John Nordheimer: What about the future? Is it possible to bring more people into Kṛṣṇa consciousness? To expand?
Prabhupāda: Of course, there are good men and bad men, and good men are taking to this movement because it is a good movement. "Good" means not having illicit sex, not eating meat, not indulging in intoxication and not indulging in gambling. If anyone observes these four principles, he is considered a good man, and if he does not observe them, he is a bad man. So good men will take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and bad men will not.
We give distinct rules on how to become good, for if one does not become good, how can he understand God, who is all good? First we must become good men; then we can understand God. God is all good, and if we don't become good we cannot understand Him. That's all. It's up to us to make the choice. The past, present and future are open for everyone. There is no restriction. No one says: "This class of men shall be good, and this class of men shall be bad." Anyone can become good. If we educate a child nicely, he becomes good, but if we train him foolishly, he becomes a rascal.
It is the duty of the government, of the father and of the teachers to make everyone good. If the government is bad, if the father is bad and the society is bad, how can the child be good? Everywhere the government, father and society are bad, and therefore we are producing bad men, and therefore there is no peace and prosperity.
John Nordheimer: What about the men who surround you?
Prabhupāda: They're all good men.
John Nordheimer: They are good men who were raised in a bad society.
Prabhupāda: No, they were raised in a bad society, but they have chosen to become good.