Definitely (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"definite" |"definitely"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So we never believed in such statement. We never believed.

Reporter: Right. What I mean is that when Dan Donnelley told me that in some of your lectures you had said that it would be impossible for man to land on the moon and that they would be opposed by beings on the moon, those sounded like very definite statements that if those things did not happen, then there would be a similar potential for a crisis within the Kṛṣṇa movement of people hearing one thing said and it doesn't happen in the future. Then if those things are said that definitely, then there's always a danger that...

Prabhupāda: No. Danger... When the scientists said that 1965 they would go. Did not happen. What danger has happened?

Reporter: The danger to the faith of those who felt, say, in jehovah's Witnesses, those who believed that the jehovah's Witness knew and nothing happens. They say, "Well..."

Prabhupāda: But they're still believing. First of all, they say that 1965 they're going to the moon planet. That has not happened. Now you say 1975. So they are still believing. So a class of men will always be cheated like that. A class of men. So there will be no danger of cheating such persons.

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Reporter: No, but ...only if say a spiritual master of a faith made very definite statements about what man could or could not achieve, if a spiritual master were to say man cannot achieve this-period. And then man went ahead and achieved it, there would be a crisis.

Prabhupāda: The spiritual master does not say such nonsense things. Man can achieve in a suitable body. Why don't you say that? But that suitable body is not...

Reporter: Yeah, well that's... When I talk to you, I find that the way you say it, if after the events are achieved, there could be explanations for it and there would be no crisis in faith.

Hayagrīva: He never came out and said that it's absolutely impossible.

Reporter: Right. Okay. Well thank you very much. I appreciate your tolerance of all my questions and everything.

Prabhupāda: You take this orange.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So far I've seen it has great chance. What do you think?

Journalist: From a very pragmatic standpoint what do you think? Really.

Hayagrīva: Yes, it has possibilities. I don't know about on a wide scale, but it definitely has possibilities. Especially in I think in these areas, in the cities.

Journalist: Cosmopolitan areas.

Hayagrīva: Of course, we're also starting a community in West Virginia.

Journalist: You are? Why West Virginia?

Hayagrīva: Well, this is where we're starting. I've just started it with other's help.

Journalist: You're starting it?

Prabhupāda: He has secured a land, about 138 acres.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: Well, I think he's necessary here. Definitely we need him.

Prabhupāda: So if his presence is necessary, then he is a sannyāsī; he should be given some responsible post. And if he is not necessary, then his main business is to go. Now, if I... I am getting older. If he travels all over the centers and sees as superintendent what things are going on, that will be also nice. And in my absence he can deliver speech and in that way he can get experience. Now he went to North Carolina. He did nicely. So... I know that both of you are required here to develop this center. Not that if you say, "I go," and if he says he goes, then this place, the advancement which is progressing, this will be stopped. It is now in the nascent stage. You should not neglect now. You should work conjointly.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: You'll get everything, men and money both.

Hayagrīva: Have you any plans yet to go to England? Is anything definite?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That plan is pending. But I have just now received letter from Mukunda that they are negotiating three houses. Out of that, one they must get. And if they invite me, then I shall go. That is already settled. But I don't wish to go unless they have got their own house. I have waited so long, so I don't wish to go as a third person. I must go... Just like I have come here definite, New Vrindaban, similarly, when they get nice temple I go and open it.

Kīrtanānanda: Then it may be some time yet.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) And that Mataji, she has taken land. I don't like that idea. Some Hindus are supporting. I don't want a Hindu temple. Our constitution is different. We want everyone. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is for everyone. It is not a Hindu propaganda. People may not misunderstand. And actually, till now in our society there is not a single other Hindu than me. (laughter)

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Who sent?

Haṁsadūta: Gita Bhavan Sect.(?), Gita Bhavan Marg, Indore. "Please reply definite arrival time, Surat. Very anxious. Janwal, care of (indistinct)." That's how he replied.

Prabhupāda: So there we are already engaged. Cannot go Surat immediately. Let us follow that.

Haṁsadūta: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is his version. Version. There is no cost. Simply (indistinct).

Haṁsadūta: So what is the program there?

Prabhupāda: Never mind. "Due to heavy engagement, cannot go Surat immediately. Letter follows."

Devotee (2): Motorcycle...(indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Are you sure, that motorcycle? Can? To go and come back here for attending meeting here? By train? How far it is?

Haṁsadūta: About fifteen minutes.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:

Guest (1): (indistinct) ...and believers in Sai Baba and other we believe in an incorporeal God, nirākāra. So if Kṛṣṇa as Rāma or any other deity or devata, one who was definitely a superior ātman, no doubt about it, but Paramātman is all other religions' God, if something incorporeal is there, without referring to the...

Prabhupāda: Who says, "incorporeal"? Who says?

Guest (1): It is scripture. (?)

Prabhupāda: No, no. Who says, "incorporeal"?

Guest (1): Śiva-liṅga. You find it all over India, that, a summary of everything, that incorporeal form, jyotir-rūpa, incorporeal. Jyotir-liṅga, the Hindu svarūpa.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. You are bringing something else besides Bhagavad-gītā. Just try to understand. We are preaching... This International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we are preaching...

Room Conversation -- London, August 10, 1971:

Prabhupāda: One fourth million if we can arrange. So is it possible to arrange for the other one fourth million from the bank?

Mr. Arnold: I think that if you're putting up a quarter of it, a quarter of a million, then I think there's every certainty of the bank loaning you the other quarter. I think this is quite a definite circumstance.

Dhanañjaya: See, because what they do is they loan the money on the strength of the value of the property. If the value of the property is 500,000 pounds, then they'll be quite...

Prabhupāda: So why don't you try for this property?

Śyāmasundara: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Then I will need the help of this Mr. (indistinct). I can try to raise that one fourth million, and one fourth million if the bank advances, then we can negotiate immediately.

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So anyway, give us some place in London.

Dr. Singh: We'll try to do something, Swamiji. We'll try and do something definitely.

Śyāmasundara: That letter, which address did you send that to?

Dr. Singh: I don't really know, but I've sent it. When are you going? Who is going? None of you are going.

Śyāmasundara: We're not going. I was thinking, though, if you have a carbon copy, we could send it to my Godbrothers who are going to (indistinct).

Dr. Singh: Today is already the 26th..., 25th..., 26th. What is it today?

Gurudāsa: Tomorrow's the 26th.

Dr. Singh: It will never get there. It will take (indistinct)

English woman: Sometimes the letters only take three days. Sometimes they take a week.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) takes three days by air (indistinct).

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Next time when you go to London...

Dr. Singh: Yes, I'll definitely visit. I requested you to send me the list of your centers because I travel constantly throughout the world. And wherever I go, I can always look up the thing, and if I find a center there, I can drop into the center.

Śyāmasundara: Every city.

Dr. Singh: This is a new (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Actually people are accepting this great culture of India. The (indistinct).

Dr. Singh: How long you are in India now?

Prabhupāda: At least three months.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the śāstra. You have to know from Kṛṣṇa. When you... Just like, what kind of behavior government likes, how do you know it? From the lawbooks. Is it not? Similarly, what Kṛṣṇa likes and not likes, you get from the śāstra. You cannot manufacture the like and disliking of Kṛṣṇa. That is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He says definitely. Positively He says, that "I like these things." So we have to offer to Kṛṣṇa what He likes, and then we take prasādam. Kṛṣṇa likes Rādhārāṇī. Therefore all the gopīs, they're trying to push Rādhārāṇī to Kṛṣṇa. Nikuñja-yūno rati-keli-siddhyai yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣaṇīyā **. That is expert. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa likes this gopī. All right, push her." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Not satisfy my senses. That is bhakti. That is called prema, love for Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa likes this. I must give Him this."

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Nothing. Not even of this planet, what to speak of other planets. And still, they are proud. "Nobel Prize."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they know that there is definitely a blissful world, spiritual world, they would not work this hard.

Prabhupāda: Yes, why? Just like Lomaśa Muni. Lomaśa Muni, his duration of life is that when one Brahmā dies, one hair from the body falls. So in this way, when all the hairs of his body will fall down, he will die. He has such a great length of... So he was standing on the side of a sea and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Nārada Muni approached him, "Why don't you make a small cottage here?" He said, "How long I shall live? (laughter) Ah, standing will do. Let me finish my bead...(?)" Just see. And here they'll live for twenty years and making skyscraper building, (makes sound:) "Doc, dong, doc, dong, doc, dong." (laughter) Does not calculate that "I shall live for twenty or thirty years."

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is none in the universities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is the position of your education. There is no knowledge, and you are simply advertising, "Advancement of knowledge, university, PhD's, Nobel Prize holder." But they are all rascals. Fools' paradise. It is called, fools' paradise.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If the scientists know that we are not this body, then definitely the whole outlook will be changed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That we want to do.

Paramahaṁsa: They don't want to admit their failure.

Prabhupāda: That is another foolishness. If you are a fool and if you want to pose yourself as intelligent, that is another foolishness. You cannot make progress. Stubborn dogs. If you are seeking after knowledge, you must take the right knowledge. That is intelligence. And if you want to remain in ignorance and advertise yourself that "I am man of knowledge," how much cheater you are! You are cheating yourself and cheating others. That is going on. We want to stop this.

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Umāpati: He studies matter.

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, once they see the spirit soul, they can detect somehow, then they are definitely convinced.

Prabhupāda: So how you can see? It is... The measurement is given, 1/10,000th part of the tip of the hair. So where is your seeing power?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Still they want to sense it by some...

Prabhupāda: Sense, that is... Any rascal can sense that here is living energy. That is spirit soul. Just like if you inject one grain of poison and immediately he dies, does it require how he dies? That one, not one grain. Even one hundredth part of one grain, venomous poison, how it acts? So even nobody can see it, when the snake bites, nobody can see where is that... How he dies?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They will explain that by..., it blocks some of the metabolic paths...

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but it is acting. That is my point. You can explain in your nonsense way, this, so many things. But I see that because that very little portion of poison is there, immediately he dies. Why don't you see the action?

Room Conversation with Krishna Tiwari -- May 22, 1973, New York:

Krishna Tiwari: That doesn't matter. You can make it one millionth.

Prabhupāda: How's that?

Krishna Tiwari: It will be a measure of a distance, which is very easy. That cannot be a source.

Prabhupāda: So... No. That cannot be so easy. It is definitely said, jīvaḥ bhāgasya vijñeyaḥ. Jīva means solo, soul. Soul's measurement is given there in the śāstra.

Krishna Tiwari: Yeah, but what are the... This is the... I don't know. This is the measurement, one thousandth of a...

Prabhupāda: One ten-thousandth.

Krishna Tiwari: ...of a tip of hair?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Krishna Tiwari -- May 22, 1973, New York:

Prabhupāda: I, we don't say people could not measure. People could measure. People measured; therefore it is, the measurement is given there. It is not that people could not measure. People measured it, definitely, and then gave it, "This is the measure."

Krishna Tiwari: Okay, so what you are trying to say? What symbolically it means, very small. Is that what it means? Is that what it means?

Prabhupāda: Very small..., that small part is there in every body. The soul is there. Now, they, without finding it, they say soul is nirākāra; there is no measurement. That is my point. I say there is ākāra, form.

Krishna Tiwari: There is a form of soul, according to you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. But they say there is no form. That is my point.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Guest (5): Does this food make effect on a human nature?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (5): These non-vegetarian foods and things like that. They definitely make effect on a human nature and behavior.

Prabhupāda: No, there is difference. George Bernard Shaw, he wrote a book: "You Are What You Eat." So eating has got effect. Sāttvikāhāra or... Unless one is in the sāttvika position, he cannot understand about self-realization. It is not possible.

Guest (5): The human beings get dreams, and what's the lesson between the dreams and the actual life. Suppose I have a dream at night...

Prabhupāda: Dreams mean that is also change of body.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The one thing is they take it. Others will not take it. That is the difference. If... There is a picture; my Guru Mahārāja has..., one man has fallen in a deep well, and he's crying "Save me!" So another man dropped a rope, that "You catch it. I shall carry you." Then he'll not catch it. Then how he can be drawn. So... (break) ...mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is nothing more superior than Me." We are preaching the same thing, that "You are searching after God. You are, some of you are disgusted that 'There is no God,' but here is God. You take His name. You take His address. You take His daily activities. Everything is there." And that is our mission. And we started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in 1966. So when I registered this society, somebody suggested that "Why not make it 'God consciousness?' " And no, I want to give definitely what is God. God, they have got different conception. But here is God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the Vedic injunction. "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." And when He was present, He proved it, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: ...or you call spirit soul or ātmā. That you can distinguish. As soon as the vital force is off from this body, this body is a lump of matter. Therefore even if you do not know the spirit soul, any sane man can guess that something is missing in this body. Therefore this body is called dead. Now, that something is described definitely, is soul. So we can distinguish between the spirit and soul, some way or other. So as there is material world, there must be some spiritual world. Otherwise how the spirit is there? The spirit is there, the soul is there. That is spiritual. So two things we are experiencing: spirit and matter. So as we are experiencing this material world, so similarly there must be a spiritual world. There must be a spiritual world. Otherwise wherefrom the spirit comes?

David Lawrence: Yes, yes.

Room Conversation with Sir Alistair Hardy -- July 21, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Can you wait?

Mukunda: I can take you straight to the station.

Sir Alistair Hardy: And I must catch at least the 7:15 train.

Mukunda: Oh, yes, definitely.

Sir Alistair Hardy: 7:15

Revatīnandana: 7:15 there'll be plenty of time. If we leave twenty minutes from now, by that time you will have had a little...

Sir Alistair Hardy: Yes, I...

Revatīnandana: They're bringing something right now.

Prabhupāda: You have to go to Oxford?

Sir Alistair Hardy: Yes, yes, I must. I've been to the great temple of Rāmeśvaram in southern India, south of Madras. It was a very fine experience.

Prabhupāda: All the temples you have seen? South India?

Sir Alistair Hardy: A temple in southern India.

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Who, who? Who?

