Prabhupāda: As soon as you drive left, you become criminal. Similarly, because we do not know our relationship with God, therefore we are acting wrongly, and therefore, under the laws of God, we are becoming more and more criminal and our problems are increasing. Therefore, in spite of advancement of education, science, civilization, a nice dress, car, and everything, nobody trusts nobody. You see? Everywhere you go, a gentleman's house, oh, "Beware of the dog," "No trespasser allowed." Always suspicious. An individual person is suspicious of another individual person. A nation is suspicious of another nation. A community is suspicious of another community. So how can you have peace and prosperity?
Trust (Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"trust"
|"trusted"
|"trustfully"
|"trusting"
|"trusts"
|"trustworthiness"
|"trustworthy"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Interview with LA Times Reporter About Moon Trip -- December 26, 1968, Los Angeles:
Reporter: If I think the spacesuit is suitable and, say, if I am an astronaut and I land there, I can land there?
Prabhupāda: If it is suitable. First thing that if it is suitable you can land. But to my opinion it is not suitable. Therefore you cannot land.
Reporter: Well... So then you are not saying then that it would be impossible for...
Prabhupāda: That I never say. I say in the beginning that in order to enter moon planet you have to get a suitable type of body. That suitable type of body is not that spacesuit. Therefore the conclusion is that you cannot enter with this spacesuit. Is it clear?
Reporter: That part is clear, but not if other questions are asked.
Prabhupāda: Other questions you may ask. Other, that is future hope. That is not a fact. You are trusting in future that with this spacesuit you will be able to enter there. That you are believing. But similarly, I have got my belief from the authoritative scripture that you cannot.
Reporter: Well, all I know is what they plan to do and what they've done so far. So in view of what they hope to do, that's...
Prabhupāda: Well, that hoping... That hoping also, from practical point of view... Just like the other day the information was they were sixty miles off from the moon planet and still they could not enter. I do not know what kind of statement it is. If you go to some place just sixty miles off from that place and you are trying for so many years, you should be inquisitive. "Oh, let me go there sixty miles further. Let me see."
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- April 27, 1969, Boston:
Haṁsadūta: Maybe you remember Mr. Sini(?) in Montreal?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Haṁsadūta: Well, he approached me just recently. He wants to open a store, Indian store and goods, and he wants the boys in the temple to work there. He wants to make some arrangement so the temple will get some money.
Prabhupāda: He is very cunning man.
Haṁsadūta: Yes, I know. I don't trust him at all.
Prabhupāda: He wants to utilize our men.
Haṁsadūta: Yes. Don't deal with him, right? That's what I thought.
Prabhupāda: He wants a cheap, cheap price. (Break) I don't believe all these things they have... They have come here to beg, to make money. You see? Their mentality cannot be good.
Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:
Hayagrīva: Temple commander.
Prabhupāda: No. Because you president, you can select out of all the workers...
Hayagrīva: Not many.
Prabhupāda: ...who will be nicely representing you. That's your trust.
Hṛṣīkeśa: There will be more workers. More will come. There are more people coming all the time, aren't they?
Hayagrīva: Well, if they'll stay on a permanent basis.
Devotee: Why not? It's such a nice place.
Hayagrīva: Yes, but I mean all this time we only... We don't have... Not many on a permanent basis.
Devotee: You won't be leaving until September. You won't be leaving until September?
Hayagrīva: Well, I don't know. I may. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...Kali-yuga, everything should be managed by society. In Bhāgavata also. Yes.
Hayagrīva: Oh, democracy. In Kali-yuga, democracy.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Society. Body.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- December 21, 1970, Surat:
Guest (3): You can sell, but not in India.
Prabhupāda: No, India, we can sell, but as soon as we sell, oh, there are so many impediments, this tax... We cannot trust.(?) That is next. When we see that we have got enough members, so this money which you pay for our membership, this will be utilized for starting press and reprinting books. Yes. But another difficulty is this class of high class printing you cannot have in India. No. You have seen our Kṛṣṇa Book and Teachings of Lord Caitanya? Any books. Eh?
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of going to (indistinct)? You will die today or tomorrow. That's all. If you want to save yourself, then go to Kṛṣṇa. That is our proposal. (laughter) As soon as you go the (indistinct), he does not fight, do you mean to say you will live forever?
Reporter: No, no, sir. I've got...
Prabhupāda: Then what is the use of telling (indistinct)? Trust Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa so that you may perpetually be saved. Why don't you take that?
Reporter: I was only thinking in terms of collective security, not... I can see your point now.
Prabhupāda: You should know that you are always in danger.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- June 30, 1972, San Diego:
Devotee (1): Last night you said that that man's claim was like a poor man saying, "Yes, I'll become a millionaire."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee (1): "Someday I'll become a millionaire."
Prabhupāda: And he wants the respect of a millionaire immediately, with future tense. Just see. "You give me the respect of a millionaire. I shall become in future a millionaire." What is this nonsense? First of all you become millionaire, then ask the respect. They want the credit beforehand. Trust no future, however pleasant. Why shall I believe you?
Devotee (1): There's a lake over there. There's a pond, we can walk down there.
Prabhupāda: Oh, bridge we are not going to cross? All right.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: So what do you think of this Dr. Sar? As he speaks, it is all right, do you think? Does he speak more than what he is?
Devotee: Is he trustworthy?
Dhanañjaya: Yes, he speaks more than what he is.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
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: So they are all thieves.
Karandhara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So how we, a sane man can trust a thief? A sane man cannot trust a thief. There are so many things. They could not produce even a grass, even a small plant in the biology, chemistry laboratory, and still they're claiming it is product of biology, chemistry. What is this nonsenses. What kind of scientists there are?
Locana: We couldn't even choose when we were born.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Locana: We couldn't even choose being born here.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Bluff. That is a bluff. When that future will come? That they do not know. That is another bluff. And still, they're proud of advancement of knowledge. Still, they're talking of future. And what is your advancement?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So long as the future is there they have a voice to say...
Prabhupāda: Future we cannot trust. Trust no future however pleasant. This is our philosophy. Everyone says that. Trust no future, however pleasant. You may talk that future is very bright, but we don't believe in that. Why future? If you are advanced, immediately...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's old poetry?
Prabhupāda: In the past, you say, in the past the life came out of matter. Why you again say in the future? What is this theory? You have already committed that the life began from matter. That is past, "began." Then why you say now again "future?" Then where is the beginning? Eh? Why this contradiction? If life began from matter, that is past. That is in the past. Then why do you say again future? What is the answer? Is it not contradiction?
Morning Walk -- April 30, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's what they call.
Prabhupāda: Rascals, they are thinking it is advancement. And if he goes to sell the plastic plates, nobody will pay even cent. But one of those metal plate, if he's in difficulty, he can get some money. This is scientific advancement. Instead of gold coins, now there is papers: "I trust in God. We trust in God." Cheating, "We trust in God." Take hundred dollars. And what is this hundred dollars? It is paper. "We trust in God." By the name of God, I give you. And it is scientific. That's all.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They call it convenience.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They call it convenience.
Prabhupāda: Yes, convenience means going to hell. That's all. It is very convenient to go to hell. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything synthetic. Cotton is disappearing.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Corpse, yes. You require everything, full body. You require head, you require arms, you require belly, you require legs. But if you have got simply the belly and legs, then it is a dead body. It cannot work properly. The brain is lost; therefore they are mad after so much advancement of civilization. They are exactly like cats and dogs. As soon as you enter some country, dog, watchdog: "Wowf! Wowf! Why you have come? What is your position?" ("Where is your visa?"?) This is dog's business. This is dog's business. (laughter) And they have set up immigration department. But it is a dog's business, watchdog. I say it is watchdog's business. A first-class gentleman is being searched out pocket, whether you have got revolver. Cannot be trusted, all these educated rogues and thieves. So what is this advancement of civilization? It is civilization? No sober man, no intelligent man, all cats and dogs, thieves, rogues. Is that civilization? It is not civilization.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Nonsense. "We are trying." That any nonsense will say, "I am trying." What is this? That is not a scientific proposition.
Umāpati: Well, the argument that has been presented is that "Well we don't have it now, but soon we're to have it. So..."
Prabhupāda: That any rascal will say. What is the difference between you and the rascal? Any rascal will say, that "I am trying to..." What is the use of these scientists? Any rascal will say. Trust no future, however pleasant. You can talk of all pleasant things in future, but you don't trust it. You as you don't trust, because you do not see soul, you don't trust. Why shall I trust you, you rascal, that in future you shall be very great scientist? You do not trust because you do not see. There is no soul. You cannot see. So why shall I trust you? What is the answer? That in future you will be able to do something extraordinary. Why shall I trust you?
Room Conversation With David Wynne -- July 9, 1973, London:
Devotee (2): He's got the Bhagavad-gītā that the Queen was reading.
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Devotee (2): She was looking at...
Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā, our Bhagavad-gītā?
Devotee (2): Yes. Queen Elizabeth was looking, and she gave...
Prabhupāda: Yes, as far as possible you should help everyone how to be, how to become enlightened about his future. That is real humanitarian work—to save a human being from the future disastrous condition of life. Just like a father thinks of his son, that he may not be unhappy in his future life. So it is the duty of the king, it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the spiritual master to see that his subordinate is not falling a victim of future disastrous life.
Devotee (2): Didn't the Queen make some remarks about that? She said something to you...
David Wynne: Yes, she said, "How marvelous it would be to completely trust Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: That's very nice.
David Wynne: She said, ah, "What a relief to be able to pass all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. But that one has to learn, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The sentiment is very nice. It is just fitting from the royal... Because she's after all favored, she has taken birth in the royal family, so she is not ordinary woman. And her intelligence must be extraordinary. So she has remarked like that, what is that exact word?
David Wynne: I think the exact word... She said "How marvelous to be able to give all responsibility to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is ready.
David Wynne: Yes. And she said...
Prabhupāda: But the thing is from our side Kṛṣṇa expects something.
David Wynne: (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is not a dead stone. Reciprocal. If you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa takes full responsibility. If you keep some reservation, Kṛṣṇa also keep reservation.
David Wynne: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: This is it. When Kṛṣṇa understands that you have fully surrendered, He takes full responsibility.
Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:
Buddhist Monk (1): They could easily be. It is only habit and custom.
Prabhupāda: But their nature is to eat meat. You have to give him. That is different thing. But they can be tamed. But not very trustworthy. (laughter)
Buddhist Monk (1): If they get a little irritated and hungry, they may go to gather.
Prabhupāda: No, if you give them nice food, they'll never attack you.
Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: During the time of Candragupta. Before Mohammedan or British rule. Long ago.
Śyāmasundara: He wrote a book of political wisdom, how to run on the state.
Prabhupāda: According to his opinion, viśvāso naiva... (someone knocks on the door) Yes? Come on. Viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca. He's giving warning that "Never trust woman and politician." (laughs)
Lord Brockway: A great deal of truth in that. (laughter) Well, Your Divine Grace, I must be going.
Prabhupāda: All right. Thank you for your coming here.
Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:
Prabhupāda: And they are living very happily. You can see from their face. Yes. They are known as bright-faced. Yes. Many, I mean, Christian priests, they came to congratulate me: "Swamiji, how you have made your disciples so jolly and bright-faced?" The government in America, they are surprised, that even after spending millions of dollars, they could not drive away LSD intoxication. And as soon as a intoxicated person comes to our camp, he not only gives up LSD and liquor, he gives up even smoking, drinking tea and coffee. So why not experiment this movement. The greatest socialist movement. If you want to get the socialistic idea, we can give you. Would you like to take?
Reporter: Oh, I don't trust. I could trust. Yeah. But...
Prabhupāda: Our socialistic idea, you can note down...
