Prabhupāda: So this should be the attitude, that women, Godsisters, they should be nicely treated so that they may not feel any... After all, they are weaker. That should be our policy. Anyway... And if somebody agrees to marry, oh, that is welcome. There is no objection. Marriage is allowed. And so many married couples, they are very nicely living. Those who have gone to London, they were not married in the beginning, and I got them married. Similarly, here also, Harṣarāṇī and others. In New York also, Balāi dāsī, Advaita. So if the boy and girl agrees to marry, it is very nice. There is no objection. If not, they should be given all protection. Is that all right?
Weak (Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"weak"
|"weaken"
|"weakened"
|"weakening"
|"weakens"
|"weaker"
|"weakest"
|"weakling"
|"weakling"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:
Prabhupāda: So there is a story, Udarendriyānām. Udara means this belly, and indriya, the senses, hands, legs, means. So all these senses, they conferred that "We are working day and night, and this rascal is eating simply. So we shall noncooperate. We shall not work." That's all right. Resolution was passed. So they stopped working. And next meeting they saw that "We are becoming weak. Why?"
Allen Ginsberg: The hand wasn't bringing food to the mouth.
Prabhupāda: Then they come to their senses. "Oh, we have to feed this rascal belly. Otherwise we become weak." Similarly... What is this position? These hands and legs are parts anbd parcels of the whole. Similarly, the whole Brahman, Absolute, we are all parts and parcels. So we shall cooperate in satisfying Him. Then automatically we become satisfied. If we noncooperate, then we suffer.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- June 29, 1971, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: But he is weak. With whom he'll fight?
Karandhara: Yes. It was actually very... We have a lawyer working on it to get a suspended sentence. We've got a lawyer who is trying to get him a suspended sentence because he was sick and he..., they had him taking drugs and he was weak and he had been in the hospital for four months. Why they should put him in jail? He just got a little irritable.
Room Conversation -- London, August 10, 1971:
Dhanañjaya: I don't think the leaders of the Hindu communities, they're not so willing to raise money on our behalf. They'll do it for their own functions, and their own temple requirements, but not on our behalf. And it's a weak...
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Śyāmasundara: I'm thinking of the way Sadha Jivat Lal(?) raised so many lakhs of rupees, by selling, organizing, highly organized...
Prabhupāda: No, no. If they will, they can.
Śyāmasundara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: But he says they're not willing. That is the difference.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Bob: But, you see, I drink that to prevent disease.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So long you are in the material world, what is physical laws, you cannot neglect that. Just like if you go to a jungle, there is tiger. It is known that it will attack you. Why should you voluntarily go and be attacked? It is not that a devotee should take physical risk so long he has got some physical body. It is not a challenge to the physical laws: "Oh, I have become a devotee. I challenge everything." That is foolishness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Viṣaya, these physical necessities, the devotee is advised to accept the necessities of life without any attachment. Physical law is take the boiled water, but if boiled water is not available, does it mean he'll not drink water? If it is not available, you drink ordinary water. (break) We take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. But while in touring, in hotels sometimes we have to take some food in the hotel. Does it mean, "Oh, I do not take any foodstuff from the hotel, I shall starve"? If I starve, then I'll be weak, I cannot preach
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Then the wings fly there, and the jaws catch the food, and after all he puts into the mouth. Similarly, as in this body, this particular example, the stomach is the enjoyer, similarly, the central figure of whole cosmic manifestation, material or spiritual, the central figure is Kṛṣṇa, God. He's the enjoyer. We can understand. As in my this particular body, the body is also a creation. The body has got the same mechanism as you will find out in the whole universe. The same mechanical, anywhere you go, you find even in animals or human body or in the cosmic manifestation. Almost the same mechanism. So as you understand very easily that in this body, my body, your body, the stomach is the enjoyer. Or there is a central enjoyer. And the stomach is friend also of everyone. Because if we cannot digest food, you see, then all other limbs of the body they become weak. Therefore stomach is the friend. It is digesting and distribute the energy to all the limbs of the body. Is it not?
Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:
Śyāmasundara: Whenever someone challenges you, you always know the trick, what their weak point is, the weakness is in their challenge, and you go right there. Every time.
Prabhupāda: That is the trick of wrestling. (laughter)
Śyāmasundara: Find where they are off balance, where their balance is off.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, there was a wrestler, he was not very strong, but he knew the trick how to defeat the strongest man.
Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That is the point. Our advancement means the more we meet opposing elements, "Oh, that is alright." Therefore preacher is the best devotee because he is a soldier. Just like government gives all importance to the fighting soldier. When there is war, all comforts for the soldier first, then the civil people. There was no butter in Germany, there was no butter. But the soldiers were profusely supplied with butter. And sometimes when the enemy attacks, they throw it away and go away and go to another shelter and still there is butter. That my Godbrother (indistinct) when he first came to India I asked him that, "I heard that you German people are very robust, stout and strong, why you are so thin and weak?" So he replied me in this way that, "In my childhood when I was eight years old weekly I was getting butter for (indistinct)". Everything was controlled, even for children.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Weak, weak I am. Physically I am weak and besides that, if I have to see to the administration then I cannot think of writing books and how to present our philosophy to be understandable by the people. Therefore the administration is divided. Now you do, little intelligently. We have got still respect. Keep our standard. The people will like us. People wants to give us help, just like this big sannyāsī, one of the biggest sannyāsīs, Gangesvarananda(?), he is attracted. He is a man of immense resource, men and money he has. Immense resource.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:
Umāpati: Just like the doctor's...
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is māyā. He is suffering, but he's thinking I am enjoying. So any conditioned soul, he doesn't enjoy anything. He simply suffers. But he thinks that he is enjoying. Therefore the camel, camel example is given. Camel example. Camel, he is eating his own blood, eating thorns, and the thorns cutting the tongue, and from the tongue, blood is oozing out. So when the blood is mixed up with the thorny twigs, it becomes little tasteful, and he is thinking "Oh, it is very nice." Similarly, all these gṛhasthas, enjoying sex life, he is discharging his own blood, he's becoming weaker and weaker, he is thinking, "I am enjoying." He is thinking, "I am enjoying." And if he uses more, then he becomes diseased, tuberculosis. He is dying by that process, but he's thinking, "I am enjoying." Therefore it is example for the camel. He is enjoying his own blood by discharging. One drop of semen is made out of so many drops of blood.
Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Weakness is hypocrisy. If you are weak, you cannot become priest. Because you are teacher, religious teacher. You should not take that post. That is hypocrisy.
Father Tanner: But perhaps this is the difference, or one of the differences between western and eastern civilization...
Prabhupāda: No, it is not the question of eastern or western...
Father Tanner: But in the East, your wise man is nearly always an elderly man.
Prabhupāda: Not always.
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: And we, we have translated pralaya-payodhi-jale **. That is Daśāvatāra-stotra of Jayadeva Gosvāmī. We have translated Upadeśāmṛta of Rūpa Gosvāmī which is useful for general public. (break)
Professor: ...Yes. And, I think, he was ill also. He was quite weak.
Paramahaṁsa: When he died, he... Every year he was going to these trips to visit these Buddhist monasteries.
Prabhupāda: He was a little attached to Buddhism?
Paramahaṁsa: Yes, like Śaṅkarācārya, remember, he was...
Prabhupāda: Impersonalist.
Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: You cannot ever overcome, because you are all weak. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Unless you are very strong, māyā is very, very stronger than you. How you can avoid it? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante. Only one is very, very strong in capturing the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can avoid. Otherwise it is not possible. All these Villa Parle, Juhu gentlemen, they are daily coming to their city business. And is it very difficult for us?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have an office, though, in the city where they come to.
Prabhupāda: Office means their business is office. But your business is begging. Your business is not office. Your business is not... They have to direct so many things from there. That we can do. Besides that... Anyway, even they have got office, they come from in Bombay, Calcutta, even from hundred miles away. So if there is no such program, Deity worship, regulative principles, then it will be a joint mess. Hotel. Transcendental hotel. And transcendental fraud. This will go on. The business will be transcendental fraud, and life will be transcendental hotel. (Break) ...twenty, twenty-five. So these women devotees, they are given cāpāṭis by the bābājīs. Kṣurasya dhārā. Actually it is like that. A sharpened razor, A little inattention, immediately blood. Kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṁ pathas tat kavayo vadanti (?). That is the risk. Nowadays modern civilization, as we are accepting, there is jeep, there is telephone, everything is there. One can conduct his activities from anywhere.
Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That can be done, yes. Sometimes yogis, they can perform that better body, he transfers himself into that body. Just Śaṅkarācārya did, yes.
Karandhara: What they do, though, they wait till someone's dying or dead, and immediately after they die, they take the heart. From somebody who had the weak heart they transplant, change the heart.
Prabhupāda: So what...? There is no benefit.
Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: ...the soul is individual. As I told yesterday that dead body has got the ingredients to produce life. But that the man who has left his body, you cannot produce him. That is the proof of individuality. That is the proof of individuality. Huh?
Bali Mardana: I was saying that they transplant the heart... After the first man, his soul has already gone, then they take his heart and put it into the other man, who has a weak heart. So all it means is that the soul is going from one heart to another heart, not that the soul, that they are taking the soul with it when they put the heart in.
Prabhupāda: He is destined to live in that body for a certain years. So you may change whatever you like.
Karandhara: The heart is just an instrument in the machine.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a place.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Yes. You have to become powerful spiritually. Then you'll be able. If you remain weak and manufacture your own way, then it will not be possible.
Hṛdayānanda: Oh. Jaya. (break)
Prajāpati: ...think the strength is our own, though.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Prajāpati: We should not think that this is our own strength.
Prabhupāda: No. We have to work by the strength of Kṛṣṇa. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He'll give, supply the strength. Or, in other words, you have already got the strength. You have to revive it. That's all. Actually, that is the position. As spiritual spark, we have got immense strength. But we are now identifying with this body. (break) ...hill. It was formerly very high. Now why it has gone down? This hill?
Hṛdayānanda: Oh, rocks.
Prabhupāda: Rocks, yes.
Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: "If you want to stop this chaotic condition, then accept Me that I am the enjoyer and proprietor of this whole world, and I am your real friend. Let the business be done on My account, you take your right salaries, you be happy, and there will be no chaotic condition." But here the position is that everyone is thinking proprietor, and as far as possible, he is taking all the money, and other is starving. He is not getting his salary even. So he also, because he is weak, he cannot steal. The stronger, he is stealing. There is fight. Just like this chaotic condition of the petrol. The Arabians thinking that "I am the proprietor. Why shall I give to the Americans?" Thing is there, but it is chaotic only because they do not accept the proprietor is God. That is the defect. How you can give freedom for stealing? Stealing freedom means punishment awaiting you. If I give you freedom—"Yes, whatever you like, you can go on stealing"—that means next stage is your punishment. That is going on.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Therefore sleeping is my only business. Sleeping means for the weak. And for the strong, perspiration. This is the sign. When a man sleeps too much, he's weak in his health. And the strong man will perspire. These are very... Balera ghāma, and the durbalera ghuma. Ghāma and ghuma. Ghuma means sleeping, and ghāma means perspiration. (break) ...principle. And human beings means trained up under principle. That is the difference between animal. The animals, they cannot take up any training. But the human being, this human form of body is meant for taking training. So if they are not properly trained up, they remain animals and the whole society in chaos and confusion. That's all. (break) ...moment, the human society's so degraded that even we are walking, this is also risky.
Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, actually they are doing. Although we see that from bodily point of view they have become weak, but they don't care for it. They... You see. If they had been weak how they are chanting and dancing saṅkīrtana? They are not weak at all. (Hindi) (break) "Now let me dance." Then I shall jump over your head." (Patel laughs) This is philosophy. "Now I am dāsa, then I become your master."
Morning Walk -- March 29, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: In the lower status, so they require.
Dr. Patel: So, but you are also as weak as I am, both of us, so we... Ācchā. (laughs)
Indian man (3): They are wrong, but you are... We are reading what he has written.
Prabhupāda: "Swami Narayan is better than Kṛṣṇa."
Indian man (4): No, no, that is wrong. That is... You, tomorrow you will say, "He was fool" Suppose these boys tomorrow say...
Indian man (3): I'm representing also, he also represents, we both have... We are Vaiṣṇavas bhaktas.
Prabhupāda: He accepted that...(laughs)
Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:
Dr. Patel: And the widow with all her virtues.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...days greatest politician. Viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca. So our present head of the state is both woman and diplomat. That's all. (break)
Girirāja: "...pursuit of human culture are not possible. The government, by being weak and impotent, has thus failed to maintain the standard of civilized culture."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everywhere. Simply rogues. They want money. That's all. They do not want anything.
Dr. Patel: I think Rāma-rājya was the real democracy.
Prabhupāda: Rāma-rājya was not democracy.
Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:
Richard Webster: And if you try to follow but fail or if you...
Prabhupāda: No, you must follow. You cannot fail. Just like Lord Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." You must follow that. If you do not follow, then you are not Christian. It is not the question of that you could not follow or you are weak to follow. You must follow.
Richard Webster: But the Christians have a thing about forgiveness of...
Prabhupāda: Whatever is there...
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.
Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:
Bhagavān: Then we can ask, "What is that great?"
Prabhupāda: Yes, that we are doing! You can understand very easily. Just like you want money. You are in need of money, but you have no sufficient money. So greatness means he has more than sufficient money. That is greatness. Suppose you are weak, and if He is like you, no. He is unlimitedly stronger than you. You have got knowledge, but not perfect knowledge. But He has got unlimited knowledge. In this way you can understand greatness.
Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: They feed them every time, whenever they do something.
Prabhupāda: No, after catching them from the forest, they kept within the bars, and no eating for at least one week. Then the trainer comes. Only whips. He comes, and open the doors and only: (makes sound) Flosh, flosh, flosh. So already he's hungry, weak, and he's whipped. In this way, he becomes fearful. As soon as the man comes, he becomes fearful. Then he gives him little food. In this way, after all it is animal, he thinks that "This man is my God. He can save me. He can kill me." Then he takes to him. Whatever he says, he takes. Similarly, if you do not give the ingredients for sense enjoyment, the mind will be controlled. That is the beginning. You simply... Don't give... The mind wants, "Now let me go to the restaurant." "No, sir." Beat him with shoes. Instead of going to the restaurant, he beats the mind with shoes. Then mind will not again say, "Go to the restaurant." That is called swami, gosvāmī. One who can control his mind, that is gosvāmī. We giving the title "Gosvāmī" But if you cannot control your mind, then you are unfit. Go means senses, and svāmī means master.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:
Professor Durckheim: For eating vegetables, for instance, you need it.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, that is the law of nature, that every living being is eating another living being. That is stated in the Vedic śāstra.
- ahastāni sahastānām
- apadāni catuṣ-padām
- phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
- jīvo jīvasya jīvanam
That "Those who have no hands—that means animals—they are food for the animal who has got hands. And those who have no legs, they are food for the four-legged." Just like grass has no legs, but it is a food fo the cows and the goats. Apadāni catuṣ-padām, phalgūni tatra mahatām: "Then one who is powerful, very powerful..." Just like tiger, he jumps over another animal. So because the other animal is weak and this animal is strong, so in this way, the feeding is going on, one living being for the other.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico:
Prabhupāda: Well, that is another thing, but first of all we have to know who is spiritual master. The spiritual master is he, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), one who is exclusively servant of God, he is spiritual master. Otherwise anyone will come and say, "I am spiritual master." Anyone will come say, "I am incarnation of God." So there is standard. That we have to find out.
Devotee (1): Most of the people are still ignoring God. They are so weak-willed. They are so weak-willed that they are easily swayed by, you know, when somebody comes and claims that...
Prabhupāda: Well, if one is weak, he may be infected by some disease. It requires some resisting power. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that, your answer, that "Only the fortunate person, they can get the shelter of bona fide spiritual master." Kona bhāgyavān jīva. Not all, kona. Kona means some.
Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: These so-called Christians. They say that "We are very weak. We can not restrain ourself from sinful activities, so we believe in Christ, and he has taken contract for suffering. That's all."
