Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Missing (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Original father.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said, "Yes, they are your original father."

Prabhupāda: No, no. "The aborigines, the naked jaṅgalīs, they were original person." Do they not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Before that, there was the caveman.

Prabhupāda: Ah, caveman. That's... Caveman. That is aborigine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And before the caveman was the missing link.

Prabhupāda: And he has known missing link.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't know who they're missing, 'cause he's missing.

Prabhupāda: Just see the imagination, fanatic imagination. He is creating...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Species.

Prabhupāda: ...a theory, a species.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Missing link species. And they have... They have models of this missing link.

Prabhupāda: They know it; still "missing."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Although it's missing...

Prabhupāda: "Missing" means they know only, "Oh, he knows."

Hṛdayānanda: When I was preaching in California, one very famous anthropologist came to speak there, and he gave a new theory about the origin of the species. So he said... Before the audience he said that "Actually we have very little evidence of this theory."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hṛdayānanda: He said that "We have very little evidence for this theory," but he said that "All of you should not be disturbed because our previous theory, we had no evidence whatsoever. (laughter) So this is an improvement."

Prabhupāda: He admitted. "Previous theory, that was nonsense," and still the nonsense going on.

Prabhupāda: Prabhupāda:

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Missing link species. And they have... They have models of this missing link.

Prabhupāda: They know it; still "missing."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Although it's missing...

Prabhupāda: "Missing" means they know only, "Oh, he knows."

Hṛdayānanda: When I was preaching in California, one very famous anthropologist came to speak there, and he gave a new theory about the origin of the species. So he said... Before the audience he said that "Actually we have very little evidence of this theory."

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...when the ceremony was performed. Here is some of our vans and men, Viṣṇujana and Rādhā-Dāmodara. Here's the grandfather of airport book distribution, Tripurāri Mahārāja, dressed as a karmī to distribute in his distribution.... You can't tell, but he's wearing a wig. That's Tripurāri there. That's how he looks when he's in the airport. He never misses.

Guru-kṛpā: The master of book distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's Tripurāri giving a class. Here's a priest buying a Bhagavad-gītā. Gurudāsa Mahārāja preaching on campus. Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading a kīrtana. Here's a television show. That was that television show.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: They do not know what is civilization, that is there. The difficulty is they have no education about human civilization. Bahir-artha-māninā. They are simply captivated by the external energy, bodily conception of life. They do not know what is the aim of life. This is Western civilization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). This is not Western, this is the demonic civilization. They do not know what is the aim of life. Our..., the material atmosphere, they're not happy, they're failing always, missing the real point.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The people that live in the cities think that the farmers work so hard.

Prabhupāda: And these rascals rise early in the morning and start their car to go to the office, five hours coming and going, and eight hours working there...

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever the cause...

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: The vairāgya is there. That is...

Akṣayānanda: Then you came and gave the missing link. You gave the Kṛṣṇa consciousness itself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vairāgya means that there must be another engagement. Then life is successful, with another spiritual engagement.

Akṣayānanda: That you have supplied.

Prabhupāda: That I have studied.

Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why Nṛsiṁha should be confined: "He was here"? He is everywhere. And as He is everywhere, He is here also. That's all. Finish the business. And you are without...? (shoes?)

Yaśodānandana: I missed it. I could not get my cappalas (sandals) off in time. They were lost. But that is okay.

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is not okay. It is not at all okay. Then you go and sit down. Don't.... That is very risky. Then let us go to the road. (break) Maybe.

Jayādvaita: (break) ...that just as a capitalist sees money everywhere and a lusty person sees sex life everywhere, devotee sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere, even in a pillar.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: He's giving to the human form of life, who can understand. So if we miss this opportunity, that is our misfortune. Last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-guhyatamam, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He never says that "Try for economic development." (laughs) Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... It is the most confidential knowledge. (break) ...Purī was chanting in a solitary place, and Kṛṣṇa came to supply him milk. Why? His determination was that "If somebody gives me voluntarily, I shall eat. Otherwise, I am not going to ask anybody." But he is being supplied.

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

So after all, sleeping. And he is also enjoying sleeping, I am also enjoying sleeping. So do you think to change the, I mean to say, circumstances of the sleeping? I am sleeping in a very nice apartment, he's sleeping on the floor. Does it mean this is advancement of civilization? Sleeping is sleeping. Eating is eating. Sex life—the male dog is enjoying with female dog. The sex pleasure is to him, and we are enjoying with a beautiful lover. The sex pleasure is the same. Therefore, you take some eatable, either on gold fork or an iron fork, the taste is the same. Simply like putting the foodstuff in the golden fork, does it mean the taste has changed? So, the test of eating, sleeping, mating and defending is the same for the human being as well as the animals. What difference, what is the difference between the animals and humans? The animal cannot know God. That is not possible. The human being can know. That is the opportunity of this human life. If we are missing that opportunity, then we are leading an animal civilization. This is not civilization. Animal life is not civilization. Civilized means not animal life. Something more than that. That is God consciousness.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. God, service to God means, just like you put foodstuff in the stomach. Then the service, supplying energy, is distributed automatically. The eyes get service, the ears get service, the hands get service, legs get service, everything. But if you put foodstuff in the eyes, instead of giving service, you make it blind. If you put foodstuff in the ear, instead of hearing, it is blocked. Then that is ignorance. You do not know where to give service. The knowledge, God consciousness, means to know where to give service, so that the service will be automatically distributed. You pour water on the root of the tree and the energy will be distributed to the trunk, to the branches, to the twigs, to the leaves, to the flowers, everyone. We are missing their point.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I mean, there are other people in other parts of the world, like in Africa, they found bones from five million years ago, and they say that it's the missing link bones.

Prabhupāda: Missing, why missing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well they couldn't figure it out until they found these bones.

Prabhupāda: That means they couldn't. Still, he says. Just see, he has brought as if he was dog, the rascal. The dog is prohibited. Man is.... (break) (walk continues on beach) ...They have got?

Rāmeśvara: Other theories

Rādhāvallabha: Theories?

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

Prabhupāda: Hm?

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
(SB 7.5.31)

They do not know what is the aim of life. Therefore there is no spiritual education. They do not know. Read further. You shall always hold classes. Read these books, discuss, try to understand. Then time will be properly utilized. Don't talk useless things. Some engagement. So long as you are engaged in the service of the Deity, that is very good. Otherwise, you should hold class, read these books, discuss amongst them. Then the proper utilization of time. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). Advancement of devotional service means always be alert whether a moment is misused. Because you cannot get back even a moment of your life if you pay millions of dollars. Not possible. 1967, 10th June, 5 o'clock, you had to do something, and if you have missed, then that 5 o'clock, 10th June, 1960, ah, '76, will never come back, even you pay millions of dollars. So if that moment is improperly passed, then what is more loss than that? So avyartha-kālatvam.

