Strange

Expressions researched:
"strange" |"strangely" |"stranger" |"strangers"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 1.44, Translation:

Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.

BG 4.4, Purport:

It is necessary that everyone, for his own interest, know the science of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa Himself speaks about Himself, it is auspicious for all the worlds. To the demons, such explanations by Kṛṣṇa Himself may appear to be strange because the demons always study Kṛṣṇa from their own standpoint, but those who are devotees heartily welcome the statements of Kṛṣṇa when they are spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself. The devotees will always worship such authoritative statements of Kṛṣṇa because they are always eager to know more and more about Him. The atheists, who consider Kṛṣṇa an ordinary man, may in this way come to know that Kṛṣṇa is superhuman, that He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)—the eternal form of bliss and knowledge—that He is transcendental, and that He is above the domination of the modes of material nature and above the influence of time and space.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.19.6, Translation:

As the discus began to revolve in the Lord's hands and the Lord contended at close quarters with the chief of His Vaikuṇṭha attendants, who had been born as Hiraṇyākṣa, a vile son of Diti, there issued from every direction strange expressions uttered by those who were witnessing from airplanes. They had no knowledge of the Lord's reality, and they cried, "May victory attend You! Pray dispatch him. Play no more with him."

SB Canto 4

SB 4.10.28, Translation:

The demon Yakṣas are by nature very heinous, and by their demoniac power of illusion they can create many strange phenomena to frighten one who is less intelligent.

SB 4.29.68, Purport:

The activities of the living entity in the body of a dog may be experienced in the mind of a different body; therefore those activities appear never to have been heard or seen. The mind continues, although the body changes. Even in this life-span we can sometimes experience dreams of our childhood. Although such incidents now appear strange, it is to be understood that they are recorded in the mind. Because of this, they become visible in dreams. The transmigration of the soul is caused by the subtle body, which is the storehouse of all kinds of material desires. Unless one is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, material desires will come and go. That is the nature of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing. As long as the mind is not engaged in meditation on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the mind will desire so many material enjoyments. Sensual images are recorded in the mind in chronological order, and they become manifest one after another; therefore the living entity has to accept one body after another.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.3.6, Translation:

How strange it is that one of us has attempted to do something wrong to Cyavana Muni, the son of Bhṛgu. It certainly appears that someone among us has polluted this āśrama.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.46.38, Translation:

He has no mother, no father, no wife, children or other relatives. No one is related to Him, and yet no one is a stranger to Him. He has no material body and no birth.

SB 10.49.22, Translation:

In the guise of dear dependents, strangers steal the sinfully acquired wealth of a foolish man, just as the offspring of a fish drink up the water that sustains the fish.

SB 10.51 Summary:

Upon Kālayavana's immolation, Śrī Kṛṣṇa showed Himself to Mucukunda, who was struck with wonder at seeing Kṛṣṇa's incomparable beauty. Mucukunda asked Lord Kṛṣṇa who He was and also explained to the Lord his own identity. Mucukunda said, "After growing weary from remaining awake for a long time, I was enjoying my sleep here in this cave when some stranger disturbed me and, suffering the reaction of his sins, was burnt to ashes. O Lord, O vanquisher of all enemies, it is my great fortune that I now have the vision of Your beautiful form."

SB 10.63.46, Purport:

We should not think it strange that the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, here addresses Lord Śiva as bhagavan, "lord." All living beings are part and parcel of the Lord, qualitatively one with Him, and Lord Śiva is an especially powerful, pure entity who possesses many of the Supreme Lord's qualities. Just as a father is happy to share his riches with a beloved son, so the Supreme Lord happily invests pure living beings with some of His potency and opulence. And just as a father proudly and happily observes the good qualities of his children, the Lord is most happy to glorify the pure living beings who are powerful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus the Supreme Lord is pleased to glorify Lord Śiva by addressing him as bhagavān.

SB 10.72.19, Purport:

To this they reply, "For the generous, what is not to be donated in charity?" In other words, everything is to be given.

Jarāsandha might also object that he could be giving charity to his enemies. To this his guests counter with the statement kaḥ paraḥ sama-darśinām: "For those with equal vision, who is a stranger?"

Thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas encouraged Jarāsandha to simply agree to grant their request without further discussion.

SB 10.87.29, Translation:

O eternally liberated, transcendental Lord, Your material energy causes the various moving and nonmoving species of life to appear by activating their material desires, but only when and if You sport with her by briefly glancing at her. You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, see no one as an intimate friend and no one as a stranger, just as the ethereal sky has no connection with perceptible qualities. In this sense You resemble a void.

SB 11.5.33, Purport:

There is great envy, even among members of the same family, who constantly quarrel in this age. Similarly, neighbors are envious of each other and of each other's possessions and status. And entire nations, burning with envy, go to war unnecessarily at the risk of genocide caused by terrible modern weapons. But all of these harassments caused by family members, strangers, so-called friends who are unfaithful, opposing nations, financial competition, social disgrace, cancer, etc., can be relieved by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is not possible to save the material body, but one who takes shelter of Caitanya Mahāprabhu loosens the hard knot of the heart that psychologically binds him to the hallucination of identifying with the external body or the subtle material mind. Once this false identification is broken, one can be blissful in any adverse material condition.

CC Preface and Introduction

CC Introduction:

In the next verse the author further explains why Kṛṣṇa assumed the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa desired to know the glory of Rādhā’s love. "Why is She so much in love with Me?" Kṛṣṇa asked. "What is My special qualification that attracts Her so? And what is the actual way in which She loves Me?" It seems strange that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. A man searches after the love of a woman because he is imperfect—he lacks something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman. But this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa, who is full in Himself. Thus Kṛṣṇa expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Rādhārāṇī? And when Rādhārāṇī feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" To taste the essence of that loving exchange, Kṛṣṇa made His appearance in the same way that the moon appears on the horizon of the sea.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 13.61, Translation:

"This saffron cloth is unfit for a Vaiṣṇava to wear; therefore I have no use for it. I shall give it to a stranger."

