Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Exercise (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Because I am God's... In the beginning I told you that we have forgotten our relationship with God. So when we are out of misgivings, we come to the platform of increasing attachment for God. So this attachment, when it is perfectional stage, it is called love of God. Love is here also. Instead of loving God, we are now loving dog. Love is there, but when you are out of misgivings, you transfer your love from dog to God. These are the different stages to come to the... How do you attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness? These are the stages. So if we follow cautiously and sentiently these six stages of development, you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically. (break) ...study. This meditation and breathing exercise is not part of our study. Because we are following a method which is direct method. I will give you the example. Just like there is a skyscraper house, and there are staircases to go to the top floor, say, hundredth floor, and there is elevator also. So if you take advantage of the elevator, you reach immediately hundred floor within a minute, but if you go step by step, step by step, it will take hours. So this meditation process is not possible at the present age. This meditation was recommended, according to Vedic literature, in the golden age, when the duration of life was very, very long, people were peaceful, there was no disturbance.

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: You have to sit alone. You have to close your eyes half, not full. If you close your eyes full, then you will sleep. And you have to concentrate on the tip of your nose, and you have to sit straight under posture, and then you have to exercise the breathing. If your inhalation is going this side, then you have to breathe this side. There are so many processes. So these things are not possible. Because our mind is so disturbed, we are engaged in so many outside work, it is not possible to concentrate on... You cannot find out a solitary place. The so-called meditation going on in a class. That is not meditation. Meditation cannot be performed in that way. It must be very solitary place, sacred place, and you have to do it alone. You see? So these facilities are not available at the present age. Besides that, that meditation process will take you a very long time to realize yourself. So meditation is there in our process, but it is a very quick process. What is that? We loudly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So even if your mind is diverted to some other subject, you will be forced to hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have to apply your mind. You see?

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: What is that? We loudly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So even if your mind is diverted to some other subject, you will be forced to hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have to apply your mind. You see? Either you take it, "Oh, somebody is disturbing," or you are enjoying, you have to, you are forced to turn your mind to this side. And if we go on chanting for a short time, the meditation is always there. And with the dancing, the breathing is also there, but it is a shortcut policy. That policy, the yogic meditation or breathing exercise, samādhi, it is already there in our process. But we don't take in that prescribed way of meditation because that is not possible in this age. It is very difficult. So meditation and breathing exercise is not a part of our program, but it is automatically performed by this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... That is automatically done. It is so nice process. Then your next question is, "Is diet an important segment of the word?" Yes. Diet is very important thing. Just like when a patient goes to a physician, he prescribes a certain type of diet. Why? That's a practical fact. Why you accept a physician prescription of diet? Suppose a man is suffering from diabetes; his diet is different. A man is suffering from tuberculosis; his diet is different. A man is suffering from typhoid fever; his diet is different. Therefore diet shall not be extravagant or whimsical.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Devotee: There's no value in keeping the body fit through exercise?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can become very healthy. But does it mean that health is the perfection of life? Do you mean to say healthy life will not die, will not change his body? So health is required, but health is not the ultimate goal of life. Ultimate goal of life is here.

Guest (3): Buddha taught very similar things to what the Gītā taught also, didn't he? Are there agreeances there, agreement in certain places what Buddha taught and what the Gītā teaches?

Prabhupāda: Do you follow this Buddha?

Guest (3): Uh, no.

Prabhupāda: You simply talk of him? You practice Buddha if you appreciate him. You give up everything like Buddha and meditate. But that you will not do. Then what is the talking of, useless talking about this? Do something. Either you believe Buddha or Jesus Christ or Kṛṣṇa. Do something. Don't talk simply. Lord Buddha is very nice. He gave up his kingdom in youthful life. He was prince. He thought, "It is all nonsense. Let me meditate." Do like that. That is the disease. We won't do anything. We talk much of this, that, this, that. Do anything, but do it perfectly. "Jack of all trade, master of none." That is not good. Be master of something. It doesn't differ. Either you follow Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha or Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter much. But do it perfectly. That is our request.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: In San Francisco, was it? Yes. ...have all been thinking what form of religious practice, what form of simple meditation exercises could be set forth in America that could be adopted by a great, great, great, great many people on a large scale. We haven't solved the problem. One thing I've noticed is that the Kṛṣṇa temples have spread and are firmly rooted and solidly based. There are a number of them now. So that really is a very solid root. So I think that will continue.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Allen Ginsberg: But I'm wondering what future is there? What's the future of a religious observance so technical as this? So complicated as this? Requires so much sophistication in terms of diet, daily ritual, ārati, ekādaśī, all, the whole thing that you've been teaching, how far can that spread by it's very complexness...

Prabhupāda: Yes. All are complex. The whole idea is to keep the devotees always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the program. Gradually, we shall introduce more and more so that he has no scope to go outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Allen Ginsberg: Well then the question is...

Prabhupāda: First of all you have to understand that we are trying to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. So how he can remain twenty-four hours Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the program.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So what was his philosophy?

Yamunā: You do some exercises and know God, be self-realized.

Prabhupāda: You should have said to him, "Are you self-realized?"

Yamunā: I'm such a rascal, I didn't even try.

Prabhupāda: If they tell you then he's God...

Devotee (5): (indistinct) exercise and breathing (indistinct) some type of meditation performed.

Yamunā: He's social swami, a very social swami. He's very polished in a material way.

Devotees (5): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: And smoking also?

