Not so much (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"not so much"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was inviting so many saintly persons. That is the old system, to receive saintly person.

Hṛdayānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that you were not so much impressed by the saintly persons that were coming.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: Why was that?

Prabhupāda: Not all of them were real Vaiṣṇava. That was my discrimination from the beginning of my life. I never liked these bogus swamis and yogis. I never liked. But my father had no discrimination. "Never mind whatever he is. He is a saintly person. Receive him." He was giving fortnightly... There was one Māyāvādī sannyāsī in Kālīghāṭa. So first of all the father was sannyāsī. Then his son was sannyāsī. So we had very good relationship with him. I also used to... Because father was going... So he would carry gāñjā for him—in those days gāñjā was very cheap—so much gāñjā and so much butter. Whenever he would visit, he'd give some red cloth, gāñjā, and butter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your father would give him gāñjā?

Prabhupāda: That, to sannyāsī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why?

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The Indian people are meant for that purpose. They are from the birth, janma... Other, they are janmanā śūdra, but Indians, they are janmanā devotees.

Jayapatākā: I meant to mention that he commented that when they were coming from Andhra, when they, as they're getting closer to Bengal, in Orissa, and then even more so in Bengal, the, both in Ori... so many kīrtana was there. The people were meeting them with kīrtana and everyone was doing kīrtana. But in Andhra and other places, not so much kīrtana is there.

Prabhupāda: No.

Jayapatākā: They say they get much better reception in Orissa and Bengal.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because...

Jayapatākā: And already they picked up one devotee, I think. Devotees come also quicker.

Hṛdayānanda: Lord Caitanya...

Jayapatākā: I think if we concentrated first in Bengal and Orissa, we get some, enough devotees, and then they could help us in the other villages elsewhere.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: All over India. Like Madana already got three devotees when I was there in one week. By now he may also have more. Bengalis like kīrtana very much. (break) ...devotees are Bengalis.

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

Prabhupāda: Unless he is a fool. (laughter) Unless he's damn fool, they do not. (laughter) If he's sane and sober, open-hearted, then he will agree. Not only Hindus. We have got so many Mohammedans also. So unless one is open-minded, sane, intelligent, they cannot understand. Therefore I say the Indians are becoming insane. By the influence of so many rascals they are becoming insane. So that has to be rectified. But insanity is prevailing all over the world, but not so much insanity as in India, that they are rejecting their own things. This is the greatest insanity. Why they are rejecting Bhagavad-gītā? What is the reason? Tell me, you.

Reporter (2): Because of Hindus suffer from basic economic instability.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hṛdayānanda: Economic instability.

Prabhupāda: Economic? Then why don't you accept the economic program given by Bhagavad-gītā? Why don't you accept?

Reporter (2): If you would elaborate on that, I would be very much interested.

Meeting with Bankers -- April 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, so he was the father of the Yakṣas, this Kuvera. So Dhruva Mahārāja was a great devotee. You have heard the name of Dhruva Mahārāja. He was insulted by his stepmother. When he was young, very young child, so his father had two wives. So the junior wife was very pet to the husband, and the senior wife was not so much pet. But both of them had two sons. So the junior wife's son was sitting on the lap, a small child. So Dhruva Mahārāja was the son of the senior wife. As a child, he was also trying to sit down on the lap of the father. The other brother, he does not know stepbrother is brother. But the junior wife, she said, "My dear son, you cannot sit down on the lap of your father because you are not born in my womb. And that boy, the other boy, he is sitting on the lap of your father because he is born in my womb." So it was sarcastic remark, but Dhruva Mahārāja, although he was a child, four or five years old, he took it very seriously. A kṣatri..., kṣatriya... (Hindi) He became very angry. So he immediately left the place and went to his own mother, that "Stepmother has insulted me like this." He began to cry, and the mother said, "My dear son, what can I do? Your father does not treat me even as a maidservant, so I cannot take any step." "So how I can take revenge on it?" She said, "If Kṛṣṇa likes, then you can take revenge. Otherwise there is no possibility." "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I want to see Him." Child.... (Hindi) She said, "I have heard that Kṛṣṇa is in the forest. Big, big saintly persons go there and meet Him, so far I know, my dear son." "So I'll go there." So this four-year, five-years-old boy went to the forest, and he saw Kṛṣṇa within, Viṣṇu, within six months by his austerity, by meditating and observing austerity, living on water, on folio (foliage?), air, in this way, six months, he got the opportunity of seeing Viṣṇu directly. And there is a big story. Later on he was enthroned on the father's seat. He became very big king.

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why not construct a big building for gurukula here? The students will be trained up to come here and sporting, having nice bath and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and build up their character. And in Bombay you will get many children, because there are so many rich men. They are not so much concerned to make their children technologist. If they get good education and character, they will give. Technologists they can purchase. Birla, they are not going to be technologist. They purchase technologist. I have seen in many respectable Marwari house. They don't send their children to school. They don't send.

Dr. Patel: After matriculation they go to the office.

Prabhupāda: No matriculation. They engage good paṇḍitas, good teachers, and teach them at home, and, as soon as they are able to read and write and see accounts, immediately engage in the business. They know that "We can purchase technologist. Why shall I waste time for so-called education, Ph.D., D.A.C.?" You have seen that Ph.D. in our Vṛndāvana? Useless. So many Ph.D.'s are useless. Cannot earn their livelihood. I have seen. So what is the use? Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta. Because one has become.... I have seen one Ph.D. chemist in Allahabad. He could not get any job. Then he was manufacturing soap at home and taking it in cycle and going to the market just like ordinary coolie. These so-called educationists, unless they get a good job, they are useless street dog. Useless. They cannot earn even livelihood. Therefore śāstra says, "Don't try for these things, to increase your economic position. This is already destined. You cannot increase or decrease. Whatever you are destined, you must get it. Try to get Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That is not (indistinct).

Siddha-svarūpa: That is not what you want.

Hari-śauri: That's all right, but don't give up the book distribution.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes.

Hari-śauri: This is what happened. The temples fell down, the devotees went away. The ones who were distributing the books went on and distributed more books, became more expert, so that the public were not so much disturbed, and still they're distributing books. But these people who factioned off are not distributing books even now, two or three years later. So it was simply actually a question of faultfinding more than earnest desire to please the spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) Discuss.

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Room Conversation -- May 5, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Because we are selling books.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Because we're selling books.

Bhūrijana: Not so much the selling books. Maybe because of the emphasis on taking..., how much money can be taken. Like if someone says on the street, "Please give me a donation." So they give him a donation. "No, you must give more," and more and more. So the people think that the devotees are only interested in getting money and they get a bad impression that ISKCON is a money making movement.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We're selling one half a million large size books each year.

