Faith in... (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"faith in"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Interviewer: What is your hierarchy in Kṛṣṇa conscious? That is, do you have anything comparable to bishops and the hierarchy of the Christian faith and of other major faiths? That is, you are the spiritual preceptor, and who are all those below you, between you and the congregation, the members?

Prabhupāda: It is not exactly the hierarchy, but in the Christian method, Roman Catholic method, the process of the Pope, Archbishop, and..., that is very nice. There is no objection of us. But our point is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is lacking. In spite of all arrangement, if people lost faith in God, so simply by hierarchy, what is the benefit there? There is no benefit. You see? Bambarambhe laghu-kriya, in the Sanskrit word, that you can make a very high-grade arrangement, but the result is zero. So that hierarchical arrangement is exactly not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But our method is very simple. If one is fortunate enough to meet a bona fide spiritual master and if he acts strictly under his discipline, he also becomes within a very short time another spiritual master.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Radio Interview -- February 12, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: The thing is that religion is a different thing. Religion is a kind of faith. You may have your faith in a certain type of procedure; I may have a certain type of procedure. That is different thing. Suppose you are now Christian. You may change your faith to Mohammedanism. But you as person, you do not change. Your faith may change. Similarly, we are concerned with consciousness.

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

Prabhupāda: Lotus is blessing. And that disc and club is for punishing. Viṣṇu has to see two ways because He's the Lord. So, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Just like the state. State is meant for punishing the criminals and giving protection to the law-abiding citizen. Wherefrom this idea is taken? It is taken from Viṣṇu. Everything. Because He is the supreme maintainer. So everything is required for maintaining. So this gada, the club, and the disc is for punishing the disobedient, the demons, or those who are harassing devotees. To punish them the Viṣṇu-cakra is there. Just like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was harassed by Durvāsā Muni, and Viṣṇu-cakra punished him sufficiently. Mahārāja Durvāsā... Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a great king, but a great devotee at the same time. Because he was kṣatriya and householder, Durvāsā Muni, he was envious. Durvāsā Muni was brāhmaṇa and a great yogi. So he could not tolerate that a householder king... King is supposed to be dealing in politics, economics. Therefore, according to social position, he is lesser than the brāhmaṇa because they are simply engaged in the matter of transcendental advancement of life. But a devotee is above the brāhmaṇas. That is the position of devotee. Here, the highest qualitative position is to be situated in the modes of goodness or to acquire the qualities of brāhmaṇa, in this material world. Truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity and knowledge, faith in God, there are so many qualifications which makes a person as recognized brāhmaṇa. But a devotee, never mind whether he's brāhmaṇa or a caṇḍāla, he automatically develop all these qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā (SB 5.18.12). Anyone who has unflinching devotional faith in God, he has all the good qualities.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: The first two steps are yama, niyama, then āsana, then praṇāyāma, then pratyāhāra, then dhyāna, then dhāraṇā, then samādhi. These are explained in the yogic śāstra or Bhagavad-gītā. So this man, although born of a brāhmaṇa father... Now, here it is said that naṣṭa-sadācāra. Although he is born of a brāhmaṇa father, his ācāra, his dealings for advancing in spiritual life...A brāhmaṇa is expected to be truthful, to be self-controlled, to be fully cognizant of spiritual life, practical application in life, jñānam, vijñānam, āstikyam, to have complete faith in the statement of the śāstras. That is... That is called āstikyam.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1971, London:

Haṁsadūta: And another thing I wanted to ask you about, Prabhupāda, is that Maṇḍalībhadra, he wants to make your literature perfect, which is natural because we want to make the nicest presentation. But the devotees are saying that the translation... For instance, this Easy Journey to Other Planets, has been in the process so long, it has so many times been reworked, that it's no longer palatable to them. They don't even read it. They'd rather have the English version. So I know that Your Divine Grace has said you have full faith in his ability to do the work...

Prabhupāda: No, no. If you... you find out somebody else. He can also do.

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

Prabhupāda: That is a different thing. Suppose you are a lawyer. I put my faith in you but if you cheat me I lose the case. That is another thing.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: If you kindly accept what I say, then it is possible. If you are simply, what I say, if you have faith in me, and if what I say you believe, then you can understand. Other, it is not possible.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Reporter: ...I cannot prove it. Nobody can prove it that he is my father.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Therefore that is the beginning of knowledge. That is the beginning, adau śraddhā. That is stated in the śāstra: adau śraddhā, faith. Then if you have got śraddhā, then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Suppose if you are, if you are very much anxious, you have got faith to understand Kṛṣṇa, then next step is to associate with persons who know Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are doing some business, so you have to enter into some association, businessmen, to understand the business from them. Similarly, if you have faith in Kṛṣṇa, then you have to understand Him through the association of devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgau (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Atha bhajana-kriyā. Then as soon as you have... Just as these boys, they came to me. After association they wanted to be initiated: "Swami, please initiate." That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana kriyā. And if you are performing bhajana kriyā nicely, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all misgivings will go away.

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

Prabhupāda: I am confident that the words spoken by Vyāsadeva or Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. Therefore they are rascals, because their statement do not corroborate. In other words, we can understand. That is our advantage. Bhakti-yogena. If you practice bhakti-yoga, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23), if one is, one has unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his spiritual master, yathā-deve... Deve means the Supreme Lord, and guru, and guru also, the spiritual master. A person who has got unflinching faith in these two personalities-guru and Kṛṣṇa—then the facility will be that all the revealed scriptures will be manifest automatically, even though he is not, not very learned. The purport of the whole knowledge will be revealed from within, because Kṛṣṇa is within, and the spiritual master is without, so both of them will help. Our students are going so many places—in the schools, colleges, universities. They're surprised how they're speaking so nicely, because they have got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. They are not so learned. They have not gone to the college and learned so many things as the materialistic students do, but on this account: bhakti-yogena manasi. Vyāsadeva also did like that. He became so great because he has accepted bhakti-yoga by the order of his spiritual master, Nārada. Before that, he wrote so many books, Purāṇas and others. He was not satisfied. When Nārada said that "You cannot be satisfied by describing so many material things. You try to describe the glories of the Lord..." So after his instruction, bhakti-yogena, by practicing bhakti-yogena, manasī, unto the mind, praṇihite, mind became settled up; intelligence, right intelligence came, and everything became amala. Amala means without any material contamination. Then he saw apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ. He saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead and also māyā. Both things he saw.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus here in India we see that the sādhus are taking gañjā.

Prabhupāda: Gañjā, yes. Not sādhus, rogues. Sādhu's description is there—bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He is sādhu. Api cet sudurācāro. Even one is found that his habits are not to the standard, but if he has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and engaged in His service, then he is sādhu. These sādhus with long hairs and gañjā smoking, they have no idea what is the ultimate goal. And those who come from Western countries, naturally they find out these are the sādhus and they imitate. Hippies, they do like that, imitation. They do not know what is the philosophy, what is religion, what is sādhu.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Guest: The defects are here that way which you will confirm, I have no doubt. But the question which I put to Girirāja was whether it would not have been better if you work from inside rather than make yourself a separate cult and organization. Separate organization, once you form, becomes like a person who is born. It gets his attachment, his ego, his everything. So the separate organization, like Mr. Banu, becomes an ego. He is fond of his own attachments, of his own interest, and so the organization must be looked after. The organization should succeed. The organization should succeed better than other organizations. There is (indistinct) among organizations. So all the egotistic weaknesses apply to organizations also. Therefore I was wondering whether it would not, if you had convinced that your mission was to spread the Gītā Ācārya's teachings as to how to act with detachment and with faith in the grace of God, where you go wrong, could not be having better done without making yourself separate.

Prabhupāda: No. The thing is, when there is detachment, there must be another attachment.

Guest: Yes. To God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But that is required.

