Preliminary (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"preliminaries" |"preliminary"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: If you utilize the energy for your sense gratification then you are misusing it. So anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's spoiling his time, wasting his life and subjecting himself in so many laws of nature. So these things are very nicely explained in this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This is the preliminary study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if one studies this book nicely then he goes to other books. I've got this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the project is very great. It will have to be finished in sixty volumes like this. So about ten, twelve volumes are already finished. So I'm going on working on this.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: That preliminary changes... Just like we prohibit, "Don't take intoxicants."

Guest: To change... Not to change culture. Intoxication is not primarily (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So if he becomes, if he takes to these processes, then automatically...

Guest: Transformation(indistinct) will take place automatically.

Prabhupāda: ...his whole life is changed. Yes. Because these four things—illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling—they are very great impediments for social improvement.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: Gītā is the preliminary study of Bhāgavatam.

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Although the Vedic literature gives us ample information of this—in the the Bhagavad-gītā, that is the preliminary study of all Vedic literature—but there is no chance for the people to understand. This is the defect of the modern civilization.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just like before learning any literature, one has to read the first book, ABCD. The Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD. It is just beginning of understanding of what is God. ABC. When one has passed the entrance examination, then he gets the opportunity of studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: This is the best humanitarian welfare activities: to make people understand scientifically what he is, what is God, what is our relationship with God. So the Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of this science. So this should be presented very scientifically.

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hasti-snāna. Therefore, knowledge giving, that is the beginning of spiritual life. Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna, knowledge giving, that "You are not this body." This is the beginning of knowledge. What is that knowledge, all over the world? Where is that university? This preliminary knowledge which Kṛṣṇa begins, Bhagavad-gītā, where is that university?

Room Conversation with Educationists -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Puruṣārtha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This "oneness with the Supreme" is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Patañjali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This "clearance" is actually liberation, or bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The theory of nirvāṇa—also preliminary—corresponds with this principle. In the Bhāgavatam this is called svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6).

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: So far hospitality is concerned, according to Vedic culture, Indian homes were open for everyone, even for the enemies. Gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akutobhayam. If one gets an enemy at his home as guest, he should receive him in such a way that the man would forget about his enmity with him. Gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akutobhayam. So these are preliminary human behavior.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: So we get ideas from Bhagavad-gītā how God consciousness can make the human society happy.

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Reporter: But what you are emphasizing is bhakti-yoga.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter: But what I'm asking is how to bring the karma-yoga, the action, to transform the society, bring back into the...

Prabhupāda: Yes, the yoga in its preliminary stage is karma-yoga. Yoga, yoga means connecting.

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: I've seen Jawaharlal Nehru, Pantha(?)... They stuck to their position up to the point of death. Neither did they know that there is necessity of vairāgya. But Vedic philosophy says... All the ācāryas, they're all vairāgīs, either Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, they're all sannyāsīs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu. All vairāgīs. Even Jesus Christ, he was a vairāgī. Even Lord Buddha, vairāgī. This is required, but where is the vairāgya? They're simply attached to these material activities, and they're talking of high, high things. Their preliminary things is not finished, vairāgya.

Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: What the highest Buddha philosophy? Ahiṁsā. Ahiṁsā, nonviolence. That is our preliminary study. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). There are many other things after ahiṁsā.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: At least, preliminary condition for being in touch with God is there. Because Kṛṣṇa says, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. So they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means they are pious.

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gurukula is only for the small children. Preliminary, primary. And when the children are grown up, they should be sent to the varṇāśrama school or college for further developed training.

