We are therefore stressing: "Always hear, always read, always hear." Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nitya. If you can constantly, twenty-four hours, if you hear and chant Hear means somebody chants or you chant yourself or hear, or some of your colleague may chant, you hear. Or he may hear, you may chant. This process must go on. This is śrāvaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). That is Bhāgavata. Not any other nonsense talks, gossiping. Simply hear and chant. Then śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇa. If you seriously hear and chant, seriously—"Yes, this life I shall engage only for increasing my love of Vāsudeva"—if you are determined, it can be done. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you do this, you increase fully your love for Vasudeva, then there is no more chance of contacting material body.
Colleague
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Actually we have seen it. Last time, when I was coming via Philippines, so we have got a center there, and it is very nicely organized within six months by one of our devotees, Siddha-svarūpa, Siddha-svarūpānanda Mahārāja, and his colleague. So it is very nicely organized. And they are actually dog-eaters. These Philippines, they're dog-eaters. In these parts of the world, the Koreans, the Philippines, even the Chinese, some of the Japanese, they're dog-eaters. But even though they are dog-eaters, they attended the meeting and chanted with us so nicely, better than a so-called Vaiṣṇava in India.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (2): Can I ask about your rate... about growth? How, can ask how the movement is growing? Can you give me any figures at all? I was speaking to one of your colleagues earlier who mentioned 150, but seventy-five approximately which were in London. Are the figures growing week by week?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I started this movement alone, and now there are eight thousand.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. What is that Madrasi gentleman?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Chiwari? Dr. Chiwari?
Prabhupāda: Yes. In your...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, Krishnamurti.
Prabhupāda: Ah. They think, "Oh, what we have to learn from them about Kṛṣṇa? We are all-knowing." (Hindi) And you were speaking, some of your Madras colleagues. They come here and immediately they learn how to eat meat.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can, you can stop this and... (break) ...material energy. Then we do some service.
David Lawrence: Indeed. I say this to some of my teaching colleagues who say, "You'll never achieve anything in teaching." And I say, "If it is one person, the job has been done."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
David Lawrence: "Because the service has been rendered."
Prabhupāda: They do not know how much they are suffering in this material condition of life. So if somebody is saved, then it is a great service. What is, what is your name?
David Lawrence: David Lawrence.
Prabhupāda: David Lawrence. He was also David, that sculptor?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Show them imperfect. That will be... (break) Actually they're imperfect. Just like they say five thousand years, a ludicrous. They, and the scientists say that the stratum of earth, what is called?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Strata, layers.
Prabhupāda: Layers. And I was telling my colleague that stratus, the layers so perfect that everywhere, say five inches, just like it appears somebody has laid down. Is it not?
Rūpānuga: Yes. Layer upon layer.
Prabhupāda: Yes, one after another, the same height, same color, the same ingredient—how it comes to happen? And they give history of millions of years? And these people say five thousand.
Prabhupāda: India is already there. You are neglecting. Why don't you admit that you are neglecting?
Interviewer (3): Will that neglect go, disappear, through the West?
Prabhupāda: How will that? If you don't like it, how it will go?
Interviewer (4): No, no, my colleague's point is, we have not been accepting, we are not able to understand Bhagavad-gītā on our own. Just because first Western people understand, and because of their...
Prabhupāda: No, no, you have neglected. My charge is that you have neglected. Bhagavad-gītā is there. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in India. Bhagavad-gītā is there. I think every home has got a Bhagavad-gītā, but if you do not study it, you neglect it, that is your fault.
Jayapatākā: We were all useless in the West, but you have come and then engaged us.