Yamunā: I didn't inquire into his vices.

Devotee (5): In New York they call them "uptown swamis."

Yamunā: His example of spiritual life is based on material prosperity.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Mind is instrument. The mind's position is accepting and rejecting. Intellect helps the mind what to reject and what to accept. And that intelligence is of the soul. That ground of intelligence is the soul. First of all bodily concept is gross life, ordinary, like animals, they do not know except the body. Higher than bodily concept of life, the exercise of the mind, mental speculation. That mental speculation is adjusted by intelligence and that intelligence belongs to the soul. Therefore soul is the ultimate and soul is the part and parcel of God. Therefore God is the supreme. So the mental speculation or the evolution of mental exercise when it comes to the summit, that is God realization. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). When one realizes "God is everything," that mahātmā, that great soul is very rare. That is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Mahātmā means whose mind is great. The mind is great. He's not thinking ordinary things. He's thinking of greater subject matter. They are called mahātmā, broader minded, broad-minded.

Dr. Weir: Do you differentiate, as you would do, it's only a matter of attempting to comprehend the differences (indistinct) of things, the difference between thinking and feeling as rational functions?

Prabhupāda: That is the function of the mind, thinking, feeling and willing. Psychological activity.

Dr. Weir: Do you differentiate them separately?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Others, they are very small. So according to the size, or according to the power...

Guest: Power.

Prabhupāda: ...the part and parcel exercises his position. Some of them are Viṣṇu-tattva, some of them are Jīva-tattva, some of them are Śakti-tattva and some of them para-tattva. Like that.

Guest: Para-tattva?

Prabhupāda: Para-tattva.

Guest: Means?

Prabhupāda: Para-tattva is Bhagavān. Para-tattva means Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. These are para-tattva. Bhagavān avatāra, rāmā, nṛsiṁha, varāha, kūrma, vāmana, daśāvatāra, all avatāra. (Hindi) Or śakti-tattva, material energy, aparā-tattva, matter. Similarly cit-tattva, spiritual world. The living entities, although they are in the material world, they belong to the spiritual world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam. This material energy is inferior. Itas viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Beyond this there is another, superior energy, jīva-bhūta, that is jīva.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Conversation -- September 28, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (as man passes by) Foolish man (indistinct).

Jayatīrtha: Sunday morning now instead of going to church, they go play golf.

Devotee (2): (break) ...exercise so you can walk around. But now they have those electric cars so they don't have to walk anywhere.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They call that advancement. The search for knowledge is natural.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They search for knowledge, but loosing Kṛṣṇa, searching in the wrong direction.

Prabhupāda: The search for knowledge is natural, but the knowledge should be taken from the person who knows the knowledge. That they do not know. The search is all right, but they are taking knowledge from a rascal. That is the difference. So one rascal is teaching another rascal, so what is the advancement of knowledge? Both of them remains in the ignorance. What is the use of the search? Better to stop this university.

Jayatīrtha: Actually people are seeing that more and more all the big problems are being created at universities, all the university students are rioting and becoming restless, Communists...

Prabhupāda: Because the knowledge has begun from wrong conception of life.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: That you have to learn. That you have to learn. Yes.

Father Tanner: I don't know your disciples, but it is possible that some of them, even with twenty-four hour a day, you know, exercises...

Prabhupāda: Yes, our program is like that.

Father Tanner: ...fail to become spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Now, our program here is like that. We have got Deities, six times ārati. In preparation for that, cleansing the temple room, washing the dishes of the Deity, cooking for the Deity, arranging for the other things... So they are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like we have got so many books. So they are reading books of Kṛṣṇa. This is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So... Or they are going to saṅkīrtana party. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So it is a question of practice and practical understanding. A theoretically one cannot understand. But we have got twenty-four hours engagement for these boys. Not a single moment lost. In this way we train them.

Father Tanner: You see, I really don't know... I don't deny that, but I don't see the difference externally between that and brainwashing.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: No, visa, of course, it is to be given from here. So why you should refer to Delhi? You can use your discrimination.

Ambassador: I don't think so. I'll see. I doubt very much. If I can exercise, I am prepared to exercise it.

Prabhupāda: So... No, no. Visa, visa is issued from the country...

Ambassador: Yeah, from the embassy, but we have got some, some people we can straight-away issue. In some cases they would refer to India. But if we make a positive recommendation, they will agree.

Prabhupāda: So that I do not know. But visa is given by the embassy, from the local place.

Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, would you like prasādam?

Prabhupāda: Later on.

Ambassador: Much too early.

Prabhupāda: So they have done nice?

Ambassador: They have done so well, you know. I feel...

Prabhupāda: So you kindly eat all of them.

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā (SB 1.5.22). Feeling all right?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. (indistinct) (pause) (break) Yes. I wanted to know the... So there are five kinds of air, material air, and the spirit soul is floating in the five kinds of air. I want to know these different functional activities of the five kinds of air.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that also we admit. There are five kinds of air. Prāṇa, apāna, like that. There are... By the yogis, by breathing exercise, they control the five kinds of air. So that also we admit.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, the scientists, they do not understand the five kinds of air.

