry Ford—his name is Alfred—he also helps us. But mostly we get our income by selling these books. We are selling books daily about $200,000 daily. That is our main source of income. And I have made a trust will in which fifty percent of the collection is spent for reprinting the books, and fifty percent is spent for spreading this movement.

Interviewer: One thing, New Zealand cities are passing bylaws which seek to ban the chanting of your disciples in the streets. Do you get much opposition like this?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but we don't depend on the city authorities; we depend on Kṛṣṇa.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Three days.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have got 102 centers all over the world.

Interviewer: So how many centers does that make it?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Over a hundred. A hundred and two.

Interviewer: Do you spend your whole year traveling, or is it only part of the year?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Do you spend your whole year traveling, or only part of the year?

Prabhupāda: I am traveling either in Europe, America, Africa, Canada, India, everywhere.

Interviewer: So, do you have a home, or do you have...

Prabhupāda: I have 102 houses, but nowhere I am allowed to live. That is the difficulty. (laughter)

Interviewer: How old are you, Swami? How old?

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Mahendra: ...pictures are like the King Kong movie.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In King Kong movie they made cotton as cloud. (laughs). They can do everything in the laboratory.

Yadubara: They are making that movie again, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Spending millions to make it again.

Prabhupāda: Which movie?

Yadubara: King Kong.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: They have got some gigantic King Kong figure. It moves like a gigantic doll. Actually, to make a movie now they spend maybe ten, fifteen million dollars for one movie. (break)

Prabhupāda: They cannot cleanse nowadays?

Hari-śauri: They made a movie called "2001," and in that they had shots of men on different planets. It looked just like the moon shots. It was very..., just the same.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, it is very difficult to convince the people that they have not gone to the moon. I mean, that's a good logic, but they'll think that's very childish for us to say "Sunday first, Monday."

Prabhupāda: Well, let them remain as child.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, one boy joined our temple here, he was attending a very well known college and straight A's in physics, a scientist. So his parents were a little concerned. His father is a very big professor at California Institute of Technology, the biggest technical school in America. His mother is a professor of anthropology, and she is in the family of millionaires from Germany, German industrialists, so they were very concerned. So they came to visit their boy at our temple, and now the mother is coming regularly, giving nice donations and sometimes spending the weekend.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Dānavīr: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So give him nice. He's living with us?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He was given one room? No?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dānavīr, was he given a room?

Dānavīr: We have him a place to study every day.

Trivikrama: He also has a Ph.D., from Heidelberg University in philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Therefore, I say that take care of him, he's a good.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Candanācārya: (break) ...country, build cities and then spend billions of dollars to make the city look like the country.

Prabhupāda: Carvita-carvaṇānām. Chewing the chewed, again and again. This is their position. (japa) (break)

Rāmeśvara: On the calendar it says it is Bhīma-ekādaśī.

Prabhupāda: Bhīma-ekādaśī, yes.

Rāmeśvara: So I've been told that if one fasts on Bhīma-ekādaśī, that it is like fasting on all the ekādaśīs. Is that true?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ekādaśī is meant for fasting, either Bhīma or Arjuna. But we cannot fast, therefore we have to take little fruits and.... Otherwise, ekādaśī means fasting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If it is possible, should we go without eating at all?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But don't lie down and sleep.

Mahendra: Eating mahā-prasādam is also fasting.

Prabhupāda: Who says?

Mahendra: You said that to Paramahaṁsa Swami once.

Prabhupāda: And you heard from Paramahaṁsa.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is a great palace.

Kīrtanānanda: I have heard it is very...

Prabhupāda: It was constructed by spending six million dollars. (laughs)

Kīrtanānanda: Many years ago.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and it is nice palace, and we got it for 300,000.

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda personally made the arrangement.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. That man was asking 350,000, so, just like ordinary arrangement, ten percent down, so I made a bargain: "All right, I'll give you 300,000 cash. Accept it." So he immediately accepted. (laughs) There was no money. Then one girl contributed 150,000, and...

Kīrtanānanda: Is that the Reuther girl?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And our Ford, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he also...

Hari-śauri: They have some fresh pineapples and a juicing machine just across the road, so someone has gone for some now. It'll be five minutes.

Prabhupāda: You have seen the new publication?

Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Nalinīkaṇṭha: Tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param, na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda...

Prabhupāda: Hm. Āyur-vyayaḥ. Simply spending the duration of life. Just like you have got some bank balance, and if you spend it for useless purposes. Similarly, we have got some bank balance or duration of life balance. Our death begins.... From the next moment of our birth, death begins. Suppose I'll live hundred years. So I am born, one day passed means one day is reduced from hundred years. The friends come, "How old is your child?" the parents says "He is three years old." That means three years he has died. Ninety-seven years balance. So if we waste our, this balance of life for nothing, that is forbidden. Kevalāyur-vyayaḥ. You utilize the balance for some good purpose. No, we are wasting it. The so-called economic development means we are wasting the balance of our life. This is the philosophy. Read it, na tat, huh?

Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Ah, na tat-prayāsaḥ kartavyam. This prayāsa, endeavor for economic development, na kartavyam, don't do it. Here is a revolution against this modern civilization. They are simply after economic development, and here it is condemned. It is condemned that this kind of endeavor is simply wasting the balance of our life. If one is intelligent, he sees that "I have got, say, ten thousand dollars in the bank balance, now I must utilize it properly so that it may not be spent," that is intelligence. Similarly, we have begun our death from the date of birth. Daily, every moment we are, our balance is being decreased. So therefore we should be intelligent. So long the balance is there, let me utilize it properly by which I can be really benefited. So the ideal of my benefit is that I'm suffering in this material condition of life, to stop this conditional life, to get freedom life. That is the aim of life. And that freedom can be achieved only by going back to home, back to Godhead. Not any other way. You cannot get the freedom of life here in this material.... That is not possible. Although you are trying for it. Everyone is trying to.... (aside:) Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja can come in. Yes. So without endeavor for this purpose, if we are simply trying to develop our economic condition, that is.... What is that? Āyur-vyayaḥ? What is that word?

Magazine Interview -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Oh. The new center in Athens.... It opened so fast, it's...

Interviewer: How long will you spend at each stop?

Rāmeśvara: About a week.

Interviewer: It's, I imagine, an exciting time.

Rāmeśvara: When Prabhupāda is there, for us it's the most, it's like our life has come back.

Guest: I was at the airport when he came in, and it was really quite joyous. There were about seven hundred devotees, I would say. The place was just vibrant.

Hari-śauri: They diverted all the other passengers somewhere else because they couldn't get into the room, there were so many devotees.

Rāmeśvara: The knowledge that Śrīla Prabhupāda is giving us is actually giving us our real reason to be alive. Most of us didn't know what the goal of life was. We had some ideas about this profession or that, but most of us had no real, you know, aim in life. And this philosophy and this knowledge has now given us proper direction. It's cleared up a lot of bad qualities that we may have had.

Interviewer: Is this your last trip to America?

Rāmeśvara: He's asking if this is your last visit.

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily.

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

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Rāmeśvara: There is one famous movie or a book called Frankenstein, and in that...

Candanācārya: (break) ...correction house, they go and they spend their term, and they come out and they again commit a crime.

Prabhupāda: Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Again and again chewing the chewed. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31).

Candanācārya: Prisoners, they spend so much of their life in the prisonhouse that when they are given an opportunity to leave, they refuse. (Prabhupāda laughs) They say, "No, I'm so accustomed to stay here, I'd rather just stay in prison." So they beg the governor to let them stay in prison.

Prabhupāda: If he comes out, he faces unemployment. Better to remain here.

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

Candanācārya: There are some fishermen that spend six months out of the year far out at sea just fishing. They sleep only three or four hours a day. They don't see any other people. They just live together on a big boat.

Bharadvāja: So the only way to beat that cycle is ajñāta-sukṛti?

Prabhupāda: Why ajñāta? Why not jñāta? You rascal, you take Kṛṣṇa conscious. Why ajñāta? Be informed. This is the only way.

Bharadvāja: He can take it directly without having performed some pious activities?

Prabhupāda: He'll take.... No, if he accepts, that is pious. And Kṛṣṇa comes personally to canvass, "You rascal, take this and be happy." But he'll not do. Although it takes millions of years to come to that understanding, Kṛṣṇa personally comes: "You take it. I assure you, I shall give you all protection," but they'll not take it.

Bharadvāja: To everyone?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When He comes here, He comes for everyone. When He teaches Bhagavad-gītā, is it for Arjuna? Everyone. (break) ...play is not distinct in the record.

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...construction is. Nobody knows when it will be finished.

Devotee (1): Now they build a building, now they are building so that they will only last for twenty years or so, and then they will tear it down and build new ones.

Ambarīṣa: In Boston, they built a very tall building, and already it's sinking. And the windows are falling out, and it cannot be used. Millions of dollars they spent on this building. (break)

Devotee (1): ...percentage of unemployment in the city. They are always trying to make new jobs for the people because there are so many people not working. And then they claim welfare and the state supports them.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (1): The state supports them by welfare. So they are just idle and getting money from the government, and then they just cause trouble. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...storefront building?

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: ...monkey.

