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Twice (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So your question, Rukmiṇī's question, Lord Caitanya's opulence... There are six kinds of opulences: richness, then fame, strength, influence, beauty, education and renunciation. So He exhibited all these six. He was very beautiful; therefore His name is Gaurasundara. Very beautiful-tall and stout and strong. There was no comparison of His beauty at that time, He was so beautiful, fair complexion. This time He did not appear in black complexion because people after fair complexion. So... And son of a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, and very highly educated. His scholarly manifestation you'll find in the explanation of one verse:

ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ

This verse was twice explained, two times explained: once before Sanatāna Gosvāmī and once before Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was considered at that time to be the greatest learned man in India. At that time nyāya-śāstra, logic, amongst the learned scholar logic is the greatest weapon to get victory over His opponent. So learned scholar is always a very learned scholar in logic, nyāya-śāstra. So this logic was taught in Bihar, Dharvanga. India, in different parts of India, different kinds of education was imparted.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

Yamunā: Oh. (break)

Prabhupāda: I think that is described in the first part of our Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That story is there, how he convert, how he became Nārada. (break)

Mālatī: Twice a month he would visit his father. His father is a demon. So Tore carries in his pocket one nice picture of Swamiji and one nice... On the back is written, tava kara kamala vare. And he sits and says that under his breath because if his father heard, his father gets mad.

Prabhupāda: This is the age for injecting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If children are taught Kṛṣṇa consciousness from this age, the face of the world will be different. (break) ...but they are not Hindus. They have got also obstinacy like that. (break) It is very important. "I thought in that way. When my mother died, as the devotees of the Lord think, I also thought in that way. What is that? 'Oh, it is a grace of the Lord. My mother is now dead.' Because she is the, I mean to say, real cause of my nonfreedom. So she is now dead. Then I am free." It is very contradiction from the materialistic point of view. It is said that, bhaktanam śam abhīpsataḥ. "As the devotees think, so I also in that way thought." What is that? Anugrahaṁ manyamānaḥ. "I thought it a special grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Anugrahaṁ manyamānaḥ pratiṣṭhāṁ disam uttaram: "And I at once took leave of my so-called home and went away."

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, the Sanskrit poetry writing is very difficult. They have got rhetoric system. So many words should be first, so many words, second. You cannot deviate.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then the analogy and metaphor should be like that. Nothing should be twice repeated. So there is Sāhitya-ratna in Sanskrit, Sāhitya-ratna. Caitanya Mahāprabhu defeated one great scholar simply by little mistake. Yes. Keśava Kāśmīrī. Keśava Kāśmīrī was great scholar, and Sanskrit great scholar means he must fluently speak in Sanskrit verses everything.

Allen Ginsberg: Everything he says must be done in perfect Sanskrit verses?

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is... Yes. That is Sanskrit scholar. Not in prose. He'll go on composing verses. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at that time was sixteen years old boy, but He was very learned logician. So the Keśava Kāśmīrī, he was traveling all over India by, I mean to say, competing other paṇḍitas, other learned scholars. So he, everywhere he was victorious. So he came to Navadvīpa. And in those days Navadvīpa and Benares and Udipi and Kashmir, four, five places, were very scholarly.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: So when he came to Navadvīpa, that was the... In all other places he was victorious. So all the Navadvīpa paṇḍitas, they conferred that "Nimāi Paṇḍita should be forwarded to talk with him. And if he is defeated by Nimāi Paṇḍita, then we'll become victorious because a boy has defeated him. But if Nimāi Paṇḍita becomes defeated, then we'll get another chance: 'No, you have defeated boy. Let us come.' " In this way they make. So Keśava Kāśmīrī was informed that first of all he'll have to talk with Nimāi Paṇḍita. So one day Nimāi Paṇḍita, boy Nimāi Paṇḍita, was talking with his disciples, students. And Keśava Kāśmīrī was strolling on the Ganges side. So he heard that this boy is Nimāi Paṇḍita. "Oh, I will have to talk with Him? He is a boy." So he went there, and when He was acquainted that Keśava Kāśmīrī..., "Oh, please come down, sit." So Nimāi Paṇḍita said that "I have heard that you are so learned scholar. Now we are on the Ganges side. You can chant the glorification of mother Ganges. She may hear and enjoy." So he was very learned scholar. Immediately he composed hundred verses, one hundred. And fluent, very fluently he went on. Then, out of that one hundred verses, in the sixty-fourth verse there was some poetic discrepancies. The word was bhavānī-bhārtā. Bhavānī means the wife of Bhava. Lord Śiva is called Bhava. Lord Brahmā is called Aja, and Lord Śiva is called Bhava. Bhava means "from whom everything is born." Lord Śiva is the father of this Bhava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "In the sixty-fourth verse you have stated, bhavānī-bhārtā. Bhavānī means the husband of... Bhavānī means the wife of Bhava, Lord Śiva. So it is known that she has husband. Then why you say bhārtā, again 'husband'?" He was learned scholar. He could understand, "Yes." Dvir-ukti-dośa. This is called dvir-ukti-dośa, repeating twice one thing. Dvir-ukti-dośa. That is dośa. Dośa means fault.

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: In childhood there are many incidents. Another incident... That is a very important incident. When He was very small, crawling, so one brāhmaṇa came as their guest. And the brāhmaṇa, after preparing food, when he would offer to Kṛṣṇa, this boy, a child, crawling and take the prasāda and eat. And the brāhmaṇa will cry, "Oh, everything is spoiled. This boy, child has touched." Then His father would request him, "I should take care of Him. Please cook again and offer to Kṛṣṇa." He said, "It is too late now. I'll eat some fruits." "No. Please cook." So twice He spoiled in that way. Then it became night, so all the ladies, they went to sleep with the child and locked the door of the room. And at night at about eleven o'clock the brāhmaṇa, when he was offering to Kṛṣṇa, and the child came and took the prasādam. The brāhmaṇa again began to cry, "Oh, here again the child has come. How you are taking care?" And nobody heard him because everyone was sleeping. One letter is left here?

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not real food.

Prabhupāda: No. Or... Real food is not required. Simply that explain it. Or you can do one thing. You can offer real food. And since she will be in devotion, one may take the foodstuff and distribute to the audience and keep it. That will be also nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Maybe we can distribute prasāda twice in the play.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even just to... Maybe that plate we'll just give to a few people nearby.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...first speak in detail about Ṭhākura Haridāsa's disappearance. So tell me maybe how you want it to be performed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ṭhākura Haridāsa was living in a cottage which was... Just like I am living here, and the garage site a little far off, Haridāsa was living a little distance. So when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go to the sea for taking bath, He every day, every morning He used to go to Haridāsa Ṭhākura and taking his informa..., "Haridāsa, what you are doing?" Because Haridāsa was Mohammedan by birth, so out of his meekness he did not go to the temple. But in those... Especially in those days they were very strict. They do not allow anyone except Hindus to enter the temple. Nowadays, of course, there is law. If somebody is, actually has come to the Hindu way of life, he's allowed. Our Jayagovinda and others were allowed to see Jagannātha temple.

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Prabhupāda: You can keep it and record. Yes. So manage in that way. We have to train so many things. So tactfully you have to do that.

Hayagrīva: Then he does the first editing. After it's typed up off the dictaphone, Satsvarūpa does the first editing. Then I go over what he has gone over and check the manuscript...

Prabhupāda: Yes. What you do, he goes. And what he does, you go. Then final. In this way. But the last editing should be checked twice. The dictaphone, then checked by him and then by you. Or checked by you and then by him. That's all.

Hayagrīva: Yes. And Pradyumna does the Sanskrit after.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all. That is printing department.

Hayagrīva: And then Jayadvaita does the composing.

Prabhupāda: Jayadvaita and others.

Satsvarūpa: Pālikā and Arundhati.

Prabhupāda: Now, I heard that you are composing fifty pages daily, altogether?

Discussion with BTG Staff -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Jayadvaita: No, not fifty pages. The manuscript pages, yesterday we composed about forty manuscript pages.

Prabhupāda: Correct, all? Complete?

Jayadvaita: Yes. The original... It's done twice. So those first pages, the first time, they'd already been done.

Prabhupāda: No, no. These forty pages, they are complete?

Jayadvaita: Yes. They are complete.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. That is encouraging. So even if you complete thirty pages daily, that will be very nice.

Pradyumna: They'll get faster because Śyāma dāsī and Arundhati were just typing fourteen hours a day in Columbus and they were getting at least twenty manuscript pages done, and now it's...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, you are the in-charge of this composition. You or Jaya-govinda? Who is in charge of the composition?

Jayadvaita: Mostly I am doing it.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Oh, I see, oh. We are thinking of having a branch near that Takat, in that Takat colony. What is your idea? Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness center. Is that a good locality?

Guest (1): I'll tell you. I'll fight Tukori(?). (indistinct)...

Prabhupāda: All right. No, no. Think twice before doing.

Haṁsadūta: Tuesday morning, December 15th?

Guest (1): Tuesday morning? Morning, I have to go to a village somewhere.

Prabhupāda: You give them after seven.

Guest (1): Ah, no, whenever opportunity.

Prabhupāda: All right, then make...

Haṁsadūta: Evenings are all engaged.

Prabhupāda: Oh, evenings are... But evenings up to which date? Tuesday?

Guest (1): Up to the sixteenth.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- London, August 10, 1971:

Mr. Arnold: Well, my wife and I, we can. We're old.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) You are excepted. You are excepted. Sometimes old men are called old fools. (laughing)

Mr. Arnold: My wife is twice..., she's older that I am, and she's made me return because sometimes I've lost my temper with, over, you know, various things that happen...

Prabhupāda: The thing is that you are liberal to understand things as they are. But generally, old men, they are sophisticated. They do not like to accept anything new: "Go away." Or they are not serious about religion. That is another thing. Actually..., as I see that old, older section, they have been habituated in a different way, so they do not want to change (indistinct). That is the difference. So "Here is a nice thing; you should accept it." They are not inclined in that way. All stereotyped. Just like you have said last night, I told Lord Zet... (end)

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dai Nippon -- April 22, 1972, Tokyo:

Karandhara: Printing of the books is our most, one of our most important activities. And if you will study our, the society, ISKCON society, you will see that it is growing very fast, more and more growing now all over the world. The publishing of our books is growing also. Just like last year we had so many jobs, this year so many jobs. Next year at least twice as many jobs again. Your work will continue to increase more and more. (Japanese)

Prabhupāda: I have explained Kṛṣṇa, as good as Lord Buddha. (Japanese) You don't go to India to see the birth place of Lord Buddha? You do not go? In Kapila-vastu. Kapila-vastu, on the valley of Himalaya. Lord Buddha was prince.

Dai Nippon representative: Yes. Yes. He was.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So many Buddhists pilgrims, they go to see. And there is one stūpa, stūpa. Buddhist stūpa. What do you call in Japanese, that dome?

Dai Nippon representative: Dome, yes.

Room Conversation -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That's nice, very good. You also come?

Marilyn: I just got here a little while ago.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Marilyn: I just got here a few days ago, but I've been twice. We'll be here Friday or Saturday or so. I chanted on the street.

Prabhupāda: You chanted?

Marilyn: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Saṅkīrtana party.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:

Devotee: (indistinct) to the temple, Juhu.

Prabhupāda: Oh, oh.

Sumati Morarjee: This small girl, whatever you have got, they can come twice or four or four times, three times a week. This Manipuri girl comes.

Prabhupāda: No, we are opening here in America, one school for training small children to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Sumati Morarjee: Yes, so I told Swamiji. This Girirāja to come to our school, and tell them all my political stories, and tell them make them (indistinct) and all that. I hope he has started.

Devotee: Yes.

Sumati Morarjee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: What is your name?

Sumati Morarjee: His name is Mr.Girish Joshi. He is from Dacca.

Prabhupāda: Oh, I see.

Introduction Speech By Dr. Kapoor and Conversation -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are selling our books, average, at the rate of 25,000 rupees per day.

Dr. Kapoor: Ah. That is unbelievable, I must...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So they are selling magazines, books, and especially our Nectar of Devotion is selling like hotcakes. (laughter) Nectar of Devotion. So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging. There is no scarcity. And I am traveling throughout the world at least twice in a year. And each time we have to spend... Now we purchased $20,000 ticket for four persons. $20,000. $20,000 means how much in Indian exchange? $20,000 to ten times.

Dr. Kapoor: 200...

Prabhupāda: 200,000. That means two lakhs. So our expenditure is going like that. Keep books. And we print at least ten thousand books, fifty thousand books. Our Kṛṣṇa Trilogy. Have you got here, Kṛṣṇa Trilogy? You have seen?

Dr. Kapoor: No.

Prabhupāda: Show him that book, Kṛṣṇa Trilogy. That is selling. That is now recommended in some of the colleges as textbook. Nectar of Devotion is also recommended as a textbook in the Temple University, Pittsburgh. (indistinct)

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You should not do anything which may provoke some kind of...

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So, best thing was to say that he is not in good (indistinct) now, say to me that he is incorrigible. (indistinct) He may be one day, once, twice, if he does not follow, then you shall ask him just to please leave this place. That's all. That should be offered. We should also... The police said that when I told him that our regulation is that everyone should get up at four, so he immediately, "I don't see anyone who is rising at four." Nobody. What can I answer?

Devotee: How can he say that Śrīla Prabhupāda? How can he see if anyone is rising at four or not?

Prabhupāda: Now here is the (indistinct). He says that nobody rises early in the morning. Just like yourself.

Śyāmasundara: But he is rising.

Devotee: I am, I am rising.

Prabhupāda: He is rising, but others!

Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now if they do not offer, obey the orders of the sannyāsī, then naturally... But that thing should be brought to the notice of higher or some official, president. Then steps should be taken, that if you cannot follow the rules and regulations, then you must leave. It is plain thing. There is no question of fighting. First thing is that a sannyāsī, leader, they should behave themselves according to the rules and regulations. And then ask others to follow. The others who do not follow, once, twice excused, three times please... Like that.

Śyāmasundara: If, if he follows strictly the principles, then he'll be automatically respected.

Acyutānanda: Now I wanted to ask somebody to leave, but how does he leave? We have to buy him his ticket or something. There was a boy, one...

Prabhupāda: Leave means he can go to other center.

Acyutānanda: I wanted to ask him to leave but where would he go? Who will pay for his way out?

Prabhupāda: Then one thing is, that this ultimate, we are canvassing, we are preaching to bring men. To get them out is not our business. That is not our business that, but if he is incorrigible, he is not, then he must leave. That is... We are making so much preaching work to bring men, not to ask them to go. If for some paltry reason we ask, that is not...

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Shameless. Shameless men. We cannot say even gentlemen. A gentleman will be shameful, ashamed to speak something nonsense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They do not think.

