It is called māyā. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is very difficult to surpass the jurisdiction of māyā, duratyayā. But punishment will not be excused. Ignorance of law is no excuse. Similarly, this māyā, this material nature, is very, very strong. If you eat little more... Your nature is to eat, say, two ounce. If you eat three ounce immediately you'll be punished. There will be indigestion. The nature is so strong. Therefore it is called daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. So in this way you cannot surpass the stringent laws of māyā, but if you want to avoid punishment, then you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is essential. If we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no question of being harassed by the stringent laws of māyā. This is the version.
Ounce
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
The measuring pot for one nāḍikā, or daṇḍa, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight (fourteen ounce) pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four māṣa and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one daṇḍa.
It is advised herein that the bore in the copper measuring pot must be made with a probe weighing not more than four māṣa and measuring not longer than four fingers. This regulates the diameter of the hole. The pot is submerged in water, and the overflooding time is called a daṇḍa. This is another way of measuring the duration of a daṇḍa, just as time is measured by sand in a glass. It appears that in the days of Vedic civilization there was no dearth of knowledge in physics, chemistry or higher mathematics. Measurements were calculated in different ways, as simply as could be done.
The next important phrase is mita-medhyādanam, which means that one should eat very frugally. It is recommended in the Vedic literatures that a yogī eat only half what he desires according to his hunger. If one is so hungry that he could devour one pound of foodstuffs, then instead of eating one pound, he should consume only half a pound and supplement this with four ounces of water; one fourth of the stomach should be left empty for passage of air in the stomach. If one eats in this manner, he will avoid indigestion and disease. The yogī should eat in this way, as recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and all other standard scriptures. The yogī should live in a secluded place, where his yoga practice will not be disturbed.
For example, a thief steals something to maintain his family, and he is caught and imprisoned. This is the sum and substance of material existence and attachment to material society, friendship and love. Although an attached family man is always engaged in getting money by hook or by crook for the maintenance of his family, he cannot enjoy more than what he could consume even without such criminal activities. A man who eats eight ounces of foodstuffs may have to maintain a big family and earn money by any means to support that family, but he himself is not offered more than what he can eat, and sometimes he eats the remnants that are left after his family members are fed. Even by earning money by unfair means, he cannot enjoy life for himself. That is called the covering illusion of māyā.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Without considering his personal comforts, Mādhavendra Purī carried one maund (about eighty-two pounds) of sandalwood and twenty tolās (about eight ounces) of camphor to smear over the body of Gopāla. This transcendental pleasure was sufficient for him.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
We understand from the śāstras that Kṛṣṇa, as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He created water within this universe and lie down, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Now we cannot conceive that how a person can produce water from the body like the sea and ocean. But if you think over little soberly, that sometimes we perspire, we get perspiration. That is water. In India, we have got special experience during summer season. Sometimes a small pot can be filled up with the water produced from my body like this, put. Of course, one must be healthy man. Then he'll perspire and water will come out from the body. So I am limited. I am only a small particle of Kṛṣṇa's body, part and parcel. If I have got this power of producing water, maybe one grain or two grain or one ounce; Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited power, why not a sea? Where is the difficulty to understand? He can produce unlimited quantity of water which may be known as ocean and sea. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Therefore, Vedas say that "From whom all these five elements have come into being?"
Some way or other, these Rūpa and Sanātana contacted Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they retired from their service and joined. And after all, they became the most important leaders of this movement, Rūpa and Sanātana. Now, this Rūpa and Sanātana, when they retired from their service, they brought home gold coins. At that time there was no currency notes. Actual value gold coins were in... Now, that gold coins was about two and a half ounce weight. Just like imagine what is the value now, whatever it may be. That means the estimation is some millions of rupees they brought home after their retirement. And they divided the money in this way: 50% for God... Whatever they accumulated, they set aside 50% for God or God's service. God means God's service. God is not want of your money. (chuckles) He is quite competent to earn money. He doesn't require anything. But if we give, it is our interest. It is our interest. So he set aside 50% of his accumulated money for God, 25% for the relatives, family members, and 25% he kept in some village banker or the original bankers, for emergency.
Yes. I was student of psychology. Our professor, Dr. Urquhart said that the brain, the biggest brain is, by practical psychology it has been tested, sixty-four ounce. And that is the highest brain substance. But for woman it is never more than thirty-six ounce. So they have tested all these practical psychologies.
So here the same word is used, that alpa-medhasa. It is very technical. Alpa means "very little" brain substance. Those who have got very little brain substance, they try like this. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. "Why little brain substance? He's getting profit from the demigods." Then brain substance little means he does not know what is his actual aim of life. He does not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Those who are trying to be happy within this material world, worshiping different types of demigods and taking benefit very soon, but he, because his brain substance is very little, he does not consider it that "How long I shall enjoy it? How long I shall enjoy?"
So Bhagavān creates by His energy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). He can create. Just like, take for example, water. Water... Sometimes we also create water by perspiration. Perspiration, we may create one satap(?), one ounce or two ounce water, or say four ounce, five ounce. So similarly, this same creative power is of Kṛṣṇa, but He can create millions of Pacific Oceans. The process is the same. We can create a little thing. We have created this airplane; that is also flying in the sky. And there are millions and millions of planets; that is also flying and floating in the sky. So that is the difference. We can create a small airplane, airship, and flying in the sky, and Bhagavān has created innumerable universes flying in the sky, and He has created the sky also. The creative energy is there. You have got the creative energy, but you cannot create another planet which is floating in the sky. That is not possible. That is the difference between living entity and Bhagavān.
We should study Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energies very intelligently. Wherefrom this vast water of ocean came into existence? But we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā that this vast water has come from Kṛṣṇa's energy. Now, try to understand how Kṛṣṇa's energy can produce so large amount of water. So far I am concerned, I study in this way, that we produce perspiration from our body. That perspiration may be one ounce of water, but that is produced from my body. And Kṛṣṇa has got inconceivable energy. I have got also inconceivable energy. How the water is coming out, I do not know. It is inconceivable. But it is coming out. That's a fact. So I am a very small, teeny living entity. If I can produce... Because I am always limited, therefore my energy is also limited. But Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, so He can produce water from the perspiration of His body unlimitedly. We have to understand like that. Otherwise it is not possible to understand how āpaḥ, water, came from the energy of Kṛṣṇa. It is coming from the living entity. Water is not coming from matter. Just like your perspiration is not coming... When the body is dead, the water is not coming, but so long you are living, the perspiration is there.