Hari-śauri: It's a bit odd. They're busy building new attractions for the park, but they can't even keep the place clean. Everything is completely dirty and run down. No one will want to come anyway. They do that, though. They have a certain amount of things that they construct new so that the people will be thinking, "Oh, our taxes have been spent for our benefit like this." It's to make a show. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...is Canada?

Ambarīṣa: No, this side over here.

Devotee (1): Way over there.

Prabhupāda: What is this?

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

Prabhupāda: ...to stop drug habit?

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

Prabhupāda: Only six.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Boston is nice place for the Institute.

Śrutikīrti: Best place for it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's the educational center of America.

Ambarīṣa: Academic center of the United States. So now we are fixing up the temple very nicely. We've spent about fifty thousand dollars putting in all new tile floor and a beautiful new onyx altar. Very, very gorgeous.

Prabhupāda: So it is framework or solid building?

Ambarīṣa: The building? It's stone, brownstone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then it's nice.

Ambarīṣa: Very sound.

Śrutikīrti: It's in a very nice area in Boston. Commonwealth Avenue was the most aristocratic street in Boston. The temple is right there, just one block from downtown.

Prabhupāda: Near Commonwealth Pier?

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: By bending iron.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's been to South Africa also, this Uri Geller. He was bending keys, bending keys. He's from Israel. "Like Indian-god men who had talented propaganda agents, Geller too had one. Dr. Kavoor in fact claimed that G.K. Swami Nathan, one of the magicians who performed some startling acts at the show, had disguised himself as a swami, replete with saffron robes, and had spent a few months in the āśrama of a highly popular god-man near Bangalore, from whom he had picked up his repertoire of tricks. Exposing fraud was his mission in life, said Dr. Kavoor, and he would continue to write letters to god-men and miracle makers in the hope that they would accept his challenge someday." In the same newspaper there's a nice article about Jagannātha. "Jagannātha Festival (indistinct)."

Prabhupāda: You may read that.

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. "I'm not there." So this is conception of God. Nothing can exist without God. But that does not mean everything is God. We have to understand this philosophy.

Indian man: I just want to ask..., Bhaktisiddhānta Prabhu, Bhaktisiddhānta your spiritual master. How you spent the days, your young age, with Bhaktisiddhānta?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Indian man: Yes. Bhaktisiddhānta, your spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Young age? I was not with him. I was householder. But I used to meet with him. I was following his instructions. (break) ...valley? (indistinct) valley? No.

Viśvakarmā: That's another section, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That verse, can anyone remember? Yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ? Huh?

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you have refused to pay.

Viśvakarmā: Yes, I refused.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Viśvakarmā: I said "If you want to do it for free, then we'll be happy to put it in." I said, "We are spending two hundred dollars every Sunday to give prasādam to these people. Why do you want to charge us so that we can advertise for them to come?"

Prabhupāda: So this newspaper wants to see me?

Viśvakarmā: He's..., they are coming Śrīla Prabhupāda, at six-thirty.

Prabhupāda: This newspaper?

Viśvakarmā: Oh, not this one, no.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Prabhaviṣṇu. So, who would become the president, there was war. (laughter) Haṁsadūta wanted Prabhaviṣṇu, and Mādhavānanda wanted that he would become president. In this way, there was great faction. So the management was being done nicely. He was attracting Indians, faithful, they were following. But there were several complaints that he spent very lavishly on his personal account. Purchasing (indistinct).

Jagadīśa: What do you think we should do, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm? No, I do not wish to interfere. You manage now. I want to see that you are managing without my interference. Now practically I want to concentrate more, or absolutely I want to do that. But sometimes this mismanagement gives me too much anxiety. I do not wish to see that somehow or other we have built up a nice institution, on account of lack of management it may be hampered. That is my only anxiety. Now what is the position of the Gurukula in Texas? Our Gurukula, I have repeatedly said that we want simply to know English nicely—English is international language—and Sanskrit just to read and understand our literature. But we don't find any progress in that way.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Forty percent of all the scientists in the world, the estimate is, are engaged in making weapons. And it said that since the end of World War II, six trillion dollars, which is six thousand billion dollars, have been spent on armament in the world.

Hari-śauri: In the West.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The West, did it say?

Prabhupāda: In India, no money. They can't.... (laughs) They have no sufficient money to eat even. Still they are spending more than fifty percent, fifty-four percent.

Hari-śauri: They estimate there's four hundred thousand so-called scientists working on armament.

Prabhupāda: Working on?

Hari-śauri: Armament. Weapons. Weapon development. Defense. They call it defense measures.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Why defense? Man to man. That means they are dogs. The dogs defend from another dog. Is it not? As soon as they see another dog, (growls) yow, yow, yow. So then where is the defense between man to man?

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Vāyasaṁ means crows. The crows, they take pleasure in a place where all rubbish and refuses are thrown. They take pleasure. So what is this newspaper? All rubbish things, they are collected together. Nobody likes it to read. They just glance over for a few minutes, and then it is thrown away, rubbish. And even it is thrown, nobody touches. So they are spending huge, so many newspapers. Each newspaper several editions in a day, huge establishment, but there is no substance of life. That is being described. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo.

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. Tīrtham. If you go... Just like there is Vṛndāvana and here is New Vrindaban. But if you spend ten thousand dollars and go to Vṛndāvana, then it is pilgrimage. And here is Vṛndāvana-candra. So that is not very important. Dūre vāry-ayanam. You have to go far, far away, (laughter) then it will be pilgrimage. In India, there is Ganges in Calcutta. But they go to Hardwar. Then it is pilgrimage. (laughter) The same Ganges, coming from Hardwar. Then?

Pradyumna: Dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrthaṁ lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Lāvaṇyam, now you know very well in the Western country. Beauty increases by having long hair. (laughter) I was just trying to recite this verse only, and now see how it is current. Who expected that this foretelling is there in the Bhāgavatam? To increase beauty, have long hair. Is it not? Now just see. How five thousand years this thing was foretold? That is the proof. There was no hippie movement then. (laughs) But Vyāsadeva foretold that in the Kali-yuga if one keeps long hair he will think himself as very beautiful. There are so many things.

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: And the fools are paying for that.

Rādhāvallabha: Yes, millions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Just see. One attempt has already failed; again they are making attempt and spending like any...

Rādhāvallabha: Isn't it impossible for them to reach Mars because it is a hellish planet?

Prabhupāda: Who says it is hellish planet?

Rādhāvallabha: In Bhāgavatam. It is described as inauspicious in Third Canto in the story of Varāha.

Prabhupāda: Maybe. So first of all let them go. They cannot go. According to our calculation, Vedic calculation, the moon is above sun planet, and the Mars is above moon planet.

Rādhāvallabha: Oh. Then they would have to go past the sun.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rādhāvallabha: Then they would have to go past the sun.

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, according to their calculation, 93,000,000's miles... So the moon is above 1,600,000 miles. And again 1,600,000. So another three million miles above the sun, it becomes sixteen million miles. So if they cannot go to the sun planet, how they can go to the Mars? All bogus.

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That... The same story, that some frogs were there, and children was throwing stone. Then the frogs appealed, "Sir, why you are throwing stone upon us?" "No, we are playing." "So what is play for you, it is death to us." So these rascals are playing, and we have to pay heavy tax for that. This is going on. We are playing, making some scientific research, and who will pay for that? You. You work hard in the factory and pay tax. This is civilization. "You pay tax, and we spend it as we like." Frivolity(?). This is going on. This is the government of Kali-yuga. What can you do?

Devotee (2): "In God We Trust."

Prabhupāda: "What is play to you is death to us." And "Never mind. You die. We play." They have already spent so much money, moon exploration. And that has stopped now, no benefit. They brought some sand and some rock, satisfied. Again the same thing with Mars. But we can say from our poor knowledge that as they have failed in the moon planet, they will fail also in the Mars. Take it down. Note now. Do you know this is all bluff?

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: And we have got very cheap. One room will cost three hundred thousand, it is so costly. They said they spend about two millions dollars fifty years ago.

Vipina: Fifty years ago. That's ten, twenty million now.

Prabhupāda: But nobody was taking.

Narottama: Hot milk. And there is fruit, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is fruit also.

Prabhupāda: Come on. Jaya. (pause) You take. That's all. What is this?

Devotee: Kiwi from New Zealand. (Prabhupāda is eating during the conversation)

Vipina: Those are Narottama's rasagullās over there. Narottama's rasagullā.

Hari-śauri: He's learned how to make Indian sweets very expertly. He was making them in Detroit.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Where he is going now?

Room Conversation -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Five thousand dollars?

Vipina: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't misspend.

Vipina: Not all on chandeliers. Just part of it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You have a bell system?

Rūpānuga: Yes, it rings, but you can't hear it in here. It rings in the back quarters.

Prabhupāda: The doors you have purchased?

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is costly?

Devotee: Yes.

Rūpānuga: The other doors were not..., they could not even be locked nicely.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...punaḥ punaś carvita carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again spend millions of dollars. And our rascal Indian leaders, they are also. What is that here, she has remarked, "Hare Kṛṣṇa cult."

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh yeah, that Indian cultural organization.

Rūpānuga: Who said that?