Prabhupāda: That means they are not human being. A human being thinks twice before saying anything. Animals.

Karandhara: And all the innocent, they're all misled.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is, that is our protest. That you remain a rascal at home. Why you are misleading others?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They're spoiling themselves, but, not only that, they want to spoil others also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their business. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). (pause) Kṛṣṇa so easily simplifies the matter. They'll not accept it. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir... (BG 2.13). In two lines, he solves the whole biological problems. In two lines. That is knowledge. Minimum words, maximum solution. That is knowledge. And talking nonsense and no meaning. Books, volumes of books, talking nonsense and there is no meaning. Is that knowledge?

Morning Walk -- May 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Anyway it is increasing; it is not decreasing. And besides that, there is no such restriction among the birds and beasts. How you can make more for... A cat, a dog, a hog, this birth—one dozen children at a time. And twice in a year. So increasing population is more there, they have got more capacity. So they are not fasting.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are saying that because of our medical science, the number of deaths are decreasing. The number of births are increasing and death the rate is decreasing because of medical science.

Prabhupāda: Due to medical science, death is...?

Brahmānanda: Decreasing. People are living longer.

Prabhupāda: It is all nonsense. Who lives now hundred years. Thirty, forty, fifty, finished. It is another nonsense. At the present age, does anybody live like his grandfather? No. No. That's not a fact. At the present moment the maximum years-eighty years. Formerly they were living a hundred years. My grandmother lived for ninety-six years.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Do you travel much all over the world and...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least twice in a year, all over the world. Just in April I was here, in London. April? Or May?

Śyāmasundara: May.

Prabhupāda: May.

Śyāmasundara: Then to India.

Prabhupāda: In the month of May I was here. Again I have come in July. Formerly, from India to come to London, it was like a dream. And now it is daily affair. (laughs)

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: You get on the plane in the morning and go in the evening there. Simply you have to pay. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. So let us... So thank you very much for your...

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: But we see everything has got Kṛṣṇa connection. Therefore we utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. Just like you're talking about Kṛṣṇa, it is being recorded. So it is useful for Kṛṣṇa's service. Why should I give it up? Because the airplane is there, therefore my preaching has been easier. Every year I'm wandering all over the world, twice, thrice. Because if you use airplane. So why shall I give it up? It is giving me facility to preach my Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, why shall I give it up? It is mithyā. Just like the Jains, they do not ride on car, but if by going in a car I can go and preach, very swiftly, and come back again, why shall I give up this car? So our philosophy is not like that. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. It is yukta-vairāgya. We have no attachment for all these things. We are sitting in this palatial building, that's all right. But you can talk things under the tree. But if I sit down underneath a tree nobody will come to me. (everyone laughs) So why shall I do that? This is our philosophy.

Room Conversation with Latin Professor -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: I see. So... Oh, you have no seat? They are giving him? All right. So from Bhagavad-gītā we understand that Bha... Just like in this planet we are so many persons, or the President Nixon is the President. Similarly, in every planet there are living entities, and the President of the sun planet is called Vivasvān. So he was instructed by Kṛṣṇa long, long ago. In the higher planetary system, the time is different. That was proved when the Russian aeronautics were on the sky. In one hour twenty-five minutes, he went round the earth, twice or thrice, like that. So time is different. So the point is... Just like the sunshine is impersonal, the sun is localized, and the president of the sun globe is a person, similarly, the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The first realization is impersonal, then localized, and then personal. So ultimately, God is person. And that is Kṛṣṇa. So we are hearing directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead about Godhead, and that is perfect knowledge. If you speak yourself about yourself, that is my perfect knowledge of yourself. And if I simply speculate that "Professor may be like this, like that," that is not perfect. I am speculating, but if you come to me, "Swamiji, I am like this," then my knowledge is perfect.

Morning Walk -- December 18, 1973, Los Angeles:

Devotee: They will say that Jesus Christ ate meat.

Prabhupāda: All right, Jesus Christ took meat, but Jesus Christ never said that you maintain slaughterhouse. Is there any Bible, anything?

Devotee: No.

Prabhupāda: Then you eat meat. All right. You kill and meat. Why you are maintaining slaughterhouse? Is that Jesus Christ's instruction, rascal? Thousands of slaughterhouse you are maintaining under the order of Jesus Christ? So they are rascals. You eat meat, all right. Jesus Christ, meat... Of course, once, twice he might have because he was a... (end)

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Then Brahmānanda give me assurance. "I can take charge." Therefore I signed. But factually, he was as good as Madhudviṣa. (laughs) He made a contract with a, that camp, forty thousand rupees. I settled up for ten thousand rupees. So our work is going on in India and money's spent. Fifty percent is spoiled by this American brain. What can be done? There is no... They'll loot. They cheat. Like anything. Just like this camp. It was, it was Brahmānanda and Madhudviṣa combined together made a contract-forty thousand rupees. Then I said that "Then I am not going to pay you. You go." In Kumbha Melā also, the contract was ten thousand. So five thousand already paid. So I said, "I have no money. You have to become satisfied with the ten thousand." So they began some trouble, but after all, accepted. Because they make five hundred percent profit.

Gurukṛpā: As soon as they see American, it becomes twice as much.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Twice not. Five hundred times. (laughter) As soon as they face: "They're Americans. They have got money."

Gurukṛpā: Same thing in market. When they go shopping and...

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Damn cheap." "Damn cheap, bābu." I have told this story, "Damn cheap, bābu"? Eh?

Gurukṛpā: No. (end)

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is no difference.

Dr. Patel: O rasa. Rasa nei hai

Prabhupāda: No, no, rasa... (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: Real rasa comes in Sanskrit. I read it twice in Gujarati, but I, I was not able to get that pleasure when I read it in Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. (S.B. 7.9.10)

Dr. Patel: Those two books of Kṛṣṇa, you have written, it's from this only.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: The Tenth skandha, no?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: "Although there are some bad habits," kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ, "because he is My devotee, he will not be lost. He will take to the right position."

Dr. Patel: I'll read this twice, and twice we are...

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Chandobhai: He has made a promise.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kaunteya pratijānīhi. He has not promised. He says Arjuna, that "You declare this." Because sometimes for His devotee He breaks His promise. But because His devotee Arjuna will promise, it will be never frustrated. "Oh, My devotee has promised." Therefore He says, kaunteya pratijānīhi, "You do this."

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Any education. You train a child to the standard of that education and he will develop his intelligence. A child who does not know what is what, the father says "This is... My dear child, it is watch." Once, twice, thrice, you call, "Watch, watch, watch," he learns, "This is watch." Jaya, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi, aside) So one has to awaken the intelligence. So that supreme intelligence is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one comes to the point of supreme intelligence, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like a rose flower, when it comes to the full blooming stage, it is very beautiful, fragrant, like that. So when a living entity comes to the understanding of his constitutional position, what he is actually, and acts like that, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it is full development. That is called buddhi-yogam. Buddhi is there, intelligence is there, and when it is fully developed for understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is called buddhi-yogam. Yes. Buddhi-yogam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is described, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti. Buddhi-yogam means the intelligence, but... Don't come near. The intelligence which gets the living entity back to home, back to Godhead. That is called buddhi-yogam. Any yoga system means connecting link with the Supreme. When we speak of buddhi-yogam, that is the ultimate yoga. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata antar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). All different types of yoga practice, the most important and topmost yoga practice is to think of Kṛṣṇa always within oneself. That is being practiced, Hare Kṛṣṇa. The topmost yoga system. (break) You are experienced. Try to understand this philosophy and give it to your country. Your country is a most important country in Europe. Roman civilization.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Greek civilization, Roman civilization, is the beginning of European civilization. So your position is very nice.

Italian Man (1): Well, yes. When I was a child I was brought up to go to the mass every morning, and I used to answer in Latin, you know, and serve the priest.

Prabhupāda: Oh!

Italian Man (1): Yes. Even twice a day until the age of fourteen, and then we went to catechism. And then I left, I left alone, you know, by my own will. (break) It would be fantastic to go back with a background of, with the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and talk to them about Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. (break) ...this boy, he is going to develop our Italian center, Rome. (break)

Italian Man (1): ...the personal and impersonal features of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Richard Webster: Within the Christian religion there is a strong emphasis on possible failure and forgiveness.

Prabhupāda: No. Forgiveness is... I know that in church the confession program is there. Forgiveness... Suppose you are or I am an offender. I ask your forgiveness. So you can forgive me once, twice, thrice, not more than that. You cannot make it a profession that you go on committing sins and God will forgive you. No, that is not possible. That is misconception. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). This sudurācāraḥ, means offender, that is not willful offense. One person is accustomed to some bad habits, but he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. But on account of strong habit, if he fails sometimes, that is excused, forgiveness, not that willful committing sin and ask for forgiveness. That is not allowed. In common affairs we do not see. I have got practical, I mean to say, experience. In my householder life I was proprietor of a big pharmacy. So my manager sold some morphia preparation to some unauthorized person. So the sales inspector, they noted it and made us a criminal. And the magistrate called me because I was the proprietor. So my statement was given that "I do not conduct the business directly. Of course, I am responsible for my manager's fault, but I shall be very strict in future. You can forgive me." Immediately I was forgiven. But next time, if I go, if I say like that, that is not forgiven. That is not possible. So this forgiveness is good for accidental fault. But it cannot be continued, that is a wrong philosophy.

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Devotee: They spend their money making bombs instead of sanitation. (Prabhupāda laughs) (pause)

Prabhupāda: Why?

Paramahaṁsa: Instead of taking bath every day, they use perfume on their body. Fifty years ago, very few people had a shower in the home, and they would go to a public bath once a week or twice a week for a bath. Most of the time they cleaned themselves off with alcohol.

Prabhupāda: They still, in Germany, they have no bath in every house. They go to the public bath. Is it not? They, simply they have got only one toilet. That's all. And for taking bath, they go the public house. They have to pay some... (break) Hmm?

Devotee: The creation of the materialism is only one-fourth.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: What happened to the other three-fourths?

Prabhupāda: What is this picture?

Paramahaṁsa: It's a Greek myth.

Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: He will agree with all the points provided he is fixed up. (French) Not, (sic:) after death, in this life you can be fixed up, provided you associate with the persons who are fixed up. (French)

Pṛthu Putra: He says we have to be constantly fixed up, not only one moment and after it's slowing. We always have to be fixed up each time, each time, all the time, all the time.

Prabhupāda: Not each time. Just like our devotees. They come in the saṅkīrtana once, twice, thrice. He becomes interested. Then he becomes fixed up. (French)

Pṛthu Putra: He says to want to become fixed up, that is important, just on the moment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless one is fixed up, his spiritual life does not begin. Spiritual life means fixed up, who is not agitated. Sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ duḥkham. What is that? Same verse.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. "unaltered in distress or happiness."

Prabhupāda: Is there any purport?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: "Anyone who is steady in his determination for the advanced stage of spiritual realization and can equally tolerate the onslaughts of distress and happiness is certainly a person eligible for liberation." (French)

Pṛthu Putra: He says so we then just have to practice now.

Room Conversation -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Still, India, I am surprised.

Devotee: It's good quality as well.

Prabhupāda: Formerly we were paying two rupees. Two rupees, and if it is this name, at most, three rupees. Now the things have increased twice. Forty years ago that black Bhāgavata was bound only for two rupees. This is very nice one. In the U.S.A the binding cost is very, very... Just like Macmillan Company. Bhagavad-gītā, hardbound, they charge ten dollars, ninety-five. And softbound, softbound, they charge four dollars. Six dollar difference on account of binding. So they have charged one dollar, seventy-five cents, and in America they charge six dollars. So all the fathers clapped for long.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They appreciated.

Devotee: Yes. Afterwards, Nick was speaking to one father from a different monastery, and he said he very much appreciated how much respect you had for other persons, that he could tell that you were really feeling respect for Lord Jesus.

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?

Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

rabhupāda: The big two wars of the world happened only on account of this industry. Do you know that? The cause is the big, big industry. Germany industrial, they produce goods. They must have market. But when they go to sell, there is no market. Britishers will not allow to sell them. The Britisher will take, purchase from them, and stamp it "Made in England" and sell it. And this is the cause of two big war. Therefore German declare twice war. Disaster. Therefore it is said, jagata ahitāya. Then? Go on.

Cāru: Purport?

Prabhupāda: No, the other śloka.

Cāru: Other śloka.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: I think you missed that verse, jagato ahitāya. Anyway, these are the description of demonic activities. So this is practical. The last two disastrous war was waged only for this industry. This is the cause. German, they are actually in Europe very intelligent and their machine products and other things, they make very nice things. At least, I have got experience, German chemicals are first-class chemical. So they manufacture and British occupied the half of the world in their colonization, whole Africa, and they controlled India and China, Japan, yes, China, Burma, Ceylon, Australia. So these poor people, they manufactured. They have got goods enough; where to sell? As soon as they go to the British territories, "No, you cannot sell. If you want to sell, then hundred percent duty." So price increase. This was the grudge. Everyone knows. This is the cause of two wars. The jagato ahita. Now, why so much? You require a scissor? Go to a blacksmith and pay something. He'll make a scissor. "No. Produce millions of scissor." Then where is market, sir? This is going on. Produce millions of TV machine. Simple they are used for wasting time. One or two or five made for some important business. Now they are producing millions of sets. They must sell. And people are induced to purchase. And as soon as they purchase, they simply see television. Idol worship. And learning vicious things. Some unnecessary picture is produced there. They like to see it. Two train are coming and they are smashed. (laughs) I have seen some television. People are learning how to smash, how to steal, how to harass people. Things are being shown like that. Not that "You are soul. You are spirit soul. If you degrade yourself, you then get this." You make that television, that how transmigration of the soul is taking place. They have manufactured the machine, so utilize for your propaganda. We have got to do so many things. We can utilize everything. So if they are not used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose they'll be used for committing disaster in the world. Just like the atomic bomb. They are meant for creating disaster, that's all. What else they can do? And now everyone is having atomic weapon, just like India has now got. That means they are preparing, by nature's course they are preparing for war, and "I put my atomic bomb on your head, and you put on my head. You die, I die, that's all." They simply die. Now what was the result of the disastrous war twice? The whole European nations ruined. They are not no more rich. I saw in Paris, in Germany. They are not as rich as the Americans. Because American inland, there was no such big war, so their opulence is existing, but on account of these two wars, British completely finished. Yes. British completely. It is now... Hitler wanted that "I shall again make these English people a fisherman's island. They have to take their business to fishing only." (laughter) That was Hitler's declaration.

