Significant (Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"significant" |"significantly"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: significant or significantly not "very significant"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Particular incident is significant, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a brāhmaṇa and He was a sannyāsī. According to social custom He should not touch even a Muhammadan, but this Haridāsa Ṭhākura was a Muhammadan, and at his death He took the body Himself and danced, and He put him in the graveyard and distributed prasādam. And Haridāsa Ṭhākura for two, three days he was feeling not well. Because he was Muhammadan he did not enter the temple of Jagannātha temple. Because the Hindus were very strict. He was devotee, he never mind. Why he should create some row? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appreciated his behavior that he did not want to create any... Because he has become devotee. Forcibly he was not going to the temple. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself was daily coming and seeing him. While going to take bath in the sea, He'll first of all see Haridāsa. "Haridāsa? What you are doing?" Haridāsa will offer his respect and He will sit and talk for some time. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will go to take His bath. In this way, one day when He came He saw Haridāsa not feeling very well. "Haridāsa? How is your health?" "Yes Sir, it is not very... After all, it is body." Then the third day He saw that Haridāsa is going to leave his body today. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "Haridāsa, what do you desire?" Both of them could understand. Haridāsa said that "This is my last stage. If You kindly stand before me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu stood before him and he left his body.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Author: Sir, when somebody joins your movement, when they first come to see your movement, what presents itself to them-men with shaven heads and saffron-colored robes who dance in the street and who sing songs, strange songs—these are strange aspects. And in themselves they are not especially significant to an understanding of the philosophy, are they?

Prabhupāda: No, this is... This chanting and dancing is for mass of people, but when you want to discuss philosophy, we have got volumes of books. Yes. Both things we have got. We are attracting both the intelligent class of men and the mass of people, even the children.

Author: Now, sir, I think you agree that when... If you agree that this is the first thing that people generally see of your movement, then surely, if I am to write a book in which I am to describe the movement, it is necessary for me to describe some of the...

Prabhupāda: But if he is actually, anyone wants to see, so he should see our books also, magazines also. Why does he not see? We, our, send our boys in the streets with books. If you are not liking this saffron dress and dancing, why don't you read the books?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Karandhara: They say there is no evidences that that life is eternal.

Prabhupāda: Life is eternal? That is another question. That we shall see. First of all, you accept that life is superior. Make solution one after another.

Karandhara: Well so long as they do not see that life as eternal or significantly different...

Prabhupāda: No eternal, that can be understood by any child. First you have to accept that life is superior.

Karandhara: That is just a conventional superiority. That superiority is just conventional or relative.

Prabhupāda: Why conventional? Actually. Just like a child and a teacher, they are of the same. He is also human being and children also, human being. But still, the children are controlled by the teacher. Therefore superior. It is not convention. If you disobey the superior, you will be punished.

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

Yaśomatīnandana: This whole world is really nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they have become fools and rascals. That's all.

Yaśomatīnandana: So significant, this prayer. The whole world, including India. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...difficulty is that because they are poverty stricken, they want some money now. They are thinking that "About God we shall think later on."

Yaśomatīnandana: Is it all right to blame the government in public, Prabhupāda, in India?

Prabhupāda: No, what is that government? Government is elected by the public. If public is polluted, the government must be polluted. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Public votes somebody, "Take charge of government." So if the public selects somebody nonsense, the government must be nonsense.

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If the communists are demons and the capitalists are also demons, fighting between demons, there will be war and loss of life, but nobody will come out victorious. That is going on. There is occasional world war, but the situation of the world remains the same. No party has become able to change the situation of the world. What do you think, Karandhara?

Karandhara: No, no significant change.

Prabhupāda: Simply they fight and loss of life and money, energy. War must be for the good. If there is some war, it must be for some good. But where is that goodness? The world remains the same; rather, it becomes more worst. Then why fight? But they will fight. Because both of them demons, they will fight. But not for any good result.

Morning Walk -- December 20, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...last almost one hundred years, eighty, eighty-five years. So how many followers they have got?

Karandhara: They have made no significant impression on anyone.

Prabhupāda: No. (break) Ramakrishna is God. Kālī is God. And they offer prasādam, what is that? Chicken...

Karandhara: Chicken, turkey, even meat.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Karandhara: Trivikrama Svāmī went to their monastery in Laguna Beach. So they were serving meat. Trivikrama said, "Why do you eat meat?" And they said, "That doesn't matter. What does it matter what you eat ?"

