Architect (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"architect" |"architect's" |"architects"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Tejas: So this is Sri Madan. He is architect.

Prabhupāda: Madan Mohan.

Tejas: And this is Sri...

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) (break) Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). Then?

Tejas: This is Sri Naran Svarupa Sharma. He was professor in England and then Member of Parliament here.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tejas: And he has been helpful.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Just see our condition. You have read this morning's paper?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Swami Akhandananda is speaking kalpanā. Such a big sannyāsī, he says that Kṛṣṇa is kalpanā...

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Pradyumna: You said in one place, "Man is the architect of his own happiness and distress."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is an axiomatic truth even by the modern man. Yes, that "Man is the architect of his own fortune." So as soon as there is work to make your fortune, then there must be a person to decide to give you a fortunate position. Just like in an establishment, so many men are working, but there is a president. He is considering the work file, "How this man has worked?" And he is being promoted, his salary is being increased, and somebody is degraded, no promotion, rather, transferred in some other place. So natural conclusion is when there are so many varieties of life in our presence and they are, although in the same place, they haven't got the same facility, so there must be somebody who decides on this point. So how you can deny God? Our point is the Supreme Person, the president, who decides on this fact, He is God.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa says that.

Guest (2): Yes, that is provided He gives me that...

Prabhupāda: Not "provided." There is no "provided." Kṛṣṇa says this. This is Kṛṣṇa's order, that "You give up all nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me." That is your business. But you are thinking, "No, I am part of this world. I must work in this world. I must have this. I must have that." That is your thinking. Kṛṣṇa's order is, "Simply surrender unto Me." That's all. But you are thinking, "How can I surrender?" And that is your business. If you do not surrender, then you go. See to your own business. So whatever you are creating, you are creating by yourself. "Man is the architect of his own fortune." So you are creating your fortune and misfortune, both. Kṛṣṇa is giving you facilities. "All right, you want this? All right, take this."

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

John Nordheimer: Is that preordained, or is it by free choice?

Prabhupāda: Free choice. What is preordained? You are here of your free choice. If you like, you can sit down and talk with me, and if you don't like, then you can go. That is your free choice. Free choice makes destiny; if I act in goodness, then my future is good. And if I act badly, my future is bad. That is destiny. Man is the architect of his own destiny. If you are educated, your future is nice, and if you remain foolish, then your future is bad. Future destiny depends on present action. This life is an opportunity to make the next life, and if we behave like human beings, then in our next life we will go back home, back to Godhead. But if we behave like animals, then in the next life we will take animal bodies. That's all. All this is very nicely described in Bhagavad-gītā. The conclusion is that human beings are meant for understanding God, but if we waste our time understanding dog, and if we become attached to dog, then we will become dogs in our next life. And if we are attached to God, we become like God, in our next life. The choice is ours.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1973, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So it has come to her attention.

Śyāmasundara: I think he has told that story to several people and the word has spread.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Brahmānanda: Where did you hear it from?

Prabhupāda: Anyway, that, our, our architect, that...

Brahmānanda: Surabhi. Oh, Mr. Lahiri.

Prabhupāda: He has seen in the Jugantar Press.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Uncivilized. A similar thing is happening in India where the civilization is supposed to be so... And actually it is so, but they have become so degraded that a responsible officer in the government, he is saying that "Bhajana is nuisance." You see. He has no knowledge what, how much valuable, spiritually valuable, bhajana is. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Gandhi accepted Bhagavad-gītā. It is said, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛti... Gandhi was chanting in temple: Raghupati rāghava. So what they are following? Gandhi was against drinking and intoxication. Now they're introducing. So this is the position of the government. Therefore I suggest that according to the word, so far traffic, we are diverting the ways this way. And let people come here, join with bhajana, take prasādam, and they sign, "Yes, there must be a temple here." Let this. And make propaganda that people may come here, and... I am present here. I will speak. The same thing, as it is going on, kīrtana and speaking from Bhagavad-gītā. And after they are convinced, let them sign, "Yes, there must be a temple here." In this way, gather public opinion, one point, that bhajana is not nuisance, essential, we want it, and the other thing, we are making gate in and out to get... Submit a plan like that, that this is... There will be no... That may be a small road, lane, but here is a big road. And purchase that land in front and make a gate. Call a good architects, make a nice gate and road. Take this proposition. Our business is there. If we invite people, "Come..." Even without temple, if it is go on like that, people may come and take prasādam, and they give their consent, "Yes, it is nice," that is sufficient. Even there is no temple. Then, if such way, public opinion's created, and the sanction is there, immediately there will be temple. It may take some time. It doesn't matter. So far satyagraha (?) is concerned, it will be useless. Hungry people, they are making satyagraha, and they are replied with fire, killing them. In Patna it has become so.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 4, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: These two architects are wonderful people. They are wonderful. They, very early they're getting up. I said it will not be so soon as that.