Prabhupāda: They do not know so many things. What they will understand? Because they do not understand, therefore it has to be rejected. They are fools. What do they understand? Superfluous. Simply they see something outward. Just like they see the tree, but what do they understand about the seed? What do they understand? The tree is coming from the seed, but what do they understand about the seed? They see the tree, that's all. Like a child sees the tree and "Oh, it is a big tree." But intelligent man sees the seed.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Just like for children, you give them prasādam, all will gather together. You see? And if you talk before them philosophy, what they will understand? (japa) (break)

Bali Mardana: ...Rajneesh. I think he's just doing exercises.

Prabhupāda: Varieties of madmen. Keśava tuyā jagata vicitra (?): "O My Lord Keśava, Your creation is full of varieties." (sound of man shouting in the background) The same Rajneesh process?

Bali Mardana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...Girirāja?

Bali Mardana: Well, ah, Tamāla is going (indistinct) (break)

Prabhupāda: The vast ocean, how looks beautiful. There is God's creation.

Bali Mardana: As far as I know, the only publicity that was made from Vṛndāvana was the letters sent to the temples.

Prabhupāda: But they must have been preparing for that. Anyway... The scientist says hydrogen and oxygen is mixed into water. Who supplies so much hydrogen and oxygen?

Morning Walk -- January 21, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Orientalia, yes. That lady was secretary of Dr. Mishra. (japa) (To child?) Oh, you cannot walk? That's not good. You must walk. She cannot... (japa) She's walking? (japa)

Bali Mardana: (break) ...talks real funny, sort of Spanish way?

Prabhupāda: I don't know.

Bali Mardana: He's been coming for many, many years. He's a old, older man.

Prabhupāda: I don't... (break) ...and their exercise is to keep the body fit. Tapasya means to keep the soul fit. (end)

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why do you not understand? God does not create. But you create. Just like you infect some disease. So you create your disease. Nobody's creating your disease. The simple thing, why don't you understand? If you... Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Guṇa-saṅga. If you associate with the different qualities of this material nature, then you inf..., you become infected. You, if you associate with the tamo-guṇa, then you become lower class man, animals. That is your fault. It is not Kṛṣṇa's fault.

Dr. Patel: All your actions and their effects, which are collecting on you... (break)

Guest (5): ...knows the procreating from the first word or some people would exercise their so-called free will and choosing sin, and still He creates them. If He were not to...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. There is no question of choosing. As soon as you associate some infections disease, it is not the question of disease. You must be diseased. This is the law of nature. If you infect the smallpox disease, then you must be suffering from smallpox. That is law of nature. Not that your father has created small pox disease for you. Try to understand like this. You infect yourself. (break) ...giving him chance.

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gymnastic. Just like a man, by bodily exercise, he becomes a little strong. His digestive function becomes very easy, he can eat more. He can enjoy more sex life. These benefits they want. And if you promise all these benefits, they become attracted. And they cannot understand, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). After giving up this body, we do not accept anymore material body, but go to back to home, back to... These things they cannot understand.

Yogeśvara: Can we take a picture right here, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: It is beyond their understanding.

Bhagavān: We are the only ones who are preaching like that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual benefits, they do not understand. What is this building? This is also old construction?

Bhagavān: It's a church. (asking someone:) Is that from the Roman empire? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...in right position. All wonderful buildings, there is no doubt. Such huge buildings in any other parts of the world is not visible. Just the thickness of the building.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: No. If there is actual brain, there is no problem. Just like if I have got good brain... I want to take this thing in my pocket. But if I have got brain, "No, this will be stealing," then I can refrain from it. But if I think that "It is lying here. I can take," what is that?

C. Hennis: I think that your effort of philosophy and teaching must really be directed, in the present state of affairs where countries are organized in the form of national states, must really be directed to the national leaders of government, the people who exercise temporal and spiritual power in the various sovereign states. And the United Nations is a forum for these sovereign states. The International Labor Organization is a forum for the sovereign states on certain subjects related to labor...

Prabhupāda: No, whatever subject may be, our point is the same. You just try to understand. If... You can organize so many, but if there is lack of brain, the brain is not in order, then any amount of suborganization, organization, will never be successful. That is my point.

C. Hennis: Yes, but there some people are better endowed with brains than others. Some people haven't got brains or not much brains.

Yogeśvara: But at least the direction must have brains. That's the point.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So it is confirmed by the greatest authority, and if we practice... This practice can be done in the association of devotees. And that is perfection of life. There are some conditions about self-control: no meat-eating, no fish, no eggs, no illicit sex life, and no intoxication, even smoking, drinking tea, and no gambling. And chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Very easy. And everyone can perform it without undergoing the bodily exercises, which is sometimes difficult for a common man. So one can adopt this bhakti-yoga process and become perfect. And this is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If one becomes accustomed to this habit and at the time of death, he thinks of Kṛṣṇa, then his life is perfect. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran?

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

Prabhupāda: ...therefore it remains to stop. So if you stop your breathing, then you can increase your duration of life. That is yogic practice, breathing exercise. And samādhi means stop breathing. So if you don't spend your duration of life by more breathing, then you increase your life. Still there are yogis who are three hundred, four hundred years old. (French)

Guest: I have a very good friend in India called Śrī Kṛṣṇa Prema. You have known him?

Prabhupāda: He was professor in Lucknow University. His name was Mr. Nixon.

Guest: Lucknow?

Prabhupāda: Nixon.

Guest: Yes, his name was Nixon. (break)

Church Representative: Professor?

Prabhupāda: Kotovsky.

Church Representative: Kotovsky.

