In my absence

Expressions researched:
"my absence"

Notes from the compiler: Quotes only refering to Prabhupada

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

In my absence, if the record is played, it will exactly vibrate the same sound. So that is my energy or anyone's energy, but bhinnā, separated from me.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

How these different chemicals and earthly matters became manifested, everyone is inquisitive, any thoughtful man. Here is the answer. Here is the answer, that

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

(BG 7.4)

Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Just like I am speaking, it is being recorded, recorded. But in my absence, if the record is played, it will exactly vibrate the same sound. So that is my energy or anyone's energy, but bhinnā, separated from me. You have to understand like that. So everything is energy of God, Kṛṣṇa, but this material world means we are missing Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

I have left my family connection in 1950. Actually '54, but introductory in '50. For the last twenty years. But they are living; I am living. They are not dying in my absence, and I am not suffering without being in my family.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

You are falsely thinking that your leadership is very much needed. No. I was thinking. When I was householder, several times there was indication given by my Guru Mahārāja that I should give up family life and become a sannyāsī and preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In several way there was hints from my spiritual master, but still, I was not willing. I was thinking, "If I go away, then my family, my sons, my daughters, they will suffer." But actually, I have left my family connection in 1950. Actually '54, but introductory in '50. For the last twenty years. But they are living; I am living. They are not dying in my absence, and I am not suffering without being in my family. On the other hand, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, I have got better family members. I have got nice children in a foreign country. They are taking so much care of me, I could not expect such care from my own children. So this is God's grace. We should depend on Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is kind, wherever we go, everyone will be pleased, everyone will be kind. And if Kṛṣṇa is unpleased, even in your family life you'll not be comfortable.

Even in my absence many centers are developing. When I came back to India this time... There were thirty-five or thirty-two centers. Now it is forty-two.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Eh? No, you cannot directly take supply of the medicine without doctor's prescription. So, so many things are going on, bogus.

Yamunā: (indistinct) ...you'll find Americans...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even in my absence many centers are developing. When I came back to India this time... There were thirty-five or thirty-two centers. Now it is forty-two.

Guest (5): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are increasing. Here, India difficulty—we have to make them forget all nonsense he has learned. That is the difficulty. And here, there in America I got all nice blank slates, and whatever I say they accepted, and improvement is immediately there. And here the people are coming to test me, to talk with me nonsense and waste my time.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

It is not artificial way of taking something sentimentally. Otherwise how in my absence all these boys and girls are maintaining the status quo very nicely? I am very glad. That is required. This is the proof that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1975:

This life is meant for reviving our lost Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is Kṛṣṇa consciousness... (babies crying) Otherwise how it is happening that this place was a church and nobody was coming, so much so that they had to sell it to others? We purchased it. When I first came here to see this church, there was nobody. The place is the same. The people is the same. I have not brought men from India. Why it is crowded now? This is the proof that in everyone's heart Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not artificial way of taking something sentimentally. Otherwise how in my absence all these boys and girls are maintaining the status quo very nicely? I am very glad. That is required. This is the proof that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

That is my greatest encouragement, that even in my absence, things are going on very nicely, improving. That is very hopeful.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

So by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, with the cooperation of the Western youths, this movement is going on. I have traveled all over the countries, as I reported, and everywhere I saw, I was very much pleased that saṅkīrtana is going on. And it is improving. It is not declining. That is my greatest encouragement, that even in my absence, things are going on very nicely, improving. That is very hopeful. Not only that—from the Gurukula we are training small children. There are about more than hundred children in Dallas. They are rising early in the morning, attending maṅgala āratik, boys and girls not more than ten years, not more than five, six years. So that is very hopeful. In future they will become nice Vaiṣṇava. And many children are taking birth. They are very nice devotees.

Purports to Songs

Nṛsiṁhadeva will give you protection in my absence.

Purport to Nrsimha Prayers -- Los Angeles, August 2, 1970:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi... paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He has got two business. To give protection to the devotee and to kill the demons. But the result is one. He does good to the demons by killing him and He does good to the devotees by giving him protection.

Nṛsiṁhadeva will give you protection in my absence. I am now going to Japan to get some books printed personally and after that my program is to go to India. Maybe I shall be able to establish some temples there. Of course in India there are many temples, but it does not mean that I shall not also establish some temples. Just like there is overpopulation. It does not mean that one should not beget child. Similarly, there may be many hundreds of thousand temples in India, still our this society, ISKCON, should have their own temples.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

I do not get any older people. That is nice, hopeful, because younger section, if they take it very seriously, then I have hopes that they will preach in future, even in my absence.

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: You spoke of initiation. What is that initiation?

Prabhupāda: Initiation means formally acceptance of the line of activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before that, before initiation, we invite everyone to come and sit down with us, chant, dance, take prasādam, hear philosophy. And if he understands, "Oh, this is very nice," then he offers himself to be initiated. Then we accept. Then we impose this restriction that "If you want to be initiated..." We get hundreds of letters by everyone who has attended our classes. Daily we are getting some married couples or boys and girls, but most of them are younger. My students are within thirties. The oldest student I have got at the present moment, he is twenty-eight years. No, Kirtanananda is about thirty years old. That's all. So, of course, I do not get any older people. That is nice, hopeful, because younger section, if they take it very seriously, then I have hopes that they will preach in future, even in my absence. And old people, if a man becomes too much accustomed to a certain limited habits, in old age it is very difficult to give it up unless one is extraordinarily intelligent.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

I am getting older. If he travels all over the centers and sees as superintendent what things are going on, that will be also nice. And in my absence he can deliver speech and in that way he can get experience.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: Well, I think he's necessary here. Definitely we need him.

