To this Lord Kṛṣṇa replied, "Foolish Śālva, you are talking nonsensically. You do not know that the moment of death is already upon your head. Actual heroes do not talk much. They prove their prowess by practical exhibition of chivalrous activities."
Talking nonsense
Expressions researched:
"talk nonsense"
|"talk nonsensically"
|"talked nonsense"
|"talking nonsense"
|"talking nonsensically"
|"talks nonsense"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 13 - 18
BG 17.15, Purport:
One should not speak in such a way as to agitate the minds of others. Of course, when a teacher speaks, he can speak the truth for the instruction of his students, but such a teacher should not speak to those who are not his students if he will agitate their minds. This is penance as far as talking is concerned. Besides that, one should not talk nonsense. The process of speaking in spiritual circles is to say something upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying. At the same time, such talk should be very pleasurable to the ear. By such discussions, one may derive the highest benefit and elevate human society. There is a limitless stock of Vedic literature, and one should study this. This is called penance of speech.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
SB 2.5.13, Translation:
The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine."
SB 2.5.13, Purport:
The invincibly powerful deluding energy of the Personality of God, or the third energy, representing nescience, can bewilder the entire world of animation, but still she is not strong enough to be able to stand in front of the Supreme Lord. Nescience is behind the Personality of Godhead, where she is powerful enough to mislead the living beings, and the primary symptom of bewildered persons is that they talk nonsense. Nonsensical talks are not supported by the principles of Vedic literatures, and first-grade nonsense talk is "It is I, it is mine." A godless civilization is exclusively conducted by such false ideas, and such persons, without any factual realization of God, accept a false God or falsely declare themselves to be God to mislead persons who are already bewildered by the deluding energy.
SB 2.8.21, Purport:
One should not talk nonsense.
SB Canto 3
SB 3.24.42, Purport:
Mauna means "silence." Unless one becomes silent, he cannot think completely about the pastimes and activities of the Lord. It is not that because one is a fool and cannot speak nicely he therefore takes the vow of mauna. Rather, one becomes silent so that people will not disturb him. It is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that a rascal appears very intelligent as long as he does not speak. But speaking is the test. The so-called silence of a silent impersonalist svāmī indicates that he has nothing to say; he simply wants to beg. But the silence adopted by Kardama Muni was not like that. He became silent for relief from nonsensical talk. One is called a muni when he remains grave and does not talk nonsense. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa set a very good example; whenever he spoke, he spoke about the pastimes of the Lord. Mauna necessitates refraining from nonsensical talking, and engaging the talking facility in the pastimes of the Lord.
SB Canto 7
SB 7.5.23-24, Purport:
Now let us discuss the offenses in Deity worship. The following are offenses: (a) to enter the temple with shoes or being carried on a palanquin, (b) not to observe the prescribed festivals, (c) to avoid offering obeisances in front of the Deity, (d) to offer prayers in an unclean state, not having washed one's hands after eating, (e) to offer obeisances with one hand, (f) to circumambulate directly in front of the Deity, (g) to spread one's legs before the Deity, (h) to sit before the Deity while holding one's ankles with one's hands, (i) to lie down before the Deity, (j) to eat before the Deity, (k) to speak lies before the Deity, (l) to address someone loudly before the Deity, (m) to talk nonsense before the Deity, (n) to cry before the Deity, (o) to argue before the Deity, (p) to chastise someone before the Deity, (q) to show someone favor before the Deity, (r) to use harsh words before the Deity, (s) to wear a woolen blanket before the Deity, (t) to blaspheme someone before the Deity, (u) to worship someone else before the Deity, (v) to use vulgar language before the Deity, (w) to pass air before the Deity, (x) to avoid very opulent worship of the Deity, even though one is able to perform it, (y) to eat something not offered to the Deity, (z) to avoid offering fresh fruits to the Deity according to the season, (aa) to offer food to the Deity which has already been used or from which has first been given to others (in other words, food should not be distributed to anyone else until it has been offered to the Deity), (bb) to sit with one's back toward the Deity, (cc) to offer obeisances to someone else in front of the Deity, (dd) not to chant proper prayers when offering obeisances to the spiritual master, (ee) to praise oneself before the Deity, and (ff) to blaspheme the demigods. In the worship of the Deity, these thirty-two offenses should be avoided.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
CC Madhya 2.66, Purport:
The word unmāda is explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu as extreme joy, misfortune and bewilderment in the heart due to separation. Symptoms of unmāda are laughing like a madman, dancing, singing, performing ineffectual activities, talking nonsense, running, shouting and sometimes working in contradictory ways.
CC Madhya 24.336, Purport:
(12) One should not talk nonsense before the Deity.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Instruction
Nectar of Instruction 1, Purport:
Many people are talking nonsensically and writing volumes of useless books, and all this is the result of the urge to speak. To counteract this tendency, we have to divert our talking to the subject of Kṛṣṇa.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa is chastising Arjuna because he has accepted, he's becoming His disciple, so the spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple for right direction like the teacher, like the father. Similarly, although Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends, but Arjuna has accepted Him as spiritual master. There should not be any compromising words as it is done between friend and friend. The right things must be said that "You are wrong. Don't talk nonsense. Talking like very learned man but you do not know anything."
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:
Silence is for those who are nonsense. "Be silent, don't talk." For them. At least they practice silence means at least they stop talking nonsense.
Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:
Prajalpa means talking nonsense.
Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:
So Arjuna knew it perfectly well. "But as there are foolish men like me..." They cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā millions of years ago to the sun-god. We immediately say, "Oh, these are all story." But it is not story. It is fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, to clarify the matter, Arjuna, to clarify matter to the fools like us, he's asking this question that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary. As I am born some years ago, You are also born some years ago. We are cousin-brothers. So how can I believe that You spoke this science, or the yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god?
Suppose if I say, "Just now I'm coming from sun planet and I talked with sun-god," will you believe me? "Now, he's talking nonsense. He's coming from sun planet." So this is possible to inquire by the layman because people understand, Kṛṣṇa is like us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11).
Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:
(loud conversation going on in background) Ask them to stop. Why do they come and talk nonsense?
Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:
Prajalpa means for nothing talking nonsense.
Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:
My senses are there, and God's senses are there. But when my senses will be engaged in satisfying the Supreme senses, that is my perfection of life. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).
So that can be begun with sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Because we meet together and talk so many nonsense in political conference, social conference, scientific conference, tongue going on. Day and night, conference is going on. And another business, eating process, sense gratification. If people are asked, "Please come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they are not at all interested. And invite him in some political meeting and talk all nonsense. He is very much interested. Yes. This is called māyā. So we have to convert this. Instead of engaging senses for talking nonsense, we have got so many books, so many talks about Kṛṣṇa. Why not take this? You can go on on, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, about Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā. Go on talking, and go on eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Then self-realization is guaranteed.
Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:
You may have a very good spiritual master, but if you have no power to inquire, then you cannot make progress. Inquiries must be there. But inquiry, how inquiry? Not to challenge. Inquiry, not that "Oh, I shall see what kind of spiritual master he is. Let me challenge him and put some irrelevant questions and talk nonsensically, this way and that way." Oh, that will not make... Inquiry on the point. Paripraśna means inquiry on the point, and that inquiry should be sevā.
Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:
Devotee: "A person is said to be further advanced when he regards all—the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial—with an equal mind (BG 6.9)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the sign of advancement. Because here in this material world, the calculation of friend and enemy, everything, is in relationship with this body, or sense gratification. But realization of God or the Absolute Truth, there is no such material consideration. Another point is that here, all conditioned souls, they are under illusion. Suppose a doctor, a doctor goes to a patient. He is under convulsion, he's talking nonsense. That does not mean he will refuse to treat him. He's treats him as friend. Although the patient calls him by ill names, bad names, still he gives him medicine. Just like Lord Jesus Christ said that "You hate the sin, not the sinner." Not the sinner. This is very nice. Because sinner is illusioned. He's mad. If you hate him, then how you can deliver him? Therefore those who are devotees, those who are really servant of God, they have no hate for anyone.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:
If you make this world as belonging to the human society, that is defective. It belongs to everyone. It belongs to the trees community, it belongs to the beast community. They have got right to live. Why should you cut the trees? Why should you send the bulls to the slaughterhouse? This is injustice. And how you can meet justice by doing yourself injustice? Because you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You do not know that Kṛṣṇa is original father and we are all sons. The tree is my brother, the ant is my brother, the bull is my brother, the American is my brother, the Indian is my brother, the Chinese my brother. This is universal. Therefore you have to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness before you talk of this nonsense universal brotherhood and this United Nations and all this nonsense. These are useless talks if you have no idea how to think of universal brotherhood or United Nations. Useless. Therefore they are talking for years, years. Still, they are the same fools. Don't you see? The United Nations, they have got their headquarters here. Simply talking nonsense. That's all. That is their business.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :
What is the difference between karmī and sannyāsa? Karmī is working so hard, day and night; he is expecting that "I shall get some money out of it and I shall enjoy." That is karmī. And sannyāsī, he is working in the same way, day and night, but he is not expecting the profit for his personal use. For Kṛṣṇa. That is sannyāsa. What is the difference? There is no..., in the activities there is no difference, but the one is accepting the result for his personal benefit, and one is creating good result but not for his personal benefit, but Kṛṣṇa's service. This is the definition of sannyāsa. Anāsakta..., anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam: he is doing as my duty. I am Kṛṣṇa's servant, I have to do it. If I do not do it, then it is my misbehavior. Anāsakta, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma ka..., sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. Such person is yogī, such person is sannyāsī, na niragnir na cākriyaḥ. Not that artificially I have taken the dress of a sannyāsī and talking nonsense. He is not sannyāsī. Sannyāsa means one who has completely devoted his life for Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:
We have got four deficiencies. We commit mistakes, we become illusioned... We commit mistake, everyone knows. I have several times talked that even a personality like Gandhi, he committed so many mistakes. So, so long you are conditioned by the material nature, you must commit mistake. There is no escape. Similarly, we are illusioned. Illusioned means we accept something for something. Just like you are accepting this body—"I am American," "I am Indian"—but I am neither American nor Indian; I am spirit soul. This is called illusion. Bhrama, pramāda, and vipralambha. Vipralambha means the propensity for cheating others. I do not know exactly what is the cause of life; still, I am theorizing in so many ways. And when I am challenged by other person that "Can you produce, with chemical, life?" "That I cannot say." Then why you are talking nonsense? This is cheating. If you are actually in knowledge that from chemical, life can be produced, then you produce it. I give you chemicals. But when you cannot do, why you are cheating people? But this cheating propensity is there. One is a nonsense number one, but he speaks. "Devils cite scripture." That we do not accept. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement does not accept the scripture cited by the Devil. Therefore we have accepted Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Whatever He says, we accept. We are not perfect, our senses are not perfect, we are fool number one, but the knowledge which we accept, that is perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:
He is the seed-giving father. Don't take Kṛṣṇa as a foreigner or something else. No. He is your father, original father, seed-giving father. And the material nature is the mother. Just like father and mother, the father giving seeds, similarly, God gives the seeds, and the mother, material nature, gives the body. That you have got experience. The father gives the seed in the womb of the mother, and mother creates the body. Similarly, all living entities, they are coming from Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible to create by chemicals. That is not possible. But one who is not convinced, rascal, he tries to make chemical combination to create living beings. This is foolishness.
So because we are learning knowledge from śruti, from the perfect person, we will never be convinced. We shall challenge, "You create, rascal, create first of all. Then talk. Otherwise I shall kick." (laughter) This is our challenge because I know. We know very well that it will not be possible to create living being by combination of chemicals. He is talking nonsense. That is not possible. So we have to study from śruti. Then we become learned.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:
Controlling the senses, ātma-vinigrahaḥ. That is called swami, gosvāmī. If you can control your senses... Vāco-vegaṁ krodha-vegam. If you can control your force of talking nonsense... Because generally we talk nonsense. So if you can control your talking of nonsense things, then you will become controller of talking.
Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:
So if one does not follow the regulation, rules and regulation, he remains there, diseased. It is not that, that "We have become now free. We can talk nonsensically and we can behave like nonsense. Still, we are advanced," That is not possible.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:
Now, when I see, when we see that one man is not a devotee or Kṛṣṇa, or he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately we take him belonging to the four classes: duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Immediately we take. It doesn't require much time to test him, what he is, because he has no surrender to Kṛṣṇa and talks all nonsense. There are so many Gītā explainers in our country—simply talking nonsense, minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā means minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Such rascals have spoiled the whole country, you see. Everyone is so... Politicians, and this, that, all, they are... "Oh, we are student of Bhagavad-gītā." And what do you know about Kṛṣṇa? "Kṛṣṇa is zero." That's all. This is going on. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have to hear. If we actually want to diminish our anarthas, then we must hear Kṛṣṇa as He's speaking, without any interpretation.
Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:
We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense. Why one should, Christian become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin... This is not that movement. They clearly understand this. Therefore they are following. They are accepting. If I would have preached that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion, they would have kicked me out long ago. It is a science; it is a philosophy.
Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:
Silence means don't talk nonsense. Whenever you speak, you speak about Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:
Who can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing. He has said already that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So it not very easy. But it is very easy if you take the process, easiest process. What is that easiest process? That easiest process: you don't talk nonsense; you simply talk what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I. Any of you, you can do this.
Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Los Angeles, April 18, 1973:
Those who are increasing intoxication, such persons cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Such persons cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Edhamāna-madaḥ. Because they're intoxicated. Just like a intoxicated person, he is now fully intoxicated and talking nonsense. If somebody says: "My dear brother, you are talking nonsense. Here is father. Here is mother." Who cares for it? He's intoxicated. Similarly all these rascals, intoxicated rascals, if you say: "Here is God," they cannot understand. Because intoxicated.
Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:
You can talk nonsense all day and night, and you can talk about Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and the same thing, vibration. So if you talk nonsense, then you can go to hell. And if you talk about Kṛṣṇa and the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, chant, then you go back to home, back to Godhead. Just see how much this talking is important. Simply by talking.
Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:
Suppose you are being harassed by the police. You are put into the prisonhouse. And in so many ways you are being harassed by the criminal department. How you can get out? You simply file a petition, "Sir I am now experienced. I will never commit this criminal act. Kindly excuse me and get me released." That is the only way. Similarly, you can be very proud that "I don't care for God. There is no God. I am God. You are God." You can go on talking nonsense like that, but the māyā will give you so much trouble. But if you are sane man, then you will admit that "This was a wrong thing. Please excuse me." And then it will be possible. But that is not possible. Especially in this age, in Kali-yuga, the age is very strong and deteriorated that in spite of our daily class, daily instruction, the Kali is so strong that capturing, "Please come under my control and be killed. Please come under my... Be killed." "Yes, I will go." This is going on.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa is jolly. Arjuna is morose because he is living entity, but He is not morose. He is jolly. That is the nature of God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This is the sūtra, in the Brahma-sūtra, that "God is ānandamaya, always jolly, always cheerful." So you can become also cheerful when you go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our problem.
Therefore how we can go there? The first thing is we must hear. Śrotavyaḥ. Just try to hear what is God, what is His kingdom, how He acts, how He is cheerful. These things are to be heard. Śravaṇam. Then as soon as you are convinced, "Oh, God is so nice," then you will be eager to demonstrate or to broadcast this news to the whole world. This is kīrtanam. This is kīrtanam.
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
This is life. This is life. Otherwise, talking nonsense, taking a newspaper in the morning, and "This party has done like this, this man has declared war, that man has defeated this," these are simply waste of time, simply waste of time. If we waste our time, then we are not preparing for the next life.
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:
The right thing can be said only by liberated person.
Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all this from Vyāsadeva, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge. Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but don't talk nonsense. Grave, that is called gravity.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:
You don't waste your time by talking nonsense.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:
And prajalpa means talking nonsense. As soon as ... This is the nature of the living entity in conditioned state. Just like as soon as the crows, they gather together, caw caw caw caw ... (Laughter) The frogs ... Any living entity, as soon as they will gather, they will talk all nonsense. Don't do that. We have got great assembly, we have got facility for mixing, but if you take advantage of this assembly and talk all nonsense—what is politics, what is this, what is that ... Prajalpa. That is called prajalpa.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:
We are giving you chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is our duty. So you take advantage of it, and make your life successful. Otherwise, it is jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta. Dārdurikā. The frogs, frog's tongue, very busy in croaking. But it, it, it is means inviting death, "Please come here. I am sitting here." So similarly, by talking nonsense, we allow our span of life being diminished by the sunrise and sunset, but if we talk about the urugāya-gāthāḥ, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then our life cannot be taken away. It cannot be decreased.
Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:
For chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there are ten kinds of offenses. But Deity worship, there are so many offenses. These are described. "You cannot sit down before the Deity like this, you cannot yawn before the Deity, you cannot talk nonsense before the Deity." So many things are there.
Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:
So transcendentalists, those who are advanced in spiritual life, when they hear some questions from persons to understand about spiritual life, they become very happy. Those who are transcendentalists, they are not interested in these worldly talks. That is very disgusting to them. They avoid such company who talks nonsense about these worldly affairs.
Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Don't talk nonsense; don't waste your time. Then you become purified.
Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:
Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised all His devotees, grāmya-kathā nā kahibe. This requires... This is called advancement. Don't talk nonsense of these material talks. What is the use? What you will gain? Just like you open the newspaper. What do you find? The same thing. The same plane crash, the same politician condemn another politician, and something lost, something gained, something... It is punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The same thing are being repeated in different way. So what is the use of talking such thing? Better, if you want to talk, talk on Kṛṣṇa, talk on Bhagavad-gītā, talk on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and enjoy life. That is required.
Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:
So as Arjuna We are reading Bhagavad-gītā, you can understand that Arjuna is a friend, why he's accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru? Why? He's a friend. He's talking equally, sitting equally, friend and friend, sometimes talking nonsense. Kṛṣṇa, in the Eleventh Chapter he was begging Kṛṣṇa, "Forgive me. As a friend I have misbehaved with you." Friend has got right, Kṛṣṇa did not mind for that, but he knew that "Kṛṣṇa, although He is my friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, He is the proper person to become my guru."
Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:
You have to talk, but don't talk nonsense. But you engage your talking about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without any kuṇṭha, without any anxiety. Other talking, you will have so many anxieties because that is not vaikuṇṭha talking.
Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:
Don't talk nonsense. Or if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, then nonsense talking will stop automatically.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:
Oh, alas, these rascals, they have become mad, pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad. Mattaḥ means mad. And pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa, still more, still more. A mad man, he's not so harmful. He is... Sometimes he becomes naked and goes to the street and talks nonsense.
Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:
Be business-like. People say talk business-like. Why you are talking nonsense? So Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes." For business man there is one interest, real businessman. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who is actually interested in business-like way to make some profit arthadam, then there is only interest is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:
Just before saying, sarva-dharmān parityajya, Kṛṣṇa said that "You are My very dear friend. Therefore I am talking to you the most confidential part of knowledge." Is it not? What is that confidential part? Sarva-dharmān parityajya: "Give up everything. Simply surrender unto Me." This is confidential knowledge. Jñāna, karma, yoga, this will not help. It will take some time. You can waste your time in that way, you are at liberty, but real dharma is that "You fully surrender unto Me. Don't talk nonsense." Arjuna was talking so many nonsense things. So Kṛṣṇa ultimately said, "My dear Arjuna, you are My confidential friend. Therefore I am asking you. You do this. Don't waste your time. It will not help."
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:
Instead of talking nonsense and wasting your time, if you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your life will be successful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:
According to Vedic culture, one has to judge by the result. Not by if you simply talk nonsense, one has to accept.
Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:
We are discussing the philosophy of so many speculators, simply talking nonsense.
Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Honolulu, May 27, 1976:
So, so far this body's concerned, either it is dead or alive, it is not the subject matter of any talk. Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Those who are learned scholars don't talk about the body. They'll talk about the soul. That is paṇḍita. What is the... This is dead body. Suppose this is cloth. Uh? Now if you talk about this cloth, you can talk. You can write volumes of books: "This silk was purchased in that store and it was manufactured in such and such day, and the man manufactured, he's like this..." You can go on talking nonsense like that and can write books. So all these rascal philosophers, they are writing about this cloth. That's all.
Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:
"Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time."
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:
The microphone should be used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not talking nonsense.
Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:
People cannot understand. We are changing. Child is the father of man. So the same child, he has become now father, but he's not talking nonsense now because the body has changed. The child is talking so many nonsense things. People laugh, enjoy. But if the father talks nonsense, then he'll be called, "Here is a rascal." Because the body has changed. So in this way, body is being changed. The child is becoming father, the body has changed. Still, you cannot understand how the change of body, transformation of the body, does not make any transformation of the owner of the body.
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:
And mita-vāg: did not speak more than required. This is also good qualification: don't talk nonsense. Unless you are required to speak, don't speak. This is also another good feature. Mita-vāg anasūyakaḥ: and not envious to anyone.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:
"I gave my child, my boy, to be educated by you. What sort of education you have given him? He is talking nonsense, devotional service. I wanted to make him politician, diplomat, tricky, and you have taught him śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23)?" You see? That is still going on.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was also a great devotee. He was king, very responsible person, politics. But he practiced in such a way that he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. This practice. Don't talk nonsense.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
Mauna means don't talk, grave. This is also very good qualification because generally, when we talk, we simply talk nonsense. That's all. We shall sit together and some friends or family, some useless talks, we shall go on for hours together. But if you are called to talk about Kṛṣṇa or Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata, this philosophy, nobody will come. So better not to talk.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
It is better not to talk than to talk nonsense, foolish. So generally, we are accustomed to talks, enjoy foolish talks, which has no meaning, neither any benefit for this material world, neither any benefit for spiritual world. If you are, of course, gaining something material benefit... Just like businessmen talk. They talk seriously if there is any profit. Otherwise the secretary says, "Oh, the Mr. such and such has no time to see you." That is also some good because time is so valuable.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
So why should we talk nonsense?
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
So that is also very good qualification if you don't talk nonsense. Either you talk about Kṛṣṇa or don't talk. That is called mauna. If there is no subject matter for talking on the subject of Kṛṣṇa, then it is better not to talk. But we have got very nice engagement. We can talk Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you have no other engagement, then we have got these beads, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." You can day and night, twenty-four hours, go on. This is called mauna.
Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:
So if we engage your talking capacity in the reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, tava-kathā, "Your words..." That we have got, sufficient subject matter for talking. If we do that instead of talking nonsense, "phish phish," if we talk simply of Kṛṣṇa, take Bhagavad-gītā and together... It doesn't matter, man or woman. Together, we simply... Just like we are doing now, if you simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, that is the measure, the real remedial measure to control the jihvā.
Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:
Here you are assembled here from Europe, America, and Africa, Canada, and practically all over the world, but you are united nation. You are united nation simply by talking Kṛṣṇa. This is the remedy. And if you keep yourself as American, as Indian, as Canadian, as African, and go to the United Nation and talk for years and years, there will be no more United Nation. It will be... More flags will increase because this is nonsense talking. It is practical. The United Nation is talking for the last thirty, forty years?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years. And where is unity of the nation? It is not possible. And here we are talking about Kṛṣṇa, say, for seven, eight years. Just see the sample, how these young men are becoming united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says this stoppage of talking is better than to talk nonsense. If you cannot talk of Kṛṣṇa, better don't talk. Therefore this maunam is recommended for the persons less intelligent who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop. This is called mauna. Otherwise Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "I have got only one tongue and two ears. So how can I enjoy or serve Hare Kṛṣṇa only with one tongue and two ears? If I had millions of ears and trillions of tongues, then it would have been possible." It is meaning... Tuṇḍe tanda... I forget that verse now. He is feeling like that, that "How shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by one tongue only and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtana, by two ears?" So he is expecting so many ears and so many tongues to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:
And so far we are concerned, conditioned soul, even sixteen round becomes very, very difficult job for us because we are practiced to talk nonsense. We cannot find out little time, say for two hours, for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we can find twenty-four hours for talking nonsense. Therefore one who cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he should stop his talking. That is called mauna. Don't talk any more. Better remain silent. This is recommendation by Prahlāda Mahārāja. And vrata also compulsory. It is meant for persons who are desiring to be liberated.
Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:
Give up all this nonsense." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). That is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people to cure his disease of forgetfulness. He has forgotten simply. Just like a madman forgets who is his father, who is his mother, he talks nonsense, sometimes he calls ill names. Mad. So similarly, we in this material world, without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are all mad, forgetful. This disease has to be cured. The best medicine is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:
You should not talk nonsense. Mahāprabhu has very strictly forbidden, grāmya kathā nā karibe. We talk. That has become our training. As soon as we assemble, a few persons, immediately we talk all nonsense-politics, this politician, that politician, this is that, this is that—and waste our time. You talk something substantial. You talk about the śāstra. Talk about the aim of life, the problem of life. But they are described in the śāstra as the croaking of the toads, "Kakaka kakaka kakaka."
Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:
Don't talk nonsense. Simply be engaged in talking about Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Our talking should be engaged about vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇana. Vaikuṇṭha means the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, about Him. We can talk so many things about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we require to read books. Bhāgavatam means it is full of topics of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. That is Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavad-gītā is full of instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you talk about that? Caitanya-caritāmṛta... We have got so many books. This should be our principle; we should not talk any nonsense. That is called yata-vāk. Yata-vāk means gontrolling the talking power. Yata-vāk. Samāhitaḥ, very sober.
Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:
Try to become sober, don't talk nonsense, and abide by the orders of guru and śāstra. In this way training begins. It does not mean that you have to learn very big grammatical rules and... No. That you shall see later on. First of all build up character. Then it will be helpful to make further progress in spiritual life.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:
It is very scientific. It is authorized. We are not talking nonsense. Authorized. We are taking the version of Kṛṣṇa. We are taking the version of the Vedic conclusion.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966:
One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time.
