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Rain (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"rain" |"rainbow" |"rainbows" |"raincloud" |"rainclouds" |"raincoat" |"raindrops" |"rained" |"rainfall" |"rainfalls" |"raining" |"rainmakers" |"rains" |"rainstorm" |"rainwater" |"rainy"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: So why they cannot produce sufficient, such a big country?

Gurukeśa: And Eastern Europe, which is also communist, gets all its supplies from...

Prabhupāda: No, what is their explanation. Russia is the biggest country.

Gurukeśa: Land.

Hari-śauri: The reason was that there was no rain.

Prabhupāda: Then? Then you have to depend on rain, and when we say, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ... Hm? And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). That means, rascal, you take one side, that ardha-kukuti-nyāya. Cut the chicken half, and separate the mouth—it is expensive—and keep the rear side. You get eggs. (laughter) So this is ardha-kukuṭi-nyāya. The rascal does not know that if you separate the mouth there will be no egg.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: Even from here you can just see without going all that way there. The thing... This is the lake.

Prabhupāda: Lake?

Jayapatāka: This is a lake. This, in the rainy season it becomes submerged. That's what I was saying last night. He said that if you dig a lake in the middle, then you can make it high.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Useless land.

Prabhupāda: That is not good.

Jayapatāka: But now we've got some crops growing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means that land should be very cheap.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) You cannot utilize it for different crops. Only one you can.

Jayapatāka: You can only use for, in the rainy season, for some type of rice and then now wheat-two crops.

Indian man (3): (Bengali)

Jayapatāka: Winter rice, he is saying, bula(?) rice.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (Bengali) Now, taking instruction from Mādhava Mahārāja, you should be careful about purchasing land. People are very cunning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...that ten bīghās and eight bīghās of land on the corner, you were mentioning?

Jayapatāka: Yes. We will go back this way. Will Prabhupāda be able to walk that far?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know how far it is.

Jayapatāka: It's right over there. Of course, we can go back through the field.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...can see tomorrow.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: It is cold. (laughs) Bare? No. That's nice. Hike for(?) barefooted. It is there, up. (break) You have to make little shade like this, just like upon the wall the shade is there. You make to the walls so that the water may not spoil the painting.

Bhavānanda: Oh, on the front wall.

Jayapatāka: A little sunscreen.

Bhavānanda: Sun..., rain screen.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatāka: Stick it one foot out, one, two feet out.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not two foot. One, one-half foot will do.

Jayapatāka: I was thinking that this morning, Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I woke up.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Jayapatāka: You must have been thinking.... I woke up thinking that the paintings needed a sunscreen because rain will fall on them.

Prabhupāda: Which way? (break) All the members, they should water in front. Hm? Just like if somebody remains in this room, he must water. Then there will be no difficulty. Here is water. So you have to engage them. Why it will dry? (break)

Jayapatāka: You suggested prasādam, books, cloth...

Prabhupāda: Cloth you are not going to sell. Cloth are you going to sell?

Jayapatāka: We can take donations for cloth. We won't sell. We'll take donations for cloth.

Prabhupāda: That, for that purpose...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the harm of selling cloth, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, then you will require extra energy.

Jayapatāka: No, I mean our own production, not outside.

Prabhupāda: No, no, your production.... You should make production for your necessity.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Break? Why break? Another expenditure. Simply you make two brackets, wooden brackets, like that, and have a tin. That's all.

Jayapatāka: Tin.

Prabhupāda: Tin or steel. Why breaking, again another?

Jayapatāka: There's already a.... I was thinking about the rain, if it's falling straight down, that will be somewhat protected by this arch. Only if the rain is coming from this side, and even then it won't protect...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. The arch will.... That's all right. Then don't require. Then it is all right. Don't require. (break) It will be colder in Bengal. Māghi, Māgha-māsa. Who has done this mischief, "Māyāpur"?

Jayapatāka: Someone put mud over "Māyāpur." This is our land, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayapatāka: This is our land here.

Prabhupāda: Which one?

Jayapatāka: This, with the wheat. We have a tube well there. We irrigate these lands. There are six and sixty, twelve bigas... (break) ...last year's harvest. We haven't had to purchase any wheat this year.

Prabhupāda: The capati we eat, that is our wheat?

Jayapatāka: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice. Chick pea, capati, gur-first class. (laughter) And milk.

Jayapatāka: (break) ...land next to us, this gentleman.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is his name?

Jayapatāka: Vakresvar. He worked on our original house. (break) In the rainy season the Ganges, when it rises high, it comes through here. It runs right by the birthsite. They say this is the original Ganges, over here. (break)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Gurukula boys: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Brahmacārīs.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So sometimes when a devotee goes, joins Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then leaves again and goes back to the material world, its just like a pig going back to the stool.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The materialism and spiritualism is explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī. There is bird, cātaka. So they drink water when the rain falls, and otherwise they will starve. They will never accept any water from this earth.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There is actually such a bird.

Prabhupāda: A devotee will never accept materialism, even if he dies of starvation. You'll see so many still. They are sticking to this principle. There are still many saintly persons in India. They do that. They don't care for any bodily care. "Some food comes; I shall eat. Never mind." Still you'll find. They are sitting in their place and chanting or meditating without any concern for bodily necessities.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We see, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you also have no such concern, but just to deliver the whole world you are taking on this concern.

Prabhupāda: This is for Kṛṣṇa. We are constructing the buildings and begging money or..., and..., only for this purpose: people may become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the only idea.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So we have to go down?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not have to. Whatever you like.

Prabhupāda: As you like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We like what you like.

Prabhupāda: So there will be rain. And if there is rain now, it is good. For these food grains. It is very good.

Jayapatākā: Good for everything but the masuri.

Prabhupāda: Well, masuri is not very important.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is masuri?

Jayapatākā: Lentils.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's not good for construction.

Jayapatākā: No, no, it won't be...

Prabhupāda: No, it will not continue. A few hours in a day, stop. Yadi varṣe māghera śeṣa, daṇḍa-rājā puṇya-deśa. This is the month of Māgha. So at the end of Māgha, if there is little rain, then it is to be understood that the king of that country is very pious and blessed. This time a little rain is required. Yadi varṣe māghera śeṣa, daṇḍa-rājā puṇya-deśa. There is a book, Khanāra Vacana, astronomical prediction in this small verses.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, maybe, daughter or wife.

Jayapatākā: Wife of a..., also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's amazing how everything is so scientifically analyzed in the Vedas. The Westerners...

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say "perfect." Śruti-pramāṇam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even to the point of knowing about a certain amount of rain coming at the end of a particular season and how that indicates about the administration.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, everything. Daṇḍa-rājā puṇya-deśa.

Jayapatākā: (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (break) "...whether you have got such buildings, whether you have got such books, whether you have got such disciples, whether you have traveled so..."? Then what they will, will be reply? Hm?

Jayapatākā: But they've got the āśīrbād.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Oh. They say that due to their āśīrbād?

Jayapatākā: No, he is saying that he is the counterpart, that he's got the āśīrbād.

Prabhupāda: No, āśīrbād, but what you have done for the āśīrbād. You are licking up the āśīrbād.

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dormant implies He was active.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Was active, He is active, but you, you rascal, you cannot see. You cannot say, "Once He was active. Now He is no more active. He has finished His activity." That you cannot say. Dormant? What do you mean by dormant? Huh? Dormant means potential. He can act. And He is acting. That acting you have to learn, how He is acting. He appears to be not acting, but He is acting. That is knowledge. Just like airplane is running. A intelligent man knows that "The pilot is there. He is acting. Therefore it is running." And a foolish man will say, "The airplane is going automatically." That is the question of observation. A foolish boy... I have given this example many times, that I was thinking that in the fan there is a ghost. But the idea is, there must be somebody. Although I was a child... I could not explain how the fan is running in my childhood. I was thinking there must be some ghost. And in the gramophone box I was thinking there must be one man within this box. So this is foolish thinking, but I was convinced that without somebody, it cannot sing or it cannot run. Even one is very innocent child, he can think like that. So whole thing is going on, prakṛti, the activities of material nature... Just like there was cloud and rain. Now it is not raining. So there is activity already. It is being managed. So you cannot say that God is dormant. He is acting because His creation is acting, and God says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My direction the nature is working." How you can say He is dormant? The nature is working?

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Acyutānanda: "The thing is that because Kṛṣṇa knows the future, past, present, and future, so He knew that we would fall down, so why didn't He help me?"

Prabhupāda: No, no, future means, just like.... This is the law of nature, that if you steal, you'll be punished. So if I say, "Oh, you are stealing; you'll be punished," this is future. Suppose this is the month of March, and if I say, "In the month of July there will be rain." So I know; you know; everyone knows. This is not a future telling. The natural sequence is everyone knows it.

Madhudviṣa: But does that means that Kṛṣṇa doesn't know something?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa.... If everyone knows, why Kṛṣṇa does not know? "He knows everything" means this common sense everyone knows.

Madhudviṣa: Does He know what you will choose?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Just try to understand. Future means like this: nature's law; and it will happen. After summer there will be rainy season; it will happen, and they will call, I am foretelling future. It is not future; it is natural sequence, automatically happened.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Satsvarūpa: But that's predictable. If I have my own free will, what I'm going to do, you don't know.

Prabhupāda: No, no, if you are in knowledge, you can predict. But if you are fool, you cannot say. If I see that in July there will be rain, and if you are a fool, you'll protest. That is your foolishness. It is natural sequence, one after another.

Madhudviṣa: When is the natural sequence...?

Prabhupāda: Natural sequence.... Just like you are infected, some contaminous disease. You'll suffer. There is a story that one fool was sitting on a branch of a tree and he was cutting off. And somebody said, "You'll fall down." "Ha, fall down." But when he fell down he said, "Oh, you are a great astrologer." So who goes to the astrologer? Only fools and rascal. No sane man goes. They know that what is.... Yad bhavyantam tad bhavata.(?) What is to happen, that will happen. Why shall I go to astrologer?

Gurukṛpā: I can prepare myself to make change.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. I don't mind what will happen next.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Pañca-draviḍa: So why is it, then, if it's a question of ajñāta-sukṛti... The Indians, from their birth they're watering tulasī, they're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they're doing so many activities, but mostly your disciples are foreigners?

Prabhupāda: So that.... No, means that is temporary. They may come again. It will never go in vain. Just like this cloud. Cloud is meant for raining. Now it is not raining, but when there is sufficient cloud, it will rain. You cannot say there is no rain. There is, but it is not sufficiently collected. When it is sufficiently collected, then.

Revatīnandana: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the śāstras, like in Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa gives certain criteria...

Prabhupāda: Sometimes you will see, even no sufficient cloud, still raining.

Acyutānanda: Yes, one cloud.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is superior direction. It is not your direction. (break)

Revatīnandana: Kṛṣṇa explains why He comes at a certain time and He says, "I come whenever there are certain conditions."

Prabhupāda: No, no, not "certain time."

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have to irrigate the land artificially like this. Either they dig a ditch and they pour water into the ditch by some method, or sprinkling like this. So in a society where everyone is God conscious, Kṛṣṇa says how He supplies the rain. Was there any need even for such irrigation?

Prabhupāda: Irrigation?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Irrigation means digging a hole beside where the vegetables or grains are growing. Or will the rain just fall from the sky naturally?

Prabhupāda: You have to work. Otherwise.... This is material world. Without working, you cannot get anything. (break) ...between material world and spiritual world. In the material world you have to work to get your necessities. In the spiritual world there is no need of working.

Rādhāvallabha: (break) ...talking about the spiritual world is pie in the sky. They say that we should just talk about how to take care of things here.

Prabhupāda: You cannot take care. There are so many problems. You cannot take. You are simply crying, "The problems are there. Problems are there."

Morning Walk -- May 28, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (1): Is this the anna-maya, prāṇa-maya, mano-maya, like that?

Prabhupāda: There are so many stages. Here is the highest status. Govinda-viraheṇa me. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. "For want of Govinda, I am thinking one moment as twelve years." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. "I'm crying like torrents of rain from my eyes." This is the highest necessity. This is also necessity. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛ.... Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam. "I don't see anything. Everything is vacant." And that we have experience. If somebody whom you love very much, he dies, you think, "I don't want anything. World is vacant." I've no necessity but Kṛṣṇa. This is also necessity. So we have to see first of all necessity, then quality of necessity. This is .... There is no necessity means dull matter. Similarly, when there is no necessity of God, one is in the lowest stage of life, narādhama, animal, less than animal, narādhama, at least, lowest of mankind. If he does not feel the necessity of God, that means lowest of mankind. Necessity of Caitanya Mahāprabhu also.... Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣay... A Vaiṣṇava says that "I have no more necessity." But he has no more necessity of this false necessities, material world.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: There is no day or night. Everything is self-illuminating.

Prabhupāda: There is, but there is no need. What is this penguin? No, penguin? Literature?

Rāmeśvara: It's a bird found in the South Pole, penguin, lives in the south, bottom of the earth.

Prabhupāda: Bottom of the...?

Rāmeśvara: It's called Antarctica. Are there seasonal changes, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Rain and different seasonal...?

Prabhupāda: Everything is there, but there is no necessity. (pause) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to the USA, many sahajiyās, they requested me, "Sir, why you are going? You are in Vṛndāvana. Continue your bhajana. What is the use of preaching?"

Rāmeśvara: What is the use of preaching?

Prabhupāda: Preaching. They advised me like that.

Rāmeśvara: They don't believe in Lord Caitanya, these sahajiyās in Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: Mostly. They have no knowledge. Material. Prākṛta-sahajiyā. Their real name is prākṛta. Their thoughts are on this material platform. Just as they are preferring this conjugal love because here the sex is prominent. They are thinking that is the highest stage. What is the lowest stage here, they're taking that as the highest stage. In the.... Of course, in the spiritual world there is such thing, but as Kṛṣṇa has many other līlās, why they are not attracted to other līlās?

Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The life is there. You make some arrangement that it will not take part. That is another thing. If it is a fact that the egg is not life, then why you rascal do not manufacture a chemical egg and get a chicken? Why you rascal talking nonsense? That is our challenge. We say "rascals" not without consideration, because actually they talk like nonsense. Rascals. They cannot do, and still they'll insist they will do. That is rascal. Is it all right? (laughs) South, South America, er, South Africa, there are so many factories of begetting chicken.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The Rainbow Chicken Factory.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the chicken factory, but they're taking the eggs from chicken. Why not manufacture small egg and give to the fermentation and come? There is no question of killing animals. Why they are taking?

Rādhāvallabha: They say God has provided it for us for food.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then you become a dog. God has provided you a dog's body. Take advantage of it and bark. (laughter) Protest. "Why You have made me? Why You are doing?" (laughter)

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Why not? He's the most beautiful. Otherwise, why people are attracted? There is a verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā: kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30); barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. He has got one peacock feather on His head and He's blackish, but wonderfully beautiful. These words are used. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. He's so beautiful that thousands of Cupids cannot be compared with His beauty. Cupid is understood to be the most beautiful person within this universe. You know Cupid? Yes. He enchants by beauty. But Kṛṣṇa's beauty is so great that millions of beauty, kandarpa or Cupid, cannot be compared with Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30). It is a question of attraction. It is not a question of black and white. Attraction. So unless Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, why He has got so many millions of devotees? This very word is kandarpa-koṭi. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. His blackness is compared with the black cloud. Asita-ambuda, ambuda means the cloud. The black cloud is full of water. When there is black cloud in the sky, you can be sure that the rain is going to fall down. Not the white cloud. White cloud means no water. Is it not? So you understand this philosophy and add water to the suffering humanity. They are suffering in the burning, blazing fire of material existence. So blazing fire can be extinguished when the water falls from the sky, not by your fire brigade.