Reporter: I have nothing to lose but do you think you could manage all society very complex, as our...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: And these so-called scientists will reply: "Yes, we are trying. In future..." In future, everyone can expect future. But the hearsay is that: "Trust no future, however pleasant." Why future? In past we could not do. At present we cannot not do. What is the guarantee that in future we'll be able to do? There is no history that anyone has produced life from chemicals. What do your, what do you think, that life is a product of chemicals? Do you mean to say?
Dr. Hauser: That is what I've been taught. Yes. About the evolution of the earth. And...
Prabhupāda: Therefore, if...
Dr. Hauser: ...all the different stages of life.
Prabhupāda: Do you think that's a fact...
Morning Walk -- December 8, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: Devotees are beginning more and more, Śrīla Prabhupāda, under your instruction, to enter into politics. But the political leaders, they will claim, "Well you have no experience. How can you be qualified to...?"
Prabhupāda: No, we have got experience. If there is a good man, he'll do, he'll act very nice. That we have got experience. Just like if a man is honest, you can trust him. This is our experience. So similarly, if the leaders be good according to this standard, then the whole human society will be happy. This is our propaganda. We are not after the post, but we have to disclose this rascaldom, that "All these rascals, animals, fools, they are taking the post of leader, and you are suffering repeatedly, but you have no sense that 'How we can be happy with this Nixon and company's leadership?'
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: You are still pious. Otherwise, how you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? You are still pious, but you are misguided. Your, your nation is very good. I like the American nation. Simply little reformation required. Now just, for example, this "In God we trust." This is very nice example. Now, they do not know what is God, how to trust. That is, that has to be done. That has to be learned.
Prajāpati: Trust means to depend completely upon God?
Prabhupāda: Eh? Just like Arjuna. While Arjuna was fighting the battle, he completely depended on Kṛṣṇa. But he was not idle. Completely, to depend completely on God does not mean idleness. Arjuna is the example. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You are My friend. You are My devotee, completely dependent upon Me. So you can sit down." Never said like that. Similarly, we should remain always completely dependent upon God. That does not mean we shall be lazy and idle and gossiping. We must fully utilize the intelligence which God has given us, but at the same time, we must completely depend on God. This is called "In God we trust."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is called?
Prabhupāda: "We trust in God." I am speaking that American currency notes bears the slogan, "In God we trust."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: I am talking on that matter. So if the American nation trusts in God... If not... They say, they have declared. Now, the difficulty is they do not know actually what is God, how to trust. That we are teaching. So the government must come forward to cooperate with us. This should be... There should be an agitation. Now this "In God we trust," it is, it is something like vague idea. There is a need of... (aside:) You can make copy from there. If you bring one dozen like this, then it is difficult to walk. (about tape recorders) So our propaganda should be to the United, I mean to say, United States government and public. And you are theologicians. You should make program that simply saying that "In God we trust," and we do all nonsense, which exhibits that we do not trust in God, this thing should be stopped. You have placed in your Constitution, there is, you trust in God. Now you should understand what is God and how to trust. That we are teaching. This should be taken very seriously. Because you cannot change your Constitution. Already there is that. But you must know it perfectly well what is God and how to trust Him. That science we are teaching, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The government should cooperate fully. There should be school, college, to understand what is God, how to trust. This movement should be started. What do you think?
Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes. There are so many things. Actually, if the American nation take it seriously, "In God we trust," ...They must take it seriously because it is Constitution. Then the whole world will change. The whole world will change. Not only that. The Americans... Just like they are always combatting with the Communists. Similarly, the American nation should be so strong that anyone godless, he should be fired. Any nation who does not believe in God, war declared. "Either you believe in God or come on. Fight. Come under us." This should be the...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is like the...
Prabhupāda: It is not that God consciousness, just like our Gaurasundara, to go to a solitary place, and do all rascals and rascaldom. Sell the temple and go to the solitary place. This kind of God-trust, rascaldom, hooliganism, is no trust. You see? This is all hooliganism, nonsense.
Prajāpati: There is no trust without obedience.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. There is no... There is no question of trust. Yes. That is, that is the first requirement in the Bhagavad-gītā. "You surrender unto Me." That means: "You trust." I cannot surrender unto you if I do not trust you. That is trust. I don't believe you; how can I trust you? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is full trust. "Yes, I must surrender to Kṛṣṇa. He, He..." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings,
- mānasa deha geha jo kichu mora
- arpilūṅ tuwā pade nanda-kiśora
Nanda-kiśora, Kṛṣṇa, now I fully surrender unto You. And what I have got? I have got my mind, I have got my body, and I have got my family. So everything I surrender unto You. Deha, geha everything." This is our possession. Otherwise... I cannot say, "I possess this universe." But I can say, "I possess this body. I have got some mind. And I have got some little family. So everything I surrender unto You." Mānasa deha geha jo kichu..., arpilūṅ tuwā pade nanda-kiśora. Now what kind of surrender? Mārobi rākhobi, jo icchā tohārā. "Now I have surrendered. If you want, you can kill me. And if You want, You can keep me." This is surrender. This is trust. "If You like, you can kill me. And if You like, you can save me." Jo icchā tohārā. "That depends on Your free will because You are completely independent." This is surrender. This is trust. Then activities begins. Then he will act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. When he has surrendered, he'll do as Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Just like our students are doing. They have surrendered unto me. I am dictating, "You do this. You worship like this." They are doing. This is surrender. They are doing. "You chant like this You live like this. You worship like this." This is surrender. So, without any consideration, whether this chanting... Of course, there must be consideration. Otherwise, how they are doing? But this obedience is there. That is called surrender. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: We are representatives of Kṛṣṇa. We cannot see this. The rascal may say like that, but we cannot tolerate this. This is our proposition. We must see that things are going on nicely, according to the plan of God. That is our duty. The rascal may say like that. But we cannot stop there. So this is a serious movement, and you should take very seriously from all angles of vision. (pause) Just like these Africans, they stopped my entrance. These rascals are thinking that Africa belongs to them. It is God's property. These usurpers, these rogues and thieves, a few Africans, they are thinking, "It is our property." Huge state, huge land, huge food products can be produced there and utilized for the whole human society. But they are thinking, "It is my property. We shall not allow." So many wrong things are going on in the name of nationalism, in the name of scientific advancement, and people are suffering. How we can see that? Everybody has bluffed so long. Now we have to stop them. This is our movement. You should ask, theologician, the government, "What kind of trust? Is it scientific trust, or simply...?" They do not trust even in... So-called Christians, they do not trust in Jesus Christ. But they are going on as Christian, as priest. Cheating and bluffing should be stopped. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The rascals are flourishing by cheating and bluffing. This business should be stopped. So what do you think, Karandhara Prabhu?
Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda. It must be stopped.
Prabhupāda: How much important is your movement, just try to understand.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: But later, lately, we've been reading in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam how Arjuna's potency was gone. He was not even able to protect Kṛṣṇa's wives. What was missing there?
Prabhupāda: No, that, that, that is a example, that without Kṛṣṇa's help, everything is useless. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa's wife can be stolen away by others, the plan was different. But the outward show is that without Kṛṣṇa's mercy, nothing can be successful. Even you have got the same bow, same arrows, same man. But Kṛṣṇa... We must depend... That is trust. We have to depend on Kṛṣṇa's mercy. At the same time, we have to work. That is required. It may be Arjuna was proud that "I am Arjuna. I am taking them. Who can touch them?" That proudness. You see? And might be. It is quite natural.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: There cannot be impious Christian or pious Christian. Christian must be pious. If somebody's impious, then he's not Christian. (break) ...impious thief cannot be. Thief is always impious. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma... (CC Adi 17.21). (break)
Prajāpati: ...trusting in God. And then, when they realize they are not, then we can show them how to trust in God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "You do not know. You come to us and learn how to trust, how to know. And if you speak lies that you do not know what is God that is a different thing. Then you should be punished." People should be given chance of believing, trusting in God. They have declared. So it is their duty. The state duty is to see how people are trusting. That is state's duty. Constitution says that nobody can steal. Is it not state's duty that people are not becoming thieves and stealing? Is it not the duty of the state? Similarly, if you, if you have accepted this that "In God we trust," you must see that everyone trusts in God. And that is scientifically. Not sentimentally. It is the duty of the state to see.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just like in an empty slogan. The slogan is empty.
Prabhupāda: So that is not required. It must be practical. Empty slogan has no meaning.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Devotee: Why was He permitting him to live there? He was irreligious. He did not trust in God. Why was Lord Rāma letting him...?
Prabhupāda: No, no. He was killed therefore. He was not allowed to live there. Therefore Rāmacandra went there to kill him. "You rascal. You must be killed." Why do you say that he was allowed?
Devotee: Well...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Devotee: For some time, for some time.
Prabhupāda: For sometimes every thief flourishes. That is another thing. But he must be punished.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:
Hṛdayānanda: If it is so important, I think perhaps I should stay here and help Rūpānuga.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Turn your whole nation, turn into God consciousness, because they've declared in the Constitution, "In God we trust." Now they must take it very seriously. What does it mean by "God"? What does it mean by "trust"? You take this propaganda. We are doing, actually. We trust in God; therefore we have sacrificed our whole life for God. This is trust in God. Not that smoking in the parlor, and you trust in God. Not that kind of trust. Real trust. Trust means first of all you know what is God. Suppose that if you say "Trust this man." But I must know what is this man. Then my trust will be convinced, that "He is very respectful man, he's rich man, he's able man..." Yes, I can trust. But simply trust in God, you do not know what is God, what is trust, and it is going on. Why this bluff? Ah? What you say?
Prajāpati: That that's right, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So you must take this clue, that we Americans, we say "In God we trust." Now, every American should know what is God, what is trust. This is propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The government must come forward to patronize this. This is my proposition. So you write articles, you are theologicians. The America must rise up to the occasion. They have pledged themselves, "In God we trust." Every human nation or every human being should be like that. In God they must trust. So America, especially taken up the slogan as part of Constitution. Now there should be regular educational program, that every child, every man, every woman will trust in God. And this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So? Am I wrong in my arguments?
Devotee: No, correct.
Prabhupāda: So why don't you take it seriously, you American boys?
Prajāpati: Also in the Constitution, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is a thing called separation of church and state, that they would have...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is all right. We want to educate, we don't want to take part in administration. But the administration should be under our guidance; they should take advice from us, how to do it. That is required. We are not going to be president. We are satisfied in our humble temple.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:
Hṛdayānanda: Jaya, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: They must know what is God, how to trust Him, why we shall trust God, what is the benefit. These things should be known, properly educated.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the friend of everyone. We don't take His help, that is the difficulty. He says, He's guaranteed, that "If you just surrender to Me, I'll give you all protection." Such a friend who can give, there. But they'll not do that. Actually if one trusts in God, then everything is there, perfectly.
Prajāpati: So if they did trust in God, they would not have all these problems today.
Prabhupāda: No. It is factual. Just like in modern... Immediate problem is the petrol. Nobody trusts in God. The Arabians, they're thinking that this oil, "Our oil." But actually, his father has not manufactured this oil. It is God's oil. None of them believe in God, either the Arabians or the others. Therefore there is crisis. It is practical. Is the petrol manufactured by man? So why a section of man is claiming, "It is my petrol"? If somebody says, "It is my Pacific Ocean," what is this nonsense? Because they are going on under this nonsense ideas, therefore there is problem.
Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: If you can educate the people. "Don't vote for the rascals. Just try to understand who is the real man, who is the real leader."