Festival Lectures
Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:
Nityānanda Prabhu is the strength, spiritual strength. And without spiritual strength you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Nāyam ātmā pravaca... Simply by talking nonsense... Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ. If you are a good speaker, that does not mean you'll understand, yourself. Na medhayā: "Neither by good brain." Because you have got very good brain you'll understand Kṛṣṇa—no. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena. If you think that you are a very good scholar, university degree-holder, then you'll understand—no. This is not possible.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Arrival Address -- New Zealand, April 27, 1976:
So atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpa, Unnecessary talking all nonsense, politics, rascaldom, speculation, this, that. No. Be grave. Don't talk nonsense, waste time.
Initiation Lectures
Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:
Everyone should note it, that we should train our tongue not to talk nonsense things. You see? Simply talk of Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many subject matter. We have got Bhagavad-gītā, we have got Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya—so many books, hundreds and thousands, Upaniṣads, Veda, Vedānta, any one you select—talk.
Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:
So our, this talking, nonsense talking whole day and night—in the assembly, in the conference, in the business, in so many ways we are talking, "kakaka, kakaka"—the result is that we are inviting death very soon. But if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or engage our talking for glorifying the Lord, then death cannot touch. Death cannot touch means we are making our way to become immune from death. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:
Those who are talking nonsense, they will have to accept some sort of body, either human body or animal body or tree body or demigod's body. He has to take any body. But those who are talking of Kṛṣṇa always, to understand Kṛṣṇa and to make others to understand Kṛṣṇa, they are not going to do that.
General Lectures
Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:
If you simply talk of Kṛṣṇa and if you simply eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, oh, the poisonous effect of tongue will be broken. You'll have no opportunity to talk nonsense or to eat nonsense. Then your life becomes advanced immediately fifty percent(?). If you can control the tongue, then you control all the senses. If you cannot control the tongue, then you cannot control other senses.
Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:
(reading:) "How much does this course of study cost?" It costs nothing. If you simply come here, you understand everything. We don't charge anything. But they will not come. They go to a rascal who will charge fifty dollars for meeting and all talk nonsense. They'll go there. And because we are not charging anything, they are not attracted. You see? But how we can charge? We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "You speak," so we are speaking. That's all. Why should we charge?
Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:
We have got to hear so many things. As soon as we get out of this Kṛṣṇa temple, many, many friends will ask me so many things, and I'll talk with him so many things about politics, economics, social affairs, this country's position, this, that. Because without chanting and hearing, we cannot live for a moment. Either we shall talk nonsense or we shall talk about business or we talk of sex or talk some this or that, talking and chanting. You talk I hear, and I talk, you hear. That is the business going on everywhere.
Lecture -- Delhi, December 13, 1971:
So unless you accept Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable energy, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no possibility. Inconceivable, acintya. Everything is acintya. So, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet, this is the injunction of the Vedas, "Things which are beyond your thinking, don't talk nonsense, don't put nonsense arguments to understand it. Better accept it." Therefore you have to accept the Vedic knowledge without any arguments.
Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:
Don't try to keep a guru as a matter of fashion, that it has become a fashion to accept somebody, some rascal as guru, and say that "I have got my guru." What kind of guru you have got? You are talking nonsense. Ācāryavān puruṣa veda. One who has accepted guru, he'll talk sense, where there is meaning. He'll never talk any nonsense. That is the sign that he has got guru. He has got the sacred thread. Yes, he's accepted by bona fide guru. That is the sign, sacred thread.
Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:
So you are offering good respect to your spiritual master. That is very nice. You are very thankful. But at the same time we should remember that how to carry out the orders of the guru so that people may not think that you are talking nonsense. You must be very careful.
Departure Talks
Departure Lecture -- Caracas, February 25, 1975:
Atyāhāraḥ prayāsas prajalpaḥ, and talking nonsense, gossiping some subject matter which has no concern with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are accustomed to do that. We should avoid it.
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). When people becomes rascal, without any God consciousness, and the so-called demonic leaders keep the society in darkness, dharmasya glānir bhavati, at that time, to stop these demons talking nonsense, and to raise the devotees who are interested, Kṛṣṇa comes. That is Kṛṣṇa's coming. Then He leaves behind Him instruction of Bhagavad-gītā so that His devotees can preach for the benefit of the society. So it is not the brain; it is the voice, the instruction, which is important.
Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:
Prabhupāda: Mukti means liberation. What is that liberation? A man is suffering from fever. So if the fever is stopped by medicine and treatment, then he becomes in normal health. It does not mean that he, he changes his constitution. He is the same man, but on account of fever he was talking nonsense, in convul..., what is called, convulsion?
Hayagrīva: Convulsions.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Hayagrīva: Delirium.
Prabhupāda: Delirium, yes. He is talking all nonsense, this diseased condition. So he has to cured from the diseased condition, then he will understand, "Oh, this is my position," brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), he becomes immediately joyful, "Oh, I am talking in delirium, nonsense."
Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:
Śyāmasundara: No. He says that if a man has a clear intelligence that he will be able to understand the essence of that...
Prabhupāda: But why these schools are there? Every day we see, actually, from the most intelligent persons, scientist, he has to go to a school. Not that at home, by speculating and talking nonsense, they have become a scientist. They will never become.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:
Śyāmasundara: But this demon that haunts me, that is another personality besides my real personality.
Prabhupāda: That is not a... Personality, I am. Just like delirium, the same personality, but he's talking nonsense in delirium. If you remove the delirium condition, then he becomes again the original person. Delirium is not person.
Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:
Why shall I speculate?
Hayagrīva: Well then you wouldn't be able to write so many books.
Prabhupāda: Huh? No. When I have got perfect knowledge, then I can write.
Hayagrīva: Then.
Prabhupāda: Without perfect, whatever I write, that is nonsense. That is nonsense. That is the difference-paramparā system. All these philosophers, they are simply talking nonsense, and whatever we are writing, there is meaning. Why? Because we are studying God from God. This is our perfection.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal:
Prabhupāda: Oh, he was talking that on zero some great swami spoke four hours. And he was very proud that on zero one can speak throughout his whole life. Now I did not... (laughs) But if you can speak on some subject matter for four hours, how it is zero? Just see the contradiction. Gaurasundara, you were present when he was speaking? You heard? If I can speak something on a subject matter, is that subject matter zero? Zero means śūnya. Śūnya means nothing. So how you can speak on nothing? If you can speak on nothing, then nothing is no more nothing. It is something. Just see. But you are so proud. "Oh, he spoke on zero for four hours." I did not contradict because he is newcomer, but I talked on other subject. But this is the position. Suppose you can talk on zero for four hours. Then either you waste your time... Because after all it is zero. The result is zero. Just like you add one million zeros. So what is the value? Zero. So who is a fool that knowing that one million zeros makes zero, why shall I waste my time making so many zeros? So either he is a fool or if zero has so much substance to speak, then how it is zero? If zero has so much value that one can speak on it for hours and hours together, then how it is zero? So people do not understand things very properly. They're so dull. Then he was eulogising the man who spoke on zero for four hours. Yes. That is the system, if you hear a man talking nonsense and people will give cla... Oh! And he's asking what you have understood, "Oh! it is very difficult to explain." Then why you are wasting time? If you cannot express, if you do not understand. Simply people wants jugglery of words, they don't want substance. They don't want substance.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:
Kīrtanānanda: So we understand that in the material consciousness the living entity is being forced to act.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Kīrtanānanda: His actions are quite automatic under the laws of material nature.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, action is there. Because you are living entity, you are active.
Kīrtanānanda: Yes, but they are being dictated.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like a man in fever talking nonsense. So that is due to fever.
Discussion with Guests -- December 23, 1969, Boston:
Guest (3): It's all the same thing. Heat and cool is the same thing.
Prabhupāda: Why do you say the same thing? It is not the same thing.
Guest (2): Of course, it is the same thing.
Guest (3): Everything is "it." It's all it.
Prabhupāda: No. That is nonsense. Cold is cold, heat is heat. Only it is acting. You are talking on the material platform. You are not spiritual. You don't talk nonsense. (laughter) No. We have got enough time.
Discussion with Guests -- December 23, 1969, Boston:
Guest (3): I'm not trying to argue with you. I'm just trying to understand, because from what I understand of it there is no difference between...
Prabhupāda: Just try to understand...
Guest (3): No wait. Wait. Just one moment. Cause and effect are all the same thing.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no, no.
Guest (3): Yes. Sure.
Devotee: What do you mean they're the same thing?
Prabhupāda: This is cotton. The cause is cotton. Will you like to take cotton instead of the shirt?
Guest (3): This is illusion.
Prabhupāda: Not illusion.
Guest (3): Sure.
Prabhupāda: What do you mean by illusion? Don't talk nonsense. (laughter) If I gave you lump of cotton instead of this shirt, will you accept it?
Guest (3): I'm sorry. I don't mean to argue. I am sorry.
Prabhupāda: You are arguing?
Guest (3): I don't mean to argue with you.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:
Prabhupāda: If you don't improve yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you again become stool worms. The human form of life is an opportunity to come out of the cycle of birth and death, but if one does not take—these are the statements in Padma Purāṇa—then he loses the chance. They do not know what is life, how life is rotating, talking nonsense, "I am God. Why Kṛṣṇa should be God? This is written by man." How much low-graded people have become. They are completely under the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14), stringent laws of nature, and still, they are claiming, "I am God. I am this. I am that. I am free. I am..." And they do not mind, even they are degraded to the position of the worm of stool.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:
Prabhupāda: Now... What you... My point is that our society is clearly giving you the indication that we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Guest (1): Every society has taken...
Prabhupāda: So that's all right. If you like this Kṛṣṇa philosophy, you are welcome. Otherwise you leave.
Guest (1): We have come here...
Prabhupāda: Because first of all see that you are...
Guest (1): If you reject...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Don't talk, all together. First of all you must know what is the truth. If your standard of truth is different and my standard of truth is different, then where is the use of talking nonsense? If you have any other truth than Kṛṣṇa, you be satisfied.
Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:
Devotee: Then how do you... Suppose, for example, last night. I was chanting, and then I thought to myself, "Oh, I'm not concentrating on the chanting any more. Now I should go to sleep." Then how...
Prabhupāda: Therefore you are, we have prescribed rules for chanting. You must finish sixteen rounds, then go to sleep, whole day sleeping. You finish that sixteen rounds and sleep whole day. I have no objection. (laughter)
Devotee: But then...
Prabhupāda: There is no then. Don't talk nonsense. If you are so much addicted to sleeping, you simply chant sixteen rounds and whole day sleep. But don't take food also. (laughter) Don't get up taking prasādam. "Now I have to honor prasādam. Let me eat sumptuous, then again sleep more."
Devotee: Is there some order of priority in service then? I mean, sixteen rounds is more important than anything else. And then following that, there's something else.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. If you cannot do anything else, you simply chant sixteen rounds, take prasādam, and sleep. (laughter) It is special prerogative for you. There is no then. This is, this is order for you.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:
Prabhupāda: Everything is being done by plan. The rascal who is speaking like that, he is educated by a plan, by his parents. And therefore he is able now to talk nonsense and get the Nobel Prize, for talking all these rascals. His education was planned.
Room Conversation and Interview with Ian Polsen -- July 31, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: Arjuna was thinking in terms of personal sense gratification: "I shall not fight. It is not good to kill my kinsmen, my brother." That was personal sense gratification. From ordinary point of view people will say, "How Kṛṣṇa is..., Arjuna is nice, that he's giving up his claim, and nonviolent." But this philosophy Kṛṣṇa immediately kicked out. Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "Oh, why you are talking nonsense like this?" That was His answer. (laughs)
Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: If I can get one man to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I will consider my mission fulfilled. If you talk to whatever small number of followers I have, you will find that they talk better than any great philosopher, better than any scientist or politician. That is the quality of my students. What's the point in talking nonsense? One's words may be simple, but they should be valuable. Every day your employer is printing so many newspapers. On Sunday, especially, the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it an hour, people throw it away. Here is this book, Bhagavad-gītā, and people keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past 5,000 years. Give such literature that will be taken and kept forever.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:
Pañcadraviḍa: In your lectures you emphasized two aspects must be there, jñāna and renunciation. So some knowledge is there, but that part of the difficulty is that with most of the devotees in every temple in India, is that they have not renounced these dirty things completely. They still are attached to sense gratification even on gross levels. So whether a sannyāsī or anybody interferes with their sense gratification, they tend to not oblige because they are attached to doing things the way they want. And they think because they are in a foreign country here, a long way from America where the standards are very rigid, that they can do any manner of nonsense and nobody will check them. And if you try to correct them, then they will only do it behind your back. We have seen this, with the sweet shops, with rising early, anything that interferes with them doing as, exactly as they please, they don't want to oblige. And this is in Calcutta, this is in Bombay, and it's happening here in Vṛndāvana. It's not something that's isolated here to the palace, but the devotees all over, they are just behaving on the level of sense gratification, end that's why there is so much rajas guṇa in the temples. So much rajas guṇa.
