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Loud (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Haridāsa, Śrīnivāsa, and Advaita. They were taking part. Otherwise, all, they were young friends, yes. Young boys. No girls. That is not the system in India. (laughs) Yes. Now when the second scene, mainly their movement was going on and it was becoming popular. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached that simply by the saṅkīrtana movement everything will be fulfilled. You need not do anything. So the priest class brāhmaṇas they became very much dissatisfied that "He is inviting Muhammadans and all others..." Because according to Hindu society, except the brāhmaṇas... Especially in those days, only the brāhmaṇas were considered the highest in the society, and even the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, they all calculated to, in the group of śūdras. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was allowing everyone, the Muhammadans, the śūdras, the low class, the high class, the brāhmaṇas... He was amalgamating everyone. So these brāhmaṇas, they took objection. "He is making a disastrous movement! The prestige of the brāhmaṇas will go." So they became very much dissatisfied and they concluded that "We shall go to the magistrate and file our complaint that He is doing against Hindu religion and He's crying always 'Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa' loudly. The Lord is sleeping. He will be disturbed and there will be disaster, Lord being angry." In this way they filed complaint. Ask anything, questions.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Several thousand. And they were loudly chanting and meeting Lord... So when the chanting was going on the Chand Kazi appeared and there was discussion between... Chand Kazi was also very great scholar, and Lord Caitanya was also scholar. So Chand Kazi, just to pacify them, he addressed Caitanya, "My dear boy, You happen to be my nephew. You are my sister's son. Why You are so angry upon Your maternal uncle?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu got the clue that he was prepared to make compromise. So He also mildly replied, "Yes, you are My uncle, I know. So because you are My uncle, therefore I have come to your house. How is that when the nephew comes that you do not receive Him? In an angry mood you go upstairs?" So in this way, the situation was pacified. Then they sat together and there was a very learned discussion between the two. Because Hindus are always against cow killing. So he was Muhammadan. They were killing cow.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 20, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes, sometimes. You shall, I shall...? I shall pray that?

Gargamuni: Oh yes, that's nice, that one.

Yamunā: What does that mean, Swamiji, that new prayer?

Prabhupāda: Cintāmaṇi... That is description of Kṛṣṇaloka.

Yamunā: From the Brahma-saṁhitā?

Gargamuni: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have?

Yamunā: Yes, I have a copy of it.

Prabhupāda: Sit down? Why do you keep there?

Gargamuni: So it's not too loud.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (Prabhupāda chants Cintāmaṇi and other prayers)

Morning Walk -- March 20, 1968, San Francisco

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 23, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Chanting is good everywhere.

Devotee (1): Yes, but, I mean, if you can't chant all day.

Prabhupāda: If there is some inconvenience in chanting loudly, you can chant slowly. Loudly, slowly... Within mind you can chant. This simple practice, you'll give up all kinds of (microphone rattling)...

Devotee (1): Sometimes in school you have your, your mind is focused on their problems that they are, I mean... (plane going overhead)

Prabhupāda: Not sometimes. Practically, we are always disturbed. (Walks for awhile)

Devotee (1): Swamiji, would it be all right for Cathy to become a devotee?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow.

Devotee (1): To be initiated. Cathy. To be initiated. She's the girl with the baby.

Prabhupāda: Oh. If she can perform the..., there is no objection.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation -- April 1, 1969, San Francisco:

Gargamuni: Swamiji? Didn't Karṇa request Arjuna not to fight when he was lifting the chariot? Didn't Karṇa request Arjuna not to kill him?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Request. But Kṛṣṇa said, "No. You kill him. I say." Arjuna said, "That's all right. (laughter) When You order me, 'Fight,' I don't care for any morality or discipline. Your order is 'Fight.' "

Devotee: Can you chant for us loudly? Can you chant from the Bhāgavata?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I'll chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, thank you very much. All should be offered there, Jagannātha. The etiquette is nice. Everything should be offered to the, through the spiritual master. That is the etiquette. No direct. (Prabhupāda chants the second chapter of First Canto.) One chapter. Just play it. (break) ...have the sound only. (Laughs) The explanation... I shall give you little explanation.

Gargamuni: Isn't the sound, though, as good as the explanation?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hearing is always good.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa, you can read loudly. We'll hear.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "Qualifications of devotee: 1) kind to everyone, 2) does not quarrel with anyone, 3) fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4) equal to everyone, 5) faultless, 6) charitable, 7) mild, 8) clean, 9) simple, 10) benevolent, 11) peaceful, 12) completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, 13) no material hankering, 14) meek, 15) steady, 16) self-controlled, 17) does not eat more than required, 18) sane, 19) respectful..." (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Not insane.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "...20) humble, 21) grave, 22) compassionate, 23) friendly, 24) poetic, 25) expert..."

Prabhupāda: Poetic.

Hṛṣīkeśa: "...25) expert, and 26) silent."

Prabhupāda: These are the qualities.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: So that's a mantra for students, for Sarasvatī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vidya, the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī. In our childhood we used to worship Sarasvatī: "Please, mother, give me pass this examination." That was our prayer. So other students, they laughed very loudly. They thought that "Caitanya has come out very victorious within a second." He said, "No. Stop." Then He stopped all these talkings, and... "So you are so... I have to talk with you. You are very learned." Ordinary formalities. Then he went away. And he was also great worshiper of mother Sarasvatī. Then he began to pray to Sarasvatī, "Mother Sarasvatī, by your grace I have become victorious in so many places. And what is this, that I am defeated by a boy who is a grammar student?" So he began to pray, and mother Sarasvatī informed her (him) that "He is God, my husband. So you speak means I speak. So how can I defeat my husband? That is not..." (knock at door) Come on. Come on. (someone enters) Yes, come. Yes. You can put there. (someone offers obeisances) Put there. All right. Put there. That's all. Very good. So then he further did not attempt to talk with Him. He went away, and the mother Sarasvatī advised him that "You surrender unto Him. That will be your nice role. Yes." So later on, he became a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Keśava Kāśmīrī.