Harisauri: The thing is that the materialists will always find that. They see the devotees and we say that we renounce everything, but they don't understand that renunciation means to take everything and give it to Kṛṣṇa. So when... Just like that time there was such a great commotion when we hired that Rolls Royce to take Your Divine Grace from the airport to the temple. So in the papers they didn't put anything that you said. They simply put "His Divine Grace is arriving in a Rolls Royce." So this is the general attitude of the common mass of people.

Prabhupāda: That is envious. So if they sell books, so that is making Kṛṣṇa unpopular?

Bhūrijana: But one must learn to be a good book salesman I think.

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Cancelling standing orders?

Hari-śauri: They've actually taken standing orders and then had them cancelled because of this man.

Rāmeśvara: Not so much.

Hari-śauri: Not so much, but he's doing it when he can. (break)

Rāmeśvara: ...surprised that you have written so many books. They cannot understand how you could write so much. They wonder whether you were a great Sanskrit scholar for many years, so they try to guess. They just can't imagine anyone writing so much.

Prabhupāda: We are exceeding all material authors except Vyāsadeva.

Rāmeśvara: Vyāsadeva.

Prabhupāda: One book, seventeen volumes, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is also.... So many, our Godbrothers, attempted. Everyone is...

Hari-śauri: Have any of your Godbrothers translated anything?

Prabhupāda: They died half-way finished.

Hari-śauri: Śrīdhara Mahārāja never did anything?

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

Dr. Wolfe: Prabhupāda, I always thought, I always thought: "Later, later, I will. Later, later." But now I'm sixty-eight.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, education, everywhere, all over the world, education is given when one is young. That is the time. I think here in America there is adult education?

Hṛdayānanda: But not so much. Some. That's usually for making more money. Someone has a job and he wants further training to get a higher-paying job, but not so much for knowledge.

Prabhupāda: So, what is the next verse?

Hṛdayānanda:

ko nv artha-tṛṣṇāṁ visṛjet

prāṇebhyo 'pi ya īpsitaḥ

yaṁ krīṇāty asubhiḥ preṣṭhais

taskaraḥ sevako vaṇik

"Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves, professional servants, soldiers and merchants try to acquire money even..."

Prabhupāda: Here is a very nice example. Soldiers. They know "We are going to give up our life." And what for? "Money." (laughs) They are prepared to give up life for money. Money is so sweeter than honey. (laughs) And thieves, they go at night for burglary. He knows that "If I trespass anyone's house, he can kill me immediately." But still he takes the risk for money. That is all explained here. What is the verse?

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

Prabhupāda: Brass, just like our Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities in Māyāpur, how dazzling. Here also, in Boston.

Bharadvāja: I think Kṛṣṇa is German silver.

Prabhupāda: No. Maybe.

Bharadvāja: Not so much brass casting going on in this country, mostly bronze casting.

Prabhupāda: Bronze, but it will not be polished. We want polished.

Bharadvāja: I have to investigate it.

Prabhupāda: Bright face.

Hari-śauri: There's a boy that was in New York who cast some brass Gaura-Nitāi Deities in Australia. They came out very nice. You could talk to him. He might give you some good information. His name is Bhāskara.

Prabhupāda: Brass is best, next to gold or silver.

Bharadvāja: But I think the other Deities we shall just do in concrete, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Lalitā, Viśākhā. Either concrete or hard plaster.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bharadvāja: Hard plaster, tempered plaster, hydrostone.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Hari-śauri: The advantage downstairs is that they already have the archway section there also in the room behind, but there's not so much facility upstairs.

Prabhupāda: That we can make. (long pause) I think this part of the year is very nice, June-July? No. June-July...?

Mādhavānanda: This is the best.

Prabhupāda: Or May-June-July. How many months?

Mādhavānanda: It begins in the last part of May and it ends at the beginning part of September.

Prabhupāda: So May, June, July, August, at least four months. Four months. (long pause)

Jayādvaita: At the college programs, Satsvarūpa Mahārāja and I have been giving a lot of classes on varṇāśrama-dharma. Because they always want to hear something about the Hindu caste system, so they'll take us on that basis. And then we speak about varṇāśrama-dharma. And they don't have any idea to defeat it. They always, some little weak argument, but they don't have any better system.

Prabhupāda: What is their argument?

Jayādvaita: Hardly.... Well, they have some idea, they argue that there's no social mobility, because they all have some bodily idea that caste by birth.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not the fact.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But the sound must be the same.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The sound is important.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So the sanctity is in the sound vibration and not so much that it's in the Sanskrit letters itself. May I ask another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? "Are fasting and other dietary regulations necessary for leading a spiritual life?"

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena damena va

tyāgena sattva-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

To advance in spiritual life these things are essential, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something which may be painful. Just like we are recommending no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating. So those who are accustomed to these bad habits, for them, in he beginning it may be a little difficult. But in spite of becoming difficult, one has to do it. That is called tapasya. To rise early in the morning, those who are not practiced, it is a little painful, but one has to do it. So this is called tapasya. So according to the Vedic injunction, there are some tapasyas that must be done. It is not, "I may do it or not do it." It must be done. Just like in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad it is ordered that one must go to the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So there is no question of voluntarily, but it must be. And one must carry out by the order of a spiritual master and the order of the śāstra. That is called tapasya. Just like in our line ekādaśī is compulsory. One may feel some inconvenience fasting or simply eating fruits. No. It must be done. There are so many rules and regulations which is essential. It must be done. That is called tapasya. Without consideration whether it is convenient or inconvenient for you, which is, must be done, that is called tapasya. Tapaḥ, divyam...

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That's all right, do it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: What will be the technique to attract the Bengali educational class? To attract the Bengalis who are educated, what technique will be most effective?

Prabhupāda: This kīrtana and prasāda distribution.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But it seems to me they are not so much interested. There was a man who came from Calcutta about two months ago, a Bengali, and in fact we were class friends in Calcutta when I was studying in Calcutta. And I discussed this problem with him, why so-called Bengali intellectuals are not attracted to our movement. And his answer was that the Caitanya movement was mostly for less intellectuals. For those who are educated, they want to be followers of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. In fact, they have a society called Vedanta Society. All the Bengalis get together...

Prabhupāda: And waste their time. The rascals waste their time.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And they discuss... So I was a little mad at him, this friend.

Prabhupāda: Because the real fact is they do not want to give up meat-eating and fish-eating. Therefore they like Vivekananda. That is the real reason. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, Vaiṣṇava, they have to give up so many things. That is the disease of the Bengalis. And Vivekananda is recognized only in Bengal. To some part, not all.

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

Prabhupāda: They expect like that?

George Harrison: Well, I don't know. I think the whole world's changing. Somebody said it's the pollution, leaves so much..., there's so much of the oceans now with polluted and with oil on the top, there's not so much evaporation anymore.