Prabhupāda: He is the director of Indology in Moscow.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He said that "Swamiji, you are doing the greatest work, that God's name you are distributing." He said like that. And when the record was going on, he was very rapt attention, he was very... So actual yogi means he'll be attracted by bhakti-yoga. And these gymnasticians, what they'll understand about yoga? That is a process to control the mind. Those who are too much bodily concept of life, for them that exercise is required. But that is also not properly done. They must find out a very sacred place and practice yoga alone, not with group. Group is possible in bhakti-yoga, not this haṭha-yoga. That is not possible. The first attempt is condemned. Therefore all the yogis in India, actually those who are practicing yoga, they'll live outside human society. They never live in the city and get students to get them practice. And take thirty-five dollar fee. These are all bogus.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, sometimes these people, they use the argument in the Twelfth Chapter, I think it's the second or third verse, Kṛṣṇa says that those who worship the impersonal Brahman, they are taking trouble. Those who worship the impersonal Brahman, they are taking much trouble.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: "But they also come to Me." So what does this "come to Me" mean? They use this to mean that the same result is there, whether you worship...

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Professor Durckheim: May I ask a question? It is quite clear for our rational mind, I can understand there is a dead body, and there must be something in him, enough to make it alive. Now, the conclusion, I say there are two things, that my question was how he becomes aware in himself as an experience, not as conclusion, because I realize that on the inner way it becomes important more and more to feel deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper realities. That's why in my little work I make a distinction between the body you have and the body you are. The English language says, talks about "somebody" and "something." "Somebody" means a person. So the body you are. It's the whole of the gestures wherein you express and you present and you miss or you realize your real self. So the body you are. Usually if you go to a doctor he sees only the body you have. He tackles it like a machine. If somebody with shoulders like this, he says, "Well, you must make exercises." If somebody comes to me with shoulders like this, I say, "The body you are, you have no confidence in life. So get an attitude of confidence." So he gets to know the body he is, not only the body he has, which doesn't at all touch at your wisdom.

Prabhupāda: No, as I say, the active principle, I am also the active principle. As I say, the dead body and the living body, difference is, when the active principle is not there, it is dead body. Similarly, I am also the active principle. So 'ham, so 'ham: "I am the same active principle." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this material body." That is self-realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54) "When one is self-realized, then he is jolly." Prasannātmā. He is never morose. He is jolly.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Prof. Pater Porsch: May I please ask, are there is also room for physical yoga exercises while chanting of the God's names?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but we are exercising by dancing.

Prof. Pater Porsch: Yes, of course. (tape of Prabhupāda singing is played)

Prabhupāda: Make little louder. (tape plays for about five minutes of Prabhupāda singing prayers to the six Gosvāmīs) What are these pictures?

Haṁsadūta: These are pictures of our society's activities in the temples.

Prof. Pater Porsch: Very constructive and very... So much success in a relative very short time, if you began in 1966.

Prabhupāda: '67.

Prof. Pater Porsch: And during the Bangladesh crisis you also...

Prabhupāda: Yes, anyone came; we feed. That much... There were many refugees, so we fed them.

Room Conversation with Pater Emmanuel (A Benedictine Monk) -- June 22, 1974, Germany:

Pater Emmanuel: (German)

German devotee: He is asking if he should not show this humility, attitude of humility, to all others.

Pater Emmanuel: Exercise upon others.

Prabhupāda: But just like special respect and ordinary respect.

Pater Emmanuel: But I think it is a very necessary, this mutual respect.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. This is instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that you should offer respect even to a person who has no respect. Amāninā mānadena. You should not expect any respect for yourself, but you should give respect to others.

Pater Emmanuel: I agree with all my heart.

Prabhupāda: I think those who are Christian priests, they should cooperate with this movement, chant the name of Christ or Christo and stop animal killing. This is according to Bible. This is not according to my philosophy, but their Christian philosophy. Simply let them do it and see how the situation becomes nice.

Pater Emmanuel: I am very thankful to you for this...

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (everyone goes out-end of this discussion) (Break)

Reporters Interview -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Madhudviṣa: Brahma-randhra.

Prabhupāda: Brahma-randhra, we say.

Satsvarūpa: Skull.

Devotee: Cerebellum? Cerebral...?

Prabhupāda: There is some hole. From that hole the soul goes out to any planet he likes. That is perfection of yoga. But here in your country the yoga means a certain type of exercise. Yes.

Guest (2): And this path of devotional yoga, bhakti-yoga, that is the path for this time, for this age?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhakti-yoga is the real yoga. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā when yoga system is described the Lord says,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(BG 6.47)

"The first-class yogi is he who is always thinking of Me," or Kṛṣṇa, "within Himself." He is first-class yogi. So our, these students, they are being educated how to think of Kṛṣṇa always, twenty-four hours, without any stop. And that is first-class yoga.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: That's it. Just like gymnastic. You exercise; you become bodily strong. That's all.

Guest (2): Sai Baba?

Prabhupāda: Sai Baba, he also says, "I am Bhagavān." Therefore he's bogus. How you can say yourself that you are Bhagavān, God? What is your power? What you have shown? And this is cheap. Now, supposing Sai Baba is God. So people accept him God, why? Because he shows some jugglery. He creates little gold. Is it not? So if, by creating gold, he is God, then there is bigger God who has created gold mine. Why shall I go to this tiny god? I must go to the big God who has created gold mine. This is common sense. But foolish people, they have no common sense even. Therefore it is called mūḍhā. Mūḍhā nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohita, mūḍhā nābhijānāti. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like mostly people take: "The nature is all in all." The scientist, they take nature. But nature is matter. So where is our experience—the matter is working automatically? Where is our experience? Hm? Matter... Does matter work automatically? What is your opinion?

