So all we living entities, those who are within this material world... There are so many. Just like you can see so many planets. In each and every planets and stars there are living entities. Sarva-ga. Don't think that only God has favored this planet full with living entities and others are simply empty showbottle. That is not the fact. They do not know it. They have no perfect knowledge.
Empty (Lec, Conv, & Letters)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:
Similarly, in our this material activities we may have the chance of handling millions of dollars practically nobody comes here with millions of dollars, neither one goes with millions of dollars. Everyone comes here empty-hand. The child comes empty-hand and the dead body goes empty-hand. So between the birth and death this small duration of life we are supposed to possess so many things. That is our false possession. Actually you don't possess.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:
The life mission, this human form of life mission, is to understand Kṛṣṇa and relation. He's neglecting that. He has no information. Therefore he does not gain. If you... Suppose if you go to a place, to a..., where you can earn money, as much as you like, and if you go there, and if you do not earn anything, you come empty-handed, so, as your mission becomes unsuccessful. Similarly, if in the human form of life you are simply engaged in the animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending in a nice way than the birds and beasts—then you are not gaining anything. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. In many places these things are very nicely explained. Abodha-jātaḥ. We are born... We are born ignorant. A child is born ignorant. If the father, mother, guardians, do not give him education, then his life is spoiled. The child has no fault. It is the fault of the guardian.
Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:
They put ḍāl in the ḍāl, ātara in the ātara, and rice in the rice. So in this way the inmates of the temple, they can live without going outside. But people have lost such habit. They come empty-handed—"darśana"—that "I'll not give you anything, but you are a saintly person. Give me darśana, and give me your āśirvāda, and then I enjoy my senses. That's all. Nothing to give you, but you give me your āśirvāda. You give me the dust of your feet. I become benefited. You starve." But (chuckling) that is not the process. So the hunter, he was following the instruction of his Guru Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and sitting very peacefully. So people would come, and they were surprised. So, so many people came-heaps of ātara, heaps of rice, heaps of vegetables. So he became little agitated: "What shall I do with so many, so much quantity? Why he's sending so much? We are simply two, husband and wife. So why he's sending this?"
Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:
So we accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, not these petty dogs and cats. We have no business with these petty dogs and cats. All rascals, they are declaring, "I am God." No. Therefore, these rascals, who do not know what is God, you have to inject within their earholes the message of God. That is your business. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means... These rascals, dogs, hogs, camels and asses, who have no information of God, and therefore their earholes are compared like the snake holes, bile... So you have got very responsible task, to inject within their ear the chivalrous activities of God. Otherwise, their earholes remain as snake holes. As I explained yesterday, in the snake holes, nobody goes there. Nobody puts their hands or legs. Similarly, if these earholes remains empty, without aural reception of the great activities of the Lord, it is as good as the snake holes.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:
This is the secret. We have got the ears, and we have got the sound also. Just like we are reading this book. So if we don't fill up our ears with this transcendental sound, then it will be filled up with some rubbish things. It cannot remain empty. Either you fill up with transcendental message, or you fill up with rubbish nonsense. Two ways. So if you take care that your earholes are always filled up with the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa, so there is no scope for rubbish things to enter into it. So therefore our attempt should be twenty-four hours hearing. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Twenty-four hours. As soon as you get time, read books, discuss amongst yourselves, partial closing.(?) Don't fill up the ears with rubbish things. Then advance will be choked up.
Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:
So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then there is no more sense of pains and... The Māyāvādī theory also like that, that "Activities, because they are material activities, therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization..." Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: "bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud." And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other..., they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Māyāvāda theory is almost practically the same. They are saying, "Make it zero," and they are saying, "It is mithyā, false. Stop it." Brahma satyam, brahma satyaṁ jagan... Brahma satya means Brahman realization, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme... So 'ham." But that will not help you. That is simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani.
Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:
So if we can see even a material object that the heat being emanated for many millions and millions..., it remains the same heat, it maintains the same heat, same light, why it is not possible for the Supreme? Therefore Īśopaniṣad informs us that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate. If you take the whole energy of Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, then still, the whole energy is there. But you will be surprised nowadays. Modern Gods... There are so many modern Gods; I do not wish to name. But one modern God, he gave his power to his disciple, and the, when he came into consciousness, then he was crying. The disciple inquired from the guru, "Why you are crying, sir?" "Now I have finished everything. I have given you everything. I have given you everything; therefore I am now finished." That is not spiritual. That is material. I have got hundred rupees. If I pay you hundred rupees, then my pocket is empty. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa can make hundreds of thousands and millions of Kṛṣṇa; still, He is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. The potency is never exhausted. That is called pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:
The trees, the plants, the water, the land—have you produced it? Then how do you claim that it is your land, it is your country, it is your water, it is your tree? That is the wrong position. And similarly, tyāga, renouncement... What can you renounce? What you had? What is the meaning of renouncement? You had nothing. You came here in this world from the womb of your mother empty-handed, a child. Then you falsely claim: "This is my country, this is my home, this is my wife, this is my children, this is my property, this is my bank balance, this is my skyscraper building..." All these false. Because you did not brought this. You came empty-handed, and when you go, you go empty-handed. The things are there. The bank balance is there. The building is there. You cannot take anything. So what is the meaning of bhoga and tyāga? There is no meaning. Either now, neither able to enjoy, because it is not your property. If you want to enjoy other's property, then you'll be implicated in criminal offenses. And if you say others' property, "I renounce this bank, I renounce this Bank of America," when did it belong to you, that you are making renouncement? It is all lunacy.
Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:
So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). So nava-yauvanam. Lord Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, or the liberated devotees there, they are of the same bodily feature, nava-yauvanam, always young. Therefore it is said, sarve ca nūtna-vayasaḥ. Vayasaḥ means age, and nūtna means just fresh young man. Nūtna-vayasaḥ sarve cāru-caturbhujāḥ: "All of you are very beautiful, with four hands." So even the living entities they have got also four hands, not empty hands, with good ornament, good dress, and the complexion, color—everything like Viṣṇu. Everything like Viṣṇu. Sarve cāru-caturbhujāḥ, dhanur-niṣaṅgāsi-gadā-śaṇkha-cakrāmbuja-śriyaḥ. And the weapons: dhanuḥ, bow; dhanur-niṣaṅga asi, the arrows and the sword; gadā, club; śaṇkha, conchshell; and cakra, disc. As Viṣṇu has Sudarśana... Śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma. There are fourteen different forms of Viṣṇu according to the position of the weapon in different hand, beginning with śaṇkha-cakra-gadā-padma, then cakra-gadā-śaṇkha-padma, in this way.
Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:
So everything is explained there. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness not with empty hand. We are prepared to talk on Vedānta. We are prepared to talk on Upaniṣad. And the conclusion is kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaṁ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. This is the conclusion. Kṛṣṇa also confirms that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjayaḥ, praṇava (BG 7.7). Sometimes they take praṇavaḥ as the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ ahaṁ sarva vedeṣu: "This praṇava, oṁkāra, in all the Vedas, that is I am. That is My sound representation." So this holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that simply by chanting, one can become liberated. This is the blessing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said, ihā haite sarva siddhi haibe tomāra. All siddhis. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Siddhi means to cleanse the heart. That is siddhi. Because we are now materially obsessed, we are thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this and that," all material—upādhi. And bhakti means when you are freed from the upādhi, then bhakti begins.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:
We are offering Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasādam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life. Because we are offering to Kṛṣṇa, we become so fortunate to taste this nice prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. It is not that if you give a nice plate of foodstuff, Kṛṣṇa eats everything, and you simply see the empty dish. No. Kṛṣṇa eats and again keeps it as it is for... That is Kṛṣṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The atheist class of men, they think, "We offered so many things. Kṛṣṇa did not eat." No. He has eaten, but He is nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He is not hungry, but whatever you have offered, He has eaten. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone was offering so many things. It was stocked, and Govinda one day informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, people bring so many nice foodstuffs for You. It is stocked. Practically the whole room is filled up, and when they ask me that 'Whether Caitanya Mahāprabhu has eaten my offering?' I say 'Yes, yes, He has eaten.' So I have to tell so many lies, and the stock is there. You do not eat." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right, bring them here." So one after one, the whole room was finished. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate everything. Then He asked him, "Bring more." "No, Sir, only the empty pots are there." "All right, stop." So this is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean... God consciousness does not mean that you have to revolutionize everything. No. Simply you have to change. And actually that is the fact. When I think it is God's... Say, for my country. I am claiming now, "My country," but actually it is not my country. Everything God's. Who has created this country, this vast land, the sky, the sea, the ocean? I have not created. So how can I claim that this is mine? I have come empty-handed from the womb of my mother, and I shall go empty-handed. So why do I claim it is mine? So this is ignorance. Actually, I am claiming others' property as mine. This is atheistic. Just like thieves. Bhagavad-gītā it is said, stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). Stena eva sa ucyate. One who thinks that "The world belongs to me or to my nation or to my family or to my community," he is thief.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:
I shall not do... My family will be kept nicely. This..." All these conditions. Just as people go to Vṛndāvana—all the money distributed. And there are many persons, and the sons and grandsons are all right, that "You send me two hundred rupees per month. And all the two crores of rupees, that is for you. That is for you. That is not for Kṛṣṇa. And simply for my eating, you send me two hundred." There are many in Vṛndāvana. So Kṛṣṇa is also very, that, that "Two crores of rupees you earned, so with hard labor, that is kept for your children. And you have come here with empty hand. And for your food, two hundred rupees." So, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). No. The first principle is that one should be prepared to sacrifice any, everything for Kṛṣṇa. Everything. It doesn't matter—my fate, my honor, my money, my prestige. He doesn't care.