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

Prabhupāda: No. Our aim is not to create sick people. That is not our aim.

Dr. Wolfe: Swimming, walking, is still important I think.

Prabhupāda: No, we do not say. Neither.

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

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

Dr. Wolfe: Well...

Magazine Interview -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: No. He means in terms of the scientists discovering how to make, create life, or how to put life back into a dead body. They say that it is chemical reaction. Therefore one day they should be able to discover how to do it if it's simply chemicals. So when will that day come? Prabhupāda's point is that it's not chemicals, but that there's actually a spiritual element. And because they don't accept that there's a spiritual element, they're not searching for it. They're simply studying the chemicals. So in that way they're not, they'll never reach the right conclusion about what is life, what makes this body move, what is death. Because they're missing the essential point, the spiritual element. So his question was What do you think about it?

Interviewer: Ah, my spiritualness is strongly absent from my own person. I...

Prabhupāda: How? Why do you say absent? You are talking.

Interviewer: Well, in the sense that I, I look beyond who I am now, I don't look very far. At this point in my life, I haven't made the decision that I need to look.

Prabhupāda: You may decision or not decision, there are two things.

Interviewer: I'm sorry...

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then within the physical body, there is something which is making him living man. Is it not?

Richard: Um...

Prabhupāda: What is the dead man? Something is missing; therefore it is dead. Otherwise the body is there.

Richard: Right. Okay. His ability to, to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Body is.... The same hands, legs, mouth, eyes, ears, hair, everything is there, but now they're crying, "Oh, Mr. such and such gone, oh, finished." What is that finished?

Richard: Well, his ability to share...

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

Prabhupāda: What was the important thing?

Richard: The important thing was his ability to share physically and intellectually.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that means that important thing was within the body; now it is missing. That is distinction between dead man and living man.

Richard: As far as I'm concerned that's it.

Prabhupāda: That is very important thing. This nice body can work on account of presence of that important thing. Otherwise, useless.

Richard: Right.

Prabhupāda: So we are preaching about that important thing.

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

Prabhupāda: Now hundreds and thousands of churches are there.

Richard: Right. Other people find that...

Prabhupāda: That means they don't like Catholic Church. They don't like. So they are missing the point.

Richard: Of the Catholic Church.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Richard: True, I agree. But is the point of the Catholic Church the only point that's to be made?

Prabhupāda: And if you accept Christianity, then the Catholic process, I think—I do not know—that is only way.

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

Prabhupāda: Ignorance.

Rāmeśvara: ...or ignorance, then you're missing the reality of life and you're living in an illusion. Due to your senses you're living, you could live, be living in illusion. The senses are not perfect instruments for understanding reality. There is another process for understanding reality. The senses are not perfect. Therefore one should not depend upon the senses to understand reality. There is a greater process.

Richard: And how is that found?

Prabhupāda: You find out this verse: sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam.

Rāmeśvara: What's the second word, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: I think I went there in June, in month of June.

Mādhavānanda: When you went to Moscow, it was the mango season in India.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mādhavānanda: Because I remember when you went, someone said, "You will miss the mango season, Śrīla Prabhupāda." And you said, "Preaching in the snows of Russia is more sweet than any mango." (Prabhupāda laughs)

Hari-śauri: Even though you went there in the early summer, there was no fruits or anything. No flowers.

Prabhupāda: Only these...

Hari-śauri: Strawberries.

Prabhupāda: They simply eat meat, that's all. And some milk preparation.

Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

George Gullen: Thank you for reading this to me. I'm afraid I must be discourteous and leave you at the moment. I am speaking at a dinner meeting for my university.

Prabhupāda: All right.

George Gullen: I was delighted with Miss Reuther's call, for the chance to come and for this opportunity to listen to you, and I'm very grateful to her for calling.

Prabhupāda: Give him some prasādam.

Lekhaśravantī: Here's some prasādam.

George Gullen: Oh, thank you very much. (end)

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So, if we keep the human society in darkness about the aim of life, that is not civilization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). I think you understand Sanskrit. Svārtha-gatim, the real self-interest, is to go back to home, back to Godhead. For that purpose, the human life is given by nature as an opportunity in the cycle of birth and death. So if we don't take advantage of this human form of life, when we can realize God and go back to home, back to Godhead, then it is misused. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They're enamored by the external energy of God, this material energy, and they are thinking that utilizing the material energy, the dog is running on his legs, and if he can run on motorcar, that is advancement. But the business is the running, without any purpose.

Indian man: Is it not better to run than to stand still and sleep?

Prabhupāda: No, running is not stopped, but running must be with some purpose, aim of life. That they do not know. They are missing the aim of life.

Indian man: I meant, Swamiji, rajas is a better manifestation than tamas.

Prabhupāda: No, you have to go above rajas-tamaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lust.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Then He begins teaching. So our position is servant of God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). One singular number and plural number, ceta, eternal. The singular number cetana is the maintainer, and the plural number cetana is the maintained. So our position is maintained. Just like father maintains the children. That is natural. And children's duty is to remain obedient to the father. That's all. That is bhakti. Then the family is all right. Family means father, mother and children. They're missing.... The children they are seeing, the mother they are seeing, and they are saying there is no father. This is modern civilization. How is that? The children are there, the mother is there. How is that there is no father? What is this conclusion? A sane man's conclusion is if the children are there, the mother is there, there must be father. Without father, how mother can beget children? Is there any experience that without father, mother has given birth to children?

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: That's it. And that is the root cause of all problems, that they are missing the father. He is the maintainer. Godless. Is it possible that the mother gives birth to a child without father? Is there any experience in the history of the world, the mother has given birth to a child without connection with the father? They say, "We have not seen father." That does not mean there is no father. A child may not have seen his father. There are many children, but that does not mean that he has no father. There must be father. And so if there is father, no father, how you know it? Suppose you have not seen. You ask the mother, "Mother, am I born without father?" Mother says, "No, you have got your father."

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is shown? Or no, not yet.

Kīrtanānanda: Not yet.

Prabhupāda: One thing you have missed: how we are preparing all these foodstuffs.

Kīrtanānanda: It was too short. In the movie? It was too short how to prepare it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. How from milk in different stages you get this foodstuff, kacuris, śṛṅgāra,(?) sandeśa, rābṛi. And this chānā, if fried, if you prepare nicely with little hing and ginger, then it will exactly taste like meat. They'll forget. If you give them without telling them, they will think that they're eating meat.

