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Bells (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Past five-twenty. What is your time?

Guest: I have twenty-five after.

Prabhupāda: This is right?

Yamunā: Yes. Well, no. It's five minutes slow.

Janārdana: Think so? I don't know. My watch is ten or five minutes fast. My watch is always fast.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, this is still slow. This is correct time now.

Guru dāsa: Your watch is still drop proof.

Prabhupāda: Because it is correct to the church bell. Yes. Church cannot be... (laughter)

Janārdana: So the ceremony will be at six, yes?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Six-thirty. One hour after. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (devotees offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: So take care of your child very nicely. She is Kṛṣṇa conscious child. Yes. And Līlāvatī's child has grown very nice?

Devotee woman: Oh, very nice.

Yamunā: Oh, it's so beautiful.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) And what about that girl?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana and bell in the temple, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong. This sound we will hear early in... (sound of rooster crowing in background)

Prabhupāda: In Hawaii, this disturbance is there. Always, ca-caw, caw. (laughter)

Devotee: There's not so much at Advaita Bhavan.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee: There's not chickens at Advaita Bhavan.

Prabhupāda: No, in neighborhood. In Hawaii, they are very much fond of. Some of them eat dogs also.

Room Conversation -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: For everything you have to learn from a guru. (laughter) Even for how to play. (more laughing) Yes: one, two, three. (more playing of karatālas)

John Fahey: Hey, those are nice bells, I mean cymbals. Oh, boy.

Prabhupāda: So sit down together whenever you find time, one, two, three play, and Hare Kṛṣṇa chant.

John Fahey: Okay. (plays more)

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya Prabhupāda!

John Fahey: Thank you.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Thank you. (offers obeisances)

Prabhupāda: What is your name?

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The mouse are afraid of cats. So they held a meeting (indistinct). Then the resolution was passed that let there be a bell in the neck of the cat fixed up, so that when he is coming the bell will ring and we shall know, "Now he is coming." Immediately it was passed. The first resolution was passed. Then how to bell, who will go to bell? Because anyone who will go to bell the cat, he will be devoured. So the plan-making that this will be managed like this, there is a resolution, bells, fixing of a bell. Now go in and fix up the bell.

Gurudāsa: It seems that Bhavānanda prabhu is the best manager.

Prabhupāda: Manager anyone can become, but manpower... We have no Indian members chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: Many of these bogus groups, Prabhupāda, they claim that God is simply sound and light. So their meditation means seeing what they call ājñā-cakra, or point between eyebrows. They see there and they hear sounds, bells and thunder and flute all within. And that is their meditation. Hearing these sounds and see these lights.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but what do you gain by that?

Prajāpati: Supposedly they go to higher levels of existence, higher levels of consciousness. They change the sound and the colors change...

Prabhupāda: But you cannot give up even smoking. You are in higher level of consciousness? So what is the proof that you are on the higher level of the consciousness? You cannot give up even ordinary things.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 9, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) they do gorgeous, most gorgeous. You learn to do like that here in Vṛndāvana.

Guru dāsa: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Very gorgeous. All decorated, (indistinct), gongs, bells, mṛdaṅgas. Keep at least twelve trained devotees. At least twelve. (indistinct) (break)

Guru dāsa: Some people make the, cut the coat to fit the pocket.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guru dāsa: Cut the coat to fit the pocket.

Prabhupāda: That's right.

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Bicyclist: (ringing bell) Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: It's like you said last night. They begin to chant.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guru dāsa: Do the rickshaw drivers in Letchmore Heath chant Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: No, they were sleeping. (laughter) That is western. Here you will find even the old man rises early in the morning. Yes, take bath. Without any reference to Hare Kṛṣṇa. They chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. In the village, they take bath early in the morning. That is very healthy.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: "Those who are simply attracted to temple worship but do not know the philosophy of bhakti are in the neophyte stage." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...still India's spiritual culture, that people were not trained up in the bhakti science; simply they go to the temple, "dung, dung, dung." (makes sound of bell-ringing) That's all. That has finished.