Festival Lectures
Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:
The jñānīs, they are very much proud that they are advanced in knowledge and renouncing, but if somebody asks, "Sir, what you are renouncing?" "This world." "All right. When this world became your property that you are renouncing? When this world became your property?" You renounce something which you possess, but if you do not possess something, what is the meaning of your renouncement? You came here empty-handed, you live here for some time and go away. So in the beginning you are not proprietor, and when you go away you are not proprietor. Then what is the meaning of your renouncement? That is the defect. So we don't renounce. We think, we see that everything is given by Kṛṣṇa to us. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Now, I... Nothing belongs to me, everything Kṛṣṇa's. Even my body, that is also Kṛṣṇa's. My mind, that is also Kṛṣṇa's. My thoughts, my speech, whatever I create, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and actually, that is the fact.
Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:
So it is going to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it has come through the channel of disciplic succession, all these praises will also reach to Kṛṣṇa through that disciplic succession. So it is not personal thing. These things are required. Just like in the military training, they are taught by the officers in a different way, in so many ways. Similarly, this is also training of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the feeling of pure consciousness will reach to Kṛṣṇa. I thank you all very much for your improving in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And... I am a sannyāsī, you know. I came here empty-handed. So you are providing me. What can I do for you? I shall simply pray to Kṛṣṇa. Another thing, that don't be satisfied that you have understood. That's all. No. This should be distributed. Just like in my old age I have come to your country carrying the order of my spiritual master to distribute it. You are all young boys and girls; take this message and distribute it. The whole suffering humanity will be happy. That is our mission.
Thank you very much. (end)
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:
So if Kṛṣṇa is proprietor, if Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, then how you can renounce? The proprietor is somebody else, so what is the value of your renouncement? You are sitting in this room. While going away, if you say, "I renounce this room," what is the meaning of this renouncement? When this room belonged to you? You have come here for some time and sitting here for one or two hours. That does not mean you possess it. Similarly, we come here empty-handed; we leave here, say, fifty years or hundred years. When I become proprietor? This is another māyā, renouncement. As enjoyment is another māyā, similarly, renouncement. So we have to give up this renouncement or enjoyment. We have to take the real position, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. We have simply to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakti-yoga. That will give you actual peace. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. You simply supply ingredients of His enjoyment; then you'll be happy. Because He is enjoyer. And bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And He is the proprietor.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Arrival Lecture -- New Delhi, November 10, 1971:
So also I was trying how to make a successful tour for preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message. So by the grace of my Guru Mahārāja and by your blessings, I went to the Western countries and had such a very good response, very good response. I went there empty handed with forty rupees in my pocket and free ticket, return ticket, by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. And for one year I had no place to live, I had no money to eat; still I was going here and there. Then in 1966... I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So some of our friends suggested, "Why not make 'God Consciousness Society'?" and "No. 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' If I make 'God Consciousness,' that will be a big task." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah (Bs. 5.1). Therefore this distinctly should be the society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Initiation Lectures
Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:
So Vedic literature, Vedas' meaning, when it is said, arthadam, "In this life you can achieve the substance," that substance means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, taking it substance means multimillionaire or millions of dollars, that is also artha but anityam. That is anityam. That substance will not be carried by you. You have come here empty-handed from the womb of your mother, and when you leave this place, you will also go empty-handed. Not that because you have earned millions of dollars, Mr. Rockefeller or Ford, you can carry this. No. The Rockefeller Center will remain there, where it is. You have to go empty-handed. So now, when it is said arthadam, "You can achieve the substance," that does not mean this artha, temporary, which will not be carried by me. It will be left behind. That is going on. I create something in this life. As much as this body is created by the father and mother, similarly, I also create. That creative energy is there in me because I am part and parcel of God. So God creates; I also create.
General Lectures
Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:
Thank you. (laughter) It is so simple, nice. Try to understand by your knowledge, question. We are not pushing forcibly. You have got your intelligence, argument, logic, everything. But you'll find it. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that we are placing it for your judgment. Not that we are pushing it by force, that you have to accept it. Just like sometimes it is said that the Muhammadans, they propagated one hand sword and one hand Koran: "Either you accept Koran or there is sword for you." It is not that. It is placed for your judgment. And if you like, you can accept it. Otherwise, I came here empty-handed, I shall go back empty-handed. There is no loss, no gain. (laughter) So any other question? All right. Then join with Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. Upendra will chant. (end)
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:
Śyāmasundara: He says that thoughts without content are empty, meaning that the mind must have senses in order to fill its thoughts with content; and perceptions without exceptions are blind. In other words, sense impressions without thought are blind.
Prabhupāda: That thought comes from transcendental knowledge. Thought comes from higher authorities. That is called parokṣa. Then with your senses, when you try to understand, that is called aparokṣa. Then adhokṣaja. As I told you, there are five stages of acquiring knowledge: direct perception, pratyakṣa; parokṣa, receiving knowledge from higher authorities; then apply your senses, come to some conclusion, that is aparokṣa; then transcendental knowledge, adhokṣaja; then aprakṛta, spiritual knowledge.
Philosophy Discussion on William James:
Prabhupāda: Dhotīs, yes. In our childhood we have seen that Manchester made cloth, first class. One dhotī was selling (indistinct), that was selling like hotcake, imported by Rally Brothers. Very nice cloth—one rupee 8 annas per pair, two, two pieces. But the same dhotī you have to purchase at twenty-five. So the consumer's money is now going to Ahmedabad. You may say your money is saved in your country, but my pocket is empty. (laughs) It is saved in my country, that's all right—in the state bank. That's all right. But my pocket is empty.
Śyāmasundara: And Mafatlal's pocket is full.
Prabhupāda: That's all. This is going on.
Śyāmasundara: He says that a person's philosophical attitude will depend upon the individual's personality. Different personalities naturally have a different philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Philosophy without any fact is mental speculation. What is the value of such philosophy? He has already practical value. According to person, your mentality, your personality may not agree with me. Then you have got different philosophy. And what is the practical use?
Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:
Prabhupāda: So mental speculator anyone can become, without any aim. What is this? Ship without a rudder, a man without aim.
Śyāmasundara: They said that both of these types of persons become bored with themselves and they get a feeling of emptiness or meaninglessness or despair. He calls it despair, hopelessness, nothingness. So that this pleasure...
Prabhupāda: That we condemn, śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādi, or nirviśeṣa śūnyavādi, impersonalists and voidists. They must be overcome by despair. They have no aim. They do not know what is the aim of life. Being disgusted in the present form of life, they, when they have no conclusion, no high aim, they become disappointed. That is the cause of these hippies.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that then they indulge in pleasure and mental speculation as a diversionary tactic. To try to cover up this despair, they become more indulged in sense pleasure and more speculating.
Prabhupāda: Just like people in the material world, when a businessman failure, he takes to drinking. Sometimes great shock, in order to forget, one takes to drinking. Yes. Intoxication.
Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:
Śyāmasundara: His attack, then, is not upon your statement "Everything is Brahman," because you are also proposing other propositions which show how to experience that everything is Brahman. His attack is upon philosophy that is empty or devoid of sense contact.
Prabhupāda: That is not empty. Suppose...
Devotee: He would say that if we can demonstrate that everything is Brahman, then it is not empty philosophy; then it is factual philosophy.
Śyāmasundara: His attack is with other philosophies that merely state that "This is that, this is that," but have no sense contact, are devoid of any sense meaning.
Devotee: Cannot be perceived. The truth cannot be perceived. If the truth cannot be perceived, then what good is the philosophy?
Prabhupāda: Truth can be perceived.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:
Hayagrīva: "I will bring with me what I have done. In the meantime it is important to insure that I do not stand at the end with empty hands."
Prabhupāda: No. So you are, if you are regularly progressing, that then at the end it is not empty, it is completeness. To go back to home, back to Godhead, that is completeness; that is not empty. The Māyāvādī can not understand the posi..., positivity of God's kingdom, so they simply make empty. There is no positive concept, therefore...
Hayagrīva: No. He says... No. He says, "It is important that I do not stand at the end with empty hands."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That, that nobody has...
Hayagrīva: That, in others words, he has good deeds and...
Prabhupāda: No, not only good deeds, that is our aspiration. We don't want emptiness.