CC Antya 18.98, Translation:

"The blue lotuses are friends of the sun-god, and though they all live together, the blue lotuses plunder the cakravākas. The red lotuses, however, blossom at night and are therefore strangers or enemies to the cakravākas. Yet in Kṛṣṇa's pastimes the red lotuses, which are the hands of the gopīs, protect their cakravāka breasts. This is a metaphor of contradiction."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Intoduction:

In the next verse the author further explains why Kṛṣṇa assumed the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa desired to know the glory of Rādhās love. "Why is She so much in love with Me?" Kṛṣṇa asked. "What is My special qualification that attracts Her so? And what is the actual way in which She loves Me?" It seems strange that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. A man searches after the love of a woman because he is imperfect—he lacks something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman. But this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa, who is full in Himself. Thus Kṛṣṇa expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Rādhārāṇī? And when Rādhārāṇī feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" To taste the essence of that loving exchange, Kṛṣṇa made His appearance in the same way that the moon appears on the horizon of the sea.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 42:

Sometimes they would offer betel nuts to one another, decorate one another's faces with tilaka or smear pulp of candana on one another's bodies. Sometimes, for the sake of amusement, they used to decorate their faces in strange ways. Another business of the friends was that each of them wanted to defeat Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes they used to snatch His clothing or snatch away the flowers from His hands. Sometimes one would try to induce another to decorate his body for him, and failing this, they were always ready to fight, challenging one another to combat in wrestling. These were some of the general activities of Kṛṣṇa and His friends.

Another important pastime of the friends of Kṛṣṇa was that they served as messengers to and from the gopīs; they introduced the gopīs to Kṛṣṇa and canvassed for Kṛṣṇa.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 1:

Potentially, everything is eternal, but in the material world matter takes shape, remains for some time, develops into maturity, grows old, begins to dwindle and at last disappears again. This is the case with all material objects. The materialist's suggestion that beyond the material sky there is "some other form" which is beyond the boundary of visibility and which is strange and inconceivable is but a faint indication of the spiritual sky. However, the basic principle of spirit is much closer—for it functions within all living beings. When that spiritual principle is out of the material body, then the material body has no life. Within the body of a child, for instance, the spiritual principle is present, and therefore changes take place in the body and it develops. But if the spirit leaves the body, the development stops. This law is applicable to every material object. Matter transforms from one shape to another when it is in contact with spirit. Without spirit there is no transformation.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.4:

The Occident has never delved into the three stages in the development of the eternal relationship between the infinitesimal soul and the infinite Supreme Whole. These stages are, first, the initial contact with the Supreme Lord and the re-awakening of one's relationship with him; second, the execution of the means to achieve one's eternal relationship with Him; and finally, the blossoming of that relationship into one of love and total dependence of the soul upon the Lord.

Although Western people have brilliantly developed in mundane matters, they are tossed about in a sea of despair and listlessness. Similarly, the Indians, although trying to feel grateful for their mundane development, are experiencing the same listlessness and dissatisfaction. Strangely enough, now the Western thinkers are looking toward India to find peace and calm. We can safely harbor the firm conviction that soon the message of peace will reach their ears.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.8:

A man's relationship with his sister's husband is based on his relationship with his sister. The brother-in-law, prior to his marriage with the sister, was a complete stranger to the man. And when their children become the man's nieces and nephews, his relationship with them is also based on his sister. Similar relationships grow up among races and nationalities, centering on the country of birth. Thus we have Indians, Bengalis, Punjabis, Germans, and so on. We also find relationships centering on religious beliefs. Thus there are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and so on. But however much we might endeavor to adapt to such partial personalities of the self, and however we try to increase the number of these fractional identities, we will remain infinitesimal and partial.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.9:

Without proper knowledge, they are trying in vain to escape from their poverty while aimlessly roaming about like poor beggars. They meet many who promise to help them, but in the end such helpers turn out to be beggars themselves. A few among these strangers seem rich and prosperous, but the directions they give do not lead to the father's house, and so the living entities' poverty knows no end. The wealthy strangers suggest many paths, such as karma, jñāna, or dhyāna, but the problem of poverty remains unsolved. The living entities can escape their poverty only by learning and practicing the science of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the source of all incarnations, explained the science of devotional service to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Prayāga (Allahabad).

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.7:

A thousand cycles of four yugas make up one day-time (twelve hours) of Lord Brahmā's life. In this way his month and year can be calculated, and Brahmā lives for a hundred years of his time. But despite this vast life span—311 trillion 40 billion human years—Lord Brahmā is a mortal being, and this universe created by him is also perishable. Thus it is not strange that human beings, who are also his creation, should perish. As human beings seem immortal to a tiny insect, so Lord Brahmā and the demigods seem immortal to us. In fact, however, no material body of any form is ever eternal.

At the end of Lord Brahmā's day, when night approaches, a partial dissolution inundates the universe up to the Svargaloka, the abode of the demigods. All the living entities of this world are created at the dawn of Lord Brahmā's day and annihilated at dusk, and this creation and annihilation go on in a continuous cycle.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.1:

As the Supreme Lord is eternal, liberated, and pure, so are His devotees, whatever situation they may be in. This can easily be understood through a simple example: technological advancement has added things like cinemas to the material attractions nature already has to offer, and yet, strangely, these illusory enticements have failed to attract genuine saints and hermits even to this day. And although we do see that some so-called modern saints and mendicants are addicted to cannabis and tobacco, even they are repulsed by many other modern sensual distractions. If the illusory material world holds little or no attraction for the Lord's devotees, how much less must the Lord Himself be attracted to it! Therefore, although out of ignorance one might claim that mere mortals are God, that does not change the reality—that man is always man and God is always God, and never otherwise.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.2:

He is the source and retainer of values. He enters into personal relations with us in worship and prayer."

After writing this and thus accepting the real purport of the Gītā, how can Dr. Radhakrishnan later state that Lord Kṛṣṇa's body and soul are different? Such an idea must be a result of his materialistic education. What a strange monism he propounds, in which the Absolute Truth, the nondual Supreme Being, is supposedly separate from His inner existence! Can Dr. Radhakrishnan explain these obvious flaws in his philosophy? When the Supreme Lord Himself is present in everyone's heart as the omniscient Supersoul, then who else can sit in His heart? In the Gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself speaks about His transcendental qualities, making statements that Dr. Radhakrishnan, armed with his material erudition, has made but a feeble attempt to contradict. Through such foolishness Dr. Radhakrishnan has made a show of spreading education, but in fact he has preached untruth.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.4:

It is strange but true that political leaders can never understand that the Absolute Truth cannot be impersonal or formless but must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The scriptures are filled with passages that describe incarnations such as the gigantic form of Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu lying on the Causal Ocean, but Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Still the demented political leaders cannot comprehend the truth. But if out of His mercy Lord Kṛṣṇa wishes to bless such atheists, then their rocklike hearts will soften and they will see the two-handed form of Kṛṣṇa playing His flute in Vṛndāvana.

Message of Godhead

Message of Godhead 1:

So, in the darkness, the object cannot be known to us in its entirety. In such a situation, even if we get some knowledge by touch or otherwise, it is all either mistaken or incomplete. It is just like the group of blind men who had encountered an elephant and tried to describe the strange new creature to one another. One man felt the trunk and said, "This is a huge snake." Another man felt a leg and said, "No, this is a great pillar." And so forth.