Hṛdayānanda: So political program is very important.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If public is educated to select right type of leader, then automatically... And it is very easy thing that "Leader must be faithful. A leader must know what is God and how to trust in Him. And he must be free from all sinful activities. The pillars of sinful activities are these." This is our propaganda. (end)
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: ...two classes of men: the communist and the non-communist. Not exactly communist and capitalist, but communist and non-communist. Out of these two, the communists are going to be powerful. This is the world tendency. So if the world becomes full of communists, then the human civilization will be finished. All rogues and rascals, that's all. The American government wants to check this tendency. But they cannot check it if they remain "so-called trust in God." That will not be possible. So according to our proposition... Not only now, it is forever. Two classes of men are there: sura and asura. Surāsura. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved devaḥ. Deva and sura, the same thing. Asuras tad viparyayaḥ. And the asura, or the demons, godless. So if the Americans remain godless in the name of so-called trust in God, they will not be able to check this communistic movement. They will not be able. Now, if they are serious to check this communistic movement, save the American country as well as the whole world, then they must be very serious to understand what is God and what is trust in God. Otherwise this communistic movement will finish the civilized human society. So you are thoughtful. They must be very serious about it. And this is the only movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which can make all people actually trust in God and explain what is meant by God. Demons, they... If the communists are demons and the capitalists are also demons, fighting between demons, there will be war and loss of life, but nobody will come out victorious. That is going on. There is occasional world war, but the situation of the world remains the same. No party has become able to change the situation of the world. What do you think, Karandhara?
Karandhara: No, no significant change.
Prabhupāda: Simply they fight and loss of life and money, energy. War must be for the good. If there is some war, it must be for some good. But where is that goodness? The world remains the same; rather, it becomes more worst.
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: The Americans have placed in their constitution, "In God we Trust." It should be done very scientifically and philosophically, what is God and what is that trust, not a vague idea. Vague ideas will not help. They will not be able to conquer over the atheistic world. Actually, if there is organized party who believe in God factually, then this demon class of men will always be vanquished. Yes. Just like there was war between the surāsura, demigods and the asuras. God, Viṣṇu, took side of the demigods and came out victorious. But if both of them are demons, why Viṣṇu will take side of anyone of them? "You fight and go to hell." That is going on.
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Why these politician says, "In God we believe, we trust"? Why this nonsense?
Umāpati: They fear theocracy. They fear being ruled by a priestly class. That is a very old fear in the west.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that's all right. But if the politicians, administration, trust in God, that becomes religious. How they separate? Currency note is economic problem. So how they are mixing with God? They are contradictory. You cannot separate God from any field of activities. And religion, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Our definition of religion is to abide by the order of God. So does it mean, the politicians they do not abide by the orders of God? Then why do they write, "In god we trust"?
Karandhara: Well before, traditionally...
Prabhupāda: Not before or now. What we are speaking on the actual fact, that how they are writing, "In God we trust." As soon as you bring in God, that is religion. That is general meaning.
Karandhara: There is a movement to take that off the money.
Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to start this movement seriously, not to take that. You cannot change it. Then you become demons. Therefore I am warning you that before they, these rascals change, you take the advantage of it, that "You cannot change. Then you become demons, you (are) animals. If you withdraw your trust from God, then you are animals. So we are not going to be governed by the animals." That should be the people's voice. Educate people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and they will yell, "No, we are not going to be governed by the animals. We want real men." That should be your demand. Therefore I am warning you, that before they do that, you become strong, so that they cannot do it. Rather, they may understand, "Yes, what we are speaking is all right." That is preaching.
Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: They trust the doctors, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the medical men.
Prabhupāda: Whatever... His fault is that "I can restrict. I will not have sex life unless it is needed for begetting children."
Prajāpati: The psychologists say it is unhealthy to go without sex life. The men these people trust, the psychologists, psychiatrists, say it is unhealthy.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also, we know. But there is a process. Just like brahmacārī process is there, sannyāsī process is there. So if you adopt the process, you can restrict. (break)
Prajāpati: ...told Śrīla Prabhupāda, that it was published in a nationwide magazine. They showed that where people's trust was. They weren't trusting anything very much, but they trusted the medical people number one, and organized religion as such was way, way down, number eight or so. Why are people trusting the doctors so much?
Prabhupāda: Because they are under this impression the doctors are scientifically advanced. But the doctors' science is also imperfect. Because they do not know what is the soul. They do not believe in soul.
Karandhara: They trust the doctors the first, and they trust television the second.
Prabhupāda: Television.
Karandhara: Whatever they see on television, they accept.
Prabhupāda: Why they give so much authority to television?
Karandhara: Well, everyone watches it. So they just become indoctrinated.
Prajāpati: That is their altar in their home. It is in a permanent place in the center of their house, and they put flowers on top and they worship like that.
Prabhupāda: (laughing) Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They want to stop spread of communism.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, now America has to do the same thing to stop demonism. Then your nation will be leader. You understand; you have trust in God. Now it is your business to trust in real God and work for Him. You cannot... I have explained already. You cannot stop communism. You have to stop demonism. That is your real business. Communism is another type of demonism. So if you remain a demon, so what is the use of stopping another demonism? The same example: stool, the upside is dried up. You cannot say, "Because it is upside of stool, it is better side." Stool is stool. Guer ei pita en opita. (?) (dog barking loudly) Come on. That's all right. He cannot make the condition of the world better by... Just like Professor Kotofsky. He was saying that there must be revolution. I was talking of authority. So the authority you must have to accept. So he said that authority is accepted upon revolution.
Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Devotee: That was Prajāpati.
Prajāpati: That's what the people believe. They have more trust in medical men than they do in anything else.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But medical man also does not understand what is that thing missing which makes this body dead. And still, he is placing himself as authority, as scientific man, and people are accepting. That is demonism. He cannot explain. A man is dying. He is applying his scientific processes, what is called that gas, oxygen gas, and other injection, and in spite of doing all these things, he finds at a moment that the man is dead. And when you ask him that "In spite of your all scientific appliances, why the man is dead?" And still, he has become authority, such foolish man that this man cannot explain that in spite of all his efforts, scientifically, a man is dead. Now what he will answer? He has seen his all kinds of scientific appliances and applied but the man is dead. Now let him explain why the man is dead. Can he explain?
Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes, for them the death is the only solution.
Prajāpati: Rascals like such books, Prabhupāda, because it requires no commitment on their part. To read such men—"Oh, yes, that's very nice. I can read them and put them down." But it doesn't require me to trust in God or to do anything for the world.
Prabhupāda: No. Books are written in favor: "If you want to know more about us, then here is book." Because from books, generally, we get knowledge. Otherwise book is not required. Very brilliant light.
Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes, there is need, absolute need.
Prajāpati: And need to trust in God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Exactly like that. A child needs parents and absolute surrender to parents. That is natural.
Prajāpati: He needs parents to be born at all, he need parents that he can rely on.
Prabhupāda: Yes, so that he may grow. That Upendra's wife and child. The child is so restless, not for a single moment. And the mother has to take care, "No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no." She requires a mother to take care.
Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: But Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he had a serpent in his cave that he was not so much fearful of.
Prabhupāda: No, I said that, that sometimes, serpents are tame, friendly, everything, with jewel. But still they are fearful. Still, they are fearful. They cannot be trusted. A demon may be your friend, but you cannot trust him. Manina bhujitaḥ sarpa kim asau na bhayaṁkaraḥ. (?) Just like (laughing) your sky in the western world. However clear it may be, you cannot trust. At any moment there will be cloud. Is that all right?
Devotee: Especially in London.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I am therefore speaking, western world. So what is the London news, Jaya Hari? (break)
Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prajāpati: ...big gold letters over the whole front of the building where they were having inauguration of vice-president, "In God we Trust," big letters. So they are advertising for us already. For Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Who is the vice-president?
Devotees: Gerald Ford.
Prabhupāda: Belonging to the Ford family?
Devotee: Not the people that make the cars, no. Different Ford.
Prajāpati: If we were there and we could make one speech in front of that assembled Congress and Senate, the main government of the United States, what were the main points we would stress?
Prabhupāda: Yes. The main point is that "In God we trust," on this slogan... So the same point that, "What do you mean by God and what do you mean by trust? That you do not know." So you have to explain what is God and what is trust, thoroughly, from our books. Our point of propaganda should be that "It is very good that you write this slogan, 'In God we trust,' but nobody has got clear conception of God; neither they do not know what is the meaning of trust. Under the circumstances, so you have to learn it scientifically. And our propaganda is like that, to teach actually what is God and what is trust. And you important men of the state, you come forward, try to understand, and open schools, colleges. Make it perfectly known what is God. And make America strong. As the Communist party, they are preaching godlessness, now America should preach, 'No, in God we trust.' Now there should be a fight, not on the political point of view, but actually it includes everything. A class of men godless and a class of men who knows God. There should be fight. Then there will be peace in the world. The class of men who do not believe in God, they should be punished, because they are creating all the troubles. A man who trusts in God, he is the ideal man. He will never create any trouble. Therefore this science should be learned very scientifically. And we are prepared. And you also must be able to teach them. Then it will be successful." (Aside:) You leave little aloof. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. "Anyone who does not know what is God and does not know how to trust in God, he is animal. So how you can expect a human civilization composed of some animals? That you have to learn from us. If you are serious. If you simply make it a slogan, but you remain same as the man who does not know what is God, then what is the meaning of this slogan? That will not help you." Just like sometimes they put the signboard, "Goodman and Company," businessmen. The signboard is "Goodman," but he is cheating simply, from business point of view. That kind of signboard will not help you. If you actually believe in God, then try to understand what is God. Otherwise how you can believe? If you do not know the person in whom you have to trust, how you can trust Him? Is it clear or not? I say, "Trust in Him," but if I do not know that man, how I can trust? You must explain that "This man is in this way trustworthy." Otherwise what is the meaning of my trust? This science should be understood, what is God and what is trust. That you discuss thoroughly, threadbare. Otherwise how you will be able to preach? Ask all questions. I will answer. But you must be thoroughly conversant that there is need of God and everyone must trust in God. This is the standard of civilization. God is there. Without God, there cannot be anything existing. This is first point. And we must trust in God. Those who are speaking, "In God we trust," at least they believe that there is God. Now, where is God, how He is living, what He is doing, this must be known. Just like in your America, there is need of a president. But those who are advanced in American history, they must know what is that president, what is his position, what is the constitution. That is, means perfect knowledge must be there about God, and perfect knowledge how to trust Him. This is now required. Otherwise the world is going to... Not that theologicians' speculation on God. First thing is, there is God. Now, how people can be convinced that there is God? Tell me. Speak.
Girirāja: Well, all of these different varieties of plants, animals, planetary systems, the sun rising, there has to be some controller, some brain who has made this order.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. That you take instruction from us. Because you are all rascals, you do not know. We are experienced. Take advice from us. First thing is that you close the slaughterhouse. Close the liquor house. Will they do that?
Prajāpati: It is a question of business. Businessmen have so much control...
Prabhupāda: Business or whatever nonsense it may be, but our first proposal is that you become sinless. But they will not agree. They will remain sinful, and still they will say, "In God we believe, we trust," these slogans. "We go to church, we pray," like that. This is the defect. A man has come for your... You are a physician for treatment. As soon as the physician says that "You don't do this," you say, "I cannot give up this." Then how he will be cured? Let him rot. This is the position.
Morning Walk -- December 19, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Ah. Nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ. It is the negative. Positive side is knowledge. Darkness. Darkness. Just like, where there is no light, there is darkness. (break)
Prajāpati: ...Prabhupāda, we'll be able to see that comet.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prajāpati: They say one hour before dawn in the eastern horizon. (break) ...talking a lot about in trusting in God. What is the Sanskrit for trust? What word would be used in the śāstras.
Prabhupāda: Śraddhā, faith.
Prajāpati: And there are particular scriptural verses that speak about this?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is the beginning of spiritual consciousness, faith.
- śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
- kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
- (Cc. Madhya 22.62)
This is the version of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śraddhā means firm faith. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya. Firm faith. And firm faith is trust. "I trust you," means I have got firm faith in you. Is it not? So trust means firm faith. Firm faith means... Now that "So long God is my order supplier, I trust in Him, and as soon as He refuses to supply my order, I don't trust Him," that is not firm faith. "God is putting me in distress; still, I trust Him. Or God is putting me in happiness; still, I trust Him." That is called firm faith. In any circumstances, the faith is not withdrawn. That is firm faith.