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:
Prabhupāda: Because these materialistic persons, they do not want emptiness, they think that "After finishing this life everything will be empty. So let me enjoy as much as possible in this life." That is their view, that "I am going to be empty. Now before becoming empty, let me enjoy as far..." And the sense enjoyment is the center of material life. Therefore these materialistic person(s) are so much after sense enjoyment. Propriety is one of them. Because their life is empty after death, so because, be..., "Before it becomes empty, let me enjoy as far as possible."
Hayagrīva: He believes that karma brings rebirth. He says, "If a karma still remains to be disposed of, then the soul relapses again into desires and returns to life once more..."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:
Hayagrīva: This is a section, a continuation of Pascal, Blaise Pascal. P-A-S-C-A-L. Pascal saw man situated in the universe between two extremes-between the abyss of infinity and the abyss of nothingness. Man has a body like the animals and an intellect like the angels or demigods. As such, he is neither a demigod nor an animal but somewhere between the two. Due to this situation, man is intelligent enough to know that he is in a miserable situation. Nonetheless, he has a great desire to be happy and to rid himself of his misery. Pascal saw that all men complain and suffer regardless of the situation. According to him, man engages in all kinds of hobbies and games and diversions in order to divert himself from his misery. But ultimately nothing really helps. What man once possessed and now has lost is perfect happiness. Pascal believes that the emptiness felt by man can only be filled by God. Isn't..., is this the same as...
Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā.
Hayagrīva: Bhagavad-gītā (laughs).
Prabhupāda: Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva (BG 16.20). Because he does not get under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, so life after life he is trying to be happy and he is becoming baffled. He is manufacturing new way of sporting—sometimes diving in the water, sometimes flying in the air. So this sporting, as soon as, according to his desire, God is supplying, "All right, you want to fly, you become a bird. You want to dive in the water, all right, you become a fish, big fish."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:
Allen Ginsberg: Well, Howard does.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we want many Howards. (laughs) Your country is so big.
Allen Ginsberg: Actually, what I got into, you were saying so everything stands on "My," Kṛṣṇa's personality. And then there was a twist there: "But I am empty." Is that what you said before? Do you remember? Just about eight minutes ago you concluded the description of the sun and the...
Prabhupāda: Sun globe, sun, and the sunshine.
Kīrtanānanda: Kṛṣṇa says that "Everything is depending on Me and still I am not in them."
Allen Ginsberg: Oh, oh. I guess that's where I... "Everything is depending on Me, yet I am not in them."
Prabhupāda: "Everything is resting on Me. But I am not there." Just like this is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa it has no existence. But it is not Kṛṣṇa. The pantheist will say "I... Everything is Kṛṣṇa, then I worship this."
Allen Ginsberg: So who is Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:
Allen Ginsberg: They don't... Well, strictly speaking, one does not worship Buddha.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, they have many big, big temples in Burma and Japan.
Allen Ginsberg: Yeah. But the practice in the temples is like empty.
Prabhupāda: Maybe. That is a little different. That's all. But the temple worship and God worship is there.
Allen Ginsberg: In, like in Zen Buddhism and in...
Prabhupāda: That is later invention. Originally Lord Buddha, the statue of Lord Buddha, worshiped all, all over...
Allen Ginsberg: Originally there was no Buddha. There was a wheel for the doctrine, for the dharma. There was a wheel, and then for a parasol.
Prabhupāda: We see from historical, archeological evidences, all over...
Allen Ginsberg: Then, when the Europeans came to India...
Prabhupāda: It is not the question, Europeans.
Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lord Caitanya.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And His mother would prepare nice dishes and offer to Viṣṇu and think, "Oh, this nice prasādam, I could offer my son Caitanya Mahāprabhu..., Nimāi, but He is..." She would cry. She was crying, "Oh, the boy is no longer here." Then, after some time, she would see the whole finished, whole prasādam. "What happened? I did not offer to Viṣṇu Deity? I simply brought the empty pot? Maybe." Then again she goes to the kitchen, and... "There is also nothing." Then again cook. "Perhaps I have forgotten to cook even, thinking of Caitanya." Then again she'll offer. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent news by some men that "Inform mother that one day she was thinking like that. So I went there. I ate everything, and she saw everything empty. She'll remember. Then again she cooked. And mother will feel happy. "Oh, then Nimāi came and did it. Oh, it is very nice." So this scene is very pathetic.
Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:
Prabhupāda: Gradually it has become small, small, small, small, small. Just like in our, very recently, twenty years ago, India became divided, Pakistan and Hindustan. Actually India was one, but we see now it is Pakistan. And some day another "stan" will be divided. So this is going on. So sarva-loka, in all planets, all the planets, actually that is God's place. Nobody's place. We come here empty-handed; we go empty-handed. How we can claim? Suppose you have given me this place to stay. I stay for one week, and if I claim, "Oh, this is my room," is that very nice thing? (laughs) There will be immediately some disagreement, trouble. But you have kindly spared this room. I am living here. I can comfortably live, enjoy. And when my necessity... When I go, there is no trouble. Similarly, we come here in the kingdom of God empty-handed; we go empty-handed. Why we trouble that "This is my property, this is my country, this is my world, this is my planet"? Why we claim like that? Is it not insanity? Wherefrom the claim comes? So Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram: "I am the Supreme Lord of every place."
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- May 4, 1972, Mexico:
Martin: It's just the empty... (indistinct) one half of the world.
Prabhupāda: Scientist business is he can become a great devotee. Just like...
- idam hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā
- sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ
- avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito
- yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
- (SB 1.5.22)
(aside:) You sit down. Why you don't sit down like... Yad-uttamaśloka-guṇanuvarṇanam. Idam hi puṁsas, sviṣṭasya, tapa, sūktasya tapasaḥ. If you are scientist, scientist means you are learned, learned scholar, you know or you've heard from the books so many things. So your duty will be that whatever you have learned, you try to explain all these scientific research work as qualification of the Supreme Lord. Any scientific law, just like law of gravity... (aside:) You are following?
Devotee: Si, si. (Yes, yes.)
Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Paris is not far off. You can go and come.
Devotee: Go and come. It's too crowded here.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is good.
Devotee: Yeah! (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Instead of becoming empty, it is better too crowded. Our building, in the morning it was, there was no place to bow down. It was just match box packed up.
Devotee: Yeah, that's right.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: That is because all the devotees are here from all the temples, but still...
Prabhupāda: Could not (indistinct). That is good. And it is always like that.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Oh... (laughter)
Guest (1): "I got this right on this house."
Guest (3): There were four litigations going on on that house, and, you know, they all wanted the possession of the empty, vacant part of that house. I mean it was part possession property. They all wanted possession of the vacant part.
Prabhupāda: Then what happened?
Guest (3): So anyway, fortunately, the vendor also told me he doesn't want to sell. I said "Thanks to God." So he gave me the money back...
Prabhupāda: So you returned. That's nice.
Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Yes. At night they were guests. They were talking very friendly, and there is no enmity. But in daytime they'll fight. (laughter)
Buddhist Monk (1): Yes. Gautama the Buddha, whom I follow, who is my teacher, a poor man came, and he found him panting, asked him, "Well, what's the trouble?" "Oh, I've got news that you're here. I want to see you." And the Buddha found that not only had he run... He asked him, "When did you last have a meal?" He said, "That's quite a few days ago." He said, "We cannot preach on empty stomachs. Ānanda, give this man a good meal before he could come to me." And this fine virtue of hospitality, much as we have treasured in the past, when people leave their shores, they are inclined to forget this. I've been addressing various groups. I do not confine myself to Buddhist groups only. Whatever group was interested, to foster some understanding, good will and peace, I addressed. I said three things that many people forget when they leave their countries are first, their serene smile; secondly, hospitality; thirdly, they become ashamed of their own cultures because many are strangers of their own cultures.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:
Guest (1): No, if we want to give to God...
Prabhupāda: Yes, when you learn to give God. Generally...
Guest (1): Therefore, if a man feels empty, what he can offer?
Prabhupāda: No, no, empty... God says that you can give Him patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). You can give Him little flower, little fruit, little leaf, little water. He is satisfied. Not that you have to give millions of dollars. But if you have got millions of dollars, and if you think, "God will be satisfied with little fruit," that is cheating. God knows, "He is a cheater. He has got millions of dollars and offering me little leaf, little water." He is intelligent enough. He knows that he's a cheater. People do that. Bhakti in the mind God, and for others, garama garama puri. And for Kṛṣṇa, within the mind, meditate. (laughter) God knows that "He is a cheater number one. He is preparing puri for himself, and for Me he is meditating." What is this nonsense? How meditation will help?
Guest (1): God expects something from you.
Prabhupāda: God does not expect. It is for your good. If you are simply taking from God, now if you learn how to give God, that is your perfection. That is your perfection. Why God will ask from you? He is all perfect. He does not want. He is not hungry. He is feeding millions of living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Why God will ask from you? But if you give your life to God, then you become perfect. God is not want of, in your service or anything... He is complete. If he is not complete, he is not God. These are all mental concoctions. What you can do? What you have got to give charity?
