Neighbor (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"neighbor" |"neighbor's" |"neighborers" |"neighborhood" |"neighborhoods" |"neighboring" |"neighbors" |"neighbouring" |"neighbours"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Manifestation of Kṛṣṇa in five expansions. Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself. Not only Kṛṣṇa, even a perfect yogi he can also expand. Not as many as Kṛṣṇa. But a perfect yogi, from the scriptures we can understand that a perfect yogi can expand himself up to eight, up to nine forms. There was one Saubhari Muni. The Saubhari Muni he used to perform yoga practice within water. There were many sages who used to practice. Somebody within water. Somebody surrounding fire and in the midst. That means voluntarily putting the body into trouble, and at the same time executing yoga practice. They were so much advanced that in spite of all material trouble they would be able to execute spiritual duties. Saubhari Muni was sexually agitated within the water by the fishes. So he came out of the water, and the neighboring king, I forgot the name, he went there and demanded the king that "I want to marry your daughter. So give me your daughter." The king thought... (laughs) He was so ugly because he was within the water. So all body was, what is called?

Syamasundara: Distorted?

Devotee (1): Water-logged, yeah. The skin gets water-logged?

Prabhupāda: No, not that. There are some kind of weeds within the water.

Devotee (1): Oh. Algae?

Prabhupāda: Maybe.

Devotee (2) (boy): Seaweed.

Prabhupāda: Seaweeds, yes. So they... All over the body there was some seaweeds. Not exactly... He was very unclean and odd-looking, and beard and ugly. So he thought that "He's a great yogi. If I refuse, 'No, I'm not going to hand over my daughter to you,' then he may be angry and create some catastrophe." So he said, just to avoid him, that "I have got eight daughters, and it is the desire of my daughters that they should be given over to one husband." No, that "they should be married all at once. So unless I find other husbands for my daughters you have to wait." So immediately, "Yes, I shall myself become eight then." And he expanded himself, eight expansions. So at that time what could he say? He said, "You know, my dear sir, that they are princesses after all. They may not like such ugly husband." Oh, he at once became very youthful and beautiful. Then he married. So in the history you can find that a perfect yogi can expand himself.

Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal:

Prabhupāda: We don't say that you change, but you hear. Śruti-gatāṁ. Śruti means this ear. God has given you this nice thing. You just inject this transcendental vibration through this ear. And when you will, you purify yourself, then you'll know how to make your life successful by your occupation. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate param (BG 18.46). Saṁsiddhi. Saṁsiddhi means perfection. So even fifty years... Not fifty. About sixty years before, in our childhood, or more than, sixty-five years before, when we were five, six years old, this system of hearing in the evening, in every village there was current. And my maternal uncle's house was in the suburb of Calcutta. So in our childhood, when we used to go to our maternal uncle's house, all the ladies and members being discussed. They will sit down. All the members of the neighboring people, they will come, very big crowd, and they will hear, and whatever they can pay, they will pay. And with that impression, at nine o'clock or ten o'clock, they will go to bed. Very nice arrangement. Usually the meeting was taking place after night, dinner, you see? Say, about at nine o'clock. And from nine to ten, eleven, the discussion would go on, and then the members dispersed and go to their respective home. We have seen. And all the ladies, whole road, they were discussing, "The priest told me..." They discussed very seriously to understand. So they don't require any education. Simply by hearing they become advanced. This is recommended. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ... Śṛṇvatāṁ. Just try to hear, hear, hear. Very nice process. So we are inviting people.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They are not interested in religion. It is simply a makeshow, showbottle. Then how they can be happy? If you do not follow the regulative principles, then where is your religion?

Journalist: I'm not arguing with you. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm in total agreement. It doesn't make any sense. "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt worship no other Gods before Me," "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's ass," "Thy shall honor thy father and thy mother," those are beautiful ethics, but they're not obeyed.

Prabhupāda: "Thou shall not kidnap your neighbor's wife."

Journalist: Wife, covet.

Prabhupāda: So who is following this?

Journalist: No one. Very few.

Prabhupāda: You see? So how you can expect they're religious. And without religion, human society is animal society.