I want (Conversations 1969 - 1975)

Expressions researched:
"I want" |"I wanted" |"we want" |"we wanted"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Within the sunshine all these planets are moving, all this vegetation, everything growing, coming. The whole thing is existing on the sunshine. Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything existing on brahmajyoti. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said māyā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. "This impersonal exhibition of this whole manifestation, it is I." Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). "Everything existing in Me." Nahaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. "But I am not there." So we have to study everything intelligently. I want some intelligent persons from America. Then it will be done. It is not bluff. It is real science. Authority. One has to understand simply. That's all. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Unless one is very, very intelligent he cannot come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He must be very intelligent. So if we find one or two intelligent persons, ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā..., then one moon is sufficient to eradicate all darkness. There is no need of millions of stars. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so beautiful. You call any intelligent person, we are prepared to convince him. Any intelligent. He must be little intelligent. That's all. We don't want...

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, but I'm not even convinced.

Prabhupāda: No.

Allen Ginsberg: I mean, everything you say is beautiful, but...

Prabhupāda: No. You are very intelligent boy. Why not you are intelligent? You are recognized poet, you are popular poet. Why you... I take you are intelligent. You are first-class intelligent. You are chanting.

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

Prabhupāda: You see? You know from the very beginning. I came here single-handed. I chanted. That's all. I never asked anybody money.

Allen Ginsberg: That was never in question.

Prabhupāda: So I never said that "I'll give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness or this..." No, I mean to say... So it is not bluff. It is purely scientific, transcendental science. So I want some American gentlemen to understand this.

Allen Ginsberg: Well, Howard does.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we want many Howards. (laughs) Your country is so big.

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

Allen Ginsberg: Well, then do you think that the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant could serve as an intermediary to link the religious tendencies of, both of Christianity and Muslim religions?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Any religion. Any religion. If he's serious about religion. If he takes the religion as a scapegoat, that is different thing. If he wants to understand religion and if he takes seriously to religion, then he will understand. We want serious persons.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: That we have got varieties of duties. Just like we are. You have seen all these boys. They are always engaged. Always engaged. Similarly, everywhere they are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa. We want extra time to work for Kṛṣṇa. The twenty-four hours is not sufficient for us. Yes. Then we shall see that we are sleeping, wasting time. Gosvāmīs, they used to sleep for one half-hour only. That also sometimes forgot.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like I have come here definite, New Vrindaban, similarly, when they get nice temple I go and open it.

Kīrtanānanda: Then it may be some time yet.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) And that Mataji, she has taken land. I don't like that idea. Some Hindus are supporting. I don't want a Hindu temple. Our constitution is different. We want everyone. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is for everyone. It is not a Hindu propaganda. People may not misunderstand. And actually, till now in our society there is not a single other Hindu than me. (laughter) Is that not? Is there any Hindu?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then our books are, biggest book, four hundred pages. So thirty pages daily means, what is that? Within fifteen days you can complete.

Jayadvaita: Thirty manuscript pages, thirty book pages?

Prabhupāda: Thirty book pages. No. Or what is the manuscript pages? I do not understand.

Jayadvaita: When it's typed out, we've been doing about...

Prabhupāda: I want complete for being photographed.

Jayadvaita: Yes.

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

Pradyumna: I didn't edit so many today. I edited fifty yesterday.

Prabhupāda: So I think I want... I shall be very glad to see the Nectar of Devotion is finished before I leave this place and you begin some other book.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Varnāśrama-dharma... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Qualified. Therefore we want qualified brāhmaṇas, qualified kṣatriyas. At the present moment, without being qualified, they are passing on as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. That is not varṇāśrama. Without being qualified they are all śūdras, all caṇḍālas. But when they are properly trained and qualified, then it is varṇāśrama, real varṇāśrama.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Yamunā: Oh, that's a wonderful notice, Prabhupāda. It's so wonderful.

Prabhupāda: We have to preach all over the world. We require so many men, so many boys, girls, men we want.

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Guest (1): Life member means...?

Prabhupāda: Institution. We want some life members. Otherwise how we can conduct this institution? (indistinct) Through telegram? Or reply?

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Where is the difficulty? Simply we have to be very sincere devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Everything Kṛṣṇa will supply. Everything. So in that position, go on preaching. Don't be tottering. You have taken a great responsibility; go on executing it. Don't fight amongst yourselves for petty things. Go on, advance. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) Now we are going to have a great ceremony in India, Māyāpur. They have got... I have purchased one land. I took contribution 25,000 from Birla. I wanted 100,000, he gave me 25,000. That's all right. So with that money I purchased one land. So it is just to be developed. The foundation stone, cornerstone laying down. In India we require another..., altogether at least one hundred men, Americans. So contribute some men from each and every center. We have got fifty centers..., how many centers now?