Kīrtanānanda: Hing and what? Prepare with hing and?

Prabhupāda: Ginger.

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

Prabhupāda: There is no question of evolution. It is already there. This is a wrong theory. The monkey is there, the man is there. The soul is going from monkey to man. It is not the evolution. Just like you have got apartment, ten rupees, five rupees, twenty rupees, thirty rupees, like that. Now, as you pay, "Come on, here." There is no question of evolution. It is already there. Jantur dehopapattaye. These dehas, these bodies, are already there. So immediately it develops a particular type of desire, "Yes, come here, sit down." First class, second class, third class, fourth class is already there. As you pay, "Yes, come here." It is not evolving; it is already there. He is transferred from one apartment to another. This has to be convinced. We don't find that monkey's body became a human body. That is not in the experience, anyone. The monkey is there, the human being is there. But the soul is going from monkey's body to human's body, or monkey's body to another body. That is by superior administration. Their theory is the body is evolving and some body is missing. Nothing is missing.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, and that is not being fulfilled. Therefore planning, sometimes this way, sometimes that way. Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Mental concoction. Real platform they are missing. Sometimes sitting down, sometimes... (laughter) Happiness. When tired up, then come down. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

Hari-śauri: They come out for a quiet sit-down in the countryside, and they bunch together, hundreds at a time.

Rūpānuga: They are coming to watch the fireworks. You see, from here, the fireworks are going to be very high in the sky. They can see it from this point. (break)

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: You can carefully read the Second Canto, Bhāgavatam, Third Canto. You'll get all the knowledge, how things develop. It is a question of development. So maybe there was something missing, but after development it is manifested there. That is possible.

Rūpānuga: In the day of, one day of Brahmā, there are fourteen Manus. And in the course of creation, re-creation of the same species from the previous day—they are re-creating the same species—it takes, there's some time, maybe one Manu, there's some species that are finished, but the next Manu...

Prabhupāda: That doesn't mean time. What is this Manu?

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Many of us who have similar experiences like that. Naturally, we weren't always so fortunate that we first came in contact with Prabhupāda's books or his disciples. But somehow or another we weren't satisfied by anything, because there was some gap, some void, some missing information that didn't satisfy us.

Prabhupāda: Which portion appealed to you in Ramakrishna's life? Which portion?

Indian woman: (indistinct) When he used to be married he wrote some songs, he used to practice to sing, he used to chant and he used to cry.

Dr. Sukla: Of course, first we were talking about Vivekananda, not Ramakrishna. They are two different personalities and two different paths.

Indian woman: Yes, but I thought Ramakrishna... Many times I get devotees who say to me, "Oh, he's a rascal." I say, "I don't know, I can't say rascal." I don't read him, but he inspired me so much. And I don't know what's wrong. Am I wrong or...?

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

Prabhupāda: That economic development. Our ācāryas, practically in Indian civilization, there are so many books of knowledge, but there is no recommendation for starting big, big factories for economic development. You'll find Vyāsadeva has written so many books, each book so valuable, instructive, but still he was condemned. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), he dealt with these four subject matter, but not bhakti. Therefore Nārada Muni chastised him, that "You have wasted your time, simply writing on the subject matter of dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, catur varga." Then, under his instruction, he wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam simply on the glories of the Supreme Lord, without any attempt to write anything about dharma artha kāma mokṣa. In the beginning he introduces, gives introduction to his book, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra śrīmad-bhāgavate (SB 1.1.2), in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, they are all kaitavas, cheating. These things are thrown away. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). So this kaitava, Śrīdhara Swami gives his commentary, atra mokṣa-vāñchan paryantaṁ nirastam. The desire for liberation is also rejected. Simply devotional service to the Lord. That is only business. So our, this propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is on the basis... It is called bhāgavata-dharma. Prahlāda Mahārāja begins his teaching that this bhāgavata-dharma should be imparted from the very beginning of life. And people are missing this opportunity.

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

Prabhupāda: Venkateshvara? So by evolutionary process we come to this human form of life. It is a chance to understand the value of life, to understand God and our relationship with God, and if we are missing this opportunity, that's a great loss. Then you again become in another form of life. That is sure. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We have to change this body, and if we are not prepared, what kind of body we are going to get next life, then we remain like animals. The animal does not know. And human life, if you are missing this important point, that "I am going to change this body, and what kind of body I'm going to get?" if I do not know, then what is the difference between me and the animal?

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

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in our preaching activities we see that, of course, in Kali-yuga more and more individuals are turning away from Kṛṣṇa, or God, thinking that God is dead, they don't need to do any type of activities for Him. Then how can we explain to these people that they are missing the entire point of life? In other words, they don't even want to hear. They simply don't want to hear anything. God is dead, and they think that they are enjoying, and it's very difficult sometimes to explain to these people that actually they are not enjoying at all.

Prabhupāda: They are mūḍhas, that is already explained. If you cannot convince them, then avoid them. What can be done? Instead of wasting time, you better avoid them. Upekṣā. Useless. Because godless persons means duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. So it is the duty of the preacher to enlighten them also, to take some risk. But if one is unable to take risk, he may avoid them.

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

Prabhupāda: The material civilization is the jāgrati for the materialistic person. But those who are spiritually enlightened, they think that these persons are sleeping. They got the opportunity of understanding God, and without understanding God, they are simply busy with the material body and its comfort and working hard day and night, and missing the point. And whereas the materialistic persons, they see these Kṛṣṇa conscious people, Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they are wasting their time by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and they are doing nothing. Just the opposite business. These people are seeing the materialistic persons, they are sleeping, not enlightened to the spiritual life; and these materialistic persons, they are seeing that these people, under some fictitious idea, they are spoiling their life without enjoying material facilities. Just the opposite.

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

Prabhupāda: Everything has got divine purpose. This human form of life is given to us by laws of nature to understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship with God, what is this material world, why you have come here, these things we have to know in this human form of life, and, if we like, we can know also. But instead of knowing these different phases of life, if we simply take care of this body like the animals, then we miss the opportunity. The animal is concerned to take the care of the body, that's all. If we simply remain taking care of this body, then we are animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, you are personally existing, you are old man. When you were a child, you were person. When you were young man, you were a person. Now you are old man, you are a person. We are personalities continuing although the body is changing. You are not missing your personality. So therefore personality continues even when you change this body. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Second Chapter. Kṛṣṇa says... Find out this verse.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13).

Hari-śauri: Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20)?

Prabhupāda: No, there is another verse where Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, you and Me and all these persons who are assembled here..."