Trivikrama: "So let us go on sinning."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:
Devotee (1): Russia.
Prabhupāda: No. The Bangladesh, they were Bengalis. Although the whole Pakistan, including Bangladesh and the other part, West Pakistan, East Pakistan, Bangladesh... So actually, Bangladesh is bigger than West Pakistan. They should have taken the government, majority. But the West Pakistan, by force they were ruling. They are not majority. So after all, they are Bengalis, maybe Muslim. They're intelligent than these Punjabis. Punjabis, they have got bodily strength, not brain. So these Bengalis, in Mujjhamat Raman, that was his demands, that: "We are majority. Why they should govern us? We should govern over them." This is the movement. So, but they're already in power. So how to throw them out of power? So he negotiated in India, that: "You help us to separate from..." And India's interest is that Pakistan becomes weak by separation, that is India's interest.
Morning Walk -- May 9, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: You do your duty, that's all. (pause) What is this? Stone or something?
Amogha: Part of the street I think. I think it's sandstone from the beach. (pause) Many politicians are afraid that Australia may be attacked by the Communists. Everyone is very much afraid of what could happen in the future, because the United States is becoming weaker.
Prabhupāda: Now they are indulging homosex, how they will become strong? And the students, they are discussing, that means they are having. The stamina is being lost. Now what they have created, it will be lost.
Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:
Amogha: Sometimes we see that a devotee may be very sincere, but at the same time he becomes weak somehow, and he falls down.
Prabhupāda: Even if he falls down, still he is fortunate, because the injection is there. It will act, some day or another. Still he is fortunate. As fortunate man he took it, but he fell down. That does not mean he's unfortunate. Still he's fortunate, because the poison is already there. It will develop. That is called ajñāta sukṛti. Therefore he is not loser. He continues to be fortunate. It will take some time.
Amogha: So he became weak because he misused his individual will.
Prabhupāda: He misused the instruction of his spiritual master. Therefore he became unfortunate, or he fell down. (pause) This is botanical garden?
Amogha: The sign says parking for botanic gardens. But I'm not acquainted with it. (pause) I don't know. It says, "Cetenniary. August 22, 1947." Perhaps its name is on the other side. (pause) Is there going to be a world war very soon? We heard there would be.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Coversation with Psychiatrist and Indian Boy -- May 12, 1975, Perth:
Paramahaṁsa: Is that because the women are weaker?
Prabhupāda: No. Woman is attractive for any man, even in ghostly life. The other day, who was telling that a big poet of India, he said that "God's most wonderful creation is woman's body"?
Śrutakīrti: I think Brahmānanda Mahārāja mentioned? Acyutānanda.
Prabhupāda: So, everyone is attracted with the woman's body. In your country I have seen the advertisement: "bottomless," "topless..." That is the material attraction. Everyone is in this material world on account of attachment. And similarly, for woman, the man's body is beautiful. So in this way both of them are attached to one another. That is the basic principle of material life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). They become attached.
Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: Explain to him.
Paramahaṁsa: Well, as it explains here, "The strong man's strength should be applied to protect the weak, not for personal aggression. Similarly, sex life, according to religious principles, dharma, should be for the propagation of children, not otherwise. The responsibility of parents is then to make their offspring Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Guest (2): The question was which religion, which religious principle?
Paramahaṁsa: Well, he means our marriage under... We accept that marriage, sex life in marriage, is licit, not illicit. So he asked, "Under what religious principles or under which religion?"
Prabhupāda: Any religion. Christian religion does not allow illicit sex. No adultery.
Morning Walk -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:
Devotee (4): Just the four regulative principles?
Prabhupāda: Yes, no illicit sex, no... This is the method, and chanting is the process. Then you will remain strong. And if you neglect, then you become weak. To remain strong is not difficult, but we don't want to remain strong. That is our decision. Otherwise it is not difficult. But we don't want to remain strong. We voluntarily become weak. Then māyā catches, "Come on."
Devotee (2): Is it necessary to see the Deity regularly in order to remain strong?
Prabhupāda: Yes, everything necessary as we have prescribed. If you think that it is not necessary, unnecessary, then you under the māyā. Why do you take that, "Is it necessary?" That means you are not strong enough. You cannot follow; therefore you say, "Is it necessary?" You are considering. That means you are becoming prey to māyā. As soon as you ask this, that means you have already fallen a victim of māyā.
Morning Walk -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:
Australian devotee 1: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the weaker are the subsistence of the strong. So therefore human beings, they feel justified...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the... but where is the human consciousness? A tiger cannot understand this. He will kill a lower animal. But you are not animal; you are man. You should have this discrimination, that "If I can live otherwise very nicely, why shall I kill animal?" That is humanity.
Australian devotee 1: But also, is not eating vegetables killing a living entity also?
Prabhupāda: No, it is not killing. If you take fruit, where is the killing? The tree is there. If you takes food grains, the food grains, after being produced, the tree dies automatically.
Morning Walk -- May 28, 1975, Honolulu:
Prabhupāda: Then go to hell.
Gurukṛpa: "Well, we've accepted Jesus, and he's going to save us. That's why we've accepted him. If you accept him in your heart, then he'll save you even though you might be weak at the time of temptation."
Prabhupāda: Then who is going to hell? If everyone is saved like that, then who is going to hell?
Paramahaṁsa: "Well, not everyone will accept Jesus in their heart. So those people have to go to hell."
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Has Jesus Christ said like that, that "Those who believe in me, they will be saved"?
Paramahaṁsa: Yes, he says like that.
Prabhupāda: So believing means "I don't accept your commandments." Is that belief? Has Jesus Christ that "You don't believe in my commandments, but you believe in me."
Śrutakīrti: Christ never spoke the commandments. That was Moses.
Prabhupāda: Then don't take Bible. Throw it away. Then don't bring Bible as authority.
Garden Conversation with Dr. Gerson and devotees -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: And they will say that because they are not eating meat, they are weak in health.
Dharmādhyakṣa: But their children are not chanting and dancing. You see? In their schools... When people come here and they see the young children chanting and dancing and so energetic, they say, "Where are these children getting their energy?"
Prabhupāda: That is real study.
Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:
Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda has written one book-actually it will be two books, this thick-on all the different philosophers. Prabhupāda is discussing their philosophy in relationship with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and where their weak points are. This book will be published soon?
Prabhupāda: The publisher is there.
Jayatīrtha: As soon as possible.
Bahulāśva: That will be very interesting.
John Mize: I look forward to seeing it.
Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, did you speak about Kant's philosophy in that book also? Yes? He is very popular.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Kant is very popular. I was also a student of philosophy. In my student life my professors were all Europeans. I was student of Scottish Church's College in Calcutta. So one professor, Dr. W.S. Urquhart, he was our professor for psychology, metaphysics. Later on, he became the vice-chancellor of Calcutta University. A very nice gentleman.
Room Conversation -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let them ask. But you can tell away that(?) but you don't repeat this thing. You can give up that portion. You read other portion.
Devotee (1): But then because so many things they have to accept on faith without knowing, it then weakens their faith as to what they should accept and why should they accept Kṛṣṇa, who they can't see any more than King Ugrasena's four billion bodyguards.
Prabhupāda: Don't accept. Don't accept.
Devotee (2): But we want them to accept. The point is, if we say to a scientific man, "There was four billion," and if our statement is wrong...
Prabhupāda: But our position is that if some portion we cannot understand, it is our incapability.
Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I wanted to point out to you that the results...
Prabhupāda: No, artificial... Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was fasting, but he was not weak. That fasting. And he who will fast artificially and become weak, "I cannot work," that is not required. That is called markaṭa-vairāgya. If you fast and at the same time you do not become weak, then that is recommended. And after fasting you cannot do a flat, fall flat, then what is the use of fasting? Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was fasting, but he was taking thrice bathing and offering obeisances hundred times. His regular activities was not stopped. And he was taking every alternate day a little quantity of butter. That's all.
Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now that we know, we'll take action.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Revatinandana is becoming less and less spiritually. He had good potency, but he is losing that.
Devotee (1): You said that if we fast and we can't do our work and we become weak, than this is not so good.