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

Prabhupāda: You can make scene that people, His disciples, are performing kīrtana and one scene you can make Kazi, Muslim magistrate, is sitting, and the brāhmaṇas, they come. "Sir, you are our protector. You are Kazi. You are magistrate. And this Nimāi Paṇḍita, young boy, He is creating so much disturbance." "What is that?" "He has begun this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is not our Hindu religion. He is chanting so loudly. Now this is the time God is sleeping. So He'll be disturbed. So the whole society will be vanquished if God becomes angry. So He'll be disturbed." So Kazi... After all, Hindus are complaining. So Kazi said, "All right, I am taking steps." So he sent some officers. And they were playing mṛdaṅga, and warned that "You cannot do this. You are disturbing here." That is going on still. Just like our Los Angeles, it is going on. In New York also, they complain to the Kazi, (laughs) police officer. But they could not do anything. So this complaint is going on since the inauguration of the saṅkīrtana movement. So Kazi first of all warned. Then He did not care. Then the police also came and broke the mṛdaṅgas forcibly.

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Prabhupāda: His mantra is not public.

George Harrison: Not out loud. No.

John Lennon: No. It's a secret. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: There is a version by Rāmānujācārya. Rāmānujācārya, he was a great ācārya of this Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. His spiritual master gave him mantra: "My dear boy, you chant this mantra silently. Nobody can hear. It is very..." So then he asked, "What is the effect of this mantra?" He said, "By chanting this mantra, by meditation, you'll get liberation." So he immediately went out and in a public, big meeting he said that "You chant this mantra. You'll be all liberated." (laughter) So he came back to his spiritual master, and his spiritual master was very angry that "I told you that you should chant silently." He said, "Yes, I have committed offense. So whatever punishment you like, you can give me. But because you told me that this mantra will liberate, I have given it publicly. Let everyone hear and be liberated. Let me go to hell. I don't mind. I have disobeyed your order. Let me go to hell. I am prepared. But by this chanting mantra, if anyone is liberated, let it be publicly distributed." His spiritual master embraced him: "You are greater than me." You see? So if a mantra has so power, why it should be secret? It should be distributed. People are suffering. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Anyone who will hear... Even the birds and beasts will hear and they will be liberated." That's all.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: The movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very firm. (makes comment about other room; loud sounds of kīrtana and fire yajña) Bhagavad-gītā was there, so Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was there. India, it was existing. Unfortunately, some of the less intelligent swamis and philosophers, they could not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and they misinterpreted the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore people could not understand. In spite of reading Bhagavad-gītā all the world over, they were not aware what is Kṛṣṇa, although Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa understanding. You have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Mohsin Hassan: Oh, yes. Beginning to end.

Conversation with Journalists -- August 18, 1971, London:

Journalist (1): Yes. Therefore that's made living as children of God impossible.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because the one son of God is not allowing the other son to come in. And that he hasn't got the right to forbid. Just like your father has got ten sons. So all the tens sons have got the right to use the property of the father. That is law. Similarly, all the living entities, not only human beings. Birds, animals, birds, beasts—everyone. This is called spiritual, or transcendental, communism. According to Vedic civilization, a householder has to see that even a lizard in the room is not fasting, to see whether it has got his food. Even there is a snake in the house, the householder is to see whether the snake has got his food. A householder would stand on the street, and before taking his food, he will say loudly, "If anyone is hungry, please come. Still I have got my food." And if there is no response, then he takes prasādam.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: In Calcutta he was a professor...

Guest: ...politics, not of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: Now, would you allow me to think aloud...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Guest: ...in the matter you have taken up?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: First of all, they are scattered all over the world, your society. Scattered all over the world. They do not live together, anywhere.

Prabhupāda: No. I have got different centers.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Śyāmasundara: ...1972 in Māyāpur. Conversations between Śrīla Prabhupāda and Bob, a Peace Corps worker, entitled "Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers." (break) (Devotees are singing prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva loudly over loudspeaker in background.)

Prabhupāda: ...because he knows things as they are.

Bob Cohen: (indistinct) ...knows things as they are.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bob: He hopes he knows things as they are.

Prabhupāda: No, he's supposed to know. We approach to a scientist because he's supposed to know the things right. (A loudspeaker is playing very loudly in the background.) Let them make a little soft. (break) (laughter) Great relief. (laughter)

Bob: I have felt that the loudspeakers were too loud all day.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Man and woman. So if you want to get liberation from this material world, then that attachment should be reduced to nil. Otherwise, simply for that attachment, you'll have to take birth and rebirth, either as human being or as demigod or as an animal, as a serpent, as a bird, as a beast. You have to take birth. So this basic principle of attachment, increasing, is not our business. It is decreasing. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalam. This is the general tendency, but if one can reduce and stop it, that is first class. Therefore our Vedic system is that first of all a boy is trained as a brahmacārī, no sex life. Brahmacārī. He goes to the teacher's home. (pause—a devotee chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa over loudspeaker is very loud.) Who is this? Stop it. (break) The whole principle is, Vedic principle is, to reduce it, not to increase it. Therefore the whole system is varṇāśrama-dharma. Our, the Indian system is called varṇa and āśrama, four spiritual orders and four social orders. The social order is brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. Uh, this is spiritual order. And social order is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. So under this system the regulative principles are so nice that even one has got the tendency for enjoy material life, he is so nicely molded that at last he gets liberation and goes back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process. So sex life is not required on principle, but because we are attached to that, therefore there are some regulative principles.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Because He's within your heart, He's always hearing you. When you are praying or not praying, you are doing some nonsense, He also hearing. And when you pray, that is very good, welcome. But even if you are doing some nonsense, He's hearing.

