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Response (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Children very easily adopt it. So this is the perfect yoga system. No artificial education. Spontaneous response, dancing, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is the easiest method. So the greatest contribution to the human society. Do it.

Allen Ginsberg: Well, so tomorrow we'll be doing it. So now, the next question I had in my mind is we'll be doing kīrtana, then language, speech. Then end with kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: That is also kīrtana. Kīrtana means kīrtayati. Glorifying. That is kīrtana. So either you sing musically or you speak devotionally, both of them are kīrtana. Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he continually spoke to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. That is also state, śrī viṣṇu... śravaṇe parīkṣit, abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. Vaiyasaki, the son of Vyāsadeva, Sukadeva Gosvāmī, he became liberated simply by kīrtane. But what is that kīrtana? He never played musical way. He simply explained Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this is also kīrtana. This is called saṅkīrtana. Bahubhir militvā kīrtayati. That is saṅkīrtana.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Hayagréva: That's for sure. But there've been... See what you think of various melodies. We play various melodies and see how we can come out. Another thing, do you want to have responsive chanting?

Prabhupäda: Responsive chanting must be there.

Allen Ginsberg: That would be interesting, yes.

Prabhupäda: Otherwise everyone will become tired and that will be chaotic. Response. That's nice. Then the audience will respond.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: Just like we are thinking in terms of human beings, the commu..., socialistic state, that "Nobody should starve. Everyone must have his food." And in the Vedic conception of gṛhastha, householder, it is recommended there that a householder shall see that even a lizard living in the room or even a snake living in that house should not starve. They should be also given food. And what to speak of others? The gṛhastha, before taking his lunch, he is recommended to stand on the road and declare that "If anybody is still hungry, please come. Food is ready." Then, if there is no response, then the proprietor of the household life, he takes his lunch. In this way there are so many good concept about this socialistic idea of communism. So I thought that these ideas might have been distributed to some of your thoughtful men. Therefore I was anxious to speak with you.

Conversation with Journalists -- August 18, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: According to Vedic civilization, a householder has to see that even a lizard in the room is not fasting, to see whether it has got his food. Even there is a snake in the house, the householder is to see whether the snake has got his food. A householder would stand on the street, and before taking his food, he will say loudly, "If anyone is hungry, please come. Still I have got my food." And if there is no response, then he takes prasādam.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The politicians, they (say that) "These books are useless. Throw them in the water." They say like that publicly. They are not interested. Rather, this movement, as I have now began with my disciples, European, American boys, they're... They are not very satisfied, the present politicians. They are not very satisfied. They don't want. Everywhere this, more or less the same mentality, but it is our duty on behalf of Kṛṣṇa to push on this movement. So we are doing, and we are getting response. It is not without response. It will increase. That is also stated, that for ten thousand years Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will increase. Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. His heart is filled up with so many dirty things. So by that process, when he agrees to hear, chanting and hearing... Therefore we say: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." I say Hare Kṛṣṇa, and we ask others to chant. Response. By this process, his heart becomes cleansed. And next verse says: naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Not that it has become completely cleansed. A little, or almost cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: But if you have got the father's name, why should you call Him by the son's name?

Priest: Yeah, but this is another discussion (indistinct). What we mean by father and son, you know, we don't mean it...

Prabhupāda: That everyone's father and son is the same. If father says something and the son says... Just like in a big family, if the son orders something, it is as good as the father's order. That is our experience. But still, if you want to call the father, you will not get the father's response by calling the name of the son.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: (in car:) ...Denver. And how we are getting response from the public?

Satsvarūpa: They get nice attendance on Sunday. Many people come.

Prabhupāda: There is good hope.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, some governor went to our temple, I heard.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Akṣayānanda wrote to me. Governor of Karnataka State.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is a good response, that after seeing our temple he decided to attend our conference. That is very good.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: Yes. And the most popular book there now is that Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Everyone, everyone is buying. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They wanted us to print lakhs of copies of that book.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can get it printed in India now.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And in that book we have mentioned that Darwin's theory is completely bogus. In Europe and America also we are getting good response, very.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: Yes. And one person came to the temple in Hyderabad and met me. He said that "After your devotees had a program in our village, the farmers in the evening they were coming and doing kīrtana instead of just..." Previously they were not doing anything, but now they are coming after farming. In the evening they are collecting and they are doing kīrtana together.