Prabhupāda: This is not good, "not so" not, absolutely bad.
Devotee (1): So, our devotional service comes first?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:
Dharmādhyakṣa: Bacteriology, study of germs. So Śrīla Prabhupāda, the reason one person gets a disease from a germ and another person doesn't get a disease, it is karma?
Prabhupāda: No, that is infection. If you are weak, you are infected. That is the science. One who is not weak, he does not become infected. Just like in your country there are so many liquor shop, but you are not interested. So it is like that.
Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles:
Rādhāvallabha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Svarūpa Dāmodara's book he gave the example that "Why does the red apple fall off the tree but not the green apple?" So the scientists say that when the apple gets ripe, certain acids rise in the stem and weaken it and it falls off the tree. There's no need for God or anything like that. It's automatic.
Prabhupāda: No, no, there is no question of God, but with the gravitation why the green apple is not drawn downward?
Rādhāvallabha: Because the stem is very strong on a green apple, but on a red apple it is weak.
Prabhupāda: That means it is conditional; gravitation works on condition. It is not final. Under certain condition it works. Therefore, then you have to accept condition. Under such and such condition it falls.
Morning Walk -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupāda: No, without, they can survive; still, they are dependent.
Cyavana: They have to be taught how to live by the mother.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They feel protected with the mother. Safe. People sometimes argue that God is for less intelligent, weak persons.
Brahmānanda: People who can't protect themselves, for people who cannot protect themselves, then they can have belief...
Prabhupāda: Then you can protect from death? Can you?
Brahmānanda: But can God protect? Even Jesus Christ, he was killed.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. We are faulty. But you are so advanced. Do you protect yourself from death? We are faulty. That is your decision. That we admit. But what is your position? Protect yourself from death. At any moment death can take place. How you'll protect yourself? Therefore we take protection of God. That "God, You can kill me at any moment. You can save me also." Therefore we are intelligent. But you cannot protect from the onslaught of God. We admit God is great, but you do not, although you will not be protected. You cannot protect yourself from birth, death, old age and disease.
Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:
Prabhupāda: Mind is working of the fish. He knows where is his enemy, where to go. They have got better mind. They can understand from two miles that some enemy is coming. They take care.
Devotee (4): Fish.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The mind is so strong. Every fish in the water, although they are expert, they are always in danger. They are always afraid of being eaten by bigger fish. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. The world is that the stronger is exploiting the weaker. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Still, they are expert.
Indian man: Is it possible to visit other planets?
Prabhupāda: You have to be expert. Not by this machine.
Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How were the leaders, though, of India so weak when the British first occupied that they allowed this all to take place?
Prabhupāda: There was no Indian leader. That was occupied by the Mohammedans. They were deteriorating. Yes. Besides that, Indian mass of people, they were never trained to become nationalist. They thought, “Let anyone become king. It doesn’t matter. We… Let us live peacefully, and whatever due tax we shall pay. That's all.” When the Mohammedans came the people did not think that these are foreigners. "It does not matter, Mohammedan, Hindu." But they did not think so far that gradually it will deteriorate. Even Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has favored the British government because they did not interfere with the religious affair.
Morning Walk -- October 21, 1975, Johannesburg:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Our position is very weak against these arguments.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have got some evidences—Kṛṣṇa is speaking, the Vedic śāstra... And what you have got? Simply your speaking? What you are, nonsense? Your speaking should be accepted? And Kṛṣṇa's speaking will be rejected? I have got some support, but what support you have got except your statement? Then everyone can give a statement and he becomes an authority.
Morning Walk -- October 25, 1975, Mauritius:
Cyavana: They've proved that their brains are weak.
Prabhupāda: No, they have no brain. If it is going to change, then what is their brain? (break) Still, there are so many big, big Vedic astronomers. They never change.
Cyavana: The astronomers.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They follow the old principles.
Cyavana: Your Guru Mahārāja, he was an astronomer?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi:
Prabhupāda: Neither. Neither of these things because He hasn't got material body. You have got this material body; therefore you have got all these defects.
Indian man (5): Sometimes it was seen that the people that don't eat, then their body becomes very weak. Then the soul leaves the body after some time. People when they don't eat, their body becomes very weak, the soul leaves the body. Practically it has been seen.
Brahmānanda: Weak? Weak? The body becomes weak when they don't eat?
Indian man (5): Yes.
Prabhupāda: So that is all for the material body. Weakness or strength or dwindling or becoming old is ṣad-avikara. Ṣad-avikara means birth, then growth, then sustenance, then by-products, then dwindling, then finish. This ṣad-avikara, six kinds of changes, are meant for the material body, not for the spiritual.
Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: There are many cases. This is the statement in the Bhāgavata. Dampatye ratim eva hi: "Marriage relationship will continue only on sex power, that's all." If one is weak in sex power, the marriage will be cancelled.
Dr. Patel: You must tell any other good messages, how actually a marriage is, can be for production of good progeny...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Putrārthe kriyate bharyā putra-piṇḍa-prayojanam. This, the first, piṇḍa-dāna for maintaining family. But nowadays nobody wants offspring. They want to kill to avoid botheration.
Dr. Patel: First they prevent, and if by accident it happens, then they kill it. And the medical profession help them.
Prabhupāda: Help them. Before my speaking you are saying. (laughter)
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: And the Patel was subordinate to Nehru. (laughter)
Dr. Patel: No, no. Patel, for the sake of the country he accepted the subordination. Otherwise whole India, all provinces, selected him as the prime minister. But because this man would have spoiled the whole thing he said, "I don't mind if my country is getting weak." He had a greatness of vision and a big heart. These are all petty-hearted people.
Prabhupāda: (break) Now in this age there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya. All śūdras.
Dr. Patel: They're very arrogant community. Very arrogant community.
Prabhupāda: Which?
Dr. Patel: The Kāśmīrī brāhmaṇas. They had no guts to go against the Muslims there, but they showed their arrogance. Fools they are.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sixteen years old, He defeated one great Kāśmīrī paṇḍita, Keśava Kāśmīrī.
Conversation on Roof -- December 26, 1975, Sanand:
Harikeśa: So it's just the animal philosophy of the strong dominating the weak...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's it.
Harikeśa: ...in, in a new package.
Prabhupāda: "Might is right." That's all. This is going on.
Harikeśa: So this was the philosophy of Machiavelli, that "Might makes right."
Prabhupāda: But Machiavelli also does not know who is the proprietor. That is the defect. Machiavelli also does not know. He's also another fool. So long you do not know who is the proprietor, then...
Harikeśa: But it's true. Might does make right.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Harikeśa: Kṛṣṇa is the strongest.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the proprietor." But they'll not accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, the real proprietor says, that "I am the bhokta. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29)." But they are so rascal that they will deny the existence of Kṛṣṇa or God, or the real proprietor. They claim to be proprietor for a few days, and they, by one slap of Kṛṣṇa's hand, they finished all proprietorship, and they are going, struggling. This ignorance is prevailing all over the world. Does not know who is the proprietor, how I became proprietor, how I shall be enjoying. Nothing. The same thing, the dog philosophy: if the dog secures a morsel of bread, he's thinking, "I am proprietor." Another one snatches: "I am proprietor." This is going on. But the dog has no sense that none of us will be proprietor.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Chinese people?
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. And they're very strong on celibacy because he said that the.... If a person loses semen or if they masturbate or if they unnecessarily use their sexual energy, they'll go insane. Their brains will become very weak, and physically they'll become very weak.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a fact.
Siddha-svarūpa: In their philosophy, in their basic philosophy of life, the Chinese are very conservative, and they're called Puritan. They're described by the Western countries as the most Puritan country in the world.
Prabhupāda: So I think this philosophy, no illicit sex, will be very much...
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. They'll very much appreciate that.
Prabhupāda: And if you explain scientifically as you are explaining, that "This will spoil the brain, you cannot take nice things, so you must observe these rules..."
Siddha-svarūpa: Part of their culture is basically.... It's deeply steeped in what's called Taoism, and it's.... An important part of that is retaining the semen for mental power. (break)
Prabhupāda: So give them attention, yes, even at the..., as far as possible. Jaya.