Prajāpati: Unconditionally then.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Unconditionally means, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), giving up all other conditions of faith. (break)
Jayatīrtha: We only hear about him eating.
Prabhupāda: Why you did not refute that idea? We see every moment God. What is that light? Even if you see light, what do you gain by that.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: That expectation is always there. Any fool can expect anything. That is another thing.
Viṣṇujana: But they've done it with goat head.
Prabhupāda: We are concerned what you are doing now. That's all. We are not for expectation, future hope. We do not believe in that. Trust no future, however pleasant. It may be pleasant to you, but we don't believe it. You rascals, you can feel, but history shows that after death, no brain works. So we take this simple conclusion, that this brain is useless. So am I right or wrong?
Siddha-svarūpānanda: You are right.
Prabhupāda: Sudāmā Vipra, you are very critical. You can say. Am I right or wrong?
Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana:
Harikeśa: ...communication, the only way of talking to the spiritual master to communicate is verbal talking, the only way in which one can communicate with his spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: No, there are more.... (break) (?) ...instruction of spiritual master, that is actually communicating.
Devotee: Hm. (break)
Harikeśa: ...which I've always been afraid to ask, because I don't know if it's proper, but you being the external manifestation of Supersoul, if we are having questions, doubts, when, in your absence, if we are receiving indications, is there any possible way that someone who is so conditioned can have any understanding of proper action in your absence? In other words, if I am in your absence and I am in great doubt, and I am praying to Supersoul to please save me somehow, if I receive some action which I must do or some course of action becomes obvious, should I trust that, considering that you're communicating with me, or...?
Prabhupāda: That depends on purity. If one has become pure, without any material desire, then that is possible. But if there is some material desire, we cannot expect direct communication.
Harikeśa: So I have much material desire.
Prabhupāda: I do not say you or he. This is the process. This is the process.
Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Still, although he saw aneka in Kṛṣṇa, still, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa there. That is real vision.
Girirāja: "O Lord of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms-bellies, mouths, eyes-expanded without limit. There is no end, there is no beginning, and there is no middle to all this."
Prabhupāda: A crude example can be given. Just like a man may be director of this company and trust of that company and so many when he is working. But his wife is feeling that he is her husband. That's all. She does not see anything, although he is working in aneka-rūpam. This is the, a crude example. He has his eyes to see, "Here is my beloved husband." That's all. Just like Yasodamayi. Yasodamayi saw that all the universes within the mouth... She asked, ordered Kṛṣṇa, "I want to see whether you have eaten dirt. Open your mouth." So Kṛṣṇa opened the mouth and not only dirt, but all the universes... So she saw, but she did not believe that Kṛṣṇa can have all these universes. So she said, "All right, that's all right. Don't do it again." She did not take care of the universes. Although Kṛṣṇa is showed him all the universes within the mouth, she was concerned with Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes, so that others may hear. (break) ...you simply present the card anywhere—you get things. You don't require to pay. Then your bills will be paid by the bank. This is the system. (break) ...Bank of American card, in any American, bank of America, I can get one hundred to five hundred dollars immediately. I have got that card. (break) ...the respectable customers... Yes. (break) ...money, then you can squander it, and that is the idea. And you more spend money; then they manufacture consumer goods. That is the policy. (break) ...ṣad says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: (ISO 1) "Don't use anything more than what is allotted to you." That's all. But they are creating artificial demand, and the demand is being paid for by artificial paper. The government is issuing: "This is five hundred pounds or five hundred rupees," but it is paper only. Actually it is cheating. But we are satisfied. (break) ...said, "In God we trust." That's all. "In God we trust." What is that?
Devotee: Oh, yes.
Dr. Patel: They have written, "In God we trust"?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because I am giving you this paper—I am cheating you-therefore I am "In God we trust." (break) And the best in the world. That is a fact.
Press Conference -- April 18, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So everything, solution is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, and we are trying to spread this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world, and people are accepting. Now we have started in America a political party, "In God We Trust." So they are doing very successfully. People are accepting. They are criticizing the so-called leaders. After Nixon, people are disgusted with the so-called leaders. So we are teaching them what kind of leaders should be selected. The king, the public leader, the brāhmaṇa, and... At least these three men, they should be free from the four kinds of sinful activities. If they are personally sinful, how they can lead other people? That is not possible.
Morning Walk -- April 24, 1974, Hyderabad:
Mahāṁśa: You should never trust a politician, so if you cannot trust a politician, why we elect him as a leader, why should he be a leader?
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, "Do not trust" means you are also not trustworthy, nobody trusts you, and you should also not. That is their philosophy. All these big, big politicians, just like United Nations. The same philosophy is going on. Nobody trusts anyone, but they speak big, big...
Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 25, 1974, Rome:
Atreya Ṛṣi: That's inflation.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Because I did not earn this money, I have printed. I am prepared to twenty rupees. So he says, "Why shall I pay ten rupees? I must wait for the customer, for twenty rupees, and hoard it." Even there is sufficient stock, he will not sell. Therefore the other man, who is honest, he is suffering. This is going on. So to stop this inflation, the government must stop this paper currency. Then the inflation... There will be no more inflation. But that they will not do. They want to cheat people. "In God I trust. Take this paper and you be satisfied that you have got thousand dollars." That's all. This cheating is going on. Why should you pay me paper? Give me real dollar, in gold. That they have none. They haven't got. That's all. They will employ laborers and cheat them by paying these papers, and this rascal will think that "I am getting more money." That's all.
Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:
Prabhupāda: Just like these Romans. They have left. They constructed so big, big building just to enjoy, but they had to leave it by nature's force and accept another body. That they do not know. They are satisfied, "Never mind, I accept the next life a dog's body. Now let me enjoy this, say, twenty-five years or fifty years, that's all." This is their philosophy. No future. "Trust no future, however pleasant." In India, those who are interested in spiritual life, they take sannyāsa. Everybody sannyāsa, bābājī. Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up his service, everything, and became no possessions voluntarily. Big, big kings, Bharata Mahārāja... To practice that "I have no more interest in anything material." (break) ...introduction of my Guru Mahārāja that sannyāsīs and preachers may use big, big buildings, motorcars and..., just to give the information to the western world. Because they, if you ask them, that "You become a mendicant, possessionless," still, they are not very much interested. Because they see our dress, our living condition is not very equal to their standard, they do not like. Is it not? Yes. So just to give these Westerners facilities at least to understand this philosophy, this method was accepted by Guru Mahārāja, to live in nice building, to have cars, to use everything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, nobody would take.
Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:
Devotee: The United States government. They had a big trial and everything. So they found tapes and everything, but there was some missing tapes. They could not directly pin him for the whole thing. He said, "I didn't know anything about it." He says, "My men were just doing it. I never told them to do it. They did it on their own, for me. They liked me so much, they were just doing it. I never paid them."
Yogeśvara: Isn't the kṣatriya qualities that he is to be trustworthy?
Prabhupāda: No. When there is political game, everyone does everything to gain his victory. In politics, these things are allowed. Just like killing, fighting, kṣatriya's fighting. That killing is allowed. But killing is not allowed generally. Kṛṣṇa has killed so many. If you take from moral point of view, He's sometimes immoral. He has killed His maternal uncle, Kaṁsa, and Śiśupāla, Śiśupāla, his cousin brother. And Balarāma killed Rukma. Once He saved him, and another time, that Aniruddha's marriage, or something like that... Balarāma killed Rukma, the brother of Rukmiṇī. They were family relatives. But there was some misunderstanding in chess playing that other party, Rukma, he was cheating by tricks. The Balarāma became so angry, they killed him. So in politics amongst the kṣatriyas, these things are not uncommon.
Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:
Devotee: Therefore we must cheat.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose I am thief and somebody accuses you that "He is a thief." So I don't take it seriously because I know, "I am also thief." Means these appeal, that does not appeal because "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." If everyone is thief, if you point out somebody that "He is thief, he cannot be trusted," then he knows that "I am also thief. It is not a big problem. I am also thief." Unless the whole public is sinless, he cannot appreciate a sinless leader. Care care mastado bhāi (?). This is natural. If I am thief, so what is the use of accusing you by other, "He is also thief." You'll take that "We all are thieves, all cousin brothers; so why this man should be only accused?"
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is it not a vicious circle, though. Without a pure leader, they cannot be pure themselves.
Prabhupāda: But they cannot understand. The vicious circle, they will not be able to understand. Because he is also vicious.
Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: And that is freedom. So Rāya Rāmānanda left because such freedom is not allowed here. So we have to allow this freedom like the church? (laughs)
Bhārgava: There was one survey done by a college, a university, Michigan State, and Rūpānuga Mahārāja researched it and said 94% of the people in America, they believe there is a God, but only 35% will go to church. They are not very much interested in the churches anymore. They don't trust them. But 94% believe there is God.
Prabhupāda: Because the church could not help them in understanding God. The Christian church has no idea what is God. Therefore there is no name of God. Actually, they have no idea about God. Is there?
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:
Professor Durckheim: They realize that now belief which is not faith has to be, well, renewed by real experiences. And, you see, we have so many priests today who say they can't pray anymore. They lost the connection because of so much formalism and so much traditional beliefs. And they are looking for a new source and new beginning in their hearts, and they don't believe what you tell them. They just want to feel it, to experience it. And there is a big change today in this direction, and there is a..., big movements. You see all these trends today to learn meditation. It's only one longing to feel something and not only to believe. That is the situation now very much in Germany, isn't it so?
Dr. P. J. Saher: Yes, it is.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So thing is that, first thing is that you have to believe, but whom to believe? If the person whom I believe, if he is perfect, then my belief is perfect. And if I believe a person who is not trustworthy, then there is no meaning of this belief. Therefore we have to find out the person or the statement which are to believe. That is accepted in the Vedic culture, that the knowledge in the Vedas, that is perfect. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If one is perfect in Vedic knowledge... Veda, Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. So that belief is perfect. Just like we are believing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the perfect, the supreme perfect. So far we Indians are concerned, there are ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya. Actually these ācāryas are controlling the Indian culture. So all of them are unanimous to believe Kṛṣṇa, the supreme perfect person.
Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: So the foolish man has to take intelligence from the intelligent man. This is perpetually truth in this material world. It is not, time and circumstances changes this principle. There will be foolish men. Just like now we read, "Two classes of men are there always, the demons and the demigods." So at the present moment more demons. Two classes of men are there always, but at the present moment the demons, number of demons, are more and number of demigods are less because it is Kali-yuga.
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, does this possible anyhow to teach consciousness in Russian and the country who are in the unitary trust in the East? Like here in the west or America and Australia, in the...?
Madhudviṣa: His question is... He is... This boy is Yugoslavian, Yugoslavian, and he has done some translating of your Īśopaniṣad into Yugoslavian. So he is wondering is it possible to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Yugoslavia?
Prabhupāda: Everywhere possible.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:
Prabhupāda: No, no, I shall learn. I shall...
Dr. Wolf: Śrīla Prabhupāda, they are used to cheating and so they couldn't believe Kṛṣṇa either...
Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes.
Dr. Wolf: They are used to cheating and that's why they don't trust anything and anybody.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Sceptic.
Dr. Wolf: Because they are cheaters themselves.
Prabhupāda: Sceptic is not a scientist or a man of knowledge. He's unbeliever, that's all.
Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:
Professor Fenton: Oh no, the more I study it, the more it slips through my fingers. I've been teaching for fourteen years and still don't know what I'm teaching.
Prabhupāda: Just like Christian religion, what it is teaching?