Prabhupāda: Just see how quickly there will be response. Therefore I was insisting, "Go village to village, town to town." Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi.

Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are so many kalākendras but no kendra for understanding ātmā. Huh? Apasyatam ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). In Bhāgavata it is said, apasyatam. They do not know what is ātma-tattvam, these rascals. Gṛheṣu gṛhamedhīnam. Apasyatam ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). These rascals, they do not know ātma-tattva, the science of self-realization. Bahir-artha-maninaḥ. They have been simply external. They are giving importance to the music, but the person who is playing the music, he has no information. He is thinking this tongue is vibrating music, such a rascal. If the tongue is vibrating music, then why—he is dead—why the tongue does not play music anymore? And the ear is there. Why he does not hear any more music? If this body is all, then the body is there, the tongue is there, the ear is there—why there is no response of the music? Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). And these rascals, they do not know who is the person who is singing and who is hearing. Therefore they have been called as mūḍhas. Who is singing, who is hearing, he does not know. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛhamedhīnam (SB 2.1.2).

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Guest: What's the main reason for your visit?

Prabhupāda: Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, about Kṛṣṇa. You have seen our books, our.... Show him.

Devotee (1): Have you seen Prabhupāda's books? The books I was just showing you?

Guest: I am not very familiar with the books.

Prabhupāda: We have got very good response for accepting our books all over the world, Kṛṣṇa books.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they should. Because they are being educated, they are experiencing the faults of their fathers and grandfathers.

Guest: And they're able to tell that?

Prabhupāda: So we are telling this is the aim. You take. And therefore more response from the younger section. All our devotees, they are just like my grandchildren. Their fathers may be like my children. But they are responsive.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is for delivering these classes of men. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never meant to start this movement for high-class brāhmaṇas, sages, saintly persons—no. This class of men. For the all fallen. Don't be disappointed, go on, go on. Stick to the principles. When there was no response, I did not know where to live, where to eat. Sometimes at Dr. Mishra's, sometimes with some friend somewhere. Where to live. And I was going to inquire the shipping company when the next ship returning to India. Still I was renewing my visa: "Let us hope. Let us hope." In this way, we started Second Avenue in month of July, I think?

Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: They're welcome. That's fine. So make world party.

Satsvarūpa: Yes, we're very excited to do that. We're going to present it to the GBC.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Satsvarūpa: What our practical plan is. Take this same party everywhere, Europe and then India and then other places too.

Prabhupāda: We are getting good response for our books all over the world.

Devotee (6): Constantly growing. Any new volumes coming out?

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Dancing? Singing? What is this nonsense? For a respectable family? It is meant for the low-class professional. Pay them, they will dance. Or go to some prostitute. She will dance. So he said that "We have got some taste for dancing, but not that our family members should do that. We pay for that outside." So this art.... And among the theatrical, Girish Chandra Ghosh could not get a single response from any respectable family. Then he had to seek some young girl from the prostitute class. They became later on famous artists, Kusumakali Dāsī, this Dāsī.... Nowadays it has become a fashion that aristocratic family should join this cinema and spoil their character. Otherwise it was meant for the.... No respectable man.... You find the Bhāgavata description, especially for the brāhmaṇas, the professional who would come. They'll take their reward.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Suppose there is little success, but in comparison to the money expended, that success is little. Just like I, in the beginning I advertised my books in the Times, New York Times. They charged me sixty-three dollars, a small space. So there was inquiry, not order, three inquiries. Not even order. I have got this experience. For me, at that time, sixty-three dollars were too much. So I did not get any response. That is my practical experience. I got three inquiries, not even order. But the Times, New York Times, they have got millions of customers and millions of readers, but I got three inquiries.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man (3): But sir, do we not convey to a larger people...

Prabhupāda: That is being done through books.

Indian man (3): But sir, books are for such people who can read, who can understand.

Prabhupāda: Yes, something can be done by showing the picture, but taking consideration of the labor and money invested in that way, the response will be not satisfactory. It is not possible.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Interviewer (5): What is the response in India?

