Expressions researched:
"ceremonial"
|"ceremonially"
|"ceremonials"
|"ceremonies"
|"ceremoniously"
|"ceremony"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco: Hayagrīva: How does He, How does He accept sannyāsī? I mean how does He...?
Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa, there is a ceremony. Just like we have got the initiation ceremony.
Hayagrīva: Did He have a spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: So He accepted spiritual... Not spiritual master, but a sannyāsa-guru. That is also master, but he's not spiritual master. But he's also considered as sannyāsa-guru, spiritual master who offers him sannyāsa. Just like myself, I took initiation from my Guru Maharaja, but I took sannyāsa from a Godbrother who is a sannyāsī. So my original guru is that spiritual master who initiated me, but he's also a śikṣā guru. Like that. Teacher. Then His renunciation of householder.
Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: The short story is that there was two brāhmaṇas. Two brāhmaṇas. One young brāhmaṇa, one old brāhmaṇa. They went to Vṛndāvana to see Gopāla, and the old brāhmaṇa was so obliged to the young brāhmaṇa, he promised to hand over his youngest daughter to the young brāhmaṇa. But when he came back home his eldest son objected. So he kept mum. Then when the young brāhmaṇa, I mean to say, reminded him that "You promised before Gopāla to hand over your daughter. Now you are silent. What is this?" So his eldest son said, "Well, if Gopāla comes to give witness that my father promised before Him then my sister can be married with you." So he went back to Vṛndāvana and requested Gopāla to come and give witness. So He came and the marriage ceremony was performed. This is the sum and substance of the story. And since then Gopāla did not... Gopāla means statue. So in those days there was no transport service. And when Gopāla was present everyone became struck with wonder that "Oh, such a devotee that Gopāla has come from Vṛndāvana to Orissa, more than 1,500 miles." So the king of that place constructed a very nice temple and since then that temple is known as witness Gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla means witness. So this story can be shortly described and chanted with music and the scene of the temple will be seen, Caitanya Mahāprabhu dancing. Our real purpose will be the dancing and singing and little description.
Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco: Hayagrīva: Couple years later. All right. Because time is an important factor. You have to keep track of the time in the play.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He toured, after His sannyāsa, He toured all over India for six years only. That means up to 30th year He toured all over India. And from 30th year to 48th year, 18 years, He constantly remained at Jagannātha Purī. He used to chant in the temple and meet His visitors. Especially during car festival ceremony of Jagannātha, from Bengal about 400, 500 devotees would go and meet Him, and they would remain there for four months continually. July, August, September, October. Four months. And then they would come back. In this way, for 18 years He passed in Jagannātha Purī. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, He met Rūpa Gosvāmī and He taught him about the science of devotion for ten days. That devotional service He instructed that the living entities they're roaming in the 8,400,000 species of life. Fortunately, if by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and if he gets one good spiritual master, then he learns about devotional service. So He taught him about the science of devotional service. That is the importance of meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī. So here the scenery must be mentioned. It is on the bank of Ganges.
Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: After his departure the body was taken by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, and other devotees took him to the seaside and dug his graveyard. That grave is still in Jagannātha Purī. Haridāsa Ṭhākura's samādhi, tomb. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to dance. That was the ceremony. Because in a Vaiṣṇava ceremony, everything is kīrtana and dance. So that was His last ceremony of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
Hayagrīva: You mentioned something about Caitanya dancing with Haridāsa?
Prabhupāda: Haridāsa's body. Caitanya...dead body. Haridāsa's dead body.
Hayagrīva: Oh, with his dead body?
Prabhupāda: Yes. His dead body.
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: Yes, we are completely different from the hippies, because hippies they are addicted to sex and intoxication, and these things are completely forbidden in our temple.
Interviewer: You do perform wedding ceremonies?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Interviewer: What is your wedding ceremony like?
Prabhupāda: The same chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Interviewer: Is it considered a legal wedding ceremony in this country?
Prabhupāda: Yes, our society is incorporated under the religious act of New York state.
Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco: Interviewer: That is the opening of your ceremony?
Prabhupāda: That is, at the end we...
Interviewer: At the end.
Prabhupāda: Yes, thanks(?) to the devotees.
Interviewer: All right, thank you. Caller, you're on the air with the Swami on KGO.
Caller (woman): Oh, hi. Is this on? I just wanted to ask to Swami where karma enters in as far as his teachings are concerned and also whether his concept of God is that of a being that is good and so reflected through healings?
Interviewer: Okay. Karma, is this a part of your religion?
Prabhupāda: Yes, karma. Karma means work, fruitive work. As you work, as you sow...
Caller: I'll take my answer on the air please, okay?
Interviewer: Go ahead, Swami. She's just going to listen to your answer on the radio. Go ahead with your description of karma.
Prabhupāda: Karma means fruitive work. Just like you are laboring for some wages. You get your wages. Similarly, this material world our work is rewarded. Good work is rewarded with good benefit and bad work is punished. This is the law of karma.
Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco: Guru dāsa: Is that a qualification, is that part of the age of Kali-yuga? Flowers with no scent?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Trees will have no fruits. The fruit will have no juice. That is mentioned. Just like in a mango there is a seed. In many fruits there is seed. In Kali-yuga you'll find simply the skin and seed, no pulp. And cloud without rain. These are mentioned. (laughs) What can you do? If the cloud becomes without rain, if the fruit become without pulp, if the paddy becomes without grain, then what you have to eat? You have to eat the grass, the husk, the skin, and the seed. Or kill another man and eat. Just like in Africa, still, they are doing. Cannibals. Killing the grandfather, that is a great ceremony. Do you know that?
Guru dāsa: Yes.
Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure: Janārdana: No. "Nobody is allowed to smoke in here, and they have to take off their shoes, so how can you say it's a restaurant?"
Prabhupāda: Yes. These are technical. (break) ...description, what is called restaurant, that "Wherever foodstuff is prepared and sold, that is called restaurant," then it will come to that category. Whenever they make some law, they give definition of each word, what do you mean by restaurant. So today is another ceremony in the temple?
Janārdana: We couldn't find any barley. What can we use instead?
Prabhupāda: Barley? Why? It is...?
Janārdana: The stores are all closed today, and the boys searched everywhere. They didn't find any barley.
Prabhupāda: Some grains. Any other grain.
Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure: Prabhupāda: Virāṭa rūpa, yes. That is also nice, right, that through fire He eats, yes, or through the mouth of the brāhmaṇas and devotees. Two things are there. Therefore, according to the Vedic religion, the brāhmaṇas or Vaiṣṇavas, devotees, are invited to take food in some ceremonies. In śraddhā ceremony they are especially invited with great honor. In pilgrimage somebody goes to Vrndavana, Prayag, Mathura. They invite the brāhmaṇas and Vaisnavas so that through them Kṛṣṇa is eating. They have come to satisfy Kṛṣṇa in a place of pilgrimage. These are the systems. So for the purpose of eating, so many brāhmaṇas have sprung up. Because brāhmaṇas are invited, so so many so-called brāhmaṇas there. They'll be present when eating, and when there is chanting of Vedas they are not present there. (break) Baby has also tilaka. (chuckles) She is very happy. You see? I never seen such small child not crying. That means she is always happy. She's not crying means... Because baby cries when there is discomfort. And with her face shows that she is very happy. (laughs)
Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure: 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?
Mālatī: Tulasī devī? Oh, very nice.
Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: It was not there because in India there are so many churches, and they're supposed to be very saintly person. So simply to become a disciple of a saintly person is sufficient certificate. Just like in your country, marriage requires certificate. In India still, there is no certificate. The boys and girls, they are seated before the relatives and priest and elderly persons. They are offered. I am doing that. There is no certificate. But still their connection is lifelong. What certificate will do? That ceremony is so nice, the wife takes "My husband for life" and the husband takes wife, "She is my companion for life." They cannot separate. There is no history in India that there was a certificate issued. No. But still, their connection is so nice, that life long. Now, they are being westernized, especially I am very sorry to say that lately our so-called westernized leaders they are introducing this Hindu code bill, this marriage certificate, this and that. But formerly they weren't existing.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation -- April 1, 1969, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: This is second chapter, First Canto. Sūta Gosvāmī, before speaking to the audience, he is offering his respect to the spiritual master. To offer respect to anyone means to remember his qualification. Just like we sing... Just like you offer respect to your spiritual master. What is the meaning?
- nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
- śrīmad-bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
Yes. "I offer my respectful obeisances to Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, and has come before us to deliver." This is the meaning. So his qualification is described. Similarly, here also Sūta Gosvāmī is offering respect to his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. And he is repeating the history of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, just after taking birth from the mother's womb, immediately he started, without staying for a moment. Just see the brahmacārī. The... Father, they are naturally affectionate. So father saw that "This man, child, immediately after birth is going away? How is that? My dear boy, where you are going? Where you are going?" (laughter) So that is being ex... Yaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ (SB 1.2.2). The Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was going without any ceremonial function... Because after birth there is ceremony, there is nāma-karaṇa, so many things to be done. But he didn't care for anything, any rituals.
Room Conversation -- April 27, 1969, Boston: Prabhupāda: Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samādhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is from Upaniṣad. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki-jnana-bala-kriya ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). It is said that nobody is seeing... This is called research. You are accepting any nonsense as God, and they do not have any information from the..., that God means na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samādhikaś ca dṛśyate: "God has nothing to do, no responsibility. Nobody is found greater than Him." So if this Vedic injunction is followed, if somebody is claiming, "I am God," we have to see whether he has nothing to do and whether nobody is greater than him. And these two tests will make him false immediately. He has to prove that nobody is greater than... Even contemporary... Suppose I am claiming I am God. So I have to show that at the present moment, throughout the whole world, apart from universe, nobody is greater than me. Then I am... Will these pretenders be able to show that nobody is greater than him? This is a simple test. And na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "And he has nothing to do." There are so many things to test who is God. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ. Nobody shall be richer than him; nobody shall be stronger than him; nobody shall be wiser than him; nobody shall be beautiful than him. So these things have to be tested, whether he is God. And simply if I claim, "Oh, I am God," there will... No testament? If I say, "I am President Nixon," will you accept it? If you don't accept it, even an ordinary President Nixon, without testing his credentials, how you will accept a false man as God without testing? You must know what is that test. Credential. He must present credential. Just like when some ambassador comes to a foreign country, there is a ceremony that that ambassador must be recognized by the governor or the governor-general in that state, and he has to place his credentials, similarly, anybody is claiming as God, he has to place his credentials.
Conversation Before Lecture -- April 29, 1969, Brandeis University, Boston: Prabhupāda: Oh! What a nonsense he is!
Candanācārya: He is worried that hippies come to the ceremonies to see us.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Candanācārya: I think that's why he's worried about hippies.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Candanācārya: Because he saw photographs that audience was hippies.
Prabhupāda: Oh. So that we cannot cancel: "These hippies are not admitted." No. We admit everyone. We cannot say that "Such and such person cannot enter into our temple." We cannot say. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is welcome. And, if they do not come, how they'll converted?
Miss Rose: I think that the confusion is...
Prabhupāda: We cannot say, just like, in some hotels, that "Such and such persons are not admitted." No. We cannot. We admit everyone. Our mission is to elevate persons from down state of life to the highest state of life. So everyone is in down state. Lord Jesus Christ also said that "You do not hate the sinners, but hate sin." Is not that, Lord Jesus Christ said? So hippies may be sinners. We raise them to the pious life. But we say, "Don't do this. Don't do this sinful act. Don't take intoxication. Don't do this. Don't do this." We hate sin, not the sinners. Actually.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio: Allen Ginsberg: Well, the orthodox Jews have a very heavy, complicated, moment by moment ritual daily existence in that, for that same purpose. It was to keep them conscious of their religious nature. And that has maintained a small group of Jews over the centuries as an integral unit, but has tended to disappear in the later generations now simply because modern life does not allow that much Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Jewish consciousness or religious consciousness and attention, act by act throughout the day. So my question is how far can total Kṛṣṇa devotion, act by act all day, spread? How many people can that encompass in a place like America? Or are you intending only to get a few devotees, like several hundred or a thousand who will be solid and permanent.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is my program. Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible for everyone. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we learn, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births one can come to this. So it is not possible that a mass of people, a large quantity of people will be able to grasp it. You see? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Another place it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). After many thousands of men, one may be interested how to liberate himself. And out of many such liberated persons, one may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So understanding of Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. But Lord Caitanya is so munificent that He has given us a, I mean to say, easy process. (indistinct) Otherwise Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not easy. Because Kṛṣṇa is the last word of Absolute Truth. Generally, people are just like animals. Out of many such persons, one becomes interested in the scriptures. And out of many such persons, if they're attracted to the scriptures, they're attracted to the ritualistic ceremony for improving their economic condition.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio: Allen Ginsberg: Well, then even sexuality is spiritual?
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is said in the Bhagavad-gītā: if you use sexuality for giving birth to nice child, not cats and dogs, that is spiritual. But people are using sexuality for other purposes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śāstra-viruddho(?), according to religious ritualistic way, if one, when one uses sex life that is (indistinct). That is, therefore in the, according to Vedic system, therefore, having sex life with wife, there is a great ceremony which is called garbhādhāna ceremony, and all the higher caste, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, śūdra, er vaiśyas especially, they are to observe ten kinds of reformative process. The first process is while giving birth to a child there is a great ceremony, garbhādhāna. So it is not a secret. To beget nice child, then there will be nice population, then there will be peace and prosperity.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe we will show Lord Caitanya's marriage? Is that nice to show?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Marriage. Yes, that is nice. The Indian system, marriage, is that the bridegroom goes to the house of the bride with procession, band, nicely decorated. They'll go... And He'll be married with first Lakṣmīpriyā, the first wife. There will be fireworks in the marriage ceremony. Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That will be very nice in this...
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can make band, fireworks, decoration, and feasting...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtana.
Prabhupāda: So many ladies, like that. That scene, I shall direct how to do it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father was not very rich man. So there was a big zamindar. He was devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So he had some affection for Caitanya. So when the marriage ceremony was being settled up, he said, "Oh, His marriage shall not be just like the brāhmaṇas' marriage." Brāhmaṇa's wife, they are poor; so there is no expenditure. Some way or other, his marriage is done. But especially kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, oh, they spend lakhs of rupees in marriage. So he said that "His marriage will not take place just like the brāhmaṇas. His marriage will be royal marriage." So he spent all the money, and there was grand, everything grandeur.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So His mother was feeling...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to East Bengal for teaching, and actually, the girl felt too much separation, and she died. And figuratively it is used that the separation took the form of a serpent and bitten her and she died. And when He came back His mother requested that "You should marry for the second time," and He agreed. And so next marriage was with Viṣṇupriyā. In the first marriage, Lakṣmīpriyā, He used to see her when she was bathing in the Ganges ghāṭa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that "I shall marry this girl." So His father sent one matchmaker. So when the matchmaker came to His mother that "Such and such brāhmaṇa..." I forget his name, but the name is there in the Caitanya-Bhāgavata. "He desires that his daughter should be married with your son." And Śacīdevī said, "Oh, my son is not yet grown up. He's just a student. How He can be married?" So she practically denied. And the matchmaker was going back, not very satisfied. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was entering home. He saw the matchmaker and asked, "No, why did you come here?" "Yes, I came to propose Your marriage with such and such daughter, but Your mother is not willing." "Oh, mother is not willing? All right. You can go." Then when He came, entered home, He asked mother, "Mother, what did you do? That matchmaker was going very sorry. Why? What did you say?" The mother could understand that He is willing for the marriage. Then she called back the matchmaker. "Yes. I agree for the marriage." So the marriage ceremony... So Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave hint that "I want to marry that girl."
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: After His father's death it is the custom amongst the Hindus to offer oblations at Gayā. There is a temple, Viṣṇu temple. They offer prasādam. This is a Hindu custom. And with that prasādam the forefathers and the father is offered. So He went to perform that ceremony and by chance He met Īśvara Purī and He was initiated by Īśvara Purī. And after coming back from Gayā, He became very much emotional for Kṛṣṇa, and sometimes people thought that He has become crazy. So His mother treated with some oil. But learned devotees, they said that He has got devotional emotion. So His initiation was in Gayā, when He went to perform that ceremony. So you can show the Gayā temple or some temple. And He's offering oblations, He's meeting His spiritual master, he's initiating. In this way you can make it two, three scenes. And He became emotional chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa after initiation.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Govinda dāsī: Did he stop this cow killing thereafter? After talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Prabhupāda: No. Because that is their religious ceremony. Caitanya simply criticized their process, but he replied that "In Your Vedic there is cow sacrifice." Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "That sacrifice is not killing. That's giving new life." So that much.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Madhudvisa, he will play the Kazi.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Madhudvisa...