Garden Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Just rub your finger. You'll find so many (indistinct). Nobody can get in the (indistinct), huh? (japa) (pause) (peacocks calling) (break) ...far away the peacock?

Hari-śauri: On the other side.

Prabhupāda: Within our area? No.

Hari-śauri: He said they stopped. This is Chapter Two, Bhagavad-gītā. (reads from Chapter Two, text 1 through 6) You want to go in, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Let the rain fall. (laughter)

Garden Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Disturbing? (laughs) They can come here, that side.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They were going to guard you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Guard me? Why?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna (children come in): From the rain.

Prabhupāda: No. It is all right. You sit down. It is fine, you can sit. No, no.

Hari-śauri: Sit over this side.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So food problem can be solved simply by accepting.... That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). How everyone can.... Find out.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of prescribed duties."

Prabhupāda: So if you produce enough food grains, both the man and the animal will live very peacefully. Food grains. And I've seen in your country, in America, in Africa, in Australia, so much vacant land without producing food grains. So men are not engaged to produce food grains, but they are brought in Detroit to manufacture of wheels of motorcar.

Kern: For ambulances to bring the sick to the doctor.

Prabhupāda: So we have to correct this. First of all, produce food.

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That mercy depends on Him. You cannot dictate Him. If I am merciful, that will depend on me, whether I can show you mercy or I can condemn you. That is, depends on me. Simply on the basis of "God is merciful," I can do all unlawful things, this is not practical proposal. Merciful means it depends on me. Whether I shall show mercy or I shall be very strong and strict, that is my will, freedom. I may show you mercy, I may not show. You cannot force me, that "You must become merciful." That is not right. God is really merciful. Otherwise, how He's supplying this... In the morning if a fog, so God mercifully has asked sun, "Now give them some sunlight." So we are enjoying. He is merciful. When there is sunshine you see the sinful man and the pious man, both enjoy. That is His mercy. When he bestows His mercy, it is for all of them, either you are sinner or you are pious. That is God's mercy. Just like the cloud when it pours water, it does not make any discrimination. On the sea, there is also rainfall; on the rocks also, there is rainfall, where there is no necessity of rain. Therefore where is necessity of rainfall on rock? What is the use? There is no use. It is simply waste. So God also wastes: "All right, you take. You don't require; you also take." In the ocean there is no need of water, but when... The cloud pours water on the ocean also. Only on the land we can utilize, but God is so merciful, exactly like the raincloud, He is so merciful, where there is no necessity they are also getting rain, "Take rain." That is merciful. Without any discrimination, whether you want or not want, "Take it." That is mercy. You can show your mercy when there is scarcity water—you can bring some tanks of water from other places and put here—but how long you'll do it? But when the God is merciful, He'll pour rain so in large quantity that everyone will benefit. That is God's greatness. You'll have to spend so much money, labor, to bring a few buckets of water from other place. Beyond that, you cannot do anything. But God is so powerful, so great, that within a twinkling of, within a few minutes only, immediately He can overcast with cloud and overflood the whole tract of land. That is God's greatness. You have to understand God's greatness in that way. If the sinful, number of sinful men are great, God immediately starts one war, and within few years, all finished. Russia finished, America finished, everyone. That is greatness of God. In this way try to understand how God is great in every activity. In mercy He's great, in cruelty He's great. If He wants to show cruelty, He's the greatest cruel. No discrimination, all finished. Never mind women, children or cats, dogs—all finished. That is cruelty, greatness of cruelty. Then there is greatness of mercy. So that is greatness.

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's saying that by Kṛṣṇa's mercy we're here, we've taken.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. No. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is the duty to distribute it. It is his duty. You may... When I came here, I never came here because American boys or people wanted me. They did not feel any need of my presence. But I came here, because it is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me. So one may think there is need or no need—it is the duty of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons to spread it. Just like the example I have already given. The cloud..., the mountain does not want rain, the sea does not want, but the cloud throws water everywhere.

Devotee (3): If no one was thinking that they needed your presence, then how is it some have come and some have not come? What is the difference?

Prabhupāda: Difference is it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He wants that "Don't remain like cats and dogs. Be intelligent and come back to Me." Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So it is the duty of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa to spread this knowledge so that they may take to Kṛṣṇa. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand, but those who are two-legged cats and dogs, (laughs) they can understand. That is the advantage, because they have got two legs. So long they had four legs (laughing) they could not understand. So here is a chance, two-legged, so give them some opportunity. That's all. (long pause) You grow bitter melon also here?

Kīrtanānanda: We tried to this spring to grow it, but we can't get the seed to sprout.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I think we got to do something next year.

Prabhupāda: Get a mosquito curtain. That's all. Get a mosquito curtain. In India everywhere there is mosquito. I think in your country also.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes, many mosquitoes. They are also in Florida, many mosquitoes, when it rains.

Prabhupāda: Tropical climate, there is mosquitoes. (break) That is falls?

Hari-śauri: No, it's just a ravine.

Sadāpūta: One of the members of the temple here, Prabhupāda, is a doctor, and he was doing some research into malaria, saying that many of the chemicals that they were using to kill these mosquitoes in India are becoming ineffectual. And now the mosquitoes are bigger and they aren't able to control it, so malaria is going to be a problem during the breeding season this year, much worse problem they've created for themselves.

Prabhupāda: There is a place in India, Jabalpura, there is a fall passing, Narmada, and these stones are all marble, first class. Very nice place. I went there.

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

Hari-śauri: You mentioned in Hawaii how there are planets where instead of having grains of sand on the beach, they have jewels.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jewels.

Sadāpūta: Some scientists find it hard to understand the description of different planets wherein there are oceans of milk, because we know that there's oceans of water here, and that water has to be there to create rain...

Prabhupāda: So why the rascal carry this idea there? Has he seen everything?

Sadāpūta: No, but he cannot understand how an ocean...

Prabhupāda: So how he can understand? He's a fool. How he can understand? (break) ...into the moon planet, what does he understand about water there? There are so many millions and trillions of planets. How he can understand what is there?

Devotee (1): Where did the astronauts go?

Prabhupāda: They'll go to hell (laughter). To pick up some sand, as if sand is not there.

Sadāpūta: Śrīla Prabhupāda, is māyā especially empowering the scientists to come up with nonsense?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Demigod means just like you or me, ordinary living being, but they are very pious. On account of their piety they have got very good post. Just like janma... There are four: to get birth in very high, aristocratic family; to become very learned scholar; to become beautiful in bodily feature. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26): high parentage, birth, to take birth in aristocratic family, in brāhmaṇa family, or very exalted royal family. This is janma. And śruta, to become very learned scholar. Janma, aiśvarya, to become very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, śruta means education, and śrī, bodily beauty. These things are obtained on account of piety, pious activities. And just the opposite, low-class family, lowborn, no money, always poverty-stricken, no education, no bodily beauty, these are the results of impious activities. So the demigods means on account of their pious activities they get the situation in higher planet where the duration of life is ten thousands of years, and their one day is equal to our six months. Such ten thousands of years. Very beautiful body, facilities. There... The other day I was reading about the bodily construction of woman there. They are ever-young, the chest is very hard. (laughs) It is stated, yes. So such class of women is there, and aiśvarya, nandana-kānana, so many things. The roads are paved with pearls and jewels, not these pebbles. In the higher planetary system there is facility for higher standard of material comforts. So they get there birth and enjoy for ten thousand of years. But it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. As soon as they spend up their resultant action of pious activities, then again drop down, kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. And again begins life from the grass. They fall down with rains, and then they grow as grass. Then evolutional life begins, from plant life to insect life, to insect life to bird's life.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Hari-śauri: Kīrtana, the reaction was amazing, people were dancing and chanting and waving, Prabhupāda was in ecstasy.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: New York climate is very nice. Sometimes now it rains a little bit, then shining. So just like Bengal.

Rāmeśvara: I observed that these devotees at New York, they've practically given up sleeping this past week to prepare everything for your arrival.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are so kind to me.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they worked very hard.

Rāmeśvara: It reminded me that time when the Press devotees stayed up all the time to get those Caitanya-caritāmṛta volumes. The same spirit. They just stopped eating and sleeping.

Prabhupāda: That is love. These things can be done only out of love.

Rāmeśvara: There were some hired carpenters and painters, and their last day of working was, I think, Wednesday. So yesterday and this morning they came in voluntarily, they stayed up the whole night without sleep, and they continued working.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eight o'clock yesterday, and they just finished this morning. Straight through the night.

Prabhupāda: They are professional?

Rāmeśvara: Professional, but by the association of the devotees...

Prabhupāda: They become...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of them now says that he wants to rent a room for the whole year in our building.

Rāmeśvara: He loves the prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says he likes the prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Why don't you stay here? No rent, you stay here. You are devotee. Stay here.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Take prasādam, stay here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what he wants, and let him give part of his income.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because of this rain the atmosphere is actually very clean now. You notice that. It's not very much smog, compared to usual. This is the FDR Drive.

Prabhupāda: These are cooperative buildings?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda. These are lower middle class cooperative buildings. This is the East Side.

Prabhupāda: I selected one cooperative apartment, they wanted five thousand dollars. (laughs) I had no money. Very nice apartment, near city office.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Downtown. This is First Avenue here, at about ll6th Street, where we are now.

Prabhupāda: Our building is on the Fifty-fourth?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty-fifth Street. Just near Broadway, one block from Broadway.

Prabhupāda: Broadway is important place.

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

Prabhupāda: Detroit is... Detroit is also.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That park was a little dirty also.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Beer cans and...

Prabhupāda: This is national degradation. Every state full of garbage, litters. Not only now, I was living here (indistinct); the last 10 years. At least I have seen.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One of the parents of the devotees who came the other day, they said they went to Vṛndāvana, and the gentleman who bought those pictures, photographs in Washington...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He said he was surprised how clean Vṛndāvana was.

Prabhupāda: Many, even the poorest man's house you go in the village, you'll find everything neat and clean. At least the kitchen and eating, very neat and... Climatic condition is also nice. Almost all the year there is sunshine. Only during rainy season the sun is... That is also cooling a bit. After summer season, the rainy season covering, there is enjoyable cooling. Now everywhere... (end)

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? Most people though, most tourists don't go to Florida in the summer time.

Prabhupāda: Very hot?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is a little hot.

Prabhupāda: Some rain?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's moisture in the air and rain, like that.

Hari-śauri: They have a lot of hurricanes there, don't they?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: A few. But no place is perfect within the material world. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: On the fourth floor we're going to have doll projects. Doll exhibits. So there's an open balcony up there and I want to do something like that, see up there with the glass, the balcony?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Which month?

Bali-mardana: During the summertime.

Prabhupāda: July?

Bali-mardana: July, August.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because now it is the rainy season in India.

Bali-mardana: Because we do not want to inconvenience you as far as the weather goes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I know now, June, even July, August, September now in India is not so good. October is very good in India.

Bali-mardana: September is very pleasant in New York. I think you remember.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These months are very nice. Somehow, if there was some way... I mean, we would preach so hard. At least sixteen hours a day we could work to serve you. I know I would not want to rest even. There must be some way that we can convince you to stay here.

Bali-mardana: Because actually when you come here, you are preaching to millions. These reporters that have come, through them you have been preaching to millions.

Prabhupāda: What about the reporters? They have published something?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it'll come.

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

Prabhupāda: This is very dangerous. Everything is now yellow.

Jayatīrtha: It's greener here than most places around, but...

George Harrison: Everything's so dry this year, lots of trees and things dying without water.

Prabhupāda: That is the punishment for this age. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There will be scarcity of rain and there will be scarcity of food and heavy taxation by government. And people will become mad on account of these three things. Anāvṛṣṭi, durbhikṣa, karopī.(?)

George Harrison: It's getting dryer in England each year. It's probably going to end up as a desert in another hundred years.

Prabhupāda: They expect like that?

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

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

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

Hari-śauri: It is, it's very wonderful. The whole tree has flourished since the temple began.

Gurudāsa: We planned the whole temple around that tree. The whole plans.

George Harrison: It's a big old tree?

Pradyumna: Tree's just in the courtyard of the temple, so we left it there.

Gurudāsa: Same color as Kṛṣṇa, śyāma. Like a fresh rain cloud color. So when Rādhārāṇī sees the tree, She thinks of Kṛṣṇa. So when we see the tree we think of Kṛṣṇa. And Śrīla Prabhupāda sits underneath the tree and watches.

Prabhupāda: Rādhārāṇī in separation was embracing that tree, tāmala tree. And they say that in Vṛndāvana, only there are four tāmala trees left.

Gurudāsa: Yes, they've said four or six. Very few.

George Harrison: Is this tree still living?

Devotees: Yes, it's alive.

George Harrison: My compliments to the chef. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: What is this water?

Hari-śauri: Lemonade.

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

Mukunda: That's a natural watershed. This is the lowest place in the area in about four miles every direction. So we have all those underground water tables feeding it.

Prabhupāda: If there is rain then there is no scarcity of water. The water comes here. Yes.

George Harrison: But how, when you drain it, then how did you stop it from filling up?

Mukunda: Well, it did fill up in the winter quite a bit, but then in the summer it went back down. It's filled up now—we had to use city water to get it started. But as soon as it rains it goes up about this far.

Jayatīrtha: It's evaporated about six inches since

Mukunda: You don't have a well in your place?

George Harrison: No, just, well, that (indistinct) pond. Originally the lakes all were filled just like this as well as flooding the drains, and when it rained off the house everything would go, and we have a big storage tank, and then there's ball cocks, and underneath that big bank of rhododendrons was like a room built there, which was a storage tank. Then any other water he must have used just from the mains. But these days, you know, they have meters on the mains, so you have to pay for every gallon.

Mukunda: What about getting those water diviners to come and find water?

George Harrison: Well, you can find it I think anywhere if you just bore a hole. So what we did was just bore at the end of the lake. But you have to go down to the depth of the riverbed, and there there's not much water because the rain, it's all chalk and limestone, so the rains.... That's the problem with watering in the summer, if you put water...

Prabhupāda: From your house the river is near?

George Harrison: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Thames?

George Harrison: Yes. But then the Thames is here, and we're up on the hill, so we bored a hole right down to the three hundred feet, I think, three hundred and fifty feet, to the level of the river, and then a pump, we can pump that. But when it does rain or if you do water the ground, it's so chalky that it runs right through it. So it's hard to keep a lot of moisture in the water. But also at the same time all the rain water runs through, then it hits the rock level of the riverbed, there must be tons of water down there. We can pump out of there all day long for months on end, and nothing seems to dry up.

Jayatīrtha: Fantastic.

Mukunda: You could even do it by hand if you were out of electricity.

George Harrison: The hole is..., the bore is actually only about this wide. You can have a little bucket. (laughter)

Jayatīrtha: You have to apply for permission, actually, to dig a well, but around here at least you have to get permission.

George Harrison: We did too. You have to put your name on the list, public notice in the local papers, and if somebody wants to complain about it, then they have a chance to. And once it's been up there for a few days or a week or something, and if nobody's made any formal complaint for any reason, like maybe they've got one and want to bore a hole, and you may be (indistinct) there, so then you just go ahead. Then it's all approved, and then your names goes on the list someplace in the county surveyor's office. So you do have to go through a, you know, a couple of months of waiting. Just to, say, bore a hole to replenish, and you have to just pay for the cost to bore a hole and the pump. To lay out electricity to where the pump is. The pump is, you know, just in the ground, you can't even see it. You know, by that weeping willow tree?