Bob: Is praying louder than nonsense?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bob: To Kṛṣṇa's ear, is praying louder than nonsense talk.

Prabhupāda: No, He's all-perfect. He can hear any temper, or any degree of saying. Even if you don't speak, even if you simply think, He can hear you. As soon as you think that "I shall do it," then He hears you. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15).

Bob: But one should pray, is that so? That one should...

Prabhupāda: That is his business.

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Night girls.

Śyāmasundara: Nice girls, nicer, more beautiful girls will only go to the most beautiful apartment. So there is competition.

Sudāmā: Everyone is competing. Now the girls, they want handsome man, so man is trying to get his face fixed and buy new clothes.

Prabhupāda: Trying to keep himself young.

Sudāmā: Trying to keep himself young, yes.

Bhūrijana: So we must propagate your message very loud. Very loud. We must sing Hare Kṛṣṇa very loud so everyone can hear. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Room Conversation with Maharishi Impersonalists -- April 7, 1972, Melbourne:

Śyāmasundara: Particles?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very small, atom-like. They are combined together. It looks that it is one, sunshine. But they are mixture of molecular parts, very small. They are all shining. This is scientific. But it looks one. Even water, that also, small molecular parts. Everything. This matter—a small molecular atom. So everything is combination of several molecular, atomic parts. That's all. You are also atomic spirit. So all the atomic spirit, when they are together, that is called brahmajyo... (loud noise) This... This cannot be stopped? This nonsense bombing?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is very much disturbing.

Room Conversations -- April 22, 1972, Japan:

Sudāmā: So we should take the Deity prasādam and our prasādam and go to all the houses?

Prabhupāda: No no. You invite them, that "Anyone, you are welcome. Take prasādam." We can announce. Then you can judge how many people are coming daily. You should announce that "Anyone can come and take prasādam at noon." It is the duty of a gṛhastha to loudly cry, "If anyone is hungry, please come. We have got still food." That is the duty of a gṛhastha. If one does not come, then the chief of the house, he takes prasāda. If somebody says, "I am hungry," so he should offer his own food. "You eat." This is duty of gṛhastha. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanti. Those who are cooking for themselves, they are simply eating sinful things. That's all. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). So hospitality is one of the duties of the householder. Atithi. Atithi means guest without any information. That is called atithi. Tithi means date. So if I go to your house, I inform you that "Such and such date I am coming there." But atithi, he does not inform you, all of a sudden comes. So you should have to receive him. That is called atithi. Pāntha. People are moving... Formerly, if some of the walkers in the street, suppose he has become hungry, so he enters anyone's house. So "I am hungry sir. Give me something to eat." He'll immediately, "Take." Pāntha-bhāga. There is a stock of foodstuff which is called pāntha-bhāga. If somebody comes all of a sudden, he should take.

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

Prabhupāda: No, it is not needed.

Devotee: (indistinct) (fireworks explode)

Prabhupāda: It is loud.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (break)...a cheater is not disqualification in this country.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: It's a good qualification.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Good qualification.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Biggest cheaters are in control, in charge.

Prabhupāda: What is the disqualification? Not to become cheater?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, then they will be stupid.

Devotee (10): To be an honest man.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: See, then they call you stupid.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So standard is different, completely. Human intelligence means you must be a big cheater.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 16, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Make show. So we should not increase the show very, very much. Show shortcut show. That's all. Real business is... Āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi sahajiyā, sakhībhekī, smārta, jāta-gosāñi, they have been condemned by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, smārta and jāta-gosāñi. Smārta-paṇḍita, very serious about performing ceremonial rituals, they are called smārtas. This Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, also Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, that is also imitation of smārtaism. It is called smṛti. So at least in Europe and America, they will never be able to take all these things. The things should be made shortcut; at the same time, they should be successful. So that is chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, depending on... As soon as we have got some time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either loudly or silent... As far as possible loudly; if not possible, silently. But the tongue must go, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. The tongue must work. And as far as possible, should be heard... That is... And officially, krkshaharama (Prabhupāda chants very fast with words running into each other indistinctly). Not like that (chants again like that) Not like that. That will not... Every word should be distinctly chanted and heard, not official. So stress on this point. As far as possible, people should be encouraged to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and try to bring the ecstasy and dance. Even there is no ecstasy, dance, it will bring ecstasy. Dancing is so nice. Chanting, dancing and take prasādam. Take rest. That's all.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:

Bhagavān: Guru-gaurāṅga, that kīrtana's too loud downstairs. There was a professor who came to see you in London, the religion professor.

Haṁsadūta: Professor Hardin.

Bhagavān: When he said that: "Many times, my students ask me questions that I do not know. So I try to answer." But you said: "If you do not know, you should not teach." You said: "Our philosophy is that if you do not know, you should step down." He said: "I cannot do that."

Prabhupāda: He's getting salary, money. No sincerity.

Bhagavān: So actually a devotee has answer for every question.

Prabhupāda: That is devotee, who can answer any question. Everything is discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everything, complete knowledge. Now in Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that this cosmic manifestation... Now you find out this verse: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Mayā. M-a-y-a.

Devotee: Still too loud.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: It's too loud downstairs. There have been complaints from the neighbors.

Prabhupāda: Loud, they are very good. How can you stop it? As soon as you chant, somebody... That you cannot check. You may stop mṛdaṅga. That's all.

Room Conversation with Officer Harry Edwards, the Village Policeman -- August 30, 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London:

Prabhupāda: That's not. We cannot change our policy.

Harry: No.

Revatīnandana: No. About our external behavior, things that they are finding bothersome... Like we are chanting loudly on the street or in the doctor's office.

Prabhupāda: Well, that is...

Revatīnandana: These kind of things, we want to know. See.

Harry: Do you agree with that, Prabhupāda? Isn't it? Prabhupāda, Prabhupāda? Do you agree with that, though, that it was not necessary to, say chant continually out in a doctor's surgery or...?