Yogeśvara: He said he thought we were also searching.

Prabhupāda: No, no, we have got definite goal, Kṛṣṇa... We have got definite goal, Kṛṣṇa... (break) ...Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has got His form, He has got His place, He has got His name, He has got His pastimes, and we want to enter in that kingdom.

Yogeśvara: He says that he thought that in our movement we were following Ramakrishna who had discovered everything.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Ramakrishna we kick out. We don't.

Yogeśvara: He says he's not familiar personally with him.

Prabhupāda: Ramakrishna is bogus.

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Tolerant. Spiritual life. That is also spiritual life. That's all. So in their way of spiritual life, what are the process? There must be some process, definite process.

Yogeśvara: (break) ...that comes when you become initiated in the movement. They give you the process for arriving at this tolerance.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But suppose I want to enter. So you must give me some formula that "You have to do this like this." Otherwise how can I enter?

Yogeśvara: He says there are many different techniques, but ultimately they are really all the same because they lead to the same conclusion. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...those techniques? Let him say some of the techniques.

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That he cannot explain, how to control the body. (break)

Guru-gaurāṅga: ...it happens right away, it will happen in awhile.

Prabhupāda: At least, I cannot accept this. (break) ...if there is definite program. (break) The thing is that if I want to enter your association, you must give me some prescription which if I follow, I'll make progress. So that is another thing. But you have no prescription. (break)

Yogeśvara: ...submit to his grandmaster your request for a specific prescription to be given to you. He'll send in your application.

Prabhupāda: He hasn't got. (break)

Yogeśvara: ...make one special just for you.

Prabhupāda: But not for general people.

Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London:

Guest (1): I understand I think most of what you have said. I will definitely come to some of your morning lectures and I believe I must read one of these books too.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can read...

Guest (1): To know a bit more. So next time I come and see, I shall be smiling a bit more.

Prabhupāda: All right. (laughs)

Guest (1): Thank you, very, very much. And now perhaps you can guide me and tell me what to do, which one, you know, that I ought to be concerned with?

Pradyumna: Yes.

Guest (1): And I will take my leave of the master, yes. Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: You can, he wants Bhagavad-gītā?

Pradyumna: Yes.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: It was inculcated into the civilization of China.

Prabhupāda: No, no. This I know definitely. The hippies, the hippies came to India. The hippies... (Dr. Patel and the Indian men argue in background)

Dr. Patel: All these... No, no, no! These are all come from America, sir. If you say like that, I am not going back, sir, day!

Prabhupāda: No, no. No, no. The gañjā, gañjā was not in America.

Dr. Patel: That, that is not! But...

Prabhupāda: That I am speaking. Unless they... (everyone yelling at once)

Dr. Patel: He says that LSD has been invented in India.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Brahma-bhūyāya... Yes. (break) ...only process to take to bhakti-yoga. (break) ...Hare Kṛṣṇa means always remain guṇātīta.

Mr. Sar: Yes, correct. Because you are always... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Kṛṣṇa. Definitely. (break) ...not independently. (break)

Guest (5): ...why the Jesus says you offer the other cheek? Which is better? Is the choice of us to be violent or nonviolent?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The persons to whom Jesus Christ taught, they were already fighting. Therefore his first injunction is "Thou shalt not kill." They were already killers. You see? And Arjuna is a gentleman. He was thinking before killing. Therefore he has to be induced, "You kill like this." But they were already killers. Otherwise why Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill"? That means that society was accustomed to kill. (break) Yes, that (indistinct) circumstance.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama-bhūta maheśvaram. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). (break) ...says, bhūmir āpo analo vayuḥ (BG 7.4). This water is Kṛṣṇa's energy. So how can you refute it? Kṛṣṇa says, "It is My energy."

Indian Man (3): It is somebody's energy. That is definite. Because somebody is controlling it.

Prabhupāda: No, no, not controlling.

Indian Man (1): You have to believe or imagine some entity. It may be Kṛṣṇa or it...

Prabhupāda: No, no, how can you disbelieve? First of all, thing is how can you disbelieve? Believe or not believe, that is another question. How you can... This water has come from some source. So what is that source?

Yaśomatīnandana: By our logical research we can come to Bhagavad-gītā and find out Kṛṣṇa is the only person in the whole world who says that "This comes from Me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Water comes from your body, perspiration. So why not from Kṛṣṇa's body? Simple reasoning. (break) ...ānanda-vigrahaḥ. (break) ...tap produces water. An inanimate object, a small material thing, it produces water. And Kṛṣṇa cannot produce such water? (break) ...potency. They are explained. But because we do not go to the right teacher, we do not understand. That is the difficulty.

Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Indian man (1): Not Hindi, also they are developing local languages, they are teaching English letters now. The latest, they send their childrens to the English medium schools.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man (1): But these are also, they are definitely studying in local languages. Don't (indistinct) they are regulated. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Just see. This is going on everywhere. There are so many private schools for teaching English.

Indian man (1): This is what I call cheating, to keep this.

Prabhupāda: They are cheater.

Indian man (2): (Hindi) ...in English

Prabhupāda: That is their local language.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you were not there. So what arrangement is made now?

Mahāṁśa: I got all the bus tickets for the devotees...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Mahāṁśa: ...and for the plane tickets there was a little difficulty. I don't know how many plane tickets are available yet, but I definitely got minimum two. I don't know if I'll be able to get four, but I'm trying. I'm first on the waiting list, so... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...our nice program.

Mahāṁśa: Yes, I told him to send a telegram in any case, but he has not sent, but if the..., if the program was not nice, then he would have definitely have sent some mess

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

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Dr. Sallaz: And this we are doing everything in our power to prepare and to do what we can to prepare this spiritual revolution. It is the thing we have to do today to save the world. Without spiritual revolution, there is no possibility to save the world. It is going down definitely. For this earth, yes.

Prabhupāda: So we have started this movement, spiritual revolution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So why don't you cooperate with us?

Dr. Sallaz: Oh, you see we are doing in our field everything we can and we are preparing to bring this special revolution. We have to bring to light all the old knowledges, the real spiritual knowledge. And this is what we are preparing. And it will take one or two years more until everything is prepared, can be shown.

Prabhupāda: You have studied Bhagavad-gītā?

Dr. Sallaz: Some. Some of the members know it perfectly. I do not.

Prabhupāda: So you read that. Energy, two energies, how they are explained. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Karandhara: That's why the church now has lost everyone, because even its leaders are saying, "I don't know anything. I'm just fumbling around like everyone else. I don't really know anything definite."

Prabhupāda: Still, he is leader?

Karandhara: Yes.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Karandhara: In the West also, in the past ten years there's been a resurgence of what's called fundamentalism. For so long the Christian liturgy, the Christian doctrine, got so hodge-podge and so wishy-washy that people were leaving because there was simply nothing there solid for them to grasp onto. Now fundamentalism, or the very basic principles that God is the Almighty and that we are sinners and if we don't repent, God's going to strike us down with wrath and anger, that basic principle of fear of God, that is receiving new support. Many people are coming back to that because even though it's a very vague thing, still it's something definite. "God is there, and if I do something wrong, He's going to cut me down," rather than, "Well, nothing's wrong, nothing's right," it's all hodge-podge, wish wash. People can't grasp onto that. There's nothing for them to...

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda, "nothing wrong, nothing right. Everything is all right," Vivekananda's philosophy.

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Then you know God. Then why do you say, "God cannot be known"?

American Man: I say that "God" is a word.

Prabhupāda: You say, "light" or "word." What is the... What is the definite...

American Man: I believe in what I feel right here, and that is God for me.

Prabhupāda: That means you feel sometimes something else. That is God.

American Man: I feel the light here.

Prabhupāda: Anywhere you feel, the first of all let us know...

American Man: I feel the light here.

Prabhupāda: Yes, anywhere. Light is here also.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Madhudviṣa: One thing that we would like to mention, as our spiritual master says, there is a definite, according to the Vedic scripture, there is a definite link between consumption of milk and development of fine brain tissues. And if your department of knowledge has some research in that area, we think it would be a great service to mankind if they can be informed how they can develop fine brain tissues. Fine brain tissues which are needed for coping with the problems of this day and age. Not that simply if I disagree with you we'll just fight. There has to be fine brain tissues in order to say, "Let us sit down and talk about this together." And we say, not we, but according to the scripture, there is a definite link between the consumption of milk products, not just milk, but cheese and all different milk products, the consumption of milk products and development of the necessary intellect. This is why, as our spiritual master said, the highly intelligent people of India have lived predominantly, not just drinking milk, but everything they ate was cooked in milk products. The vegetables, rice, even if rice was boiled, milk was put on, ghee was put on the rice. So that is like an unavoidable essential in their diet, not simply from the palatable standpoint, but actually from the relationship between the physical and the metaphysical progress.

Prabhupāda: And thousands of tons of ghee, clarified butter, was offered in the yajña. The smoke created a kind of cloud which is very good for cultivation.

Guest (2): Well, thank you...

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. (end)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He still does not understand how we can say that one activity is bad or good. For example, he said that we gave the example of thieves, but that implies that previously there was already a standard that "This is good, and this is bad." But he wants to know how he can know definitely what is good and what is bad.

Prabhupāda: To become God conscious is good, and anything else, all bad. God is good. Therefore, if you are God conscious, you are good, and if you are not God conscious, then you are bad.

Professor (Hṛdayānanda): If God created man?

Prabhupāda: Yes. God created everything. God created man, God created dog, God created demigods, God created everything.

Professor: He made us imperfect.

Prabhupāda: No, He is not imperfect.

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (4): I am not denying anything, but I'm saying that the meaning might be, that "God and Jesus is one," is in a similar way that I and God is one.

Prabhupāda: That is fact. That is fact.

Guest (3): Well, again it depends upon the belief of each individual.

Prabhupāda: No, Jesus is described as son of God. Do you deny that?

Guest (3): Definitely, he is definitely son of God just as you and I are. But at the same time, as Christians... Of course it's a matter of belief.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The son and the father, they are the same because son is born out of father. So how he can be different? In that sense it is one.

Guest (3): Yeah, I'm not denying the fact that God...

Prabhupāda: No, no, try to understand. Just like here is a son, and here is a father. So there is no difference because the son is the expansion of the body of the father. So how the body and expansion of the body can be different? They are one. But still, in relationship, son is son, father is father. In relationship... Just like the mother is there, and her relationship with husband is different from her relationship with her son. In that sense, the son and the father, different, but in quality they are one because son is the expansion of the father's body. Therefore, simultaneously, they are one and different. That is real understanding. So if the son sometimes says, "I am one with the father," there is no controversy because he is one in quality.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to take knowledge from the perfect. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)." You have to take that knowledge. You cannot say you are perfect and you'll say, "May not have." And what is this knowledge, "May not have"? Say definitely and prove it, scientifically. That is knowledge. "Perhaps," "May not," "May be," these are not knowledge.

Guest (1): Just to give one example, these days the science experiments have conclusively done that a particular egg can be in the body of the womb, can be manipulated into either a male or a female.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. We say the soul is within the body so you can make it male or female, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. We are not concerned with male and female, we are concerned with the soul.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (1): That we believe in.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are not perfect. We can speculate only and that is not perfection. "Maybe," "perhaps," like that. No definite knowledge. The definite knowledge you can get from Kṛṣṇa, the perfect. Therefore all the ācāryas accept Kṛṣṇa. We have to follow the ācāryas, ācāryopāsanam. So in India all these ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, they accept Kṛṣṇa the supreme absolute. Why you should not? Are you more than these ācāryas? Then? That is the defect of modern education, they manufacture education although they're imperfect. They have no the common sense that "I am imperfect, how I am manufacturing education and becoming teacher. My becoming teacher is cheating because I have no perfect knowledge." Knowledge means it must be perfect, not "maybe," "perhaps." This is not knowledge. Definite knowledge.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: So we accept Him, God, either way.

Indian man: But need not be a definite form. He need not have a definite form.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. There may be different form. But that form is God. Then you have to accept Him God.

Indian man: Yes, OK. And when I say one form, it may be formless also, and I may...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, that form is God. You have to accept.

Indian man: OK, I will accept.

Prabhupāda: Then if you accept God, the whole thing is finished.

Morning Walk -- April 23, 1975, Vrndavana:

Guest: If some definite example is there, then they will immediately copy. See, they are copy-minded. If suppose we open up a temple here and the conditions here improve, automatically everybody'll take up. So we will see next year. Automatically when things are done by copying, they would like to go by the copy method, not by experimentation. So if our temples are successful in Māyāpur and Hyderabad and everywhere, farms are attained, and if they are able to produce better things, they will understand, "Oh, because of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people are becoming more prosperous." Automatically they will come therefore.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, that is also nice. (break) We have no factory; we have no business.

Morning Walk -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Anything they say nice, that means it is guaranteed, next life. Or even in this life it will definitely help. As soon as he reads some pages, then it is guaranteed. Those who are enquiring, that means they are liking. Their life is guaranteed.

Amogha: One man who joined us about Rathayātrā time last year was a solicitor. He used to buy our books but he never read them. But he would keep them on his bookshelf. And he used to always think, "Those are such beautiful books." He used to think like that.

Prabhupāda: This is appreciation.

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

Carol: Is it possible to carry out that enquiry while you're engaged in activities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real enquiry. Wherefrom my life has begun? What is the ultimate goal of my life? Why I am put into these conditions which I do not like? Who is enforcing? These things should be asked. That is the proper enquiry of the human being. And we cannot solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease, and you are theorizing something utopian. What is the use of such advancement of knowledge? I live for fifty years and sixty years, and the Darwin's theory they are calculating gap of millions of years. There is a gap of millions of years, and we will live for fifty years. How we are taking calculation of millions of years? Speculation simply. And misleading people. An honest man should not mislead others. He should understand that his knowledge is limited. How can I say something theorizing? That is not very good business. And misleading people. I have no perfect knowledge. I am theorizing. What is the use? I have no actually accurate knowledge, and I am theorizing. I am misleading people. Big bluff. That is going on. An honest man should not take part in big bluffs. First of all you must have accurate knowledge, and I am theorizing. I am misleading people. Big bluffs. First of all you must have accurate knowledge. Then you bring knowledge to others. That is our proposition. First of all make your life perfect, then you try to give knowledge. If you have no knowledge, vague knowledge, not definite knowledge, then why should you try to give knowledge to others?

