Spring (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"spring" |"springlike" |"springtime" |"springtimes"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: All right, one round more.

Devotee (1): ...(unclear)... flower?

Prabhupāda: Oh, no flavor?

Devotee (1): No, they bloom in the springtime.

Prabhupāda: It is just like a beautiful man without any qualification.

Devotee (1): Ah! No scent.

Prabhupāda: No scent.

Guru dāsa: Is that a qualification, is that part of the age of Kali-yuga? Flowers with no scent?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Trees will have no fruits. The fruit will have no juice. That is mentioned. Just like in a mango there is a seed. In many fruits there is seed. In Kali-yuga you'll find simply the skin and seed, no pulp. And cloud without rain. These are mentioned. (laughs) What can you do? If the cloud becomes without rain, if the fruit become without pulp, if the paddy becomes without grain, then what you have to eat? You have to eat the grass, the husk, the skin, and the seed. Or kill another man and eat. Just like in Africa, still, they are doing. Cannibals. Killing the grandfather, that is a great ceremony. Do you know that?

Guru dāsa: Yes.

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Prabhupāda: There is no conflict at all. The conflict is between persons who are godless, who does not believe in God. Conflict is there. The conflict is not between East and West; the conflict is between the atheists and the theists. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not that we are trying to replace something by Indian method to Christian method or Jewish method. That is not our policy. This is... In one sense, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the post-graduate study of all religions. What is the method of religion? To accept the authority of God. That is the primary principle of every religion, may be Christian religion or Hindu religion or Mohammedan religion. It doesn't matter. But people are becoming godless. That is the problem. They are thinking that "There is no God. Nature is everything." That is their foolishness. They are unhappy for this godlessness. And as a result of this godlessness, the Communist party have sprang up, the hippies have sprang up and so many other things will gradually spring up. So there is no check. It is... The only check is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if people are taught that he can be happy only by reestablishing his eternal relationship with God. So our test of religion is how one has developed his God consciousness or love of God. We do not accept any principle of religion as genuine if we see that the followers have no love of God but they have got love of matter. We testify the, I mean to say, bona fides of a religious principle... Of course, in religious principle there is the teaching to become God conscious, to accept the authority of God, but because they are not properly taught, the followers are becoming godless, not only here, in India also. That is the position everywhere. So our proposition is to make people God conscious. It doesn't matter what he is. Either he is Hindu or Christian or Mohammedan, it doesn't matter.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So all the living entities are completely satisfied.

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Because they are in the spiritual life. That is real life. Here it is covered. There is no such season as winter season, as summer season. Always spring. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), simply ānanda, blissful life of knowledge. What do they know, the scientists, about the spiritual life?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is no...,

Prabhupāda: No information, no research. That kūpa-maṇḍūka, this frog in the well. That's all. They have no information of the Pacific Ocean. They are researching within the well. That's all. They have no information even of this material world. What do they know about the so many planets, so many, huge outer space? What do they know?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Almost nothing.

Prabhupāda: Nothing. Not even of this planet, what to speak of other planets. And still, they are proud. "Nobel Prize."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they know that there is definitely a blissful world, spiritual world, they would not work this hard.

Room Conversation with Krishna Tiwari -- May 22, 1973, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: There's always winter, there's always summer.

Krishna Tiwari: Oh, and things have changed, much, much more than you have observed just by winter and spring, and the change, the change of the world, change of the nature is the Lord in Gītā philosophy itself, and I'm a great believer in Gītā philosophy, but I just don't buy subjugation or authority.

Devotee (1): Then how can you..., then you say, you say you can determine the age of the earth.

Krishna Tiwari: I have not determined. I mean, thousands of scientists have combined.

Devotee (1): You say you believe, you believe in some of the...

Krishna Tiwari: Oh, I believe that number very well. Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Then you believe in authority.

Krishna Tiwari: No, because I can make my own calculation using his things.

Śyāmasundara: But you said that earth changes so much.

Krishna Tiwari: It does. It's ever-changing.

Śyāmasundara: Then how can you measure it?

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

Prabhupāda: You are little advanced.