Prabhupāda: Why don't you eat stool? This question was raised by Mālatī. One man said like that. She said, "Why don't you eat stool? Why you discriminate?" (break) Ramakrishna Mission has done the greatest harm to the Vedic culture. (break)

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So how you can say there is no water in the moon planet?

Karandhara: Well, they can take samples in the desert and find out if there is certain degree of moisture in the soil. They have taken the same samples on the moon and say that there is no moisture.

Prabhupāda: So why the moon planet is bereft of? Material, anything material, it is combination of earth, water, fire, air, ether. Anything material. It is a combination.

Karandhara: Well, there are probably very minute quantities of moisture on the moon. But they say nothing significant, nothing suitable for agriculture.

Yogeśvara: There are no plants growing on the moon. In the desert we find some plants, but they have not found any vegetation on the moon.

Prabhupāda: That means they have not gone thoroughly. One portion of it.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

our books. Yes.

Guest (2): Have you had a significant impact on the American society?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Brahmānanda: What is that?

Guest (2): Have you had a significant impact on the American society? The values you preach, have they influenced Americans to a certain degree?

Brahmānanda: Oh, yes. You can go in America, any country, any city, and everyone will know Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (2): That's not what I mean. What I mean is have Americans started to be less violent, for instance, or have they started to be less egotistical or...

Brahmānanda: Well, not unless they follow our movement. But those who have followed our movement... Recently there was one study that was published by a very eminent sociologist in America from the University of California, the (sic:) Union Theological Center, and he stated in that book that the members of this movement, formerly they were drug-addicted hippies, and now they have become servants of Kṛṣṇa and humanity, loving servants. So he has given proof through intensive interviews that one who follows and joins this movement, dramatically his life becomes changed.

Prabhupāda: Perfect. He is a big professor, and his books are being sold in higher circles. Professor Judah. And he has studied this movement for five years. And... You have got that book?

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Show him. So they are appreciating. Appreciation has begun. Formerly they thought it is another edition of hippie movement, but now they are realizing it is not. A cultural. He has given the name of the book, Hare Kṛṣṇa and Counterculture. He is selling at the cost of twelve dollars; still, all high class, educated class, are purchasing.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That is your ignorance. But the beginning is dharma-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Yuyutsavaḥ means fighting. Two parties, they, actually, the two parties... Pāṇḍavas māmakaḥ caiva kim akurvata. Every word is significant. Fighting can be executed even in dharma-kṣetre. That they cannot understand. Gandhi misunderstood. If it is dharma-kṣetre, how there can be fighting? He wanted to prove nonviolence artificially. How it is possible? Kṛṣṇa is instigating him to fight, and how can you make it nonviolent? That is artificial. And if you want to explain something artificially, how long you'll do it, it will be failure. So Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence and reading of Bhagavad-gītā went with him. Nobody is interested in that kind of explanation. And we are explaining Bhagavad-gītā as it is, it is increasing. It is increasing. There is no artificial way.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Maṇihāra: "This will be a cultural gateway of India for the people of the world. Hyderabad is the South Indian headquarters for ISKCON in India. The magnificent Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana temple at Nampally Station Road, inaugurated by Swami Prabhupāda, will serve as a center of the cultural, spiritual, educational and social activities given to uplift the lives of people here. According to Śrī Mahāṁśa Swami, the president of the Society here, the devotees will hold seminars in colleges, factories, business centers, universities, schools, etc., to teach the techniques of spiritualizing the day-to-day life. Deity worship accompanied by the constant chanting of the holy names will be a special feature at the center. Besides, there will be daily classes in Sanskrit, Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavatam, and the Upaniṣads. There will be a Vedic library consisting of Swami Prabhupāda's books and various books on comparative study of religion. A cassette library will be a special feature here. Devotees will travel into towns and villages and do saṅkīrtana for the uplift of the masses. ISKCON Hyderabad is introducing for the first time in South India its major 600 acre community farming project, 40 kilometers from Hyderabad, to benefit about 20,000 villages. Besides regular free nutritional food distribution program, ISKCON is also planning to set up a model high-yielding 600-cow dairy farm, handloom centers, nature-cure hospital, and gurukula school project. Swami Prabhupāda's most substantial contribution, however, is to be found in his books, a veritable storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. He has written more than 50 books so far, explaining the principles of Kṛṣṇa or God consciousness in a logical, practical, and scientific way. Through his books people are understanding the eternal wisdom of the ancient Indian scriptures. That ISKCON has made a significant contribution to the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual life of contemporary man is obvious from the fact that people of all ages and..."

