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Voice (Conversations and Letters)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1968, Seattle:

Prabhupāda: The Supreme Absolute Truth has multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, multi-energies. And svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, and by His energies he's working in such a nice way that it appears that it is being automatically done. Just like this tape recorder is working. How it is working? The electric energy is there. By the electric energy the machine is so nicely working that when it is replayed exactly I am speaking. So energy is working. I am speaking, my speaking energy is acting, electric energy is helping. This machine energy is accepting and a nice thing is coming. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is the manifestation of the energies. The rascals, they do not understand. And when it is stated that everything is Brahman, that is to be understood that everything is working under the energy of the Supreme Brahman. That is real meaning. But this is simultaneously one and different. When this tape recorder will play, it will play exactly I am speaking to you. There will be no difference of voice. If somebody hears from other room, he'll understand that Swamiji's speaking, but still, that speaking is different from me. Because my energy is working there. Similarly, there are two kinds of energies. Just like when I am speaking, this is my real energy, and when this tape recorder will speak, that is also my energy, but that is separated energy. Similarly, this material manifestation is separated energy, and there is direct energy. The direct... This material energy, separated energy, is the reflection of the direct energy. Just like when this tape recorder will be replayed it is the reflection of my original speech. Similarly, this material manifestation is a reflection of the original energy, internal energy.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, no. Then I say, you are American. You are popular leader. You have got some voice. I am a foreigner. I have come new, and who cares for me? That is a different thing.

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Satsvarūpa: There's one thing... It seems to be easy, but it's very difficult to hear your voice.

Prabhupāda: That will require practice. He may commit some mistake in the beginning, but when he is practiced, he will do the right thing. So that you cannot avoid. You cannot change my voice.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 20, 1971, New York:

Prabhupāda: It is zero. Then one it comes. (Sound of Prabhupāda's voice on tape recorder is heard.)

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 29, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: In India, what is going on as "Hindu dharma," it is a bogus thing. It has no meaning. Just like this Ramakrishna Mission, this Vivekananda, this Aurobindo, this Mahesh Yogi, so many others, all bogus. Anyone who is not going in terms of the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult or His teaching, he's a bogus. Anyone. Not only in India, all over the world. At the present moment, the real, transcendental spiritual life means to follow the cult of instructions of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, everyone is bogus. They're simply wasting their time. They have no knowledge of spiritual life. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). (Voices yelling in background) What is that? What does he say?

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

Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to start this movement seriously, not to take that. You cannot change it. Then you become demons. Therefore I am warning you that before they, these rascals change, you take the advantage of it, that "You cannot change. Then you become demons, you (are) animals. If you withdraw your trust from God, then you are animals. So we are not going to be governed by the animals." That should be the people's voice. Educate people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and they will yell, "No, we are not going to be governed by the animals. We want real men." That should be your demand. Therefore I am warning you, that before they do that, you become strong, so that they cannot do it. Rather, they may understand, "Yes, what we are speaking is all right." That is preaching.

Morning Walk -- December 30, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just see their intelligence. You are very much proud of your intelligence. Just see their intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. Therefore actual intelligence is he who knows Kṛṣṇa. He does not know Kṛṣṇa. He has got intelligence. You cannot deny that. But he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the defect. You have got intelligence; you can understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you don't use your intelligence for understanding Kṛṣṇa, you are nothing but cats and dogs. Kṛpaṇa. They are called kṛpaṇas. Kṛpaṇa means miser. One has got money, but he does not know how to utilize it. He is called kṛpaṇa, miser. They are so rascal that they cannot conceive that there is something as God and He can be known. Hopeless. That is the real point. Otherwise why so many scientists are...? They know, "This is idea only. There is nothing like God. So let us put our theories." That's all. That is your business, theology. They are so rubbish. That was the first publication in (the Village) Voice paper. They wrote when I first began in 1965 that "We thought that God is dead, but Swamiji has brought God with kīrtana." They admitted this. I think the paper, you have got copy. You can see it. It said exactly like this, that "We thought God is dead, but here we see, Bhaktivedanta Swami has brought God in kīrtana." That's it.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The woman's voice is very attractive. Because people engage woman for singing. Their voice is naturally attractive. "So that attractive voice, I am. I am."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Now they have been trained up. What can be done? Woman is not trained up now to become a chaste wife. That is the defect of the civilization. Formerly, woman was trained up only to become, remain faithful to his husband, that's all. Nari-rūpaṁ pati-vrataḥ: "Woman's beauty is how she is faithful to her husband." That's all. That is beauty, not personal beauty. Vidyā rūpaṁ kurupanam: "A black man or ugly man, if he is educated, that is his beauty." Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpaṁ. Kokila, the cuckoo is just like a crow, but everyone likes because his voice is so sweet. Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpaṁ vidyā rūpaṁ kurupanam nari-rūpaṁ pati-vratam. Like that, he has given a list. These are the beauty. If a woman is trained up not to talk with any other man except her husband, that is her beauty. That enhances the beauty and prestige. This is Vedic knowledge.