Prabhupāda: No.

Harry: No. I don't think so. I mean I wouldn't go around in the road holding up my book which tells me about the law. You know what I mean. I would read my law inside my office if I'm not certain of it. Okay. These are the thing... But there again, if you want to, well, you do it...

Revatīnandana: No. What he means is that if, whenever he hears of some incident, like the doctor's surgery, should he tell us or not? And I'm saying he should tell us so we'll know. And if it's nothing important, we can correct it easily.

Prabhupāda: No, we should generally know that we may take pleasure chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly. Others may not.

Room Conversation with Officer Harry Edwards, the Village Policeman -- August 30, 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor, London:

Prabhupāda: That is generally. So when you go others' place, we may not chant loudly, simply chant in such a way you can hear. That's all.

Harry: Yeah, this'll do it. I mean, if you want to chant...

Prabhupāda: You don't stop chanting.

Harry: No!

Prabhupāda: But that: (softly:) Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... I am hearing. That's all.

Revatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Not that you have to advertise yourself, you are chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa...

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They want things by experimental knowledge, and when they fail it, they say it is nothing.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is voidism. First of all they try to enjoy. When they fail... The jackal in the orchard first of all tried to get the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get, then he said, "Oh it is sour. Don't require..." (laughter) They will say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This is all false. Let us go to Brahman." This is their philosophy. First of all they try as karmī, brmmmmmmm. (Prabhupāda makes loud car sound) (laughter) When all these brm brm brm, life after life, when he finds that there is nothing, "Oh, it is all false. Grapes are sour." Jackal jumping. There is need of God. You can write article.

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So children's father also go there?

Guest (1): (break) She is also doing that japa. And while this mālā, doing mālā, and doing the japa, the mind doesn't remain fixed in God. You know, it wanders about. So what is the way of fixing the mind?

Prabhupāda: To hear. "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Chant and hear.

Guest (1): Speak loudly.

Guest (2) (Indian lady): Speak loudly but still the mind goes away here and there.

Prabhupāda: Then that is called... abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). That you have to practice. (Hindi) We have got a sāṅkhya, that "You must perform so many times." It doesn't matter what is... Then gradually, (Hindi). This is the only...

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

(Hindi) So we have to follow, and actually it is becoming effective.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 25, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...temple.

Dr. Patel: No, but I mean to say because the temple is open you hear the noise. When the temple is closed, you won't hear the noise. That is, that should be all right. Because there is a next-door temple also. It also makes noise. But your noise is now louder, I mean, far away because of the open space. That should be the argument: "Let us construct a regular temple. You won't..." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...so much proud of the Hindus.

Dr. Patel: I'm also proud of the Hindu. Always proud.

Prabhupāda: But why they disturb maṅgala ārati?

Dr. Patel: But they may be degenerated Hindu, people may be Hindus, real Hindus, false Hindus and fictitious Hindus and non-Hindus calling themselves as Hindus. So which type of Hindus do you mean?

Prabhupāda: No. I mean Hindu Hindu.

Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Anardhena nyāya-rahitam: "If you have no money, then you'll never get justice." Dalmia, he was imprisoned for two years.

Dr. Patel: He was never in the jail. I know.

Prabhupāda: He was in the Delhi Hospital. (break) I am speaking so loudly real thing. Here you cannot. Immediately you'll be in the black book. (break)

Girirāja: "...must go unpunished. This is itself the business of criminal and lawless men who have no knowledge what it means to protect the citizens under their charge." (break)

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is rogues. So what is the value of that laws? The legislative assembly means a set of rogues, and if they legislate something, what is the value of that? (break) Caught like that, yes. Because people are becoming degraded, so they elected such degraded everything. (break) Shameless. The whole nation is asking that "You resign." "No." Such shameless. (break) ...that somebody was in the room, and the outsider says, "Who is in the room?" "No, no! I am not stealing!" (laughter) "No, no, I am not stealing."

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

Prabhupāda: Not now. Later. The simplest method-chant the holy name of the Lord. That's all.

Prof. Pater Porsch: Should this chanting be loud? Or can it also be half loud, whisper or silently, mentally? Does it play any difference? Does it make any difference?

Prabhupāda: If you chant loudly then others can hear. They also take benefit.

Vedavyāsa: Should we translate?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Vedavyāsa: Should we translate?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (German) Even the birds and beasts they will hear and be benefited. (German) Therefore loud chanting is recommended. So that even the birds, beasts, trees, plants, they can hear.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, but we are exercising by dancing.

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

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

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

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

Prabhupāda: '67.

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

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

Room Conversation with Bishop Kelly -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: I said that if one engages himself in the service of the Lord some way or other, then the revelation, the original dormant God consciousness and love of God, becomes revived. Exactly in the same way: the psychiatrists, they treat the crazy fellow by talking, talking, talking some way. So if we talk of Kṛṣṇa, then the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is revived. That is also stated. You find out in the Bhāgavata, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi... (SB 1.2.17). Yes, purport. So this is very important thing. Therefore we have published so many books about Kṛṣṇa—to hear. Hearing, hearing, hearing, and... Just like man is sleeping. You talk loudly, and he will be awakened. Yes. That's it.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that means you do not know.

Pañcadraviḍa: No, they say God's name should never be spoken out loud.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Pañcadraviḍa: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: This is nonsense. If you know somebody, why should you say, "His name should not be explained"?

Brahmānanda: They say that God's name is so pure and we are so impure that to utter His name is to make it impure.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Is blasphemy.

Acyutānanda: No, I heard the explanation that a nonbeliever should not know it.

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Acyutānanda: So they don't say it out loud.