Prabhupāda: Now we are going to have the temple within three months.

Dr. Patel: But then drying of the cement, drying needs...

Prabhupāda: Everything is there. Just you take and... In Bombay, Calcutta, if you pay for, you can get tiger's blood.

Dr. Patel: That side, you can get tiger's blood and even tiger's milk. But then you can't get time. The cement a certain, takes certain time to dry, no?

Prabhupāda: Then the answer is... No, the architects have promised, within three months.

Dr. Patel: You must have some, some mantras then, architect. Have you got any mantras brought from America or...?

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa! (break) ...is practical.

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: They are learning, after all, they are learning. They have not reached that. They are not yuktas. They are in the process of getting it.

Prabhupāda: So why they say there is no God?

Dr. Patel: Who says that there is no God? Scientists don't say so. Some of them may be saying. Jagadish Chandra Bose did say so? He was a great scientist. Did he say so? No. If a few scientists say there is no God, that does not mean all the scientists. We are practically all of us, scientists, this architect, this Mr. Joshi, myself. We don't say there is no God. So, sir, don't say that scientists say.

Prabhupāda: Because you have become Vaiṣṇava, that is the...

Dr. Patel: Not... Even before that.

Prabhupāda: Unless one becomes Vaiṣṇava...

Dr. Patel: A real scientist finds God's working in every cell, every atom, every molecule.

Prabhupāda: No, no, our point is unless one has become Vaiṣṇava, he remains a fool.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is the misfortune. And how it started, this ball? Who made the ball rolling? He, he makes the ball. This is modern education.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Everyone is the architect of his own fortune.

Dr. Patel: No, no. I talk of the samaṣṭi sir. He...

Prabhupāda: Samāṣṭi, sama and aṣṭi together makes samaṣṭi. If you become devotee, I become devotee, everyone becomes.... Then samaṣṭi, devotee. And if you are nondevotee, I'm a nondevotee, then.... Combination of nondevotees. That's all. We have to therefore change this group, where we shall live. Satāṁ prasanga mama virya sambhava bhavānti nitkarma. (indistinct) If you live with the devotees, then these topics of transcendental subject matter becomes palatable. Otherwise it is nonpalatable. Therefore they do not like to come to the temple to hear our lecture. Nonpalatable.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We had a very big program in Modinagara.

Prabhupāda: His wife received us very nicely.

Dr. Patel: Very cultured people. My cousin's daughter is married to his nephew, Modinagarawala. He's a big architect.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, Modi, he...

Dr. Patel: This Modi, is, I mean, an industrialist, but his nephew, an architect.... My niece was studying in London, and she married with him in England. Intercommunal marriage.

Abhirāma: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Room Conversation -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: So, can they pass such law?

Devotee (2): I don't think so. We're having.... Some of our men are going to meet with the council the day after tomorrow at the meeting. They're open to our side. The reason is that the businessmen have complained, some of the businessmen have complained.

Prabhupāda: Not all of them. You take some signature from other businessmen.

Devotee (2): Yes, all right.

Prabhupāda: You present that.

Devotee (2): Yes. The men who are going to speak are businessmen, devotees. One is an architect.

Prabhupāda: Then he can organize so many signatures.

Devotee (2): One is a restaurant owner, and one has a hairdressing salon. And they're going to speak...

Prabhupāda: Everyone likes; that's a fact.

Morning Walk -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes, we had two German Godbrothers. One is that Sadānanda. Another was Bon something.

Hari-śauri: He was initiated?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Devotee (1): ...family they live in Houston, they're a big construction company, and they do all kinds of construction work for the government.

Prabhupāda: I think his grandfather was also architect.... That gentleman was Jew.

Devotee (1): I don't remember. I think he was. He used to work with George Harrison.... Harrison was their name. He was very rich. Their family does construction work for big government officials in Iran, and they are building one big naval base in Iran.

Prabhupāda: Why not to take our work in Māyāpura? (break)

Devotee (1): ...letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He never returned it.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: I wouldn't want to try it in a car. Might get, the road is not bad, but it is not quite good enough for a car.

Prabhupāda: The same way we have to go?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, but the road has been improved.

Prabhupāda: So one day we can go.

Kīrtanānanda: When it dries up.

Prabhupāda: You father is an architect, I see.

Kulaśekhara: No, he's working on the docks.

Prabhupāda: Oh. His father came to see me in London.