Room Conversation with Ganesa dasa's Mother and Sister -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Just if you do not try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to. Here it is said, "One who understands Me definitely, he does not come." So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And you become free from birth and death and old age.

Mother: And what about before they joined Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: He was subjected to birth and death and old age, that's all.

Mother: And after they join it...?

Prabhupāda: And if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become free.

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Guest (2): But your method of curing drug addiction has no definite practical use, surely.

Prabhupāda: Why not practical?

Guest (2): Not everyone who wants to stop taking drugs can spend six months in solitude or in a company like yours.

Paramahaṁsa: He says he finds it not practical because not everyone who is addicted to drugs can spend six months in a temple with us.

Prabhupāda: They are spending years. They are all European, Americans. They are not Indians. We have got here... You go to Melbourne. We have got big branch. In Sydney we have got. In Europe. They are doing that. It requires training, proper training. Then it will be done.

Guest (1): Well, if there is someone who wouldn't like to perhaps join this religion, but still wants to get treated...

Prabhupāda: This is not religion. This is a culture.

Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Guest 3: I don't think it's necessary that it fails. I don't... I think things are changing definitely throughout the world. It's a matter of which course they take.

Prabhupāda: No, what changing? They are preparing for war again. Where is changing? A slight provocation, there may be war.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: No, I definitely agree that you must be successful in that mission now. And you have practically and honestly taught what you believed in. My idea...

Prabhupāda: No, no. "I honestly believe." Why don't you honestly believe?

Yogi Bhajan: I believe that you honestly believe...

Prabhupāda: But you also try.

Yogi Bhajan: That's what I am saying. This is the time...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you accept this Bhagavad-gītā as the standard knowledge and preach it.

Yogi Bhajan: I read it, I preach it, I understand it. That's in my concept.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted. That is wanted.

Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Animal condition. Not only horrible, it is animal condition. They do not want to know God. Just like these animals, they are not interested. So they have no church, the animals, or temple. But in the human society, either he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian, there is some arrangement for understanding God. Now they are also neglecting that, everyone, all over the world. Now they are clearly... The Communists, they hate to say anything about God. So ultimately they are coming to such position, the Communists, that "No word about God." So this is the position. Now apart from them, just like theologists and theosophists. They are, at least, after understanding what is God, but they cannot ascertain definitely. So why do they not take? We are offering, "Here is God." Where is the objection? Why they should object? If you do not know something and if I give you the information, why you should not take?

Dr. Judah: That's a good question.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: "Somehow or other." This is science. "Somehow or other," "maybe," "perhaps." This is their science. (break) ...speculation. The whole Western countries, their all knowledge simply speculation. Nothing definite. (break) ...Professor Dimmock has "Definitive..." What is that translation, or something like?

Harikeśa: Definitive.

Prabhupāda: Definitive, then translation of Bhagavad-gītā, like that. (break)

Devotee (4): Dogs, they are becoming attached to the human being. Are they becoming human beings in their next life?

Prabhupāda: Maybe.

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Dieting, the best thing is to take prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Definitely. It's clear cut. My only feeling about...

Prabhupāda: And if our... Pushed on our men... The thing is they supply more spices, and especially that mustard. This is not good. This is prohibited.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It should be mild, prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Practically no spices. Simply little cumin. And this turmeric. Turmeric you get from India, whole turmeric. This powdered turmeric is very, very bad.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Unhealthy.

Harikeśa: They put sawdust in it.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: ...some refreshment as remnants of foodstuff of God. Then it will make tremendous change. I came from India alone; now I have got so many followers. So what did I do? I did the same thing. I asked them to sit down, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and distribute them little prasādam. This should be done in a mass scale, and then things will become very peaceful. It is fact. So I want little cooperation of the authorities to give me the facility, how I can call many men together, chant together Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and I supply them little refreshment, that's all.

Lt. Mozee: I will definitely convey your message to my superiors.

Prabhupāda: So you give us this facility.

Lt. Mozee: Where would you...? Do you have any ideas where you would want...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yesterday the mayor of this place came. Here is a house vacant. So if we get this house, then we can begin in a mass scale. The America is not poor. So at least on experimental stage the government or the municipality can give us this house and arrange for some prasādam. Simple prasāda we give, not costly. We don't use meat or anything.

Morning Walk -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Then it is foolishness.

Dharmādhyakṣa: Oh, definitely.

Bahulāśva: In California they have passed a law that homosexuality is legal. So the psychologists say that they see the dogs and the hogs and monkeys having homosex relationships, so on that grounds, they say, it should be legal.

Prabhupāda: They have got homosex? Dogs, hogs, I don't think.

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

Prabhupāda: It is increasing.

Reporter (2): It is increasing?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Definitely.

Jayatīrtha: I said that the worldwide figure is ten thousand.

Reporter (2): Yes, I understood. Could you tell me how old you are?

Jayatīrtha: He wants to know your age, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: After one month I will be eighty.

Reporter (1): Eighty?

Prabhupāda: Eighty years old.

Reporter (2): What will happen...

Prabhupāda: I was born in 1896, now you can calculate.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. He is good.

Bahulāśva: So we gave him a copy of Easy Journey to Other Planets and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he's been reading that. He is friends with that other scientist, Wernher Von Braun, who gave that speech also saying that he feels that there is definitely God by his scientific studies. We also wrote him a letter, but we haven't gotten any response. Svarūpa Dāmodara prabhu wrote him also.

Prabhupāda: What he is?

Bahulāśva: He is a very big scientist for Fairchild. He started the space project.

Harikeśa: He invented those rockets in Germany.

Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, he was actually captured. He used to work for Hitler. He invented the V-2 rockets that bombed London, or was one of them.

Bahulāśva: He gave a very nice talk in San Francisco.

Prabhupāda: Oh. About?

Bahulāśva: He said that from his scientific studies he is feeling frustrated.

Press Conference at Airport -- July 28, 1975, Dallas:

Prabhupāda: That will be answered by this person. He is in charge of that institution.

Woman reporter: We have discussed it, but I wondered if the Swami had any views.

Jagadīśa: Well, Śrīla Prabhupāda has given me the responsibility to make sure that we meet the necessary code standards so that the school will definitely go on. That is our plan, to meet all the standards and continue on with our current activities.

Woman reporter: Well, the regulation, for example, that there must be a bed for each child. How are you going to...

Jagadīśa: Yes, we'll have beds. Yes.

Man reporter: Swami, why are you here?

Jagadīśa: Why are you here, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He asked why are you here?

Prabhupāda: Why?

Jagadīśa: Why are you here? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is my home. (laughter) I have got so many children, grandchildren. So I have come to see them.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Oh, the rain is sufficient here? How many months it rain?

Nityānanda: There is no definite rainy season, it rains all year round.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's very good. Winter?

Nityānanda: No snow, it's always rain. We can grow vegetables in the summer, and different vegetables in the winter. So the cows they can stay outside all year. They don't have to stay in the barn, it's warm enough.

Prabhupāda: Very ideal spot. Develop it and show how we can live peacefully.

Nityānanda: This combination of a temple in the city where they can preach and bring people out to their farm is very good.

Prabhupāda: ...healthy place.

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Prahupada: So why it is not reflecting to other planets, only to the moon? Why special advantage to the moon? They have no reason. All rascals' philosophy. Why particularly to the moon? Why not others? Simply theories and mental speculation. They have no scientific. And the śāstra definitely gives the distance of the moon from the sun planet-1,600,000 miles. Then similarly (sic:) 1,600 million up, the Mars, then Venus, then..., everything. And moon is specifically mentioned that "It is so brilliant because there is fire, blazing fire. And the blazing fire is so illuminating that even at night it looks white, bright." This is reasonable because... Not that it is being reflected by the sun. The sun can reflect other planets, but it is there, fire. Just like sun there is fire, similarly, moon there is fire. The sun is not covered by cool atmosphere, but the moon is covered by cool atmosphere. Therefore it is pleasing. When there is sunshine and breeze, it is very pleasing. And no sunshine, simply breezing—it is not pleasing. And only sunshine, there is no cool atmo... That is also painful. But sunshine and breezing is very pleasing. So there is, like sunshine, blazing fire and surrounded by cool atmosphere. Therefore the moon is so pleasing.

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I haven't gone, but the argument...

Prabhupāda: No, no. The scientists. I challenge that he has not gone there.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (to someone:) Pay your obeisances.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. I have not gone, you have not gone, but I have got this authentic literature; you have nothing. So my position is better than yours. You are fool. You are befooled because you are simply contemplating. But I have got a definite literature, information. So my position is better than yours. Whose car is it? Oh, some of them are chanting? Jaya. (end)

Morning Walk -- October 28, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: So we should preach like this, any rascal, because anyone who has no information of Kṛṣṇa, who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a rascal. That's all. That we must know. That is definite. There is no mistaking it. But if you say that "You are rascal. There is no mistaking it," then you cannot preach. If you directly call a rascal a rascal, he'll be angry. Murkhāyopadeśo hi prakopāya na śanta...: To give good instruction to a fool rascal will increase his anger, that's all." Then you'll not be able to preach. So you have to become very humble, tṛṇād api sunīcena, humbler than the grass. Just like everyone is trampling over the grass. It doesn't protest, "Why you are going, keeping your leg on my head?" But that is the... Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Go on trampling. Hundreds' and hundreds' people are trampling over the grass; they don't protest. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. The tree is standing.

Morning Walk -- November 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He is suggesting, but he has no clear idea.

Dr. Patel: He definitely has said in thirty-fourth sutra, īśvaraḥ pari danaiva: "If you can't vacate your mind, put God inside." iśvaraḥ pari danaiva.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Holiday Inn Hotel? (break)

Yaśomatīnandana: ...accept God. But if they do accept God, then none of their activity shows it. They're constantly trying to disprove God.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Cooking, of course, you can get pots, brass pots. (break) ...temple. Huh?

Mahāṁsa: The structure is over, Prabhupāda. Now the ornamental work is started since last fifteen days. They said they could finish it by March, but I don't know if we'll be able to push it before that. Since last one month the collections have also increased. So if the collections go on in the same speed as we are going now, it may be finished by March. But otherwise definitely by August it will be complete. (break) ...fifteenth of this month Indira Gandhi was in Hyderabad. I got a letter from Praghoṣa that there were lakhs of people there to see her, and we have printed up coupons which we go shop to shop and tell everyone that "You buy one brick for the temple. So eleven rupees is the cost of one brick. So in your name one brick must be put." So we have these coupons, and they distributed six thousand rupees' worth of coupons in that program. Six hundred coupons they distributed in that meeting.

Prabhupāda: "Sell well." You know he is "sell well" man. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So it should be changed. Sitting idea is not to be...

Akṣayānanda: Yes, it's nice.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...forget to tell him.

Akṣayānanda: I'll tell him definitely, Prabhupāda. (break)

Devotee (1): They are teaching communistic philosophy.

Devotee: We went there to try to sell them some books. They were very hostile.

Prabhupāda: Hostile.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why hostile?

Devotee: Communistic.

Prabhupāda: They are scientific men.

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: "Maybe" means rascal. As soon as you say "maybe," you are a rascal, immediately. There is no other argument. As soon as you say "maybe," that means you are a rascal.

Harikeśa: Well, definitely we don't know.

Prabhupāda: Therefore rascal. (laughter) Therefore rascal. We definitely know Kṛṣṇa, the origin of everything. That is definite, not "It may be." We don't say "Kṛṣṇa may be." No. Definitely. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Here is Bhagavān. Here is God. That is definite. Therefore our professor...

Haṁsadūta: Svarūpa Dāmodara?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Who has written foreword to my Bhagavad-gītā?

Harikeśa: Dimmock.

Prabhupāda: Dimmock. "Here is definitive..."

Haṁsadūta: Version.

Nitai: "Definitive edition."

Prabhupāda: "Definitive edition." That is the credit. Not "may be." No "maybe," sir. That is rascaldom.

Conversation on Roof -- December 26, 1975, Sanand:

Prabhupāda: These are all speculation. That's all.

Harikeśa: Definitely. Useless book.

Prabhupāda: Useless speculation.

Harikeśa: But this, this argument that's being brought up here, actually people are thinking about a lot, that there's an idea and there's, there's a fact...

Prabhupāda: That argument is.... Just like I told you, in my childhood I was thinking in the gramophone box there is a man. I could not think at that time without a man how this gramophone can sing so nicely. So there is a man, and as soon as the record is..., he gives, he sings. That.... I was thinking like that.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Acyutānanda: Also, in their evidences by which they base their dialectic discussions, have they regarded the Vedic scriptures? They have avoided them very conveniently.

Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of dialectic discussion. Suppose I am discussing, you are discussing something, but if I am imperfect, you are imperfect, what is the value of such discussion? That is the point. The party discussing something, whether he is perfect? If he is not perfect, then go on discussing. We first of all say that any conditioned soul is defective, and that is admitted. They say, "We are not perfect." "I think," they say. "In my opinion," they say. Never they say, the so-called scientists, "definite." And they cannot say it.

Mahamsa: That is like Dr. Frog's philosophy when they speculate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply speculation. So that kind of discussion, what is the value?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's always a hypothesis.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: But Tapomaya, he says that we need more land to be able to feed all the devotees. And every time we're building more buildings, we're just losing land but we're not gaining so much agricultural land.

Prabhupāda: No, no. We can purchase. First of all think that whether we can utilize.

Jayapatāka: Land is all being utilized. We need more land for grazing the cows also.

Bhavānanda: Definitely the land can be utilized.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Then purchase.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I had one question about this play by Girish Ghosh. The Girish Ghosh was a debauchee, and wouldn't it be better to take, make dramas from your Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Then the sound vibration is coming from pure source. Or does that not matter? If the man was...

