Few days (Conversations 1975 - 1976)

Expressions researched:
"few day" |"few days" |"few more days"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: No, the university?

Doug: In the university? I haven't been with them in a year and a half, but they recently bought a college, and they have part of a college in Santa Barbara, the University of California there. So they're pretty well established educationally. But it's losing its potency actually. I think it's actually reached its peak and left, because when I was with Maharishi also I noticed that it seemed that a lot of his potency seemed to diminish, his charisma, over the years. Seemed to me he'd get more and more depressed if people weren't actually reaching the states that he was talking of. It didn't seem like he was satisfied with the advancement people were making. And certainly he wasn't answering the questions, because all that time I was asking him "What is the highest truth." And when he talked to God I would say, "Who is God?" And we'd ask him, "Who is Kṛṣṇa?" and "What about this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement?" And it was word jugglery. He'd kind of evade our questions and satisfy our elan, but... those questions kept coming up. Somehow he kept us from going into too much detail about it. But eventually... I didn't see him for a few days. This was when I was in the mountains with him, some other people. And we were making up these curriculums for this college program. And he was doing some transcriptions on the Brahma-sūtras, and he came out, and he was in a very solemn mood, and he said... We asked him what he had realized, what truths he had realized from the Brahma-sutras. And he said, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest state of consciousness." So I left shortly after that. I feel that I could have been chanting all those years, making some progress.

Prabhupāda: What is his age?

Doug: What is my age?

Prabhupāda: No, his age.

Interview with a German Girl and Assorted Devotees -- March 30, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: When we call them rascals, they become angry. And actually they are rascals. They do not know the problems of life.

Haṁsadūta: So she... Her next question is that in the last few days, approximately five hundred devotees have assembled here from all over the world. She says that she knows that this is the birthplace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So therefore they have come. She knows that it is a holy place. She wants to know that even before Lord Caitanya's time, was it also considered to be a holy place?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is perpetually holy place, but it is known since the birthday of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Haṁsadūta: (German)

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Just wait one... (break) ...the cat's and dog's body. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand that, that life is beyond this body. But in the human form of life one can understand. He has got such consciousness. So by nature's law, by evolution, we come to the human form of body to understand this. And if we do not utilize this knowledge for understanding our real identity, then we remain cats and dogs, and we become again cats and dogs. By nature's law, I have been given this chance. If I do not utilize it properly, then again I become what I was before.

Girl: (German)

Haṁsadūta: One has to be sincere. One has to be sincere to understand this?

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Therefore, because you have no brain, therefore you cannot understand the rasas with Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual; that is not material. Ānanda-rasa. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is the Vedic statement. There is cinmaya. In the spiritual world there is ananda. You... You have no knowledge. You, due to your poor fund of knowledge, you think that in the spiritual world there is no rasa; it is simply void, negation of this rasa. Just like a diseased man. He is practiced to drink bitter medicine and pass stool on the bed and so many inconveniences, so if some of his friends says, "When you'll be cured, you'll be able to pass stool in the lavatory. You haven't got to, haven't got to pass stool..." Then he shudders: "Again I have to pass stool after becoming cured? Again I have to eat? No, no, this is not good. Make it zero." He has no idea what is the meaning of passing stool in healthy stage. It refreshes the body. We get good energy. That he cannot conceive. He thinks that "If there is passing of stool again, then it must be the same suffering as I am undergoing now in this condition." So the Māyāvādī's idea of spiritual life means negation of these material activities. But they have no idea that similar activities are there in spiritual life, but that is not material. That is their poor fund of knowledge. Therefore we are... You are not understanding Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtīv hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. That I am explaining for the last few days. That is not at all this material. So unless there is loving affair in the spiritual world, how here it is as perverted reflection? It is the reflection of the reality. The reality is there. That they cannot understand. That is also hinted in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "There is another feature, or another nature," paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20), "which is sanātana, is eternal." Here the rasas, on account of being material, they are flickering. But there, real rasa is permanent. Here the loving affairs between two parties finish as soon as the bodies finish. But there, there is no question of finishing. Increasing. Ānandambudhi-vardhanam, increasing. Harer nāma... (Break)...in reality, "what I am," that can be understood through devotional service, not by karma, jñāna, yoga. But... Give this example, I mean to say, authoritative statement of Kṛṣṇa, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Morning Walk -- (World War III) -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: The whole material world is polluted. Who will live here? A little, say, twenty years before, dying. After all, you have to die, twenty years after or twenty years before. So it is already polluted. That is humbugism. They will die at the end, but still they are trying to live. (kīrtana in background growing progressively louder as Prabhupāda approaches temple)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Like they're creating their own...

Prabhupāda: This is the difference between man of knowledge and without knowledge. A man of knowledge will think, "After all, I have to die. So what is the difficulty, dying a few days more or before?" That is knowledge. And those who are not in knowledge, they are afraid of death. Best business is before the death comes let us finish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly. That is wanted. Death will come. You cannot avoid it.

Rāmeṣvara: They say that this radioactive fallout will pollute the air so that no crops can be grown.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. You shall die without food. Be(cause) after all, the death. In Bengal, it is called: more bhera ghalne (?): "The most misfortunate thing is death." That will come. Therefore the best intelligence is how to avoid death.

Rūpānuga: Become immortal.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real intelligence, not to be bothered by these trifle temporary things that "I am dying twenty years before. If the situation was better, I would have lived more twenty years." What is this mentality?

Devotee: Back to Godhead.

Ajāta-śatru: Yes, we can go back to Godhead. (Prabhupāda enters temple, kīrtana very loud) (end)

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: What will come? Trust no future, that's all. We must be always ready for destruction. Material world is like that. Nitya anityatam. Canakya Paṇḍita has says, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam: "Avoid bad men's company." Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "Always try to associate with learned, what is, ādhu, with devotees. Avoid this worldly men's association and try to associate with devotees." Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam bhaja sādhu-samāgamam, and then smara nityam anityatam. "And always think that everything here in this material world is for few days." That's all. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. (break) Anityatam. (break) ...be the motto of life. (break) ...associate with the materialistic person, try to associate with devotee, and always think that this world is for few days. That's all.

Ambarīṣa: This world is what?

Prabhupāda: For few days. Nityam anityatam. (break) ...other. Kuru puṇyam aho-ratram: "And act piously, day and night." This should be the motto.

Bali-mardana: That is nice prescription. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...yam aho-ratram. (break) Civilization is just the opposite. Always act sinfully, not kuru punyam aho-ratram. Twenty-four hours act sinfully.

Harikeśa: It seems that practically every single person in society today is going to have to go to one of those hells.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Harikeśa: Every single person in society today is going to have to go to one of those hells.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1975, Honolulu:

Harikeśa: All of the good dictionaries are from Germany.

Prabhupāda: No, Max Mueller was German.

Harikeśa: A lot of the devotees have been wondering about book production if there is some war.

Prabhupāda: War? The war will be for a few days only.

Bali-mardana: Then the presses can go on.

Prabhupāda: This war will not prolong. That is not possible.

Harikeśa: So this is not the big one.

Prabhupāda: No, it is big war, but it will be finished within short time.

Bali-mardana: Drop their bombs, everything's finished.

Upendra: But the argument is that these bombs will create more disturbance than just the blowing up. They create what's called radio-active fallout.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that will do. But the war will stop because the party which will be able to drop the bomb first, he will be victorious.

Harikeśa: They've got these fancy...

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bhavānanda: Hours.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think in Los Angeles it is always...

Prabhupāda: Always.

Dharmādhyakṣa: The month of June, Prabhupāda, in California is very cloudy. (break) It was one of the few days that it was sunny.

Prabhupāda: Hawaii is clear. Hawaii is clear. Every day we used to see sun.

Jayatīrtha: Very beautiful there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: India is like that also.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...sinners.

Revatīnandana: I think it is a joke, though.

Jayadvaita: Then again commit sins. They'll repent and commit them again.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Atonement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whenever we meet the Christians, they always say that "It doesn't matter because Jesus came to save us from our sins. So now it doesn't matter because we're saved."

Prabhupāda: Then Jesus is a fool, and he has taken contract to suffer, and these people are free to commit sin.

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

Prabhupāda: So I have sent news to Praṇava to complete the negotiation, and he has done nothing?

Nitāi: I don't know whether he has done or not.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...doctor?

Nitāi: The doctor is staying there. He is... (break) ...for a few days and stays, and then he goes for a few days. Then he comes. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Pradyumna is doing?

Nitāi: Pradyumna has gone to Māyāpur to help train the Sastris.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Nitāi: To teach the Sastris English, he has gone to Māyāpur. They have all gone to Māyāpur because they were facing criticism from the residents of Vṛndāvana. Many of their old schoolmates were criticizing that they are coming and joining us. These are... (break) ...are very desirous of taking initiation from you.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Nitāi: Ananta Ram Sastri and one other, I forget his name. He is very, very good in Sanskrit. He reads it fluently, speaks it fluently.