Prabhupāda: One...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have one cultural organization, they want to export yogis and teachers who they approve of, the Indian government approves of as being bona fide. Because the American government, so many people are complaining, about misrepresentation by these Indian swamis and so-called yogis that are coming over. So they put Guru...., the Divine Light Society...

Hari-śauri: They said that once this is established there won't be no room for the Divine Lightists, the Hare Kṛṣṇa cultists and like this.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: TM. (indistinct)

Rūpānuga: Really.

Devotees: Yeah. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: And they're spending...

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Prabhupāda: A hundred and sixty nine lakhs per year, inviting foreign countries to lecture.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And only a handful came.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Only a handful they had, something like sixty people. They spent two...

Prabhupāda: And what culture they'll speak? (Hindi) They can speak, "Milk is dangerous and meat is very nutritious. Kill all the cows. Oh yes, it's very scientific." This is the cult(?). "Milk is dangerous." Is it not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they're saying that, the doctors nowadays.

Rūpānuga: It's true.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I remember one day you retorted that. You said that "Milk is nothing but the blood of the cow transformed. And (sarcastically:) the milk is bad but the blood is good?

Rūpānuga: They scare people by saying that milk helps to create heart disease, and artery disease, like that. They frighten people with that propaganda.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Meat creates cancer of the intestines.

Rūpānuga: Actually, there have been some articles in papers lately about meat and cancer, linking meat and cancer. Prominent, prominently displayed articles.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you give milk to the children? Give him blood.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Misusing the energy. Yesterday, some two and half million the government has spent, and we also, combined together, we have spent ten million by power, gas, going there and coming. So many cars. Another ten million. So all these twelve million, three, thirteen million dollars spent for nothing. Dancing like dogs, independence, māyā. (break) (out of car) Ask him this question.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda was saying in the car that yesterday the American people were declaring their independence. So he's asking what is the value to it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: What is the value of it? They are enjoying their senses.

Prabhupāda: Now dog dancing. What is that song? Dog dancing? I sang that song?

Hari-śauri: (sings) "We are independent, we are independent."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: (laughs) That is the spirit of patriotism.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, you can say any name, any style or any trademark. Where is the independence? That is the question.

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

Prabhupāda: Rascals, how they are cheating people.

Rūpānuga: Such a big hoax. They have spent billions of dollars for such a hoax.

Prabhupāda: Now you consider whether I am right or wrong. The moon planet is also Arizona. (laughs) All their business asset is there.

Rūpānuga: So one of the things we want to do is expose this cheating. Should we expose this kind of thing directly like this, or should we indirectly deal with it?

Prabhupāda: No, you do scientifically. I give you the hint. (laughter)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If we say that, they will be mad at the...

Prabhupāda: Give psychology. Say "Who asked him about Arizona? Why he is speaking Arizona?" That means they are in Arizona.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: She has got children? No.

Mr. Boyd: No, she doesn't have children, but Haṁsadūta Mahārāja sent this child for Himāvatī to take care of at the school, and I guess the school was not ready yet, but she's taking care of him now, and he's a handful, too. She came up to New Delhi with us and spent a couple nights while we were getting some passports straightened around and visas cleared up. We had "Baldy," they called him—I never did know his name. We had a good time with him. It's a real pleasure having this opportunity to meet you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Mr. Boyd: Barbara's been in the movement for two and half years and it's been..., we've heard a lot about you and a lot about the movement, and we've kept pretty close, you know, track of what's going on, and we've visited the different temples and talked to the different devotees, and we're quite impressed with the action.

Prabhupāda: We are having the difficulties of this immigration department.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: I think, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You kept it then.

Prabhupāda: It was given for publishing Bhagavad-gītā, but I think Macmillan took it. So I spent it for...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then you put him in charge to sell all the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, I remember. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Jayānanda: (indistinct) Didn't sell too many books, though.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I thought he was the best, most appropriate person to drive you.

Prabhupāda: He was chanting and driving. Very good boy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cyavana has been here also.

Prabhupāda: Just train him, he is good boy. He has fallen down, just take care of him.

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Called him back: "Call this rascal back." Every month he was being sent seven hundred rupees. That, in those days seven hundred rupees is a big amount. So at least ten time value has gone up. Seven hundred means seven thousand. He was spending for nothing, and he was publishing report, "Swamiji is playing on harmonium." And photo. This is first year, second, like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he told your Guru Mahārāja that "Unless we serve meat, they will not come."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā! I do not know that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you have once said that he had written to your Guru Mahārāja that letter. I heard that, that "Unless we serve meat," in England, when he was in England.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he was in England. Just like these rascals...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ramakrishna Mission.

Prabhupāda: They serve muragī, this chicken prasādam.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: Why shall I endeavor for it? So my energies should be utilized only for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is civilization. And whole life, day and night, they are trying for material happiness, and that is not happening. The problems are increasing. No intelligence, mūḍha. Mūḍho nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. They admit, the scientists, they admit that they are in ignorance. Simply bluff. Again one bluff, that Mars-going expedition. The business is going on in the Arizona, that's all. And after few years they will present some stone, "Now we went to Mars. There is no possibility of living there. Take this stone and sand and be satisfied for your millions of dollars that you have spent..." And they will say "Oh, we have made scientific progress. I have got this stone." Yo ko thako bhayargolihiya us ka tek lilaya(?). There is a song in Bengal that formerly anything European, sāheb, that is good. So one person is selling meat, flesh of dog. Flesh of dog nobody takes, at least in India. So he said that "This is not ordinary dog. This is the dog which was killed by Viceroy, that dog. And because Viceroy killed it, therefore it has become nice dog. You can eat it." So, anything these so-called scientists said, that is to be accepted. Without any common sense. This is your intelligence. But I am fool Indian, I don't believe it. (laughter) I immediately capture the point, why this rascal is talking of Arizona? That means the whole business is going on in Arizona.
Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: That is the Museum of Natural History. They spend millions of dollars on these museums, making these displays. (break) (walking)

Prabhupāda: ...for dog, means she's going to become dog. She does not know how she is spoiling the life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Unless she gets one of our books.

Prabhupāda: No, that is another plan. At least she does not know how things are going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, unless someone gets one of your books, there's no way they can come out of the darkness of this material world. There's no other source of knowledge for the people nowadays.

Prabhupāda: That is a fact. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā anyaḥ śāstraiḥ. When there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, composed, compiled by Vyāsadeva, where is the use of other literature? Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte. (pause) Dusty, eh? No one is taking care.

Bali-mardana: They cannot afford to pay the garbage men to clean up the mess.

Prabhupāda: Why he's going there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's another lake over there. So we are checking for tomorrow's walk, if it is also a good path. That's a natural, not natural, a little more natural lake.

Prabhupāda: Well, this is good lake. People are becoming dishonest. They'll take money and do nothing.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, in New York City, many of these big buildings have courtyards, and in the courtyards they have purchased sculpture. So all the sculpture is abstract. They are against form; they are all impersonalists. And they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have these gigantic structures. All over New York City you see them. They have no form.

Prabhupāda: That is a form. The structure itself has a form.

Rāmeśvara: But it's abstract.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not ab..., it is form.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not personal, that's what he means.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is a form of their imagination, that's all. Not standard form, but it is a form. They want to make everything formless with form. That means they cannot avoid form.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: We are not idle creatures.

Rāmeśvara: We are publishing his books and sometimes he is ahead of us by seventeen volumes.

Interviewer: How do you spend your days? You do an awful lot of traveling I understand.

Prabhupāda: Traveling is going on throughout the whole world and wherever I go, at night I write books.

Bali-mardana: Translates.

Prabhupāda: Translate. And daytime I meet devotees.

Bali-mardana: Manage.

Prabhupāda: Manage.

Interviewer: You arrange the marriages?

Bali-mardana: Manage.

Prabhupāda: They have to ask me, final decision is taken from me. From all over the world, from all over the world letters are coming some problem, some problem, some problem. Although I have got about twenty secretaries, still they have to consult, I have to give them advice.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That way we'll get the cooler weather and we'll get the best preaching in America.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...so dismantled and constructed this building. When I was ten years before, they were dismantled. Very nice building. Just to change the fashion, they spend so much. (break) ...walking generally this. (break) ...producing company?

Devotee: Yes, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. MGM.

Prabhupāda: And this is Rockefeller Center?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Prabhupāda.

Rāmeśvara: Now they have designed these buildings so that many of them have fountains and big courtyards and you can walk from one street to the other by going through the center of the building.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Rāmeśvara: And in the middle of the courtyard they have this crazy sculpture. All over the city. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...some of our artists make big sculpture out of metal?

Prabhupāda: Hm? No. That's not possible.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You have seen the first copy? They have brought photograph from which library?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Congress Library in Washington. They found the original...

Prabhupāda: Yes. I do not know how they got my...

Rāmeśvara: Oh, your original, from India.

Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944, the first copy. I get them from selling. Perhaps they had been, American.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Very thick, it was a thick magazine.

Prabhupāda: In those days I was spending three hundred rupees per month.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was a lot.

Prabhupāda: Yes, three hundred rupees, nowadays at least ten times. Three hundred ten times?

Kīrtanānanda: Three thousand.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Hṛdayānanda: The religious leaders have become such cheaters that the governments are thinking "Why shouldn't they pay taxes? They're just ordinary people."