There are different kinds of men under different mixture of the modes of nature, and generally, they are not after liberation from this material stage. They want to gain something out of spiritual power. Just like somebody goes to a swami: "O Swamiji, can you give me a medicine? I am suffering from this disease." He thinks, "A doctor is very expensive. Let us go to a swami who can play miracles, and my disease will be cured." Yes. Sometimes we go and... Of course, in your country such swamis are not very easily found, but in India, there are so many so-called swamis. They go to innocent people and they preach that "If you can give me one ounce of gold, I can make it one hundred ounce of gold." Oh, people think those... Everyone seeks, "How many ounce of gold I have got in my home?" So all bring. "I have got some, ten ounce. So give me five hundred ounce." So in this way the swami collects all the gold of the village, and while performing the ceremony, he vanishes and... (laughter)
So this is called illusion. We are using Kṛṣṇa's property, but we are claiming "our." That is called illusion. Therefore śāstra says, Veda says, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to God." You cannot create this big mass of water, sea, or ocean. That is not possible. Who has created? Somebody has created. That is stated in the śāstra. There is perspiration. This water is perspiration of Mahā-Viṣṇu. We can understand because we are minute particle of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So sometimes we perspire and create some water, say, half an ounce water. But if somebody has unlimited power to perspire and create water, where is the difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty. If you take it for acceptance that this vast mass of water has come from the perspiration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there is nothing to deny this fact. Acintya-śakti. Acintya-śakti means inconceivable power. We have got inconceivable power. Because we are minute particle of God, we have also minute inconceivable power. We do not know how the hairs are growing, but the energy is there within me. Similarly, so many things come out from the inconceivable power of Kṛṣṇa.
To understand Brahman is not the business of tiny brain. Alpha-medhasam. There are two Sanskrit words, alpa-medhasa and su-medhasa. Alpa-medhasa means having little brain substance. Physiologically, within the brain there are brain substance. It is found that the brain substance in man is found up to 64 ounce. They are very highly intellectual persons. And in woman the brain substance is not found more than 34 ounce. You'll find, therefore, that there is no very great scientist, mathematician, philosopher, among women. You'll never find because their brain substance cannot go. Artificially do not try to become equal with men. That is not allowed in the Vedic śāstra. Na striyaṁ svatantratām arhati. That is called śāstra.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.
Anyway, the word su-medhasaḥ... Su-medhasaḥ means one who has got good brain substance. But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction. You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are very simple. They can accept any religious system. Generally the women, they accept it because they are very simple. They have no crooked mind. Sometimes they are exploited therefore. So in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, although in the material... Just like the bodily construction of man is different from woman, similarly, the brain substance may be also different, but that does not disqualify any woman for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gītā.
But Vyāsadeva saw that next age, this Kali-yuga, people will be less intelligent. Here it is stated, dṛṣṭvā puṁsaḥ alpa-medhasaḥ. Alpa. Alpa means the brain substance not in much quantity. This is psychologically true, that within the brain, the brain substance, if there is more, then one is more intelligent. So here it is alpa... Just see, modern scientific psychology, how it was known, long, long millions of years ago. At least five thousand years ago. Alpa-medhasaḥ. And this is scientific fact. Those who are students of psychology, they know it. I was student of psychology, and our professor... He was a Scotman. He explained this brain substance, cerebular substance, Dr. Urquhart, that the more brain substance is there, more one becomes intelligent. And it has been found that a woman does not have more than thirty-six ounce of brain substance, whereas in man it has been found that he has got up to sixty-four ounce. Now, this is modern science.
So by this karma... vikarma rather. Karma means when you act according to the śāstra, that is called karma. Lawful activities. The lawful activities is very good. But unlawful activities, you are punishable. So the business of sense gratification is unlawful activities. You cannot gratify your senses more than necessity. Everywhere that is the stringent laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot surpass it. Duratyayā. If you surpass, then you will be punished. There is simultaneous law of nature. The example is that you can eat, say, four ounce or eight ounce foodstuff. If you eat ten ounce, then there will be suffering, indigestion, you cannot eat, there will be dysentery, so many things. That is nature's law. So people are becoming entangled in karma. Yajña sa karma, one should work for Yajña, for Kṛṣṇa. But they are not doing that. They are doing for sense gratification. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇā. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you live only for sense gratification, then you become entangled in the law of karma.
So one very important word is here: sadaśvaiḥ svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. Formerly the horses were used in military division. Horses, chariot, elephants and then infantry. So not one or two, but one division of military phalanx required sixty thousand horses. Akṣauhiṇī. So many horses, so many elephants, so many chariot, and so many infantry soldiers—that will compose one division of soldiers. So "so many" means the, I exactly remember now, sixty thousand horses. So all the horses, when they are required for procession or for going to the fight, were well-decorated with golden ornaments, svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. So just imagine the, all the saddles of the horse, if they are golden ornamented, how many ounces you will require to decorate the horse. And what is the price of gold now?
Dānavīr: One hundred and twenty-eight dollars an ounce.
Prabhupāda: Just see, at least fifty ounce will be required to decorate one horse. And one ounce is $120. So what is the price of fifty ounce?
Devotees: Five thousand dollars.
Prabhupāda: Such sixty-thousand horses, how much it comes? (laughter) Where is that gold? They are very much proud, advancement of material civilization, but instead of gold, we find plastic. (laughter) And the nonsense, they are very much proud of their wealth. Just see. Even they cannot decorate their wives. And woman, they require also ornament. It is psychology. Manu-saṁhitā, it has been recommended that "If you want to keep satisfied your wife, then you must give her good food, good sari and good ornament." This is the system. Therefore during marriage time, the girl is given by the father according to his means, as many saris, nice saris, beautiful costly saris, and as much as possible, golden ornaments. And those who are very rich, they, still in India, they give jewelries, means diamonds, pearls, sapphire, according to means. Those who are richer class, they don't touch gold. They must give jewelry. This is the system.
We must collect as much. Suppose for doing some business... We are constructing our temple in Vṛndāvana. We require fifty lakhs. That is required. But I shall not collect more than fifty lakhs even one cent. This is atyāhāra. Similarly, if your body can consume foodstuff one kilo or half kilo, you can eat. But not even an ounce or even a, what is called, grain more than that. That is atyāhāra. You eat. It is not forbidden to eating. But you must eat as much as you can digest very nicely, not more than that. This is against bhakti principle. Eating too much or collecting too much. Atyāhāra. And prayāsa. Prayāsa means do something with extraordinary endeavor. So, of course, we have to do sometime, but it is the general principle. We shall accept... Suppose you are constructing a temple. If it is..., suppose two millions of dollars required, or, say, five millions of dollars. If we cannot do that, we shall not attempt. That is prayāsa, unnecessarily endeavor. Which is within your control, you should act. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ. And prajalpa. Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics. "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair, no. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?
Just we can see. Practically I have seen that we... Our prohibited injunctions are that we should not eat meat. So I have seen when on the plane... Of course we never go to the hotel or restaurant, but on the plane we see so many European, American friends traveling. They are eating the meat, not very large quantity, very little quantity. Some of them are eating voraciously, no, but generally I see... But if they give up that little one piece of meat, say, one ounce or two ounce, immediately we can save ourself from so much sinful activities, so many slaughterhouses running on all over the world. If we simply control the tongue, what is that? You are eating a piece of meat. But they cannot. They cannot. Jihvā-vegam. The tongue is dictating, "No, meat is very nice. Take it." A little. It is not much. He's not living on meat. There are loafs, there are vegetables. Actually he's living on that. Nobody takes two or three loaf, of the same weight meat. Meat, little quantity. But they take loaf, butter, rice, other things. Without vegetables, without food grains, you cannot live. It is simply for the tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Simply for this tongue, little only. He cannot live simply on meat unless he's an animal exactly. He has to take vegetable, food grains, butter. These are milk products. Otherwise he has no chance to live. But for the tongue's sake he's taking little piece of meat, and for that reason, we have to maintain thousands and thousands of slaughterhouse. This is our position.