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all you see how it can be utilized, whatever translation is there. Then we shall purify it. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlānam (CC Madhya 19.167). Just like this microphone. It is prepared by the meat-eaters. How we are utilizing it? Everything has got a proper process to purify it. (Break)...nice, eh?

Jayapatāka: We don't have any land in this area.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whose land is it?

Jayapatāka: So many people.

Prabhupāda: So many. So it is good land? No?

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Bhavānanda: And he is the one who asked me, "Who is behind this case?" He asked me when we brought him from Krishnanagar. Because he is considered the best lawyer in Nadia, so we brought him in, and as we were leaving, after the first time I appeared, he said, "There is someone... This man is a farmer, laborer. Who has put him up to this? There is someone behind this." So he asked me, "Was it Śrīdhara? Someone of the Gauḍīya Maṭha is behind this." But he came last night with them, this lawyer, old man, he came with them. So they were definitely the ones behind it.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: They were definitely the ones behind that case. They somehow got their hands on that man and had him bring charges, even though the whole thing was dropped.

Prabhupāda: Who was behind them?

Bhavānanda: Well, this man, he mentioned Śrīdhara Mahārāja's name. He said, "Some Gauḍīya Maṭha person."

Prabhupāda: He's a very good lawyer.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So can you actually say that Kṛṣṇa knows you'll misuse your independence? He knows if you misuse your independence what will happen, but can it be actually said that...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...he knows you will definitely misuse...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...you can use your independence properly, it's up to you.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: But then that limits Kṛṣṇa. If you say that Kṛṣṇa did not know when I will misuse my indep.... or if I will...

Prabhupāda: No, no. That means you do not know what is the independence. You can, you can change your position at any time. That is your independence.

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

Prabhupāda: But one thing, you can send one copy of this to Vṛndāvana to take casting cost there. They're also doing.

Bharadvāja: Estimate. Perhaps they'll be able to do it cheaper in India.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bharadvāja: They'll definitely be able to do it cheaper in India.

Prabhupāda: Then if they can do cheaper, why not cast there?

Bharadvāja: The transport.

Prabhupāda: Transport is the same. You have to transport from here, they will have to transport from...

Bharadvāja: Hm. Nanda-kiśora, or someone else?

Prabhupāda: You send to Akṣayānanda. (long pause) Prahlāda Mahārāja said there is no necessity for endeavoring for economic development. Very difficult to understand this philosophy.

Room Conversation with Mother and Sons -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: They are reading so many philosophical speculation, horrible condition of the so-called philosopher, scientist. Simply "I believe," "In this believe, that believe." You believe.... Believe something. That is your (indistinct). But your belief is not final. That is creating chaotic condition. You believe some way, I believe something, he believes something. What is the profit? Chaos. So all these philosophers, scientists, they believe "I believe," as if his belief will be a doctrine. Why he believes like that? People also accept like that. Nobody questions that a person says "I believe," that means he is not in perfect knowledge. But in Vedic śāstra, there is no question of belief. This is the fact. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. It never says that "I believe there are so many aquatics." No. Clear declaration: Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. There are nine hundred thousand different forms of life in the water. Bas. This is Vedic knowledge. It never says, "I believe." What is the meaning of belief? You must know definitely and declare it. That is Vedic knowledge. Speculation is not allowed. Truth must be declared as it is. (aside:) That Bengali woman wanted to see me? Mrs. Dasgupta.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: I find this place is the best than all our places. Huh? What do you think?

Hari-śauri: Definitely.

Prabhupāda: Specially this building on the riverside. Water is there.

Mādhavānanda: Maybe, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you would like to stay a little longer this year?

Prabhupāda: I have got engagements; otherwise I would have stayed here. Already engagement is there. I want to return by fourteenth August in India. Otherwise, I would have stayed here and see things are nicely done. Anyway.

Jayādvaita: They've been after you for so long in New Vrindaban.

Prabhupāda: New Vrindaban climatic condition is not so good. Here the climatic condition is good. Four months this climate is very good. It is in the central part of America?

Mādhavānanda: Little north.

Prabhupāda: North. So north is supposed to be cooler.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Last chapter of the Seventh Canto.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And these rascals say there is no life in other.... Moon planet is accepted as the heavenly planet, and these rascals say "It is sand. And we have brought the sand." It is one of the heavenly planets.

Jayādvaita: Some scientists have started a project. They are beaming radio messages into space because they think perhaps there is someone intelligent there, and they will beam back something.

Prabhupāda: Their knowledge is "perhaps." It is nonsense. They have no definite knowledge. "Perhaps." Perhaps is not knowledge.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...habituated to sit cross-leg. They have learned also. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So people in general, they are now out of God consciousness. Is it not?

Scheverman: Yes, I would agree that in our society, that the consciousness of God is definitely on the wane. There's no question about that. We find it very, very difficult, I think, even to speak about the Lord God in the presence of people, because the ears are closed or stopped. There's not a willingness to listen.

Prabhupāda: Why the people have come to this condition, that they are not prepared even to hear about God?

Scheverman: I think, I think that, perhaps...

Prabhupāda: One priest in Boston, he issued one booklet that "These boys, they're our boys, mostly they are coming from Christian or Jewish families. But before this movement, they were not coming even to the church, never inquired about God. Now they are mad after God." He issued one pamphlet like that. These boys.

Morning Walk -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Love? This is love or lust?

Satsvarūpa: He says there's a definite connection between the flesh and love, and you can't deny it, he said. I argued with him, but that was his viewpoint, that love is expressed through the flesh.

Prabhupāda: Then how he has become a doctor in Vaiṣṇava philosophy?

Devotee: He's a sick doctor.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That would mean that the dog is a great lover.

Prabhupāda: No, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is explanation, what is the difference between lust and love.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: What did he say?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's back in Europe. This letter's from Germany. He mentions that he's getting some more buses and about fifteen more men to come along with some preaching equipment. They plan on leaving early August and are reaching there late August sometime. And so far he mentions that he still has no definite idea how to keep the buses in India, so the other buses will be coming out and two more buses will be coming in. This is his plan. Then he mentions that he had some correspondence with Lokanātha Swami, who's heading up the traveling party while he's in Europe, and Lokanātha Swami mentions they've been doing saṅkīrtana in Darmashala on the way up to Sri Nagar, Kashmir. And he says they are doing well everywhere they go.

Prabhupāda: India, everywhere they'll be received very nice.

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: He is the stomach of the complete body. As such, pouring water on the root is the right process to water the tree, as much as feeding the stomach supplies energy to all parts of the body. Śrīla Vyāsadeva should not have compiled any Purāṇas other than the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, because a slight deviation from that may create havoc for self-realization. If a slight deviation can create such havoc, then what to speak of deliberate expansion of the separatist idea from the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead? The most defective part of worshiping demigods is that it creates a definite conception of pantheism, ending disastrously in many religious sects detrimental to the progress of the principles of the Bhāgavatam, which alone can give the accurate direction for self-realization in eternal relation with the Personality of Godhead by devotional service in transcendental love. The example of the boat disturbed by whirling wind is suitable in this respect. The diverted mind of the pantheist can never reach to the perfection of self-realization due to the disturbed condition of the selections of object."

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

Prabhupāda: This is my ambition." He dis... These are the exchange of love. So if there is no persons to person meeting, where is the question of love? That is not love. If I love somebody and weekly I visit that house, "This is the house," that's all. Where is the exchange of love? Love means there is exchange. If you love somebody, if you have not given anything to that somebody, neither you have taken something from him, where is the love? Is that love? Means imperfect knowledge. You love... The conclusion is religion means to love God, and to love God means you must know who is God. There cannot be any other alternative. You must know the person who is God. Then you exchange. That we are teaching. We are asking our disciples to rise early in the morning, offer maṅgala ārati, then bhoga ārati. Are we so fools, rascals, that we are wasting time in worshiping a doll like that? Sometimes they think like that. But that is not the fact. You know definitely, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. He is God, and we must love Him like this." That is the superexcellence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We do everything definitely on positive platform. Is that clear?

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Next point says, in the column of matter, it says it has temporary complex forms in association with life. On the other hand, life is immutable. From Bhagavad-gītā, it has neither beginning nor end. Now this is what actually we find when a living entity is in association with matter, now matter tends to the form, into definite specific forms. Like human body has a specific form, like that, other living entities have forms. But this is only due to in association with life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. As he desired, so he got a form. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). The form is offered by the Supreme Absolute Truth, as he desires. Just like the cloth has no form, but as the customer desires, the tailor gives a form suitable to his desire. Similarly, material world means we have got varieties. In the spiritual world also we have got varieties. Because we are originally of varieties of form, we are getting these varieties of body, being influenced by the modes of material nature. So I'm desiring that if I get such body, I can eat even stool. So God gives you, "All right, you take this body.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Devotees, they accept. Therefore they are happy. And they'll be happy. They'll go back to home happy. One who accepts, he becomes happy.

Vipina: Well, in the case where a devotee is definitely sincerely following your instructions and applying himself to all these principles that Kṛṣṇa has outlined, then when there's difficulty for him, how is he to understand that?

Prabhupāda: He cannot understand immediately. He must be patient. Utsāhān dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience. He cannot, if you have sown some seed, you cannot expect immediately tree and fruits. You must wait. You must nourish the plant, water it. Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152).

Vipina: But if there is some difficulty that causes so much trouble in your service...

Prabhupāda: That is impatience. That is impatience. Either he does not do properly his duty, or he is impatient.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So if we take Kṛṣṇa as bigger power, there is no controversy. Whatever He says you have to accept.

Guest (2): No, we have to take like this. Just like we have to take even some of this, any statement you make, we are going to take it because we think people of your status, who have experienced the life, which I didn't do, they are the authority on that thing.

Prabhupāda: No, if you accept Kṛṣṇa authority, then at least He is bigger than you.

Guest (2): Yes, sure. Not only authority on this thing. Because they have experienced, they have gone through that stage. And definitely we have to, because the..., just like from a teacher a boy learns, and it is that method. You have to learn from a higher person.

Prabhupāda: So you do accept Kṛṣṇa as the highest authority, and not only you accept, but all other authorities, they accept. Find out this verse. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

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

Prabhupāda: No, there is no complexity.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One point, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that matter as it is, it has not even a specific form or pattern as compared with matter associated with life. When matter is associated with life it has specific groups of forms meant for a definite purpose and function. Now this is lacking when matter is left as it is. For example...

Prabhupāda: Yes, matter is utilized for the purpose of spirit soul. Otherwise matter has no independent existence. The whole thing is matter, but it is formed according to the desire of the spirit.

Hari-śauri: So if matter is inferior to the spirit soul, then isn't it correct to say that the spirit soul is more complex or sophisticated than matter? If matter is inferior?

Prabhupāda: Spirit soul is living. Naturally he has got desires. That is not complexity. That is a symptom of life.

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

Devotee (2): But they cheated when they said they went to the moon.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they're cheaters, those who have got imperfect senses, they're all cheaters. If they say something, "Definitely this is like this," that is cheating.

Devotee (2): But how can so many cheat?

Prabhupāda: So many cheat?

Devotee (2): Together. Together they all cheat, they all say they went to the moon. One thousand scientists, all together in one room? They all say, "We agree, this, they went to the moon, here's the..."

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say that if we can prove that the moon is beyond sun, then all these cheaters will be (indistinct), by one stroke.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: One letter should be written to him that "You have taken so much trouble to describe Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, so thank you for your patience. Now we shall request you to read our books and review it. That will be real presentation of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. Now you have studied superficially, and if you seriously study our books, you'll get more knowledge and you'll be able to give description of the movement more definitely."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to hear what else he has to say?

Prabhupāda: Umhm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Others insist that the style of shaving the head identifies devotees of various spiritual orders. The long śikhās marks a man as a follower of Kṛṣṇa. Still another group says that the head-shaving simply stands for renunciation of the material world, its values and its pleasures. One or more of those reasons may be the true one. Possibly all of them have a multi-determined, have multi-determined the Kṛṣṇa cut. The how of the cut is simplicity itself. Commonly two men cut each others hair. Our pictures show how. Phase one of the cutting, known as the buzz-off, is done with ordinary..." (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Buzz off? (laughter)

Comments on Bhagavad-gita Play -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are two classes, Broadway and off-Broadway theater. Two different classifications. Broadway is very costly, big productions, very elaborate, and off-Broadway is more simple, but also very often there are good plays there. So this particular temple is located in an off-Broadway location. And actually it's very prestigious. We can advertise, and people will attend. They will definitely attend, and they'll even pay for the performances. We don't feel that we should charge yet, until the caliber of the performance is first class and until they have some full program. Because right now, just like this play only took about..., the dance only took about twenty-five minutes.

Prabhupāda: Altogether.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Unless they have something that is at least two hours, one and half, two hours, you cannot charge for. People will definitely pay.

Prabhupāda: Pay or not pay, doesn't matter. They should understand the meaning.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did you feel that the message of the Gītā came through?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Yes.

Comments on Bhagavad-gita Play -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Sudāmā: The precedence of our work, Śrīla Prabhupāda, should definitely be that the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is clearly understood by all, is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Along with it, if you, the same thing, more demonstrative, if you put some movies...

Bali-mardana: Slides.

Prabhupāda: Slide or movie, that will be...

Sudāmā: Mixed media. That is also very much appealing to the public. Our future projection plan is to work on the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Janmāṣṭamī, which is about an hour production, to an hour and a half. And then we were planning to work on the Rāmāyaṇa, if it was suiting or agreeable by Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: The whole basic principle is this, that people should understand, as I was explaining this morning, the sat and asat. So at the present moment we are living in the way that is asat. But there is another life, sat. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an educational movement to raise a person from the asat platform to the sat. Under illusion they are, what is called, amock? They (laughs) have gone amock. So it is a humble attempt to stop their, this suicidal policy.