Prabhupāda: Best thing is collect and spend, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Don't bank a lot of money.

Prabhupāda: No. Best buildings are on this Fifth Avenue, huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda. Stone buildings. They'll last for many hundreds of years.

Kīrtanānanda: No, they will tear them down.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Beautiful buildings, look at them...

Kīrtanānanda: On the lamp post here, green? Right here, on the street side, both sides. Our men went wild last night. We sent out a big party putting up these posters. The thing is nobody will see them today. They're in the temple. (end)

Car Ride -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're also thinking to have a press box along the parade route, so that they can stay in an elevated position and take photos. We collected a total of about seven thousand dollars, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: And what you spent?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Spent ten thousand. But we also collected another fifteen thousand in advertisements. So total collection was about twenty, over twenty thousand, and expenditure was under ten.

Prabhupāda: Good business. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And that was the first year.

Rāmeśvara: (chants japa)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Next year we will collect sixty to seventy thousand dollars...

Devotee: Whew!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Easily, I'm sure, with advertisements.

Prabhupāda: Where the profit is going?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is the profit? Into distributing more books.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, very good.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ādi-keśava, you have to make arrangements, garlands, flowers, devotees. (break) ...museum.

Prabhupāda: Which museum?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Museum of Natural History. Three hours we spent there, and we got a big headache.

Prabhupāda: Three hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we got a headache.

Prabhupāda: Seeing only dead bodies?

Rāmeśvara: Dead bodies.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Stuffed dead bodies.

Rāmeśvara: They have this one display trying to prove that..., the Darwin theory of evolution. They have these bones, and they say this proves how man was formerly like an ape or a monkey. Now he has become more civilized.

Prabhupāda: So where is Darwin's bones?

Rāmeśvara: Then they have one display showing...

Prabhupāda: No, no, Darwin got all this knowledge. His bones should be studied first, how he got so much knowledge. And from which monkey he came. By studying the bones, discover it.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: You come here every Sunday. You come here every Sunday, take our, this prasādam.

Mike Robinson: I'd very much like if I could sometime in the future perhaps to come and interview some of the people who are here.

Prabhupāda: Come and see, he's the president, he can see you. He's the more command. You can see him.

Mike Robinson: That would be possible if sometime I could just spend the day up here and talk to some...

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.

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Even, say, hundred years ago, that Girish Chandra Ghosh, he wanted to introduce theatrical performances, imitating the European theatrical performances, man and woman taking part. So he wanted to invite woman artist. Not a single woman joined. Who will go to public stage to dance, respectable girl? They'll never. That is hundred years. I am speaking, say, about forty years ago. In one of our Dayanika(?) men, the girl was to be married, and it is the custom in India—the bridegroom's party comes to see the girl, whether she is right. Similarly, the girl's party goes to see the.... So they came to see one of my friend's daughter, and the daughter is very beautiful, rich man's daughter. So one of the bridegroom's party questioned, "You know how to dance?" That was the question to the girl: "You have learned something about dancing and singing?" So she was my friend's daughter, my, that friend, Mukunda Mati. His elder brother was there. He became very angry, that "This rascal is asking our daughter whether she knows dancing and singing." She took it as.... He took it as insult, that "Respectable family, daughter should learn how to dance, how to sing?" So immediately he protested, "No, no, no, she does not know how to dance, how to sing. She's not meant for that purpose. We like, of course, a young girl dancing and singing, but we cannot teach our family members. We spend for that outside. You cannot expect our Mullik's family daughter dancing and singing.

Morning Walk Around Grounds -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: But it is nice, why you are changing it? Unnecessary spending is not... (break) ...the sticks?

Devotee (3): From China.

Prabhupāda: What are in these bags?

Devotee (3): We're specializing in henna.

Prabhupāda: Honey?

Devotee (3): Henna. We're going to produce ten different coloring henna. (break) ...leaf of acacia making noncoloring henna.

Prabhupāda: Where you get?

Devotee (3): This is coming from India I think. But there's much acacia in France, and so we're going to pick it ourselves. This will make us a producer, which will increase our profit.

Bhagavān: Spiritual Sky is paying right now almost eighty thousand dollars a year to the association here.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Oh, something, that gentleman...

Harikeśa: It's a rather nice letter.

Prabhupāda: Written by him?

Harikeśa: No, this boy who was there. I'll bring him tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: So we can take it. Yes. This is nice idea. He has spent millions of dollars?

Harikeśa: One million on the temple.

Prabhupāda: Oh? How he got the money?

Harikeśa: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Maybe he was rich man.

Hari-śauri: This was made in Penang.

Prabhupāda: Penang also I visited. I stayed with one Indian gentleman. His wife made very nice kacuri.

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: That's it. This is the... We are all recklessly wasteful sons of God. We are sons of God, there is no doubt, but at the present moment, recklessly wasteful. We are wasting our valuable life even, we are so reckless. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to check their recklessness and bring them into senses of responsibility, going back home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But people are so reckless, as soon as you say something of God, immediately they laugh, "Oh, what is nonsense, God." This is the supreme recklessness. India was very serious about God. Still, India is serious. Now, the present leaders, they are thinking that Indians are spoiled, simply thinking of God—they're not thinking like the Americans and Europeans for economic development. So this is the position, and it is very difficult, but still we can do something this to the humanity, by preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And those who are fortunate, they'll come, take up seriously. These reckless prodigal sons, we have got so many examples. For example, just like there is some stock of petroleum and they got information that from petroleum they can run on cars without horse. So, manufacture millions of cars and spoil the whole oil. This is recklessness. And when it is finished, then they'll cry. And it will be finished. This is going on. Recklessness. Just as reckless boy, father has left some property, use it, use it. As soon as you get. The sooner it is finished, that's all. That is recklessness. There is some strength in the body, and as soon as he gets a little taste of sex life, "Oh, spend it, spend it," whole energy spent. The brain becomes vacant. This is recklessness. Beginning from twelfth year, by the thirty year, everything finished.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Nava-yauvana: Forty million pounds.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Forty million pounds are being spent in Germany to take care of dog. This is advancement of civilization.

Mrs. Sahani: And how to surrender to God, how to do this?

Prabhupāda: Simply surrender to God, immediately. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66).

Mrs. Sahani: For a layman who doesn't know anything.

Prabhupāda: People do not know. Therefore God comes personally to teach you. Why don't you take the teaching? Why don't you take the teaching? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66), why don't you become fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa?

Mrs. Sahani: Yes, we follow, you know. Someone has to create interest first, and then people will take the teaching.

Prabhupāda: That is conditional. But He wants unconditional surrender. That is religion. Of course, if you cannot surrender unconditionally, then you at least practice. That is also instructed. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). At least think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. What is the difficulty if you think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. What is the difficulty if you think of Kṛṣṇa? What is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty?

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Suppose there is life, then what you gain?

Devotee: They say that our knowledge now is not mere theoretical because now we have gone there.

Prabhupāda: But what profit you have gained? You have spent some millions of dollars, that's all.

Devotee: More theories.

Prabhupāda: (chants japa)

Devotee: The government encourages this spending of money while the citizens are unhappy and cannot be safe in their own city.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you must have such government. Dasyu-dharyogi (?). They will snatch your money by force. You cannot say anything. That is punishment. Godless civilization, that is punishment, that your own government will snatch, by force, take away your hard labor accumulation, by taxes. That is written in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You cannot fight. You will be harassed in so many ways you will become mad. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Hopelessly you will leave hearth and home and go to the forest. This godless civilization will be punished like that. That day is coming like that. Nobody will be peaceful. They will be mad. Just like when a man becomes mad, he commits suicide, he blows off his head. This will be done. There will be no rain—this is one punishment—and scarcity of food and heavy taxation by government. They are all mentioned. What more suffering you want? But still they are advancing, scientists.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Two sons.

Mrs. Patel: And one daughter. They have gone to India for their holidays now. They wanted to go to India.

Prabhupāda: So, give everyone little, little prasāda. You have seen our Bombay temple? We are spending about one crore of...

Mr. Patel: We have seen this Vṛndāvana. Last year we went.

Prabhupāda: There we have spent more than fifty lakhs.

Mr. Sahani: Is New Vrindaban temple the main center of the society where everybody should...

Prabhupāda: No. New Vrindaban is one of the centers. We have got 103 centers. In Australia also we have got, Melbourne.

Hari-śauri: Shouldn't we all eat downstairs? Should we have everyone take prasāda downstairs?