Dr. Patel: Bhakti is practiced more in south.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Dr. Patel: In the south there is...

Prabhupāda: No, everywhere. Everywhere. They do not know. In the temple there is no discussion scientifically about Kṛṣṇa or anything. You see?

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: We can give you one information, that metals like bell metal. Bell metal is combination of...? What is called? Tin? Tin? What is another name of tin?

Yogeśvara: Copper.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, tin and copper and mercury; if you can mix, it will become gold.

Dr. Sallaz: I'm sure it is possible, from what we have seen and made. But it is not of great interest to make gold.

Prabhupāda: No, we are interested. (laughter) We want gold for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody is paying us. We are simply selling our books. That's all. Nobody paying us, no government, no..., that "You take so many million dollars for spreading Kṛṣṇa..." Nobody. Therefore we require some gold. So biology, what is the basic principle of biology?

Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: You see. As soon as there is bell, the Roman Catholics began to kill the Protestants. So this is nature's law. You don't require to be sent to the slaughterhouse. You'll make your slaughterhouse at home. You'll kill your own child. Abortion. This is nature's law. What are these children being killed? They are these meat-eaters. They enjoyed. Now they are being killed by the mother. They do not know how nature is working. You must be killed. If you kill, you must be killed. That I've discussed in this now Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Where is Nitāi?

Bhagavān: They kill the cow, which is a mother, and then sometimes they get, when their mother kills them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The mother becomes child and child becomes mother. That's all. Have you got transcription of the vyādha story?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: No, no, unless understand what is that "anything..." First of all, you have to understand what is that "anything." Anything... Just like this book, this table, this bell, the electric they are so many things. So you can take any one of them; that is anything. What is your idea of anything?

Guest (1): Oh, reality. Material, external, reality to our ego, our internal reality as well.

Prabhupāda: Internal reality and external reality?

Guest (1): Both. For me, the word "anything" covers both.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that also we understand, "anything." There are so many varieties of things, and you can take any one of them. That is "anything." But your question should be, "Wherefrom these things coming?" That should be the proper question.

Interview with a German Girl and Assorted Devotees -- March 30, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: It is very simple thing, that "I am changing my body, and similarly, I'll change this body." This should be understood by my present circumstances of life, and it is confirmed by the greatest authority, Kṛṣṇa. Knowledge by authority and knowledge by experience, both things are there. And still, the rascals do not understand. Knowledge is gathered by experience, and knowledge is gathered from the authority. Just like I ask my father, "What is this?" Father says, "This is bell." So this is knowledge. I get it from my father. And by experience, when I push it, it is ringing. So understand, "This is bell." So two sources of knowledge: by practical experience and by authority.

Girl: I must believe what my father says.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have to. I have to take knowledge from my mother, from my father. That is the beginning of knowledge. Intelligent boy asks father, "What is this?" And father explains. Mother gives the knowledge, "Here is your father." So it is from authority. Otherwise, how you can experience who is your father? How do you get? Can you experiment who is your father?

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, what is that philosophy? Impersonal creator?

Carol: Without any attributes that we can...

Prabhupāda: Creator is an attribute. To become creator, that is attribute. If I create this bell, I know the art of how to create a bell.

Carol: Hmm.

Prabhupāda: So, this is my attribute. How you can say the creator is without attribute? This is false philosophy. I know how to create this bell. That is my artistic sense. That is my qualification. And how you say I am without qualification? As soon as you say "creator," then He has got many qualifications.

Carol: How can ignorance be removed?

Prabhupāda: The ignorant people can also learn from the learned. If you have got this idea that creator is impersonal, that means you are not a learned. You have no knowledge. And this is the simple answer. As soon as you say "creator," He has so many qualities. The bell... Suppose I am ringing.