Room Conversation with Siddha-svarupa -- May 3, 1976, Honolulu:
Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, I am not so important man. But it is the, this is the way of the law. If we become weak by factioning, then that is not good. We must be strong and... But you do not expect that this movement will be accepted. In India the so-called yogis, Rama Krishna Mission—they are also being afraid of. There are so many... But if we remain sincere, even we are feeble, new-born, nobody can kill us. That is a fact. Just like Kṛṣṇa when He was three months old, attempt was made by Putanā to kill Him, but the Putanā was killed. A big demon, gigantic, six miles long, and what is killed by a small child playing on the..., sucking breast and sucking life. That is Kṛṣṇa. So the other day I have explained that by guru, he is accepted as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You have typed it?
Devotee: Yes.
Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: If there is service and, on my fasting, service will be stopped, then I can take. First consideration, service. Now if somebody feels weak, he can take mahā-prasāda, render service.
Rāmeśvara: That priest that has now become your disciple, he's joining Satsvarūpa Mahārāja's party. He's very interested, and Satsvarūpa Mahārāja has said he would like him to come to travel together and study.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Room Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Because the time was taken, extension. Then, in 1967, in July, I thought, "Now the health is broken." I was very sick after heartstroke. So I thought "Now I shall not exist. So let me go to Vṛndāvana and die there." So I came back in July 1967. So this Brahmānanda and others, they were crying when I got on the boat. Hm? The heart was so weak...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You went back to India by boat?
Prabhupāda: No, by plane. I think...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: From San Francisco.
Prabhupāda: Hm. At that time, I got some money. Five thousand was given by Jayānanda. He gave me five thousand, and Brahmānanda also gave me. So I spent some money for acquiring some... I had about six thousand. So then I purchased ticket coming back with Kīrtanānanda. In this way, came back to India.
Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Large or small, whatever; there was. But England had no soldiers. Whatever they did—fight—with the Indian soldiers, Gurkha and Sikh. Indian money, Indian soldiers, everything Indian—they were fighting. So when the Britishers saw that "The nationalism has come amongst the soldiers. It is not possible to maintain the Empire," they voluntarily gave indepen.... "Better give us good relations, and our business.... Make some agreement. But before departing, make them weak and divide Pakistan and India."
Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: So May, June, July, August, at least four months. Four months. (long pause)
Jayādvaita: At the college programs, Satsvarūpa Mahārāja and I have been giving a lot of classes on varṇāśrama-dharma. Because they always want to hear something about the Hindu caste system, so they'll take us on that basis. And then we speak about varṇāśrama-dharma. And they don't have any idea to defeat it. They always, some little weak argument, but they don't have any better system.
Prabhupāda: What is their argument?
Jayādvaita: Hardly.... Well, they have some idea, they argue that there's no social mobility, because they all have some bodily idea that caste by birth.
Prabhupāda: No, that is not the fact.
Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:
Kern: I saw a film of a leader of ours, Jean Vanye(?) from Canada and France. He took five thousand retarded.... In Spanish, we say (indistinct), to Rome just for the experience. And they were all in wheelchairs, old and young and small ones—not understanding very much, but a wonderful experience for them, the weak and the wounded.
Jayādvaita: (explaining to Prabhupāda) One priest took many handicapped people, who...
Prabhupāda: No, why you are speaking of handicapped? Who has taken the handicapped? Handicapped is handicapped.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Our program for them is also like this, to give them spiritual...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Apart from that, we shall deal with the handicapped later on.
Kern: That's my, that's my...
Prabhupāda: First of all, we take the general people.
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:
Prabhupāda: The woman was killed?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, this happened in Toronto. Wretched world. (long pause) (break) He writes what appears to be a nice editorial, "Weak Western Educational System"—it's on the second page—in which he brings out how the Indians have taken the worst from the West, namely it's educational system.
Prabhupāda: It is my version?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, but I think he has gotten this from you, the idea of Vedic education.
Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:
Prabhupāda: They will become powerful. And people will be less intelligent—means less God conscious. Just like when the king is weak, thieves and rogues, they flourish.
Hari-śauri: So we just have to be very strong and uncompromising.
Prabhupāda: How you can compromise with thieves and rogues? Boarding time?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The flight leaves at 5:05. They'll call. They'll call when it's time. The plane doesn't appear to be here just yet.
Prabhupāda: Although they are poor, still they can understand it easily, very easily, that you are not this body; there is God; if you don't become devotee, you'll remain in this material world. These things they will immediately understand.
Morning Walk -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam.
- ahastāni sahastānām
- apadāni catuṣ-padām
- phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
- jīvo jīvasya jīvanam
The handless animal is the food for the animal with hands. This is the beginning of life. Uncivilized man eats the animals. Apadāni catuṣ-padām: these grass, plants, they are for the catuṣ-padām, four-legged. Cows, deer, goats, they eat. And those who are weak, they are for the strong. In this way, this is the nature's way. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life, a living entity is food for another. (dogs barking) Immigration department. (laughter) We have got passport. (laughter) That's all right.
Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:
The word tejaḥ used here is meant for the kṣatriyas. The kṣatriyas should always be very strong to be able to give protection to the weak. They should not pose themselves as nonviolent. If violence is required, they must exhibit it. Śaucam means cleanliness, not only in mind and body but in one's dealings also. It is especially meant for the mercantile people, who should not deal in the black market. Nāti-mānitā, 'not expecting honor,' applies to the śūdras, the worker class, which are considered, according to Vedic injunctions, to be the lowest of the four classes. They should not be puffed up with unnecessary prestige or honor and should remain in their own status. It is the duty of the śūdras to offer respect to the higher class for the upkeep of the social order. All these sixteen qualifications mentioned are transcendental qualities.
Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The strongest, somehow they survive, and other, weaker species, they become extinct.
Rādhāvallabha: They say the origin of species is genetic.
Devotee (3): They say "Somehow or other..." Then...
Prabhupāda: Is that science? "Somehow or other." If I say, "Somehow or other, you'll become a dog," (laughter) what is the wrong there? If things are taking place somehow or other, so I say somehow or other you'll become a dog. Our explanation is complete. They accept somehow or other is a means. So somehow or other, you are going to be dog. How can you deny it? If that is your position, that things are taking place somehow or other, so how can you deny, somehow or other you'll become a dog? Hm?
Rādhāvallabha: They will say that "We have seen that these other things have taken place..."
Prabhupāda: But then it is not that "somehow or other." This argument cannot be. Nothing happens somehow or other. We don't believe that. Here is the cause.
Room Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the only life, to think of publication and distribution.
Rādhāvallabha: This keeps me alive. If I didn't have this service, I think I would just die.
Prabhupāda: Even in this weak... I am very weak nowadays. Still, I am working.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Nicely.
Prabhupāda: I think I shall not be able to go for walks. This morning my heart was beating too much.
Hari-śauri: It's very strenuous.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Best would be, then, to rest, perhaps up until at least until Washington and see, because in Washington there may be a very suitable situation. It's hard to walk on these roads also. They are very rough, and the altitude is high.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That we will do. Yes.
Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:
Prabhupāda: Women also. What is the use of this material husband? Make Kṛṣṇa husband. Kṛṣṇa's prepared to become everything—love Him as husband, love Him as son, love Him, friend. Kṛṣṇa is prepared.
Rūpānuga: I have see in our society that if the preaching is strong amongst the leaders and there's serious chanting, leaders see that everyone is chanting and happily engaged, that there is no disturbance. If the preaching is weak, there is sexual disturbance.
Prabhupāda: Then the material desire becomes prominent.
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Prabhupāda: So you are drawing the last drop of milk from the cow and sending her to the slaughterhouse. Is that very good civilization?
Dr. Sharma: Swamiji, the beef industry here is based more on... The argument of mother would be a little weak.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Dr. Sharma: The beef industry here is more based on steers, which are not, which are basically bulls given high estrogens and bred in that way.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, we are layman, and we follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction that cow, milk is very important, we drink the cow's milk, therefore she is mother. So at least she should be saved from being killed. This is common sense. Apart from other big, big reasoning, we take it, Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya, so we take it. Besides that, so far vegetables are concerned, Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "If anyone offers Me even patram," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam,"I eat them." So we take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. So Kṛṣṇa says "You give Me these vegetables, plants." So we offer Him, and then we take. Besides that, everybody has to eat something.
Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: That is the karmīs. Even the Orissa politicians, they accused Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because the Orissa politician, it is a fact the Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was politically very strong. At that time the Muhammadans were conquering different parts of India, but they could not enter Orissa or the southern India. They were very strong. So this Mahārāja Pratāparudra politically was very strong. So the modern politicians of Orissa, they accuse Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Orissa and Mahārāja Pratāparudra became influenced by Him, Orissa fell down. They accuse sometimes that Orissa's political position became weakened on account of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's influence on Mahārāja Pratāparudra. They say. The modern politicians of Orissa, they also do not like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Prabhupāda: So in my childhood, when I was one and one-half years old, I suffered from typhoid, and the Dr. Karttika Candra Bose, he said that he, "Please give him chicken juice." So my father refused: "No, no, we cannot." "No, no he has to be given. Now he has become very weak." "No, no, I cannot allow." "Don't mind, I shall prepare in my own house and send. You simply..." So it was sent from his house, and when it was given to me, immediately I began to vomit. And my father threw it away, and when the doctor asked that this was the... "No, no, then don't bother." This story I heard. This allopathetic system of medicine introduced all these things in India. Otherwise they did not know.
Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Prabhupāda: Just see how rascal they are. My Guru Mahārāja every step condemned this Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. He said frankly that if there are any impediments for our movement, that is this Gandhi and Vivekananda. He said frankly. Hodge-podge. Gandhi's also hodge-podge. He was a politician, and in politics he mixed some spiritual ideas, hodge-podge. And this Vivekananda was also politician. His name was recorded in the government as "sannyāsī-politician." Because after returning from America, he began to preach to make the poor man rich, and these weak, fatty, and so on, exercise. So the government took it that he's, under the dress of a sannyāsī, he's preaching social and political upliftment. So his name was recorded as "sannyāsī-politician." And his name was also recorded, "political saint," Gandhi. After all, the British government, they were very intelligent.
Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: No, old, old man is different.
Jayapatākā: He wants to live, and he is too weak to do anything.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Jayapatākā: He wants to chant and give some money.
Prabhupāda: Let him purchase one room. Let him live... For life he can live, and we give him prasāda free.
Jayapatākā: Purchase one room. Eight, ten thousand rupees.
Prabhupāda: No, fifty thousand, I think. In Vṛndāvana we are selling sixty thousand. Sixty thousand.
Gargamuni: No, but those rooms have attached baths. In our room there is no attached bath.
Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say in Vṛndāvana, that... Or anywhere. Whatever money is fixed up, let him pay, live in his room comfortably and we give him free prasāda. There is no harm. But he must attend the ārati and rules and regulations.
Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana:
Harikeśa: Slightly. There was a very weak, it was very weak. Very weak. I remember 'cause they had to move three times. I was there all the times when They were moved.
Prabhupāda: In Bombay.
Harikeśa: In Bombay. And every time they were very upset because of this left arm.
Prabhupāda: This risk should not be taken at any gain. Never mind Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, this-vilāsa—no risk. You must always know. No risk. That is the first point. Then we consult Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Nobody can give reference to Hari-bhakti-vilāsa at risk.
Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana:
Akṣayānanda: They become so weak that they can't work anyway.
Hari-śauri: So they just become a liability.
Haṁsadūta: I had one devotee, his name was Rad... (break) ...you know and you know. He does nothing at all. He's always sick. But at prasādam he eats more than any other man. I told him, "Prabhu, you're a doctor. You should know that if you eat so much food you can't digest, you're going to be sick." He says, "No, I'm so weak I require food. I have to, I can't get any strength." So I asked him, "At least, sit down in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He said "I can't..."
Prabhupāda: I have seen. Some of them eat so much I am surprised.
Akṣayānanda: But the ones who eat that much, they are the ones who are always sick. They're the ones.
Prabhupāda: Overeating means sick.
Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:
Hari-śauri: Yeah, because the demons, they think anyone who will allow themselves to become the servant of someone else, then they think he has got very weak character. Then they accuse the person who is in charge of manipulating that person.
Prabhupāda: Just like there are so many men now, they are against this Sai Baba.
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Sai Baba is actually doing that brainwash. But they don't think of... (break)
Haṁsadūta: Yes, because people cannot discriminate. They have no power to discriminate. They group us with all these other bogus people.
Prabhupāda: But that happened when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was being praised by the Nawab. They were asking about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "What is the position of this man that so many people are following him?" So, Sanātana Goswami, who was very bright, took it as a warning and asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that you leave this place as soon as possible.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:
Guest (2): He was getting a temperature. He was weak.
Prabhupāda: What is the age?
Guest (2): He is twelve years.
Prabhupāda: Only? That's all. What does he say?
Guest (2): What do you say? He has... He is now in my car. I brought him from Bombay.
Prabhupāda: So you are living there or what?
Guest (2): They were staying here. They could not get subsequent accommodations. We have shifted to some hotel here, near Juhu.
Prabhupāda: Hotel? There is no sufficient place here?
Devotee: He was here, but there were many many life members.
Guest (2): Many life members were here, and so there was not accommodation. So they were told or they voluntarily shifted to the hotel. Because many life members came from abroad here on Christmas, and all that. So therefore the accommodation was not there, so some shifted in Juhu. Some hotel. They come here every day.
Prabhupāda: No... Your woman you can live together.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:
Rāmeśvara: This makes his mind very weak.
Prabhupāda: You rascal, you have nothing to do. You sleep. Napoleon used to sleep for one hour, two hour. He was such a busy man. So they are so busy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have no time to sleep. Every great man does not sleep very much. The lazy men... (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Hindi) Acchā. Sleeping is simply waste of time. So this is... If he does not sleep more, it is a sign of greatness.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:
Prabhupāda: So that is all right. Then you break. Now he's quite fit for your conversion. He's now weak. You convert him to your ideas. (laughter) We have made the ground.
Rāmeśvara: That's what they want! They want us...
Prabhupāda: Then why do you kidnap? You say.
Rāmeśvara: They want us to give the devotees to them, and then they will deprive them of food and sleep and deprogram him.
Jagadīśa: But we're already depriving him of food and sleep.
Prabhupāda: But they are open to everyone. Why do you kidnap? Why do you steal like a thief?
Rāmeśvara: For his own good.
Prabhupāda: Then you are thief. Then thief can also say like that, "For my good I can steal."
Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Prabhupāda: Yes. We shall develop. (break)
Gargamuni: ...talking about in Purī, that there's a class of men who are preaching that because of Caitanya's movement, Islam was spreading, because the king became somewhat weakened, they have said. So I met one such man there also at the Purī Hotel. He said, "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa? By this Caitanya cult the Islam has spread." He was saying. So I told him, "You said that. We don't get any information historically. In fact it was the reverse, that this Hussain, the Nawab Hussain Shah, he became a great follower." He said, "No, that is not written anywhere." I said, "No, it is in Caitanya-caritāmṛta." He did not accept Caitanya-caritāmṛta as historic fact. He was a crazy man.
Prabhupāda: Demon.
Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Rāmeśvara: America, it seems, is becoming very weak.
Prabhupāda: Means if they have got strength, if they have got strength they can attack Russia. I've said that. But they have no moral strength. Drunkard, illicit sex, they have no mental determination, cannot.
Rāmeśvara: They are thinking, "Why should we get involved in fighting miles away..."
Prabhupāda: That is another laziness. For good cause one should.
Rāmeśvara: They are thinking, "What if the people want to be Communist? Why should we interfere?"
Prabhupāda: That means cowardice. They have no conviction that Communism is dangerous, godlessness.
Rāmeśvara: They are forgetting how dangerous it is.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:
Satsvarūpa: It is very weak argument to say, "Something doesn't exist because I don't see it."
Prabhupāda: It is childish.
Satsvarūpa: But they can say, "Neither is it a proof that it does exist."