Lord Brockway: I would not want death through suffering. I should love to go to sleep and die. When I have an operation, I would like to die under the anaesthetic. It would be quite beautiful. And I say that, though I have no picture in my mind at all of what would happen after death or if anything happens. I love the description which was given by my friend Bertrand Russell, that life is like being born in a spring on the hillside, and the stream becoming a river... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...so many tossings. That is the problem of life. It is not that it begins and goes. Going to the end, oh, we have to face so many tossings. That is the problem of life.

Lord Brockway: Yes, and I acknowledge I don't know. And I am personally satisfied with trying to do what I can while I'm living in this life for the betterment of mankind. And I believe that's the best preparation for any future life, if there is a future life.

Prabhupāda: Well, there is future life, undoubtedly. It is not the question... Just like you say, you remember your childhood days. You were playing with Indian children in Berampur.

Lord Brockway: Yes.

Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Law means law-maker. So they do not know who is the law-maker. That is the difficulty.

Sudāmā: In Japan, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there was a cherry tree that usually in the springtime it gives off flowers. So about three, two years ago, in the middle of winter, this tree gave off all flowers. All the scientists, everyone was running. "It is not time. It is not time. It is not the season. Why is it giving the flowers?"

Prabhupāda: Therefore the best education, scientific advancement, is to recognize God behind everything. That is perfection. We are canvassing, "Accept God, accept God." But if the modern scientist, philosopher, they present, "Yes, here is God," by calculation, then people will take it more seriously. "Oh, the scientist is saying." That is wanted. We are fighting with the scientists and others because they do not accept God. That is their fault. Otherwise, they are friends. They are giving more stress on the physical laws, nature, but they do not know under whose indication the physical laws are working, the nature is working. That they do not know. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. It is the... In Vedic literatures it is said, chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā. The nature is working just like shadow, shadow of God. Just like master says, "Go there." Immediately the servant goes there. The servant is not independent. by the indication of the master, goes there. So that is nature. And because the arrangement is so perfect... Just like you said, "Out of season, the flowers came out." So they cannot explain. The arrangement is so perfect that God desired, "Now there, let be these flowers," and nature immediately produces. The arrangement is so perfect that these people, they cannot understand. They become amazed, "How it happened?"

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: Yes, this is keeping the water fresh so that it doesn't become stagnant.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Wherefrom this water is coming?

Dhanañjaya: This is coming from the municipal supply. It is not natural. It's not natural spring water or stream water. It's artificially pumped.

Prabhupāda: And the water is also going out?

Dhanañjaya: Somewhere, yes. It is being circulated. So therefore there must be two kinds of intelligence: intelligence which is being generated by the brain, and intelligence coming from the supersoul.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dhanañjaya: So everyone in the material world is caught up with the intelligence generated by the brain.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they are bahir-artha-māninaḥ, they are thinking that this is all. A group of men is coming, and they are exploiting the resources, material world. Just like this building. It is nothing but exploiting the resources. Making brick from the earth or stone or iron. And they pile up. Just like the children goes to the beach, they pile up the sand, and they imagine that somebody is making big palace, somebody is...

Dhanañjaya: Big castle.

Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. That pure energy is spiritual energy, and from that spiritual energy the material energy comes out. That I have already said: From the soul the matter grows. So that is spiritual energy. The basic energy is spiritual. And because the spiritual energy is the cause and the material energy is the effect, therefore in one sense we can say there is no difference between material energy and spiritual energy. Because spiritual energy is the cause, and material energy effect. Effect may be presented in different forms. Just like cotton is the cause of thread. And the thread is transformed into cloth. But you cannot take cotton for cloth. The cotton is there in the cloth in a different, transformed, transform, but you cannot accept, when you require a cloth, you cannot take cotton. This is a crude example. So the cause of physical elements is spiritual energy, and the spiritual energy is... Both spiritual... Spiritual energy is coming from God. Just like... (aside:) Close. (sound of windows closing) Just like the sunshine is coming from the sun, and in the sunshine there are so many physical transformations. Is it not? In the sunshine... Just like we, ordinary men, we can understand. When there is absence of sunshine... In your western countries or in other..., the leaves of the tree falls down. And again, in the springtime, as soon as there is sufficient sunshine, immediately thousands of trees grows leaves. So there is action of sunshine. So sunshine is coming from the sun. And the sunshine is working in different ways, changing the color of the flowers, of the leaves, and... Or, so far I know, all the planets are, they're rotating on the sunshine heat. Eh? So therefore the sunshine is the original cause of all material, physical things. But wherefrom the sunshine comes? That comes from the spiritual energy. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). In the Brahma-saṁhitā. So that original cause is the spiritual energy. Therefore, because everything is coming from the spiritual energy, you can take everything as spiritual. The same example: like cotton is the original cause. Then it comes thread, then comes...