You cannot do anything whimsically. As soon as you do it, there is reaction. Take for example just like salt. Salt is necessary. Unless you put little salt in the foodstuff, you cannot eat it. So salt is necessary, but if you put little more, immediately you cannot eat. It will not, not eatable. Because God has given you salt, the seas and oceans of salt, you cannot make it use more than is necessary. If you think that "There is so much salt, let me eat it," no, you can not do. Any, any action. Just like in this material world, sex life is very pleasing, but if you enjoy more, then you become impotent, the reaction. If you can eat say four ounce, and if you eat five ounce, immediately there is indigestion; two days you will have to starve.
So this education is lacking now. They are... Everyone is thinking that he's independent, he can do whatever he likes. That is not possible. Then you'll be punished. Nature's law is so strict, stringent. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of nature. Little discrepancy... Suppose you can eat eight ounce. If you eat nine ounce, then you will have to starve for three days. There is no excuse. "Why you have eaten more than eight ounce?" The nature says... Just like we require salt in our foodstuff, everyone. But if the salt is little more, it is useless. And if the salt is little less, that is also useless. It must be exactly to the quantity. So nature's law is like that. People, if they simply study nature's law, he becomes a learned scholar. There is no need of going to school, college. But if he sees how nature is working... You can see this flower. Every flower is so beautiful, nicely constructed symmetrically. You'll find two flowers, the small fiber coming out exactly in the same way. There is no question of accident. There is no question of accident. They are also being manipulated by the laws of nature. And what is the laws of nature? The laws of nature is acting under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The government is very, very strong. Little deviation from the law, you'll be punished. Little deviation. Nature's law, they are so systematically set up that automatically... Just like the same example I've given: you'll infect some disease, automatically you'll have to suffer from the disease. Not that somebody's come to ask you that "You have infected this disease. Now you have to suffer from this." No. The machine is so perfect that as you have infected this disease... This is practically we know. So all of a sudden one gets cholera. So the doctor says that you are very bilious, or cholera (indistinct). So nature's law is so perfect. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape. Suppose you can eat two ounce, and if you eat four ounce, then you have to starve three days. This is the law. "There's some very palatable dishes. Now eat, let me eat it to my satisfaction," and you'll overeat. No. The nature's law is that you have to starve for three days. Next eating will be after three days.
So make your life regulated. There is no denial. It is not that you cannot eat or you cannot sleep or you cannot have sex life or you cannot defend yourself. Do all these things according to the rules and regulations. But don't waste your time for artificial increment of sense gratification. Don't do that. You require to eat to maintain your body and soul together. You eat. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi-daḥ (?). You don't require to eat less. Suppose you can eat one pound. The Kṛṣṇa conscious prescription does not say, "You simply eat one ounce." No. You eat one pound. But don't eat more. Similarly, you have to sleep. All right, make your shelter, apartment, nicely so that you can comfortably sleep. Defense, yes, you defend your country, you defend your home nicely. Sex life, yes, you have sex life, but not in the unrestricted way. Limited with married wife or married husband and comfortably and very gentlemanly. So these are prescriptions are there. There is no denial. But make it systematic. But the balance of your life Don't spoil your life simply for sense gratification or so-called advancement of material civilization. You should utilize your time how to make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the sum and substance of Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction to his class fellows who were born of atheistic family, and we shall gradually discuss.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So from the gas, the water comes, and from the water, gas comes. This is nature's way. But the original water came from the perspiration of this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Just like you have got perspiration. You can produce, say, one gram or, say, one ounce of water through your bodily heat. That we have got practical experience. So if you can produce one ounce of water from your body, why God cannot produce volumes and millions of tons of water from His body? Where is the difficulty to understand? You are a tiny soul, and you have got a small body. You can produce one ounce of water by your perspiration. Why God, who has got the gigantic body, He cannot produce water, the Garbhodakaśāyī, the Garbhodaka water? There is no reason to disbelieve. This is called acintya-śakti, inconceivable power.
General Lectures
Su-medhasaḥ, this Sanskrit word, means intelligent persons. Medhas. Medhas means brain substance, one who has got very good brain substance. The brain substance... According to psychology, there is difference of brain substance. Not the brain substance equally, of equal weight, in every man's brain. You know, you are all educated students, psychology students. In our boyhood when we were a student in psychology class, Dr. Urquhart explained this brain substance. The man has got the highest brain substance—not all—up to sixty-four ounce. And woman has got the highest up to thirty-six or thirty-four. Of course, we are not discussing that point. Our movement is a spiritual movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is beyond brain. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhir (BG 3.42). So there are different platforms and status of consciousness. Bodily consciousness means sensual consciousness. Above that, there is mental consciousness, speculative, philosophical, poetic. Above that, intellectual consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness—above intellectual consciousness.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Never use this china clay. Never. No respectable gentleman will use china clay. Still. So if a poor family is in need of money, immediately he can take one Benarsee sari, or some metal utensils to the pawn maker. He'll immediately offer some money. "Yes." So these are conveniences. Investment was in gold ornaments. Still we have seen that so many jewelry shop, silver dishes shop, ornament shop. Still. Every marriage, the father must give at least fifty tolās. I was not a rich man. Still I had to give to my daughter fifty tolās of gold during marriage. Fifty tolās. Two and a half tolās makes one ounce. So what is the value of fifty tolās?
Karandhara: Twenty-five ounces? Right now that's worth about two thousand, three hundred dollars.
Prabhupāda: Just see. So that is her stock. Strī-dhana. The husband cannot touch. Then it is criminal. So in case of need, she can convert the ornaments into money. Sometimes there is disagreement with the husband. So she has got some stock. The father gives some ornaments. The father-in-law gives some ornament. The relatives also, during marriage, they present some ornaments. So if he, if she gets hundred tolās of gold, that means at least five hundred...?
Karandhara: Almost five thousand.
Guest (7): Because it creates some problems to somebody if you go somewhere, you don't want tea. Coffee... "Oh, no, I don't want it." They say, "What sort of drink?" "Oh no, I don't want anything." And about food, "No, only an ounce..." Prabhupāda: Now, when I was gṛhastha, so they offered tea, I said, "I don't take tea." Then they said "Milk?" "Yes, all right. You can give me milk." I'd take little milk. Or you can take little cold drink, soda water. That sugar and water, little lemon. He wants to offer you something. So there are so many other varieties, varieties. But if he insists, "You must take tea," that is not hospitality. Guest (7): But what happens is somebody else comes in, you know. Guest (8): Hospitality means prasādam. Prabhupāda: Hospitality means first of all, he should ask, "What can I offer you?" This is hospitality.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. He has got teeth?
Mother: A few.