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just like in an empty slogan. The slogan is empty.
Prabhupāda: So that is not required. It must be practical. Empty slogan has no meaning.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The way it's written...
Devotee: Why was, why was Lord Rāma letting Rāvaṇa live in Laṅkā?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Devotee: Why was He permitting him to live there? He was irreligious. He did not trust in God. Why was Lord Rāma letting him...?
Prabhupāda: No, no. He was killed therefore. He was not allowed to live there. Therefore Rāmacandra went there to kill him. "You rascal. You must be killed." Why do you say that he was allowed?
Devotee: Well...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Devotee: For some time, for some time.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:
Nitāi: Fourteen. Yeah, let me see it to read it. So it says here, "The best process of understanding You is to submissively give up the speculative process and try to hear about You either from Yourself, as You have given statements in the Bhagavad-gītā and many other similar Vedic literatures, or from a realized devotee, who has taken shelter at Your lotus feet. One has to hear from a devotee without speculation. One does not even need to change his worldly position. Simply he has to hear Your message. Although You are not understandable by the material senses, simply by hearing about You one can gradually conquer the nescience of misunderstanding. By Your grace only, You become revealed to the devotee. You are unconquerable by any other means. Speculative knowledge without any trace of devotional service is simply useless waste of time in search for You. Devotional service is so important that even a little attempt can raise one to the highest perfectional platform. One should not therefore neglect this auspicious process of devotional service and take to the speculative method. By the speculative method, one may gain partial knowledge of Your cosmic manifestation, but it is not possible to understand You, the origin of everything. The attempt of persons who are interested only in speculative knowledge is simply wasted labor, like the labor of a person who attempts to gain something by beating the empty husk of rice paddy. A little quantity of paddy can be husked by the grinding wheel, and one can gain some grains of rice, but if the skin, the paddy, is already beaten by the grinding wheel, there is no further gain in beating the husk. It is simply useless labor."
Prabhupāda: So bhakti school does not very much appreciate the speculative method. They surrender and they try to get knowledge directly from the Supreme Lord, as Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by the Supreme Lord, or statements of the pure highly elevated devotees, just like Brahmā is speaking. This way. Hearing. The main purpose is hearing, hearing from the right source. That is... Especially in the western world, instead of hearing from the right source, they want to speculate about the Absolute. We have got about twenty books like this, but they are not speculation. They are simply by hearing. I am writing what I have heard, not that I am speculating. Mostly, the philosophers, they write as they speculate. They write their own opinion. But our process is not that. We don't speculate. We present the statements of God and His devotees.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:
Jayatīrtha: These are the ones that you wanted us to bring for distribution to the Māyāvādīs.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Māyāvādīs.
Rāmeśvara: Just before Christmas this wall was filled up, and now it is practically empty. We have sold so many books just in a few months. All up to the ceiling it was filled up. Now we have to reprint.
Prabhupāda: Now it is only in English language. In every language such big go-down should... Yes. (chuckles) You have taken Spanish, and he is German. Then... Then overflood. No more other literature. (laughter) Ara nāhe bābā. They'll say, "No, no, we don't want any other literature." Yes, George says, "No more singing anything except Kṛṣṇa." Does he not say? He says like that.
Gurudāsa: Yes. Sometimes. (laughter)
Rāmeśvara: Sometimes.
Prabhupāda: I don't think... Is he singing any other song, no?
Gurudāsa: Now he is not. He's going to Vṛndāvana next week.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Vṛndāvana. Where he'll stay?
Gurudāsa: I wrote him a letter to stay with us, but he may stay in Mathurā. I'm not sure. I wrote him a letter to stay at our place.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:
Amogha: When we came over here, we stayed in a hotel before we found the house about ten days ago. And when we came to the motel, the lady said, "Oh, someone has left this book here." And she gave us a Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. (pause) Yesterday the United States attacked and sank three Cambodian boats. They are fighting because the Cambodian Communists, the new government, captured one United States freighter. So now they are beginning to try to take it back. (pause) The bus is empty again.
Prabhupāda: A very good bus.
Paramahaṁsa: Practically every one of these cars only has one person in it.
Devotee (1): So actually, they have not advanced technologically from the civilizations of Rāvaṇa's time?
Prabhupāda: That is not civilization. Technological advancement is not civilization. It is the advancement of ugra knowledge. Real civilization is to advance in Brahman knowledge. If there are brāhmaṇas, that is advancement. This is not advancement because they do not know what is advancement. They have no knowledge that "I have to die, and I have to accept another body after death." They do not know it. So long this body is there, they are trying to have very comfortable position. But they do not know that after this body, he has to accept another body. So how this technology will help him? If, in this life, by technological advancement you live very comfortably, and next life you become a dog, then where is the advancement? That they do not know. Suppose... We have got visa for two weeks?
Paramahaṁsa: Three weeks.
Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Why you do not say, "This is spiritual energy"? Yes. (break) ...got so many dogs nonsense. And it is solved. Just see. And he has brought dozens of... (break)
Jayatīrtha: ...life will be empty.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually that is a fact. No family, no children, so they must have some. The dog is their children, family. That is the attraction for..., because mostly they do not have family.
Jayatīrtha: They kill the family before they're born.
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.
Jayatīrtha: And then, instead they get dogs.
Prabhupāda: There must be something to repose my love. So they have no family, no Kṛṣṇa. So naturally keep dog. (break) ...must be there, to love. That is my tendency, but if I have nothing, then I will have to catch the dog. What can be done? (break) ...furnish this television. Dog and television and whiskey and cigarette. That's all. (laughter) Is it not? (break) ...in India these things are entering: dog, television. And cigarette, wine, has already entered.
Morning Walk -- July 20, 1975, San Francisco:
Prabhupāda: How they polluted, such a big lake?
Bahulāśva: By factories. Many factories are there.
Dharmādhyakṣa: They empty all their waste directly into the lake. All the fish are dying.
Prabhupāda: Here some fishy smell. (break)
Bahulāśva: ...gentleman first has to understand that he's not the body. That psychologist gentleman has to understand he's not the body first.
Prabhupāda: Hm. So, what did he say?
Bahulāśva: Yeah, he believes that there is soul and that you're not the body, and he's hoping that he'll be able to become more serious about studying Bhagavad-gītā to understand that more clearly.
Prabhupāda: So let him prove there is soul. That will be great service to the western world, if a scientist and philosopher, psychologist proves that "Here is soul."
Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is truth. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything is untruth. Truth is one. Just like zero is zero. And it is added with one, then it is ten. It is truth. So zero is zero always. Hundred million times zero—it is zero. But when there is one, immediately value increases. So without Kṛṣṇa, all this material advancement, they are all zeros. But if you bring Kṛṣṇa, then it... that increases value-ten, hundred, thousand, tens of thousands, like that, million, billions. Because the one is there. So bring Kṛṣṇa, and then everything will be value. Otherwise, all zero. You may be proud of so-called material advancement. It is zero, because it will not save you, because tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) you have to change your body. So you have earned so much millions and billions of money. That's all right. But you have to go empty-handed. The money will remain here. You cannot take that money within the tomb. That is not possible. Then it is zero. You are going empty-handed. You came empty-handed and going empty-handed. You came with zero and you are going with zero. So whatever you have earned, that is zero. But if you have attempted to serve Kṛṣṇa with all these zeros, then you have taken some value. Then Kṛṣṇa will see: "Oh, he has done so much for Me. Let him come." Otherwise zero. What is the value of your skyscraper building and billions of dollars in the bank? You cannot take it with you. And this is called māyā. You cannot take it with you; still, you are struggling hard day and night. This is called māyā. Not a single farthing you will be able to take with you, and still, you are simply happy. They are called "asses." Just like asses, they have so much big burden, but nothing of the burden belongs to him. Mūḍha. They are called mūḍha, asses. For nothing happiness, which he will never be able to take with him. What do they say? They are doing it for next generation.
Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Who?
Girirāja: One Bilvamaṅgala and his wife used to stay there. So they've left. And Nayanābhirāma and his wife used to stay there and they have left. So actually it could be emptied.
Prabhupāda: But I saw yesterday someone living there.
Girirāja: Well, Yaśomatīnandana's wife is gone.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yesterday.
Prabhupāda: No, there is some Indian woman.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You saw her yesterday?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:
Prabhupāda: That is real meditation. Meditation does not mean to make the mind vacant. No, a wrong. People are thinking like that. It cannot be. One girl—that is written—"Sir, meditation to make the mind out of all thoughts." So she said, she thought that "How can I be without thoughts? This 'without thought,' I'll think—that is a thought. Therefore it is bogus." He (she) threw away this meditation book.
Indian man (2): No, thinking about the God's thought, in course of time it will be empty. Mind will be empty.
Prabhupāda: So unless you come.... According to your idea, unless you come to that emptiness, you are not perfect. But that will never come.
