View source for My father used to say, "If you do not allow the servants to steal, so don't keep." Don't keep servants. "A servant who does not steal, he is not a gentleman. He must steal"

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[[Category:My Father (Gour Mohan De)]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="MorningWalkatVillaBorgheseMay261974Rome_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="86" link="Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome" link_text="Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome">
<div class="heading">My father used to say, "If you do not allow the servants to steal, so don't keep." Don't keep servants. "A servant who does not steal, he is not a gentleman. He must steal."
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome|Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Bhagavān: It's a church. (asking someone:) Is that from the Roman empire? (break)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: ...in right position. All wonderful buildings, there is no doubt. Such huge buildings in any other parts of the world is not visible. Just the thickness of the building.</p>
<p>Bhagavān: They kept many slaves the Romans. They had many slaves.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Slaves? This word is used in Vedic language also, slave. The Africans, they were meant for becoming slaves.</p>
<p>Yogeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, can we take a picture here please?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 2.4.18|SB 2.4.18]]). So the Kirātas, they were always slaves of the Āryans. The Āryan people used to keep slaves, but they were treating slaves very nicely. Later on it degraded. Otherwise, slaves were kept just like family members.</p>
<p>Bhagavān: They had no resentment.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, they were very happy. Just like you keep a dog. It is slave but it is very happy under the protection of good master.</p>
<p>Bhagavān: Actually, they like to work hard.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, they like to work hard and they want good protection. That is their happiness. Even still in Africa, the servants, domestic servants, Africans, I have seen in Indian family, they are very happy. They are very happy, and the master also takes care of them. They want to eat sumptuously, and that's all. They have no other ambition. They don't want any motorcar or like this, no. And they work very nicely, domestic work, very clean. But sometimes they steal. That is their habit. My father used to say, "If you do not allow the servants to steal, so don't keep." Don't keep servants. "A servant who does not steal, he is not a gentleman. He must steal."</p>
<p>Bhagavān: He must steal.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their satisfaction. So you must allow them. In old zamindar family, they will pay the manager five rupees per month, salary, and allow them to steal. That was simply a token salary that "You are servant." And the manager was so clever, he would steal, but he would not spoil the property of the master. He will manage very nicely that he will extra, make extra income and steal. The master will not be touched. Master will be happy. Master knows that "I am paying him five rupees. That is nothing." And he is constructing big building, getting his sons and daughters married very luxuriantly. Master is... Even fifty years before, there was a zamindar, Raja Manindra Candranandi. He was very magnanimous man, making various charities. So if somebody will complain, "Sir, your this servant is stealing like this," he would be very angry. The man who complains, he will be angry upon him, "Why do you come and complain?" He will not accept any complaint. Rather, he will be angry with the man who complains.</p>
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