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Adequate (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Space uniform, that is not adequate.
Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Now that specific body, if you are able to make by your modern science, then it may be possible. But you have to change your body to that specific condition. But the spacedress which is now being used, that is not useful.

Reporter: The space uniform, you don't feel that is adequate?

Prabhupāda: Space uniform, that is not adequate.

Reporter: Now what about the beings that live on the moon planet?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter: Do you feel that they would interfere with any experiments or persons from earth landing there or trying to land there? Say, even if they had some specific body change or came up with a spacesuit that would withstand any changes in temperature...

Prabhupāda: The first thing is that with this body you, neither you can land there nor interfere with their business. The first thing is. The scientists say that the temperature in moon planet is two hundred degree less than zero. Is it not?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

There is no question of liberation. It is neither fast nor slow. You first know what is liberation.
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes, to become honest is also good karma. How to become good man, they're described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Daivī sampad and asurī sampad. These are very elaborately described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you become qualified with the daivī sampad, then daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5), then you'll be liberated. And nibandhāyāsurī matā. And if you are qualified with the demonic qualification, then you'll be more and more entangled. Unfortunately, the modern civilization, they do not know what is liberation and what is entanglement. They're so much ignorant. They do not know... Suppose if I ask you, "What do you mean by liberation?" Can you answer? And if I ask you, "What do you mean by entanglement?" Can you answer? These words are there in the Vedic literature. Liberation and entanglement. But at the present moment they do not know even what is liberation, what is entanglement. They're so ignorant and foolish, and still, they're proud of their advancement in knowledge. Can you answer what is liberation? You are a professor, teacher, but if I ask you, can you explain what is liberation?

Bob: Not adequately because if I could explain, then I would be becoming liberated very fast.

Prabhupāda: But if you do not know what is liberation, then how fast and slow liberation? (laughs) There is no question of liberation. It is neither fast nor slow. You first know what is liberation. If you do not know where the train is going, then what is the use of asking or understanding fast and slow? You do not know your destination. What is liberation?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

It is the duty of the guardians to see that the children are actually spiritually benefited.
Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You are welcome because you are sincere student searching after... I am prepared to help you any time.

David Lawrence: I do hope that anything I produce will...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

David Lawrence: ..., you know, very adequately represent the movement. I'm going to give it to...

Prabhupāda: Your, these students, they'll be benefited if you...

David Lawrence: I think so.

Prabhupāda: They will benefit. Yes, actually.

David Lawrence: I hope so.

Prabhupāda: And it is the duty of the guardians to see that the children are actually spiritually benefited. There is a verse... Pitā na sa syāt gurur na sa syāt. You have got Bhāgavata?

Nobody can understand God and God's conception, being sinful.
Garden Conversation with Mahadeva's Mother and Jesuit Priest -- July 25, 1973, London:

Jesuit Priest: In fact, I can say, by... I'm a Catholic priest, and by and large, I think our men, who are to, doing the translations are pretty, like, good chaps anyhow.

Revatīnandana: Hmh. So if, if the translators and the knowledge are adequate, then why is it, as Mrs. Christie just pointed out that so many young people are interested instead in false religious experience of LSD?

Jesuit Priest: Well, I wouldn't know. Because, I would say, because there's some kind of inadequacy in their lives. There's something missing, and that, the thing which is missing, is what we in the Catholic Church call the life of grace, the supernatural. Somehow, something's gone wrong somewhere. And so, they, lots of the young people today...

Prabhupāda: That, that I was trying to explain, that nobody can understand God and God's conception, being sinful.

Why should you try something which you do not know adequately? That is our protest.
Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Dr. Inger: In other words, everything else is a plan or an excuse to escape from yourself.

Prabhupāda: That means it is a association of cheaters and cheated. Somebody wants to cheat and somebody's being cheated. That's all. That is our opinion. So how the association of cheaters and cheated can do anything good to the human society? They're cheaters. They do not know how this peace has to be attained, and they're trying to attain peace in their own way. Therefore they're cheaters. You do not a subject matter, how to do it, and you're trying to do it, that means you are cheater. It may be very strong words, but the fact is there. Why should you try something which you do not know adequately? That is our protest.

Dr. Inger: Well, many people would say that the use of the intellect alone, which is an excuse for not going deep into oneself, is the technique that is used. What can be rationally explained, only rationally explained, is what matters.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

If he knows what is soul, where is the difficulty to give definition?
Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Church Representative: I understand. My conception of soul?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Church Representative: Could you (sic:) precise your question, because what do you mean by this...

Prabhupāda: Soul...

Church Representative: Yes, I know... I cannot say that I know what is soul. I know that there are souls, that I have a soul. But I think that it's very difficult to give adequate... (French)

Yogeśvara: He says he knows that he has a soul, but he thinks it would be hard to give an accurate definition of the soul.

Prabhupāda: But if he knows what is soul, where is the difficulty to give definition?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

So if by chance there is baby, killing. Is that the conclusion?
Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (1): What I can do is to study the growth and differentiation of the nervous system, different parts of the nervous system and how it is affected by lack of protein in the diet of the mother.