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: That is imperfect. Inductive knowledge is always imperfect. Deductive knowledge is perfect if it is taken from the authority. Suppose man is mortal. So inductive process is that you examine every man whether he's mortal or immortal. So suppose you have seen millions of men, and they are all mortal, they die. Then your conclusion is man is mortal. But I can say you have not seen a man who does not die. I can say that. So this inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited. So I can that say you have not seen the person, man... Suppose if I say you have not seen Vyāsadeva, he's immortal. You have not seen Aśvatthāmā, he's immortal. So how this scientific research can be perfect, inductive? It is never perfect. Because you may be missing somebody who is immortal. Then your conclusion is wrong. There is no scope of studying all the living beings. There is no such scope. You have limited scope. So your seeing power is limited. How you can decide from the limited seeing power?

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

Prabhupāda: Our men's productive. There must be food production, otherwise how the society will live. That is also a requirement. Good direction required, good government required, good production required, and good worker required. You can explain that there is no understanding of spiritual life. That they are missing the opportunity of human life.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a spiritual culture, and basically speaking the human society begins from dharma, or accepting the principle of God. Dharma begins with this acceptance of the principle of God, that human beings, their activities, have to be regulated. Just like in human society there is marriage. This is according to scripture. Every scripture regulates there must be marriage. This is dharma. It regulates certain activities that should be done, certain activities that should not be done.

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

Prabhupāda: Human life is meant for making a solution of all material problems.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That they do not know. That point is missing that there is another life which is eternal, blissful, life of knowledge. But they have no idea that we can eternally live without birth, death, old age, and disease. There is no information, neither education, but there is a life very... If you get eternal life, then the tribulations of material life no longer are there: birth, death, old age, and disease. But they have no idea or information because there is no intelligent man to understand that there is another life which is eternal, and life of bliss and knowledge. There is no information. That is the defect of the modern civilization, they are living like animals. No intelligence. So actually human life is meant for purifying our existential condition so that we may not be subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. That they are missing.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Comes by disciplic succession. Just like Kṛṣṇa said this knowledge to Arjuna and Arjuna said to others and it is open. Everyone can take it, there is no secrecy. We have to accept only, that's all.

Interviewer: I missed that, I'm sorry.

Prabhupāda: The order is already there, it is open, open secret. There is no secrecy. Anyone can take it.

Interviewer: All right. But in terms of specific, say, choosing, specific things, specific details.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in all details, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is all details in this book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Well ah, I thank you very much for your time, your Grace, and I'm glad I finally got acquainted with you. I missed you in Brooklyn.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Interviewer: I missed you in Brooklyn, I came over there and you were in the backyard, I think you were asleep or having a backrub or something. So I didn't get to see you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in the daytime I am...

Interviewer: It was good to catch you this time and I hope to see you again.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to study, that, this.... At the present moment people are so dull-headed, they are not taking the important point, that this body, one minute ago it was so important, and now it has no value. If you kick on his face, nobody will say. But they have no brain to understand what is that thing missing, that it has become so unimportant that within a minute.... They have no brain. The so-called scientists, philosophers, all dull-headed. It is very abominable condition of society. There is no man who is real brain.

Mike Robinson: Are you, sir, writing off all scientists because they've failed to understand the spiritual dimension in life?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes, it is scientific, everything scientific. Science means knowledge, full knowledge.

Arrival at Farm -- July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: All books are here?

Bhagavān: Oh, yes. Some are missing from the Seventh Canto, but most are here. Here is Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And if you have books you need, they can go down here, your reference books. I got you this little box here if you want to keep anything special. They used to make things for the princes. This is comfortable seat?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good.

Bhagavān: Table is close enough?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, everything is comfortable. These stones are not available in India. Maybe very costly. Italian.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Moon is the cooling effect. Desert will make a cooling effect. (laughter) Just see. At least I shall not believe that this is desert and rock. I'm not so fool. The desert and rock is giving so nice brilliant shining, everyone is feeling comfortable. Just see. We have to believe it.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Because Kṛṣṇa is missing. They don't accept Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, they should have at least common sense. But they have no common sense. Kṛṣṇa is far away from here, for these rascals, but at least they should have common sense. And that also they have not. Even they have not common sense.

Pradyumna: Children are always asking, it is a folk thing that children ask what is the moon made of? Mother, father, what is the moon made of.

Prabhupāda: They ask?

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: And evaporation. Even the ocean can be evaporated by the air. So we have got this experience of the five or eight elements. They are physical because they are subjected to be cut into pieces, to be burned into fire, to be moistened, to be evaporated. But it is, soul is not affected. Then we have to think of—what is that. Therefore these scientists, they are puzzled. When the soul goes out of the body, they cannot imagine what thing is missing that the body is dead. Because they have physical ideas. But it is not physical. So everything is described. We have to study thoroughly and apply our brain. The brain must be sharp and finer tissues. Then spiritual understanding will be there. With dull brain, physical brain, we cannot understand. That is not possible.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: How it is chance?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: There is no chance, because you bought the lottery ticket, so...

Prabhupāda: Your destiny. Then your destiny.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: They miss the order and the controller and the organizer...

Prabhupāda: That is whole purpose—how to defy God. That is their whole plan.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, the mind is attracted to that.

Prabhupāda: No, there are always two classes of men: devatā and demons. Demon class will always say like that, "There is no God. We are everything." Devatā class, they will always believe in. That is the difference, devatā class. This struggle will always be there. (Sanskrit) There are two classes of men throughout the whole universe. One is called daiva and the other is called asura.

Room Conversation -- August 16, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Liberated soul never says that "I am liberated." As soon as he says "liberated," he's a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that "I am liberated." That is liberated. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is God—guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsan (CC Adi 7.71). "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one, and he has chastised Me." He's God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant ever-lastingly of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he's a rascal. That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Guru more mūrkha dekhi'. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mūrkha? Why He's posing Himself that mūrkha? "I am fool number one." That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he's liberated. And as soon as he thinks that "I am beyond this chastisement, I am liberated," he's a rascal. Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu says guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsan? This is sahajiyā-vāda. He is thinking, "Oh I have become liberated. I don't require any direction of my guru. I'm liberated." Then he's rascal. Why this Gauḍīya Maṭha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that "This man should be the next ācārya." But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be ācārya. That is the failure. They never thought, "Why Guru Mahārāja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be ācārya?" They wanted to create artificially somebody ācārya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Mahārāja wanted to appoint somebody as ācārya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed?