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

Prabhupāda: Just like a child. Child assumes that my father is perfect. So, actually a father should be perfect at least for the child. So whatever the father, mother, gives him knowledge, that is perfect. Father says, "My dear child, this is called 'table.' " The child does not know what is table, but he understand from his father. He says, "This is table." So when the child says it is table, it is fact. This is perfect. He may be imperfect, his child, but because he is repeating the perfect knowledge of his father, whatever he is speaking is perfect. Because he has received the knowledge. Actually the child inquires from the father, "Father, what is this?" Father smiles at child, "This is called bell. If you push your hand in this." Then you get the perfect knowledge. He tries it. Oh, it is coming. The knowledge is there. He may be imperfect, but the instruction he has received, that is perfect. Similarly, if you get instruction from the perfect, then your knowledge is perfect, and if you receive knowledge—just like anthropology—from an imperfect person, Darwin, then whole thing is imperfect. So why should we waste our time in imperfect knowledge?

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Yadubara: Some of the devotees on saṅkīrtana. There is only a dog at home. They will knock on the door. Everyone is gone except the dog.

Brahmānanda: They go from house to house distributing books. They ring the bell and just the dog answers. (laughter)

Yadubara: The dog is living in this big house.

Harikeśa: The people are out on the streets.

Brahmānanda: (break) ...the dog.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...you meet Bon Mahārāja, and if he talks again time, say, "You were sent in London for establishing a temple, why you could not do it? You remained there for three, four years. And why you were called back by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī? What did you do for the three, four years in spite of full support from Gauḍīya Maṭha?" We were sending seven hundred rupees. In those days seven hundred rupees means nowadays seven thousand. He was squandering the money. "Authority, authority, scholarly, how many books you have published from your institution for the last forty years?" He was in London. In the 1930's he came back. Came back means Guru Mahārāja called him back.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: The result is the students are falling down from the tower in disappointment. And they are protected with glass.

Bahulāśva: In the bell tower on Berkeley campus students in the 60's would jump from that tower to kill themselves. So they put glass there to stop the students from jumping. So Prabhupāda was explaining that is their education, that after getting their education, they have to jump to commit suicide. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is not education. Vidyā dadhāti namratā. Educated means he is humble, gentle, sober, full of knowledge, practical application in life of knowledge, tolerant, control of the mind, control of the senses. That is education. What is this education?

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1975, San Francisco:

Bahulāśva: He was bribing one city in Florida that "You pay me so much money or else I'm going to blow up your city." And he sent them the plans, "Here is the bomb." So they became very frightened. And when they traced the letter, they found that it was only a sixteen year old boy who had done this. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...the sound of the church bell very much. It is very attractive.

Brahmānanda: You want one like that for Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yadubara: They have an organ here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you play the organ and the bells chime out a melody from that tower.

Prabhupāda: Which tower?

Yadubara: That big tower here. They have bells up on top, and they can play different melodies.

Devotee: As they fall off. (break)

Yadubara: ...problem of suicide here, but in all schools all over the country.

Morning Walk -- July 19, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Tin and copper?

Paramahaṁsa: Like bell metal.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And add mercury.

Paramahaṁsa: Is first the metals mixed together?

Prabhupāda: I do not know that. (laughter)

Paramahaṁsa: I'll give you all the profits.

Prabhupāda: I can give you suggestion. This example is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Morning Walk -- July 19, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: I can give you suggestion. This example is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī.

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti
kaṁsyaṁ rāsa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena
dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛnāṁ

This is the definition, that "As kaṁsya, the bell metal, by manipulating with mercury, it becomes gold, similarly, a person by the process of dīkṣā, initiation, be becomes a brāhmaṇa. This is the example he has given. Yathā kāñcanataṁ yāti. Kāñcanatam means gold. Rāsa-vidhānataḥ, by process of mercury manipulation. Why he has not taken other metal? This is in the śāstra. And the scientists—I do not know—they say that some, what is called, molecules? Some molecules added with mercury, it can be turned into gold.

Morning Walk -- September 1, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Because he was criticized by our students in U.S.A. (sound of bell) See? The bell is ringing nice. There was no such ringing in this quarter. (break) ...fixed up so that thieves may not take it away? Not so securely.

Dhanañjaya: Well, they have... I'll make sure it is done today.