Kulaśekhara: He used to chauffeur you in his car. He would drive you in his car from the airport.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Mr. Sahani: Misfortune is again, is not in the hands of human being.

Prabhupāda: No, misfortune is your creation. Fortune... Man is the architect of his own fortune. So you can create your fortune and misfortune. That is the world, going on, so many people, they are working, somebody is creating fortune, somebody is creating misfortune. So anyway, when Kṛṣṇa directly is giving you the knowledge, perfect knowledge, why don't you take it? Is it not misfortune?

Mr. Sahani: Well, that probably is ignorance.

Prabhupāda: THat is misfortune. Ignorance means misfortune. The unfortunate persons are those who are ignorant, uneducated. Therefore you have to take education to become fortunate. And that education is being imparted by Kṛṣṇa, but you don't take it. That is misfortune. If you take education from Kṛṣṇa, you become fortunate. So why don't you take it? Kṛṣṇa has said this very thing.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Fortune you create. Man is the architect of his own fortune. If you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's advice, then unfortunate. But my business is not difficult. We are simply going door to door and asking, "Sir, you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." If he is inquisitive, "How can I become?" "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So where is my difficulty? Haven't got to pay you something. I simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya (BG 18.69). "He's My most beloved person, who does this." So why shall I give up this simple job and become recognized by Kṛṣṇa? It is very simple thing. That is the advice of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "All of you become guru and deliver these persons where you live." So how can I become guru? I have no education, I have no knowledge. No, no. You haven't got to-yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "You go and simply instruct him what Kṛṣṇa has said, you become guru." So Kṛṣṇa has said, "Surrender unto Me," I say "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa," I become guru. Even though I am a fool number one, I become guru, because I am repeating what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. I don't require any education. Very simple thing. Everyone can become guru if he simply repeats what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, we are famous now, Juhu.

Saurabha: But your official letters, the name of the street is called A. B. Nyer Road. I never knew that. I thought it was the road in the back.

Prabhupāda: No, they said Gandhi, Juhu Road?

Saurabha: No. Now on the latest letter that I got from the government it was written A. B. Nyer Road. Maybe it was an old letter, I don't know. When we submitted the new plans for the gurukula building, there was a letter I had to sign about the work, that we have given to the architect, an official letter so that we can get the permission. And it was written that the plot was on the A. B. Nyer Road, our land. So I inquired, and they said, "Yes, that's the name of that road."

Prabhupāda: Is there any signboard, A. B. Nyer Road?

Saurabha: No.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Saurabha: That is only in the back near that new hotel, that Holiday Inn Hotel. This one portion says A. B. Nyer Road. So that road goes like this-here is the Juhu Market and the road goes...

Prabhupāda: No, we go on as Hare Krishna Land, Juhu.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Suppose if there is some infectious disease, the doctor says, "Don't go there." And if you go there, you'll be infected. You'll suffer. How the doctor can protect you? Doctor's duty is to warn you not to go to that area, "It is now infected with smallpox." But in spite of doctor's instruction, if you go there and if you infect that disease and suffer, then it is your fault. When a man is hanged by the judgment of the court, do you think that the high-court judge is inimical to that person? He's giving judgment to other persons that "This one must make one lakh of rupees from that person." And next judgment, "This man must be hanged." Does it mean the high-court judge is partial? He's simply giving judgment on the merit of the particular case. So there is no argument that "Why God has created so many varieties?" God has not created. You have created. Man is the architect of his own fortune. Fortune and misfortune you have created. So we have to suffer or so-called enjoy. There is no enjoyment here. It is simply suffering. But because you are under māyā, you are thinking suffering as enjoying. Just like a hog is eating stool. Other man is becoming... "Very abominable!" Oh what nasty thing he is..." But he is enjoying. He is thinking, "I am enjoying the best food." I have seen in airplane. One Indian gentleman, he was eating the intestine of the hog. So it was horrible for me, but he was eating very nice. So in this way the world is going on. "One man's food is another man's poison." So similarly, we are creating our next birth according to our desire. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). According to the infection of the different modes of material nature, we are creating good or bad body next life. The laws of nature is unknown to the foolish society.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: ...neither they do not know how life becomes possible. They may go on (Imitating the speaker?) "Bhag, bhag," but these two things are absent. You are all scientists? No. You do not know how life becomes possible. They simply theorize in so many ways, but they cannot give us any positive information. (Bengali) "Man is the architect of his own fortune." So we can take the words of the ācāryas. (Bengali) (someone preaching in Oriya in background) (Prabhupāda speaks in Bengali to guests, tells someone to give them prasāda)

Indian boy: I want to read some books published by Swamiji. Can I get?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? You can have here. We have got forty standing orders from this city in different libraries, colleges. So you can take books from any library, or if you like you can purchase also.