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Your mother was very angry upon us. (laughter) You know that? When she came to see me, I told, "Mrs. Bruce, can you give me some money?" (laughing) (Imitating angry woman's voice:) "I have given you two sons!" (laughter) She was very angry. "Still you want money?" (laughter) "And that's all right."

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. The special reason was... That was published in one paper, Voice East. What is that?

Devotees: Village Voice.

Morning Walk -- September 15, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. When you replay, the same voice will come, but I am not there. So if you want to utilize this separated energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it will help you. Just like the Deity. Everyone knows it is stone, but why we are worshiping stone?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 5, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: All right. Let them send. (break) ...is compared with a rose flower without flavor. Man with education is compared with the koi. (cuckoo bird) Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpam. The bird, koi, is very black, but his sound, sweet, so sweet, everyone likes. Kokilānām svaro-rūpaṁ vidyā-rūpaṁ ku-rūpanam, nārī-rūpaṁ pati-vrataḥ. And woman's beauty is how she is chaste and devoted to the husband. That is beauty, not personal beauty. Vidyā-rūpaṁ ku-rūpanam. And education is the beauty for the brain. And the beauty of the koi is her sweet voice. Kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinaḥ. And those who are saintly person, they should be simply forgiving. That is their beauty.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The woman must become a slave. So instead of becoming slaves of so many persons, it is better to remain satisfied, a slave of one person. So she was stopped. She was the secretary of that Dr. Miśra. You know that? And our Vedic civilization says, narī-rūpaṁ pati-vratam: "The woman is beautiful when she remains as a slave to the husband." That is the beauty, not the personal beauty. How much she has learned to remain as a slave to the husband, that is Vedic civilization. Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpam. The cuckoo, it is black bird, but why people love it? Because of the sweet voice. Kokilānāṁ svaro rūpaṁ vidyā-rūpaṁ kurūpaṇam. A man may be ugly, black, but if he's learned, everyone will respect him. And narī-rūpaṁ pati-vratam. And the beauty of woman is how much she is devoted and obedient to the husband. So it is very difficult. (break)

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Man will dictate law according to his own convenience. Well what about the trees? They are also living entity. You are cutting the trees and making it ugly, because they have no voice to protest. So why man should be given the chance?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, I was underneath a tree. I think that picture was published by that Voice, very big article, published.

Morning Walk Excerpt -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda kīrtana in background) ...that this voice does not belong to this universe.

Room Conversation -- September 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: With picture. The other picture was published in Voice, Village Voice, yes. Yes. Big picture. One page. They felt something; otherwise, why they should publish? Appealed to them, that here is God.

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

Prabhupāda: No, we don't care for Indians and Europeans. We care for Kṛṣṇa, that's all. I didn't care for anyone. I simply care for Kṛṣṇa, that's all. And my Guru Mahārāja, that's all. I went to your country, not supported by Indians and Europeans. I went on the order of my Guru Mahārāja and under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's protection, that's all. That is wanted. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). We want two favours. One from guru, one from Kṛṣṇa. That's all. We don't want anyone's favour. So you have to fight. You cannot fight (sic:) immaterious. Kṛṣṇa never said, "Arjuna, oh you are my devotee, you sit down and sleep, I shall take care of..." He never said that. (laughs) So if you take that position, we are devotees, non-violent, and let us sleep, that is not... Fight! With all the resources that we have got. That is wanted. (voices in background of Indian people) That you cannot stop. They are coming, going, how you can stop? People, public, they are coming, going.

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (voices in background)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all they admitted in that Voice, that "We thought God is dead. Here Swamiji has brought." They admitted like that. (break) ...wife, she is also coming from very respectable family. Her father, grandfather all... Doctor had big...

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Can you guarantee life? Then you are controller. Your so-called advanced medicine or advanced knowledge has no meaning. You have to die. Then where is the value of your empty voice?

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You do it, without God. Then I take it seriously. Otherwise empty voice simply, nonsensical.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What you have gained? Your father died. Your mother died. You are a great scientist. Why you cannot save them? What is the value of your education? Simply empty voice. You'll also die. Can you make provision that you'll not die?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Future," they'll say.