Prabhupāda: Oh. When I say? That means no brain. I am asking without seeing, and you are seeing for the last one week. You do not know it, that what is secure, what is not secure. That is the defect. Here thieves are very expert.

Dhanañjaya: But the chokidar is there at the front, guarding all night, and the bell is situated very high inside the dome.

Prabhupāda: Still should be secure. (break) ...that in the temple these bells are stolen even it is secure. Therefore we shall be very careful.

Morning Walk -- September 4, 1975, Vrndavana:

Guṇārṇava: Ānanda Prabhu was mentioning that he was speaking to one of the sannyāsīs of the Ramakrishna mission, and they were very concerned because a lot of their disciples were leaving the mission and joining our society. They were very concerned. Their society is not at all expanding.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That was begun long ago. For their hospital, formerly... (bell ringing)

Viśāla (in distance): All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Retired medical practitioners, they used to join. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. But nobody is joining now. What is this?

Viśāla: Tad viddhi praṇipātena... (BG 4.34).

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1975, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: They were giving prizes to people who are doing this.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: Like TV sets.

Prabhupāda: Mutual 'present' society. (everyone laughing) (front bell of temple ringing as Prabhupāda enters grounds) Hiraṇyakaśipu civilization, and we are presenting Prahlāda civilization. So this is a struggle, but ultimately Prahlāda will come out triumphant. Hare Kṛṣṇa (to bystander) and Hiraṇyakaṣipu will be killed. Jaya!

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...can hear any temple bells from the other temples during the ārati. I don't hear them having ārati. Do they? Maybe they don't have enough men there to ring the bells.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: (break) Yes. (Break) ...went to Krishnanagar yesterday and he's found bricks, so we can begin...

Prabhupāda: Immediately.

Jayapatāka: He can supply two and half lakhs of bricks within one month.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No, other time also. But this time especially.

Lokanātha: They also used to keep cock, hens and the cock.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) What is called? Alarm bell. Cocks. "Ka-ka-ka: Get up please." "Ka-ka-ka." Nature's alarm.

Guru-kṛpā: Sometimes they crow, though, at twelve o'clock at night.

Prabhupāda: Just to cheat you because you sleep more. (laughter) Because you sleep more, to cheat you. You do not rise early in the morning; therefore they are engaged sometimes to cheat you. (break) ...found a very nice house in London. Jayatīrtha is going to take the credit of purchasing it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, we found a very nice house in London, and you're going to get the credit for purchasing it. Just see.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- May 31, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: No, whatever (unclear). Silver is not half price. Silver, little less than new one. They purchase one rupee less. It was 200 rupees new, and the purchaser will take 190 (unclear) ...India they use (unclear). Bell metal, copper...

Hari-śauri: Aluminium is becoming very popular now, aren't they?

Prabhupāda: They don't use aluminium much. If they have got excess money, they invest in metal-gold, silver, copper, bell metal.... Immediate loan—you can mortgage the metal pots, the metal ornaments, you get money immediately. (break) ...in a year, that is a metal purchasing ceremony. Every family will purchase, according to his means, some metal pots once in a year. Dhantraivesi(?) (indistinct) means desire some funds. So if there's some extra money—not big, big men; middle class storeman—they invest in metal purchase. If there is a good business day, (unclear) all the utensils (unclear). You know Diwali, Diwali?

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is all right.

Bharadvāja: Or, not aṣṭa-dhātu, but bell metal.

Prabhupāda: It will be polished?

Bharadvāja: Yes, you can polish very nicely.

Kīrtanānanda: I've never seen bronze polished.

Bharadvāja: It depends on the quality, grade. Generally they don't use a very high percentage of brass.

Kīrtanānanda: You think it's better than brass?

Bharadvāja: It's a little cheaper.