There is but one way to perceive things in the depth of darkness. Only if somebody brings a light into the darkness is it truly possible to see things as they are. Similarly, the light of knowledge is kindled by our preceptors, and we can see things as they are only by our preceptors' mercy. From our very birth we have become accustomed to gathering knowledge by the mercy of our preceptors, whether father, mother, or teacher. We can march along the path of progressive knowledge only by the help of such preceptors, from whom we gather experience by submissive hearing.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.): Translation: "Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness."

Prabhupāda:

aho bata mahat-pāpaṁ

kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam

yad rājya-sukha-lobhena

hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ

(BG 1.44)

So sometimes Arjuna is accused, Bhagavad-gītā is also accused, that "There is violence. There is violence. Bhagavad-gītā is full of violence." Yes, it is full of violence. The warfield. But here the Vaiṣṇava thinking, Arjuna is thinking that it was arranged for his rājya-sukha. Yad rājya-sukha-lobhena. Lobhena. It was arranged for the satisfaction of Arjuna so that he could enjoy the kingdom and the happiness thereof. Actually, it was not so. It was arranged by Kṛṣṇa for His satisfaction, not for Arjuna's satisfaction. So that is the difference between ordinary work and devotional service. Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house. The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Guest (3): All right, furthermore, I have another question. All right? This is actually a statement which comes from the Bible, which is one... If you'll pardon me, I'm going to refer to it. The Supreme Lord... It is said, "I am the Lord, thy God." And I am not meaning who I am, we are, standing here (?). That is the statement of the Supreme Lord. "And thou shalt have no strange gods before Me. You must not make images or idols to bow to or worship in any other way. You may worship no other god than Me?" Well, then how is it that...?

Prabhupāda: But that is not any other way. You have to worship God. I have to worship God. Then where is any other way? Worshiping God is there, either you or in me. So where is other? There is no difference. The worship of God is there. I worship God; you worship God. You follow Bible; I follow Bhagavad-gītā. But the worship of God is there. Where is the difference? Why do you make difference?

General Lectures

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

There's some Buffalo chanters here. And "chant" comes from the word enchant, which means to make oneself into, to make a magical spell about oneself. So there are Santa Fe centers also.

In other words, the indigenous, the importation of a very strange oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist oriental form, in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by long tradition of teachers—it's strange it's so far-out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more Protestant Vedānta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root. I think partly it's due to the magnanimity or generosity or the old-age charm, wisdom, cheerfulness of Swami Bhaktivedanta, his openness of heart, his willingness to come down on to the street, and his sense of his own divinity and the divinity of others around that it's been possible for the bhakti-yoga cult of India to be planted very firmly here in America so that now there are communes, or ashrams, functioning on the basis of the Kṛṣṇa rituals, which are, in some respect, a model for all those anarchists and political people who are interested in establishing indigenous American communes.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: And on the other hand religion, the Christian religion which was understood in the Middle Ages, has become strange and unintelligible to the man of today.

Prabhupāda: It is because it is simply dogmatic. The preachers of the religion, they have no idea, clear idea, but officially they speak something. Neither he understands, neither he can make others to understand. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not such big thing. It is clear in every respect. Therefore this is the expected movement as Mr. Jung wanted. So every sane man should cooperate with this movement and liberate the human society from the gross darkness of ignorance.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: Just like in the past they say there was an ice age when there was no summer, no heat, and everything became ice, so in the future..., I cannot predict... Evolution may carry the events into some entirely strange new way, novel combination. Like winter may disappear or summer may disappear or...

Prabhupāda: No.

Bhavānanda: Or a new species may come out.

Śyāmasundara: A new type of man.

Prabhupāda: No. No. That is not possible. Everything is there. That is the Vedic version. They say that so many species in the water, so many species on land, so many moving... It is all fixed up. There is no question of increasing or decreasing.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: Well this is rather strange, because Aquinas, his writings form the doctrine of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Church has always emphasized one meaning, which is interpreted by the Pope, by the head of the Church. The meaning is given by the Pope, of scripture, because...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is...

Hayagrīva: But here he says that the scriptures may contain many meanings according to one's degree of realization.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not many meaning. Meaning is one, but if one is not realized, then he can make many meanings. Otherwise meaning is one. What can be any other meaning? Suppose God created this universe. This is stated in the Bible, or in the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is expressed in a different way, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "From Me everything emanates." So that's a fact, that everything is coming out from God's energy, so why there should be second meaning and second interpretation unless one is godless? What is the possible second meaning?

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Hayagrīva: Of all things in the world, Pascal considered this to be the strangest. He says, "A man spends many days and nights in rage and despair over the loss of his job or for some imaginary insult to his honor, yet he does not consider with anxiety and emotion that he will lose everything by death. It is a monstrous thing to see in the same heart and at the same time this sensibility to trifles and this strange insensibility to the greatest objects—death. It is an incomprehensible enchantment and a supernatural slumber, which indicates as its cause an all-powerful force," such as māyā.

Prabhupāda: This is, this is instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that one who does not believe in God or disobeys the orders of God, a day will come when God will come as death, and his all power, all false prestige, all imagination, all plans will be all broken. Then after that, according to the transmigration of the soul, that person, because he did not obey the orders of God, he acted like animals, he gets the body of an animal. This is transmigration. And he suffers.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: Well, that's why I'm asking you very specifically cause I've been chanting for five years, six years. Since 1963, '64. Since the fall of 1963, I've been chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on this continent, beginning in Vancouver in July, 1963. And I am finding there is a limitation to how many people will join that chant. Or I have found a limitation. Part of the limitation is the fact that it is strange and new to people here.

Prabhupāda: But there is no loss.

Allen Ginsberg: As it becomes familiar, it might spread a little. Part of the limitation is just a natural resentment or resistance, people wanting a prayer in their own tongue, in their own language. I don't know... So that is, for the same reason an American Indian chant would not take hold or even a Latin chant would not take universal hold.

Prabhupāda: Mantra, mantra means...

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: No. There's no prevention. There's no fear because they are quite at liberty to ask me question and they're asking and the answer is there. I receive so many letters daily. So they have no... They are not afraid of me. But, out of affection, they offer respect.

Dr. Weir: May I make one strange statement that I think it is rather true of present world. People are always afraid of fear and love. It's almost as though it's something sissy or, you know, to get so mixed up with sentimentality.

Mensa Member: I don't know if it is rather than fear.

Dr. Weir: Well I mean... If you don't know. If I were afraid of you because of absolute knowledge or...