Prabhupāda: No, here. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa practically showing how to live Vṛndāvana life. In Vṛndāvana nobody knows Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody knows. But their love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is intense. That is wanted. Premā pumartho mahān. That is required. You simply become an intense lover of Kṛṣṇa, bas. Your life is successful. It doesn't require any education or... That is the Vṛndāvana residents' life. They did not know what Kṛṣṇa is. But it is, very loving center, all the residents of Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities are discussed, Nanda Mahārāja's friend would suggest, "Nanda Mahārāja, your son is wonderful. He must be some demigod. He has come to live with us." They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: If you talk nonsense, cheating them, they will like it. Satya bole tomāre lata yuta jagat bihar dana kali-yuga tuk lage anahaspar.(?) Kṛṣṇa is speaking, but... Personally? That is not good. They'll go to some rascal who can talk jugglery and show magic. Who can show greater magic than Kṛṣṇa? Who has done it? A seven-years-old boy lifting the mountain. That is mythology. When Kṛṣṇa shows something wonderful, that is mythology. Mythology, Vyāsadeva has written mythology. And big, big ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya and Madhvācārya, big, big, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have studied this mythology and given their comments. Another common sense is that there are hundreds and thousands and millions planets. There is no life, everywhere, rocks and sands, and everything is here? Here there are rocks and sands and there are living entities, there are forests, there is greenness, everything. Variety. Why other planets without varieties? If somebody has created, why he's so dull that he has created everything here, and everywhere simply rocks and sands? And what business he has to do this? Rocks and sand? How he has misspent his valuable time for creating rocks and sand? And wherefrom the sand came? Scientifically, sand is there where there is sea. Because sand is sodium silicate. It is manufactured from salt. So without water there is no question of sand. These things have to be considered. And rock is also combination of sand.
Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Huh? No, many novel things go from here, but they are sticking to it. They are now seriously taking to it. They understand that this is a great science and we are publishing books. We have already published eighty-four books like that. Eighty-four of four hundred pages. And you'll be surprised that throughout the whole world we are selling books about sixty thousand dollars a day. That means six lakhs of rupees. That is the basic income for our expenditure, 102 centers all over the world.

Interviewer (3): A central minister the Parliament recently said that he will conduct a probe to see if there was anything fishy in this...

Prabhupāda: Therefore I am bringing before you, before probing, you try to understand what is our income. We are selling these books six lakhs rupees daily, and we are spending it fifty percent for reprinting the books and fifty percent for expanding temples all over the world. This is our activities. Now you probe it or understand it.

Interviewer (3): This is the only source of revenue for the society?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Rajastan? Where? Which side.

Gargamuni: It's near Beekanair. It's with agricultural land and a big house. They said they spent about fifteen lacks on it, marble house. The family is not using it. They have no use. We're getting a lot of offers.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: But because of Māyāpur, I have not taken them very seriously, because we already have huge affair in Māyāpur. But if you like, we can see.

Prabhupāda: No, kāca dhun kāca kaphe (?): "If some property is offered, we should take it." That is the... And washed cloth. Kācā dhun kācā kapha (?). If somebody offers you very nicely washed cloth, you should use it. And some property, you must use it. They are... You can utilize this property by inhabiting the persons, if they are inclined to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are rotting outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They may come to live. We are for everyone. So he... Where does he reside, this gentleman?

Gargamuni: In Calcutta. His businesses are there. He's a wealthy man, very nice man.

Prabhupāda: Where does he live?

Gargamuni: He's lives in Bara Bazaar. His name is Mr. Buwalka.

Prabhupāda: Bara Bazara Marwaris are all businessmen.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: The industrialists... That is also one of our programs. Let them hold festivals every Sunday, as we hold. And we shall go and have kīrtana and sumptuous feeding give. They'll be very satisfied. And instead of giving the income tax, let them spend in this way. Convince them.

Jayapatākā: At the factories. Weekly foodstuffs. They feed all the workers. We'll prepare the prasāda, offer to the Deity and feed to all the workers.

Prabhupāda: They'll be satisfied.

Gargamuni: Presently the building they're in now is unbearable, as far as living

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gargamuni: Well, it is old building. Water supply is very bad.

Prabhupāda: So you cannot...

Gargamuni: It is a rotten building.

Prabhupāda: Rotten cannot be repaired?

Gargamuni: No. And the landlord won't allow him here.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gargamuni: Because he wants to get us out...

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but he...

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So Indians did not like that Mohammedans may go away. Rather, when Shri Raj Birla (?) was arrested by flight, the Bengali zamindars, they protested. Rani Bhavani, she protested. Although it is alleged that Shri Raj Birla (?) kidnapped her daughter. But if Shri Raj Birla kidnapped her daughter, how he (she) supported Shri Raj Birla? There are so many falsehoods. On the whole, the Indians never planned to drive away the Mohammedans. They never. That's a fact. They were happy because there was no exploitation. All these Mohammedans, they made their home in India, so whatever lavishly they were spending, that was coming to the Indians. In Taliganj (?) there is a man. Now they are aristocratic family. He was servant of the nawab, and he stolen one shoes, one feet, which was bedecked with jewels. So by selling that jewel he became a rich man. So although they were using jewelled shoe, but it was in India. They were satisfied that "I am nawab. I am using jeweled shoes." But the jewelled shoes was in India and these Englishmen, they have taken away all the jewels even from the walls and keeping them in their homes, all gold, jewels, everything.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is beautiful spot.

Saurabha: It's very, very beautiful.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And he wants us to develop it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, we develop. We shall spend lakhs, two lakhs, three lakhs, as you...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So he wants us to give him a proposal...

Saurabha: And it has been... They have been doing agriculture before there, so it's in very good state. You don't have to do much.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then we shall take it. What is use of waiting? He has seen already. Take it.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, he wanted you to see it.

Prabhupāda: That, we shall go in October. We shall go. So when Saurabha has seen, that is my seeing. You give me a site plan. And we shall take it and develop it.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, gṛhasthas can live, go to the farm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they can go from Bombay to there. They can cultivate our farm.

Saurabha: For sixty thousand rupees we can build sufficient accommodation, and then the rest we need...

Prabhupāda: So we can spend up to one lakh and make more rooms.

Saurabha: Yes. And when you come there the house is sufficient for you to stay. It's very nice. Big rooms.

Prabhupāda: So we shall go in October.

Saurabha: There's three big wells available. Three big wells are there.

Prabhupāda: Wells? Very good.

Saurabha: Three. And according to me, these people, they also want to invest money in that project. The people themselves, they also want to give money for developing. No?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They want to turn it over to us...

Prabhupāda: And that do.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Who?

Saurabha: The son of Mahatma Gandhi.

Prabhupāda: Shri Ramdal(?) Gandhi?

Saurabha: He's the head man of that institute there. And then some very big European industrialist they are also involved. They've spent two crores of rupees on that complex. It's very well maintained also. I went into the building. It's excellent. But there is nobody.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Nobody. (break) So it is immediately cut.

Mahāṁśa: The door is ready, so when you go for a bath...

Prabhupāda: No, he can come.

Mahāṁśa: Now he can come?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mahāṁśa Swami is nicely doing (?).

Hari-śauri: He's very sincere.

Prabhupāda: And everyone likes him.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You write this. The barbed wire is there to keep away the dogs and Blitz editor.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughing) Okay.

Pradyumna: "Then point: At Vṛndāvana, the famed Kṛṣṇa spot, they are on a building spree. Already rupees twelve lakhs have been spent on an unfinished temple."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is bogus.

Prabhupāda: Let them say(?) unfinished. When it was finished it was more than twenty lakhs...Fifty lakhs. And the temple was opened by the governor of U.P.

Pradyumna: We have mentioned that.

Gargamuni: And enclose his two letters. He wrote very nice letters. Very beautiful letters.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Gargamuni: He wishes us all success, and he begs for your blessings. He begs for your blessings.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this letter should be... They should immediately be brought into court and charged the damage for fifty thousand dollars.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Nobody reads that.

Jayapatākā: You say she was kicked out from the trusteeship. She's not part of that any more.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The other trustees said that "You are simply spending. What you are doing?" After all, when she was wife of the governor she had some prestige. Otherwise... She invited me in that Juhu, she has got a house in Juhu. So I told her, "Yes, I can purchase your press. Fifty lakhs is not a very big amount for me, but what shall I do? We are printing offset." That is the cause... Because nowadays printing is done by offset press, she lost all business. People got big, big contract, they got cheaper and better quality. Why they should stick to that press? And government contract was taken from them, big, huge business they lost. Tata Press, they have got offset. Government transferred there. And that was her main support. It was a nice, good press. Practically best press in Bombay, Associated Press. But because it is letter press... Now to maintain the letter press is very costly.

Gargamuni: Yes. You have to get new type every year, and that is very costly.

Prabhupāda: Nowadays there is no need of letters, I mean to say...

Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So the human life is meant for tapasya, not for sense gratification. Sense gratification, the facility is there even in the hogs and dogs life. So the human life is meant for yajña. We have got this chance. And especially in your province there is Bālajī, and Bālajī has got sufficient income. That income should be utilized for satisfaction of Bālajī. Not otherwise. That is our request. People are suffering for want of God consciousness. So everything should be spent for spreading God consciousness all over the world. At least, people are contributing to Bālajī, so whatever Bālajī's property is there, that should be utilized for Bālajī's mission. The Bālajī's mission is... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
(Bg 18.68)
Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Even not in our favor. I am working hard in foreign countries and bringing money to India. You should give us some credit. But instead of giving credit, I am being criticized in the Parliament.

Krishna Modi: They are putting like this. They are putting this case like that, that foreign money is coming here to advertise the American embassies, like that. They are that talking like that.

Prabhupāda: They may talk nonsense, but this is the fact. This is the fact. I have got my Book Trust Fund and I've advised regularly to send eight lakhs of rupees per month. That is being spent in Bombay, in... I'm not collecting from here.

Krishna Modi: That is correct.