Prabhupāda: So if you want to take little rest, we can arrange for that. Resting.

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: Most of the people who..., they are becoming attracted to this communist philosophy. They have no idea how to practically apply it. All they are saying is "It is an opportunity to take from the rich and give me to enjoy." But they are not seeing any scope of community cooperation. This is all impractical. They are saying, "I will get money from my boss. I will take his wealth and distribute." They are simply materialists.

Prabhupāda: "That also distribute for me. More share for me." (laughs) Now there is drought; there is no rain. What the capitalists or communists can do in this connection? If they are able to present any program how to counteract? Then where is your progress? When there is some calamity, you both of you simply (indistinct). That's all. You cannot do anything. Then where is your progress?

Hari-śauri: The reason why the Russians were buying wheat from America...

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Hari-śauri: ...was because they had no rain. All their crops failed.

Jayatīrtha: Not only that, people aren't inclined to work very hard. The farmers are not very enthusiastic to work very hard, because they work very hard, but they have to give all the fruit away. So because they are karmīs, they want the fruit. The state is taking the fruit; therefore they don't want to work.

Prabhupāda: Why they shall work?

Jayatīrtha: They have no incentive.

Prabhupāda: "I'll work and you'll enjoy." Why shall they work? That is natural tendency. This can be possible only for Kṛṣṇa. "I'll work; Kṛṣṇa will enjoy." That's all. That is only possible in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Arrival Speech -- July 28, 1976, Paris:

Bhagavān: ...devotees came, and we carried Jagannātha around the land. It was very blazing hot, and we stopped at one point to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the part where Lord Caitanya is going in front of the Ratha cart. And thunder came and lightning, and it started to rain. (break) (lecture:)

Prabhupāda: Kṣetra-jñākhya tathā para. Avidyā karma saṅgaḥ anya tṛtiya śaktir iśyate. Viṣṇu-śakti, Viṣṇu, the supreme controller, all-pervading Godhead, Viṣṇu, He and His potency, viṣṇu-śakti parā proktaḥ, both of them are transcendental. (someone translates into French throughout) So the Viṣṇu-śakti potency is one. Another reflection of the Viṣṇu-śakti is karma-saṅga anya, that is, you have to work. That is called tṛtiya, the third, karma-saṅga, where you have to work. The idea is that original Viṣṇu potency, you haven't got to work. Everything is supplied automatically. And the avidyā karma-saṅga anya, and the other reflection or perverted reflection, is this material world. Just like you have recited this verse, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In the spiritual world the trees are desire tree—means whatever we want, we can get—whereas in this material world, trees are not like that, they are limited potency. The cows there, unlimited potency. Surabhī means you can milk out as many times as you like, and as much as you like. So the idea is the spiritual world means there is no need of endeavoring for getting anything; everything is there automatically. And the material world, we have got experience, for everything we have to work so hard, then we can get something. So actually this material world is perverted reflection. Just like this body, without the spirit soul, it is useless; similarly, this material world, even if there is no spiritual touch, it is useless. So the more you spiritualize the whole atmosphere, the more you become sufficient and happy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose.

Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: You have to arrange for little more water so you can... The pump is not in order. You can arrange for that.

Bhagavān: Your water supply has been all right?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Bhagavān: This, in July, this is normal weather now, in August and July. But generally in July it has some rain.

Prabhupāda: This year...

Bhagavān: Yes. And it was the hottest weather in a hundred years.

Prabhupāda: Now.

Bhagavān: It was, in July. Extremely hot. And actually our well was one of the only ones functioning in the whole area, and we were watering the crops and everything. Our corn is very nice, very high, and our tomatoes are very good. The barley harvest was five tons.

Prabhupāda: Five times more.

Bhagavān: Five tons of barley we got, from our harvest. It was very nice.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Bhagavān: Did you get some barley flour?

Prabhupāda: I don't have any.

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

Prabhupāda: But even they eat meat they can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no harm.

Parivrājakācārya: But now they are farming in the desert. The Iranian government has started farms. They are irrigating the land with water, and when they put water on the desert they get all kinds of vegetables and grains very easily. So if they do that then they can become vege... They have no excuse. The excuse of the people is that "We have to eat meat."

Prabhupāda: They can have rains from the sky by chanting. The rain will fall from the sky. Who can check it? Kṛṣṇa gives the water from the sky. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14).

Parivrājakācārya: They say in the books that this area used to be all forest with many, many trees two to three thousand years ago. It was a very thick forest. But since then it has become desert, the rain has stopped since then.

Prabhupāda: Because the yajña stopped.

Pradyumna: The Sahara Desert used to be all trees, very fertile. Sahara Desert in Africa, it is the biggest desert in the world. Nothing...

Prabhupāda: Sahara, Sahara.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Dayānanda: Some people are sectarian in their idea of God.

Prabhupāda: What is sectarian? Every sect the child is dependent of the parents. What do you mean by sectarian? Does it mean the Hindu child does not depend on the parents? The Muslim child depends on the parents? Everyone depends on the parents. Either he may be Hindu child or Muslim child or Christian child, that is the nature of the child. Similarly, you may be Hindu, you may be Muslim, you are dependent on God. This is a fact. What is sectarian? Can the Muslims say that "No, no, we are not dependent on God"? Can the Christians say like that? We have to take the general condition: everyone is dependent on God. Where is the question of sectarian? Now this cloud, it is clouded, everyone is expecting some rain. Does it mean the rain is Hindu rain or Muslim rain or Christian rain? Dependent on cloud. Everyone is expecting rain. It doesn't matter whether he's Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Why they declare independence?

Jñānagamya: They say independence means you don't need anything.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Nava-yauvana: He's trying to define independence, and he said independence means you don't need anything.

Atreya Ṛṣi: If you have no needs. Independence means that you have no need for anything else.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, even if you have needs, if you can supply need, your needs you can supply yourself, then you can call independent. But that is not the position. You cannot get the supplies independently. Why you are expecting cloud? Because if there is rainfall, there will be vegetation. Then you will be able to grow food. So you are dependent. Independently you cannot create cloud. So where is your independence? Every step, you are dependent. Independently you cannot create cloud. So where is your independence? Every step, you are dependent. Why do you declare independence? What is this foolishness? What is their answer?

Hari-śauri: Well, they think they have some independence because they have to make so many decisions about how to live and how to operate society.

Prabhupāda: He'll answer for them. Law of gravitation.(?) (talking about child?) What is your independence? Are you independent?

Atreya Ṛṣi: There are all sorts of rascals, Śrīla Prabhupāda. One kind of rascal is the mūḍha kind, who like to enjoy. He thinks he is independent.

Prabhupāda: That is also dependent.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes, but he thinks, "I can eat chicken or eggs or fish."

Prabhupāda: That's all right, that is dependent. Wherefrom the chicken comes?

Atreya Ṛṣi: From the fields.

Prabhupāda: Fields? No, it comes from the chicken.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Yes, from the chicken, yes.

Prabhupāda: So therefore he has to depend on other chickens. (laughter) What is his independence?

Atreya Ṛṣi: But I can kill them and eat them.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: (chants japa)

Devotee: The government encourages this spending of money while the citizens are unhappy and cannot be safe in their own city.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you must have such government. Dasyu-dharyogi (?). They will snatch your money by force. You cannot say anything. That is punishment. Godless civilization, that is punishment, that your own government will snatch, by force, take away your hard labor accumulation, by taxes. That is written in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You cannot fight. You will be harassed in so many ways you will become mad. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Hopelessly you will leave hearth and home and go to the forest. This godless civilization will be punished like that. That day is coming like that. Nobody will be peaceful. They will be mad. Just like when a man becomes mad, he commits suicide, he blows off his head. This will be done. There will be no rain—this is one punishment—and scarcity of food and heavy taxation by government. They are all mentioned. What more suffering you want? But still they are advancing, scientists.

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Āpani ācari prabhu jīvera śikṣāya. That is the way. (child chanting in background) Just see how he's chanting, this boy, his son, he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is not joke. (all chant japa) That building is costly, but we have left that building, we have come here. And this is costlier? Nature's way of... In the room, to make us comfortable you have to run on the fan? Here we are, don't require any fan. So what is the advantage?

Hari-śauri: Well, if it rains, then we'll go back inside.

Prabhupāda: And if your electricity fails, you'll go to hell. (laughter) This is no argument. That is obstinate rascal's argument. That one, they were eating yogurt. Everyone said, "Oh, very first-class, nice yogurt." Everyone was saying. So there was the obstinate rascal, he has to find out some fault. He said, "Yes, it is very nice, but if we keep it three days it will be bad." He's not thinking of the present, but he has to criticize it, that if you keep it three days it will become bad. That is all right, but what you are tasting now, talking of that. When there will be rain, you'll have to go in the room—this is no argument. This is obstinate rascaldom. We're talking of this. If accident and this and that, then in everywhere that will... That I've already replied, if there is electricity failure, then it is...

Hari-śauri: But we have to plan for the future.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the political position here? (break)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...big celebration here starting tomorrow to the 18th. P. K. Savant, he came to see you last year, the president of Maharastra Pradesh Congress Committee, he was the chief guest. Mr. Pagay, another he is the minister from Maharastra, he's also coming. Very big program. It's being advertised all over Bombay.

Prabhupāda: So raining stopped here?

Driver: For three days stopped, sir. Otherwise, it was very heavy.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's monsoon, it will still rain.

Prabhupāda: Throughout whole Europe there is not a drop of water.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're getting suffering now.

Prabhupāda: All, no cloud.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In France I read in the paper that the river was the lowest... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...premse kaho śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu-nityānanda (prema-dhvani etc.) Thank you very much.

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So when you have come? Everything all right?

Hari-śauri: Hyderabad will be complete.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It will be increasing throughout the whole world. Anāvṛṣṭi.

Hari-śauri: They think it's just happening by chance.

Prabhupāda: Godless civilization, sinful activities. The reaction will increase, no rainfall, scarcity of foodgrains, and government taxes. These are written in Bhāgavata. Anāvṛṣṭi-durbhikṣa... Government will exact tax more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There was a scientific study done by the CIA in America, this study done by the CIA on world weather conditions. And they concluded that the world weather conditions only get worse and worse. There's going to be drought every three, four years, and so there will not be food production.

Prabhupāda: It is predicted in the Bhāgavata five thousand years ago.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're having earthquakes in China now.

Hari-śauri: Yes, big ones. They say a million people died in the last one.

Prabhupāda: You have got the keys for that?

Hari-śauri: I think they're... That last set that I gave you, Śrīla Prabhupāda? These, yes.

Prabhupāda: Print books many, as good as possible. Let us do our duty.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...from this light.

Hari-śauri: The switch is just in front of Prabhupāda's door.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prabhupāda: That no ācārya has mentioned.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Brahmacaryeṇa. Tapasya, one of the items is anāhāra. Anāhāra. As far as possible not to eat. That is one of the items of tapasya.

Vāsughoṣa: You know this ācārya, Vinoba Bhave, he's going on a fast until death starting in September to end cow slaughter in India.

Prabhupāda: Whole Europe, there is no cloud, no rain.

Dr. Patel: There's lot of rain here.

Prabhupāda: Fortunate vṛṣṭi. Still India fortunate. I'm coming from London, Paris, and Tehran. All fields yellow. And Europe, so much scorching heat and sunshine, I never seen. Especially in London. This time I saw everything has become yellow. Greenness gone.

Dr. Patel: The non-monsoon countries can produce more food than the monsoon countries. The monsoon comes only three months in a year. Those people get rain all year 'round, they can grow better crops. This is how so many parts of North America and Europe, they can have sufficient crops all the year. We can't have it here.

Prabhupāda: No, there is scarcity of water also. They are killing the animal premature. They cannot do it. It has come to this point.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Certainly. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Kṛṣṇa never said māṁsād bhavanti bhūtāni. Kṛṣṇa never said. This is artificial. In the lower stage of human civilization when they cannot produce food they do not know how to do it, so the animals are killed. What can they do? But actual food is anna, food grains. Even for the animals. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Yajñād bhavati bhū... So there is no yajña. There is no yajña. So this saṅkīrtana-yajña is the only yajña in Kali-yuga. So if they perform, everything is all right. There will be cloud, there will be rain.

Dr. Patel: Yajña karma samudbhava.(?)

Prabhupāda: Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). In the Kali-yuga, the other yajñas are not possible. First of all, there is no yājñika-brāhmaṇa and paraphernalia, so many things. Perhaps if we perform yajña and pour ghee on it, immediately government arrest. Ghee can be produced immense. I have studied. Immensely, you can produce, by keeping cows. Kṛṣṇa has recommended, go-rakṣya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. The go-rakṣya is essential. It is not that animal slaughter stopping, no. Kṛṣṇa could have said paśu-rakṣya. No, Kṛṣṇa has not said. Go-rakṣya. Those who are animal eaters, they can indulge in eating other insignificant animals.

Evening Darsana (on night of arrival) -- August 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You make that arrangement.

Indian man (4): Yes. If there are no rains that arrangement will go through very nicely. Only if there is no rain.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Mahāṁśa: If it rains, then there will be a problem. Everyone will try and rush into the temple.

Indian man (4): In Janmāṣṭamī day usually many times it rains also.

Prabhupāda: So where is the puffed rice? Somebody is bringing it?

Harikeśa: Pālikā is...

Prabhupāda: Why Pālikā, huh?

Harikeśa: Pālikā is in the kitchen taking care of it.

Prabhupāda: No, bring it to... Why you making there, puffed rice? There is... It is too late now. (long pause) So what she is doing?

Harikeśa: I will check.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gurukṛpā: That Raṅganātha temple is that temple where they do not allow us in. So Sampat Kumar and all of these paṇḍitas, they will sign one letter trying to request them. Also with the Purī people. To request them to let us in. While they are all here they will do that. Also Sampat Kumar was thinking that in November and December in South India the weather is nice because the rainy season is finished, and it would be a very good time to go and visit many of the temples. He personally knows many people in all the big temples. Shri Rangam, Kañcipuram, Maha Balipuram, Tirupati. They could arrange for receptions and programs.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) South India, Indian culture is still there. Other parts of India, they are not now Indian.

Guest: Correct. (Bengali)

Prabhupāda: We have got buses. They have got buses, two, three. Any number of. It is very simple method. That we combine together, Indian and foreigners. Go in buses. (Bengali) Now it should be organized. This is simply (Bengali).

Guest: You must also come in Bangalore once. Then it will be all...

Prabhupāda: Immediately think over that. These Europeans, Americans are there. Now get up the association of another, at least one dozen, and let us go together, grāma to grāma,...

Yaśodānandana: We could go from Madras...

Prabhupāda: Anywhere.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Kiśora dāsa. He's also translating. He's a little more strong than Subhaga, although new. Very good boy, very humble. He's from a good family also.

Prabhupāda: What is the flood situation?

Gargamuni: Very mild monsoon this year. Almost drought. Almost. Very mild. Very little rain.

Prabhupāda: Rain is not very strong.

Gargamuni: No. Monsoon is not strong.

Jayapatākā: Our aus(?) crop has been hampered because of lack of rain and early monsoon. Only in the past week there's been a little rain. Otherwise, before, there was very little rain. Not fully drought...