Professor Fenton: Christian? It is the humanization of man, to trust in Lord Jesus Christ.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And why trust Lord Jesus Christ?
Professor Fenton: Because he is the root to reality, the truth.
Prabhupāda: That means he's son of God, is it not?
Professor Fenton: Yes, but I personally am not that orthodox. That is the orthodox teaching.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Teaching must be orthodox, otherwise what is the value? If the teaching changes, that is not very good.
Morning Walk -- March 11, 1975, London:
Brahmānanda: It is difficult to come to that understanding, that actually, those who are the leaders are not to be trusted.
Prabhupāda: Yes, leaders means government men. That is described. They are all thieves and rogues, anywhere. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Dasyu. Dasyu means plunderers, rogues. Unless you become a rogue you cannot go to the government. You cannot... Any honest man cannot stay with these government men. That is not possible at the present age. Any government.
Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: GBC can do also.
Madhudviṣa: But isn't the GBC supposed to be more trusted than the temple president?
Prabhupāda: Then everyone can do, who has got the...
Bhagavān: The BBT trustees did it.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Bhagavān: The BBT trustees also did it. They took unsanctioned loan from the BBT.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
Morning Walk -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: So, that is the fact. Unless God desired, how they can win? That, we admit that.
Hari-śauri: But now they are again becoming a mouse, the Americans? Now they are losing the favor of God?
Prabhupāda: No, they are right officially: "We trust in God." (break) ...the whole, I think, Americans are fortunate because this saṅkīrtana movement is there. Yes. If they take it more seriously, they will be actually favored nation of the Lord.
Morning Walk -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:
Prabhupāda: No, when volcano is in smoke, that is dangerous. That is dangerous. (break)
Devotee: Shall we sell our land, then?
Prabhupāda: What will come? Trust no future, that's all. We must be always ready for destruction. Material world is like that. Nitya anityatam. Canakya Paṇḍita has says, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam: "Avoid bad men's company." Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "Always try to associate with learned, what is, ādhu, with devotees. Avoid this worldly men's association and try to associate with devotees." Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam bhaja sādhu-samāgamam, and then smara nityam anityatam. "And always think that everything here in this material world is for few days." That's all. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. (break) Anityatam. (break) ...be the motto of life. (break) ...associate with the materialistic person, try to associate with devotee, and always think that this world is for few days. That's all.
Morning Walk -- June 29, 1975, Denver:
Devotee (1): They have no faith or trust that this can be done.
Prabhupāda: See us. You rascal, see, open your eyes, see that we have no business. We have no food stocked; still, we are not worried. We do not know what we shall eat in the evening, but still, we are not worried. See factually. We are not worried, "Oh, what shall I eat?" I came here without any subsistence. That I mean I had to work very hard?
Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Simply hear from God. He says, "I have created." That's all. But if you challenge, "I have not seen that You have created; neither I have seen You," then how can you believe? God says, "I have created," so those who are God believers, they will accept that. So what is the use of seeing again, observatory? We trust in God, but don't trust in His word. This is going on. You write in America, "We trust in God," but don't trust in His word. (laughs) Just see. If God you trust, then whatever God says, you believe. "No, that we cannot do." This is the (indistinct). (break)
Viṣṇujana: Kṛṣṇa is so opulent, why did He appear in the form of Lord Caitanya in such a poor village atmosphere?
Prabhupāda: That is His opulence. Here the material man, if he is rich man, he cannot become a poor man.
Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:
Prabhupāda: Everyone is God's children. That is our broad conception. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to God." So people have no conception of God. Everyone is practically godless. Therefore they should be educated about God. Just like the Communists. They are educating godlessness. Similarly... Just like in America they say, your government says, "We trust in God." Is it not?
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: But where is the education about God? Simply, trust is also good, very good, but simple trust will not endure unless you know scientifically what is God. Everyone knows that he has got a father, but he does not know who is his father. That knowledge is not perfect. Everyone who is born in this material world must have a father, but that is not sufficient suggestion. One must know who is father. That education is lacking.
Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:
Reporter (2): Did you say emergency room or emergency law?
Brahmānanda: Emergency rule that is going on in India.
Jayatīrtha: He will be arrested if he says like that.
Reporter (2): Oh.
Prabhupāda: But one thing I can say, generally. There was a great politician, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, under whose name in New Delhi there is a quarter called Canakya Purī. All the foreign embassies are situated there. He said, viśvāso naiva kartavyaṁ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca: "Never trust a woman and a politician." That is his remark, of course, I do not say anything. (Devotees laugh)
Reporter (3): Are these books all... Have you written all of these books or are they by other philosophers of...
Prabhupāda: Yes, I have written all these books.
Reporter (3): Who has published them?
Prabhupāda: We have got our own publishing house, Bhaktivedanta Trust. But we are selling our books very nice.
Reporter (3): Is that part of your income, to run a...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, that is our only income, by selling books.
Reporter (2): You commented that, you gave the words "Never trust," if I understood you right, "never trust an old man and a politician?"
Jayatīrtha: A woman or a politician.
Prabhupāda: That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's remark.
Reporter (3): Jonathan who?
Brahmānanda: Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.
Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Everyone is child. So the father says, "Do this. That's all." Like "Write 'A.' " He does not know what is A. But the father says, "You write like this." That will increase his education.
Paramahaṁsa: But doesn't it come first because of trust?
Prabhupāda: Yes, trust. Without trust, without faith, you cannot advance even an inch. So therefore it is required.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. Prabhupāda, what are the symptoms of purity?
Prabhupāda: Just like I do not know where this pathway goes. But you show me, "This way." So without faith, how can I go? If I have no faith, then I cannot move even an inch. I believe, "Yes, he is all right. Let me go." This is faith. I do not know whether it is going, which way it is going. So without faith, you cannot move an inch. So faith must be there, either it is true or blind.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:
Acyutānanda: Even socially, though, without religious, scientific, practical God consciousness, how can there be a civilization? How can anyone know that there's a difference between right and wrong or morality unless there is God consciousness, to know that someone is watching everything I do? If you avoid that.... Just like we say, they want Rāma-rājya without Rāma. But they want the rājya.
Prabhupāda: Now, the laws and legislative assembly there are, and there is punishment, there is court—everything there is. That we were discussing last night, that where is the honest men? Why? In spite of laws, legislative assembly, court and everything, the wholesale rogues and dishonest. Then what is the use of this? What is your answer? Why you are checked on the airport just like a culprit, criminal? They cannot trust even a gentleman, although he is educated, may be holding very good office, but still, he is not to be trusted. So this is the result of your so-called function, that there is no honest man throughout the whole world. Then, what is the use of such education? And what is the use of their living? Let them die. No hospital for them.
Morning Walk -- May 26, 1976, Honolulu:
Devotee (2): Most of them think that if you believe in the law of karma, it applies to you.
Prabhupāda: When it is law, you believe or not believe, rascal, it will be effective, if it is a law. You believe, I don't believe, if I commit theft I'll not be punished. So what is your belief? As soon as you commit theft, you'll be punished. You believe or not believe. That is law. What is the value of your belief? Rascal may believe that "I'm not going to be old man. I shall remain young man." Believe or not believe, must become old man. What is the value of your belief? Trust no future. You believe or not believe, there is future. What is value of your belief? Where do you.... You have complete control? Here the law is "Keep to the right." You don't believe. Now "Why shall I keep to the right? I shall go to the left." Immediately you'll be punished.
Morning Walk -- May 27, 1976, Honolulu:
Prabhupāda: Nature will punish them. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Nature is Lord's (indistinct) maintainer, he's observing, factually. (indistinct)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Excuse me. Just like, say, America takes up this idea, that God is the Supreme Father and...
Prabhupāda: Therefore I say (indistinct) God in trust.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We trust. Justice. Don't trust blindly. Try to understand what is God. That I am... Later on, I have not received any reply.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Not yet.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He, American people (indistinct) say, "In God we trust." That's very nice, but why you take this philosophy blindly? Find out who is God and why you should trust. That is intelligence. The slogan is nice, why don't you fight on this issue? The Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. You can fight on this issue. Intelligently, if we'll put (indistinct). We trust in God, but what is God? Eh? Hayagrīva? They like to trust in God. Then ask them what is God. They cannot reply.
Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Man can be happy immediately provided the consciousness is developed.
Reporter: Can.... Do you think that this will ever be achieved?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It can be achieved. Just like I have sent a letter to your government asking them questions that you write on the bills: "In God We Trust." So is it that you trust in God blindly or knowingly? That was my question. Suppose I trust you. So you must be trustworthy. Otherwise why shall I trust you? So this question I asked the government: "You write on the bills, 'In God We Trust,' so what kind of trust is this?" If you actually trust, then you must know that God is trustworthy. Only blindly trust as a slogan. But that letter is not in reply. So what is your opinion? "In God We Trust," but how do you trust, why you trust? This is my question.
Reporter: It would be a matter of faith, I suppose.
Prabhupāda: Faith may be different. You may have faith, I may not have faith. That is not the question. Just like in the bank you deposit some money. If some may have faith or no faith, but that bank is trustworthy. You know that your money deposited in the bank will not be cheated. Similarly if you trust in God, you must know whether God is trustworthy. Whether.... What do you mean by God? This is not the question of faith. Faith is bad. It is a question of understanding. So that we want, that America-specially you are favorite amongst all other nations; you are well-to-do, richer than other nations—so why don't you take God seriously? Why should you trust in God as faith? No, you understand what is God and have your faith at full, that "God is, yes, trustworthy," so that others may also know that God is trustworthy. That is our mission, that why God entrust? Are we trusting God? Should we.... A slogan. Let it be a fact by scientific study, by scientific understanding. There is way to understand why God is trustworthy. It's not the question of faith. It is a fact.
Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Just like a child had..., has faith in his parents. So that is not an artificial thing, that is fact. And parents are trustworthy to the child. There is no doubt of..., by nature. So, similarly, why could..., you should be in trust in God? Why blindly? Why not trust with knowledge? And that is our movement. Every civilized person has got some faith in God. But now, they're advanced, they should understand what is God, why you must have faith in Him. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Reporter: It's a matter of education...
Prabhupāda: Simply faith, blind faith we do not endure. And therefore they are becoming godless. And gradually, if we do not understand factually what is God, then the whole human civilization will be godless. To become godless means again animal. That is the difference between animal and man. In the animal society there is no question of religion, faith, God. These things are not there. The human civilization, if it becomes like that, without any faith in God, without any understanding of God, then where is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? They must know God scientifically.
Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: There are five stages of ascending to come to the right conclusion. This, this is.... Just like pratyakṣa, directly, you do not see the sun on the sky, but the same example, if you phone your friend, "Where is the sun?" then he'll say, "Yes, here is the sun." So this is called parokṣa, mean you get the knowledge by other sources. Your direct sources, you cannot see, but you get from other sources, you understand, "Yes, sun is there in the sky."
Richard: And I have faith that it is.
Prabhupāda: You must have faith.
Richard: I trust that it is.
Prabhupāda: You have to trust.
Richard: Okay, I was listening to him and, you know, I'm hearing a lot, okay, the brain...
Prabhupāda: I mean to say, there are five stages, pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparokṣa, adhokṣaja and aprākṛta. So our process should be to go to the aprākṛta, transcendental knowledge. This is the stages. Just like.... This is explained. We can directly understand that by directly, I'm seeing there is no sun, but when I ask my friend, he says there is sun. So this is also knowledge. This is called parokṣa knowledge, from other sources. Similarly, there are stages. So when the perfect stage is, that is aprākṛta, no more material, all spiritual.
Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: That means whatever we do, we do in ignorance. You do not know what is the first thing or what to do first. That we are correcting. Here is the first thing. Pour water in the root.
Jackie Vaughn: Right.