Prabhupāda: So if an Indian brings from foreign country by his labor eight lakhs of rupees per month, how much credit he should be given? He should be recognized. But instead of recognizing they are criticizing.

Krishna Modi: This is their way, sir. They have to. They must do it. Because...

Prabhupāda: So you kindly speak to the Parliament that "This is the position, that he is working day and night..."

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: At least three weeks.

Krishna Modi: Three weeks.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can arrange a bus and...

Krishna Modi: You will arrange for bus?

Prabhupāda: Let them go. They have got their cars.

Krishna Modi: They have their car also and they have got this Taj and all these trains. Why you arrange? Let them spend.

Prabhupāda: I wanted to work in India by spreading saṅkīrtana provided I get little cooperation of the government.

Krishna Modi: That we will talk. That we will talk.

Prabhupāda: One cooperation is that we can bring immediately a small vans or buses so that we can go village to village, town to town. If I get government permit then... Because here the buses are very costly, and at the same time they are not very good. But foreign buses... India hasn't got to pay anything but simply let us have and work in India. This much facility wanted. Besides that, our men, they are coming, spending ten thousand rupees and after three months or six months, "Get out, get out, get out." And Indians are not joining. Indians are not so sacrificing. But these boys they have sacrificed everything. I am sure if some cooperation is coming from the government I can very soon change the face of India. But I am not getting any facilities. We have experimented in Bengal, and here also, he is also going, saṅkīrtana party. But he could not do it in a large scale for want of facilities. And in foreign countries these boys are so sacrificing spirit, as soon as we give him some program, immediately they make arrangement. Immediately. We are going village to village with books in buses. Hundreds of buses are working.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: I'm going to... Oh, Vṛndāvana, three weeks.

Indian man (1): Where are you spending your...

Prabhupāda: Any time in your home.

Indian man (1): Any time (indistinct) which is convenient to Your Grace. I'll come over to Vṛndāvana on the 15th evening. 15th evening, I'll come over to Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Indian man (1): And then what is the program? Your Divine Grace is coming back to Delhi? From Vṛndāvana after three weeks?

Prabhupāda: They have made program to go to Chandigarh.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So this must be stopped immediately. We cannot pay more than five thousand. You stop. We cannot pay. (Hindi) My Guru Mahārāja used to say, (Bengali) "Joint mess." This is not possible. That we have to maintain a big bundle of burden. What is this?

Akṣayānanda: But still, we have to welcome anyone who comes.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-five thousand, thirty-thousand per month? What is this? Where is that temple in Vṛndāvana who is spending twenty-five thousand, thirty thousand? Can you say any temple?

Indian man: Not more than five thousand.

Prabhupāda: That's it. So we cannot pay more than five thousand.

Akṣayānanda: For eating?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: Then clothing is more? Clothing is more? Maintenance?

Prabhupāda: No, everything. Hundred rupees per head. You do not require to collect. I shall pay five thousand.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: One problem is that the devotees who are not serious, we say they cannot stay here. Yet, because they are still attracted to Vṛndāvana, many times they go and find a place outside the temple in Vṛndāvana and they make a bad example. This problem we cannot solve. Or they go to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and live. We say, "You cannot stay here because you won't help in some way." Therefore they...

Prabhupāda: No, cannot stay... You can allow three days free. You can receive guest for three days. Not permanently. And they can... That is very reasonable. If they have come, spending so much to Vṛndāvana, they cannot pay?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They usually have money. Everyone who comes from America, Europe, has some money.

Prabhupāda: Then? What is the difficulty? What is the difficulty if they have got money?

Indian man: See the shop here. See all the shop whether they have got money or not. You have opened a canteen here and you can note from there who has got money.

Prabhupāda: No, money they have got. There is no doubt. They are not coming from poor country, either poor. No, we are welcoming provided he is reasonable. Simply to exploit, that is not good. That is not good. What do you think? In our Indian system, if somebody goes to a sādhu's āśrama, especially gṛhastha, immediately he pays fifty rupees, hundred rupees. He'll not stay more than three days, four days. But he knows "The sādhu, wherefrom he'll bring money? Take." They are paying without staying. Just like yesterday this man came, and you have seen so many people come. In your country also it is done.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: Prabhupāda, if we don't use soap, the question has come up, how to wash the clothes. How to wash the cloth. If you do not use any soap, the question has come up, how to wash cloth. By beating only? Sufficient?

Prabhupāda: For washing cloth you require soap. But does not... You require everything, but because you are spending without any sense... So I calculated yesterday the whole thing, Deity worship, Deity pūjā, will require five hundred rupees per month.

Akṣayānanda: I had requested for the flowers, Viśvambhara said twelve rupees you had decided last night.

Prabhupāda: Twelve rupees, thirteen rupees...

Akṣayānanda: Twelve, thirteen. Actually today, I wanted for today but the flower man was not able to... We could not catch him in time. But from tomorrow it will start, definitely.

Prabhupāda: The thing is that one who is cheating you, he will cheat in twelve rupees, also he will cheat in fifty rupees.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Six hundred rupees. So take another four hundred rupees, make one thousand. It should not go more than five hundred to one thousand. You spend.

Harikeśa: But milk, when you cook down milk to make a sweet...

Prabhupāda: I have taken from six hundred to one thousand. All the maintenance.

Akṣayānanda: I will take every item with Viśvambhara, every single item.

Prabhupāda: You don't believe me?

Akṣayānanda: I can't understand. My intelligence is not great enough to understand it. I believe you, but I have to do it. That's all.

Prabhupāda: It cannot go more than one thousand.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Thank you. You can go and play. You cannot understand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Go and play. "In London, George Harrison donated a big castle which is now called Bhaktivedanta Manor. We have purchased many buildings and converted them to temples from the sale of our books. What is wrong if a portion of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust sales are transferred to India for construction of temples? Fifty percent of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust income is spent for further publishing and the other fifty percent is spent to build temples all over the world. In fact, Blitz should appreciate this because Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda's books are bringing valuable overseas currency into the country without any cost to the Indian public. Point seven. Blitz: In Bombay they have put up a temple with a barbed fence around it. ISKCON There is no barbed wire around the temple. We invite Blitz to show us the barbed wire." There's no barbed wire. "Point eight. Blitz: Already rupees twelve lakhs have been spent on an unfinished temple in Vṛndāvana. ISKCON: Blitz does not know that the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple in Vṛndāvana was completed and officially inaugurated by Dr. Chenna Reddy, governor of U.P., in April, 1975." They are saying the temple is still being made. "Point nine. Blitz: Their major center seems to be in Orissa, the land of princes and paupers. They have built a center close to an atomic energy commission complex. ISKCON: How foolish. Our major center is not in Orissa, but in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur in West Bengal. Māyāpur is the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We are coming in Lord Caitanya's disciplic succession and therefore we want to develop Māyāpur and make this an international center. In Orissa, we do have two devotees living in three huts in Bhuvaneśvara. They are living on a piece of land that was donated by one of our life members from Calcutta. If at all it is near the Atomic Energy Commission, it is only by coincidence."

Prabhupāda: It was donated by the late governor and Central Minister. Nityananda Kananda.

Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In Aligarh he has got so many friends. Aligarh we have got many friends.

Indian man: Half of my life was spent in Aligarh. (laughing)

Prabhupāda: Aligarh is maternal uncle's house. So many relatives. So Aligarh, if the Deities are manufactured there, so there is no (indistinct) Money I shall bring. (indistinct) We shall bring any amount of money provided I am sure that you will make some profit. There is no scarcity.

Indian man: Prabhupāda, I was sick last night very much.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Indian man: So I could not come to you.

Prabhupāda: Last night you did not come?

Indian man: I came to see only to have your darśana but I was in fever so much.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So capital you'll get, rest assured. Anyone will give. He will give, or I will give, the bank will give. That is (indistinct). But you must utilize it properly.

Room Conversation -- September 16, 1976, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: Abortion.

Prabhupāda: Yes, also. Otherwise, we have seen in our childhood how happy people were. They were. Simple. If one has five rupees income per month he's happy. I've seen it. Husband, wife, a small family. If he has got five rupees income, they can maintain very nicely, happily. Why not? Suppose he has got five rupees income. The rice was selling at four rupees. So two person, say one-fourth kg., one-fourth share each. A gentleman cannot eat more than that. So means half a share. And the whole month, fifteen share. It is about one rupee eight annas. And further, one rupees eight annas add for vegetables and other things. With three rupees they can maintain, the husband and wife. And two rupees still there. He can spend for other purposes. I have seen it. Fresh vegetables, rice, this and... Just like with banana leaf. The pots were of earthen, the wife is cooking and she's utilizing dry foliage as fuel, a little temperature, everything is cooked. The husband takes one banana leaf and spreads, and the wife gives sufficient rice, vegetables. And things were so cheap. I have seen it. And fresh.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Interviewer: Are you getting any opposition from the church?