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

Bali-mardana: In Arizona there is much government land. I passed through there recently. So there is good facility for them to make secretly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The moon business was done there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This means it's definitely a very calculated plot to cheat the public.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the whole, all of the nations...

Prabhupāda: Just to convince people that our, this rascal civilization is advanced.

Rāmeśvara: International conspiracy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means all the nations are cooperating in this project.

Rāmeśvara: Russia and America.

Prabhupāda: All the so-called scientists.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: I am now eighty years old, I am working twenty-four hours. I think I work more than my young disciples (laughter).

Bali-mardana: Oh yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: I work at night.

Rāmeśvara: It is hard to keep up with Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: Very difficult.

Prabhupāda: We are not idle creatures.

Rāmeśvara: We are publishing his books and sometimes he is ahead of us by seventeen volumes.

Interviewer: How do you spend your days? You do an awful lot of traveling I understand.

Prabhupāda: Traveling is going on throughout the whole world and wherever I go, at night I write books.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: That is the.... The microphone is the same. And the politician can speak all nonsense, and the so-called scientist may speak all nonsense of going to the Mars planet, but we don't talk all nonsense.

Mike Robinson: If we could just put one more tape on it. No, if I can explain to you, the question I am trying to ask, which I'm finding difficulty to explain. Obviously, the members of the movement who are here have made a definite sort of decision that you've decided, they've decided, for instance, to dress differently, and they're dressing now in what would appear to be an Indian style. Is it necessary to do that, or could I carry on being a member of a radio station and still be a member of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Harikeśa: That would be very nice.

Mike Robinson: Perhaps if I phrase it a bit differently. I gather that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement also has some concern for areas of the world where there is suffering, physical suffering.

Prabhupāda: We have got the only concern. Others, they are simply avoiding. They have no responsibility. They are talking all nonsense. We have got real responsibility. These people are being misguided, they are kept in darkness. Let us try to give them some enlightenment.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Harikeśa: Oh, your tickets are definitely booked on the nonstop flight. I finally managed to...

Prabhupāda: Take the ticket. Oh, we have got ticket.

Harikeśa: The reservation, I mean... And if for some reason we can't get on that flight, we have reservations on another flight that arrives four hours later.

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.

Harikeśa: It changes, it leaves earlier and gets there four hours later. Was lunch all right today? Lunch? Your lunch was all right?

Hari-śauri: Was lunch all right? Prasādam?

Prabhupāda: The potatoes and karelā should be fried.

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: This is one of the items, there are so many others.

Translator: So he's pointing out that when one acts in complete freedom, he follows a path, a definite path to attain a certain truth.

Prabhupāda: You get a spiritual body, that means freedom, no condition.

Translator: But he's asking where we're finding that truth. Can we find it only in the scriptures, in following all the regulative principles we're following day after day, or can we find also that truth by following our own path, by keeping our own freedom to do whatever we like?

Prabhupāda: No, you have no freedom. You have to accept some way for freedom.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Oh. In the Koran chanting is recommended?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: The more you chant God's name, your heart becomes cleansed. (Ātreya Ṛṣi translates) Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So God has many names. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended God's name must be... It doesn't matter the language is different. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. In each name the full power of God is there.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Hussain Prabhu says that his goal in life is to translate your Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very good.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: And to love God we must have definite idea of God, our exchange. Just like materially also, if somebody loves somebody, one must know each other. Otherwise where there is question of love? Love means direct contact. So they speak of love of Godhead. Just like the Christian people, they say "Love of Godhead." But they have no idea who is God. So where is the question of love? It is an impractical proposition, love of Godhead. First of all, you must know who is God. If I love somebody, I must know him, what he is. So this is going on. They speak of love of Godhead, but they do not know who is God or what is God. Therefore they are misguided. Simply it is words. There is no practical value. Do you agree with this point or not? If you have no idea of God, if you have no business with God, then where is the question of love? What is the definition of love, huh? What is the definition of love?

Ali: We talk about love, but I think you should personally, an individual should experience. My definition would be, a, uh, unworthy.

Prabhupāda: Definition of love, you can explain what is definition of love.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: It's very boring just to sit and eat all the time.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that boring for the rascal. Otherwise, one who is intelligent, he's enjoying.

Harikeśa: Yes, but I mean definitely it will get cold. There's no question that "maybe if." It definitely it will get cold.

Prabhupāda: Cold you will get both ways, whether you work or not.

Harikeśa: No, no, because when I work I have a nice house and I got a heater, then it's warm. If I didn't work I wouldn't have my heater, and it gets to be zero...

Prabhupāda: And when there will be no electricity, you will be frozen.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: The local police intelligence officer in Krishnagar, when I went to see him, he told me, (Bengali). Like that, he told me. "Definitely I make you an Indian citizen." So they are favorable. I don't know how much they can do, but locally they are favorable.

Gargamuni: Now on the weekend we have tours of the building. Many groups of people come. Fifty in a group sometimes come and visit.

Prabhupāda: Tourists.

Gargamuni: Yes, tourists, and we take then on tour of the building. That's Subhaga. He takes them on tour and he gives some preaching. So many people are coming.

Prabhupāda: Subhaga is in charge of that?

Gargamuni: Yes, he does.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It requires more rain.

Jayapatākā: It requires more rain and early tide. Right now the river is full, but it is not flooding. It is full. See, Mr. Choudhuri, he was interested. At that time when the Chief Minister wrote that, then he wrote this, that "If you were to see the Chief Minister, then this type of letter could be submitted and he would definitely see you, "although it is not necessary to see him.

Prabhupāda: Do you think it is?

Jayapatākā: No, it's not necessary to personally see him. You might write... When you come to Māyāpur we'll write him invitation that he can come and see and visit you there. That was better. Mr. Choudhuri said that "Your Guru Mahārāja, he has got also the Vaiṣṇava pride not to see the politicians." He said, "This is a good stand. I respect this very much." Actually he mentioned once to Abhirāma confidentially that "If this project comes through, then you'll be requiring some liaison officer because there will be so many government things. At that time I can work for you as your permanent advisor and go to Delhi and here and there and do all the work." I think he wants a job.

Prabhupāda: I thought Mr. Choudhuri would do everything, but that is not the position.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You have advised to see our temple?

Jayapatākā: Yes, he'll definitely visit. I also gave him an introduction that if he goes, he should be received there. He's got... The present place where the Deities are situated is on four cuttas(?) of land. And apart from that, where Maheśa Paṇḍita's samādhi is, he's got three bighās of land. That's right next door to a four-hundred-year-old temple.

Prabhupāda: Chugda is to the... It is from Shrirampuri? No.

Jayapatākā: No, it's on this side of the Ganges. It's on the eastern side of the Ganges.

Prabhupāda: Oh, eastern.

Jayapatākā: There there's another temple of Jagadīśa Paṇḍita.

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Big bank is better. And who pays the best price.

Saurabha: The best. And also the facilities. Now, in the floor we start tiling, the basement floor... Under the Deities there we have a basement. So there we have started the flooring, tiling, and now we have decided on all the other parts of the building, for the stone. So they promised, they guaranteed, that at the end of this year the building—that means the guesthouse—will be completed. And of course, that includes the temple. The only thing which will definitely go on is the marble work, the carving. That is a very big job. But that we can always continue. That is mainly outside work, finishing. So that we get the inside ready for the opening.

Prabhupāda: ISKCON Juhu? That is sufficient address?

Saurabha: Well, this was hand-delivered. It would be nice if... I think now it is sufficient. Many letters come like that now.

Prabhupāda: No, we are famous now, Juhu.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, it can be... If government takes our advice, we can give them advice how to organize, how to utilize.

Commissioner: Definitely. We want a scheme. Definitely. Fortunately, it is the land of this Kṛṣṇā and Godāvarī. It is a sacred land. Tuṅgabhadrā, Kṛṣṇā, Godāvarī. We are finding everywhere there has been some kind of ups and downs. It has been studied.

Prabhupāda: It is the government's duty to settle up. But they must know how to settle up. If they do not know then they cannot do anything.

Commissioner: No, we want guidance.

Prabhupāda: That guidance we can give you. That guidance we can give. Because we have taken the brāhmaṇa's position. The brāhmaṇa's duty is to give guidance to the kṣatriya. Government means kṣatriya. So if the kṣatriyas take guidance from the brāhmaṇa and they try to execute, then everything will be all right. So we can give you sufficient guidance provided you accept it. (laughter)

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So, I have taken this veda-pracāra. Why not come and join with us?

Commissioner: Yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: All over the world they're accepting. Now these foreigners, they're accepting. I have done it single-handed. So if the government comes forward and join with me, we can do at least ten times work.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: And now he saw the film...

Mahāṁsa: Yes. And today also he was there in the morning. Now he will definitely give. You had also previously said that they are very conservative. But once they take it up, then they will take it up very nicely.

Prabhupāda: And I also explained, "Nā rūpya, nā rūpya." (laughs)

Mahāṁsa: (laughs) Yes, that's exactly what they do.

Prabhupāda: Actually that is the whole world going on. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). (indistinct) Whole world.

Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: That means they do not want death. That I have...

Indian man (3): Yes. But definitely others are going and we won't go also.

Prabhupāda: That means he doesn't want to die. That is a concoction. Other side is that he doesn't want to die. It is the expression of the same sentiment in a different way.

Indian man (3): But then you see after the childhood and the young age and when he becomes old and after old also there is end you know, when he becomes helpless to do anything, then what is the use of having this body? Even your own relations, they'll feel that this is a burden. So at that time I think it's very good, that person himself should feel that all right, he must leave this body now. It's useless.

Prabhupāda: No, he doesn't want.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi) You are expecting happiness by thinking of impersonal form of the Lord. That is not possible. You simply get troubles, that's all. (Hindi) What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jñāna-yogis, and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service to the Lord are called bhakti-yogis. Now here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa personally says bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). (Hindi) If you like to tolerate adi-kleśa, that is your choice. Otherwise, Bhagavān, sac-cid-ānanda...

śrī vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-

śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau

yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

(Hindi) You can accept any way. That is your choice.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let him explain, don't...

Haṁsadūta: When we come to a center, naturally there are certain men who want to go traveling. Not all men want to go traveling, but there are definitely some who want to go traveling. And if they come to me, what should I do? Tell them, "No, I'm sorry"?

Prabhupāda: No, no, traveling, if somebody wants to travel, what he is, first of all you must know. A brahmacārī, a sannyāsī, they are meant for preaching. Not gṛhasthas.

Haṁsadūta: No, not gṛhasthas. I'm not taking any gṛhasthas.

Prabhupāda: So if a brahmacārī, gṛhastha, yes, if he wants to travel, so there is no objection.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Any rascal comes, he's a third-class man, he gives some idea.

Akṣayānanda: I'm going to get this work finished today definitely.

Prabhupāda: He has no position, he is third-class man. He has given some idea. "Here, you break it." That is the nature. And how long this work will continue? Throughout the whole life?

Akṣayānanda: No. I'm going to finish it today.

Prabhupāda: You say no, but it is going on. You simply say no, yes, no, very good. That's all.

Akṣayānanda: When I go away and I come back and the wall is broken what can I do?

Prabhupāda: Don't go.

Akṣayānanda: That's right.

Prabhupāda: You don't manufacture idea. Don't go to (indistinct) others to manufacture ideas.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Twelve rupees, thirteen rupees...

Akṣayānanda: Twelve, thirteen. Actually today, I wanted for today but the flower man was not able to... We could not catch him in time. But from tomorrow it will start, definitely.

Prabhupāda: The thing is that one who is cheating you, he will cheat in twelve rupees, also he will cheat in fifty rupees.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: He knows how to cheat you.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, they're expert.

Prabhupāda: Where do they get flowers?

Akṣayānanda: There are two flower men. They come here from Bankibehari. Now Viśvambhara has made two, because they make a competition between each other and therefore they keep down. But...

Prabhupāda: Nobody is honest.

Morning Walk -- November 17, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They are nice. Once I had been there.

Mahākṣa: Yes, they told me you had been there. That is why they are nice to us. Wherever you have been there has been some change of heart. In Indore there is some definite effect from that. (end)

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. Māyāvādī means māyā has taken his knowledge. māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. 99% they are Māyāvādīs.

Guest (4): Swamiji, what about missionaries who are working in India who are coming from abroad and they are actually exploiting. If they put a charge against our institution, well, we can definitely say that we are motivating the intellect to take into the higher stage of life. Here the missionaries who come, they go in the backward areas and those who are not learned, those who are practically uneducated... I mean, their mission is to convert them in Christianity. You see, that charge is rather more grave than the particular one which they have leveled against us. You see, we can put that argument, isn't it? How many Hindus are converted into Christianity. We are not converting them, we are just...

Prabhupāda: Our case is not that we are going to convert one Hindu to Christian, or Christian to Hindu. There is no meaning. Our is, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Even if you are Hindu, even you are Muslim, you are Christian, kick it out. That is our movement. We do not advocate that "You are Christian, you become Hindu." Or "You are Hindu, you become..." They are taking like that. But our movement is not that.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Guest (4): During the Kumbha-mela we are having our rāma-kṣetra to serve the sādhus directly. We always started our camp on 21st December to last after tenth of February. If Mahārāja and all other devotees, they can definitely offer free arrangements over there because we have got the best camp. We have got the best camp.

Prabhupāda: Why should we spend for our camp? (laughter)

Guest (4): We are just on the bed of the river, far away from the mela, which is about three, four... We have our āśramas at various places, you know.

Prabhupāda: What is this philosophy? What is the philosophy?

Guest (4): Philosophy is bhajana of the Śaṅkarācārya.

Prabhupāda: But whether you recognize Kṛṣṇa...

Dr. Patel: Yes sir, he was our guru. We have published a book from the Calcutta University, so just take your remise. Leave the book for you.

Prabhupāda: Oh, this is for me? Bheṭiye, bheṭiye.(?) Vedānta philosophy (Hindi) Let us discuss. What is Vedānta philosophy? Let us discuss something. You belong to this camp, so what is Vedānta?