Prabhupāda: That is medical science.

Guest (1): Because all over the developing world there are millions of mothers who would not get any great quantities of protein while they are pregnant. In the first instance before they are pregnant, they are not nutritionally prepared for having another burden of a baby inside their body, and without that adequate preparation when they become pregnant, this is a double stress on their physiological systems. And we would like to see how the baby gets affected.

Prabhupāda: So if by chance there is baby, killing. Is that the conclusion?

The real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease. So we are dealing with that problem. Now... Does anybody like to die?
Room Conversation with Ganesa dasa's Mother and Sister -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Gaṇeśa: My sister is learning at one institute of technology just like the university. She is doing some course in, course in social work... (break) She works at one hospital. Also where else? One psychiatric nursing hospital. She is learning how to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others.

Prabhupāda: And what for your benefit?

Sister: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: What you are doing for your benefit?

Sister: For my benefit? It develops me because it helps me to learn to give to others rather than, you know, for myself.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Everyone is doing for others, but what he is doing for himself?

Sister: Well, I feel it has developed me as a person. You know? I can look more into myself by helping others.

Prabhupāda: So what is the way of helping?

Sister: Well, in the society it's full of problems and people are just sort of lost, and I can't solve their problems, but I can help them to cope with them more adequately. That's what I hope to be able to do when I'm qualified.

Prabhupāda: But do you know what is the problem?

Sister: The problems? No. That's why they come to you, really. You know? They're expecting an answer. You can't really give them one, but...

Prabhupāda: The real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease. So we are dealing with that problem. Now... Does anybody like to die?

We have to fight with the whole world.
Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Dhṛṣṭaketu: When Kṛṣṇa would play His flute then the airplanes would be there.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: When Kṛṣṇa would play His flute then the airplanes would come and...

Prabhupāda: Where is Kṛṣṇa playing flute?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: In Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then why the airplanes do not come Delhi? (laughter) (pause) He is godless and we have to fight against them. Just see our position. We have to fight with the whole world.

Indian man (1): Number of forces will increase day by day.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Indian man (1): Number of forces are increasing day by day, they will fight adequately.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have done it singlehanded, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Single-handed, double-handed, doesn't matter—if Kṛṣṇa is there in the background. Arjuna fought singlehanded.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

We know that our honest attempt to present this great literature conveying transcendental messages for reviving the God consciousness of the people in general and respiritualizing the world atmosphere is fraught with many difficulties. Our presenting this matter in adequate language, especially a foreign language, will certainly fail, and there will be so many literary discrepancies despite our honest attempt to present it in the proper way.
Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: We are confident that if the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is received only by the leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of heart, and naturally the people in general will follow them. The mass of people in general are tools in the hands of modern politicians and leaders of the people. If there is a change of heart of the leaders only, certainly there will be a radical change in the atmosphere of the world. We know that our honest attempt to present this great literature conveying transcendental messages for reviving the God consciousness of the people in general and respiritualizing the world atmosphere is fraught with many difficulties. Our presenting this matter in adequate language, especially a foreign language, will certainly fail, and there will be so many literary discrepancies despite our honest attempt to present it in the proper way, but we are sure that with all our faults in this connection, the seriousness of the subject matter will be taken into consideration, and the leaders of society will still accept this, due to its being an honest attempt to glorify the almighty God.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

So your impression is that ten minutes or whatever time is not adequate, and unless she prepares her ground for stable, continuous...
Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: One lady... She is Subash Bose's niece, Lalitā Bose. You see? Because these family are very intimately..., Subash Bose's family and Nehru family. So she calls Indira "Didi," means "elder sister." So she took me, and she gave me interview at a very critical moment, just day before that Bujhibanlal(?) was killed, and she was guarded by heavy number of police and soldier. Still, she allowed my car to enter. I am very much obliged. But it was ten minutes' time. So what Bhagavad-gītā could be discussed in ten minutes? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn Bhagavad-gītā submissively, praṇipātena, paripraśnena, by sincere inquiry, and learn it from a person who has seen. Upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. You cannot have any knowledge, who has not seen the truth. If you say that "How it is possible that you have...?" We have seen through this paramparā system. The same thing: "This is pencil." I have learned it from my father, "It is pencil," that's all. You cannot call it stick. It is pencil. My father has taught that "This is pencil." I know this. That's all. It is very easy. But if one follows, his life is successful. Very easy.

D. D. Desai: So your impression is that ten minutes or whatever time is not adequate, and unless she prepares her ground for stable, continuous...

Prabhupāda: No, she can... Paripraśna. From scientific point of view, from logic, that is accepted. But if he (she) thinks blindly something, then it is not possible.

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti tad jñānam
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

Just like Arjuna learned Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa. He submitted, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7).

Page Title:Adequate (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, MayuriSakhee
Created:24 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=11, Let=0
No. of Quotes:11