Media

Expressions researched:
"media" |"media's" |"medias"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.30, Purport:

The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Just like these flowers. These flowers the devotees are bringing to their spiritual master, to God. They are not enjoying. Ordinary man, if he gets a flower, he'll put it in the pocket. How... You see? That is the difference of God consciousness. The flower is the same, but use is different.

Guest (2): What's your view, if I may ask, on, for emotion in, of, an ideal, a Christian ideal and so on through the media. Will you use television and radio to condemn things like racial intolerance and the Vietnam War? Do you believe that you should become involved in these things? Could you issue a statement and say that the movement condemns so and so? Do you believe getting into anything in the world spectrum to comment on things?

Revatīnandana: Do you follow the question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? His question is do we concern ourselves with particular problems in the world, there's the war in Vietnam, there's racial discrimination? Do we make statements to condemn this war or to condemn that discrimination?

Prabhupāda: No. Thing is that there are so many problems. Our proposition is, when you become God conscious, then all problems automatically solved. We don't take the problems. We take the... Just like disease. There are many symptoms. A man is suffering from a particular disease. He has a headache, he has this pain, this pain, that pain.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1972, Tokyo:

Prabhupāda: That money is not yet done.

Karandhara: By June.

Prabhupāda: Oh. By June. All right. We shall talk further. What is this? So Los Angeles is... Everything is all right?

Karandhara: Yes Prabhupāda. Those are all... All the different envelopes are from the different departments, Spiritual Sky, Mail Order, Iskcon Media.

Prabhupāda: So you keep it in this envelope. Then I shall see.

Śyāmasundara: They have purchased $8,000 worth of equipment for recording your voice.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That will be very nice. So I can give lectures daily? No. What is the arrangement?

Karandhara: Yes. As soon as you come, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we're going to shoot the first TV show.

Śyāmasundara: You have a video tape machine here?

Prabhupāda: Now, if I explain some of... Just like I explain one verse. In this way, if I do explain one verse, do you think it will be all right? No.

Śyāmasundara: Each day explain one verse.

Prabhupāda: Each day or as you like. Or what is your program?

Karandhara: Well, as far as this recording, we have a studio right there in the temple. You could record...

Prabhupāda: You distribute that prasādam, little, everyone.

Devotee (1): This lugdu?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I will also take little. Distribute. What is your program?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: In the last World War there was a very famous German propagandist named Goebbels who wrote that if one controls the communications, the media, the radio and television, newspapers, like this, he actually controls what people think. So we've not put so much emphasis on that so far in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, actually controlling the linkage of communication. In the future should we be more and more concerned with that?

Prabhupāda: What is that future? What do you want to do in future?

Prajāpati: Actually permeate all the media with Kṛṣṇa consciousness propaganda, not simply just writing but actually all aspects of...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can take advantage of all this media. That we are doing. Just like we are taking advantage of this microphone. We are not rejecting, "Oh, it is material. Why should we take?" Nothing material. Anything used for Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Material means what is not used for Kṛṣṇa. That is material. You are materialistic when you are not used for Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you are utilized for Kṛṣṇa, you are spiritualistic. That is the difference. Here we say, "This is material world." This is material world because everyone has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is material world. So if they come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is spiritual. (break) ...conscious people now challenge this rascal that "We are searching after Kṛṣṇa. We are not searching... We are devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you are posing yourself as Kṛṣṇa. So show us some Kṛṣṇa's power. We immediately come to you."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Śrī Govinda: Lt. Mozee.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.

Śrī Govinda: He's with the Chicago police department, and he's in charge of developing their relationship with the media. And I was thinking there could be nice discussion with him concerning your ideas about stopping crime.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. So I shall explain or he will enquire?

Jayatīrtha: Would you like to ask some questions or have him explain?

Lt. Mozee: Well, no, I understand the spiritual leader had some ideas on how to prevent crime, how to do these things. I might inquire after he gives his ideas. I understand you read the...

Prabhupāda: It is not idea, it is fact that one man is very pious and one man is very vicious. What is the difference? The difference is: one is dirty in his heart and one is pure in his heart. So if you keep people dirty, then there will be crimes. This is the sign that the general people, they are dirty. So you have to purify the dirty things, diseased condition. Then things will be all right. So our simplest process is to assemble in congregation and chant the holy name of God. Then dirty things will go away. So if you want to stop crime, then you have to arrange for mass saṅkīrtana. That is our movement. Gather people as large as can be possible and congregationally chant the holy name of God. Then it will be all right.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Mr. Dixon: Your Grace, do you keep in touch with the world through television or newspapers or the media?

Prabhupāda: Yes, many newspaper, many television men, they come. But we speak our philosophy plainly.

Mr. Dixon: Do you watch TV yourself?

Prabhupāda: No, we have no business. We don't wish to waste our time.

Mr. Dixon: Do you read newspapers?

Prabhupāda: No. What is newspaper? "This man is killed. This man has stolen. This politician has captured the government." So why shall I waste time?

Mr. Dixon: How do you become informed as to certain events? Is that...