Prabhupāda: This is a fact. So how to correct it. If you do not correct yourself, how you can correct?
Pañcadraviḍa: Well we, many of us have tried to correct ourself, and as a result we have been accused of being separatist, simply because we don't want to go along with the nonsense that everybody else is doing, but we want to maintain some standard for ourself, of reading and chanting. Because we don't want to sit down and talk nonsense or do nonsense, and if you try to stop them they will not stop. So why we should fall down to that level? So we behave as separatist. We go into our room and we'll read, or we'll go into our room and chant, or we'll try and keep ourself clean, or try and do these things, and that is separatism because it's not falling into the level of māyā that's going on everywhere else in the temple, engaging in party politics and all these other things. That is, that is what I feel about it. Most of the devotees, they seem out of place.
Prabhupāda: Whatever is done is done. Now, you try to correct others by behaving yourself. Otherwise, there is no need of keeping so many men. We have attempted in Vṛndāvana. A few men may remain here. That's all. Otherwise, it will be not very nice to attract when people are attracted by seeing your behavior. They are seeing that, "Oh, Europeans and Americans, they have got such nice Vaiṣṇavas." They are attracted on that point. But if we are not to the standard point, they will immediately accuse, "Oh, they are..." So that should be corrected. The same principle, āpani ācari prabhu jīvere, we should behave ourselves nicely, then teach others.
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Biology, chemistry is the origin of life. So the chemistry, biology's so much advanced. Why they cannot create life? When the crucial point is touched, they say: "We shall do it in future." Why future? If it is already done at present, why future? What is this?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is... Small ones?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: These are some small earth, mound of earth taken out from the inside to make room for oxygen for the plants to breath.
Prabhupāda: No, no. These are stools.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, these are not stools, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's a machine. They go around like this. And that makes a little earth taken out.
Prabhupāda: Ahhh.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say they'll be doing in the future.
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Future, that is not science. Trust no future, however pleasant. This is the word. What is this? Everyone will say future. Trust no future, however pleasant. You may think it is very pleasurable. Why future? If you say that the biology, chemistry is the beginning of this life, so you are now so much advanced. Why don't you create? Then what is the meaning of your advancement? You're talking nonsense.
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Scientists means they are rascals. They're talking nonsense. And because they are putting the matter in some jugglery of words, other fools are being misled.
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa so easily simplifies the matter. They'll not accept it. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir... (BG 2.13). In two lines, he solves the whole biological problems. In two lines. That is knowledge. Minimum words, maximum solution. That is knowledge. And talking nonsense and no meaning. Books, volumes of books, talking nonsense and there is no meaning. Is that knowledge?
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: So this ca ca canh, scientists, means when death comes, oh, everything's finished. That's all. All their ca ca canh, scientific investigation, finished. And he becomes a dog, cat and something like that. That's all. Therefore mūḍhāḥ. They do not know that "I have got this valuable life, human form of life, advanced intelligence. I'll have to take lesson from Kṛṣṇa, and make my life successful." They do not know that. Ca ca canh, ca ca canh, ca ca canh, ca ca canh. And then die, and become again. When he dies, there is no question of science and talking nonsense. That is under the grip of nature. "Yes, come on. Enter this body. Finished." Just like the rascal rogue. He's very much proud of his strength. And the police comes arrest: "Come on. Enter this custody. Finished." It is like that.
Morning Walk -- April 29, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Voices yelling in background) What is that? What does he say?
Devotee: He's talking nonsense.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... While preaching our movement we should take this attitude. We cannot make compromise with anyone. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya... Lord Caitanya's cult is to preach the instruction or talks about Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Recently I went to a lecture called "The origin of life." It was given by a well-known biochemist whose name is Professor Stanley Miller. He was talking about the origin of life.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is origin of life?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: He said that there are twenty amino acids, twenty of them which are necessary for the maintenance of life, the living entities. So he was discussing how these amino acids are formed before the dawn of creation, and he had so many theories, all nonsense.
Prabhupāda: So did you not protest?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Then there was... After his lecture... It was a one hour long seminar, and there was question and answer. So they invited questions. Nobody asked.
Prabhupāda: So you did not ask?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, I asked later on. I asked, that "Your topic is about origin of life, but you are not talking about the origin of life. So there is no basis of your argument."
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then I asked, "Supposing I give you the chemical materials, say, the molecules likes amino acids and the big molecules like DNA and RNA..." These are the molecules, which they think necessary for the maintenance of life. "Supposing I give you all these chemical compounds, then do you think that you will be able to put life into it. If you get all the chemical materials necessary, but will you be able to put life into it?" Then he said, "I do not know."
Prabhupāda: Then why you are talking nonsense? (laughter) Then? People did not laugh?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. No, everybody was silent. Everybody was silent because everybody believes that life started from matter, all the, in the audience.
Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: So I said that "Your basis means life started from matter. That means..." He was saying that when the earth, before the life started, there was no living entities on earth. Then I said, "How do you know there is no living entities on earth?" Then he could not answer.
Prabhupāda: Just see. Very good. Yes. You have to go and lecture all the universities, calling these rascals fools. That will be our mission. They do not know anything and talking all nonsense. That's it. There was nobody to challenge till now. Now we are creating persons to challenge these rascals. That is our credit. Till now whatever nonsense they are talking, people thought, "Oh he is a big scientist." Now our scientist will protest against them, stop them talking all nonsense. That is what we want. If a lay man like me goes and protesting, he may say that "First of all you come to my level, then I shall talk with you." Now, he cannot talk with you like that. Because you are on the level. So challenge all this nonsense. Why they talk nonsense? So later on, other persons, they did not talk with you?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, the chairman of the department, he was telling later on that "About theology let us talk later on." So he dispersed the meeting after that. Theology, they thought, that I was talking on theology.
Prabhupāda: It is not theology, it is science.
Morning Walk -- May 3, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: What scientists can help me? I do not wish to become diseased. What the scientist can help me? I do not wish to take birth. These things, they cannot do anything. Major problem they have set aside. And they are, what is called, jackal. Yes. There is a story of the jackal. He became the king of the forest.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Hindi
Prabhupāda: No, it is Sanskrit. And in Bengal it is called vane āsiyā rāja.(?) "In the forest a jackal has become king." They are like that. Nīla-varṇa-sṛigālavat.(?) When... There is big story about this jackal. I will tell you some. A jackal came in the village and he fell in the tub where, what is called, the water? No, no. The water man keeps the water for dipping, making little bluish. For coloring. That blue, blue. So the washerman kept the dye water in a big tub, and the jackal fell in it. So jackal fell in it; he became blue, all blue. So he fled away, and all the animals said, "What is this animal? What is the animal? What is that animal? Oh?" All, even lion became surprised. "We have not seen this." "So who are you, sir?" "I am sent by God to rule over you." "Oh?" So they began to worship him as God, as leader. Then one day other jackals, they were crying, "Wa, wa," but the jackals cannot stop. If others jackals cry, the jackal cannot stop. So he also began to "Wa, wa." Oh, then, they, oh, this rascal is a jackal. Yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. That these rascals are jackals. Now they are talking nonsense. We can detect that "Here is a jackal." So we have to expose them. They are not leader; they are jackals. So jackals cannot anymore rule over. That should be our propaganda. Not only scientific, all political things, social things, everything. They should be all kicked out. They should be replaced by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then people will be happy. This should be our program. Our, this propaganda means to make people happy. It is not a business, to make business and take some money.
Room Conversation -- July 9, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: You cannot purchase Kṛṣṇa consciousness—you can have money—that you have to cultivate.
Revatīnandana: Yeah, when Mr. Birla is getting old then he has to come to us, if he has any sense.
Prabhupāda: No they say, they simply give primary education (indistinct) they can read, that's all. And (indistinct). They don't send because everyone knows that sending boys to the school means spoil them. That's all. I have seen intelligent boys, they go to school and he is spoiled. Yes, spoiled. He learns how to smoke, how to have sex, how to talk nonsense, how to use knife, how to fight, these things. At least at the present moment. Yes. Simply slaughterhouse, this so-called school is called slaughterhouse. Yes, slaughterhouse.
Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, he's not certain about producing life from those chemicals. But still he's lecturing. Is it not cheating?
Dr. Hauser: Not cheating, no...
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is. Because he cannot produce life. Actually, he cannot, but he's lecturing on this basis.
Dr. Hauser: But he has produced four stages of life.
Prabhupāda: Ehh?
Dr. Hauser: Not real life, but the proteins that life is made of...
Prabhupāda: But we are concerned with the real life. We are consider, concerned with the real life. If you can produce one real life, a small ant, not human being, then I shall think that you are successful in your program. But that you cannot do. Why do you talk nonsense? Therefore you are cheating. Why should he say: "That I cannot say," if he's not confident. That means cheating. Everyone is doing that. He's not confident about his theory, and he's speaking long, long speech. And people are fools. They are hearing. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). One blind man is leading many blind man. What is the benefit? The leader has no eyes, and he's leading many blind men. What is the use?
Room Conversation -- October 31, 1973, Vrndavana:
Guest (1): Modern science has cleared the deck very much for religion. They are not so dogmatic as the old scientists used to be.
Prabhupāda: What do they say now?
Guest (1): Well, you see, the modern scientific discoveries have led to the stage at which the science can no more say that religion is humbug. Now they say, "Well, we do not know. Honestly speaking, that is the position," they say.
Prabhupāda: That is good.
Guest (1): Yes. "We do not know. We know thus far and not beyond." So that's a great achievement. That's a great achievement.
Prabhupāda: No. At least, they should not teach because they do not know.
Guest (1): Well, the topmost scientists are much saner now. They don't make...
Prabhupāda: Yes. But the best thing will be, they may not talk all nonsense.
Guest (1): They don't talk nonsense.
Prabhupāda: If they admit they do not know, why do they speak so much?
Guest (1): One scientist has said about matter. He says, "Matter is I know not what." This is his definition of matter. "Matter is I know not what." So no more dogmatism. No more dogmatism.
Prabhupāda: So you can distribute some prasāda.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:
Devotee (2): :...we have to defeat them by prasādam.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, we have to show them mercy. It is not a question of defeat. Just like a diseased person is talking nonsense, so doctors takes care, "All right, go on talking nonsense. Take this medicine." (devotees laugh) That is hospitalization.
Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: There's a group called Christian Scientists. They say God is not a person. He's simply a principle, a principle of truth, beauty, all these, just qualities.
Prabhupāda: But show the example, what is that principle?
Karandhara: What is the meaning of principle without person?
Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of principle? Show me. You are talking nonsense.
Prajāpati: They say He's a principle is...
Prabhupāda: As soon as you call "principle," there must be a person. There must be a person. Otherwise, there is no principle.
Bali Mardana: Just like when you say, "law," there has to be a government.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You have to accept one law-maker.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: War was declared against Arjuna because he's, he was sinful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa declared war, "You must kill them. You must kill them, Arjuna." Arjuna was declined, "Oh, let them go. They are my brothers." "No, you must kill them. Don't talk nonsense." That is Kṛṣṇa's idea. That is Bhagavad-gītā. The whole Bhagavad-gītā was spoken just to induce Arjuna to kill the godless, the sinful. That is Bhagavad-gītā.
Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:
Candanācārya: I asked him, "How can a theologist be an atheist?"
Prabhupāda: The whole thing is that because the whole world is full of rascals, they are all talking nonsense. No meaning. No meaning. It is only we, we have pointed out that "You are a rascal. You speak all nonsense."
Morning Walk -- December 20, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. He may say nonsense. The fact is this. That if he is sama-darśinaḥ, equal, then why he is particularly aiming to the lower class? That means he is not sama-darśinaḥ. He has not come to the stage. He is simply talking nonsense.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Just see example, our. We are chanting, dancing, and eating nicely. What you are doing? You are simply talking nonsense. There is no peace in your life. And see our devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the proof, practical proof.
Morning Walk -- March 17, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegam udara-vegam upastha-vegaṁ manasa-vegam, etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (NOI 1). One who can control these kinds of urges, vāco vegam, talking nonsense—that is called vāco vegam. Krodha-vegam, anger. Urges of the mind. Mind dictates, "Do this, do that." Then udara-vegam, eating vegam. "Eat more, more, more." Udara-vegam. Upastha-vegam. Genital. When one can control these six vegān, urges, then he is fit for becoming gosvāmī, and he can make śiṣya all over, śiṣya, disciple, all over the world. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. This is gosvāmī.
Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: ...does not mean his nārāyaṇa-seva is null and void because he cannot distribute to the poor.
Dr. Patel: No, no, that I did not say.
Prabhupāda: Try to understand first this!
Chandobhai: Ha, just, just be quiet.