Prabhupāda: Indian response we have seen when we held meeting in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, thousands and thousands of people come here to hear about Bhagavad-gītā. Inherently they are inclined, but there is no systematic education. That is the defect. Now the Janmāṣṭamī day is coming I think every Indian will observe Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, without any fail. But they are not being educated systematically about Kṛṣṇa. They know Kṛṣṇa, they are inclined to Kṛṣṇa, the education of Kṛṣṇa is there, but nobody is interested to give them properly, systematically. That is the difficulty.

Interviewer (4): How is the response in the West?

Prabhupāda: Of course it is a foreign thing for them, but still they are coming and taking it very seriously.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Interviewer (4): What is the response in the Islamic countries?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got many students. In Iran we have got center and there are many Muslims. They are our student.

Interviewer (5): What is the response in Iran?

Prabhupāda: Iran? The response, they are hearing, but some of them, they are already converted student. Our head of the institution in Iran is Ātreya Ṛṣi. His name was Attar (indistinct).

Interviewer (5): You have some project here. Can you kindly explain what is that?

Prabhupāda: Our project is Bhagavad-gītā, learn Bhagavad-gītā and apply it practically in your life.

Room Conversation with Pandita from Tirupati and Government Minister -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So the Western countries, their brain is not so sharp to clearly understand the difference between viśiṣṭādvaita, advaita-dvaita, dvaitādvaita, or advaita. (laughs) Their brain does not allow to think very deeply about... So we are simply teaching them, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). That includes all philosophy. In this way we are preaching all over the world and there is little response. We are selling our books very nicely. So our main purpose is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our main... So what is your idea now. How you want to utilize your learning about Vaiṣṇava philosophy? Yes. Yes. How you want to do it?

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, God means Kṛṣṇa. He has to understand it. Therefore so many books. God has many names, millions, of which Kṛṣṇa name is the most important. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Then you have to understand the science of God. How Kṛṣṇa is God, that you have to understand. But for that reason we are publishing so many books. We have already published eighty-four books, simply in English language. And they are being translated in German, French, Portuguese, then Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Bengali, like that.

Dr. Kneupper: It's a very great effort.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And we are getting response. Our books are selling like hotcakes. (laughter) Yes.

Indian man (2): This is about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the person.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: That's the plan. We're making money by truck business. (break) ...the farms. Sometimes we may invest in some advertising or promotion. And you gave Gopāla Kṛṣṇa the hint that he should take paid ads in the newspapers.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Rāmeśvara: So in America...

Prabhupāda: If there is response, good.

Rāmeśvara: We should experiment in different areas also in America.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Two things are there already. Any layman can understand. A person living—a person dead. So why he is dead? Something is missing. So that missing element is important or this body is important? These rascals cannot understand even, so dull brain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A common farmer here can understand that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These two things are there: living force and the body. The body is moving because the living force is there. So which one is important, the body or the living force? Without living force, the same body, the same hand, legs, everything, +face, everything is there. Kick on his face—no response. And when he is living, touch his hair—"Oh, who are you? Why you are touching me?" (laughter) So which is important? The consciousness is important or this body? Such a rascal, they cannot understand it. And we have to deal with this civilization, mūḍha, rascals.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kashmir is part of India, a province. (pause) Then if you get your health back in May, that will be very nice. Regarding that tīrtha yatra, this going in the monsoon, it doesn't seem like a good time. June and July, those are not good months for touring India.

Prabhupāda: No, if we get good response, we can spend little more.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe we should go with some kīrtana party. If we see there is a response, then we should...

Prabhupāda: If we, you get one kīrtana party if you like.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I also... It could mean... According to Gopāla, from Africa, that prasāda...

Prabhupāda: Prasāda from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From all over.

Prabhupāda: Has he come with some news?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No one knows, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: How they'll do? They have no asset. Engrossed with bogus things, cheating. That was my ambition. You have seen that Delhi shop? He was preparing first-class ghee, and all, hundred... So we are giving the real spiritual life. Automatically there is response. Customers will come. And (indistinct). And you can cheat somebody.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Surabhī Swami sent some plan of the Bhaktivedanta Institute building, sent a blueprint.

Prabhupāda: Where is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I bring it? (break) They sent also... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they want people join together and protest. And what is the response from Caitanya Maṭha? And that Surendranath Das is with Caitanya Maṭha, or he's doing something independently? A remark by such a great officer, I.D., is not to be neglected.

Page Title:Response (Conversations)
Compiler:Archana, Serene
Created:11 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=28, Let=0
No. of Quotes:28