Soviet Union

Expressions researched:
"Soviet Republic of Armenia" |"Soviet Yatra" |"Soviet countries" |"Soviet country" |"Soviet culture" |"soviet union"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very common sense. Suppose if somebody wants to land on your country, America. You do not allow. There are so many restrictions, visas, passport, and immigration. And how do you expect to land there, all of a sudden there? They are so intelligent and their duration of life so long. They are far advanced in knowledge. Everything they're advanced. So you cannot expect in that way to land there. This is common sense affair. Besides that, the scientists also agree that the temperature there is two hundred degrees below zero, so how you can expect to land there and live there?

Reporter: In other words, you don't... How do you yourself feel? Do you feel that if the United States or the Soviet Union were to attempt a landing and their spacecraft went down, what do you yourself expect...

Prabhupāda: No, so far our calculation goes, from the books, nobody can do so. That is impossible.

Reporter: Well, does the book say that it would be impossible for anyone to even approach it? At what point would it be impossible...

Prabhupāda: Impossible means the process by which you are trying to reach there.

Reporter: To live there.

Prabhupāda: No, to reach there.

Reporter: Oh, to leave there.

Prabhupāda: Leave there and reach there also. Reach.

Reporter: Reach, I see. But would the flight that was just completed, that doesn't contradict with anything in this book? I mean they were within, I don't know, so many miles...

Prabhupāda: But so far we have got information, no flight has been successful to land there till now. So I do not think how they are going to be successful in the future. This process, just like we are going from one place to another by motor car or by airplane, this process will not help us to go to the moon planet. The process is different as described in the Vedic literature. One has to qualify.

Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:

Reporter: In other words, you don't... How do you yourself feel? Do you feel that if the United States or the Soviet Union were to attempt a landing and their spacecraft went down, what do you yourself expect...

Prabhupāda: No, so far our calculation goes, from the books, nobody can do so. That is impossible.

Reporter: Well, does the book say that it would be impossible for anyone to even approach it? At what point would it be impossible...

Prabhupāda: Impossible means the process by which you are trying to reach there.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Who is powerful? First of all let us see who is powerful.

Guest (2): Like United States, like Soviet Union. There is no other power in this world who can...

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by powerful? Then President Nixon is not afraid of anything, do you think?

Guest (2): He personally may not, may be afraid of something, but as a country, yes, it's very powerful. The whole world is afraid of them.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Where is your Hitler? Where is your Mussolini? Where is Napoleon?

Guest (2): Yes, Hitler is gone, but then we have that U.S., you see. If tomorrow U.S. goes, maybe there will be Soviet Union.

Prabhupāda: So that means everyone will come into power for some days; then it will be finished. That's all.

Guest (2): Yeah, but all the people who are getting into the power are people who are having these four vices, you know, and...

Prabhupāda: Therefore their power is finished. If you become sinful, then your power will not exist. Just like Rāvaṇa became powerful. He was so powerful that he dared to take away Sītā. But he also became vanquished. That is the history.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Buddhist Monk (1): Well, I was wondering whether they would ask me whether I am bringing narcotic, the religion, the heart of the heartless, soul of the soulless, the opiate of the masses. So I had read Marx before I left my country. I had thought "They will ask me," but no such question was asked. And ultimately, when I was leaving the Soviet Union, they again opened my books, you see, and put them back. One book, an officer kept one book. I thought, "Now, what is this? All right." He closed the suitcase, did not put this book, and he comes behind me and says, "Could I have this book?" I said, "You see, I have made many notes in the book. Why do you want that book for? So kindly return it to me, please." He wouldn't return it. He follows. And he said, "Please let me have it." I asked him, "Why do you want this book really for?" He said, "I have studied Buddhism from the Northern School, and I would like to know something about the Southern School of Buddhism." I said, "Anyhow, you can get these books, I'll give you an address." But he wouldn't give it to me. He said "Please let me have it." I said, "All right, good health and peace to you. You can have it." Hungarians are very warm-hearted people, very warm-hearted people.

Prabhupāda: It is for me?

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Ambassador: But in the countries like Moscow, Soviet Union, they are hostile, against it, but in most countries of the world, they're indifferent. It's...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why Moscow? Everywhere. Moscow, they are, rather, good that they say, "We don't believe in God."

Ambassador: That's true, that's true.

Prabhupāda: But others, they say that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I believe in God," but he does not know anything.

Ambassador: I'm afraid most of us are like that, to be honest. That's true.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) I should say that Moscow are gentlemen. Because they cannot understand, they say, "Don't believe."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Harikeśa: The less you know, the more you need God.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say they are rascal and fools. This is the... What is this "House of Soviet Culture"? So why don't you arrange a meeting here? Yes.

Akṣayānanda: A nice place for a meeting.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Akṣayānanda: That's the best place for a meeting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is Soviet culture? We shall challenge them. Yes. We can challenge them because we know they are rascals. Mūḍha (break)

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Reporter (2): When you visited the Soviet Union, Swamiji, did you find the atmosphere worse than it is in Western countries, say? Are the people...

Prabhupāda: Everywhere the people are very good, but the leaders are bad.

Reporter (2): Did you meet any of them? No.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I talked with one of the best leaders, Professor Kotovsky. He is the professor of Indology. I talked with him. I have studied. The people are generally very good.