Gargamuni: But less rain than previous years.

Jayapatākā: Everything is very green and nice, but so far as agriculture is concerned...

Prabhupāda: It requires more rain.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Everything is very green and nice, but so far as agriculture is concerned...

Prabhupāda: It requires more rain.

Jayapatākā: It requires more rain and early tide. Right now the river is full, but it is not flooding. It is full. See, Mr. Choudhuri, he was interested. At that time when the Chief Minister wrote that, then he wrote this, that "If you were to see the Chief Minister, then this type of letter could be submitted and he would definitely see you, "although it is not necessary to see him.

Prabhupāda: Do you think it is?

Jayapatākā: No, it's not necessary to personally see him. You might write... When you come to Māyāpur we'll write him invitation that he can come and see and visit you there. That was better. Mr. Choudhuri said that "Your Guru Mahārāja, he has got also the Vaiṣṇava pride not to see the politicians." He said, "This is a good stand. I respect this very much." Actually he mentioned once to Abhirāma confidentially that "If this project comes through, then you'll be requiring some liaison officer because there will be so many government things. At that time I can work for you as your permanent advisor and go to Delhi and here and there and do all the work." I think he wants a job.

Prabhupāda: I thought Mr. Choudhuri would do everything, but that is not the position.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, no, we have to... Yes. We have to see, make plans.

Jayapatākā: Because actually just by giving the site plan you can't make a plan because that's a high area and it goes down to the river. So from our land to the river, that is also under our use. That is klashjami.(?) That is no man's land, but that we can also use and that has to be some strengthening so that when the river..., and rain cannot wear down the side. So these details they should come and see, and then they could make a proper plan, I think. Without seeing, they can't make. 'Cause it's a very small area, it should be very well planned. And the local people there, they are very innocent people. They don't seem to have any type of enmity or envy at all. They all come and chant and see. Although they don't strictly follow the rules, naturally. They eat fish and other things and smoke, but they seem to be simple people. If someone would work with him, I think he could make the whole village gradually Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: The weather there is very nice because the monsoon is mild. It is very nice, cool weather.

Prabhupāda: I have got a bad impression, Bengal during rainy season.

Gargamuni: Yes, right.

Prabhupāda: Is it not? No, it was not rainy season. This season. Otherwise any season in Bengal, they are very good.

Hari-śauri: Insect season.

Prabhupāda: Not only insect. There are... Insects are there?

Gargamuni: There's no insects now.

Jayapatākā: Rainy season no insects. After rainy season.

Prabhupāda: After rainy season. And insect is not so bad. Indigestion.

Jayapatākā: Indigestion.

Prabhupāda: That is the...

Gargamuni: What part of India is good during rainy season? Is there any part of India that's good during rainy season?

Hari-śauri: Vṛndāvana's not too bad.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Gargamuni. He was also not in favor, going to Hill Station.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay, that's fine. When you come to Bombay in October, you can go, October or November, whenever you come...

Prabhupāda: Hill Station, I have also heard—I do not know—that during rainy season they get some diarrhea. Get some diarrhea. And that hill diarrhea is not...

Gargamuni: Good.

Prabhupāda: Not at all.

Gargamuni: Best season for Hill Station is May and June. May and June.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That's when most people go, in the summer months.

Gargamuni: Very nice. Very warm.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Summer period.

Saurabha: Most people in the rainy season, they all leave that place, many houses. They close it all.

Gargamuni: Yes. In Simla and Nanital everyone leaves after June.

Saurabha: But after the rainy season?

Gargamuni: Yes, in October again they go back.

Prabhupāda: Rainy season is bad on the whole.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: This is made for that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the advancement on that idea, dictaphone. Telephone. And the dictation of the author. He's hearing and typing. Nowadays everyone is using. The doctors dictate prescription. The doctor, instead of sending note, he dictates for such and such patient, "He should receive this, take like that..." That is recorded. Another, another, and immediately taken and the compounder hears and... No writing.

Jayapatākā: Actually you are dictating the prescription for the whole world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. And prescription is so sweet it pleases the ear and the heart. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. It is medicine for this material disease. At the same time it is so pleasing to the ear and the heart. This is the very word. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra. Śrotra means aural. Śrotra-manaḥ, and mind. Mano 'bhirāmāt. Abhirāma, pleasing.

Jayapatākā: After rainy season you'll be coming to Māyāpur then?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: We'll write when the weather improves. We'll write when the rains cease.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: "We shall purchase meat and eat."

Maṇihāra: "We need meat." He said, "We need meat." He's a doctor. He's saying he needs meat. I've not been eating meat for four years. There's nothing wrong with me.

Prabhupāda: And when there will be no vegetables, where you'll get meat? After all, you must have sufficient vegetables for eating by the cows. But if there is no vegetable, then where you'll get meat? Actually, in Europe it is being done, that there is drought. There is no rain. There is no grass. Brown.

Mahāṁśa: The Minister of Endowments is here. The Minister of Endowments.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thank you. Feeling all right?

Endowment Commissioner: Yes, sir. Yesterday, our chief minister's not here. He came this morning. I asked him to come there, but he has not. Some other ministers are wanting to come. I wanted to at four o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Four o'clock. All right.

Mahāṁśa: Today so early now? But your rest. It's time you take rest, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I take rest up to four or half past four.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhā Viṣṇu: Yes. I read in the newspaper just a few days ago that Britain is thinking of importing drinking water.

Prabhupāda: It is impractical. Is it possible to import drinking water for so many people?

Prabhā Viṣṇu: No.

Prabhupāda: This is their utopian theory.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: They are thinking that man will conquer over nature. That's their ideal, that man will become God.

Maṇihāra: Just before I left England... They have so many cows in the south of England, they were grazing. But because it was so hot, the grass was not growing. It was becoming very dry, and no new grass was growing because there was no rain. So then they had to move all the cows to the north of England. Thousands upon thousands of cows, they have to move in big lorries to the north of England where there was some grass. And now in the north of England there is no grass, so they're going to have to move them to Scotland. It's costing so much money. And then the cows are going to become thin.

Prabhupāda: They are killing immaturely. Because they die, they cannot eat. They want to eat fresh, huh? The want to kill them alive. (pause) You want? So let us go down to the car. (end)

Morning Walk Excerpt -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: What trees?

Indian devotee: All flowers, shade and more fruit trees. About six or twelve varieties of mangoes. That's nice.

Passerby: Mahārāja!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa! Jaya!

Indian man: (Hindi) Big men, every nation, big.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Mahāṁsa: There's Muslims who go to the mosque in the morning just here. There's a mosque here, very big mosque. They go to the mosque for the five o'clock prayer and they come and have a wash and...

Prabhupāda: Oh. Very good. But they have no temple here.

American Devotee: No. This was all built by the Nizam.

Mahāṁsa: It was originally a zoo and all the animals now it has been moved to some other place. (break—sound of train coming)

Harikeśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's going to start raining pretty hard. Maybe we could stand under here and he'll come with the car. (end)

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: This is the only hope. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Throughout the whole world the situation is not very good. Now there is drought, no water. All over the world. I have seen whole Europe, all the fields are now gray, no green. (Hindi)

Krishna Modi: India this year is very good rains. Beyond expectation. And also this crop is very good. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Nature's work is there. As soon as there is sufficient rain you get sufficient crops. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Kali-yuga, this age, the yajña is hari-kīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. (Hindi)

Krishna Modi: Who can do this thing?

Prabhupāda: We can do that. We can do that. Provided there is cooperation. Now...

Krishna Modi: They have not given you phone number of this place. I was not in idea that they had shifted you.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, Tejas did not tell you.

Krishna Modi: And therefore I have phoned and phoned and phoned, but I was not getting anything.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: When was this? Long time ago?

Krishna Modi: No. Yesterday. Because yesterday I was to come here. But I was called by Mr. Brahmānanda and he told me that you have come here (indistinct) so that I want to know something (indistinct). One question was put up in Rājya-sabhā and he's (indistinct) there. I told him that he's full of (indistinct). There are some gentlemen of er..., labor minister and from (indistinct) Andhra Pradesh. They were also there. (indistinct) Mr. D. D. Desai is also there. (indistinct) And we have discussed at length. And we have told them and there is no restriction (indistinct) the size and to everybody. And you see then it is in Indian history, it is first time that something has been done. All people are saying that they have done in America, they have done in so many centers all over the world and then we are, something like that, it is shameful.

Prabhupāda: It is Indian culture.

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: My granddaughter, she came to see me in Māyāpur. So I was remembering just the other day she was child and walking, catching my hand. Now she is mother of two children. (Someone comes by) Who is he?

Hari-śauri: He's the carpenter.

Caraṇāravindam: Very good fellow.

Prabhupāda: Carpenter. So it is nice. When there is rain I can lie down here. When it is raining, to lie down in a cottage like this is very pleasing. At least in this country. Tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-raining, not very forcibly.

Caraṇāravindam: A little shower.

Prabhupāda: Shower, yes. Oh, it is very pleasing. So this place is very nice.

Caraṇāravindam: You like this...

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. You have got idea. You have all done nice. Nobody (laughs) got this idea. You have done nice.

Caraṇāravindam: I wanted to make you a beautiful palace.

Prabhupāda: You can fix up a little fan, then this labor can be saved.

Caraṇāravindam: You would like electric fan or hand pulled. Hand pulled?

Prabhupāda: No no, electric. A small table fan. Just like in the railway carriage. Let them fix up. Small ceiling fan.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: Adopted son, oh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like our, Haṁsadūta's wife, what is name? She has adopted a son.

Hari-śauri: Oh, Himāvatī.

Prabhupāda: Himāvatī. It is not like that. But generally adopted son means spoiled son.

Akṣayānanda: Spoiled. Spoiled brat.

Prabhupāda: Because he gets money. One who has got money but no children, he takes some adopted son. So the adopted son thinks that "I have got so much money," and he has never worked. He is spoiled. I have seen many adopted son, our... Got lakhs and lakhs of rupees, and in one night he's spoiled everything. Simply after woman and wine. I have seen it. There was one gentleman, Narendranath Singh. Very big, palatial building and very rich man. And I have seen him when he was finished. He was friend of big, big person, Raja Maharlel (?). And one day I saw in Calcutta, there was raining and he was sitting in a rickshaw. And no friend. He had known practically all big men of Calcutta friend. Nobody is coming. "Well Narendra, you are sitting. Come on in my car." Nobody. I was (indistinct). And he was drenching, there was heavy rain. And sitting a... And he was keeping Rolls Royce car.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is stopped.

Caraṇāravindam: The mains has been turned off, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There is no water coming from the mains.

Hari-śauri: They've turned the water off somewhat.

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is dropping.

Hari-śauri: No, it's raining.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then we cannot sit. (break) ...book is going on. (Bengali) This is our childhood song. (Bengali) The small drops of rain falling, now their will be flood in the river. (Bengali) (break) We know even in October sometimes there are rains. Because the Durgā Pūjā takes place in October. From our childhood we have experience. During Durgā Pūjā there was raining, fog.

Hari-śauri: We haven't got rid of those monkeys.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They've gone?

Hari-śauri: No. There's some on the roof.

Prabhupāda: The (indistinct) is there? In the open?

Hari-śauri: No, it's undercover.

Devotee: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: Do you see that nations will fight too? That there will be wars, things like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, so many difficulties. Even there is no war, the natural disturbance and foolish government will create such situation that people will become mad in hopelessness.

Dr. Kneupper: Very dark.

Prabhupāda: Very dark, yes. First thing, there will be no rainfall. Due to the sinful activities of the people, from nature the punishment will be, there will be no rainfall. I have seen already in Europe. Everywhere there is scarcity of rainfall. And on account of scarcity of rainfall, food production will be reduced. They will try to eat meat, killing, and maintain themselves. But that is also not very prospective. How long you will...? The animals will also die. Then in Europe they are doing that, that on account of scarcity of rain there is no grass, so they are thinking, "These animals die for want of food. Let us eat them." This is their intelligence.

Dr. Kneupper: Well, do you see that many people will die because there's not... Many people will die.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If there is no rainfall, either animal or men, they will die for want of food.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Remedy is they should admit that there is God. But they do not admit, especially the so-called scientist rascals and atheist philosophers, politicians. They do not accept the authority of God. They think they will be able to manage things in their own way. And they say clearly, "There is no God." But there is nature. You can say, "I don't care for the government but the government force is there; police is there; military is there. Similarly, you may say, "Defy the control of government," but the agent of God is there, the material nature. That will punish you. There will be no rain, there will be no food production, and the rascal governments will take advantage of it, "food relief." They'll tax, as if by taxing they will be able to combat with nature. So three things we'll have to meet: no rain, no food, and government taxes. Then how people will remain in sane condition? They will become mad.

Dr. Kneupper: But your teaching, doesn't it offer a way of meeting these problems?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are teaching people God consciousness. Then everything will be solved.

Dr. Kneupper: You say that man does not understand nature. The scientist studies nature but yet he doesn't really understand it.

Prabhupāda: Why they do not understand it? Why don't you understand that there is control over us? Where is the difficulty? Foolishly we do not try to understand. Do you admit it, that above us there is control? Do you admit?

Dr. Kneupper: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: No, anyone.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: Some people do.

Prabhupāda: Why others? That means they are foolish.

Dr. Kneupper: Yes. Well, each person has his own thought.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that means... He may be rascal, but it is a fact there is control over us. Just like if there is no rain, is it not control over you? Can you produce rain?

Dr. Kneupper: I would say that there is a universal intelligence guiding everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that means control. How can you deny the control over you?

Dr. Kneupper: What do you understand is man's place in nature? Should he invent, let's say, electricity? Should he invent machines? Do you think these are good or should he just leave those alone?

Prabhupāda: Well, these are good or bad. Suppose if there was no, this comfortable pad. That does not mean that I cannot sit. If there was no electricity, it does not mean we would have died.

Dr. Kneupper: No.

Prabhupāda: There was lamp. We were doing that. So we don't condemn electricity, but it does not mean because we have got electricity, we shall deny the authority of God. That is rascaldom.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We should stop all rascal plan and should take the plan given by God. Then it will be... Everything will be all right. Simple solution. The God's plan is there in this book. Let us take it. Then everything solved. But "No, we are scientist. We are philosopher. We are big man, politician. We shall make our own." Do and suffer. God has given freedom: "All right." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā after explaining Arjuna everything, then He asked, "What you have decided? Your plan or My plan?" So Kṛṣṇa said, "I am giving you freedom. Whatever you like, you can do." The plan is there. Now it is up to us to accept it or reject it. If you reject, you suffer. If you accept, you become happy. So we are requesting people, "Accept it." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Then you'll be happy." But who cares for us? He is making his own plan. Therefore he must suffer. Nature's law he cannot avoid. That's not possible. Nature's law, there is... (break) ...if God likes, immediately there will be rain. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ. That is also stated. So read that. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni, annād.

annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
(BG 3.14)

The formula is there. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ, yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ. Annāt, a-n-n-a-t. Get this light there on.

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Jagadīśa: This one?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the outside. So all philosophers, all scientists, all politicians, let us combine together. The formula is there. Read it.

Hari-śauri:

annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
(BG 3.14)

"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña, sacrifice, and yajña is born of prescribed duties."