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Prabhupāda: That's very natural. It is costly here. But these children and their parents also very much interested. So I think you should have a nice institution here to train the children in this country. And after their education, they may take to any line of livelihood. That doesn't matter. But the foundation... Just like in our Vedic system, first of all brahmacārī. That brahmacārī system is very nice. Even Kṛṣṇa, God Himself, He has nothing to learn. He is abhijñā. In the Vedas He is described as abhijñā: He knows everything. But just to teach us, He also became a brahmacārī in the Gurukula. Lord Rāmacandra, He also accepted a guru, Vasiṣṭha. So that is our Vedic system. Anybody may be anything, but the process is tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn the value of life, spiritual value of life, one must go to a guru. Tad vijñānārtham. In order to understand the spiritual value of life one must go to a guru. Gurum evābhigacchet. What is that guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: "He is well learned in Vedic literature," and brahma-niṣṭham, "and firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Prabhupāda: So I am asking her to go to Russia and marry one boy. She has never seen. So they obey in such a way. The Western boys and girls, they want to see and behave before marrying. But they are so obedient that without any consideration... Because marriage or no marriage, that is not their consideration. The only consideration is how to please Kṛṣṇa and his representative. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya-pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Bhakti-latā-bīja. Bhakti is just like a creeper, and the seed of that creeper can be obtained by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic injunction.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

The Vedic knowledge, Vedic knowledge, becomes revealed to a person who has got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru. This is the system.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: It is not the question I believe and don't believe, it is a fact. God is there—you believe or not believe—but God must be there. Your believing, not believing, it doesn't matter. If I don't believe there is no president, it does not mean there will be no president. There must be president. I do not know who is president. (indistinct) So people are in misconception that there is no God, God is dead, I am God, you are God, God is not person, so many God theories. But we have no theory, we have got a positive presentation, "Here is God." With that conviction we have to push on. So you must be prepared in that way. There will be so many questions, so many opposing elements. You have to face them by your arguments, by your knowledge. This is required. At least we must have faith in that way. We have to push on. This is the fact. We are Brahmā sampradāya, Lord Brahmā's sampradāya. So, Brahmā sampradāya, Lord Brahmā is giving. Just like last evening we were reading about Brahmā's thought. He is posing, "Yes, here is, You are God." Although He was child, "He appears to be a child, but You are God." That is Brahmā (indistinct). He is giving support on that point. So if you follow Brahmā then there is no question, here is God.

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: He cannot do that. That, that is real faith in Jesus, that he cannot do that. So "Why he has eaten meat, he knows, but he has asked me not to kill. I have to follow it." That is real Christianity. You are not Jesus Christ. You cannot imitate. He has sacrificed his life for God. Can you do that? So why you (indistinct) imitate Jesus Christ? You are imitating Jesus Christ for eating meat. Why not imitate Jesus Christ, sacrifice your life for spreading God consciousness? What do you think, Kīrtanānanda?

Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So in the Tenth Chapter it is said, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Do you know this verse? Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. "One who is engaged in devotional service with love and faith," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi, "I give him intelligence." That is stated. Satata-yuktānām, "Twenty-four hours engaged with love and faith in My service, I give him intelligence, not to others." That is the qualification. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi te yena mām upayānti. What kind of intelligence? By which one can come back to home, back to Godhead. Not for material enjoyment, or bluffing or cheating. Not that intelligence. That intelligence also given by Him, indirectly. "If you want to cheat, all right, I will give you how to cheat others." That is material. In the material world, we can cheat. In the spiritual world, there is no question of cheating.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: The child also have faith in the father, that the father will give him the proper answer.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Faith or no faith. Child does not know that he has got faith, but naturally he's asking father. That is the natural source of knowledge. When you approach the right person, you may have faith or no faith, you get the right knowledge. It doesn't matter. Just like fire. If it is real fire, you touch it, it will act. You know or do not know. It doesn't matter.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Spontaneous.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) Just like somebody says: "I have no faith in God." So he may have faith or no faith. It doesn't matter. God is there. If somebody says: "I have no faith in death." Does it mean that he'll not die? So faith is useless. Faith is created according to one's sense. It is not very essential. If there is something positive, you have faith in the negative, so it doesn't matter.

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

Prabhupāda: That means you don't accept any authority.

Krishna Tiwari: No, I don't, because once you accept an authority, you are just blindly following something which may be right, which may be absolutely wrong. But you will never find it out, whether it was right or wrong. So blind faith in authority is the most mistaken path a person can ever take.

Prabhupāda: Not blind faith. We don't say authority blind faith. Authority, that's not blind faith.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Lord Brockway: Before you eat?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we say,

mahā-prasāde govinde

nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave

svalpa-puṇyavatāṁ rājan

viśvāso naiva jāyate

Mahā-prasāda, the foodstuff offered to the Deity, this is not ordinary foodstuff. Mahā-prasāde govinde. And to the Lord. Mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi. "And in the holy name of the Lord." Svalpa-puṇyavatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate. "Those who are less pious, they cannot have faith in these things." So anyone who is accepting prasādam as grace of God, he must be considered as very pious. This is the way. So you can take it.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Dr. Hauser: Yes, we are attached to them also because they have power over us. They can persecute us and they can... So it's very...

Prabhupāda: No, the greater power is Kṛṣṇa. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, they cannot do anything. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a five years old boy. He took shelter of Kṛṣṇa and his father was a great demon, very powerful. He wanted to chastise his boy. He could not. This is the proof. So you take shelter. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pape... (BG 18.66). "I give you protection." So people have no faith although He's God. He thinks God is less powerful than Hitler. That is his nonsense. If he takes actually shelter of Kṛṣṇa, what this rascal, Hitler, can do? But he has no faith in God. He thinks Prabhu Hitler is greater than Lord. Prabhu Hitler. That is the difference between the crows and the swans. The crows think that we have got food in the garbage. And the swans think that we have got food in nice garden, in the clear water. And that is difference even in the birds kingdom. That is explained in the previous verse. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo, jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham (SB 1.5.10). Read that, previous to this verse.

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not... Every country, every, all over the world. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). The opportunity's open for everyone, but he'll not do it. He'll say, "Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa?"

Indian Woman: But, Guru Mahārāja, if one has some original faith in Jesus Christ or Muhammad, would he...? They think they're sons of God or a messenger of God.

Prabhupāda: No, Jesus Christ says "I am son of God." He never says, "I am God."

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. We must have some relationship with God.

Karandhara: Their point is that they can only have faith in God. Their reason tells them there is no God.

Prabhupāda: There is no question of faith, it must be. Faith may be false. There must be. Because we have got relationship with everything, therefore ultimately everything is created by God.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: Initially it must be, there must be faith in the guru.

Prabhupāda: Practical. If you want to learn something, you must to go the expert. That is not faith; it is a fact. You cannot learn anything by yourself. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- December 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: And there are particular scriptural verses that speak about this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is the beginning of spiritual consciousness, faith.

śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

(Cc. Madhya 22.62)

This is the version of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śraddhā means firm faith. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya. Firm faith. And firm faith is trust. "I trust you," means I have got firm faith in you. Is it not? So trust means firm faith. Firm faith means... Now that "So long God is my order supplier, I trust in Him, and as soon as He refuses to supply my order, I don't trust Him," that is not firm faith. "God is putting me in distress; still, I trust Him. Or God is putting me in happiness; still, I trust Him." That is called firm faith. In any circumstances, the faith is not withdrawn. That is firm faith.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 10, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Then why the politician dies? If he has got so good brain, let him live forever.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: People have so much blind faith in people like Nehru and Gandhi.

Prabhupāda: Jawaharlal Nehru did not want to give up his Prime Ministership unless he was collapsed. So why he did not live if he is so intelligent? And Kṛṣṇa says, if you have to believe Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). "He has to accept another body." So why you should disbelieve that he has accepted a dog's body? Because the acceptance of body is not your business. It is the business of higher nature. Daiva-netreṇa. So if the daiva likes that "You must take this dog's body," how can you refuse it? You cannot refuse.

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Śraddha means faith in spiritual master. They are praising your faith in...

Dr. Kapoor: People are impressed very much by your guru-bhakti (laughter).

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda, can you say something about the training for a brāhmaṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ. He must be truthful, he must control the senses, control the mind... śamo damaḥ,... He must be tolerant. He should not be agitated in trifle matters. Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ śaucam. He must be always clean. Three times he must take bath at least. All the clothing, all, everything is clean. This is brahminical training. And then he must know all what is what, knowledge, and practical application, and firm faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa.

Room Conversation -- March 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. People now, people are drunkards, meat-eaters. They may, even they show, that is not authority. Authority is the śāstras.

Guest: So therefore... You see, the authors of the śāstras... śāstra big authors who are good so-called leaders and same, those who have faith in the śāstras, but the government which is so-called secular or pro-muslim and the pro-communist...