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, the thing is that actually, at the present moment, they are śūdras or less than śūdras. They are not human beings. The whole population of the world. It doesn't matter whether it is western or eastern. That is the position. So unless they are trained up, so the society's already in chaos, and it will go on still more in chaos, chaos. It will be hell. How people will live? And these rascals are being elected as government men, and they're only making budget how to tax. So one side, there is no rain; one side, there is no rice, especially in India; and one side, heavy tax. So they'll be all confused. They have already become confused. So in the confusion state it will be very difficult to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore preliminary help should be given.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The first duty of government is to see that everyone is happy, without any anxiety. These preliminary necessities of life, āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithunam, there must be sufficient arrangement for these preliminary necessities of life. One must eat sumptuously. Not over-eating, indulgence. No. But he must have sufficient food to keep up the health. Similarly, he must have place to sleep. We, we are prepared to offer everything. And be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is our mission. Not by eating and sleeping, become rogues and thieves and rascals. That we will not allow.

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1974, Vrndavana:

Guru dāsa: But they asked us in L.I.C. the same thing. They asked us to leave L.I.C. grounds because the kīrtana was nuisance.

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right. That chapter is now...

Guru dāsa: I see.

Prabhupāda: ...in prominence. Don't come near.

Devotee: We could go to the... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...that they're planning the same plan as they did. This is the preliminary sign.

Room Conversation with Catholic Cardinal and Secretary to the Pope -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. The publisher is Messrs. MacMillan and Company, and we are selling. It has already gone fifth edition. And each edition they have published fifty-thousand copies and this is the preliminary study book, to understand God. And then, when one is passed of this knowledge, then he can be given the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which we have published like this, sixty volumes, all original verses from Bhāgavatam, and explained.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: So we can discuss some of the problems, about the problems. Discuss what are the problems.

Bhagavān: Now? We shall discuss now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are going to solve all problems. Let us have some preliminary discussion, how we are going to solve.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But if you do not believe in that person, how do you understand his philosophy?

Dr. Movebhed: That's where... I think I may be wrong. Please correct me if I go wrong. That's where people have taken little, two to three steps, as my friend has told, first advaita. She wanted to have two...

Prabhupāda: No, no, why advaita, dvaita? First of all you take the preliminary things, that you are accepting the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, but you have no knowledge of the person who has spoken Bhagavad-gītā. Then where is your understanding? You do not understand the person who has spoken the Bhagavad-gītā. Then what is the meaning of your understanding Bhagavad-gītā?

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

Prabhupāda: But according to academic order, logic is the preliminary study of philosophy.

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

Pañcadraviḍa: But when you came to France, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you spoke at the Theology Club. About four years ago you came for a conference. They arranged a big meeting at the Theology Society in France, a world-wide society. And one thing I was... One thing I was considering. They must be interested because the Christians say that there is soul, and they say that there is God, so then wouldn't our question be: "What is the relationship of the soul to God?" They admit there is a soul. Every human being, they say, has a soul.

Prabhupāda: No. That, that is also beginning of understanding. But first, preliminary understanding should be that God is one. There cannot be Christian God. There cannot be Hindu God. There cannot be Muslim God. That is not complete idea of God. That is imperfect.

Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Unmotivated means "Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, service of Kṛṣṇa, is so nice. Let me begin immediately." Now, "What will be the result? What shall I gain? What is the profit?" No such consideration. "Begin immediately." And if you begin in that way, there is no impediment. Apratihatā. It is so nice thing. In the material world, if you want to begin some work, then you require some preliminary qualification. It doesn't require any preliminary qualification. Whatever qualification you have got, that is sufficient. Begin. And nobody can say, "Oh, I am not educated," "I am not rich," or "I am not born of a high family." There are so many. No. These things are not impediments. Educated or uneducated, culture or no culture, it doesn't matter. You can begin immediately.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: No, Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prof. Hopkins: So you would see the two related to each other.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If one can understand Bhagavad-gītā then he becomes a bona fide student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: The impersonalist theory is that I am now devotee. As soon as I become perfect I become one."

Prof. Hopkins: Oh.

Prabhupāda: That is their theory. Then there is no more difference. In the preliminary stage, when I am not perfect, I am worshiping some imaginary form of God. But when I become perfect there is no need of worshiping, I become one with God. This is impersonal.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is preliminary. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not like... Not like the Ārya-samājhis: "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere except in the temple."