Prabhupāda: We have got enough books to read, these books. If you read our books, in your whole lifetime you cannot finish it. And that is required to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is success of life. So why should.... Of course, we are in touch in the newspaper, but as much as it is required. We are in touch with the material world as much as it is required. We are interested in Kṛṣṇa. To help our Kṛṣṇa consciousness we may be in touch with the material world as much as possible. Just like we are riding car also, we are also using dictaphone, everything, but it is not for any ulterior purpose. It is for Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like we are writing books. This is Kṛṣṇa's service. People may understand about Kṛṣṇa, be benefited. This is our.... And in that way we are printing books, we are selling books, we are writing books.

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Hari-śauri: This vicar, he used to sit, and he used to sip small glass of clear liquid. So everyone thought he was drinking water, but then once they checked, and it was pure vodka.

Prabhupāda: While speaking lie "I was drinking water." (japa) (break—converses in Hindi)

Indian man: Prabhupāda, I'm trying to get one radio station you know, so far the, so that we make a Hare Kṛṣṇa program. So the radio is the big media for...

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Devotee priest (Bhakta Gene): I'm told that...

Prabhupāda: Oh, (laughs) how are you?

Bhakta Gene: Very fine, very fine. I'm told that you met with Thomas Merton some years ago. Is this correct?

Prabhupāda: The French?

Bhakta Gene: No, the Cistercian monk from Kentucky.

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Bhakta Gene: You didn't meet with him? He was supposedly the most prominent mystical writer within the Catholic Church in the past one hundred years. His writings gained tremendous prominence in the past..., oh, the past twenty-five years.

Prabhupāda: Prominence amongst whom?

Comments on Bhagavad-gita Play -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Sudāmā: The precedence of our work, Śrīla Prabhupāda, should definitely be that the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is clearly understood by all, is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Along with it, if you, the same thing, more demonstrative, if you put some movies...

Bali-mardana: Slides.

Prabhupāda: Slide or movie, that will be...

Sudāmā: Mixed media. That is also very much appealing to the public. Our future projection plan is to work on the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Janmāṣṭamī, which is about an hour production, to an hour and a half. And then we were planning to work on the Rāmāyaṇa, if it was suiting or agreeable by Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: The whole basic principle is this, that people should understand, as I was explaining this morning, the sat and asat. So at the present moment we are living in the way that is asat. But there is another life, sat. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an educational movement to raise a person from the asat platform to the sat. Under illusion they are, what is called, amock? They (laughs) have gone amock. So it is a humble attempt to stop their, this suicidal policy. They are practically committing suicide. They do not know what is the value of life and how they are spoiling it, this valuable life. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to adjust things by the arrangement of external energy. That is not possible. Whatever adjustment they are making, so many big, big leaders, politicians, they came. Napoleon, Hitler, Gandhi, this, that, by the waves of material nature everything is driven away. In that way there is no possibility of adjustment.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Those who cannot read the book, they are still better. Those who can read the book, they are still more dangerous.

Guest (1): They will misinterpret the whole thing. They will misrepresent, the danger is still more there. It is rather more with the educated people that the danger is there than the uneducated. But to reach the uneducated we have, I was thinking this is a better media. This is one of the medias perhaps, I wouldn't say better. Perhaps one of the medias by which we can reach them in a larger crowd.

Guest (2): But not in the way that the films are made.

Guest (1): No, that is not say. I don't want. I could produce...

Prabhupāda: That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is developed when one practices according to the prescribed method,

tapasā brahmacaryena

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

These are the process, tapasya, brahmacaryena. So it is very difficult for the common man to undergo tapasya. Little tapasya we have introduced, no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication. That is also become very difficult nowadays.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The Ceylon is educated and if they are receiving, why not open a branch?

Hari-śauri: (continues reading) "He recently returned home after almost 3 years in India. My husband and I could see the awareness and maturity in him gained from his experiences in working with the Indian people. He learned first-hand about a different culture and it certainly has enriched his life. In our minds we can compare our son's life to the life of a Catholic monk or a religious Jew of the Hasidic sect. Do I think that my son is brainwashed? I can best answer this by answering the question, is our whole society not being brainwashed daily by the advertisement media? Liquor, smoking, pornographic movies and literature and which is worse? And what about the children who are being educated by the violence and killing on T.V.? I prefer that my son is devoting his life to the love of God and the service of humanity, a rare endeavor in this age. Since I know that my son has voluntarily chosen the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement to exercise these rights and that he can leave it whenever he wishes I cannot see how the term 'brainwashing' can be applicable to this movement. I sincerely believe from my contacts with many devotees that they are happy and have found fulfillment by loving and serving Lord Kṛṣṇa, God. This may not be my wish for my life but my son has chosen it for his, and I whole heartedly respect it."