Reporter (2): But did you hold any meetings or anything?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

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

Prabhupāda: Which book? Bhāgavatam?

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

Prabhupāda: No. We are not making any publicly movement. But that boy, in his private capacity, is reading Bhagavad-gītā. So it has to be done like that, privately.

Dr. Sharma: Well, if only a book has got to be introduced into Soviet Union, it has got to be approved by the government. Otherwise it cannot go in for circulation. So they are listed (indistinct) ask somebody, Minister of India, Consulate of India, asked for this, or the Indian Embassy to do it in Moscow.

Prabhupāda: No. Just like the librarian. That library has ordered. So that will be discussed.

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

Dr. Sharma: But the Russians are very cunning people. They may order books from the ISKCON from here, to the Soviet Union, and it be will kept in the library, but no man could reach it. It will be kept only for a certain people only.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The scholars, for research scholars.

Dr. Sharma: Not only for research scholars. Only that type of research scholars who have got the favor of the government.

Guest (2): Even they worship Rāma, take the last name and they go to (indistinct) to understand what it is.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Dr. Sharma: No, that's a different. Because Harrison is more popular in Europe and West than Lata Mangeskar. Raj Kapoor they know. They know, I think more than George Harrison(?), Raj Kapoor is a most popular man in Soviet Union because of his films. And second is Jawaharlal Nehru. So they can make anybody popular or unpopular. Because there is only one paper. They write whatever they want. Unfortunately, the whole thing is in the hands of those (indistinct). They publish whatever they want. So this type of popularity is not real popularity. You cannot take the face value popularity. So I think this type of creating a drama or taking a film for educating about God, and then there will be some sort of a scientific discourse as if intellectual level that...

Prabhupāda: Scientific research...

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can use this letter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he says that "I heard..." This is from ex-president Ford. There was some discussion that perhaps he would be a candidate in the 1980 Presidential election here. Anyway, he's an important man. Then he lists some of the people who have gotten your Bhagavad-gītā as well as other small book in Russian or other languages or prasādam. "Mr. Igor Orligalik, Deputy Director (gives list of many Eastern Bloc professors and directors) You see, he keeps a file on all these people, so if ever we go to these countries, we know which people got our books, and these are all highly placed people, very prominent people. Good work. One of these lunches is very expensive-$7.50 per person. (reads:) "Los Angeles World Affairs Council cordially invites you to attend a special luncheon discussion meeting with the USSR-USA Society Delegation to the Soviet Union." This is one such invitation that's put out by these people. Every one of these people who spoke there, all these delegates, he gave them Bhagavad-gītās, the Russian Easy Journey and a calendar. (break) (kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: ...slaughter, bigger slaughter. This is my practical experience. Father hates. (break) We saw lots of people.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: Oh. Hare Kṛṣṇa and the Counterculture. He's librarian of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. And he's professor of anthropology also.

Prabhupāda: Soviet country, why don't you read...? Where is our Harikeśa?

Guest (1): In Russia. (laughs)

Hari-śauri: That book of Stillson Judah's is in Bombay I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Where is Harikeśa? (Bengali) Why these books you do not keep with us?

Hari-śauri: Generally they do carry them, but it was left...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was a copy here also, and I don't see it now. There was a copy on these shelves.

Room Conversation -- November 13-14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation with Bon Mahārāja)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a certificate arrived from the Soviet Union.

Bon Mahārāja: It's in Russian language or in English?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, some of it, I think, is in Russian. I have the translation. It says, the top wording here, this says that "Books in the service of peace and progress. A diploma for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay, given by the First Moscow International Book Fair Exhibitions and Fairs, General Directorate of International Book Exhibitions and Fairs, USSR." (Bengali conversation)

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Acyutananda -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1970:

Similarly I am initiating just now one student from Armenia. Most probably I shall send him either to the Soviet countries or to Egypt. Our preaching in Japan is going on nicely. Similarly in Sydney it is going on nicely. So by the Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura we are expanding all over the world and we are getting good response. Now for India I am counting upon you. So far you have done it is very satisfactory to me, but we should always be careful about our responsibilities. It is said in the scriptures that spiritual life is just like handling a sharpened razor. If we handle it nicely we become cleanly shaved, but a little inattention causes bloodstain.

Letter to Harivilasa -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1970:

Because Krsna has given you the intelligence to take advantage of this Krsna Conscious life. Now because you have come to me it will be my prime duty to guide you and utilize your talents for Krsna's service. I am very glad to learn that you have got an opportunity to stay as a scholarship student in the Soviet Republic of Armenia. I think you should take this advantage and try to introduce the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness in the communist countries.

When I was in India, I knew that the Russian people have translated many Vaisnava literatures into the Russian language. There is a book known as Ram Caritmanas written by one great devotee poet Tulsidas. So the communists are generally known as non-believers in God, but I don't think they are against any cultural literature like our Bhagavad-gita AS IT IS, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsna, etc.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Vrindaban 30 November, 1971:

In this way, you may move from country to country as the weather permits. And you can equip yourselves to be completely self-sufficient—sleeping, cooking, everything. This program is very very pleasing to me.

So far the Soviet Yatra is concerned, Syamasundara, who is with me here in India as my secretary, has made a plan with that boy Madhukar. Madhukar is in Delhi for the vacation months from his University in Moscow, so there have been discussions in Delhi and a plan has been made. You may consult with Syamasundara what they are doing.