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: About birth control. So birth control means the father and mother, the father and mother should not become father and mother unless they take full responsibility for the children to save them from the repetition of birth and death. This is the śāstric injunction. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The, everyone is, in this material world, is going on in the cycle of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Transmigrating from one body to another. And after many millions of years he gets the chance of becoming a human being. Now in this life he can stop the birth and death. Punar janma jāyate. That is Vedic culture. How to conquer over this process of repetition, birth and death. That is only possible in the human life. A chance is given, and if he misses this chance then again he'll be cycle... Therefore the father and mother's duty is to train up the children in such a way, that this is the last birth. No more birth. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9).

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No. You can stop it. You are missing the chance because you are not serious about the end of life. You are not disgusted with this repetition of birth and death. That is foolishness. Just like a thief, a criminal. He is constantly put into the jail but he's not disgusted. He's committing again and again and again. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). This is going on. This is foolishness. He does not make any provision how to stop it. That is for want of knowledge. This is going on.

Indian man: In olden days...

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is not advancement.

Hari-śauri: They can't see any use for philosophy and fine arts any more.

Prabhupāda: Because they do not know what is soul. They do not know what is missing. Why the body is useless. They do not cultivate... The most important thing they do not cultivate. This man was so important one second before. Now the whole body is useless. It has to be thrown away. They do not give attention even to this. How he becomes... Second before he was Mr. Churchill or Mr. such and such, very important man. All men showing respect. And now he is useless. If somebody kicks on his face nobody will say. Out of sentiment they protest, but the man will not protest.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: But why this happened, this why question does not come. They are so dull. For that thing missing. And these rascal scientists will theorize, the blood becomes white, this becomes that, that becomes that. And do it. If the blood has become white then make it red. Mix some color or chemical and bring him to life. "No, the life-giving substance is lost." Oh, life-giving substance is not lost. So many germs are coming. Why do you say the life-giving substance is lost? It is there. They do not consider all these things. If matter is life-giving substance, matter is there. Decomposed matter is also matter. Just like stool, a decomposed remnants of foodstuff. That is also matter. Stool is also matter. The same (indistinct) is there. The earth is there, the water is there, the heat is there.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: But why this happened, this why question does not come. They are so dull. For that thing missing. And these rascal scientists will theorize, the blood becomes white, this becomes that, that becomes that. And do it. If the blood has become white then make it red. Mix some color or chemical and bring him to life. "No, the life-giving substance is lost." Oh, life-giving substance is not lost. So many germs are coming. Why do you say the life-giving substance is lost? It is there. They do not consider all these things. If matter is life-giving substance, matter is there. Decomposed matter is also matter. Just like stool, a decomposed remnants of foodstuff. That is also matter. Stool is also matter. The same (indistinct) is there. The earth is there, the water is there, the heat is there. What is the loss there? And actually you see from this matter, from the stool so many worms are coming out. How do you say that the life-giving matter is missing? That you cannot explain. Still they will not accept that the soul is gone. That individual soul is gone. This is their intelligence. Give me that stamp.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Every corner of the world for world peace.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, for "world peace." Do you have a pen? No.

Hari-śauri: You don't have any light.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I need my pen. It's missing. I found it.

Prabhupāda: Because this is the only platform for united nations which is practically demonstrated.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is the only platform for...

Prabhupāda: United Nations which is practically demonstrated.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...is practical... (writing down)

Prabhupāda: Our movement, all over the world they have joined. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and Africans. All, everywhere.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's right. Because there is no guarantee. Suppose you are learning some art to serve Kṛṣṇa. In the meantime if death takes place...

Hari-śauri: Then no service.

Prabhupāda: Then if you could not learn the art, at the same time you miss Kṛṣṇa's service. So that is not our principle. We want to serve Kṛṣṇa, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. Whatever work you already expert, you do that. Just like he is doing. Whatever he knows, he is giving service. He's not going for sewing cloth. Because he does not know that. Why should he waste time? He knows this art, let him do. That is service. Whatever you know, Kṛṣṇa can accept any service. Kṛṣṇa is not one-sided. Because He is everything, so he can accept every service, anything. That is stated, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. Whatever you know, you try to please Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's representative. The same thing.

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: There's no verse index in any of the Ādi-līlā.

Prabhupāda: There is, but we are missing.

Pradyumna: I have the Bengali.

Prabhupāda: The all ācāryas say that Your personality, although there are so many evidences in śāstra and authorized persons, still, the rascals cannot understand. So here is another verse, āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve.

Pradyumna: So do you want to quote this verse?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Must quote.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the root of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So He is the root. So you pour water in the root. Just like we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. So because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, does it mean that we are not taking care of the human being? That is automatically coming. But those who are taking care of the human society only, social work, political work, they do not know even what Kṛṣṇa. Missing. That is the difference. Because we are taking of Kṛṣṇa, we have come to the human society. We are teaching them Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual knowledge. That is automatically. We are feeding them, giving them prasādam. That is included. But those who are opening hospitals for human being, they are taking the poor animals to the slaughterhouse, maintaining big, big slaughterhouse. That means foolishness.

Morning Walk -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You can describe like this. Just like if a man is diseased, so the physician imposes upon him some restriction, do and do not. So if by mistake we give up the do not's, then it is useless. He should observe the do not's. Then he'll be cured. And if he does not observe the do not's—whatever he likes, he does—that means his disease is increasing. Therefore it is useless. The real aim of life is how to get out of the clutches of māyā which is forcing me to accept the cycle of birth and death. That is my disease. Therefore tapasya. Tapasya means restricted life, not unrestricted life. So if we do not follow the restricted life, that means I shall continue my disease or increase my disease. The modern civilization, we are teaching how to enjoy this material world to the fullest extent, bhogaiśvarya, sense gratification and for sense gratification, material opulence. But he does not know that he is killing himself. He is aggravating the disease. He has to accept another body. But that he does not know, that he'll have to take birth and die, again the same business. That he does not know. Therefore this civilization is misguided. Yesterday we were reading, tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have to purify our existence. So this aim is missing—how to purify it. Sattva, I am eternal. Now I am existing in a condition, birth and death. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