Prabhupāda: No, when we come to argument that... We are supposed to be all believers in God. We are not nonbelievers. We simply want to ascertain who is that God. We are not nonbelievers. Then some persons who believe in God come together so to ascertain who is God. So just like when we come to a meeting to elect a president, so they are not nonbelievers. They are not nonbelievers. As there are so many personalities, candidate for president, now who is the right person to become the president? That is wanted. To the nonbelievers, he has no access. About discussion in God he has no access. When we discuss about God, it is supposed they are all believers. So if you say... Just like we are holding meeting to ascertain... There are so many names of God. Now we ascertain who is real God. God means there should be no more above Him. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). That is God.

Room Conversation with Kim Cornish -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Ātmā is not coming into being, it is already there. But at the present moment it is accepting different types of bodies. Just like your this dress is available in the market. And you are also there, so you purchase the dress and put on. Similarly, the different types of bodies are already there. You according to your desire accept one type of body, and you appear in that body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body, and you have to accept one of them. According to desire. According to your work. You are working. Everyone is working. Now, according to the work and association, he is creating his body. Just like if you infect some type of disease, then you'll have to accept that disease. So we are working ways—we are individuals—and according to that work we are creating our next body. If you are working in a godly way, then you'll get your body next as god, and if you are working in a dogly way, then you'll get your body as dog. So, by nature's way, evolution, we come through 800 millions of forms of life, then nature gives us a chance to accept this human form of body. In this body, our consciousness being advanced, if we try we can understand what is the problem of life, why we have accepted birth, death, old age and disease, how to get out of these, how to revive our original nature of body and again become eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. This is the chance of the human body. Therefore you are a philosopher because you are in the human body, but a dog cannot be a philosopher. He may be a very big dog, can bark very loudly, he has got very good strength, can create big disturbance, but he cannot understand philosophy. That is not possible. But a human being can understand. Therefore he should be given chance to understand the philosophy of life. And that is Vedas.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Mahāprabhu also had difficulty with the caste brāhmaṇas?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They complained to the magistrate that "What kind of religion He is introducing? It is not our Hindu religion. So chastise Him." (break) ...report of the brāhmaṇas, the police came and broke these drums. It was not the fault of the Mohammedans. The brāhmaṇas lodged complaint against Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he has to take step. They said, "It is not Hindu religion. They are disturbing God by chanting so loudly. (laughter) Now the God is sleeping and they are disturbing, 'Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa.' So stop this." So what can he do? After all, he is public servant. Therefore he took steps.

Television Interview -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: What is that? Give me some tacit example.

Woman reporter: That she and I wouldn't be here if women weren't more powerful than they were fifty years ago.

Harikeśa: Now they are talking louder. (laughter)

Woman reporter: Than you. Thank you. (woman leaves)

Harikeśa: The scientists have the theory that the brain, the intelligence is measured by creases in the brain, creases, not by size.

Prabhupāda: Not size, but what is the proof that the brain of woman has increased? Where is the proof?

Harikeśa: They think because the ego has increased, the brain has also increased.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice. (laughter) That's nice. (laughing) So to become angry means defeat. If two persons are in argument the man, the one party, he becomes angry, that means he is defeated. Why one should become angry? It is the argument, logic. They should continue. And to become angry and to go away, that means defeat.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's not bad.

Indian man (1): But I don't see that being practiced in the...

Prabhupāda: We chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That includes everything. It is called mahā-mantra. It includes all mantras. Gāyatrī mantra is not to be chanted in the public loudly. That is not the system.

Indian man (1): Not to be chanted.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the public loudly.

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in this country we have to do army training, and on a Sunday we have to attend a church service. We have to attend it. Is it all right to say that we won't attend it because we follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or must we go anyway? It's sort of a Christian denomination service on a Sunday.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is good. Those who are doing nothing, for them to attend the church at least for one hour, that is better than... Something is better than nothing, you see. That is good. People have completely forgotten God. They are doomed. So better to remember at least for some time. That is good.

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: Many people say... When we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa they say, "We chant in our minds. You don't have to chant loudly. You don't have to show off. We chant in our minds. We're always thinking about Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.

Yaśomatīnandana: Even Dr. Patel when we sometimes tell him "Please chant."

Prabhupāda: Dr. Patel is learning if he says. We haven't got to hear from Dr. Patel but from Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), twenty-four hours' chanting.

Lokanātha: Is it possible to chant within one's mind?

Prabhupāda: Chant means that your tongue must be engaged, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." That is chanting. Real chanting...

Brahmānanda: Sevonmukhe...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Reporter (8): Swamiji, I would like to know, that I feel that your society, the Hare Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, has a very, very stable economy and that it is self-sufficient in itself. Is that so?

Hṛdayānanda: Speak a little louder.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is the Hare Kṛṣṇa society self-sufficient, does it have a.... He understands that our society has a very stable economy. Is it self-sufficient, our own Hare Kṛṣṇa society?

Prabhupāda: So don't you think that we are self-sufficient? We are feeding at least ten thousand devotees daily, but we have no fixed income.

Reporter (8): They don't have any fixed income.

Prabhupāda: No. None of us have any fixed income, but we are traveling all over the world, New York, London, Calcutta. It is just like going from this quarter to that quarter. Our men are moving like that. Immediately coming, one dozen men from Germany, one dozen from London, and immediately going. We are paying so much money to the airplanes, and we have got so many centers. So how it is going on? On Kṛṣṇa's grace. We depend on Kṛṣṇa. Our income, daily collection, is not less than one lakh of rupees, and we are spending everything.

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So mind will... You chant loudly, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa"; the mind will come.

Dr. Patel: This mind, buddhi, and the jīva in it, all the three must carry on...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then it is real chanting.

Dr. Patel: ...with the chanting.