Prabhupāda: Not in the ocean. It is the sinful activities of the populace. That is real problem. They are all engaged in sinful activities. Especially this innocent animal killing. These are the all reaction.

Gurudāsa: In New York they had one island of refuse floated in to shore. For years they were building up island of refuse, and it floated in, and now no one can go to the beaches.

Prabhupāda: Samosa. Where is samosa? There is only one left?

George Harrison: I'm okay, actually.

Devotee (2): There is sour cream.

George Harrison: I've got plenty, thanks.

Prabhupāda: Prasada, we can eat up to the neck. (laughter) There is no harm. You'll never get indigestion. You have got some fruits?

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: But they have got so many machine. In New Vrindaban there are so many machinery.

Hari-śauri: Not so much tractors and things though. They've been trying to concentrate with just oxen and things like that, so it's taken a while to develop the whole concept, whereas in Pennsylvania they're using so many machines.

Prabhupāda: No, we are not producing various things(?).

Jayatīrtha: In our Vancouver farm, because we had machinery, we were able to put more land under cultivation in the first year than they had in New Vrindaban after so many years. They were very efficient.

Bhagavān: Thing is, we should not become dependent on machine.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: This unemployment is to their discredit. In the karmis' society the unemployment is a great discredit, now people sitting idle.

Prabhupāda: There will be great catastrophe. The unemployment will increase, and people will be very dissatisfied with the.... Especially the black. They will create havoc. This is artificial. They are increasing the production of tire tube and lid. So who will purchase? Nobody lives in the tire tube. Therefore unemployment. So therefore reduce production. You cannot go on increasing. You very much trade this tire tube and so many artificial.... It is very artificial civilization. If you produce.... (break) Here so far milk and food grains are concerned, whatever sumptuously you want to eat, eat. Balance you can keep stock. The milk can be converted into ghee, then keep stock, and the grains can be stocked. Whenever you like, you just grind the grains and have to eat, halava.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Not so much. They are not as peaceful as Indians. They are not as pious as Indians.

Prabhupāda: They cannot be. In India still you'll find hundreds and thousands of men are going to take bath in the Ganges in the morning. They might have only one cloth and one napkin. Still, they will take twice bath with the napkin, they change the cloth and wash it and spread it on the ground. By the time he finishes his bathing, the cloth is dry. That is India's advantage. And he puts some fresh cloth. And the napkin is also dry. And he'll become refreshed. And in his loṭā he'll take some water of the Ganges and he'll go home. In Vṛndāvana you'll find many thousands in the morning, with loṭā they go out, evacuate somewhere, and then wash hands, mouth, with cloth, taking bathing in the Ganges, Yamunā. Now they are polluting the Yamunā water, the government. In Vṛndāvana government is opening oil refinery, and people are being encouraged, "These are new temples." Everywhere people are being degraded. They have no tendency to become purified, God conscious, honest. Because they do not believe in the next birth. This garden belongs to the palace? No.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: It so-called belongs to the people, to the government. But here palace has a lot of influence.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the king must have. That is... Clean here.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That is now failure. Now they'll do it from Mars.

Hari-śauri: Not so much from there for security, it's just...

Parivrājakācārya: Their pride, one country, just like children playing, one can say "I can fly higher than you," and so "We can go to the moon before you can." For no reason than just to show they can do it.

Hari-śauri: It's an excuse to spend money. It's for fun.

Prabhupāda: They cannot settle up their misunderstanding here. By going to the moon planet, they'll do it.

Hari-śauri: That's one thing that they said they were going to do, actually. They had some Russian astronauts and some American astronauts, and they had them meet in space, and then they joined their spaceships together and then they had a meal together and did some experiments, and then they left again. So that was very much acclaimed as bringing the two nations closer together.

Prabhupāda: We are afraid of these two classes of rascals. "Afraid of" means we don't want their association. It is very dangerous.

Pradyumna: You said in the Bhāgavatam just that, that we are afraid of the materialistic men.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Books are different thing, we are publishing.

Jñānagamya: In America the Negro situation was very bad, and they made many films showing heroic Negroes and now the situation is much better. The people are not so much agitated by seeing Negroes. They think "Oh, now a Negro has some good qualities." Because of these films they have come to appreciate. So like that, if a devotee is a hero they will also appreciate.

Prabhupāda: Do they? I don't appreciate. I don't think the Negro question is solved.

Jñānagamya: No, it's not, but it is making steps to that end.

Prabhupāda: The whites, they do not like the Negroes still. Wherever there are Negroes, in that quarter the whites do not go in. So is it not? They do not go. Although they have been given equal right, but at heart the whites, they do not like it. Is there any improvement? I don't think. Officially, "Yes, yes, you are good, I am good."

Nava-yauvana: Because people are still on the bodily conception of life, so they are...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real disease. So long one is situated in the bodily concept of life, he is animal. First of all, you have to educate them. That is the difficulty.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, that mass of people will come. As soon as they hear that here is some play going on, Kṛṣṇa pastimes, still in India...

Guest (4): It is there, sir, so what my submission was that what we do as film producers and in this line of business, that we do it more on commercial basis. Gimmicks are there, castings are there, but then it is not so much educative. What your Prabhupāda wants to convey. If, as a member of...

Prabhupāda: Education you cannot give. Education means it is practical practice. But to show something, that you can attract even without film. The yatra-party can.

Guest (5): Yatra-party, sir, here again the problem is India's a vast country and for that purpose if you take the whole world as a place, how many yatra-parties can you...

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, that even if you attract better crowd, what will be the benefits? Unless, because unless you come to the point of practicing, there is no profit. Who will be attracted to practice Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Nobody is... We are getting practical experience.

Yaśomatīnandana: In other words just being attracted to philosophy is not sufficient. There has to be... Let them become a devotee. (indistinct remarks)

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There was a seat? Where is gone, that seat?

Hari-śauri: They probably took it in because of the rain. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...rainy season these leaves should have been very green, but it is not green. Huh?

Saurabha: It's also the sea wind that kills a lot of trees. Not so much here, but if one goes down to the sea, all trees they have no leaves. There's some type of salt or something in the air that destroys plants. Here it's all right, but close to the sea it's all... That must affect them. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...saptāha, it is not authorized.

Acyutānanda: No. But in some editions of Bhāgavatam they have a Bhāgavata-māhātmyam, and there's a story about bhakti and jñāna and vairāgya and Nārada Muni.

Prabhupāda: That no ācārya has mentioned.

Harikeśa: That's Gītā Press again. That's Gītā Press.

Acyutānanda: They say how this is the instructions for how Bhāgavata should be read in seven days up to this canto.

Prabhupāda: Gītā Press was Māyāvādī. (break)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This lady? That man there? He's our accountant, Mr. Krishna. He lives with us full time. He's doing very good service.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Type. (break)

Gargamuni: ...on all the equipment.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: That is not so much for the amount of books that they have been able to produce in such a short time.