Prabhupāda: That's it. There is no prescribed duties. Everyone is a butcher. Formerly there was distinction, "Here is a butcher; here is a religious man." At the present moment everyone is a butcher. Who is religious man? There was division, at least one class, first-class man, second-class man, third-class man. Then, if there is ideal first-class man, even the fourth-class, third man, he'll take the idea, "Oh, here is first-class." But there is no first-class man. All fourth-class men. So who will give idea? And they want to remain fourth-class. If you say that "You become first-class," they will laugh. "What is the use of becoming first-class?" First-class means, find out, śamo damas titikṣā, then, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam.

Evening Darsana -- December 3, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: There will be proper rainfall. And if there is proper rainfall, then you get sufficient food grains, not only food grains, other things also. Sarva-dughā mahī, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. From the earth you can get all the necessities of life. Actually you are getting food grains, minerals, trees, fruits, flowers, everything from the earth. Sarva-dughā, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. This mahī, when it is soaked with proper rains, it becomes fertile. Therefore we have to depend on the rainfall. There is one verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Parjanya means rainfall. Rainfall means it is supplying all the necessities of life. And this rainfall will be easy when there is yajña. And nobody is performing yajña; therefore nowadays rainfall is scarcity. In Europe recently I have seen, there is no rainfall, whole Europe. It is on the verge of drying everything. So this punishment will come in this Kali-yuga. There will be no rainfall, and there will be not sufficient food supply, and the government will simply levy taxes on different pleas and people will be so much embarrassed that they will give up their hearth and home and flee away to the forest. It is stated. So therefore you must perform yajña. And that is very easy in this age. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). You cannot perform the former yajñas by sacrifice tons of ghee and grains because you have no sufficient food grains even. But still, if you chant this saṅkīrtana, that is yajña. Therefore you must take to saṅkīrtana-yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. It is very easy. (break) ...the duty of human being, prāṇaiḥ, with life, arthaiḥ, with money, dhiyā, with intelligence, and vācā, by words. If one sacrifices his life for Kṛṣṇa's cause, then it is first-class. If he cannot sacrifice his life for Kṛṣṇa he can contribute his hard-earned money for Kṛṣṇa. If he cannot do so, if he has no money, he can give some intelligence. If he is not intelligent, then he can give some words.

Preparation for Gita Pratisthana -- December 9, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: For the demons. Demons and godless people must be (indistinct), you cannot make a solution. You cannot surpass the law of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). There is enough water in the ocean, but still you are suffering for scarcity of water. Why? What is the answer?

Jagadīśa: They are answering rains. (?)

Prabhupāda: What their answer, these rascals? Just like in Europe there is scarcity of water, they proposed to import, rascal. But there are so many oceans. So where is the scarcity of water? But why you cannot use it? Unless there is intervention by the nature's law you cannot do it. Therefore you are completely under the laws of nature. Nature will punish you, nature will reward you, according to your acts. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27), ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. You are falsely thinking that you are independent. A slight deviation from the laws of nature will put you into difficulty. Immediately there are... You can close this door. (break) ...population. In any case, one can be punished when the nature's supply is restricted.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Rādhikā with Her friends, they are cooking. And they cook so nicely that parama ānande kṛṣṇa korena bhojana. With great pleasure Kṛṣṇa is eating. And that we have to distribute. Not dog's food. You do not know what is the purpose of this mission. No need. Here is a good chance, don't spoil it. Produce food. Make profit, you spend for Kṛṣṇa. Train all devotees how to cook. All women. Don't distribute dog's eatable things. Kṛṣṇa prasādam.

rādhikāra pakka anna vividha byañjana
parama ānande kṛṣṇa korena bhojana

Kṛṣṇa is taking with great pleasure. That prasādam you have to distribute. Not that dog is rejecting and you have and you distribute that prasādam. Why do you think like that? This prasādam, this so-called, rubbish thing which is rejected by dog and you are offering to the human being. You do it. If you have no money I shall pay. There is no question of scarcity of money. Don't spoil money, but spend for real purpose, that's all. And you arrange for huge agricultural... Whatever is required, water, we shall arrange for that. Labor. Everything. And if you perform yajña, there will be rain. Anyway, I asked you the other day to fill up the tank. What is the difficulty?

Mahāṁśa: Which tank?

Prabhupāda: That big tank. Well, big well.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Harikeśa: By your talking, I'm also thinking we should have a farm in Germany, I know...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, why not? Everywhere. I myself when I go to the farm, I forget whether it is India, or Germany, or France. I forget. The land is there. Sarva-kāma-dughā. We get everything from that. I have several times said that why they make this distinction? This is France, this is India, this is... Everywhere is God's land. Why these rascals make division, I do not understand. Every land belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and you are sons of Kṛṣṇa. Let us live peacefully and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. All rascals, mūḍha. There is rain now and then fall in Europe?

Harikeśa: Yes, now it's very much.

Haṁsadūta: Now it's too late.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Haṁsadūta: Now it's too late.

Harikeśa: I mean, it wasn't there, but now it's so much.

Prabhupāda: Hm. But God is giving hint that if, "Rascal, it is in My hand. I can keep you in starvation to death." The man is dull brain. Anyway, I am anxious to learn, why so many people are suffering? They have become all gray. Throughout whole France I saw. From Paris to Valencay I went. Gray. These people are not lazy, but there was no water. They utilize every inch land for agricultural purpose. At least I saw in France. Then maybe everywhere in Europe. They are not lazy fellow. There is organization, government organization here. People, they... Anyway let us show some example. Immediately make program. You have seen, yes?

Devotee: Yes.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They'll come gradually, not immediately. Immediately, the psychology is, they have got attachment for their house. It may be worse house, but still, their attachment... That is natural. Long, long ago, when I was child practically, I went with my father in the village. So one man from the village was serving us. So my father: "This boy is nice. So why not take him to Calcutta?" So one day he was absent. It was dropping and... So I went in the interior of the village and I saw that his house was broken, there was no roof, and rain was falling and he was sitting, covering with a cloth. Then I told him that "Why not come with us in Calcutta? We shall give you nice place, nice food." So his answer was, nā bābu kanceri jabo nā (?): "Bābujī, I cannot go out of my home." That was his home. (laughter) This is my practical exp... He was sitting idly and it dropping and he could not come to serve. Still, that is his home, and he cannot leave home, that "Bābu kanceri jabo nā (?). That is psychology. It may be very worse condition; still, nobody wants to give up "home sweet home." That is natural psychology. So you have to manage. You see then why they, these Delhi passenger clerks... This morning I was telling that son was asking mother, "Who is this man?" His father, and he had never seen. "You have seen father." No, rather, he had no chance to see father because when the father comes back from the office it is night, ten o'clock or more than that. That time the son is sleeping, and again he has to go early in the morning. That time also, son is sleeping. So he did not know. So one Sunday, when he's grown up, he is asking his mother, "Who is this man?" "So this man..." Not only in India, in everywhere. I have seen in New York from the other island? What is that?

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes. (break)

Mr. Malhotra: ...the first month, I think, except April and May, all the rest months.

Prabhupāda: All the year.

Mr. Malhotra: May is quite hot and April, middle of April to May. Then in June rain starts. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...legislation that fifty percent of revenues was spent in military. Bhaya-vitta. (?) (break)

Mr. Malhotra: Tad guru vijñāta...

Prabhupāda: Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

Mr. Malhotra: Guru-vijñāna.

Prabhupāda: No. This is Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Abhigacchet, this word is used. This means must, vidhilin.(?) This is the form of vidhilin, in grammar. Vidhilin is applied when there is no question of duality. You must. If you want to know that transcendental science, you must approach guru. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means one who is guru by hearing from his guru, śrotriyam. This is paramparā. Not that all of a sudden he becomes guru. No. That is not guru. Guru means śrotriyam. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). And after hearing perfectly from his guru, he is brahma-niṣṭham. Just like Arjuna, after hearing from Kṛṣṇa, his guru, he became devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Not became. He was devotee. Still he became perfect devotee. Brahma-niṣṭham. This is the guru's qualification. And in another, the Bhāgavata it is said tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). One must surrender to guru who is actually inquisitive, yes, about the Absolute Truth. What kind of inquisitive? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. The best aim of life or transcendental aim of life, he requires guru. Then what is guru's qualification? The next line is tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam (SB 11.3.21). Guru is completely in awareness of all the Vedic knowledge. That is guru. Not a loafer class. (laughter) Śrotriyam. One who has heard perfectly Vedas from his guru. And what is the symptom that he has heard from the authority or the...? Brahma-niṣṭham. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. The symptom is that he has completely taken shelter of the Supreme Brahman, rejecting or finishing all material desires. No more material desires. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. He has taken shelter of Brahman, upaśama, rejecting, no more hankering after anything material.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Ekādaśī.

Mr. Malhotra: We didn't know about ekādaśī. When we came to Mahabaleswar, we opened. They said "No, we can't eat because it is ekādaśī." So we said that "No you won't eat, so it looks odd that we should eat." But we were very hungry, you know. In the morning we didn't take anything. We said "All right, we eat, now we will go to the bazaar and see if we could get something." Then we went to Mahabaleswar, it was all closed, because it was raining season. And then there was one shop which had bananas, good amount of bananas. So we took one dozen or two dozen bananas, and then...

Prabhupāda: Banana is very good. You can make banana and potato. Potato boil and mixed with banana, and make nice puri. And then...

Mr. Malhotra: How Girirāja, I just ask you, how you took to all these good things of life? I mean in natural form or with some self-discipline or with some coercion or with some what?

Girirāja: It was Prabhupāda's mercy. I was looking for a guru. Actually whenever I heard there was a swami or a yogi, I would always go, even hundreds of miles. But I was never satisfied. But Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly satisfied all of my questions. And I liked the process, chanting, dancing, taking prasādam, offering ārati, and I liked the devotees. It was very pleasing. So I immediately decided this is my real life.

Mr. Malhotra: No, but not taking any wheat, like on ekādaśī day, all such things.

Girirāja: That's training. Once we surrender to the spiritual master, then he trains us in the process of spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: Sādhu-mārgānugamanam, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu-mārgānugamanam.(?) These are the process.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Mr. Malhotra: More a politician.

Prabhupāda: Yes, karmī means this how to enjoy this world. Whole life they have struggled how to enjoy this, how to enjoy myself, how to allow my men to enjoy. This is karmī platform. Everyone is doing that. Everyone is working hard for himself, for his family, and expand the family, for society, and expand the society, for the nation. Here is karmī plan. Gandhi, Birla they are all... There is no question of spiritual life.

Mr. Malhotra: Now this is the Kṛṣṇā River. You just see how small it is, and how big it becomes later on. In the rainy season this road is closed because this all water comes up, you know. Now it is just a small rivulet. This is Kṛṣṇā river. And it comes just opposite our place, from where it starts, from the mountain. Here is the place called Haya (?). This was also one of the biggest Sanskrit University in the older time like that of Teksasila. And Sarnatha, near Sarnatha, what is that place? Not Sarnatha, up in Bihar, that was also very big university, no?

Prabhupāda: Oh, Taksila.

Mr. Malhotra: No Taksila was in Punjab, that side. In Bengal, Bihar, that...

Prabhupāda: Tarbanga.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Billiard-playing or some exhibition of singing, and hundreds of men will gather. And they were feasting, first-class food. In this way spending, spending, spending... And then prostitute, aristocracy. In this way one property and one property lost, everything. At last I saw him going by rickshaw. One day it was raining, and I saw that he was sitting in a rickshaw, and no friend asked him that, "Haren Babu, why you are...? You come to my car," so many. And he was friendly to so many zamindars, kings, and very intimate with... But they lost of everything, and nobody cares. His sons, they are of our age. I do not know whether living or not. But most probably they are not living. They became professional singers, coming of such aristocratic father. His father, that Mr. R. N. Singh, was a very good singer. That also was another aristocratic that aristocrat family—art, some art: painter, singer, poets. Just like Rabindranath Tagore. They became famous as artist. Avanindranatha Thakur, he became famous as artist, and Rabindranath Tagore became... They also followed the aristocratic family, Calcutta. Similarly, this R. N. Singh became a singer.

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: I think in the West they have a law that says you can't use human sewage.

Prabhupāda: Kick out the West. We are doing here, in India. The municipality is doing that also in Vṛndāvana. Everywhere it is. In Calcutta there is called dhāpāra māṭha. Dhāpāra māṭha, formerly, anything produced in dhāpāra māṭha, that was not used for Deity. The superstition that "These vegetables are grown in filthy water, nasty..." But the vegetables were-cauliflower so big, so big. Everything, very luxuriantly, very tasteful and solid and big... Dhāpāra māṭhera (Bengali). They used to take. In Bengal, generally, the land is very fertile to produce vegetables. But this, the more the filthy things of the city were thrown there, and the cultivator used to grow very nice... That is utilization of this filthy water where there was sewer ditches formerly. In the village they diverted from the water in the field, and they got good crops. Generally they pass stool in the field. The cow's, cow dung and man's stool and everyone's stool, they are wrapped gathered together in the rainy season. It became fertile.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I don't think. That is stated, what you are saying, that in Kali-yuga people will be so fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). They are mandāḥ, bad, or very slow. Mandāḥ. And they have got their own manufactured ideas, sumanda-matayo. Not only mandāḥ, but they have got their own manufactured idea. And manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ. The first thing, three things, upadrava, disturbances... One disturbance is there will be no rainfall, and therefore there will be scarcity of food, and government will tax like anything. People will be so harassed that they will leave their hearth and home and go to the forest. this is awaiting in the Kali-yuga. But if you take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll be saved.

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
(SB 12.3.51)

He'll have nothing to do with this. If you take this vaccine—there may be epidemic-It will not touch you. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we are preaching that, "Please take it." One who is fortunate will take it. And one who is manda-bhāgyā, he'll not take it. What can be done? Our business is to canvass, "Please take it. Please take it." So we will go on like that. People may take it or don't take it. Our business, because we are servants of Kṛṣṇa... Ya imaṁ mad-bhakteṣu. Find out. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati. It is paramaṁ guhyam. When Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66), it is not very easily accepted. That is the most confidential part of His instruction. But still, we have to canvass. What is that?

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he suspected that they were going to steal, he told, "Get rid of it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) Yes. He immediately offered, "I have got this seven dollars. You take it." He was astrologer. He said, "No, you have got eight dollars. But I'll not take your money." "No, no, you take, sir. You'll not take—somebody will take. I'll give you. Kindly help me." And he chastised his servant, "Why you have taken these dangerous things? So you have got still one dollar. You go back. You don't come with me. And eight dollars I have given him. I'll be free." He thought that "Master is by sentiment leaving home and he is so opulent. Let me go with him and keep some money in case of emergency." Of course, that is... From his part it was right, but he thought that "Without this money, to remain, is more safe than to feel safety by keeping money." Because if the government is plunderer, then there is no other. This time is coming. The government will plunder in the name of taxation, and there will be no rainfall, scarcity of food. So everyone will feel very difficult to maintain the family. They'll leave voluntarily and go away. This is foretold.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That idea I'm still maintaining. Yes.

Pradyumna: "The necessities of human society are food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc. One requires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the body. Certainly one does not require flesh and fish or iron tools and machinery. During the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all over the world there were regulated rainfalls. Rainfalls are not in the control of the human being. The heavenly king Indradeva is the controller of rains, and he is the servant of the Lord. When the Lord is obeyed by the king and the people under the king's administration, there are regulated rains from the horizon, and these rains are the causes of all varieties of production on the land. Not only do regulated rains help ample production of grains and fruits, but when they combine with astronomical influences there is ample production of valuable stones and pearls. Grains and vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and the fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously with vigor and vitality."