Room Conversation -- August 5, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Chewing the chewed, that's all. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). They do not know. That is the mistake of the whole civilization. They do not know what is the necessity. They are manufacturing, durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ. By adjustment of this external energy they are trying. You'll see the whole world, especially in the western world, they do not know what is the necessity. Here at least there are śāstras, there are gurus, people at least taking, still, although it is dead now. But in the western world they do not know at all. Their only happiness is this sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ hi tuccham kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). Itching. Itching sensation. More and more itching and the itches are increasing. Kaṇḍūyanena... They examples are given very nice. Kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. Karayoḥ means hands. There is itching sensation, like this, like this, like this. And the itching disease is increasing. So therefore it is advised that tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. By itching, by satisfying the senses, itching sensation, then troubles and miserable condition increasing. That they do not know. Increasing. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Bahu means much, duḥkha means miserable condition. Therefore one who is sensible: kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ. The dhīra, one (who) is sober, he understands, "What I am doing? I am simply trying to eat and the disease is increasing. Therefore it must be stopped." This is called dhīra. That is called dhīra. That is, one word is used, dhīra, in Kumāra-sambhava. That Pārvatī was induced. Lord Śiva was in meditation, and the necessity was that Kārttikeya... Kārttikeya means, "With the semina of Lord Śiva and Pārvatī's, what is called? Semen, they mix together, the child will be born. He can kill these demons." Therefore Kārttik... So Lord Śiva was engaged in meditation. So Pārvatī was engaged to worship the genital of Lord Śiva. That... Therefore they introduced this, Śiva-liṅga is worshiped. Śiva-liṅga. So when she was worshiping, a young girl touching the genital, but he was sitting without any disturbance. Therefore he has been described, dhīra. Dhīra. One who is not disturbed by the sex impulse even in the presence of very beautiful young girl, he is called dhīra. So kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ. One has to become dhīra. That is wanted. Just like Haridāsa, Ṭhākura. Twice he was induced by very beautiful young girl at dead of night. But he remained... "Yes, I'll satisfy you." He turned... That is called dhīra. There is another place. The dhīra word is used in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1975, Paris (with French translator):

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Yogeśvara: (reads Purport in French. Prabhupāda asks people outside room to stop talking twice during reading)

Prabhupāda: So if we accept this process and advance in devotional service, then God will talk with us. He is with us, every one of us, and He is guiding us, but He gives directly guiding to the devotee. This is practical solution. If you become devotee, God will talk with you and give you direct instruction. Any question?

Yogeśvara (translating): This lady asks when one is too old and with too many responsibilities, what can one do?

Prabhupāda: There is no responsibilities, all false, māyā. Everyone is maintained by God. It is our false conception that "I am giving protection to anybody." That is false. Just like a man is diseased and we are giving help, medical help, first-class physician, first-class medicine, still he dies. So if God desires that this man must die now, your medical help or physician's help will not act. And if God desires that this man must live, then even without your medical help and physician, he will live. Then where is your responsibility?

Woman: Are you against medical help? I mean, you want just to let Kṛṣṇa do His way and not let the doctors help at all? I mean, don't go a doctor, just rely on Kṛṣṇa to help you?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa will help you. It is Kṛṣṇa's help that will be counted, not your help or my help.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Professor: You are traveling all Latin America now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have traveled all over the world in eight years. Eight years? From 1967, eight years. So eight years I have traveled around fourteen times or more than that. No, twice in a year, almost.

Professor: (laughs)

Prabhupāda: No, this time, I started from India. Then I went to Hong Kong, from Hong Kong to Tokyo, from Tokyo to Honolulu, from Honolulu to Los Angeles, and from Los Angeles here, Mexico. And then where?

Hṛdayānanda: Caracas.

Prabhupāda: Caracas.

Hṛdayānanda: And then Puerto Rico. Then Miami, Atlanta, New York, London.

Prabhupāda: And then, from London, I may go directly to Bombay, or I may visit some other European cities where we have got temple. In Paris, in Geneva, in Rome, in Amsterdam, we have got some temple, like this.

Morning Walk -- March 4, 1975, Dallas:

Prabhupāda: "Poor Christ, he has to suffer for all the sinful activities, and he wanted to save us from sin, gave his injunction. That we shall not care." This is Christian religion. And therefore they have to close down this hypocrisy. (break) That Melbourne meeting, some of you were with me? No. In Melbourne I was invited by some, many priests. Twice I was invited. The first meeting I am speaking. So there was a good meeting, all respectable priests. So they asked me that "Why Christian religion is dwindling? What we have done?" So I asked them that "What you have not done?" (laughter) So they were not very much pleased. But I, in the open meeting, I said, "What you have not done? You have done all sinful activities. Therefore you have to close down this hypocrisy now." That was my answer, "What you have not done?" Now they are sorry, "What we have done?" That is called ignorance. They have done everything all sinful. They do not know that is sinful. (break) ...Bible, "Thou shall not kill," and they will not obey. That is sinful. Everything is there clearly, Ten Commandments, but they will not do that. Willful sinners. One may act sinfully, unaware. But they are willfully sinners. They know this is sin, and still they are doing.

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1975, London:

Brahmānanda: Oh, when he came to Calcutta?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have seen. We were school children at that time. So on the two sides of the road, our first place was, the king, queen passed, we saw. We were given a flag. (laughter) "Jaya Rāja, Rājeśvara." We were... And very good tiffin was supplied. Two samosa, two kachori, two sandeśa, and one big tangerine. Twice I saw. Once when he entered Calcutta, and again, one day, when there was a parade of military... military parade. So both days we were invited, and we saw the king. (break)

Brahmānanda: ...Calcutta, on the Maidan, there's that big building, that big memorial. Is that...

Prabhupāda: Oh, Victoria Memorial.

Brahmānanda: That was built for, the king when he was coming?

Prabhupāda: No, that was built in memory of Victoria. It was done, imitating the Taj Mahal. It took twenty years. Sir Rajendranath Mukherjee of Martin Company, he took the contract. And after finishing, he got this title, "Sir." And when it was being constructed, I went to the top by crossing the scaffolding.

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: For children-kill them. This is Kali-yuga. They are killing their own children and patting a dog. Just see how much fallen they are, and they're passing as civilized. Fourth class. Complaining of overpopulation, and the dog gives birth at a time half a dozen—there is no overpopulation, welcome; we shall maintain them. Huh? They're giving twice in a year, or once in a, even once in a year, that is no overpopulation. A man gives one or two birth, it is overpopulation. Formerly they are begetting hundred children. At that time there was no complaint of overpopulation. At that time, the description in the history is kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). On account of good rains, the earth used to produce immense necessities of life. Just like this portion is maintained with sufficient water, there is green everywhere. So if there is sufficient rain, everywhere you can do. Where is the question of overpopulation? (break) ...population you work for growing food. No. Some of them are becoming hippies, no work. And some of them are working for manufacturing tire tube, tools, that's all. Where is food? Still there is food, but they'll not work for this, for growing food.

Morning Walk -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:

Hari-śauri: Actually they are not very much concerned about their parents anymore either. They put them in institutions also when they get too old.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, time will come; they will kill their father. Now they are killing their children. Now they will kill their father. As soon as the whole world will become Communist they will kill the old man, as the Africans, they do it. Africans kill their grandfather, and it is a festival. Yes. They throw the grandfather on the roof of the cottage, and it, rolling down, it falls down. Twice, thrice it dies. That becomes a great festival of the grandsons. They are eating grandfather. Glorious grandsons.

Australian devotee 6: Then they eat the grandfather's brain.

Prabhupāda: And, you do not know, they like to eat white men. (laughter) Yes. They kidnap or capture, some way or other, one white man, and they eat it very nicely.

Australian devotee 6: They say that the grandfather is very learned so they eat his brain so they can get his knowledge.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they say like that? Oh, just see. He eats the experience. Harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21).

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: She gave interview to our men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I saw her twice.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you saw? How did (s)he talk with you?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She was very respectful. And she wished our movement well.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She said that she had difficulty to take an active part, because then she would have to take an active part in all such movements.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That's it. That is the difficulty. She said frankly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because we asked her to attend the cornerstone ceremony at Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: So, shall we take a chance?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it might be nice.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Jayatīrtha: In two weeks.

Prabhupāda: She has divorced two husbands. And when the press reporters asked her, she replied, "Yes, it was a mistake." And still, they want to be equal with man. She commits mistake twice in two week, and still she claims to be equal with man. So we have got our school, Dallas, we are teaching the small children to make the boys first-class men, as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gītā, and woman to become very faithful and chaste. That's all. This is our education. Then it will be very happy home and people will live very peacefully, and then other things can be executed. If the home is not peaceful, always disturbed in mind, and one has to adopt twice in a week divorce, then how there can be peace? This is not freedom, this is disturbance. Freedom does not mean disturbance of peace. Freedom means that maintenance of peace.

Sandy Nixon: I've got a good question. How can we get a God conscious leader in this country?

Prabhupāda: You come and live with us. You'll get God. Just like so many boys...

Sandy Nixon: As a president in this country.

Prabhupāda: President?

Room Conversation with Bernard Manischewitz -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Ohh. Thank you very much. So give him books.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Bernard Manischewitz: This is fine, thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Now you can... I saw you before?

Bernard Manischewitz: Twice before. Once in Chicago and once in New York.

Prabhupāda: How are you now?

Bernard Manischewitz: I'm fine, thank you.

Prabhupāda: She's your daughter?

Bernard Manischewitz: My daughter. My son-in-law. My sleeping grandson. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: So make him active like you.

Bernard Manischewitz: I have a question. May I ask? Is it sometimes possible that a person is reborn in the same body (indistinct, Prabhupāda coughs).

Prabhupāda: Same body? What is that?

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Lalitā: (Bengali) ...American guru. Yesterday somebody came to me when I am just... (Bengali) ...Central Intelligence... (Bengali) ...whose house that Mr. Badiraja(?) house, and Guru Maharaj-ji is Indian or American. Twice they phoned from the prime minister's office. We are telling them in Bengali. From there, Calcutta, West Bengal. And I know, my grandfather knows him, and I told this. (Bengali) ...this American guru. And again and again they are phoning. I said, "No, no." (Bengali) What she will feel? She has got that power.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...she is spiritually inclined, therefore... (Bengali) "I know Mrs. Gandhi is spiritually inclined." (Bengali) By 1928 Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress President... (Bengali) "Dear Panditji, I want to go to Congress as a delegate. Please give me delegate ticket." (Bengali) "You don't require any ticket. You come here. You'll get it." Delegate's seats are... (Bengali)

Lalitā: You born... When Guru Maharaj born... (Bengali)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: 1896.

Lalitā: Somebody has reported that he is American and this and that.

Prabhupāda: No. (Bengali) ...Calcutta janma... (Bengali)

Morning Walk -- September 18, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When it is required, you can purchase. But I understand that you purchase more and it is left over. Don't squander money. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaṣ ca prajalpo niya... (NOI 2). Atyāhāra—to eat more, to collect more, they are against bhakti principle. And why they are going twice in the market?

Dhanañjaya: Because sometimes Daivī-śakti, she does not give her list.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Does not give list—then don't bring. Everyone must supply list in the evening and once it should... (aside) Jaya. It is not that Daivī-śakti gives one list—you have to go. What is this? Everything purchased in the morning, that's all. And rice, dahl, attar, ghee, for fifteen days. Only the raw fruits and vegetables should be purchased every morning. That's all.

Dhanañjaya: So Viśvambhara is going this morning to grain merchants to arrange.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Dhanañjaya: Viśvambhara is going to arrange that today, to purchase for fifteen days.

Prabhupāda: Any shopkeeper will supply fifteen days. He will bring at your home and your pay him, forthrightly?

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And the body. But Gandhi has never said anywhere.

Dr. Patel: He was always, you know, anāsakta-yoga.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is all right, but...

Dr. Patel: He always used to, daily, twice...

Prabhupāda: In the beginning this is the... You can have any yoga, anāsakti or āsakti, but the primary instruction is one has to understand first of all this, that one is not this body. And the national movement is based on this bodily concept of life. "I am Indian."

Dr. Patel: All the national... All the world's on that body.

Prabhupāda: So that is the difference. First of all one has to understand that he is neither Indian nor American nor English. But if you go on pushing on national movement, where is the chance of understanding that you are not this body? Just like our movement, we never say anything national. We simply state that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul."

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Harikeśa: It only happened once, and that was enough to start the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Only once.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It had to happen at least twice.

Prabhupāda: That is another rascaldom. We see the flowers and fruits are coming every season. Why once? This dogmatic, we have to accept? Our experience is that by nature's way we find the same flower is coming again in the same season.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, actually Darwin said that there's a missing link.

Prabhupāda: You rascal, you say that. What is that missing link? Simply bluffing, and it is going on in the name of science. Just see the fun. Simply misleading, and people are so rascal, this civilized man, so-called, he is accepting as great theory.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Accepting?

Prabhupāda: This Darwin's theory as very big invention or discovery. Simply childish rascaldom. There is no reason; there is no sense. Man came from monkey—why not coming now? Stop once. So what kind of men came first?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: First there was very primitive man.

Morning Walk -- October 28, 1975, Nairobi:

Indian lady (3): Yes. Here always, twice in a week.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Indian lady (3): Here always there will be function twice in a week.

Prabhupāda: Oh, twice in a week. So which are the days?

Indian lady (3): Usually they keep on Tuesday and Friday.

Brahmānanda: There are many, the ladies' satsang mandalas and...

Prabhupāda: Ladies, not lords. (laughter)

Indian lady (3): No. Yes, only ladies

Prabhupāda: They are better. It doesn't matter ladies or lord. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious is good. Striyo śūdras tathā vaiśyas te 'pi yānti param. It doesn't matter whether woman, śūdra or vaiśya. If he is... If she is or he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone.

Morning Walk -- November 12, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Such kind of religious system is rejected. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavaḥ. Kaitava means cheating. To cheat God or to be cheated by God, this kind of religion is rejected. But people are very much fond of that kind of religion by which the God is cheated and he is cheated. He will commit all kinds of sins and he will be excused. That means God is cheated. And if he thinks that "I will go on committing sinful; God will excuse me," that is also cheating. He is cheating himself, as if God is so fool that he will go on committing sin and God will excuse. These are cheating. This is not religion. God is personally speaking, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām (BG 7.28), and he is thinking that "I will go on committing sinful activities and God will excuse." Why God will excuse? This is foolishness. He can excuse once, twice, thrice, but as a matter of routine, he will commit sinful activities and God will excuse—this is all nonsense. Parīkṣit Mahārāja has condemned this process. He has compared the kuñjara saucavat. Kuñjara means elephant. The elephant takes bath in the river or in the lake very minutely, becomes very clean. And as soon as he will come on the shore, he takes some dust and... You will find this. He's such a big animal, but he has no sense that "Now I have washed all dirty things. Again I am taking dirt?" So this kind of knowledge, that "Cleanse yourself by doing prāyaścitta, and again unclean." If you have cleansed yourself, then keep yourself clean. Why you are uncleaning again? This is foolishness. (break) "What is this, pious activities and sinful activities? These are all old, primitive ideas. Now we are advanced." (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya (break) ...surfing introduced as (Hindi) ...Surfing sport... (Hindi) (break) ...that toothpaste within the box?