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also could understand that he's leaving. So He asked His devotees to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he left. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu took this body, and Himself He went... He carried the body. He was very stout and strong. And He was dancing and... Then He went to the seaside, and He bathed the body, and in His own hands He buried Caitanya, uh, Haridāsa Ṭhākura's body within the sand. So that burial place is still there in Purī, Haridāsa Ṭhākura's samādhi. Then He personally went to the shopkeepers and begged prasādam. "You give Me some prasādam." All people gave Him so many things. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so well-known. So He asked all the devotees to take prasādam after the burial ceremony was over. In this way Haridāsa Ṭhākura's... Niryāna. This is called departure of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: He left His home at the age of 24 years. Then He made His headquarter in Jagannātha Purī. For six years He traveled all over India. That means up to thirty years. And after that He remained in Jagannātha Purī for 18 years. He was chanting in the evening in the Jagannātha temple, and taking bath. And during this car festival all devotees, especially from Bengal, would go there and live there for four months. And after seeing the Rathayātrā ceremony, they will remain there for four months. Then they will come back. This was going on year after year.
Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst: Prabhupāda: Oh, Hrishikesh. Hrishikesh is also one of the pilgrimage. And there is similarly Kurukṣetra near Delhi. Still that place is there. And that is a place of pilgrimage from the Vedic times. In the Vedas also it is stated, kuru-kṣetre dharmam yajayet. If you want to function in a religious ceremony, just go to Kurukṣetra. So it is a place of pilgrimage. Now the name is there. The adjective dharma-kṣetra, it is from Vedic age. Then the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, they are historical persons. The history is there, Mahābhārata. Then where is the question of interpreting Kurukṣetra as "this body," and the Pāṇḍavas as "the senses"? Where do you get this opportunity to interpret? So these things are going on. But we object, "Why should you interpret in that way when the facts are there?" That means Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. One has got his own philosophy. He wants to prove it through Bhagavad-gītā. This is going on. There are so many interpretations, 664. Everyone thinks that "I can interpret in my own way." Why? Why this should be? We say, "No. You cannot interpret." Then what is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? The author of Bhagavad-gītā did not leave it for being interpreted by a third-class man. He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay: Prabhupāda: It is difficult, but there is way.
Guest (9): There is some ceremony for that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is upādhi. (Hindi) I identify myself as Hindu, yes. Then they would not have accepted. They would have said, "We have got Christianity. Why should I accept your Hinduism?" (Hindi)
Guest (9): This sort of distinction was not clear to us, but now, after hearing you this morning...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (9): ...and your ceremony...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, if you go anywhere, if you want to preach Hinduism, why they should be interested in Hinduism? They can hear some words. But we are not talking of Hinduism and Mohammedanism; we are talking on the science of God.
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore: Prabhupāda: One may believe in God, but one who does not believe in the Vedic literature, he is called nāstika. Veda na manīyā bauddha haila nāstika. Lord Buddha, although he is accepted as incarnation of God, but because he defied the Vedic principles it is said, nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ. Lord Buddha criticized the, I mean to say, sacrificial ceremonies because in the sacrificial ceremonies sometimes there is recommendation of killing an animal. But he was preaching nonviolence. So he criticized even the sacrifice in yajña. He criticized. Nindasi... But a Vaiṣṇava is praying, "My dear Lord, you are defying the Vedic principles." He knows why the Lord is now defying the Vedic principles; therefore he is devotee. In spite of Lord Buddha's defying the Vedic principles, a devotee is offering him obeisances. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. He knows the Lord, how He is playing, how He is bewildering the atheistic class of men. The atheistic class of men did not believe in God. Lord Buddha says, "Yes, you don't require to believe in God. There is no God. But you feel yourself that when you are attacked with violence you feel pain. Why should you offer to others?" Because his mission was to stop animal killing. Sadaya-hṛdaya-darṣita-paśu-ghātam. The Supreme Lord became too much compassionate when he saw that people are unnecessarily killing animals, as it is going on still. Instead of... At least those who are claiming Buddhist, they are killing animals. Bruce, is it not? Yes. But in the Buddhist religion there is no sanction for killing animals.
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore: Guest (4): I really couldn't believe it.
Prabhupāda: No, in the reading matter he said that, "He was trained by his father to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, to observe Rathayātrā, and he was taught mṛdaṅga." These are all true. But anyone who worships Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and who follows the Hindu ceremonies, Rathayātrā, how he can say that "Hinduism nothing"? Just see how rascaldom. This is contradiction.
Guest (4): Mahārāja, there is reason for that. Because that paper, the owner of that press is a Jain. And the Jains have a natural antipathy towards the ...?...
Prabhupāda: Oh, just see. So how biased man can report? So therefore we are avoiding reports.
Guest (4): (Hindi?)
Prabhupāda: No, tape may be. But he also taped, that man. But he has misrepresented.
Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore: Prabhupāda: Tiṣṭhāmi. That's it. Therefore a devotee's position is sublime. Kṛṣṇa comes as a devotee also. Actually this happened. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he happened to be a Mohammedan, Lord Caitanya's devotee. So in those days, five hundred years ago, there was some Hindu-Muslim... Still that is going on. So he did not enter Jagannātha temple to create some disturbance. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also did not ask him that "You go to Jagannātha temple. Who can check you?" Of course, if Caitanya Mahāprabhu had ordered, he would have gone. Neither he wanted to go, neither Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You must go." Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to come to him. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. This is the practical. He came to the devotee where he was chanting. So instead of approaching God, if you chant, God will approach you. That is a fact, we see. Instead of Haridāsa Ṭhākura going to Jagannātha, Jagannātha Himself was coming to him. Every day Lord Caitanya would come and ask and sit down, "How you are feeling? What you are doing?" Then He would go to take bath in Samudra. Daily. It was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... And when Haridāsa Ṭhākura expired, He personally took the body and cremated on the bank of the Samudra and he performed the funeral ceremony.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow: Prabhupāda: Paris. And we have got two ceremonies, very big ceremonies, in London and San Francisco, Ratha-yatra, car festival. And, it is estimated, fifty thousand people are going to participate in the ceremony both in London and San Francisco. We are making arrangement, car festival. This car festival is observed in Jagannātha Purī. You have been in Jagannātha Purī?
Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: Whatever you like, you can do. I'm just placing my wife in your custody." So the sannyāsī..., when there is a child of the wife, I think one can accept sannyāsa.
But preaching is our most important business. People are suffering for want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So as representative of Kṛṣṇa, it is our duty to enlighten them, and we should accept all kinds of... But there is no difficulty. Where is the difficulty? I think we are living better than anyone in the world. (laughter) Where is the difficulty? Simply we have to be very sincere devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Everything Kṛṣṇa will supply. Everything. So in that position, go on preaching. Don't be tottering. You have taken a great responsibility; go on executing it. Don't fight amongst yourselves for petty things. Go on, advance. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) Now we are going to have a great ceremony in India, Māyāpur. They have got... I have purchased one land. I took contribution 25,000 from Birla. I wanted 100,000, he gave me 25,000. That's all right. So with that money I purchased one land. So it is just to be developed. The foundation stone, cornerstone laying down. In India we require another..., altogether at least one hundred men, Americans. So contribute some men from each and every center.
Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London: Prabhupāda: Allahabad, Gorakhpur. So same thing. And for persons spiritually inclined, for them this traveling is very good. Traveling means with this occupation. It is very good. You'll be more popular and there will be no difficulty, mind will be steady.
Śyāmasundara: It takes away our attachment for everything materially.
Prabhupāda: The Gosvāmīs, they did not stay underneath a tree for more than one night. So you decide; then you do the needful.
Haṁsadūta: When should we arrange for Śivānanda's fire ceremony?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: We should have initiation too, first initiation.
Haṁsadūta: Do it all the same.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. So we'll consult Pradyumna and find a good time, calendar, on the...
Prabhupāda: Any day. (end)
Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi: Prabhupāda: Therefore, simply for decoration of the body, that is not human civilization. (indistinct) civilized activity is going on on the basis of keeping this body in comfort. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). (indistinct) everywhere attempt is being made how to keep this body comfortable. The karmīs, they are trying to elevate themselves to the heavenly planet. Enjoying here nicely, but they are performing great sacrifices, ritualistic ceremonies, and pious activities to elevate themselves to higher planetary system according to Vedas. Everywhere we go, material... These people are trying to go to the moon planet. But wherever you go, you cannot be any way comfortable. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā says that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Intelligent person will see that "However comfortable I may be, I have to meet death." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34), "I am death." Death means to take away. Whatever you create, it will be taken away.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 1.5.11 -- January 19, 1972, Jaipur: Prabhupāda: So keep this principle in view, that you have to become swan, not crows. They say that everyone, every religion is all the same. This is all nonsense. (indistinct) In Bhagavad-gītā there are different types of religion, sattvic, rajarsic, tamasic. And our this... If you take it as religion, this is transcendental. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). Paraḥ means transcendental, it is not ordinary, aparaḥ. In aparaḥ dharma, the materialistic dharma, there are ritualistic ceremonies how to make one perfect for accepting transcendental religion. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly putting oneself in the transcendental. That is the special (indistinct). Caitanya Mahāprabhu... (aside) Why don't you close it? Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then it is to be supposed that you have finished all other types of religion. My Guru Maharaja used to cite one example that one's friend was sitting on the high-court judge's bench. So he was speaking to another, "Oh, that Panchu was playing with us naked. He is sitting on the high-court judge's bench. Oh, how he was playing with us naked, how he is seated in the high-court bench?" "Yes, I have seen, you have seen actually he is sitting." "Oh, then he must not be getting salary." He must not be getting salary. So this is the argument. Familiarity breeds contempt. So he cannot believe that he has become a high-court judge. He thinks that "I am a rascal fool and my friend, how he can become high-court judge? He must not be getting salary." But is that very good argument that the high-court judge is seated there without any salary? This argument is false(?). That is enviousness.
Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Because India, the caste system is very strong. So a brāhmaṇa will never accept a girl born into a śūdra family, although in śāstra it says that you can accept. (Sanskrit) means family member is respectful. Your family consideration is very... During marriage ceremony, the family consideration is very strong. Now that is dwindling. Formerly, family traditions, then horoscope. The so-called love was not given any importance, the so-called love. As in other countries the boys select wife or girls selects... No. There is no importance on this. The father, mother will see the horoscope, whether this boy and girl will agree according to the horoscope. Rāja-yoga(?) There are some calculations, astronomical calculations, from his birth, from her birth, and the expert astrologer will select, "Yes, this boy and this girl will be happy." Then they are married. If there is any discrepancy, they will deny, "No." These were the considerations. Then family tradition. What is the tradition of the boy's father's family, mother's family, so many things they calculate, then the marriage settlement, "Yes." And the boy might not have seen the girl. There is no necessity of the boy seeing the girl or the girl seeing the boy. There is no necessity. After marriage, when the marriage ceremony is performed, then the boy and girl can see one another: "Oh, she is my wife." (laughter) "He is my husband." That. (aside) So. You can begin. Oh, this is another magazine, Earth.
Room Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo: Prabhupāda: ...so many assistants. Similarly, God can expand Himself for different... So Lord Buddha appeared to stop animal killing. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. This is Sanskrit. Lord Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, He was very much compassionate on the poor animals. "And now you have appeared as Lord Buddha," buddha-śarīra, "taking the body of Lord Buddha." Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. He was so much compassionate by seeing unnecessarily animal sacrifice. When there was too much animal sacrifice in India, Lord Buddha appeared. And in the Vedas there is recommendation for animal sacrifice in some sacrificial ceremony, not ordinarily. And that sacrifice is meant for testing the power of chanting mantra. An animal would be put into the fire, and it would come again with renewed life. In this way, there is recommendation in the Vedas that some animals... But people misunderstood it. People began to sacrifice, rather, slaughter. At that time Lord Buddha appeared. So we worship Lord Buddha as Kṛṣṇa. You are all Buddhists?
Dai Nippon representative: I am Buddhist.
Prabhupāda: So Buddhist religion I think animal sacrifice is prohibited, or what? Animal killing? What your religion says about animal killing.
Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo: Prabhupāda: Three hundred. Simply grains, fruits, and butter, that's all, and sugar. You give us these four items and we give you three hundred items. Yes. There is a ceremony in India, annakūṭa, Govardhana-pūjā. So in that ceremony, in each and every temple they prepare as many varieties as possible. Some of them prepare three thousand.
Dai Nippon representative: Three thousand.
Prabhupāda: Yes. For weeks they prepare. And the competition is the more items the temple prepares, he becomes... (break) And distribution, prasāda distribution, free of charges. It was a very nice system that nobody should remain hungry. That is the system. If there is any temple in any neighborhood, in that neighborhood nobody should remain hungry. The Vedic system is that in your house, a householder shall see that even a lizard in the house is not hungry. He must also be given food. Even there is a snake—nobody likes snake—but a Vedic householder has to call the snake and give him food. He also may not remain hungry. This is the... And these things will be explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that anything, wherever it is, on land, on the air, sky, within the water, everywhere, God's kingdom; and all living entities, they are God's sons. So everyone has got the right to take advantage of his father's property. This is Bhāgavata communism.
Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York: Prabhupāda: How Kṛṣṇa was born?
Devotee child (1): He had a birth ceremony when Kṛṣṇa was born.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee child (1): Kṛṣṇa had His birth ceremony when He was born.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. How He took birth?
Devotee child (1): Did He take birth? A four-armed form. He took birth as four-armed form. He came out from Devaki's womb.
Prabhupāda: You have seen any child with four arms? Have you seen?
Devotee child: (1) Hmmh.
Prabhupāda: Where?
Devotee child (1): In pictures.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee child (1): In the picture. Here.
Prabhupāda: Picture.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London: Prabhupāda: And she saw?
Revatīnandana: Two months ago she came here for most of the aratik ceremony. The devotees came out to say goodbye to her, and she said, "Go back and do aratik."
Prabhupāda: She can influence the whole Bombay, she's so...
Devotee (2): Oh, she knows everyone.
Dhanañjaya: We need a president like her for the board of trustees for London also.
Devotee: Has she had any assistance?(?)
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. She is doing her best. She is nice.
Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home: you want to drink some.
Prabhupāda: I have taken it, little. That's all. (pause) Harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). (pause) So tomorrow you are all invited. Please come. You are also invited.
Śyāmasundara: A special ceremony tomorrow.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (2): Can we get one picture of the group?
Prabhupāda: Yes, sit down. No.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Guest (2): Why don't you all move and please stand... (Hindi) Can some of them stand over that side?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home: Prabhupāda: So it is a happy meeting?
Guest (6): Yes, Mahārāja is converting (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Please come tomorrow. (Hindi) What time you have given them, any time?
Satsvarūpa: Yes. The ceremony is in the morning but if they can't make it, all day long we'll be distributing prasādam. Come and see the Deities.
Prabhupāda: Yes, any time you can convince him to come. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta: Guest (1): ...ceremony, by some ceremony purification, sanctified needed like (indistinct) But this is not sacred yet. How do become sacred this thread?
Prabhupāda: You have to give up this four prohibitives.
Guest (1): By sacrament?
Prabhupāda: By taking vow not to indulge in four prohibitives.
Devotee: Oh. I'm not very expert yet.
Prabhupāda: No, you can say it in English.
Room Conversation -- July 16, 1973, London: Prabhupāda: Make show. So we should not increase the show very, very much. Show shortcut show. That's all. Real business is... Āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi sahajiyā, sakhībhekī, smārta, jāta-gosāñi, they have been condemned by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, smārta and jāta-gosāñi. Smārta-paṇḍita, very serious about performing ceremonial rituals, they are called smārtas. This Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, also Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, that is also imitation of smārtaism. It is called smṛti. So at least in Europe and America, they will never be able to take all these things. The things should be made shortcut; at the same time, they should be successful. So that is chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, depending on... As soon as we have got some time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either loudly or silent... As far as possible loudly; if not possible, silently. But the tongue must go, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
Room Conversation -- July 16, 1973, London: Prabhupāda: Dancing is so nice. Chanting, dancing and take prasādam. Take rest. That's all. Not that you shall take rest like Kumbhakarṇa. (Prabhupāda laughs) Just to, I mean to say, answer the call of this deficient body, we have to take little rest. But as far as possible this should be conquered. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. The Gosvāmīs, they conquered over eating, sleeping... Stress on saṅkīrtana, and let them chant and dance as long as possible. If they can chant and dance twenty-four hours, that is very good. That should be stressed. Just see, this boy yesterday, he came, he said, "Oh, I like this saṅkīrtana very much." Immediately. He was talking of so much, yoga and this and that, so many nonsense, but he came this morning. He said, "Oh, I will come again. It is very nice." Saṅkīrtana has got so power. Stress on saṅkīrtana, chant yourself, induce others, dance. Whole thing will be a successful. And especially outside India, these rituals and ceremonials, that will be simply artificial. They cannot take it seriously. But saṅkīrtana they can take seriously. This is practical. And if you recite all the Vedic hymns throughout the whole day they will join, but they will not benefit out of it. So why should we waste.
Room Conversation with Anna Conan Doyle, daughter-in-law of famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- August 10, 1973, Paris: Guru-gaurāṅga: Do you have any questions about the ceremony that you saw this morning?
Anna Conan Doyle: Yes. I wanted to know what was that, the meaning of that mark you made...
Bhagavān: Oh, from the fire.
Anna Conan Doyle: The fire, yes. Yes, oil and... Was it a third eye?
Prabhupāda: No.
Anna Conan Doyle: That means you are dust and you become dust again, or what?