Prabhupāda: Bronze is very good.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: They are suffering in the burning, blazing fire of material existence. So blazing fire can be extinguished when the water falls from the sky, not by your fire brigade. When there is blazing fire in the forest, it is beyond your control. You cannot get there fire brigade. So these small attempts of fire brigade is useless to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. The water must come from the cloud. That is by Kṛṣṇa's grace. You have no control over the cloud. But that water wanted. Not your fire brigade water when there is all around blazing fire. The small fire brigade-(imitates bell) dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. It can vibrate very loudly-dung-dung-dung—"I'm going to, going to," but they'll go when everything finished. That is practical. I have seen in India. There was a fire in a house, and they came late, when the business is finished. And still they're insisting, "We shall pour some water." (laughter) Everyone asked them, that "What is the use of?" "No, this is our system." (laughter) The house is burnt into ashes, and they are looking the formality, "Yes, we must put some water."

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: As by chemical process the bell metal can be turned into gold by adding with the mercury.... This is a chemical process. If you can add in the bell metal proportionately mercury, then it will turn into gold. Here is the process given in the śāstra. If you are able to do it, you can do it, turn gold some of these bell metals. So the example is given that as the bell metal, base metal, can be turned into gold by chemical process, similarly, by dīkṣā-vidhānena, by proper initiation by the bona fide spiritual master, everyone can be turned into dvija, twice-born. Dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇam. Nṛṇam means all men. It is not there is no discrimination, that only the Hindus, only the Indians, or only the so-called brāhmaṇas can be turned. Everyone can be turned. That is the injunction. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to do that, trying everyone to become a bona fide brāhmaṇa. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa you cannot become Vaiṣṇava. So this reformatory process is recommended in the śāstras. What is the question?

Room Conversation -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Don't misspend.

Vipina: Not all on chandeliers. Just part of it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You have a bell system?

Rūpānuga: Yes, it rings, but you can't hear it in here. It rings in the back quarters.

Prabhupāda: The doors you have purchased?

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is costly?

Devotee: Yes.

Rūpānuga: The other doors were not..., they could not even be locked nicely.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Bhajana, they do... (break) ...Brahmānanda, you...

Rūpānuga: Brahmānanda, yes, he's singing. Satsvarūpa. Hayagrīva was there also, and Jadurāṇī was there. We were playing all kinds of instruments, all kinds of things. We were playing bells and sticks.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda was playing sitar.

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And I was playing a broken mṛdaṅga.

Rūpānuga: It was wood. Was it wooden?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think they had that at the New Vrindaban farm.

Rūpānuga: We had borrowed it from an Indian man.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It was a little one-sided drum?

Rūpānuga: No, it was a big, two-sided wooden drum. That was another drum. (break)

Prabhupāda: That was 1966.

Room Conversation With Scientists -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, they do that. But it is a fact that copper and tin and mercury proportionately mixed will produce gold.

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti
kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena
dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

This example is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī. As kaṁsya... Kaṁsya is mixture of copper and tin, bell metal. When it is properly treated with mercury, it becomes gold. Similarly, a human being properly treated by initiation, he becomes a brāhmaṇa. This example has been given by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Nṛṇām, he says, "of all human beings." He doesn't say a particular class or particular country. Śuddhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Everyone can be purified by the initiation process, by expert spiritual master. That is accepted in the śāstra.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: This is building construction?

Devotee (1): Appears so. Telephone company.

Prabhupāda: The Bell?

Devotee (1): New York Telephone Company.

Prabhupāda: In Pittsburgh... I was living in Butler, and a girl took me to Pittsburgh. So I saw at that time that she had to pay two dollars for parking.

Hari-śauri: This is why we get so much noise. Every time there's a call, when they come from here, and we're only just on the next block.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's good for us also. If there's any trouble in the temple, they come right away, and they are friendly.

Prabhupāda: Give them prasādam?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Jayānanda brings them.

Prabhupāda: Prasādam will conquer everyone.

Arrival at Farm -- July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: It boils nicely? Any dahl which boils nicely, that's all right. Without being boiled, it is useless. (long pause) Is it working or not? (referring to the bell)

Devotee: We tried it yesterday, it was working.

Prabhupāda: I don't think it is working.

Hari-śauri: It's not working.

French devotee: Yesterday we tried everything. It was working, I know.