Prabhupāda: He speaks Sanskrit also?

Nitāi: Yes. Speaks it. He lectures in Sanskrit.

Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Rādhā-vallabha: I went to the press right after maṅgala āratrika, and one of the composers had already run out the door of the temple room, and she was composing already.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) Pālikā is also doing?

Rādhā-vallabha: She's going to school now. she's learning how. She will start tomorrow, I think.

Rāmeśvara: In a few days.

Prabhupāda: She is very expert. (break)

Rādhā-vallabha: ...all night long and they are not getting tired.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Spiritual energy does not get tired. That is spiritual. When we get tired, that is material. Spiritual means one would not feel tired. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Vardhanam means increasing. (break) ...has not come?

Brahmānanda: He left last night for Las Vegas. He will go to Denver. He will see you there.

Prabhupāda: Last night at two o'clock (chuckles) he took film.

Brahmānanda: Yadubara.

Harikeśa: You were translating, he was filming? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...night I was working from half past ten. (laughs)

Brahmānanda: Then?

Prabhupāda: No sleep, that's all. (break) ...sleep, utmost, one hour or one and a half.

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Devotee (3): Animals don't have an answer.

Kāśīrāma: Just a few days ago there was a plane crash and many people died, but they were sitting very comfortably in their chairs thinking, "It is so nice," but then it was all over, finished. And in the airport I was distributing books, and I was telling them, "You could die at any moment," but they still are thinking, "I am going to enjoy." They are not caring.

Prabhupāda: Where this air crash took place?

Kāśīrāma: In New York. And it landed on the freeway.

Satsvarūpa: A lightening bolt hit the plane.

Prabhupāda: Lighting...?

Harikeśa: Thunderbolt.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Just see, slaughterhouse.

Satsvarūpa: You said in your lecture the other day in Los Angeles that when that happens that many people are killed in one place, it means that it's arranged by the Supreme. Just like Kurukṣetra.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa, that "You are thinking very patriotically that you will not kill. But it is already settled. They must be killed here. I have brought them. You kill or not kill, they will be killed. That is My plan. If you want, you take credit that you have killed." This is same arrangement. It is prearranged. War means it is bringing all the animals together and kill them, finish. And that is happening every few years after years. The Napoleon is coming for killing, and Hitler is coming for killing. Sometimes Nelson is coming for killing. But here in India the God comes for killing. Lord Rāmacandra came for killing the Rāvaṇas and Kṛṣṇa came for killing the Kauravas.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Satsvarūpa: World's largest. (break) ...librarians, they said, "Well, if someone comes in and asks you for a reference book on yoga and meditation, what reference books do you have?" And they admit that there are no encyclopedias or reference books on Indian philosophy. So they're describing that... our men are describing that this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an encyclopedia of all Indian philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). The essence of all Vedic knowledge. (break)

Bhāvānanda: ...a few days previous Sudāmā Mahārāja and I were in Salt Lake City. We went to the Mormon Church visitor's center. Beautiful presentation. Dioramas, so many dioramas, and a big ramp, circular ramp like we want to have in Māyāpur. You walk up into a big diorama of the universe with... Lord Jesus is there. Beautiful presentation. A bogus philosophy, but nice presentation.

Prabhupāda: What is the philosophy?

Bhāvānanda: That when you marry, then you are married eternally. And after you die, you go to heaven and you live with your family, your wife and your children, for ever and ever. That's their philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Marry?

Bhāvānanda: Eternal marriage. And when you die, you go to heaven in the same body that you're in.

Brahmānanda: If you don't get married, then you don't go to heaven?

Bhāvānanda: Everyone gets married. They have a nice policy from the year nineteen to twenty-one every man must serve missionary work all over the world, and then he comes back and is married eternally. (break) And movie theaters, eight movie theaters.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa means God, and we are all connected with Kṛṣṇa, God. God is the original father. Therefore we have got intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa. So we have forgotten it, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is my connection with Him, what is the aim of life. All these questions there are. And when one becomes interested with such questions, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Sandy Nixon: How did Kṛṣṇa consciousness develop?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is already there in everyone's core of heart, but due to one's material conditional life, he has forgotten it. So this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra means to revive that consciousness. It is already there. Just like a few days ago these American, European boys and girls, they did not know who is Kṛṣṇa. But now you have seen yesterday how their whole, that procession, throughout the whole procession, how they were chanting and dancing in ecstasy. So do you think that is artificial? No. Artificially nobody can chant and dance for hours together. That means the awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It was there; by the bona fide process, it is now awakened. That is explained,

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in everyone's heart. So when he comes in contact with devotees, that is awakened. Just like to be attracted by a young girl or young boy, it is there in the child. That small child, it is there. And when he will be young, then it will be awakened. It is not that artificial something. So in association it is awakened. The potency is there already, but in good association, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa one is awakened to the status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Sandy Nixon: What are the methods used in attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How does one get to...

Prabhupāda: Yes, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness you achieve the goal of life. In the present condition we are accepting one body, and we are dying after a few days. Then accept another body. And that body is according to your activity. There are 8,400,000 different types of body. You can get any one of them. You'll have to accept one body. That is called transmigration of the soul. So if one is under this consciousness that "I am eternal. Why I am changing body? How to solve it?" that is intelligence. And not to work like cats and dogs and die, that is not intelligence. One who makes solution of this problem, he is intelligent. So therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the ultimate solution of all problems of life.

Sandy Nixon: What transformations does one undergo on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: No transformation. The consciousness is there. It is now filled with all rubbish things. You have to cleanse this, and then Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like water. Water is, by nature, clear, transparent. But when it is filled up with rubbish things, it is muddy. You cannot see very clearly. But if you filter it, all muddy things, dirty things, then again comes to the original position, clear, transparent water.

Sandy Nixon: Does one function better in society as a result of affiliation with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: What is the meaning?

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Is he a better citizen?

Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you collect only the ghee price. And what about others? Other, attar and sugar and so many things? That means you are spending hundred rupees, and the kitchen department, you are is collecting eighty rupees. So twenty rupees lost. Hm? So what is this business? What you are spending, you must collect also. Or balance you are eating?

Dhanañjaya: A few days ago a devotee donated three hundred rupees to the Deities.

Prabhupāda: Donated, that is all right. I am talking of the business.

Dhanañjaya: I see.

Prabhupāda: Donate, I may donate three thousand. But that is a different thing. But from practical point of view, you are spending hundred rupees per day, and you are collecting eighty rupees.

Dhanañjaya: So we should only make what we...

Prabhupāda: You should only... You do not know what you are doing. That is my point. You do not know what you are doing.

Dhanañjaya: The point is we want to keep a good standard of prasādam. So one day if we...

Prabhupāda: That's all right, good standard, but you must collect good standard also. (chuckles) Spend good standard and collect bad standard. What is this?

Indian man (1): But there is great demand for prasādam. Great demand for prasādam.

Morning Walk -- September 26, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: (break) You require one man to your selection. So nobody will stay. Everyone has to go. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... (break) The Ahmedabad people cannot maintain this park. How they will maintain their center? And you are not making good life members? Then?

Yaśomatīnandana: These are only few days that they have started making... Last time we came they made eight members in five weeks.

Prabhupāda: Members are made after the festival.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (unclear)

Yaśomatīnandana: My point is this, that people are very attracted to foreigners. If there is one good foreigner, then they will be attracted.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you discriminate, this foreigner to that foreigner?

Yaśomatīnandana: I don't mind anybody. Whatever you say is all right. But I was just thinking like this because if somebody's going to come for a month, two months, then go, he might not put his heart.

Prabhupāda: That is the position of everyone. When they will go away, there is no certainty. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma... Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) You are student? You are student? Somebody suggested some meeting here? Yesterday.

Kartikeya: No, that gentleman was there at seven o'clock.

Morning Walk -- September 26, 1975, Ahmedabad:

Prabhupāda: Temper.

Indian man (4): Temper.

Indian man (5): Yes. How do you think about somebody in last few days defeated the existence of Mahābhārata itself? They say it is a...

Prabhupāda: Who is that man?

Indian man (4): They may, they may.

Prabhupāda: He has defeated?

Indian man (5): No, if they say that "There was nothing like Mahābhārata," you tell.

Indian man (3): They may say, but...

Prabhupāda: The foolish man can say anything. (Hindi) How he becomes more than all the ācāryas, this rascal?

Indian man (5): My question is...

Prabhupāda: Your question is that he has proved. What he has proved?

Indian man (5): No, no. His point of saying is that...

Prabhupāda: Whatever he says, he is saying nonsense. That's it.

Morning Walk -- October 6, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Okay. A little bit hard on the...