Harikeśa: Yes.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is all right. Then he should retire.

Aksayānanda: Yes. His wife has, I think, expired, so he has no problem there. And he looked in our āśrama, and he likes it inside there. He's prepared to live with brahmacārīs and so on. Very good man. His name is Mr. Ugrasena. (break) ...much colder today.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and it will increase. Yes. In December January it will be very cold.

Aksayānanda: Yes. It'll be almost twice as cold. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...middle of January, there will be cloud, rain. You have no experience, last winter, anyone? Huh?

Aksayānanda: Yes, I have. Still, if we're sincere we'll stay in Vṛndāvana even if blood and stool comes from the sky, if you want.

Prabhupāda: Why do you expect that? (break) ...capati, you apply little ghee?

Aksayānanda: For the guests.

Prabhupāda: And not for you?

Aksayānanda: No.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Aksayānanda: Because it's very expensive and not necessary.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The point is that no matter how much they press for any kind of mixing, our first point is: "You come here and visit us." And he'll never do that. Never do that. And we should not... We already invited him twice, so we don't have to give any more invitation. We should simply say verbally, "Let Tīrtha Mahārāja come here as we have come so many times. Then we can speak about some kind of cooperation."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: I remember, Śrīla... You walked there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: From here you walked all the way...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twice Prabhupāda has visited and personally requested, and he won't come here. And now... The thing is now he might say, "If you give it to me in writing, I will come," but we'll say, "We have already personally come. Our spiritual master has come twice personally, and now you have to simply come. The invitation is already given. Now Tīrtha Mahārāja should come here." He'll never do that.

Bhavānanda: He'll never come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. So then that way we don't have to cooperate.

Prabhupāda: So this paper you keep, because these rascals they may create some trouble.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Bringing our men from Dum Dum airport to our roof.

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There are at least four roofs like this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. The people will see. All the pilgrims will see. Like the demigods flying in.

Prabhupāda: At least we can make a show—it is coming twice in a day and going twice in a day. And they will see that "Oh, so many people are coming."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you have to... The thing is we're simply waiting for your go-ahead, because unless we get the land and we can begin, we can't start this.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Kṛṣṇa has sent him. Let him come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We shouldn't delay. If we... This is a little pamphlet. If we issue a counter-pamphlet, it's not... I don't think it's such an important thing. The thing to do is to do something...

Prabhupāda: Yes, practical.

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man (1): Is not moving around the earth?

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's further away from us than the sun and twice as big as the sun. Ask Prabhupāda how big is the moon.

Indian man (1): Prabhupāda, how big is this moon? Is much more bigger than this?

Prabhupāda: You can see in the Fifth Canto. There is.

Hṛdayānanda: That means that māyā is just like a magician.

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. Therefore it is called māyā. Māyā means magician. Māyā means... māyā means affection, māyā means illusion, magician, so many things—strength, potency.

Jagadīśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is your explanation why the sun changes colors?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jagadīśa: What is your explanation as to why the sun changes colors?

Prabhupāda: Sun is moving. You are seeing through some color. Then it is color.

Jagadīśa: Seeing through some color.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like there are... In your window there is glass, red. So sun is passing; you say sun red. And again it has come; it is white.

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: He was also not very serious, but Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was very serious, and we learned from him. No, it is śāstrīya. No intoxication is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How is it that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was not so strict in that regard, yet his son, who learned from him, became very strict, like a rod?

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was so strict (laughs) that because he married twice, he used to say, "strī-saṅgī, attached to woman," even his father. (laughter) He was very strict. Sometimes when he would be angry, he'd, "You strī-saṅgī." And don't discuss this thing. (laughs) He was very strict. No excuse, no compromise.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's where you got all of that from.

Prabhupāda: My is imitation, but his was real. (laughs) All these Navadvīpa people were afraid of him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Afraid.

Prabhupāda: Strong-hearted. They made a, what is called, conspiracy to kill him.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Rogī means diseased, and bhogī means flourishing, and yogi means transcendentalist.

Hṛdayānanda: Rogī.

Hari-śauri: What is...? A yogi passes stool once a day, a bhogī twice and a rogī more.

Prabhupāda: Who told you. Eh?

Hari-śauri: That's what we were told when we first joined the temple to stop us over-eating.

Jayapatākā: Some devotees were holding their stool for the next day to be a yogi, (laughter) the second time coming. And getting stomachache.

Prabhupāda: Is it a fact?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Jayapatākā: I heard... They thought that was the criterion.

Prabhupāda: This is called makṣī maṇḍa kanani. (?) A clerk was making a fair book from the rough book. So he went to the toilet room and he was... Like this. So all of a sudden his boss came: "What you are doing here?" "Sir, I am trying to capture one fly." "And why?" "No, I am making the fair copy of the book, but in the original book, there is a fly smashed. (laughter) So I have to paste one fly." There are such fools. Makṣī maṇḍa kanani. "There is a fly, paste. So in the fair copy, there must be a fly, paste." (break) Yes. Unless there is pūjārī, what is the meaning of temple?

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

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, do you know what Sai Baba is preaching? Do you know?

Reporter (2): No.

Prabhupāda: Then how you are asking on behalf of Sai Baba?

Reporter (2): No, just like that. Just like.... I am just going.... I am very far removed from these...

Prabhupāda: No, no, why you are interested.... Twice, thrice you have said Sai Baba.

Reporter (2): No, anybody. Because he is among the better-known people. I, I am, I have nothing to do with.

Prabhupāda: So, but better known...

Reporter (2): It could be someone like, say, the Bala Yogeshwara, who also got some kind of following there.

Prabhupāda: That is.... That has spoiled our India's Vedic culture. Everyone has invented some ways, and they have misled the general people, people, followers. That is the misfortune of modern India. Yes. The standard instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. They do not care to know it. They want to know about the greatness of Bala Yogi, Sai Baba, this bābā, that bābā. That is their misfortune. They give up the real instruction, Bhagavad-gītā, which is accepted by the great ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu—and all over the world, they are not interested to know Bhagavad-gītā; they are interested to know about Sai Baba. Just see misfortune.

Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana:

Yaśodānandana: Prabhupāda, there has been discussion amongst many of the members of the press and the Sanskrit editors regarding the actual place of Nṛsiṁha's pastimes. So I told them that on the occasion of our travel to South India we visited this place Ahobilam, and the paṇḍitas, they have scriptural reference from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa and the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa that the place is actually mentioned there, and it has been recognized by Rāmānujācārya and many of the great Ālwār saints. And yourself have already told me twice personally that this was the actual place where it happened. And on top of the mountain there, there is the pillar, iron pillar, which is the symbol of the spot where Lord Nṛsiṁha killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. So for the benefit of all of these devotees, they were just requesting your actual confirmation.

Prabhupāda: Confirmation or no confirmation, Nṛsiṁha-deva is our worshipable Deity, that's all. Why you are bothering where He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu? You worship Him, that's all.

Yaśodānandana: They just wanted...

Jayādvaita: The question came up because they have some pictures, photographs from these places, and we wanted to know if they were suitable for publishing or not.

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering with that? Let it be accepted or not accepted. Worship Him.

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If our gurukula children comes here they can have very good sporting. And this idea I have given you?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Remain healthy.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Twice a day.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Twice a day can come, take bath and enjoy sporting life and then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take good prasādam. That's all. Why they should waste their time in technology to become a coolie?

Girirāja: Actually there was once a case. A newspaper once wrote that Henry Ford was ignorant. So Henry Ford filed a case against the newspaper. So in the hearing, the defense asked so many questions about science and history to Henry Ford. So Henry Ford said to the judge that "In my office I have a panel of buttons, and I can press any button and someone will come running to answer any of these questions. So am I ignorant?" (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: They'll not touch: "Oh, it is still dirty." But our going on. What can be done? Where there is no cleanliness, little rubbed with soap, that is sufficient. What can be done? But that is not cleanliness. If there is a black spot on the..., it has to.... It will immediately be cleaned. My mother used to see every utensil, whether there is any spot. The maidservant had to surrender. Examine. Then it is no spot. Then it is finished. Otherwise she has to do again. Everything should be neat and clean. The kitchen should be very neat and clean, washed twice daily, opened nicely and smeared with water and gobar. And if you see the kitchen, immediately you'll feel comfortable. It is very cleanly prepared, then offered to the Deity. Then you take. Automatically your mind becomes cleansed. (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So that was a very wonderful meeting Prabhupāda had in his room in Melbourne, the evening of April 22nd, 1976. There were three young men who came to visit Prabhupāda, and their names were Brian Singer, Doug Warvick, and Michael Gordon. The person who was first speaking, and he spoke at the very beginning was.... Who was it?

Hari-śauri: The one who was speaking for a little while. That was...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mike Gordon, he spoke first, and I think he only asked one question. Then it was all.... Then Brian Singer was asking all the rest of the questions. And the first boy was Michael Gordon. And then Brian Singer asked the majority of questions all throughout the whole thing. Haribol. Good article for BTG, especially the first part of this discourse, fantastic. (break) Incidentally, there's not enough room to tape anything else on the rest of this tape, so I'm going to zip it off now. Haribol. Signing off, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (4): We just see it differently. We believe that after this life we'll be resurrected into a glorified, perfect body of flesh and bones and...

Prabhupāda: That's nice. That we say. We say twice, that.... Just last night I was discussing that this human form of life is to make our choice, whether we are going to get a body back to home, back to Godhead, or again we are going in the cycle of birth and death. This is our choice. If we act according to the orders of God, then we go to Him, back to home, back to Godhead. And if we still whimsically act, then I go again in the cycle of birth and death. That's a fact.

Guest (3): Well, we.... See, we desire and strive to follow out the orders of God.

Prabhupāda: That is perfection of life. But if we don't do that, then we are going again to the evolutionary process...

Guest (4): That's right.

Prabhupāda: ...of birth and death. It will depend on my action.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Interviewer: Your Grace, have you been to New Zealand before?

Prabhupāda: Twice. When the Deity was installed, I installed personally. Then I think I came last year here.

Interviewer: You're the leader of how many disciples or devotees throughout the world?

Prabhupāda: Personally, I have got not less than ten thousand. But I was deputed by my Guru Mahārāja to make propaganda in the Western countries. So this movement... Of course, I have started in the Western countries, but in India it is very common movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone knows.

Interviewer: Are you at all concerned about the, what seems to be an increasing number of gurus and swamis throughout the world?

Prabhupāda: That I could not follow.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: It is very nice.

Devotee: Sometimes he said when he's speaking, the translator will not say what he is saying because it's...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes he forgets-usually he speaks very carefully-guarded words. But once or twice he says, he starts speaking direct Krishna consciousness and the translator looks at him and won't translate it into the local language. Sometimes he forgets himself and starts speaking about Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the translator suddenly looks at him. Usually he covers everything.

Prabhupāda: He has done a good job.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is a fit person, very intelligent.

Prabhupāda: So in this way... You are all intelligent, you can plan. The aim is how to distribute books. That is first consideration. (break) In Bhāgavata it is very figuratively described that we have got this body and the different parts. Just like Arjuna is sitting on the chariot. There is chariot driver, there are horses, reins. There is field, and the arrow, and the bow. They have been figuratively. So this can be used for killing the enemies of our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and then give up all this paraphernalia, chariot, we... Just like after fighting, only victory, then you kill them. And similarly this body is there, the mind is there, the senses are there. So utilize it for conquering over this material existence. And then give up this body and go back to home.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Each planet is 1,600,000 miles away from one another.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 1,600,000.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yadubara: They say they went 250,000 miles twice.

Prabhupāda: They say, let them say, first of all answer "Why Sunday first?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about these pictures we have seen on the television showing them jumping on the moon?

Prabhupāda: That you can make in laboratory. That is not very difficult.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Colossal hoax.

Mahendra: ...pictures are like the King Kong movie.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In King Kong movie they made cotton as cloud. (laughs). They can do everything in the laboratory.

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

Hari-śauri: I used to have a friend that was in the Merchant Navy. He was working on oil tankers. So he would only go on the runs to Vietnam. The oil tankers were always in danger of being blown up, so they had to pay them twice as much as any other job just to simply go to Vietnam, and then he would get a huge bonus as well. So he would only work on those jobs.

Prabhupāda: So the modern civilization, there is no program for peaceful, happy life. Things are becoming more and more problematic. Everywhere. Here our Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja is asking everyone to go to his New Vrindaban. There is no problem. We have seen yesterday pictures of our New Vrindaban. There is no problem. Practical. If you can see the picture, you'll see that they have no problem. Is there any problem?

Rādhāvallabha: Sometimes there is too much milk.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If he comes out, he faces unemployment. Better to remain here. (break)

Jagadīśa: ...how to prolong life and stop death. So Dr. Frog has a recent theory that (Prabhupāda laughs) if a person fasts on every third day, he can prolong his life, twice as long. They are experimenting with rats on this basis. (break)

Rāmeśvara: And we take our knowledge from Śrīla Vyāsadeva.

Trivikrama: And here also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the ocean, they're surfing, extreme cold.

Rādhāvallabha: It's so cold that they sit on the water and they just tremble.

Prabhupāda: That is also another punishment, voluntary.

Hari-śauri: Everybody's doing tapasya, but for their own cause.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. Ugra-karma, ferocious activities.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Hari-śauri: It was bombed frequently, or just once or twice?

Prabhupāda: Almost daily. But it was meant for bombing the European quarters. So when the Britishers saw that "Now this Subash Bose has organized I.N.A...." I.N.A. was organized by Subash Chandra Bose. Outside India, all the Indians, they contributed money, especially from Singapore. Singapore, Hong Kong, this side..., all the Indians, they contribute sufficiently. And he got men from the fighting Indians soldiers. The Britishers, they were fighting with Indian soldiers, with Germany and Japan and others. So the contract with Hitler and Subash Bose was this, that "All the Indian soldiers which you arrest in the war, please give me them. Then I shall organize." So the soldiers, when they understood they're being arrested—"We shall go to Indian side"—they voluntarily surrendered. So Hitler, all others, Hitler and Japan, Tojo, arrest them and give it to Subash Chandra Bose, and he was organizing in Singapore.

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

Hari-śauri: Have you seen the Deities in the temple?

Jackie Vaughn: Yes. I am very fortunate. Twice I've been before you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Oh, that's nice.