Hanumān: It's a chain of reaction.

Prabhupāda: Reaction. First of all there must be beginning of action, then reaction.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: "You are already yogi, first-class yogi, because you are always thinking of Me." So this is the standard of first-class yogi, to remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and try to execute His will, that's all. That is first-class yogi, Kṛṣṇa says. You haven't got to get certificate from anyone else. Kṛṣṇa says. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā. Who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa āntarātmānā, that is real yoga. Yoga means dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). One who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa by dhyāna, by meditation, that is real yoga. And Kṛṣṇa says also. He confirms the same, that mad-gata āntarātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo. Then he is first-class yogi. This bodily exercise is meant for person who is in the bodily concept of life. One who understands that "I am not this body; I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," that is first-class yogi. So become first-class yogi, first-class recognized person by Kṛṣṇa. Make your life success. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So what was your question?

Morning Walks -- June 18-19, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: It has gone to India. (break) Yogic āsana exercise is very popular. They think it is spiritual, exercising the body. (break)

Siddha-svarūpa: This way is longer. You have more room to keep walking. That way you have to stop after awhile.

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). (break) ...them something substantial. They are eager. This is the proper time. By nature the turn comes. (break) ...brahma-jijñāsā. (break) "...drinking. No dog." This is our principle. (break) "...smoking." (break) ...don't say anywhere, "No illicit sex." That is allowed. Go on with it. (break) Tomorrow we shall come for morning walk? No.

Manasvī: You'll have to leave the temple about 8:00, before eight.

Devotee: 7:30

Siddha-svarūpa: There's time. There's time to take a walk.

Śrutakīrti: You would have to take massage in the morning, so I don't there would be ample time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Writing advertising, "World famous...?"

Devotee: "World famous steak and lobster." It's a restaurant.

Siddha-svarūpa: It's different advertisement. (break) Here it is not allowed, so the companies are going to use cars.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...the samosa?

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So he came to invite me. I indirectly refused.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. He has a very big following all over this country. But they have no books, no philosophy.

Bahulāśva: Actually, they read our books, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We were speaking at this one yoga center, and they say that they go to their swami to learn exercises, but for knowledge they must read the books by Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even he has recommended, Mahesh Yogi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? To that boy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you know? To his secretary. When he asked him that "I want real spiritual life," then he said, "Then go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Bahulāśva: They have started a university also, and they are using your books at that university.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. (laughs)

Bahulāśva: Yeah, Maharishi, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: No, Maharishi has got respect for me. Even this, what is that? Cintāmaṇi?

Harikeśa: Cinmayananda?

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: What is the use of playing tennis? There is mention that Dvārakā they were playing ball on the roof of the palace, the queens. Maybe tennis also there. (break) ...playing this there, on the roof. Kind of exercise for the woman, queens.

Devotee (1): Only for the women?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No men.

Devotee (2): Kṛṣṇa and His friends would play sometimes, catch with fruits in the forest?

Prabhupāda: Fruits?

Devotee (3): Bael fruits.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are playing in so many ways.

Devotee (2): (break) ...zoo our men distributed over four hundred pieces of literature inside the zoo. (break) Back to Godhead magazines?

Devotee (4): Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Four hundred? Very good. (break) ...books, small books also?

Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, because I don't drink. I don't know. I have not taken tea even in England during my education because I am not to take tea. I am totally teetotaler of the right way. The society is right from the beginning body conscious, more or less, we. We are not taught even during our age of education that we are not this body and something else. This was being done in the ancient times, our forefathers. When the boys were going to the guru, they were first taught this, that "You are not this body; you are something else." And here you are taught you are body so you have to take exercise.

Prabhupāda: That is the first education, first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, beginning of Bhagavad-gītā-dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Unless one understands that "There is change of body and I am spirit soul within this body," he remains a cat and dog, and that's all. Dehātmā-buddhiḥ. Yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So we are keeping this civilization—animals. How there can be peace? You cannot make several dogs, bring them together as nation, and they will live peacefully. It is not possible that "You all dogs come here and feel nationally and be peaceful." Will the dogs will be able to do that? Because you are dog, it is not possible.

Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Kīrtanānanda: If they want to swing their arms, why not come to ārati and dance? (talking about people exercising on beach) In 1966, Prabhupāda, we went up to Dr. Mishra's āśrama upstate. And there was some yogi from the New York Institute there, and he said that automatically, just see these devotees, automatically they are doing everything that we are teaching, just by this one process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is the statement by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Viha hoite sarva siddhe hoi betaman. By practicing this chanting, you'll get all perfection.

Kīrtanānanda: One morning we were out walking in a sunrise, and Hayagrīva pointed out, "Oh, there's a very beautiful sunrise," and you said, "The sunrise is not very wonderful, but He who has made it is wonderful."

Prabhupāda: The point is, they glorify the scientists, another scientist, but they are so fool they do not glorify who has made that brain. You cannot make that brain.

Indian man: (break) ...I told him it might be that (indistinct) they have not done all these things, go to Kṛṣṇa temple, coming back, nine thirty, ten o'clock. Then take all this train...