Harikeśa: Did we pass by a park when we were coming?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We will check out some places today. (break) ...cold spell now.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: A cold spell. It's been cold the last few days. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...keepers are mostly Indians?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Indian. All here are Indian. And just the other side of the bridge, all is Indian. This building here, Prabhupāda, this big building is built by one of our life members. All of our life members, they are competing who can build bigger building.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. (laughing)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And they are putting nightclubs on the top of their buildings. So foolish.

Prabhupāda: Lakhani. This is Indian building.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: These are life members.

Prabhupāda: Lakhani.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: P. V. Lakhani. He was there last night.

Prabhupāda: So they are improving in the midst of obstacles, eh? The Indians?

Morning Walk -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: You are scientist? Ask them. Don't come here. What is the use of scientist? Hm? If they cannot stop. Not only stopping, if the sea likes, it can overflow the whole thing.

Devotee: Haribol.

Prahupada: It came up to here. Like this or...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No. It is very bad weather last few days. A storm must be in the neighborhood.

Dhīrāṅga: There was one powerful king of England, he felt that just by his command he could hold back the tide. So he went and sat on the beach on his throne and he commanded the sea not to come in. But of course the sea came in and washed him away, he was very embarrassed. King Canute. He became so puffed-up.

Devotee: There's some steps here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It might be very soft.

Prabhupāda: What is this adventure?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is an ice cream advertisement. (break) Very respected person. Unkulunkul means the most respected amongst all respected persons. This is how they address God.

Prabhupāda: Ah. (end)

Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: That is said about Prahlāda Mahārāja when he was boy. So he has been described as kṛṣṇa-graha-praptaḥ. Just like under the influence of planet one becomes, what is called, ghostly haunted, like that, so devotee means when he becomes Kṛṣṇa haunted. That is wanted. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. He does not think anything else except Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa-graha-praptaḥ.

Indian woman: (indistinct) ...a few days before I been here for the (indistinct) my family complained me, "Mom, you don't know. Yesterday was very big day. Oh, you forget." (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa's wedding ceremony (indistinct) myself I forget everything. They start to complain go there (indistinct) I have not anything. They start to talk with me business, this and that. (indistinct) immediately I will give. Answer immediately because I always... Sometimes guest there are I start to preach (indistinct) say something. It's okay. Then you like talking your matter. Then I will talk (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Don't spoil your nail.

Indian woman: Automatic change.

Brahmānanda: When someone takes so spontaneously, like this African, without any preaching, but just spontaneously take...

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are not yet so advanced.

Brahmānanda: But it means in past life there must have been some connection if he immediately takes it so wholeheartedly, without any previous connection.

Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But you are blind. Therefore you have to hear. A blind man is going forward towards the sea, so one who has got eyes, he'll say, "Don't go there." Then, if you go, go to the sea, you'll die. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Because you are blind, therefore I am giving you the information. You take it. You don't go there. You'll not find.

Brahmānanda: But they do not think that they are blind.

Prabhupāda: That is the disease. That is the disease. A diseased man never thinks that he is diseased. He thinks, "I am quite all right." But a physician will say, "Oh, no, no, you are diseased." He says, "I am quite all right." Cancer. And then, after few days, finished. They do not know that "Why I am dying?" They think death is natural. But Bhagavad-gītā says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They have no brain to inquire that here is information that even after the destruction, the jīva does not die. But he does not inquire. He says, "Death is natural. Let me die." This is blind. They agree to die. And Bhagavad-gītā says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "There is no death even after destruction..." They will not inquire about this. So blind. So blind. This should be inquiry, that "If it is a fact that even after destruction of the body I do not die, then what is that position?" That inquiry is also not there. They are so fool. That is human life, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the spirit soul. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) Bhelpuri? Very popular. Yes. Picnic.

Harikeśa: The scientists will say that their particles are smaller than one ten-thousandth the tip of a hair.

Prabhupāda: First of all find out one ten-thousandth. Then talk. Find out.

Harikeśa: They make measurements with, to the twenty-second power, like a decimal point and twenty-two zeroes and then a one. We were just talking about quarks.

Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We... Our... Five thousand years ago Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "As I have heard it, I am explaining." That means time immemorial, the thing is, same thing is coming. There is no change, not that after few days, "No, no. It was wrong. This is now right." Again somebody comes.

Dr. Patel: They are explaining the truth in their own way. That is the change of theory. But the truth is the same.

Prabhupāda: That is the truth of rascaldom, as soon as you change your position.

Dr. Patel: Theory is rascal, but the truth is never rascal.

Prabhupāda: No, no, truth you do not know. Therefore rascaldom.

Dr. Patel: They do not know how to explain. Truth is there, sir.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Anyway, he does not know. Therefore he is a rascal, either you say this way or that way.

Dr. Patel: Truth is there.

Prabhupāda: No, no, truth is there, but they cannot present the truth rightly. That is rascaldom. Truth is there; that is certain. But they cannot present the truth in right way.

Dr. Patel: You mean they are groping in the dark.

Morning Walk -- November 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. It should be exhibited in Māyāpur, especially.

Jayapataka: It would be nice to have a big book display, I think.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Immediately ask them to dispatch to Māyāpur all books for demonstration. That is the main item, and they have not sent in Māyāpur? Caitanya?

Girirāja: Well, other than the Ādi-līlā, the later volumes only came within about a few days ago.

Prabhupāda: No, no. In Māyāpur all the books should be displayed.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. We'll get a complete set for display also.

Prabhupāda: Caitanya-caritāmṛta especially, it should be displayed in Māyāpur. Immediately ask to send to Māyāpur. And whatever books you have got already, you send them immediately. You select what books you want. Harer nama harer nama (CC Adi 17.21).

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (break)...from Hong Kong yesterday, and there's one Chinese producer who's making a Chinese movie and he wants our devotees to be in it for some time.

Prabhupāda: To make some money out of all...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It shows how a girl is going to different spiritual gurus for guidance. So they are sending the script first for approval.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They're going to show how Vaiṣṇavas live.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda Swami: Some of the members of the Gauḍīya Matha who say they chant 64 rounds, they are unable to ah, ahh, refrain from sleeping too much, from eating too much.

Prabhupāda: How do you know that he's eating too much?

Akṣayānanda Swami: I was staying at one about a year ago. When I was travelling I stayed a few days at some of the places. At night they would have a whole meal...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Akṣayānanda Swami: ...big, big meal. They would be sitting eating for one hour. Then in the morning they were all tired and very dull.

Prabhupāda: Huh huh. (laughing)

Akṣayānanda Swami: Then again at lunch time and after that again sleep. They couldn't do anything else, there was no time for preaching or for distributing books or... But yet they were supposed to be doing 64 rounds. That was in Vishakapatnam.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Akṣayānanda Swami: They were all very fat.

Prabhupāda: What is time now?

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, vimūḍha. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says not only mūḍha but vimūḍha; viśeṣa-mūḍha especifical. Prahlādah Mahārāja says the same thing: tato vimūkha-cetasā. Vimūkha cetasā means one who does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. Tato vimukha-cetasa soce, and simply thinking of desires. Who are this? Those who are nondevotees, one who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Tato vimukha-cetasa. So why you are searching? Māy-sukhāya: simply for so-called sense gratification for a few days, bhāram udvahato vimūḍhān, making big, big plans. I am thinking of these rascals. What for they are making big, big plans? They will stay here for a few days, and forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness they are busy in making plans. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja. And Kṛṣṇa says they are mūḍha, vimūḍha. As soon as you find one, not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately mūḍha, vimūḍha. Na mā duṣkṛtino mūḍh prapdyante narādhamāḥ.

Dr. Patel: That knowledge is, I mean, perished by māyā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Māyā will help you. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Māyā will help you, how you can more and more forget.

Dr. Patel: Māyā would help us even for finding out Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: No. māyā...

Dr. Patel: ...because the body is the māyā, the mind is māyā, and the very mind will help us, sir, that doesn't it help us to go towards Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: No. That is not māyā's help. When you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, māyā will not bother with your business. That means you get relief from māyā. You are no more under the jurisdiction of māyā. You..., now you are under the jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. māyā will trouble you so long you do not go in the jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, (Hindi). Hm.

Dr. Patel: Same thing—our boys have started smoking LSD in the colleges here. Yes, yes. In Grand(?) Medical College boys have started smoking. They know very well that it is a bad thing, medical students. Never bother the arts and science schools. (Hindi) Because their ideal starts from American precedent. The last precedent (president?) was so idealistic, so... (laughing)

Girirāja: A few days back in the newspapers there was..., smoking causes damage to the brain...

Dr. Patel: It causes damage everywhere, because it damages your blood vessel which carries the vital fluid to all the organs. The blood vessels are spoiled and narrowed down so not sufficient amount of blood will get to your brain, to your heart, to your lungs, your everything practically. Follow? This is not one of (indistinct). They smoke this ganja, sir, because artificially they go into a sort of a trance. That is what the psychedelic drugs.