Dr. Patel: You have to create a temple within you, then seat Kṛṣṇa there.

Prabhupāda: No, whatever it may be, their proposition is "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but not in this temple." "Don't go to the temple." That is their proposition.

Dr. Patel: They have theorized that just to oppose Islam. I don't think they meant much about it.

Prabhupāda: What they have done? Simply hallucination.

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: They cannot think of, especially the Westerners, that without these things one can live. So many, our disciples, left. Rāyarāma left: "Oh, Swamiji is denying the preliminary necessities of life." This is the preliminary necessities of life: illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, gambling. They cannot think that a man can live without these things. Therefore people are wonderful, that "How he is turning these Europeans, Americans to this standard?" That is their wonder. Nobody can think of, that these things can be given up and one can avoid it.

Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:

Harikeśa: One devotee asked me, "If the scientists don't know anything about the universe, then how is it they can predict exactly when there is going to be an eclipse of the sun or the moon for hundreds of years in advance?"

Prabhupāda: That is very preliminary knowledge. That is not... Just like you can predict that after two months there will be winter. That does not mean that you are very advanced scientist.

Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: They do not believe in the transmigration of the soul and they are "Awake." Just see these rascals. They have no preliminary knowledge even, and they are writing books, Awake.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They have a very big press in New York, Jehovah Witness, Brooklyn Bridge.

Harikeśa: They say the world is going to end next year.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Harikeśa: Then they also say if it doesn't end next year, that it's Biblically correct to say that it may end in three years after that.

Prabhupāda: And then again seven years. Then again ten years. They are so awakened. So rascals.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Hari śauri: Anything apart from the Vedas is not really knowledge.

Prabhupāda: No. May be some fragmental knowledge, but if one wants full knowledge in life, then he must read Bhāgavatam. Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary ABCD, and then let him read Bhāgavatam.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. The.... Is.... It is moral instruction, what to speak of high education. Means it, preliminary moral education. That is,

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu

para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat

ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

This is learned. What is the meaning? Explain.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One who sees...

Prabhupāda: No, no. He'll explain.

Devotee (1): Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dāra means "every woman." "Who can see every woman like, like mother..."

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, going to the chapel, that is one of the means, but there are nine different processes, of which, hearing about Kṛṣṇa is the most important thing, śravaṇam. If you continuously hear about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore these books are there, hearing and chanting. If you cannot read, I'll read; you hear. I'll speak. Or you will speak; I'll hear. These two processes are very important. Therefore we are presenting in English language the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa so elaborately. We have published eighty-two books like this. If you read one book.... This is the preliminary study. Then, if you read it with great attention, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious immediately. Then you understand about Kṛṣṇa from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in sixty books, and then you enjoy the transcendental pleasure in Caitanya-caritāmṛta in seventeen books. So you cannot finish even within your life. So many books are there. And you'll forget reading other books.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda? So if one is looking for a guru, but there are many people they are proclaiming themselves guru, and they are speaking "Supreme, God," how may one tell the actual guru?

Prabhupāda: That is, if you want to purchase something, you must know where to purchase. Otherwise, you may be cheated. You, generally, you ask your friend that "I want to purchase some diamond, so can you give me some reliable address where I can go and purchase?" Generally, people do that. So you have to do that. If you want to purchase, you must know the preliminary understanding where diamond can be purchased. And if you are not aware of it, you may be cheated. That preliminary knowledge you must have.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: He says that "God is talking with me." So I have to see whether he's a candidate with whom God can talk. The formula is teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). "One who is twenty-four-hours engaged in My service with love and faith, God talks with him." So first of all see whether he's twenty-four-hours engaged in God's service with love and faith. Then you can understand, "Yes, God is talking with him." But he has no preliminary qualification, if he says "I can talk with God," he's a nonsense. That means because you are a nonsense you are talking about him that God talks with him. You do not know with whom God talks. So you are nonsense also.