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Ānanda-mārga woman: When you asked what is the true form of God, I've seen the true form of God in myself. It's the purest life, it's the life I cannot reach through my mind. And nobody has experienced in material world. I have listened to it. It is a beautiful sound, the celestial music. And you cannot reach it through material world. I've tasted it as the purest water, and it's always inside me. And you can get it in the spring water even. And it is something I cannot reach through my mind because it is beyond my mind. I can reach by surrendering myself, by being a devotee. And I have experienced the true form of God.

Prabhupāda: No, what is that form?

Ānanda-mārga woman: It's the purest light. It's the magnificent light. I have listened to it. It's the music. And I have tasted it.

Prabhupāda: No, if you have realized God, you must know what is His form. You must explain.

Ānanda-mārga woman: The energy of light does take the form of everything which exists. It is the creator of worlds.

Prabhupāda: But He has a form.

Ānanda-mārga woman: He has all the forms. And the purest form, the most beautiful form, has shown itself to me inside of me. It's the light and it's the music and it's the water. I cannot name it Kṛṣṇa because I do not believe in names.

Prabhupāda: Do you know what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa?

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Attack these rascals strongly in big, big meetings, and slap them, "Why you are cheating and spending our hard-earned money, taxes?" Better follow us. We are giving all credit to the person who has already..., going on with the big man. Very systematically it is going on. For ourself, we are human being. When there are long hairs, we cut. That person's (indistinct) is so nice... nobody's going to cut the (indistinct) ...of the street. But annually, they are already being changed. The whole (indistinct), thrown away. Who's doing that? You must get credit. It is very nice here in the springtime.

Brahmānanda: They have never seen God. They can see chemicals, but they cannot...

Prabhupāda: You are trying. How you can see? You rascal, you are blind. You, how can you see? You have to treat your eyes, then you will see. We are seeing. We are not blind like you. You are blind. You require treatment. You come to the treatment. You cannot see.

Yaśodānandana: They don't have faith in the doctor.

Prabhupāda: Ha?

Yaśodānandana: They don't have faith in the doctor.

Prabhupāda: Then how he claims to..., claims others' faith upon him? He's more than a doctor? Doctor is also as good as scientist as you are. If you do not have faith in the doctor why do you claim people should have faith in you? Where is the proof that you'll be able? Why you are asking us blindly to follow you? What is your answer?

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: 8:30?

Paramahaṁsa: Usually people don't have a very clear idea of what spiritual life is. So when they see someone who is a good musician or a good artist or something like that, sometimes they automatically think, "Oh, he must be spiritual, because he is so good at this. No one else can do it. He must be some spiritual power." So therefore someone like Ravi Shankar, a lot of people either they become envious or they worship him as being an incarnation or something like that.

Prabhupāda: That is also stated, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ.

Paramahaṁsa:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (offer obeisances) (end)

Room Conversation with Carol Cameron -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: The ignorant people can also learn from the learned. If you have got this idea that creator is impersonal, that means you are not a learned. You have no knowledge. And this is the simple answer. As soon as you say "creator," He has so many qualities. The bell... Suppose I am ringing. Now, when the spring is loose, it does not sound. So, others may not know, but one who has created—"Oh, the spring is loose. Now we wind it again." That means I know, ins and outs and everything. That is creator. So, if one is cognizant of everything, how He can be impersonal? What is this philosophy? Hmm? Answer. You are philosopher.