Prabhupāda: That man also says like that.

Dr. Patel: Psychedelic drugs. I mean I read about these psychedelic drugs, and then, you see, this artificial trance, no doubt, that is much different from the samādhi that you get. But they, that is why they are tempted to do it. Same with the LSD. That means they find some sort of a pleasure in it. Sādhus get pleasure in samādhi, they get this artificial samādhi by drugs. Hm?

Prabhupāda: Sādhu, they take pleasure in real happiness. Satyanandi. Rāmante yoginam ante satyananda. They do not know what is satya, so how they will take pleasure?

Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless they are separated, it is very difficult to advance in spiritual consciousness. That is the whole Vedic system. Gradual. First of all, brahmacārī, he is educated very nicely that this is not good to marry and enter into a family life. And in spite of education, if he is still inclined, then he is allowed to marry. This is a concession. And that is for a few days, few years. Then compulsory separation from the family life. Vanaprāstha. At that time, wife is allowed to stay with the husband, but finally they are separated, sannyāsa. Wife should go home, remain with their children. That's all.

Lokanātha: So when they are gṛhastha, they make advancement?

Prabhupāda: Hm? That advancement is not very solid. But there is advancement; but that is not very solid.

Śrīdhara: Without sex pleasure a man and a woman would not be attracted to one another.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Attraction means that sex. There is no other. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedī sukhaṁ hi tuccham. Why they are working so hard day and night? Only for that sex pleasure. That is the psychology. There is no other happiness. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhī sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Their happiness is based on the center of sex pleasure.

Śrīdhara: So the body of a woman only reminds of the sex pleasure.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Body of man or woman. The same thing. This is the only pleasure. In this material world, so-called pleasure means sex pleasure. Why they are working so hard day and night? Only for that sex pleasure. That is the center.

Lokanātha: They say, "We want to come together to serve the Lord." Is that excuse or is that...

Prabhupāda: Together they go to hell. (laughs)

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the proprietor." But they'll not accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, the real proprietor says, that "I am the bhokta. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29)." But they are so rascal that they will deny the existence of Kṛṣṇa or God, or the real proprietor. They claim to be proprietor for a few days, and they, by one slap of Kṛṣṇa's hand, they finished all proprietorship, and they are going, struggling. This ignorance is prevailing all over the world. Does not know who is the proprietor, how I became proprietor, how I shall be enjoying. Nothing. The same thing, the dog philosophy: if the dog secures a morsel of bread, he's thinking, "I am proprietor." Another one snatches: "I am proprietor." This is going on. But the dog has no sense that none of us will be proprietor. So when you know who is the proprietor, then this Īśopaniṣad.... Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything, God's property. You enjoy for livelihood what is given to you. That's all. That is perfect philosophy. "I am the proprietor." That was the system in Vedic civilization. God is proprietor. King is the representative of God. He knows.... He gives you some land, that "You take this land, produce your livelihood, utilizing this land, and whatever you produce, one fourth give me." Not a fixed tax. "If you produce, one fourth is mine. If you don't produce, there is no tax." This was the system. And that includes all tax. No botheration. So people were God-fearing, honest, simple-dealing. So "I have produced a hundred mounds of rice. The king, you can take twenty-five mounds. That is my obligation." And king is also satisfied. By distributing that grain, he maintains the whole government. The real difficulty is all these rascals, they are not sufficiently educated. They are mūḍhas. And they are trying to solve the problems. That is not possible. That is andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are bound up. They're making adjustment, but.... Just like Gandhi. For making adjustment, all of a sudden a man came, (makes sound like gun) khat. Finished. Kennedy was making some adjustment. Somebody came and killed him. It is like that. What is the value of your adjustments? It will be finished after some days. Therefore the Russians, they support revolution. They said, "It is necessary." They admit the imperfectness. And occasional revolution makes it perfect. This is their idea of perfection. But they do not inquire that "What is that supreme power which makes our ideas of perfection imperfect?" These rascals, they do not never, do not ever inquire, "What is that power which forces to make our attempt frustrated, spoil, and make it imperfect?" What do they say about this?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: One ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair.

Dr. Kapoor: Sir, even that has been measured by measuring instrument. I think it is.... You can describe it. But it is smaller part, infinite smallest part of an atom.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it has been measured out. How the measurement is stated? It doesn't.... When the statement is there about the measurement of the soul, it was done. Otherwise how it is described in the śāstra? (break—walk)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The last few days, as guests have been coming to greet you, practically everyone who you've had a conversation with has brought up this question, What is good and what is bad, what is sinful activity?

Prabhupāda: Hm? What?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It seems that people have great difficulty discriminating today between good and bad.

Prabhupāda: So what is your answer?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You've answered very nicely that whatever the authority says is good is good, and whatever the supreme authority says is bad is bad. Independently of what our own way of thinking is, we have to ultimately answer to the supreme authority. Even that lady, she gave the example that in society certain things are good, but they've bent the law, that things which were once bad, they are now accepted as good. So you explained that whatever the authority says is good is good. So the only difference I can see is that the goodness and the badness that Kṛṣṇa has defined are eternal.

Prabhupāda: Bad is this material world, and good is spiritual world. In the material world the discrimination of good and bad is mental concoction.

Room Conversation -- April 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So when you are going back? Tomorrow?

Jagat-guru: Yes.

Prabhupāda: When? Early in the morning?

Devotee: Yes. We're making the arrangement tomorrow to go. We're getting tickets and some books. Then Jagat-guru will follow a few days later.

Prabhupāda: Make vigorous propaganda all over the world. From South Africa, Australia, there is direct service.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Direct service.

Prabhupāda: Perth.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Perth.

Prabhupāda: From Perth to...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sydney.

Prabhupāda: No, South Africa...?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How many hours? It's about nine hours.

Prabhupāda: Not much. Nearer than India. From India to Australia takes so many hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Five hours it was, from Bombay to Mauritius.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: What he has given up? (laughter) What he has given up? You say he has given up; what he has given up? "I have given up everything, but I remain proprietor." What is this, given up? There is not, no "given up." The contradiction's there. One who has given up, what he has given up? He has not given up his personality. Then what he has given up? In Bengali it says that rasamba sataya chaibe tyāga,(?) (indistinct) that "In the room, whatever is there, it is yours. But I lock it, I keep the key." (laughter) (Bengali) "I have given up." What you have given up? You have kept the keys. So we have to accept that he's given up? This is another foolishness. (break) So the first question will be, "You rascal, what you have got in your possession that you are giving up? If you have something, then you can give up. What you have got, first of all tell me. You haven't got anything. Even this body is not yours. As soon as God will kick you, you have to go out. Then what is yours? You say 'I have given up.' What you can give up? Nothing is yours." That is rascaldom: "I have given up everything; I kept the key." From here, for a few days we are walking. And while going, if I say, "Now this land I give you," where your land? Where you possess this land? This is like that. What you can give up? What is yours? You have nothing. This is nonsense. "I have given up." First of all, prove what you have got. If you haven't got anything, then what is to give up? This is all nonsense. Īśāvāsyam idam sarvam (ISO 1). Everything God's property. So there is no question of giving up. Because everything belongs.... I also belong to God. My body, my mind, everything is given by God. Where you get this mind? Where you get this body? It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpaḥ analaḥ vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. He claims, "It is My property. What you have got? And you are also My part and parcel. So why you are...?" This is all nonsense, that "I give up." What you can give up? You cannot give up, you cannot enjoy. That is your position. If you enjoy, you are a thief. And if you say, "I have given up," you are a false. Therefore sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Somebody is thinking "I am giving up, and now I've taken laṅgoṭā, (?)(indistinct) I have become sannyāsī." And whose laṅgoṭā it is? You have got still the laṅgoṭā.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No. Ahh.... I...

Reporter: Well the Vedic scriptures say that.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, the Vedic scriptures...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: ...something different.

Prabhupāda: The thing is, that is practical. That scientifics statement given today, and after few days it is changed.

Reporter: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then if I say "What is the value of such statement if you change it?" That is my point. And so far Vedic injunctions are there, you don't change. What was given millions of years ago, that we carry.

Reporter: Thank you very much.