Prabhupāda: Few. God is the source of everything. The vast water has come from the body of God. Just like from your body a little quantity of water comes out, perspiring. Does it not? So we are limited. So one ounce, two ounce, we can produce. But God is unlimited. He can produce by perspiration millions of oceans. This is our understanding. God is unlimited; we are limited. We are also producing so many things through our body. Similarly, God is unlimited. His body has got unlimited potency. So everything comes from the body of God. This is our simple understanding. God is the origin of everything.
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
One who understands this philosophy, he becomes a devotee. Budha. He's in full knowledge. This is from our tree? No.
Paramahaṁsa: No, Prabhupāda. They're very bitter still.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Paramahaṁsa: They're somewhat bitter.
Prabhupāda: Because God is unlimited, He has got unlimited energy. have got limited energy. I can pass urine, say one pound, I can have perspiration say, one ounce but if God likes He can produce unlimited water. Why this one Atlantic Ocean? Many millions of Atlantic Oceans He can produce. Water produced from His body. So where is the difficulty to understand? When Kṛṣṇa says that the elements... Other matters are growing. Just like the hair. Now, today, I have shaved. Three days after, again it will grow. So I have got my energy within by which I'm constantly growing. But, hair is a material thing. So anything you take, it grows from the Supreme. It is very easy to understand.
Guest: Hmm. And ah, this inside, it grows because of Kṛṣṇa does it?
Prabhupāda: Everything is growing on account of Kṛṣṇa. Your body, inside or outside, it is made of these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, like that. It is nothing but combination of these five elements.
Guest: Is the water inside the same as the water in the ocean?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But that imitation is just new.
Prabhupāda: No. Imitation is flattery. That's all. Imitation is the best way of flattery. That's all.
Karandhara: Actually they are proving our point because as persons they can imitate the Supreme person, but He made the original. If they were not persons or living entities, they couldn't imitate God's creation.
Prabhupāda: Now, in your laboratory, by mixing hydrogen, oxygen, if you produce one ounce of water, what is your credit? Here is vast water already.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say it was not done before in the lab.
Prabhupāda: It is done already; otherwise where the water came? You do not know who did it. That is your ignorance.
Hṛdayānanda: So it just enviousness. They're just envious.
Prabhupāda: Foolishness. Enviousness means one must be able. But they are not able. Simply foolishness.
Bali Mardana: They have created artificial gems, like...
Prabhupāda: Just like you are a powerful man. I am a powerful man. I become envious. That is allowed. But I'm not powerful, I'm trying to imitate you, it is foolishness.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Patel: I did not say everything is God. I said everything is...
Prabhupāda: That everyone knows. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is not a very new thing.
Dr. Patel: So, so daridrata is also covered by...
Prabhupāda: Yes, without, without God, there cannot be anything.
Dr. Patel: There should be an ounce of Nārāyaṇa...
Prabhupāda: That does not mean... That I have already explained. But that does not mean he has become Nārāyaṇa.
Dr. Patel: I don't say he has become Nārāyaṇa.
Prabhupāda: But they, they say, daridra-nārāyaṇa. They say, the rascals say like that.
Dr. Patel: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...difficulty. All rascals, they have become leaders. They have no knowledge, and they become leaders. Therefore the whole world is in chaos.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: God has all the qualities that you can conceive. It is generally not... Bhaga(?), it is taken as six, six opulences. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means possessing. Bhagavat. Bhagavat-śabda. Bhaga means opulence, and vat means one who possesses. And the first word in bhagavat-śabda is bhagavān. This bhaga means six kinds of opulences: riches, then fame, then bodily strength, influence, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. These are opulences. If one is very rich, people are attracted. If one is very reputed, people are attracted. If one is very strong, people are attracted. Influential-attracted. If one is very beautiful, man or woman, he is also attractive. If one is very wise, he's attractive. And one who is renounced, he's also attra... So Kṛṣṇa has got all these qualification in full. That is the definition of God. Anyone who possesses all these qualities in fullness, not partially, that is God. This is the definition of God. Not that "I can produce one ounce of gold," but if he can produce all the mines of gold, he is God. Not cheap God. In that way everyone is God. (end)
Female Reporter: That goes against the thinking of a lot of people in America now. Do you know that?
Prabhupāda: No... America, maybe, but this is the natural position. Women require protection.
Female Reporter: Who decides who's natural? And what's natural?
Prabhupāda: Natural means just like in psychology it is said that woman, the highest brain substance of woman is thirty-six ounce, whereas the highest brain substance of man is sixty-four ounce. So there is difference by nature, of the brain.
Female Reporter: Well (laughter), to get to something else, what do you do for fun when you're in New York?
Prabhupāda: Huh? What is that? I...
Śrutakīrti: You have defeated her.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Female Reporter: (laughs) But I'm not going to pursue your line of logic. And what do you do for fun?
Prabhupāda: No, that is natural defeat. You cannot avoid it. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Cerebrum, yes. So intelligence becomes more more who has got more cerebrum. So psychologically, it is... A very intelligent man has got sixty-four ounce cerebrum. And woman, even she is very intelligent, is not more than thirty-four ounce. Therefore we don't find, amongst women, any big scientist. It is impossible. Don't be angry. (laughter) And these rascals giving equal rights. Just see. And Vedic civilization: "No, they should be protected." The woman should be protected by the father, by the husband, and by elderly sons. No independence. (break) ...she is my sister. She is old, about three years less than me, but she has got sons. She is very happy moving, protected by the sons. Even Kuntī, such intelligent woman, such educated and..., she also kept herself under her sons, the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas lost the game. They were banished, but Kuntī was not banished. But she said, "Then how shall I...? I must go with my sons." Sītā, wife of Lord Rāmacandra. So Rāmacandra was ordered by His father, "My dear son, You have to go forest for fourteen years." Sītā was not ordered. But she voluntarily followed. "Where shall I go? You are my husband. You are going to the forest? I shall go to the forest." This is Vedic civilization. And because she went with her husband, the Rāma-Rāvaṇa fight was there. Pathe nari-vivarjitaḥ. It is said that "When you go to a, foreign country, you don't take woman with you." Pathe nari-vivarjitaḥ. But she said that "Where shall I remain for fourteen years? I must go with You."
Prabhupāda: Then why do you study different brain?
Woman reporter: I don't study them. I'm just telling you what the scientists say.
Prabhupāda: So scientists, the psychologist... As I was a student of psychology and our professor, a big man, Dr. W. S. Urquhart, he said that "By studying the brains of man and woman, we have found the highest brain substance found in man, sixty-four ounce by weight." You may deny. This is the statement of a big psychologist. You can shake your head, but this is the scientific words by big psychologist. You can note down his name, Dr. W.S. Urquhart, professor of psychology in the Scottish Churches College in 1918-20.
Woman reporter: Oh, dear, no wonder. 1918-1920, that means... O.K. I see now what you're thinking about. That was many, many years ago.
Prabhupāda: So can you give any proof since then that the woman's... In 1920... She does not take it?
Nitāi: She does not take it. Somehow they think that the brain is no longer small. If it was small, then, it is not small today.
Prabhupāda: Woman is not equally intelligent as a man.
Reporter (3): Equal in intelligence?