Prabhupāda: We can produce one book daily, the machines are so expert.

Jayapatākā: They do outside work as well?

Gargamuni: What for? We have unlimited...

Prabhupāda: Why? Botheration. You have to satisfy your customer, waste time. We keep our machine for our own work.

Gargamuni: We have so many books. As soon as we print a new book, the previous book is out of print. We have to print again.

Prabhupāda: The first machine introduced by you, yes.

Gargamuni: Oh, the mimeograph. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Then other machines came. I did not know, but I was thinking that if some typist would hear my tapes and type, I was thinking like that. Expert typist. Formerly, it was being done like that. Here, tape recorder. You hear something and then type. Like that. And this machine, you shall, it is, automatically, you hear and type, hear and type.

Jayapatākā: This is made for that.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: And I was looking at the front and it gives your residence in Vṛndāvana at Rādhā-Dāmodara and your office in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: It was not unpleasant. When I was living alone, doing everything, it was not unpleasant. I was... Very nice. That was an accident. Otherwise, it was not unpleasant. Alone everything I was doing. Rather, I had not so much anxiety for management. Even my, this son came to live with me. I said, "No, you don't."

Hari-śauri: Who was that? Vṛndāvana there?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. They sent, my family, to go and live with me. He came twice, thrice. The reason is that I asked him "If you want to live with me then you have to live with me as sannyāsī, brahmacārī.

Hari-śauri: And he couldn't.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise... From 1954, '55. Up to '54... 1950, I left home 1950. From '50 to '54 I lived in Jhansi.

Hari-śauri: That was when you started the League of Devotees?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. At that time there were many students. They were not my disciples, but they were coming. Like... that Prabhākāra?

Hari-śauri: Yes, Prabhākāra Ācārya.

Prabhupāda: He was the head.

Room Conversation -- November 18, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Guru Maharaja. So many. Ramakrishna is not very prominent. Sai Baba. (aside:) Little, little, everyone. Who asked for them? Aurobindo. Even Aurobindo. Who will protest against Aurobindo? Aurobindo has got some influence in the Western...

Jagadīśa: Not so much.

Hari-śauri: I never heard of him before.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari-śauri: (laughs) I never heard of Aurobindo. If someone is interested in Eastern philosophy, generally they read books about Aurobindo and stuff like that, because up till now that's been the only literature that's been available in the West.

Prabhupāda: Aurobindo?

Hari-śauri: Yes. People like that.

Prabhupāda: And now it is worthless.

Hari-śauri: Now it's finished.

Jagadīśa: There's one other movement called the Moonies.

Prabhupāda: Moonies.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (japa) Except in few provinces, everyone eats onion, all over the world. And garlic. In Western countries I think onion and garlic, cent percent they eat.

Hari-śauri: Not so much garlic but onion anyway. Onions they love, big ones.

Prabhupāda: (japa) Sell books and this principle follow: half construct temple, half print books. That's it. No income tax. "We have spent everything. That's all." (japa) In Vṛndāvana, he was suggesting, that Set, Setterji, that "You make some will. Otherwise, after your... In your absence the government will..." And I'll not keep a single farthing. I shall spend all before I die. (chuckles) Invest in book, that's all. I am insisting on this. But I am simply afraid if we have got enough stock, it may not be stolen and misused. Otherwise I want to immediately invest in books all the money that I have got.

Hari-śauri: I don't think there'll be any problem there.

Prabhupāda: So arrange like that. We want. Then I'll print all books, keep in stock. Never mind. Why use the bank?

Hari-śauri: Rāmeśvara's coming soon. I can...

Prabhupāda: Hm. Keep in stock. It will be sold. There is no doubt.

Hari-śauri: And now we have so many different languages coming out.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Now, who cares for all these nonsense?

Rāmeśvara: In regards to brainwashing, they claim that our life-style tends to take the devotee and isolate him from the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We hate to mix with you. No gentleman tries to mix with loafers. In England still, the rich quarter is different from the poor quarter. Is it not?

Hari-śauri: Not so much. It was though, formerly, very strongly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Aristocratic will never live... Even in America, they don't like to live with the blacks.

Rāmeśvara: No.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) That child...? So that separation... Crows will not like to live with the ducks and white swans. And white swans will not like to live with the crows. That is natural division. "Birds of the same feather flock together."

Jagadīśa: And honest men don't like to associate with thieves and criminals.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is natural. We are not interested even with these daily newspapers. We are interested Bhagavad-gītā. We don't keep any news. We know the dogs are barking. That's all. But that does not mean we have to mix with the dogs.

Jagadīśa: If you know that someone is committing criminal activities, then if you associate with them, you'll also become implicated.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: There are temples all over India, and... A movie about Vaisnavism, not so much just Hare Kṛṣṇa, but Vaisnavism in general. Now, in the colleges in America they are always eager to have movies about Hinduism, Muhammadanism, Buddhism, for showing to their students, but whenever they have a movie about Hinduism, it is all bogus, many gods, many demigod worship, nature worship. And the people who make these movies for college classes have no conception. So I was thinking, if we make a scholarly movie about Vaisnavism...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do. You can do.

Rāmeśvara: ...which will convince people that chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is very accepted in India...

Prabhupāda: You take... You take this. I'll give you hint. You can develop it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). The beginning is hearing about Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavatam. Big, big sabhā, you'll find many Vaiṣṇavas chanting. They are reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and hundreds and thousands are hearing.

Hari-śauri: Show the nine devotional processes...

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: He speaks it, and he is not so much engaged.

Prabhupāda: Take some Gītārgān.

Gargamuni: Yes, I'm going to take. I was thinking if my vans get kicked out of the country because of the customs, that we would go to Bangladesh and take trunkloads of Gītārgāns and go to Dacca and Chittagong and some of the big cities.

Prabhupāda: Bangladesh. It will be great service.

Gargamuni: Yes.

Hari-śauri: There's a few people asking for darśana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: There's one boy we've been preaching to. He's a student in sociology.

Prabhupāda: Let him come. No "logy" before Kṛṣṇa conscious. All "logy" finished.

Rāmeśvara: Hari-śauri, I turned this off. You going to stay here, Hari-śauri? So I should take it out? Leave it?

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: We have no objection to this, provided there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately these things cover more time for their maintenance, and they forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should be stopped. The main business is development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Rāmeśvara: And you also mentioned not so much these ugra-karmic jobs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Industry. Now hundreds of thousands of people have their jobs in this way. So...

Prabhupāda: Let them go to the farm. We are therefore organizing farm. As soon as they are jobless, "Come on. We shall feed you. We shall give you food." There is no scarcity of food.

Hari-śauri: Does that mean we have to wait for the situation to arise where they are jobless?

Prabhupāda: No. Wait... We are waiting, but if anyone comes, we have already big, big farms. "Come, hundreds. We shall provide you."