Jackie Vaughn: I'm very grateful.

Prabhupāda: Whenever you find time, please come.

Jackie Vaughn: I will.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You'll get so many inspirations. (pause) The pathways in the garden, if they are occasionally washed, as far as possible, grow.... (break)

Mādhavānanda: Today is celebration of snāna-yātrā, So.... (break)

Hari-śauri: July 18.

Mādhavānanda: Today is snāna-yātrā, disappearance of Mukunda Datta and Śrīdhara Paṇḍita and full moon. Tomorrow is disappearance of Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī. (end)

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prof. O'Connell: Swamiji, if somebody is in the movement for several years and feels that he's not making progress and leaves, is he looked upon as a sinner or enemy? How do the devotees feel about persons like that?

Prabhupāda: Not like.... Just like in college, school, some student making rapid progress, some of them are a little slow. That does not mean that he should he rejected. He should be given chance. But if he follows the regulative principles, there is no chance of falling down. The regulative principle is that you refrain from these activities: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That will make him perfect. Very easy. We don't say no sex; we say illicit sex. So if you want sex, you become a gentleman, marry and live like a gentleman. Why illicit sex? There are many gṛhastha devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct associate, Nityānanda, He was a gṛhastha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself was a gṛhastha. He married twice. First wife died, he married second wife. So gṛhastha is not rejected. Simply it is not that simply sannyāsīs will go back to home. No. Everyone can go. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. They can go also. But one must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation is that you remain your place-don't try to change it artificially—but be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is required. And that is also very easy, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. At home or out of home, it doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your situation, place, and śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāk, and hear, just lend your aural reception of the words of Kṛṣṇa. So that day will come, Kṛṣṇa, who is ajita, you can conquer Him. Ajito 'pi jito 'py asi. Nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa, but by this method, one can conquer Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Kulaśekhara: Have you been receiving the past issues?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda read the last issue in Hawaii. I remember you read through the last issue with a brown cover in Hawaii.

Prabhupāda: So how you make this double color. Twice printed?

Kulaśekhara: Three times. Red, black and yellow.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana-candra? No.

Kīrtanānanda: Vṛndāvana-natha.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Kīrtanānanda: He is at the original farm where you stayed. This is the pūjārī. Very, very nice boy. He also makes that nice sandesh. Rādhānatha.

Prabhupāda: And who makes the singara?

Kīrtanānanda: Kuladri.

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: This year's?

Devotee (1): Yes. People would drive by the temple, Prabhupāda, and just look. They would drive by and look once, drive a little further and look twice and three times.

Prabhupāda: But San Francisco we haven't got our temple. We haven't got any temple?

Devotee (1): No. We used the photograph. We made a publicity notice, a news release, and they printed it directly. It was easier for them. The picture is of San Francisco, but the festival was in Cleveland.

Prabhupāda: There is no date? Hmm?

Devotee (1): Maybe not in that one article. Other articles, there are dates.

Prabhupāda: Is this Cleveland?

Devotee (1): Yes. There are many skyscrapers, tall buildings, there are many tall buildings, and people were looking out at the Ratha-yātrā cart and at Lord Jagannātha.

Prabhupāda: Here, the daytime is...

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: We have found, Śrīla Prabhupāda, when the buses are going to many of these cities, they have never seen our devotees, because when we go, we are dressed like they are for distributing the books. So now the boys are going again in the streets with a kīrtana party once a week downtown, and they have all done front-page newspaper articles, because although they have been reading the books, they have never seen the devotees in many years. I think festivals like this...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva, surrenders. That's nice. All right, continue tomorrow. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19).

Devotees: Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Distribute this prasādam. (break) Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgya and jñāna, both thing will develop, Vāsudeva. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasādam. Give him twice, he has worked very hard. (laughter) Double, you should give double. So Kṛṣṇa will bless you. So push this scientific movement, go to every university, every college. How they are receiving now in the college circles?

Sadāpūta: We gave a lecture a couple of days ago in Gainesville, and it was interesting. We actually gave a couple of TV interviews.

Prabhupāda: How they received it?

Sadāpūta: Well in the class, at first the professor said "That's completely fallacious." But he quieted down.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they will say like that, "fallacious," but you have to make them down. (laughter)

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

Prabhupāda: Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). When you drink water, you drink water for some taste, nice taste to quench your thirst. So that taste is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Apsu does not mean only water. Suppose you are drinking, so you are getting some pleasure by the taste of the drinking, and if you think that this taste is Kṛṣṇa, then gradually you'll give up this drinking. Because you'll be purified by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. So some way or other think of Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. So the process is given, you can think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours if you practice. Who can avoid drinking water? At least twice, thrice, we drink water, and if we think the taste is Kṛṣṇa... Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Who can avoid seeing the sunshine and moonshine? As soon as you see the sunshine and the moonshine, if we think "Here is Kṛṣṇa," the sunshine is Kṛṣṇa. So this thinking of Kṛṣṇa, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47). He is first-class yogi who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa in every step of life. That is first-class yogi. He does not see anything except Kṛṣṇa. And the process is there. If we adopt, we can think of Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). It is not difficult, simply it requires practice. (sound of thunder) Śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Now this sound in the sky, that is recommended, that the sound in the sky, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sound." So we can think of Kṛṣṇa as soon as there is sound. Not only this sound, when the airplane goes, drurururururu, that is also Kṛṣṇa. The practice. It doesn't require much learning, much education, simply take the words of Kṛṣṇa and he becomes a vast learned person. Kṛṣṇa is giving all the instruction. (sound of thunder) And actually, that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create such sound. It is Kṛṣṇa's management that there is sound while the cloud is rolling by air.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And another aspect of the Institute at the beginning phase is that Your Divine Grace also instructed a few days ago that we also get some, try to give some lectures to colleges. We can present as members from the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the higher learning section of ISKCON. That can also be part of the... So we can go to colleges and universities. We don't have to go every month or so, but maybe once a month or twice a month.

Prabhupāda: Whenever there is opportunity.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, but we can represent from...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...Bhaktivedanta Institute. If we do that, then people will also respect, those in the academic circle, that we are representing ISKCON from academic aspect. We have our title that "From Bhaktivedanta Institute, such and such person is going to speak on such and such topic."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So one thing is that when they are so much careful, that means the book is reacting. Otherwise why they are so careful that they may not come? What do you think?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, sometimes they specifically say, "The others may come, but that one man, we don't want him here." (laughs) He gets out twice as many books as anybody else.

Prabhupāda: So many books, also not many books, why they are so much afraid of distributing these books?

Devotee (1): It means that the book is potent.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (1): It means that the books are potent. We are affecting the material energy.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere in government, India especially, they do not want this movement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the general tendency is...

Prabhupāda: But people are appreciating, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness catches." They're now appreciating.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here is an article called "Travels Beyond the Body: what is it that travels, and what is it that's seen?" They're talking about traveling beyond your body. Here's an advertisement, "Because I have taken the mystery out of transcendental meditation, I will teach you to master transcendental meditation in a single evening." "About the author." Then it says, "Free private mantra based on your own name, selected by the great Norbell, translated by his special Sanskrit system, so that no one else in America has the same mantra twice. No other system of transcendental meditation..."

Prabhupāda: What is this? Maharishi?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?

Hari-śauri: No, this is competition.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. (pause) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can return back now. This one is older, this is new. There are twice as many floors in the same amount of space. It's actually double. (break) ...think there's an advancement in living conditions. Seems to be worsening, but they're taking it as advancement. (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: About the same as Mercedes. Ten thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nandaki, is it as good mechanically as a Mercedes?

Devotee: No, I don't think so.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mercedes is very sturdy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The comfort's better.

Devotee: But after two years this all becomes finished, all this. Starts falling apart.

Prabhupāda: But Mercedes is strong.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: No, in the village there must be.

Bhagavān: The trouble is if you get sick along the way.

Jayatīrtha: On the way back from the airport we had to stop twice.

Bhagavān: Anyway, that trip to India is also long, eight hours. It's also long.

Hari-śauri: Thing is Prabhupāda is thinking that if he has to go to India anyway, so he may as well go straight there.

Bhagavān: The thing is you may be bothered in India. There are so many people who come, even though you say no. Even though you say no, there's always people.

Prabhupāda: No, the present problem is that I cannot go out.

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

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

George Harrison: It took me a while to find it. They're always building new roads everywhere and change the whole countryside. So I got a little lost.

Prabhupāda: You came here twice, right?

George Harrison: Yes, I've been here three times. Where will you be in India when you go back to India?

Prabhupāda: Most probably in Bombay. You have been in my Bombay?

George Harrison: I was going to go to Bombay. Yes, Bombay and Vṛndāvana when they were just building.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Vṛndāvana, if you come there, stay for some time.

George Harrison: Yes, well, ah, this December...

Prabhupāda: We have got very nice houses, both in Bombay and Vṛndāvana. And Māyāpur also. Wherever you like. You will not be very uncomfortable.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Both of them got sva-rāja, Pakistan and India. That means after getting sva-rāja..., Karachi was one of the first-class city, yes. They cannot manage. Unfit persons, they are on the top of government.

Hari-śauri: Seems everything is devolving at a phenomenal rate. Every decade that passes, everything breaks down twice as fast. Just in the last twenty years or thirty years everything has become so much degraded and...

Prabhupāda: No, I have got experience. I am Calcutta born. What Calcutta was in our childhood days and what is now, I know everything. How we were happy during British days and what is now position, I can speak from my personal experience. We do not belong to the richest class nor to the poor class-middle class. So we have got practical experience. My father's income was not more than 250 rupees. How opulent we were. At least, there was no question of need. We were receiving daily four, five guests, and my father was functioning so many festivals and he was asking... My father gave in marriage four daughters. There was no difficulty. The income was not more than 250 rupees. Of course, that 250 rupees at least ten times now. But still, there was no needy. Not very opulent, but there was no need. The first necessity is to feed and to clothe. So there was no such scarcity. May not be very luxurious life, but there was no scarcity for food and shelter or cloth. There was no scarcity. Happy. That is wanted. Happiness in whatever circumstance. Not that because we did not possess a motorcar, therefore unhappy. I purchased one motor car in 1925, Buick car. Not for personal use, but for using it as a taxi. My one nephew, he was a good driver, so my father, "Why don't you give him? He can do that, we can use it our own car also taxi." So I took it, Buick car, I think I paid eight thousand rupees.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Prabhupāda: There are so many things in India culture for becoming happy and advancing towards the goal of life. Now I am appreciating for more and more, seeing the whole world, what is India's culture. Formerly I was thinking, "It is custom. To become faithful wife, this is custom." But when I come outside I see what is wife and what is faithful wife. In India, still, in the village, even there is fight between husband, wife, the wife is faithful. Still. Completely dependent on husband. The husband also, in spite of fighting, is always careful that the wife does not get any inconvenience. It was the culture, now it is breaking. (about door or window) You can close that. In material world, for peaceful life, there must be peaceful condition between the husband and wife. Everyone requires wife, everyone requires husband. Sex is necessary, so make the condition of sex very peaceful. Why disturbed? Make the condition that there will be... It is necessary. As eating is necessary, sleeping is necessary, for ordinary man, so sex is also necessary. So make a condition so that nothing will be disturbed, and in undisturbed condition of mind execute spiritual advancement. This is Indian civilization. Aim is spiritual advancement. And to make condition favorable, there are so many things. So unless we get favorable condition... Here in the Western countries there is no favorable condition. First of all, they have no idea of spiritual life, the goal of life, neither there is favorable condition. And gradually things are becoming degrading. On my last tour in Chicago I saw. In three weeks she has twice divorced, one lady's advertised. You remember it?
Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: So she will not be sorry. Completely separation is not good. And after birth at least for one week the calf should be allowed. Because after this giving birth the milk is not fit for human consumption. The calf should not be allowed to eat more, but at the same time the mother must see once, twice, then it will be all right. Of course, we are born in big, big towns, we do not know, but I know this is the process. In Allahabad I was keeping cow, there was facility.

Bhagavān: I don't think our farms are doing like that. In New Vrindaban they do?

Hari-śauri: What, letting the calves come? I don't think so. You can write a letter to... The whole system's so perfect, it's completely satisfying in every respect.

Prabhupāda: And if you make others dissatisfied for your pleasure, that is sinful. You should act in such a way that nobody is dissatisfied. Then there is balance.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, Detroit. (break) ...Mālatī?

Bhagavān: Mālatī? She was there.

Hari-śauri: All those boys are coming tomorrow or the day after from Germany. Harikeśa was in touch with them.

Bhagavān: We have a nice program on saṅkīrtana where at least twice a week they go to a house and give a class at someone's home.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Bhagavān: Wherever they are. They meet some interested person and they go and they have a class in their home.

Prabhupāda: And he invites friends.

Bhagavān: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That house can be completely temple, so that Indians may also come.

Hari-śauri: What if they started to worship Gaura-Nitāi? Gaura-Nitāi? Because the worship is not so strict as Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and I know you've said before...

Prabhupāda: Yes, Gaura-Nitāi can be worshiped twice.

Hari-śauri: Yes, two āratiks a day and kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Gaura-Nitāi is worshiped simply by kīrtana.

Hari-śauri: The problem they have here is because there's no Deities, then things like the practices they have in the kitchen and the general bhakti rules and regulations are a little slack because the Deity's not there. So if they had some Deity, then that will encourage them, maṅgala-ārati at a certain time and like that.

Prabhupāda: Atreya Ṛṣi recommending another house.

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

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Not so much. They are not as peaceful as Indians. They are not as pious as Indians.

Prabhupāda: They cannot be. In India still you'll find hundreds and thousands of men are going to take bath in the Ganges in the morning. They might have only one cloth and one napkin. Still, they will take twice bath with the napkin, they change the cloth and wash it and spread it on the ground. By the time he finishes his bathing, the cloth is dry. That is India's advantage. And he puts some fresh cloth. And the napkin is also dry. And he'll become refreshed. And in his loṭā he'll take some water of the Ganges and he'll go home. In Vṛndāvana you'll find many thousands in the morning, with loṭā they go out, evacuate somewhere, and then wash hands, mouth, with cloth, taking bathing in the Ganges, Yamunā. Now they are polluting the Yamunā water, the government. In Vṛndāvana government is opening oil refinery, and people are being encouraged, "These are new temples." Everywhere people are being degraded. They have no tendency to become purified, God conscious, honest. Because they do not believe in the next birth. This garden belongs to the palace? No.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Hari-śauri: Is there any limit to the number of chances that he has?

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is limit. Once, twice, thrice. If you make four times, then it is extricated: "Get out rascal, cheating."

Ātreya Ṛṣi: But Śrīla Prabhupāda, aren't there fallen sinful people who are still...