Indian man (2): Then only it will be empty.
Prabhupāda: That will never come. Therefore it is bogus. You cannot...
Indian man (2): In the beginning it is bogus, but the result is...
Prabhupāda: No, no. In the beginning bogus and it is always bogus, because mind cannot be without thought. So why do you propose "without thought"? That is not possible. Therefore it is bogus.
Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the beauty of having emptiness?
Prabhupāda: That is another.... Emptiness mean he is troubled by so many anxieties; therefore he wants to make it empty.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's simply negative.
Prabhupāda: Negative idea. That is material idea. That is not spiritual.
Mahāmṣa: Nowadays people are going in silence, but they write questions and answers by paper. They say, "I am observing silence..."
Prabhupāda: As if there is no sound.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Allahabad we met a man like that. He was moving around so much that he was more active than if he had talked.
Prabhupāda: No, that "ooohh." That is the...
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even Basarilal Nanda, I have heard, one day a week, on Sunday, it's his silence day. He doesn't speak to anyone on Sunday.
Acyutānanda: Yes, Mahatma Gandhi.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a good day to ask him for a donation.
Prabhupāda: (break) What is the use of becoming silent? What is the utility?
Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: Encouraging means your behavior should be so nice that he voluntarily gives. That is encouraging, not that begging and "Put something here. My belly is empty." (laughter) ...that is nice, that "Here is an institution. You kindly become a member. Help us." That is another thing. But why should you earn by showing the Deity? You work so nicely they will become voluntarily member, contributing. That is nice. But not that "Now we have got Deity. He's starving. Please give me something." No. That is not good prac...
Pañcadraviḍa: You showed the example when you came to New York. You were cooking capatis and everything.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise who would cook at that time? (break) ...apartment. So I was cooking, and he liked. He thought that "Without any payment, I have got a cook."
Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: In Los Angeles we find so many houses: "Now Renting." (break)
Rādhāvallabha: They told us in school that in India there are so many people, practically you cannot even move. But when we go to India we see there is miles and miles of empty land, simply a few cities where it's crowded.
Prabhupāda: Cities are crowded. Village? Very nice. (break)
Nalinīkaṇṭha: ...there were so many people just in India that Mahārāja Ugrasena had ten quadrillion bodyguards alone.
Prabhupāda: At that time the India was whole planet. (break)
Rādhāvallabha: ...the body moves because of the presence of the soul. The scientists say that the body moves due to electronic impulses from the brain that cause the muscles to contract.
Prabhupāda: Rascal, why don't you produce it? Why you talk nonsense?
Rādhāvallabha: I can't produce. It has happened by evolution over many millions of years. I don't have that long.
Prabhupāda: So why you are dreaming? Do it practically.
Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: The atheist will suffer. Just like anyone who is outlaw, does not believe in the government's law, he'll suffer. If somebody says, "I don't care for government laws," then he'll suffer. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He's a rascal. He may say so, like madman, that "I don't care for government and government laws," but naturally he'll be punished. He'll be put into jail and suffer. That he cannot check. He may, with empty words, he can say "I don't care for government," but does it mean that he can escape the government laws? That is not possible. Government will see that "Here is a lunatic rascal. Put him into the jail," that's all. Is it not? Is it not practical?
Devotee (1): He can say also that "What is the difference? You are also..., you have to farm..."
Prabhupāda: That is another thing, you and me, but we are talking of government laws. Whether you'll be punished, I'll be punished, that is different thing. Anyone will be punished. There is no question, "I" and "you." It is not that I am very favorite and you are not favorite. Anyone who will violate the government's laws will be punished. Who can deny it? It is not the question of "I" and "you." Anyone. How you can become independent of the laws? That is not possible. You have to accept God.
Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Sometimes we went to Mādhava Mahārāja's temple?
Hari-śauri: In Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: In Vṛndāvana. Who was there?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Empty. Completely no one.
Hari-śauri: They didn't even have any of their own men living there.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They had to unlock the Deity.
Prabhupāda: And that is on the prominent roadside. And our temple is off. Still, so many people are coming. Neither there were inhabitants nor their outsider, visitors. Gate was closed, we had to open and then enter. And he constructed temple at least for the last twenty years.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have no vision of expanding, except maybe their...
Prabhupāda: They make this money-making machine. They do not know the money will automatically come you are sincere. You haven't got to make it a machine. Money Kṛṣṇa will send. But they have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. They have faith in their own ability. "Yes, we shall earn money in this way, by showing the Deity." They don't recognize Kṛṣṇa's everything. They think "By high-court judgement, if we capture this place, then money will come."
Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: All the yogis, svāmīs are there. How it is possible? The Ramakrishna Mission, they are working here for the last hundred years. What they have done? If they had actually preached something, so so many American boys and gentlemen are coming to our temple, we cannot give them place. We have to find out some other, and who is going to the Ramakrishna temple?
Pradyumna: They have empty house.
Prabhupāda: If actually Vivekananda preached something, out of inquisitiveness they would have gone there. So "We have heard so much about Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. Let us see what is there." Nobody goes. They do not know even the name. And we are already advertised all over the world, Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. At least, everyone knows. Who knows Ramakrishna, Vivekananda?
- śreyaḥ śrutiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho
- kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
- teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate
- nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
- (SB 10.14.4)
This is Brahma-stotra?
Pradyumna: Yes, Fourteenth Adhyāya. From brahmovaca, brahma-stuti.
Prabhupāda: Just stick to this principle, then you will be successful. Bhakti śreyaḥ śrutim. That is the real welfare. Śreyaḥ śrutim means "expands auspicity." (apparently talking about a picture) And they want to become one with God. And here is not one, but God is so lower that He carries the shoe of His devotee. Have they got any conception like this? (laughs)
Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is big hall.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was a lot of empty space.
Rāmeśvara: How many guests came yesterday? Did you tell Prabhupāda?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, there were about five hundred, over five hundred guests. (loud short ambulance blast, laughter)
Rāmeśvara: Some ambulance.
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Rāmeśvara: Some ambulance. Somebody is sick. Right now in New York City there is a big strike. The people who work in the hospitals, they refuse to work. They want more salary.
Prabhupāda: What can be done? Price raising, they want all comforts.
Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: She was speaking "You are threatening my dog"?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, she said "Don't touch my dog." She yelled at us, "Don't touch my dog."
Hari-śauri: He had a muzzle on. See this man here, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He's emptied out all the wastepaper baskets all over the grass, and now he's searching through to see if there's anything of any value.
Prabhupāda: What is valuable there?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Someone may have thrown something out which he could use. He's a bum.
Prabhupāda: Another madman. In Hong Kong I have seen, they are searching some food.
Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like they'll find an empty bottle, and if they return the bottle to the shop, they'll get a deposit, ten or fifteen cents for a bottle deposit.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Māyāpur we've seen the little children coming looking for prasādam left over in the rubbish outside.
Rāmeśvara: This is one of the big problems in the world today. They don't know how to dispose of all the paper and garbage that they go through. They are selling so many goods, and then they have to throw away the packages. They don't know how to get rid of the garbage. They try to throw it in the ocean sometimes.
Prabhupāda: And for manufacturing the paper they are cutting so many trees and committing sinful life.
Rāmeśvara: The scientists report that by throwing all this garbage in the ocean they kill many fish. Here in New York there is one beach called Coney Island, and no fish can live near the shore, they are all dying.
Prabhupāda: Why they are so sympathetic to the fish? Because they will eat it. No? They are thinking that "We shall eat the fish, and they are dying." Is it not?
Hari-śauri: Do you want your hat, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:
Rādhāvallabha: (break) The big ones in New York, they build in such a way that it's very difficult to evacuate them in case of a fire, and this movie company did a movie of the two buildings burning up. So after that no one would move into them. They were half empty. So the city had to move all of its government offices into the buildings just to fill them. (dog barking) The Russian dogs are the largest dogs in the world.
Bali-mardana: Dogs to hunt wolves. These dogs are used to hunt wolves in Russia. (break)
Prabhupāda: (in car) ...saṅge calo, ei mātra bhikhā cāi. "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and come with us," that's all. We don't want any more. No fees. We don't say, "First of all pay so many dollars." There is no condition. "Simply chant and come here. We shall arrange for your food, we shall arrange for your shelter, everything." Still they will not come. They will go and pay fees and chant nonsense.
Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:
Bhagavān: There are three hundred devotees who want to carry you. But I mean there you will not have people coming if you want to rest. There are no.... There are only planned people who would come. But there won't be hundreds of Indians coming to see you. And you have.... Right next to your quarters there's your own private kitchen also, so everything's very close at hand. All your servants quarters are.... That whole floor is.... Actually the whole castle is empty, so there's no noise.
Jayatīrtha: It may be very nice for you there.
Bhagavān: Your quarters.
Prabhupāda: We shall go immediately?
Jayatīrtha: I think that, Srila Prabhupāda, you should not feel obliged in any way to go. Only whatever you think is best for your health condition.