Hari-śauri: But this is talking in terms of millions of people who are engaged in America in the cities.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Let millions... The land is also millions' acres. We shall utilize gradually.

Rāmeśvara: Now, what I am thinking is this, that you have mentioned many times, several times, that there is a conflict which is inevitable between Russia and America.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: I told him this. He was interested. He was. But he told me, "Under the present..." The CIA used to give money to certain groups to stop Communism, he said, but recently they have been under investigation for this, so he said it would be very dangerous for them to do such a thing now. But he said he would talk it over. Since then, though, I have not met him. This was at the time when we were called CIA in Calcutta, when it came in the papers. I went to them for advice because they also became very much upset because just before that, the Consulate with his wife came to Māyāpur and saw all of our activities. They were very impressed. And they printed this in the newspaper, trying to show that the Consulate General was also an agent along with Bhavānanda. So he became very angry. He became very angry that they should try to make this up. He said, "Actually I had personally... My wife wanted to come, but I was not so much interested. But because my wife came, I came also. But I don't see why they are trying to link me along with your society as CIA." He said, "This is very bad." And from what I know, they made a formal complaint to the Home Minister of West Bengal, the Home Secretary.

Prabhupāda: That is good.

Gargamuni: 'Cause his assistant, Mr. O'Neil, told me that they received a telex from Washington saying that formal protest should be made that ISKCON is not part of the CIA and also they are not funded by the government of the United States.

Prabhupāda: People can say anything. But if there is officially protest, that is...

Gargamuni: Yes. He said. (break) ...there at Purī, yes. In our sampradāya these—Māyāpur, Purī, and Vṛndāvana—are most important.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Now if we revive, just like Pānihāṭi...

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Yogeśvara: Last summer was dry, but it was not so much dangerous for us. And now it is steady.

Prabhupāda: So there must be rainfall. And if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there will be rainfall.

Yogeśvara: That will be true everywhere we go.

Prabhupāda: There'll be rainfall. And then even barren land will be fertile. They do not know this. They are importing water. These rascals, they continue sinful life and import water. There are oceans and seas. Why (chuckling) you scientist cannot bring the water, make cloud and pour water? Where is that science? What do they say about it?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are making it.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Again making. These rascals can promise...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Slowly.

Prabhupāda: While slowly, then life will be automatically finished. Instead of seeing success, he'll be... He will die. Sarthe sarthe dal puriya gelun.(?) One man was to go to a fair, so he began to dress himself nicely. So dressing, dressing, in the meantime the fair is finished. (laughs) This is their program. You require water immediately: "All right, after three hundred millions of-water." This is science, all rascals. I use very strong word, but actually... Simply promising, no solution of problems. They do not know even what is what. But big, big words, jugglery of words... They are themselves rascals, and some rascals praise them, "Oh, you are..." Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). What they can do? Real problem, there is no solution. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Big, big scientists, why they not make provision that "My dear students, when I shall be dying, you give this pill and I shall again...," or "I am manufacturing another brain like me. You can utilize it"? Where is that science? The scientific brain of Einstein, he could not prepare another brain like his. Hm? Was he able to do that?

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That's good. Similarly Los Angeles, and other...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So by this counter-propaganda we have not lost anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. People were not so much aware of what our movement stood for. Now, with this propaganda, we're getting an opportunity to explain to them what our movement means.

Prabhupāda: I wanted that all our books should be given to the court: "This is our statement." Let him read. He can...

Brahmānanda: We received that tape where you tell the story of Mr. Ghosh bringing all the books just to...

Hari-śauri: "Just to teach you law."

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hari-śauri: "Just to teach you law."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. There was big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than thirty-thousand per month. Rajbery Ghosh, Doctor. He was Doctor. So in one case he brought so many books in the court, the judge remarked, "Well, Dr. Ghosh, You have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) No, any statement we give, it has to be considered. They cannot neglect. So you can simply put these books, eighty-four books: "This is our statement. You read them. Then give your judgement." How do you think? Did you consult any lawyer?

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was an underlying question of whether the magazine... Brahmānanda Mahārāja had mentioned that your original idea was that this magazine was meant for the devotees to write into the magazine and the spiritual master would read the articles and thus see how the devotees were making advancement, and the magazine was for the devotees to read each other's articles. Generally how the one..., the kind of the present-day idea behind the magazine is that it is for the common man outside. It is not so much for the devotee as much as for the karmīs. And therefore...

Prabhupāda: No, what is the purpose? To distribute to the karmīs?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The purpose is to somehow connect the karmīs and give them a favorable opinion of our society, a general idea and favorable opinion of our movement. But the criticism on the part of some of the senior devotees now is that in doing this they have compromised our philosophy and our position.

Brahmānanda: Instead of quoting from some śāstra, they quote from a mundane book.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the books. There's no more Sanskrit used.

Prabhupāda: So who has done this? You are asking me?

Brahmānanda: Rāmeśvara Swami's in charge.

Hari-śauri: Another example's like that they put a recipe for halavā in the magazine, two-page spread in color.

Prabhupāda: So the Rāmeśvara should not be in charge. The Satsvarūpa should be in charge.

Satsvarūpa: I'm very eager to take it over again.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. They can be trained up very nice, from the very beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that should be one of their programs here, saṅkīrtana parties with the young gurukula boys when they get to be twelve, thirteen.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, Vṛndāvana also can be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are they making devotees there? Not so much.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana locally you cannot do. Mostly they rogues, the bābājīs. But there is good potential. (door opens and closes)

Hari-śauri: I can't find him.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He's not in his...?

Hari-śauri: He's not in his room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He may be taking prasāda now. He was... I had a talk with him today. He was a little... I was surprised that he was complaining that the prasādam is the same every day. In other words, his complaint is that although we are giving... Of course, he may be critical, overcritical. I think that is a fact. But still, we should listen a little bit. Now every day there's at least seven sabjis. I mean, that's a big variety. But his point is that every day it's the same seven sabjis.

Prabhupāda: That is not good.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That I do not know. But internally I am feeling relief.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Swelling here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. His feet.

Prabhupāda: Not very much, but there is.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not so much. I think that pill works for swelling. The swelling is due to urine, not...

Prabhupāda: So now we have to push on this movement as the (heavy coughing) bona fide religion, but the most scientific, not dogmas. That we have to do.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yesterday I made a tour of Manipur to see a possible location for a temple, and I saw a nice place.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's just near the present temple of Govinda that I was talking. It is a small forest full of monkeys, and they are so friendly.

Prabhupāda: Monkeys are very friendly.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. They're much more friendly than monkeys in Vṛndāvana. (laughing) I have seen that many, very healthy. There's some sort of welcome people coming. There are many. That place is some sort of a central place of Imphala. It's a very..., spiritually, a very conducive area. Many kinds of birds, and it's very natural surroundings. So I went with two of our life members, and they are thinking that maybe we can approach the government so that we can get the land from Manipur government, and then we can construct a temple.