Prabhupāda: How you can prove? You can hear only. There are many things which is beyond your sense perception. The example which I often give, that "Who is your father?" What is proof? The proof is the hearing from mother. That's all. You cannot have any other proof.
Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Satsvarūpa: One of their arguments is that they'll get some member and deprogram him, some weak devotee, and then he will go to court or he will write and say, "Yes. I did not want to join this movement, but they did something to me, and I lost my free will, and then..."
Prabhupāda: They have said like that?
Satsvarūpa: Yes. They tell so many lies. They say that the devotee looked into his eyes and suddenly he couldn't think anymore.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Satsvarūpa: That's what Ādi-keśava is being charged with-mind control.
Pradyumna: Like asi-kāraṇa.(?) Like mind control, hypnotism.
Prabhupāda: So why not let me control your mind? I'll control your mind—the judge. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hm? No, no. No, no. Let him come. Why? Call him.
Room Conversation -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Pṛthu-putra: Don't say.
Prabhupāda: No. You can say indirectly that "God is the father of all living entities. He's the supreme father. God does not like that the weaker living entities should be killed for the satisfaction of the stomach. But when there is no alternative, then the stronger animal can take. Because even one takes vegetables, that is also eating another animal, another living being. So therefore, human being must use discretion, that 'If I can live in this way, why shall I kill one important animal?' That is human intelligence." In this way you have to preach. And besides that, according to our Bhagavad-gītā, God says, "Give Me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26)." He never said, "Give Me meat. Give me egg." So we are devotee to Kṛṣṇa. So we give Him this vegetables, milk, and so many nice things, and take prasādam. In this way don't quarrel with them in the beginning.
Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some devotees, I've noticed... Sometimes some weak devotees, they leave our movement but still, in New York, even after leaving, they have to come every evening for their regular meals in the restaurant, because they are addicted to prasādam. They cannot do without it.
Prabhupāda: What do we supply in the restaurant?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Restaurant supplies two or three sabjis...
Prabhupāda: Two, three.
Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Hm. Then he would take his night dinner and—not dinner. Some puris or paraṭā. He was also fond of this puffed rice. In later age he was simply taking puffed rice and milk. So, anyway, pūjā was his main business.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet.
Prabhupāda: No, cent percent engagement in, that is hamper. There is no doubt. But to do business as a householder is not bad.
Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter. Let them be leader.
Jayapatākā: There are some distributors in the West that are very... They've been distributing five or six years, and they're very weak, and they want to come to India.
Prabhupāda: Let them come.
Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Brahmānanda: Bhagavān claims that all these men who signed this letter, they were spiritually weak.
Prabhupāda: So what you have decided? Yogeśvara was doing nice in translation, his wife was doing nice. So why should we lose these important hands?
Rāmeśvara: He hasn't been working at the French BBT for many months. He gave that up some time ago and was working with his wife at the gurukula.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He told me that he was frustrated. That's why he gave it up. When he was in New York he told me that had become discouraged.
Prabhupāda: So if Bhagavān and he does not agree, then he should be given better place that both husband and wife, they can go on with the translation work. It is not that he has to remain under the control of Bhagavān. That is not necessary. Let him translate independently, and wherever he likes, he can remain.
Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: What benefit they will get?
Girirāja: No, only harassment, they have... They have nothing to gain actually. And everyone knows it. But they are just so weak and political minded that they don't want to stand up against Mattrey, the officers. Anyway, I think I should go now then.
Prabhupāda: He is coming?
Girirāja: Yes. I'll bring him here so there will be no unnecessary waiting. And...
Prabhupāda: What time?
Girirāja: By eight at the latest. We'll try for earlier also. (break)
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.
Room Conversation -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:
rabhupāda: Anyone who does not know Kṛṣṇa is a mūḍha. So the only difficulty is that we have to deal with mūḍhas. But our position is different. We are not mūḍhas. (long pause) (break) He was in good position. I don't think he had much anxieties.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: What is it, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Dr. Rao.
Hari-śauri: The cause of his heart failure.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I don't know. He has a little over... He was a little heavy, he became. I don't know. I never had any encounter that his heart was weak. Never knew before. So unpredictable.
Prabhupāda: Hm. He was young man.
Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: So go-rakṣya, not... Just like Vinoba Bhave recently, "Cows which have delivered milk should not be sacrificed." Kṛṣṇa does not say, "Only the cows which are delivering milk, they should not be sent to slaughter." Go-rakṣya. Even they are not delivering milk...
Mr. Dwivedi: Go-rakṣya means go-rakṣya.
Prabhupāda: Go-rakṣya.
Mr. Dwivedi: Rakṣya means go-rakṣya. It doesn't mean that the sick should not be protected, the weak should not be protected. Go-rakṣya means go-rakṣya.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Conversation: Bogus Gurus -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, "Save yourself from aparādha." Some aparādha, and they are going away, just like Nitāi. Guror avajñā.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's called the elephant offense?
Prabhupāda: Hm. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha. The weak and the fools, they will be victimized. What can be done? Tīrtha-guru, the pāṇḍā is accepted tīrtha-guru... That... But he takes to Jagannātha temple and other holy places, gives him instruction about the holy places and so on, so on, shelter, food, in this way.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. There is such a thing.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because I am unknown, so he helps me in every respect. So Vaiṣṇava accepts everyone as guru, śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru, then tīrtha-guru. This is no harm. But what is this rascal, "No, no, you cannot sit down here. You take the flag and pay me hundred rupees?" if you are so rascal, who can save you?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tīrtha-goru.
Prabhupāda: Tīrtha-goru, that is called. That risk is there because in India there are so many places, holy places. If you are not expert, you'll be victimized.
Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ. So what is the value of such election, and what is the value of such important men? Therefore the whole system is condemned. Is it not the fact? Everywhere, not only in India. Not that the actual good man is on the head of the ruling power.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, rather, they look upon good qualities as weakness.
Prabhupāda: Whatever... That they'll achieve.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If someone is humble, they think it is weak.
Prabhupāda: (Bengali)
Indian devotee: Chyavana-prash, Prabhu.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Indian devotee: Chyavana-prash.
Bhakti-caru: (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) So you are arranging for tickets for how many men?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The party is Your Divine Grace...
Prabhupāda: We are four.
Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: They're simply barking, but this weak dog became fainted. That's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they praised him for that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Oh, he has talked so much." (laughter) I saw that "These two dogs are barking only. One of them fainted."
Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Hm. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. I am little weak.
Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes. All weak.
Prabhupāda: So Surabhī, come. You can come.
Indian Astronomer: And I am very glad to meet Your Holiness.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Indian Astronomer: Till now I saw only in the papers, newspapers and magazines and pamphlets and books. I am so fortunate to gain darśana directly at your...
Prabhupāda: It is very kind of you.
Arrival Speech -- May 17, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So I cannot speak. I am feeling very weak. I was to go to other places like Chandigarh program, but I cancelled the program because the condition of my health is very deteriorating. So I preferred to come to Vṛndāvana. If death takes place, let it take here. So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn't matter. As Kṛṣṇa is living eternally, similarly, living being also lives eternally. But kīrtir yasya sa jīvati: "One who has done service to the Lord lives forever." So you have been taught to serve Kṛṣṇa, and with Kṛṣṇa we'll live eternally. Our life is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). A temporary disappearance of this body, it doesn't matter. Body is meant for disappearance. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So live forever by serving Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much.
Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: We have become very, very weak. No appetite. The brain is not working. Brain is working, but body is not allowing... Don't worry. Everyone will die, today or tomorrow. I am also old man. There is nothing to be regrettable. So as far as possible in my body, I am complete... Now it is up to Kṛṣṇa to judge... I have no objection.
Bhavānanda: What can we do, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: You can pray Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. I am only requesting that whatever I have done, you don't spoil it. That's all. Think this. I am getting report, very hopeful, as you gave report from Māyāpur, very good.
Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Every fortnight. At least. Before going to Europe, six years ago, you were keeping hair: "I have to go to Europe." That I have seen. Everywhere. Those who... You like to keep hair. That hippie mentality is going on. That's right. That is good, very intelligent reasoning, actual, long hair by keeping...(?) Everyone is giving some advice. Gurudāsa is giving. "He's keeping. He's..." Gargamuni. Everyone has some explanation. I do not know how you can give up this hippie mentality. Hippie. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Kali-yuga. Victim of Kali-yuga. It is... It is not yet whole, but weak men, victimized by Kali-yuga... There are so many things to victimize over the living entities in Kali-yuga, and one of the item is that he will take that "I have become very, very beautiful, attractive by keeping long hair." Keśa. That is already stated there. You are victimized by that Kali-yuga. That's all. No explaining. Our trademark is clean-shaven. We are known as shaven hair. Why you should be victimized? You are known as shaven hair.
Room Conversation about Mayapura Attack Talk with Vrindavan De -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: But everyone can be utilized if you organize it rightly. Three hundred dacoits there means government is very weak.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's just in one little area, Nadia District. Imagine how many dacoits are in all of Bengal now. It will get even worse than it was in 1971. I'm sure, as the Kali-yuga progresses, it will only get worse. And it was very bad. I remember when we were living in Bali Ganj. Every day there was march. People were marching, Communist slogans.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Bhakti-caru was saying that one of the reasons Bengali people are by nature... They're intelligent. They're always intelligent people, not so much physically hard working. So without so much physical work to do and without proper employment, this intelligence now has become misdirected. 'Cause nowhere else in India do the Communists have such a foothold as in Bengal.
Prabhupāda: Intelligent and lazy.
Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:
Yaśomatīnandana: How are you feeling?
Prabhupāda: Not very good. Old man's disease. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, vṛddha kāla āola saba sukha bhāgala:(?) "When a man becomes old, all bodily comforts..." So it is not very good to live like an old man. It is troublesome. Body will be weakened, and all kinds of disease will be strong. Unless one is very strong in body, old age means suffering. So whatever Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma desire. Now it is up to you to maintain the Society very nicely. There is framework. There is idea. There is facility of everything. If you like, you can maintain work.
Room Conversation -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So you can do the needful.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do the needful?
Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda's voice is very weak and low now) Yes, you all consider. Is that all right?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In what regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: In every regard.
Hari-śauri: Everything. Every regard.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. All you have to do is think of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Give me that chance, and rest you'll do.
Hari-śauri: Darśana and rest.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Give me that chance."
Hari-śauri: Oh.
Prabhupāda: Is that all right?
Hari-śauri: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Gurukṛpā will also remain here.
Room Conversation Arrival of Jayatirtha and Harikesa -- October 8, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Not bad.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not bad. It may be that your pulse is like that because you're resting. After a long sleep the pulse can be weak and slow. (break)
Prabhupāda: But I think I cannot sit down.
Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think that just as you gradually decreased your eating and drinking and became very weak, so you should increase gradually, very carefully. Yesterday you drank barley water and grape juice, and you didn't come down with a cough. So if you increase just a little barley water and mung water, then after a few days thin milk, maybe some Complan, and then gradually increase the resistance...
Prabhupāda: So instead of water, barley water.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take barley water now?
Prabhupāda: In milk. Milk will give some strength.
Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: What did you do with food? (?) (break)
Śatadhanya: Prasādam. And they have kīrtana. They are so-called communists. Actually Bengalis are devotees, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Simply that they know your name is enough to purify all of Bengal, what to speak of if you remain present, the whole world will become completely flooded by kṛṣṇa-prema. That is why we are begging you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you remain with us for some time longer, because we are very weak and are still attached to material sense gratification. But if you are present, it is like a transcendental ocean.
Prabhupāda: There is some strain here. Why not make big or...? (soft kīrtana in Prabhupāda's room)
Upendra: You have some pain.
Prabhupāda: Not pain, but veins straining.
Room Conversation -- October 22, 1977, Vrndavana:
Upendra: The doctor in London... You came from London, and then you came from Bombay to Vṛndāvana in very weak condition.
Prabhupāda: So weak condition...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be little warmer in Māyāpur. In Māyāpur the weather will be a little warmer. Also the air is fresher in that sense.
Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, here is Tamāla.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (offers obeisances) Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So you think over transferring me to Māyāpur.
Room Conversation -- October 25, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Strong or weak, it doesn't matter. You carry me at least three times.
Hari-śauri: Yes. And darśana?
Prabhupāda: Hm? And darśana also.
Hari-śauri: At 9:30 or 10:00.
Prabhupāda: Any time.
Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:
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.
Mādhava: Maybe the impurities are passing from Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Bhavānanda: Of course, Vanamali, he might have been hesitant to give the medicine because we suspect that his medicine was even bona fide. He might have been avoiding giving it because it wouldn't work to begin with.
Prabhupāda: Bona fide or not bona fide.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: I am losing my willpower, because practically I see that I am becoming more and more weak.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said you're losing your willpower?
Bhakti-caru: Don't you think there has been a slight improvement, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Over last few days there has been a little improvement?
Prabhupāda: What is that improvement?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the improvement?
Bhakti-caru: Your intake has increased. Your voice sounds stronger than before.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) What you will do with the voice?
Bhakti-caru: That's a sign of strength.
Prabhupāda: No, no, why don't you consider. In case it is not successful... Upāyān cintayet prajñā apāyān ca cintayet(?). Two things side by side: success or failure. In case it is failure, then what you'll do? You cannot guarantee anything success. Maybe success, maybe failure. If kavirāja's suggestion, if it becomes success, that's very good.
Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. I'm always nearby. I'm in the house all the time. (break) One thing I feel, that while there hasn't been any great improvement, on the other hand, I do not find that there has been any negative reaction or any regression since the time the kavirāja's treatment began. Of course, Your Divine Grace says that you feel weaker now than you did a week ago. If that's a fact, then...
Prabhupāda: Not so very weak.
Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I do find that you have more difficulty sitting up now. I notice that when you sit up you always slump over to one side, either as if you have no sufficient strength or as if you lost your balance. I can't tell which it is. You're always leaning. You're not able to sit up straight. Of course, that was there also even a week ago, but it seems a little more noticeable now. Do you think you are weaker now than you were a week ago?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You do? That's not a good sign. I mean I wouldn't expect that you should be that much stronger, but I don't see why you should be weaker now. Do you think it may be psychologically that you're weaker? I mean, how would you know if you were weaker now?
Prabhupāda: Because I cannot sit down.
Room Conversation -- November 4, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can't sit up. You mean after being sat up you can't stay sitting up? You were never able to sit yourself up. That you were not doing since many months ago. When you say you're not able to sit down, you mean you cannot keep sitting in a sitting position? 'Cause that you were able to do in the last day or two, sitting up. It might be... I don't know, but it may be more psychological, from laying in bed all the time. Naturally there is a feeling perhaps that one is... Weakness also means one's willpower becomes more weaker. Is that possible that that may be it?
Prabhupāda: What it is, Kṛṣṇa knows.
Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So they will see me, I have no objection. I want little milk from them, that's all. (pause) So far my presence is required (for) management, I think I have bequeathed, properly you can manage. Hm. It is to be admitted failure, the so-called medical treatment, failure. (pause)
Jayapatāka: I'll be back to say that you defy all medical laws. Sometimes you become very weak and sometimes you become immediately strong. (pause)
Girirāja: I think this is a good idea.
Prabhupāda: Who is this?
Devotee: Girirāja.
Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Bhavānanda: Because quite honestly, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think most of us are very worried. If you go off down the road and send us all back to our different assignments, we would not be able to serve with our full attention, knowing that our beloved father and spiritual guide was in such weak condition. So if we begin in Vṛndāvana, we're all here now, we can see so that we know what arrangements to make for the future when you want to leave.
Prabhupāda: Hm. You make me flat. (break)
Jayapatākā: We heard that Your Divine Grace had a dream that a kavirāja of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya would treat you and bring you back to strength, and this kavirāja says that in a very short time, following the treatment, you would regain your strength. Although he hasn't got all of the medicines yet, but within a day or two they'll all be prepared, and he says within fifteen days you should be quite improved in strength. So far, he seems to have been quite sincere.
Prabhupāda: No, no, he's sincere. I'll drink milk. Whatever strength is obtainable, there will be.
| Page Title: | Weak (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=110, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 110 |