Prabhupāda: Now Kīrtanānanda has sent so nice sweets.

Hari-śauri: And ghee.

Prabhupāda: You have given something all other devotees?

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes.

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

Rāmeśvara: They have stopped it because they see we are getting so much support?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. (pause) (aside:) No, no. One skinned. (pause) So you have all answers?

Rāmeśvara: Many answers. You have all the answers.

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore I am speaking you how to answer. (long pause) So much land lying vacant. Yajñād bhavanti parjanyaḥ. There is no yajña. Therefore there is no rain. (break) ...and it will increase. Because the people will increase their godlessness, so the rainfall will stop. Now lick up your motorcar. This is going on. Anavṛṣṭya durbhikṣa dāra-pīḍitaḥ. One side, anavṛṣṭi, there is no food grain, and government taxation. People will be so harassed, they will leave their hearth and home and go to the forest. Cannot manage. (break) ...God awakening your country to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Someway or other, there is agitation. This agitation must go on and then turn it towards favorable time. Agitation is there. That is good. (japa) (break)

Rāmeśvara: They say that in the Vedas, Viṣṇu comes first and Kṛṣṇa is expansion of Viṣṇu, and we have concocted that Kṛṣṇa is the adi-puruṣa.

Prabhupāda: But he accepted that?

Rāmeśvara: No, we defeated that argument.

Prabhupāda: No, no... (break) The man who says that, so ask him that "You accept this, that Viṣṇu, there is, Supreme, and Viṣṇu's incarnation is Kṛṣṇa?"

Rāmeśvara: He accepted it.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:
Prabhupāda: Our business is sai vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). First of all is mentality. Man-manā mad-bhakto. Mental cure, then physically devotee. "Always think of Me." This is the cure, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Beginning: always think of Kṛṣṇa. This is the treatment. It is proved. Mentally he'll be cured. And then physically after. Nice (indistinct). They do not know how things are happening. (japa) Thinking, feeling, willing. First of all thinking, then feeling, then willing, then working. (break) ...and spending for military strength. They are not performing yajña, so how there will be rainfall? There will be warfare, devastation. Most rubbish civilization, modern misleading, soul-killing. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Very difficult to live with them. Still, we have to do this Kṛṣṇa's business. So we have to do our business. Let the dogs bark on. We don't care for it. If we remain sincere to Kṛṣṇa, that is our victory, not the result. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. We have to act according to direction of Kṛṣṇa, that much. We want to see good result. Even there is no good result, we don't mind. We must be sincere to Kṛṣṇa that "We have done our best." That's all. Without cheating Kṛṣṇa. That is our duty. As servant, we shall not cheat the master. Result, no result—that depends on Kṛṣṇa. We should not be sorry if there is not result. Never mind. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I have brought to Benares hari-nāma, but here they are full of Māyāvādīs. So if it is not sold, all right, I shall take it back." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So we should not be anxious whether the things are sold or not. But we must do our best canvassing work: "Please take it." That is our duty. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa...
Morning Walk Excerpt -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They're devotees of Lord Śiva.

Gaura-govinda(?): Ananta Vasudeva temple

Prabhupāda: Which one? This one?

Gaura-govinda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Durbhikṣa. Anāvṛstya durbhikṣā kara-pīḍitaḥ (SB 12.2.9). There will be no rainfall, scarcity of food, and government will tax. Government will contribute twenty-five crores, and they will tax three hundred crores on this beach.(?) And before giving twenty-five crores, the other three hundred crores they will divide amongst themselves. (chuckles) That's all. (break)

(in a car driving through traffic)

Rāmeśvara: ...two demons, she was feeling thirst. So Lord Śiva with the end of his trident created this hole. And then he sent his bull carrier to gather waters from all the sacred rivers in the universe. An then Lord Brahmā came...

Prabhupāda: Bindu-sarovara. Drop by drop. Bindu means drop. So the sarovara came into existence by contribution from all rivers. (break) Bhuvaneśvara will help me. I have got little hint.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: And they're paying the farmers not to grow food in America.

Prabhupāda: Just see. There is pūrṇam idam (Īśo Invocation). By God's arrangement everything is full. There is no question of overpopulation. Just see. So much land is lying vacant. There is no utilization.

Rāmeśvara: No, they should use their science for developing the resources for the benefit of all people.

Prabhupāda: There is no needs of science. This is the science: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; there will be sufficient rain, and you till the ground and grow food.

Hari-śauri: Actually by their science...

Prabhupāda: This is the science.

Hari-śauri: Their science is incapable.

Prabhupāda: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). If there is... What is your nonsense science? If there is no rain, drought, what you can do?

Hari-śauri: They can't develop their science to that point where they can...

Prabhupāda: No, these... These scientists are rascals. I call them rascals.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): When you are giving a darśana... Yesterday we came to see you. That, these people, had to go to Bombay yesterday. But when a certain uttered that you have come here, we were astonished. They ran to my office, told me that "Guruji has come." "No, you are wrong." "No, you see. It is from our local newspaper." He's from Bengal. So he came for us and told me he would let us go and see. By five o'clock they had told him... "Let us go." We came here, and there's some people here I was talking to him. That engineer when Guruji tell that no rain, he was searching for the water, (indistinct) in that I was telling him that way. So Guruji when you are giving the light, wisdom, or making blessing that you become filled the superness. You surrender yourself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our propaganda.

Guest (2): The surrender to... So similarly, suppose I am a drunkard.

Prabhupāda: No, it is no disqualification.

Guest (2): Guruji, my argument is this.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu...

Guest (2): We are associated with the sādhus.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: How you can prove? You can hear only. There are many things which is beyond your sense perception. The example which I often give, that "Who is your father?" What is proof? The proof is the hearing from mother. That's all. You cannot have any other proof.

Satsvarūpa: "Although celestial beings are not visible to the naked eyes of the inhabitants of this earth, it was due to the influence of Mahārāja Parīkṣit that the demigods also agreed to be visible. The kings used to spend lavishly during such sacrifices as the cloud distributes rains. A cloud is nothing but another form of water, or, in other words, the waters of the earth transform into clouds. Similarly, the charity made by the kings in such sacrifices are but another form of the taxes collected from the citizens. But as the rains fall down very lavishly and appear to be more than necessary, the charity made by such kings also seems to be more than what the citizen needs. Satisfied citizens will never organize agitation against the king, and thus there was no need of changing the monarchial state. Even for a king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira there was needed a spiritual master for guidance. Without such guidance one cannot make progress in spiritual life. The spiritual master must be bona fide, and one who wants to have self-realization must approach and take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master to achieve real success.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: They should give something for taking prasādam. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...anna-sambhavaḥ.

Satsvarūpa: "Surrender to Me." Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Then there is rainfall...

Satsvarūpa: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Then there is foodgrain. We see this dry land... Because for the last few days, when changing his water he's pouring water here, we see grass growing. Water required. A vast tract of land here is lying. If there is sufficient rainfall you can very easily grow food. But so far rainfall is concerned, it is not in your hand. You rascal scientist, why don't you arrange for this? Everyone knows that from the sea, water is evaporated and is made cloud and thrown all over the land. So why don't you do that? There is enough water.

Satsvarūpa: It's too big a job. They can't... It's too big a job.

Prabhupāda: Then what kind of scientists?

Satsvarūpa: They can do a tiny bit in a laboratory, make some water.

Prabhupāda: So still, we have to accept them scientist?

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Everyone is simply bluffed by their word jugglery and by whatever little bit they've done. They say, "We've done this. Now you must worship us." And people are indebted.

Prabhupāda: So we have to challenge them like that. And as soon as you challenge, "Yes, wait millions of years." That's all.

Satsvarūpa: They say, "Actually we are working on that, how to make rain."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Satsvarūpa: They'll say, "Yes, actually we are working on that problem of making rain."

Prabhupāda: What is the working? People are suffering; you are working. There is a Bengali proverb, sate kusti dolpe gelun.(?) There was a big fair. One has to go there. So he began to dress himself nicely. So the time occupied for dressing, in the meantime the fair was finished. (laughs) Sate kusti kolpe gelun.(?) These are practical. You need immediately water. These rascals say, "Yes, wait. Wait for future."

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: "Wait and give us billions of dollars. Research."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Why shall I wait? Immediately necessary. You have no such power to evaporate the water and make into cloud and distribute. Very easily it is being done. Then why don't you accept somebody's doing that?

Satsvarūpa: If a scientist will accept there is God, then there is no harm in making scientific progress.

Prabhupāda: Then they will hear the words of God, Bhagavad-gītā. Then everything will be solved. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Then he will hear. They will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and there will be rain.

Satsvarūpa: If we condemn everything they do, then they say, "All right, if you think we're nonsense, then don't use our printing press for your books."

Prabhupāda: No. You are nonsense, that is accepted, but do not think that because you have manufactured printing press, you have become God. That is our proposal. We give you credit. And we can also say that without your printing press, people were not dying. Formerly people were copying. Everyone's business was going on. There was no need of mass studying. Only the brāhmaṇas, they used to copy and they used to vibrate the knowledge. And those who were interested, they were hearing and getting the knowledge. So what was the harm? It is little facility that... The same logic: The dog is running, four legs, you are running by four wheels. That does not mean that the dog will die, you'll not die. You'll die also, and dog will die. So this four-wheel car will not help you ultimately. Ultimately you have to die.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Because it is modern times, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can keep pace with all these things, but we don't need them. We can use this, but if we don't have it, then we don't need it.

Prabhupāda: We don't support it. Our business does not support. You can live without car, but you cannot live without rainfall. Why don't you take the important business? Make machine that the water from the sea can be drawn and saltless and distributed. Why don't you do that?

Satsvarūpa: They've put aside the big problems and doing little things.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Childish. Every day the consumer's goods are increasing in price. So many poor men, they cannot purchase. Your motorcar machine, that is not meant for the poor man. Poor man requires food grains. There is no water. What you are doing for that? They require bread, food grains. Supply them sufficiently. They'll be happy. Without motorcar they can live. You can live also. But without food grains you cannot live and they cannot live.

Satsvarūpa: They can't do it, but then, when we say, "Rains will come by yajña," they'll say "No."

Prabhupāda: No, that is... You don't believe it, but here is the... That means you do not believe in God. Why don't you make an experiment? Ask everybody to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, kīrtana. As soon as you say you don't believe, then you don't believe in God, "God says." That is your disease. I can give you so many points. You have to elaborate it.

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: ...obedient to God—that means offer sacrifices—then there will be regular rain. And if there is regular rain, any damn land is good for any purpose. Land has been made bad because there is no regular rain. They... Why the desert is? If there is regular rain, the desert will be also fertile. So it is gradually becoming desert. The whole world will be desert. No production. Suffer. Make your scientific research, godless. All rascals, full of rascals... (horn beeping—break) There is a proposal. You know that? Just see how great rascals they are. They'll import water.

Gurukṛpā: They have done that in California. They have piped water into the desert and made it the most fertile place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is desert? Desert means no water. There is no rain.

Gargamuni: In Israel, which is a desert, they are exporting food all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Every land will be fertile and usable if there is water. That's all. They are making scientific research.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: But they are the topmost devotees. These (chuckling) uneducated, without any town life, cow-men, they are Kṛṣṇa's best friend. Unsophisticated, no education, but love intense—that is perfect. That attracted Kṛṣṇa more. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ (sic:) na kartavya... Kṛṣṇa is so much attached to Vṛndāvana that He goes nowhere... What is that? They are not educated girls, up-to-date fashion, (indistinct) or nothing. Crude. As soon as there was blowing of the flute, immediately they began to run towards Kṛṣṇa. Somebody is taking care of children, somebody is engaged in boiling milk, and somebody was even lying down with her husband. Still, immediately... Very crude, unsophisticated, but intense love for Kṛṣṇa—that is Vṛndāvana. We want to introduce this farm project means intense love for Kṛṣṇa. And other things—very simple: little milk, little food grain, little vegetable, that's all. And that is very nice. If you get fresh vegetable, fresh milk, and food grain, what do you want more? And from milk you can prepare so many nice preparations, unlimited number, all very palatable, sweet. This civilization we want to introduce, not so-called rascal civilization and become implicated in this cycle of birth and death. This is not civilization. This is killing civilization. Human being got the opportunity to get out of these clutches of birth and death. They do not understand. They're so rascal, they do not understand how they are implicated in this cycle of birth and death, nor they do take it seriously, that this is the problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). They are so blind rascals, they do not see that this is real suffering. They do not know it. Simply theorizing, making plan, and they do not know what is the suffering. Such a rascal civilization. So we have to introduce real civilization. Therefore we are struggling so hard. So make in such a way. That's a very nice place, center of Europe and very nice place. What is the condition of rainfall?

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

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

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

Yogeśvara: That will be true everywhere we go.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are making it.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Slowly.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. No.

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. This transcendental competition must go on. Thank you.

Rādhā-vallabha: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: Let us try to give a substantial platform of civilization. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hari-śauri: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). (sound of thunder and rain) This time rainfall is very beneficial for crops. This is the way of living. You perform yajña, there will be rain. And as soon as the ground is moist, you can produce anything, whatever you want. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. From the field, you can get all your necessities of life. The first necessity is the food grain. So food grain you can eat, and the rejected grass portion, you give to the cows. So both the animal and the man get sufficient food. And the cows will give you nice milk, and from milk you can get butter, ghee, yogurt, so many nice sweetmeat. And there is ghee, and here is food grain, then you make kacuri, puri, samosā. Then sufficient foodstuff, nice, palatable, nutritious. First necessity is āhāra. You get sufficient āhāra. Then make little cottage for shelter. Just like there is rainfall. Now you require little... (thunder sounds) Āhāra, nidrā, bhaya, and sex. So marry. Then the whole problem is solved. And then, rest time you save and advance in Kṛṣṇa conscious... This is civilization. Why you create unnecessary necessities of life and become complicated and forget Kṛṣṇa? What is this civilization? Rascal civilization. Instead of giving protection to the cows, you are cutting the throat. Is that civilization? So this is a civilization of duṣkṛtina, means mischief monger. Therefore they must suffer, and suffering. And asuras are being created. And Kṛṣṇa's business is to kill the asuras. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). This is going on. This is material nature. Asuras are being created, and the whole plan is to kill them. So struggle for existence. The asuras, they want to live. Mahiṣāsura he's struggling with the weapons of Māyā, Durgā. He'll be failure, but still-ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham (BG 3.27)—by false egotism he's thinking, "I shall conquer over the material..." That is scientist, so-called scientist. Asuras are... They are planning that "We shall do without nature's control." That is mūḍha. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā dura... (BG 7.14). They cannot conquer it. That is not possible. But you are struggling. You do not want the control of nature. And nature is so strong... Now it is raining. Within one hour they can vanquish the whole world. Doesn't take time. If there is one cyclone and heavy rain, then you are put into danger. So long it is mild, it is all right. And as soon as becomes ferocious, then finish you. What you'll control the nature? When there is no rain, you cannot bring in rain; and when there is heavy rain, you cannot stop it. Then where is your control? You rascal, you think like that, "We shall control over nature." This is your rascaldom. You cannot control over. So everything has its use, and how to use it properly, that is all described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And if you take instruction of Kṛṣṇa and ultimately surrender to Him, that is success of life. Otherwise, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest... Nature is fittest. You'll die; nature will be... You are not fit to fight with the nature. That is asura temperament. And that will never be successful. So many asuras came. Formerly there was Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa, Kaṁsa and others. In the recent years there was Hitler, there was Churchill, there was Lenin, and Gandhi and so on, so on. For few days. Then gone: "Get out. Bas. Finished." Big, big scientists, big, big asuras, big, big leaders, what they could do? Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Read from the... Tribhir guṇamayaiḥ. Seventh Chapter.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Bali-mardana: Very nice.