Prabhupāda: No, we attended the ceremony. (laughter)
Bhagavān: It is a souvenir of the ceremony.
Prabhupāda: You were not marked because you did not attend the ceremony.
Anna Conan Doyle: I see. It's just a sign. It has no particular meaning.
Prabhupāda: No, this is the general meaning. And this is blessing. After, after the ceremony, if there is any blessing, you get the blessing.
Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris: Prabhupāda: "You give Me." "Whatever you eat, you give Me," Kṛṣṇa says.
Haṁsadūta: "Any civilized man has to perform some religious ritualistic ceremonies. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends..."
Haṁsadūta: This is vaidikī.
Haṁsadūta: "...Do it for Me."
Yogeśvara: Vaidikī.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Haṁsadūta: "...and this is called arcanā. Everyone has a tendency to give something in charity. Kṛṣṇa says: 'Give it to Me.' And this means that all surplus money accumulated should be utilized in furthering the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nowadays people are very much inclined to the meditational process, which is not practical in this age. But if anyone practices meditating on Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra around his beads, he is surely, he is surely the greatest yogi, as substantiated by the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā."
Yogeśvara: (indistinct) there's that Prof. Kotovsky who was raising an objection. He was saying that your four-class system may work well in a simple agrarian culture like in India, but here where things are much more complicated, it would never work.
Prabhupāda: It is already there. He is professor, why? (laughter) That is their rascaldom. They are doing the same thing. But still they are decrying the process. Why you have become professor? You remain ordinary worker. There is no need of professor. Why he has become professor of Indology? And there is two, amongst the workers also, there are two classes, manager class, worker class. You have to divide. Without division... (break) Just like this body is not a lump of matter. There is division. Without division, the body cannot work.
Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm: Prabhupāda: Perth. And Darwin.
Ambassador: Darwin also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And we had very gorgeous Ratha-yātrā ceremony in Australia. In London also. You know that? Ten thousand people participated, and we distributed prasādam.
Ambassador: On the 12th you'll have it in London.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Ambassador: This big meeting will be in London, on the 12th.
Haṁsadūta: That is another meeting. Our Ratha-yātrā is held on July 8th in London.
Ambassador: Yes, that's right.
Haṁsadūta: July 8th. And simultaneously in San Francisco and in Sydney, all over the world.
Prabhupāda: And during Janmāṣṭamī, the...
Ambassador: Ah, Janmāṣṭamī.
Prabhupāda: The, the ambassador, Mr. Rasagotra...
Ambassador: Rasagotra.
Prabhupāda: He came. He's very nice man.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Yes! That is your... Now, you see, understand.
Dr. Patel: I understand...
Prabhupāda: He has performed the annakūṭa ceremony. Either you eat or I eat, where is the difference?
Dr. Patel: Great difference. (break) ...what way?
Prabhupāda: Because you do not take prasādam, therefore you are not devotee.
Dr. Patel: You... I take this much prasādam. They need that much prasāda. That is what I mean to say otherwise.
Prabhupāda: No, no, you cannot dictate. Prasāda, prasāda, prasāda will be distributed without discrimination.
Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay: Dr. Patel: These are all, I mean, ordained to perform śraddhā, all Vaiṣṇavas.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, Vaiṣṇavas do not do so.
Dr. Patel: We are... We, all are, all of us, are we not doing...
Prabhupāda: No.
Dr. Patel: Śraddhā ceremony...
Prabhupāda: The Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇava has no duty except serving Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Dr. Patel: That's right. But a Vaiṣṇava family...
Prabhupāda: No.
Chandobhai: Gṛhasthas, gṛhasthas.
Dr. Patel: Gṛhasthas.
Prabhupāda: He, whatever he may be. That is stated, that is stated that...
Dr. Patel: Only Jains can do.
Prabhupāda: That is stated that pitṛṇām. No, what is that verse? Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛnam-pitṛṇām (SB 11.5.41). We are... Just like we are indebted to our forefathers, family, similarly we are indebted to devas, the demigods. Just like the sun is supplying light. So we are indebted. Deva, ṛṣi, to the great, big, big, saintly ṛṣis. They have given us the śāstras. Devarṣi, devarṣi bhūtā... Bhūtā, ordinary living entities. Just like you are taking milk from the cows. And another, horse, is giving me service. So devarṣi-bhūtā apta, relatives. We take so much help from relatives. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛnam, ordinary human beings. Pitṛṇām. And the pitṛs. So we are debted to so many.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay: Prabhupāda: He is in the heart of a dog also. Then dog is also Kṛṣṇa. So why one should go to the temple? He can worship his dog at home. If this logic is all right. (break) ...the verdict of the Rāmakrishna mission, "You can worship whatever you like. That is God." And therefore they have manufactured this word, daridra-nārāyaṇa. (break) Jāta-karma-saṁskāra, saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Saṁskāra, reformatory method, begins before the birth. Before the birth, when the father and mother have sex, that is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. That is also another ceremony. It is not a hidden fact. So saṁskārad bhaved dvijaḥ. Otherwise it is birth like cats and dogs. That is Vedic civlization, saṁskāra before the birth and immediately after the birth, then one after another. This is called jata-karma; then nāma-karma; then when he is grown boy, upanayana-saṁskāra, dīkṣā-saṁskāra; then when he is grown up and marriage... Marriage is also another saṁskāra. In this way there are daśa-vidha-saṁskāra. So unless one goes through all the saṁskāras, he is not accepted as higher caste. He is śūdra. In a brāhmaṇa family, if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not taken, so it is said that immediately the whole family becomes śūdra, no more brāhmaṇas. Then where is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is going on? Nobody takes care of garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Still, they are declaring that "I am brāhmaṇa." Therefore the conclusion is kālau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: "Everyone is śūdra." (break) ...no education. Still, one is called paṇḍitji. What is the meaning of this "paṇḍitji?" If he is not learned, then why do you call him paṇḍitji? (laughing) (break) That paṇḍiya is also another form of paṇḍita.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay: Indian man (4): Provided he has got the particular saṁskāra. (Hindi) That is the beginning of it.
Prabhupāda: Ah, that is the beginning of saṁskāra. There is regular ceremony.
Indian man (5): But a very few people nowadays...
Prabhupāda: Still in Bengal, when the husband meets first the wife, there is saṁskāra. There is regular pūjā, patha. Then the husband and wife meet together. We had the same saṁskāra in our family. It was going on. When we were young man, it was going on.
Indian man (4): Semen ceremony.
Indian man (6): Semen means before the birth.
Indian man (5): After pregnancy, eight or nine months, something like that.
Prabhupāda: That is ṣaḍ-lakṣana. That is another thing. Before sex, there is a ceremony. That is called garbhādhāna.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay: Śrīdhara: "...ceremony takes place after the birth of the child. The family members take baths, cleanse themselves, and decorate themselves with ornaments and garlands. Then they come before the child and the astrologer to hear the future life of the child. Nanda Mahārāja and other members of the family dressed and sat down in front of the birthplace. All the brāhmaṇas who were assembled there on this occasion chanted auspicious mantras." (break)
Prabhupāda: (break) ...Mahārāja. This is kṣatriya king. Who has got so many cows to distribute? They cannot maintain even one cow. He is handed it over to the slaughterhouse. This is our position.
Śrīdhara: "He not only gave cows in charity, but hills of grain, decorated with golden bordered garments and many ornaments."
Prabhupāda: Anna-vastra, anna-vastra-dhana. Charity means to give in charity anna and vastra and cows. (break) ...give in charity some paper, one hundred rupees. (laughs) Another cheating. And he is also satisfied, "One hundred rupees." What is this one hundred? It is a paper, a piece of paper. (break) ...earned, black market, white market. Because when one does business, he has to do it, but it should be purified. I have seen the Marwaris, they do that. Although when earning money, they don't care, they do anything, but they give in charity. (break) ...purify the body by taking bath, similarly, the wealth is purified by the charity process, giving it to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Therefore Vasudeva is very jubilant that Kṛṣṇa is now alive and His birthday ceremony has been performed. Therefore he is so pleased.
Śrīdhara: "Vasudeva continued, 'My dear friend, it is very difficult for us to live together.' " (break)
Prabhupāda: ...cows were getting grass also. Water. But you will find there is no water, there is no grass in the field. And the government is sending the cows to the slaughterhouse. This is the condition of present India. In Europe, America, although they are selling the cows to the slaughterhouse, they have got enough grass and water. That I have seen. At least so long they live, the cows are comfortably maintained. But here there is no comfort for the cows. Now here the anxiety is whether the cows are getting sufficient grass and water.
Makhanlal: What's the explanation then? They are slaughtering more cows in the United States, but there is still more fortunate situation there materially.
Prabhupāda: No, that is now dwindling. The hippies are coming out. So one day it will be finished. One day it will be finished. That... It has already begun. The future hope is now becoming hippies. So who will manage this? It is already there is a problem how to maintain the industry, how to... This has become a problem. So naturally, when the, there will be all hippies, not to work, then everything collapses. The so-called prosperity will be finished. (break) Nobody is working sincerely. Here also in India, all government servants, they do not work.
Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva: Prabhupāda: As the karmīs, they are in the bodily concept of life. They are working day and night trying to improve the material condition of life, not only in this life, but also in the next life. They are performing different ritualistic ceremonies for being promoted to the heavenly planet, like that. So they are all karmīs. Either in this world or in the next world, they are called karmīs. So karmī means they want comfort of this body. And the yogis, they are also on the concept of this body. They are identifying this body as designated Brahman, upādhi-brahma, "Brahman with designation." But their central point is this body. That... This bodily concept of life, so long it continues in the form of karma-yogī or dhyāna-yogī, it can give him relief from the cycle of birth and death and merge into the Brahman effulgence. Brahma-sāyujya-mukti, this is called, technically. The jñānīs also. But that is not final. There is still farther. Even there is brahma-sārūpya-mukti, brahma-sālokya-mukti, brahma-sarṣṭi-mukti. So generally, the yogis and the jñānīs, they aim at brahma-sāyujya-mukti, to merge into the Brahman effulgence. But that is not final. Final is bhakti-yoga. After advancing, if the yogi gets the chance of associating with pure devotee and he engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, that is final perfection.
Morning Walk -- June 2, 1974, Geneva: Prabhupāda: (laughing) First of all, they were importing European masters, and now they are importing dogs. Now they will have to import European brāhmaṇas. Yes. Because in India all the brāhmaṇas are now finished. So for their ritualistic ceremony they will have to import from Europe, America. Long ago... Long ago, not long ago, about four, five years ago, I wrote this fact. (break) ...the communists, as they making, that the state is the proprietor of everything, so what is the harm of accepting God as the proprietor of everything? What is the harm? He is giving up his own right. The state is the proprietor. So why not make "God is the proprietor"? What is the harm? And actually, God is the proprietor. Now, this lake, it is not made by the state. It is made by God. They are claiming this is Swiss lake. What is that?
Yogeśvara: Geneva lake.
Prabhupāda: Geneva lake. And a few steps forward, a French lake. So either to the French or Geneva, it does not belong. It belongs to God. He's a fool. Why don't you say, "God's lake"?
Yogeśvara: We could propose them that they change the name, but I think they might be afraid it would drive away the tourists.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam... (CC Adi 17.21). (end)
Morning Walk -- June 6, 1974, Geneva: Prabhupāda: And that is already there. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The, the, in Vedic astrology, jāta-karma, they will say that "This child is a śūdra, this child is a brāhmaṇa, this child is a kṣatriya." By the birth, by the constellation of the stars, it will be done. It is already being done. And in the medical laboratory, the blood has been tested, brāhmaṇa, śūdra, vaiśya, there is different blood. Yes. The blood infusion. So if the, a different blood is infused, it does not act. So one doctor, in India, he was permanently keeping different bloods for different persons. So there is some meaning in the caste system. But that is not... In a brāhmaṇa family, a śūdra may also take birth. Śūdra blood. So to keep the blood brahminical, therefore the reformatory system is there, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra and all the saṁskāras. Before birth, they keep, to keep the blood brahminical, there is ceremony.
Satsvarūpa: Yesterday you said when one becomes initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, his body changes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation with M. Lallier, noted French Poet -- June 12, 1974, Paris: Prabhupāda: That is called illusion, māyā. Actually, he cannot enjoy, but, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the real enjoyer, he wants to enjoy. That is his... Just like a child imitates the mother for cooking. The other day, in Geneva, the fire ceremony was going on. The mother was offering oblations, and the child also immediately took some and he... You have seen that?
Yogeśvara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: So he's not fit for that business, but he imitates. That is childish. Sometimes goes to the kitchen, wants to make foodstuff, preparation, and he is given some toys that "You just play with it." So every living entity is part and parcel of God. So God is enjoyer, God is controller. So he wants to imitate God. That is called māyā. (French)
Pṛthu Putra: So what should the soul do if he cannot imitate God?
Prabhupāda: Yes, the soul... Just like the same example. The child should be guided by the father and mother. Similarly, we should be guided by God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our normal life. And the guidance is given personally by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you follow the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and be guided by God, then you are happy exactly like a child is happy when he's under the protection of the parents.
Morning Walk at Marine del Rey -- July 13, 1974, Los Angeles: Bali Mardana: They can make advertisements in the newspaper.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That "On certain plea only, they have stopped our most important ceremony." In this way agitation must go on. And our men, those who took part in political agitation, they should go there and speak everywhere, that "It is religious discrimination."
Bali Mardana: They should have a protest meeting in front of the Parliament building, with signs.
Prabhupāda: Protest meeting must be there. How to organize? At least, a protest meeting should be done in such a way that the whole world may know that the British Government stopped the yearly Ratha-yatra ceremony of the Hindus. That should be organized. What can be done? You are not very strong GBC's. There must be vehement protest meeting.
Bali Mardana: They can protest in front of Downing Street, in front of the Prime Minister's residence.
Prabhupāda: Yes, protest meeting, go on, organize. Go, all of you. What is the talking here? They have seen that the movement is growing more important. So this is discrimination. In England the Church is very strong. They have organized like this. You quote the publication, "There is no alarm." Of course, it is on the plea of police protest, police objection. The police objection means one's religious ceremony should be stopped? What is this? Simply for some technical mistake, now they can warn that "You must do it. Otherwise it will be stopped." How is that? No. That means this is police government? Does it mean it is police government?
Bali Mardana: Police state.
Morning Walk at Marine del Rey -- July 13, 1974, Los Angeles: Brahmānanda: They should have a meeting until the order is given.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Until the order is given, we shall hold meeting here. Daily." And tell them that "It is, it is police government. Then we should, we should give up British connection." Agitate government that "It has become a police government." Best course will be like that, that "As usual, we shall keep the ratha there. We are not moving." And hold on, go on protest meeting, doing. And keep them there. Let them arrest and go to jail. That is the real effort. (pause) Or one thing do... Satī sārthaṁ samācaret. Therefore I wanted to start this politics. There say, "It is, it is our custom. Unless the ratha is there, there is no ceremony. So you have asked to palanquin. We shall make the ratha here, standing. And after holding our ceremony we shall take the Deity in palanquin and go to the Trafalgar Square. And go to the Trafalgar Square and hold meeting there. But the ratha must be there. It will not move. It will stand here. We shall take the Deities in palanquin and go to the Trafalgar Square." In this way, take police permission, and after going there, along with the ceremony, protest.
Morning Walk at Marine del Rey -- July 13, 1974, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Take this, tactfully, that "All right, our ratha will not move. But this is our ceremony. The ratha will stand there."
Bali Mardana: So they should get written permission for the ratha to stand there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Ratha will stand, will not move, unless you sanction. But it is the, one of the part of the ceremony. There must be ratha. How you can stop it?" And from the ratha the palanquin will go to the Trafalgar Square. As usual, we hold our ceremonies and come back. So what is the objection? And if they say, "No, you cannot even keep the ratha," that means there is conspiracy.
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That means there is conspiracy. So we should be politicians also (break) ...somebody protested that "Your Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement makes the people dull." And now, you have not seen the Vaiṣṇava. There was two fight in the Indian history. One is Rāma and Rāvaṇa, and one is Kurukṣetra. And the hero is Vaiṣṇava. We are going to produce such Vaiṣṇavas, not these dull rascals, sitting down. We don't want these Vaiṣṇavas, sitting down rascals. We want Arjuna or we want no one. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is wanted.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Eh? (laughter) Story is that there was a joker—His name was Gopal Bahn—of a king, Rāja Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇanagar, you know? Near Māyāpur? Yes, the king of that place. So they used to keep joker to please them by words. So the joker was constructing a new building. So it is almost finished, but there was no opening ceremony. So Rāja advised his, one of his another friends, that "If you can go and pass urine in that new house of Gopal—the joker's name-before the opening ceremony, then I'll give you so much prize. Go and pass urine there." (chuckles) So, "Yes, I'll do it." So... No, "Pass stool." Yes. "Go and pass stool there. Then I'll give you so much advance." So one day he made this plan. He was passing, and all of a sudden entered: "Gopal, I am very much called by nature. Kindly show me where I shall pass stool. Where I shall pass?" So Gopal was intelligent, that it is, there is some plan. "Yes, yes, here is lavatory. You come here." So he is... Everything was false. So then he said, "The door must be open. You pass stool there, but I'll see that you are passing stool and door must be open." "Now, how it is possible?" "No, it is possible. You can pass stool, but you cannot pass urine. If you pass urine, then I shall kill you." Passing stool without passing urine, how it is possible? "So you have come to pass stool. That you can do here, but don't pass urine." (laughs) So that is my position. "You may have hundreds of places, but you cannot live anywhere." That is Kṛṣṇa's order. (break) ...place not to become attached.
Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas: Prabhupāda: Yes, spiritual master.
Professor: Hay una ceremonia?
Prabhupāda: No, you can chant without ceremony. There is no loss. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the effect.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said he has seen us in New York and London, and one thing he has noticed that wherever he sees us, our faces are very satisfied, content.
Prabhupāda: You are intelligent. (laughter)
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): That even though it's outside, it shows that there's something special inside.
Prabhupāda: No, this enquiry was made by one priest. I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. The priest was in his ordinary dress. He came. He said, "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "Yes." He first of all he said, "How your disciples look so nice and full of spiritual consciousness?" That was his first question. No, everything has got process. If we adopt the process, the result is there.
Room Conversation with Bernard Manischewitz -- March 5, 1975, New York: Prabhupāda: Sacrifice means restriction. One meaning of sacrifice is: if you believe in the śāstra, the animal is going to get next life as a human being. Because he is being sacrificed under Vedic rituals, so he is given promotion immediately, to human life. So he is not loser. His body being sacrificed before the deity, he gets the opportunity of getting a human life immediately, for which he had to wait perhaps thousands and thousands of years, because the evolution will go. Of course, after animal life the next life is human life. So anyway, he is given the concession to get a human form of body immediately after this body is destroyed, and with the right that he has the right to kill the man who has killed him. That mantra is cited, that "He was sacrificing your life, so you get immediately human form of body, and you can kill this man." So this is the Vedic rituals. Another animal sacrifice is there just to make experiment of the Vedic mantra. An animal is sacrificed in the altar, and he is given again life, rejuvenated life. An old cow sacrificed, and he gets a youth, young (body). If the animal comes out alive, then it is to be considered that the Vedic mantras are being recited correctly. Not to kill and eat, no, no, that is not the purpose. Just like in laboratories, they make some experiment on the animal, similarly this is like that. The animal is sacrificed, and he is rejuvenated in young life. Old life is sacrificed, and he gets a new body. Then it is to be understood that in this ritualistic ceremony the mantras are chanted correctly. That is their power. But because in this age such learned brāhmaṇas are not available, therefore it is stopped. No more.
Room Conversation with Canadian Ambassador to Iran -- March 13, 1975, Iran: Ambassador: It is a difficult thing to get to.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And they gave us place. At the last moment they rejected. First of all they gave. Then, at the last moment, the municipality said, "No, this land cannot be given to any religious function." Rejected. And offered, "If you like, you can take this place." So we had no other alternative to accept it. We advertised that "We are going to hold this ceremony," and the authority rejected at the eleventh hour and offered the Tal Kotara place. We had to accept it. And the government indirectly giving us so many hindrances in India. Yes. They do not like. One of the important member of the cabinet, he frankly said that "We do not want that your movement will increase very fast in India." Because they know it, Indira Gandhi and company, that India is naturally inclined to Kṛṣṇa. And if the selected people of the world, combined together, they push this movement in India, then the whole program of the modern leaders will collapse. That's a fact. And that was my idea. I wanted to start this movement from India. But nobody cooperated. So then I decided to come to America. And my plan was successful.
Morning Walk -- May 13, 1975, Perth: Prabhupāda: Nescience, yes. That is pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means sense enjoyment. And nivṛtti means self-negation. So when we say that "You shall not have illicit sex," and their inclination is illicit sex, so therefore it is revolutionary. They are materialistic persons. They want sex enjoyment to the best capacity-homosex, this sex, that sex, naked dance, all sexually inclined, pravṛtti. And we say, "Stop this," nivṛtti. They do not like it because āsura. Pravṛtti jagat. They do not know this is essential. They do not know it. This is essential. Tapasā brahmacaryena (SB 6.1.13). Tapasya means brahmacarya. The so-called swamis, they are coming for this so-called yoga practice and..., but they are themself victim of sex. This is going on. Actually, it is a bluff—they have become swami and teaching some yoga system—because they do not know that one has to stop this first of all. Brahmacaryena. So this bluffing is going on all over the world, and we are speaking just against them. Murkhayopadeśo hi prakopāya na śāntaye. If you give instruction to the rascals, he will simply be angry. He will not take advantage of it. This is our position. All the so-called professors, philosophers, they are all in the pravṛtti-mārga. Therefore they are bringing somebody, "Our interpretation is like this." Pravṛtti-mārga. Because if they can find out some support from the śāstra, then they think, "We are secure." This is going on. Pravṛttim ca nivṛttim janā na vidur āsurāḥ. The whole world is full of asuras, descendant of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and it is very difficult. But if we give them chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, gradually they will understand. (pause) Our difficulty: the so-called swamis, priests, popes, they are also in the pravṛtti-mārga. All these, priests, and they have illicit sex. Pravṛtti-mārga. So they are passing, "Yes, you can have homosex with man." They are getting man-to-man marriage. You know? They are performing the marriage ceremony between man to man in the open church. What class of men they are? And they are priest. Just see. Such degraded persons, drinking... They have got hospital for curing their drinking disease. Five thousand patients in a hospital in America, all drunkards, and they are priest.
Morning Walk -- May 13, 1975, Perth: Prabhupāda: What he has done?
Amogha: He... Sometimes he has electric guitar music for the church prayer ceremony. It's called a rock mass.
Gaṇeśa: Rock mass, to attract the young people.
Prabhupāda: Will the young men came?
Gaṇeśa: Oh, yes. But halfway through, they all go out on the grass and they smoke. (laughter) They simply come to hear the music and that is all...
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: You can take the whole plate. (laughter)
Jesuit: Take the whole plate? I just eat it?
Madhudviṣa: (laughing) Yes, yes. It's just...
Jesuit: No special ceremony?
Madhudviṣa: We've already done that.
Jesuit: Ok. When I was in India and I visited a shrine... It was the festival of the goddess of learning.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Sarasvatī-pūjā.
Jesuit: And they brought me fruit to eat at the end, and I was embarrassed, and I didn't know whether to take it or not, and they said it's their custom, "You must take it." So I did.
Prabhupāda: We say by worshiping God, everyone is worshiped. There is no need of separately worshiping goddess of fortune, goddess of learning. Just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, it goes to every branch, leaf, and twigs, every..., approaches. Take some fruits.
Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne: Amogha: Maybe you'd like to come to ārātrika. It's just starting, ārātrika ceremony.
Guest 2: I'd like to very much, but we'd better go home because...
Amogha: You've got something on? They have things that they have to do.
Guest 1: Later, at 8 o'clock, I've got a meeting, some people coming to my home. My wife's away having a holiday, and our youngest boy's come home, and I'm taking that chance to work long hours to get a lot of things done.
Prabhupāda: What is holiday?
Guest 1: For the school children, yes.
Amogha: Schools are not in session all over Australia.
Prabhupāda: This is winter holiday?
Guest 1: There are three terms. This is the first term holiday.
Amogha: They divide the year into three parts, and after each part they have a holiday.
Prabhupāda: We have got in India two period holiday, summer holiday and Pūjā holiday. There is a season for worshiping different types of demigods. That is called Pūjā. And in India when the summer becomes too hot, that is holiday. (guests prepare to leave) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.
Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver: Prabhupāda: Everywhere.
Brahmānanda: Bombay. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...men should be very strong to protest. They must know he has come purposely, purposefully. Of course, he will not be able to do anything. Simply ask him, "You, sir, what you have done for the last forty years? And who asked you to start this institute? And why you were called back by Guru Mahārāja?" You ask these things. "And you performed some ceremony for neutralizing your guru-aparādha." He did it. Some astrologer... He admitted that "I have offended my Guru Mahārāja. So I am not improving. So can you suggest anything?" He said that "You offer 108 bilva patra to Lord Śiva." And he did it for so many...
Brahmānanda: Prāyaścitta, is that called?
Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta, yes.
Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver: Prabhupāda: Hmm. That's it. That is the difficulty. She said frankly.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because we asked her to attend the cornerstone ceremony at Māyāpur.
Prabhupāda: So, shall we take a chance?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it might be nice.
Prabhupāda: All right. Then write two registered letters, one to Jaya Prakash Narayana... (break) ...astrologer, who was telling me?
Brahmānanda: Oh, Bhāvānanda Mahārāja, he knows. The astrologer in Māyāpur?
Bhāvānanda: Oh, Mr... In Svarūp Gañj there's one big astrologer. So he saw your photograph, and he said, "This is the face of the most powerful spiritual personality on the planet."
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana: Dhanañjaya: Should we hold an abhiṣekha ceremony for Janmāṣṭamī?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You know what is abhiṣeka ceremony?
Dhanañjaya: Bathing ceremony.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dhanañjaya: Should we bathe only the small Kṛṣṇa Deity?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...bathe.
Brahmānanda: How will you bathe?
Dhanañjaya: Well, the ceremony would begin about ten in the evening, and we would bathe with water, ghee, honey, yogurt.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi conversation with someone) (break) We shall go. How many? Four? Five?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Four, five. Should we have small kīrtana there also?
Brahmānanda: If we have kīrtana, we shall have to bring more men.
Prabhupāda: As they will send car.
Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban: Indian man (2): If we follow the Kṛṣṇa conscious path... Now, take for example our wedding ceremonies. Now, the first thing that we take, the Ganapati, there is Ganasyainava(?), and there is various other deities that we have to respect. Now, what happens in his case?
Prabhupāda: If you are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, then to worship Ganapati, there is no harm. But if you take Ganapati as independent God, then your Kṛṣṇa consciousness is hampered.
Indian man (2): But in certain ceremonies these things are...
Prabhupāda: Any ceremony. If you know the constable is constable and the president is president, then it is all right. But if you think constable is president, then you are misguided.
Woman: (Hindi exchange with Prabhupāda and other Indians)
Indian man (3): (break) ...this country, what do you think is the best way of establishing the āśrama, or the centers, and which way we can help in this matter?
Prabhupāda: We have got so many āśramas. You can see how we are doing. We have got hundred and two temples all over the world. You come to India?
Indian man (3): Yes, I have been to India.
Prabhupāda: So this time you come and see our temple in Vṛndāvana. We have got, India, four, five temples. We have got in London, New York. In London we have got two temples, big, big. One is very big. In New York we have got, Los Angeles. Everywhere we have got. Here also, yesterday's paper, there was some advertisement, one Mr. Desai.
Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban: Prabhupāda: Hospitals, there are many, but real hospitals... to cure the material disease, there is no hospital. They are... There are hundreds and thousands of hospitals for curing the disease of the body, but there is no hospital to cure the disease of the soul. That is the defect. So we are opening hospital for curing the disease of the soul. They have no information about the soul throughout the whole world. Even so-called religious organizations, they have no information about the soul. They go to religious ceremonies for material profit. They do not know what is the necessity of the soul and what is the disease of the soul. They do not know. (break) ...nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. What is the goal of life, these people, they do not know, mūḍhas. Mūḍha means rascals, gadha. They do not know what is the goal of life. They take calculation of the duration of life, that fifty, sixty, or hundred years. That's all. Beyond this, after this, they do not know. Yes. That is the defect. (break) Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that this temporary attempt to become happy-antavanta phalaṁ teṣām—it will end with the end of the body. But they do not know beyond this. Therefore alpam-medhasām, they are less intelligent. Just like a child playing. He likes to play and does not go to school.
Morning Walk -- October 18, 1975, Johannesburg: Prabhupāda: Whole thing is based on sex life, and that is tuccham, most abominable. Prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ. It will take three hundred times births to understand that this sex life is abominable. Therefore it is bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (
BG 7.19). Not that immediately, simply by hearing our Bhagavad-gita lecture, they will give it up. It will take many, many births to understand. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. In the Vedic system, sex life is allowed only for begetting children. Therefore they are... Restriction. Allowed, but with great restriction under religious rules and regulation and so many things, garbhādāna. Then the first principle is, even it is taken for begetting child, it is not secret.
Garbhādāna-saṁskāra. There should be a function, all the brāhmaṇas and relatives should come, and there will be ceremony, and everyone will know that "This man is going to now sex, have sex for begetting children." This is ceremony, not secretly like cats and dogs. Cats and dogs also, they do not do secretly. A human being do it secretly and do not want the botheration. Therefore their scientific advancement means how to kill the child, how to make abortion, how to take contraceptive pills, how to distribute them, how allow the children, "Yes, you go on, but take these pills so that you may not be bothered." Yes. Why not stop it, botheration? That you cannot, because animals. Because animal civilization, they cannot do it. Kaṇḍutive manivasi viṣaheta dhīraḥ. Why don't you teach them to become dhīraḥ, sober—"Let me tolerate this itching sensation"—brahmacārī? That teaching is not good.
Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi: Devotee (3): They say India is very poor country.
Prabhupāda: No. Indians economical backwards because they have given up their own culture. When India was actually standing on the old culture, they were never defeated. Even the Mohammedans, they ruled over India for eight hundred years, but they could not defeat the Indian culture. But the British government are clever. They spoiled the Indian culture. Therefore they are poverty-stricken. Otherwise if India would have continued in his own culture... The Gandhi started the boycott movement. So Indian culture automatically boycotted anything foreign. We know in our childhood nothing foreign-made could be used in some ceremony. Even this cloth, it must be country-made, that, what is called?
Haṁsadūta: Khadi.
Prabhupāda: Khadi, yes. No mill-made cloth can be used. That was Indian culture. They would not touch even foreign medicine. Dr. Bose, Kartick Chandra Bose, he told me that "You do not know how much we had to flatter to accept this British medicine." They would not touch quinine, anything foreign-made. This was Indian culture.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura: Prabhupāda: They are all in the material world, karmīs. Karma-kāṇḍa, ritualistic ceremonies. Prahlāda Mahārāja has described them. What is that very word used? And meaning is "one who cannot control their senses." Avijita-indriya. Ajitendriyāṇām, ajita, "one who could not conquer the senses," they are called karmīs. Ajitendriyāṇām. So all these penances, silence, meditation, then studying the Vedic literature, and so many things are there. Prahlāda Mahārāja, in one word he says, "They are meant for ajitendriyāṇām, one who could not conquer over the senses, for them." And for a devotee, one who is actually pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Not that a tiny devotee can claim that he has overcome the influence of this world. No. This is called paramahaṁsa. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Not that because you have taken to devotional..., you have become immediately. The process has begun immediately, curing process. But we should not think that we have become perfect. That is wrong.
Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura: Hari-śauri: That was the same time that you took initiation?
Prabhupāda: Yes. After that, I took initiation.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where was the initiation ceremony?
Prabhupāda: That Allahabad.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Allahabad.
Prabhupāda: 1933.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So from Mathurā everyone went to Allahabad?
Prabhupāda: Yes, or they went to somewhere. But I came back. From Allahabad I went to Mathurā, and I came back to Allahabad at my own place.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Initiation was held at that Gauḍīya Maṭha in Allahabad?
Prabhupāda: Hah. At that time that Gauḍīya Maṭha also not there. That is at a rented house.
Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura: Prabhupāda: Where the head of office? It should...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's in Phoenix, but it may be shifted soon to New York. Airport distribution. This is the installation of all the Deities you were attending in Chicago. That was a big ceremony.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Chicago? Did I install? No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, you were present on the vyāsāsana...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...when the ceremony was performed. Here is some of our vans and men, Viṣṇujana and Rādhā-Dāmodara. Here's the grandfather of airport book distribution, Tripurāri Mahārāja, dressed as a karmī to distribute in his distribution.... You can't tell, but he's wearing a wig. That's Tripurāri there. That's how he looks when he's in the airport. He never misses.
Guru-kṛpā: The master of book distribution.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's Tripurāri giving a class. Here's a priest buying a Bhagavad-gītā. Gurudāsa Mahārāja preaching on campus. Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading a kīrtana. Here's a television show. That was that television show.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta: Prabhupāda: And that is the inspiration of my devotional life. Then I asked my father that "Give me Rādhā-Govinda Deity; I shall worship." So my father was also Vaiṣṇava. He gave me small Rādhā-Govinda Deity. I was worshiping in my house. Whatever I was eating, I was offering, and I was following the ceremonies of this Rādhā-Govinda with my small Deity. That Deity is still existing. I have given to my sister. So then I introduced Ratha-yātrā. So I.... My Ratha-yātrā was being performed very gloriously. My father used to spend money. In those days ten rupees, twenty rupees was sufficient. I hired one kīrtana party and a small friends, they..., I think the brother of the present generation, and there was another De family here, so we performed this Ratha-yātrā ceremony. According to our children's imagination, it was very gorgeous. So I think our present Manmohan.... His name is? Gabhur Bhavana? (Bengali) Gopishvara Mullik. That Gopishvara Mullik was my father's friend. So he was criticizing my father that "You are performing Ratha-yātrā ceremony and you are not inviting us." So my father said, "That is children's play. What shall I invite you? You are very big man." "Oh, so you are avoiding. In the name of children you are avoiding us." On the whole, this Ratha-yātrā festival was very gorgeously.... Then imitating me, the other, my brother like, Kangalu(?), he also introduced Ratha-yātrā. And.... Kangalu. (Bengali) So all of them introduced Ratha-yātrā, and the destination was this Thakurbari, from there. So practically what I am doing now, the same thing, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship and introduction of Ratha-yātrā. I am not doing anything else. You know very well. We are now performing Ratha-yātrā ceremony practically in all big cities of the world, in San Francisco...