Prabhupāda: No, no, they, they may be secular, but they cannot neglect your one śāstra.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ah. "And those who have no faith in bhakti-yoga, they do not get me. They simply labor." That's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). They are wasting time. That's all. As soon as we say, the time wasters, they become angry, "Oh, why you are saying? Don't criticize others." But if we say... (Hindi:) Satya bole ta mare latha (laughter) suta jagalda.(?) If you bluff, "Oh, you are doing very nice, you are doing very nice," oh, he will be very pleased. And if I say that "You rascal, you are doing all, simply wasting your time," he will not be... Mūrkhāyopadeṣo hi prakopāya.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But we are going to take steps. Let that man come.

api cet sudurācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

(BG 9.30)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here... The first thing is one must have rigid, staunch faith in Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. Other things may be little devīation. It doesn't matter. The first thing is whether he is sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he is sādhu.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is not religion. Of course it is religion. But the religion, as it is misunderstood in European countries that religion is a kind of faith, but it is not like that. It is science. It is fact. Religion, you have got some faith. That may not be right. It may be wrong. Just like the Christian religion, they have got faith in this way, that animal has no soul. Do you know that?

Italian Man (1): Yes.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: "Śukadeva Gosvāmī has used the word śraddhānvita for one who is trained in the spiritual life. Śraddhā, or faith, is the beginning. One who has developed his faith in Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme spirit soul, can both describe and hear." (break)

Prabhupāda: Why?

Devotee: They're in the hospital.

Bhāgavata: Caranaravinda was the hospital.

Prabhupāda: So who is take care, him? (break) ...authorities. Anu. Anu means follow. Anuśṛṇuyat. Śṛṇu means "hear." Krīditaṁ ca idaṁ ca vikrīdita vraja-vadhūbhiḥ, viṣṇoḥ anuśṛṇuyāt. Don't directly read. Don't directly. Anuśṛṇuyāt: "Hear from the authoritative person."

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: At the present moment there is all over the world... We are touring all over the world. It is very hard to find out ideal class of men. That is the defect. In the Vedic culture the ideal class of men were the brāhmaṇas. Their qualification was: truthful, self-controlled, mind and the senses, and then tolerant, very simple life, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life and full faith in God. These are ideal character. But such men are not available at the present moment. So therefore the social idealism is defective. Just like in your body, there are four divisions. The head, the arm, the belly and the leg. If the head is spoiled then you are a madman. In spite of possessing hands and bellies and legs, you cannot work properly. So at the present moment the heads are spoiled. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. People, advanced in education, still they are inimical, one man to another. If you are passing on in the street, the gentleman's house there is a signboard, "Beware of the dogs. Don't come in," because he cannot believe anyone. You go to the airport, any high-class standard man. They search out the pocket. So nobody is believable. So this is the result of modern education. You cannot find out an ideal character man.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Paramahaṁsa: They don't see how they can have faith if they have no knowledge of God. And they argue, "Well, I don't know God. So how can I have faith in Him?"

Prabhupāda: You learn from me. I am your spiritual master. You tell him. You are asking me. Why you are asking me? What is...? Why you are asking me?

Paramahaṁsa: Well, I was just giving an argument that people...

Prabhupāda: No, argument, that's all right. Why you are asking me?

Paramahaṁsa: For knowledge.

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

Yogeśvara: So... Shall I explain that one? What the good Pastor—are they called Pastor?—describes is that in order for there to be a dialogue, we have to respect each others' positions, not that we will try to convert the other. He says just as we respect you have an absolute faith in the Vedic philosophy, so also there must be respect that the Christian interpretation of the life of Lord Jesus and his death...

Prabhupāda: Oh, I think I have better respect than him to Jesus Christ. I say he does not die. He says he dies. (French) So far respect is concerned, I have more respect than them. They want to see Jesus Christ dead. I don't want to see him dead.

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

Prabhupāda: So nowadays the rascal philosophy has spread that everyone is God, and therefore nobody is humble and meek. If everyone thinks that he is God, then why he should be humble and meek? So they are being educated how to become humble and meek. In the temple, to God, or to the spiritual master, the God's representative, they offer always respect by offering obeisances. That is humble and meek. They are doing very easily progress, you see, only on account of this humbleness and meekness. Even on the road, if they see me, they immediately fall down flat. Never mind there is dust. This very qualification is pushing them towards spiritual realization. In the Vedic scripture it is said,

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

Yasya... "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and His representative, the spiritual master, to him only, the purport of the scriptures become revealed."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Yaśodānandana: They don't have faith in the doctor.

Prabhupāda: Ha?

Yaśodānandana: They don't have faith in the doctor.

Prabhupāda: Then how he claims to..., claims others' faith upon him? He's more than a doctor? Doctor is also as good as scientist as you are. If you do not have faith in the doctor why do you claim people should have faith in you? Where is the proof that you'll be able? Why you are asking us blindly to follow you? What is your answer?

Nitāi: Sometimes they say that if we can control, if we can produce...

Prabhupāda: But I'm protesting that you cannot control. You are rascal. You are thinking like that. That is our charge against you, that you cannot control. In the history there is not a single instance that man has controlled nature. But nature has controlled man. That is the history. Where is the proof that you shall control? You are controlled. Nature is forcing you to become an old man. You are becoming. You control like that, that you remain a young man. Nature is controlling you to die. You control nature that death will not be forced upon me.

Morning Walk -- May 31, 1975, Honolulu:

Śrutakīrti: Back to the start.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is like that. Goloka nadha(?). One is trying to go to back to home, back to Godhead. A little discrepancy... Mahārāja Bhārata? Yes, he became deer. Therefore we should be very careful. That is the instruction. Even Mahārāja Bhārata, he fell down. So therefore how much careful we should be. These are the instructions to become careful. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will save you. That Kṛṣṇa chanting and hearing, that will keep us safe. Example is given: just like a polluted woman is doing all household work, but she is always thinking when she will meet with her paramour at night. This example is... Similarly, we may be engaged in different material activities, but if we keep our faith in Kṛṣṇa, then it will save us. It is possible. Just like the example: the woman is engaged in household affairs very diligently, but she is always thinking when she will meet her paramour.

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1975, Honolulu:

Bali-mardana: Yes. The people have lost faith in the science because they have not produced anything.

Prabhupāda: That is the problem. Because they have cheated people for so many years and drawn high salaries, now they are finding out: "How to cheat these rascals and continue our business?" This is the problem. Because they have nothing to research. Everything, whatever, are finished. And all failure. Simply big, big words, that's all. Word jugglery, that's all. They could not do anything. What exactly they have done, something which is not done by God? They competition with God, so what they have done? What is their contribution?

Bali-mardana: Only negative; nothing positive. (break) ...easier to kill people.

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

Lt. Mozee: Sir, do you think that the wealth of the United States and some certain other countries would be a block to spiritual faith? In Christianity there is a parable that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to come before the throne of God." Would wealth in itself be a block toward spiritual awareness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Too much wealthy condition is a block. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām. If one is very materially opulent, he forgets God. Therefore, to be too much materially rich is a disqualification for understanding God. Although there is no more impediment, that "Only the poor man will understand God and rich man will not understand," it is not that. But generally, if one is extraordinarily rich or his one aim is only to acquire money, it is difficult for him to understand God.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1975, Philadelphia:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That saves a lot of time.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is intelligence. That is intelligence. These, all these rascals, they are unnecessarily wasting. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply they are wasting time. That's all. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You are executing your duties as scientist or as anything, but if you don't have faith in the words of viṣvaksena, then you are simply wasting your time.

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

Reporter (2): Are you attempting to form a college?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is my next attempt, that we shall educate according to classification. First-class, second-class, third-class, up to fourth-class. And then fifth-class, sixth-class, that is automatically there. So first-class men, there must be, at least in the society, an ideal class of men, and that is one who is trained up for controlling the mind, controlling the senses, very clean, truthful, tolerant, simplicity, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life and full faith in God. This is first-class man.

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

Bahulāśva: Faith is fixed by knowledge?

Prabhupāda: No, faith may be blind, but it increases. If you stick to faith and follow the principles, then it will increase. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Just like... Yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ yathā deve tathā gurau. So if you have got faith in spiritual master then you will advance. If you have no faith, then it will be lost.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone has. Therefore the direction should be taken from the perfect, and with faith you will make progress.

Nārāyaṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, but Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that wherever one puts their faith, He gives them the steadiness to worship in that way. So how come so many people, they put their faith in all these false gurus or people that impose themself as ones who are in knowledge and then they become fooled? Is this previous activities? Sinful activities?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Jayādvaita: You explained that in your lecture yesterday, that Kṛṣṇa is in the heart and He is giving direction to remember or to forget, that sometimes He is directing to remember Him, sometimes to forget Him.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because if you have no faith, then Kṛṣṇa will not give you instruction. When he is faithless, he will not make progress. Stops.

Nārāyaṇa: But people are putting their faith in so many different places.

Prabhupāda: "So many" means he has no faith in anything.

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

Yadubara: So that is actually faith in the workings of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: What is your idea? I do not follow. Everyone knows the sun will appear, faithless or faith.

Yadubara: Is that faith?

Prabhupāda: Not faith. It is fact. He is seeing every day.

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

Bahulāśva: So first we hear from the guru that Kṛṣṇa is God, and we have faith in that, we chant, and then we come to know.

Prabhupāda: As you become purified, then your faith becomes fixed up with knowledge. Therefore that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: (BG 7.28) "One who has finished his sinful life, he can become a devotee." Otherwise one cannot. First of all, beginning in faith. Then, by following the process, he becomes completely sinless. Then he, full knowledge. And so long he will be sinful, the things will be not properly manifested. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam.

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

Bahulāśva: Socrates also, he was discussing epistemology, and he said that faith or belief is as good as knowledge for all practical purposes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The same thing: the child has no knowledge, but he has faith in his parents, and he believes what his parents says. Then he is making progress.

Bahulāśva: This way.

Prabhupāda: I have faith in you. (break) Now, I give sometimes this example. Just like you go to a barber shop, and you put your neck like this, and he is with the razor. So unless you have faith, "No, he is good man. He will not cut my throat," how can you do so? So faith is the beginning. If you have no... If you say, "No, I have no faith in you," then you cannot be cleansed.

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

Sudāmā: And all the passengers have to have faith in the captain of the plane.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, the faith must be there. Without faith, you cannot go.

Paramahaṁsa: So actually that's what scientific knowledge, at least the atheistic science, is based upon, that on one hand the theists believe in faith, that there is a Supreme. But the atheist believes that "Undoubtedly there cannot be because we have not seen one."

Prabhupāda: That is their foolishness. The same example can be applied, that you have not gone there. How can I pay you? First of all let me go there. Then I shall pay," he may say. But he will, "Get out. First of all pay. Then you come on." (laughter) That's it.

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

Yadubara: What is the best way, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to instill a little faith? How do we instill some faith in these people?

Prabhupāda: Little faith... Therefore you associate. Just like we are inviting this morning lecture. Coming, coming, coming, coming-faith will come.

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

Jayādvaita: And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we'll do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.

Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Paramahaṁsa: To begin to believe that you have seen, I must have faith in you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that faith. How do you believe there is Japan?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Faith.

Prabhupāda: Have you seen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you believe?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Faith.

Hṛdayānanda: Every day on the news, every day on television a man comes on and he says what's happening all around the world, and everyone accepts. No one has ever seen any of those places.

Prabhupāda: You have to believe.

Morning Walk -- September 26, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Indian man (2): Just to have our faith in that form.

Indian man (3): Now, actually, when you pray God actually, do you open your eyes or do you close your eyes? What do you do?

Indian man (2): We close our eyes. We also...

Indian man (3): Why do you close the eyes?

Prabhupāda: No, we don't close. We are going to see God in the temple, so we don't close. You close, and therefore you cannot understand. We see in eye to eye. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Thirty cannot come, but a few should come.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Few that... They are... Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate (SB 5.18.12). If they have got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru, that is all qualification.

Dr. Patel: That is a fact.

Morning Walk -- October 19, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Busy intelligent means at least whatever he is doing, there is some meaning, busy intelligent. And lazy intelligent means he is doing higher things. Lazy intelligent means brāhmaṇa, and busy intelligent means kṣatriya. So the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭām (BG 4.13). The society should be divided into four classes. The śūdras, they are busy fools. Therefore they are to be guided. They are to be guided. If there are, hundred workers are there, then one leader must be there to give the direction: "Why you are doing this? Why you don't do this?" Otherwise he'll create havoc. Busy fool. So the whole world is full of busy fools. That's all. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that for brāhmaṇa, śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma sva... (BG 18.42). There is no recommendation that "You work hard day and night." The brahminical qualification is controlling the senses, controlling the mind, truthful, clean, knows everything nicely, practical application of the knowledge, full faith in śāstra and Bhagavān.

Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi:

Brahmānanda: That because in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the knowledge there contradicts the mundane scientific knowledge, people who had some faith in Kṛṣṇa become discouraged and turn away from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Let him go away. Don't care for him. Let all the fools go away. There is Bengali proverb, "Instead of maintaining some bad cows, let the cowshed be vacant." We shall prefer the cowshed vacant, no cow, than keeping all bad cows who does not give any milk, create disturbance.

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

Harikeśa: So faith in knowledge.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Knowledge means received from the superior. Like the child gets knowledge from the father. That kind of faith is required. If the child does not believe the statement of father and mother, he cannot make any progress. If the child does not believe the statement of mother, he does not know who is his father. So there must be faith, faith in the right person. Then it is all right. If you have got faith in the person who has got eyes to lead you, then he will help you to cross the road. And if you put your faith to another blind man like you, then it will cause disaster. Faith is required, but to the right person. Then it will be all right. You know that one barber is honest: then you can make your neck like this and he is with a sharpened razor. But you have faith that "He will not cut my throat; he will shave me." This is faith. And if you do not know him and if you put your neck like this and if he is a rogue, he will cut your throat. That's all. The same faith, if you put it to the right person, you become cleansed, shaved, and the same faith put in the wrong person—your throat is cut off. So you must know where to put the faith. So our Vedic injunction is: "Put your faith to the brahma-nistam, one who is God-realized." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-paniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭam: (MU 1.2.12) "One who has full knowledge in the Vedas and firmly fixed up in Brahman, God, you put your faith there." Otherwise there will be disaster. Right faith. (break) ...you call Prabhakara?

Tejās: I called him on the phone.

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

Akṣayānanda: (break) ...two-year visas now, they must have more faith in you now, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Akṣayānanda: They must have more faith in you now in India because they're giving us two-year visa. Faith must be improving...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: ...in the right person.

Prabhupāda: They should have that knowledge, that we are doing the best service to the humanity. It is better late than never. (break) ...position so they may not lose their faith.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is no guarantee, sir.

Dr. Patel: No, there is (Hindi, everyone laughs). I'm sorry. Your words. Very, very crafty people in business. Nobody can beat the Americans in business. They are monopolizing the world of business today. The prosperity of America is due to the, all the (indistinct). It is correct. (pause) This is Kali-yuga. People are so faithless, human race has become faithless. They have no faith in God, they no faith in themselves, and then their friends and other human beings also.

Prabhupāda: No, no. No, no. Modern..., not faithless: animals. Yes. Dvīpāda paśu, two-legged animals. Yes. They are animal, but two legs. That is the exact word used in Bhāgavata. Two-legged animals. Dvīpāda, dvīpāda-paśu.

Morning Walk -- December 20, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is ādau śraddhā. If you have got faith in Kṛṣṇa, then next stage is tato sādhu-saṇgaḥ. And who is sādhu? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). So if you want to see Kṛṣṇa, you have to see first of all His devotee. Māṁ bhaktyā pūjā bhudhikaḥ. This is also.... "If you worship My devotee, that is better worship than worshiping Me directly." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). He doesn't say by Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā, he says guru-krpā, first. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Huh? They are going to see the stone? So arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhiḥ. Anyone who thinks like that.... Similarly, everyone knows that he is European, he is American, but because he is Vaiṣṇava, one should not see like that, "mleccha." If he sees, then he's nārakī.

Yaśodānandana: It also proves that they have no faith in the holy name, because the hari-nāma purifies everything.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: (aside:) Did that swami show that article to Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyām (sic). Aho bata svapa.

Hariśauri: (aside:) Did he?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Mahārāja, did you show that article to...?

Prabhupāda: Why do you speak in the middle? You should hear. Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubham, yan-nāma śruti-mātrena pumān bhavati nirmalaḥ. And this rascals says the nāma has no.... See. We have to meet simply rascals all over. The so-called religionists, so-called swamis, so-called yogis, so-called politicians. You see? Simply we have to meet with all rascals.

Morning Walk -- February 9, 1976, Mayapura:

Hṛdayānanda: So they have no faith in devotional service.