Prabhupāda: You have to practice. You have to practice. Not all of a sudden these three things can be combined so you can become.... It requires practice. Jaya. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). You have to practice. Your mind cannot go outside. Then it will be... You have to become the master of your mind. You cannot be dictated by the mind. Then you are victim. There is a verse that "The mind is friend, and mind is enemy. One who can dictate the mind, his mind is friend. And one who is dictated by the mind, his mind is enemy." So we have to learn how to dictate, control the mind. And that is yoga system. Yoga indriya-saṁyama.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The context is that if you cannot separate the living force, or the soul, from the body, then you are on the same position as the dog is thinking, "I am the body. I am a big dog. I can bark very loudly." And he's showing his capacity. And if we are talking big, big assembly, and in the same conception of life, that "I am this body," then where is difference?

Mike Barron: I cannot argue against that.

Prabhupāda: That is the point. That is the point. We have to understand this point. If we want to become more than the dog, you must find out in which sense we are more than the dog. That sense is understanding.... That is.... In Sanskrit word it is said, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this matter." That is knowledge. Actually knowledge begins from that point, that "I am not this body." Just like a big 747 plane is running on, but there is the intelligent pilot. If somebody says, "There is no pilot. It is flying automatically. The machine is supported," is it a correct?

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

Prabhupāda: The guests, you may read aloud to them. (long pause; Śrīla Prabhupāda exchanges a few Hindi sentences with a woman)

Nalinīkaṇṭha: "The whole purpose of Vedic civilization and of reading the Vedas is to attain the perfect stage of devotional service in the human form of life. According to the Vedic system, therefore, from the very beginning of life the brahmacārya system is introduced so that from one's very childhood—from the age of five years—one can practice modifying one's human activities so as to engage perfectly in devotional service.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Bharadvāja: To everyone?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When He comes here, He comes for everyone. When He teaches Bhagavad-gītā, is it for Arjuna? Everyone. (break) ...play is not distinct in the record.

Kṛṣṇa-kānti: Not distinct enough? I can make it louder.

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21).

Indian (devotee?): Prabhupāda, do you want me to send it to you?

Prabhupāda: Eh? You have translated?

Indian: Yes, I have here the first chapter.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you go on reading.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: They are suffering in the burning, blazing fire of material existence. So blazing fire can be extinguished when the water falls from the sky, not by your fire brigade. When there is blazing fire in the forest, it is beyond your control. You cannot get there fire brigade. So these small attempts of fire brigade is useless to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. The water must come from the cloud. That is by Kṛṣṇa's grace. You have no control over the cloud. But that water wanted. Not your fire brigade water when there is all around blazing fire. The small fire brigade-(imitates bell) dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. It can vibrate very loudly-dung-dung-dung—"I'm going to, going to," but they'll go when everything finished. That is practical. I have seen in India. There was a fire in a house, and they came late, when the business is finished. And still they're insisting, "We shall pour some water." (laughter) Everyone asked them, that "What is the use of?" "No, this is our system." (laughter) The house is burnt into ashes, and they are looking the formality, "Yes, we must put some water." So that they can write in their books, "Here we attended the fire and we have..." (laughter) This cheating is going on. In every problem, this kind of cheating is going on. Official, that's all. The same example, you ask to the charity taker of welfare activities.
Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: But there are different classes of men. So therefore nine methods of devotional service. And the general method is hearing. Hearing about God.

Scheverman: Hearing about God. So therefore the necessity of speaking aloud in one's prayer. Yes. The father was speaking of the charismatics among Christians. That is one of their tenets, too, speaking a prayer, praise, aloud, so that it can be heard and all simultaneously join in it too.

Prabhupāda: And if factually one hears from the right source and the right words, automatically he becomes God conscious.

Scheverman: Becomes God conscious, that is a way of...

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "O best among the Bhāratas, four kind of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupāda: These are four classes. One distressed, he also seeks the help of God. And another?

Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia:

Prabhupāda: So how can I deny God? How can you deny your father? If you say "I've not seen my father," that does not mean you have no father. Ask your mother, she will reply, "Yes, you have your father." So the argument is forwarded that "We cannot see God; therefore there is no God." This rascal argument is being forwarded. Because you are speaking, you are existing, there must be father. That is conclusion. Without father, there would have been no possibility of your existence. You are speaking, talking so loudly, "There is no God." This is going on. "Because I do not see God, therefore there is no God."

Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: At least, let them hear Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Yes.

Devotee (1): I have a feeling it could be just like with the Chand Kazi. When he was... Lord Caitanya made a civil disobedience mood, perhaps if we chant loudly enough...

Prabhupāda: No, by hearing this transcendental vibration they will benefited.

Devotee (2): The actual presidential candidates will be there.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (2): Presidential candidates, the candidates for the president of the United States, they'll be there.

Satsvarūpa: They'll all be there tonight.

Prabhupāda: All right, go ahead chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, give them this garland. (break) ...he begins with surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So anyone who voluntarily offers obeisances, immediately he becomes fifty percent advanced. Because.... Who is talking? This material world means nobody wants to surrender. Everyone wants to become master: "I am the monarch of all I survey." Everyone is planning how to become a master. Therefore the struggle for existence. Nobody wants to become a servant. You know very well in European history, Napoleon wanted to become the master of all Europe. Hitler wanted also. Similarly, there were so many leaders, sometimes Roman leaders, sometimes Greek leaders, sometimes French leaders, sometimes German leaders, English leader. The whole European history is full of fighting, war. The basic idea is that everyone wanted to become master. That is the material disease. We are now discussing Bali Mahārāja. He also wanted to become master of the whole universe. So that is the material disease. Actually, master is one, Kṛṣṇa. There cannot be two masters. There is only one master, that is Kṛṣṇa, or God. But in the material world, because we have forgotten the real master, every one of us is trying to become master. This is material disease. Not only in one life, but life after life. The cats and dogs, they also want to be master. The dog, if he finds another dog coming, he immediately begins barking very loudly, "Why you are coming here?" So this mastership competition is going on life after life, sometimes as human being, sometimes as animal, sometimes as fish, aquatic, sometimes as demigod, bird.