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's favor. Yes. Kṛṣṇa is favoring to finish this job.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1976, Madras:

Prabhupāda: (break) Why they are guarding here?

Acyutānanda: I think for the horses.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're exercising the horse.

Acyutānanda: (break) ...house in Bengali. Is this where Swami Vivekananda...

Prabhupāda: Yes. After coming back from foreign countries, he made his position here in Madras.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Beautiful building.

Acyutānanda: In Calcutta we have a life member, Veni Śaṅkara Sharma? You stayed at his house?

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes.

Acyutānanda: So he wrote a book called An Unknown Chapter of the Life of Swami Vivekananda. And in there he openly says that he smoked a hookah and ate meat.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is known to everyone.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: ...clean. That also we sometimes neglect. (break)...means rūpena jāyate iti prajā. Everything which is born, that is prajā. (break) ...children, our grandmother used to engage us for watering work, these pots. And that water was brought from down, two, three stories down, and we used to bring and put. That is good exercise and sport also, competition between children. (break) ...karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ. Everyone should be engaged. That is supervision. (break) ...are also engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa. They give flower, and they're offering: "Take this flower. Offer to Kṛṣṇa." This is service, dedicating. This is explained by Kṛṣṇa to Balarāma while going through the Vṛndāvana forest, that "Just see how the trees are welcoming You, how the birds..." You have got that picture?

Hrdayananda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is seeing that, how everyone is ready to serve. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa-bhakta also sees how everyone is eager to serve Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...engage them rightly, that is leadership. Yes. Otherwise andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). As a blind leader is leading other blind men, this whole world is going on like that. They do not know how to properly lead the people. Misleaders. (break) ...grains, cows, all they should be very properly taken care of and the products offered to Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should be engaged as Kṛṣṇa's servant. That is Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana everyone is engaged how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. (break) ...business to study Vedānta. In Vṛndāvana life we see they were not interested to know what is Brahman. They were interested how to please Kṛṣṇa, how to see Kṛṣṇa smiling.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And this is Kavicandra Prabhu. He's the leader of another bus. These are his Deities, and that is his bus and his men.

Revatīnandana: (break) ...is that they are very interested in health, exercise, dancing, like that. They have huge, mass swoopings of...

Prabhupāda: So introduce this dancing as health exercise dancing.

Revatīnandana: They dance very gracefully. If we dance gracefully, instead of going like this, if we dance like this, they'll actually appreciate, because they have huge groups together, thousands and thousands, all dancing in unison.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you take him also?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think Dhṛṣṭa...

Revatīnandana: No, I think it will be a while before it will be at that stage. At first it will be liquor company representatives.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...you have come?

Room Conversation -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: No, he's dead means now he's old man. He's about my age or little older than me. Now his skin has become slackened and body is not so strong to dance. It requires exercise. Therefore he's retired, I think, maybe dead. But I don't hear his name. He was more or less known in Europe as Shankar. But he was so popular that one my doctor friend.... He was educated in London, a medical officer of Allahabad. So he told me that "I saw that in Paris, Udar Shankar's dancing was advertised, and hundreds and thousands of people from England going to Paris, crossing the Channel to see him dance." He showed me. He's so popular. And now nobody asks for him. (laughs)

Guru-kṛpā: Another bubble.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guru-kṛpā: Another bubble. I remember when Ravi Shankar and George Harrison came to see you in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: No, we do not say. Neither.

Dr. Wolfe: I miss it in the Movement. I think it should not be made a sport, but it should be made, perhaps, a physical must under control.

Prabhupāda: No, if you eat more, then you require more exercise to digest unnecessary loading, but if you eat simply, just to keep our body and soul together, you don't require exercise.

Dr. Wolfe: Well...

Prabhupāda: Little movement is going on, we are walking. But not this severe type of exercise as surfers and fighting with the sea waves for four hours, five hours, ten hours. (devotees laugh)

Dr. Wolfe: But Śrīla Prabhupāda, a kṣatriya has to be strong.

Prabhupāda: That is a.... Kṣatriya is.... Generally...

Dr. Wolfe: And kṣatriyas have to be there.

Prabhupāda: This is especially meant for the brāhmaṇas, intelligent. Go on.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No, we are not going to do that. Better make it a doll exhibition. And give them prasāda free. Restaurant in the city, that is all right. Not here. Nobody will come to the restaurant from the city. That is not possible. But we give them free prasāda. (japa) (break)

Makhanlāl: ...Prabhupāda, you mentioned that soon there will not be so much use for automobiles. What will be our means of spreading the saṅkīrtana movement?

Prabhupāda: We shall walk. You'll have good exercise. (laughter)

Makhanlāl: By oxcart also?

Prabhupāda: If possible; if not, walk. What is that?

Hari-śauri: Maybe we can develop some mystic opulence and walk on the water.

Prabhupāda: Here, in this world, everything has got six changes. Birth, then stay, and then develop, then by-products, then dwindle, then finish. Everything. So the motorcar civilization, it was born. And now the time has come it is dwindling, and it will be finished. Just like railway; railway no more interested, anybody. But when it was invented, it was very important. Now it is useless. That is the nature of everything here in this material world. It cannot be permanent benefit. That they do not know. They become very enthusiastic when some new thing is born. Child is born, I am very happy. The same child, when he's dead, I am unhappy. But one must know: what is born, it will die. So everything material has got a period of development, then it dwindles, and then finishes. So from this nature's law, we can see this motorcar attraction, utility, it will finish. It will not stay.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest: Well, I have given some thought to that. I found that whenever you take an impersonal view, it becomes a pure intellectual exercise, devoid of any feeling. And if you bring feeling into that, it becomes personal. Like, I don't believe that anything can survive without feeling. So...