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So you have got any place? No.

Jayatīrtha: Right now we're looking for land, and I brought this Raṇachora... Where's Raṇachora? Anyway, Raṇachora, he's architect and artist. He's going to work, hopefully, with Saurabha. Saurabha is anxious also for helping do some preliminary drawings.

Prabhupāda: No, unless you get land, how you can do?

Jayatīrtha: Well, we thought some things, have some drawings we'd showing...

Prabhupāda: But so far I know, it is very difficult to get vacant land.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So such an important article, there are so many discrepancies, and you have published without consulting others?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: I haven't seen it.

Prabhupāda: And your name is simply, "Swami..." There is no other name behind this plan? As if you are doing everything. You are maybe architect, but is that your plan?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Well, we had that... We had the interview in the... And I very clearly mentioned all these things.

Prabhupāda: There is no mention of any other name, even your guru's name. You are everything there. This is very bad. This is not at all my request(?). It is objectionable, very much objectionable. You have done a very wrong thing. Why did you not consult others before publishing?

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But how is that, they have avoided everything else? "Surabhī Swami is doing. It is his city." They're asking, "his city." And where is such incidence that any project, without mentioning the project makers, the architect's name... Where is that incidence, that "Here is the architect, architect, architect"? Nobody finds.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You look at any project in Bombay that's coming up, or anywhere in India. They'll always mention who is going to use the building or who is..., who paid for it. Hardly ever... If anything, the architect's name is mentioned in one line, "designed by so and so." But the architect never holds the press conference. That's another... I mean, I never heard of an architect holding a press conference. Neither I have heard the architect doing so many of the other things which the architect is doing. That, I think, is the essential thing. Whenever Bhavānanda Mahārāja...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you form immediately joint committee. You cannot do independently. That is not possible. Whatever is done is done. Now, henceforward, you should be guarded. You, you published that article?

Patita-pāvana: What is that?

Prabhupāda: The Times of India?

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Patita-pāvana: We went down together. We were interviewed by the reporter there.

Prabhupāda: So what kind of interview, that Saurabha is everything? Architect? Architect is everything?

Patita-pāvana: This is a great mistake. Surabhī Mahārāja did not want that. He specifically said, and we also told him, "You must put this, 'Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.' " He said it definitely, I said it, and I wrote it down. And I wrote it down, I think, two places for him. And then it was also written down on our release, "disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: So how is that, nobody's name is there, only Saurabha's? And they have mentioned, "his city."

Patita-pāvana: Oh, no. That is not good.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If I do with our men, then it will not be recognized as temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, oh, yeah, that's a fact. No, it was properly done.

Prabhupāda: "Any or other, take. Finish that business." Now I don't want. I don't care for them. Our temple is always crowded. My achievement is there. In the beginning I spent. Now every, all over India, they are praising me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Architect of the Bhagavad-gītā boom." That's how they praised you in the newspaper yesterday.

Prabhupāda: That's a fact.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So that fortune is... By fortune he gets a guru. And by the instruction of guru he gets Kṛṣṇa. So to create fortune we have to take this regulative principle, to become fortunate that someday he'll be able to meet somebody who is real guru and who will give him real guidance. "Man is the architect of his own fortune." Therefore pious activities and other things, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā, these things are recommended, to acquire the qualities of brāhmaṇa. These things are required. If he remains like animal, that fortune will never come. This is the architecture. So that fortune begins when he enters the varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. That is a easiest way. Fortune does not come that "This is very important. Man is the architect of his own fortune." He must accept some process to become fortunate. And if you want to become fortunate through the rich man, you should enter... (microphone moving) ...just like businessman... (microphone moving) And without doing something, how you can get fortune? That is now... There is no such program. The program is just a animal program: eating, sleeping, mating and defend. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important, to give them the fortune, not immediately but our immediate future, by acting in this way, he'll be fortunate.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: It seems that the temple could be completed within seven years without straining.

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Jayapatākā: Then we can have it completed by the five-hundredth-year anniversary of Lord Caitanya...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...which is in eight years.

Prabhupāda: Do it. That is...

Jayapatākā: And the architect at Māyāpura, he said that the temple that's inside the big temple, that could be opened up to the public within three years by having just some type of false ceiling, and then the upper stories, work can go on. That means within three years people could start visiting the temple and using it, which will also be a big inspiration to the public. And then the upstairs and complete outside would be completed.

Prabhupāda: Do like that. That is very good idea. And different name, you can purchase.