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But suppose if we speak in this way, then you'll not agree. (laughter) Real food is finished. Only puris, kacuris... (laughter)

Guest (5): We'll have more real food when you come over there.

Prabhupāda: No, if you do not object our preaching like that, then I can go.

Guest (5): Yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: Whether your swamiji will like that?

Guest (5): No, of course. Because actually there is nothing against your preaching. Otherwise, I would not have come.

Prabhupāda: No, this is a contradictory. We say God is person, and you say nirākāra. That is the difference. Why God should be nirākāra?

Guest (5): Ultimately, it is the...

Prabhupāda: Ultimately, you say nirākāra. We say ultimately ākāra. And that is the difference, gulf of difference. That is going on. We shall worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa there. With our ārati, just like we are doing in the temple. Perhaps your swamiji will not like this.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But they'll never be able to...

Prabhupāda: No, that you cannot say. It is all in the hands of Kṛṣṇa. Not one crore. Say a few lakhs. He's ready to go town to town, village, in Orissa. He wants that in my absence somebody must be there to look after the construction. That is quite reasonable.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: So I have told them "Any amount I can invest. You print book and sell." That is my open secret. Print books, and distribute, and spend half in whichever life you do and half, again print books. That is my ambition (vision?). I want to see our philosophy is widely spread by different literatures. That I want to do.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore the police came. They thought that you are hippies.

Gurudāsa: No, I don't think, because this was before they came.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, their association is not good.

Gurudāsa: Yes. So we won't have, definitely not.

Hari-śauri: We have to make a good impression.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that people may not think, "This is another edition of hippies."

Gurudāsa: So we won't have at all. Now we have a general list of when everyone's big programs are.

Prabhupāda: Many are coming? Hippies?

Gurudāsa: There's a lot. There's a lot. Well, yes, there's a lot.

Prabhupāda: So you consult amongst yourselves, but people may not have a bad impression.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This we can bring a charge against them: "Prove that we wanted money."

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we are counter... We are fighting them. "...by writing to the District Attorney's"—those are the Justice Department Offices—"or contacting your local media." Then they give the addresses of people in New York and two addresses in Los Angeles who you should write to telling them about all the knowledge you have about all the abuses of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it says, "You should commence action for a legal deprogramming. If other families of Hare Kṛṣṇa victims would go to court to get a legal conservatorship or guardianship with an intended writ of habeas corpus..." Now, what this means is you go to the court, and you say "My dear judge, my son is in Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has been brainwashed." And you have a paper from a psychiatrist that says, "Yes, he is definitely acting in a robotlike way." Then the court will say, "All right, you're the parent. So we give you legal guardianship over the son."

Prabhupāda: No, we can place a counter psychiatrist and counter... Just like Cox's statement.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: Definitely.

Prabhupāda: That's all. (laughs) Then do it now. And I shall spend all this money for advertisement. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: One of the biggest bookstores in Bombay, International Book House, has arranged a whole window display of your books.

Prabhupāda: That is useless.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Many people were seeing it.

Prabhupāda: Useless. I know these men. But you can get some customers. That's all right. Do they purchase or simply display?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They purchase also.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: And "You do not know what is good. It is good. We have given up these bad habits, sinful life. It is not... But you have no idea that these are good. You have idea, but out of your definite malice you cannot appreciate. You are spending millions of dollars for giving up this LSD, and our power is so strong, as soon as one comes, he gives up. But you are so rascal, you do not appreciate. That means you are rascal. Our power is there; our reaction is there for good. That's a fact. But you cannot understand. You are so rascal; you are so fallen down. The same, like the hog. He does not know what is the..., how nice is halavā. You give him halavā; he'll not take it. He will take stool. That is his misfortune. It cannot say that halavā is bad, but he cannot appreciate because he's hog. He'll prefer to eat stool. We are giving up these nonsense, nasty things. You cannot appreciate. 'Oh, they are giving up meat-eating? It is brainwashing.' You are so low, hog life." Tell them like that. "As the hog cannot appreciate what is the value of nice halavā, similarly you cannot appreciate. Your brain has to be washed. Please come inside. We shall wash it." Is it not?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Intense.

Rāmeśvara: This year, definitely. But that means more propaganda for us, more publicity.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. (chuckling)

Rāmeśvara: And I look forward to it, because we'll smash them in each confrontation. They now realize that when they have a debate against us, they always lose. We have had maybe five or six confrontations in Los Angeles on television and on the radio, and every time they lose. And every time they go away like this.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) You can keep there under the bath section. I'll wash there.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But they are accustomed. They can...

Rāmeśvara: We need some pretty good men if you start sailing the...

Gargamuni: Oh, yes, we'll get a good navigator, definitely.

Rāmeśvara: You'll hire someone?

Gargamuni: No, we'll get a retired man. They'd love the work. Just like we have that engineer. He's a retired engineer. We pay him some small salary...

Prabhupāda: Why you want to go by boat to the coast?

Gargamuni: Because you can't get by road. There's no roads. They're dirt roads. Many of the villages you can't get to except along the water routes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. But so far I know, it is very rough, Bay of Bengal.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Anyone has got money... It is fact. And what is this nonsense, keeping some paper and thinking he has got money? How cheating it is going on, from government's side. And therefore artificial inflation. You can print, so the price is increased. Because you haven't got to pay him real money, you print and pay him, and he will ask, "Give me this money. Then I'll supply." "All right, take." You print and pay.

Rāmeśvara: It's definitely a means that the government has for controlling. Because they can withdraw money, pull it back out of circulation by increasing the interest the banks give, or they can get more money in...

Prabhupāda: Anything done artificially.

Rāmeśvara: They control the amount of interest on loans. It's all standardized from what they call the Federal Reserve system. This was introduced during the Depression by the bankers.

Prabhupāda: Whatever they do, when you receive money in the paper it has no value. Bad money. It is bad money. It is not good money.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: And they say you can understand a person not by hearing his words but by catching the thoughts from his mind. These people report that kind of experience, that they can understand another man from his thoughts even before he speaks. But the most fantastic thing of all, which I'm not clear about, is they have a description... Almost every person that they interviewed had the same experience of a very bright light. Now this is the way they describe it. "The first appearance of this light is very dim, but rapidly it gets brighter and brighter until it reaches an unearthly brilliance." Every person agreed that this light was actually a living being and it had a definite personality. It was emanating a feeling of warmth and friendship, and it was asking them questions. And it describes the two main questions: "Are you ready to die?" "What have you done with your life to show me? What have you done with your life that is sufficient?" And then it goes on to say that all these people felt that this being who appeared to be like a luminous being was concerned with two things: how they had developed love and how they were searching for knowledge. Every one of them had this same description of a being of light. A luminous being.

Prabhupāda: That is fact. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore there is illumination.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That may they think. There is no harm.

Rāmeśvara: They describe the light. "It was beautiful and it was so bright, so radiant, but it did not hurt my eyes. It is not any kind of light you can describe on earth. I actually did not see a person within the light, yet it has a special identity. It definitely does. It was asking questions. It is a light of perfect understanding..."

Prabhupāda: The light is the rays. The person is there.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. They just could not see.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Who is he?

Hari-śauri: Somebody stuck his head through the fence.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But I am not that sun.

Guest (1): We're also enlightened by your knowledge.

Guest (2): No, no, sir. Definitely. At least light of this... Light of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are giving it to all.

Prabhupāda: So... No, no. So you have to take the light and the sun—a process. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu saṅgo tato bhajana-kriyā.

Guest (2): All right.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

rabhupāda: That is not surrender.

Guest (1): Guruji, we must get your blessing definitely. In future we are...

Prabhupāda: Then, if you make conditional blessing...

Guest (2): No, no. No condition. With full devotion, full surrender...

Prabhupāda: Best thing is... This is the formula given by every big personality. The Rūpa Gosvāmī, he is authorized person for bhakti-mārga. He says, ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga.

Guest (2): We are so lucky. We are writing the letter... We wrote here that "From distant land of Orissa, Guruji... This is... Your literature has tempted us, and perhaps it is your intention that we should go upon..., with Nitai Gaura..."

Prabhupāda: Just like our this Kṛṣṇa book, from the very beginning, or Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Guest (1): Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say that Kṛṣṇa devotees.

Prabhupāda: No, no, Kṛṣṇa devotee... You are saying that your Orissa is very much great advanced in understanding Kṛṣṇa, and your Orissa man is asking, "What is God?" This is contradictory. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise there was no question to ask, "What is God?" Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He should have known. But you have forgotten. Admit this.

Guest (1): Oh, definitely.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore you have to learn from the very beginning. In foreign countries, Indian students, they say, "Oh, Swamiji, what will be done by this Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa? We require technology." They say like that.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: But we've been discussing, and Pṛthu-putra Mahārāja is saying that some devotees are very sensitive about thinking that they're having these experiences. And if we tell them, "Ignore this. It's not important," that will not be good for them, because they are definitely feeling visits from persons from another plane, and if you simply tell them, "No..."

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right. You say that "You are fortunate that you're having, but do your business." That's all.

Pṛthu-putra: They want to feel satisfaction from Kṛṣṇa consciousness point of view.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Sometimes it may be fact. There is no wonder. But we have to proceed with the figure. If I dream that I am getting one lakh of rupees, so it is better if I get five rupees in figure. Is that all right?

Pṛthu-putra: Yes.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So the scientists could not say anything.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Well, we said, "We are working on it." We were not giving a definite..., 'cause we need some proof to satisfy them. So we are...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you are meeting big, big scientists.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But we are saying that our senses are very incomplete, very limited. So how can we...

Prabhupāda: That is our basic principle of knowledge, that every one of us is defective. So you cannot give us complete knowledge. It is not possible. We must receive knowledge from the perfect without defects.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we were bringing that and answering, not answering directly, but saying that whatever we see, whatever we find by experimental science, by these instruments, we see something, but how do we know that... Our matter of receiving knowledge is by itself defective.

Prabhupāda: Defective, yes.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: You saw him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On television. Ādi-keśava was on television with him.

Ādi-keśava: I said to him, "If you had a chance to deprogram the Pope, would you do it?" He said, "Oh, definitely. I'd love to."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If the Pope was celibate.

Prabhupāda: (looking at photo) Who is this boy?

Ādi-keśava: A karmī. He's from another group.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hm. They influence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And then they get these local men to come together in groups and try to pass laws. So it's not simply that the... But there is more and more now a feeling amongst the government members towards..., favorable to the deprogrammers and against the cults on account of the cheating nature of the other cults. So there's definitely...

Prabhupāda: They should be.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's definitely... The sentiment is definitely against us and for the deprogrammers amongst government leaders. It's not in our favor. There's no doubt about it. The courts are definitely against us, and the government is also. It's serious.

Prabhupāda: So what can we do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we have to do exactly what what we are doing.

Prabhupāda: That is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More vigorously.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you must kill them. Tit for tat. As soon as we detect that "Here is deprogrammer and kidnapper," kill him. Finish!

Hari-śauri: And if we go to court, then it's self-defense.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least give him some good lesson. Yes.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Definitely.

Prabhupāda: That should be done.

Hari-śauri: We fought with demons once or twice before that have attacked the temple. We ought to give 'em a good hiding.

Prabhupāda: There is civil war. Why not this?

Hari-śauri: Yes. This is... This is a big fight now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: So one step at a time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But organized business means there must be so many men, secretary, manager. That is regulated. So in the beginning, "All right, bring some money somehow. Then I shall..." So you cannot reject this organization because he's chanting. Then what is the use of writing so many books, the nāma-aparādha and other discussions, if anyone can chant?

Rāmeśvara: So it definitely has to lead them to that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we must come to that point. In the beginning you may be very liberal: "All right, chant." We do like that, and I have done it. There is no regulation. But that does not..., that it should be neglected. He should be given affirmed, "By simply, whimsically chanting this..." No, that is not.

Hari-śauri: Niyamāgraha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't make it cheap. It has got a science. It has got a form.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-kathā: 7:30 definitely dark.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can arrange for a slide show.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Also we can speak from slides.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's possible. (discussion about the slide show between devotees) (break)

Prabhupāda: So if you combine together and go to any scientist, you challenge and prove scientifically. And still he sees it mistake. You do not know what is life's position, but we shall. Life is different. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Without life, this matter has no value. This room is well decorated, well furnished. Why? Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Because the life is there. If there was no life, then who cares for Bombay? Heaps of stone, that's all. Who cares for it? So you do not know that particular item and try to convince them according to the modern scientific... Then we shall be triumphant. Everything. Everything. Challenge these rascals, that "You have got power and you will get more power by serving Kṛṣṇa." Your presentation was very nice.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He didn't say much, but Dr. Sharma, he was discussing, and he was telling that he will definitely make an arrangement in Bombay Hospital for us to speak. But he was very impressed. And some life members came later on when the greeting of the pandal was finished. And some engineers also. They want to discuss something today also.

Prabhupāda: Recruit them. And speak in such societies. We have now our prestige and preaching. It will be very nice honor everywhere. So Kṛṣṇa has given you some talent. Utilize it. These rascals are misleading. Although the instruction is there, they are misinterpreting in their own way, misleading themselves and misleading others. They say the name of God. They do not know what is God, although God is explaining Himself. Such a rascal. God is explaining, "Here, I'm God." He is accepted, and they do not... When you ask them what is God: "That we do not know. Our God is (indistinct)." Such things are there. So they have to be convinced that these half-educated leaders cannot make you happy. It is not possible. They do not know the basic principle of life. Take guidance from Kṛṣṇa. That is our movement. You'll be happy. And don't be carried away by the whims. This is an important chance, human life.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Sharma just came here from the United States. He studied for a few years. So he is also a cardiologist.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And he had some friends there in Bombay Hospital, and he is going to definitely make arrangement so we can give a seminar in the hospital.

Prabhupāda: Important man. Recognize him. Make him member.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We will also make some engagements in... There is an institute called Patha Institute for Fundamental Research. They study about nuclear physics. So I am going to arrange for one of our people to speak.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Speak in important institution like that. That will command respect.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He is going to speak about quantum physics and Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: These things the swamis cannot do.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not only that. They are anxious to read from Indian literature. They know there is substance in these books. That they know.