Rāmeśvara: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is a nice story in this connection. There was one Gopal Ban. So he was very cunning fellow. In the Muhammadan period in Bengal. So the Mohammedan Nawab asked him, "Gopal Ban, can you prepare a Mahābhārata in my name?" "Oh, yes!" So, "I'll engage so many paṇḍitas, and they will make a Mahābhārata, your activities, your glories, everything. So give me one hundred thousand rupees, just begin." He was taking money, taking money, "Yes, it is going on, going on." "Then when it will be published?" "Yes, just last few days more. Now, sir, everything is prepared. So the one thing is, you have to give me information how many husbands you have got, your wife, huh? How many husbands your wife has got?" That is very insulting. "What, you nonsense, you take." "No, that is the main feature of Mahābhārata. Draupadī had five husbands, so how many husbands your wife has got? Tell me that." Then, "No, no, I don't want that. I am the only husband." "Then how can you write Mahābhārata?" (laughter) "I don't want." "All right. If you want Mahābhārata you must tell how many your wife has got husbands." That he cannot say. So Mahābhārata finished.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he kept the money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That already, he took that "I have to steal to pay so much money. Give me." That's all right. So these are, scientists are doing like that. At the end, how many husbands your wife has got.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Scientists are doing the same thing.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Dr. Wolfe: Prabhupāda, I told a friend, he's been a friend over the years, I tried to bring it home to him that we are not our body, and he said, "Oh, yes, and I cannot get away from the physical idea that I am this," and I said, "Your father is very sick now, and he may die at any time," he's very fond of his father, and when the father is dead and lying there on the floor and after few days he begins to smell, I asked him, "Is that still your father?" He had no answer for that.

Prabhupāda: Nobody can answer. They simply falsely argue. Therefore less intelligent. Mūḍha. If he was intelligent, then he would immediately accept the Kṛṣṇa's teachings, beginning with dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). On account of the soul, the body is changing, kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. The body is sometimes child, sometimes boy, sometimes young man, sometimes old man, sometimes diseased, sometimes healthy. All these terms are there on account of presence of the soul. If the soul is not there, then it is simply a lump of matter, and it is going to decompose into matter again, and then it will smell, either you have to throw it for being eaten by the vultures or you can bury it under some ceremony or you can burn it. Three.... What is called? Pariṇamanam. Transformations. Either as stool or as ash or as earth. Those who are burying, the bodies gradually becomes earth; those who are throwing, the vultures eat, the jackals, dogs eat and it turns into stool; and those who are burning, it turns into ashes. Three transformations. This beautiful body.

Nalinīkaṇṭha: Some people would say, "If everything is a creation of God, then why do you have such a..., why do you present this body as such a horrible thing?"

Prabhupāda: You wanted this body. Therefore you have got this body. You wanted. Just like a child asks the father, "Give me this dress." Father gives him, "All right, take this dress." You wanted a certain type of body. Just like the surfers. They want a body like fish. Therefore they are so much anxious to swim. So father will give him next body a fish.

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

Prabhupāda: Who was that man?

Hari-śauri: Getty. He just died.

Hṛdayānanda: Just a few days ago he died.

Rādhāvallabha: In England. One of the richest men in the world.

Hṛdayānanda: Two of the richest Americans have just died.

Rādhāvallabha: Howard Hughes. Howard Hughes was considered the richest man in the country, and they found him dying in a hotel room of malnutrition.

Hṛdayānanda: He had become so afraid of death that he would wear a mask over his face to avoid germs, and he would be changing his clothes constantly, and he was living terrified of dying and losing his money. So in this way, in his last several years he became mad, just with the fear that he was going to die. (break)

Prabhupāda: What is your next publication?

Hṛdayānanda: Mine?

Prabhupāda: Portuguese and Spanish?

Hṛdayānanda: In a few days we will be sending to the printer a complete Portuguese Bhagavad-gītā and Spanish Kṛṣṇa book. I think within one week perhaps we will, in one or two weeks, we will send both to the printer.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes. Yes. Vietnam. It is proof. When the Vietnam is attacked, American soldiers, they began to fly, flee away, became afraid. Naturally. They were not soldiers. They have no fighting spirit. By force they have been made soldiers. Let them take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. America will be saved. (japa)

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said yesterday, or a few days ago, that this movement will go on unimpeded for ten thousand years, so...

Prabhupāda: Yes, provided we keep it uncontaminated. You should take this opportunity.

Rāmeśvara: So after ten years we have gotten so many devotees and so many houses, so I can't imagine how big this movement will be after ten thousand years.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You'll get the government.

Rāmeśvara: The whole world will be delivered?

Prabhupāda: Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). America will be the best; people will follow. They are already following-skyscraper building, that's all. Any nation in the world, they are all aspiring to have skyscraper buildings. India has done? In Bombay?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No, no, just like lobsters, they are very fond of lobster. Lobster is never bought living. It is dead and rotten, decomposed, and they eat. They cannot say that by killing we get fresh. You are eating so many rotten things, decomposed. Actually, I have seen. It has become like puss, and still they are eating.

Hari-śauri: In England they had a system, the gentry, when it was pheasant shooting season, they used to kill the pheasants and they would hang them up in the outhouses. And then, after a few days, it would begin to rot. And when they were able to pull the skin off just in one piece, when it was just hanging off, they could just pull it off, then it was good for eating. That's when they would eat the flesh.

Prabhupāda: Just see. And another, they are digging the pig? You said?

Hari-śauri: Oh, Śukadeva was saying in Hawaii. They bury the pig, and when it becomes completely rotten they dig it up and eat it.

Prabhupāda: So similarly, when the cow is dead, you dig, or put it within the.... Or take it. No, nobody will object. In India, that is the system. When the cow is dead, there is a class, they are called cobblers, camar(?). They are informed and they'll come. They'll take it. And they'll eat the flesh and take the skin, and tan it in their own method, and then prepare shoes. They sell it in the market. So without any price, they get the skin, they eat the flesh. So nobody is harmed. But there is a class.... (break) ...they are not going to starve. From economic point of view, it is very good. So why you are killing and maintaining so big, big slaughterhouse? Let everyone maintain the cows for taking milk. And when it dies, you take it, you meat-eaters. Make that arrangement.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So this is ignorance, this is ignorance. And they are kept, the whole world—the state, the father, the guardian, everyone, the priest. Everyone is ignorant. Dull-headed ignorant. And they are passing on as philosopher, scientist, religious leader. (break) ...hard to bring them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Taking these few years, fifty years or sixty years living here, and dance like dog and finish. There is no life. You die peacefully or (indistinct). And not dying peacefully, they cry. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Kīrtanānanda: How to save them is very difficult.

Prabhupāda: Simply chant. This is the only. Give them chance to come and chant with us, take prasāda. Then after few days or few months, let them understand Bhagavad-gītā.

Devotee: We have all got this experience.

Prabhupāda: You have all got this experience. This is the only way. I started this movement on this determination, that they have nothing to give, simply by propaganda they are exacting so many people and befooling them. And I'll give them prasāda, nice chanting, and they will not come? They must come. This was my determination. And I began with this. So this is the only way. Give them chance "No talk, please come. Chant and dance with us and take kṛṣṇa-prasāda and go home."

Kīrtanānanda: I think it was just ten years ago when I first met you.

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

Prabhupāda: Provided he lives billions of years. But he's finished within fifty years. (laughter) And his theory remains. The rascal cannot remain more than fifty years, and he's talking of billions of years. This is the defect. Who will see after billions of years? He is finished within hundred years. These are theories only. We see practically. Egg appears like chemical combination, but if you give, proper fermentation will come, fermentation?

Devotee: Fermentation.

Prabhupāda: It comes within few days. Why billions of years? Why should we wait for billions of years? This is nonsense. We see practically a bird can give birth to a child within few days, within a week. Why should we wait for billions of years? What kind of scientist you are? (laughter) Proposing to wait for millions... You nonsense. Who's going to accept your foolish theory? We see practically that within a week, and you say billions of years. Nonsense, stop that. Tell them, "You are nonsense, stop. Don't expose yourself any more." We see here, practically, within a week the life comes. Suppose the egg is a chemical composition. It is, it is chemical composition, that's a fact. But it gives life within a week. Why shall I wait for billions of years? Just see their foolishness. And this is being accepted as scientific.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, actually it is taught in all schools. There's a book called Molecules to Man. It's written by a very famous biologist, and it has been taught in school, saying that you come like this, from molecules, now you become human beings.

Prabhupāda: Now what...? Leave aside man. Molecules to chicken. How it is done? What is their answer?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say give enough length of time.

Prabhupāda: Why shall I give them? Here I see. Within a week, I get.

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

Prabhupāda: But this time factor is answered. You are waiting. You cannot do that. You are waiting for this favorable situation.

Rūpānuga: They say wait..., "In the future, after I die..."

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but why shall I wait if I can get immediately? That is intelligence.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, they are cheating.

Prabhupāda: Cheating. That's all. Which can be done in few days, why shall I wait for millions of years?