Prabhupāda: Not equal intelligence. In the psychology, practical psychology, they have found that the man's brain has been found up to sixty-four ounce, woman... Sixty-four ounce, man's brain. And woman's brain has been found, thirty-six ounce. So therefore woman is not equally intelligent like man.
Reporter (3): So where does she fit?
Prabhupāda: You will find in practical psychology.
Reporter: Pardon?
Prabhupāda: Practical psychology.
Brahmānanda: She's asking where does woman fit into this structure?
Prabhupāda: Now, woman is supposed to be assistant of man. If woman is faithful wife of the first-class man, then she also becomes first-class. If she is assistant of the second-class man then he is also second-class. If she is assistant of the third-class man, then she is also third-class. Because she is assistant, so, according to her husband, or protector, she becomes first, second, third, fourth.
Reporter (3): You means she's not qualified as first, second, or third-class until she marries?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Woman requires to be protected—in childhood by the father, in youthhood by the husband, and in old age by the elderly sons.
Reporter (2): What is your feeling in regard to Mrs. Gandhi's actions in India at the present time, particularly in relation to what you're saying about women? Is what's happening there because she has a thirty-six ounce brain and is incapable of ruling?
Prabhupāda: Well, what is scientific proof, that is equally applicable to Mrs. Gandhi or to any ordinary woman.
Reporter: Is she having problems because she is a woman, though? If a man were in her position...
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Why you are trying to put me in the emergency law? (laughter)
Reporter (3): What will happen? What will you be doing Thursday and... What day is today? Thursday or Fri...? I hate to show my thirty-six ounce brain. (laughs) Thursday and Friday, will you be having more celebrations?
Śrī Govinda: Yes, there's celebrations going on at the temple daily throughout the day.
Reporter (3): Then where does he go?
Jagadīśa: Next, to Philadelphia.
Reporter (3): How do you address him in the general? Is he called Swami?
Jagadīśa: He's addressed by his affectionate disciples as Śrīla Prabhupāda or Your Divine Grace.
Reporter (3): OK, so I would speak of him as Your Divine Grace. Does he go to Philadelphia for another festival?
Jagadīśa: Yes.
Reporter: Do you fly?
Jayatīrtha: Yes. (end)
Jagadīśa: Male means predominator, female means predominated.
Prabhupāda: Then? Where is the independence? Why artificial independence?
Harikeśa: In this brain weight matter, the sixty-four ounce and thirty-six ounce, is that every brain, male brain, is...?
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Harikeśa: No. That is what they think you've said, that every male brain is sixty-four ounces, every woman is thirty-six ounces.
Prabhupāda: No, no. The highest brain substance found in man is sixty-four ounce.
Harikeśa: They did not understand that.
Nitāi: He said it clearly.
Prabhupāda: And the highest brain substance in woman found, thirty-six ounce. So that proportion is always there. It may be twenty ounce, forty ounce, but brain substance in man is more than the woman. That is a fact, always.
Prabhupāda: Intolerant?
Jayatīrtha: No, "and tolerant." " 'Such MEN,' " capital M-E-N again, "he said, 'are first-class citizens and should be advisors to the world. Second and third-class MEN have not found God and should be administrators and workers.' " Not exactly right. "He spoke thirty minutes and never mentioned women. I asked how women fit into his system. 'Women,' he said, 'is not equal in intelligence to man. Man's brain weighs sixty-four ounces; women's weighs thirty-six ounces. It is just a fact.' He continued, 'Women are meant to assist men. That is all.' He said women do not figure in his class system except as daughters or wives. 'An unmarried woman presumably is classless. Is that,' asked a male reporter..."
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is fact. She is prostitute, that's all. If you classify, then she is prostitute. (laughter) That's all. There is no other way.
Jayatīrtha: " 'Is that,' asked a male reporter, 'what is wrong with Mrs. Indira Gandhi?' The Swami hedged." Then actually they made a mistake. " 'I cannot say. I would be arrested.' " That was actually a misquote. (Prabhupāda laughs)
Brahmānanda: Well, it's the idea, though.
Jayatīrtha: Yeah. "The Swami now lives in Los Angeles, and he trains his followers there. Their income is from sales of his books, magazines and incense. He says he has about ten thousand followers. 'We do not have so many,' he said..."
Prabhupāda: The inner meaning is there: "I shall be arrested."
Brahmānanda: Yes. (laughs) That shows what is the position.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Or kill.
Ravīndra-svarūpa: Or she kills the child. So is that good or bad?
Woman: Well, she has made the choice to have...
Prabhupāda: That means, that is 34 ounce. You have made your choice to kill your own child. Is that very good choice?
Sandy Nixon: It's the worst crime you could commit.
Jayatīrtha: Her brain is getting larger. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Do you think it is very good business?
Woman: I think this is a very complicated question.
Prabhupāda: Therefore I say they are cheating you in the name of independence. That you do not understand. Therefore 34 ounce. They are cheating you, and you are thinking you are independent.
Sandy Nixon: They forget the responsibility that comes with freedom.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not take the responsibility. They go away. They enjoy and go away. And the woman has to take the responsibility, either kill the child or maintainer, begging. Do you think begging is very good? In India, although they are poverty-stricken, still, they do not remain independent. They remain under the husband, and the husband takes all responsibility. So she has neither to kill the child nor go to beg for maintaining the child. So which is independence? to remain under husband is independence or to become free to be enjoyed by everyone?
Sandy Nixon: That's not where the freedom is anyway.
Prabhupāda: ...no need of creating water. You have no such intelligence. Just like the Arabian desert is there; Arabian Sea is there. Why don't you utilize this water? Instead of bluffing others that "We can create water," why don't you use this water and make the desert fertile? (break) ...create a little water in the test tube, so you take that credit. Why you want to take the credit of creating a Pacific Ocean? That is our protest. You are able to create one ounce of water in the test tube. That's all right, miracle done. But we say that one who has created the Pacific Ocean, how much credit he will be given. That is our proposal. You take test tube credit, but you must give Pacific credit to God. That is wanted. But creating test tube water, you want to take the Pacific credit. Is that very nice proposal? (break) ...spoken by one scientist in our Delhi meeting. Who were present in the Delhi meeting?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was.
Prabhupāda: That scientist's name?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Atmaram.
Prabhupāda: Dr. Atmaram, that "We have simply learned how to bark like dog, but we don't care so many dogs are already barking." He admitted that if a man learns how to bark, people will purchase ticket and see him, and so many thousands of dogs, dog, are barking—nobody cares. This is scientist. You learn how to bark, imitate the dog, and you become important man. You have create one third fruit by mixing peach and plum, and one who is creating millions and trillions of fruits that is lying on the floor—nobody cares for that—he has no credit. These rascals wants credit for this most insignificant...
Satsvarūpa: They say their barking is an improvement on the original dog.
Prabhupāda: To another dog appreciates like that. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Harikeśa: They are trying to show that you are enjoying.
Brahmānanda: Even in Chicago the one, the woman who wrote the article, the 34-ounce? She said how "You looked at your gold watch." That was in the article, such an important thing.
Prabhupāda: Nityānanda Prabhu used to decorate Himself with very costly ornaments. Your teeth does not look very clean. Why?