Prabhupāda: Is there any buzzing? Is there any buzzing? No. (coughing) (devotees fix the bell)

Bhagavān: Where is that lota for Prabhupāda?

Morning Walk Around Farm -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Why they congesting the city in this, such light? (break) ...very nicely, people may seek out. Thank you. All right. (laughter)

Hari-śauri: He was going to give him a flower, and then just as Prabhupāda reached out he took it back.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break).... to capture him. (cow bells) He's very young?

Devotee (1): One year.

Prabhupāda: Bull

Devotee (1): Cow.

Bhagavān: This here, and the vegetable garden is up here.

Devotee (2): This is mung dahl, Śrīla Prabhupāda, mung dahl. And these are marigolds. We put them in the greenhouse because it gives a longer season. Then we'll have more flowers for the garlands for the Deities.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Find out this verse. (Hindi) Somebody, you can read? (rings bell) (more Hindi) Somebody... Why don't you send? What they are doing? All these rascals, that they cannot read.

Devotee: Someone should come in?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But they do not know that somebody should remain here. Why are there? What they are doing there?

Hari-śauri: Harikeśa is typing. Pradyumna is reading Sanskrit books.

Prabhupāda: Send Pradyumna immediately. Kleśo 'dhikarataras teṣām avyaktasakta-cetasam. Kleśa. Beginning with kleśa. You could not? Kleśa. K-l-e-s. Why don't you come here? And who will find out? Come here.

Devotee: Kleśo 'dhikarataras teṣām?

Prabhupāda: Why do you say that you do not find? Find out. They are not accustomed. Kleśo'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). (Hindi) Read it.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now things are deteriorating. And fire is always... (Siren bell sound:) dungdung dungdungdungdungdung-gawaawaawaa. Saṁsāra-dāvānala. Still they think that they are advanced. In one hour three times fire, still he is advanced. Therefore he is mūḍha. At least, in small city such disturbances are not... It is always gawaagawaagawaa.

Hari-śauri: Police, ambulance, fires.

Prabhupāda: How the city life is attractive we cannot understand.

Hari-śauri: (laughs) Ask him. He's always telling us how New York is the best place in the world.

Prabhupāda: You were born in New York?

Devotee: No.

Prabhupāda: That is mother and... (laughter) Jananī jana. (Sanskrit) Any rotten place, but birthplace has got some attraction.

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. You'll find the Sanskrit in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Pradyumna: Oh. Which place?

Prabhupāda: In the Ādi-līlā. Tam, it begins with tam. You can find out. Call, call him. (bell rings) Read. The Sanskrit verse is not...

Pradyumna: No, it's not quoted here.

Prabhupāda: Tam paribhāvita, like that. There is a verse.

Pradyumna: Oh. I will find it.

Prabhupāda: Ādi-līlā.

Hari-śauri: Which volume?

Prabhupāda: Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore he cannot understand. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). One who is fully surrendered... Not fully, even little surrendered, he can understand. (bell rings) Otherwise, ciraṁ vicinvan. He can speculate for long, long years, for long long years. Still he cannot. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam. He can understand. Na ca anya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan. Others, even one of them, simply by speculating they cannot understand.

Indian man: To find śraddhā, or faith to surrender. To surrender, one must have something to surrender to. What is that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is explaining about Himself. So many pages. At last He says, "Surrender to Me." He is not asking him to surrender all of a sudden. He is explaining all the ways. "You think over," He has explained. Then He says "The most confidential knowledge, Arjuna I am giving to you, because you are my very dear friend, that you simply surrender. That's all."

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: When you come in Ootacamund there is a direct train. (Prabhupāda rings bell)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You want Jagadīśa or Hari-śauri?

Prabhupāda: Anyone. He can take this.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: I like that place Hyderabad.

Indian man: Hyderabad.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man: The temple in the city is also very good.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have seen it?