Prabhupāda: His nārāyaṇa-seva is there.
Dr. Patel: I understand him.
Prabhupāda: You will not allow anyone to speak. But you talk nonsense.
Dr. Patel: But you! You won't...! You...!
Prabhupāda: No, no! No, you try to understand! That because he cannot distribute food to others, that does not mean his nārāyaṇa-seva is null and void.
Dr. Patel: I did not say that sir!
Prabhupāda: Then why you are talking this?
Dr. Patel: I did not say that and you misunderstood me! That is where I am very... (break)
Prabhupāda: ...does it mean his nārāyaṇa-seva is wrong?
Dr. Patel: I don't say that nārāyaṇa-seva is wrong!
Prabhupāda: Then it is all right.
Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: So the blind man has no right to interpret. That is the point. Blind man... You are blind man. Remain as a blind man. Don't talk nonsense. That is our protest. Why should you interpret? You are blind man.
Morning Walk -- May 24, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: What they will debate? If they debate like rascal, that is another thing. If they debate like sane man, then there cannot be any difference of opinion. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). So what is your debate on this point, that living entities, they flourish by food grains? So what is your debate on this point?
Yogeśvara: Well, they may agree that the teachings are good, but they can't accept it as proof that Kṛṣṇa was God.
Prabhupāda: Well, then you have to give me definition of God. What is God? If you know God, then you can say that "Kṛṣṇa is not God." Otherwise, how you can say He is not God? I give you a piece of gold: If you say, "It is not gold," then you show me what is gold. Otherwise, you are talking nonsense. If you do not know the things as it is, how you can say, "It is not this"? If you know the positive, then you can say the negative.
Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:
Devotee: Yeah, but they criticize us that we don't want to feed...
Prabhupāda: No, why the hippies are lying on the street or in the park? Why? You give them relief. The whole Amsterdam city is full of hippies lying on the street and park. What you are doing for them? They are not poor men. They have got enough to eat. Their parents, father, grandfather, they can give. Why they are lying? What you can do? Go and pick them up. Make them nicely living. Why don't you do that? Talking nonsense. What is their answer? Why they have become hippies? They are not... The Indians may be poverty-stricken, but they are not poverty-stricken. In England the whole British empire is there. The whole American government is there. And still, western countries, they have got resources. They have means. They are not poor. Why your sons and grandsons are lying on the street? What is their answer?
Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:
Dhanañjaya: Actually, the only difference is that in the communist countries, religion is not allowed.
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But their philosophy that everyone is equal... Where is equality? There is no equality. Why you are talking nonsense? And in Moscow I have seen. So many people are walking, and others are going on motorcar. Why? why this difference? Why not everyone motorcar? Then what improvement you have made? You are simply talking. Why this difference? Nobody wants to walk. Why thousands of people walking on the street, and some of them are going on motorcar? Why? Where is the equality?
Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:
Haihaya: Śrīla Prabhupāda, they said that equality came by... No, it's not equal, but they must give the same possibilities to everyone.
Prabhupāda: Oh. So that everyone is giving. We also give. "Never mind you are śūdra. You become brāhmaṇa. Come on. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That we also are giving. We don't deny, "Oh, you are śūdra, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa." We don't say that. He can also become brāhmaṇa. "Come on. You learn how to become brāhmaṇa." That's all. That... The point is this equality, there cannot be. First point is this. This is nonsense. But everyone should be given the chance to occupy the best position. That is in our philosophy also. But unequality there must remain. You cannot make equality. It is not possible. That is nonsense. In your country there is no equality. Why an old man—I have seen it—she is sweeping the street? So old woman, she should have taken rest, but she is engaged for sweeping the street. And a young man, he is becoming dictator. Where is the equality? She should have given rest, but she is obliged to work. And another young man, he is a manager. Why? Why this inequality? Where is equality? First of all settle up how you can make equal. That you cannot do. Then you are talking nonsense, "equality." It is not possible.
Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:
Haihaya: The communists, they kicked us from the university in Mexico, because we were always defeat there in the philosophy. It is very easy to defeat communists with this philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We have to do. There may be opposition, but what can be done? We have to speak the resu..., that "There cannot be equality sir. You are talking nonsense." Challenge them, and let them prove that "Here is equality." Where is equality? Where is equality? You are human being. You are trying to live very comfortably. Why don't you make comfortable life for other living entities? Why you are sending them to the slaughterhouse? Where is equality?
Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:
Haihaya: The communists asked to us what we do for the starving people.
Prabhupāda: Rascal, what you have done? You are simply talking. What you have done? There are so many starving people all over the world. What you have done? "Starving people." I have seen. They cannot give starving people. Just like we went to Russia. So we wanted rice. There is no rice. There was no good rice. We wanted fruit. There was no fruit. So what you have done? I am starving for fruit and rice. You cannot supply me. That is practical. I have seen it. They will offer, "Take this beef instead of fruit." Then I will starve. So what he has done for me? I am starving. I cannot take beef. I want rice, but you cannot supply me. That I have seen. One Madrasi gentleman was bringing rice for me. It could not be purchased in the market. There is no fruit. So if I want fruit and rice and if you give me beef, it is as good as if I want bread, if you give me stone. So where is the capacity to satisfy the starving? I am starving for rice. You cannot give me. Why do you propose like that, that you can satisfy the starving man. You cannot do that. You are talking nonsense. Can you satisfy everyone? Somebody is starving for knowledge. So how you can... This bluff will not satisfy him. So where is the question of starving, satisfying the starving? It is not possible. Unless he is satisfied, nobody can satisfy others. That satisfaction is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:
American Man: I do not speak of God; I speak of light.
Prabhupāda: Then you do not know God. You accept one position.
American Man: I say there is light.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. But you do not know whether light is God.
American Man: What is God? Explain to me what is God.
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Talk with him. He'll simply waste my time.
American Man: If you can explain to me what is God, I would appreciate it.
Prabhupāda: Just go and take him. You go and he'll explain to you, please.
American Man: He cannot explain to me.
Prabhupāda: Then you go away. Please. What can I do?
American Man: It's as you wish.
Prabhupāda: I cannot waste.
American Man: If you cannot explain to me what is God... I speak of light, so...
Prabhupāda: But you know everything. What can I explain? You know everything.
American Man: I speak of light. I don't say I know everything, but I speak of light, that's all. That's all I said.
Dhanañjaya: You're wasting our spiritual master's time. What is the point in coming here if you're just going to talk nonsense? Please come.
American Man: Oh, I'll come. (leaves)
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:
Pañcadraviḍa: In France they went to the Queen a long time ago, and they said, "The people don't have bread." So she said, "Let them eat cake." And they did not like this. So...
Prabhupāda: These are all stories. Don't indulge in stories. Just try to find out the real fact from śāstra. Therefore śāstra... Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). Leaving aside the śāstra, if one talks nonsense...
Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:
Pañcadraviḍa: They clam, then, unless you speak Sanskrit, you have to interpret Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: No, that means if you are a nonsense, you better remain silent. Don't interpret. It is better not to talk than to talk nonsense. What is the meaning of that interpretation. If you do not know Sanskrit, stop speaking. Why do you make imagination?
Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:
Amogha: But they say they can prove that there are chemicals...
Prabhupāda: You prove it. You take the chemicals and prove-produce life. Why do you talk nonsense? First of all prove. You did not produce a life, even an ant, in the laboratory, and still you say life is a combination of chemicals. Why do you say like that? Challenge them.
Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:
Paramahaṁsa: Well, we accept that we don't know, but we are trying to learn.
Prabhupāda: Then if you don't know, why do you talk nonsense? First of all you know, then talk. That is science.
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: You are talking words. You are not beyond.
Amogha: Then they should not talk anything.
Prabhupāda: "Please stop your talking because you are not beyond, you are talking also like me."
Paramahaṁsa: They say that the Absolute Truth is beyond words. That way we don't have to explain anything about it.
Prabhupāda: So we don't say beyond words. You say. But you are talking, therefore you cannot speak about Absolute Truth.
Amogha: Well, they don't.
Paramahaṁsa: They only talk nonsense.
Amogha: They don't like to argue about the Absolute Truth. They'll only talk nonsense.
Prabhupāda: Why you are holding meetings? Big, big meeting arrangements, why do you make?
Amogha: Well, they hold the meeting and they say, "You come to us and take knowledge," that's all.
Room Coversation with Psychiatrist and Indian Boy -- May 12, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: There is ghost. And sometimes ghost attacks a man. Because he has no material body, he wants to act through other's body. So the man who is attacked, he forgets himself, and he speaks and walks according to the dictation of the ghost. That is called ghostly haunted man.
Śrutakīrti: What is the significance of... What is this?
Prabhupāda: He talks nonsense. Suppose his father comes before him, he calls him by ill names, like that. He talks nonsense. So anyone who is too much materially affected, he also talks nonsense. Anartha upāsamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The treatment is bhakti-yoga. That we are teaching. Without any exception, we accept everyone a patient for psychiatric treatment.
Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:
Harikeśa: They use all these things to argue that they actually did go to the moon.
Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of argument if they have stopped? That is failure. Don't talk nonsense anymore. Phalena paricīyate. By the result we have to understand. Your result is you are failure. Then what is the use of talking nonsense? Stop this nonsense.
Morning Walk -- July 10, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Yesterday we saw in the television how these rascals are wasting time, talking nonsense. There was nothing, valuable talk. Foot... No, no, hand... What is that? Handprint? And the addicted murder? That was the case?
Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order is yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Don't talk nonsense. Whomever you meet, if you want to become a leader and talk something, talk Kṛṣṇa-kathā, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'..., what Kṛṣṇa has said. Then satisfy your ambition to become a talker. Otherwise, you rascal, remain a talker only. You talk only; you get nothing. If you want to utilize your talking power, then talk what Kṛṣṇa has instructed. Then your life will be successful. And if you talk foolishly, then you will be revealed as a rascal. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāsate: "A rascal fool is so long beautiful as long he does not speak. As soon as he speaks, then he is revealed that he is a rascal." So don't talk this. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkha. You can dress yourself, very nice gentleman. People will res...But as soon as you talk nonsense—"Oh, here is a rascal," that's all. That is going on. They are... In the name of scientist, philosopher, they are talking nonsense and exposing themselves that they are all rascals.
Morning Walk -- July 25, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: We know (?) fact. We accept this earth, water, air, fire, everything. Bhūmir āpo...
Rādhā-vallabha: So we can see this is here.
Prabhupāda: So where..? Our position is: "Wherefrom it came?"
Rādhā-vallabha: Well, we have to test this out scientifically. We can't just accept.
Prabhupāda: No. You say that the water is composition of hydrogen and oxygen. Wherefrom you got this so much hydrogen, oxygen, the Pacific Ocean? There is so much water needed in so many places. Why don't you take chemical and pour water? Why you talk nonsense?
Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The argument is that the scientists are claiming they can do so many big things, but they can’t even manufacture one egg.
Prabhupāda: That's it. And these rascals are talking very big, big words. That has to be stopped, that “Don’t talk nonsense and bluff people and take high salary, simply cheating. Don’t cheat any more. Admit that you cannot do anything. You simply bluff. That's all.” That is to be done.
Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:
Prabhupāda: Incubation. So why don't you make such egg and put it into incubation?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We challenge them like that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then why you are talking nonsense that there is no life? Why you are depending on other life for giving you the egg? So this theory that life comes from chemical, so where it is true? Life is coming from the ... a life.
Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, there are certain scientists that are trying to create life, but they've been unsuccessful.
Prabhupāda: Then why do they talk nonsense, what the nonsense says? This is a very good suggestion, that egg is chemical composition. Make a chemical composition like that. That yellow, what is called?
Devotee (1): Yolk.
Prabhupāda: Yolk. You color it. Some chemical and color it. What is difficulty? Sometimes they say a man is dead because the color of the blood has changed. From red to..., it has become white. So where is the difficulty to make it red again? Do it. Change the color again.
Morning Walk -- October 25, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: "There is no God." So you bring hydrogen, oxygen; create another ocean. Simply talking nonsense. Now, our challenge is "You just get one egg." Can they? Ask any scientist. Can he make one seed which will bring such a big tree? And where is that science? They're all nonsense.
Room Conversation -- October 29, 1975, Nairobi:
Prabhupāda: So all the effects are Kṛṣṇa. But you have no such realization. When you understand that this place is Kṛṣṇa's place, so you can worship Kṛṣṇa, glorify Kṛṣṇa. But if you don't realize that it is Kṛṣṇa's, then you talk nonsense, madman. "This is American property," "It is African property," "It is this. It is that," so many madness. But the śāstra says, iśavāsyam idam, everything Kṛṣṇa's.
Morning Walk -- November 13, 1975, Bombay:
Yaśomatīnandana: And then when we say that a devotee goes to Vaikuṇṭha, this and that, "Oh, Vaikuṇṭha and all those things are just myth, just baloney."
Prabhupāda: You are authority, you rascal. You are authority. Everything is myth, you are simply truth. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.