Hari-śauri: That verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa? Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: So when you engage yourself in soul's activities, then gradually your intelligence, mind, senses, become spiritualized, or original. Then material activities stop. At the present moment without (indistinct) spiritually (indistinct) we are acting on the platform of gross senses. But if we begin our activities from the opposite side, from soul side, then everything becomes spiritualized. But the question of giving up the senses, no, it has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Senses (indistinct) it should be purified. At the present moment, on account of material conception of life everything is polluted with material ideas. So when it will be spiritualised, that is perfect. But instead of working uselessly, if we use our legs for going to the temple then it is spiritualized work. And instead of going to the cinema, if we go and see Deity then it is spiritual eyes. Instead of going to the restaurant, hotel, if we take prasādam, so then you spiritualize your tongue. Instead of talking nonsense, if you talk about Kṛṣṇa, then it is properly utilizing the tongue. In this way we have to practice. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Somebody is trying to stop sense activity. That is not possible. The sense activity should be cleansed. That is wanted. Otherwise how would he say hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). If you completely reject your senses then how we can serve Kṛṣṇa? It has to be purified. That is devotional service. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarnane (SB 9.4.18). Manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ, fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then your talking will be purified, your walking will be purified, your handling will be purified, your hearing will be purified, everything will be purified. You cannot be desireless. But if we simply desire Kṛṣṇa, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Anyābhilāśitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (BRS 1.1.11). Our activities are going on on the platform of karma and jñāna. Or little more on yoga. Karma, jñāna and yoga. So one has to give up all these, karma, jñāna. The karmīs are working for sense gratification. The jñānīs are working for being liberated. The yogis are working for some magical power. Aṣṭa-siddhi. So one has to become free from all these desires. Anyābhilāsa-śūnyam, anyābhilāsa-śūnyam, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply you should be prepared to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. If you are trying in different way, for sense gratification, karmīs are grossly, they want something (indistinct) they want nice car, wife, house, nice wife, nice (indistinct), So many things. That is karmī life. Jñānī, as they are baffled, they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, this endeavor for all mithyā. They take sannyasa, but after few days, again they take to the karmī's life. So that is also not good. Restless, so long you remain karmī, jñāni, yogi, restless. But when you become devotee you have no such desires, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (BRS 1.1.11). And then you become happy. Simply (indistinct) to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, he after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, what was his position? His position was, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. Yes. Yes, I am now ready to do whatever You say." That is (indistinct). He did not become a karmī, jñāni, yogi. Simply (indistinct) to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān madhusūdana.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Woman guest: I've known two people who went into it, and I was at a meeting when you were on Q Street. And I've always liked it.

Eugene Thoreau: I have found it strangely appealing. I met it by accident at an airport, and one of the devotees gave me a flower, and I was struck by it. So I happen to be a lawyer and I offered my services, and I got a call just a few days after that.

Prabhupāda: Open the fan.

Carl Warentz: I find it interesting.

Vṛṣākapi: You like this speed, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should we turn this on for you?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āp? (Hindi, "You?")

Dr. Sharma: I'm professor at Berkeley, California. And I was Regents Professor at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. In Los Angeles we have our mandira, we have... You sometimes go to our temple?

Dr. Sharma: Yes, I go to the temple in Berkeley. I was at Berkeley about a week ago. I'm in London now, at the Royal Institute of Chemistry. I was born in Haridwar.

Prabhupāda: Haridwar. (laughs) Bhagavān ka deśa hari. Hari, Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and dvāra means the door, the doorway to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is a place in India, Haridwar, people go there for pilgrimage, very famous place.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Scientists are responsible for that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the greatest mischief-maker, in the name of scientific knowledge. We must fight against them. Let them agree, "Yes, God is supreme." Then there is no fight. But as soon as they say that there is no need of God, science will solve everything, then they are rascal, you must expose.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Another point about this Institute, from my experience in the last few days in Washington, there were some Indians who come to the temple, and they are very favorable to the concept.

Prabhupāda: Include such members. Let them...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yesterday this Sharma, Dr. Sharma, he came, and he's going to come this evening, he's quite well known as a scientist.

Prabhupāda: Medical man?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, he's not medical man, but he has two or three Ph.D.'s in two, three different fields. In engineering, in chemistry and in pathology.

Vṛṣākapi: He's becoming a life member, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That pathologist.

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

Prabhupāda: No, (indistinct). There is separate arrangement for management, but the idea and philosophy is the same. Ultimately, I am managing. I have my twenty secretaries, they are called GBC, they are assisting me to manage. Every GBC has got a certain number of temples to supervise, and ultimately, I supervise everything. Therefore I come occasionally, stay for few days to see how things are going on. I have got hundred temples, big, big temples, very nice. They have organized palatial buildings, but I cannot stay anywhere. (laughter)

Mr. Boyd: That's the trouble with being boss. If you don't do it, nobody else will.

Prabhupāda: As soon as I say, "Ah, it is very nice place," the time is over, they say "You please get out." (laughter and groans from devotees)

Mr. Boyd: The school in Vṛndāvana, is this, I assume this is to be out there in the yard that they were clearing. When do you anticipate that will be built?

Prabhupāda: When they clear the land, we are going to construct a nice building for the school. As soon as it is done, then we will organize. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān... (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of life, this Bhāgavata principle should be trained. That is perfect. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). They should be trained up how to read at the house of the spiritual master. They should be trained up how to control the senses, dānta. Dānta means to practice how to control the senses. That is the difference between human being and animal. Animal cannot be trained up how to control their senses. That is not possible. But a human being can be trained up to control his senses. The yoga practice is meant for controlling the sense. Yoga-indriya-saṁyamī. That is the real yoga practice, not that I indulge in sense gratification as I like, and I become a yogi.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And another aspect of the Institute at the beginning phase is that Your Divine Grace also instructed a few days ago that we also get some, try to give some lectures to colleges. We can present as members from the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the higher learning section of ISKCON. That can also be part of the... So we can go to colleges and universities. We don't have to go every month or so, but maybe once a month or twice a month.

Prabhupāda: Whenever there is opportunity.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, but we can represent from...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...Bhaktivedanta Institute. If we do that, then people will also respect, those in the academic circle, that we are representing ISKCON from academic aspect. We have our title that "From Bhaktivedanta Institute, such and such person is going to speak on such and such topic."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we can, in the initial phase we can...

Prabhupāda: (aside:) So you can post this. Here.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This one, Bhaktivedanta Institute. I have to go into town a little bit later to pick up these passports. They're not quite ready till two-thirty.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Oh. So Los Angeles everything is going nice?

Rāmeśvara: Everything is very nice. We just had a big saṅkīrtana marathon for this Fourth of July, and they distributed up to thirty thousand Back to Godheads in just a few days.

Prabhupāda: (referring to garland) Make it smaller.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's all one garland, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You can just make smaller.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right.

Rāmeśvara: We had a good success because we sent out all the householders to the parks. During that holiday everyone goes to the parks. So the householders took their children and they set up a tent, and one of them stayed there babysitting and all the others went out distributing your books. So in that way they went out on traveling saṅkīrtana.

Prabhupāda: What is the name of that boy? He sold one Caitanya-caritāmṛta to a chemist?

Devotee: Praghoṣa?

Hari-śauri: No, not Praghoṣa, he's originally from New York, big, heavy, thick-set boy. Begins with J.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: ...a new book in Spanish, the Kṛṣṇa book, Volume One.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: That is coming in a few days.

Prabhupāda: You have seen Chinese Bhagavad-gītā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we have seen that.

Prabhupāda: You have got it?

Hari-śauri: Yes, in the back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have it also. I sent a copy to Peking.

Prabhupāda: He has done very nice. First six chapters. So in three books it will be finished.

Hari-śauri: The next six chapters are coming out soon.

Prabhupāda: That boy is doing very nice. Yaśomatī?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sūta.

Prabhupāda: Sūta, yes, very nice.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Why few years? Rascaldom. Dr. Chicken is doing in five days, so why you enjoy this title? You give up. You be ashamed. You are shameless, therefore you are talking all this nonsense. You have no human sense also.

Bali-mardana: They say that in the laboratory we are working on this, and very soon we will have the answer.

Prabhupāda: That means that you are a rascal. You admit that you are a rascal. We see one sparrow bringing within few days, life. So many birds, they are bringing life within few days.

Rāmeśvara: They say there are certain chemicals in the body.

Prabhupāda: All right, you rascal, big chemist, you combine these chemicals and bring life. Why do you not do that? Simply talking millions and trillions of years just to bluff other rascals. You are a rascal and you are bluffing other rascals. That is your business, and getting high salary, that's all.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even they can take a dead body, there's no need to manufacture the body, and try and put life back into it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, give him some chemicals. So many dead bodies are being wasted. Give some chemical and let them come back in life.