Prabhupāda: No, obliged, I am always obliged to you. That's a fact. Yes.
Jayatīrtha: We are only obliged to you. That's a fact. That is the actual fact. It must be decided, though, what you think is best for your health situation.
Prabhupāda: Whatever you decide.
Room Conversation -- September 4, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Alteration? What is that alteration?
Hari-śauri: I don't know exactly what they're doing.
Harikeśa: No, what they're doing is that room, everybody goes there, the guests all go there. So in the past it's just been a big empty wasted room. So now what they're doing is making it a big preaching room with photos all around and book tables set up in such a way that someone can just walk in that room and there's a whole exhibit for him to see...
Prabhupāda: Who has gotten this idea?
Harikeśa: I think Gopāla Kṛṣṇa. It's an exhibition room.
Prabhupāda: Then they are breaking wall or what?
Harikeśa: No, no, they're not breaking. They made a big door so that you can walk straight in from the outside. You saw that door yesterday. Now what they're doing is building shelves and bookcases.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. That sound is disturbing.
Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Oh, very, very good.
Devotee: Pomegranate, you know and some peaches and plums.
Prabhupāda: Pomegranate is a very nice fruit.
Devotee: Yes. And this area right here is more or less empty and available for... These are small bushes here, these are small bushes. So we are proposing to construct a temple right about in here, then use the rest of the land for farming and growing flowers for Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You are destroying these trees.
Devotee: Well, see these trees, they're not real tall all the way, there's...
Prabhupāda: Oh, this is green also.
Devotee: Yeah, this is greenery around here and occasionally there's a big tree and then along the back here's...
Prabhupāda: Big trees are this side.
Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Starving. They are supplying food to the eyes. The eyes are becoming blind and the food is wasted and no nutrition.
Vāsughoṣa: So by this kind of philosophy they are destroying themselves.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is against their interest. These rascals, they do not know what is their interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). If you keep the stomach empty and try to supply food to the eyes and legs, it is simply waste of time. But these rascals, they do not know. They will go on committing mistakes after mistakes. This is the position. We are giving the real knowledge that "You serve in this way. Then everyone will be pleased." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati.
Vāsughoṣa: They are simply acting out of ignorance.
Prabhupāda: That's it. So you are... We are delivering them from ignorance. (kīrtana—break)
Devotee (2): ...program in this life is birth, old age, disease and death. And Bhagavad-gītā gives the remedy for...
Prabhupāda: This is good. If you want to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, then you must take the way of life spoken by... (break)
Devotee (2): ...seem to be...
Prabhupāda: Nobody is in healthy condition.
Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: That big tank. Well, big well.
Devotee (1): Just here. The one that's been pumped empty. Anyway the big empty...
Prabhupāda: But you were surprised. You do not know that we have got a big well here.
Mahāṁśa: The one that we drink water from?
Hari-śauri: The big square one.
Devotee: Behind the house.
Prabhupāda: Why it is empty? Hm?
Mahāṁśa: Fill it for what, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Why the well is empty? There is no water. He's surprised. As if dropping from the sky. You do not know that well?
Mahāṁśa: It's just a tank.
Prabhupāda: Tank, yes. Why it is empty?
Mahāṁśa: Because I didn't know what purpose it will serve by filling it.
Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Then why you are not growing there something?
Mahāṁśa: The paddy is drying over there, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: No, no, there are so many other fields. Why they are empty?
Mahāṁśa: Oh, we have to go and do boring wells and...
Prabhupāda: Therefore that means water supply.
Mahāṁśa: Yes, that's what I have to arrange now.
Prabhupāda: Ha. So why, when you will arrange? Arrange it immediately.
Mahāṁśa: Yes, before...
Prabhupāda: And that is also one of the water pool to solve water problem. The tank. Do you follow what I say?
Mahāṁśa: Yes.
Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: And you are expert. Do it immediately. If there is requires some money, we shall pay. Fill up. What is the difficulty in filling up this tank?
Mahāṁśa: I'm not still understanding which tank you are... Because there are many tanks...
Devotees: (indistinct—all speak at once)
Harikeśa: ...it's empty.
Mahāṁśa: No one ever swim in here. We took out water to water the fields.
Prabhupāda: So why it is empty? Have it filled up.
Mahāṁśa: How to fill? It has to come by itself. The water comes from the recuperation from the soil, so it is not in our hands to fill it. It just comes by itself slowly. It takes six days. If we empty the well it takes takes 6 days to fill it.
Prabhupāda: No, no. By the... By digging a well or something you cannot...
Mahāṁśa: If we do a boring, then that's, the well can be filled. We have a pump and we can fill it. But now as it is, it's fifty feet deep.
Prabhupāda: Why not make boring?
Mahāṁśa: That is my plan, that is what I was telling...
Prabhupāda: Why plan, why do it now?
Mahāṁśa: Yes. now...
Prabhupāda: Keep it always filled up.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: He went to preach Vedānta, but instead of preaching Vedānta, he learned so many things which is objectionable from Vedic civilization.
Mr. Asnani: He also said that you cannot teach the religion on empty stomachs.
Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy.
Girirāja: So many people say that.
Prabhupāda: But why the kings left their kingdom and became empty stomach? There were...
Mr. Asnani: They lived in jungle for tapasya.
Prabhupāda: Why this Bhārata-varṣa, Bharata Mahārāja, at the twenty-four years of age and his wife was young, children were young, and he was emperor of the whole world, so why went voluntarily to become empty stomach? He was not poverty-stricken. But why he accepted?
Devotee: Tapasya.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: There is no question of empty stomach. God is supplying food to the ant, and why shall I remain empty stomach? Śukadeva Gosvāmī has said, cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi diśanti bhikṣāṁ. Find out this verse. Kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). Cīrāṇi kiṁ na santi, pathi.
Girirāja: Is it the First Canto?
Prabhupāda: Yes. The first word is cīrāṇi. C-i-r-a-n-i.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Cīrāṇi.
Girirāja: Is it cira-vasa...?
Prabhupāda: No, no, cīrāṇi there is. I think it is Second Canto. Maybe Second Canto.
Girirāja: Yes. I have it.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Where is the question of empty stomach? Kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān. Last line.
Girirāja: "Why, then, do the learned sages go to flatter those who are intoxicated by hard-earned wealth?"
Prabhupāda: They think that "Why should we go to God? The devotees come here to beg from us. We are bigger than God."
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Puffed-up.
Prabhupāda: Therefore they say, "empty stomach." (break) Kim ajito na avati upasannan. Read the meaning.
Girirāja: "kim—whether; ajitaḥ—the Almighty Lord; avati—give protection; na—not; upasannān—the surrendered soul."
Prabhupāda: That's it. Kṛṣṇa says "You surrender." And one who has surrendered, does it mean Kṛṣṇa has no responsibility? So why you are bothering to go to this dhana-durmadāndhān?
Mr. Asnani: Unconditional surrender.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Huh? You have done already upasannān. So is Kṛṣṇa unable to maintain you? Why should you go to this blind man? So we go not for our maintenance. We want to engage his hard-earned money to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is our mission. Not for this belly. For belly we refuse to go anywhere. You'll find in Kumbhamela, still there are sādhus, they are not going anywhere. And they are starving? We go-gṛhināṁ dina-cetasām—"This rascal is absorbed in the thought of comfortable life, and he has taken only these wife and children, everything. Give him some other..." This is our mission. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa.' Let him go there and sit down and talk with him and give some instruction of Kṛṣṇa. This is our... We are not going for this belly. (Hindi) They are criticizing that "This man is empty stomach, and he has come to me." What does he care for empty stomach? No. Even they insult that, "They are empty stomach," it doesn't matter. It is my duty to give him some enlightenment about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind. Let him insult. Nityānanda Prabhu, He was injured. Still, He said, "All right. You have injured. I don't mind. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa... "I don't mind you have injured, but I request you that you chant." This should be missionary... But they are thinking, "These people, empty stomach, they have come to us. We are... We don't require any God. We have got industry." This is going on. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. Find out this verse, Bhagavad-gītā.
Hari-śauri: What was that?
Prabhupāda: Yā niśā. Yā. Y.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Night means ignorance, when one sleeps. Yes. And day is awakening. So what is day for the materialistic person, so that is night for the spiritualistic person. And what is day for the spiritualistic person, that is night for the... Just like a spiritualist person, he has sacrificed everything and he is after God, and they are thinking, "These rascals, unnecessarily, empty stomach, wasting, 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,' chant." They are deriding. And he is thinking that "This rascal got this human form of body. Instead of spiritual culture, he's spoiling his life, cats and dogs." That means in the subject matter where the spiritualists were not interested, he is interested. And in the subject matter, the spiritual person, interested, he is not interested. This is day and night.
Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Our visitors, they have got facility to come?