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana: Akṣayānanda: One boy I recommended for second initiation, but during the fire ceremony he was away on traveling saṅkīrtana for Vṛndāvana. Will he be able to take initiation from you and have the ceremony later, before you go?
Prabhupāda: He can be given.
Akṣayānanda: And he can offer in the fire later on. Very nice. He's a very good boy.
Yaśodānandana: Prabhupāda, there has been discussion amongst many of the members of the press and the Sanskrit editors regarding the actual place of Nṛsiṁha's pastimes. So I told them that on the occasion of our travel to South India we visited this place Ahobilam, and the paṇḍitas, they have scriptural reference from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa and the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa that the place is actually mentioned there, and it has been recognized by Rāmānujācārya and many of the great Ālwār saints. And yourself have already told me twice personally that this was the actual place where it happened. And on top of the mountain there, there is the pillar, iron pillar, which is the symbol of the spot where Lord Nṛsiṁha killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. So for the benefit of all of these devotees, they were just requesting your actual confirmation.
Prabhupāda: Confirmation or no confirmation, Nṛsiṁha-deva is our worshipable Deity, that's all. Why you are bothering where He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu? You worship Him, that's all.
Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: Everyone gives some blessings so that the child is.... Then marriage. During marriage time.... You have seen Kṛṣṇa's mother's marriage? That was the system. The father gives to his heart content, as much as possible, to the daughter. The Kṛṣṇa's mother was royal prince, so her father gave so many elephants, so many horses, so many chariots. That was the system. (break) This śrāddha ceremony. That is also, feeding the learned brāhmaṇas, saintly person, poor man, relative. Lavishly they spend money during three occasions: birth, death, and marriage. During birth the father spends; the marriage, father spends; and death, the son spends. This is the system. So social reformation, but there is no idea how the society will be happy. There is no idea. They are trying to remove this intoxication, LSD, but do not see the cause why LSD has come. They do not try to stop that cause. When the cause is effective, then they are disturbed with the effect. This is the defect. Neither they'll take advice. So how they'll be able to.... Big, big officer, drawing high salary, that's all. There is no effect. Neither there can be any effect. It is not possible. They do not know. Neither they want it. So we are advocating, "Remove these four sinful activities," so nobody will agree. "Illicit sex is our life, to keep a friend, to keep a secretary." And we are advising, "No illicit sex." Then where is life? That's all.
Room Conversation -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976 : Prabhupāda: The gopīs got the information that Kṛṣṇa is coming from Dvārakā, so from Vṛndāvana they went to see Him. And when Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī met, that Rādhārāṇī lamented that Kṛṣṇa—He was the same Kṛṣṇa and the same Rādhārāṇī—so "this is not a good meeting place. So, if You come to Vṛndāvana, then I shall be happy." So it is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. That is the feeling of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Ratha-yātrā. He is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. So in Jagannātha Purī still the same feelings are there. Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha, from the temple goes to Guṇḍicā. So, Lakṣmī is angry that "Kṛṣṇa is leaving me, He has gone to Vṛndāvana." So she was, she is punishing. That is called Herā-pañcamī. Punishing the servants of Kṛṣṇa. The maidservants of Lakṣmī chastising them, threatened them, "Why without permission?" So they, out of very fearful condition, offering their respect to Lakṣmī, "Mother, you don't be sorry (indistinct), we are (indistinct)." So this, this is the play performed, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu associates they saw, and they enjoyed very much when the maidservant of Lakṣmī was slapping the servant of Viṣṇu. That is mentioned Caitanya-caritāmṛta. All the servants arrested, brought before Lakṣmī, and they are punished. But they came to invite Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī and other gopīs. And actually they do not go at that time. But this Ratha-yātrā ceremony means Kṛṣṇa is coming from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. This is the history of Ratha-yātrā.
Morning Walk -- May 31, 1976, Honolulu: 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?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Just one day before Diwali.
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Huge quantity of metals. Everyone will count (indistinct) (end)
Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Don't misunderstand. It is.... Religion, it means a kind of faith. Just like you are Christian, I am Hindu. So you have faith in Christian religion, I have faith in Hin.... That is another thing. But this is.... We understand religion in a different way according to English dictionary. But real religion means the law given by God. This is the shortcut definition of religion. And if you do not know what is God, and if you do not know what is His law, then what is the meaning of religion? There is no meaning of religion. If blindly, if I have some faith in some dogmas and ritualistic ceremonies, that is not religion. Religion means the science by which you can understand God and the law of God. That is religion. It is not the kind of faith. Just like state laws. You may have faith or no faith. The state law is law; you have to obey it. Just like I have come in America. In our country, the street law is "Keep to the left." So I have come to America, you say "Keep to the right." If I say, "No, I have no faith in this 'Keep to the right.' " No, I must obey. That is law.
Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Nobody can answer. They simply falsely argue. Therefore less intelligent. Mūḍha. If he was intelligent, then he would immediately accept the Kṛṣṇa's teachings, beginning with dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). On account of the soul, the body is changing, kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. The body is sometimes child, sometimes boy, sometimes young man, sometimes old man, sometimes diseased, sometimes healthy. All these terms are there on account of presence of the soul. If the soul is not there, then it is simply a lump of matter, and it is going to decompose into matter again, and then it will smell, either you have to throw it for being eaten by the vultures or you can bury it under some ceremony or you can burn it. Three.... What is called? Pariṇamanam. Transformations. Either as stool or as ash or as earth. Those who are burying, the bodies gradually becomes earth; those who are throwing, the vultures eat, the jackals, dogs eat and it turns into stool; and those who are burning, it turns into ashes. Three transformations. This beautiful body.
Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: So, in order to enjoy this material world, you require different types of body. Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet. It requires a different body. So yānti deva-vratā devān: (
BG 9.25) this life, you aspire of going to the moon planet; next life, automatically you will go there. Why you are trying unnecessarily to go to the moon planet by sputnik? You'll go there. You just always think of the moon and you'll go to the moon. It is simple process. And by this way, you cannot go. Now, exactly in the same way that you get the body of a fish and you very easily, whole day and night, for so many years, you jump over in the sea. So moon planet is one of the heavenly planets. There is process how to go to moon planet. In the Bhāgavata it is stated. Those who are karma-kāṇḍīya, very, discharging the Vedic ritualistic
ceremony, karma-kāṇḍa, they can go to the moon planet or sun planet. There are millions and trillions of planets they can go. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (
BG 9.25). The same thing. Suppose if you want to go to India, you prepare yourself, take the visa, the permit, the passport and necessary money and permission, so many things. You go there.
Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Practically, though, without God consciousness, isn't it that people see that whether they are moral or not moral, they still suffer?
Prabhupāda: Yes. This material world is meant for suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is the description in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is a place for suffering. And that is also temporary. You cannot make adjustment: "Never mind, it is suffering; I shall remain here." No, that also will not be allowed. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15).
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the marriage ceremonies that they have, they make vow before God that "Until death do us part, we will not separate," but so many divorces are there.
Prabhupāda: That is suffering.
Rāmeśvara: If a man can have an affair with many different women, he's considered fortunate. It is his success.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's on the front page of all the magazines.
Hari-śauri: "Bachelor daddy."
Prabhupāda: Therefore they want to become gopīs. That is the tendency, sahajiyā.
Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto: Prabhupāda: .... association, everything is bad(?). So degraded condition, there is no good association. Therefore I say that we require a first-class man section. A first-class.... All third class, fourth class. Even the so-called priests, they are also fourth-class, fifth-class men. Indulging in homosex.
Satsvarūpa: This priest who joined us, who's now your man, he said that although he was a priest, he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day and drank all kind of wine. He began to drink wine, he said, because in their mass, in their ceremony, the priest drinks wine. And then then he became addicted.
Prabhupāda: These rascals are priests. And they'll protect religion.
Hari-śauri: We used to have a Reverend who was in charge of our local church when I was a child. And when we used to go on outings, sometimes they used to organize outings for children to the seaside and everything, and they would stop at a public house and they would give refreshments. So all the children would get lemonade, like that, and the grown-ups would go and drink some beer or something. So the...
Prabhupāda: Their father, mother drinking, and the child is given some soft drinking. And learning how to drink when he'll grow up.
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto: Viśvakarmā: We're getting quite a few calls. Within the last two months four Indian people have come to me requesting that they can get married in the temple. I told them not...
Prabhupāda: No, we are not marriage company. We get married our students if there is necessity, but we don't.... Marriage means they will arrange their marriage in our temple.
Viśvakarmā: They arrange the marriage on their own; they have the ceremony here. And they pay some fee.
Jagadīśa: They don't even know..., they don't even know that the Deity is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Similar proposal was there in Montreal. Then it will become a business. They are not devotees. They have no good place to perform the marriage, they come here.
Jagadīśa: The rest of the year they don't come.
Prabhupāda: You have got a separate place for allowing them?
Viśvakarmā: Yes, we have this other room adjacent to the temple room, which is very large.
Prabhupāda: So that can be used by them. Not the big hall.
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto: Prabhupāda: That can be accepted.
Viśvakarmā: The type of ceremonies, they want some sort of...
Jagadīśa: Havana.
Viśvakarmā: What's that?
Jagadīśa: Havana, fire.
Viśvakarmā: Yes, they want fire sacrifice. Can we give them some other ceremony to satisfy them?
Prabhupāda: Other ceremony? Why?
Viśvakarmā: Well, sometimes the Indians come with their children, and they want us to bless the children, so we give them caraṇāmṛta and...
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto: Prabhupāda: No, that we can do. That is first-class.(?) Give caraṇāmṛta and they have given some donation, that's nice.
Viśvakarmā: We can give them a lecture on householder life? Have them sit and give them a lecture and then give them caraṇāmṛta?
Prabhupāda: Who will hear your lecture?
Viśvakarmā: The, all the people that come for this ceremony.
Prabhupāda: They can hold kīrtana. That will be nice, if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Jagadīśa: They want the fire. They want the fire. They want to have a priest to build, to make a fire ceremony for their wedding. Many Indians ask this.
Prabhupāda: So on the whole, what they are going to pay?
Viśvakarmā: About five hundred dollars.
Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto: Prabhupāda: Uttamam. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. You can directly understand whether you are going forward. These boys, they are educated, they are coming from rich family—at least, in rich nation. They are not fools and rascals. Unless they feel pratyakṣa avagamam, how they can stick? Just like you are hungry, you are eating. Unless you feel that you are eating, "Yes, I am getting strength, satisfying my appetite," then you can go on eating. It is like that. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. You don't require to get certificate from others, that "I am eating. Whether I am satisfied?" You will feel. You don't require to take certificate from others. If you are actually eating, the result you will feel. That is pratyakṣa avagamaṁ dharmyam. Other process, you do not know whether you are actually making progress or not. You are simply going to the ritualistic ceremonies, but whether you are actually going forward, that you cannot understand. But you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will understand directly, "Yes, I'm making progress. What I was and what I am now?" Everyone will tell their life history. Pratyakṣam means directly. Pratyakṣa avagamaṁ dharmyam. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). These things are there. Asaṁśayam. There will be no doubt. Other process, you have doubt. This man says that he's God: Whether he's God? But when real God says, then there will be no doubt. Asaṁśayam. So, give them prasāda. Take little prasādam. Thank you very much. So we are trying our best. So if you kindly cooperate with us, we'll get more encouragement. People will be more benefited.
Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto: Prof. O'Connell: We had a graduation ceremony today down at the University. I've just come up from it. Are you going to send any of your students to the University to get their doctoral studies so that they can teach at other universities? We'd be delighted if some would come this way.
Viśvakarmā: One boy, Garuḍa dāsa, is going to study at the University of Chicago for his Ph.D. in Sanskrit.
Prof. O'Connell: Good.
Prabhupāda: The real education is life. Gurukula means it is a way of life training. It is said that brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānta. This is the way of life: how to learn controlling the senses. Nowadays we have got school, colleges, universities, but this method is not there, how to become dānta. The method is different, that "You can do whatever you like; you simply attend class." That is not the way of life. This is tapasya.
Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto: Kīrtanānanda: When the palace is finished we will have nice ceremonies, and many of the local dignitaries will come. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...begins?
Kīrtanānanda: Moundsville is that way about five miles. We are almost to New Vrindaban now. Two miles.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Our post office is Moundsville.
Kīrtanānanda: Yes. Do you want to go directly to your quarters, or do you want to stop by the temple?
Prabhupāda: Yes, temple. Deities open?
Kīrtanānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then... (break) Actually it is gradually expanding in these quarters. (break)
Kīrtanānanda: ...on a local television soon. That will be very good propaganda for us.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is shown? Or no, not yet.
Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban: Prabhupāda: Abhirucir, yes. Now formerly marriage was a religious ceremony. Marriage was, this boy and this girl should be married, it is a religious function where the father and mother will see their horoscope and see if they are compatible, they will agree, they will live peacefully, so many things are there. Still, in India such things are calculated by the parents of the boy and the girl. But in this Kali-yuga, dāmpatye abhirucir. Abhirucir means the boy and the girl, if he likes, if he says, that's all. No other calculation. And the, after three days after marriage, there is divorce. (laughter) Because abhirucir, "I like, I don't like," that's all. Now I like, and after three days I don't like, finished, business. In Chicago I saw a newspaper. One girl, within three weeks she has divorced two husbands. (laughter) Yes, I saw it in the newspaper. So this, formerly the father, mother used to see that this boy and this girl are going to be married. So by horoscope, by other circumstances, by family, cultural, by education, so many things, whether they will live peacefully. That was the understanding. Husband-wife means, a man requires a woman, a woman requires a man. They should be combined in such a way that they can live peacefully. If there is no disturbance of the mind, then they can make further progress in spiritual life. Therefore marriage is also necessary, and that must be properly done. This was the... Now there is no such consideration.
Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban: Prabhupāda: Vipratve sūtram eva hi. And there is a brāhmaṇa. What is the proof that he is a brāhmaṇa? He has got a sacred thread, that's all. Or thread. It may not be sacred; purchased on the market. So at least we try to give a sacred thread by ceremony. But anyone can purchase a thread from the market, two-paisa worth or one-cent worth, and become a brāhmaṇa. "You are a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, you see my sacred thread?" (laughter) Finished. "What you are doing?" "Never mind." Don't be such brāhmaṇas, at least in our camp. You must follow the rules and regulations. Don't show that "I am now doubly initiated, sacred thread." Don't cheat in that way. Vipratve sūtram eva hi. Then?
Pradyumna: Liṅgam evāśrama-khyātāv.
Prabhupāda: Liṅgam evāśrama-khyātāv. There are āśramas, brahmacārī, sannyāsī, gṛhastha. So they have got different dresses. So Kali-yuga, simply by dress, he becomes a brahmacārī, he become a gṛhastha, he becomes a sannyāsī, simply by dress. What he is acting, nobody cares, that's all.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Ritual is a practice based on tapasya. Unless one undergoes the ritualistic ceremony, he remains unclean. But in this age, because it is practically impossible to induce people to take all these ritualistic processes, therefore it is recommended that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." That is special advantage of this age, that by constant chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra he automatically becomes purified. That is recommendation given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The beginning is cleansing the heart, because we are impure on account of dirty things within our heart accumulated life after life in the animalistic way of life. So everything, advancement of spiritual life, culture, tapasya means cleansing the heart. So this process, chanting the mahā-mantra, the first installment of benefit is cleansing the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. And when the heart is cleansed, then he becomes eligible for being free from the clutches of māyā or the materialistic way of life.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: So that is not possible in this... Taking consideration of the time, circumstances, it is not possible. There are different kinds of karma-kāṇḍīya-yajña. It is expensive also and there is no expert brāhmaṇa to guide how to perform this yajña. So Kali-yuga, it is not possible to perform yajñas. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). In the Treta-yuga yajñas were possible. Dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt, that in this age of Kali-yuga the real yajña is hari-kīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Therefore those who are intelligent, having good brain substance, they take to this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. And practically we are experiencing, simply by saṅkīrtana-yajña, even the lowest person in the sinful activities, he is becoming purified. So karma-kāṇḍa is, to revive them in this age is not possible. Neither jñāna-kanda. That is also not possible. People are so fool and rascal that it is impossible. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said... He has condemned karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. Even it is properly done. Karma-kāṇḍa, by performing ritualistic ceremonies of karma-kāṇḍa, you can go to the heavenly planet. But what is the benefit there? You can enjoy there materialistic way of life in higher standard. That's all.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: So either in karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa you cannot achieve the real purpose of life. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali visera bandha. Either you accept karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kanda, they're different pots of poison. Amṛta boliya jeba khai. If by mistake you take poison, death is inevitable. Similarly, by karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa nobody can derive any actual benefit. By upasana-kāṇḍa, that is the... The Vedas, Vedic ritualistic ceremony means there are three kāṇḍas: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and upāsana-kāṇḍa. So upāsana-kāṇḍa, there are recommendation of many, worship of many demigods. But the best upāsana is Viṣṇūpāsana. Viṣṇor arādhanaṁ sarveṣāṁ. Viṣṇor arādhanaṁ param. Oṁ tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padam. There are different types of upāsana recommendation, but the viṣṇor arādhanam, worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, that is the Supreme. That is Supreme. So gradually, there is elevation to karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, upāsana-kāṇḍa, but in the Kali-yuga all these things are not possible to revive. Best directly give him the best upāsana-kāṇḍa, Viṣṇūpāsana, bhakti, everything will be automatically achieved by bhakti-mārga.