Amogha: He says if the creator, if one is cognizant of everything, then how can He not be a person? The creator is cognizant of everything. So if He is cognizant, how can He not be a person?

Carol: Well, He would incorporate personal attributes...

Prabhupāda: Hmm? She says "He."

Carol: ...not be governed by them.

Prabhupāda: She says "He," but He is impersonal. (laughter)

Carol: Yes. (laughs) It's the intellect and the emotion.

Prabhupāda: How vague ideas. And they are passing on philosophy. "He" contradicts. You say "He." And again He is impersonal.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prof. Hopkins: I am not going but we're sending seventeen students to India, leaving tomorrow evening.

Brahmānanda: You can stay at our guest house in Vṛndāvana.

Prof. Hopkins: Ah, could I pass on the people an invitation from you that that would be possible?

Brahmānanda: Yes. Definitely we can arrange it.

Prof. Hopkins: Because I know there are students in the group who would like to visit Vṛndāvana. And you, I think, talked to some this spring and you were there. I know that the senior student with the group is very interested in going to Vṛndāvana.

Devotee: We have nice facility there. (indistinct)

Prof. Hopkins: That's true. They're going to be in Delhi for a week or so. It would be great if they could get out to Vṛndāvana just for a day. They can come back later when they have more time. So... Would they have to make preliminary arrangements or could they...? Is there some way they could make arrangements from Delhi to do that?

Brahmānanda: Afterwards we can discuss it.

Prof. Hopkins: Okay. So.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Prof. Hopkins: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: They give daily some fruits?

Nityānanda: Yes. And then we grow potatoes too.

Prabhupāda: Oh, where? Which side?

Nityānanda: Well, the spring crop was already harvested. We have to plant the fall potatoes in a few weeks. We'll put them over there by the fence.

Prabhupāda: So it is nice farm. This is squash?

Nityānanda: That's a cantaloupe plant.

Prabhupāda: Oh, cantaloupe. You can grow cantaloupe here?

Nityānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And also watermelon?

Nityānanda: Yes.

Jagadīśa: There is one big watermelon on the vine up there. Perhaps it's ready to eat.

Prabhupāda: We are getting similar land, 600 acres, in Hyderabad.

Nityānanda: We can go this way, here. This is all our machinery here.

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Prabhupāda: What change has taken place?

Harikeśa: First the hairs fell off…

Prabhupāda: Morning… In the morning the sun rises on the eastern side. That is going on. What change has taken place? This flower, seasonal flower is… Now seasonal changes—winter, summer, spring—everything is going on symmetrically. There is no change. Because it is going on symmetrically, therefore we can say that February, next February will be very nice season here. Why? Because we have got experience last February, so we are certain the same thing will happen in the next February. Therefore we can say. There is no such change. Nature's way. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. It is very symmetrical. Everything is going on nicely, nature's way.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One of the strong points of Darwin's theory…

Prabhupāda: I don’t find. Simply foolishness I accept. And rascal, foolish like you, will believe. (laughter)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They argue that five thousand years ago they have no history, so they think that before that time…

Prabhupāda: "They think." That is their rascaldom.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Formerly there was no civilization. Therefore like monkey.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The reflection theory is the modern theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because sometimes in the books it's stated...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes I have said or taken this modern theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just so that people will understand an example. I see.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Another question is "How do the different seasons come about-winter, summer, spring?"

Prabhupāda: That is due to the movement of the sun.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The...?

Prabhupāda: Movement of the sun.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Movement of the sun.

Prabhupāda: But they say sun if fixed up.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they say the earth is tilting back and forth like this.

Prabhupāda: That is always doing, but it takes little time. But the movement of the sun, uttara and dakṣiṇa, what is their explanation?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They say that the earth is tilting like this. The sun is fixed. When the earth tilts like this in the northern hemisphere there is summer, and when it tilts like this, the southern hemisphere, there's summer. It's tilting back and forth as it revolves around the sun.