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: They were coming to see, "Oh, how Americans have taken to this philosophy(?)." That is their surprise. They are giving credit only for that purpose. This man also. So there is good chance of preaching in India in this respect. We want some men to preach there. It will be great work. So I think in each center, from each center you can contribute one man, and some of you leaders may go.

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

Pratyatoṣa: They thought that might have higher priority than... It's a project, I wanted to set up a library of all of your tapes and make them available to everybody and preserve them, and have them all indexed.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I wanted a tape recorder.

Pratyatoṣa: Do you think this would fit your needs, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I wanted. I wanted to purchase one Stanberg.

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Śyāmasundara: He was speaking in reference to the Pope. The Pope didn't acknowledge your letter to him.

Dr. Singh: Did he or...

Śyāmasundara: Did not.

Dr. Singh: His loss. When we have Kṛṣṇa, who needs the Pope? (laughs)

Prabhupāda: I may not think... (indistinct) He is the head of a very great religion, so I want (indistinct) cooperation, I offered my cooperation (indistinct). So I have to struggle with so many difficulties, (indistinct) and everything, handicap. Still I am...

Dr. Singh: Are there many Indian-born disciples abroad, or are they mainly Western disciples?

Prabhupāda: No, there are many Indians.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Bob: I had viewed this as... My thought of pleasing God was to do...

Prabhupāda: No, no, don't manufacture your ways of pleasing God. Don't manufacture. Suppose if I want to please you, then I shall ask you, "How can I serve you?" Not that I manufacture service. That is not pleasing you. Suppose if I want a glass of water. And if you manufacture that "Swamiji will be more pleased if I give him a glass of milk, hot milk," that will not please me. If you want to please me, then you should ask me, "How can I please you?" And what I order, if you do that, that will please me.

Conversation with Author -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Author: Yes. No. I'm not saying that it's meaningless. I'm saying that it appears to be meaningless in the same way that one should wonder why he has his head shaven and why he wears those clothes. If one doesn't understand, these things are...

Prabhupāda: At least, they can take by shaving head means it cleans, cleanses. The head is not overburdened with unnecessary... (laughter) We want clear brain, and that is the system, Vedic system. All learned scholars, they cleanse head. Cleanse head. Yes. And at least we get relief. A little hair growing is also burdensome. We cleanse. So it is personal convenience. So that is not the point of preaching.

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: The things are supplied by God because He is giving me all facilities to enjoy this material world to my heart's content by supplying all the ingredients. That is the material condition. So these foolish persons are taking as chance, but it is not chance. God is omnipotent. As soon as He understands that I want this, He gives me some facility so that I get it. So it is not chance. It is by arrangement of superior authority. But because they are atheists, they have no sense of God consciousness, they are taking as chance, that necessity creates that chance; automatically it is coming. Not automatically. Chance does not mean automatically. I cannot see something, but all of a sudden falls... Just like I am hungry, I want some food. So Kṛṣṇa knows it that you want some... Some way or other, the food comes to me. So it is the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa, but I see it is chance: "I was hungry and by chance the food has come." That is my less intelligence. It is not chance; it is plain. Otherwise you cannot adjust the meaning of chance in that way, that as soon as there is necessity, immediately the opportune chance comes before us.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1972, Tokyo:

Prabhupāda: Kārttikeya Prabhu, where is Kārttikeya? (laughter) So all right. Then...

Devotee (1): There's some rasagullās and some fruit. We have some fruit, and vegetables.

Prabhupāda: I wanted some samosā.

Devotees: Ah.

Prabhupāda: Sudāmā Prabhu, can you prepare it?

Sudāmā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So do it.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Yes. I never wanted his property. I simply desired that such a sublime message, like my poetry, that...

Śyāmasundara: First poem upon arriving.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Miracle done. I wanted, "Oh, there is a miracle. If I try to preach this miracle in the world." So he has given me the facility. I never wanted the Gauḍīya Maṭha buildings.