Indian man: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Kārttikeya you've seen?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. We don't hate dog. We say that this life is meant for getting release from this repetition of birth and death. Otherwise punaḥ punaś carvita... Either you become a dog or a hog or a man or a god. The business is āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithuna... (break) (bell rings)

Prabhupāda: That one thing is that this sort of publicity and this, this dress, is very nice. Girls who have no husband, they should dress like this, not attractive dress. A dress sometimes attracts the opposite sex. And women are... By nature they dress very nicely. (laughs) That is everywhere—to attract. The nature is that they are dependent, woman by nature. Do you admit or not?

Pālikā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And the Western countries, they have been taught to become independent. That is artificial. That is all artificial. So, woman by nature... Manu-saṁhitā says, na striyaṁ svatantram arhati: "Women should not be given independence." They must be protected by the father, by husband, and by elderly sons. They are not independent. No independence. Even Kuntī, the mother of such big, big sons, she was not independent.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: There are many. Means they don't want anything genuine. Something imitation. What is the cause of fighting, this Ireland? Unnecessarily. It is going on in Europe since long time. In France it was very terrible fight. I have seen that Church. They would bell, and they'll come and fight Protestant. You have been there? No. Concord. It is... That place is called Concord. So history there is a building, church. The Catholics would come and kill the Protestants. The Joan of Arc.

Hari-śauri: She was burnt.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Europe has a big history of...

Prabhupāda: Fighting.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: We were sleeping, father was doing ārati—"ding ding ding ding, ding."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You heard the bell.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Then he would take his night dinner and—not dinner. Some puris or paraṭā. He was also fond of this puffed rice. In later age he was simply taking puffed rice and milk. So, anyway, pūjā was his main business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet.

Prabhupāda: No, cent percent engagement in, that is hamper. There is no doubt. But to do business as a householder is not bad.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, "when we catch." Who will catch? "Bell the cat." It is going on. I know. During wartime, one Chinese man was coming from China, and one business friend, he was appointed his purchasing agent. He was giving a list of goods to purchase. And this man, whatever money he'll charge, he'll immediately-Indian currency. He'll not say, "Why so much price?" No. Then he will pack up the goods and through some channel he'll dispatch it. That is also through our way, not in the... The China is in on the border. There also, if you pay money, smuggler's rate... They try to do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That seems to be a big issue now, these smugglers. I notice in the newspapers every day.

Prabhupāda: The smugglers get with money, printed money. Who can check it?

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I can walk. There is no difficulty. But getting up... I can... If I try, I can get up also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you would do it even in Māyāpur. Sometimes you would ring the bell and no one came. You'd get up yourself.

Prabhupāda: That is also not difficult.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But why should you take that risk?

Prabhupāda: No, I shall not. I fell down...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: ...in Calcutta. That is bathroom, very slippery. Anyway, why shall I take the risk?

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is in ignorance, dehātma-buddhiḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So we have to teach them that "You are not this body. You are pure soul. Your business is different." And that is enlightenment. That is the business of guru. So we can do that business. And how to do it? That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You haven't got to manufacture anything. What Kṛṣṇa has already said, you repeat. Finish. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become guru. Very simple thing. If I say that "My father said, 'This is a bell,' " I am correct because I have learned it from my father, authority. I may be fool, rascal. It doesn't matter. But because I have learned it from the authority and presenting it that "This is a bell," this is perfect. Similarly, I cannot become guru because I am imperfect. My senses are imperfect. I cannot see even what is beyond this wall, although I am very much proud of my eyes. I want to see. What you can see? Imperfect, all senses. But if some authority says that "Beyond this wall this is the..., like this," it is all right.

Discussions -- May 20-22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Indian man (1): Everybody's unsure about himself.

Indian man (2): Only the government has power.

Indian man (1): (Hindi) (Hindi conversation with scattered English) (long pause, bells ringing in background) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...in that paper he wrote, "In case I die, these three men will be trustees, and the majority will be effective." So that scrap of paper, Tīrtha Mahārāja kept it. And later on, Guru Mahārāja wanted to make a constitution, but he avoided. But actually after his demise, that scrap of paper was presented in the high-court, and property was given. That is the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's... It was considered as a will.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation during lunchtime -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Publicity, if we find that this dress will attract more, why not? We shall do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The Salvation Army Santa Clauses, they became very upset, because their routine is that they stand next to a big chimney, because Santa Claus is supposed to come down a chimney in the myth. So they stand next to the chimney, and they shake their bell. People put money into this chimney. But our Santa Clauses, they go down the street very, you know, moving around, dancing, and they go up to the people all over the place. They don't wait for people to come over to the chimney. So we were taking away a lot of the donations that they would have given to the chimney Santa Clauses. So they were very...