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: We tried to this spring to grow it, but we can't get the seed to sprout.

Prabhupāda: You can get it from Māyāpur?

Kīrtanānanda: We got seed, but it won't sprout.

Prabhupāda: Oh, due to the climate.

Kīrtanānanda: We don't know. It is a very hard seed.

Devotee (4): Śrīla Prabhupāda, perhaps the material scientists could help us make the seed sprout.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (4): I was thinking earlier how a farmer can put the seed in the ground, but he cannot actually make the seed grow if it is not the will of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The situation is not favorable. That is the proof that everything is a living entity. If you put the seed... The seed is not the tree, but when you put the seed on the ground, if the situation is favorable, the particular living entity who has to take the form of that tree, he comes, and then it grows. That is the proof. Just like sex. It is not the secretion of the man and the woman. It creates a situation so that the soul may come and live there, and then there is pregnancy. It is not the matter. This is the proof.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: It is more expensive than carrying water and consume petrol? That is laziness. Once you have a well, then you save so much trouble. Get one well in each, our house. It is here very deep, uh? To get well? Tube-well? But there are so many creeks.

Kulādri: We have what is called a springhouse. It's pure spring water, it's caught in reservoir.

Prabhupāda: Where is it?

Kulādri: At the other farm we have, as well as tube-well,

Prabhupāda: Water must be.

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, if in the spiritual sky there is no sex life...

Prabhupāda: You can store the snow. Yes. Big, big hole and collect the snow and put it here and cover it, it will stay. Is it not?

Kulādri: We have so much water, though, running off the hill, we can make lakes. We have three lakes now.

Prabhupāda: Then? Why don't you do it?

Kulādri: You saw the Rādhā-kuṇḍa in the movie, in the film.

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

Rūpānuga: This is for your servants. Push the button, they hear in the back.

Vipina: Cold water for you too, Prabhupāda. Cold water here if you want some.

Prabhupāda: Cold water.

Hari-śauri: They are bringing some hot milk, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Vipina: Also something interesting about this water, Prabhupāda. It's all natural spring water, it's not city water. Underground water, fresh water.

Rūpānuga: It's quiet here.

Prabhupāda: Nice.

Vṛṣākapi: There's a swimming pool here, Prabhupāda. You have a garden by the pool; you can take your massage there.

Prabhupāda: This is your own house? What you have paid for it?

Rūpānuga: Well, now we are leasing with option to buy. We have ten-year lease, we can purchase anytime before ten years.

Prabhupāda: Price is fixed?

Rūpānuga: Six hundred fifty thousand. But all money paid for rent goes toward purchase.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Rūpānuga: How much a month?

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Mādhava: They did not see anything grow. In the winter everything dies, everything becomes brown, and in the spring everything becomes green. In these other planets they don't see anything like that, changes.

Prabhupāda: Their seeing is not perfect. Now it is up to you scientists to answer all these. What is this picture?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The Rādhā-ramaṇa Prabhu from Atlanta temple, I requested him to complete this after Prabhupāda's instruction. You were saying yesterday, so I just wanted to show to Prabhupāda to see how...

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They sent one sample, Bhaktivedanta Institute, the emblem. And they had wanted to include some Sanskrit slogan, perhaps, and you'd mentioned athāto brahma jijñāsā, so they have done that and decorated little bit.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. This is... Is this style acceptable to Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can do. Where is wrong? Or you can...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And this is another one that, the similar style, but here with devotees inside. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja wrote me that...

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes, at least three, four you can do. On Janmāṣṭamī, one; Gaura Pūrṇimā; for Śrī Rāma-navamī; and one, Ratha-yātrā.

Bali-mardana: We can do New York for the spring, summer and fall.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bali-mardana: Because the weather is nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That coincides. Rāma-navamī is spring, Ratha-yātrā is summer, and Janmāṣṭamī is fall.

Hari-śauri: Gaura Pūrṇimā would be a bit difficult, though. Everybody is in India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's not possible.

Bali-mardana: We could do that inside.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But those three...

Prabhupāda: Janmāṣṭamī, take Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa procession.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On carts?