Prabhupāda: A very important article.

Gargamuni: A very good article.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And it details everything. So you purchase some copies. We have to prepare...

Room Conversation -- December 28, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why increase cost?

Rādhā-vallabha: I don't think it would be that much. The first volume has over sixty pictures and the second one only has thirty-two and the third only has twenty-four. Anyway, anything we do will increase the cost but not so significant. Few cents. We were thinking that the Kṛṣṇa Books were originally printed many many years ago and since then we have a lot of nice paintings of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes that we could put in.

Prabhupāda: If you can give without increasing price, there is no harm. Or for this cents. Let us.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Rāmeśvara: The fighting will increase this year. It's getting very acute, as you said in that letter.

Prabhupāda: So they are feeling the strength of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Rāmeśvara: We're becoming the main target. Formerly it was this Reverend Moon, but his movement has been..., so many scandals, that it is beginning to lose its appeal to people. So now we are the main target faced. That is the most significant thing about this newsletter, that they are saying that "Formerly Reverend Moon... But he has already been exposed. So now let us direct all our energy against Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: But they do not know whom to expose. That they do not know. That's nice.

Rāmeśvara: They are making it possible for us to preach in all the TVs, radios, and newspapers.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is our opportunity.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Apparently he's not familiar with the Vedic writings. So...

Prabhupāda: So inform him.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. Anyway, the most significant thing is that it's been published in this journal which is usually for middle class, nothing controversial. And now they have published life after death. It shows that people are beginning to believe.

Prabhupāda: As they are reading our literatures.

Hari-śauri: As Kṛṣṇa consciousness spreads... Just like we see these different things happening in the world that are coming nearer to a religious way of life or a spiritual understanding, even though that may not be directly connected with our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, still, is that the cause, because there's an auspicious atmosphere that people are...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: ...able to come nearer to that spiritual goal?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is going on. That purifies.

Hari-śauri: So that's purifying the atmosphere.

Prabhupāda: That will help. That will, help them.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Very good intelligence.

Cāru: This has all the significant temples of India, and just included in there is the ISKCON temples. Right as they come in the front door is a very nice cultural exhibit.

Prabhupāda: Increase more temples. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) As many towns, as many villages. At least as many towns, and then push through the villages. What is your news about our palace in France? I am asking you, Bhūgarbha.

Bhūgarbha: Chateau palace in France?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. Is it going nice?

Bhūgarbha: It is going on. I haven't been to the palace.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Bhūgarbha: I go to the Paris temple.

Prabhupāda: So it is very nice temple.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On one hand, we didn't want to take Bhakti-caru Mahārāja away from you, because he's serving properly, and this is the best thing. I can see that you also don't want that. So then we can find... It's good if one Indian devotee goes with Smara-hari. But there are others that we can find. No, we can find someone. That's not... You don't have to tax yourself for that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. But this is our idea, that why we should wait here? The longer we wait, the colder the weather becomes. And what advantage do we gain by waiting here? There's no advantage gained. You could say "Well, because if we wait here and I get the medicine immediately, and I start to take the medicine, then I will become stronger." But our feeling is that strength will take time. So just by waiting for two weeks, the strength will not increase so significantly to make traveling less risky. Traveling is risky if we are not careful. If we take great care, then traveling will not be risky.

Prabhupāda: So by plane or train?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By plane or train? Well, I think that... I think train is better.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because... There's a number of reasons. First of all, there's no Jumbo jets, and they're Indian Airlines planes. They're Indian Airlines smaller planes. They're jets, but they're not the big jet.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Babhru -- Los Angeles 9 December, 1973:

Now, we have by Krsna's Grace built up something significant in the shape of this ISKCON and we are all one family. Sometimes there may be disagreement and quarrel but we should not go away. These inebrieties can be adjusted by the cooperative spirit, tolerance and maturity so I request you to kindly remain in the association of our devotees and work together. The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the Spiritual Master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this Movement and not make factions and deviate. Try to convince Gaurasundara and Siddha-svarupa to return to ISKCON and let us forget whatever has happened in the past.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Bir Krsna -- Mayapur 10 February, 1977:

Your statement that Guyana is a communistic county but still we are successful in getting people to chant Hare Krsna, is significant. The communist movement is artificial, but the chanting of Hare Krsna is the real and natural situation. Go on cooperating with Hrdayananda Maharaja and gradually spread the book distribution to every home in South America. I hope this meets you in good health.