Prabhupāda: And the summer?

Bali-mardana: Summertime, eighty-five. A little hotter.

Prabhupāda: Not...

Bali-mardana: But it rains. Summertime is rainy season, two or three months rainy season, so it is also...

Prabhupāda: Near the sea?

Bali-mardana: Thirteen miles from ocean.

Rāmeśvara: So that's only fifteen minutes by car.

Prabhupāda: The ocean is on the southern side? Ocean?

Bali-mardana: It is east.

Prabhupāda: East.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So you have given a great service. Now it is not only demolished, it is standing there.

Mr. Rajda: No, it is standing and very nice temple.

Prabhupāda: So let us take advantage of it and make a very perfect institution so that people may take advantage. Otherwise... There is a Bengali song, māyār bośe jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. Everyone is being washed away by the waves of this material energy. And their attempt to save themselves... That's... Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like in light, during the rainy season, so many worms and flies, they come and fall in the fire, phat-phat-phat. They do not know. This is the very description, in the Eleventh Chapter. So we do not condemn material life, but without spiritual understanding, this dog race for material comforts, it may be temporary, very nice, but ultimately it is being carried away by the waves of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Let them study Bhagavad-gītā seriously. Let there be serious student to understand, to explain, and everything will be... There must be sadācāra.

Mr. Rajda: Yes, religious principles.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). We are opening gurukula in Vṛndāvana. We can open here also. We have got land, so let us cooperate. The things are there. We haven't got to manufacture it. Simply we have to take the program seriously. Then everything will be all right.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Except in Calcutta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? Calcutta was quite hot when we were there. Remember coming from Māyāpur?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it's cool.

Prabhupāda: Calcutta and Bengal has got a facility. Every evening there is a small shower of rain. That keeps the temperature mild. During this April-May, you will find every evening there is a thunderstorm and little shower. That is in Bengal's special... A good wind will come. Sometimes it is cyclonic. And immediately the whole atmosphere will be reduced temperature. Sometimes in U.P. also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Another advantage of these months is that the mango starts to come into season.

Prabhupāda: Hm. In Bombay mango is the first-class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you are leaving Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Doesn't matter. I am not after eating. There is no scarcity of mango, but who will eat?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From Bombay, mango is sent everywhere in India also.

Prabhupāda: All over the world. Bombay apus.(?)

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

Prabhupāda: About the land and cows, this is Bhagavad-gītā, mentioned, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Never recommends factory. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). So there is no question of giving protection to the cows if it gives milk only. No. Go-rakṣya. There must be protection to the cow. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even the cows pass urine and stool, that is beneficial. And if it gives milk, then there is no question. Hm. What is that?

Lokanātha: "The necessities of human society are food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc. One requires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the body. Certainly one does not require flesh and fish or iron tools and machinery. During the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all over the world there were regulated rainfalls. Rainfalls are not in the control of the human being. The heavenly King Indradeva is the controller of rains, and he is the servant of the Lord. When the Lord is obeyed by the king and the people under the king's administration, there are regulated rains from the horizon, and these rains are the causes of all varieties of production on the land. Not only do regulated rains help ample production of grains and fruits, but when they combine with astronomical influences there is ample production of valuable stones and pearls. Grains and vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and a fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously with vigor and vitality. If there is enough milk, enough grains, enough fruit, enough cotton, enough silk and enough jewels, then why do the people need cinemas, houses of prostitution, slaughterhouses, etc.? What is the need of an artificial luxurious life of cinema, cars, radio, flesh and hotels? Has this civilization produced anything but quarreling individually and nationally? Has this civilization enhanced the cause of equality and fraternity by sending thousands of men into a hellish factory and the war fields at the whims of a particular man?

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the point.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The residents of Vṛndāvana, they do not fear the enemies, the demons who are coming.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The residents of Vṛndāvana, they were never fearful.

Prabhupāda: No. (laughs) They know Kṛṣṇa is there. As soon as there is danger... There is torrents of rain. Innocent, they do not know. Kṛṣṇa: "Yes! Come on." They come, "Come on under the umbrella. Let there be rain. Now they are safe." Then Indra could understand, "Oh, the challenge... My Lord..." He was surprised that "A boy, cowherd boy, these people, they're worshiping as God? Oh, that may be..." Brahmā challenged, "This cowherd boy..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Didn't they know who Kṛṣṇa was?

Prabhupāda: Who Kṛṣṇa was, they knew it. But "This cowherd boy is Kṛṣṇa?" Just like we are also despising these so-called avatāras. That does not mean we do not know Kṛṣṇa. We know actually Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we despise all these rascals, "avatāra." Their master is Kṛṣṇa they know. They're servants. Otherwise how they are devatā? But the mistake was that "My master has come, has become a cowherd boy and playing with insignificant and boys and girls, and He is my master?" That is going on. Sūrayaḥ. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. You know this, the Bhāgavata? Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Great, great stalwart demigods, they also become bewildered to understand. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like such a big lawyer, he is asking, "Whether Kṛṣṇa is fictitious or fact?"

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he agreed or not?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I'm going to request him today. I made a little preaching in Manipur. I took a Fairchild, our movies, all the Hare Kṛṣṇa movies, from Calcutta. I borrowed for a week.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He took that little Fairchild projector.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Took the projector. And it has been raining so much, from Calcutta, Assam, and Manipur, it's almost flooded for the last three weeks, almost continuous rain.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Looks like the rainy season has come, but very untimely, a little too early. But it has been almost flooded.

Prabhupāda: It is cool now.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. But now the rain has subsided now. It's very cool. Calcutta was very pleasant. It's very comfortable. (laughs) And Manipur is especially nice because...

Prabhupāda: It is good that so much rain has fallen.

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

Prabhupāda: This is due to Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I remember Prabhupāda saying that if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, rain will fall.

Prabhupāda: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And I also made about five devotees in Manipur. I was thinking of bringing in Bombay to get trained up so that I can take in south of Manipur.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But I decided not to take them at this time because I am coming back in September. About that time I am going. Before I gave them what to do and...

Prabhupāda: They are coming or not?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Bombay? Yeah, they will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When will they come?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In September.

Prabhupāda: No, no, why not earlier?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I didn't want to bring them earlier because...

Prabhupāda: All right. That is all right.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I found very interesting in the villages. I thought... I was planning to make programs very extensively in the week, but because of rain, it was...

Prabhupāda: In Manipur also there is rain.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, rained so much. But anyway, the rain stopped in the last few days, so I made a few shows in the village. So they didn't even have electricity, so they hired this generator, and then I showed the white screen, and all the villages, nineteen villages, they came in no time. So I had about nine hundred, nine hundred in two shows. And they wanted to see more, the movies. And then they very appreciated. They wanted to join.

Prabhupāda: So let them join.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister, they heard that I have brought this machine from... So they came personally and wanted to see. Especially his wife. His wife came. The Chief Minister's wife came, and she heard that I have brought this machine, so they wanted to see the Hare Kṛṣṇa movie. So I had to make two shows that night, one in the village, one in the Chief Minister's house. And a life member, he took special interest in showing these things. So I told him, "When I come back I bring one Fairchild from Manipur and all the movies, so that you can go..."

Prabhupāda: Your Manipur is being intimately connected with our movement.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Second week, around second week.

Prabhupāda: Due to this rain, they'll have good food... (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...very comfortable for traveling. It's very good for the crops. And I also have two offers of land in Manipur to build a temple, Hare Kṛṣṇa temple, from two places. One is right in the middle of the town, and one is little away, about seventeen miles. And I'll show you the map, the place. It's..., lot of it is sort of competitor. They wanted a temple built in one of these lands that they offered, so the two groups are...

Prabhupāda: If people cooperate, we can have two temples. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually the land, the second land, it is on the hillside. From there you can see the whole of Manipur, because it is... The land is like this...

Prabhupāda: Scenery.

Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Indian man (9): It is only fifty steps, hundred feet, yes, not more than that.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's raining again.

Prabhupāda: You have shown our books to these gentlemen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have a few books here.

Prabhupāda: Hm. You can show some of them. (Hindi conversation) Call him. You can perform kīrtana here. That will... (Hindi conversation). So go to the hall and begin kīrtana immediately. You can go. So you can go and have kīrtana.

Indian man (8): But we can start here also.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man (8): Here for some time...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. (kīrtana begins) (break) Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). (Hindi) (end)

Conversation with M.P., Shri Sita Ram Singh -- May 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Simply nonsense. So what is remedy? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). All over the world... Of course, we do not want to criticize, but according to śāstra, people will suffer more and more. And they must suffer. Because they are becoming godless, they must suffer. That is nature's punishment.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(BG 7.14)

They won't take the real culture given by God Himself, Kṛṣṇa, "Do like this." Therefore they are godless. They must suffer. Now the suffering is awaiting to the general mass of people. Durbhikṣa... Anāvṛṣṭi-durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). There will be no rain from the sky, and therefore there will be no sufficient grains. Anāvṛṣṭi-durbhikṣa. And in the name of improving the situation, government will tax. Kara-pīḍitāḥ. In this way, so the people in general, they'll be so much harassed that, without being able to manage things... Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. "Let whatever I may have to the family eating. Let me go." This is the position.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What about my house?

Bhavānanda: That money has just been received, and the plans have arrived from Delhi, but we are wanting an architect in Calcutta, competent architect to... Because we don't want to have anything go wrong in the middle. Ram Nrisinghatar(?) was saying that Mistri is interested in doing Prabhupāda's house. The house and gorgeous garden we have, with fountains and terraces and walkways, all around, before and behind the house, on either side, all enclosed and private.

Prabhupāda: Not yet begun?

Jayapatākā: They say there's no... Because we've just received the plan now from Saurabh, so the architect said there's no difficulty. Now he thinks we can begin right through the rainy season. We can work through the rainy season. There's no difficulty for that. If it was a big building, then in the rainy season we could not build.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How long it will take?

Bhavānanda: Six months.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By October, November.

Jayapatākā: (aside, discussion with Bhavānanda about building)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, I think you are tied to this planet by the love of your devotees.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Jayapatākā: He loves his devotees even more than his devotees love him.

Prabhupāda: All right. Then you shall begin. Jaya. (break) Daily or alternately, (makes bleating sound:) "Myaaaḥ, myaaḥ." And there is religious process that the head should be eastern side and the throat should be cut up. And when the animal dies, bifurcate, cleanse it and the skin and everything... And they have got cāpāṭi. Government subsidizes. So they cook at home the meat, and in market they purchase a cāpāṭi according to the family, one big cāpāṭi, two cāpāṭi. That's all. Our men who has eaten that cāpāṭi, they say it is very nice, very soft and digesting. Huge deserted country, but some stock, some spots, water. There are trees. They raise the cattle there. Eighty percent of the land, all desert. Or ninety percent. No, eighty. Say seventy-five. And because they have got now money, they are having big, big buildings, foreign cars, roads in the air, developing. And they're importing at any cost. From Bombay the best mango they are importing at any cost.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I meant... And execute this.

Prabhupāda: All right, you do it. Don't delay. (break) Life is within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stham. That life in due course of time, it comes out through the water. All of a sudden there is bubble coming down, coming down. That is the beginning of generation. What do you think, that? Jalajā. Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti. They are elevated very high planetary system. Again, after reminiscing, they come down. That is described in the śāstra, fall down through rains. Again, like bubbles, come out. (break) Where? The bottom of the earth, giving life. That is already done. In favorable circumstances, due course of time, it comes out. (aside:) You keep. (break) Lots of money.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) In due course, in favorable circumstances, it is to be found out.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That jīva comes along with the rain?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That jīva, the ātmā, comes...

Prabhupāda: Comes from. Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...along with the rain.

Prabhupāda: That is described in the śāstra. Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti. In this way they come to the lower planetary system. Coming with water and begin again with water.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I am not interested in (indistinct). These I have already written some years ago. This is my idea.

Yaśomatīnandana: "One requires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the body. Certainly one does not require flesh and fish or iron tools and machinery. During the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all over the world there were regulative rainfalls. Rainfalls are not under the control of the human being. The heavenly king Indradeva is the controller of rain, and he is the servant of the Lord. When the Lord is obeyed by the king and the people under the king's administration, there are regulative rains from the horizon." (break)

Prabhupāda: So how things were explained? It has been explained by me before that. Why don't you take it? There is no need here.

Yaśomatīnandana: He told the devotees that he has got your edition of Bhagavad-gītā and he has read it. His son purchased it. And he has got some other books also. He liked it very much.

Indian devotee (2): There was meeting of Arya-samaj, so we went to attend that. They invited him there. And later on, they asked that the government should help them to open a big hospital there. And he said that "Because I myself do not use allopathic medicines, so how can I help you? How can I introduce? I believe in nature cure. I can't help. If you produce something, that nature cure hospital, my government will help you." He said, "I never took medicine in my life." Morarji Desai says. And he was in jail. He said that everybody was seeing that they were nineteen months in jail, and they have disease, some pain, and some this one, some this one. He said, "But I got something from there. I learned whole Bhagavad-gītā by heart. I was worshiping Kṛṣṇa. I was reciting Bhagavad-gītā in the morning and evening. I got something, whereas others, they have failed. They couldn't get anything. I took something from that jail."

Yaśomatīnandana: (reading) "Regulative rains not only help ample production of food grains and fruits, but when they combine with astronomical influences there is ample production of valuable stones and pearls. Grains and vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and a fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously with vigor and vitality. If there is enough milk, enough grains, enough fruit, enough cotton, enough silk and enough jewels, then why do the people want cinemas, houses of prostitution, slaughterhouses, etc.? What is the need of an artificial, materialist's life of cinema, cars, radio, flesh and hotels? Has this civilization produced anything but quarreling individually and nationally?"

Prabhupāda: Like hog. (break)

Yaśomatīnandana: Why don't you still take advantage?

Prabhupāda: Still you can take advantage of it. What you are doing? Here is this nice statement. Here is the thought.

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The same bhakti-yoga. This is practical.

Jayapatākā: Now there's another group.

Yaśodānandana: Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī-śrīmad... (break)

Prabhupāda: They do not know. They'll not pay. All dry flowers they'll supply you and take American money. He'll not pay. Anyway, satisfy yourself. So it is raining?

Hari-śauri: It's beginning to. (break)

Prabhupāda: Where is Bhavānanda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is at the fire sacrifice.

Prabhupāda: Fire sacrifice not yet finished?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Then when it will be finished?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Usually after they put on their dhoti, then the fire sacrifice begins.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Fire sacrifice... Let it be finished now. Who said that before fire sacrifice begins they should put on...

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Not without water. There is water, but not as much. Just like on the land there is water, but in the sea there are so much water. So there is life; there is life. We don't say that in the land there is no water. Everywhere is there different. So this evolution, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi, it has developed the same way. The first life comes out... Then everywhere there is life. The transportation from higher planet to lower planet, water.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Water?