Mensa Member: Yaḥ.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 12, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That I can understand.

Dr. Kapoor: I came away. And as I was coming to Vṛndāvana, you see, I think it was by way of punishment, you see, for being..., for remaining outside Vṛndāvana for such a long period that the strange thing happened, you see. And Rādhārāṇī made me undergo a prāyaścitta before I came back. (laughs)

Śyāmasundara: A what?

Dr. Kapoor: You see, what happened was, it was the...

Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta. Intonation, what do you call?

Dr. Kapoor: No.

Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta, what is the exact English?

Conversation with Author -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Author: Sir, when somebody joins your movement, when they first come to see your movement, what presents itself to them-men with shaven heads and saffron-colored robes who dance in the street and who sing songs, strange songs—these are strange aspects. And in themselves they are not especially significant to an understanding of the philosophy, are they?

Prabhupāda: No, this is... This chanting and dancing is for mass of people, but when you want to discuss philosophy, we have got volumes of books. Yes. Both things we have got. We are attracting both the intelligent class of men and the mass of people, even the children.

Conversation with Author -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Author: I must start off from the beginning for the person who reads the book, and the beginning for the person who reads the book is: here are these people wearing these strange clothes and doing these strange things. Now, why? Now, that's what I've got to do in the book. And in order to do this it's necessary to describe some of these physical characteristics. And my reason for doing this is, in order to define what is relevant, it's necessary also to define what is irrelevant. That's pure logic.

Devotee: But Prabhupāda wants that you should have the highest understanding, not just looking at it from their point of view, but if you present it from our point of view, then it can gain the realest, greatest understanding.

Author: Well, with respect, I think that can only, we can only consider that question in practice. When I actually write the material, you'll have to...

Prabhupāda: No. I mean to say, why there is objection if they are dressed in a particular way?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: They live in the desert, the kangaroos?

Śyāmasundara: Yes, semi-desert.

Devotee (4): There are many strange animals in Australia.

Prabhupāda: Predators?

Devotee (4): Just strange. The marsupials.

Śyāmasundara: Those animals that bear their young in a pouch.

Devotee (4): The pouch here, kangaroo.

Prabhupāda: That is kangaroo.

Devotee (1): And platypuses.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is the most regrettable condition, that these rascals are getting recognition; talking all foolish, and they are getting recognition.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's so strange. When I read that book. He defines the difference between the living and the non-living by a term called teleonomy. I tried to find out in the dictionary and I couldn't find any word like that. But I understood that what he meant was...

Prabhupāda: Hyerpolosvel. (Prabhupāda's mythical scientific word) (laughter)

Kṛṣṇa-kāntī: He invents his own word jugglery.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Maybe. I do not know. But Nelson, Lord Nelson, was famous man, soldier.

Śyāmasundara: Now the pigeons are sitting on his head.

David Wynne: I have just come from Morocco. I've been with the King of Morocco, who is... It's very strange because he is an absolute ruler, and when an ordinary man is an absolute ruler, it's rather dangerous.

Prabhupāda: No. If the man is really Kṛṣṇa's representative, then it is all right.

David Wynne: Yeah.

Śyāmasundara: Is he a pious man?

David Wynne: Yes, he prays five times a day. He's a Moslem.

Conversation with Mr. Wadell -- July 10, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Why not? If He has given, He can withdraw also.

Mr. Wadell: Oh, I don't... Well, we have a rather strange view of God...

Prabhupāda: No, you may have strange view. We are arguing. As soon as you say God has given you intellect, He can withdraw also your intellect.

Mr. Wadell: But you see, what we have also to explain—why all men are not good. Now, if God chose, He could force all men to be good, but that is not the way.

Prabhupāda: No, God has given you intellect to become good, but because you disobey God, you have become bad.

Mr. Wadell: But if God is all-powerful and He cared to use His power...

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

Buddhist Monk (1): Yes. Gautama the Buddha, whom I follow, who is my teacher, a poor man came, and he found him panting, asked him, "Well, what's the trouble?" "Oh, I've got news that you're here. I want to see you." And the Buddha found that not only had he run... He asked him, "When did you last have a meal?" He said, "That's quite a few days ago." He said, "We cannot preach on empty stomachs. Ānanda, give this man a good meal before he could come to me." And this fine virtue of hospitality, much as we have treasured in the past, when people leave their shores, they are inclined to forget this. I've been addressing various groups. I do not confine myself to Buddhist groups only. Whatever group was interested, to foster some understanding, good will and peace, I addressed. I said three things that many people forget when they leave their countries are first, their serene smile; secondly, hospitality; thirdly, they become ashamed of their own cultures because many are strangers of their own cultures.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Buddhist Monk (1): I had last time an opportunity before coming to Southampton, I addressed some people from Śrī Laṅkā, and there were some people from Canada as well at Montreal. And I pointed this out. In this light, I find almost all the teachers that come from that part of the world and their followers are trying to live up to this noble virtue. And if people get together, live together and have meals, perhaps even that...

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: So give them this... You use your technology.

David Lawrence: Thank you. You know, I think that later on it may well happen, you know. (eating) Our boys don't eat meat, anyway. They eat baked beans the whole time. We have a generation in our country who could eat virtually anything, but they insist on sugar drinks and baked beans. Have you come across these strange English things? Baked beans? Most peculiar.

Prabhupāda: Baked beans?

Śyāmasundara: Baked beans.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Śyāmasundara: Beans...

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā...

Pradyumna: We publish these with nice indices.

Professor: Oh, yes, yes. It is so strange to have an index. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Index, there is.

Professor: Śloka-sūcī. Yes, there is index. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā...

Prabhupāda: The name, yavana, is there.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because it is worldwide movement.

Professor: I cannot help you. That's, that's...

Prabhupāda: No, you can help us.

Professor: That's very strange.

Prabhupāda: Some of our students are trying to learn Sanskrit. You can help them.

Professor: Well, he knows very well Sanskrit. He pronounce it very well.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has learned out of his own accord, without taking help from anybody.

Professor: Really?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Whatever little help I give, that's all.

Morning Walk -- August 30, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: No, that is literally. Because gopīs were just dancing according to Kṛṣṇa's desire. They are so devotees that whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, they are prepared to do.

David Lawrence: See, without being too irreverent, it seems a strange thing to get young ladies to undress in front of you.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say...

David Lawrence: I'm probably misunderstanding it you see.

Prabhupāda: ...it will be difficult for ordinary persons. Still, as far as possible, I have tried to explain for understanding of the ordinary people. By general reading, it is not difficult.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1973, Vrndavana:

Guest (1): Yes, and Rāya Rāmānanda. Very, very strange coincidence.