Prabhupāda: That is empty voice.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda's voice is very weak and low now) Yes, you all consider. Is that all right?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Your intake has increased. Your voice sounds stronger than before.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) What you will do with the voice?

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He doesn't expect this consciousness in this condition. Therefore he is astonished. Actually, physically—finished, everything. So wherefrom the voice coming and wherefrom intelligence coming? That he is astonished. (Bengali) (break) So fix up this program, kīrtana and whatever little I want to eat, that's all.

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 25 February, 1967:
I have sent you three four letter consecutively but I have received no reply.

Please reply those letter as well as let me know if my presence is required in N.Y. on account C. B.S. show. Also let me know whether you have received the consignment from India.

Besides the above please immediately on receipt of this letter dispatch per Air Mail special delivery the following literatures:

All sorts of press cuttings 5 copies each (New York Times, East Village Voice with my pictures)

My picture with Photo of Prime Minister Shastri
Bhagavatam colored Radhakrishna Pictures
Letter to Mukunda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

I am very glad to learn that you have got a technicolor movie and it is very nice that it has sound added of our voices. I duly received the photos and immigration material, but neither the photos could be offset printed, nor could I use the immigration material as sent by you. Mr. Ypslantin the lawyer is going in his own way, so he does not take this material formerly I offered, so let the matter be done in his own; there is no other way than to depend on the lawyer. Similarly in Montreal also, Janis our student, Janardana is trying for a Canadian visa. Let me see what is done.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 1st 1967 and I am very pleased to go through it. Please accept my blessings. You are doing very nice alone, and Krishna will help you more and more. As you are managing our Montreal center, similarly, Mukunda and Haridasa and Syamasundara are also very nicely managing the center in San Francisco. I have received also one letter from Mukunda of the same date, May 1st, 1967 and he writes as follows: "I am happy to report that many more people are attending kirtana. Someone has made a beautiful technicolor movie (our first in Golden Gate Park) called 'Hare Krishna.' It has sound, our voices." I am sorry that you have no good mrdanga, but if you send me a hundred dollars as I have already written to Pradyumna I can get a mrdanga and good harmonium for you so that you can have your kirtana very nicely. I am very much pleased to learn that our comments on the Bhagavad-gita are being appreciated by the audience in Montreal.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of 1/29/68. Yes, I very much approve of Mr. Kallman's idea for the book on "Transcendental Meditation." Rayarama has begun work on it already, and probably he will bring it back to N.Y. with him. Mukunda talked to Ravi Sankara and he said he is too busy with recordings and movies, etc.

The specimens of paper are all nice, any one of them will be suitable. But I prefer the 70 or 60 lb. Your letter to Village Voice is very nice, and is written right to the point. I have made an Istagosthi file, and I shall go on putting the reports there as you send them.

Lord Jagannatha is one feature of Krishna as so many features, as Lord Narayana. Jagat means universe, and natha means Lord, the Lord of the Universe.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1969:

In your letter you have asked many questions, and I will try to answer them for you herewith. Firstly, the Gayatri Mantra is not to be said loudly. Gayat means to sing, but singing can be done loudly or very softly. The Gayatri Mantra should be sung in a low whispering voice. Regarding the Brahman Pucha stages, this matter is described in the 13rd chapter of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. So far as the 10 sense organs, they are eyes, ears, nose, mouth, touch, these are the five sense organs for acquiring knowledge. The five moving organs are the legs, hands, tongue, genital, and rectum. Five objects of the senses are beauty, taste, smell, sound, and touch. The five gross elements are earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The four subtle elements are mind, ego, intelligence, and consciousness. Above these is the soul, and above the soul is the Supersoul.

Letter to Mr. Jim Doody -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1969:

Please convey my blessings to the others there. I was so glad to talk with them the other day on the telephone. I enjoyed hearing their voices, and I was happy that they were also very much pleased to hear me. I will be glad to hear if Mr. George Harrison attended the love feast ceremony yesterday as I was informed he would. Please continue to try and understand the essence of this Krishna Consciousness movement, and try to convince others also of its importance.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1969:

I have seen the article in the Village Voice, and it is nice. If you are expecting good rush in New Vrindaban, then arrange for proper development of it. But pending all development there, we must get our books and magazines printed from Dai Nippon. Have you negotiated with Dai Nippon about further books? If they agree, we can immediately arrange to print 2 or 3 books by some arrangement. Please immediately send me dried mango. It is my daily food, and it keeps me fit. So you should regularly send the same quantity every month as you sent last time. That is your personal contribution to me.