Prabhupāda: We are correcting-Kṛṣṇa, or God, then everything will be all right. Otherwise failure. Now you American people you write, "In God We Trust." But if I ask you "What is God?" you cannot reply. Then how do you trust in God? Blindly. If we trust in God, we must know that God is actually the only trustworthy person. Then if I put my trust in Him, that is sensible. But if I do not know what is God, no idea, and if we simply write, "In God We Trust," what is this? This is slogan. But actually people are becoming godless. In schools, colleges, they are prohibiting, "Don't talk of God." Do they not?
Jayatīrtha: That's a fact.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And in the bills they are writing the.... Why this hypocrisy? Why this hypocrisy? In the schools, colleges, you are forbidding, "Don't talk of God," and on the bills you are writing, "In God We Trust." That means if the bill is not paid, don't be dissatisfied, you trust in God. (laughs) Although I'm giving you a piece of paper, don't hesitate to take it. Trust in God, it will be paid. They write, "I promise to pay," but people may not have faith in this word. Actually, I'm paying you hundred rupees—or a thousand rupees-worth currency note, but actually it is paper. But only on faith and trust I'm accepting it, it is one thousand dollars. That much. In last war, the Germany, marks note were thrown in the street. And the bunch of note, taken to the confectioner, "Give me a piece of bread," There is no bread; they throw away. It happened, actually. So these notes are accepted on the understanding that the government will pay. But time may be there when government may be not able to pay. And it has become practically experienced in the last war. So everything should be done scientifically. If we say that in God we trust, then we must know what is God, whether actually we can put our faith and trust in Him, whether He is trustworthy, what is that God. This science should be introduced. There is science; we are preaching that science. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to teach Kṛṣṇa science, science of Kṛṣṇa, science of God. So the government should take up, American government, and cooperate with us. Teach the people the science of God. Then it will be a great, benevolent welfare activity. Simply giving their money to the poor, to the needy, will not help them.
Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:
Jackie Vaughn: Every one of our presidential candidates is continuing to talk in the same vein, promising and promising all of a temporary nature of solution to our problems.
Prabhupāda: No. Solution is here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You take this movement after studying it scrutinizingly. You'll find: "Yes, this is the only movement for solution of all problems."
Jackie Vaughn: I think we go back to what you said at the beginning. We trust primarily in the dollar, "In God We Trust."
Prabhupāda: That is only slogan.
Jackie Vaughn: Yeah, right.
Prabhupāda: But if we trust somebody when we know: "Yes, he is trustworthy," that is better. Blindly trusting may not endure. But knowingly trust, that will be beneficial.
Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: We must see that the purpose is being carried. No. The house is burnt into ashes, but we are satisfied that our fire brigade man has poured some water, that's all. They do not know that they cannot do any benefit to anyone by this imperfect process. If the whole money of the government is given to us, we can show result within six months how it is beneficial. Will the government give us money? (pause) Actually, people do not want to trust in God. That is the real fact. But this writing of slogan is a formal (indistinct). At the present moment, nobody has got any idea of God nor faith in God. What do you think?
Hari-śauri: Nobody's got any?
Prabhupāda: Idea of God, and what to speak of faith in God, or trust in God.
Jackie Vaughn: It's true. Very little faith. "In God We Trust," your original statement.
Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda wrote one letter to the secretary of the President explaining that you write on your bills "In God We Trust," but who is it that knows about God? So he was asking if it was possible for the government, they could give us some aid and we would educate. We can educate the people.
Prabhupāda: No, I did not ask for any aid.
Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:
Prabhupāda: You have been in Los Angeles? Now we have got a regular colony. About one dozen big, big houses. So that was a church. Nobody was coming, they sold it to us. Now it is always crowded. This church, they were not going to sell us. But (laughs) under circumstances it came to us. We wanted to purchase it, but the proprietor would not sell to us. They were charging very big price. So we are prepared. Still he'll not agree. Now we have purchased less price. (to devotee:) What is the history?
Devotee: Well, the previous owner didn't want to sell it to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They said they'd prefer to burn it down. (Prabhupāda laughs) One Indian gentleman who is a prominent businessman in Toronto purchased it in trust, saying that he was representing some Indian social group. So he purchased it in trust. Then the chairman of the committee of trustees who were in charge of selling the church noticed some tilaka on Viśvakarmā's face. He had a hat on so his śikhā wouldn't show. When he saw it was Hare Kṛṣṇa, he became very disturbed.
Viśvakarmā: He said, "Oh, no, the Hare Kṛṣṇas."
Prabhupāda: So they are not very favorable to the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. (laughs)
Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Let's say a country takes full advantage of this slogan, "In God We Trust."
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Let's say a country takes full advantage of this slogan.
Prabhupāda: That is my question. Where is that full advantage? They are remaining in the darkness. Why do you trust, first of all. Why do you trust? So many questions there are. Why you are prepared to trust in God? If I ask, you must answer. If you cannot answer, then you are ass. It is good, even without knowing, but when the slogan comes from the government side, there must be full knowledge. Otherwise, the government is as good as common man. The government should be full of intelligent men. Why vote is there? You select an intelligent man. Otherwise, anyone can go. Cats and dogs, they also can go. Why the voting system? That you select some intelligent man. So if you cannot answer your slogan, then you are not intelligent, you are unfit.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They've made the platform that the man himself can solve all the problems.
Prabhupāda: Then why do you trust in God? Don't trust in God, like the Communists say, "We don't trust in God. We shall do it ourselves."
Kuladri: But the forefathers who made up our slogan "In God We Trust," they were very unintelligent, they were very backwards.
Prabhupāda: But you are intelligent. Why you are putting the forefather's words? You avoid it. That means you are cheating people. You do not believe in, but you still write it. That means cheating. Why do you write such things in which you do not believe? That means cheating. Hmm? What do you think? If you write something which you do not believe in, are you not cheating? That means cheating. You take word, you are giving a piece of paper, and it is written there, "one thousand dollars." That means you are cheating, in the name of God, he will accept you, that's all. If you say, "No, I don't want paper. Give me gold dollar," then you are finished. Your currency will be finished. Immediately there will be revolution, that "The government is cheating us." Actually it is cheating. What is the proof, value, of this paper, little paper? Simply "I promise to pay, governor and this..." But it is on trust only: "Yes, government will pay me." They'll never pay, but so long the government goes on, it will go on, that's all, cheating will go on. And as soon government fails, you throw in the street, no one will care for it. It has been practically proved in the last war, in Germany. There was scarcity of food, and those who had bunch of currency notes, they went for one piece of bread, so many thousand marks, "Give me." Nobody supplied. So the paper has no value, but if we believe, it has value, that's all. Otherwise what is the meaning of this paper, one thousand dollars? So it is a kind of cheating, "We trust in God; we are very good men. You trust in me."
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How can this practically be applied to American society, this idea of trusting God? How would things change?
Prabhupāda: By this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement's propaganda. That is not for America—for everyone.
Kīrtanānanda: How can you trust God if you don't know anything about Him? First you have to know something about God before you can trust Him.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is sense. If you do not know about somebody and you trust him, what is this? Yes.
Raksana: Through the distribution of your books, through the...
Prabhupāda: That is distribution of knowledge. Our distribution of books means distribution of knowledge to these rascals, lowest of the mankind, bewildered. This is distribution of knowledge. Who was talking about that there is secretly, there is, our books are being read?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That was in East Germany.
Hari-śauri: Harikesa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That was in East Germany. They have lists, and they pass Prabhupāda's books around. One person has it for one night or three nights, like this, and it keeps going around, because they are very much in want of this. They can't get enough.
Prabhupāda: Just see how forcefully they are being kept into ignorance, and we want to give knowledge, they don't, won't allow. This is government. So anyway, it is good news that our books are being read in that way. That means people are very eager, but they are being suppressed by the so-called government. What is the wrong there, that they cannot read these books publicly, because there is God? What is the wrong? When I was in Moscow airport, as soon as they found Bhagavad-gītā, they called police, the customs checking. The foolish man was kind enough, he said, "Not serious offense. Don't send him in the concentration camp." They can do. In Russia, even if you are foreigner, they can immediately send you to the concen..., without any knowledge, they don't care for your embassy or your... Such a rascal state, there is no civilized method. They send their own men, such an important man like that Kruschev. He was sent into oblivion; nobody knows where he is. Such a rascal government. Very difficult to live in. People are... Simply under terrorism the government is going on. In that sense your American government is so nice. Everyone has got the liberty. What is that nonsense government-terrorism.
Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Devotee (3): The so-called intelligent people in this country, like the professors in universities, they sometimes argue that the progressive value of life is to search for knowledge, the quest of knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes, here is the ultimate knowledge, what is God. You do not know. You are still professing as professor, as learned scholar, but you do not know what is God. Also you write, "In God We Trust." What is this nonsense? Where is your professorship? You explain God. Suppose I am a layman. I am asking "Why you have written in the bill? Please let me know what is God." Do you know? Then where is your knowledge?
Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Kīrtanānanda: Then we find so many purported religious people. Just like Christians, they may say "Well, I believe in the soul," but nonetheless they are going on with their materialistic civilization.
Prabhupāda: That means you do not know seriously what is soul. You have simply an idea, but you do not know in detail. Just like they say, the Christians, "God is great." But they do not know who is God and what is the meaning of greatness. That they do not know. They accept this theoretically or religious sentimentally, "God is great." Just like your state says, "In God We Trust." As soon as I inquire what kind of trust and to whom, there is no reply. That means they do not know what is God, what is trust. As a matter of slogan they write, that's all. Even the state heads, and what to speak of the nonsense ordinary citizens. Seriously taking, it is very important question. They should have reply. But they do not know how to reply.
Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Reporter: "But suppose the government is atheistic?"
Prabhupāda: "Then there cannot be good government. Americans say they trust in God, but without the science of God, that trust is simply fictitious. First take the science of God very seriously, then put your trust in Him. They do not know what God is, but we do. We actually trust in God. They are manufacturing their own way of governing, and that is their defect. They will never be successful. They are imperfect, and if they go on manufacturing their own ways and means they will remain imperfect. There will always be revolutions, one after another. There will be no peace."
Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: That... The same story, that some frogs were there, and children was throwing stone. Then the frogs appealed, "Sir, why you are throwing stone upon us?" "No, we are playing." "So what is play for you, it is death to us." So these rascals are playing, and we have to pay heavy tax for that. This is going on. We are playing, making some scientific research, and who will pay for that? You. You work hard in the factory and pay tax. This is civilization. "You pay tax, and we spend it as we like." Frivolity(?). This is going on. This is the government of Kali-yuga. What can you do?
Devotee (2): "In God We Trust."
Prabhupāda: "What is play to you is death to us." And "Never mind. You die. We play." They have already spent so much money, moon exploration. And that has stopped now, no benefit. They brought some sand and some rock, satisfied. Again the same thing with Mars. But we can say from our poor knowledge that as they have failed in the moon planet, they will fail also in the Mars. Take it down. Note now. Do you know this is all bluff?
Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: So, without reference to God, what is the meaning of sacred rites? Everything is reference that accepting the supreme controller. That is the real meaning. At least, Christian religion accepts God, Muhammadan religion accepts God, or Hindu religion accepts God. So without God, how it can be religion? If there is no understanding of God, the conclusion comes that there is no religion. Fictitious. "We trust in God," but do not know what is God. This is going on. So we have to fight against all this nonsense. Nonsense scientists, nonsense religionists. What do you think? It is not easy-going, sleeping business. We have to fight with so many demons. Otherwise, kava dava adakanam (?), my Guru Mahārāja used to say. Beg some rice and bring it and cook it and eat and sleep.
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: So you say, in the history these are two problems...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh yeah, these are the greatest...