Prabhupāda: What is that verse? Idaṁ hi puṁsas śrutasya vā... You find out this verse. You have to find out the... No, no, from here. You have to take the index. Where is Paṇḍita? Paṇḍita is not here?

Guest (1): Pradyumnajī. Pradyumna. You call him paṇḍita?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): Rightly so.

Prabhupāda: He is American paṇḍita. Paṇḍitjī?

Śrutakīrti: He is out.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he's out.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: You read, read it.

Dhanañjaya: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Professor Dimock's.

Cardinal Pignedoli: It's very strange and famous. That's the gospel.

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Dhanañjaya: (reading) "Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view. And that is legitimate."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is legitimate.

Dhanañjaya: "More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Kṛṣṇa devotee interprets his own texts. It is a Vedic..."

Cardinal Pignedoli: Yes.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: This is a man's story, if I may mention in this connection. Rūpānuga Mahārāja, one of our students, before joining the movement was a social worker. And he told me once a story about a particular case of a woman who was in a very destitute position. Her husband was in the hospital, she had five children, and one was... So many problems were there. And Rūpānuga was going and giving her her weekly money from the government, welfare check. And one day he came unexpectedly because part of his job was to see how they were using the money. And he found her there in her apartment with a strange man and drugs and alcohol on the floors and the children running naked, and he was obliged to stop giving her the money. Simply because there had been no proper use of it, there was no point in giving it. It was not doing her any good. To improve her situation superficially wasn't improving the situation at all.

Prabhupāda: You understand that?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 5, 1975, New York:

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Reporter: I'm sure that you're aware that to many people in the West, in America, in New York City specifically, that your disciples seem strange because of the way they act on the streets. What about that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, they must be strange because they are spiritual. You are all material. (laughter) So, for the material persons, we are surely strange people.

Reporter: Is this manifestation the only way to be spiritual, dressing in this fashion?

Prabhupāda: No, no, you cannot compete with us. Because we don't have any illicit sex, we don't have meat-eating, we have no intoxication, we have no gambling. There's so many no's which you are unable to perform.

Interview with a German Girl and Assorted Devotees -- March 30, 1975, Mayapur:

Girl: (German)

Haṁsadūta: She says that... She says she wants to know if you think it would be worthwhile for her to write a book, something similar to the one that was written in America. It was called "The Strange World of the Hare Krishna People." You've heard of it?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm.

Haṁsadūta: But she says serious, not in the way it was written by her, because she is a journalist, and this is her natural inclination, and she has been here now since the beginning, and she is noting everything. So it is her natural tendency. Whether you think it is worthwhile for her to write a little book for the public?

Prabhupāda: It is... It will be great service, provided you write nicely the right things.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Oh, he is dead?

Paramahaṁsa: Yes, dead fish. That's a shark.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...they're kept for sale?

Siddha-svarūpa: Well, no. It's a very strange thing. They just show everybody. They capture them and show everybody what they look like. The public pays 25 cents to go see what it looks like. (break)

Prabhupāda: For aircraft killing?

Siddha-svarūpa: Maybe. I don't think it's that bad in... (break)

Bali-mardana: It's a war memorial.

Prabhupāda: Oh. American or enemy's captured?

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Father also. Both the father and mother. Because they are father and mother of a Vaiṣṇava devotee, so they will be taken special care. You'll find from the Prahlāda Mahārāja's description. Even a father like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he got salvation because Prahlāda was son.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it seems strange that so many parents who are engaged in meat-eating and illicit sex and intoxication and gambling, could have a son who would become a Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Therefore they will get the advantage of the son. Somehow or other, they have produced a son, Vaiṣṇava, so the son's activities will react upon the life of the parents. Because naturally the sons think of the father and mother, that is beneficial for them. However one may be renounced, he cannot get rid of family affection. That is natural. So the Vaiṣṇava son sometimes thinks of the father and mother. So they are getting the benefit.

Room Conversation with City Counselor -- July 10, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Weird?

Jagadīśa: Weird.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Jagadīśa: Strange.

Prabhupāda: Strange.

Śrī Govinda: Yes, in dress.

Prabhupāda: So is there any law that if the dress is strange we cannot worship?

Jagadīśa: They want... They have a...

Prabhupāda: But they may want whimsically, but is there any law?

Jagadīśa: No.

Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: That is also.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Also, when I read that book, long time ago, he said in the introduction that once he took a vow for two years not to speak anything. I thought it was very strange for a Vaiṣṇava.

Harikeśa: He lived underneath the ground in one cell. You know that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just make a show.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You've said, "Yes, if someone can only speak nonsense, they shouldn't speak. But if they can speak about Kṛṣṇa to glorify Kṛṣṇa-kathayantaś ca māṁ nityam—then always they can talk about Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: He said?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1976, Madras:

Acyutānanda: Actually the United States government has a whole agency for unidentified flying objects that people have seen that they keep secret so as not to frighten the whole America thinking that visitors from other planets will come. But there are many incidents of pilots who fly around in airplanes, who see other strange-looking objects coming at them, flying at them, or people from the ground have seen many.

Devotee: One guy testified that he was picked up and taken away for four days.

Acyutānanda: Well, that was...

Prabhupāda: What they are? They are police? No. Mounted police?

Acyutānanda: Yes, mounted police.

Prabhupāda: A mounted police here?

Morning Walk -- February 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Acyutānanda: Even during his lectures he makes gestures so that he can take snuff without anybody knowing.

Yaśodānandana: And one of his favorite styles is that whenever he goes to a city, he always stays with elderly widows, very rich elderly widows, in their houses. Very strange.

Acyutānanda: I think the people know that he is bogus, but they just go for some entertainment because he is so... (Prabhupāda laughs) Yes, they just go for some... Some people go just because they want to hear some nice English, to improve their English knowledge.

Prabhupāda: He speaks good English?

Acyutānanda: Very... He's an orator.

Prabhupāda: He's M.A. in English. I know. He's...

Morning Walk -- April 21, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya.

Prabhupāda: Ah, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. Immediately inform them.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I noticed that also. I thought it was strange, some time back. (break)

Prabhupāda: Hayagrīva edited. He thought, "cattle-raising." Not "cattle-raising," but the word.... There.... It is mistranslation. It is go-rakṣya, "giving protection to the cows." Especially mentioned, go-rakṣya, not otherwise. The animal-eaters may take other animals, but not cow. They can take the pig, goats, lambs, rabbits, so many others, if they at all want to eat meat, birds, these so many. There is no such mention that "Animals should be protected," no. "Cows should be protected." That is Kṛṣṇa's order. (break) They have decided to kill the cow. They have decided, "No brain. Eat." And our prayer is go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, "to do good to the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Actually it is revolutionary to the modern age. But how it is possible we say otherwise? That Bon Mahārāja came and said, "Right? Am I right?" (?) When Bon Mahārāja here.... When our students said something, "Oh, that you cannot say. That you cannot say." He said like that.