Prabhupāda: Amongst fallen, sinful people, if you want to remain fallen, sinful, then who can help you? It is up to you. Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And if you want to remain fallen, "No, I'll do it, go on," you remain. What is objection of Kṛṣṇa? Go on. You are suffering, go on suffering. I give you this suggestion, you do it. If you do it, you become free. But if you want to continue, continue, it is your business. Go on suffering. Why you make Kṛṣṇa responsible? You are responsible for your own activities.

Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: There are Hindus?

Guest: Oh, yes. Most of the business shops are controlled by Hindus. Also in the school, as well, there are lots of teachers, and education is managed by Hindus. But they are for years... (break) ...for hundreds and hundreds of years. You make this tour around the world once a year or twice a year.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I've gone round the world fifteen times within ten years. Naturally more than once in a year. And we have got branches all over the world.

Guest: I think the temples are increasing, particularly in Germany, England, and I suppose in America as well.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in America we have got forty branches. Our philosophy is simple. We educate people to understand that there is God. This is a godless civilization. So we say that there is God. Try to understand, and love Him, that's all. This is our philosophy. Then you'll be happy. And so long you do not love God, you simply love dog, you'll never be happy. That is our philosophy. You have diverted your loving spirit to the dog. You change it. Instead of loving dog, you love God. Then dog will be loved and everyone will be loved. If you simply love dog, then your love will be simply in dog. But if you love God, then you'll love God and dog also. Just like you are eating.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: They are very good friends of mine. So I am going to him only. Maitreya Muni is also there, he is also there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. She came to see me twice, Mrs. Patel. She is very nice...

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Very devoted. Her father is my father's friend, Mr. Pota. He was chairman of the Gold Control Board in India. Handlooms are working very nicely. That side of textile, which are made by hand, they are prospering like anything because...

Prabhupāda: They have to remain naked.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: No, khādi is available. There is no problem.

Prabhupāda: Available is everything. If you pay, everything is available. Therefore they say, "If you pay, I can supply you tiger's blood." If you pay, everything is available. People have lost completely interest in spiritual life. They have lost completely.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (counting floors) One, two, three, four, five, six? No?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's five, including the ground floor it comes to six.

Harikeśa: One, two, three, four, five, six. From the ground floor it's twice as high.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. (all chant japa) (break)

Prabhupāda: We are, some space is due to us on account of giving up the road?

Saurabha: That is already calculated. That is given to us already.

Prabhupāda: Given?

Saurabha: F.S.I. (effasai?)

Prabhupāda: F.S.I.

Saurabha: That we have already. We have used that in that building. We have used it in the building that is coming up here.

Prabhupāda: Oh. It is already. You have submitted the plan?

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Saurabha: It's just on the other side.

Prabhupāda: So it is still existing?

Saurabha: Oh, yes. The building is excellent, but nothing is going on. Only twice a year they have a meeting. But it's very well built.

Prabhupāda: Their propaganda is that "You do sinful. You do whatever you like. You simply admit. Confession. Then you'll be..."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Atone.

Prabhupāda: This is morality. "You commit immorality as much as you like. You simply admit it. Then it's right" (indistinct) This is their propaganda. They do not want to stop immorality. "You do, and don't hide it—you admit." But persons are so shameless that they will continually do, and they have no shamefulness to hide even. That is the Christian theory, that "Our religion is so... Maybe we are unable to remain without any sin. Christ will excuse us." Is it not? This is going on.

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Saurabha: They're also criticized a lot there. They have been criticized a lot there locally. People, they think they are CIA.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Us?

Saurabha: No. The MRA. Because they have big meetings twice a year only.

Prabhupāda: The MRA, they are Americans?

Saurabha: Yes. Most are Europeans, Americans.

Prabhupāda: This movement was started by President Eisenhower with the help of a Christian priest.

Saurabha: Now the son of Gandhi, he is the main president...

Prabhupāda: Who?

Saurabha: The son of Mahatma Gandhi.

Prabhupāda: Shri Ramdal(?) Gandhi?

Saurabha: He's the head man of that institute there. And then some very big European industrialist they are also involved. They've spent two crores of rupees on that complex. It's very well maintained also. I went into the building. It's excellent. But there is nobody.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Nobody. (break) So it is immediately cut.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Twice. Once in Deshapriya Park and once at Maidan. Even today people talk about both festivals.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavāner Kathā.

Jayapatākā: Bhagavāner Kathā. Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha. Paper of Gauḍīya.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gauḍīya it was published continuous.

Jayapatākā: What years we should look? More or less.

Prabhupāda: 1950 or little before that. They have got their old Gauḍīyas.

Jayapatākā: They must have.

Prabhupāda: They were so popular, the report was that the readers of Gauḍīya were only hankering after that Bhagavāner Kathā, and after reading that they will throw away. Other articles, they were not interested.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Not even you cannot see black, any black spots. Then it is clean. Otherwise not clean. If there's a single black spot, it is not clean. You can see from this poor class of men, how their utensils are cleansed. Before taking water the jug, the waterpot... You'll like to drink water. In our school days there were sweeper, they were a different quarter. So you like to sit down. So clean. The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean. The bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is a Hindu culture. Even the sweeper class, lowest class. And I have seen one sweeper class who were in Allahabad, regularly worshiping Deity. Very nice worship.

Mahāṁsa: So a Vaiṣṇava then...

Prabhupāda: They took initiation from the Vṛndāvana Goswami and they follow strictly rules and regulations. Cleanliness is very essential. In English also it is said cleanliness is next to Godliness. Everything should be, especially temple. It will attract them. And we are singing daily, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. Tat-mandira-mārjana. Mārjana means cleanliness. And want of cleanliness means laziness. If you are lazy you cannot keep clean. "Ah, let me sleep for the time being." That is mode of ignorance. Tamo-guṇa. So we have to conquer over rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Then there is question of coming to the platform, śuddha, sāttvika. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. Where is this verse? In Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Morning Walk Conversation About Bombay -- August 29, 1976, Delhi:

Devotee: Which one? (break)

Prabhupāda: Why not? He'll come walking. We are going in the car. There is no place. They can walk. They are young children. (Children playing and laughing, "Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!") (break) ...twice, thrice in a year total.

Hari-śauri: Hut! Hut!

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda just returned from his fifteenth world tour. (break)

Prabhupāda: We have got now...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: A new house, Feroz Gandhi Road.

Indian man: Feroz Gandhi Marg (Hindi) Lajpat Nagar number three. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...place in the car. This way?

Indian man: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Nobody should walk.

Caraṇāravindam: No. I have still this section here to finish of nice turf. And then watering twice a day.

Prabhupāda: And due to this fountain it will be very nice, green always.

Caraṇāravindam: And I will sprinkle it with gobar water. Gobar mixed with water and sprinkle. That will be good for...

Prabhupāda: Is there any good painter here?

Hari-śauri: Artist? Who is here?

Prabhupāda: Artist?

Caraṇāravindam: Devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Caraṇāravindam: One new boy that just came.

Prabhupāda: So I want his service. I want to paint that picture which is published in that French Back to Godhead.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Four batches. That means six hours, four. Three hours. Three hours. Not four hours. So one batch four hours. From morning six to nine. Another batch from nine to twelve. Another batch twelve to three. Another batch three to six. Again the morning batch six to...

Akṣayānanda: Eight different batches, that makes a total of thirty-two.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Not, why thirty-two? Twice one batch. One batch attending once in the morning, once in the evening.

Indian man: Sixteen. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: So then if there is fifty men, we cannot spare sixteen men?

Akṣayānanda: Very nice.

Prabhupāda: Everything is nice. Only to be managed. Only to be managed. So I am prepared, I'll pay you. Even if you have no money I'll pay you five thousand rupees. Keep fifty men.

Garden Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhakti itself is rare. Bhakti is not cheap. Don't think it is cheap commodity. There is a verse, I now forget. Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation, but He hesitates to give bhakti.

Harikeśa: Muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mukti, He is prepared, "All right, take mukti." But when there is bhakti, He has to consider twice. Bhakti means he becomes in the grip of bhakta. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33).

Caraṇāravindam: Are we doing bhakti, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That is viddhi-bhakti. And this is rāga-bhakti, spontaneous. Through viddhi-bhakti you have to come to the stage of rāga-bhakti. Without viddhi-bhakti, you'll not... Because you are conditioned. Those who are liberated, they immediately get rāga-bhakti. Not by imitation. That is another thing. Nitya-siddha. (Japa:) Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma... So I have got all encouragement. Go and preach. Don't be afraid. Simply present, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Whatever you have learned from Kṛṣṇa, from your guru, just vomit it, that's all. There is no need of becoming very expert. Simply whatever you learned. That's all.

Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:

Doctor: In the last minute when you are dying you can feel it, easily feel it.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has many names. Kṛṣṇa has name Govinda. It is not three letters. It is more than that. Kṛṣṇa has so many thousands names. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta. So therefore Kṛṣṇa advises for the beginners, "Just try to remember Me in this way-raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8)—I am the taste of the water." The water you must be drinking twice, thrice, four times. So when you drink water, the taste satisfies your thirst. So if you simply remember, "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Doctor: When you eat food, that also, the taste is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, especially of the water. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but specifically he mentions, "The taste of the water I am." So you remember this.

Doctor: That's very interesting. So every time you drink water...

Prabhupāda: You can remember Kṛṣṇa. What is the wrong and what is the loss there? But you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Yes, sit down. There is no difficulty to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It was not unpleasant. When I was living alone, doing everything, it was not unpleasant. I was... Very nice. That was an accident. Otherwise, it was not unpleasant. Alone everything I was doing. Rather, I had not so much anxiety for management. Even my, this son came to live with me. I said, "No, you don't."

Hari-śauri: Who was that? Vṛndāvana there?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. They sent, my family, to go and live with me. He came twice, thrice. The reason is that I asked him "If you want to live with me then you have to live with me as sannyāsī, brahmacārī.

Hari-śauri: And he couldn't.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise... From 1954, '55. Up to '54... 1950, I left home 1950. From '50 to '54 I lived in Jhansi.

Hari-śauri: That was when you started the League of Devotees?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. At that time there were many students. They were not my disciples, but they were coming. Like... that Prabhākāra?

Hari-śauri: Yes, Prabhākāra Ācārya.

Prabhupāda: He was the head.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. You may say that "I am taking care of the best son," but to a father, either the best son or the lowest son, the same. Father does not make any..., "Because this is best son, he should be satisfied and the worst sons should be neglect." Father does not make. Father will like better that "You take care of my worst son first." And besides that, to take care of the human society, it is also bogus. Nobody can take care. There are so many problems in the human society how you can take care? But the real problem is—that is for everyone—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Either he is animal or human being or demigod or big man or small man or rich man or poor man, a learned man, foolish man, these problems are there, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. So if you take care of these problems, how to save them, all of them, from these four problems, that is real service. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Otherwise temporary—"I am hungry. You give me some relief"—but that relief is temporary. I'll become again hungry. And if I come to you twice, thrice, you'll be disgusted. Neither you can. There are so many hungry men. But if with a view to solve his all problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, if you take care of him, that is the best service.
Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: I stress on this cleanliness very much. If they keep unclean, I chastise them like anything. (laughing) They have learned this art. I always say, "Cleanliness is next to godliness."

Mr. Malhotra: About two years back, two, three of your devotees came to our house here. Naturally we offered them, "Would you like to have coffee, tea?" They said, "No." Then we said, "Would you like to have Coca-cola." They said, "No." Then I said, "What would you like to have, milk?" "Yes." Lassi, chach?(?) Yes. Fruit. Yes. It happened so that Girirāja came to us twice, and twice it was this ekādaśī. Now ekādaśī day they are not supposed to eat this wheat or flour or anything. So when last we came to Bangleswara (?), so we brought some paraṭās with this gobi(?) in it.

Prabhupāda: Ekādaśī.

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

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

Room Conversation -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And they will understand that they are actually doing something.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And they will see, because these karmīs, they look for these tangible differences.

Prabhupāda: At least twice taking bath and then chanting, dancing and so on.

Hari-śauri: Yes. They're coming for some... Just to...

Prabhupāda: They want something. So this is the bona fide method.

Jagadīśa: Are you having tours where they'll go to Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That is during the rest of the time.

Hari-śauri: There's a very nice thing about this program, is that you can guarantee everyone who comes is going to be interested.

Prabhupāda: So I have given to you three. Now you jointly do immediately. The artist is there. Get painting. That's... That's all right.

Morning Walk -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Gomath, gangath.(?)

Prabhupāda: No no. Kane. After... Because formerly the girls were married early. So after getting puberty there is one ceremony, it is called diti-abhi-bha.(?) Another ceremony. And then she goes to her husband's house. So she was going there with presentation of father, mother. So she was covered. So another young girl, up-to-date, she was doing like this. They were girls. One can touch another. So once, twice. When it made thrice, that village girl slapped her, "Hut!" I said, "Yes, you have done right." She was thinking, the city girl was thinking, "What is this nonsense?" She wanted to criticize... (laughs)

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And commentary, interpretation required when you cannot understand. It is very easy and still these rogues will exploit and mislead people. This is... And perhaps, this is the first time I am pointing out. Before that nobody did.

Dr. Patel: And you wrote I have read your commentary twice and it has become very harsh on those people.

Prabhupāda: I must be. They are doing wrong thing. They are doing great harm to the... They are misleading the... If I become little more powerful, I shall do it more harshly. I did not show because I was non-entity. But I knew it. Now people are taking me little seriously, I am talking. (break) In the beginning I thought, Who will hear me? Better wait for the time. Therefore I wrote Mahatma Gandhi, that "Now you have got your svarāja. Please come, let us preach Bhagavad-gītā. You have..." If he would have given the chance at that time, then long ago this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would have been started.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, actually, these Dalmia started with four thousand rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They're nice people.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I met two of them. They were...

Prabhupāda: He gave me twice funds. Four thousand once, five thousand. Five thousand he gave me when I went to America for the second time.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They gave fifteen thousand about three months ago for gurukula in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Oh. No, they are sympathetic.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They have promised that after they complete their building, their temple in Janma Bhumi they will give us money regularly. Now they are diverting all their funds to complete that building in Janma Bhumi.

Prabhupāda: No, if we want management of that Janma Bhumi they can give it.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Very good. Yes. We are following this. But you have got any Deity?

Yogi Amrit Desai: Yes. Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā is our Deities. My guru is Swami Kripalu-anandi. He is in... Near Baroda he has an āśrama. He practiced his sādhana for twenty-seven years, and twelve years was complete silence. The last few years he is speaking once or twice a year because many people request.

Prabhupāda: He's not chanting?

Yogi Amrit Desai: He chants. During his silence, his chanting is allowed. Because when he says... When you say the name of the Lord, that is not called breaking the silence. So he chants.