Room Conversation -- July 4, 1976, Washington D.C.: Prabhupāda: Yes. (name witheld)is living with her at her father's house. So he did not object but he objected marriage.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I heard she became impossible. (name witheld)left her. He couldn't bear associating with her. Now he's brahmacārī again. (laughter) That was one of Bhagavān's marriages that didn't work out.
Rūpānuga: We were thinking that just like when you were in Moscow, some pictures were taken that were used for Back to Godhead, very good propaganda. We were thinking maybe when we go on this tour that in front of the White House maybe we could take a picture and use it in Back to Godhead in an article like that. It might be good propaganda.
Prabhupāda: Yes, you can do.
Rūpānuga: So we were thinking we would go there to the White House on the first part, then to Capitol, second part, then around to Lincoln Memorial, then Monument for fireworks ceremony.
Prabhupāda: I will go to the fireworks.
Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: He was very expert. In India, a girl, if she could cook nicely, then she is perfect. There is a ceremony, it is called bahubhat(?). After marriage the girl comes to her father-in-law's house and there is a ceremony called bahubhat. In that bahubhat, the girl is to cook and distribute this food to all the relatives of her husband. If they say it is excellent, then she is accepted in this family.
Bali-mardana: What if they say it is not excellent?
Prabhupāda: Nobody says. (laughter) But the ceremony is made. The social system in India is that "If I do not accept your food, then I do not take you within my inner circle. You remain outside."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a great offense if you offer someone prasādam and they refuse.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means I am not accepting you as intimate. And if he accepts, then you cannot deny his friendship. About one hundreds years ago in Bengal in the aristocratic circle, the guests invited and very sumptuously food distributed, and then the gentlemen, guests, they come and see only, they will simply say "Oh, it is very nicely done." They'll not eat, and go away. Then the foodstuff will be distributed among the servants. This was aristocracy. They'll not eat, they will simply see and appreciate, "Oh, you have so many varieties, very nice." Then they'll go. And the household servants and others, they eat it.
Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: There is nothing doubtful; everything is very plain. But we, by our rascaldom, we make it doubt. By our rascal interpretation. Everyone can understand. Just like dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). The Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra. Still Kurukṣetra is there in India, and it is dharma-kṣetre. People go there for performing religious ritualistic ceremonies. So where is the difficulty to understand? And five thousand years ago the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas, they assembled there for fighting—that is clearly stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Who were they? Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva: "My sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu," Kuru-Pāṇḍava. So where is the difficulty to understand? But by misinterpretation they'll write volumes of books and spoil the whole thing. This is going on. This business should be stopped. Then we will be benefited. Everyone is misinterpreting. Is it not a fact they are misinterpreting? What do you think?
Devotee (1): So many intelligent people, they are going to Transcendental Meditation simply because it's costing money. They want to pay. My sister, her husband, they are intelligent people, but they are simply...
Prabhupāda: So intelligent that they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā.
Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: Now you were referring to the Vedic principle, but that does not mean you have to open slaughterhouse. But these rascals are opening slaughterhouse. You think it is Vedic principle? Suppose it is recommended that animals should be sacrificed in the Vedic ritualistic ceremony. Does it mean that you shall open regular slaughterhouse? Just as the Christians say that Jesus Christ ate fish, therefore they are right in opening big, big slaughterhouse? Maybe Lord Jesus Christ ate fish in some awkward circumstance, but that does not mean that he is recommending to open slaughterhouse. In the Ten Commandments he says, "Thou shalt not kill." When there is absolute necessity, there is no other food, that is another thing, but if there is sufficient other foodstuff, why should you kill? They are not even human being, those who are animal killers. Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). Those who are animal killers, they are not even human being, what to speak of religious system. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇa (SB 10.1.4). If you are animal killer, your God consciousness is finished. You'll never be able to understand what is God. Then your life is finished. This life is meant for understanding God, and if you are animal killer, then your God understanding is finished.
Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York: Indian man: When I was a young boy, eight years old, I went to Śrīnāthajī with my father, mother, and there I had to take the brahma-samāna,(?) which is the oath, taking of the oath in front of the Mahārāja and the priest of the Śrīnāthajī temple. And is that equal to initiation, or is that just a ceremony by itself?
Prabhupāda: No, initiation is another ceremony.
Indian man: What are the qualifications required for a person in working life like me, household like me, like myself, to get initiated?
Prabhupāda: No, you can be initiated. There is no... Because you are following the rules and regulations. That's it. We initiate a person who follows the rules and regulations.
Indian man: I am following all your rules and regulations.
Prabhupāda: Then you can be initiated.
Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow, they are painted nicely. It's going to be a very attractive ceremony.
Prabhupāda: So all the cars should go also, behind.
Room Conversation -- July 19, 1976, New York: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'It's surprising that you find this right in New York City. It's our way of life,' said Nagan Patel, a civil engineer from Jersey City, who immigrated from Bombay. 'We love New York City and America. It's the most beautiful place in the world. No other country will give such freedom for our own ceremony.' "
Prabhupāda: That's a fact, that I say always.
Morning Walk -- July 20, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: Moon is one. There are not so many moons. Moon is one. You can go to the moon. By ritualistic ceremony you can get there ten thousands of years life and enjoy. That is the heavenly planet.
Gurudāsa: So they have not at all gone there.
Prabhupāda: All false propaganda.
Hari-śauri: I think we should go back now, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)
Prabhupāda: Planet is full of life. Jana-(indistinct). All kinds of animals are there.
Jagadīśa: Even in the Arizona desert there are different kinds of life.
Prabhupāda: Yes. There must be. (break) ...use of going to the Mars planet. What is their idea?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: They constantly want to discover more and more so that they can claim that they are lords.
Prabhupāda: But what is that discovery?
Rādhāvallabha: Scientific knowledge.
Prabhupāda: You simply go and see? That's all?
Ātreya Ṛṣi: There is no really purpose, Śrīla Prabhupāda, no valid purpose.
Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London: Prabhupāda: We had a very gorgeous Ratha-yātrā ceremony in New York last Sunday.
George Harrison: Hm?
Prabhupāda: Sunday, eighteenth.
Pusta Kṛṣṇa: A week ago yesterday.
Prabhupāda: Give...
Gurudāsa: We fed about ten thousand that day.
Prabhupāda: Cauliflower. Take little.
Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London: Mike Robinson: Can you tell me from your own experience some of these different stages you've been through.
Prabhupāda: Yes, first stage is that you are inquisitively trying to understand. This is the first stage. This is called śraddha, that you have got some faith, "What is this movement? Let me study." This is the beginning. Then, if you are serious, then those who are cultivating this knowledge, you mix with them, try to understand how they are feeling. Then you'll feel, "Why not become one of them?" Then when you become one of them, then all your misgivings go away. And then you become more faithful and you, then you get a taste. Why these boys are not going to see the cinema? They can go-other boys are going. They never ask me. Neither they would like to see even. They hate. Their taste is different. Why they do not eat meat, go to the restaurant? Their taste has changed. In this way you make progress. Firm faith, taste is changed, then God-realization, then love of Godhead, the perfection. That is wanted, love of Godhead. That is first-class religion. Not that ritualistic ceremony, "I believe," "This belief." That is not religion; that is cheating. Really when you develop your love for God, that is perfection of religion.
Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm): Prabhupāda: Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7), find out this verse. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. I don't see Bhagavān dāsa. Why?
Bhūgarbha: He's organizing the ceremony for tomorrow.
Prabhupāda: The difference is, a bhakta, pure bhakta, he has jñāna. But a jñānī may not have bhakti.
Yogeśvara: Once Professor Chenique asked me whether we thought it was possible for a Christian like himself to also realize the perfection of Vaiṣṇavism.
Prabhupāda: Why not? Christianity in Vaiṣṇavism. Christianism is Vaiṣṇavism. Anyone who accepts the supremacy of God, he's a Vaiṣṇava. So Christian, Christianity, "God is great," they say. So that is Vaiṣṇavism, "God is great."
Morning Walk at Niavaran Park -- August 8, 1976, Tehran: Nava-yauvana: Dharma is for the envious?
Prabhupāda: Yes, so-called dharmas. Just like we have created so many dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma. They are so-called. They are not dharmas. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means what is given to you by the Supreme Lord, that is dharma. Otherwise, if you manufacture some ritualistic ceremonies, some formulas, some dogmas, that is cheating. That is not religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first-class religion. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Wherefrom you learn how to love God. If you learn, "I believe this," "I believe that," "This is our ritualistic ceremony," these are all cheating. As people are cheating one another in different ways, this is another cheating. That's all. They will say, "We believe in this way," "We believe in that way." So what is that, you believe in that way? What is the fact? If you believe something wrong, is that to be taken as religion? We say tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Other religious sect, they say this is Hindu belief. It is not question of Hindu belief. It is the fact. Does it mean that a Muhammadan or Christian child does not become a boy? When Kṛṣṇa says dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā: (BG 2.13) just like the child is becoming boy, boy is becoming young. This is science. And why do you say it is Hindu belief? Does it mean that a Muslim or Christian child does not become a boy? What do you mean by Hindu belief? But they say it like that, Hindu belief. Is that correct if somebody says it is Hindu belief? No, it is fact, it is science. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Similarly, you have to change this body, another body. The example is given. Why do you think that because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā it is Hindu belief? They say like that: "This is Hindu belief."
Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: Still there are there?
Parivrājakācārya: A few, a few temples here.
Prabhupāda: They are fire worshipers, Sūrya. (indistinct) Their marriage ceremony is just like Hindus. (to someone else) Namaskāra, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Parivrājakācārya: The language is very...
Prabhupāda: You have taken prasādam?
Parivrājakācārya: The whole language here is very similar to Sanskrit, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: You can read this also. This is in Sanskrit. (to Iranian student:) You understand English? Very good. Your country is very nice. So nice food, fruits.
Moustafa: Nice to meet you.
Prabhupāda: Formerly, from Kashmir to central Asia, it was known as Bhū-svarga, especially Kashmir, Bhū-svarga.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: Yes, that is good. One must be serious, that we are talking about God, so what is my God realization? That is nice. Otherwise, if I go on life after life talking about God and there is no God realization... That is going on. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
We are talking of God, but instead of loving God, we are loving this body. So that is not practical. That is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. If one does not become enthused to love God, then simply talking about God is a waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is going on all over the world. Somebody's Hindu, somebody's Christian, somebody's Muhammadan, they are going to the church, they are going to the mosque, they are going to the temple, everything is going on, but when you ask whether you love God or dog, he'll say, "I love dog." Practically we see. Everyone is keeping a dog, very favorite pet. And in church, they'll talk of God, but practically they love the dog. Is it not? This is going on, in the name of religion, that's all. Therefore Bhāgavata says it is simply waste of time. What is the use of talking God? If by talking of God perpetually you are developing your love for dog, then what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply waste of time. These are all discussed. Regularly going to the church, regularly going to the mosque or temple, but the love is for material things, not for God. How I get money, how I get motorcar, how I get dog, how I get nice wife, how I get nice—the love is here. The example is given, just like a vulture. The vulture goes very, very high, four miles high, five miles. But his business is to find out where there is a corpse, where there is a corpse. Very highly elevated, but business is to find out a dead body. And as soon as he finds it... (hand motion indicating sweeping down) So this is going on. Very religious, very regularly performing religious ceremonies, rituals, but the business is where is a corpse. "Come on, here is some sense gratification." This is going on. If you are talking of God, then you must love God. That is progress.talking about.
Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: The more you become purified, the more He reveals. Then He'll talk with you. So everything depends on the sincerity and seriousness. And if we take these ritualistic ceremonies, "Now I've gone to church or mosque, I have gone to temple, finish. Now let me do whatever I like." Then that is waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is simply waste of time. That is going on practically. He doesn't want to see "How much progress I have made in the matter of loving God." That he does not inquire. He takes God as order supplier. So "He's supplying my order, that's nice." He'll never learn to supply the order of God. Neither he will come any stage on that platform. The highest stage is to supply the order of God, not make God my order supplier. That is neophyte stage. Just like a small child, he simply wants to take supply from the father. But when the child is grown up and he's educated, he wants to see "How I can supply the order of parents." That is good stage. "My parents have taken so much pain to raise me, now I am educated, now they are old man..." Sentiment, I am speaking, this family sentiment. "I must see my..." (someone enters) Come on. The whole day. That is the stage of love, that "I have taken supplies from my father so long, now I must supply the order of the father." That is the stage of love. I'll not take. I have taken so much, sufficient. Now I'll not take anything from my parents, I shall simply supply what they want. That is good son, loving son. That is perfection of spiritual or religious life, when we love God and we are prepared to sacrifice anything for God. That is perfection.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: So ritualistic ceremonies, Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Everywhere there are some ritualistic ceremony. So when you go above this... Just like Kṛṣṇa says in another place, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. By performing the Vedic ritualistic ceremony, the ultimate goal is to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you may not perform this ritualistic ceremony. Because you have come to the objective. Not before that. That is sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Vedic ritualistic ceremony is that if you perform this yajña, then you go to the heavenly planet and there you'll get so long life, ten thousands of years, you get nice woman, and so on, so on. People are after that, karma-kāṇḍa. So this karma-kāṇḍa is required so long one is unaware of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands this karma-kāṇḍa elevation is not the aim of our life, our real aim of life how to go back home, back to Godhead, then these things are not required. Just like we have no ritualistic ceremony, we have simply devotional service. We have no ritualistic ceremony. There are so many things ritualistic. And we are performing only this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra. Therefore the smārta brāhmaṇas, they misunderstand. They do not admit that they have become elevated. The Jagannātha temple does not allow. But when one becomes a pure Vaiṣṇava, then tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā (SB 3.33.7). He has performed all the ritualistic devotion. There are many statements in the śāstras, that when you come to the devotional platform, you haven't go to perform these ritualistic ceremonies. Because the end of ritualistic ceremony, you have come to the point. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitava means cheating. Cheating type of dharma is rejected here. This karma-kāṇḍa, by performing some ritualistic ceremony you may go to a heavenly planet, but what benefit you will have? That one has to understand.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: Just like in British period, some Englishman was made viceroy of India. Then after five years they sent to London, again with his bag, marketing in the street. This has been seen practically. Lord such-and-such, he's traveling in a third-class compartment with a bag for marketing. But so long he was viceroy, oh, so much honor, so much prestige. So where is that prestige now? These ritualistic ceremonies are like that. For more years you become viceroy, and then again fall down. That is your Nixon. What is the position of Nixon now? He is ordinary man. That's all.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: That is the highest knowledge. It doesn't matter whether you are Muhammadan, Christian or Hindu or this or that. Whether you know God and you have fully surrendered to Him, then it is perfect. Otherwise, it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevamalam. If you simply perform the ritualistic ceremonies very strictly, but you have no idea of God, you have no knowledge how to love Him, it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
You are very religious, very nice, but are you interested with God or dog? "No, I am interested with dog." Then where is religion? Religion means you must be interested with God. That is religion What is the report? How much they are interested now?
Nava-yauvana: Forty million pounds.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Forty million pounds are being spent in Germany to take care of dog. This is advancement of civilization.
Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: They are not concerned with the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot quote from Bhagavad-gītā to instruct these rascals. You have to talk with them with common sense. Their charge is, what is their charge? That you are engaged in ritualistic ceremonies?
Nava-yauvana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So what they want us to do? If you don't want me to do this, then you must say what you want me to do. Is it not right? Suppose I am chanting. If you don't want me to chant, then what do you want me to do? The next question will be.
Jñānagamya: They want us to engage in sense gratification like they are engaged. That is what they want.
Prabhupāda: Want..., we want that, if you want me to do like you, then I want you to do like me. If you want me to accept your proposal, why you not accept my proposal?
Jñānagamya: Because if I think that sense gratification is better, then I...
Prabhupāda: That's all right, you think sense gratification is better, I think sense gratification is bad.