Prabhupāda: No, they are...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What was the conclusion last night with Caitya-guru and Mr. Motilal. I couldn't follow in...

Prabhupāda: (break) Then you come to Gītā's instruction, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And Nārada Muni also says that one must be qualified, not the birth. Just like this Mullik, and we had the same gotra, but the marriage cannot take place within the same family.

Morning Walk -- March 9, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: Officially, he said, the government is very eager to always keep an eye on your activities, but so far, you have not had any bad record. Therefore the government is favorable.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise, how Indira Gandhi could see me? Even in the midst of crisis she gave me time. She has got very impression. She said that "I have all faith in you, but because I am afraid of the these Americans..."

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Kavirāja Gosvāmī has explained very nicely. This is viśvāsa. Śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. Explain, Acyutānanda, this. Explain this.

śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Acyutānanda: If you have firm faith in Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him, then all other activities and responsibilities are fulfilled by serving Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Hṛdayānanda: A cultural and educational movement rather than a personal cult.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is cultural movement, educational movement. It is not so-called religious movement. Religious movement is sentiment. Generally religion is taken as a kind of faith, but it is not a kind of faith. In.... I think, in South America that Indian man was asking that "It is the Hindu faith?"

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, in South Africa. He was asking, "Is this Hindu faith?" "This cult or that cult."

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. You accept some brain. But if somebody comes who is accepted as the brain, they have no faith. That means rascal. Nārada says, "Here is the brain." Brahmā says, "Here is the brain." Śiva says, "Here is the brain." Then ācāryas, Vyāsadeva, says, "Here is the brain." Then modern ācāryas, they say, "Here is the brain." Then why don't you accept? You are so rascal? Just like a person is going to London. So if he says, "I have no faith that this Quantas will carry me to London," then how he will be convinced? How he'll be? If he says that "I have no faith in this Quantas company, that it will carry me to London," and if he does not purchase the ticket—he has no faith—then who will be loser? The Quantas company will be loser and he will be loser. The rascal who says.... You can say that, that Quantas will carry him to London. You can say that. But if on account of this wrong faith if he does not purchase the ticket, then who will be loser? The Quantas will be loser or he will be loser? If you have no faith, then you are loser. You remain. Rot in this place. Do not try to go to London. What do you think? Eh?

Indian man (1): The traveler is the loser.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Guru-kṛpā: The traveler is the loser.

Prabhupāda: Yes, traveler is the loser.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Guru-kṛpā: This faith in the mundane religions, that cannot be called real faith.

Prabhupāda: No, that is faith, but because one is not intelligent, he takes irreligion as religion. He does not.... He should be also very intelligent, faithful and intelligent. Not blind faith. He must be faithful, and intelligence.... He must know what is actually religion. So therefore sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Associate with sādhus means those who are actually on the platform. So if he associates with the sādhu—the sādhus accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead—he will get the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Then his faith becomes fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This is the way.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1976, Fiji:

Guru-kṛpā: So what is the exact meaning of that verse, śraddhā-śabde. That verse...

Prabhupāda: Yes, śraddhā. That faith increase, and when it is increased so much that he fully understands, "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa, everything is done," that is first-class faith. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). If he becomes fixed up, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality," that is first-class, means fulfillment of faith. In the beginning it might be doubtful, neophyte. But when that is, that faith is fixed up, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality," that is the fulfillment of faith. Faith also there are different stages, improvement. Devotional service means different grades of faith. Today I am in one stage of faith, next day another stage, next day another stage, next day another stage. And when you come to the stage that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), oh, that is final. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That takes time.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes we hear that, from different religions, one should have faith in God. One should have faith in God.

Prabhupāda: Unless one has faith, how he'll surrender?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But we see that persons, they speak of having faith without actually following the instruction of God.

Prabhupāda: That means he's rascal! What is the meaning of faith? If you don't surrender, where is the meaning of faith? He's a rascal. When the surrender comes? When I have got full faith—"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is God, He's saying surrender. All right, let me surrender"—that is faith. "Yes, I have faith, but I don't surrender." What is this nonsense?

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Upendra: We sometimes see that those who have faith in their religious process, but because in their...

Prabhupāda: But that is not faith, that is rascaldom. If you have faith, you must abide by the religious process. If you don't follow, that means you have no faith.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's become the fashion of world...

Prabhupāda: Fashion? Your fashion, kick on the face! No fashion! (devotees laugh) It is a science. It is not the question of fashion, a false faith, belief. These are all rascals. Science is science. Two plus two equal to four. That's all. There is no question of "I have no faith in this. I say five!" That will not be accepted. Two plus two equal to four. It is neither five nor three. If that truth is there, then there is faith. "God is this, and sometimes God is this"—that is no understanding of God. You must have clear understanding of God.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say that one who has no faith in God, he's a rascal, miscreant.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Reporter: Ah, Swami. What is your purpose here with your ah.... with the faith in seeking the growth and so on.

Prabhupāda: (to Rāmeśvara) That is the purpose you can explain.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Just like a child had..., has faith in his parents. So that is not an artificial thing, that is fact. And parents are trustworthy to the child. There is no doubt of..., by nature. So, similarly, why could..., you should be in trust in God? Why blindly? Why not trust with knowledge? And that is our movement. Every civilized person has got some faith in God. But now, they're advanced, they should understand what is God, why you must have faith in Him. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Simply faith, blind faith we do not endure. And therefore they are becoming godless. And gradually, if we do not understand factually what is God, then the whole human civilization will be godless. To become godless means again animal. That is the difference between animal and man. In the animal society there is no question of religion, faith, God. These things are not there. The human civilization, if it becomes like that, without any faith in God, without any understanding of God, then where is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? They must know God scientifically.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Don't misunderstand. It is.... Religion, it means a kind of faith. Just like you are Christian, I am Hindu. So you have faith in Christian religion, I have faith in Hin.... That is another thing. But this is.... We understand religion in a different way according to English dictionary. But real religion means the law given by God. This is the shortcut definition of religion. And if you do not know what is God, and if you do not know what is His law, then what is the meaning of religion? There is no meaning of religion. If blindly, if I have some faith in some dogmas and ritualistic ceremonies, that is not religion. Religion means the science by which you can understand God and the law of God. That is religion. It is not the kind of faith. Just like state laws. You may have faith or no faith. The state law is law; you have to obey it. Just like I have come in America. In our country, the street law is "Keep to the left." So I have come to America, you say "Keep to the right." If I say, "No, I have no faith in this 'Keep to the right.'

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: Even the priests, they said that when the Pope issued that document, they lost faith in him as the representative of God.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Rascal priests also so sinful. Yes, they're supporting homosex. So when the priests are sinful, the public is sinful, how the church will go on? Churches, they are expecting church must support abortion and child killing.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Jay Warner: I do have one question. How can one establish faith in the principle of reincarnation? How can one come to believe in it?

Prabhupāda: Incarnation of God?

Devotees: Reincarnation, transmigration.

Prabhupāda: That is very simple thing. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now, you were a child. That's a fact. Were you not a child?

Hṛdayānanda: You were a child before.

Jay Warner: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Where is that body?

Jay Warner: Where is the body of the child?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You were a child. Where is that body?

Jay Warner: It has grown into a man.

Prabhupāda: Grown, or it is changed? The same thing. But that child, that body, is no more existing. Is it not?

Jay Warner: Yes, it is gone.

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

Prabhupāda: That is his blessing. He wanted; I tried. That's all. Whatever is being done, it is by his desire. Vaiṣṇava sata saṅkalpa.(?) Whatever he desires, that is to be fulfilled. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Therefore, full faith in guru, that is the prime factor of success. Not any other things, no qualifications, no education, only strong faith in guru. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the secret. So whatever little success is there, that was only this qualification, that I wanted to serve him. That's all. Otherwise, there was no business of coming here at the age of seventy years.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Kīrtanānanda: They have put faith. Everyone has faith. You cannot live without having faith in somebody. So they put their faith in the scientists, and we are saying it is wrong.

Hari-śauri: Nobody could possibly believe that the scientists would cheat them. They think they are very intelligent, honest men.

Prabhupāda: No, we have got our faith—in Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, they have got their faith—in scientists.