Prabhupāda: It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Nobody is useless. I was also useless. I could not do in India alone anything. This is... Again this example (laughs). Two useless makes useful. Intelligence alone cannot work. Money is required. One man was challenged, "You have no intelligence." So he said, "Yes." He was searching these..."No, why you are searching here?" "No, here is intelligence. If here is money, then my intelligence can work. Otherwise what is the use of intelligence?" But he was searching here," Whether I have got intelligence?" Simply intelligence... In industry also: land labor capital, organization, four things. Simple capital will not do. Simple organization will not do. A man may have very good brain power, organization, but if he has no money-useless. So four things required: land, labor, capital, organization. That minister in Raṅganātha (?), he is inclined to spend huge income of Tirupati, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he is bound up by other colleagues. They are applying the money. So he's willing to call all the ministers if I can convince them. I shall try it. Just... In the Bhagavad-gītā, that is, yajñārthe karma. Everyone is karmī. So the karmīs, the village cultivators or big men industrialists, they are going to Tirupati. Whatever then can spare, they are offering. That is yajñārthe. If this money is taken and again if it is brought into karmī, then it is misleading. Karmīs are giving them. Just like people are giving us money. They are karmīs. But because they are giving us and we are engaging the money in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so the money is fully utilized.
Guest (1): But that you have said, that one of his colleague or assistant told to Gandhi that "There is danger, and you shouldn't go to the meeting," and in spite of that...
Prabhupāda: No, no, I did not say. I wrote one letter to Gandhi that, "Mahatmaji, you have got some respectability throughout the whole world. Now you struggled for so-called svarāja. Now you have got it. Better retire from this life and preach Bhagavad-gītā."
Guest (1): I think he listened to your advice because before he was murdered, on that day...
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Otherwise you'll meet the fate of Mussolini."
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (2): Yesterday one of my colleagues asked me, "What is this (Bengali)?" But we, the parents of Mother Earth forget about it. But Swamiji has started it not only Europe, America, he has started universal... Except India (Bengali)... You said that you are educated man, you go and hear lecture.
Prabhupāda: No, we are recognized by all educated circle all over the world. If you read the opinions of scholars.
Guest (2): We have read many of your publications. And I was just telling him like dharma that "Swamiji has done only one thing, that he has made the universe not only contained to India. He has made the whole world conscious about Kṛṣṇa. To know about Kṛṣṇa at least, the real Kṛṣṇa. Or the superpower. He has made this point.
Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to progress very cautiously, very cautiously, not irresponsibly. That is our point.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Amongst the scientists, there are many who are actually against this concept that life is something chemical or physical. But they are somehow afraid of speaking outside...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...even among their colleagues.
Prabhupāda: Because these rascals will boycott them.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Once they speak out, then maybe they'll not get grant from the government.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So somehow they are hesitant to speak out.
Prabhupāda: That is the position. And I have heard that among the scientists' society, if somebody speaks of God he's immediately rejected.
Prabhupāda: Did you publish it by consulting your other colleagues, or whimsically you have published?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's asking whether this article was published in consultation with other, with your Godbrothers, or how it came about that you got this article published.
Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Well, it was in... I think he went to different newspapers, just like the Indian Express and this one, and they wanted to speak with him.
Prabhupāda: So such an important article, there are so many discrepancies, and you have published without consulting others?
Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: I haven't seen it.
Prabhupāda: And your name is simply, "Swami..." There is no other name behind this plan? As if you are doing everything. You are maybe architect, but is that your plan?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Asampūrṇam means incomplete.
Prabhupāda: Imperfect.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "She also," this person who said that, that all the intellectuals should be familiar with the books, "she also bought the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam standing order and promised to advertise your books among her colleagues."
Prabhupāda: Just see how Kṛṣṇa...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Even more pleasing was my conversation with the chairman of the Comparative Literature program. He bought both standing orders for the department library, and he wants to speak with his colleagues, who are interested in India. He feels both or one of them..."
