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Memory (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

This age is very difficult. Unfavorable. First thing is memory is very short. We cannot remember.
Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 23, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: So by practice, everything can be attained. Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. (break) ...determination. And this determination is increased by celibacy. Brahmacārya is recommended to keep oneself determined. A brahmacārī, if he determines something, he executes. He has got that strength of mind. Those who are too much addicted to sex life, they cannot be determined. They cannot be fixed-up. They are fluctuating, changing. People are, in modern day, they cannot sit down in a place for a long time. Therefore so much traveling. The traveling business is very prosperous. Everyone wants to travel. They cannot fix, fix up. So the processes recommended, they're very valuable, but it is not possible to follow them all in the present age because everything is reducing. So our method is to pray to Kṛṣṇa to give us the necessary strength. That's all. Otherwise, by regular practice, this age is very difficult. Unfavorable. First thing is memory is very short. We cannot remember. Life is very short. Life is short, at the same time, so much disturbed by anxiety, by disease, by natural disturbances.

Because memory is reducing, therefore nature is helping to manufacture so many machines.
Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 23, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: You are very kind upon her. (laughs) Yes. Vaiṣṇava is very kind. (pause) It is very heavy?

Devotee (2) (boy): No, not too heavy. If I had a memory I wouldn't need this. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Mālatī: So you're carrying your memory in your hand?

Devotee (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Because memory is reducing, therefore nature is helping to manufacture so many machines.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

They can enhance their memorizing power, brahmacārī.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: "How is that, that you can repeat? How is that?" "Oh, that is grace of mother Sarasvatī. Just like you can compose a hundred verses within a few minutes, I can, whatever you say, I can remember immediately." Formerly that was the system of understanding Vedas, śruti, simply by hearing. Once they hear from the spiritual master, they will remember. The memory was so sharp. Therefore this brahmacārī system is so nice. They can enhance their memorizing power, brahmacārī.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

I have a hazy memory that one time I heard that when a soul, when it finally does enter into brahmajyoti, that he has to remain there.
Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Revatīnandana: I have a hazy memory that one time I heard that when a soul, when it finally does enter into brahmajyoti, that he has to remain there for some long duration of time, a daytime of Brahmā or a lifetime of Brahmā. Is that correct? What is that duration?

Prabhupāda: Not that. That is not like that.

Revatīnandana: Not like that. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: But he feels inconvenience without varieties of life. The Bhāgavata says, tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is not clean." Arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Although they rise up to the brahmajyoti," patanty adho tataḥ, "they again come back."

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

All intelligence, memory, is coming from Me, and forgetfulness also is caused by Me.
Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Jayatīrtha: The intelligence by which we can come to Kṛṣṇa is a special kind of intelligence.

Prabhupāda: That is perfect intelligence. Therefore we say Kṛṣṇa is the perfect teacher. In the Fifteenth Chapter, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart. All intelligence, memory, is coming from Me, and forgetfulness also is caused by Me." So He is the supreme controller in every respect.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

But the modern science, they say when one becomes old, the memory becomes short.
Morning Walk -- May 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But the modern science, they say when one becomes old, the memory becomes short and then they tend to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. The body has changed. Therefore you have to accept that body has changed. Therefore next conclusion is when this body is lost he gets another body. Change of body. Seasonal changes. That one verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, acceptance of another body. Then these modern scientists, they do not know this. They sometimes explain medical science, that blood corpuscles are changing, do they not?

I have regained my memory by Your mercy.
Room Conversation With David Wynne -- July 9, 1973, London:

Śrutikīrti:

naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
sthito 'smi gata-sandehaḥ
kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
(BG 18.73)

"Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions."

Prabhupāda: There it is. "I am prepared now to act according to Your whims." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When he was trying to act according to his whim, the necessity of instruction of Bhagavad-gītā was there. And when he heard Bhagavad-gītā, he's changed.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Children they learn it from their parents. Otherwise they do not know. (break) ...by memory.
Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Pañcadraviḍa: Usually, though, it is the children. They gamble for cookies and candy and things like this.

Prabhupāda: No, children they learn it from their parents. Otherwise they do not know. (break) ...by memory.

These things will reduce: mercifulness, religiosity, memory, bodily strength.
Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So the mercifulness has gone. And what to speak of religiosity? That is completely gone. These things will reduce: mercifulness, religiosity, memory, bodily strength, and so many, eight, eight. They are mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Religious principles.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Stature of the body will decrease. Memory will decrease. It is already taking place.
Morning Walk -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Prabhupāda: Because they will not get sufficient food, shelter, bodily necessities. Just like it is already declining, already declining. Just formerly in our childhood we saw the Western people very tall. Now they are not tall. They are decreasing already. (break) In the Western countries, still there are some but in other countries they are very lean, thin and drawn. Stature of the body will decrease. Memory will decrease. It is already taking place. So in this way, you just imagine, in 400,000 years after, what will be the condition.

You are keeping memory of him because you wanted that he should not have died. That is your desire.
Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: You have not advanced. If you are uselessly working, then you are monkey. Monkey is busy, but useless. There is no value. What is the value of your working? You cannot make a solution of the problem that you are dying. Then what is the use of your working? You do not like to die. Why you are dying? You are keeping memory of him because you wanted that he should not have died. That is your desire.