Prabhupāda: Silence means we shall not talk nonsense. We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is silence. Instead of wasting time, talking on this material thing, let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is positive. And the silence is negative. Stop nonsense; speak sense.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. What he will do, more payment? (?) Then he will kill. This sex life in this material world is so strong, even in the heavenly planets. Big, big ṛṣis. Sex life with animals also there is... Sex life is so strong. Man cohabiting with animal. It makes blind. Vyāsadeva made one of her (his) students pregnant, what to speak of ourselves. Vyāsadeva was born, Satyavatī. She was low class. Although she was born by a king, but her mother was a low-class fisherwoman. And the fisherman raised her as daughter. And Parāśara Muni became attracted. And Vyāsadeva was born. Sex affairs, just see, in the highest circle. Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the devatās, he became so much mad for his brother's wife who was pregnant, and forcibly they had sex. Just see. These are examples. Brahmā became attracted with his daughter. Lord Śiva became attracted with the beauty of Mohinī-mūrti, even in the presence of his wife. So this sex life can be controlled only by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise there is no... The Bhāgavata has discussed all this because in this material world there is no escape unless we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, from the sex impulse. It is not possible. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa... When one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he'll reject all this nonsense: "What is this?" Bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu. He'll spite (spit): "Eh! Get out. Is that enjoyment?" It is possible for a Kṛṣṇa conscious... No other can do it. And that is the bondage. He'll have to work hard for maintaining sex issues. And so long you are bound up by the karmas, you have to accept another body and then continue. Who knows this how we are bound up and conditioned? If you talk in the modern society they will laugh: "What nonsense this man is... 'By sex life one becomes conditioned.' " They cannot understand. Hare Kṛṣṇa... (japa) This should be strictly outlawed, no more sannyāsīs. And those sannyāsīs who have fallen, you get them married, live like a... No more this showbottle, cheating. It is very ludicrous. Even there is a promise that "We shall not fall down again," that is also not believable. What is the use? Better go and speak philosophy in your gṛhastha dress, not this dress, but you have nice coat, pants, gentleman. Who says no? I never said. Rather I shall be glad to see that up-to-date gentlemen with tilaka and śikhā are speaking. That is very prestigious everywhere. Why this false dress? What is the wrong to become gṛhastha? I was gṛhastha, pākā caliber gṛhastha. My Guru Mahārāja was brahmacārī, This is ever... Just see his character. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was gṛhastha, but when He took sannyāsa: "Oh, I am now..." For sober person. That is wanted. That is ideal. He married twice. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura married twice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu married twice. What is the wrong there? One has to become pure devotee, that's all. Other things, of course, are circumstantially favorable, either a gṛhastha, brahmacārī or vānaprastha or sannyāsa. Kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya (CC Madhya 8.128). You must know the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That makes you guru, not this dress. So what you are thinking of American program? Do it seriously. Balavanta is very expert. And all of you are expert. And do it seriously and systematically, not change the position, this side and this, change. That's not good. That makes fickle. Strength of mind wanted.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There were two books. Woman... Girls should be taught how to become faithful wife, how to learn nice cooking, cleansing, dressing. Simple method. There is no objection of their becoming scholar, but that is not necessary. They have got natural inclination to give service by cooking, cleansing, dressing. Cleanliness is the first necessity. That is hygienic, spiritual, and calm, quiet. India has got special facility to remain clean. Only in this country you can take thrice bathing. In other countries... Easy there. In your country there is hot water. There is no difficulty if one practices. I think our men have such practice. But this cleanness is this taking bathing at least twice. That keeps a man very clean.

Jagadīśa: Yes. Since I've been taking two baths a day, unless I have two baths I don't feel clean. Sometimes I am very busy and don't get to bathe twice, and then I feel very dirty.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am the oldest.

Dr. Patel: (laughing) Keep in my hand and walk. And I would say, sir, that you also should not take bath in cold water.

Prabhupāda: No, I don't take. I... Since 1970, 1966, '67, I am not taking cold bath. Before that, even in America I was taking twice cold water bath.

Dr. Patel: I have never taken cold water in my life.

Prabhupāda: Shower I was taking.

Dr. Patel: All these boys take cold water, required from them.

Prabhupāda: I never used hot water. In India the Delhi is the coldest part. In my business life, in the hotel I was taking cold water. Everyone was surprised. "How you can?" In Saharanpur, in bitter cold, I was taking cold water early in the morning.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is for the devotees. It is not for the neophyte.

Rāmeśvara: It's a little difficult for the average man if it is his first book.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not for the neophyte. Those who are actually in devotional service—for them it is.

Rāmeśvara: Mostly we are selling Bhagavad-gītā, ratio of two Bhagavad-gītās for every other book, twice as many Bhagavad-gītās, as an introduction.

Prabhupāda: That is the introduction. And Śrīmad Bhāgavatam?

Rāmeśvara: First Canto. Mostly First Canto. We're only printing twenty thousand copies of every volume. But of First Canto we always print fifty thousand copies. And now Bhagavad-gītā, we have printed one and a half million copies.

Prabhupāda: That's abridged.

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

Prabhupāda: You first of all said that we are depriving with food. Where is this?

Rāmeśvara: This is their argument...

Prabhupāda: This is their argument...

Rāmeśvara: ...that we only let them eat twice a day, and even then, not only is there no meat, but there is very little protein.

Prabhupāda: That depends on him. If he likes to eat that kind of food, you have no right to enforce upon him. Then you are going to enforce upon him. There are different persons; they like different types of food. And food must be according to his own taste. Aguru ohikhanna.(?)

Rāmeśvara: Only twice a day.

Prabhupāda: But if he likes twice a day, why you give thrice? That is his choice.

Rāmeśvara: And sleeping only four, five hours.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: I have got diabetes also.

Gargamuni: He was getting swelling in his legs and hands. But he had to take this insulin, and this kept the swelling nil by taking insulin. Every morning he would give himself a shot. But he had no more swelling.

Hari-śauri: He'd just stick a needle in his arm every morning.

Prabhupāda: There are many gentlemen who take insulin twice, at least once.

Rāmeśvara: The diabetics. They have diabetes. Very common. We have a devotee who does that. This boy in New York whose parents have kidnapped him many times. He is actually... That's their charge against us, that "Oh, my son is diabetic, and you are not spending $25,000 on doctors. You are not taking care of him." That is their charge against us. Then Ādi-keśava Mahārāja said, "All right, if you want him to have such excellent medical treatment, you give us the money and we'll spend it on it." So then the parents say, "Just see! Blackmail." That is a big charge in the paper. It's called extortion. Ādi-keśava Mahārāja was indicted for kidnapping and for extortion.

Hari-śauri: He's that Ed Shapiro.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. The parents cheated again. They said, "Just see, blackmail."

Hari-śauri: That's how that charge came up.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. They lie and say, "This president, he said, 'If you do not give us this money, we will let your son die.' "

Prabhupāda: In a different way.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They have got respect for prasādam. So you are distributing prasādam?

Brahmānanda: Yes, twice a day, at noon and at evening. We've built a special pavilion on the side of the temple. See, we were making the mistake all along of trying to mix the Africans and the Asians together.

Prabhupāda: That is not good.

Brahmānanda: That was a bad policy. Now we have separate, the Asians on one side and the Africans on the other side, and both are happy.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Brahmānanda: Before they were both unhappy. Now they're both happy.

Prabhupāda: No, the Indians, they do not like to sit down...

Gargamuni: No. Indians don't like to mix, and Africans also, they like to be with their own. The instruments we use... They make their own instruments out of different materials. They have these pieces of metal and wooden blocks. They love it. They can make much noise. Actually the Asians like it very much when they see the Africans doing that. So both are very happy.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. All right.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: That is the way of electricity. Electricity. Some thunder. That is electricity. The word is used, apratihatā. Pratihata means checking. When your devotional service will make progress in spite of checking, that is pure devotion. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. And that is pure devotion. I was attacked by heart attack thrice. While on the ship, twice.

Gargamuni: On the ship twice? Oh.

Prabhupāda: Consecutively two days, attack. Actually I would have died on the ship before reaching your country. I could not understand that was heart attack. The pain was so severe, I thought, "I am now dying." And it was done two nights. And I was very much afraid whether on the third night, that "If this night also again some pain like that comes, then I'll die." But third night did not pain. It was suspended. It came in New York. And you know it, left side was paralyzed.

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's good man. He offered me obeisances flat. Hm. So he's a good man.

Jayapatākā: Last time he came he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa much.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So treat him nicely.

Jayapatākā: I offered that he should come at least once or twice a month. He can see the cows, and he can take prasāda, and we'll give him...

Prabhupāda: With family come. And he'll have good association of the devotees.

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). The other day you were asking me about the wages, labor.

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So our point is the devotees shall work. So there is no program to pay wages.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least give him some good lesson. Yes.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Definitely.

Prabhupāda: That should be done.

Hari-śauri: We fought with demons once or twice before that have attacked the temple. We ought to give 'em a good hiding.

Prabhupāda: There is civil war. Why not this?

Hari-śauri: Yes. This is... This is a big fight now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Organize Bombay as the center of...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Especially when our that big hall is finished, we can hold several lectures...

Prabhupāda: Daily. At least weekly twice. Sunday, Monday, we shall hold lectures and call all scholarly people to understand. Make it nicely.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh. We went a few days ago to Calcutta University to see the vice chancellor. Four of us went, the other two scientists and Ravīndra Svarūpa, and we talked with the inspector of schools, who came to visit here in Māyāpur about two months ago, and we discussed the possibility of getting affiliated in the Calcutta University, of giving some Ph.D. degrees in our philosophy. He indicated some ideas that it is possible, but he suggested that we must have a very good library.

Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. The doctor recommended eight tablets at a time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More than once a day. Many times a day?

Prabhupāda: Twice. Eight tablets.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Modern medicine, they would combine all those in one pill. When you take your massage, Śrīla Prabhupāda, do you find it more relaxing and beneficial if there's no talking going on, or...?

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It doesn't matter. (break)

Prabhupāda: For us it is not joke.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nobody has such a distribution force. So here in India the only problem I can see towards actually doing big-scale book distribution is that we don't have so many devotees. And those who we have, have to maintain...

Prabhupāda: The difficulty is, in your country you are not poverty-stricken.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: He comes to the temple once or twice a month.

Prabhupāda: What you have to pay?

Rāmeśvara: Five hundred dollars a month. Pays for rent and gas and food.

Prabhupāda: He pays that five hundred. Hm. But he is very slow nowadays in editing.

Rāmeśvara: He finished editing the Kapila book, and he finished the first volume of the philosophy book since he last saw you.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Do whatever you think is good.

Rāmeśvara: Well, after we finish the second volume of the philosophy book, there will not be any more work for him.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Rāmeśvara: Jayādvaita is editing the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They liked?

Gargamuni: Oh, yeah. Especially there, after walking around, people get hungry, so they most enthusiastically took.

Prabhupāda: They take once or twice. (chuckling)

Gargamuni: Yes, sometimes they came in again.

Hṛdayānanda: Everywhere in the world people are liking prasādam very much, if it's nicely prepared.

Gargamuni: We have a letter from Jimmy Carter, of the President who received Bhagavad-gītā. So the people are very enthused to see that the President is reading Bhagavad-gītā. So we have sold many Bhagavad-gītās at the stall.

Prabhupāda: So your GBC meeting?

Hṛdayānanda: They're going quickly.

Prabhupāda: You were not present?

Gargamuni: No. I just came now.

Morning Talk -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If he is intelligent, he can learn it in one day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Otherwise, a few days. Bhavānanda was thinking at least four days he will remain. He has gotten a little bit attached to taking care of you.

Prabhupāda: So wipe this floor twice like this. Let him see. As he does very nicely, very nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think the best anyone has ever...

Prabhupāda: There is no doubt. How we can stop educating people about Bhagavad-gītā? It is most heinous mentality, such knowledge should be hidden from the human society. And some rascal will misinterpret.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, your point yesterday was very nice that some things which are difficult, they may need explanations, but when Kṛṣṇa says, "Give it to Me," what is the question of a need of interpretation? That Radhakrishnan, immediately he gives his explanation: "It doesn't mean to Kṛṣṇa the person."

Prabhupāda: Just see. How rascal he is, and he is commenting. No, no, this is the rule, grammatical rule, that when things are clear, there is no interpretation.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If there is no need of bandage, then you can make...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There might be, because dhoti will become spoiled by the juices.

Prabhupāda: If you apply twice, thrice...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Finished.

Prabhupāda: Simple life, Kṛṣṇa shelter, it is everything. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ... All the difficulties will be overcome as long as you stick to the..., follow ācārya. Others will come and go. Make things a little..., correctly going on. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Thank you. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...so that he can...(?) "I love them best." Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu... (BG 18.69). "In the human society he is My most dear servant." It is clearly stated.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All the great saintly persons in India, they used to live in forest. What food? Only fruits and milk. Sometimes they use to take grains. Otherwise milk and... Simple milk is all food, cow's milk. I want to take cow's milk. This is all rubbish.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. Really?

Prabhupāda: Little cow's milk twice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (aside:) That milk's not good, Prabhupāda said.

Prabhupāda: So far gurukula is concerned, that also, I have given program. They have given the name of "girls." We are not going to do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that?

Prabhupāda: Girls. Boys and girls. That is dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gurukula.

Prabhupāda: In that article.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So...

Indian Astronomer: Great estimation, all your books. Even Christ is not able to do some things. But all our ācāryas incarnated in your body and your thinking. I know guru-ācārya... I made a contact with your ācārya of Gauḍīya Maṭha. I have made contact with him in Madras. Twice I met him.

Prabhupāda: He is now dead.

Indian Astronomer: No, that I know. I know.

Prabhupāda: He is my Godbrother.

Indian Astronomer: Ah.

Prabhupāda: So you live in Madras?

Indian Astronomer: No, not in Madras. Mogun. Near the Madras also, by one of the yajñas there. But my agni-hotra place is at Kumbha-grama(?). We are following agni-hotra tradition for more than ten generations. I myself performed so many yajñas. And now I am performing yajñas also, day and night or morning and evening.

Prabhupāda: So...

Indian Astronomer: I am also a great lover of Bhāgavata. That is my life.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian Astronomer: Bhāgavata is my solace of my life.

Prabhupāda: So we are presenting this planetarium...

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So our gurukula should be ideal. Not all these boys... You should take care of these things from the very beginning—if you want actually spiritual life. If you want to progress like animals, that is different thing, as the whole world is doing. We want to maintain an ideal institution. People may see. In Christian idea also, the nuns were separate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nowadays the nuns, every... Twice a week they get their hair set. They wear miniskirt now.

Prabhupāda: And so many scandal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not strict anymore. Priests are smoking cigarettes, watching television.