Prabhupāda: No. That is very favorable. No. Otherwise, it was impossible. At least in America they have never prevented me. But in Europe especially in England and Germany, they, the Christian group, they are little angry with me. But so far America, they are very liberal. They never put any impediments in my movement. Rather, government appreciates. The appreciated one point, that the American younger generation, they have become addicted to this LSD, intoxication, and they have spent millions of dollars to stop this, but they could not. But they are surprised that as soon as this LSD man becomes my disciple, he gives up immediately.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Therefore they cannot explain, brainwash, mind control, charismatic, like that they use.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, he says that here, because of their own ignorance then they find fault. He goes on: "From this misunderstanding came fear then hatred and from hatred grew injustices and often atrocities. An injustice is now being perpetrated through ignorance. Are atrocities far off? This may sound like an overstatement, but for those who say, 'It can't happen here,' it already has, such as to the American Indians and to our people (of) Japanese descendant. The time to stop such action is at the beginning, now. The way to stop it is to replace ignorance with knowledge, and hatred with understanding. Sometimes people stand off at a distance and look at another person's belief and laugh at them or fear them. But as they get closer, they may come to understand how similar the observer's beliefs may be to their own beliefs. As a scientist, a psychologist, I have tried to learn about and understand the Hare Kṛṣṇa people. For nearly a year I have spent hours each week, talking with, reading about, and testing members of the movement. I have been to their temples in this country and in Europe. I have eaten in their homes and I have been to their children's schools. What I have found is a group of people trying to find God and live as closely to the way that He would like them to live. There is no place in their lives for immorality, for cruelty to other people or animals, for artificial stimulants or harmful chemicals such as alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. At first glance their approach to God may seem alien to us with their different dress, the incense, and the many statues and their unique ceremonies, but a closer look reveals similarities to our religious practices that are just the same. In Catholicism we find the holy water, chanting on the rosary, statues of saints and incense. And in Judaism we find the blowing of the shofar."

Prabhupāda: And they say, the cow's urine, they are forcing to eat. (laughter) (Bengali) ...that they are forcing the devotees to drink cow's urine. (laughter) These are the charges: brainwash, mind control, forcing cow's urine to drink. (laughter) How clever they are to find out some fictitious faults.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And they continually going on giving information, rocks and sand. Why do you take so much trouble of going to Mars and this? If your go.... It is already concluded that we shall give this because they are already under the impression that all other planets are vacant. The same thing after spending millions of dollars, they're giving the same verdict. So why do this business? Simply cheating. They're cheating their boss that "We are making research." The result of research is the same. They're silent now, this Mars excursion?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What they'll say? There is nothing to say. They do not go and even they go, they take photograph from millions of miles. What is the value of these things? But people are accepting that "Oh, scientific research." Perhaps I am the only man in the world who is protesting. (laughs) Eh? Everyone is accepting, "Oh, it is scientific."

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: ...that if the people take to this movement, then where you stand? (about Hari-śauri:) He has also expressed. What is that?

Hari-śauri: There's a psychiatrist (indistinct). Sydney city council are trying to have us banned from the city altogether and they took us to court and we didn't contest the case and they lost. And then afterwards they, they worked out they spent $10,000 and so much manpower to try and get rid of us and it didn't work. And one newspaper man went to a psychiatrist and he asked him, "Can you explain why this huge reaction against just a few people singing and dancing in the street? So he said, "Basically it's because the city-dwellers feel very threatened by our simple lifestyle.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just see. So this whole western civilization is threatened.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They are afraid of the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Their whole economic structure will fail. Theoretically, take it for granted that if people give up meat-eating...

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...and we don't smoke even. We don't spend a paisa even for sense gratification.

Jagadīśa: They're squandering billions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And they, you spend money for cigarette, for cinema, for restaurant, unnecessarily. We don't spend a farthing even, for all this purpose. Simply we take little rice, cāpāṭi, that's all. And still, you are culprit?

Hari-śauri: They, in the papers report that, that we spend very lavishly for the Deities, but for ourselves we eat only very simply.

Prabhupāda: So is it not credit? We spend for God. We are servant of God. We want to see God gorgeously situated, and for us we have no comforts, we don't care for any comfort. We simply spend minimum just to keep the body and soul together, that's all. This is our principle. We don't spend a farthing for our sense gratification. This should be noted down if some case is there, this should be presented. We don't go to restaurant, we don't go to cinema, we don't spend lavishly for dress or something else, no. Neither for furniture (laughter). Eh? If you sit down in a, a pad is that faulty?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: At least I save doctors bill, (chuckles) I am always sick, but I never go to the doctor. Give me little nim, give me little this (sounds of hand striking table), that's all. Then what less expenditure we can make? As far as possible we do not go even to the doctor.

Hari-śauri: Well, It's because of these things, that they're wondering well then, what do we do with the money?

Prabhupāda: We spend for Kṛṣṇa. Just like spending it, lakhs of rupees in Bombay for Kṛṣṇa.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, I agree.

Prabhupāda: Every month.

Hari-śauri: We just have to show them how many books we are printing and everything, too.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: It's not that we're letting the money sit and accumulating.

Prabhupāda: No. I am daily canvassing Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, "Print book! I don't want to keep the money in the bank, convert into the books and keep it in our..." I am asking.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We have applied for 350 acres of land from the government. The process is going on. If we get, then we shall spend crores of rupees for... The description is...

Jagadīśa: "Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Māyāpur project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world's largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understanding..." (break) ...civilization.

Dr. Kneupper: It sounds like a beautiful project. That is near Bombay, now?

Prabhupāda: No, that is near Calcutta.

Dr. Kneupper: Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: About sixty miles.

Dr. Kneupper: Have they progressed much now?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the enquiry is finished. Now government is considering to give that land. (indistinct) that land. There were many others, land offers in Hyderabad, but I wanted to start this institution in the, on the birth site of Lord Caitanya. Otherwise we have got better land. We have asked government for 350 acres but we have already bought in Hyderabad, 600 acres. Here also we can get immediately 500, 600 acres, like that. We have already got another plot of land, 100 acres in Ahmedabad. So there are so many lands available but I wanted to start this project in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Therefore we are (indistinct). If they say no, then we shall attempt it somewhere else.

Evening Darsana -- December 3, 1976, Hyderabad:

Vāsughoṣa: Even the poorest of men. Just like before, when this temple wasn't here and we were chopping away at the rocks in the foundation, we were paying twenty rupees a day for those men. And we were told that ten rupees every day would go for wine for those same men. Ten rupees out of the twenty they would immediately spend to drink. Even poor people. So many of them.

Prabhupāda: And because we are trying to stop this thing in Europe and America there is agitation that "These people are propagating brainwash. How is that a man who will not eat, drink? This is brainwash." They spend ten rupees out of twenty rupees. Eh?

Vāsughoṣa: Yes, we were told like that, that they would take their twenty rupees pay and then they would go and spend ten rupees and on alcohol, drinking, toddy. (break) I was in... Last time at the festival in Māyāpur I was riding from Māyāpur to Calcutta. And so one man was saying that "Oh, fish, 80 paisa a kg. How much are potatoes?" I asked. So even their hard-earned money, so much more they spend just to eat meat, to enjoy their senses. It doesn't make sense in any way.

Prabhupāda: And that also, they cannot live on meat. They must have vegetable also. Without vegetable, simple meat-eating will not help them. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) Jaya.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Then?

Devotee (5): They call "Govinda, Govinda," always.

Prabhupāda: Then? They are already devotees.

Devotee (5): They spend their whole year's savings to go to Tirupati.

Prabhupāda: Now let them spend here for the temple.

Mahāṁśa: And live here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They will be glad.

Mahāṁśa: Then the Tirupati managers will become envious.

Devotee (4): How shall the worship be in the temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the small temples. What shall they worship?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you introduce kīrtana.

Devotee (4): Kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: That's all. And whatever they eat must be offered. That's all.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: To attract them to really nice prasādam, palatable food, we shall spend. And we shall argue (?) also by literature produced, and they're learning. Where is the difficulty? We shall take contribution from rich persons. We shall earn ourself, and spend it, to give them very nice prasādam. Gradually when they come, when you engage them in producing their own food, own shelter, own cloth... This should be organized. And they'll be glad. As soon as they understand, they will be glad to do. And they will stop all this nonsense: illicit sex, and meat eating. Then their life will be purified. And they'll make more and more advancement in this path. That is perfection. That you want. Is it clear or not?

Jagadīśa: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes? This is our mission. If you give them very nice palatable prasādam... They go to hotel from miles together to take some palatable foodstuff, restaurant, hotel. And we cannot give nice Kṛṣṇa prasādam? Why? Why you cannot give? Arrange like that, first class. Simply for eating they will come. Immediately do it.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Rādhikā with Her friends, they are cooking. And they cook so nicely that parama ānande kṛṣṇa korena bhojana. With great pleasure Kṛṣṇa is eating. And that we have to distribute. Not dog's food. You do not know what is the purpose of this mission. No need. Here is a good chance, don't spoil it. Produce food. Make profit, you spend for Kṛṣṇa. Train all devotees how to cook. All women. Don't distribute dog's eatable things. Kṛṣṇa prasādam.

rādhikāra pakka anna vividha byañjana
parama ānande kṛṣṇa korena bhojana

Kṛṣṇa is taking with great pleasure. That prasādam you have to distribute. Not that dog is rejecting and you have and you distribute that prasādam. Why do you think like that? This prasādam, this so-called, rubbish thing which is rejected by dog and you are offering to the human being. You do it. If you have no money I shall pay. There is no question of scarcity of money. Don't spoil money, but spend for real purpose, that's all. And you arrange for huge agricultural... Whatever is required, water, we shall arrange for that. Labor. Everything. And if you perform yajña, there will be rain. Anyway, I asked you the other day to fill up the tank. What is the difficulty?