Morning Walk -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Tapasya means to rescue the soul from this material condition, yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet, to purify your existence. What is the impurification? Impurification is that the soul is subjected to repetition of birth and... That is impurification. That he does not know. So he is missing the goal of life, and he's thinking this temporary so-called happiness for twenty years, forty years, fifty years, or, utmost, hundred years, that is his ultimate. That is a misleading. He does not know the aim of life. He thinks this material enjoyment to make this body stout and strong and enjoy senses like the hogs. Therefore it has been (called) na arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. The sewer hog, he is thinking, "I am eating stool. I am getting fatty. That is my life. And I am enjoying sex without any discrimination." No discrimination of sex, either mother or sister and daughter—it doesn't matter.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Mām evaiṣyasi. "He becomes pure devotee, and he comes back to Me." Mam evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). That is the solution: go back home, back to Godhead. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). That is the mission of human life. For that purpose we have to do everything. How to go back to home, back to Godhead. And that point we are missing. We are engaged in so-called philanthropic work. Real purpose of life we are missing. And this can be done only in this human form of life.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Believe or not believe, that is another thing. But if you want to live worthy, then you have to study Bhagavad-gītā. You believe... Just like somebody believes or not believes in dehāntara, but nature's course will go on. Young man thinks "I'll remain young. I shall not become old man." He may believe like that, but he has to become old man. That is nature's law. So there is no question of "believe" or "not believe." If you believe, then you are benefited; if you don't believe, you go to hell. It is not the question of belief. I was speaking in South Africa in a university. So one gentleman, Arya-samāji said... When I was explaining tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ, so he objected that "Why you bring Hindu belief?" "And, nonsense, it is Hindu belief?" It is said that kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā: one boy is becoming young man. Is this for Hindu? It is not for the Muslim? And he said "Hindu belief." Such a fool he is. He said, "It is Hindu belief." Kṛṣṇa is giving this example. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam (BG 2.13). Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. So does it mean that Hindus only from kaumāra become yuvaka, and from yuvaka to old man, and the Muslims, they do not? It is science! You believe or not believe. If you don't take the fact, then your life is missing.

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

Rāmeśvara: This is also... This review is a great praise that your writing is so clear that they cannot miss the point. He has understood the dif... You are forcing them to see a difference...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: ...between the Māyāvādī and the actual philosophy of Lord Caitanya. And that review is a credit that your writing is so clear that they cannot fail to understand the point.

Prabhupāda: He has written that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has very convincingly presented." He said that.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. That was the first one.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ. This is everything, description. So everything is there. We should take advantage and become perfect. And this is the chance of becoming perfect, the human form of life. If we miss it—finished. Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra... Again go to the cycle of birth. Where is guarantee I am not going to be a dog? Who can check it? Nobody can. Nature's law is very strong. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Find out this verse, Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: To know about Kṛṣṇa. It is not also difficult. Science of Kṛṣṇa is there, Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa speaks Himself. So to know the science of Kṛṣṇa is also not difficult. But because we are unfortunate, we go to rascal, and they interpret Bhagavad-gītā in a rascaldom way, and we are missing. So you should be very careful not to go to a rascal. Then your mission will be successful. If you want to purchase gold, you must go to a shop where actually gold is purchased, gold. If you do not know, then you'll be cheated. That is not also very difficult. That I have repeatedly said. Those who are interpreting in their own way, Bhagavad-gītā, he's a rascal; he's not guru. (loud kīrtana in background) As soon as he says an interpretation, "I think like this," you reject that. Why should we think like that? You should preach what Kṛṣṇa says. Then you are right. Why should you say something which Kṛṣṇa does not say? Then you are misguided.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, a child can see there are two things, that what is the difference between a living man and dead man. So my father was living one moment before. Now he is dead. The something is missing. The two things are there. Where is the difficulty? And these big, big scientists, they cannot understand. How less intelligent they are. Immediately understood two things, but something is missing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Somehow they have developed this false understanding that everything can be reduced to atoms and molecules.

Prabhupāda: That is still less intelligence, still less intelligence. Kartāham iti manyate.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So we have to prove that "You have no brain at all. Your brain is like cats and dogs. That is not brain. Even if you are scientist, philosopher, the position of your brain is the same. You do not know what is that thing missing that a living being is dead. You do not know. For centuries in the history you could not answer this. So where is your brain?" On this point discuss you amongst yourselves. Write one article and send, signing your name. Is it not a fact, that "brain-giving" movement? There is no brain. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). "If you had brain, then you could understand. But you have no brain. Where is the question of washing? It is brain-giving movement." Am I right or wrong?

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Brain means proper intelligence. That is brain. Dhīra, sober, that is brain. Anyone who has got brain, he will understand the simple logic, that how the body is changing. There is something; therefore body's changing from childhood to boyhood. And as soon as that important thing is missing—no more change of body. It is a dead matter. So where is your brain to understand this simple truth? Hm?

Pradyumna: Because it's dulled from sense gratification, they can't under...

Prabhupāda: "So whatever the cause, but you have no brain. Cause may be so many things. But you have no brain to understand the simple truth. Where is your brain? So this movement is not brainwashing. Brain-giving. You have no brain." Therefore śāstra says, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have not seen that something.

Prabhupāda: See or not, I can see. Why this man is dead? Something is missing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it's just like a machine.

Prabhupāda: Machine you can replace. Why you bring this...? Therefore you have no brain! It is completely different thing. If it is machine... Machine it is.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Machine breaks down.

Prabhupāda: Breaks down, you can repair.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This is their first qualification. They do not know what is the aim of life. Ask anyone what is the aim of life. They cannot say, like animal. Animal does not know. Eat, sleep, sex. They do not know. This is the demon's first quality. In which way life should be directed, they do not know. They are missing that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When I preach in the colleges, that's the first question I ask them. Not one person can answer. Never.

Prabhupāda: Aimless life. Aimless life, what they will not do? Everything they'll do for sense gratification, because there is no aim.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the college never gives the answer, the teachers. 'Cause they themselves...

Prabhupāda: They do not know. The whole Western civilization they do not know what is the aim of life. Naturally the aim of life becomes like animals-eat, drink, have sex and defend. That's all. That is the Western civilization. They are busy for defense and sex arrangement and eating voraciously and sleeping.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Two things are there already. Any layman can understand. A person living—a person dead. So why he is dead? Something is missing. So that missing element is important or this body is important? These rascals cannot understand even, so dull brain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A common farmer here can understand that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These two things are there: living force and the body. The body is moving because the living force is there. So which one is important, the body or the living force? Without living force, the same body, the same hand, legs, everything, +face, everything is there. Kick on his face—no response. And when he is living, touch his hair—"Oh, who are you? Why you are touching me?" (laughter) So which is important? The consciousness is important or this body? Such a rascal, they cannot understand it. And we have to deal with this civilization, mūḍha, rascals.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is a dangerous civilization. You... You should... (pause) Dangerous civilization that labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many millions of years one gets the chance of becoming a human being, especially civilized and especially in India. They will bring the same. And Kṛṣṇa personally says that if this chance is missed and a person does not become God realized, then he again returns back to the..., to the... Today I am a prime minister. Tomorrow, if I become a dog... What is this civilization? And they will have to become. Nature's law we cannot avoid. And there is no question, "Why you are touching me? I am prime minister." Who cares for you? You have to take account of your activities, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). So human life is so important, and we are simply wasting this valuable life with this temporary adjustment of so-called happiness or distress, big, big plans. Simply bluffing.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Sharma: That is international library of the RSSR. That is... Huliyansa(?) He's the director. I have seen that letter. With their office. They asked me to translate it. I translated that letter not long ago. And I passed it on, request. So I am aware of what they are doing, and I know what they do not do also. I not only feel the heartbeat of pulse of the people of India, but I feel the pulse of the heartbeat in Communist countries as well. I am very happy that I am here after having missed the name of Lord Nārāyaṇa for six years in Soviet Union, where the people chant only Lenin's name. It is being duly compensated (indistinct). You made this possible. I have gone through ten volumes of your book that you have written. They are really...