Room Conversation -- August 12, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: They are younger. They are all my childhood playmates. Their older brothers, the eldest one was my very, very intimate friend, Siddheshvar Mullik. We used to ride on the same perambulator when we were three, four years old. And Ratha-yātrā ceremony was performed with all these guests. They were about, in our neighborhood there were four, five houses. So all the children of the same age, I was the leader. (laughs) Yes. I organized this Ratha-yātrā. I was performing Rādhāṣṭamī and Janmāṣṭamī, and I was learning how to dress the Rādhā-Govinda. Yes.
Hari-śauri: You used to go in and dress Them?
Prabhupāda: It is, actually, it was our house. Just three, four house after.
Hari-śauri: Rādhā-Govinda were the only Deities in the neighborhood?
Prabhupāda: No, only Deity, yes. And Rādhā-Govinda has big property. In front of the Deity house there is a very big building.
Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad: Prabhupāda: I was surprised when I heard five hundred. They boycotted or what?
Saurabha: For the abhiṣeka ceremony, that lasted about an hour, up till one o'clock, and everyone remained. There were thousands of people. They were just everywhere around.
Prabhupāda: I will give you one śālagrāma-śilā. So as it is being worshiped in Māyāpur, it should be worshiped in Bombay also.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to start it now or in the new temple?
Prabhupāda: No, now. Śālagrāma-śilā. It is not difficult. You have seen śālagrāma-śilā?
Saurabha: I have seen.
Prabhupāda: So you'll take it and...
Saurabha: I'm going back tomorrow night.
Prabhupāda: So you can take it. So what other news?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What other news, Prabhupāda?
Saurabha: Well, now the festival is over, all the holidays are gone, so there's a big crew of people working now. It goes very fast.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad: Prabhupāda: Therefore they are known as Parsee. In their ritualistic ceremonies some (indistinct) do with women... (?)
Hari-śauri: Yes. I saw all the women, they keep themselves covered and everything.
Prabhupāda: Sari?
Hari-śauri: Most of them were wearing trousers.
Prabhupāda: No. Parsees are well known for saris.
Hari-śauri: In Iran, though, I saw most of the women wear... Under those black veils they were actually wearing trousers.
Prabhupāda: Not wearing saris? (pause) We have no problems except this immigration.
Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi: Prabhupāda: Woman is meant for that purpose, how to make nice palatable dishes.
Devotee: Just these young boys who were carrying the bricks every morning, they would prepare their own vegetables and cāpāṭis like this, and I was amazed to see this because you would never get anyone doing this...
Prabhupāda: Jaya. In Bengal there is a ceremony after marriage, bahu-bhāta. (?)The newly married girl, she shall cook, and all the relatives, friends, are invited and they appreciate, "Yes, nice cook." Then she is accepted as member of the whole family. Bahu-bhāta.
Devotee: And if not, Prabhupāda? If her cooking is not...
Prabhupāda: Therefore she is trained up.
Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: It is a question of culture. Culture. She was king's daughter, royal, and married her with a muni, old, rotten. Older than me. All the skin has become slackened. But still she was serving him just like worshipable lord. The age difference is great-grandfather and great-granddaughter. You'll find in Bhāgavatam. Lord Śiva, he could not construct even a house. He was living underneath a tree. And his wife, Durgā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). She can create a new world, so powerful, Durgā. She's living with her husband underneath a tree. Never claims, "My dear husband, if you cannot, I can make one." There is a story about that. That, "People criticize us. All right, let us have some house." So Lord Śiva, Durgā, both of them capable to do anything. So they constructed a very nice gold house. "Now we shall live." So there is new house entering ceremony. So one Gargamuni was invited as brāhmaṇa. Many other brāhmaṇas. So they began to eat so much... That story I'm now forgetting. Then whatever stock they have finished, when, after eating, when they wanted, "Give us dakṣiṇā." Because after eating there is... So Lord Śiva, where shall I get everything? I have finished." Then they became puzzled what to do. So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you take this house." Again they became underneath a tree. (laughs) "All right, as dakṣiṇā you take this house. Don't bother." Their house entrance ceremony was there. As a result of that ceremony they became again underneath a tree. (About someone else:) What they're doing? (end)
Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Now, we shall bring priests from Hyderabad.
Saurabha: Aha. That is the technical thing. But I was speaking regarding the construction because I want to know whether you want to have the bathing ceremony only taking place on the opening day, or also later on the facility can...
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Saurabha: Only that day.
Prabhupāda: Only that day.
Saurabha: Then is it necessary to make this special arrangement that this...
Prabhupāda: No, no. The small deities, śālagrāma, they are worshiped. And big Deity, they are decorated nicely. No need of worshiping.
Saurabha: So only the opening ceremony.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Yes, send him to farm, work in the field. If he does not work, beat him. Mūrkhasya laktausadhiḥ. (?)(Hindi conversation)
Yaśodānandana: He was just in Hyderabad for that ceremony there, and he caused such disruption in the whole temple that I don't think they'd want him there.
Jagadīśa: The thing is, if we beat him here and keep him here, then all the boys will straighten up because they will see that if they go bad, then this will be their punishment.
Prabhupāda: As you think, you can do. But I wanted to engage in farm work, in digging.
Yaśodānandana: Yes, that is his propensity. Actually it's a fact when he was with me I would try to teach him Īśopaniṣad and your purports, which are so clear and simple, but after three or four times explaining the same thing, he would become angry to receive the instruction.
Prabhupāda: No, no. He is meant for śūdra's work.
Yaśodānandana: And when that boy would be told to watch himself...
Prabhupāda: You cannot expect that everyone is brāhmaṇa. No. He has got śūdra mentality, so let him till the ground for Kṛṣṇa. Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. He is fit for tilling so let him till and produce grain for Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Literally, yes. The thing is the interpretation is required when you cannot understand. If, if I say, "This is a stick," everyone knows it is a stick. So I say, "Here is a stick." So if you say, "No, I do not accept it is stick." So what is that interpretation? Everyone knows it is stick. Similarly, Kurukṣetra means that the place, still existing. And in the Vedic śāstra it is ordered, kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. You go... From time immemorial it is a place of pilgrimage. Even Kṛṣṇa, during solar eclipse, Kṛṣṇa with His family, He came there, Jagannātha. The ceremony is there, Ratha-yātrā. Because Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadra came in the same chariot. That is being performed. So Kurukṣetra, dharmakṣetra, at least five thousand years ago the system was that people used to come to Kurukṣetra as a place of pilgrimage, dharmakṣetra. And Kurukṣetra, the place is there. And the the two family members, the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, they fought. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place. These things are evident. Then why there is need of interpreting? That is the first point.
Morning Walk -- December 28, 1976, Bombay: Prabhupāda: (indistinct) They don't accept, we don't accept you. The whole world is accepting Caitanya-caritāmṛta (indistinct) all over the world, not just (indistinct). All over the world. (indistinct-fragmentary for some time)
Girirāja: They're having a ceremony of bringing the flag.
Devotee: Again?
Girirāja: Yes. From the Nathadwar, Bombay, at some place. They invited us to do kīrtana.
Prabhupāda: You may go. You have no...? You can go.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Last time they would not let us distribute our magazines when they had it in Shrimati Morarji's house. They had the same ceremony in Shrimati Morarji's house here about a year ago and they didn't like our book distribution there.
Prabhupāda: What this time where it will be held?
Girirāja: This is an organization. Last time was Shrimati Morarji's personal...
Prabhupāda: Private house. This is organized function you ask them a place to show our books. If they deny then we don't go. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay: Dr. Patel: Gomath, gangath.(?)
Prabhupāda: No no. Kane. After... Because formerly the girls were married early. So after getting puberty there is one ceremony, it is called diti-abhi-bha.(?) Another ceremony. And then she goes to her husband's house. So she was going there with presentation of father, mother. So she was covered. So another young girl, up-to-date, she was doing like this. They were girls. One can touch another. So once, twice. When it made thrice, that village girl slapped her, "Hut!" I said, "Yes, you have done right." She was thinking, the city girl was thinking, "What is this nonsense?" She wanted to criticize... (laughs)
Guest (1): She got a slap.
Prabhupāda: And she gave a good slap. I've seen it. She's up-to-date and she became surprised. Lifting the avaguṇṭhana. So the whole train, they became laughed. And woman, the shyness is the only protection for them.
Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Muslims are also restricted... (break) ...for some purpose. Therefore they are called karmīs. Actually, it is for satisfying Viṣṇu. Without Viṣṇu's satisfaction nothing can be done. So those who are desiring some material grants, they used to perform this ritualistic ceremonies. It is not for the devotee.
Dr. Patel: For devotee, Kṛṣṇa has said, "I am yajña, and I am also hutam, and I am also performer of yajña."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he gives the intelligence. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Unless He gives smṛti, he cannot chant the mantra. "Therefore actually I am performer."
Dr. Patel: Ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ...
Prabhupāda: Therefore He says "I am performer. If I give him instruction, he does something, so he is not doing. I am doing. I say, 'Do like this,' and he does like that, then he's not performer, I am performer." So whatever mantra they are chanting, if Kṛṣṇa does not give him intelligence, he cannot do that. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Everyone, whatever we are doing, it is being supplied, the intelligence, the everything, but according to my desires. I cannot do anything independent. Just like we are constructing, practically, with the sanction of the municipality, the sanction of the government. Independently I cannot do. Similarly, we cannot anything without sanction of God. But that sanction is ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). I insist, "God give me this facility, give me this facility." "All right. You do it at your risk." But God says, that "You don't do this." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). "What I say, you do. Then you'll be happy. What I dictate you do. But you are dictating Me. Because you are my son, what can I do? All right.
Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially book distribution is getting very strong with Indians.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Preaching means book distribution. Now utilize here this flag ceremony.
Girirāja: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Flag ceremony. Oh that Gujarati? They have a... When is that?
Girirāja: On the tenth. Procession is on the tenth.
Prabhupāda: Do in such a way that that Sharma will feel something.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Only thing is most of our devotees may be in Allahabad. January 10th? All the devotees will be in Allahabad for that Kumbhamela and I don't think we have enough to...
Prabhupāda: No, no. They can go after the tenth.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: In our childhood I saw. To go weekend to the garden and... Generally they go with family, and others, they go with prostitute. With prostitute they have got freedom to handle. The higher... And not only that, during marriage ceremony, high circle marriage ceremony, they would participate in drinking, even men and women. Otherwise, in India, woman drinking or taking meat is a horrible crime. And what to speak of smoking? That is most shameless. That was aristocratic, drinking and eating meat... The Bengali, they were the richer section because others, they were foreigners. They came to Calcutta and earned money. And the Bengalis, they had their aristocratic families, zamindaries, everything in their occupation. So Bengalis were richer section in Calcutta, and..., four, five big, big families. And now they are finished on account of this aristocracy. So one gentleman, he was Harendranatha Singh, very rich man, one of the richest men of Calcutta. He lost all his estate simply by this extravagance. Every evening his house is full with guests every evening, for... What is called? That table?
Girirāja: Billiards?
Prabhupāda: Billiard-playing or some exhibition of singing, and hundreds of men will gather. And they were feasting, first-class food. In this way spending, spending, spending... And then prostitute, aristocracy. In this way one property and one property lost, everything.
Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Sraddhananda, they're Arya-samājis.
Guest (1): Arya-samājis he was, follower of Swami Vivekananda. He was shot down in Delhi, and so... Forty years and there was some ceremony, all these things.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) How it will be fortune? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). (Hindi)
Guest (1): They think like this. (Hindi) So they'll end in the same way.
Trivikrama: So how are we going to change?
Guest (1): How? Mām anusmara yuddhya ca (BG 8.7). Taking the name, believing in full in the name of the Almighty. And we have to try our level best to uplift the society, to make them educate, to guide them, provide them, to bring them on the right path. This is only way.
Trivikrama: Bhagavad-gītā says we need the guru.
Guest (1): Yes, sir, that is right, no doubt. That is correct. So they should understand on where they wanted to go, what is their goal.
Prabhupāda: There is no goal. They think after this body everything is finished.
Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: He cheated me. Ten years before I gave him about one thousand rupees. He never paid me. And these sons are also number, pākā, and they are observing the death ceremony. What you have written?
Jagadīśa: "Dear Sirs: I am instructed by His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda to thank you for your postcard dated such and such, and we condole for your bereavement in the absence of your father..."
Prabhupāda: Eh? "I am? I am?" What is it?
Jagadīśa: "And we condole for your bereavement in the absence of your father, the late such and such."
Prabhupāda: Principal N. Bannerji.
Jagadīśa: "You know that your father was intimately related with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he assisted him with..."
Prabhupāda: "And Prabhupāda assisted him."
Jagadīśa: Okay. "And Śrīla Prabhupāda assisted him with some money loan. Your father attempted to repay it, but he could not. Now, after his death, you are good sons behind him. You have observed the death ceremony very pompously. Why not repay the debts of your father so that he may live very peacefully in his next life? A line in reply will much oblige us. Yours sincerely, Secretary..."
Prabhupāda: Is that all right? Let us see how worthy sons they are. Everyone knows. They know. That Gauracandra Gosāi, Rādhā-Dāmodara, he knows. And I have got letters and everything... I... If I go to the court... And who is going to the court? I could have gone to the court, long, long ago. I never liked to go to the court. In my business life also, if somebody did not pay, I never go to the court. Bother... "To push good money after bad money."
Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara: Prabhupāda: But God cannot make mistake. Then He becomes imper... He cannot be good. And not all fathers... According to Vedic civilization, the father creates the son purposefully with some ceremony, garbhādāna ceremony. It is not secret job. Putrethi kriyate bharyā: "One is married to create a good son." That is the purpose. And Bhagavad-gītā says, dharmāviruddha. "Aviruddha, which is not against religion, that kind of lust I am." So how it can be accident? If there is garbhādāna ceremony and son is essential, then how it can be accident?
Gargamuni: Even in the big, rich families, when they want son they perform some pūjā.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, no. According to Vedic system, everything is so... When the woman is pregnant there are so many ceremonies. When we were children, and I was in the middle, I saw my other, two, three brothers and sisters born. So there was some ceremony. We were eating with mother in that ceremony. That ceremony was because my mother was pregnant. Sad-bhakṣā. Sad-bhakṣā. There are ten kinds of ceremonies, before the birth and after the birth, daśa-vidha-saṁskāra. So many religious ceremonies my mother was observing, and all the expenditure my father was giving. Every month, two, three ceremonies, very nice ceremonies. We were children; we were eating.
Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara: Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. It's not necessary to emphasize that street chanting.
Prabhupāda: No. Sell books and invite them to come to temple for love feast.
Satsvarūpa: And there is all these men. It's still five more days before the ceremony. If they can do this..., programs locally.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They should go to the... Yes, locally. Kīrtana party. They should go in their bus and have in the city kīrtana party. Try to collect something. (end)
Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura: Prabhupāda: I have asked him to come in this ceremony.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Devotees preaching to raise funds for Māyāpur must make a uniform presentation. A brochure should be prepared by the BBT. The preaching for Māyāpur should not be done differently by different persons in different parts of the world, and a brochure should be prepared for this preaching. Any GBC who wants a BBT loan...
Rāmeśvara: That's specifically for fund raising.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. Preaching for fund-raising for Māyāpur. Then, any GBC member who wants a BBT loan will submit it to Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, but it will be held in abeyance until the Māyāpur financing is decided in regard to the BBT commitment to Māyāpur.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay: Mr. Koshi: Is it that simple and clear for everybody?
Prabhupāda: No, that is the way of interpretation. Amongst the learned circle, interpretation required when the things are not clear. If the things are clear, why nonsense interpretation? There is no need of interpretation. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). Kurukṣetra is still there, and people go there for pilgrimage. And in the Vedas it is stated kuru-kṣetre dharmān ācaret. "Go to Kurukṣetra and perform ritualistic ceremonies." What is the difficulty? Why should I interpret, "Kurukṣetra means this, and means this, that"? Why? To mislead others and mislead himself. This is not required. But they are doing it. That is misleading. If you can interpret Bhagavad-gītā by your own interpretation, then what is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Everyone can do like that. Everyone can say "It is my interpretation." Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? These things should be stopped. Real Bhagavad-gītā should be studied. People should make life Bhagavad-gītā and preach all over the world. This is our movement.
Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay: Mr. Koshi: It is the parents' responsibility.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. These are stated. It is not secret matter. When the father goes to beget child, he has to perform ritualistic ceremonies in the presence of relative, brāhmaṇas. They will understand that "He is going now to beget a child." It is not a secret thing. It is garbhādhāna. And if in a brāhmaṇa family the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, then immediately he becomes a śūdra.
Mr. Koshi: What is not a secret thing?
Prabhupāda: Secret... Just like when we go and have sex with wife secretly. It is not secret.
Mr. Koshi: There is a ceremony.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is ceremony.
Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When has this all begun, this fish-eating in Bengal? This was always going on?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Fish, ninety-nine percent people take fish in Bengal. Only few, they do not. When there is some, what is called, ceremony, fish must be there. (break) And fish is available. Now Bengal is divided. Otherwise, immense fish in Bengal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From the east side of Bengal. And rice was coming from there too.
Prabhupāda: So their staple food is rice and fish.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: East Bengal is very wealthy from that point of view. Rice.
Prabhupāda: Pakistan was rich only on account of East Bengal. The pān. Practically it supplies pān to all over India. And betel nut.