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

Prabhupāda: Siddha-praṇālī is nonsense. They have manufactured a siddha-praṇālī.

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...the initiation that you are given your siddhas, your eternal position.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are some very strange notes. You should see those notes.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, I've read them all already.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You did?

Prabhupāda: They have learned it from these Rādhā-kuṇḍa bābājīs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From Rādhā-kuṇḍa bābājīs?

Prabhupāda: Bābājīs, yes. After all, they're fool, rascals, so whatever they say.

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

Dr. Wolfe: Prabhupāda, the strange thing is that the fiercest racists in South Africa are the Boers, the Afrikaners...

Prabhupāda: That is Englishmen, Dutchmen, Dutchmen.

Dr. Wolfe: ...who were put down by the British before, and now they are the worst oppressors themselves.

Prabhupāda: These Dutchmen, Englishmen and Frenchmen were the pioneers of colonization. Spaniards also, Spanish. In America mostly the Englishmen came?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. English and French.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Mādhavānanda: Ah, this man Harris, he wanted to get all the people off of this land that he owned. So he let the hippies and Hell's Angels move into this Garwood Mansion, and they destroyed it. And they raised commotion and disturbance all along. He was trying to get them all to leave. He's a very strange person. Now he's trying to sell everything. They are thinking to make some housing complex. It's a very big business venture. That is why we want to buy this land in front, to protect this side of the house in case anyone else wants to build there.

Prabhupāda: They drink this water? No.

Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

George Gullen: You appear to have a program of great discipline, and I think that discipline is necessary for people who want to feel and learn and understand. I'm an admirer of discipline. But it's hard for one to bring oneself to do that out of a world that's strange, a strange world. Our world is strange, try to bring myself out of that to other things. But I'm pleased to have this opportunity to hear you and to think about it, talk about it. I'd like to read more about it.

Prabhupāda: One priest has joined us. What is his name?

Satsvarūpa: Eugene Stowsky.

Prabhupāda: He's Ph.D. He has recently joined us. He likes this movement.

George Gullen: I'm sure it satisfies a deep need. I'm sure that's true.

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: First try to point out as many as you can. And our view is they are wholesale mistaken. They are imperfect, speculating.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There's one strange point here about calculating this that dawn of Brahmā about two billion years old. Now strangely these geological calculations, they also claim that at that time the first free oxygen in the air appeared, first time. The beginning there was no free oxygen. We can accept that? (laughter) Now from here, anyway, this is the basic point, that once this oxygen appeared, free oxygen, then the living entities began to appear slowly. That is the whole theory of this chemical evolution. The results for the chronology is just put it that dawn of Brahmā is two billion years old?

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: All imagination.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So many strange things. They even said it that this, we have these five fingers, they said this isn't enough, so we must make six, so the six...

Prabhupāda: Yes, in this way they're cheating.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Our brain is a little too small, so we want to do it a little bigger, so that we can think more and utilize more ideas.

Prabhupāda: Where is brain? There is no question. That story, that potter?

Hari-śauri: Oh, the one that was dreaming?

Prabhupāda: Yeah. You know the potter's story?

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Woman guest: I've known two people who went into it, and I was at a meeting when you were on Q Street. And I've always liked it.

Eugene Thoreau: I have found it strangely appealing. I met it by accident at an airport, and one of the devotees gave me a flower, and I was struck by it. So I happen to be a lawyer and I offered my services, and I got a call just a few days after that.

Prabhupāda: Open the fan.

Carl Warentz: I find it interesting.

Vṛṣākapi: You like this speed, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should we turn this on for you?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āp? (Hindi, "You?")

Room Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Dr. Sharma: And at the Belior Math in Belior Math Daksinesvara in Calcutta. But I find that by really chanting... I was crying to God, literally, at night, that "Find me the path again," and then I found your movement. And I find it, yes, it does make a difference. I was also amazed that evening when the first two days ago I was thinking I will ask you five ślokas of Gītā to give me. Out of that, you discussed four. And I was meditating on Hardwar, where I was born. All the time your face was appearing behind Ganges, and it was very strange phenomena. I do not know when I will be fortunate enough to have your darśana again, but in the meantime, I'm slowly... I feel that this movement you have done supernatural thing. Now, somehow...

Prabhupāda: That's a great certificate, because it is coming from you.

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

Prabhupāda: Covered by water.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That can explain many facts, because they're having great difficulty in finding these old fossils, in Siberia, and all these other places, they find some strange fossils, which are not supposed to be there according to their theory.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But if we accept this catastrophism, this can explain many facts.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The rocks also have offspring, if they're living?

Prabhupāda: That offspring is mouse. (laughter) There is information the rocks were flying.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Nava-yauvana: Moustafa asked a question, how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this country. It seems difficult to him, because the people's reaction... It's very foreign, the outward appearance of devotees is very strange to them. He wants to know how this philosophy can be spread here.

Prabhupāda: The first thing is that what do you mean by Kṛṣṇa. That is to be understood. Kṛṣṇa means God. So if you have no objection to chant the name of God, then there is no difference of opinions. Now first of all, I may ask you, "What do you mean by God?" You are chanting the holy name of God, and people may ask you, "What do you mean by God?" Because especially nowadays... (aside) No, there is matches? That's all. Come near. So first question will be, "What do you mean by God?" If I, or anybody, asks you, "What do you mean by God?"

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Here, all my disciples, they're of my grandsons' age. Their father may be my son's age, father, mother. My grandson is thirty-two years old. Granddaughter, she is also about 25.

Caraṇāravindam: It seems strange. Life seems to go by so quickly. A few years ago it seems to my mind I was a little boy. Now I'm 32 and my father and mother are sixty-five and they will soon leave their body and it is all going rush, rush, rush. It will seem, a few more years time I will look back, "Oh, when I was 32 and walking round."

Hari-śauri: At least we're not wasting our lives now.

Caraṇāravindam: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So the more they expose, the more implicated. (laughter)

Rāmeśvara: "Most people think of them, if at all, as loving, peaceful, prayerful children with strange customs and dress but low-key action and behavior."

Prabhupāda: What is that behavior, low...? Lowky?

Trivikrama: Low key.

Rāmeśvara: Means not violent.

Hari-śauri: Nice people.

Prabhupāda: That's a fact.

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Rāmeśvara: This is a very bad picture. It makes the devotees look very strange. And they have this elaborate ghee holder.

