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Ability (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, can you inform me... Recently you told me that they're within sixty miles from the moon planet? Is that a fact?

Reporter: I'm afraid I don't know. I don't know what the mileage was.

Hayagrīva: They circled it. They circled the moon at sixty miles.

Prabhupāda: So if they're, I mean to say, circumambulating within sixty miles, how they could not land? They could not go further sixty miles?

Reporter: Well, they didn't want to land at this time.

Prabhupāda: Why this?

Reporter: That was to test their ability.

Prabhupāda: Why didn't?

Hayagrīva: They didn't have the mechanism ready.

Prabhupāda: But for sixty miles, fifty miles, if they could stand sixty miles off from the moon planet, they were already on the atmosphere. Suppose if I am sixty miles away from a city, I am in that atmosphere. So if I could stay that atmosphere, how it is possible that, how it is wonderful that they could not go further sixty miles? I don't believe these things, these statements, that they were within sixty miles area. This is simply imagination.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1971, London:

Haṁsadūta: And another thing I wanted to ask you about, Prabhupāda, is that Maṇḍalībhadra, he wants to make your literature perfect, which is natural because we want to make the nicest presentation. But the devotees are saying that the translation... For instance, this Easy Journey to Other Planets, has been in the process so long, it has so many times been reworked, that it's no longer palatable to them. They don't even read it. They'd rather have the English version. So I know that Your Divine Grace has said you have full faith in his ability to do the work...

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you... you find out somebody else. He can also do.

Haṁsadūta: Because my opinion is that he's becoming overworked, it's becoming strained, so much so that we're not even able to bring it to the printer because he insists on making every time more and more corrections.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) It never comes to perfection.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Dr. Weir: That's where your line is so very good in saying that the real evolution of man's mind has been his ability to produce more and more the functions of whatever the mind may be. But the mind is just as indivisible as God. We know what the brain is, but we don't know what the mind is. Yet more and more of it under conscious control instead of being irrationally eruptive(?).

Prabhupāda: But there is the summum bonum of that realization. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births of this mental evolutionary process, when actually he becomes wise he becomes God conscious and surrenders to God. That is real evolution(?). That evolution will go on. But when it comes to the summit, that is God realization. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). God is cause of all causes. That is final realization. Unless one comes to that point he has not come to the perfection of evolutionary process of the mind and intelligence.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: "All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā." God is everything, and we can associate with Him according to our choice. The ability to choose, or our conscience, is given to us in the human form so we can utilize it. All the ingredients are there. The spiritual master is there, the scripture is there, and God is there, within you and within me. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, we have a good boat and a good navigator, and the wind is blowing favorably. We should take our chance and cross the ocean. This human body is a very nice boat, and we have a very good navigator, the spiritual master.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 10, 1974, Los Angeles:

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if... Since Kṛṣṇa is the power that gives the demigods the ability to render everything, then why is it recommended in the Nectar of Devotion that a Vaiṣṇava should worship Gaṇapati?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa worship, everyone. Just like we worship also ordinary man if it gives us facility to worship Kṛṣṇa. We go to somebody and worship him, flatter him, because he will give some money, and it will be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. The man is not worshipable, but he will help us to worship Kṛṣṇa. Thereby he will be helped and we will be also helped, and Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied that "My devotee has brought some money from this rascal. All right." That is... (laughter) So Gaṇapati is also devotee. So Gaṇapati, it is not required, but sometimes we do. Just like gopīs, they worshiped Goddess Durgā, Kātyāyanī.

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And if he does not, she'll say: "Śyāmasundara, here is a karmī." (laughter) So they're... Our Gosāin in Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, he was smoking. "Mālatī, Mālatī see this old man is smoking."

Guest (2): Take this beedie out. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. She was telling.

Prabhupāda: Just see. "He's smoking beedie." This man became little ashamed. "Yes, my girl, I'll give it up by and by." She was surprised that a man is smoking. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... (break) ...dṛḍha-vrata, vows, very rigidly. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. So if I'm unable, there is no need of starving. No. Because if you become diseased, then your bhajana will be hampered. So you can do it.

Guest (1): (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Or ability, inability, that depends on the person.