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali conversation) (end)

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: "...is not actually religious but is an exploitative brain-washing technique. In the past and even today the leaders of the Hare Kṛṣṇa faith, as we understand, have been abducted, assaulted, and subjected to mental and physical abuse. We also understand that there are widespread pressures being applied to convince the media and the government that religious freedom should not include the choice to live by the tenets of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Hindu scriptures. We strongly feel all these developments to be objectionable to all freedom-loving people of this great country. We will appreciate if you please look into this matter and take the needed steps to halt such religious suppression. Signed, V.J. Pandhi, Corporation Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors."

Prabhupāda: V.J.?

Jagadīśa: V.J. Pandhi.

Prabhupāda: Pandit?

Jagadīśa: P-a-n-d-h-i. Pandhi.

Prabhupāda: It is European or?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: "There are two legal cases in progress at this time that we must support—one in New York and one in Los Angeles. In New York the two ISKCON leaders have been indicted by the Queens County Grand Jury for unlawful imprisonment and attempted grand larceny. In Los Angeles, ISKCON and Madonna Slavin have accused her family of kidnapping, and charges of unlawful imprisonment have been entered against the mother and several other members of the Slavin family and two friends." These two friends are the professional deprogrammers. Then it says, "As in nearly all of these cases, the media will greatly influence the outcome. Do not underestimate the power of the media. We therefore must tell our story..."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's already become media.

Rāmeśvara: "We must therefore tell our story to them in great number, and in this way the world will hear of it. As of this date, HK," short for Hare Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: They're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) They're chanting Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They say, "As of this date, Hare Kṛṣṇa has been able to flood both the media and the District Attorney's offices with support for their side..."

Prabhupāda: They're admitting. That's good.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They do not know what is meaning, liberation. This is liberation, forcely separating from māyā. That they do not know. māyām etaṁ taranti te. Yes.

Rāmeśvara: "Hare Kṛṣṇa is known to hide out those whose families want them out."

Prabhupāda: Family?

Rāmeśvara: If the family wants them out, we have a reputation that we will hide them, so the family cannot get them. "One example is in the Queens case." That's Ādi Keśava Mahārāja. The charge of attempted grand larceny stems from an alleged extortion attempt against the Shapiro family by the temple leaders who wanted money from the parents and threatened to harm their son..."

Prabhupāda: This is false.

Rāmeśvara: "...unless the money was given."

Prabhupāda: This is false.

Rāmeśvara: This is false, completely false. "One of the things we can do is give moral support to these families. How better to do it than to show your support by writing to the..."

Prabhupāda: This we can bring a charge against them: "Prove that we wanted money."

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we are counter... We are fighting them. "...by writing to the District Attorney's"—those are the Justice Department Offices—"or contacting your local media." Then they give the addresses of people in New York and two addresses in Los Angeles who you should write to telling them about all the knowledge you have about all the abuses of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it says, "You should commence action for a legal deprogramming. If other families of Hare Kṛṣṇa victims would go to court to get a legal conservatorship or guardianship with an intended writ of habeas corpus..." Now, what this means is you go to the court, and you say "My dear judge, my son is in Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has been brainwashed." And you have a paper from a psychiatrist that says, "Yes, he is definitely acting in a robotlike way." Then the court will say, "All right, you're the parent. So we give you legal guardianship over the son."

Prabhupāda: No, we can place a counter psychiatrist and counter... Just like Cox's statement.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But we have got parents' organization also.

Rāmeśvara: Now we do. Anyway, they're using this law against us.

Prabhupāda: That they will do. They will do their best. We have to do our best. That's all.

Rāmeśvara: They say, "This would enable the court to remove the young person from the temple for medical examination and evaluation by cult-knowledgeable psychiatrists and psychologists." In other words, deprogramming. "This is the best thing to do. The media would report it..."

Prabhupāda: No, no. But one psyciatrist may give one verdict, but other psychiatrist may give another verdict. Then how the court will decide?

Rāmeśvara: Because in these temporary guardianship cases, the court is already against us in many places.

Prabhupāda: But... Against may be, but so far the decision of the psychiatrist, we can present our psychiatrist.

Rāmeśvara: There's no equal time given. It's one-sided only.

Prabhupāda: That means in the name of justice, injustice is going on.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. This law is unconstitutional. I mentioned that there is a group of lawyers who are now organizing a committee nationwide to defend us, and they're going to prove that this law should be changed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the right cause. Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They're already working on that. So then they say, "If you can do this to your son, then it will get national news media into the scene, and then people will learn about Hare Kṛṣṇa in particular, and all the effects of destructive cults on our youth." Then it says, "We have a legal packet which contains advice on the procedure and techniques for legal deprogramming."

Prabhupāda: So nowhere they have mentioned my name. That is good. (laughter) Otherwise, I would have been the target. That was very dangerous.

Rāmeśvara: Sometimes... One of the general charges they make against all the different religious groups in America is that the leader is actually making a lot of profit for himself.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Like this Reverend Moon, he lives in a very, very big house, and he has a big car. And this Guru Maharaj-ji, he has his own airplane.

Prabhupāda: Guru Maharaj-ji has got?

Rāmeśvara: He had his own airplane, which they had to sell.

Hari-śauri: That fat boy, Guru Maharaj-ji.

Prabhupāda: No, he had. So what is his position now?