Prabhupāda: This is our men?

Rāmeśvara: Yes. This is at an ārati. You can see the donations that people have put on the tray. But it makes it look very strange, this picture with the lighting. They have deliberately selected this.

Prabhupāda: Very big article.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. I have just been reading it.

Hari-śauri: What newspaper is that?

Rāmeśvara: It's a very small-time newspaper called the Soho Weekly News.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then in 1828 this German chemist whose name is Frederick Muller, he synthesized, it is called urea. Urea is a chemical that comes out of urine. It's normally in urine from..., called inorganic compounds. So he announced that there's nothing strange about the organic world that happens in the living system. So from that time onwards they thought that life can be studied in terms of chemistry. But it is already 150 years since that theory but nothing happened. Nothing's understood.

Prabhupāda: That I have already discussed, that from orange tree you can get that acid, citric acid?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Citric acid.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Śabda-pramāṇa.

Prabhupāda: Śabda-pramāṇa. Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is another very strange statement in this regard saying that though we cannot prove something by experiment, but sometimes it is convenient to assume that way.

Prabhupāda: No, that is foolishness. How you assume?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is logical positivism, saying that... How, there's a house. Let's say there is a temple there, but since I don't see the temple there, but I don't know that the temple is existing or not, but it is convenient to assume that there is a temple.

Prabhupāda: No, no. When there is a possibility of getting proof, why shall I assume?

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have a small chapter on this in the book this logical positivism.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Very interesting and very strange.

Prabhupāda: It is quite logical that without father, nobody is born. So I do not know who is my father, but the mother is the evidence. That's all. You cannot make this theory that "I was born without father." That is not possible. That is not the laws of nature. But there must be father. You can say, "I have not him." And that is not proof that there is no father. One who has seen, go. Tattva-darśinaḥ.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Therefore they say "brainwash."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We don't fit into the normal pattern of things—no jobs, no proper dress. Everything's strange to them, because we don't want their culture. It is so abominable.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is brahminical culture. They don't want it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. When the...

Hari-śauri: They don't have any culture.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When the British came here, they saw people sitting on the floor, they said, "Oh, uncivilized."

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

Harikeśa: About the security for these people in the country itself. For example, the reviews that were gotten, somehow or another, the actual names of the professors were circulated, and this can cause them absolute havoc. And the books that were distributed in East Berlin never made it to the shelves. So that means they were censored, that the people know that these books are not very good and they were suppressing it. So in Russia they know even quicker about this, that these books are not very good for them and they censor them. So when they get censored, the people who accept them are in a little bit strange position. And then if we advertise that they wrote the review in the book, then they're in a very strange position.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I took all the books into East Berlin. When I went to East Berlin I took all the books through. Even though they were censored, I convinced them that "I'm a salesman of a book from..."

Harikeśa: But they never made it on the shelves.

Gargamuni: He's Indian, so they are not so... He is an American, so there's nothing much he can do. But as an Indian, there's great friendship between Russian... They came to our stall in Calcutta and bought books. And they bought one poster of rāsa-līlā. So with India they are very friendly.

Harikeśa: It's simply meant that there's a certain amount of prerequisite knowledge one has to know before he goes into a communist country.

Prabhupāda: No, another thing is that BBT you are keeping, a separate organization. So if the BBT representative goes somewhere, so why he should be restricted?

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Karttikeya Mahadevia: That makes it easier for us.

Hṛdayānanda: They do not have so much tendency for speculation like Americans or Europeans. They do not argue very much philosophically. They like our philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā. Practically everyone believes in reincarnation, the soul's changing body. Practically no one will argue these things.

Prabhupāda: Who is the chief guest today?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One lady.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: Indira Bhai Bhaga,(?) the sheriff of Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lady sheriff. Strange combination.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...condition was so, still I thought... Still I am eighty-percent not good. But twenty percent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very strange even now, because it doesn't seem to be anything apparently wrong, yet it's not good health. You know, like in Māyāpur you were very visibly ill, from fever and so many other things. So those visible symptoms have gone, but still, full health is not...

Prabhupāda: Strength, strength. That requires a little time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it just requires some gradual recuperation. And also I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if there is still a chance of going to Kodaikano for a month, you should take that opportunity.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Then it is all right. You belong to Hare Kṛṣṇa. That should be there. That cannot be...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I would use tilaka many times when I was doing my thesis, also like this, but in giving lectures, especially amongst the scientists, sometimes if we come with head shaved, sometimes they think it very strange. We can do it when...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Don't disturb them, that "These are strange people." No, we don't want that. But we must have our position. Tilaka is our position. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's stricture. You will not see one face if there is no tilaka. He used to say it is cremation ground. Yes, without tilaka. Pasanta mukha.(?) Tilaka must be there. And so far dress is concerned, you can dress up to the taste of the modern people. So what is your breakfast time here?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Nine o'clock.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: The weather at our headquarters is always pleasant. Summer, very pleasant. You'll gain in weight.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Mr. Dwivedi: And strange enough, you gain in color also in summer.

Prabhupāda: Attractive.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Said the right thing.

Mr. Dwivedi: Strange enough. And strange enough, this paper that we produce there, the worms do not eat it. And I shall be able to show you some of our record, registered, thirty, forty years old, registered, as good as they were then.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How is the drinking water?

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in the normal dealing also...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...the Americans are very friendly, very nice actually, in general. When I studied in California, I was a stranger, but everybody looked like a friend, very different from England. England is very conservative. They don't say hello, and different.

Prabhupāda: England, nonsense number one. Worst false prestige, England. In that respect, other countries are better. They had a British Empire. They are still puffed up. And they will stay there to continue British Empire. Now they are earning money for eating, showing British Parliament House. Now there is no business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They make money by tour of the Parliament House.

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

Prabhupāda: Delhi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah. The heading is "Eleven Krishna Devotees Held for Firing." "Five Indian and six foreign Vaiṣṇava devotees were arrested from Māyāpur maṭha of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in Nabadwip last night when shots fired from inside the celebrated temple injured fifteen persons, most of them milkmen. A double-barreled gun was seized from the maṭha, it is reported. Police pickets have been posted since there is considerable tension in the nearby villages. Among those arrested is Swami Bhavānanda, an American in charge of the maṭha. Some time ago he was forced to leave the country after the expiry of his visa, but he returned later. The incident occurred at about 5 p.m. on Friday. Some boys were grazing their cattle on the fields outside the maṭha when some cows strayed into its compound. The cattle were beaten up by the inmates and driven out." It doesn't sound like our devotees. Beat up cows? "Angry milkmen from a nearby village crowded outside the maṭha. Shots were then fired from inside the maṭha, it is reported, injuring fifteen persons, two of them seriously. The police arrived on the scene within an hour. Among the six foreigners arrested are a Romanian, an Italian, and some Americans. The founder of the maṭha, Prabhupāda A.C. Bhaktivedanta, was not present." This is called slanted reporting. I mean, first of all, our devotees don't beat up the cows. We worship the cow. We don't beat cows. I can't take this as very factual account. So many statements here say, "It was reported," "It was reported." This is from a... It was published in Delhi, but it's datelined Calcutta, and the event happened in Māyāpur. So by the time it got to Delhi it seems to have taken a strange shape. I thought you'd want to...