Room Conversation -- April 10, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: So we have got very nice diamond. Try to sell. But if there is a purchaser, he will purchase. Otherwise not. It is our duty to canvass. But we cannot sell iron instead of diamond.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was just wondering about this, that we may be traveling around, and even here Your Divine Grace is not so fit for going to all of the ceremonies. Maybe you would like it if we were to keep a little Deity here.
Prabhupāda: Where?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In your apartment.
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't need...
Prabhupāda: Hm. The Deity is there, fixed-up. That's all right. I was keeping Deity with me, but a constant change of this servant.
Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. It is meant for the rulers, rājarṣi, not for the loafers. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. (Hindi) Our, this monarchy was there, but they were rājarṣis, monarch, at the same time, great saintly person. Therefore they were worshiped, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. They are not autocrat. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. They understood the science of Bhagavad-gītā from saintly person, exalted brāhmaṇas. They ruled. You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Arjuna. His father died when he was in the womb of his mother. So all, everyone died. Only these five brother remained. And Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the grandson of Arjuna, he was in the womb of his mother Uttarā. So he was also attempted to be killed by Aśvatthāmā by brahmāstra. Kṛṣṇa saved him. So anyway, the grandfathers took care of this child, baby in the womb. And when he was born... This is a ceremony, jāta-karma. Just after birth there is a ceremony. This is now gone, daśa, daśa-karaṇa... Nobody is... So they are making horoscope, the brāhmaṇas. "So this child will be like this, like this, like this, like this," Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's question was that "What you are speaking, that is all right.
Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So I am also. So all these ministers, they invited me. They are in Hyderabad. I was in the house of Mr. Raju, the Endowment Minister. So they were very friendly. In Hyderabad, all the big, big government commissioners, the chief minister, they came in the opening ceremony of our temple. So it is fortunate that you were in Russia. So our humble attempt is to distribute the sublime knowledge of India. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Actually, outside India, there is no knowledge. Plainly speaking, their knowledge is as good as animals. Because in the śāstra it is said—and it is fact; either you refer to the śāstra or not, it is common sense-
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Go means, cow and khara means ass. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This body, bag of kapha-pitta-vāyu, if one thinks that "I am this body," then he is a go-khara. So this bodily concept of life is going on all over the world. "I am Russian," "I am German," "I am Englishman," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." But India, especially Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa opens His mouth to speak, His first instruction is that "You are not this body."
Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: They're envious.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You tried to placate them by inviting all those brāhmaṇas for the installation ceremony.
Prabhupāda: Now I am not...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But still, they were not placated.
Prabhupāda: Now we do not care for them. Our temple is now crowded. That is in beginning just to show that we are going through real ritualistic... I spent ten thousand rupees on that performance just to make a show.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They charged ten thousand rupees?
Prabhupāda: Yes. What can I do?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was a good show.
Prabhupāda: If I do with our men, then it will not be recognized as temple.
Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: So our Gandhi's program failed because he could not attract the villagers to these activities. Everyone wants some attraction. That we were discussing, rasa, catur-vidhā-rasa, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). So we have to educate them to be attracted by the mokṣa-rasa. Then they'll stay. Unless there is rasa... Just like if you put a little sugar, small black ants will come immediately. The rasa is there. Raso vai saḥ. If... If you cannot attract people to some rasa, they'll not stay. Just like these Americans, foreigners, they have tasted little rasa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore they are sticking. That we have to create. That is bhakti-rasa. So our first beginning is that the villagers may come, we have our temple, and they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and give them nice prasādam. And then, gradually, they will be attracted to this rasa. So that we want. So if we people cooperate... We have got our program already. The present problem is that they are being attracted with this artha-rasa. There are four kinds of rasa, catur-rasa: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. So somebody is tasting dharmārtha, ritualistic ceremonies. Somebody is economic development in the cities, artha. Somebody is attracted, sense enjoyment, sex. And somebody, very pure, mokṣa-rasa. Catur-rasa. So in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness all the four rasas are there.
Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh: Prabhupāda: Kāmo 'smi, that should be. That kāma is not that, that whenever they like, have sex and then go away. That is his kāma . Once you have sex life and the woman first of all debauches like... You have to make it public that "I am going to have garbhādhāna-saṁskāra." It is not a secret thing. It is a ceremony. And then, when she is pregnant, no more sex. No more sex means so long the child is there, ten months, and unless the child is grown up at least six months, no sex. That means once you have sex and then abstain for sixteen months. You know what is that dharma? So who is such a foolish man that for once having sex and then abstaining...? Therefore those who could not abstain, they used to keep many wives.
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: (extremely faint) Grandson says? What is that? "Grandson says"? Supersoul? Something very extraordinary. Triumphant. "I shall be triumphant." (break) (indistinct) That is Indian style. "Kṛṣṇa we must move. Now this child is trying to turn Himself. Turn Himself." There is ceremony. This is ceremony. This is Indian way of raising up children. Sad-bhakṣaṇa.(?) When we were small children, we were all, brothers and sisters, three mo..., three years before us. So naturally, when mother was young, she became pregnant. So there were three, four ceremonies during, within the period of three years. One is called sad-bhakṣaṇa. Sad-bhakṣaṇa. The idea is... That (indistinct) he is dangerous. At the time of delivery the woman is in danger. There may be so many dangers. Therefore twice sad-bhakṣaṇa, at the period of seven months and perhaps in nine months. Whatever she likes, she should eat. So that ceremony, new cloth, very nicely dressed, taking bath, all the children, not only her children but other children also, very nice foodstuff made, and sit together, and with the children the mother will eat. And the brāhmaṇas should be given some charity. They will chant Vedic hymns. The same thing is being observed by Mother Yaśodā.
Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: That's all right. Welcome. But no cooking there.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. No, that's cleared up. Immediately we can start using that hall for feeding our meal. Actually there's no reason why certain parts of that building can't be utilized now, not just sit. On one day there has to be some, you know... We may have that to show opening ceremony, but still, certain places can be utilized at a time. Just like they're using some of the...
Prabhupāda: No, opening ceremony... Gurukula is going on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Some of the offices are already being utilized. So the dining hall can be utilized and the kitchen floor.
Prabhupāda: That offices I cannot understand. There is no management; then office. Big, big office, but no management. All bogus. Office means management. But there is no management, and the office. Office, what does it mean, office?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good management.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: They do. Karmīs do that. They want to go there after death. Therefore karma-kāṇḍa. By ritualistic ceremonies they want to be promoted. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). By improving the sattva-guṇa, you can go to higher planetary system.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would that be considered more intelligent than the gross...
Prabhupāda: No. No. Because after all, you have to die. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. Again you have to come down.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have to tell them that "We cannot completely negate the scientific advancement. We cannot simply say that what you are all doing is nonsense." At the same time, we can bring out that "Yes, you are doing, making an attempt to find a solution or comfortable situation. It's not possible," that "There must be something beyond. It's not enough."
Prabhupāda: And that is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. That is the first citing. There are two kinds of occupational duty. The one is inferior, going down, and other is superior, go back to home.
Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "I met Hari-śauri in Australia last week." He went to Australia. "He and I have agreed upon August 28th for the date of opening the Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya Temple." It says, "People here are very anxious for this event to take place. The Deities are to arrive on July 18th according to Rāmeśvara Swami, who also will be coming to the opening ceremonies. Rāmeśvara Swami has also told us that he will send money to Dhanañjaya to make clothes, crowns and jewels for the Deities. Hari-śauri will be sending money to Yaśodānandana Swami to come."
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And as luggage, he can carry the clothes, jewels, crowns, etc., for the opening if possible."
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Some sort of worship is there and instruction, many narratives. Women were advised to worship the Yamarāja, Sāvitrī, Satyavān. Then there was saṁskāras, purificatory method, out of which the higher class will be sacred thread ceremony. Always something spiritual, according to the... And actually learning Vedic knowledge, that was by the brāhmaṇas. They would give advice; people will follow. Brāhmaṇo jagato guruḥ. Just like Gargamuni came to Nanda Mahārāja. He took advantage of Gargamuni and performed some purificatory ceremony of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. Why these big, big institutions for wasting time and dating between girls and boys, and then they learn expert how to kill child, how to make abortion? Expert. Simply concentration on sex. Then become hippie. Frustration. Worship hog. Do they not?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, actually there's a group, a musical group. And as part of their performance... They keep a pen of hogs in front of them. And as part of the performance they all take off their clothes and jump in and play with the hogs. And all the people applaud, and some of them jump in also. Very popular group.
Prabhupāda: The hippies are nothing but a group of madmen, that's all. A madman, they..., means publicly sex, that's all. This Allen Ginsberg's movement is that, homosex, public sex. Ginsberg was very proud that he had introduced homosex. He was telling me.
Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Seventy-five percent. Therefore Devānanda presented it: "Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is hippies' movement."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Devānanda. I remember at one initiation ceremony you asked... It was Kauśalyā. You said to her, "What are the four principles?" So she stated them. Then you said, "What is the fifth?" So she didn't know what to answer. Then you said, "No LSD."
Prabhupāda: This Kauśalyā girl was loitering in the street.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Kauśalyā.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kauśalyā. In Hawaii.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No protection. Somehow or other, she came to see me when I got into Los Angeles.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In that way you saved all of us, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Yes. It is as good as marble.
Gurukṛpā: He's already started.
Prabhupāda: That's good. The old Deities, when the new Deities come, old Deities should be thrown in the ocean. That's it. And new Deities should be replaced with ceremony. There is no difficulty.
Gurukṛpā: I got now an Australian passport, so I want to stay in India for some time.
Prabhupāda: Oh. That's good.
Gurukṛpā: Everything has been... There's not much for me to do there. Śrutakīrti is doing it.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. He is very intelligent.
Room Conversation -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Do you think in this stage is it possible?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it would be difficult. Better that we go parikraming around our temple, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandira. That's a little easier. Don't you think that's better? If you get a little stronger, then it may be possible. That will depend on Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa dāsa, we should bring him here. Anyone else you want to see? Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja? Yes. We went to see him just to inquire about the necessary ceremony, and he gave us instruction. I sent Bhakti-caru Mahārāja and Bhakti-prema Mahārāja, and they wrote down everything. But Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was very concerned. He said he's going to try to come to see you tomorrow. That's all right, isn't it? So Kṛṣṇa dāsa can be called for. Anytime? Okay. He stays at Rādhā-kuṇḍa? We'll inquire... Does he stay at the Gauḍīya Maṭha here?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He does. In Vṛndāvana. Okay.
Prabhupāda: Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja comes; then everything is all right.
Room Conversation -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: You have consulted with Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. This morning Bhakti-caru Swami, Bhakti-prema Swami and Śrīdhara Swami went to see him, and Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja described the ceremony for the departure of a Vaiṣṇava, great Vaiṣṇava soul.
Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...entrance right side?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The entrance on the left side entering... Looking towards the Deity, it's the left side. In other words, when you come into the temple it's on left side. There's a big open area. (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's on the same side as the vyāsāsana.
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Faces east.
Prabhupāda: Puṣpa, Māyāpure, flower.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Māyāpur.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should call me, and I will come.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He described the entire ceremony in detail, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So he knows. When you are ready(?), let him have it.
Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: To you all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shall we call Girirāja? The conveyance was sent to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, here in Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: You had to take care. But if by Kṛṣṇa's desire I do not exist during Bombay opening ceremony, then the ceremony should be very gorgeously performed, and everyone should be given sumptuous prasādam, whoever comes. Of course, the opening ceremony should be performed as early as possible.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is Girirāja now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja?
Prabhupāda: You repeat what I have sa...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said that if he does not exist till the Bombay opening, then it should be performed very gorgeously, and everyone should be fed sumptuous prasādam, and it should be celebrated as early as possible.
Prabhupāda: And one thing... Just now I am forgetting. And don't try to make preparation in the temple. Order the foodstuff from confectioner. Have good stock and distribute.
Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cultural or wedding... We could rent it for wedding ceremonies, things like that also.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. It's already a cultural center. Just like the Gītā Conference is coming next month, I was told? They would like to hold here. Something like that, we can always get some engagements. Also we can get some...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What do you think, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No, whatever you think is approved.
Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: No, I have no... If he is reliable.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I think if we take the help of this head priest it will be reliable. They can do it right in his presence. Smara-hari is also very good. He does all of the purchasing for Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja, of whatever they purchase for Deities, whatever they purchase for ceremonies, for Fiji. This Smara-hari does all purchasing, and he also purchases medicines. He's been in India six years now, and he's known to that head priest. So if he can purchase, then he can bring it.
Prabhupāda: Prepare, an experienced...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we were thinking that some other devotee should go with him. Actually we were thinking about Bhakti-caru Mahārāja, the reason being that Bhakti-caru Mahārāja, being an Indian devotee, that's also one advantage that there should be one Western devotee, one Indian devotee, just in case he has to speak Hindi or something. And besides that, Bhakti-caru Mahārāja has got experience with you with all of these different kavirājas. So he'll be able to see a little bit whether the kavirāja is... You know. There should be some discretion on our part also. He knows the history. He knows your history, so he can explain it properly to the kavirāja.
Prabhupāda: No, there is no explanation. He must be sincere, the kavirāja, and must know how to do it. That's all.
Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana: Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's Svarūpa Dāmodara. I don't know if this will be proper or not, but I got a telegram from family in Manipur saying that the grandfather expired, and so they want me come back for few days to do the ceremonial rites. So do you think shall I go for a few days, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: It is necessary?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is not absolutely necessary.
Prabhupāda: Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, they have no necessity for all this.
Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, they have no necessity for all this. Sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ parihṛtya kartam.
- devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇāṁ
- na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
- sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
- gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
- (SB 11.5.41)
Anyone who is fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, he has no other duty. He has finished all other duties. Tepus tapas te (SB 3.33.7). This is the injunction of the śāstra. He's no more anyone's servant, or he has got any duty to do-śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam—because he has taken the shelter of the ultimate Supreme Person. This is the injunction of the śāstra. So this śrāddha ceremony is not required for a devotee fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Gato mukundaṁ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. Śaraṇyam: He is the only shelter. And who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he has no other duty. This is the śāstra. Yes. (break)... You now give.
Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana: Bhavānanda: So the Kṛṣṇa conscious solution is to utilize the hall every night for our own purposes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unlimited. There's so many dramas, so many lectures, so many symposiums.
Prabhupāda: No, suppose you construct some house and rent out. Then they can do as they like. So similarly, if that hall is made, constructed for making some money, then the money will not come if we don't rent out to the cinema actors, actresses. It is just like... What is called? Village house. Hm? The hall is called? When one pays, marriage ceremony... For making some money you have made.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that why we made that hall, for making money?
Prabhupāda: Otherwise what you will do?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, originally you had intended that that hall would be used for Svarūpa Dāmodara's scientists and for our theater group and things like that.
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but are you going to have every day?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I know that they won't.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: ...Ratha-yātrā ceremony.
Gaura-govinda: At Ratha-yātrā Jagannātha came very late for Pāṇḍu-vijaya. It was first time announced that it would take place at nine, but actually it took place at four p.m.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Gaura-govinda: We heard that this year that new body... Jagannātha has a new body, so it was heard that that was not proper time. These pāṇḍās and some people were interested with this business purpose. They did so, and also these pāṇḍās were doing some nonsense inside the temple, so Jagannātha was very much displeased, so it took so much time.
Prabhupāda: The pāṇḍās untimely changed the body?
Gaura-govinda: Untimely they changed.
Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: It will never be finished. When the date is being fixed?
Girirāja: Well, we fixed it for January lst and begin the ceremonies on December 29th, which is Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's Disappearance Day. And... The ceremonies begin a few days before the actual installation of the Deities. So those ceremonies, or yajñas, those will begin on Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta's Disappearance Day, which is December 29th, in about six or seven weeks. And then, a few days later, on January lst, which is the English New Year's Day and Sunday, that will be the actual installation ceremony, and thousands of people will be coming. And we also discussed that there should be very opulent prasādam distribution, and different arrangements for receiving the people and kīrtana and darśana and festival activities.
Prabhupāda: Still work is going on.
Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Brāhmaṇas?
Girirāja: Well, before Yaśodānandana Swami left, he had written the brāhmaṇas that the new date was going to be January lst, and I spoke to Yaśodānandana Swami's assistant, Smara-hari, and he was not sure whether the brāhmaṇas had confirmed this. So he was going to write them today and ask them to confirm that January lst was all right. But he received a letter from Yaśodānandana Swami saying that Yaśodānandana Swami would be coming December 26th. So he's definitely planning to be there in time. And at the time that we postponed the last opening, the brāhmaṇas said that whenever we want to have the opening, they are always ready to come. So it seems that they should be able to come on December 28th or 29th to begin the ceremonies.
Prabhupāda: The brāhmaṇas must be fixed first of all.
Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Go on like that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who should be... They will adjust. Each one should have a head brāhmaṇa plus three other assistants.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.
Prabhupāda: Yaśodānandana should be head.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yaśodānandana should be the head. He better come back earlier. I heard that he's only coming back one or two days before the actual ceremony, to India. That doesn't seem like it's enough time.
Prabhupāda: Call one week early.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One week.