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So they were not crying very loudly, but the grandfather inquired, "So why there is, it appears there is some great suffering?" So my father's eldest brother, he inquired, "Is your mother dead?" I consider like that, no, no. "So I am also dead." He died later on. Next day. He simply inquired, "I think your mother is dead." They said, "No, no." "No, I am also going to," and he died.

Indian Doctor: These things are not very wonderful.

Prabhupāda: From spiritual point of view this has no meaning. This is worldly affection. It is worldly affection. That is not very good asset for spiritual life. Āsakti. One has to give up āsakti. That is the process, renouncement. Voluntarily.

Indian Doctor: Anāsakta-manaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Anāsaktya. Yes. Our Vedic process is that at a certain age you must retire from family life. Voluntary, forceful, giving up association.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Harikeśa: Speak loudly.

Hari-śauri: It's very noisy.

Mahāṁśa: This is Dr. Ghosh. This is Visukeran(?) Agarwal, one of our very close friends in Hyderabad. He's a very close friend in Hyderabad.

Prabhupāda: I think I have seen you.

Mahāṁśa: Oh, yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: Dr. Ghosh. (conversation in Bengali)

Dr. Ghosh: And he knows about Parikana(?). It's a very wonderful place.

Prabhupāda: I shall go there.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It is in West Bengal?

Jayapatākā: West Bengal. That's in Nadia district. Just before Pulasi, south of Pulasi. And when we came there and I saw the police in the afternoon, we told them we were going to have a function. So they said that they would send a few policemen. They said that "We will send some policemen for keeping the order." But that night so many people came the space could only hold four thousand. But another two, three thousand people came, and they were turned away because of insufficient space. So they were standing on the wall and on the rooftops all around, and all you could see were people's heads, just like an ocean. The policemen, after it was over... When I chanted, I chanted, "Everyone please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And I chanted the full mantra three times. They chanted so loud that even two, three blocks away people thought that the heavens were shouting. It was like a thunder...

Prabhupāda: Thunderbolt.

Morning Walk -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Devotee: Standing in a ring.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

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

Devotee: It's a form of prāṇāyāma.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

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

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

Devotee: Someone was explaining about these Cantos that you start like the feet from Kṛṣṇa and as you read through the Cantos you slowly move up the body of Kṛṣṇa and the Twelfth Canto is the...

Prabhupāda: Head.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Devotee (4): The devotees staying here, living here, they may make some pottery, set of potter's wheel, make clay pots.

Prabhupāda: What? What you'll use, pots? Here pottery is very cheap. We are not for arts. We are simply bare necessities of life and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (7): Tirupati, they have these Veṅkateśvarams, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and blowing on the loud speaker every day. One... You can hear for miles. So we can also do some Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: They do that in Māyāpur.

Mahāṁśa: We can have a maṅgala-ārati in mikes. We can use a microphone for maṅgala-ārati. (end)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, this is from Philadelphia, Judge Alfred Longo, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia decree was typical and included the following points: "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is recognized as an authentic religion. To broadcast the glories of God to all people, members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society can perform saṅkīrtana, a missionary activity including chanting, dancing, and playing cymbals and drums, the dissemination of the word of God through preaching and reading aloud from religious literature, the distribution of religious literature, sanctified food and flowers to the public, and the solicitation and acceptance of contribution. In performing saṅkīrtana devotees can go wherever people gather: streets, libraries and other public places." So we also had decisions... Eventually we win almost all cases.

Prabhupāda: And we have got good support from the scholarly section by big, big professors. Even one priest, Mr. Cox, he is forming an association to support this movement in Harvard University. So we have got supporters also.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But they can measure the distance from one planet to another? Their astronomical measurement?

Satsvarūpa: No. Just by theory.

Prabhupāda: So how they can...?

Rāmeśvara: Read it out loud.

Satsvarūpa: He wants that you... He said, "The translator frequently adds comments containing information from other Vedic scriptures, for instance, ancient astronomical calculations referred to by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. It would be highly interesting to have a compilation of such astronomical texts translated into English. One can only hope that the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust endeavors to do this to the great benefit of the historians of science."

Prabhupāda: We shall do it. I am searching after some astronomer.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Guest (1): It has been translated into fifteen languages.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These are all Bhagavad-gītā. These are Bhagavad-gītā. We have translated English, Chinese, Japanese, all European languages-Spanish, Portugal, Dutch, Swedish, Italian. They are accepting it. This is the process to know. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are known as "Hare Kṛṣṇaś." You read another verse aloud. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, the municipal councilor... (Hindi) What is that?

Devotee (3): It's Chawan's cutting from the newspaper.

Prabhupāda: Why don't you read other? Read it loudly.

Bhakti-caru: "Chief Minister lauds Krishna movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness was the essence of every faith and belonged to the world, Maharastra Chief Minister Mr. M. P. Chawan said at the Third International Hare Krishna Festival at the Cross Maidan in Bombay on Wednesday. Mr. Chawan lauded the work done by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He said that Swami was responsible for popularizing Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. Speaking after the chief minister, Swami Prabhupāda emphasized the need for scientific understanding of the Bhagavad-gītā to solve the problems confronting humanity. 'When human society is without dharma,' he said, 'it becomes animal society.' The festival, scheduled to end on Tuesday, has been extended another five days."

Prabhupāda: So his wife also...

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He does not like to interfere with his guru. He is doing everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe Girirāja should be called up. When they come, then we can read this article out loud. Says here, "Asked whether his city..."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Asked whether his city..."

Prabhupāda: "His city"?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: What is that? "Asked..."?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "Asked whether his city would not meet the same fate as Auroville..." It's not his city.

Prabhupāda: He can say that he has taken sannyāsa for his popularization?(?) (Surabhīr Abhipālayantam enters, offers obeisances) Did you consult this article with others' consultation or by whimsical joke?

Evening Darsana -- May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: And still more magic? The world is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Boliye?