Harikeśa: They never get white. They are yellow all the time.
Prabhupāda: You washed daily?
Harikeśa: Every day.
Ambarīṣa: Did you try baking soda?
Harikeśa: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: The karmīs are also envious that we are very happy, that we are looking forward to a next life. They... Because they don't have that faith...
Prabhupāda: They have no hope.
Satsvarūpa: They are envious.
Prabhupāda: Actually they have no hope because they are going to degenerate to become dog, cats, trees, then lost.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Did they teach in English or Bengali?
Prabhupāda: No, no. English. Medium English.
Harikeśa: He was the one who said that the woman's brain is thirty-six ounces?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. (chuckles) Yes. No, not only he, another professor, Dr. Stephen (indistinct), he also said. That's a fact. Artificially they are trying. It has no meaning. But by agitation you can do anything. That is another thing. But that is not the fact. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). These are all Indian quarters? No.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This area? No, I think this is more European. But where we're staying is Indian area. It's all Indian.
Prabhupāda: These European professors, they had to learn Bengali. They knew Bengali. It was compulsory. All European officers who used to come to India for responsible post, it was obligated.
Jñāna: The materialistic scientists, they are saying that matter is energy. So we understand if it's energy there must be an energetic.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So how the energetic is producing, this is common. Gas is forming. Just like you perspire, there is water. So one ounce of water may come from your body. So water is coming from your body, so why not from the gigantic body of Kṛṣṇa, the oceans, millions of oceans, come out? This should be the understanding. We see practically that water is coming out from my body. So it may be one ounce or less than that because my body is very small, but Kṛṣṇa's body is unlimited, so why not unlimited supply of water? This should be the common sense. And this body, this body, what it is? It is earth. When the body will be dead it will be earth. So I am spirit soul, a small particle, so much earth is coming from me, why not Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spirit? This is the explanation. God is great, I am small. From me a small quantity of earth is coming, water is coming. Why not from the gigantic body of Kṛṣṇa, so huge, I mean to say, volume of water, gas, and everything as we see it is coming? So therefore Kṛṣṇa is correct. He's correct, but for our understanding we can understand like this, chemicals, the chemicals coming from our body. There are so many salt. And you test the blood or the perspiration. You'll find so many chemicals.
Tejās: Their current exhibition is "Women in the World."
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) Some exhibition is going on?
Tejās: It's "Women in the World."
Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughter) What is that "Women in the World"?
Ambarīṣa: Sixteen-ounce brain, I think.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They had a world conference of women in Mexico recently, where every country sent a delegation of women.
Prabhupāda: To become man? (laughter)
Harikeśa: Yes, nowadays we're doing that also.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughter) So you become woman. (break) ...here. Kalā, kalā?
Tejās: Stones.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kalā means craftsmanship. Why it is not here, lacking? No money. The kalā cannot be shown without money. I never saw New Delhi in such nasty condition.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: That is their special qualification.
Prabhupāda: That is.... Similarly, everything is special. You are a different entity. You must have different engagements. That is your perfection.
Rāmeśvara: But we all have.... The women and men, they all have the same brain, they say.
Prabhupāda: No, that I protested in Chicago. Yes. "And no, that is not the fact. The fact is man has 64 ounce. The woman has 36 ounce.... Highest."
Devotee (2): They'll say intelligence is not dependent on the size of the brain.
Prabhupāda: They say anything because they are rascals. A rascal can say anything. Pāgale ki nā bale chāgale kibā nā khāya: "A madman, what he does not say? And a goat, what he does not eat?" (laughter)
Pañca-draviḍa: (break) ...Vedic civili...
Prabhupāda: Vedic civilization means you don't talk rascal. Hear only. Śruti. This is Vedic civilization: "You rascal, don't talk. Simply hear." This is Vedic civilization, śruti. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "Go to guru and hear from him." That is Vedic civilization. Don't talk, rascal. This is Vedic civilization. And Vedic civilization begins, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is Vedic civilization: "Don't talk, rascal. Just, just carry out what I say." This is Vedic civilization.
Rūpānuga: Forty drops of blood, one drop of semina.
Prabhupāda: Forty drops. Yes. So one ounce of semina discharge means forty ounce of blood sucked. This is a fact. So he is enjoying his own blood, and he's thinking "I am enjoying." Therefore he's compared with the camel. Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. Camel eats the thorny twigs, and the thorns pricks the tongue and blood comes out. So after twig is mixed with blood, it becomes tasteful, and he thinks thorn is very nice. (laughs) So thorn is not nice; nice is his blood, own blood. But he, because he's animal, he's thinking it is very nice.
Vipina: So many people that run their life that way, they realize that "This woman is not making me happy, she's making me work and I'm miserable and I don't like it," but they keep on.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore he's described as mad, bhora. Bhora means mad. Duniya sab bhoraho ke gare gare bhagini.(?)
Vipina: We're almost there, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: In the heavenly planets the woman is described that during summer they are very warm, the body is very warm, er, during summer the body is very cool of the woman, and during winter the body is very warm. That is the nature of the woman in the heavenly planets. And their breast is very, very tight and strongly built. And their youthfulness never diminishes. These are the description of the heavenly woman. Bhāgavata everything is there. Mohinī-mūrti began to play on the balls, and the description of the breast is there and, what is called this portion?
Prabhupāda: That is because you have to go from America to India. You must know. (laughter) You have to calculate two plus two equal to four, a little mathematics. But this biology and this "logy," they are useless. There is no necessity. What you'll gain by understanding biology? Even one who knows biology, the medical man, he gives a tablet, "Perhaps it may help you." "Perhaps." He's not sure. So what is the use? First of all, he'll take one ounce of blood from you, and they send, this station, that station, now making a chart, then he'll give you a tablet, "Perhaps it may help." This is going on. Even the biggest pathologist, medical man, cannot guarantee that whatever medicine... (break)
Yogeśvara: ...some group doctors? Some portion of the devotees medical knowledge?
Prabhupāda: There is no harm, but when medical men are available by paying something, why should you waste your time? There are so many things we purchase, you pay for them. Not that we have to learn everything. So many things we have to do. Does it mean that you have to learn everything?
Hari-śauri: There's lots of doctors, but there's no brāhmaṇas, devotees.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So the principle is, don't waste time. If one has already learned medical science, all right, bring him to some service. But not that our men have to go to the medical college to learn medical science. That is not the point.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Our method is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Yes, actually it is washing.
Dr. Patel: Brainwashing is very bad in India, not only in America but the whole world over.
Prabhupāda: I condemn everyone, that "You are all dogs and hogs." And United Nations a pack of dogs barking. That's a fact. And in Chicago I said, all women, "You cannot have freedom. You have got only thirty-four-ounce brain, and man has got sixty-four-ounce." I told them. So I became a subject of very great criticism.
Trivikrama: Women's liberation.
Prabhupāda: I denied, "No, you cannot have." I told them. One girl in the airship, she was seeing like (makes some gesture-laughter). I asked her, "Give me 7-Up." "It is locked now." So I frankly said that "No, no. You cannot have equal rights because your brain is thirty-four ounce." Actually that's a fact. Where is woman philosopher, mathematician, scientist? Not a single.