Hari-śauri: That article in the last BTG.... Sadāputa, he said, "So what it boils down to is they are putting their faith in chance, and we are putting our faith in God."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is statement of the scientists. Ādau śraddhā: in everything, faith is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Without faith you cannot make any progress. (break) ...reporter, in 1970, he saw me. I told, "This is all simply childish." He remembers that. Is it not?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Jayatīrtha: That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And in the bills they are writing the.... Why this hypocrisy? Why this hypocrisy? In the schools, colleges, you are forbidding, "Don't talk of God," and on the bills you are writing, "In God We Trust." That means if the bill is not paid, don't be dissatisfied, you trust in God. (laughs) Although I'm giving you a piece of paper, don't hesitate to take it. Trust in God, it will be paid. They write, "I promise to pay," but people may not have faith in this word. Actually, I'm paying you hundred rupees—or a thousand rupees-worth currency note, but actually it is paper. But only on faith and trust I'm accepting it, it is one thousand dollars. That much. In last war, the Germany, marks note were thrown in the street.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So what is the use of pouring water if the fire is going on? But officially, that's all. We must see that the purpose is being carried. No. The house is burnt into ashes, but we are satisfied that our fire brigade man has poured some water, that's all. They do not know that they cannot do any benefit to anyone by this imperfect process. If the whole money of the government is given to us, we can show result within six months how it is beneficial. Will the government give us money? (pause) Actually, people do not want to trust in God. That is the real fact. But this writing of slogan is a formal (indistinct). At the present moment, nobody has got any idea of God nor faith in God. What do you think?

Hari-śauri: Nobody's got any? Prabhupāda: Idea of God, and what to speak of faith in God, or trust in God. Jackie Vaughn: It's true. Very little faith. "In God We Trust," your original statement. Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda wrote one letter to the secretary of the President explaining that you write on your bills "In God We Trust," but who is it that knows about God? So he was asking if it was possible for the government, they could give us some aid and we would educate. We can educate the people. Prabhupāda: No, I did not ask for any aid.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). That is the secret of success. If one has got unflinching faith in his spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, then he's successful. Two things. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. So if the guru is false, then how they can keep their faith? That will be broken. Our process is very simple. There is no difficulty. You have seen our Los Angeles temple? When we purchased, it was a church, perhaps you know. Nobody was coming, so that they were obliged to sell. They started this Sunday class, this, that, so many things. In Melbourne also we have seen a big.... What was that?

Hari-śauri: It used to be what they call a Christian Brothers school.

Prabhupāda: That we wanted to purchase?

Hari-śauri: Oh, that nunnery.

Prabhupāda: Nunnery. So they wanted to maintain themselves by becoming washermen. Still, they could not maintain. They eventually became washerwoman to maintain. Huge establishment. So I wanted, negotiation was there. They persisted that the church should not be broken. No? To be broken.

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Hari-śauri: It's from the Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Any process you accept, rejecting devotional service, the result will be that there is no profit. You simply labor for nothing, as much as to beat the husk, you'll never get the rice, you will simply be tiresome, that's all. Just like so-called religion. There is no faith in God. There is no need of God, and "religion." This is nonsense. Religion means without God? This is going on. God, you can accept anyone, Ramakrishna Mission. Any rascal...He was a fool, illiterate rascal, Ramakrishna. He became God. No standard, and they are propagating Ramakrishna Mission. As we are preaching Kṛṣṇa is God, they are preaching Ramakrishna. And who's accepting them? For the last hundred years, they are preaching. So who has become a devotee of Ramakrishna?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's absurd to even think about becoming a devotee of Ramakrishna.

Prabhupāda: You have got Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Pradyumna: I think it is Tenth Canto. Śreyaḥ śrutiṁ bhaktim? I've been making a list of all the verses that you quote most.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

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."

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

Prabhupāda: Everything takes time. Suppose a girl is married. So she wants a child. It does not mean today she's married and next day child. It is not possible. Wait. You'll have child.

Devotee (1): That is faith, Prabhupāda? If the woman has faith in the husband...?

Prabhupāda: Faith or no faith, if they live husband and wife, there will be child. That's all.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vipina: Prabhupāda, even if a person is not willing to hear spiritual knowledge, when you come and speak, a person, you know, can develop faith in Kṛṣṇa or God. So why doesn't Kṛṣṇa come and make it easy?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has already come. What I am speaking? Kṛṣṇa is there. But you have no eyes to see.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: Her question is... Suppose someone has some faith in life after death, and he also may be an intelligent man by material standards. Why isn't he automatically...?

Prabhupāda: No, material standard is no intelligence. Material standard is that "I am this body. I am American. I an Indian. I am fox. I am dog. I am man." This is material understanding. Spiritual understanding is beyond that, that "I am not this body." And when he tries to understand that spiritual identification, then he is intelligent. Otherwise he is not intelligent.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: I did not take anything, tablet. Rather, what one I was taking, I have stopped that also.

Jayatīrtha: You do not put very much faith in these doctors.

Prabhupāda: What this medicine will help?

Hari-śauri: Most of the medicine he gave was to dull your senses so much that you wouldn't feel any pain, or would make you sleep for six hours at a time or, like this.

Prabhupāda: So in the village how many devotees are there?

Bhagavān: At the farm? Almost two hundred.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very good.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhagavān: So at that young age they can very easily develop faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

That's all. That study will be nice. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ. Just like father gives the seed, similarly, Kṛṣṇa gives the seed. The seed, when pushed into the womb of the mother and properly nourished, a rose plant comes out. This plant comes out. The seed is there. It is very easy.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: His question is "How can I have more faith in God?"

Prabhupāda: The more you know about these things.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Theory means they are not certain.

Devotee (2): The misfortunate thing is that people in general have faith in the scientists.

Prabhupāda: So you have to create people to have faith in Kṛṣṇa. If people are going by faith, so you have to create this faith that Kṛṣṇa (indistinct). They can create, you can create. And they criticize our destiny theory, believing in the destiny. They criticize it. So why they'll depend on chance theory? What is the difference, destiny and chance?

Devotee (2): Destiny means there is controller.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (2): Destiny means there is a controller.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but they cannot explain what is this controller; therefore they disbelieve. Just like yesterday we were discussing that atheist class, that they are by chance there was lusty desires and there was pregnancy and there will be child. So we say, "No. Daiva-netreṇa. These things have been arranged by superior authorities." This is destiny, that what is already arranged by superior authority, that is destiny. You cannot change it. A man is ordered to be hanged by court justice, you cannot change. He is to be hanged. And they will say, "By chance he will be hanged."

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: For ascertaining real gold, the acid test one has to pass to become real gold.

Nava-yauvana: (break) ...this test depends on one's faith in Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Faith in Kṛṣṇa? What do you mean by faith?

Hari-śauri: If you want to pass the test, he says, does that depend on one's faith?

Prabhupāda: What does that faith mean?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Conviction.

Prabhupāda: What is that conviction? Describe it.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That Kṛṣṇa is the controller.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is controller. You may have faith or no faith, that doesn't matter.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Mr. Sahani: You should have a faith in your God. But when you are inquisitive and you keep asking more and more and more, and...

Prabhupāda: And who says that you keep blind faith? Who says?

Mr. Sahani: You should have faith, in God, should have faith.

Prabhupāda: No, no. God, it is not blind faith. God is there, you have to accept. It is not blind.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So there is no question of blind faith. Here it is said that "I have explained to you the knowledge, confidential and most confidential. Now you consider about it, and after due consideration, then do whatever you like." But if you actually appreciate that there is God, here is Kṛṣṇa, so whatever He is saying, it is all right. Sarvam etad 'ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). There is no harm even if you accept His word blindly, there is no harm. Otherwise, if you don't like to follow blindly, then consider what is instructed. And then whatever you like, you can do. Both ways are there. But if you have faith in God, "God is saying this, I must do it," that blind faith is as good. Although it is blind faith, it is the fact. Actually it is not blind faith. It is full faith in God. "God is speaking this; I'll accept it." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is the position of mahātmā. Although such mahātmās are very rare, but one who accepts this fact that "God is speaking, so let me accept it without any consideration," that is as good as you accept. If gold is real, something real gold is offered to you, you accept it blindly or by checking it, the result is the same.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It is correct because Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is infallible. We are not manufacturing anything, so it is correct because Kṛṣṇa says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7), He is the supreme authority. But we have no faith in Kṛṣṇa, therefore we manufacture something other than Kṛṣṇa. That is our misfortune.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Krishna Modi: Also, this is a part of nowadays. Advertise and all these things, to know each and every thing. This is correct that why you are worrying about all these things. People should know it about you. Why not hear it? This is perfectly right, I agree with you. But in the interest of other people who have faith in their religion...