Gargamuni: In some of the libraries where we left books, we have gone back, and the librarians have said that your books are very heavily read. They are taken out and read. We have gone back, because I wanted to find out, to see how many, and they said, "Oh, they are very popular. They are always being taken out." We asked some librarians. So they are definitely being used.

Śrīdhara: Tell him about that one vice-chancellor.

Gargamuni: Yeah, I did. I told him. Even your old Bhāgavatams, we looked in the back. One boy looked in the back where they have the check-outs, and they were heavily used for many years. At least thirty times they were taken out in last few years. The old Bhāgavatams. (break)

Prabhupāda: Now you have got science background, book background, knowledge background—everything is there strong. Make this movement... Art also. Art, literature, science, philosophy, religion, culture, character—everything, strong background. Let everyone come. You have to try to fashion this. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. If you have got Nārāyaṇa background, then what is the cause of being afraid?

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He should be given some position.

Indian man: No, he has been given already. I mean, he has joined the cabinet. That means he is one of the important portfolios.

Hari-śauri: I looked around your apartment this morning. It will definitely be ready by Wednesday morning. It's coming along very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Wednesday?

Hari-śauri: Yeah. Main work now is cleaning and the kitchen.

Prabhupāda: The doors have been...?

Hari-śauri: The door frames are there. They are just..., it will take tomorrow to fit, and then they'll be ready. Gargamuni's men have arrived last night, too.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jail?

Mr. Rajda: Yes. In that emergency, you know, and about 150,000, patriotic people were in jails, J. K. Prakash, Morarji and all Hindu leaders and all of the workers. So I was kept at Central Prison for nineteen months. Then they released me, and after this election period, just I would order to fight the elections from Bombay South. And with her blessings I have won it with a very comfortable margin, 65,000. Just now we were at Shivaji Pack. And when Girirājajī told me that you were here, I told him definitely I would like to ask for darśana.

Prabhupāda: The material adjustment... Just like we felt little danger under the regime of Indira Gandhi. Now we have another feeling. This is material adjustment. Material adjustment may be temporary beneficial, but that is not permanent beneficial.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is serious, but nobody has taken it seriously. Bhagavad-gītā is popular book. Everyone takes the Bhagavad-gītā and says, "I am student of Bhagavad-gītā." It is very simple thing. And if the leaders of the society, they set example, others will follow.

Mr. Rajda: Correct. That's correct. Serious effort should be made. Only lip service will not help. That is correct. No, I fully agree, and we shall definitely apply our mind to that. I am connected with this or I came into contact with this movement when the Juhu temple was demolished, and at that time, under standing committee and ten set of demands.(?) Ah, yes. Then Girirāja and some friends had come to me for cooperation.

Prabhupāda: So you have given a great service. Now it is not only demolished, it is standing there.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is not a sectarian. It is full of... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So it is practically proved, how they are taking Bhagavad-gītā. So it is science. It is actually life. So why not practice in India? It is not that everyone will be able, but there must be an exemplary sect. People may see that there is ideal. That we can do. India it is easier, because those who are born in India, constitutionally they have got that tendency. Simply we have to channelize. Then everything will be... So there is a good chance. Now the government has changed. They are after something very good, and the direction is there. If you take it seriously, there will be no difficulty.

Mr. Rajda: No, definitely we shall take it up seriously, very seriously. We have no chance in the sense we are ourselves in prison after I met you last. Immediately we were taken in. And this all hullabaloo came about, reactions and all this. It is only now that we get the breathing time.

Prabhupāda: So there is some Kṛṣṇa's purpose that you were elected.

Mr. Rajda: It is through His blessings.

Prabhupāda: Take advantage of His blessings. Do some service. Your full name?

Mr. Rajda: Ratan Singh Rajda.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But first of all we must know also what is the position. If we also become enamored by the so-called scientists, politicians, philosophers, then we cannot preach. We must definitely be convinced that they're all rascals. As a gentleman, I can give him some respect. That is another thing. But he's a rascal. You must know that "I am talking with a rascal number one." So I... He cannot deviate me from my position. But I can talk in a nice way, gentlemanly. That is another thing. That is courtesy. But I know that these rascals, number fools, number one fools, they have no idea. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way they are rotting within this universe. Kabhu svarge kabhu martye narake ḍubāya. Sometimes by puṇya they are in the higher planetary system, some powerful lokas(?). Sometimes fish, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog and cat. This is going on.

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

Prabhupāda: Our local problem... Now, what about the municipality?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's there.

Prabhupāda: Write. Why don't you write immediately?

Mr. Rajda: Just give me a note. Wherever I can help, I will definitely do it. There is complaint, if you... First of all, about this visa, which is very difficult to be removed, and now...

Prabhupāda: In a nice paper you note.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I'm going to type it down, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do it immediately. In the Bhāgavata it is said that one hasn't got to learn Bhāgavata, but if he simply says, "Yes, it is is very nice," he gets some good result. Similarly, our movement is such that if simply one appreciates, "Yes, it is good..." Your chief minister has accepted, Maharastra chief minister.

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

Prabhupāda: And I am unnecessarily spending five to six lakhs of rupees.

Mr. Rajda: No, this was not mentioned, never mentioned before me. I will definitely take it up when I go to Delhi. And then on 25th, the first thing I'll do...

Prabhupāda: No, we approached that Brahmananda Reddy.

Mr. Rajda: Reddy's not there. They are all gone.

Prabhupāda: No, before that I met him.

Indian (1): Now Your Grace will have to speak either with the prime minister straight, and he will swiftly done.

Mr. Rajda: No, that was the... The prime minister himself will nullify(?). No, he will immediately grasp what is the... 'Cause I have already talked...

Prabhupāda: When I was in Delhi, there was one day a meeting at Brahmananda's place, so I personally requested. So he noted down. That's all. So he's the chief man, home member.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Caitanya-līlā can be played very nicely.

Guest (1): And it is maintained at a very remarkable level standard. Performance is very good. This could definitely go in as an Indo-Soviet cultural group, and it would be really educating the masses in no time. It is almost as good as showing them a film show or a cinema.

Prabhupāda: The difficulty is the government has got the cultural department. So they will patronize Lata Mangeskar, but they will not give us money to go there.

Guest (1): That is I am telling. And the associated with ISKCON's...

Prabhupāda: No, I will say, not Lata Mangeskar, any dancing party, they will patronize. But if we go for preaching Bhagavad-gītā...

Dr. Sharma: No, we have to do it in a way that it has (Hindi) We have to take the (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: Yes. If they understand, they can do it.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

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

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

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

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right. Give him.

Girirāja: I'm sure that on that basis we can definitely settle now.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Make a settlement.

Girirāja: We'll try for less...

Prabhupāda: No.

Girirāja: ...but if we pay the normal rate we can definitely settle it now.

Prabhupāda: No, normal rate we shall pay. Finish.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I don't think... If Jetthi does not come, then don't attend from any other.

Mr. Dwivedi: And Jetthi will be best, definitely.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Dwivedi: Jetthi will be the best.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's idea is that unless...

Mr. Dwivedi: So Nanda I'll drop. Only if Mr. Jetthi comes, all right.

Prabhupāda: That's all, yes. Otherwise, let us go...

Mr. Dwivedi: And for your stay for the night I'm giving a call today to the Birla brothers at Gwalior, and if their guesthouse is free, then I will try to accommodate you there for the night. Of course, all this means little more spending of the petrol, but that is inevitable. We'll have to spend it. There is no go...

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now, where is the situation of the grahas in this planetary system? Whether sun is first or moon is first?

Indian Astronomer: Sun is first. Definitely sun is first because the moon is the reflection of sunshine. (quotes Sanskrit verse) Vedas say (Sanskrit).

Prabhupāda: Candrama has... Candrama has got his own light. It is not reflection.

Indian Astronomer: Not reflection. It has its own importance. But about the lights...

Prabhupāda: As sūrya is blazing, similarly, candrama is also blazing, but it is surrounded by cool cloud. Therefore it is so soothing. But it is above the sun planet, so far it is stated there.

Indian Astronomer: Natural... Naturally sūrya, our astronomy says, sūryaḥ agni (Sanskrit). Vedas say, (Sanskrit). Because the nakṣatras only.

Prabhupāda: So when you begin this diagram?

Indian Astronomer: After going my town.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not only here, but in your country they are giving trouble in different way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah, definitely are.

Prabhupāda: Whole world. In one place in one way, in another place in another way. Simply harassment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is the planet where one is first...

Prabhupāda: Duḥkhālayam. Still, they are trying to..., the heaven here. This is mūḍha. He'll never become happy; he'll try and try again and again. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām: (SB 7.5.30) again and again trying for the same purpose, which will never be fulfilled.

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Same. Kṛṣṇa is Rāma, and Rāma, Kṛṣṇa. So we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma. There is no difference. So...?

Indian man (5): We are living in more horrible conditions than what was in the time of Mahābhārata.

Prabhupāda: What?

Indian man (5): And Kṛṣṇa had promised definitely that He would appear whenever there is...

Prabhupāda: Yes, He has appeared, nāma-rūpe avatāra.

Indian man (5): So I think we are passing through a greater hell than what was...

Prabhupāda: No, no, the disease is there; the remedy is there. If you take the remedy, so there is no question of suffering from the disease. But you refuse to take the remedy. Just like this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto. This Kali-yuga is the ocean of faults. Why should we lament for that? The remedy is there. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta... (SB 12.3.51). You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll become relieved immediately. So why don't you take the remedy? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Why you are so much disturbed by māyā? Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So it is our choice. We do not do that, and we suffer. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra... Kṛṣṇa is giving personally. He has taken you, and we are not accepting. What can be done? The knowledge is there, the process is there, the authority is there, all the ācāryas, they have accepted, but we are so stubborn, we'll not accept. That is the difficulty. We'll manufacture our own ways. Yato mata tato patha. That is the difficulty. So it is past six. Have some kīrtana. (kīrtana begins) (end)

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: So in the beginning there may be offenses. It doesn't matter. It will be rectified. Offenseless chanting means mukti, and then pure chanting means love of Godhead. There are three stages. In the beginning, when one begins chanting, it is not pure. There are so many offenses. But chanting, chanting, the offenses become purified. Offenseless chanting is not purified completely, but it is offenseless. So offenseless chanting makes one liberated, and then pure chanting makes one lover of God. This is the process. So chanting is definite mystic power. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: (CC Antya 20.12) "By chanting, your heart becomes purified." Ceto-darpaṇa. We are suffering in this material world on account of... (background talking) (aside:) Ask him not to talk loudly. On account of impurities... (aside:) What is the use of talking? The first impurity is identifying... (aside:) Stop him. Don't talk at all.

Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Artificial. Cyavanti te. There is one verse. They'll fall down. What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord engaged in devotional service of the Lord are called (sic:) bhakta-yogīs. Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed. The process of jñāna-yoga, although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural for the embodied soul.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm, just start something. Start something.

Jayapatākā: They said that by the middle of June, that definitely we'll find out.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: So... But we've been offered in Narayanganj and many places nearby. Even Dacca we can get some place. People are...

Prabhupāda: One gentleman, he has now become my disciple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Sindh. That jeweler from Calcutta?

Jayapatākā: He's given (indistinct) me.

Prabhupāda: They are very rich man, that Singh jeweler. They can give. He is very nice man, very nice man and very well-to-do. You have seen them?

Conversation with Surendra Kumar and O.B.L. Kapoor -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So whatever materials he wants, give him.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: He went to show into foreign language, foreign religion, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Just see. (laughs) Standing order they give. (Hindi) This Indian culture, push on. Don't keep it lock up.

Surendra Kumar: Under your guidance...

Prabhupāda: Don't keep it lock up. Sarasvatī jñāna-khale yada sati. These words are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. (Hindi)

Surendra Kumar: Prabhupāda, this man, this literature he understands. He himself composes poetry in Urdu as well as in Hindi. And he likes that our Indian culture and our heritage must be spread all over.

Prabhupāda: So here is the opportunity. Come and join together.

Morning Talk -- June 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And they want that. Vajpayee wanted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right, they want a list.

Prabhupāda: Surendra Kumar told me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Gopāla, he's definitely going to do it. I mean, he told me he's doing that, that that's part of the application. He told me the different items. He will get their karmī names, spiritual names, passport number. He's aware of having to do that.

Prabhupāda: In America there are many thousands of Indians, permanent resident.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is that at this point in America there is such a thing as permanent residency. It's a law. But in India there's no such thing existing at this time.

Prabhupāda: That I know, but...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have to create this. That is the difficulty. They have to...

Prabhupāda: No, that means incompetent government.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-prema: That has already been proved.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You're simply insisting on things by "probably." "Probably beyond the Himalaya there is something." That is one thing. We say "Definitely, here is. Beyond the Himalayas like this, that." That is the difference. You say "probably," I say "definitely." Father, mother said, "Here is your father." You can say "probably," and mother is saying "definitely." She knows perfectly. You may say probably he may be your father, but mother knows that definitely. Therefore we take Vedas as mother, Purāṇas as sister. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is explaining it. Iti śuśruma. But śuśruma, why he should waste his valuable time? He knows it is definite. So unless you come to this standpoint that whatever is spoken in the Vedic literature, that is definite, you cannot be convinced by argument. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said—that's all. Mahājano yena. Vaiyāsakiḥ.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In press we are very much interested. Our twenty-five, yes, fifty percent activities on press.

Mr. Myer: He can definitely help you. He knows Hindi, Sanskrit also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your brother.

Mr. Myer: Hindi is good. Hindi, English. In fact, he's now very obvious data.(?) He's very well connected. He's known to local governor and people each end in Calcutta. In fact, (indistinct) recommended you to start a center there. But only, you see, that so many faiths people start believing in. He has been believing in Sai Baba sometime. So I was not wanting... But he'll change. It's just a matter of time.