Prabhupāda: These goyālas are very aggressive.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was. I just finished reading Ādi-keśava's letter, and he says by separate post he's sending us news clippings and photographs.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. And so far the Indians are concerned...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's strange that he did not write. I will question him what was the response from the Indian community.

Prabhupāda: Indian community, they are regularly coming in our temple?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. I would imagine that there was a good many thousand Indians at the festival. There must have been. We have quite a good relationship with the Indian community in New York. Ādi-keśava Mahārāja and others have developed it through the years now, in the last two years. (break)

Abhirāma: I just now returned from Delhi, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That will be very nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He proposed that. That's Indian National Science Academy. But he had some very strange ideas. I'd like to clarify some of the points. Also, these people who are coming, they want us to come and speak to all their universities.

Prabhupāda: That will be very good.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we'll concentrate here, near Delhi and Punjab, this time, Aligarh and Agra. We'll try to finish this area within this coming month or so. And after that, I'll move to Bombay. I'll try to organize better in Bombay. Also Bombay will be much more effective. There are so many scientists there. I'd like to make a strong show in Bombay.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yesterday... Last night some of the scientists were asking how our Gurukula boys here studying Sanskrit. Some of them were telling that they have given up to study Sanskrit because they want to study the English. So how the change of views. The Westerners are trying to learn Sanskrit, and they're saying that they are giving up. So he had a strange feeling how these things are happening. Then I told him that Śrīla Prabhupāda sometimes commented that in the future we are importing brāhmaṇas from the West so that we can learn even the brahminical culture from the Western world. So he was telling me that that is now becoming a fact, how the Western devotees are taking so seriously in trying to spread the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. (break)

Bhāgavata: ...were all banging on the drums and the karatālas. They started going, "Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hari bol!" very loud, tumultuous sound. All the devotees were very happy. That sound shall go everywhere in the world. Everywhere the devotees... (break)

Jayādvaita: I'm bewildered again. Kṛṣṇa's again doing something impossible.

Prabhupāda: Possible or impossible (break) It is not very...

Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I had a similar story. It is my own personal experience. In 1974 I came here in India. I got malaria in the United States in summer 1975. Then temperature was very high. I went to the Baptist Hospital in Atlanta. They thought it was a virus, viral infection. They couldn't diagnose. Then they gave some medicine, and then I went. But it started again the following day, and I went to another doctor. He could not diagnose. So they gave me glucose injection, a big bottle, thinking it was a strange viral infection. So about six, seven doctors, they couldn't diagnose for three-four days. Then one day there was a doctor who came from Vietnam, he had some experience in tropical disease. So he thought it might be malarial fever. Then, after that, I was surrounded by many doctors thinking that it was a strange disease before, but they diagnosed... But it was not right. They did all the wrong medicine, thinking it was a viral infection.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But how is that they did not come?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is very strange. I must admit I'm very surprised, very, very surprised. I think the only possible answer to it can be that the work itself is difficult work, plus there must have been some other works that either the lawyer had to do or the notary had to do, and so it just could not... I mean after all, this was very, very quickly done. When we decided that we were going to go, it was only on Monday. That means yesterday morning that we decided that we were going to leave. So I mean from yesterday morning until tonight is practically not even... It's hardly enough time to do the legal work that we wanted to do. It was a real strain. Actually it would have been very surprising if we do get it done by tonight.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 14 October, 1967:

"Swami Kirtanananda has returned to the United States and is causing quite a stir among the devotees. Following his suggestions, we have stopped wearing robes and have cut off our flags. He said these appurtenances are too strange-looking to outsiders and only make it more difficult for them to consider chanting Hare Krishna. Swami Kirtanananda has said we must avoid appearing to be Orientalists if we are to have 108 centers in the US."

This is very much disturbing to me & has caused me much pain. Please therefore stop Kirtanananda from making his mental concoctions. Do not be misled by him. I have never advised him to act like that. If he is causing such disturbances he should not be allowed to indulge in such nonsensical activities.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1968:

Really you are doing wonderful work. By successfully flying aloft the banner of Sri Radha-Krishna's sweet Name in such a far off and strange land. You have marvelously proved the glory and irrepressible charm of the Divine Pair and Their sweet Name.

I am sending some books and pictures which you would find useful for your noble mission.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

No religion or no principle is accepted by the whole world; that is a fact. I can give you a statement of Albert Einstein in which he says "The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is in the sensation of the mystical. It is a shower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, he who can no longer stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power which is revealed in the comprehensible universe forms my idea of God."

I think that our Hare Krishna Movement is just following the same concept of God by awakening the dormant transcendental emotion of the human being without any consideration of religious faith. In our camp all of my disciples are coming from different faiths, mostly Christians or Jews, and why are they accepting this Sankirtana Movement, unless there is the awakening of mystical emotion described by a great scientist like Albert Einstein.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Hawaii 11 March, 1969:

Of course, sometimes the public may misunderstand such tears of bliss, so we may better have to check it from the vision of ordinary persons.

So far the strange colors, etc., better when you see all these things that you chant and hear; that will help you to understand what they are. (Also, it may be some effects of your past drugs habit.)

So far as painting on the body the Names of the Lord, this is all right. But there is no need of doing that in this country. Simply hearing is sufficient.

Please ask Janardana what is the difficulty in editing BTG in French language. Of course, I received his letters that he was so much busy in so many ways, but still, this is also one of his responsibilities. In the absence of BTG printing, the machine is being used for some other purposes.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Amritsar October 26, 1970:

I am very glad to know where you are and how you are proceeding on your program for opening new centers in the area of the South Pacific. I do not know if you are going first to Hong Kong as you wrote before or if you are going to Taiwan as you have just now mentioned.

There is no question of new or strange places as you have written to say. This Hare Krsna Mantra is understood in any part of the world, therefore the beginning should be chanting in any place and then people will gather and a center will develop by the grace of Lord Krsna.

Yes, I have received a letter from Upendra, but I have no information whether his wife has gone there to Fiji.