Disguise (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"disguise" |"disguised" |"disguises" |"disguising"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Some of the demigods also came, disguising themselves as ordinary men, with presentation.

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: One scene you have to show that in the Ganges water people are taking bath, and there is on the sky beginning of the moon eclipse, lunar eclipse. And they are all chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and taking bath. And exactly at that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared. This is one scene. And the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu should be underneath a tree. Under this scene, this scene, one... Advaita Prabhu's wife, Śrīvāsa's wife, they were elderly, and all other women of the village, they immediately came with presentation. And some of the demigods, they also came, I mean to say, disguising themselves as ordinary men, with presentation. And His father got so many valuable presentations. And then again, some of the professional dancers, they came. So he distributed charity to them. In this way, that function... Try to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Was Nārada there? Did Nārada Muni come?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nārada Muni also came. You can show that. Yes. all the devatas, all the demigods came. Nārada Muni, Brahmā, Śiva. They came in disguise, and their wife, Savitri, and then Umā. Umā is the wife of Lord Śiva. In that way you can show so many demigods and their wives coming. Yes.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Formerly, people could purchase any amount of coins from the currency.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Śyāmasundara: East India Company, it says on here.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: So the coins were given out by the East India Company.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all the Britishers went there as East India Company to have trade connection.

Śyāmasundara: Disguise. So we should sell it for any price?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Formerly, people could purchase any amount of coins from the currency.

Śyāmasundara: From who?

Prabhupāda: From the currency, government currency.

They say it is mithyā, but they are accepting it, under a different name—"Now let us start this school, now let us start this hospital..." They're coming to the mithyā platform, under some disguise of philanthropy activities. If it is mithyā why you are starting a school?

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: After all, you have to practice vairāgya. Not under attachment. But in connection with Kṛṣṇa, nonattachment is required. Otherwise this nonattachment will not stay. Just like this, now you are talking of mithyā, how do they consider mithyā? Because this artificial nonattachment will not stay. Therefore, they say it is mithyā, but they are accepting it, under a different name—"Now let us start this school, now let us start this hospital..." They're coming to the mithyā platform, under some disguise of philanthropy activities. If it is mithyā why you are starting a school?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, no, just like when the English were ruling, English national. So the Englishmen never said that "You dress like Englishmen," but they automatically dressed. You know very well. They do like that.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Thing is that just like there are scholars, the scholars also go. Just like you are doing in India. Why did you go to India? Why did you go to India and live there and (indistinct)? Anyone can come to study, to learn how to teach. That is human society. You cannot say that "You don't come here." You cannot say.

Priest: I know, but for a European to dress as an Indian...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Europeans go to India, and why the Indians should not come to Europe?

Priest: True.

Prabhupāda: Then you cannot say that "Why you have come here?" You cannot say.

Jyotirmayī: No, no. He's saying why are we dressing like that, like Indians?

Prabhupāda: I have not said that you dress like that. You like, you do it. Did I say that you do it?

Priest: It's like the Indian Catholic priest dressing like a (indistinct) priest or like a European priest. I mean, they look as if they had a disguise with them.

Prabhupāda: No, no, just like when the English were ruling, English national. So the Englishmen never said that "You dress like Englishmen," but they automatically dressed. You know very well. They do like that. The Englishmen, they went there to get some money by trade, by politics. But they never went there to change their dress. But they thought that "If I dress myself like Englishman, I will be more honored." That is their point. Similarly, we never preach that "You dress like this." But the student, they like this dress. That's all right. What is the wrong there?

They did it in the Guru Maharaji's camp also. Hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is sold.

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

Madhudviṣa: One of those nose-pressers, he once was speaking, and he said, "These Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they like me very much. They always come to my lectures and they sell all the books, all their books, and then they go away before I start to talk."

Prabhupāda: "You go on pressing your nose. We make our business and go away." (laughter)

Madhudviṣa: He was speaking like that because our men go into the lecture dressed in disguise, plain clothes, and we are going in the audience selling books to everyone. They all get the book, and then, when he begins to speak, then we all turn around and go out.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did it in the Guru Maharaji's camp also. Hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is sold.

Satsvarūpa: Thousands.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

They are taking risk for Kṛṣṇa. That is great service. That is one of the valuable service—for Kṛṣṇa's sake, all kinds of dangerous position.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: Our book-selling is going on on the public property, like the airports. But the stores and the shopping centers are privately owned, so it's illegal. Sometimes our men will do it anyway, take a chance in disguise.

Prabhupāda: So they are taking risk for Kṛṣṇa. That is great service. Kṛṣṇārthe 'khila ceṣṭaḥ. That is one of the valuable service—for Kṛṣṇa's sake, all kinds of dangerous position. Somebody's knocking.

No, dhotī, I don't say. You have nice coat-pant. I don't say that you have to... I never said that. You have adopted it. (laughs) I never said that "You put on dhotī." But those who are sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, their dress is different. But it doesn't require that one has to become a sannyāsī.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Rāmeśvara: The main thing is they cannot be wearing śikhā and shaved head.

Prabhupāda: That must be there.

Rāmeśvara: But when they make public appearances, they have to be in disguise.

Prabhupāda: Make public to become gentlemen. Formerly they had no long hairs. They dressed like gentlemen. That we cannot do.

Rāmeśvara: So it doesn't have to be very long. But I don't think it will become popular unless they are in disguise, wearing Western clothes and a little bit of hair.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. But formerly your father, grandfather, they had no long hair.

Rāmeśvara: No, they will not dress like hippie. They will dress nicely.

Prabhupāda: Then that is allowed. But we cannot imitate the hippies.

Rāmeśvara: No. I'm just saying that it is a little difficult if they wear their dhotī.

Prabhupāda: No, dhotī, I don't say. You have nice coat-pant. I don't say that you have to... I never said that. You have adopted it. (laughs) I never said that "You put on dhotī." But those who are sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, their dress is different. But it doesn't require that one has to become a sannyāsī.

One cannot give up the family life, and it was an opportunity to give up family life. So it is blessing in disguise.

Room Conversation -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: But one cannot give up the family life, and it was an opportunity to give up family life. So it is blessing in disguise.

Abhirāma: I'm sometimes thinking that if my activities were more purified...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Abhirāma: But trouble is it seems that in my..., engaged in management work, sometimes my spiritual activities suffer. That is unfortunate.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Management is also spiritual activity. Why do you take like that? It is Kṛṣṇa's establishment.

It is a salesman's trick. That is allowed everywhere. If I can sell more books by some trick, I must take that.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, they are saying that we go in disguise.

Hari-śauri: Santa Claus suits.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, things like that. In fact, some Indians, they telephoned. In Atlanta there are many Bengalis. They telephone me, and they are saying that "Why do you do that? You are already well known, and you can sell as you are. You don't need to be disguised. People appreciate that way better than going something hidden, sort of cheating propensity idea." There's some truth in it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: No, but many groups, they are dressing as Santa Claus.

Hari-śauri: It's traditional.

Gargamuni: And people are more inclined to take your book or gift if it is Santa Claus during that time.

Prabhupāda: So for selling we can take any trick.

Gargamuni: Yes, they all do it. In Macy's department stores...

Prabhupāda: It is a salesman's trick. That is allowed everywhere. If I can sell more books by some trick, I must take that. That is salesman's trick.