Prabhupāda: If there is no training, naturally it will deteriorate.

Room Conversation -- May 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whales.

Prabhupāda: Whale or some fish skeleton. As big as this room, it was hanging. I think it is there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, in the Museum of Natural History in New York they have a whale that is at least twice the length of this room.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the height is at least three times the height of this room.

Prabhupāda: So they can swallow, big, big fish. There is immense space in the sea.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: It is obvious, what you are saying.

Prabhupāda: When I left India, I promised "I'll never come here." I was reluctant to do anything here. You know that? No action do there. But still, I thought that "At least in Māyāpur let me have my..." (laughs) At least Māyāpur, that "There is Vaiṣṇava, so many resident, in Māyāpur, Vṛndāvana." I was... I promised that "I'll never come again, back again here." That was my promise. But Kṛṣṇa wanted. That's all right. I was quite disgusted. Still I am disgusted. America giving permanent resident, these rascals will not give. What is wrong? In your country they also get permanent resident, outsiders?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: In my country there is also a reaction towards Indians. I had to come twice. Once I came the night before, and they would not give me visa at the entry.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The Indian government.

Prabhupāda: Indian. Indian?

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: As soon as this Indira Gandhi and her son disturbed Vṛndāvana people, within a week... Just see. This is practical. The poor, these bābājīs, they were going to beg, and by force, once, twice, injection. So immediately, after one week...

Rāmeśvara: For sterilization?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is practically... And I was surprised how such a abominable falldown came to Indira Gandhi. It is simply Kṛṣṇa's hand. No politician fallen in such a way in the history. Finished business. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān yoniṣu (BG 16.19). It is simply Kṛṣṇa's hand. They are "This party, that party, that..." But to curb down Indira's power, it was simply by Kṛṣṇa directly. Hm. Go on reading. (break) "Don't worry. I am here." This is Kṛṣṇa. A boy, ten years boy, Kṛṣṇa, He was, "Come on," challenging. This is Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Book distribution increasing?

Jayatīrtha: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, book distribution is increasing.

Rāmeśvara: In London they have already doubled what they did last year. Twice as much as last year in London.

Prabhupāda: What about Bury Place?

Jayatīrtha: Bury Place we're keeping. They're still trying to get us out, but we are keeping. I don't think that Kṛṣṇa will leave until He wants to leave. (Prabhupāda laughs) We just fixed up His Deity house and generally repaired the place. Now...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is smiling. They are trying to drive Him. Kṛṣṇa's smiling. That's all. Go on with your business.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (extremely faint) Grandson says? What is that? "Grandson says"? Supersoul? Something very extraordinary. Triumphant. "I shall be triumphant." (break) (indistinct) That is Indian style. "Kṛṣṇa we must move. Now this child is trying to turn Himself. Turn Himself." There is ceremony. This is ceremony. This is Indian way of raising up children. Sad-bhakṣaṇa.(?) When we were small children, we were all, brothers and sisters, three mo..., three years before us. So naturally, when mother was young, she became pregnant. So there were three, four ceremonies during, within the period of three years. One is called sad-bhakṣaṇa. Sad-bhakṣaṇa. The idea is... That (indistinct) he is dangerous. At the time of delivery the woman is in danger. There may be so many dangers. Therefore twice sad-bhakṣaṇa, at the period of seven months and perhaps in nine months. Whatever she likes, she should eat. So that ceremony, new cloth, very nicely dressed, taking bath, all the children, not only her children but other children also, very nice foodstuff made, and sit together, and with the children the mother will eat. And the brāhmaṇas should be given some charity. They will chant Vedic hymns. The same thing is being observed by Mother Yaśodā. That was the saṁskāra. Then utthāna.(?) Then anna-prāśana, when the child is... So much care is taken for the children. And these rascals are killing children. They are civilized? To avoid botheration. What a terrible civilization. And they are claiming to be civilized. Full day(?) pregnancy their children will be there. And man and woman... That is meant for the woman, but... And before childbirth there is propaganda to kill. What is that?

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...opposition of my constructing a temple in Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From the very beginning. First you asked for land. That was refused. Then you sent money, but for three years—nothing. I think you sent money twice.

Prabhupāda: So many things also.

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

Prabhupāda: Could not cross to the other side.

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

Prabhupāda: Anyway, forget the past. Push forward.

Room Conversation -- June 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Do it nicely.

Yaśodānandana: It is mentioned that this Sumeru Parvata, the mountain's height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa. So this mountain comes up to here, the same distance as this, 100,000 yojanas. So it's perfectly... This is the same length on this side and also like this. It's made like a big, a big cone on top. It describes, "Of that mountain, Sumeru Parvata, 16,000 yojanas, or 128,000 miles, are within, under." So Sumeru is like this, and it also goes under the Jambūdvīpa planetary system. And therefore the mountain's head above the earth, above here, there is 84,000 yojanas, 672,000 miles above the level. And the mountain's width, the mountain on top, is considered to be 32,000 yojanas, or 256,000 miles. And in the bottom it's 16,000 yojanas. Scientists cannot conceive of this. Their estimation of a mountain is that it must be bigger in the bottom and end up smaller at the top, but Mount Meru is twice as big in the top than it is in the bottom. They cannot understand. Next verse, it describes the different divisions. "Just north of Ilāvṛta-varṣa and going further northward, one after another, are three mountains, namely Nīla Mountain, Śveta Mountain, and Śṛṅgavān Mountain. These mark the borders of the three varṣas, namely Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, and Kuru, and separate them from one another. The width of these mountains is..."

Prabhupāda: And it was not possible for me to digest. (laughs) Somebody else helped me to... I am a layman. I do not know.

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

Prabhupāda: It is wrong.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's very timely that we present our philosophy and science just in the right time.

Prabhupāda: Now they will think twice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This movement is very dangerous. They'll see. First they though it was simply some people clapping cymbals. Now they're beginning to feel the weight, these scientists especially.

Prabhupāda: Just like Tṛṇāvarta. He took away Kṛṣṇa as a small child. When he was up, He became as heavy as the mountain, and then he could not go up. Then he wanted to smash the child and throw it, but the child wrapped the neck of Tṛṇāvarta in such a way, he could not. The result was that he fell down and died. And the child was saved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So in the same way Western civilization will fall down and die, and we will go on chanting.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If we get some very leading scientists in the world on our side, at least few, let's say about three, that's enough.

Prabhupāda: So that I am asking to enroll as members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It was very successful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You even danced on the cart that year. Because the cart could not pass under the tunnel, so instead you stood up and got everybody dancing. Twice you stood up.

Prabhupāda: Now they are demonstrating something else. Let them make their...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Demonstrating?

Prabhupāda: That space? They're making some huts.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. That means at the conclusion, where the festival comes to at the end, apart from the stage where Lord Jagannātha is, where the devotees will be chanting, there will also be many booths, selling prasāda and books. So these booths will be set within little houses that look like Indian-style houses. It'll appear like Jagannātha Purī. That's what they want to make it look like. 'Cause San Francisco they call New Jagannātha Purī. Anyway, it'll give a feeling of cultural change. It's one... It may be... It's one of the very biggest festivals now in the United States. It is already.

Prabhupāda: Last time, when I was there, so many young persons, they were giving me, "Thanks, Prabhupāda." They were feeling some enlightenment. Do you remember?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Śrutakīrti: Starting Monday, they'll be selling these in Waikiki.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want a light on, Śrīla Prabhupāda? They're really nice.

Śrutakīrti: These are small ones. They come to twice as big. These here we would sell for twelve dollars.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrutakīrti: And the bigger ones, they will sell for twenty-five dollars.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People buy them?

Śrutakīrti: Yes. This works. And these cost about two dollars to make and about twenty minutes to carve.

Prabhupāda: Beautiful.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

rabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good.

Prabhupāda: It is very, very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really fresh.

Prabhupāda: If I drink this milk twice, morning and evening, I think I can avoid any food.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can what?

Prabhupāda: Avoid any food.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You don't like fruit juice?

Prabhupāda: I mean to say, I can drink in the meantime, but by simply drinking this milk, I can live healthy. I think so.

Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And the other?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The other one stops once, I guess, but I'm not certain of the place. Between here and Bombay it makes one stop, so far I know. I'm not sure what is that stop. They're very popular trains. They run only about twice a week. But the train we were on was quite quick also. But not so quick as this. The train we were on took about twenty-two hours, Bombay-Delhi. But Rajdhani, I think, takes seventeen. It's about five hours faster.

Prabhupāda: They are also very fast. No?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That one we were on?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it was very good. And it was very much on time. (end)

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Call Sac-cid-ānanda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we just called for him. (Bengali)

Bhagatji: He wants that "Once a day, two times I should be informed the condition."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twice a day. Okay. What times?

Bhagatji: At five o'clock in the evening.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Once a day only? (Bengali)

Bhagatji: Once only. (translating:) "What is the change after the medicine, I want to know." (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No bath. (Bengali) Towel bath.

Prabhupāda: Dry.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes, I know that. And if I survive, I have a strong desire to go where you live there and live there. It will be a great pleasure.

Kīrtanānanda: All the devotees feel you are already living there, Prabhupāda. They are already having pūjā there every day, twice a day.

Prabhupāda: That is the way.

Kīrtanānanda: And everyone feels when they come in there that it is a very holy place.

Prabhupāda: You are worshiping Rādhā-Vṛndāvanacandra very intelligently, and the place is being developed very nicely.

Kīrtanānanda: We have some nice pictures here of your Palace. Can you... Do you feel like seeing them now, or would you rather wait till some other time?

Prabhupāda: I can see them.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor: Two times, after meals. After meals. Mix them up, the three syrups, mix them up, one tablespoonful each. And give three tablespoonfuls after meals, twice.

Upendra: How soon after meal?

Doctor: Just along with meal. While making up with it. Unless he feels tired, then of course, you can give it separately. Otherwise just along with it, fruit juice.

Dr. Kapoor: And does he take vegetable juice?

Upendra: No.

Doctor: Something must be given of his liking.

Upendra: But Prabhupāda hasn't got any taste.

Prabhupāda: Liking... (Bengali)

Doctor: Does he like lemon?

Dr. Kapoor: Lemon, can you take lemon?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: Gupta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gupta's there, and Dugal. They've come twice. They came this afternoon and Girirāja fed them prasādam. They went to the conference hall where we were having prasādam with the scientists. They took full prasādam. The man has come with his wife. He's a devotee.

Prabhupāda: So Gupta is being transferred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Gupta will no longer be in charge of this local office here. He's the person who has... Frankly speaking, Girirāja found him to be the one who is most harassing. They purposely have not brought him here this evening, I think. He's not here this evening. The chief man from Delhi could understand that this Mr. Gupta was creating a lot of difficulties.

Prabhupāda: And Dugal is here.

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

Upendra: Once, twice.

Dr. Gopal: Once, twice.

Upendra: Usually twice.

Prabhupāda: I... I'm feeling nicely.

Dr. Gopal: You are feeling?

Prabhupāda: After eating.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtana. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). (break)

Prabhupāda: There is no harm, but if once is good, why twice?

Bhavānanda: Śatadhanya Mahārāja, the kavirāja said something to you about the dosage?

Śatadhanya: The kavirāja said that the dosage should be two times a day.

Bhavānanda: Did he say why?

Śatadhanya: Because the other kavirājas previously, the doses that they suggested were very large. So this kavirāja said they were too large. So this dose is quite smaller compared to the others. He said it should be done twice a day. This is only... Each dose is only two ratis. But the other kavirājas, they were even saying up to one tolā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not per day.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Not one tolā.

Śatadhanya: They were saying some large...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, one tolā, not per day.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) That was wrongly inter... Nobody can... Anyway, let us see for some days, one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Passing stool now. Cleanse. Making frustrated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why should you stop taking this medicine, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What is the use?

Trivikrama: You've only taken it one time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twice. I don't understand why you say "What is the use?"

Prabhupāda: Use is that I have passed stool.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But everyone passes stool.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) But everyone eats also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said, "Everyone eats also."

Prabhupāda: If there is no eating, then passing stool means whatever strength you get is gone.

Trivikrama: You feel weaker?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Telegram?

Devotees: No.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply, one after another, frustration.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. First we had that Madhva..., not Madhva. Rāmānujī came from Śrī Raṅgajī temple, and he seemed to be a cheater. Then this one... We got this medicine from that śakta-kavirāja, and that medicine turned out to be poison. And now this kavirāja who's supposed to be coming from Calcutta, it's become a mystery where he is. The temple was called, and they said that they've left. They called twice to Calcutta, and they said they've left, and yet he's not here. I don't know what to make of it. Very puzzling situation. I think that if by tomorrow noon they have not arrived, then Śatadhanya can go to Calcutta to bring them. If they're going to arrive, they'd arrive by tomorrow noon.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, at the latest.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At the latest absolutely. I mean, to me, for them to arrive by tomorrow noon is not... From the very beginning I would not have felt it was out of the ordinary.

Prabhupāda: They said they have left!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Still, whatever the reason is.

Prabhupāda: You are not talking... Everything is being done by the same Śatadhanya. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Vrindavan De: I have sent money twice. Once in Vṛndāvana and Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we got the 870 rupees. That we received here.

Vrindavan De: But took from Prabhupāda personally.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But so far, the payment to the BBT has not come.

Vrindavan De: No, BBT is being arranged. I shall send check.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think your outstanding bill is about 25,000 rupees.

Vrindavan De: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that has not been paid.

Prabhupāda: So, why you have not paid?

Vrindavan De: That is also on a check basis.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Vrindavan De: And that's why I sent my man twice to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I know, but Prabhupāda was not... We never saw your man. He missed us. He missed both times.

Vrindavan De: When he came here, Prabhupāda had already left for London. And when my man went to Bombay, already left for Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: But in business field, if the bank sees that you have got fifty percent, they will advance. If you have got fifty percent, any transaction, you wait to do some business...

Vrindavan De: One thing, Tamāla, you know, I would like to have Prabhupāda's car for the time being.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: A trust can hold fifty bighās of irrigated land, seventy bighās unirrigated. And once we turn that... If we turn that to nonagricultural land, then there's no limit. By paying twice the land tax we can convert to nonagricultural for the purpose of building our temple or building anything, and then it's no longer subject to any ceiling. We will see with lawyer very carefully that...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you can purchase in Svarūpa Dāmodara's name.

Bhavānanda: This land is for sale from whom? Muhammadans?

Jayapatākā: Yes, both Muhammadan and Hindu.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should we buy this land, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Why not? You have got money?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There is enough money.

Jayapatākā: We do not want to rest until every home in Bengal has a copy of Gītār Gān and Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Page Title:Twice (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:20 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=147, Let=0
No. of Quotes:147