Dr. Patel: Apart from that, I mean, they are made for a particular mission.
Prabhupāda: How they can have equal rights? Up to date in the history there is not a single woman who is a great scientist or great philosopher or great...
Dr. Patel: Madame Curie was a...
Prabhupāda: All bogus. (laughter)
Satsvarūpa: Electric shock.
Prabhupāda: Dangerous community. These scientists, the so-called, they are dangerous community. Now, if five ounce(?) sight(?) is there, "No, it should be operated. Then he will be cured." And actually it is happening. In the hospitals they make all kinds of experiment, and if you say, "No, why you are doing that? A patient is suffering," "We must execute our science. So long the life is there we shall try to save him." They say like that. They will go on with all nonsense activity, and if you want to stop them, they will say, "No, our science has got so..." They take in writing that "Whatever we shall do, you cannot object," hospital. It is a place of demons. And as soon as they get a patient who will not protest, they'll make it, they'll make it and operation. No medicine, simply operate.
Hari-śauri: Everything. All the arguments you've been giving us, now this is a good opportunity to use them all.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like the judgment was given Shylock, the Jew. When he was persistent that "I shall take one pound flesh from the chest," no, he said, "No, I cannot touch that." Then the judgment was, "Yes, you can take, only one pound. If it is one hundredth part of an ounce, it is more, then you'll be hanged. Or even it is less, you'll be hanged. Exactly one pound you have."
Hari-śauri: And only flesh. No blood.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then he was trapped. So we have to do like that. Sate sārtham samācaret.(?) If the other party is tricky, you should be also tricky. Why you should be so plain? And this is quite legal, that "This is our statement, these eighty-four books. We have got others also, but some of them are here. So, my lord, you read this statement. Let us argue." Then it will be read. They have to. They cannot say, "No, I am not going to take any..." That is illegal. Whatever I say, he has to take. Then there is argument. First of all statement. The court procedure is: I have charged you with something. Court will ask you, "What you have got to say against these charges?" So you'll submit your statement. Then both the statements, the court's duty is to study and give the judgment. This is the law. So they have charged us with something. We give our statement. "Now you study and argue, and then give your judgment." Hm? What do you think?
Satsvarūpa: We should introduce the books as much as possible.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were a little strict. They were strict?
Prabhupāda: No, they were very good gentlemen. Dr. Urquhart was a godly man. He was so nice.
Satsvarūpa: Isn't he the one who said the woman's brain is thirty-two...
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. I remember. He told, the woman's brain, thirty-four ounce, man's brain, up to sixty-four ounce. He told. I remember. He was very saintly man, Dr. Urquhart. And before that there was one principal. He's Watt, Mr. Watt. He was the roughest man. He'd fight with the students like guṇḍā, Mr. Watt. But he was very good manager, principal.
Satsvarūpa: Did they try to make you Christian? Like that?
Prabhupāda: No. There was Bible class, compulsory, half an hour, from one to half past one.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: Huh? No. They used to supply yearly one Bible, very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Free. But no one became a Christian.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No one. In India, in those days... (break) ...all the Jains. Jains... (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Only vaiśya community.
Prabhupāda: Some were, not all. And the Muhammadans, the could not convert any gentleman to Muhammadanism. Maybe one or two, say. Very... And similarly, Christian also. No high-class man became Christian. One or two. That is for some other purpose. Just like in Scottish Churches College, the Christian Indians were given more preference. There was one Mr. Raya. He would not speak in Bengali. Even if some Bengali student would like to talk with him Bengali, he would answer in English. (laughs) He was so sharp. (Bengali) (Hindi) You understand Hindi any of you? There is a song in the Howrah Bridge, pontoon bridge. So when this Howrah Bridge..., not this bridge. Up to 1900... When my daughter was married, in 1941, up to that time there was a bridge connecting Howrah and Calcutta, pontoon bridge. That we were seeing from childhood, from our birth. So this was an astonishment in India. They wrote song, (Hindi), that "How wonderful bridge this sāheb company...," because India was being governed by East Indian Company... After mutiny, Queen Victoria took charge. Otherwise the British government was known as Company Raja Sahib, East India Company. So the East India Company, they constructed this temple, er, bridge. So there is a song, (Hindi), like that. So this East India Company... Therefore this railway was known, "East India Railway." That is the first beginning of railway, from Calcutta to Burdwan, beginning of Ind... There was no railway in India.
Prabhupāda: Huh? No, no, Australia can produce huge quantity of ghee. What is the price generally?
Bali-mardana: This is $3.90 for five pounds, no, two kgs.
Brahmānanda: Two pounds.
Bali-mardana: No, no, it's four pounds six ounces. Four and a half pounds. Less than one dollar per pound, little bit less.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Same as in America.
Prabhupāda: Per pound. What is the price here?
Devotee (4): About eighteen rupees.
Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees a kg.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same price in America also, about a dollar a pound.
Prabhupāda: No, in India?
Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees, one kg.
Hari-śauri: They're getting that Holland ghee for about twelve rupees a kg.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's the same price here also, about a dollar a pound.
Hari-śauri: That's not pure ghee. That's dalda.
Prabhupāda: That is not pure ghee?
Hari-śauri: No. That's dalda.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You gave the name Deva-sādana.
Prabhupāda: Very, very nice. Better than our France palace.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's 1400 ounces gold in the ceilings.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: Even in the bathroom...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: There's gold on the ceiling.
Prabhupāda: All very aristocratic, very aristocratic. What is aristocracy, that is displayed there.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Those people, they always used to look from the outside in, but they were never allowed to come in. The people from that neighborhood, they used to stare within, wondering what is inside there. Now, since we have come, we have opened our gates and doors and said, "Please come." Oh, they're very much happy to come in and see us there.
Prabhupāda: They're grave. They behave very nicely.
Rāmeśvara: Tourists.
Prabhupāda: So that house we are possessing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You should see this house. Fourteen hundred ounces of gold on the ceilings. The ceilings are coated with gold, fourteen hundred ounces. Yes. The floors are heated from underneath.
Vrindavan De: Twenty-two-karat gold.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And the floors are heated underneath. All the floors. Because it's cold climate, they have heating underneath the floors.
Prabhupāda: When I entered the toilet bathroom I was surprised. (laughs)
Vrindavan De: In USA or Detroit?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Detroit, Michigan, USA. Prabhupāda's bathroom is nearly the size of this room, and it's all gold-covered on the ceiling, and the sink is a piece of marble this thick.
Prabhupāda: In London my sitting room is bigger than this, double. My sleeping room is like this. And my toilet room is half this. This is my quarters.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have so many places that you cannot visit them all in a year.