Prabhupāda: No, on siṁhāsana, carried by hand.

Bali-mardana: Palanquin.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Creek water?

Bhagavān: Underground. It's very nice. Very tasty and light. It's not heavy water.

Jayatīrtha: It's a fact that on the whole, this farm is a wonderful place. I was there a couple of times. I very much liked it.

Prabhupāda: Spring water?

Bhagavān: Yes.

Prabhupāda: All right, let us go.

Hari-śauri: Tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Any time.

Hari-śauri: As soon as we can book a flight.

Bhagavān: We can arrange things.

Jayatīrtha: Bhagavān, we should.... Couldn't we somehow arrange it so that Prabhupāda doesn't have to go through the heavy traffic to the airport?

Hari-śauri: We'll have to see what time they're flying.

Jayatīrtha: Every hour. All right, so you're sure that this is...

Prabhupāda: No, I want some nice water, digestive. Let us see there.

Arrival at Farm -- July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: (laughs) I know that. Therefore I come in this old age to encourage the devotees. (coughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.

Bhagavān: There is nice water here, from the source, we have a source.

Prabhupāda: From?

Bhagavān: There is a source, a natural spring not far from here, and people take there water.

Prabhupāda: You all bring all drinking water from there?

Bhagavān: No, yours. (pause) Here, we are an hour ahead.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bhagavān: One hour ahead, 12:20. We have bitter melon and all fruits and vegetables, everything.

Prabhupāda: Who will cook?

Bhagavān: We have Mandakini?

Prabhupāda: Mandakini has not cooked very nice last...

Bhagavān: There is Aditi, there is... The wife of Hari-vilāsa, she cooked for you before.

Prabhupāda: All right, she can cook.

Bhagavān: What is bitter melon?

Prabhupāda: Bitter melon, you teach them how to do it.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: "I am the Self, O Guḍākeśa, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, I am Marīci of the Maruts, and among the stars I am the moon. Of the Vedas I am the Sāma-veda; of the demigods I am Indra; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force, knowledge. Of all the Rudras I am Lord Śiva; of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas I am the lord of wealth (Kuvera); of the Vasus I am fire (Agni); and of the mountains I am Meru. Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati, the lord of devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war; and of bodies of water I am the ocean. Of the great sages I am Bhṛgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names (japa), and of immovable things I am the Himalayas. Of all trees I am the holy fig tree, and amongst sages and demigods I am Nārada. Of the singers of the gods (Gandharvas) I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila. Of horses know Me to be Uccaiḥśravā, who rose out of the ocean, born of the elixir of immortality; of lordly elephants I am Airāvata, and among men I am the monarch. Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi, givers of abundant milk. Of procreators I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am Vāsuki, the chief. Of the celestial Nāga snakes I am Ananta; of the aquatic deities I am Varuṇa. Of departed ancestors I am Aryamā, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death. Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlāda; among subduers I am time; among the beasts I am the lion; and among birds I am Garuḍa, the feathered carrier of Viṣṇu. Of purifiers I am the wind; of the wielders of weapons I am Rāma; of fishes I am the shark; and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges. Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the Self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth. Of letters I am the letter A, and among compounds I am the dual word. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I am Brahmā, whose manifold faces turn everywhere. I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience. Of hymns I am the Bṛhat-sāma sung to the Lord Indra, and of poetry I am the Gāyatrī verse, sung daily by brāhmaṇas. Of months I am November and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

Room Conversation -- November 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He's a black man.

Jagadīśa: Yes. Then, later on, that man he was appointed Lieutenant Governor under Carter. So Carter and this man are close, and through this man Carter knows about Balavanta and the movement.

Prabhupāda: You have written one letter?

Jagadīśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Balavanta is very intelligent boy. He can do that. Bring that spring water, little. You can type this?

Jagadīśa: On your letterhead?

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes.

Jagadīśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, one of the students is just about fifteen, and he's been initiated now for a year and I'd like to recommend him for second initiation. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...good hope for preaching in China. I have received letter from Trivikrama Mahārāja. What she is doing, Carter's mother, here? He's in India?