Harikeśa: Reality and...
Prabhupāda: Where everything is myth, then why you are truth? You are also myth. Everything is myth, so you are also myth. What is the use of talking nonsense?
Morning Walk -- November 14, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: (break) ...understanding Kṛṣṇa's position, if one... Kṛṣṇa...
Dr. Patel: They are talking nonsense about rasa-līlā.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- November 16, 1975, Bombay:
Girirāja: He said, "We don't know where the ingredients came from, but we're sure that there's..."
Prabhupāda: Then why do you talk nonsense? (laughter) That is another rascal. You do not know. Then what is the use of talking nonsense? You do not know wherefrom these ingredients came. That is nonsense. Our answer is, Kṛṣṇa reveals, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "The ingredients coming from Me." Now make experiment how the ingredients are coming.
Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:
Tejās: They say it's a chemical interaction.
Prabhupāda: What is that chemical? Eh? Why talk nonsense? Chemical reaction? Bring that chemical and let him hear again. What is the answer? Why do they say nonsense which he does not know? Chemical reaction, if it is chemical reaction, bring chemical and inject it. What is the answer?
Morning Walk -- November 29, 1975, Delhi:
Harikeśa: That chemical is very complicated. They haven't found...
Prabhupāda: Then you do not know. First of all admit you are talking nonsense. The chemical you do not know. Still you are talking nonsense. Therefore you are rascal. Why do you talk nonsense if you do not know? What is the answer? If you do not know, why do you talk just like wise man? Then you are a nonsense. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś... (BG 2.11). You are talking like a very learned scientist, but you are a rascal, fool. Challenge them like that.
Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:
Harikeśa: Chinmayananda, when he lectures, he only lectures on the verses that are important. He says all the other ones, they're not really important. He picks out the ones that count.
Prabhupāda: So why don't you cut his head and say that "It is not important. You are talking nonsense. Cut your head."
Indian man: He don't give any commentary on verses, even important commentary, he speak all nonsense.
Prabhupāda: No, therefore you say, "This head is not required. You are talking nonsense," and cut his head.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1975, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: No, no one is freezing. That is you are speaking but they are not freezing. Even int the coldest part of the country, Greenland, the animals are living quite nicely. The birds and many animals.
Hari-śauri: But if we preach like that to them, then they'll say 'then what's wrong with becoming an animal then'?
Prabhupāda: Huh? But you are less than an animal. Talking nonsense. Put forward the problems, summarise janma-mṛtyu-jar-vyādhi solve these problems.
Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: What he says, sir...
Prabhupāda: No, no. I am not argument about him. I mean to say, Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava should be always duḥkhī for others. Vaiṣṇava personally, he has no duḥkha. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja says, naivodhvije para duratyay vaitaranyas tvad-viya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittaḥ, soce tato vimukh-cetasa. They are simply anxious for the persons who are godless. That is their... Even they are godless, even they are enemy of the devotee, still Vaiṣṇava thinks, "How I can correct him?" Not that "He's my enemy. Let him die." "How I shall correct him?" That is Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He is under ignorance, he is talking nonsense—"How shall I correct him?" That is missionary spirit.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:
Prabhupāda: (break) What is the use of becoming silent? What is the utility?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For people who are rascals it is a very good idea. Then they won't talk nonsense.
Prabhupāda: Yes. For them it is all right.
Mahāmṣa: It is good for them.
Prabhupāda: Because they cannot speak anything good, better remain silent.
Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: ...can you think about the living pulse which is beating, the heart, heart failure? Why don't you bring it into palpitation again? If you study that air.... You are.... Air you bring artificially. Push it. Why don't you do it if you are so great scientist? Is it very difficult? So in anything, air is fi.... Just like in the tire tube. Air is finished. Push it, air. It is all right. So do you think it is air, the palpitation? You are so foolish? And passing as a scientist. Air can be replaced. It is difficult? Just like tire tube air, a huge quantity to work. You immediately, within a second.... So why do you say, "Now, now the breathing is stopped." Breathing is stopped, air stopped. What is their answer? Hm?
Guru-kṛpā: They have no answer.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The cells have died.
Prabhupāda: Seller?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Tiny cells in the body have died.
Prabhupāda: Then don't say that "Breathing is stopped. Therefore he is dead." Don't talk nonsense. Why do you talk like that, "Now breathing is stopped. He's dead"? Talk in right language if you are scientist. Why you are talking like that, "The air is stopped. The breathing is stopped. Therefore dead"? That's not a fact. So you are stating which is not a fact. Why you claim that you are scientist? That is the challenge. Hm? Then again you come to the blood. What is blood? Red water. So if you say that this, that, so many jugglery of words, so manufacture. Water mix with the red color and give these, these so many rascal things.
Morning Walk -- May 25, 1976, Honolulu:
Devotee (3): That is to say that to understand the universe may be difficult. So therefore then they try to explain...
Prabhupāda: If you can stop, don't talk. "Why you are talking like nonsense?" If it is difficult, accept it; don't talk. Take difficult things and talk nonsense.
Devotee (3): Because they all have a yearning to want to know these things. They all have a yearning to want to know these things about the mystery of the universe.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But you know from the proper person. As you are very much eager to teach us, similarly, you learn; you can teach. Why do you talk nonsense without learning? You are scientist. You have to teach me. But from which scientist you have learned? So anyone can say something nonsense and become a teacher? Not teacher, but cheater.
Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: One is seeing through this gross body, another seeing through the subtle body, but the seer is the same. Transmigration of the soul means, when he's seeing through.... That is practical. The child, when he's seeing through the childish body, he's talking nonsense. The same soul, when he's talking as an elderly person, he's talking beautiful (indistinct). The seer is the same, simply the glass is changed. Sometimes blue, sometimes red. (break) Seer is the same, medium is different. That you have.... And dead body means the seer is no longer there. It has entered another body.
Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. Ask all scientists this simple question. Why, all over the world, Sunday, sun first and moon second? Why? And Saturday last. All of you could not answer this question. (devotees laugh)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have stumped us.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali verse) Baḍo baḍo bānare, baḍo baḍo peṭa, laṅkā dingahe manamarā heṅṭa(?). "Big, big monkey, big, big belly. Ceylon jumping, melancholy."
Hṛdayānanda: We are all big monkeys.
Candanācārya: How are they able to perpetuate such an enormous hoax?
Prabhupāda: Enormous hoax for the fools, not for the intelligent persons.
Hari-śauri: They never fooled you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Hari-śauri: They never fooled you. (Prabhupāda laughs)
Candanācārya: That means that some people must know the actual truth about the hoax in the American system, so if we can find them...
Prabhupāda: So you are knowing that. State it.
Rāmeśvara: In other words, is it, is it that there is deliberate trick? It is deliberate.
Prabhupāda: Ahh, it may not be deliberate, but they are fools. They are talking nonsense. That's all.
Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:
Rāmeśvara: Just like abortion. They have a process to take the egg from the hen, and they make sure that the egg will not grow into a chicken. It is like an abortion.
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.
Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:
Nalinīkaṇṭha: When I'm liberated, I'll be able to answer you.
Prabhupāda: If you are not liberated, why you are talking nonsense? Then you are a nonsense. You are not liberated, you cannot talk correct things. Don't talk. If you are not liberated, whatever you are talking, you are nonsense. So why you are misleading people? First of all, be liberated, then talk.
Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpaḥ, and talking nonsense. No use, you are talking together for hours, what is the use? Prajalpa, it is called prajalpa.
Magazine Interview -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: But that, they cannot do it. They cannot make any dull matter moving by chemical combination. Although they cannot do it, still they talk of it. That is another foolishness. We say that you.... Egg, everyone can see some white matter, some yellow matter, and some covering, plasticlike. So a chemical, mostly chemicals are white. So combine the chemicals and make white and cover it with plastic and give it to the incubator. Why the chicken is not coming? Hm? And why they talk nonsense that it is a chemical combination? They cannot experiment it, neither they can do it, and still they'll talk nonsense. What do you think?
Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Rādhāvallabha: ...the body moves because of the presence of the soul. The scientists say that the body moves due to electronic impulses from the brain that cause the muscles to contract.
Prabhupāda: Rascal, why don't you produce it? Why you talk nonsense?
Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Hari-śauri: The only discoveries they have made so far are how to kill people quicker.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Is there any discovery that here is a pill, you go on taking it, you'll not die before hundred years? Is there any discovery? Then what is the use of talking nonsense? They are reducing their life, that's a fact. And so far as mercy is concerned, we see how much it is reduced. The mother is killing child. Where is mercy now? So they may say anything like madman, but we see practically what is happening.
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that those who are vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, who have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, automatically achieve the results of mauna (silence), vrata (vows), and other such methods, simply by discharging devotional service."
Prabhupāda: Take, for example, mauna. Mauna means don't talk rubbish. It is better not to talk than to talk foolish. So mauna is meant for them who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop talking. Mauna-vrata. Because he does not know Kṛṣṇa, he'll talk all nonsense. So sometimes the spiritual master says that "You remain silent for twelve years." So (laughter) instead of talking nonsense, you remain silent for twelve years. That is mauna. Because as soon as you'll talk, you'll be captured where you are. Better not to talk. This is mauna-vrata. But one who is devotee, why he'll not...? He'll talk about Kṛṣṇa. Vācāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Always talking about Kṛṣṇa. Why he should be silent? If he remains silent, then people will not get the benefit. Let him speak always of Kṛṣṇa.
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: If you have engaged your mind in Kṛṣṇa, the mind is the king of senses; then your senses cannot be misled. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Then if your mind is always in Kṛṣṇa, man-mana bhava mad bhakto, then what you'll speak except Kṛṣṇa? If you speak nonsense, that means your mind is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa. The mind is the center of all sensual activities. So if your mind is always in Kṛṣṇa, how we can talk nonsense? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. He'll be always engaged in talking about Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. So if we keep our mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no question of mauna, because we'll have to talk about Kṛṣṇa.
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Don't waste time. You are ignorant, you are accepting. Don't remain ignorant. It is common sense. Is it so easy that one can talk with God? If some common man says "Just now I went to Mr. Ford, and talked with him. I'm coming back from him." So any gentleman will believe that? So these are our insufficiency that we believe such things. We are not properly trained up. Simply waste time. That's not good. He may talk nonsense. Why I shall accept nonsense? The same example. If somebody comes, "Now I'm just coming from talking with Mr. Ford, the President." Shall I have to believe? He's a common man. How he can talk with President Ford? If I believe, then I am also nonsense.
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: No, no, bring, you can bring some soft cloth. Why this is, you bring some soft cloth. So don't indulge such nonsense question. You must personally understand. That is knowledge. If you are reading Bhagavad-gītā, how you can accept nonsense, he says that "I can talk with Kṛṣṇa without spiritual master." It is absurd proposition. So why you should accept such absurd proposition unless you are also another absurd? If you knew that it is not possible, you "You rascal." Don't talk with him. Don't waste time. But you also do not know with whom God talks. Clearly stated. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ (BG 10.10). Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Why don't you read all these proposals? With whom God talks? Hmm? Why did you not?
Devotee (2): I'm familiar with those verses.
Prabhupāda: Then why did you not say "God talks with such and such person, but you are not such and such. Why you are talking nonsense? That means you are cheating. But you cannot cheat me. I know." So you must know. You must know with whom God talks.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Tapasya means in diet, in practice, in behavior, in dealing, and so on, so on. Everything there is tapasya. That is all described. Mental tapasya, bodily tapasya, and what is called? Word? Just like vāco-vegam, this is tapasya. You cannot talk nonsense. You want to talk something nonsense, but according to... So they don't talk nonsense. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvar... If you talk, you must talk about Kṛṣṇa.
Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Challenge. "That we cannot say." As soon as you say "Make an egg," "That we cannot say." And they'll chant "Chemical evolution, chemical evolution" and get Nobel Prize. Rascals. But how the people are so foolish that they believe in this?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Without spiritual master there is nothing they can say.
Prabhupāda: This is very simple. You see everything, white and yellow. Produce. Chemicals are white. Some chemicals are yellow also. Just like hydroform(?). It is yellow. And soda bicarb, white, or potash cyanide is white. So you have got so many chemicals, combine and pack it in a cell, and put underneath the incubator. Why rascal do not do this? Beat them with shoes. "Rascal, you are cheating in this way." Beat them with shoes. That's all. That is the only punishment.
Hari-śauri: Yeah, that's too good.
Prabhupāda: Hundreds of men demand them, that "Do it, otherwise don't talk nonsense. If you talk nonsense, then we will beat you with all our shoes." Then they'll stop all this nonsense talk. There is no punishment for their cheating and taking money.
Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: Chicken is giving life to the egg within five days, and you are scientist, you have to wait for millions of years. So chicken is better than you. (laughter) Why, rascal, you claim as scientist? Better, a chicken is better than you. Chicken is giving just after sitting on the egg. In five days, there is living entity. You rascal, you have to wait. So why you talk? Better don't talk. It is better not to talk than to talk foolish. Where is the scientist?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they don't talk, then don't get jobs.