Prabhupāda: That is business, competition. You are doing your business; I am doing my business. That competition is there in every business. When there is business, you cannot dictate me in your favor: "While you are doing this, my business is being hampered." Who will hear you? Hm? If you say it is competition, that "Why you are doing like this? It is hampering my business," I'll say, "Yes, I want that your business may be hampered; my business may prosper." That's it.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's a... This is a thing called the "Bhakta Program Newsletter." Just like you have a saṅkīrtana newsletter, this one reports how many new devotees are joining. So the top temple in the world for making new devotees last month was Rome. Second was the Bhaktivedanta Manor. That's where you're going next. Then Sao Paulo, Brazil; then Honolulu, Hawaii; then France, and like that. (temple bells ring)

Prabhupāda: Jaya Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then another letter came from... This is becoming more and more prevalent. It's called the "Parents' Newsletter."

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness Parents' Newsletter-ISKCON New York." Put out by Śravaṇānanda's mother. "Ratha-yātrā '77 is Coming." It tells all the parents that they should come to Ratha-yātrā. Then there's an article, "The Roots of the American Krishna Movement."

Prabhupāda: Who has written?

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the time now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Time is now five minutes to four o'clock.

Prabhupāda: What is that bell?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That bell? It didn't ring four times earlier. (discusses with Upendra) Yeah, there is a bell in the front of the temple which people sometimes ring as they enter. Do you want to hear the purport to this verse? Yes? Purport. There are two sides of the transcendental manifestations of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. For the pure devotees He is the constant companion, as in the case of His becoming one of the family members of the Yadu dynasty, or His becoming the friend of Arjuna, or His becoming the associate neighbor of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, as the son of Nanda-Yaśodā, the friend of Sudāmā, Śrīdāmā and Madhumaṅgala, or the lover of the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, etc.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: ...reminding them that the caukidāra wasn't ringing the bell until it became established.

Brahmānanda: It's been going on for years.

Prabhupāda: After my departure they stopped this? You may take. Where is Akṣayānanda? (break) (bell rings)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hari-śauri? Śrīla Prabhupāda, they just rang the bell now.

Prabhupāda: He is going...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was the half-hour bell. Before was the four o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, this is half hour?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Hari-śauri? (break) It's starting to get darker early. Sun is setting earlier now, I think, than it was when we were last here. (break) ...to see that things are going on.

Prabhupāda: The leaders are... Similarly, leaders of this temple, they will have to organize.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But you never inquire.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, the bell went off on time.

Prabhupāda: What kind of ringing was going on? If it is going on whimsically, then that is not very good. I don't think I have seen Akṣayānanda from the morning.

Brahmānanda: He was here. When you arrived into your room he came. He was sitting in the room.

Hari-śauri: He was driving your car from Mathurā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he was also here when Bhagatji came.

Prabhupāda: He came?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is my concern, that such huge, huge establishment, if properly, regularly not managed, then again everything will be finished.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you have kīrtana now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda. I'll bring the little... (break) ...that the bells are being rung on time, on the hour and half hour.

Prabhupāda: It is going on?

Akṣayānanda: Oh, yes. Everything's going on nicely, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So the bank has dispatched them, no?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Has the bank dispatched those two deposits? I wrote you one letter. You received that?

Akṣayānanda: I only got that letter. The bank was away, and now you have come, I'll send them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The bank was away?

Akṣayānanda: The bank was not here on that day. I could not check it yet. The letter only came, and today is Sunday.

Page Title:Bells (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:31 of Jul, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=52, Let=0
No. of Quotes:52