Gurudāsa: Yes. We have Life Member tents, and some visitors have been coming. I have been receiving them. So we have... There's one thing I wanted to ask you. A lot of youths are coming, Western youths, some hippies, but mostly clean. Some hippies. But there are two hippies, and I saw what they were like, and I didn't allow them to stay. But mostly our camp is... Until the devotees come, there are some tents that are empty. So they said, "We need a place to stay. Is it all right?" So I said, "Tonight you can stay. Then I'll let you know later on." And we preached to them. We have a morning program there, and we have an evening program. So they attended. So I thought with your permission I could erect some tents, not in our living area... The chokidhars I put outside, right on the gate, because I didn't think they should live in our area, but they should be there, so the chokidhars have a tent. I thought behind the pandal I could erect some tents, or even behind our tin where people wouldn't see them so much, we could invite some guests, charge them something for living and preach to them.
Prabhupāda: Hm. But they smoke.
Gurudāsa: Yes, some will.
Prabhupāda: That is bad.
Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: I am simply surprised when I compare British days and nowadays. My practical experience—one of my maternal uncles, he's a very big, rich man. He was; he is not existing. So he was doing business, rice exporting. So in Calcutta, Chetra side, he had big, big godown full of rice. Not only he, other merchants also. But now they are empty. Similarly, from Bombay the oil seeds are being exported.
Dr. Patel: Yes. Last year they exported so much of this groundnut. Groundnut oil is costlier than ghee. (talks on for few minutes)
Prabhupāda: So we can go? (end)
Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Rāmeśvara: That is always the situation. (laughing)
Prabhupāda: (laughs) As soon as there will be money, there will be headache and income tax, this tax, that tax. So keep always empty. Bas. Vigorously push, and whatever available, spend. Bas. Finished. How do you like?
Rāmeśvara: That is always our policy.
Prabhupāda: That's all. And if we have to take contribution, take ISKCON. They're free. But for Bhaktivedanta Trust there is no need of contribution. Then there will be exemption certificate required and so on. We don't want any contribution. If anyone wants to contribute, let him contribute to the ISKCON. They're tax free. And here there is no tax, no tax free. That's all. Print book and sell and spend. Follow this policy there and here also, and push these books. That is our main preaching. Somehow or other, it must go, from door to door, hand to hand. Then our preaching is successful. Anyone who will read, he'll get some benefit. That is sure, because such literatures are not available throughout the whole world. It is a new revolution to the people in general. Am I right or not?
Rāmeśvara: Definitely.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:
Rāmeśvara: Everyone else is taking their money, but when we give them prasāda for free, they very much appreciate it.
Prabhupāda: So do that. There is no need of accumulating money and pay income tax and botheration. Spend it. Always remain empty pocket.
Rāmeśvara: So I was thinking to develop this record group so we can make lots of money.
Prabhupāda: You make lots of money and spend lots of money. Don't keep it in the pocket. What is the use of keeping? No income.
Rāmeśvara: So our only interest is to spend it as fast as we get it.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Spend it for distribution. They'll say, "Kṛṣṇa, give us prasāda!" And that is our triumph. They chant and "Kṛṣṇa." That's all right. "Take prasāda."
Rāmeśvara: So I'm encouraging them to make more records like the "Change of Heart."
Prabhupāda: We are not dry, simply talking philosophy. "Take prasāda. Eat sumptuously."
Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:
Rāmeśvara: But still, after ten years the Gauḍīya Math still has not learned.
Prabhupāda: Hm? They cannot. They... Those who are intelligent, they are making something, Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others. But this man was envious, this Tīrtha Mahārāja, because... He advertised that he is the only favorite student of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. (laughs) But spiritually he was empty. Materially he was capable, how to manage things. But spiritually he was zero. That Prabhupāda also knew and everyone knows. He had no spiritual understanding. Materially he helped Guru Mahārāja how to organize. Therefore he liked him, that "This man is expert manager."
Rāmeśvara: We have devotees like that. We also have devotees who spiritually have trouble coming to the programs and even chanting, but still, they like to give them service, so we engage them anyway.
Prabhupāda: That is also qualification. That is also qualification. Some way or other, if there is some service, it goes to the credit. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. The foolish person may not know that "I am imperceptibly advancing even during my, this material life," but Kṛṣṇa takes. Just like Pūtanā. She gave service by allowing her breast to be sucked by Kṛṣṇa. Although her intention was to kill, but Kṛṣṇa took her as mother: "She has given Me service." This is Kṛṣṇa. "This rascal does not know that nobody can kill Me, but on some plea or other, she has given her breast open to be sucked by Me, and I have done it. Therefore she is My mother. She must get the promotion like Mother Yaśodā." This is Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: Everything bluff. I never believed them. I never believed them. In my Easy Journey to..., I have, ten years before, I have already rejected. Simply bluff.
Rāmeśvara: Yes. You've written many times in your books that we will never accept this, that they have gone to other planets and found them empty.
Prabhupāda: So both Arundhati and Pālikā, they're in period. So this girl...?
Hari-śauri: Abhirama's wife.
Prabhupāda: Wife. She knows?
Hari-śauri: She knows how to cook, yes. She got trained up by Pālikā.
Prabhupāda: In the cooker. And she'll cook today?
Hari-śauri: Yes.
Prabhupāda: This was suitable.
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Canvassing.
Gargamuni: Yes. There were thousands watching the movies and coming in, streaming out. And all the other stalls, they were half empty.
Prabhupāda: That's good. They will understand what is their position. Now, what is the signboard, our?
Gargamuni: It says... A big signboard with lights around, it says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust," and "Founder of the Trust, Founder-Chairman, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The largest book publisher of India's culture in the world," And then "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma..."
Prabhupāda: Ah. Very good. (chuckling)
Yaśomatī-nandana: There is no misunderstanding. It says Hare Kṛṣṇa and they'll understand this is the Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Gargamuni: Yes. It's a big sign about sixteen feet long and four feet wide. Everyone stops there.
Yaśomatī-nandana: Where is this?
Gargamuni: Just where the Maidan..., next to Victoria Memorial, next door.
Prabhupāda: I have seen the camp.
Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think only just four or five explaining in terms of precedence. It's solid that way. The words are just empty. (indistinct) ...taking that way. Becomes more, er...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hari-kathā, is it dark at 7:15?
Hari-kathā: 7:15 is dark.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's dark. No, Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu will lecture after the chief guest, but just before Śrīla Prabhupāda. But by then it will be 7:30, quarter to eight.
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 Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Can you guarantee life? Then you are controller. Your so-called advanced medicine or advanced knowledge has no meaning. You have to die. Then where is the value of your empty voice?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Prabhupāda? Empty voice.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Empty promises. It says (reading from an article by Dr. Kovoor, president of the Shree Lanka branch of the Rationalist Society), "Even babies are born with a set of genetically determined behavior patterns known as instincts, but with no knowledge. Knowledge has to be put into the brain of a child through the five senses. If a child is born bereft of the five senses, it will grow like a vegetable, without a mind."
Prabhupāda: So why a child is bereft of senses and why the others not? Who controls it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "A child born deaf will neither be a Singhalese nor a Tamil, because it will not be able to speak the languages of either communities. It will be a dumb child."
Prabhupāda: That means another... That means he's born half-dead. But can you give life? You are scientist. You give him.
Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: You do it, without God. Then I take it seriously. Otherwise empty voice simply, nonsensical.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Elders should be careful to give sound knowledge based on objective evidence to their children. Unfortunately a lot of delusional ideas are put into the minds of children in the name of religion. Dāsa and Swami talk about rebirth, soul, Supreme Soul, life generating matter, etc.... As a result of such delusional ideas put into them by deluded Indian God-man, Prabhupāda, who founded the bizarre cult know as Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Oh, he's a real demon, this man. Kṛṣṇa has a place already put aside for him. His science won't help him at that time. "Knowledge and enlightenment cannot be had through meditation, which is only a form of self-hypnosis. Dāsa and Swami ask whether scientists can make a chicken to come out of a plastic egg. I do not know whether they are aware that scientists have made over ten elements, such as fermium, (indistinct), serium..." That's all right. We're asking about a chicken. We're not asking about the elements.
Prabhupāda: Rascal, you are simply producing empty sound. Where is the chicken? Rascal. The chicken, the hen, is greater scientist than you. (S)he'll produced another egg within a week. You simply "This, that, this, that, this, that," that's all. "Left, right, that way." What is your value? We don't give you value. Less important than the chicken.
Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: What you have gained? Your father died. Your mother died. You are a great scientist. Why you cannot save them? What is the value of your education? Simply empty voice. You'll also die. Can you make provision that you'll not die?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Future," they'll say.
Prabhupāda: That is empty voice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, boy. He says, "The highly developed forebrain and the deeply convoluted cortex have helped him to think creatively. Scientists, as a general rule, are objective thinkers because they base their thoughts on empirical knowledge. Mystics and visionaries, the so-called spiritual scientists of Dāsa and Swami, on the other hand, build up their thoughts on their subjective perceptions. Books on chemistry, physics, mathematics, geography, history, geology, anthropology, paleontology, engineering, medical science, astronomy, etc., are the products of objective thinkers."