Prabhupāda: No, our mission is that this Kṛṣṇa cult should be preached all over the world. That is the... Bhagavad-gītā, (indistinct) Find out this verse, ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (Bg 18.68). Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69).

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: But here, mass of people, they do not know what is politics. One gentleman, he was my friend, it was in 1952 or '53, Mr. Datt. He was a statistics man. So he was going in the villages to take some statistics. He said to me: "In the village, they ask me, 'Bābujī, iṁrej kakhan... (in Bengali asking "When will the English return?')." So (Hindi). The mass of people, they're for foreigners' rule: "Come and rule over us." Because the mass of people they have no sense of politics. Anyone may come and let them rule, we don't mind. Whatever little tax you want, you take, that's all right. The mass of people is like that. They are not concerned in politics. Under the circumstances, a democracy is not suitable for India. Long ago that Lord Curzon, he suggested this, that in India monarchy is better. He suggested that some of the royal family members should become King of India. It will be welcome. And our country, all along this monarchy was there. Democracy is idea now, but the monarch up to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, they were ideal, rājarṣi. People have so much faith in the monarch that whatever he does, it is right. Naradeva. Of course, nowadays things have changed.

Room Conversation (Bullock Cart SKP) -- September 12, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They do not know what is religion. They do not know what is religion. They have no faith in God. This is their position. All bogus. I say it, challenging, do they know what is God? Ki bolo, Mr. Gupta, do they know? People in general, do they know what is God?

Gupta: They don't know what is God. But they only respect God out of fear.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is also good. Ārto arthārthī. Ārtaḥ. That is good. But still they do not know what is God. They have simply heard the name of God, there is God. That is good also. Than the rascals who deny the existence of God. So in comparison to them, they are very good. At least they accept there is something as God. God is good, God is kind, God is... But what is God they have no idea. That's a fact. That they do not know. Either the nonbelievers or believers. Both of them. They have no idea of God. This is the first time perhaps, in the world we are introducing, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa."

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: This is the strength of our movement, faith in the guru and śāstra.

Prabhupāda: And everyone is writing, let them write that. So they see that, "Why this one man is so respectfully accepted, it is brainwash."

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "This science of Bhagavad-gītā, I spoke to the sun-god millions of years ago." By the calculation it is forty millions of years ago. Now who will believe that, that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā forty millions of years ago to the sun-god? Hm? Who will believe that? They'll say mythology. So where is the faith in Bhagavad-gītā and faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa? Understanding Hamlet without Hamlet. (distortion) You cannot make your interpretation that whatever is written there, I take instead of..., I take... (coughing) That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Then from the very beginning you'll spoil it. Then what is the meaning of preaching Bhagavad-gītā? If you do not accept the direction of the author, then what right you have got to say that you have understood Bhagavad-gītā?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That means you must have blind faith in guru. If a guru says that "You jump in the well," and you can jump in the well, then you get the goal. That is why that man went with ten cows and came back after twelve years making them thousand. Otherwise he becomes a cowherd. "What will I get knowledge by doing caros, gaus(?) in the jungle?" No. But if he has faith, faith...

Prabhupāda: How much progress is being made?

Girirāja: Tremendous.

Trivikrama: That's what I was saying. I heard a tape two years ago, but I didn't...

Prabhupāda: No, no. I mean to say this construction.

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

D. D. Desai: So your impression is that ten minutes or whatever time is not adequate, and unless she prepares her ground for stable, continuous...

Prabhupāda: No, she can... Paripraśna. From scientific point of view, from logic, that is accepted. But if he (she) thinks blindly something, then it is not possible.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānam

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Just like Arjuna learned Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa. He submitted, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). So in that attitude... But pariprasna, counter-inquiry is allowed. Just like good logician, good scientist, one can... That answer is there. But if one inquires as a blind person, keeping her faith or his faith in something differently, then it is as useless. It must be flexible to the level of logic and science.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: "...who even at the point of death was requesting the physician to prolong his life for four years more because his plans were not yet complete. Such foolish people do not know that a physician cannot prolong life even for a moment. When the notice is there, there is no consideration of the man's desire. The laws of nature do not allow a second beyond what one is destined to enjoy. The demoniac person, who has no faith in God or the Supersoul within himself, performs all kinds of sinful activities simply for sense gratification. He does not know that there is a witness sitting within his heart. The Supersoul is observing the activities of the individual soul. As it is stated in Vedic literature, the Upaniṣads, there are two birds sitting in one tree. One is acting and enjoying or suffering the fruits of the branches, and the other is witnessing. But one who is demoniac has no knowledge of Vedic scripture, nor has he any faith. Therefore he feels free to do anything for sense enjoyment, regardless of the consequence."

Prabhupāda: Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). So on the whole, people are in darkness. And that is going on as advancement. This is the only institution to give them some light. There is no doubt about it. All in the darkness. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are in darkness, and some leader comes, he is also in the darkness, and both of them fall into the ditch. This is going on. Do you agree to this point? Otherwise you cannot become good preacher. You must yourself, must be convinced that actually this is the position. All these rascals, scientists, philosophers, politicians—they're all in darkness, and they're misguiding people. That's all. One of the first-class rascal in darkness is your Darwin. He's in favor of Darwin's theory. Another first-class demon is that Freud. (laughter) These are the guides of the modern civilization. Anthropomorphism. No? What is called?

Gargamuni: Anthropology?

Prabhupāda: Anthropology.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: It was written for this purpose. People are suffering by their concocted culture, suffering. And Guru Mahārāja wanted this. Actually it is his mission, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. But I am... I have tried sincerely. I am not qualified, but only qualification is that I tried to do the best. That's all, that much qualification. I had faith in their program, and I thought, "I shall try my best, whatever capacity I have got." That's all. Yasya deve parā bhaktir tathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Little confident that "Why? If Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants it, my Guru Mahārāja wants it, why it will not be successful? Let me try." That's all. Mukhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ panguṁ laṅghayate girim: "A dumb man can become orator." (laughs) It is like that. I never thought that they will praise so much. What it is possible? Mukhaṁ karoti vācālam. (laughs) "A dumb man can become orator, and a lame man can cross over the mountain." Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam. By the mercy of guru it is possible. So these are not stories. They are fact. That is spiritual life. All right.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Faith you must have. Because you have no faith in authority, therefore you are dull.

Rāmeśvara: Because all their authorities have cheated them. The President has cheated them, the bankers have cheated them...

Prabhupāda: But they are not authorities. Authorities mean those who are in the paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2).

Rāmeśvara: Of course, in America they have no experience with saintly men. There has never been a saintly man in the history of America. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Jesus Christ is the contractor. They say that "Our religion is very good. If you simply have faith in Jesus Christ, we can do anything."

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Sahajiyā.

Hari-śauri: No faith in the spiritual master.

Satsvarūpa: So far, though, we have not learned a way to sell standing orders to the common man.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Satsvarūpa: You say now the standing orders, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, after the universities, should be sold in every home. So far, no one has learned how to do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: This is the next, I think. Śraddhā is the beginning-faith. That faith means firm faith. Just like Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). That is faith, fixed-up, firm faith. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). When you have got firm faith in this—"Yes! If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, all other dharmas will be performed automatically"—then that is called faith.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Guest (6): Viśvāsa first, faith strong.

Prabhupāda: No, where is faith if we do not execute tapasya? Where is faith? Viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. That is viśvāsa, the same thing. This is viśvāsa: "Kṛṣṇa said this; I shall do." This is viśvāsa. And if you do not do anything, what Kṛṣṇa says, where is viśvāsa? There is no viśvāsa. Kṛṣṇa says, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: (BG 9.14) "Anyone who is chanting Me, Hare Kṛṣṇa..." So Kṛṣṇa says; I must do it. That is viśvāsa. If you do not do that, where is viśvāsa? What do you mean by viśvāsa? Viśvāsa means sudṛḍha niścaya. "Yes, Kṛṣṇa has said. I shall do." That is viśvāsa. If you have no faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa, where is your viśvāsa? What do you mean by viśvāsa? Hm?

Guest (6): Bhagavān's servant.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: What is that pervading? What do you mean by that? Plain explain. What do you mean by viśvāsa? Explain.

Guest (6): Faith in God.