Prabhupāda: That's good idea. Yes. So now organize things. My presence or no presence, we have got now a position. We have to push on this movement very cautiously.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: He was little crazy. Might have gone away from home. Very intelligent boy he was. His mother made him crazy. Very... He was standing first in school. Very intelligent. She spoiled the whole family life. It was good for... For my youngest daughter I selected one very nice boy, rich man. She did not give. She wanted to keep her as her assistant, and she's not married.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now. How old? She must be forty-five years old.

Prabhupāda: Not so much. Older than Vṛndāvana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So she must be thirty-five.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thirty-five. Most irresponsible and lethargetic.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very selfish to keep one's daughter not married.

Prabhupāda: But still, all the children are addicted to the mother. She does not do anything. I used to... Like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They should be addicted to you.

Prabhupāda: They all bokā, rejected. Let them become happy in their own way. (break) But because I talk with everyone, they are...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What will be the difference between the Vṛndāvana gurukula and this gurukula?

Prabhupāda: Nothing. The same thing. (break) Civilized man. "Beware of Dog." "Keep aloof, private place."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fearful.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: But now they are going to cut down the amount of ghee they make, because not many countries are buying ghee.

Prabhupāda: India is not buying?

Bali-mardana: Not so much.

Prabhupāda: They have learned to eat meat. Meat-eaters, they don't like ghee. Meat-eaters, they say (Hindi). (laughter) "A dog cannot digest ghee." Because they are meat-eaters.

Bhāgavata: Here's some more ghee.

Bali-mardana: These are all the book distributors. They have all come for your darśana with ghee. (laughter)

Bhāgavata: Soon I will not be able to see you.

Jayatīrtha: Also meat-eaters can't stand the smell of ghee cooking. No?

Prabhupāda: This ghee should be distributed in all our Indian centers.

Devotee (5): There is a nice picture of our Deities we have in Australia in our bus.

Bali-mardana: This is our traveling bus. They distribute prasādam all over Australia, with Gaura-Nitāi. They have cast...

Devotee (5): They were made in Australia.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No... So actually, even if we give them free, there is no life membership(?) Let them read it. But if you give free, they will not read.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. Yes. They'll take it cheaply.

Prabhupāda: At least, educated Indians can be approached.

Ghanaśyāma: Śrīla Prabhupāda, since the life member program is going on here and England and places like that, maybe it's better to start this individualized standing order program in places where there is not so much of a life member program, as we'll be in some cases asking the same people.

Prabhupāda: Do it conscientiously, as it is suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can discuss this at our GBC meeting.

Prabhupāda: So, it is time now?

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

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

Prabhupāda: So he knows Hare Kṛṣṇa people.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He knew that I was from Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No... And he said, "I do not like Hare Kṛṣṇa people"? They said?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He said that two times some of the devotees approached him, and he said they are very arrogant, and he expressed some ideas and he was not so much favorable.

Brahmānanda: This was here in India or in America?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Bombay. This was in Bombay. Then I told him that "Let's forget about the religion now. Let's talk about science."

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Then that is all right. Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then we started talking about the concept of life. So he would say that life is just combination of molecules, and I started asking questions because I knew all, what he was doing. I was following his papers. But he didn't know what he was doing. Then it came up to the point that he agreed to the limitations that we have in so many words that we say, but actually it's not true.

Prabhupāda: He admitted.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So if Bhagavān and he does not agree, then he should be given better place that both husband and wife, they can go on with the translation work. It is not that he has to remain under the control of Bhagavān. That is not necessary. Let him translate independently, and wherever he likes, he can remain. What do you think?

Hṛdayānanda: He is not so much a translator.

Rāmeśvara: His wife.

Prabhupāda: You see, nobody is translator. We have to accept whatever is offered. Kānā māmā (blind uncle). Without māmā, better a blind māmā. That's all. That is our policy. So to remain without māmā is not very good choice. Must have a māmā. Never mind he is blind. That is our policy. So now we are without māmā. Who is translating now?

Hṛdayānanda: The main translator, the most important translator is still working with Bhagavān, so the translating is going on.

Prabhupāda: Going on.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. The most important translator has not gone away.

Prabhupāda: Then it is... But still, they should be encouraged. Why they should...? If they do not like, that is another thing. But our translation work, printing work, cannot be stopped. That is my request.

Hṛdayānanda: I don't think it will stop.

Prabhupāda: Then it is all right. You agree, all GBCs? All GBCs?

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We were already thinking of printing about a few months ago before I came here in the form of monographs. We have already finished some articles. Mādhava suggested that we print this in the form of monographs and then combine within one journal. We in our Washington meeting in December we thought that idea because we thought the journal was not too far. So we printed the whole... I also want to talk with Rāmeśvara Mahārāja since he's here about printing policies and some of the artwork we'll be needing in the journal. I want to put a lot of illustrations, scientific, and want to make it very nice as well as very scientific. So in Bombay Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu told me that there's not so much facility for artwork and art.

Prabhupāda: Our men can do it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. But in BBT in Los Angeles.

Hari-śauri: They're all set up to do the whole thing, to do the artwork and print it very nicely. Gopāla's artwork is just... He gets the color separations from America.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is only disadvantage here. Otherwise he's ready to print. That they can do fast.

Prabhupāda: So there is no harm. We can do there.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Where? In Los Angeles? But I don't know. Things are too slow in the West to communicate.

Prabhupāda: No, you can go. In your presence you can get it done.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I requested our Bharadvāja Prabhu a long time ago to... Our Bhaktivedanta Institute, that he design the logo. It's almost two years. He said he would do it, but I think he's also very busy. Things too slow on that...

Hari-śauri: To design the logo?

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You have to remain packed up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it spoils it. You can't really enjoy it.

Prabhupāda: Detroit and London. Oh, you cannot open.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Detroit also.

Prabhupāda: Not so much. When I was there it was very clear.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You picked a good time of the year. London and Paris at the right time is very good. Say June, May, June, July. But nine months or eight months of the year, it becomes difficult.

Prabhupāda: In Bombay especially, advantages. The whole side, green. Therefore it keeps the atmosphere mild. Simply in Bombay. Not in this Bombay Province, Maharashtra. (break) Up to the end of the day, here is air and light. Up to the end. Good advantage.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very peaceful, too. (long pause)

Prabhupāda: You can keep some āsana like this.

Hari-śauri: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He is doing nicely. He has got control over language.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One advantage I see also is that because he's been to the West, he is not so enamored...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because he has already been to the West, his mind is not so much agitated with thinking to get something from this movement.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes that is a problem here in India.