Prabhupāda: That's it. Then they'll say plainly that "I'm hungry; give some food. Then I'll not talk nonsense. Give me some food." That's all. Take it. Tell the truth.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: If they talk these things, they can get money from the government, millions of dollars.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. So instead of talking all nonsense, tell freely that "I am hungry, give me some food."
Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: Instead of talking nonsense, if you talk about Kṛṣṇa, then it is properly utilizing the tongue.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Viśākhā: They deny that there is someone with perfect senses.
Prabhupāda: So they may, but we have got. Our knowledge is paramparā. That Kṛṣṇa says, whatever He says is all right. Kṛṣṇa is not common man, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). He's not man at all He's Supreme Personality of Godhead. Abhijñaḥ. Experience in everything.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We agree that we have more limited senses...
Prabhupāda: He's a scientist, he knows.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Scientists also, when we talk together...
Prabhupāda: They know that they're talking nonsense, but they still want to cheat, to get their salary, that's all. This is the position.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: No, they cannot make mosquito. They can make 747.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They can make a sample like mosquito.
Prabhupāda: No... They cannot, they cannot. That is my challenge. That first of all you bring life from the egg. You prepare a egg composition, and put it in the incubator and let some living entity come out. So can they do it? So why they will speak all nonsense?
Yadubara: They admit they can't do it.
Prabhupāda: Then they are rascal. What they cannot do, they're speaking lots of and getting Nobel prize.
Yadubara: They say how in the future they can.
Prabhupāda: How cheating.
Devotee (2): You said the chicken can do it.
Prabhupāda: Yeah.
Devotee (2): But they cannot.
Prabhupāda: No.
Devotee (2): Therefore a chicken, he is greater than you.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Chicken can do. What do you think?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. The very best way to... I want to use that as an example next time when we preach.
Prabhupāda: But a chicken is better than you. Don't talk nonsense. (laughter) Chicken is already doing in his way. You'll see he's laying down, chemical egg, and fermenting, and within week come. So he's better than you.
Yadubara: They'll say that we can also do that, we can also produce child.
Prabhupāda: Hm? You can, but you, rascal, you've never done it, simply speak.
Yadubara: No, I mean, they can produce children also by sex life.
Prabhupāda: But that is not your laboratory children. That is God's children. That is another thing. That is not your laboratory children. You want to produce children in laboratory? Then do that. That is our challenge.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: There are many good things that they have done.
Prabhupāda: That we already admitted. That I can see ten feet, let me credit, take credit for that. But why shall I say, "I can see the whole universe." What is this nonsense? Speak the truth. "Now we have manufactured machine, and this, I have calculation that..." All talking nonsense. I say it is not possible for you to see beyond ten feet. Why you are claiming that you can see the whole sky? That is our protest. You can see ten feet, take that credit, that much. If somebody manufactures the electric lamp, all right. Take this. But if he says, "I can manufacture the sun." Then he is to be beaten with shoes. Talking nonsense. You take this credit, that you have manufactured light in electric bulb, that's all right. But why you claim that, "I can manufacture the sun"? That is their claim, defying God. Because we are explaining God consciousness, therefore we have protest. Otherwise let them move(?), all nonsense (indistinct). But we cannot tolerate when they challenge God.
Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:
Prabhupāda: When they try to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, His glory, then the Ph.D. is perfect. And if continues to talk nonsense, then it is useless waste of time and labor.
Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They keep it for the future. They postpone.
Prabhupāda: That is postdated check. "You take this million dollar check." "When shall I use it?" "After millions year you can cash it." This kind of propaganda no sane man will accept.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's like chemical evolution. Million years it will happen.
Prabhupāda: Billion.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in a million years.
Prabhupāda: Then the answer is the chicken is better than you. He can give you life within seven days. Dr. Chicken is better... They are shameless. Not ordinary, because ordinary a human being will become shameful to speak something nonsense. But they are shameless. In that Bengali, duḥkhānvita(?) One man, one ear was cut off. So in order to hide his cut-off ear he was keeping this side to the river side and this side to the habitation side. So then again his two ears were cut out. Then there is no question of hiding. Both of them were cut out. So these people are duḥkhānvita. When both the ears cut out, there is no shame. They will go on talking all nonsense. Because they are accepted. So many millions of years have passed in the history, nobody could do that, and they are giving hope that life will come after millions of years. Why million? Here is a chicken, he can give life within five days. What credit you'll get after millions of years? But they are duḥkhānvita.(?)So shameless they can speak such nonsense and still pass on as scientists. Tibocham,(?) I think. Duḥkhānvita. No shame, you do not feel that why you are talking nonsense. Am I right or wrong? Here is a chicken, insignificant animal, he is giving life within five days, and we are talking of millions of years, and still we are scientist, Dr. Frog.
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: Throughout the whole world, find out any institution or university where this education is given. No. Simply big, big talks. And you talk something nonsense and take laureate, Nobel Laureate. That's all. It is going on. Somebody is talking nonsense that life is produced from matter, from chemicals, and if we challenge, "All right, combine some matter in egg form and bring life," that rascal will say, "No, it will take millions of years." And if the bird is giving life in five days, why you are taking doctorate title? Give the chicken doctorate title. The rascals are simply bluffing the people. This is going on in the name of education. Can anyone produce life by a combination of chemicals? And these rascals are advertising. We challenge, "All right, not very big thing. Egg, you can see there is some white substance and yellow substance, and you are very big scientist, you find out what are the chemicals and combine it and put it under legs of the chicken or in the incubator and bring life. Otherwise, why you are talking nonsense and cheating people?" Not only cheating people, people are becoming godless. Everything is science. And the science is this, cheating, that life can be produced by chemicals.
Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very interesting if we can throw some mathematics. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: No, you can challenge them with this, that "Why don't you prepare a chemical egg and give it to the incubator and let life come? If you cannot do that, then don't talk nonsense." This is simple thing. Analyze, take a sparrow's egg, small, analyze what chemicals there are, and combine in the same way. Why they do not do that?
Rūpānuga: It's too hard.
Prabhupāda: Then why do they talk nonsense? You stress on this point. If they say "Yes, we shall do after millions of years," then he should be challenged that "You give up your title, 'Doctor' let the sparrow take it. He's doing. You give up, nonsense, your title. Don't talk nonsense. The sparrow, without taking any doctorate title, he's doing that. So what is the value of your doctorate title?" Challenge him. Seriously challenge. This point you present, they cannot do it, it is certain. It is not possible to be done like that. Spirit soul is different complete from the matter. They have to acknowledge it.
Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:
Prabhupāda: The hippies, their whole sect-mad. Pramattaḥ. Then so-called businessmen, so-called scientist, so-called philosopher—everyone is mad. And kurute vikarma, all sinful activities, especially the slaughterhouse, horrible. Everyone is taking share of these sinful activities. They're fighting amongst themselves, this party, that party, communist party, fascist party, then barking in the United Nation and so on, so on. All mad. At least we must know it. Or we are talking nonsense; they are all right.
Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: It is better to remain a fool before the ācārya. Then he'll make progress. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). "My guru saw Me a fool number one, and he has chastised Me." When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "You are a sannyāsī, You are simply chanting," so He replied like that: guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana, "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one. Therefore he has said, 'You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You rascal, You cannot do anything.' So I am doing like that." He said that. He represented Himself a representative of the fools and rascals. So kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. This is the only business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you gradually come to your original sense. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). It is very easy thing. People will not take it. They want to see magic, they want to see jugglery, they want to hear all nonsense. This is the... If you talk nonsense, cheating them, they will like it.
Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Famine is punishment from the side of nature. She'll not supply to the rākṣasas. That is a punishment. Otherwise, there is no question of population. You may have as many... Just like the birds and beasts. They do not care for... They have got enough food. But they do not violate the laws of the nature.
Harikeśa: One may argue that in nature there is this leveling out of the species, that one species kills another off so that the population is maintained at the proper level.
Prabhupāda: No species killed by another species. It is rascal proposal.
Harikeśa: Well, members of the species are killed by...
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. Jīvasya jīva... jivo jīvanam. One animal is eating another animal. That is another thing. But that does not mean species finished. That is nonsense.
Harikeśa: No, I didn't mean. So the human being, the animals can't kill off the human being so that the people have to do it.
Prabhupāda: Huh? What is that?
Harikeśa: The people have to do it to maintain the population level. We have to kill some of the children so that it doesn't become out of control, like the animals do it.
Prabhupāda: You are less than animal. You are greatest animal. You want to kill your children.
Vāsu Ghoṣa: But they have no life. There is only you know an amoeba in the womb.
Prabhupāda: Don't talk nonsense, waste time. All rascals proposal. Don't indulge in this rascal theory.
Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:
Prabhupāda: It is a great credit that I am selling my books and bringing ten lakhs of rupees from foreign country in India.
Krishna Modi: That we will speak. And his mind is very clear. Brahmānanda his mind is very clear, very clear, and he is appreciating. And he is in our favor 100%.
Prabhupāda: Even not in our favor. I am working hard in foreign countries and bringing money to India. You should give us some credit. But instead of giving credit, I am being criticized in the Parliament.
Krishna Modi: They are putting like this. They are putting this case like that, that foreign money is coming here to advertise the American embassies, like that. They are that talking like that.
Prabhupāda: They may talk nonsense, but this is the fact. This is the fact. I have got my Book Trust Fund and I've advised regularly to send eight lakhs of rupees per month. That is being spent in Bombay, in... I'm not collecting from here.
Krishna Modi: That is correct.
Prabhupāda: So if an Indian brings from foreign country by his labor eight lakhs of rupees per month, how much credit he should be given? He should be recognized. But instead of recognizing they are criticizing.
Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:
Prabhupāda: So anyone who does not serve the whole, part and whole, he is diseased. He is not in normal condition. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Therefore because we have forgotten this relationship with God, declared ourself as God, that is diseased condition. Therefore God comes and He orders, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). "Surrender unto Me. Don't talk nonsense." That is God. So when we agree, that is our perfection. Not to artificially become God, but to agree to serve God. That is liberation.
Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: All the big, big secretaries, under-secretaries, governors... There was no minister, all European, only some clerks. So what is the use of clerks' noncooperation? They didn't care. And in order to pat Gandhi, the governor sometimes used to invite him. "Sir, you are so powerful. Kindly stop this movement." And Gandhi became puffed-up that the Britishers are very afraid of him. "No! I shall do." And Subash Bose insisting, "In this way, they'll never go by this nonviolent."
Guest (1): Human nature as it is, you can't... Unless there is some sort of a compulsion, whether in spiritual...
Prabhupāda: And in politics, might is right.
Guest (1): Of course. Survival of the fittest.
Prabhupāda: Yes. In politics you cannot become...
Guest (1): A sādhu. It is absurd. (laughing)
Prabhupāda: That is absurd.
Guest (1): Two contradictory terms.
Prabhupāda: Therefore Arjuna was ridiculed. "What is this nonsense?" Kutas tvā kaśmalam idam: "You have come to fight. You are talking nonsense, that 'I will not fight.' " Kṛṣṇa did not approve.
Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: We also admit the forms of life begins from the ocean. Then plants. As soon as the water is dried, there are plants, trees. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Sthāvara means "the life which cannot move." So the trees, plants, grass, they cannot move. Then insects, then reptiles, then birds, then beast, then human being. In this way the living entity is changing body. So what is the difficulty?
Devotee (1): But they say that the human body developed right from these other bodies. In other words...
Prabhupāda: Evolution, from beast human body has come. That is the difference? Even there is difference, what is the idea?
Devotee (1): Well, they maintain that therefore man was not created by God, but simply by chemicals.
Prabhupāda: Rascals! Wherefrom the life came first? Wherefrom the life came from? When you find life in the water, wherefrom this life came?
Devotee (1): They say originally it came from chemicals that came together.
Prabhupāda: Rascal! Create from chemicals. Otherwise, beat them with shoes in their mouth. Why you talk nonsense? Create from chemicals, life.
Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: You are taking Bhagavad-gītā, the leader is taking Bhagavad-gītā, and he's speaking nonsense. So we are human beings, we should know what Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The paramparā, whether he's speaking paramparā or he's speaking whimsically. That much sense we must have. Otherwise, I am the same sheep. Then why you are speaking which is not in the paramparā? at least, you should be... Now this movement is started, because on this principle, That why these rascals are speaking not in the paramparā? That is my seed of starting this movement. I must start the movement. That is the impetus of this movement, that they must speak according to the paramparā. And someone allowed them to speak otherwise. Therefore I wrote this book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't make interpretations. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa it has become to some extent successful. That is the impetus. Why they should talk nonsense?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:
Yogi Amrit Desai: Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā is our Deities. My guru is Swami Kripalu-anandi. He is in... Near Baroda he has an āśrama. He practiced his sādhana for twenty-seven years, and twelve years was complete silence. The last few years he is speaking once or twice a year because many people request.