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

Prabhupāda: The 18th Chapter is described to know God, and then Kṛṣṇa proposes, "Surrender unto Me." Then Arjuna did it, "Yes." So without knowing, how you can surrender? Know God. Then you surrender. Otherwise how, blindly, you can surrender? That is not possible. So this is the science how to know God, Bhagavad-gītā. The preliminary. If you want to know more, then read Bhāgavatam. And if you are in intense love with God, then next, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, how the intensification can be more intensified. That is Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary book to understand God and surrender.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: The yoga practice is meant for controlling the sense. Yoga-indriya-saṁyamī. That is the real yoga practice, not that I indulge in sense gratification as I like, and I become a yogi. This is all bogus. This is not yoga. Yoga means how to control the senses. Then I can concentrate my mind towards God realization and self-realization. If my senses are always disturbing, it is not possible to apply my mind for self-realization. That is not possible. Therefore the yoga practice, preliminary practice, is yama-niyama, controlling, niyama, under regulative principles.

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Although, Śrīla Prabhupāda, it's somewhat easy for us to convince that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the summary study of all the Vedic literatures, how can we take that Bhagavad-gītā is the summary study?

Prabhupāda: It is preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavad-gītā ends, from there Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Ali: I already have the faith.

Prabhupāda: That you have to increase. Simply the preliminary faith, that is very good, but unless that faith is increased more and more, then there is no progress.

Parivrājakācārya: There is danger of losing that faith.

Prabhupāda: Yes, if you do not try to make progress and go forward progressively, then there is danger whatever little faith you have got, that will diminish.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, the first thing is that we have to accept there is God. Now, to inquire about God, this facility is given to the human being. So you must utilize it. Otherwise you are not human. Your business is, by nature's creation, your business is. The human being... Just like you dress yourself nicely, you comb your hair. That is possible by the human being. An animal may have big hair, but it cannot dress because he has no intelligence. So if you have got intelligence, if you utilize it, then life's profit is there. If you don't utilize it, then you remain lower-grade animal. So in the human form of life, the preliminary is that he can inquire about God, he can understand about God. So if he does not utilize his life for that purpose, then he is animal.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest (9): It is only ten-year-old movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (9): It started in...

Prabhupāda: It started in actually 1967. But the preliminary arrangement was made from 1965. Two years I had spent for making the suitable ground.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So when there is glāniḥ, they are accepting the preliminary beginning of knowledge as the perfect knowledge, that is glāniḥ. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca... (BG 4.8). These things are there. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. To establish real religious system. Sambhavāmi yuge yuge. What is that real religious system? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66).

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: So, "A preliminary booklet is presented herewith to your good self. Kindly read it carefully and let me know your reaction. We are prepared to answer all intricate questions in this subject." In this way present.

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

Prabhupāda: So sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), when one become free all designation, tat-paratvena nirmalam, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness he becomes purified. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhakti... Then bhakti begins.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

This is the preliminary condition. So it means as soon as they have become devotee, they have no more designation.

Room Conversation with Ram Jethmalani (Parliament Member) -- April 16, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When we become nirmala, in our original, pure spiritual life, then bhakti begins. And in Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Such person, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is the preliminary qualification to become bhakta.

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: So if I lose the opportunity of human form of life and be engaged for some years, say, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, as very big man, and by my action, if I become a dog next life, then my life is spoiled. We should not spoil our life. We should fully utilize. And how to utilize fully, they are all given, direction, in the śāstra. Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary understanding, and if we understand Bhagavad-gītā, understand Kṛṣṇa at least little bit.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not follow. They manufacture their own interpretation. That is the difficulty. Otherwise the Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of happy life and entrance, matriculation, and then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, graduate, and then Caitanya-caritāmṛta, postgraduate. We are therefore presenting three books. So if we follow, our life is successful.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.