Prabhupāda: Both of them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Have you met his friend yet? That Sarvabhāvana? He is very nice, also. Sarvabhāvana brought Gopīnātha to the movement. They were friends in Germany.

Prabhupāda: They both of them know English very nicely. Now some Bengali literature should come out. Hindi, Bengali, English, any, sufficient for the time being. Gujarati.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Previous centuries. The Spanish also, Spanish and Portugal, Portuguese. And Dutch. They were also active. But British was the topmost. France, not so much, I think. Spanish did quite well.

Prabhupāda: India was discovered by the Portugal, Portuguese, Vasco de Gama. Pondicherry is Portuguese colony. Goa. Goa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pondicherry?

Prabhupāda: Goa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Goa. Pondicherry is in Goa?

Prabhupāda: No, near Goa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The whole thing was conceived by this Aurobindo.

Prabhupāda: He wanted to leave British possessions. No, Pondicherry was French.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, French. So that Pondicherry was Aurobindo's idea? What was the motive?

Prabhupāda: He wanted to become a famous yogi to bring the world atmosphere in order.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complete failure.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Actually Paramānanda was telling me that, you know, he's made some very close friends amongst the farming people, not our own people. So every year he goes back to near New Vrindaban, 'cause he made friends with the local people there, and he spends a week with them, and Devakī-nandana also. So he says that now he helps them. Whenever he goes, he helps them with the farming because their sons are all starting to marry the girls from the city, and they're not so much inclined towards the farming work. So the father and mother, even though they're getting older, they have to more and more work because the children are not helping them.

Prabhupāda: The city girl, she does not wish to come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's too... What should I say?

Prabhupāda: They are not faithful wives.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They want the cinema and all of the other things. They don't want to work hard. Farm life means to work hard. You have to get out and milk the cows, so many things. They don't want to do this. They want to stay at home.

Prabhupāda: Stay home and read fiction and drink.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And watch television. That is the great American sport, watching television. When Mr. Dwivedi and his friends were asking, I went over what our... I gave him an idea of what our menu would be. So he was saying, "So four o'clock in the afternoon will be tea or coffee?" I said, "We don't drink tea or coffee. We don't take cigarette. We don't go to the cinema." Actually I should have told him, "No onions or garlic." I didn't tell him, you know. You'll tell him when we go there.

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They "probably," so many theories.

Bhakti-prema: There is... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives that about Himalaya. Himalaya is 80,000 miles high, 16,000 miles wide. That means covering more than earth, more area than (indistinct).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then it's not so much. In other words, the Himalaya Mountains are here, according to our, this yellow here is the Himalayas. This is a map, showing all the mountains. So according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how long do they stretch?

Bhakti-prema: Sixteen thousand miles wide.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the Himalayas are 16,000 miles wide. Sixteen thousand miles is a huge area, beyond this whole area. So according to the Bhāgavatam, this should be all Himalayas.

Bhakti-prema: Yes, then it is coming this side, up to Canada, all Himalayas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So what is the explanation?

Bhakti-prema: And bring this from there and there, there are nine islands. From each, divided one between (indistinct). They say that it's 8,000 miles. (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And how high is the Himalayan Mountains?

Bhakti-prema: Eighty thousand miles.

Room Conversation about Mayapura Attack Talk with Vrindavan De -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's just in one little area, Nadia District. Imagine how many dacoits are in all of Bengal now. It will get even worse than it was in 1971. I'm sure, as the Kali-yuga progresses, it will only get worse. And it was very bad. I remember when we were living in Bali Ganj. Every day there was march. People were marching, Communist slogans.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Bhakti-caru was saying that one of the reasons Bengali people are by nature... They're intelligent. They're always intelligent people, not so much physically hard working. So without so much physical work to do and without proper employment, this intelligence now has become misdirected. 'Cause nowhere else in India do the Communists have such a foothold as in Bengal.

Prabhupāda: Intelligent and lazy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Intelligent lazy. I looked on the medicine bottle of this cough medicine that you took.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This cough medicine that you took, that Expectrin? One fourth of it is chloroform, and it says that in some persons it will cause sleepiness, drowsiness, due to the chloroform.

Upendra: He's coming, Prabhupādajī. He's just finishing breakfast. He said he's coming. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...in the world, the most disturbing element.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Russia, it seems from Harikeśa's letter, that they are admitting it is a failure.

Prabhupāda: It is... It must be failure.

Room Conversation during lunchtime -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: You once gave that Bengali saying, "When you eat, you eat for yourself, but when you dress, you dress for others."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Apake khana para...(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I'm not so much speaking from the point of view of law. I'm just wondering whether it was... From the point of view of publicity for our society.

Prabhupāda: Publicity, if we find that this dress will attract more, why not? We shall do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The Salvation Army Santa Clauses, they became very upset, because their routine is that they stand next to a big chimney, because Santa Claus is supposed to come down a chimney in the myth. So they stand next to the chimney, and they shake their bell. People put money into this chimney. But our Santa Clauses, they go down the street very, you know, moving around, dancing, and they go up to the people all over the place. They don't wait for people to come over to the chimney. So we were taking away a lot of the donations that they would have given to the chimney Santa Clauses. So they were very...

Prabhupāda: That is business, competition. You are doing your business; I am doing my business. That competition is there in every business. When there is business, you cannot dictate me in your favor: "While you are doing this, my business is being hampered." Who will hear you? Hm? If you say it is competition, that "Why you are doing like this? It is hampering my business," I'll say, "Yes, I want that your business may be hampered; my business may prosper." That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cut-throat.

Prabhupāda: We want that.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How you like this temple?

Gaurasundara: Very nice. Beautiful. And that school is very nice, gurukula.

Prabhupāda: We require a large amount of... If possible, you try to help. What is your source of income?

Gaurasundara: Not so much income. Some donations, and we have a farm. We're selling produce.

Prabhupāda: If you can, try to. Cows you have?

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is the news of our Hawaii?

Gaurasundara: I brought some pictures from the Ratha-yātrā. Have you seen any?

Prabhupāda: No.

Gaurasundara: Ratha-yātrā. Yes. In Honolulu. This is near the ocean.

Prabhupāda: President, what is the name?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Er, Śrutakīrti.

Prabhupāda: He is doing nice? He has...

Gaurasundara: Some business.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The prasādam is here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) There is so much prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, not so much.

Prabhupāda: What you have given?

Purī Mahārāja: Puri, halavā and gulabjamin. You have prepared very costly feast.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because you are our most valuable guests. (break)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (kīrtana) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This... At noontime you seemed to be getting a little taste. Did you have a little? You said gradually.

Prabhupāda: And now... Just now, I have no taste.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I don't think there is any problem. I mean, what you ate today was more than I saw you eat in three months, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You ate a Love Feast today. So whenever we eat a Love Feast, we never have much appetite in the evening. Usually we simply chant.