Letter to Sivananda -- Allston, Mass 4 May, 1969:

Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter dated "Friday," and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your idea of supporting the temple by Sankirtana collections, it is nice. In Los Angeles, New York, and other centers they are chanting on the streets every day and they are getting good remunerations, better than any job. New York once collected $500.00 in one weekend, and Los Angeles sometimes collects $250.00 in one day. Uddhava and Vaikunthanatha are collecting at least $20-$40.00 daily, so if it is possible to collect it is very good. Simply we have to work and people will give contribution for this good cause. It is better to get money by collections than to work.

Regarding your desire to improve your singing voice, by singing you will become an expert singer. Anything you practice regularly you become expert in. There is every chance of my going to London in June, and certainly if I go there I must also go to your place also. Very soon two German souls who were recently initiated, Mandali Bhadra and Vrindabaneshvari, will be starting for Hamburg to give you all sorts of translations of Back To Godhead and other literatures.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1970:

So Syamasundara. employed his intelligence to bring George Harrison into the service of Krishna Consciousness and thus George's money has been employed in Krishna's service. This is the whole process of Krishna Consciousness—First of all one should dedicate his life for Krishna's service; that is very nice. If he cannot dedicate his whole life, then let him devote his money; if he cannot devote his money, then let him devote his intelligence; and if he cannot devote his intelligence also, then let him devote his voice in Krishna Consciousness by uttering Hare Krishna Mantra. Therefore Hare Krishna Mantra is the greatest common factor for self-realization. Please preach this philosophy whole-heartedly and Krishna will be very much pleased upon you.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- London 22 August, 1971:

Lord Gauracanda is singing in sweet voice, singing very sweetly the Maha Mantra . . . He is asking every one, whether householder or in renounced order of life to chant always the Mahamantra . . . Either in distress or happiness never forget chanting this Mahamantra. Make this practice how to continue this chanting always. Gradually we are losing the duration of our life and if we don't take the opportunity of worshiping the Lord of the senses, Krishna, then we are simply wasting our time. Now we are fully conscious. Let us now chant loudly with the holy names of Radha Madhava. Being entrapped in the network of illusory maya, we are simply engaged in false duties. Therefore it is the good advice of Bhaktivinode Thakura that everyone should become mad after chanting the Mahamantra He is requesting everyone to do so.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtiraja -- Mayapur 28 February, 1972:

As you have mentioned Mr. Kallman, one of my disciples saw him by chance on the street in Bombay and he promised to come and see me but he did not come. If he is so uncooperative, I don't think we should get involved with him again. When I shall return to your country there is opportunity to make many more such record albums, so why don't you arrange for that? One album I made in India is being released here soon by a company called HMV or His Master's Voice co., and I shall send samples to some of you there.

Letter to Amarendra -- Los Angeles 12 June, 1972:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5-30-72, along with newsclippings about your attempt to get the political post in Gainesville, Florida. I am very glad to hear from you that you are enthusiastically pushing forward with our Krishna Consciousness programs there.

I was very pleased to see in the newspaper clippings that you were voicing our Krishna Consciousness platform very nicely and that the public was given opportunity to understand something. As you are so much eager for this political activity in Krishna Consciousness, you may go on endeavoring to utilize this activity for preaching to the public. If Satsvarupa and others have encouraged you to make settlement in the Gainesville city and thus become well known as a political figure, that is a good proposal but you may do as you see fit in this matter. You are correct in thinking that simply by this full-time preaching activity all other problems will be solved very easily in the matter of financial and other problems.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Batu Gopala -- Vrindaban 16 August, 1974:

Regarding the restaurant, you should not name it as you have suggested, but "Hare Krishna Restaurant." That should be the name. In each restaurant there should be the picture of Lord Caitanya, and the foods should be offered and distributed to the respected customers. There should also be a tape recorder playing the Sankirtana in mild voice.

Regarding the secretary for the Central Zone, I have now re-appointed Jagadisa Prabhu who has returned from India.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Jayasacinandana -- Vrindaban 12 December, 1975:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to aknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 2, 1975. No! you have made some discovery. All along you have been hearing the recording of Yamuna devi and now you want to change. It is not ordinary singing, it is concert, many people are singing, so it is not bad. Just like Sankirtana, many voices are there, men and women, so it is the same thing, sankirtana. I approve of it. Here in Krishna Balarama Temple we are hearing the same recording every morning, so if it is good here why not there?

Page Title:Voice (Conversations and Letters)
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:14 of Jan, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=27, Let=14
No. of Quotes:41