Prabhupāda: It is in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said, bhagavān uvāca. It is never said Brahman uvāca. (laughter) People have no eyes to see. The absolute truth is realized brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is never said Paramātmā uvāca. (laughter) Or Brahman uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca! Vyāsadeva, He does not say kṛṣṇa uvāca, because Kṛṣṇa will be taken, misunderstood. Therefore (Vyāsadeva) directly says, śrī bhagavān uvāca. So where is impersonal? There is no question of impersonal. He clearly says bhagavān. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Bhagavān says, "I am everything." So where is imperson? How they can bring in impersonal at all? It is simply dragging (?) the matter. This impersonal has killed India's Vedic culture.

Guest: Well, the example is that Śaṅkarācārya, who was of course...

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkarācārya, he advised bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam, "Hey you rascal, whatever I have said, you just..."

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkarācārya, he advised bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam, "Hey you rascal, whatever I have said, you just..."

Guest: On the one hand he reached the height of that intellectual exercise, at the same time he realized that bhaja govindam.

Prabhupāda: No. He is correct in the study. Because his mission was to stop atheism. At that time India was full of Buddhistic philosophy. Atheism. So his preaching was to stop Buddhism. Therefore, the Buddhists are śūnyavādis. So he said, "No, it is not śūnya. That is Brahman. This material world is false, (indistinct)." Lord Buddha said everything is false. He said, "No, the material world is false, Brahman is false, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. But he did not give any further information of Brahman. But at last he said brahma me govindaṁ brahmate bhaja govindam.

Guest: There's a very nice story about this illusion. That once he was walking and someone who knew that Śaṅkarācārya preached this illusion business, was riding on an elephant, so he asked his driver, "Chase Śaṅkarācārya." And of course he did and Śaṅkarācārya started running. So this man said, "Why are you running, since this is illusion?" And he said, "So is my running." (laughter) He said, "So is my running, that's also an illusion."

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

Prabhupāda: That means they prove their own foolishness. Why do you produce new theory? If there is perfect knowledge? That proves their foolishness.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's also called intellectual exercise.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They want to...

Hari-śauri: Mental speculation.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Manorathena. Asati dhāvato bahiḥ. Mental speculation.

Yadubara: It's all based on that. Because if you don't speculate mentally, you don't get a degree.

Prabhupāda: That's another thing. A fool is accepted by another fool. That is another thing. They're getting Nobel Prize and so on and so on. That is different thing. Fool's paradise. All of them are fools. And they have created their own paradise. Do you know that story? That one was drinking, so his friend said, "Oh, you are drinking, you'll go to hell." "No, why? My father drinks." "Well, he'll also go to hell." "Oh, by brother drinks." "So he'll also go to hell." "My brother..." In this way, the whole list was (indistinct). Then he said, everyone will go to hell. Then where is hell? It is paradise! If father is going, then mother is going, then I am going, then brother is going, then where is hell?" It is like that. They're all fools, then where is fool? Everyone is intelligent. That is (indistinct). There's no question of fool. If everyone, all of us are fool, then where is the question of intelligent? "Hey, we are intelligent."

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

Prabhupāda: Just see how rascal they are. My Guru Mahārāja every step condemned this Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. He said frankly that if there are any impediments for our movement, that is this Gandhi and Vivekananda. He said frankly. Hodge-podge. Gandhi's also hodge-podge. He was a politician, and in politics he mixed some spiritual ideas, hodge-podge. And this Vivekananda was also politician. His name was recorded in the government as "sannyāsī-politician." Because after returning from America, he began to preach to make the poor man rich, and these weak, fatty, and so on, exercise. So the government took it that he's, under the dress of a sannyāsī, he's preaching social and political upliftment. So his name was recorded as "sannyāsī-politician." And his name was also recorded, "political saint," Gandhi. After all, the British government, they were very intelligent. They could understand what is what. Otherwise, how they were managing this big empire? Very intelligent, there is no doubt about it. And actually they were intelligent. When they were managing, we were happy, actually. Nobody can deny it. Although they were exploiting. But nobody could understand. Everyone was feeling happy. And as soon as they left, everyone is unhappy. That distinction I can give evidence, I can, from my personal experience. Things were very, very nice. Calcutta, oh, it was so nice city. Now it is hell. It is same Calcutta. Why it is now hell? Hidden(?) garden, that was a nice garden. So... Everywhere hell, only hell. Calcutta was considered the nicest city in India, better than Bombay, but it has become now hell. The streets, especially those quarters in our temple.

Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: She must be trained up. Just like Rādhārāṇī, She was trained up in sixty-four arts. Do you think to captivate Kṛṣṇa is easy thing? How much qualified She must have been so that Kṛṣṇa was attracted. (loud laughing in background) What is this?

Indian man (3): Laughing is also exercise.

Devotee: Standing in a ring.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Indian man (3): Exercise they are doing. To laugh loudly you know that is also exercise.

Devotee: It's a form of prāṇāyāma.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: A form of prāṇāyāma, breathing. The scientists, or doctors, say it takes so many muscles in the body to laugh and so many to frown, and it takes less to laugh, so they say why waste energy? Everyone should laugh instead of frowning all the time and be happy. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Ninth Canto, I shall take up Eleventh and Twelfth.