Guest (3): (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break) Adjust their cash.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Carol Cameron -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No, unless you are fully aware of my abilities, qualities, why should you surrender? (indistinct) So, before surrendering, one has to study the person where he is going to surrender. Then he surrenders. That is real surrender. And blindly surrender, that will not stay. So, our first business is to surrender to God; therefore we must know what is God. Then you must surrender. And, the emotion is good. That means you are advanced. If you understand that God is giving us everything. So, that emotion is very good. If one from the very beginning becomes emotional, "Oh, God is so kind. God is so great, that He is giving us everything, our necessities. I must serve Him." This emotion is very good. But for ordinary man, this emotion does not come. He wants to study what is God. Then when he fully understands, "Oh, God is so great." Then that emotion is very nice. That is genuine emotion. Otherwise emotion is sentiment. That will not stay. That will not endure. It is temporary.

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness. Money is not required. Required—food grains.

Justin Murphy: But unfortunately, of course increasingly now, in our society, there is an increasing ability to produce food almost artificially. And this happens more and more...

Prabhupāda: Then where is the scarcity? Why you are complaining, "There is scarcity of water." Why? You are complaining, "scarcity." If there is enough food, then why you are complaining about scarcity?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, how you'll find it? Give me. Unless you have an index, list.... The purport of the verse is that even Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu—He is God himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself—He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise alone what could I do? Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya bolo. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that "I have got so great ability. I can do." No. It is simply by cooperation we can do very big thing. "United we stand; divided we fall." This is our.... So be strong in pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa will help. He is the strongest. Still, we must be combined together. Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means many men combined together chanting. That is saṅkīrtana.

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1976, Delhi:

Guru dāsa: (break) ...about some other paṇḍitas who wanted to get Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura out of the town. So two of his students, one posed as a betel seller and one as a potter. And when the men came to take, kick Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura out of the town, they first stopped to get some betel. And the betel seller was quoting Sanskrit verses, and then the potter was also quoting Sanskrit verses. So they thought, "If the betel seller and the potter of this town are such great paṇḍitas, what must Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura be like?" So they left the town immediately. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the ability in man.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Guru dāsa: Kṛṣṇa is the ability in man. Kṛṣṇa is the ability...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is everything.

Guru dāsa: Yes. Is it all right to think sometimes when there is some success that it's more due to you than to Kṛṣṇa? Because you've taught us about Kṛṣṇa, you've taught us how to speak, etc. In other words, when there's some success, can we think that it's due to you more than to Kṛṣṇa, or both, or...

Prabhupāda: According to śāstra, both. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). By the grace of Kṛṣṇa one gets guru, and by the grace of guru one gets Kṛṣṇa. If one is sincerely seeking after Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gives him a guru, and the guru teaches him how to get Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: What is the dead man? Something is missing; therefore it is dead. Otherwise the body is there.

Richard: Right. Okay. His ability to, to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Body is.... The same hands, legs, mouth, eyes, ears, hair, everything is there, but now they're crying, "Oh, Mr. such and such gone, oh, finished." What is that finished?

Richard: Well, his ability to share...

Prabhupāda: What is that ability? That is my question. Why this important man is now useless although the same hands, legs, mouth, everything is there, but it is useless?

Richard: Well, he's no longer...

Prabhupāda: What was the important thing?

Richard: The important thing was his ability to share physically and intellectually.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that means that important thing was within the body; now it is missing. That is distinction between dead man and living man.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Then you are unable. You have to accept it. But as far as possible we can give them help. That is not the question. Question is, those who are not handicapped, they are rotting without education, without enlightenment by keeping themselves as fourth-class, fifth-class men. Why not train them to become first-class men? That is the point. If one is blind, you cannot give him eyes. If one is lame, you cannot give him leg. That is beyond your ability. That is another thing; we shall deal with them later on. First of all, those who are born as human beings, why should you keep them as third-class, fourth-class men?

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: They make this money-making machine. They do not know the money will automatically come you are sincere. You haven't got to make it a machine. Money Kṛṣṇa will send. But they have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. They have faith in their own ability. "Yes, we shall earn money in this way, by showing the Deity." They don't recognize Kṛṣṇa's everything. They think "By high-court judgement, if we capture this place, then money will come."

Hari-śauri: Practically speaking, they're finished. They're on their last legs.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, other svāmīs and yogis they are finding that this Bhaktivedanta Svami alone is preaching all over the... "We, combined, we could not do anything."