Prabhupāda: Which book? Bhāgavatam?

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is his age?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's seventy-three years old. He's very old, but still, he's very active, in good health. And he expressed that he's missing something. So we told that it is ripe time for to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And he comes to a point that he wanted to come and stay in the temple for a week just to learn more and try to get away from all the...

Prabhupāda: So this is very nice. Bring him and give him a nice accommodation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he came here yesterday.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That new one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How did he like it?

Girirāja: He missed it. He missed the whole thing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Well, he, er... A little...

Prabhupāda: No, you make some movie.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, that was what I was discussing with Yadubara. That movie seems to be little too dilute.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not made by scientific men. Layman-made. (laughs)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We discussed some point before he made movie, but we made very good point, but he didn't include any of those, what we suggested. At the beginning he has started. Then everything was some sort of a popularization of...

Girirāja: I thought it was like the new style of Back to Godhead.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: If the dress has got hand and leg, then the person who is putting on the dress, he must have hand and... So this is the conclusion. When in the śāstra it is said that "God has no leg, no hand," that... In the Upaniṣad it said that "He has no leg, but He can walk swifter than anyone." So that means He has got a different type of leg. And that is summarized, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His vigraha, His form, is not material form. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśri... (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes as a human being, the foolish mūḍha-mūḍha means rascal-rascal thinks that "He is also one of us." But Kṛṣṇa says, "No, no," sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6), "I come here in My original, spiritual form." Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā. So these are to be understood. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Because they cannot understand—they cannot make distinction what is spiritual, what is material-therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. First of all one has to understand what is material, what is spiritual. So unless one comes to the spiritual understanding, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means "for spiritual understanding." And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). So yatatām api siddhānām. Even the jñānīs, they are supposed to be siddha, and they also miss the point, that "The Supreme has no material body, so only negation." No. There is positive body.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When this philosophy is reversed, then life becomes full of meaning and full of purpose. Actually that is a fact. We give value to life. That's why we go to the... We send our children for higher studies and we develop so many political and social and ethical and moral problems. That means there is purpose in life. So life is not void. But somehow, when one misses that point, he just comes to that point. But that's not a fact. So it has to be understood that there is... Life is full of meaning and full of purpose, and there is a goal behind it. That purpose is to develop spiritual consciousness, to develop the science of ātmā called ātma-jñāna, the science of the self, and becomes... Life becomes meaningful.

Prabhupāda: That is the statement in Bhāgavata, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām, they dismiss the case because apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Just like thieves: "Eh! What is government? What is government? Let us enjoy." That's not the fact. So we have to put all these questions before learned scholars and ask them to make a solution. (Bengali) Why zero?

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bhramyādbhiḥ. There are different forms of bodies of jīva. That is also stated. Jalajā nava-lakṣānī sthavara lakṣa-vimśati. So first of all, general, from water. That you have got experience. Fish is coming. As soon as there is some reservoir of water, after some day mosquito will come, fish will come, many other bugs and germs will come, jalajā. And their number is also given, nava-lakṣānī. In this way, bhramyādbhir jīva-jāti, the soul, the living entity, is wandering, jīva-jātiṣu. Then he gets a human form of life. The civilization is there. And five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So what this nonsense Darwin will tell us? Rascals. We have already information-jīva-jāti, they are already existing, one after another. (break) "...missing, fossil." What is this nonsense? What is missing? The monkeys, they, your father, is there, monkey. Where is monkey is missing? Your father, grandfather is there. So why you have got this body of all a sudden?

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they know. And besides that, they did not exploit. Whatever enjoyment they did—within India, not that taking away the money outside India. Therefore it was very good relationship. And Indian people, they do not mind who is king. "We pay our tax. That's all." That is the attitude from the very beginning. The general people, they did not mind whether Kurus or war(?) will reign over or the Pāṇḍavas. "We don't mind. You become fight. You become king. We give our tax. That's all." So there was no fight with the subject between king and citizens. This democracy is a demon-crazy. It has no value. It is simply waste of time and effort and no feeling, demon-crazy. I do not know who introduced this. In India still there is no demon-crazy. Indian king always. Everyone is taking part in politics. What is this nonsense? It is meant for the kṣatriyas. They can fight and defend. The rascals, bhangis, chamars, and they are also in politics. Harijanas... Every one of them vote, and everyone has got the right to become king, minister. Not this. The real thing they are missing, the mode of life, the aim of life. (break)...care. Everyone is theorizing, everyone is educated, and everyone is, they're hippie. That's all.

Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's not the purpose of life. It's missing.

Prabhupāda: Therefore the Bhāgavata says, kāmasya na indriya-prītir lābhaḥ, kāmasya lābho jīveta yāvatā. So why they are restless? They do not know the end of life. So what is the end of life? Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā na yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. The real business is that "What is Brahman?" If your mind is diverted to brahma-jijñāsā, then naturally these nonsense things, they will be... Therefore Bhāgavata begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). The knowledge is there. The process is there. Everything has to be dovetailed. What is that? Dovetailing? So the great sages, brāhmaṇas, they were holding meeting in Naimiṣāraṇya, discussion how people will be happy.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think it's time for you to go upstairs. Vrindavan, he has to take his meals in the evening or he may miss... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...you try to become Vaiṣṇava. Keep it, whatever it may be. For the time being, you have got guarantee that your present position will never be disturbed. Is that all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whatever he wants. If he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, then he'll only want Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So you... For the time being, we have given guarantee they'll not be disturbed in the present position. Be satisfied. Do business. (end)