Prabhupāda: He's not chanting?
Yogi Amrit Desai: He chants. During his silence, his chanting is allowed. Because when he says... When you say the name of the Lord, that is not called breaking the silence. So he chants.
Prabhupāda: Silence means we shall not talk nonsense. We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is silence. Instead of wasting time, talking on this material thing, let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is positive. And the silence is negative. Stop nonsense; speak sense.
Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Recently in California University one professor came. He has gained the Nobel Prize, Chemical Evolution. They are trying to prove that life is generated by chemical evolution. So in that meeting I had my one student. He's Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He's also big chemist. So he knows. He talks with me. He has got the idea. He has written one book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So he challenged that "Suppose if I give you the chemicals, can you produce life?" The answer—"That I cannot say." Why he talks nonsense? He is theorizing that life is made of chemicals, but if you give the chemicals, why you cannot make life?
Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Guest (10) (Indian man): Prabhupāda, surrender, sar..., word, if you can give us a full explanation of the word surrender. What's the meaning of surrender and how one should do it? Basis of surrender.
Prabhupāda: Surrender, this is surrender, that... First of all, why you surrender? You must know it perfectly well that "Kṛṣṇa is master; I am servant." Otherwise there is no question of surrender. Then you have to believe that "Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So now I have surrendered. I have no more fear. Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." To believe firmly... "Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. Kṛṣṇa is my master. He is not a fakir, that He's talking nonsense." We have to believe that. This is surrender. If you think, "Kṛṣṇa is another fakir like me. He's talking nonsense," then that is not surrender. You have to believe that. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that śraddhā śabde viśvāsa niścaya. This is śraddhā. Sraddha is the beginning. That śraddhā means when you firmly believe in Kṛṣṇa: "Yes, He'll give me protection." That is surrender.
Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without bhakti. And this is bhakti, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (CC Madhya 19.167). So they have got full of anyābhilāṣa, jñāna-karma, so they are not bhaktas; they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They are talking nonsense. This is the position.
Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: This is a worldwide movement. And feeling our pressure. There is obstruction, therefore. And it is genuine. There is no doubt about it. No doubt about it. We are not going to be defeated. I am confident. And with this confidence I went to your country that "Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu's..." That is substance. "So many rascals are going and talking nonsense. They are becoming successful. Why not Caitanya Mahāprabhu?" That was my confi... Otherwise I never expected that I shall be able to write so many books and it will be so much appreciated. It is wonderful appreciation. Is it not?
Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Satsvarūpa: You were asking yesterday what are some of the charges that the opposing party makes against us. That's another one, that we follow absolute authority, your authority and also in the temples, that the temple president or leaders, they have authority, and this is not healthy psychology, that we should...
Prabhupāda: Why you come to pose your authority? If authority is not good, then why do you come to instruct your authority? Hm? The same thing, eh, change from one authority to another authority.
Satsvarūpa: But I don't say you have to accept me absolutely as...
Prabhupāda: Then why do you speak nonsense then, if I haven't got to accept you? What is the use of speaking all nonsense? If nobody accepts you, then why do you talk nonsense? Somebody's selling something, and if he says, "Don't purchase it," then what is the use of... (laughs) All contradiction. After all, they are nonsense.
Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. The chemical composition of the egg can be synthesized.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. I say that you do it, and make it egg-shaped, and now we have... What is called? Incubator?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Incubation.
Prabhupāda: Incubation, and get. Why take the egg from the chicken?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They can make the chemicals, but life cannot come out of that.
Prabhupāda: Then why do you say that life comes from chemicals? Why do you make this false propaganda? That is our protest. You cannot do, it and still you make false propaganda.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: In principle... Last month in December, this Khorana... He's from M.I.T., the Indian who got Nobel Prize a few years ago. He's one of the big scientists in this, called, molecular biology. Actually he synthesized this code gene, one of the small fragments of... They're called DNA molecule. It's supposed to be the molecule for all living systems. So the promise was about ten years ago...
Prabhupāda: Again promise. That promise we don't want.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, the promise was about ten years ago that once they synthesized this gene, complete synthesis, then they'll be able to make life...
Prabhupāda: "They will be." Again promise.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...in the test tube. But it's not working. They have synthesized now.
Prabhupāda: Then why do you talk nonsense if it is not working? Therefore you are nonsense.
Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, there's one member from here from India, he's in Bombay, that Atomic Research Institute. He's one of the (indistinct) members in this study of the origin of life from chemicals. And if it's possible we would like to give a lecture there in the...
Prabhupāda: He is talking nonsense also?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: All of them.
Prabhupāda: A nonsense society. "International Society of Nonsense."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Their theory is that they know this much...
Prabhupāda: I think, perhaps, we have detected first that these are rascals.
Gurukṛpā: You have detected.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Gurukṛpā: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Nobody before tried to... (chuckling) So...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Nobody's saying as boldly as Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So if I would not have students like you, they would have taken me as crazy man. But now I have engaged you to prove them rascals. That is my ambition.
Train Conversation -- February 4, 1977, Calcutta:
Prabhupāda: "...prefer that I do not see the face of nondevotee."
Hari-śauri: You quote that in the Nectar of Devotion.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually yes. This society, modern, it is very painful to see even their face. They have fallen so much down that by seeing their face you become polluted. Last night they disturbed so much. And they are happy.
Hari-śauri: Actually they're not happy, but they make a show of happiness.
Prabhupāda: No, they think they're happy. They think they are very happy. They're enjoying life.
Satsvarūpa: But we have to take the risk to go and see their face, to preach to them.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But if you are engaged in preaching, you are not affected. (break) ...Himalaya just to avoid seeing the face of the vicious.
Satsvarūpa: In Bhagavad-gītā one of the items of knowledge is to go to a solitary place...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: ...and avoid the congested...
Prabhupāda: Practice yoga—solitary place, sacred and solitary. What is this circle we see in morning? Simply "Cāi, cāi, cāi." And cigarette, biḍi, and talking nonsense, drinking, no arrangement. Vedic system, still in India in morning they take bath, in the villages. In the cities also, those who come from village, you'll find in Bombay this side, many poor men, they're taking early in the morning bathing. You have seen that?
Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Although nonviolence is a very good word, but who can accept it? We don't say such rascal things, imagination. We introduce Kṛṣṇa, encouraging, "Fight!" Nonsense nonviolence. (chuckles) "Kṣatriya, you should fight. Don't talk nonsense." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idam. "What kind of talking you are doing? You're My friend." And he wanted to introduce nonviolence. Where is nonviolence in Gītā? Artificial, all artificial.
Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:
Ādi-keśava: So we'll challenge them like that, "What is this loss of identity? You don't have anything to lose."
Prabhupāda: "Who are you? What is your identification? That you do not know. Rather, we are teaching that identifying yourself with this body, you have lost your identity. That is brain. (pause) If you say 'beyond our intelligence,' that means you have no brain. And we can explain. Therefore we have got brain. (pause) You have so many technical insti..." That I challenged in the M.T. (M.I.T.), that "Where is your..., that technology that when a dead man is stopped, you can replace life by technology? Where is that department?" They could not answer. Technology means the car has stopped. Go to the expert. He will repair it and do the needful. Again you will run on. That is technology. And where is that technology? As soon you say "beyond our intelligence," then don't talk nonsense. Your intelligence is not perfect. So where is your brain? This very point will solve. "You have no brain."
Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Especially in law college. The title is very appropriate. We say "The Laws of Nature." In the law college we speak about the laws of nature and the fundamental principles of knowledge from not only the scientific angle.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: And it's quite appropriate. The theme is...
Prabhupāda: This is verse of Bhagavad-gītā, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You cannot violate the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are strictly under the obligation, or laws of nature. Why you are talking nonsense?
Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is why we rejected our so-called religious heritage. We could see that there was no substance to it. And the leaders were just like normal debauchees of any other groups. They weren't spiritual. I used to remember seeing the priests and the rabbis getting drunk, smoking cigarettes, talking nonsense just like everybody else. There was no difference except for the dress.
Prabhupāda: This is everywhere. In India also.
Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In today's paper some scientist from some drug manufacturing company said that "In few years from now we will be able to do heart transplants..."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "...in space." Bluff.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can't even do it here, but they're going to do it in space.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They said there'll be no pressure, so it will be success... They're just bluffing.
Prabhupāda: No, they are thinking that they are speaking the right thing, but to a person who is in knowledge, just like, they'll take, the child is talking knowledge... They are thin... When the child talks, he talks very seriously. But the father laughs. Child does not know that he is talking nonsense. That is their foolishness. They're all nonsense. They do not know they are nonsense. Because "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss"—the whole world full of nonsense and rascals—if you speak something sensible, they'll laugh. He has stated that, that nobody understands even a line of Bhagavad-gītā, I have said?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, in the article in the current news weekly they quoted Prabhupāda as saying that nobody even understands one line of Bhagavad...
Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Adhokṣaje. Yato bhaktiḥ. When you become a devotee, then you'll go.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is required.
Prabhupāda: That is the aim of life. So everything is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And then these unfortunate rascals, they are distorting. What can I do? How to stop it?
Devotee (3): But they will argue, "Why should we accept that there will be a next life?"
Prabhupāda: Rascal, why you are accepting old age? You are young man. You have to accept, become. Why you are accepting, rascal? Answer this.
Devotee (3): I don't know.
Prabhupāda: So then why do you talk nonsense? "Why shall I accept?" You have to accept, nonsense. That is the law of nature. Do you think you'll not become an old man like me? "I'll not accept." You have to accept. So what is the use of saying like that, foolish rascals?
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
Letter to Rayarama -- Calcutta 16 October, 1967:
I have already requested Brahmananda to stop Kirtanananda's speaking at any of our functions till my arrival. If he wants to preach anything he can do it on his own in a different place. Krishna is certainly one and different, but his oneness is stressed by the impersonalists which is distinct from our philosophy. Our philosophy of Krishna's oneness & difference is explained in the 9th ch, 4th verse of B.G. in which it is clearly stated that Krishna is one by distribution of his diverse energies. When Krishna controls his diverse energies he does not become impersonal. If Kirtanananda believes in one-Self, why does he stress the vibration & not the words? Why does he find difference in vibration & words? If he believes in one there is no difference between vibration & words? And why shouldn't one be attached to the chanting? All this means that he has no clear idea & he is talking nonsense. If Kirtanananda does not understand this philosophy then better he should stop speaking nonsense. I can understand his designs but I cannot help because I am far away from the place. I am leaving here with a note to Kirtanananda which you please show him & do the needful.
Letter to Pradyumna -- Calcutta 17 October, 1967:
Regarding Kirtanananda, he is undoubtedly a good soul, but lately he has been attacked by maya; he thinks too much of himself—even at the risk of disobeying his spiritual master & talking nonsense about Krishna. As a man haunted by a ghost talks so much nonsense, so also when a man is overpowered by the illusory energy—maya, also talks all sorts of nonsense.
1970 Correspondence
Letter to Anil Grover -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:
Then, your second question, "If this body is pure soul, then why it gets engaged with worldly matter?" As explained above, the body is not the soul, it gets engaged with worldly matter due to its vitiated consciousness. Just like some of us are thinking that "I am American," or "I am Indian" -- it is due to vitiated consciousness. The real consciousness is that I am eternal servant of Krishna. Or, it is just like a madman who thinks to himself that he is king, he is free to do whatever he likes, and talks nonsense; but a sane man laughs at him.
Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970:
To make noise in front of the Deity means talking nonsense or indulging in useless topics of conversation. Chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is never prohibited. In the Nectar of Devotion you will find all these prohibitions and try to follow them.
Letter to Kenneth -- Los Angeles 1 May, 1970:
I am so glad to receive your letter dated April 1970, and I am so pleased to learn that you are chanting Mahamantra Hare Krishna.
It is very much pleasing that you acknowledge the gifts of Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme Father, and all living entities in all different forms are His sons. He is maintaining everyone. He is supplying food, clothing, shelter to each one of His sons, but those who are Krishna Conscious, they admit the gifts of the Father, and thus try to please the Supreme Father by service.
Unfortunately, the demons do not even acknowledge the gifts from Krishna, and they talk nonsense that there is no God, God is dead, I am God, and similar things. So as you are acknowledging your obligation to Krishna, as well as chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, so I hope Krishna will give you more facilities so that you can become perfect in this very life. It is very easy to achieve such success simply by chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, and let us not miss this great opportunity.
1972 Correspondence
Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Sydney 9 April, 1972:
I have consented to accept Susan Tumminia as my duly initiated disciple, especially as you have recommended her because she never talks nonsense. That silence, or only speaking of Krsna-related subjects, is first sign of the advanced devotee, because a man or woman may be wearing something so that we might think, Oh, he is like this or she is like that, but we cannot really understand what a person is until they speak something words, then we can understand, Oh, this is nonsense, or, here is a devotee.
| Page Title: | Talking nonsense |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas, Labangalatika |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=5, CC=2, OB=2, Lec=77, Con=113, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 206 |