Prabhupāda: The Sai Baba has been challenged in so many ways.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: I went one day. I was sitting. I watched him, and he said "Come with me," and... It was a while back. So like that, he's... But then when I told him about ISKCON he's definitely interested to know all about that. Because my eldest brother, he became a member first in Māyāpur about four or five years ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said Sai Baba has been exposed in so many ways now.

Mr. Myer: Yes. Biggest problem with him is, see, that he has some sort of a charm over people. Mainly people who go to him, they want some miracles. People who want some...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Myer: They want some quick profits. That's why they go to him. But if anybody is interested in spiritual advancement, he cannot help. Somebody wants to get a son, somebody's son is sick, he wants to get cured, such things...

Prabhupāda: Material.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: So next two months are very, very busy starting from August. The books definitely, for printing and publishing, I'll get some samples. He has done good work. And in case you want to do some editorial work, he'll definitely do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But then he has to be... To do editorial work requires that he understand the philosophy. And if he's following Sai Baba now, how will he...?

Mr. Myer: Actually he's not following. I think it's just that at that point of time, nothing else is there. Like most people...

Prabhupāda: The professors challenge him... What...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There was a challenge?

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was telling Prabhupāda about that member of Parliament.

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. So there is one member of Parliament in Gujarat who belongs to the party of the Home Minister. He was the chairman of party Lok Dal. It was Charan Singh's party. And he... I met him, and I explained to him that we wanted some citizenship for some devotees or something like that, and he mentioned it to Charan Singh when he came back from Delhi. And Charan Singh said that if it was... There's discussion, then definitely... I mean if there's no legal hitch, he will certainly help. Then I said but they want to come and meet you also. So he said, "Yes, you can bring them." So tomorrow... I came this week, and tomorrow the member says that we can meet him. Now I just heard that there was some news yesterday? So that... We will have to make two applications, one to clear up that incident...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the member will come here to Vṛndāvana to see Prabhupāda?

Yaśomatīnandana: Yes, if I bring him he'll come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that nice, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Not bad.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, all blessings of Kṛṣṇa upon them. They are doing very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Bali-mardana was there years ago, and he seemed to be doing well. It is just that with all these countries, visa is a great problem. They demand always so much foreign exchange. Please let me know what I should do. I have also six other men who have to leave. If I go to the Far East, I could not take them all, just one or two. If possible, telegram as mail is slow. I have three weeks as of today. By 30th August I have to go. Please reply this letter immediately." So we'll tell him to go to the... "Yes, I need my own field, perhaps due to my obstinacy, as Your Divine Grace pointed out. I cannot seem to blend in someone else's field. I am really engaged here and very happy by your grace. You will be pleased to know that we have made another devotee. Shree Lanka is definitely a first-class field for preaching..."

Prabhupāda: So maintain the branch by local devotee.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Shree Lanka is definitely a first-class field for preaching, and we are being accepted by Sindhis, Gujaratis, Tamils, and Singhalese, Christians and Buddhists alike. All kinds of people are becoming attracted to the movement. It is very encouraging. Only the government policies are a nuisance. We now have twenty-five life members." Why can't he just go out and get a visa and go back in there? Just like we go out and come right back, why can't he come to..., get a visa and then go right back in?

Gargamuni: He can do it in two days.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he can do that, is that best?

Prabhupāda: That would be very nice. Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They'll definitely like it, though, because they like to be with you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I also.

Hari-śauri: Within one or two days every GBC and sannyāsī will be here to come and do kīrtana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They've come to take care of you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so many fathers.

Prabhupāda: Please do that.

Hari-śauri: That is our greatest pleasure.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So certificate must be transferred there.

Girirāja: Yes. We've given them the certificates and the letter, and they've taken the responsibility. They're sending the certificates by registered post to the Vṛndāvana people with their instructions to transfer the money to New Delhi. So those will definitely reach here by Saturday when the assistant general manager comes. And if there's any hesitation, the assistant general manager will take care of it when he's here on Saturday. And I would think that by Monday or Tuesday we could get the certificates changed officially. And then, I think, we should have a least one account in their main branch in New Delhi. It would probably be easier to get inward remittances there. And if we want the interest from the fixed deposits to be kept there, we can have an account there for that. And that will keep us in good contact with the head office.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Lokanātha: No books in India have such beautiful illustrations. Everyone appreciates. So far, we had small books, but now we have Bhāgavatam. We have Teachings of Lord Caitanya in Hindi. They are purchasing. And all those who purchase books will definitely read your books. So far, we were giving big books to life members, free, towards their donation, but not many of them were reading. Some of them were reading. But now those who purchase books by paying money, they definitely will read. Because they have a liking for reading, so they will read. And our sales are increasing. Hindi books are being sold more and more.

Prabhupāda: Where is Upendra?

Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Upendra? If I sit down like this, between the two loins, I... It gives me pain.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: According to our śāstra, mind is meant for speculation. It does not give us any definite knowledge. My mind is working in one way; your mind is working another way. There is no conclu... Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the result of mental speculation. And Gītā also says that manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This spiritual spark, being bound up by the mind and the senses, is struggling hard on the material nature. And he's simply struggling. No fixed up condition. Everyone will say, "I think this is right." What is right, he does not know. That is struggle. Is it not?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And you should try to drink and eat whenever you have a little desire.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You shouldn't try to fast until death.

Prabhupāda: No. That is useless. Do you recommend that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, definitely not. I recommend that, somehow or other, you go on lying there, and we'll go on chanting, and we'll pass until March-April '78. Then we'll take you to Māyāpur for the festival, and then we'll do a world tour.

Prabhupāda: That is very nice program. You can read Bhāgavata from the point where I have stopped.

Pradyumna: Daśāma-skandha?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very good.

Prabhupāda: Is it possible? Eh?

Pradyumna: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhagavān: He just spoke right before the thing closed. Svarūpa Dāmodara tried to point out how there is a difference between matter and spirit in that one can definitely see the difference between a living body and a dead body. But he didn't actually go in too much detail to defeat his arguments. But I was very surprised that he would come up with such a Māyāvādī statement, that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā philosophy. There are not so many scientists there today, maybe twenty. (kīrtana) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...let me pass.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: It definitely seems to be having a good effect.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The only bad effect is that you're having a little difficulty last night in sleeping. Is there any other bad effect?

Prabhupāda: That is the worst effect.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We wanted Vanamali to come, but for some reason he didn't come. So these things have to be looked into, and we'll do that. Anyway, I think that this is very important that you had this dream, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And your dreams are not ordinary in any way. They're definitely Kṛṣṇa's directing, so I'm sure that there's a significance to the dream. We should follow it through.

Prabhupāda: Where is Bhakti-caru?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's taking the rāmānuja-vaidya back.

Devotee: He's from Vṛndāvana?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I think from Śrī Raṅgam temple. I haven't talked with him yet. He left very quickly. Śrīla Prabhupāda? One good news, the fixed deposit receipts have been transferred finally. We got them back now endorsed from the head office, so they are officially now with the Parliament Street office. That was Girirāja's very good work. He said he would do this, I remember, and he did it.

Prabhupāda: What is the amount?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Total amount? Total amount is ten lakhs, sixty thousand.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Do you think that is sufficient?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I can find the... See, I didn't get to speak with Girirāja, 'cause he's gone to Bombay. He was quite eager to return to Bombay. He's been gone for awhile. So we were expecting to get new receipts. But anyway, these receipts will do. They have a new branch number marked on them, they have the stamp of the New Delhi bank stamped on them. They have the stamp, rubberstamp of the New Delhi Parliament office stamped onto the receipts now.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus we are starting to construct a BBT godown. Surabhī Swami is working on that because now we are printing so many books, and also we have a big shipment of books from America that we definitely need a very huge godown in Bombay. Last time you had approved giving a loan of four lakhs for the godown.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Three lakhs. One lakh for printing, three lakhs for the godown.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (softly) No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You said that the godown would only cost three lakhs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Three to four is the estimate. (to Prabhupāda:) So we are going to start work on the godown in November.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So it depends on my drinking.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, definitely. If you don't drink, then you won't pass urine.

Prabhupāda: Then I cannot drink. I am drinking.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. As much as you're drinking, you're passing urine. As you're drinking, you're passing urine.

Prabhupāda: But I have no desire to drink even.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then you won't pass urine.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Urine comes from... It's a liquid. So you have to take in liquid.

Prabhupāda: Eh... Then consult kavirāja.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is making it in the mortar. Should you take it directly on the mortar?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Better, huh?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Definitely better?

Prabhupāda: I think so.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I'll just tell him.

Prabhupāda: I'll lick it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That way every bit will be on your... Okay. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...round the temple.

Hari-śauri: Round our temple. Do you feel strong enough to be able to sit in that...

Prabhupāda: Strong or weak, it doesn't matter. You carry me at least three times.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you keep trying, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to survive...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you continue to try to survive, then Kṛṣṇa will definitely fulfill your desire.

Prabhupāda: In this condition, how I can desire to survive?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have to get some improvement first of all.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There should be some improvement. Then desiring becomes easier. (to Upendra:) No.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Upendra says, "Do you want to first wash your face and teeth before going to the temple?"

Prabhupāda: Wash.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So bring him. And stop medicine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I think that's the right idea. This is not right, passing stool like this. This passing stool so many times is not right. It means that the medicine is not taking properly.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some reaction is happening.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Definitely it's a reaction.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Five times. That's a lot.

Prabhupāda: Local kavirāja also said it will be very strong now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: You can consult a local kavirāja? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...unless one is local.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that means Vanamali. First of all let us see this man, if he can come or what he says. Otherwise we may call Vanamali.

Prabhupāda: And stick to him. Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we should stick to somebody.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When stool comes, urine does not come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. No, there's something definitely... Something is amiss, that instead of coming out as urine, it comes out as stool. (break)

Bhavānanda: But you did say Kṛṣṇa advised you through this dream to take that medicine.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: You said that Kṛṣṇa directed you through that dream to take that makara-dhvaja medicine. So there are six different types of makara-dhvaja.

Prabhupāda: But Kṛṣṇa directed-Rāmānuja Vaiṣṇava.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So this 43,000 can be given, because it is not Society's money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's not come in our accounts, so it can be given definitely.

Prabhupāda: So this much you can do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I fully agree. And I have no objection to giving one lakh. But I'm speaking from a legal point of view. It will injure us, and I don't want to be injured.

Vrindavan De: No, I can spare some little amount of interest. I can pay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's more jeopardizing. We can't charge interest. We cannot make profit on money loaned out, as a society. It goes against the laws of India. That's the whole point. Even if we gave it in any way, it's jeopardizing.

Vrindavan De: But you can put it easily on donation account, that charge interest.

Prabhupāda: No, Overseas Bank they can give.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, this boy Śatadhanya, he said, "I have personally talked. He is very responsible."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Adri-dhāraṇa. He personal... Yeah.

Prabhupāda: But what kind of responsible?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I don't think it's irresponsible. This is still too early to be expecting that we would definitely have heard anything. Sometimes... There's so many reasons why it would take this long to even contact the man. Supposing the man has gone out of the city for a day. It's entirely possible. I mean, naturally because you're ill, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you're feeling, you know, immediately to want news of him. (pause) Do you think that this M. M. would try to cause any trouble in the future? Or is he so useless that he won't do that even?

Prabhupāda: He has taken power of attorney from his mother. I think whatever money is going to his mother...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He uses. He can control. But apart from that, he can't do much more.

Prabhupāda: No.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He talks a lot. Of course Marwaris always talk a lot. He's a Marwari so they always talk like that. We'll have to see how his medicine works Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's no way to tell. We are always getting fooled. The first impression simply by seeing is very difficult in this age, I would rather...

Prabhupāda: No, this is the last we have tried. So let us follow him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh yeah, definitely we should try his medicines.

Prabhupāda: Adri?

Adri-dharaṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, what is that? Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: You give him some hint. He was going to talk and you stopped him.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The reason I don't want you to talk so much now, because I suspect they're all going to want to come and see you, and then you'll definitely talk too much. If they're all here, they're all going to want to see you. (indistinct) It's very prestigious that it's being held in our temple. In such a short time this temple has become (indistinct) for very important meetings.

Brahmānanda: Bon Mahārāja, he had this idea for making this center in Vṛndāvana, and now, after so many years, it's practically closed. Everything's shut down. Ghost town. Just in two-three, three years our temple is now the most popular.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Jaya Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we will pay them our (indistinct) but we will go on watching. That we want. As long as you're watching them, we will (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: They haven't got (indistinct).

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They haven't got (indistinct).

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. He's definitely impersonalist. But he's not very serious, caught in family life. He associates with these people. I mean his philosophy's Caitanya Mahāprabhu...

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What it is, Kṛṣṇa knows.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, the signs which the kavirāja told us to look for, which would show that things are going well, are definitely present. The fact is that you have been passing more urine every day, nearly double the amount that you previously were passing. And also you're not exerting yourself as much. Up until a week ago you were speaking a lot, translating or otherwise, and this parikrama you were doing was also exerting. So in that respect you're not exerting yourself as much. In other words, all of the things which the kavirāja has asked us to do, we're doing and you're doing. So we should now wait and see. In the meantime, we're here chanting. If you like, we can read. And we're perfectly satisfied to be with you. So I don't see that there's any difficulty in waiting to see the results of the treatment, see if it has actually helped.

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Bhakti-caru: I asked him if he would like to take some medicine.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's supposed to take medicine now? He doesn't want to take? You don't want to take your medicine now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: My taking the medicine means I am passing urine.

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Milk you were never able to take. Now you're able to take without producing... I mean there definitely are, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Last night you gave me milk?

Bhakti-caru: Um hm. You started coughing, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

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 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That you consider.

Bhavānanda: We should go with plans for staying overnight.

Prabhupāda: Why you are asking me?

Lokanātha: I think we'll have to stay there.

Haṁsadūta: Yeah, definitely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We definitely have to stay there.

Haṁsadūta: Six hours to go, three hours to go, that's nine. It's not possible to come back. So one night, spending one night in Govardhana.