Prabhupāda: In everywhere. I have got now 120 places, palaces.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...the appropriate chemical into himself to check death..." Let him make himself deathless. "And restore his old and worn-out body with youthful luster and beauty. He may find this task too difficult, so perhaps he could just produce a simple form of life like a mosquito or a bedbug. Better still, let him recombine the chemicals of the praying mantis he decapitated, as described in his article, and bring it back to life. Or, is the science of Dr. Kovoor only a one-way road of destruction of life? But it may be that science is not yet ready to produce a finished product of life, so he could make a plastic egg and inject into it the yellow and white chemical substances, incubate such an artificial egg and thereby produce one chicken, which could then go on laying eggs and producing more and more chickens. Even this task may be a little too difficult for Dr. Kovoor, so perhaps he could simply produce a drop of milk or a grain of rice or an ounce of gold by chemical combination. Then we could begin to take him seriously. However, everyone knows that these are impossible tasks for even the most powerful so-called scientist. Dr. Kovoor will undoubtedly give the reader in his next exposition a long-winded barrage of words to cover up his bluff. The sum and substance of it will be, 'We will do it in the future. We are trying.' In any language, this is just a bluff."
Purī Mahārāja: Bluff.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Haṁsadūta Swami was preaching.
Purī Mahārāja: Yes. He's a Singhalese. I don't think he's a Singhalese.
Haṁsadūta: No. He's a Tamil.
Purī Mahārāja: His name...
Haṁsadūta: He's a Tamil from South India.
Purī Mahārāja: Christian.
Haṁsadūta: His father was a minister.
Purī Mahārāja: Yes. Proper dose you have given. Kṛṣṇa must bless him.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he gave him big challenge. "Rupees five lakhs' challenge to Dr. Kovoor."
Purī Mahārāja: (laughs) Dr. Kovoor. He cannot be called as "doctor." How could he be a doctor?
Haṁsadūta: Quack. Quack doctor.
Prabhupāda: There is a story. A bridegroom was selected. So, the other party, bride's party, they inquired how the bridegroom was quite qualified. So they said, "He's a doctor." Then they inquired, "What kind of doctor? Doctor of philosophy, doctor of medicine or...?"
Purī Mahārāja: Doctor which way?
Prabhupāda: So he said, "No, no, no. He's not all these nonsense. He's a big doctor." "What is that?" "Conductor." (laughter)
Jayapatākā: That's the concentrated.
Dr. Gopal: This is concentrated. You should not give so much concentrated. You just, so to say, about six ounce of water... You just add less than 1 spoon, one measureful, of this electro.
Bhavānanda: Six ounces.
Dr. Gopal: In six ounces. And you give just two... (Hindi) Just give 2 teaspoon. Rest. Again 2 teaspoon. This is just sort of, you can call it as in the form of prasādam, or you can say in the form of rainwater so that his dryness should not be there in the mouth. It should always be wet. You understand my point?
Jayapatākā: He wants some cold water.
Trivikrama: Upendra went.
Upendra: One hundred and fifty urine. (background conversation) What was that, about?
Dr. Gopal: About half. (discussion about medicine)
Prabhupāda: I am ready to leave(?).
Bhavānanda: No, Dr. Gopal was saying for taking some foodstuff, little bit, one, two, spoonfuls. He said he's going to cut the medicine down to half.
Prabhupāda: What is this?
Dr. Gopal: This is glucose water. No taste?
Prabhupāda: Little taste.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
N.B. I am negotiating with a local medal manufacturer. The cost will be about 15 ps per dollar. If you want please send money at least for 15 oz medals for $100.00. The size of the medal will be like the Radha Krishna picture on the Prospectus. One side the picture and the other side the Society's name and the word MEMBER The idea is anyone who will become a member will have this aluminium nice medal glittering like Silver. Please let me know your decision in Calcutta.
1970 Correspondence
So far our publication is concerned, I give you below the names of the books and magazines with their prices and weights for calculating postal charges.
Srimad-Bhagavatam (First Canto—3 volumes) $16.00 (set of 3)—(Vol. 2 weights 22lb. 6 oz.)
Bhagavad-gita As It Is (Paperback) $2.95—
Bhagavad-gita As It Is (Hardback) $6.95—11lb. 3oz.
Sri Isopanisad $1.00—7 1/2 oz.
Easy Journey to Other Planets $.50—3 1/2 oz.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya $5.99—2 lb. 1/2 oz.
Krsna $10.00—2 lb. 15oz.
Nectar of Devotion $5.95—2 lb. 1/2oz.
"Back to Godhead" (magazine) $ .50 ($5.00/year)—5 1/2oz.
Postal rates as follows:
Air Other Articles (AO)—First 2 oz. $ .60, Each additional 2 oz. or fraction $ .30
Air Parcel Post—First 4 oz. $1.70, Each additional 4 oz or fraction $ .80
Surface—First 2 lbs. $1.10, Each additional pound or fraction $.35
Within the U.S.A., our price includes postal charges, but outside U.S.A. the charges are extra. We are issuing "Back to Godhead" by numbers and not by month.
I am so glad to hear from you after a very long time. It is my pleasure that you have come to stay with us in our New York Temple. I do not think you are any more able to leave Krsna because He does not let anyone go away who has once come forward in His service.
Regarding the ointment which you are finding so useful, the formula is as follows:
Hard Paraffin (candle wax) 1/2 ounce
Soft Paraffin (Vaseline) 3 ounces
Resin (or rosin) 1 ounce
Oil of Eucalyptus 1/2 ounce
Chlorophyll
Melt the two paraffins and the crushed resin in a small pot, stir constantly. Then all melted and mixed up, add the oil of eucalyptus and stir it in. Let the mixture cool somewhat, but keep stirring or the resin will separate and harden on the bottom. Just before the mixture begins to solidify, add enough dry chlorophyll to make the ointment slightly dark green—not very much required. Stir the mixture thoroughly until it is completely cooled into an ointment—this keeps the ingredients together properly—the mixture should not be reheated after adding the chlorophyll.
1972 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Buffalo dated June 21, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Especially I am very much pleased to hear that the University of Buffalo has given to you more than $1200.00 in grant. I can understand by your enthusiastic preparations for Rathayatra in Buffalo that you are very sincere boy and capable devotee. This is very much wanted throughout the society of men, that some few of you will come to the understanding that by serving the Lord with my full energy that this will be my happy position of life and that no other occupation will give me any, not even an ounce of pleasure. Such persons like yourself who are thinking in this way are getting all intelligence and facility by how to do the things properly, and that Krishna is helping you with intelligence and ability, now you take the right course and utilize the opportunity given to you by Krishna to actually inject the human society with that same determination to serve the Lord. Only a handful of you are there who are convinced beyond any doubt about this Krsna consciousness movement, but is sufficient to change the entire course of history.
1974 Correspondence
Regarding Gurukula I am very happy to hear that the financial crisis has passed. That is very good. This is real management. As far as the children are concerned, people are accusing us sometimes that our children are undernourished, underfed and note cared for properly. So it is good that you are seeing that they are happy and healthy. They should be given milk at least 8 ounces a day if possible 16 ounces a day. Dahl, capati, rice, vegetable this will keep them fit. If possible a little bit of fruit also. As for fixing up the Deity house in Dallas with marble altars, this is not necessary for now. We shall see later on. For the time being organize the health, education and care of the children and continue the Deity worship as it is going nicely now. Deities are satisfied with bhakti not marble. Therefore try to increase the bhakti.
| Page Title: | Ounce |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=22, Con=34, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 65 |