Prabhupāda: So we have trust these two points.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Once these two points are solved, then the knowledge will be very clear.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: That means you are violate the laws of God. Every place is God's place, so you're all God's sons. You can go anywhere. Unless I do something harm, you cannot check me. In the airport, everyone is checked. That means everyone is dishonest. Nowadays everyone is checked. So in the airport, the passengers, at least it is to be supposed they are paying so much fare, they are all respectable gentlemen. But nobody is to be trusted. They are all dishonest. This is your position. Even though you are outwardly respectable gentlemen, the airport authorities accept you as dishonest, to be checked. This is the effect of your education, everyone is dishonest. (lamb crying in background) Why the lamb is crying? Eh? The lamb?
Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So who believes them?
Gargamuni: No, but I don't trust that bank because they already tried... They kept fifty thousand rupees. It took us two weeks to get that.
Jayapatākā: They didn't have any signature.
Gargamuni: It doesn't matter, though. It's still...
Prabhupāda: They are not... It is a small cultivator's cooperative.
Gargamuni: I wouldn't trust a small bank. At any time they can lose. They only have three or four branches.
Jayapatākā: They're backed by the Reserve Bank.
Gargamuni: It doesn't matter.
Jayapatākā: What do you mean, it doesn't matter? What big bank?
Prabhupāda: Then who is going to deposit five lakhs of rupees with them? That is not possible.
Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:
Pradyumna: "They reportedly met also our deputy defense minister, J. B. Patnayak, who hails from Orissa. It is understood that Patnayak has asked the district magistrate of Purī to find land for ISKCON's Sanskrit university there. ISKCON is pursuing not only Kṛṣṇa, it has started taking interest in politics also. It has founded a political party in the United States called "In God We Trust" Party. It has already contested civic elections in Los Angeles and intends to put up candidates for the U.S. Congress." We didn't do anything in Los Angeles. Only in Georgia. All wrong, complete...
Prabhupāda: What is wrong there? In God We Trust, this party. Yes.
Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Our whole movement is to educate this atheistic godless civilization to God consciousness. That is our movement. So if we set up a party, In God We Trust, what is the wrong there?
Gargamuni: In the same newspaper they print naked women. So we have God conscious party to stop this.
Prabhupāda: To stop illicit sex.
Gargamuni: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We are trying to elevate the demoralized human society to God consciousness.
Pradyumna: Then, "John Erdman, a U.S. citizen who sails under the label of (sic:) Jayapak Swami and is in charge of the flourishing Māyāpur complex of the Society, recently had discussions with his chums to set up an In God We Trust Party in India also." Then, heading: "Bigger Than Defunct British Empire." "In a recent communication with Gargamuni Swami, alias Gregory M. Scharf, who looks after West Bengal, the chief from headquarters says, "Now we have become more than the British Empire"
Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Dr. Kneupper: There are many sincere seekers, I think, in Christians and Moslems. At least I have met.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That must be. There must be some sincere men. That can be admitted. But still the sincere man also does not understand clearly what is the meaning of God. "I believe in God." "I believe in God," they say. Just like in America they say, "We trust in God." But what is God, he does not know. So what is the meaning of this, "I trust in God"? That is a phobia.
Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: That should be educated from the very beginning. Therefore we are opening gurukula, sane brain. Otherwise their brain is spoiled by so-called bad education. I inquired from your state secretary that "You write on the bills, 'In God We Trust,' so why not spread this God consciousness—what is God? You blindly say, 'God in Trust,' but what is God? Do you know? So why not spread this science?" I received no reply up to date. They might have said, "Here is a crazy fellow. Nobody has inquired like this." That's all. They do not like to enter into the controversy. Actually they do not believe in God, but they write, "In God We Trust," is it not?
Dr. Kneupper: That's what they write.
Prabhupāda: Yes, but they don't believe in God. Hypocrisy. Because if they trust in God, then they could not cheat that "I am paying you one thousand dollars by some papers." This is cheating. And promise, "In God I Trust." Is that money? So this cheating is begun from the government. Now, how the people will be honest? Everywhere, in all government, they are giving you some papers and you accept it as money. This is not brainwash. Just see. They are educating people that "I promise to pay. This is money," but actually he's receiving some papers. This is not brainwash. And we are talking of God, that is brainwash.
Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:
Dr. Kneupper: But I mean now, when they make these confrontations and give you these difficulties, perhaps it will give your people a chance to teach them and clarify...
Prabhupāda: Well, that we are doing, but this is the opposition. That our boys are trained up. They are trying to meet the opposition. But my point is that such a nice thing we are giving. Why they should oppose? That means uncivilized. Why good thing should be opposed? They say, "In God We Trust," and we are speaking of God only. We have no other business, and they are opposing. And they write, "In God We Trust." Hypocrisy. "If we believe in God, we trust in God, all right, they are talking of God. Let us hear." That is sense. That Patrick? Patrick? He kidnaps our devotees.
Hari-śauri: Ted Patrick.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And by force trying to give him meat. So now, if educated men of your country, they come forward, understand this philosophy, then combined effort... My philosophy is that American and Indian, American money and Indian culture, combine together; the whole world will be changed. That is my philosophy. It is coming to some extent... (break)
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1976, Hyderabad:
Mahāṁśa: Mebubshah. He's a Muslim but he's so loyal. He's the best man. And then Puru and Hanumān. These three people, they are very loyal and they are trustworthy. These people in the villages, they tend... Because they have their home there, so sometimes they want something for their home, so they will steal. And if some other village man steals, he will not stop them. He will say, "All right," because if he stops him, then in his village there will be trouble for him. See? So he will encourage his other villagers to steal. But these men, if they see some villagers stealing, they will stop them. This has happened.
Prabhupāda: This is natural. So how to deal with this?
Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: In Bengali village there are many quacks. You know that. Everywhere. (laughter) So what their business? Nal jal yachuri tene dhaturi.(?)
Dr. Patel: In Mahābhārata in Vidura-nīti, Vidura has mentioned that a doctor should not be trusted and should not be allowed to come in the house. I am reading presently that part of Mahābhārata. Why? Because they must be right from the beginning all the times also they must be of the same type.
Prabhupāda: Another place, Vaiṣṇava says, either he is businessman, or doctor, anyone, they are all madmen.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: The highest evolved man, the brain trust of the country, has got to be poor and has to be protected by other men. That is the highest. Otherwise, if a man with the brain becomes rascal, that is...
Prabhupāda: Miscreant. They are called duṣkṛti. They have got merit, but engaged in sinful activities. That is called duṣkṛti. Kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛtina. There are now... The education is there, but their brain is misused. That is called duṣkṛtina. Therefore they do not believe in God. Big, big men, they are nirākāra-vādī.
Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: That's right. That is... All religious scriptures are above, undoubtedly.(?) It's meant for the humanity in general. And the Christianity is meant for humanity. Christ died for the humanity, not for a particular race... (break)
Prabhupāda: Woman's nature is the same everywhere. In spite of your women being so elevated, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, "You don't trust them." Viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca. That means nature is the same.
Dr. Patel: It is a system of custom.
Prabhupāda: And Urvaśī was explaining Purūravā about woman's nature...
Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: Goal that may be, but what they have done? That is the first thing.
Rāmeśvara: Then another goal they have is, by controlling the genes, they expect that one day they will be able to produce many men with the same talents, with the same physical appearance, duplicate.
Prabhupāda: "Will," everything "will." (chuckles) Never practical. Such a rascal, they are going on as scientists. Everything in future. "Trust no future, however pleasant." And they are depending everything on future. "Yes, we are trying. We shall do it within millions of years." And people believe that.
Rāmeśvara: Because there's no God, so this is the only hope-science. The only hope for immortality is science. That's what people think.
Prabhupāda: But that is bogus.
Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:
Gurukṛpā: I heard one scientist on the airplane. There were three scientists sitting behind me, and they were speaking that they hope they are living in the year 2000. One man said, "I become so excited when I think how advanced we will be in the year 2000 that I just hope I do not die before then 'cause I want to see how everything will be then."
Satsvarūpa: By then they think they will be doing this, creating life.
Prabhupāda: That any insane man can say. Any crazy man can say. "Trust no future, however pleasant." "You are rascal. You are believing in the future. You have not show us, because in the past you could not do. There is no history. In the present you cannot do. So how shall I believe that in future you'll do?" So any rascal promises like that, so we take him as a rascal. That's all.
Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Alpa-vidyā bhayaṅkare.(?) This is the Western countries' deficiency. They learn little, and they consider that he has become very learned scholar. This is the defect.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Like a Professor Frog puffing up and then bursting.
Rādhā-vallabha: Nitāi burst.
Prabhupāda: Where he is now?
Rādhā-vallabha: I don't know. I heard that he was heading for America, then wanted to go back to India, some nonsense. I could find out if you want me to. (laughs)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wrote Prabhupāda, "Your blessings..."
Rādhā-vallabha: I saw the letter.
Prabhupāda: "...to find out better guru."
Rādhā-vallabha: That's like trying to get blessings to find a light brighter than the sun.
Prabhupāda: Where is his wife?
Rādhā-vallabha: She left the movement some time ago.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Rādhā-vallabha: I heard there was some correspondence between them after he left you. Birds of a feather.
Prabhupāda: So they are husband and wife still or not?
Rādhā-vallabha: I just heard from some women, so I can't trust it.
Prabhupāda: Hm. But she was pregnant?
Rādhā-vallabha: I don't know. She was living with her parents in Colorado, I think. He is from there also.
Prabhupāda: He was polluted by the..., that Puruṣottama.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. That Mr. Dalmia's guru.
Prabhupāda: No, no, not that Puruṣottama. Another, my... He says my Godbrother.
Rādhā-vallabha: The one that was making corrections in your books. Rascal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He has very intimately mixed. I think that he arranged for delivering books, this Nitāi.
Rādhā-vallabha: He used to send me corrections all the time, this Puruṣottama. I would throw them in the garbage.
Prabhupāda: Still he sends corrections?
Rādhā-vallabha: No, no. This was years ago. Nonsense corrections too. His own opinion.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll just tell those men. They are waiting
Prabhupāda: So, you can take this. He can... On the basis of the translation, he can make the synonyms. And this boy is good. He should be engaged. He should guide. He knows Sanskrit letter. And I very much appreciate his writing. Tell him. He has done very nice.
Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:
Guru dāsa: So I have this for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is from Alex. For your cars.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes, he wanted to pay me. What is the amount?
Guru dāsa: Four thousand five hundred dollars. He gave it to me because he trusts me. Then Poland, we're very excited about going. Now there are six men, including Umāpati, and in two weeks we are meeting in Germany, and we are going to chalk out our preaching program. I think it will be very good.
Prabhupāda: Now the time is favorable. The Russians are ordering our books. And there is a prediction, the Russians will be first-class theists.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First-class theists.
Prabhupāda: Now they are atheists. They will become first-class theists. I think that there is... Just like Jagāi and Mādhāi. Jagāi and Mādhāi became great devotees. Vālmīki. Vālmīki was a dacoit. He became a... There are so many cases. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is so superexcellent that we can turn the whole Russia to devotee. That is possible. They are searching after something solid and factual. They are harassed with this so-called Christian religion, Pope, and... That is a fact. They do not want anything humbug. But when they very critically read our literature, they will become devotee.
Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "Educated people lack basic values. The question whether formal education has a corrupting influence on the minds of children, particularly the illiterate tribals and villagers, was raised by Dr. D. Y. Goharkar, vice chancellor of Nagpur University at the three-day conference of the third Vidarbha Teachers Educators' Meet, which concluded here last week in Candrapur. Inaugurating the conference, Dr. Goharkar observed that some of the basic values of life such as honesty and trustworthiness were conspicuously lacking in the so-called educated communities in general. He urged educationists and researchers to look into this question and suggest remedies."
Prabhupāda: That means the rascals, they do not see it, that godlessness, godless education will be like that. The teachers who are suggesting, they are themselves blind, and they are leading. They do not know what is the defect. You can write to them, that "You are leaders, you do not know what is the cause. This is the cause. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Without God consciousness, there cannot be any education.
Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:
Guest: For example, my due respect for the medical profession, into which fortunately and unfortunately (indistinct) I have to tell this. Throughout the world not the best genetician doctor can prove to the soul of soul is the child of man. Nobody can tell who is the father. Medical profession. The real existence of his being is taken as sure faith. If the mother says, (indistinct). He takes it for granted, faith, (indistinct) praise the mother and calls so and so his father. Because he trusts.
Prabhupāda: Mother is called father?
Guest: No. Mother is trusted to take the father. Identity of father is known through the mother, not through any other method.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that even the best genecists in the world who are teaching genetics, they cannot actually determine who is the father based on genetics. The only actual thing is the mother's saying.
Dr. Sharma: Faith.
Prabhupāda: That, we give the example.
Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:
Indian man (1): Gandhiji believed in trusteeship theory of Īśopaniṣad.
Prabhupāda: Trusteeship... Trustee... Who will be trustee? Who is trustworthy? All thieves and rogues? Who is trustworthy? Trustee is Kṛṣṇa.
Indian man (1): Or He's the owner.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So He's the owner, and if you follow Kṛṣṇa, then you become trustee. You do not follow Kṛṣṇa; you are unworthy of trusteeship. You interpret in a different way Kṛṣṇa. Even sometimes you say that "Kṛṣṇa is fictitious." Do you not do? Don't you say like that?
Evening Darsana -- May 9, 1977, Hrishikesh:
Prabhupāda: The Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (Hindi) ...nonviolence... (Hindi) Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). The first word is (Hindi). And you want to prove it, nonviolence. (Hindi) ...rascaldom... (Hindi) The first word is used, yuyutsavaḥ. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) Violence required to keep the society in order. (Hindi) Who will give protection? Sab scientific. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) "So don't trust woman and politician." This is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. And she is both politician and woman. We have got Mahābhārata, there is not a single instance... We had very, very great, qualified women. But they were in charge of state...? Very, very qualified women. You know. Na svatantratām arhati, striyaḥ. For woman there is no independence. The Manu-saṁhitā. They must stay under father, under husband, or under elderly sons. Three stages.
Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) That Shriman Narayan said that "You meet me in Delhi between 25th to 30th. I'll be there."
Girirāja: Yes.
Prabhupāda: And that... Here is a fault. To deal with these men... And therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, "Never trust the politician and woman." Viśvāso naiva kartavyaṁ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu. Open it. So where is that Akhila Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've given word. As soon as he comes, I shall be called. He hasn't come yet. I gave him time at nine o'clock, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's about two or three minutes from now. As soon as he comes, I'll bring him in.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) What time you gave?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nine o'clock.
Prabhupāda: And what is the time now?
Srila Prabhupada Vigil -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: You are foreign trained up. And you also idea how to protect our interest.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I'm always...
Prabhupāda: There is very great undercurrent.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I never trusted them much. I know those things. (background whispering, Bhavānanda)
Prabhupāda: Make it... (end)
Talk About Varnasrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Hm? There is no question. It is saving. Suppose you want two hundred rupees. After spending, if there is three hundred rupees, invest hundred rupees in ornament.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But how do you save enough money to get the house if you have all ornaments?
Prabhupāda: You keep it. Don't deposit in bank.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't trust this banking system.
Prabhupāda: No, formerly there was no bank practically. Now they... Generally, ordinary man, whatever little saving is there, they will invest in metal utensils, in ornament, in Benarsi sari, like that.
Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It almost seems like Mr. Bose was like a second father to you.
Prabhupāda: Yes. My father's friend.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Was he very close to your father?
Prabhupāda: Very. He appointed me manager for this relationship.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He trusted you personally, like a son.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We were exactly like son.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will you want to see Bhakti-caitanya Swami again today?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: ...still, they are politicians. You do not expect wonderful thing.
Bhakti-caitanya: No, they are always sly. Today they are (indistinct). Tomorrow they will be...
Prabhupāda: Viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu: "Never trust politicians and woman." That is the instruction of Cāṇakya.
Bhakti-caitanya: Yes, you said many times.
Prabhupāda: They will speak something outwardly and do something inwardly. Especially nowadays politicians, they are diplomats. But Mr. Gupta is doing personally. That's all right.
Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: What is this? First of all answer this. Everything proposition is wrong. So how we can trust? What is the answer?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We cannot trust them.
Prabhupāda: Then? But if you cannot trust them, they're rejected immediately. This is one argument. Another argument, (Bengali). The frog in the well, he's estimating, "This is the limit of water." What he'll understand about Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean? There is so many things. On the whole we are imperfect, and although imperfect, they want to be perfect. That is cheating. Now for argument's sake, if they put some argument, we have to reply. We have to prepare for them. Otherwise they're useless. We know they're useless, but sometimes they put some argument. We have to give answer. This is the position. And our duty is to present picture of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam correct. So what do you have to say? At least some answer you should give.
Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: No, he's coming. Ask him then. The best thing will be... Call him immediately.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhakti-caru. All right. I think so also. And he would want to be here. I have no... None of us have any problem working cooperatively. It's just that I don't want to see someone be given this responsibility who's not qualified, like Sac-cid-ānanda. I don't want to trust you to his care, Sac-cid-ānanda's care. That would be very bad on our part. And Bhagatji's just... I don't know how to explain it, but I'd rather it be Bhakti-caru.
Prabhupāda: No. All of them can cooperate. Anyway, call him.
Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty-five rupees just for sixteen little packets, doses of medicine. Two days' medicine, fifty-five rupees. Eighty-five rupees for two days' total. No. Seventy-five rupees for two days.
Prabhupāda: We are not hesitating to pay, but this mentality...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, exactly. The point is if that a man has this mentality, then how much can we trust him for medicine? It means he's dishonest man. He's becoming dishonest. Still, some husband must be there, you said. We should have a doctor's help. I still believe that. If possible. After all, we are not doctors.
Prabhupāda: No, we are taking the help of doctor, Āyurveda, by this yogendra-rasa.
Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:
Śatadhanya: I have brought the makara-dhvaja from the kavirāja in Delhi. This kavirāja, he's not Rāmānuja-sampradāya, but many people say in Delhi that he's the foremost kavirāja in India. He treats the Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, and all the ministers also. So many people trusted him, and he mixed this medicine... He was mixing it for some other person, but when he heard that you were ill, he gave it to us.
Bhavānanda: What kind of makara-dhvaja?
Śatadhanya: There's different kinds of makara-dhvaja, six kinds. This is the most potent kind. This is called siddha makara-dhvaja. This contains gold and pearl and musk and mica and many other ingredients.
Bhavānanda: And what are the other ingredients you have to take it with?
Śatadhanya: You can take it with either honey or milk. But he recommended that for Prabhupāda's particular condition he take it with honey.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. What did he charge?
Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is that Prabhupāda does not, neither we feel confident at all, to have Prabhupāda treated by anyone else even in the interim period. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers) The problem is that if some assistant is here, if in case there's some problem develops, then the assistant has to become the one who gives a diagnosis, and we don't trust any assistant. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers)
Bhakti-caru: He's saying that the main disease is being taken care of, but there might be some secondary ailments like a cough or passing stool. Someone has to take care of these sort of symptoms, the secondary effects. But the main thing he has given the medicine, and that he's going to give.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the fact is that no matter how expert one may be, sometimes the body reacts in a certain way. Sometimes the body may react in a way which was not foreseen. And then we are at the mercy of this assistant. And that we do not want. This assistant is... We are not very anxious about it. No person of any great position would ever place themselves under an assistant like that, never. If Morarji Desai was to be treated, he would never allow that assistant to touch him. (Bhakti-caru translates) We prefer to take the risk... (kavirāja interrupts) You can explain this point. We prefer to take the risk of traveling than the risk of being treated by that assistant, because if you are personally present, there's less risk. (Bhakti-caru translates) Here's what it will entail. From here we will go in the car, a very good, big Western car with a mattress in the back seat, and Prabhupāda will be laying down. You can explain that. (Bhakti-caru translates) Then we'll have a wheelchair at the airport. The car will go right up to the plane and the wheelchair... We'll carry Prabhupāda right into a seat, and he can lay down in the three seats. Then again we'll take him off the plane. Immediately he'll lay down in the car and go to Māyāpur. (Bhakti-caru translates) There there's open air. Here we have to keep everything closed. Cold draft is coming here. And also there all the vegetables are grown fresh on our land. Plus change of place is also nice for improved health. Prabhupāda is accustomed every three days to go to another country or another city. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers) We will have about ten of us. There will be at least ten of us traveling, so we will give him all... (Bhakti-caru translates)
Bhakti-caru: He said Prabhupāda cannot sit. He'll give a medicine for heart so that if there is any jerking or things, it won't effect.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore we want him to take Prabhupāda. (Bhakti-caru translates)
Bhakti-caru: He says in this condition he can even take Prabhupāda to London. He was thinking that due to the climatic condition here he could have improved better, because it's a dry climate.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where? Here? As opposed to... The climate in Māyāpur is damp now?
Bhakti-caru: Bengal is little damp as compared to North India, UP.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These days here. But unfortunately you cannot stay here. (Bhakti-caru translates, kavirāja answers)
Bhakti-caru: I was telling him that... I mean, he's facing great difficulty preparing the medicines also here. He says that it's been done; dose of medicine for twenty days has been prepared. Like today also he has got to go for six hours.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The main point is that we would very much be glad if he is able to periodically, every day or every other day, whatever the requirement, to check up on Prabhupāda. What we are afraid is that for twenty days he will not be present to check up. This other man is not competent.
Bhakti-caru: No, he didn't say it in that relation also. I told him that medicine is a big problem. (Bengali) He says during the last three days there has been only development.
Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tell him that the only reason we had any reservation about that was because if some side effect develops, then he is not here to help, and we have to take the help of this other person, who we do not trust.
Bhakti-caru: (Hindi)
Kavirāja: (Hindi)
Bhakti-caru: He's saying that now his medicine started working. So he'll give one day's medicine, and he's confident that that medicine will work.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One day's?
Bhakti-caru: Seven days. And apart from that, he's saying that that boy, he has got confidence in him that whatever instruction he gives, he will follow. He is going to follow that, not like other physicians. He wouldn't try to administer his own medicine.
Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: In this condition.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what we have to do is carry on with this medicine, medical treatment, and let the kavirāja come. Then, when he comes from Calcutta, he'll review everything that's happened and he'll see what your condition is like. And if he feels that the liver and kidney have been cleared up a little bit, then he'll begin to give medicine for giving you strength. And we will make him stay here until you get sufficient strength. And if you do get sufficient strength, which means his medicine is working, then he can take you to Māyāpur. And after some days, if he gives you medicine for strength and you don't get any strength, then there's no reason to leave Vṛndāvana. He may go back, but we will stay here. I think that should be our course of action. We certainly... I've looked just now with Upendra, and pretty much, you've increased by about double what you drink and you've increased by about double the amount of urine. But that's not going to give you strength very much. And the kavirāja has also said that he's not giving any medicine for giving strength at this time. Mostly he's giving medicine which should help the kidney and liver. I can't see inside your body to know if your kidney and liver are better. That he has to say. And if he says that it is getting better, then he can give the medicine for giving strength. And that's something that we can notice. Once he gives the medicine for strength, we'll be able to see if you're actually getting strength. After five or six days, if you're not getting any strength, then we'll know that the medicine is not effective. If it is effective, then we can go with him. You'll have more strength and we can go to Māyāpur. He can take us there and we'll carry on. And if for some reason it's not effective, then we have to trust simply in kṛṣṇa-nāma. That we're doing anyway, but that's... We'll have to do exclusively at that point.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Get on...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Does that sound right, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: There is no alternative.
| Page Title: | Trust (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 23 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=112, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 112 |