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's what I... Similarly, weaver, that cloth weaving, "kat, kat." The wife is spinning, her husband is weaving, the children is weaving, and combinedly at the end of the day there is a cloth. And people were satisfied with simple necessities. They would not charge very much for the labor. And one nice cloth requires half a pound cotton. Half a pound cotton means maybe one rupee. Another one rupee for the labor. So now they are paying twenty to thirty rupees. Unnecessarily he has to earn this money and pay to the millionaires, and he will keep three dozen motorcars, so another man will be engaged in motorcar industry. In this way time is being wasted without any search after spiritual realization. Time is wasted in such so-called technology advancement. And the real purpose of life, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, that is missing. And when you present that "This is the most important business of life," they say, "It is brainwashing." And they fight to check us, Communists and others, that "It is useless, God consciousness." (break) (long pause) So... Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Because they are missing the aim of life, they are committing suicide.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Kṛṣṇa baḍo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay. Kṛṣṇa-prasāda... (Bengali conversation) The real fact is that this jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life is food for another life. That is nature's way. But one has to pass through so many varieties of life, evolution. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. How many millions of years we'll take to evolve to become a human being. Then he gets chance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Payeche mānava janma, mano rañjanam alpa.(?) Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Emona janma, this janma, manuṣya-janma. And if we miss and don't get Kṛṣṇa, again glide down. Mām aprāpya mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Again you fall down. I'll eat you; you eat me. And the aquatic, 900,000 species, varieties of life. The same struggle, one fish eating another fish. Struggle within the water. A small fish can understand three miles away a big fish is coming. It is all stated in the Bhāgavata. This struggle is going on. Then in the jungle animals.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She said, "Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. This shawl is made of the wool from our own sheep, spun and woven here at Gītā-nagarī. It is the first piece we have made. While I was working on it I would always think of you, of how I was supposedly making you a gift. But actually you are giving me the gift of engagement in devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I always pray to Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva to protect you and allow you to stay with us to finish your books. But I think today the rain falling from the sky is actually the tears of the demigods, crying at the prospect of your departure. I am also crying. Even Kṛṣṇa cried at the passing of Grandfather Bhīṣma, so I have a right to cry. I cannot be so philosophical to say that you are always present in your books and teachings, though I know these things are true. I will miss you so much, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if you go. I beg that I may always remain your menial servant and devotee. Your humble disciple, Satyabhāmā dāsī."

Prabhupāda: Thank to her. Made with our wool.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But we have already asked Dr. Ghosh of Allahabad, but he has not come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he hasn't. We received a letter from him. I think he may have missed our letter, but he said that any correspondence should be sent to Allahabad and would be forwarded to him. But he hasn't come yet.

Prabhupāda: You can see that letter. He is qualified man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He suggests immediately that Prabhupāda go into a hospital.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Doctor Ghosh's letter, you remember, he suggests that we immediately take you to that Bombay hospital.

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And also the blood pressure is normal. It's 130. It's very reduced, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's normal blood pressure now.

Bhavānanda: But he said that your pulse is so weak that every 18 beats it skips a beat, misses, because you're in such weakened state.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he was hopeful in general.

Prabhupāda: Dr. Gopal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Is he still here, Dr. Gopal?

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, but Prabhupāda was not... We never saw your man. He missed us. He missed both times.

Vrindavan De: When he came here, Prabhupāda had already left for London. And when my man went to Bombay, already left for Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: But in business field, if the bank sees that you have got fifty percent, they will advance. If you have got fifty percent, any transaction, you wait to do some business...

Vrindavan De: One thing, Tamāla, you know, I would like to have Prabhupāda's car for the time being.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Purport: "Factually the devotional service of the Lord is described in Vedānta-sūtra, but the Māyāvādī philosophers, the Śaṅkarites, prepared a commentary known as Śārīraka-bhāṣya, in which the transcendental form of the Lord is denied. The Māyāvādī philosophers think that the living entity is identical with the Supreme Soul, Brahman. Their commentaries on Vedānta-sūtra are completely opposed to the principle of devotional service. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore warns us to avoid these commentaries. If one indulges in hearing the Śaṅkarite Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he will certainly be bereft of all real knowledge. The ambitious Māyāvādī philosophers desire to merge into the existence of the Lord, and this may be accepted as sāyujya-mukti. However, this form of mukti means denying one's individual existence. In other words, it is a kind of spiritual suicide. This is absolutely opposed to the philosophy of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga offers immortality to the individual conditioned soul. If one follows the Māyāvādī philosophy, he misses his opportunity to become immortal after giving up the material body. The immortality of the individual person is the highest perfectional stage a living entity can attain."

Prabhupāda: Who were..., was present all through in the meeting?

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: I have a plan, Prabhupāda. Myself and Bhakti-prema Swami can go there and sit, and if we hear any discrepancies, if we are given a chance afterwards, which we can arrange, to speak something, then we can rectify—in a gentlemanly way, of course. We can rectify. If we sit there, at least we know that they'll be careful what they say. And he can catch any finer points that I would miss, 'cause it's all in Hindi.

Prabhupāda: They are speaking in Hindi.

Akṣayānanda: Everything's in Hindi, the whole thing. No English whatsoever.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then there's no chance of our men becoming...

Akṣayānanda: Our men can't understand anything.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Yes. First thing they had a flat tire. Then they ran out of gas, and then there was no petrol station. Then they lost the track. They went to some...

Prabhupāda: So he missed the plane.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Missed the plane. Coming from Delhi?

Bhakti-caru: Yes. They were supposed to come here at two o'clock.

Prabhupāda: I have got my car, but they arranged for a Mercedes car.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Mercedes car, bigger car, yes. Oh, I see. So that means God didn't want you to leave. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: This is Indian culture.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (devotees chant japa) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I received some results of book distribution from September, worldwide, very extraordinary figures. Actually they are astounding figures.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is right. He misses news.(?) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This resting is very good. Kavirāja said that two things, resting and passing urine, are signs of recovery for you. Sleeplessness is bad. But constant resting means that the body is getting a chance to renew itself and take strength. He said that we should look for that resting as a sign of gradual recovery, called "rest and recuperation." (background talking)

Prabhupāda: So?

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Things are going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhagatji was working very hard, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Too hard. Sometimes he missed his meals in the last two days to do that. I never saw... Even a young man could not work so much as he worked in the last two days. Śrīla Prabhupāda? I think we can... If you allow, Bhavānanda Mahārāja and I can sit you up for a minute to drink a little barley milk? Then you can lay down and take good rest. Taking a little warm thing at night is helpful for sleeping. It's relaxing. We never were used to that, but since we met Your Divine Grace, we're always taking a little warm milk at night. So you'll allow us to give you a little? (pause)

Bhavānanda: Bhakti-caru Prabhu.

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: He's saying that Prabhupāda's pulse is ninety, which is normal, and he gave three other medicines for Prabhupāda's heart. That missing beat that Prabhupāda was having—that's no more there.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were having a missing beat in your pulse.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Page Title:Missing (Conversations 1976 - 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:26 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=88, Let=0
No. of Quotes:88