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: All right, let me ask a rather long question. Let's assume that all human beings have an innate ability to speak, and depending upon the circumstances they find themselves in when they are very small, they will learn Sanskrit, they will learn English, they will learn French, they will learn Chinese. What... Now, if I were Chinese, I would say, "Well Chinese is the best language." I would have a, you know... I could take a different mode on what's the best way to communicate.

Prabhupāda: No, Chinese...

Interviewer: Now, in terms of your movement, you're bringing out consciousness, which I would analogize...

Prabhupāda: No, I say...

Interviewer: To the ability to speak. Now, how is your path or your way different from (or) better than others?

Prabhupāda: No, but there is no question of "better than others." It is the only thing.

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They knew it. That is Vedic culture. Because Vedic culture is from the very beginning. The children were given instruction, brahmacārī.

Indian man: It is said in some quarters that in olden days because of a lack of so many amenities for our life and all that...

Prabhupāda: What is that? What is your ability? Your ability is that you work like an ass and die. That's all. That's your ability. Mūḍha. What is your ability? Can you stop death? Then what is your ability? You have to die. So it is false ability. It is struggle only. You try to live but nature will kill you. This is your ability.

Indian man: He is talking of amenities, there are so many amenities now...

Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of this amenities? After all you are going to die. Your all amenities will remain background. That's all.

Room Conversation -- November 20, 1976, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: The ability to remember Kṛṣṇa, that will also increase?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if the brain is clear—it is not filled up with rubbish cow dung—then Kṛṣṇa consciousness easy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no more material consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). That is required. In material existence we have got so many obligations, thoughts (indistinct), and so many things. Bṛthā.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. One can immediately surrender if he likes. The background has nothing to do. Even the background is sinful, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "I shall save you from reaction of sinful life." Then there is no consideration of their background. You simply surrender. Then it will be solved, everything.

Devotee (2): But, Śrīla Prabhupāda, has anyone got the same ability to surrender, because...

Prabhupāda: Everyone has got. If I say, "You surrender," you just... What is... If you disagree, that is another. Otherwise you can surrender immediately. Where is the difficulty?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Guest (1): Actually, I have thought, without glorifying, because I did not want any material gain, but was my firm faith that what attracted me was the worth not of my personal ability but abilities of many other people.

Prabhupāda: No, no. We have to understand the subject matter for which we are working. Personal benefit and extended personal benefit, there is no difference by quality. Generally they take it that "I am working for my family. If I work for my community, or if I work for my society..." Extended. So the quality does not change.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I advised Gandhi that he should retire. He never retired. That's all right. And our program is, they have chucked out. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. You show your all nonsense ability up to fifty years. Don't go more than that. Because you are rascal, you will never be able to do anything, but jump like monkey up to fifty years, not more than that. Monkey jumping may be continued up to fifty years. Then retire. They will continue monkey jumping up to the last point of death.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Young man (6): What are the rules of the material nature? Again, from experience, I know that one year, I couldn't do something and then, with a certain amount of practice, the next year I could. And so the rule has changed. It no longer is out of my grasp.

Prabhupāda: Not changed. You think that.

Young man (6): But my ability to work...

Prabhupāda: Your ability to work is destined. Why don't you understand this? What you are? Why you are thinking yourself very big? That is your nonsense. You are under the rules of material nature. You'll be forced. That is real understanding, that "I don't want this. Why material nature forces me?" That is real knowledge. "Why? Why I am under the material rules?" Then knowledge begins.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: At least for few months I can continue. This is first business. Do it. And another point, that formerly the Britishers expanded empire. Now we have got better service. They... You expand the empire of consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is also the same view, but it is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa has given you the ability. Do it enthusiastically with the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother.

Prabhaviṣṇu: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Bangladesh when we were doing programs, after the programs we'd distribute books, and there was such a great rush for books that we had to stay inside a locked room and sell the books through bars in the window.

Prabhupāda: That's very encouraging.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we promise that we'll manage everything to the best of our ability.

Prabhupāda: No, no, you are managing, I know, but you are all important men and unnecessarily you are bound up. You cannot go. So Lokanātha party has got some experience and let me go. In India the climate is now good. If I recover, it is very good. You know. So what is the wrong? If I die, then the body will be brought either in Vṛndāvana or Māyāpura, that's all. And if I live, it will be a great end of a life. You are all experienced.

Page Title:Ability (Conversations)
Compiler:Alakananda, Matea
Created:13 of Sep, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=22, Let=0
No. of Quotes:22