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Harikeśa: The whole field.

Prabhupāda: Yes. People have lost the program. These rascals they draw all these men to manufacture Goodyear tire and eat store (?). This is going on. Modern man, they draw all these man, "Come on, I shall pay you 20 rupees daily. Prepare Goodyear tire, and eat store. Take paper. Purchase store. That's all. This is going on. What brain they will have? Twenty rupees they get and they spend ten rupees for wine, and five rupees for cigarette, and fooding, say five rupees. No ghee, no milk. Soul killing civilization. And again this soul killing civilization. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Hm, what you wanted to say?

Devotee: This, your Dr. Ghosh, where he is staying...

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Devotee: We were there this afternoon for a program, and all their land is so green, and they are growing vegetables by a patch no bigger than this mattress that you are sitting. They are working one, planting, then growing another. Just a small piece, they're planting.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest (6): In order to establish the āśrama will you be spending part of the year here?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have got so many centers that if I stay in each center three days, the whole year is finished. What can be done?

Guest (5): Swamiji, how many āśramas and things you have?

Prabhupāda: 102, big, big āśramas. And we are feeding twenty thousand men daily without any income. The God sends. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). We are spending twelve lakhs of rupees per month in New York and similarly other centers.

Guest (6): Twelve lakhs also in Delhi center only?

Prabhupāda: New York. New York.

Guest (5): Where do you get these funds?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (5): Where do you get these funds?

Prabhupāda: God sends.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (9): It started in...

Prabhupāda: It started in actually 1967. But the preliminary arrangement was made from 1965. Two years I had spent for making the suitable ground.

Guest (9): Obviously the first, when you started in the United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (9): The first āśrama.

Prabhupāda: Yes. New York.

Guest (9): And that was in '67.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It was registered in..., by at the end of '66, July, '66, and then it took some time to find out some place. So in '67 I found out some place.

Guest (9): But you don't have an overall budget of all these 102 āśramas.

Prabhupāda: I have my book trust. The daily collection of book trust is five to six lakhs of rupees. Daily.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: I have my book trust. The daily collection of book trust is five to six lakhs of rupees. Daily.

Guest (9): Daily. Oh, book trust. Oh, by the sale of books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. And I have asked them, "Fifty percent, you print books again, and fifty percent, you spend." That's all. Same thing.

Guest (9): Spend on what?

Prabhupāda: Spend for this purpose, propagation. That is my mi... And if I would have taken some royalty, then my daily income would have been not less than 75,000 per day.

Guest (9): After income tax, little would be left.

Prabhupāda: There is no income tax. We are charity.

Guest (9): 75,000 daily, you said.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because five to six lakhs daily collection. If I take minimum fifteen percent, what it comes to? Big, big authors, they get twenty-five percent.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Information... Bhagavad-gītā, take information from Bhagavad-gītā. What others have said you have nothing to do.

Guest: Now for example, we should have literature on Gītā.

Prabhupāda: Then there will be no limit. There are so many, 600,000 interpretations. Then your life will be spend (indistinct) for collecting.

Devotee: If I want to go to Bombay, I must have the correct timetable. Not a false timetable.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, what Kṛṣṇa directs, evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā means to hear the truth from the spiritual master. You take this. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna accepted, when he was puzzled whether to fight or not to fight, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. Śiṣyas te 'ham. "Now I don't want to talk or argue with You," because as soon as you become a śiṣya you have to accept the statement of the guru. That is the relationship between guru and śiṣya. You cannot talk with guru from the same level. Whatever guru says you have to accept. Otherwise don't accept guru. Don't make a fashion of taking guru just like you keep a dog. Guru, first of all you have to select. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You have to select such a person where you can fully surrender.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. (break)

Mr. Malhotra: ...the first month, I think, except April and May, all the rest months.

Prabhupāda: All the year.

Mr. Malhotra: May is quite hot and April, middle of April to May. Then in June rain starts. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...legislation that fifty percent of revenues was spent in military. Bhaya-vitta. (?) (break)

Mr. Malhotra: Tad guru vijñāta...

Prabhupāda: Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

Mr. Malhotra: Guru-vijñāna.

Prabhupāda: No. This is Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Abhigacchet, this word is used. This means must, vidhilin.(?) This is the form of vidhilin, in grammar. Vidhilin is applied when there is no question of duality. You must. If you want to know that transcendental science, you must approach guru. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means one who is guru by hearing from his guru, śrotriyam. This is paramparā.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: There is no question why. We'll understand it.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that's all right. So the visa problem is a great problem for us because in India for conducting our movement, we have to import the white men. Our Indians, they are not joining. So that is a great problem for me. They have to come, and they have to go again. And each time, coming and going, ten thousand rupees. And that is happening at least for hundred cases every year. Ten thousand, hundred times. Just imagine. This is my economic problem. Therefore I'm asking, "If you are Englishman, please stay." Because here, in India, they will see that "The white man dancing, let us see." They will never join. They are busy with their own affairs. They will advise, "Do this, do that," but they will never come. This is my position. Practical. Therefore I'm begging the Englishmen, the Canadians, the Australians, "Please come and stay." Because huge establishment, who will manage? I am managing with them, but there is economic question. For each person I have to spend ten thousand rupees at least and such hundred case... This is the position. The Indians are not interested. They are not interested.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why should we spend for our camp? (laughter)

Guest (4): We are just on the bed of the river, far away from the mela, which is about three, four... We have our āśramas at various places, you know.

Prabhupāda: What is this philosophy? What is the philosophy?

Guest (4): Philosophy is bhajana of the Śaṅkarācārya.

Prabhupāda: But whether you recognize Kṛṣṇa...

Dr. Patel: Yes sir, he was our guru. We have published a book from the Calcutta University, so just take your remise. Leave the book for you.

Prabhupāda: Oh, this is for me? Bheṭiye, bheṭiye.(?) Vedānta philosophy (Hindi) Let us discuss. What is Vedānta philosophy? Let us discuss something. You belong to this camp, so what is Vedānta?

Guest (4): Ādi Śaṅkarācārya's preaching, actually defining God as what he thought.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the meaning? Everyone can think of God according to his whim. You say, "As he thought." That is not standard.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, that ash is very good.

Indian man: No ash is not the full fertilizer. It is only partial. 10% of the fertilizer becomes ash. The organic matter is burned with great loss to the society and the earth.

Prabhupāda: But in our Māyāpur, that plant, we spent so much, it has not become successful.

Indian man: No that is mechanical fault. Just like electricity now it has failed. Now sir, we should not stop utilizing electricity.

Prabhupāda: No, any machine, that defect will be there.

Indian man: But that we have been working for twenty years in Ahmedabad. Everybody is very happy there, and they're actually making money out of it. The fertilizer that is there is about four times what is normally achieved. So good maintenance are required for any...

Prabhupāda: (sneezes loud) I have no objection, but I've got experience. In Māyāpur it is failure.

Morning Walk -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is a fact. Before me, for the last two hundred years, so many swamis and yogis went to the Western countries. Nobody could convert a single person to Hinduism. That is a fact in the history. These foreigners-giving up meat-eating, illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling—it is a horrible thing for them. Lord Zetland said, "This is impossible for us." Factually it is impossible, because American government spent millions of dollars to stop this LSD intoxication but it was not successful. But they have seen that as soon as the same boy comes to our camp, he immediately gives up, immediately, without any protest, that "Why shall I give up?" No. I ask, "You have to give up." "Yes, we do." That's a fact. Therefore this Swami Chit?

Jagadīśa: Chandra Swami.

Prabhupāda: Ah, Chandra Swami, has strongly recommended that "This is the only movement which is converting Christian into Hindu." He is pleased on this account. He is not interested our Hare... He has said that "I am not very much interested in Hare Kṛṣṇa, but I am interested in this point." That is natural, that nobody could convert the Christian to Hindu, but this movement is doing that.

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just stop this light.

Girirāja: Then it won't be for Kumbhamela. Prabhupāda wanted it for Kumbhamela. (break)

Indian: Well, I don't know. It will be a big program there from part of (indistinct) mission. They've spent four lakhs rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They never... I never thought they had so much money even for their own projects.

Indian men: They collect from the big Sikhs. (indistinct) He is very influenced. For Kumbhamela, all the Marwari want to wash off all the sins they did. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: So explain with that purpose. At least, they are sensible. (break) You cannot give up these four things: yajña, dāna, tapasya. So yajña for the brahmacārīs, begin yajña. And dāna for the gṛhasthas, and tapasya for the sannyāsīs. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam, Kṛṣṇa says. Do not give up this. "I have become sannyāsī, therefore I'll give up my tapasya also." Sannyāsī means the life of tapasya. If you give up tapasya also then what remains? How you become a sannyāsa? Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. It must be continued. And again He stresses yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you think that you have become very great, "Now I'm very exalted personality. I don't require.

Page Title:Spend (Conversations 1976)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:28 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=107, Let=0
No. of Quotes:107