Jayādvaita: They are freezing the bodies sometimes, so that in the future when they perfect that ability, they'll revive these dead bodies and they'll live again.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...things are going on.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I wanted to start this movement from India. I even requested Mahatma Gandhi, that "Mahatmaji, you have got some respect all over the world, and you are known as a great student of Bhagavad-gītā. Now you have got your sva-rājya, the Britishers have gone away. Let us preach Bhagavad-gītā." But I don't think I got any reply from him. Of course he was very busy man. My letter might have reached him or not reached him. The secretaries might have rejected. I think received from secretary, like that. But then after few days he was killed. So I was trying for this purpose in India. I approached many friends, that "You have got four sons. Give me one son so that I can train him how to become a real preacher of Bhagavad-gītā, how one can understand." Because Bhagavad-gītā is being misinterpreted. So I wanted to preach it as it is. That was my mission. So practically nobody joined me. Then I decided to come here. And these boys cooperated. So I have got great desire to... Because India is by nature Kṛṣṇa conscious, but our modern leaders keeping them suppressed. That is the difficulty. There are so many other difficulties, and leaders are misinterpreting Bhagavad-gītā. To tell you frankly, there are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā by Dr. Radhakrishna, by Gandhi, by Tilak, by Aurobindo, or many others. But nobody has said that "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa." Do you admit or not? Has anybody said that, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. You are searching after God. Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Worship Him"? Nobody has stated. Am I right or not?

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Very learned scholar in Sanskrit. Titles in Sanskrit.

Hṛdayānanda: (break) ...Ratha-yātrā, "No Parking. Sunday Parade."

Prabhupāda: You convince the authorities of America that my logic, andha-paṅgor nyāya. Who will explain this? Andha-paṅgor nyāya, lame and blind logic.

Hari-śauri: Ah, lame and blind.

Bali-mardana: Oh, yes, I told a reporter that just a few days ago.

Prabhupāda: America is blind by money. Dhana-madāndha, when one gets too much money he becomes blind. Dhana-durmadāndha. Tasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndha. To get too much riches means he becomes fool and blind. He doesn't care. So this blindness of America... And we Indians, we have no money, but we have got culture. Combine together, then things will be very nicely done for the good of the whole world. Simply money is not the end; there must be culture. Take that culture, Vedic culture, and use it by American money, then the whole world will be paradise, Vaikuṇṭha. In India one paper, Sunday, they have published a nice article about us: "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Catches On."

Kīrtanānanda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness what?

Prabhupāda: Catches on.

Hari-śauri: It begins by saying that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has had an amazing cultural impact on India in the last two years.

Prabhupāda: Stone houses or brick?

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Gurudāsa: Rustic.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, rustic is the word. (laughter) Pennsylvania they bought this fabulous farm all made up.

Prabhupāda: Pradyumna, give him little, this one here.

George Harrison: Oh, no, no. Please, no more. I'm really full. I won't have to eat for a few days. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Sweets.

George Harrison: Very well.

Prabhupāda: Sweet will help you digest. Don't give three—at least four.

George Harrison: I won't be able to eat much more.

Prabhupāda: Three is given to the enemy. According to our Indian system, if you give somebody three, that means he is enemy.

George Harrison: Oh, really? I always liked the number three.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) You must give at least four.

George Harrison: I like three, five, seven, nine. Those numbers.

Prabhupāda: Bring some fruit. What are the three enemies? Kama, krodha...

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

George Harrison: The hole is..., the bore is actually only about this wide. You can have a little bucket. (laughter)

Jayatīrtha: You have to apply for permission, actually, to dig a well, but around here at least you have to get permission.

George Harrison: We did too. You have to put your name on the list, public notice in the local papers, and if somebody wants to complain about it, then they have a chance to. And once it's been up there for a few days or a week or something, and if nobody's made any formal complaint for any reason, like maybe they've got one and want to bore a hole, and you may be (indistinct) there, so then you just go ahead. Then it's all approved, and then your names goes on the list someplace in the county surveyor's office. So you do have to go through a, you know, a couple of months of waiting. Just to, say, bore a hole to replenish, and you have to just pay for the cost to bore a hole and the pump. To lay out electricity to where the pump is. The pump is, you know, just in the ground, you can't even see it. You know, by that weeping willow tree?

Prabhupāda: So if you want to take little rest, we can arrange for that. Resting.

George Harrison: Rest?

Prabhupāda: Yes, for you.

George Harrison: No, no.

Jayatīrtha: I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you want to rest.

George Harrison: You take a rest.

Prabhupāda: I am taking rest now these twenty-four hours. I have no other business than to take rest. (laughter)

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So he's coming to me. He was very big man. Home member Ran Nitola(?) was president.

Hari-śauri: He was prime minister for about ten days.

Prabhupāda: Yes, for a few days. He was a very prominent member in the cabinet, and now see. So planning, you make so many plans, but it requires sanction. That planning is condemned by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ. In this way, there is a verse, that we are planning, that every parent is planning how his child will be grown nice, educated, but it becomes different. Every father, mother plan that "My child should be like this." But he is becoming hippie. When there is somebody diseased, rich man, he is planning to save him, best physician, best medicine supplied, but he's dying. So what is the value of your planning? Your planning is... That's all right. That's your duty. But it requires the sanction of some higher authority. Otherwise useless. That is your position. You may make plan, but unless it is sanctioned by the higher authority, then it is useless. That is practically going on.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This morning both of these boys would like to be initiated if you would give them your mercy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so let them...

Ātreya Ṛṣi: After the guru-pūjā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: My I make some arrangements? May I go and...?

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: We are publishing monthly magazine every month now, one is coming out in a few days for Janmāṣṭamī. We have changed new house, very good house.

Prabhupāda: What is the rent?

Yaśomatīnandana: Land also...

Prabhupāda: No, no, rent.

Yaśomatīnandana: Rent is thousand rupees. One thousand rupees, plus tax for government.

Prabhupāda: Plus twelve hundred?

Yaśomatīnandana: No, plus two hundred tax. They are life members from Ahmedabad. They came to see Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you. So give them place to stay. (end)

Room Conversation -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: How people are receiving this movement all over the world, even (indistinct) to the communist (indistinct). They are trying to kill God, and we are putting God (indistinct) educated families.

Acyutānanda: Yes.

Jayapatāka: Show that other article that... This is the actual article against us.

Acyutānanda: Also this came in the Statesman, the pro-vice-chancellor of Calcutta University came to Māyāpur, he wants to affiliate Māyāpur with the Calcutta University. This came in the Statesman. And a few days ago the vice-chancellor...

Prabhupāda: It is not yet finished?

Jayapatāka: That's the old picture.

Acyutānanda: No, this picture's six months old.

Jayapatāka: It's more than half.

Acyutānanda: It's more than that.

Jayapatāka: (indistinct) We've received ten lakhs so far. The building total was twenty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

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

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow I shall.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Tomorrow. Okay.

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow I shall lecture.

Gargamuni: Go ahead.

Jayapatākā: Now, just a few days ago, when I invited him for Janmāṣṭamī, then I asked him what the... He told me at that time... He said, "Now..." He had recently received a phone call from the Chief Secretary." You see? Now your favorite project is going to be spoiled." Then he went over to see the Chief Secretary. He showed him an article from the Rāja-Sabhā, how the member of Parliament had given this challenge that "Are these people CIA or this or that?" Then Mr. Choudhuri said, "Sir, I am not afraid." He said, "Why not?" "Because I have you, don't I?" Then the Chief said, "Yes. You have won me over. I believe in this project." Then he said that now the Chief Minister has agreed that the project be sanctioned. But he said that "I don't want to take the full brunt of the decision. Let the Nadia District Planning Committee take the decision."

Prabhupāda: Nadia?

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Pickle, yes. Khicuḍi with potato and other vegetables, and ghee should be given separately as I... Make it simplified. If I go to rest at two o'clock, then it will be possible to start. So see that it is quickly done. We shall go and come back by half past twelve. In Europe especially, if they do not change their mode of living, reject spiritual life, then gradually the whole situation will be dangerous. Then there will be no water supply.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: Yes. I read in the newspaper just a few days ago that Britain is thinking of importing drinking water.

Prabhupāda: It is impractical. Is it possible to import drinking water for so many people?

Prabhā Viṣṇu: No.

Prabhupāda: This is their utopian theory.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: They are thinking that man will conquer over nature. That's their ideal, that man will become God.

Maṇihāra: Just before I left England... They have so many cows in the south of England, they were grazing. But because it was so hot, the grass was not growing. It was becoming very dry, and no new grass was growing because there was no rain. So then they had to move all the cows to the north of England. Thousands upon thousands of cows, they have to move in big lorries to the north of England where there was some grass. And now in the north of England there is no grass, so they're going to have to move them to Scotland. It's costing so much money. And then the cows are going to become thin.

Prabhupāda: They are killing immaturely. Because they die, they cannot eat. They want to eat fresh, huh? The want to kill them alive. (pause) You want? So let us go down to the car. (end)

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You were also present then?