Jagadīśa: Not anymore.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Jagadīśa: She must have been a missionary.

Hari-śauri: Part of the Peace Corps or something?

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: "But such tactics are a gross violation of fundamental human and constitutional rights are to go without saying. In cases where victims have instigated charges of kidnapping against parents and deprogrammers, grand juries have thus far refused to issue indictments apparently because the work is done at the behest of parents or other relatives and ostensibly for the good of the victim. The situation which has prompted me to communicate with members of the professional psychiatric community involves sweeping implications of a very important legal case which will be going to trial sometime in the late winter or early spring. Some background of the case may be helpful here." Then he explains about the case. Anyway, it's very nicely written. And he's mostly trying to expose that the psychiatrists have to take an objective standpoint. Otherwise, there are some psychiatrists who are atheistic and they are contending that any religious experience or so-called religious consciousness is a...

Prabhupāda: Artificial dependence.

Jagadīśa: ...artificial dependence, yeah. So this is...

Prabhupāda: They say that there is a tissue in the brain, they disturb with this religious idea. They say like that. And if that tissue is operated then there will be no more religion. They can do that. With a brain operation he'll forget willfully. These rascal, so-called scientists, they can do anything.

Jagadīśa: There are some psychiatrists who are on our side though. So if we can rally their support... The whole thing is so emotional and based on this strong appeal by the scientists and leaders to avoid religion because of the distraction from sense gratification, that all of the charges against us are completely baseless. There's no foundation. And if we just carefully and with calculation expose all of their nonsense accusations, it will be a great victory. Especially now it has become such a national issue that the leaders of society have to become involved, otherwise they'll become implicated. They have to come out and say whether they support the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: If she will come, she can be engaged in many ways.

Prabhupāda: She is also very expert.

Rāmeśvara: She doesn't like the weather in Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Doesn't like? Why? What is wrong there? Los Angeles is very nice. I like Los Angeles.

Rāmeśvara: Only the spring and summer. I think it's in her mind.

Prabhupāda: Los Angeles is very nice. What is this?

Rāmeśvara: This is going to be one of the demigods in one of the exhibits. The painting is very, very expert. I've seen some of the dolls that are painted. They look alive.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Rāmeśvara: Even in the eyes there is a little moisture as if the eye is...

Prabhupāda: Very natural. So I see the dolls... Intelligent boys, they can do it, educated, intelligent. Very good, nice. So many students are engaged...

Rāmeśvara: This is like pottery. Spinning on the wheel, he is designing the ornaments for the crown. Each doll of the demigods has a different crown. That's how they make them, on a spinning wheel just like a potter.

Prabhupāda: They are devising their own way. Eh?

Rāmeśvara: Sometimes.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Europe? Germany...

Hari-śauri: Germany is bad.(?)

Jagadīśa: North America would be... South America?

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, if you did come to America, the best idea is if you went to a farm like the New York farm and just made that your headquarters. And the devotees could visit. They could come and see you. Otherwise, the country in Pennsylvania is very beautiful in the spring and the summer, very peaceful.

Hari-śauri: New Vrindaban you could go when the palace is done.

(long conversation at end of tape about deprogramming and psychology—Rāmeśvara talks most of the time—can be transcribed if the tape is slowed down and the train noise is reduced.) (end)

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why you start from this? Why not start Kṛṣṇa's birth, Kṛṣṇa's playing with cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa's...?

Guest (1): So we have that līlā. That is bāla-līlā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): Then here Kṛṣṇa... The spring has come, and this is... You have got here the Govardhana pūjā, and Kṛṣṇa's līlā with these cowherd boys, and they're going on. In the spring they are going out... Here, in Orissa also, in Bengal also. On the full moon day of Phalguṇa we get that..., where all the cows meet together and we get this. From that function we started. We have established that...

Prabhupāda: On the whole, my point is: it is a very difficult subject matter. So unless we very carefully deal, people will misunderstand.

Guest (2): We have carefully dealt with...

Guest (1): So we have given them images the superpower of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (2): It is not a question of sex. It is super divine power.