Śyāmasundara: So because you desired in a certain way, He provided that facility also.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I desired that such a wonderful message, why not preach?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Another thing happened in Los Angeles. I wanted some quotation from a place of this Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So the man came, he said, "Swamiji, first of all I must buy this book. Either you accept or not accept our quotation, what price I shall pay?" I said, "Give me six dollars." Immediately he took this book. "Such a nice book I have never read. So either it is printed or not printed in our press, I must take this book." Actually, these ideas what we have explained in our books, they're unknown to the modern world. Unknown.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

rabhupāda: They are serious. They have got, they have got (indistinct). Our seriousness will be proved when our books and (indistinct) around thinking men, scholars. Similarly, we should introduce our (indistinct) colleges and universities. This is our program. So I have got my program now, (indistinct). So so far, Vṛndāvana question is concerned, there is, it is solved. Now you make, utilize, and place yourself in the world (indistinct) I want.

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: None of these religions have produced a sannyāsī.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: None of them. A person who is detatched from material life.

Jayādvaita: I was reading in the Bible...

Prabhupāda: Therefore I refused this Bhāgavata reader. He wants to come here, and no, we don't want these professional men. We want men who have sacrificed their life for God. We want such men, not professional. The so-called priests, they are professional. They are earning money. That's all. Just see, they, how the karmīs are earning money by their business, and it has become a business. Everywhere, religion has become a business.

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: That is our point. And because he has to read nicely, he has to speak nicely, he must be literate, not illiterate.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: To read your books?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: So that by reading the books they will have immense knowledge.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: This generation...

Prabhupāda: This much we want.

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

John Nordheimer: How many followers do you have?

Prabhupāda: Well, this is a very difficult job, naturally. We don't have a large number of followers. As soon as you try to sell a diamond, you cannot expect many customers. Nonetheless, a diamond is a diamond, even if there are no customers. The number of customers is not the test. The customer must pay the value of the item. In this society we propose that you give up illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. When people hear this, they go away saying, "Oh, Swamiji is very conservative." But I cannot become liberal and tell everybody, "Go ahead and do all nonsense and you can become God conscious." I cannot possibly recommend that. Therefore my first condition is that if someone wants to become my student he has to follow these four regulative principles. Consequently I do not have many followers, but I do have a select few. Because they are select, they will bring about a revolution in the world. One moon is sufficient to dissipate darkness. If there is one moon, there is no need for millions of stars. It is useless to expect a large number of followers. We want only one good follower. If I can get one man to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I will consider my mission fulfilled. If you talk to whatever small number of followers I have, you will find that they talk better than any great philosopher, better than any scientist or politician. That is the quality of my students. What's the point in talking nonsense? One's words may be simple, but they should be valuable.

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: That is to Vivekananda, not to others.

Guest (2): Was he not realized?

Prabhupāda: That is another question. Don't bring controversial. If you have got Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of Ramakrishna? When you have got Kṛṣṇa original, why should you go to Ramakrishna? A shopkeeper says, "This is the same medicine, sir, but it is very cheap." But a real customer says, "No, I want the original. I don't want this imitation. Give me the original." Accepting Ramakrishna as incarnation, so why shall I go to incarnation when I have got Kṛṣṇa?

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Ambassador: Uh, Your Divine Grace, I'm sorry, but I have an Ambassador waiting, and I have to move from the sublime to the mundane. I'd like to continue this, but he has this appointment and I have to... But I appreciate very much your coming in and...

Prabhupāda: Now, I am also coming to the mundane point of view. The next time I want, when I go and come back to USA, I wish to see the President, if you can help me?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 1, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we cannot create anything so...

Prabhupāda: Therefore you cannot enjoy anything. You have to accept everything as prasādam. First of all you take sanction from the proprietor. Then you he will give... That is your business. Just like if I want to use this land, I have to take permission from the government, that "I want this land. Give me permission." So when government gives you permission you can use. Otherwise you will be criminal. You cannot say, "Oh, there are so much land, let me encircle it with my fence and I live there." No. Immediately criminal. You cannot do anything as you like with this ocean. Can you do? No you have to take permission from the government. Just like the fishing boats, they have got government permission. Otherwise they cannot.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Very good. Yes. You have to go and lecture all the universities, calling these rascals fools. That will be our mission. They do not know anything and talking all nonsense. That's it. There was nobody to challenge till now. Now we are creating persons to challenge these rascals. That is our credit. Till now whatever nonsense they are talking, people thought, "Oh he is a big scientist." Now our scientist will protest against them, stop them talking all nonsense. That is what we want. If a lay man like me goes and protesting, he may say that "First of all you come to my level, then I shall talk with you." Now, he cannot talk with you like that. Because you are on the level. So challenge all this nonsense. Why they talk nonsense? So later on, other persons, they did not talk with you?