Prabhupāda: Faith in God. Then hear what God says. That is... I am speaking that "What Kṛṣṇa says, you do it." That is viśvāsa. And if you do otherwise, where is viśvāsa? Hm? Viśvāsa means... I say, "Mr. such and such, do this." If you have faith in me, you will do this. That is viśvāsa. And if you do otherwise, where is your viśvāsa? You have no faith in me. Now people have degraded so much that they think, "This is viśvāsa. Anything I accept as God is God." This viśvāsa is going on.

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Mayi ca. Simply this qualification will not help. Mayi ca bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī. When it is added with bhakti, then it is perfect. Mayi ca avyabhicāriṇī. That ca. Ca means "Without this, these are useless." Ca. You must add bhakti also, avyabhicāriṇī-bhakti, unflinching faith in devotional service.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: You always said because you had faith in the words of your Guru Mahārāja, therefore...

Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Similar surrender to guru. Yathā deve, as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa—similar to guru—then your life is perfect. Yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante. Then this meaning of the scripture will be revealed automatically. And you are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Nothing more. Then your life is perfect. This is secret. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Don't manufacture ideas, rascal. Then it is finished. In material world everyone is a demon-crazy. Everyone is manufacturing ideas. And they are suffering. All rascals, are manufacturing ideas. Kartāham iti manyate. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He's fully under control of the laws of nature and he's thinking, "I am independent. I can manufacture ideas." Āḍhyo 'bhijanavān... That is... Find out this. Āḍhyo 'bhijanavān asmi ko 'nyo 'sti, some like that, in the Sixteenth Chapter. "Demon-crazy." Crazy demons are thinking like that. (chuckles) "I can manufacture something. I am very intelligent.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Yeah, Dr. Sharma. He lives on Hare Kṛṣṇa Land. He's an Indian who took his degree in Alaska and he has two sister-in-laws also who took their doctor's degree in Moscow, and they have great faith in Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Make them come, make them come. Treat them nicely. Give them good place. In this way increase the number of workers. Then people will, "Oh... They are not religious sentiments. They have got books, they have got scientists, they have got doctors." Is it not? And we can challenge them. "Come on, what is our education, let us test. We are prepared to talk with you like scientists." So you are all here now and... Organize in Bombay. Bombay, the center of Bhaktivedanta Institute.

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

Mr. Rajda: If the rulers, they have got faith in dharma...

Prabhupāda: They have no faith. That is the difficulty. They talk of God, talk of religion, but they do not know what is God, what is religion. That is going on. You may be or I may be. We do not know what is the identity of the living entity. Then where is the question of religion?

Mr. Rajda: No, in the last rulers, most of them were Communists, but they said that religion is opium. They say religion is opium. They didn't believe in religion at all.

Prabhupāda: Therefore they say something, we say something, he says something. That you manufacture something. But nobody know what is reality. That is the difficulty. Unless you know the reality, to suggest something, "I suggest it," that does not mean it is solution. That is going on, all over the world. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha. The external features, these material features, they are concerned with that. Earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence. But they do not know that beyond this, there is another element. Unless you come to that knowledge, there is no question of welfare activities. That knowledge is available in India. India should understand. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Not only India, but he must be a human being. Not only human being, but also systematic human society. (break) Of course, we are trying to give this knowledge. These American, Europeans, they are taking it. It should be done very systematically, not alone tried.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then where is his belief? Where is the question of belief? Unless strictly follow the teachings, there is no question of belief. It is bogus principle.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it's all... His next question is, "The essence of Christianism is to believe that Christ is our saviour and redeemer, but the final test of one's faith in Christ rests upon one's hope that he will come back down to earth from heaven to establish his glory and his realm of justice forever. Is this second advent of his to be taken as a symbolic one, or will he actually come back?"

Prabhupāda: I do not know. What does he say? What does he say? Explain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does he say?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Very nice. Actually, about two years ago there was a propaganda in the West that if you are afraid of sinning, then it means that you don't have full faith in Jesus Christ. Because he has promised to accept your sinful reactions. So therefore if you sin, then it means that you have full faith that he will accept the reaction.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said those people should be hanged immediately.

Prabhupāda: When the Bible has said, that after death one goes to hell or heaven? If Jesus Christ has taken a contract, then where is the question of going to hell?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, that is for people who don't sign the contract with him. That is what they say. As long as you say that you accept Jesus, then you are going to heaven for sure.

Prabhupāda: So then Jesus Christ accepted sinful reaction of a certain class of men. He is not universal.

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

Prabhupāda: When he is going to hold it?

Girirāja: Well, I think after a few months. I mean, this is just preliminary planning. One thing is, he does have a lot of faith in your words. I mean, he doesn't understand very much about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but... Like he wanted to know what you thought was coming in the future, so I told him that you had predicted that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would become stronger and stronger and that people would again become God conscious and so on. And he was really hanging on each word. He was very concerned. So then I said...

Prabhupāda: No, no, mean... And who cares for Vinod Bhave? They are...

Girirāja: Well, he doesn't care.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He doesn't?

Girirāja: Sentimentally he cares, but like...

Prabhupāda: No, sentimentally, old man, pious man, everyone should care.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: We have firm faith in what you say.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then we can take any...

Mr. Dwivedi: Cooperation can come even from a person who may not understand a whit.

Prabhupāda: No, cooperation means that.

Mr. Dwivedi: In our own small way we try to live to what Your Grace has been telling me. We live actually in life.

Prabhupāda: Don't try to... That is cooperation. Don't try to amend the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. That is cooperation. The rascals, they amend. And what can I do? I can use this strong word. This is used in the Bhagavad-gītā, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ. So it is not my manufacture. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Why we should amend Kṛṣṇa's word? Surrender and do. That is cooperation.

Conversation: Vairagya, Salaries, and Political Etiquette -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And they are concluding that they cannot stop committing sins and Jesus Christ will take account for them. Therefore it is very good religion, that "We can do whatever nonsense we like, and if we keep our faith in Jesus Christ, then we are saved." Pāpa-buddhiḥ, nāmno balād pāpa-buddhiḥ. Great offenders. So what news?

Girirāja: Well, the reason I came up is I'm going to try to phone Mr. Rajda now.

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and one who has got faith in these words—"Yes, if I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, all success will follow..."—this is faith. So faith is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). So if we have got faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa—they are very openly spoken—then our life becomes successful. But we have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. They take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). If you say that "You have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. Then you are a mūḍha," he becomes angry. But I don't say; Kṛṣṇa says. We are simply repeating the words of Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: So these dirty things can be cleansed by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This chanting and hearing is puṇya-śravaṇa. If you do not know anything about, if you simply chant and hear, you become purified, puṇya, because on account of dirty things, impious life, you have become covered by different bodies. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Different bodies means the way of birth and death. That you have to stop. And that is stopped when you get Kṛṣṇa; otherwise not. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, I think, in the Ninth Chapter... Find out this verse, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa, mām aprāpya (BG 9.3). You cannot get Kṛṣṇa. If you have no faith in Bhagavad-gītā, then you cannot get Kṛṣṇa. If you don't care for Kṛṣṇa, that is another thing, but if you want to get Kṛṣṇa, then what Kṛṣṇa says, you follow.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "The faithless cannot accomplish this process of devotional of service. That is the purport of this verse. Faith is created by association with devotees. Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the evidence of Vedic literature from great personalities, still have no faith in God." (break)

Prabhupāda: Pure bhakti.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

There should be no mixture of jñāna and karma or even yoga. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu... Simply to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably. Favorably means what Kṛṣṇa wants. That is favorable. If you do what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is favorable. And if you do what Kṛṣṇa does no want, that is unfavorable; that is not bhakti. Just like Kaṁsa. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but that was not favorably. He was thinking otherwise, how to kill Kṛṣṇa, and that is not bhakti. The gopīs were also thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to make Him happy, and that is favorable. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). Without any mixture, adulteration of jñāna and karma, that is pure devotion.

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Why don't you take it? It is not seldom. You do not like to take it. That is the disease. And that is aśraddadhāna. There is no śraddhā. Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ, mām aprāpya (BG 9.3). How you can get Kṛṣṇa? There is no śraddhā. Therefore they must suffer in the cycle of birth and death. Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra. So you voluntarily accept this cycle of birth; you don't accept Kṛṣṇa. Then who can help you? If you have decided to cut your own throat, how can I help you? You'll do it. Whenever you'll get opportunity, you'll cut your throat. How much I can give you protection? That is going on. They have no faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. They'll manufacture ideas. It is not "seldom." It is my dog's obstinacy that is checking. We cannot give up.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.