Prabhupāda: You say like that.

Guest (2): No, no. We are presenting. I am presenting this way. That is superpower.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Now some person...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. It's very interesting that science says that those equations at the bottom are the... Those are the ultimate truth, the modern science, about these mathematical equations. So if we analyze this on the analytical basis, they are like this—those mathematical equations. So this is the concept of Absolute Truth in terms of science. And these are atoms and molecules or, we call it, fundamental particles. And so the spring between the two is some sort of electromagnetic force in the different..., among different particles. So this is the concept of Absolute Truth in terms of science. And we analyzed this in terms of our practical experience, from our day-to-day experience, and we gave some nice examples like this. This is a crocodile from... It's a male crocodile from South Africa in Scientific American a few months ago. There he's trying to break an egg just to come out, that little young one, the small baby crocodile. And what he does is...

Prabhupāda: They come out from egg?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. They lay eggs.

Prabhupāda: Oh. How big it is?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I don't know how big it is.

Prabhupāda: Not very big.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I don't think it's very big.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It should go naturally. Kīrtanānanda's...

Kīrtanānanda: Yes?

Prabhupāda: ...palace, when it will be ready?

Kīrtanānanda: Early spring. Soon as the weather starts to warm up. It just gives you a little time to recuperate here and then go to Bombay and open the temple there and then come to your palace. I have about fifty or seventy-five letters from the devotees at New Vrindaban. They're just all begging you to come. They say their life is finished if you don't.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So let me take a little rest. Then I shall take strawberry.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Brahmānanda: Thank you very much.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: While you're resting you want soft chanting? Soft kīrtana? Haṁsadūta?

Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki...

Devotees: Jaya! (break)

Haṁsadūta: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Girirāja? Did not go to the bank?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Next we'll give you at 12:30, so after two hours we'll give you some barley water, barley milk and some avocado, like yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I go on reading, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He says that book distribution is doubling there also. He says, "On the farm we are doing spring planting, and this year seven acres is being put into crops, an increase over last year, since the population has grown. The farm is now famous throughout the country as..."

Prabhupāda: If you give me some rest, I can sit down.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we give Prabhupāda some rest...

Upendra: Some pillows.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Back rest. (break) "...with your permission we would like to come and visit you sometime later this year, as it has now been so long since I have had your personal association." Do you give him permission to come visit you?

Prabhupāda: Why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "I am a fallen wretch, but I am hoping and praying to the best of my capacity that your health will improve." (break) Would you like Bharadvāja to sing a little?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: All right. (break) San Diego, we have got a temple.

Jayādvaita: Oh, yes. We have... They just moved to a nicer location, nicer building. They have maybe seventy devotees. It's quite large temple near the ocean in San Diego. They have... Every year at Govardhana-pūjā they have a very nice festival in the park. They have chanting and discourse and distribute prasādam. Then in the spring again they have a very nice festival. You were there one time. You spoke. Your Divine Grace spoke at one festival in the park in San Diego. They also go to preach just over the border in Mexico, and many Mexican boys join our San Diego temple, Mexican boys who've come to America. They join our temple in San Diego. The Deity there is very beautiful and very nicely dressed also in San Diego.

Pañca-draviḍa: Their new temple is very nicely decorated, with arches and everything. Rādhā-Giridhārī.

Jayādvaita: The president is Guṇa-grāhī Prabhu. He's been a devotee for a long time. The management is also very nicely going on. (break) You sent Bhavānanda there many years ago when they were in Brooklyn and ordered him to make the devotees happy. And ever since then, they've been peaceful... (indistinct) Even before that. I remember when I first came to New York, when the storefront was there. I came on Sunday, and there were so many different preparations. Haṁsadūta Mahārāja was cooking. And so many different preparations. And after taking that feast I decided that I would not leave—"This is too nice." So they're going on, still very opulent, sumptuous prasādam. And people are deciding that "Oh, this is very nice. Let us not leave. Let us go on taking prasādam." And in the restaurant very respectable people come. (pause)

Prabhupāda: You read some more.