Room Conversation About Gurukula -- November 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: For feeding. Feeding. Give them sumptuous food so that they may become healthy, nice food. (laughter) Yes. That is also wanted. Children, they must eat sufficiently. Not overeat. Even overeat, that is not wrong for children. And that will be exercise, by going to Yamunā and coming? That will be bodily exercise. This is nice. Do that. Strictly follow. There is no scarcity of space there, yes. Vṛndāvana is holy place. And there is no government interference, so increase it. Bring more student from all over the world. Then it will be unique. And you also make scheme to get Indian children from aristocratic family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Those who are born in high-class, rich family or brāhmaṇa family, they are not ordinary. But there is no brāhmaṇa family now. So at least the richer section, they can be induced to send their boys to learn Sanskrit and English and Bhagavad-bhakti. They can do business, and whatever they like, they can do later on. But these things, they should be... Father-mother should be careful. (Hindi conversation) ...just attract all good family children. (Hindi) ...working, they will have to live. They cannot. They cannot become paṇḍita or spiritually advanced men. They have to work. But if the richer section, they get their sons, good character, good devotee. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, ko 'tha putreṇa jātena yo na vidyā na bhaktimān: (?)"What is the use of such son who is neither devotee nor learned?"

Room Conversation -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But first of all, you make one successful here. Then you think of other.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But now we should not teach them any exercise at all?

Prabhupāda: This is exercise. If he sits down two hours like that, it is more than exercise.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But this may not satisfy them. They may want to do...

Prabhupāda: No, we are not going to satisfy them. This is our... This is our process. If you want to learn, then we have to learn according to Bhagavad-gītā. We are not going to flatter you.

Hari-śauri: If we explain that the whole purpose of the exercises...

Prabhupāda: That is the explanation required.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Is to concentrate, and by concentration your health will improve.

Hari-śauri: The idea is to tone the body so the senses are subdued.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: So we engage their senses in kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: That is the actual fact. You read that portion.

Room Conversation -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the actual fact. You read that portion.

Jagadīśa: They are coming to India to learn yoga, right? What is the perfection of yoga? Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but they...

Prabhupāda: They cannot dictate. That is not...

Hari-śauri: If they want exercise, we can stand them up, arms in the air, they can dance and they can chant.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll make the kīrtana so ecstatic that they are jumping.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he can dance. He can dance.

Hari-śauri: Then they jump and then...

Prabhupāda: Dance and chant. This is best exercise. We allow them to dance very... Yes. High jump. Actually that is exercise and, at the same time ecstasy. If they dance and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is automatically a very big exercise and spiritual advancement. Yes. Yes. There is no doubt about it. If he chants and dances, immediately he become ecstatic.

Hari-śauri: Breathing is there.

Prabhupāda: Ah! Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: In India the practice was hand grind daily. The women will do that. That's exercise for them, and they keep their body fit and beautiful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oxen can also grind, I think. Can oxen also?

Prabhupāda: No, there is no need oxen. Individually, small grinding-chapki(?). And in the morning they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and grind. (sings) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare... This is very nice process. Whatever they require for the day, they grind fresh. Very nice system. And actually, by this exercise, they keep their body beautiful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Keeps them well engaged.

Prabhupāda: And engagement. Yaśodāmāyi was doing that, even she is the queen of Nanda Mahārāja, what to speak of other women. Churning milk, grinding the wheat, this is their household. We have got that picture. Full engagement. Otherwise gossiping...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Trouble.

Prabhupāda: Trouble. And whisping for laugh. That's all. (laughs) Whisping or whispering?

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That everyone will say.

Bhakti-caru: (break) "And is it possible that she did not know of his interference from her own house in exercise of executive authority in many matters appointments? Did she not see newspaper reports of vast gatherings often paid for and brought to her family by her chief minister to provide an audience and popular build-up for the Raj Kumar, as he came to be called. Those of us who knew her father are sanguined at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru could never have allowed himself to entertain a dynastic order. When Mrs. Gandhi was elected president of the Congress, we recall that her father first disapproved of the proposal made by S. K. Patila at a Bombay meeting." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...is to bring her in limelight again, Indira.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's purposely there. Actually, that's a fact. It seems like now they are purposely not...

Prabhupāda: Mentioned.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...mentioned. Out of sight, out of mind. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...release her on account of mercy of Ānandamaya(?).

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can only exercise a certain amount of control, the rest they have to also have some control.

Prabhupāda: Our capital is not touched.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's not touched.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway I understand how to deal with them. We have to be like their guardians.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the point. We have to see that they are taken care of and try to help them to live properly.

Prabhupāda: You are so intelligent boy, you control them, otherwise stop.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: OK. So you try to rest now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So thank you very much, Adri-dharaṇa.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: I think this is a good idea.

Prabhupāda: Who is this?

Devotee: Girirāja.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Girirāja: Because, I mean, I don't have any faith in the doctors or their treatments because they're never working and ultimately it depends on Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. He can exercise His will in any condition and you know, as you say, that if you go out and if you recover then it's very good. And even otherwise, I mean if that is the decision of Lord Kṛṣṇa, then this is a very glorious way. (pause)

Prabhupāda: All seriously consider this submission and let me go.

Page Title:Exercise (Conversations)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari, Visnu Murti
Created:22 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=49, Let=0
No. of Quotes:49