Prabhupāda: This will increase India's cultural program. And the government is not... You have to show to the government.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
I received your letter dated February 2, 1968 duly but I am delayed to reply because I was consulting my colleagues about you and the kirtana parties coming here at our expense. To call a man from India and to arrange for his stay here at best for six months in different branches of our city means rupees 20,000/—or $2,000 per head, If we call for you and a party of nice kirtana singers, five men altogether, it means rupees 100,000/—the Society is not in a position to spend such an amount at present period. I am therefore training local boys and girls for kirtana and very soon we shall be out on world tour with this kirtana party.
1970 Correspondence
I think all our books can be printed in such small booklets, part by part, and they will be easily saleable. Take for example TLC. If we issue part by part like that, it will be about 5 books. So people will easily buy, and our purpose will be served. Discuss the idea with your colleagues.
I understand that you have been in Fiji Islands and there is good prospect for opening a center. Try to open a center in Fiji without delay and consult your colleagues in New Vrindaban, but on the whole if a center is opened there immediately that will give me great pleasure.
1971 Correspondence
Now it is time for GBC members to be very very careful so that people may not point out any black spot in the behavior of our society. I have issued a letter to all the GBC members only for this purpose that each one of you should always think how to improve the cause and advance our society and as soon as there is some good point you can communicate with your colleagues and give some decision and put it before me so that I can give my final approval. So you should not remain for a moment without thought of improving ISKCON activity. So far you are concerned, being the zonal secretary of that quarter of the world, your duty is to see that all our different centers within your jurisdiction must be going very accurately.
1972 Correspondence
My immediate program is that I shall remain in Vrindaban from October 15 to November 15, and after that it will be possible for me to go to Hyderabad. Your preaching in Hyderabad has become very successful along with your other colleagues, Sriman Subala das Maharaja and others, and I thank you very much for your great success in this respect. As it is our motto on the head of Back to Godhead, "Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no darkness." The whole world is full of darkness. The so-called yogis, swamis, mayavadis, scientists, philosophers, political leaders, all are different types of glowworms, so in the darkness of cloudy night during the rainy season, the croaking of the frogs and glitterings of the glowworms are supposed to be very prominent. But as soon as there is clear sunlight or moonlight, all these insignificant glowing and croaking disappear. So our movement is Krishna. The Krishna Consciousness Movement is nondifferent from Krishna.
1977 Correspondence
You may be knowing that we have formed one party of scientists under the leadership of Sriman Svarupa Damodara prabhu. Also we have formed the Bhaktivedanta Institute for organizing scientific presentations of Krishna Consciousness. This party is our most important preaching arm with which we will be able to destroy the bogus speculation and cheating which goes under the banner of scientific advancement. Therefore I have got great hope for Svarupa Damodara and his colleagues. I want them to travel vigorously throughout the world to lecture in all universities and other institutions. There is no lack of financial resources and we shall spare nothing to see to this party's success.
You may be knowing that we have formed one party of scientists under the leadership of Sriman Svarupa Damodara prabhu. Also we have formed the Bhaktivedanta Institute for organizing scientific presentations of Krishna Consciousness. This party is our most important preaching arm with which we will be able to destroy the bogus speculation and cheating which goes under the banner of scientific advancement. Therefore I have got great hope for Svarupa Damodara and his colleagues. I want them to travel vigorously throughout the world to lecture in all universities and other institutions. There is no lack of financial resources and we shall spare nothing to see to this party's success.
Svarupa Damodara has received very good response here in India from the scientific community and there is good hope that many others will join him. He is returning to America for preparing some publications and when these are completed I have asked him to tour vigorously throughout the world lecturing with his other colleagues at all major institutions and universities. He has drawn up a budget of immediate needs, a copy of which is enclosed and I immediately sanction this amount. Whatever expenditure he requires supply him immediately from the BBT. I am prepared to give $10,000 or more monthly if required to finance this most important preaching program. So whatever money Svarupa Damodara needs must be supplied monthly and he will send you accounts.
| Page Title: | Colleague |
| Compiler: | Mangalavati, Serene |
| Created: | 15 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=11, Let=8 |
| No. of Quotes: | 21 |