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

He is yogi. There are many varieties of yogis. And Kṛṣṇa concludes, "Of all the yogis, big, big yogis, the person who is always remembering Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is first class." This is said by Kṛṣṇa, not by me. Therefore it is authorized statement. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these mystic powers... They may be temporarily some magic, but Kṛṣṇa says that "One who is always remembering Me," satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14), "he is first-class yogi." So all these persons who are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa according to the prescribed rules and regulations, without any offense... There are ten kinds of offenses. So in the beginning there may be offenses. It doesn't matter. It will be rectified. Offenseless chanting means mukti, and then pure chanting means love of Godhead. There are three stages. In the beginning, when one begins chanting, it is not pure. There are so many offenses. But chanting, chanting, the offenses become purified. Offenseless chanting is not purified completely, but it is offenseless. So offenseless chanting makes one liberated, and then pure chanting makes one lover of God. This is the process. So chanting is definite mystic power. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: (CC Antya 20.12) "By chanting, your heart becomes purified." Ceto-darpaṇa. We are suffering in this material world on account of... (background talking) (aside:) Ask him not to talk loudly. On account of impurities... (aside:) What is the use of talking? The first impurity is identifying... (aside:) Stop him. Don't talk at all.

Room Conversation with Alice Coltrane -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She likes to chant more with the mind.

Prabhupāda: As it is convenient. But chanting with mouth is better. You can hear; others can hear. If you chant within, then you'll remember only. But you chant loudly, others can hear. Others are benefited. (japa)

Alice Coltrane: (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She said, how many rounds should she chant? Every day she does some meditation, so before meditating, she wants to know, how many rounds should she chant?

Prabhupāda: Well, with chanting you can meditate. The Deities are there. So you can think of the Deities—that is meditation—and chant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is there a certain number of rounds you would recommend for her?

Prabhupāda: That is minimum... Because these people are not accustomed, only sixteen rounds.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor: That certainly is the best medicine. You're having chanting often? I see. That is well. Not very loudly.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali with Dr. Kapoor)

Dr. Kapoor: This man is very experienced.

Girirāja: Dr. Kapoor? The car is ready.

Dr. Kapoor: All right.

Prabhupāda: Somebody may go with you.

Girirāja: Yes. Śrīdhara Swami is going with him. You want kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana there is no restriction.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: In the reception room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I read these out loud to you? Should I read these things to you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should... Pradyumna is here also. He's in the next room. Should I call him?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhāgavata: ...were all banging on the drums and the karatālas. They started going, "Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hari bol!" very loud, tumultuous sound. All the devotees were very happy. That sound shall go everywhere in the world. Everywhere the devotees... (break)

Jayādvaita: I'm bewildered again. Kṛṣṇa's again doing something impossible.

Prabhupāda: Possible or impossible (break) It is not very...

Upendra: Prabhupāda wants to know why... Hari-śauri's here. Wanted to know why the urine is not as bad as it was. What action was taken to make it not bad?

Hari-śauri: You're not drinking that orange juice. I was told by Parivrājakācārya... He seems to know something about juices and things like that, and he said that orange juice is much too powerful. It kind of scourges the kidneys. It scours them out.

Prabhupāda: So what I am drinking now?

Hari-śauri: This sweet lime juice.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It is going on without microphone?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The drums are... Right now the drumming is very loud.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the voice is hard to hear. Should I try a little microphone? I can take it off immediately if it's not good. I think you'll...

Bhavānanda: Last year in Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, during the festival and before, when you were there, they would, this kīrtana group of your disciples, they would be chanting over microphone so that Your Divine Grace could hear it in your room. I remember you commented many times on how sweet and nice it sounded.

Prabhupāda: It is already very loud.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very loud actually. (pause) All the devotees were very happy when they heard that you have started translating again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yesterday Prabhupāda translated for nearly two hours. The edited work, Śrīla Prabhupāda, sounds very beautiful. It's very first class when it's finally edited. The whole staff is here, and it sounds very nice.

Prabhupāda: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: In the horoscope we have dragged the life through so many catastrophes, but ultimately how long the life we have dragged?

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, do things very carefully. I am already dead. But still, I am giving you instruction as far as I can. And this is not life, a bundle of bones.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You are still the inspiration for everything we do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I shall go on till the last breathing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: (loud) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) (end)

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hard of hearing. (laughter)

Bhavānanda: (loudly) Ajke rāma vijaya utsava. Aneka prasādam.

Pisimā: Aneka prasādam.

Bhavānanda: Āpne aneka prasādam korilun. (Bengali) Lugdu. Lugdu.

Pisimā: Lāḍu.

Bhavānanda: Lugdu.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) lugdu.

Nava-yogendra: Lugdu, lugdu.

Pisimā: Lugdu.

Nava-yogendra: Bundi lāḍu.

Bhavānanda: Luci?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Pisimā: Luci.

Room Conversation With Sri Narayana and Rama-Krsna Bajaj -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Therefore always two attendants, and they are taking care. Otherwise personally I would not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, please sit down. It's all right. It's here for you to sit, so you can...

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: I don't want you to talk loudly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you sit down.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can sit here.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: I'm very glad to see you here. (Hindi) So, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He wrote all books in English.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And who can understand those books?

Brahmānanda: You remember I brought to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that book I was studying in college when I first came to you. I brought one of Aurobindo's books, Message of Gītā. And you asked me to open the book and read one page. So I read the entire page out loud to you. Then you asked me to close the book. Then you said, "Now repeat what you have just read." And I couldn't.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You once described Aurobindo's writing, Śrīla Prabhupāda, giving the example of your childhood friend from school. He had to take the examination. So because he... Instead of writing normally, he made up so many big words, and the professors thought, "Oh, he's very intelligent."

Prabhupāda: (speaks some made-up words)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did you hear that, what Prabhupāda just said, Jayādvaita?

Jayādvaita: No.

Page Title:Loud (Conversations)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:10 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=67, Let=0
No. of Quotes:67