One is to hear about God and to speak about God—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, memorizing God's activities.
Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Jesuit: No thank you. How many hours of prayer a day do, say, the men here do?

Prabhupāda: To worship God, we have got nine processes. One is to hear about God and to speak about God—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, memorizing God's activities. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Then worshiping his feet—just like we offer flower to the feet. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam. Then Deity worship, just like we are doing in the temple, Deity worship. Then vandanam, offering prayers, just like you do in the church. Vandanam, dāsyam, to engage oneself always in the service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. Sakhyam—to taking as the best friend, considering God as the best friend.

That is smaraṇam. Memorizing. Thinking of God's activities.
Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Jesuit: And do you have a, what I may call a training in contemplation, in which you get...

Prabhupāda: That is smaraṇam. Memorizing. Thinking of God's activities.

Glorifying, this is activity. Smaraṇam, remembering, memorizing, that is activity.
Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Jesuit: Smaraṇam. Not so much thinking of them as just being really in His presence and open to receive love and to be active. Do you know what I mean?

Prabhupāda: Well, but bhakti is activity. Bhakti is not passive. Active. Just like hearing. It is activity. Similarly glorifying, this is activity. Smaraṇam, remembering, memorizing, that is activity.

He can memorize Prabhupāda's books and then just speak it.
Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: He can memorize Prabhupāda's books and then just speak it.

Prabhupāda: That is preaching. Our process is anuśṛṇuyāt. We hear from the superior and reproduce it. That is śravaṇaṁ-kīrtanam. Then perfect. If I add something, my own imagination, then it will spoil. No addition-alteration; as it is. As it is you hear from your spiritual master, reproduce. That's all. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa is coming by paramparā, so you reproduce. That's all. Even a child can reproduce what he has heard from his father. It is not at all difficult.

When he gets out of prison he has the memory of his punishment, and that acts as a deterrent to him committing the crime again.
Morning Walk -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Bhārgava: When he gets out of prison he has the memory of his punishment, and that acts as a deterrent to him committing the crime again. But if someone is sinful... (break)

Prabhupāda: It is tamo-guṇa. He knows everything; still, he is forced to act criminally. That is tamo-guṇa. Everyone knows that he will be punished. He has seen that criminal is punished. Still, he acts criminally. That is called ignorance. Heart is unclean. Therefore our first process is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the heart.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Why do you keep memory of so many dead men in statues? It is not important thing.
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Ah. That proves that you are a rascal number one. These are not important things. Why do you keep memory of so many dead men in statues? It is not important thing. He has died, died. That's all.

This Ratha-yātrā is in memory of Kṛṣṇa's coming there with His brother and sister during one eclipse, to take bath, coming from Dvārakā.
Room Conversation -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976 :

Prabhupāda: This Ratha-yātrā is in memory of Kṛṣṇa's coming there with His brother and sister during one eclipse, to take bath, coming from Dvārakā.

Devotee (7): And the gopīs also assembled there?

Prabhupāda: The gopīs got the information that Kṛṣṇa is coming from Dvārakā, so from Vṛndāvana they went to see Him. And when Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī met, that Rādhārāṇī lamented that Kṛṣṇa—He was the same Kṛṣṇa and the same Rādhārāṇī—so "this is not a good meeting place. So, if You come to Vṛndāvana, then I shall be happy." So it is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. That is the feeling of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Ratha-yātrā. He is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana.

And memory. It will reduce.
Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: And memory. It will reduce. Just see, compare everything, religiosity and the power of mercifulness, pardoning, truthfulness, cleanliness, bodily strength, duration of life—they're all reduced. Now who can say it is not reduced? Can you say? This is called tri-kala-jñā.

This is Kali-Yuga, the age of waning of these things. Religiosity, truthfulness, memory, bodily strength, duration of life, mercifulness.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is a questionnaire which was sent to us by one journal, a cultural and religious journal in Bombay. It's called Bhavan's Journal. The first question, "Is the influence of religion over the masses on the wane?" Is the influence of religion over the masses decreasing?

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tataḥ anudinam. Bring that black book, Bhāgavata. Tatas cānudinaṁ dharmaḥ satyam. This is Kali-Yuga, the age of waning of these things. Religiosity, truthfulness, memory, bodily strength, duration of life, mercifulness.

These things will decline. There will be no mercifulness, there will be no truthfulness, the memory will be shortened, duration life shortened.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: These are, will be declining. These are the, I mean to say, human assets which makes a human being distinct from the animals. But these things will decline. There will be no mercifulness, there will be no truthfulness, the memory will be shortened, duration life shortened. Similarly religion will vanish. So that means gradually they will come to the platform of animals.

When this memory is reducing that means human quality is reduced.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If there is no God, where is religion? Bogus. Therefore declining. They have no conception of God, and therefore there is no understanding of religion. Therefore it is declining. So this is the cause of declining. And because it is declining, human being becoming more animals. Animal means there will be no memory. A dog comes... Here is some eatables. He comes. I say, "Hut!" He goes away. Again he comes. No memory. So when this memory is reducing that means human quality is reduced.

Memory is decreasing.
Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Memory is decreasing.

Prabhupāda: Dayā, dharma, religious principles—everything will be reduced. And the government men, instead of giving you protection, they will act like thieves and rogues. You cannot say anything. Very, very precarious condition, all freedom lost.

Page Title:Memory (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:28 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=23, Let=0
No. of Quotes:23