Prabhupāda: So I am trying to drink a little fruit juice.

Bhakti-caru: Prabhupāda wanted to drink some of this sweet lemon juice.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This massage you were doing is good.

Prabhupāda: Dr. Ghosh said no massage. The other doctor says, "No, what is the harm?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing that we have seen is that when Dr. Ghosh and Dr. Gopal talk, they disagree on a number of points. Someone pointed out that Dr. Ghosh is a little bit old-fashioned. He's not so much up-to-date any more. He's eighty-two years old. Just like he gave recommendation for when you wash your mouth, using hydrogen peroxide. Now, Dr. Gopal stated hydrogen peroxide is very cleansing, but nowadays they make things which are not so strong, and without harmful effects of hydrogen peroxide. But because Dr. Ghosh is a little old-fashioned he's not aware so much of these things.

Prabhupāda: So? They disagree?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Yes, on some points they do.

Prabhupāda: So which is correct?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which is correct? Well, it's obviously a fact... I mean anybody who's gargled with hydrogen peroxide knows that it's very strong. That's the point. It's very strong. In your condition, it's very strong.

Bhavānanda: Dr. Gopal, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he recommended this medicine, and you took this medicine yesterday. And he recommended increase the liquids...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all Dr. Gopal's...

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They spoke with Mr. Bangor, B. N. Bangor. He didn't know anybody. He spoke with Mr. Bajoriya. He also did not know anybody. They had not yet spoken with Mr. Jalan. Our feeling was that to bring a kavirāja, Rāmānuja kavirāja, is not difficult from wherever we are, whether we're here or anywhere. There are many kavirājas. Whether we have to get a local one or whether we have to go somewhere to bring one, they can be brought. Our one consideration was... (break) Just like this morning, it's getting cold in the morning, and we felt that, for example, in this summer, during the rainy season it rained very much—more than usual. So the climate is not completely predictable in this Kali-yuga. So it's getting very cold in the mornings. Now, if suddenly it gets much colder, to travel in the train would be very difficult, because these trains are hard. You can't keep them warm. They don't have heat in them. So we don't feel it's very safe to wait unduly. Our opinion was that so far as your health or strength goes, it's not going to increase significantly in one or two weeks. Even when you take this makara-dhvaja, it will take time to gradually get back your strength. So waiting is not so much for the purpose of gaining back strength. And the climate is working against us because it's getting colder if we wait. One of the main reasons to go that Your Divine Grace had was to get into a nice climate, fresh air, open-air atmosphere. So our feeling is that as far as a kavirāja goes, now we must find a Rāmānuja kavirāja. Now, if we cannot find one in Calcutta, then our feeling is let us find one somewhere else and bring him to Māyāpur. In other words, it doesn't have to be that he's living in Calcutta. Kavirājas are all over India. There is one... Who that person, Bhavānanda?

Bhavānanda: The head pūjārī at Śrī Raṅgam temple in South India. He is coming in the family of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. He is very friendly with our society, and Acyutānanda and Yaśodā-nandana Swamis, they stayed with him at his house...

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that stopped. That's the main thing. That was the disturbance. The stool was passing. So many people are coming to the temple here, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Many pilgrims. The temple is full of people all the time. Lots of pilgrims coming. Devotees were saying that in other temples there's not so much activity. Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma are attracting all of the people of the land. Everyone is attracted to Them. But it seems like Rādhā-Śyāmasundara are equally popular. People like Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa very much, and especially in Vṛndāvana. But Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma is unique. I hear them exclaiming. They are at once surprised and pleased to see the two brothers together.

Bhakti-caru: And the śṛṅgāra is so unique here. It's the best.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, everyone says the śṛṅgāra is the best. But for flowers we have not yet the best. So we have to make that. Bhavānanda Mahārāja was suggesting a program, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was suggesting that in that open land on the side of the Gurukula, that we could build a prasādam pavilion, and we could serve the public every day free prasādam at noon time. That might become very popular in Vṛndāvana. Ḍāl and cāpāṭis. All the sādhus would come. I don't know if it's a good idea, but he was suggesting.

Prabhupāda: Good idea. Very good idea.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Give me... Straight.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make Prabhupāda straight. He wants to be up straight. Lift that leg up on the pillow. Okay, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Lift him from the center. It's not so much from here; it's there. That's it. (to Vrindavan:) So the certificates are lying with the bank, and I've written them a letter that they should take collection, the bank should take collection from the post office directly, and that after taking collection, the full amount of money should be transferred to your account, Vrinda Book Company, care of United Bank. We're making the payment to his company, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: The account number?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He didn't have the account number, but he has the name of the account and the ledger page and the bank and the address of the bank, which I think is sufficient.

Vrindavan De: That is enough, I think.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Actually, even without the account number, if you have the name of the account it sufficient.

Vrindavan De: Name, "Number 11," that's enough for account.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So, then I've also informed them in the letter that the proprietor of the company—and I mentioned your name—that we have given you the counterfoil identity slips and also that we have given you the receipt for the safe custody. These certificates were kept in safe custody, so we're giving you the receipt, because it says that in order for these... Of course the bank can do everything, but you can deliver these identity slips and the safe custody receipt to the bank.

Vrindavan De: To my banker?

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhavānanda Mahārāja was saying how last night you were saying that there's nothing nicer and more fortunate than to be the pūjārī of a Deity. (break) We'll just get the sum and substance. He's offering his obeisances to Bhavānanda Mahārāja and the other devotees he met here. He says he's very anxious about your health and progress. He requested me to give him a report. He says as regards to starting of the dispensary and also organizing a health teaching center for educating the boys by the latest audio-visual methods, he said that you seemed to be very earnest about it. In fact, he says that you told him to start as soon as possible. But he wishes to explain some of his difficulties. So Sharma and Jagadīśa, the director of education, and... They they've promised to go through the idea. But he didn't find that Dr. Sharma showed much inclination for this idea. The actual thing, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that we want him to have a dispensary. We're not so much eager for his educational training. Naturally Dr. Sharma was not so enthusiastic.

Prabhupāda: No. Ours is spiritual education, no medical education.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. That's the point.

Prabhupāda: Preliminary health principles, they can le...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's already going on.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sharma is teaching Ayurvedic, basic Ayurvedic.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He took three spoonfuls.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, did you have any problem with the stool today? There was not so much passing, I think.

Bhakti-caru: Not at all today.

Prabhupāda: Stool? No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that problem has cleared up. It was that medicine. That medicine, that makara-dhvaja.

Kavirāja: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why is it that Prabhupāda has no thirst?

Bhakti-caru: (asks kavirāja in Hindi) He says it's not good to have too much thirst. It's better in this condition. He's not eating anything. To have the thirst is a kind of disease when the bile secretion increases.

Kavirāja: No wind. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: The assistant? Somebody is appointed assistant.