Prabhupāda: The rainfall. With the rainfall, those who are fallen souls, they are coming down. Then takes shelter within the atom. Then again grows.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's interesting that science says also that in the beginning there was only hydrogen. So actually water is... Its main composition of two parts of hydrogen...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One part of oxygen. So if the soul is coming through this water, through rain from higher planetary system...

Prabhupāda: Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. They elevate, again fall down. This is going on. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But when they go to Kṛṣṇaloka, then they are...

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: Shaven-headed.

Prabhupāda: Shaven hair. So why you should be victimized by keeping hair? What victory you will gain? Conquer over the whole world, Roman Empire, by keeping hair? Hippie mentality, that's all. That is within the core of the heart. As soon as get some opportunity... Just like during summer season the field appears to be dried up. And as soon as there is some rain, oh, it is green, immediately green. So things are already there. Hm? Is it not?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now you see to the field. They're all dry. But as soon as there will be rain in the village, all green. So the seeds are there, hippie seeds. As soon as there is some opportunity, come out, green: "Yes, I am beautiful. Come on." But in the court room they never addressed. Judge never asked that "Why you are shaven-headed?" Was there any question like that?

Hari-śauri: Actually, when he first went to court, they were wondering why he had hair.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari-śauri: When Ādi-keśava went to court the first time...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So many things also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then we were even stopped by the elements, when we went... You took us, and we went and stayed at Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha. But the rain suddenly came so strongly, (Prabhupāda chuckles) we could...

Prabhupāda: Could not cross to the other side.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Then you said, "Perhaps Kṛṣṇa wants us to establish in Vṛndāvana and not Māyāpur." So you were going to send me to see this Madan Mohan to try to negotiate.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, forget the past. Push forward.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you once said that sometimes Kṛṣṇa tests to see how sincerely the devotee is determined.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa not only tests but punishes those who are criminals.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Criminals.

Prabhupāda: Like Kṛṣṇa punished Durvāsā Muni. He was criminal against Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. Kṛṣṇa never tolerates. Vaiṣṇava may tolerate. Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate.

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

Prabhupāda: Pineapple, your country is famous for pineapple.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Pineapple is very sweet. This is another season, but in about three weeks the larger variety will come. This is a little smaller type. The bigger ones, big. And it is green outside, but it's very sweet, full of juice. The hillsides all covered with pineapples, and it's very cheap.

Prabhupāda: So Calcutta, there was rain.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. The farming is very good this time in our side, Bengal and Assam and Manipur, so much rain from the south. And I saw from the plane that everything is already green.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Why you are breathing? Is it necessary? (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But he doesn't want to speak.

Prabhupāda: You have asked him already?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, I said, "We are coming in September," so he's... We'll be giving lectures there. And the Atishah(?) personally told me that he never thought these ideas before. He said this is the first time that he's seeing such things, that science can be utilized in understanding the nature of the self or life from Bhagavad-gītā. Then I also went to Bose Institute. I wanted to talk with the dir...

Prabhupāda: Oh, Bose Institute.

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Poor quarter. Still they are happy. The rats are jumping over your body.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sounds like Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu.

Prabhupāda: Yes, with one palace(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were telling me that there was one man who was living in a house. The roof was coming down, and it was raining, and he wouldn't leave. Some worker.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. It is a different type of civilization, to become sanctified and Kṛṣṇa conscious. Other things are not very important. If it is possible to rectify him, don't bother about this. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Increase this qualification.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We find that to increase fasting on Ekādaśī day makes that new (indistinct) come like anything.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You begin to realize you have nothing else beside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Can't eat... Actually it's quite a nice realization. When food goes then you realize that the shelter is also bhakti.(?) With Kṛṣṇa you can go on chanting, reading Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: In Marwari community they have now degraded. Otherwise they are very nice. Now they have become, recently, hippies.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you just check and have that boy start mopping? As soon as it... See, that's why they were banging yesterday. And they'll have to bang some more tomorrow. The room becomes flooded as soon as it rains, due to the faulty pipes.

Prabhupāda: Now rectify the fault.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: The whole...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. See, they told me this is the first time... (aside:) What happened?

Śatadhanya: He's taking care.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was there. This is the first time that you were here during the rainy season. So normally, I guess... This year, it couldn't handle it any more, the wall. In five minutes, ten minutes' time, one bucket of water comes in. So much comes in through the wall. So one man has to stay there.

Prabhupāda: One man has... So how to stop it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know. The pipe has to be replaced.

Prabhupāda: So do it nicely so that in future it may not.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...Bulgaria."

Prabhupāda: Now, if you work cooperatively, you'll get more strength. It is raining?

Śatadhanya: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says the next country is Bulgaria. "So as to give the maximum number of people a chance to participate in Lord Caitanya's saṅkīrtana program, as we are so fallen and incompetent..."

Prabhupāda: The chanting, did they give?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bulgaria?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. "As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanaśyāma dāsa, BBT Library Party." You want to try and translate this evening, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What should I do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you should translate for... (break)

Prabhupāda: Absolute. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So with that feeling I want to produce them also, my followers. Everyone should be like that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Like a rain cloud pours water everywhere. Did you speak with Akṣayānanda Swami last night or something? No. Well...

Prabhupāda: No, no... They were... There will be no disturbance from his side.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have seen. Mr. Myer cannot do anything as long as... Mr. Myer, he... At this point Akṣayānanda is running everything. Mr. Myer cannot do anything more than just...

Prabhupāda: No, I can do. Both of them can be told.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the best. Okay. 'Cause Mr. Myer was wondering if Akṣayānanda Mahārāja had been told, because Akṣayānanda Mahārāja didn't mention anything. The best thing is to call them both. Okay. Let's see if the others have come through about that prasādam. (end)

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

Prabhupāda: Moss. When there is moss and waterpot.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Moss.

Prabhupāda: Moss, moss.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They produce that.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Everywhere you'll find, even on the trees, because there is no sunshine, all rainfall.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right.

Prabhupāda: Very wretched place. I told some television reporter. "Here is hell."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you landed there you said that?

Prabhupāda: No. There was television girl. "What is the description of hell?" "Now, here is, London."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whew! That must not have been a very popular statement.

Prabhupāda: No, he stopped immediately. Simply outwardly decorated, and it is hell. I told him. Actually that is, everywhere. No... Only cloud and that mist.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Caitanya-caritāmṛta. They have sold at least thirty to forty lakhs' worth Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Yaśomatīnandana: Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) .

Prabhupāda: Bengali's price.(?) Still, they are purchasing. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's been raining very, very heavily in Bombay. Because of this, all the ships, everything, have been getting delayed. It's very heavy rainfall. Last seven days it's raining continuously, day and night.

Prabhupāda: That is Bombay. Three days, four days raining continually, that is not unusual in Bombay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are now printing the small books for Australia also. Hari-śauri just sent me an order for twenty thousand Rāja-vidyās...

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...which I'm going to ship by third week of August. August we'll ship thirty thousand small books to Australia.

Prabhupāda: No, give first attention to the question, printing.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Three hours?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's a nearly quarter to one. You were very tired from the trip. (break) I've heard it said that when great personalities arrive, everything is always cleansed. So I see that upon your coming, everything is cleansed by Kṛṣṇa sending all of this rain. The atmosphere becomes cool, and the sound of the rain is also very pleasing.

Prabhupāda: And there is sun? Sun also was there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The sunshine? There was sunshine when we arrived, but now it is cloudy and rain. I was wondering, Śrīla Prabhupāda, whether you would like for the kavirāja to be called. I was thinking he might be called tomorrow. Today no need for him to come. Better that you mostly relax today. I was thinking that as you said, better or worse, some husband must be there. (Prabhupāda laughs) So we should have some doctor. Is that all right? It's so nice to be with you when you are in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: So you can do the needful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do the needful?

Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda's voice is very weak and low now) Yes, you all consider. Is that all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In what regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: In every regard.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: Why is it so high?

Bhagatji: The rains have destroyed all crops.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, do you want tilaka?

Bhagatji: From Delhi, only day before yesterday the road was clear. Again it is raining. Delhi to Mathurā, that road.

Brahmānanda: The road is clear?

Bhagatji: Because it was blocked.

Hari-śauri: It was blocked. Yesterday they got through, but only just. The day before it was blocked. Now today again it's raining.

Prabhupāda: The buses stopped?

Bhagatji: Buses stopped, Prabhupāda, taxis stopped. Only they are allowing some cars to go. Yesterday only car could go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the planes were on strike. The planes were not going either. In Bombay no planes were leaving. We were lucky to get the first-class train.

Hari-śauri: The road is very bad though, anyway. It wouldn't have been passable, not for Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It would have taken three to four hours to go by car from Delhi in this condition. And bumpy. The train journey was not so bad, I think, not so bad. The weather was nice.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) (break) ...water for drinking?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Upendra Prabhu? Is there a drink for Prabhupāda?

Hari-śauri: Mung jal is ready.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: ...self-independence. But we can see as you explain to us, when they get this education they become just like a dog going from door to door looking for a morsel of food. The island of Shree Lanka is very, very green, because they have a lot of rainfall. Right now it's rainy season and very lush. All fruits, vegetables grow there. But the government has a foolish policy. They produce tea and tobacco and rubber and all useless rubbish things. They could produce food ten times for the population, but they don't...

Prabhupāda: Anywhere, not only Ceylon.

Haṁsadūta: They still have wild elephants in the jungles. Here is Bhagatji, Prabhupāda. Bhagatji has come.

Prabhupāda: In which paper the arrest of Indira Gandhi?

Bhagatji: Indira Gandhi was arrested last night at eight o'clock.

Haṁsadūta: Which paper reported?

Bhagatji: In the radio it came at once, throughout whole India. And she was released in morning on bail.

Prabhupāda: Who gave her the bail?

Haṁsadūta: Who gave the bail?

Bhagatji: So many persons.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Um hm.

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

Prabhupāda: Thank to her. Made with our wool.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you'll take rest now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Um hm. This can be on the foot. Yes. Up.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it warm?

Prabhupāda: Hm, very nice. Very comfortable. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... Made with our wool.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, that would be very good there because it's also a very ideal climate. Everything grows there very easily because there's plenty of rain, fertile soil, and there's only one city—that's Colombo. And it's a very small city. People are all agriculturalists. The government is also giving land free to encourage agriculture. Simply that it has to be cleared. It's jungle land; it has to be cleared. Shall we try for something like that?

Prabhupāda: What you can do it easily...

Haṁsadūta: Do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Dr. Kovoor affair has given you some position.

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: As an atheist... He's an atheist.

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Prabhupāda: His position is lost.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Floodwater entered our new house? No.

Bhavānanda: No. The lawn, the park in front of the temple, there was water. There were fish there, swimming.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where? In that big maidan?

Bhavānanda: No. That was filled with fish. The water was not from the river as much as it was... It was from rainwater.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is this more water than that seven or eight...

Bhavānanda: No. Then it came over the road.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, right. It didn't come over the road.

Bhavānanda: It didn't enter into the temple. It entered up to the temple stairs.

Prabhupāda: Which water?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which water? The rainwater, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Bhavānanda: There was no... Because the river was high, so it rained so much... In June it rained for nineteen days without stopping. It had nowhere to drain, and every time it rained after that it kept building up, building up. The Gaṅgā was just fifteen inches below Bhaktisiddhānta Road, fifteen inches from the top.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many boys are in the Gurukula now?

Bhavānanda: Now there're eighty-six boys in the Gurukula.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eighty-six. How many residents are there at Māyāpur now?

Bhavānanda: We've thinned out.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many?

Bhavānanda: There's 160 including Gurukula. After the incident we lost some devotees.

Prabhupāda: How many?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many did you lose?

Bhavānanda: About twenty, twenty-five.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: Just after this, there was a huge rainstorm. Very successful.

Rāmeśvara: And this is the altar, with Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya and the Nāga-patnīs.

Hari-śauri: Should Kṛṣṇa be dressed very, very opulently like this, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They had a question in Fiji. They wanted to know whether He should be dressed simply or opulently.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple (Bengali).

Rāmeśvara: This is Kṛṣṇa's birthday cake for Janmāṣṭamī in Los Angeles.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Describe it.

Doctor Visit and Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

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

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

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Bhavānanda: ...in Śrī Raṅganātha temple for five days he was their host.

Prabhupāda: Where? Śrī Raṅgam.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Vegetable growing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vegetables are growing?

Guest (1): Yes, vegetables are...

Prabhupāda: And rice, ḍāl?

Guest (1): Paddy is good this year. They have grown. There was drought. For one month there had been no rains when it should have been, in September. Whole of September was dry. Otherwise entire twenty acres of paddy they had, and six acres which is fed from irrigation from tanks is very good. Paddy, maize also. (break)

Prabhupāda: Things are improving.

Guest (1): Yes, they are. There is no worry as far as the management of the temple and farm is concerned.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahāṁśa is doing nicely.

Guest (1): Both are very much dedicated and devoted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tejiyas is doing nice?

Guest (1): Tejiyas, his movements are too many. That is a problem.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says Tejiyas moves around too much.

Guest (1): He's not fully fixed up to the farm. But as far as temple now, it's very much regulated. Now after Śrīdhara Swami has come, it has been all perfectly streamlined.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīdhara Swami is doing nicely.

Guest (1): Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: At yoga-pīṭha.

Bhavānanda: ...when people come for darśana there's no covered area for them. They've been trying to construct for years and years. They've never been able to do. So you have to stand out. If it's raining, what do you do? There's no shelter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's right. There's nothing there.

Prabhupāda: And Śrīdhara Mahārāja could not finish. He has spent five, ten thousand, I think. Finished. In this way we shall serve Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhū... And the interest will come to charity. What is the interest of ten and a half lakhs?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's, every month... One of the... One of the interests for the five lakhs is 4,166 rupees, and the other is 4,666. So that's 8,800 say, times ten is 88,800, plus another sixteen. So about one lakh, five thousand per year.

Prabhupāda: That means twelve thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Per month you mean?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The future of this movement? Page 88. "The future of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can save the world. 'Kirāta, hūṇāndhra, pulinda, pulkaśa, ābhīra, śumbha, yavana (SB 2.4.18) and the khasa races, and even others who are addicted to sinful acts, can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.' Purport: 'The above-mentioned historical names are different nations of the world. Even those who are constantly engaged in sinful acts are all corrigible to the standard of perfect human beings if they take shelter of the devotees of the Lord. Jesus Christ and Hajrat Muhammad, two powerful devotees of the Lord, have done tremendous service on the behalf of the Lord on the surface of the globe. And from the version of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, it appears that instead of running a godless civilization in the present context of the world situation, if the leadership of world affairs is entrusted to the devotees of the Lord, for which a worldwide organization under the name and style of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has already been started, then by the grace of the Almighty Lord there can be a thorough change of heart in human beings all over the world, because the devotees of the Lord are able authorities to effect such a change by purifying the dust-worn minds of the people in general.' " Then it gives so many other quotes. "Kṛṣṇa consciousness will spread all over the world." Then it quotes from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. " 'The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will inundate the entire world and drown everyone, whether one be a gentleman, a rogue or even lame, invalid or blind. When the five members of the Pañca-tattva saw the entire world drowned in love of Godhead and the seed of material enjoyment in the living entities completely destroyed, they all became exceedingly happy. The more the five members of the Pañca-tattva caused the rains of love of Godhead to fall, the more the inundation increases and spreads all over the world.' " (break)

Prabhupāda: Jaya.

Page Title:Rain (Conversations 1976 - 1977)
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:27 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=133, Let=0
No. of Quotes:133