Mahāṁsa: Not here, before. About six to seven months back. I had shown him the film privately in my room. That was the time when he was completely convinced about it and he started collecting afterwards for us. Now all these people are coming. Because by heart they are all Vaiṣṇavas. All these Marwaris, their Deity is Kṛṣṇa. And there's not a single Kṛṣṇa temple in Hyderabad. So last few days...

Prabhupāda: Oh, there is no Kṛṣṇa...

Mahāṁsa: There is no Kṛṣṇa temple. What to speak of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. And their Deity is Kṛṣṇa, most of the Marwaris. So they will now slowly all of them will come. We had a very hard time. This Inani who was wearing the turban. He's the chief of the Marwaris. If he gives five thousand rupees, then all the Marwaris will give five thousand rupees in that Ganj area. Whatever he gives, the others will have to.

Prabhupāda: He is the head.

Mahāṁsa: He's the head. He himself never gave. And we went a hundred times to him.

Prabhupāda: And now he saw the film...

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

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

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Maybe travel agent. He came to see me, that "I am sent by Gopal Agarwal, so I'll arrange for your dispatch. You come with me."

Hari-śauri: Dr. Agarwal was your sponsor?

Prabhupāda: Yes. His father came to see me some time in Agra. Agra. His father, mother came.

Hari-śauri: And then they suggested that he be your sponsor.

Prabhupāda: It was all by chance. I was for a few days guest at his father's place in Agra. I did not know that his son is in America. So he was talking about his family. He was little sorry that his eldest son went to America to study electric engineering, and he was entrapped by an English girl, and he married and settled there and did not come back. In this way... So I took the opportunity, that "Why don't you ask your son to sponsor me?" I wanted to go to America. So I did not know how seriously he took it. But I simply told him that "Why don't you ask your son to sponsor me at least for one month. So I am thinking of going to America." Then that was talking, beginning and end, that's all. I did not know that he took it very seriously. Then after two, three months, some documents came. I was receiving my letters in a post box. So when I left Delhi I used to keep my key of post box with some nice bookseller, Atmaram, he was manager. So he opened that, he got that documents. That is No Objection Certificate, Sponsor, and everything. I was out of Delhi. Then when I came back I took it. So everything was there, that sheet (indistinct) from the Indian Consulate, No Objection Certificate. Then I applied for a passport. In this way I had to go. So Gopal was unknown to me, but his father was, his father was known to me. His father was... Then his agent got me on the bus. So on the bus (I) went to Pennsylvania.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: This is one of our biggest problems. Just as you say, when someone gets sick he should fast. I tell them, "Stop eating. You'll get well immediately. If you have fever, don't eat. Take water, lemon. You'll be all right in a few days." They have not realized the function of the body, how their own body is functioning, and they insist on eating. They get sicker and sicker. They complicate things. I've seen so many people get incredibly complicated digestive diseases. Then they can't work. They get jaundice, they get dysentery, amoebic dysentery, boils, all these things come from taking too much food. And then they want to change their diet. Although they change their diet, they eat so much of the changed diet that it also has no effect.

Akṣayānanda: Actually, this is the main problem.

Haṁsadūta: And then they require money for medicine. I have spent so much money on medicine. Now I have stopped it. I tell them, "First you fast for three days, and if you don't get better I'll give you some money for medicine." But they are constantly running to this hospital, getting this pill and that pill. All these pills are useless. The real problem is they are just overeating. And of course when they overeat they want to sleep. Because India is hot. And when they sleep then they get dysentery. And when they get dysentery they can't engage. And in this way they run into a cycle which is very difficult to break. Only very few devotees are able to maintain themselves in India for any length of time. I see a nice strong man comes and I look at him and I see him eat and I say, "Within a week this man is going to be sick." And sure enough, he's sick. He's laying down, he's got fever, he's got dysentery, he's going to the hospital. In this way we have so many people like that.

Akṣayānanda: They become so weak that they can't work anyway.

Hari-śauri: So they just become a liability.

Haṁsadūta: I had one devotee, his name was Rad... (break) ...you know and you know. He does nothing at all. He's always sick. But at prasādam he eats more than any other man. I told him, "Prabhu, you're a doctor. You should know that if you eat so much food you can't digest, you're going to be sick." He says, "No, I'm so weak I require food. I have to, I can't get any strength." So I asked him, "At least, sit down in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He said "I can't..."

Prabhupāda: I have seen. Some of them eat so much I am surprised.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, hm. (break) ...just in front of our house, attached to our house. That means the house belonged to one of our relatives and her son, stepson, he sold the whole house to a Marwari without the knowledge of this, my, she was in relation grandmother. So when the house was sold in those days, about say about 100 years ago, not 100 years, about 90 years. In Mahatma Gandhi road, most important, that Mullik's house you have seen? That was one of the Mullik's house, for 12,000 rupees. One bighā of land and grand building. So it was unknown to the stepmother, the stepson sold it. Then she appealed to the high-court that, "I belong to a respectable family and this my spoiled stepson has sold the house without my knowledge, then where shall I go?" The high-court considered that, "The drunkard son has sold at a cheap price, and she's belongs to a respectable family, where she'll go?" And the high-court order was, "The half of the house shall be used by this lady. During her lifetime, you cannot take possession," the Marwari who purchased. So under that grandmother, we used to live. Therefore this half portion of the house was a Marwari school. So it is just like our temple and this. So my father first admitted me in that Marwari school. So I learned this devanāgarī there, for a few days I was going. I was the only Bengali student there. Because I was little, my father thought that instead of going outside the house, within the house there is a school, get him admitted. The school name was Visuddhana(?) Marwari Vijnala(?), something like that, and later on they constructed huge building Visuddhana(?). Then the house was vacated. So in the beginning I was admitted in a Marwari school and I learned a little Hindi there, that's all.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is no taxi. You cannot get taxi on call. And the taxi drivers, they want something more.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, they...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Haṁsadūta: They do that.

Prabhupāda: Very bad country, the communist country.

Haṁsadūta: I was asking this boy, that was here a few days ago from South India, from Kerala, he was in Russia. I asked him. "What did you eat there?" What did you, you stayed for one year?

Prabhupāda: He must be eating meat.

Haṁsadūta: No, he said, "I was able to get frozen vegetables from the south of Russia. They freeze it and then they sell it," he said, "but it is very expensive, very costly." He was getting frozen.

Prabhupāda: That is also nasty. Frozen means nasty. I never take frozen. In the beginning I thought, "Oh, it is very nice, you can get fresh vegetable." But they are not at all fresh.

Haṁsadūta: No.

Prabhupāda: All rotten, rather the same vegetable, as we have got in India practice, we dry it and keep it. That is tasteful. In season time—suppose this season there is huge quantity of vegetable—so here the system is they cut into pieces during the season and dry it in the sun and keep it. And during out of season it is soaked in water, it revives the old taste, then you can cook. (Hindi or Bengali)

Room Conversation -- November 24, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So go and settle up in that lungi.(?)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can settle it ourselves instead of bringing it to Prabhupāda.

Akṣayānanda: I don't think there's any great difficulty, Prabhupāda.

Devotee (1): Actually, we've been speaking the last few days and these problems can be solved.

Prabhupāda: No, it is Kṛṣṇa's service. Everyone is offering voluntary service. So not that anybody's paid and if he cannot, dismiss or... Yes. This bureaucracy is not... Train him. Train him. If he does not know, train him. But things must be done very nicely by cooperation. That is wanted. Everyone should remember that we are serving Kṛṣṇa, and everyone should remember, "The other person is serving Kṛṣṇa. And because he is serving Kṛṣṇa, he is not my servant; he is my master." That should be always in view. Therefore we address, prabhu: "You are my master." We never address, "You are my servant." We are trained up to say my brother, that "prabhu," "such and such prabhu." Prabhu means master. Nobody think himself that he is master. He should always think that everyone is his master because he's serving the master. This is our philosophy. So in this way... Now you have got good arrangement and they're all intelligent persons, young persons.

Akṣayānanda: All those people are here.

Prabhupāda: So kindly settle up and do nice things. That I want to see. That's all. He is also present. At that time he was not present. So go and...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. (devotees offer obeisances)

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

Prabhupāda: Jaya. (Hindi) (break) I do not know. (break)

Dr. Patel: You agreed, huh? (indistinct) is coming.

Prabhupāda: I am going within four days.

Dr. Patel: You go, find out what you... and then communicate with you. Huh?

Prabhupāda: No, you asked me to stay at least a few days.(?)

Dr. Patel: But you must stay, if you don't stay, you can't stay, I have got not power to keep you. If you will stay, well and good. If you can't even, well I will try our best to inform you what should be done in four days. Hm?

Prabhupāda: Let God do whatever He likes.

Dr. Patel: God will be do it through us.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: But whatever you do... (laughs) You do not know...

Prabhupāda: No, whatever is there is there. Let it remain. They also require some shelter.