Prabhupāda: So if his presence is necessary, then he is a sannyāsī; he should be given some responsible post. And if he is not necessary, then his main business is to go. Now, if I... I am getting older. If he travels all over the centers and sees as superintendent what things are going on, that will be also nice. And in my absence he can deliver speech and in that way he can get experience. Now he went to North Carolina. He did nicely. So... I know that both of you are required here to develop this center. Not that if you say, "I go," and if he says he goes, then this place, the advancement which is progressing, this will be stopped. It is now in the nascent stage. You should not neglect now. You should work conjointly.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

My anxiety, that in my absence you may neglect Deity worship. Then the whole thing will be spoiled. That is my anxiety.

Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Satsvarūpa: They say their barking is an improvement on the original dog.

Prabhupāda: To another dog appreciates like that. (laughter)

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...philosophy is that originally God's creation is not perfect. It is... Nature is very wild, and man can make it perfect.

Prabhupāda: You have not come to that perfection, so you are not important. (break) ...Muslim country there is a word, khodaka upar kimvar dhari. (?) Khoda (?) means God. These rascals want to go above God. (break)

Jayādvaita: ...tees have remarked that since you have come to Los Angeles, the Deity has increased in beauty many times, Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...my anxiety, that in my absence you may neglect Deity worship. Then the whole thing will be spoiled. That is my anxiety. (break)

Rādhā-vallabha: ...are very worried. They say the earth has a certain tilt, and every few million years the tilt is changing little, little, and by this changing eventually the ice on the North and South Poles will melt, they say. So they are very afraid because then their estimate is that the entire earth will be covered with water.

Prabhupāda: Why he is..? Why he is afraid?

Rādhā-vallabha: Well, they are afraid for future humanity. They will all be killed.

Prabhupāda: He is not careful about himself. He is thinking... He cannot take care of himself, he is thinking of others.

Rādhā-vallabha: They this is a humanitarian attitude, to worry about the future.

Prabhupāda: So to protect yourself is not humanitarian? You are "dogtarian"? You cannot protect yourself and thinking about humanity. You are also human being. Why don't you take care of you first of all?

In my absence you read the books. What I talk, I have written in the books. That's all.

Morning Walk -- August 7, 1975, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Whatever they do, they do it for factories so that people may be exploited very easily. (break)

Indian Man (2): ...like your company very much in Toronto and we feel like talk you so much, but we don't have so much time to talk with you. You have so much mercy, so we have not... know so much about Kṛṣṇa from you.

Prabhupāda: So in my absence you read the books. What I talk, I have written in the books. That's all.

Indian Man (2): Personally, we think more greater.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But still, you can associate with me by reading my books.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Still I am traveling all over the world. I am simply interested that whatever I have done, it may not be vanquished in my absence. Let me go and encourage them.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...Sannyāsī should go on preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching. Practically, I was sitting here in Vṛndāvana, in Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. So at the age of seventy years, nobody goes out. At least from Vṛndāvana nobody goes at the age of seventy years. But Kṛṣṇa asked me. I thought that I must go, Guru Mahārāja wanted it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Let me try. So if I had not gone then this institution would not have developed. So this is practical. Mahataḥ nirvicaraṇam.(?) Mahātmā, they must move. So when there is absolute necessity they may stay. Otherwise, they must move. Move on, move on, move on, move on, move on. No staying. That is principle. No staying. I am this old age, I cannot move... My... I... So many... Still I am traveling all over the world. I am simply interested that whatever I have done, it may not be vanquished in my absence. Let me go and encourage them. Otherwise, I have no capacity to move now. But still I am moving. Only for this purpose. Girinaṁ grhna-cetasam.(?) So a sannyāsī must move. A sannyāsī must not stay anywhere more than three days. That is the principle. So he was moving, but his moving is creating disturbances here. Therefore I have stopped. And besides that, a temple is nirguṇa. A sannyāsī is forbidden to stay anywhere else, but in a temple he can stay for more than three days provided there is business. Otherwise, there is no necessity. So this is the exclusion(?).

1966 Correspondence

In my absence I wish that you may take charge of selling the books in India. Please let me know if there is any possibility of your taking such charge.

Letter to Mr. Dharwarkar -- New York 16 February, 1966:

Due to my absence from India the printing works are suspended and now I wish to begin it again on hearing from you. The thing is that I am trying here to establish one Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and one big industrialist of India has promised to pay for the cost. But there is difficulty of Indian exchange. So I am trying to get the exchange sanctioned through some friends in India and if I get the sanction then I shall remain here for many more days. So in my absence I wish that you may take charge of selling the books in India. Please let me know if there is any possibility of your taking such charge. So far my experience is concerned this publication can be introduced in all colleges and universities of India. If you have successfully worked out the business in your own Maharastra province as it is recommended by the Director of Education, then it will be possible for you also for other provinces. In Rajasthan and Delhi it is already recommended and similarly it could be recommended in all other provinces.

If you have not as yet deposited the sales proceeds kindly do it now immediately on receipt of this letter because I have to pay to the Press wala before beginning the 4th, 5th and the 6th parts at once. Also please let me know if you can take charge of the sale for whole of India. If you take up then I shall not negotiate with others because in my absence some body must take charge of the sale otherwise what shall I do simply by printing.