Prabhupāda: Big, big words, that's all.
Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So give.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You must be feeling empty inside, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I covered your body with powders. How do you find the taste?
Prabhupāda: Not bad.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Want to lay down again? I think that this pillow is not... Probably leg is wrong. No, no, no. One pillow down, Sac-cid-ānanda. That's it. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja has just arrived.
Prabhupāda: There is nothing lamentable. What is the special news from New Vrindaban?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the report from New Vrindaban?
Kīrtanānanda: Everything is going very nice, Prabhupāda. Your palace is almost finished. Already many, many people are coming every day to see it. At least thirty a day are coming just to see your palace now, and it's not even finished. But it will be finished in a couple of months. People are talking... One lady the other day, she went in and she turned to one of the boys and she said, "I cannot tell you what I am feeling. It is so wonderful. I just cannot express it."
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is wonderful in that quarter. Hm. Let us see which palace I am going.
Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: What arrangement is being made for the conference?
Bhavānanda: Śatadhanya Mahārāja and I have formed the welcoming committee, and we're going to greet all of the guests when they come. We're having... The guesthouse will be empty tonight and cleaned up and all arrangements made for their stay there. That's as much as I've been able to do to date, because I don't know what Svarūpa Dāmodara has done. That's all I'm able to find out. There was nothing done as far as that goes-greeting the people and seeing that their living arrangements are made. They've made a temporary kitchen over in the Gurukula building for cooking, and we're seeing that the prasādam is... We're going to go over the menu, that that is all nice and nicely served. I'm waiting for...
Prabhupāda: And what about the conference place?
Bhavānanda: The conference place is being cleaned up now.
Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Simply fresh vegetable. And mung ḍāl also.
Bhavānanda: Everything comes to life when you come to Māyāpur. You are the crown jewel. Māyāpur is such beautiful setting, but without Your Divine Grace's presence, we are always feeling empty-hearted. And as soon as you come, all of us are enlivened.
Prabhupāda: So let us go in a team.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we may have enough devotees to fill the whole train.
Bhavānanda: By looking at all the devotees assembled here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the looks on their faces indicate that everyone likes this idea.
Prabhupāda: So do it. Do it.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a good idea.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So shall we perform some kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Haṁsadūta Swami is here.
Prabhupāda: Jaya.
Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. To be popular and profitable, they're approaching it on a very businesslike basis. And also the other point is that they're afraid that... In Bombay they've made this hall, such a beautiful hall. So they don't want it to lie vacant or empty, and they just can't think of what can be done inside that hall every single day of the year. It's a fact that hall should be used every day of the year.
Bhavānanda: By us.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By us. But since they feel that there's not going to be any constant use from our side, they're thinking that it doesn't make sense to have built and spent so much money on such a good hall and not utilize it daily, which from the business point of view is a fact. But that means that you're going to have to invite all kinds of semi... It's not even Kṛṣṇa conscious. I wanted to say semi-Kṛṣṇa conscious, but they're going to have to invite different theater people, entertaining people.
Bhavānanda: So the Kṛṣṇa conscious solution is to utilize the hall every night for our own purposes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unlimited. There's so many dramas, so many lectures, so many symposiums.
Prabhupāda: No, suppose you construct some house and rent out. Then they can do as they like. So similarly, if that hall is made, constructed for making some money, then the money will not come if we don't rent out to the cinema actors, actresses. It is just like... What is called? Village house. Hm? The hall is called? When one pays, marriage ceremony... For making some money you have made.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 10 February, 1967:
I have invitations from other organizations to lecture on 11th, 12th and 14th at Self Realization Organization, Himalayan Academy Administration and San Francisco University College. Some of them writes as follows: "Your Holiness: You have brought great beauty and harmony to our community through your love and devotion. Many souls have found their inner peace in your teachings of the Krishna Consciousness" I could have immediately distributed many records in these meetings by practical demonstration of the records. What shall I do with the empty case? I cannot understand the policy of Mr. Kallman. Please try to understand him and let me know what is the actual position.
Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 21 December, 1967:
While going to India please take with you the empty typewriter box (Olympia). This typewriter is with Acyutananda and the case (box) is required there. And when you come back, you please bring back my personal books (3 or 4) left with Acyutananda.
I am making here a series of lecture on K.C. yoga system. They are tape recorded. If Mr. Kallman wants to make some gramophone records on this series of lectures, he can do so at least in those long time records. Please talk with him and let me know if he is agreeable.
1969 Correspondence
Letter to Mrs. Levine -- Los Angeles 10 January, 1969:
Regarding the land available, this is a very good suggestion, and if it is engaged in Krishna's service that will be a great opportunity for you. We believe that every plot of land belongs to Krishna. The sooner it is engaged in the service of Krishna the better it is for the temporary owner. We come to this material world empty-handed and go away empty-handed. The things which we possess during our duration of life are first achieved and then let out along with all of our other temporary possessions. Therefore the best use of possessions during our lifetime is to dedicate it to the service of the Lord. The success of human life is considered when one fully surrenders his life, his wealth, his intelligence and his words for the benefit of the Lord.
Letter to Tamala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 17 June, 1969:
Our policy should be to collect millions of dollars or more than that daily, and spend it daily. That should be our policy. Every morning we shall be empty-handed, get collection of a million dollars during the daytime, and by evening it should be all spent. That should be our motto. But because we are pushing on our activities regularly, therefore some money should be saved to meet emergencies. So if you have got chance of opening a branch in Laguna Beach, do it. When we get a big temple in Los Angeles, Krishna will supply the necessary funds.
Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:
Regarding BTG no. 27, it is nicely done, but there is no mention of the words "Back To Godhead" on each page. Why this mistake has been done? Besides that, some of the headings, like "Parts and Parcels," are not very prominent, while at the same time there are many places where empty space is found. If some space is available, the heading should be broader. Henceforward, we shall try to avoid the Beatles or hippy's articles, because they have no spiritual importance.
1970 Correspondence
Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1970:
You are doing so much for fulfilling the desire of my Spiritual Master so you are indirectly the representative of my Guru Maharaja. He has been helping me in this matter by sending so many young boys and girls, otherwise who would help me in this mission while I came here empty handed and without any friend. I can only pray to Krsna to take care of you, otherwise I cannot repay your sincere service in my mission.
Letter to Krsna dasa -- Calcutta 6 October, 1970:
The next point is that religion without philosophy is sentimentalism or fanaticism. Simply performing empty ritual without understanding is condemned by Srila Rupa Goswami in his Bhaktirasamrta sindhuh—pure devotional service which ignores the injunctions of the scriptures is simply a disturbance to the society. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated "One should approach a spiritual master and inquire from him submissively, render him all kinds of service. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth." One has to hear the message of Godhead from the lips of the pure devotee of the Lord or Acarya. The religion is originally spoken by Krsna Himself and that message or science is coming down directly through the chain of disciplic succession and one who is in that chain is called acarya or one who teaches by his life. Religion is practically presented by the bona fide spiritual master or acarya.
1971 Correspondence
Letter to Jayapataka -- London 2 September, 1971:
Whenever our men go to visit Lalita Prasad Thakura they must take some presentation, cash or kind, worth not less than Rs. 50/- at least. Some nice presentation should be always given. Not that you go empty handed. It is customary to make a presentation to the Deity and Spiritual Master. Lalita Prasad Thakura is son of Bhaktivinode Thakura and younger brother of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati so he is considered my spiritual master.
Letter to Hamsaduta -- Nairobi 8 October, 1971:
So let Mandali Bhadra be seriously engaged in translating work and recruit some German devotees to help him so that we can print all our books in German language and you can develop the Hamburg center very nicely. You know very well that I went to India this time empty handed but we spent there not less than five lakhs Rupees during my 10 month stay and all the money was collected simply on the strength of our books and literatures. So when you have got literature and books, there is no question of poverty in our society. Simply we have to organize things nicely and manage carefully. I hope henceforward you will not feel at all discouraged. All of you there push on this movement in Germany which is the best country in Europe.
1972 Correspondence
Letter to Vaikunthanatha, Patita Pavana -- Bombay 4 February, 1972:
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 27, 1971, and I am very much pleased that your all programs are going on nicely. If you are living in an old Hindu Temple, that is very nice. Yes, actually this Hindu religion is a dead religion. In India, too, and in Africa, we have been offered many empty Hindu temples to take-over and manage. This Hindu religion has no philosophy, therefore it has died because in this age people have become very much hardened by material living and they are not much interested in sentimental religions like Hinduism. Sentiments are temporary and they always dry up. But what the people really want is a philosophy to give their life meaning and guide it under all changing circumstances—and the only philosophy available nowadays is profit, where is profit for sense gratification, or Marxism, or this -ism or that -ism. But none of these so-called philosophies have proven very successful in satisfying the people.
| Page Title: | Empty (Lec, Conv, & Letters) |
| Compiler: | SunitaS, Mayapur |
| Created: | 26 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=27, Con=56, Let=11 |
| No. of Quotes: | 94 |